Quartz and zircon decoupling in sandstone: Petrography and quartz cathodoluminescence of the Early Triassic continental Buntsandstein Group in Germany

This study illustrates how decoupling of quartz and zircon can be used advantageously in provenance research. Thirty‐eight fine‐grained to coarse‐grained arkose samples of the Early Triassic intracontinental Buntsandstein Group from the Central European Basin in Germany were analysed for their petrography and 1200 grains in 23 of these for their detrital quartz cathodoluminescence characteristics. The samples represent the Hessian and Thuringian sub‐basins and the Eichsfeld–Altmark Swell separating them. The Hessian Sub‐basin includes more metamorphic lithoclasts with a larger content of plutonic grains than are found further east in the Thuringian Sub‐basin. More than 90% of the detrital quartz from the eastern Thuringian Sub‐basin produce medium to bright blue cathodoluminescence colours and corresponding spectra that are typical for igneous or high‐temperature metamorphic origin. Differently, the quartz from the Hessian Sub‐basin mostly luminesces brown and dark to medium blue, typical for a low‐temperature metamorphic origin. Quartz from the Eichsfeld–Altmark Swell and the western Thuringian Sub‐basin is a mixture between these origins. The quartz indicates different catchments for the sub‐basins, possibly the Bohemian Massif and the Massif Central, with converging transport routes on and close to the eastern fringe of the swell. Taking published zircon data from the same samples into account, light mineral‐zircon grain‐size shifts are up to 2 Φ units. That can be explained by mineral decoupling due to different transport modes for quartz and zircon and different zircon‐size availability in the source areas, exaggerated by combined aqueous–aeolian transport, as well as sample preparation‐induced sorting. This study concludes that submerged highs significantly can influence continental sediment transport. Hence, vast, flat continental areas with submerged morphological highs and a seemingly straightforward transportation pattern may be more complex than expected. The results also illustrate that analysis of detritus that has been affected by different dominating transport modes, and further sorting during sampling and preparation can reveal additional source information.     

川东北元坝地区须家河组石英砂岩沉积与储层特征

在川东北元坝及周边地区首次发现纯净的石英砂岩沉积,石英砂岩厚度10~15 m左右。研究表明,石英砂岩主要以夹层形式出现在须一、二段,但沉积环境相当特殊,主要为海泛或湖泛早期沉积的滩坝砂体,不属于须家河组广泛发育的三角洲沉积体系,石英砂体呈近东西向展布,明显受到米仓山-大巴山前陆前渊带的控制。石英砂岩以粉-细砂为主,分选好,磨圆度高,杂基含量低,具有较高的成熟度,与其它地区不同,研究区石英砂岩具有良好的储集性能,其主要原因是由于石英砂岩中石英颗粒内具有高密度原生微裂缝,这些原生裂缝在沉积后成岩过程中可能闭合,但在后期的构造挤压背景下石英砂岩的脆性特性及破碎颗粒容易导致大量裂缝发育,裂缝的发育同时促进原生裂缝充填物和粒间填屑物的溶蚀,形成以裂缝为主的孔隙性储层。在研究区具有裂缝的石英颗粒并不局限在石英砂岩,我们推测具有裂缝的石英与物源有关。     

Influence of eolian processes on Precambrian sandstones of the Godavari valley,South India

The shallow marine Precambrian Pakhal sandstones (Middle Proterozoic, about 1400 Ma) of the Godavari valley are composed of first-cycle terrigenous grains derived from the crystalline Basement Complex. The sandstones include a large number of rounded and well rounded grains of quartz and feldspar. The rounded grains, without exception, occur in intimate association with angular grains. The sandstones are also characterised by several other types of textural inversions.Relative effectiveness of several processes with regard to the development of roundness of the Pakhal sands has been considered. Simple sedimentary differentiation fails to explain the high degree of roundness of the first-cycle sands. Solutions rich in organic matter cannot be considered effective in rounding Proterozoic sands. Chemical action is inconsistent with the presence of fresh grains of feldspar. Beach processes also fail to explain the presence of large numbers of feldspar grains. The roundness of these sands is best explained by eolian processes, that can effectively round grains of quartz as well as feldspar.The textural inversions of the Pakhal sandstones can be attributed neither to mixing of sands derived from multiple sources nor to mixing of materials coming from different environments. They possibly resulted from mixing of sands with contrasting mechanisms of transport, viz., eolian and aqueous, in a common area of sedimentation.Eolian transport and abrasion processes probably played a more significant role during the time of Pakhal sedimentation than at present, because of the absence of protective vegetation in Proterozoic time.     

Petrographic analysis using cathodoluminescence microscopy with simultaneous energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy

Summary ¶Mineral grains unidentifiable by means of cathodoluminescence (CL) and/or polarizing microscopy (including non-luminescent or opaque minerals) can be readily identified with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, attached to the CL equipment. Chemical identification is possible of mineral grains (ten to a few tens of microns) that are even smaller than the electron beam area, by using index elements if the unknown mineral analyzed is surrounded by grains of simple or known chemical composition (e.g. minute areas of carbonate cement surrounded by quartz or clay minerals; clay cements surrounded by quartz or carbonate) and simultaneous with CL microscopy.Results are presented of Cambrian, Carboniferous and Jurassic sandstones from Sweden and Germany. Transparent and opaque minerals, i.a. feldspars, luminescent and non-luminescent carbonate minerals as well as luminescent and non-luminescent clay minerals were identified in thin sections. The analytical procedure described here is especially helpful when rapid petrographic analysis has to be carried out of samples with complex composition, of which the petrographer had no previous experience.     

Facies and provenance analysis of Paleogene‐age alluvial conglomerates from the northern part of the Mesta Basin,SW Bulgaria

The Mesta Basin in southwest Bulgaria is a graben that contains a Paleogene‐age siliciclastic and volcaniclastic succession deposited in alluvial and fluvial settings. A sedimentological analysis has shed light on conglomerate provenance, and the links between deposition and tectonic setting. Petrographical and chemical analysis of conglomerate clasts and matrix from the Dobrinishka, Gradinishka, Osikovo (or Osenovo) and Zlataritsa formations reveal both local, and more distal source provenance ages. The basal conglomerates are subdivided into three types, a lower and upper polymictic and a middle granitic conglomerate type. Petrographical and chemical analysis reveals granite, gneiss and amphibolite clasts that were sourced from the Sidironero–Mesta Unit of the Middle Allochthon of the Rhodope Metamorphic Complex, and the Rila–Rhodope Batholith to the east of the basin. Cathodoluminescence analysis of quartz sand grains reveals an increased input of red‐ and violet‐luminescent volcanic grains. Volcanic quartz in the oldest conglomerates indicates a hitherto unknown early (pre‐Oligocene) phase of volcanic activity in the vicinity of the Mesta Basin. The conglomerates were deposited in association with movement on the Ribnovo low‐angle normal fault during the Late Eocene, creating subsidence and the development of considerable accommodation space. The establishment of a fluvial environment followed subsequent Oligocene‐age volcanic activity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

The genesis of the silica sands of Black River, St Elizabeth, Jamaica

The only reported occurrence of quartz-rich sands in Jamaica is on the plains of Black River, St Elizabeth, where they outcrop in isolated pockets. The sands overlie limestones of the White Limestone Supergroup and the Coastal Group, and partly underlie Holocene peat deposits. Monocrystalline quartz, containing fluid and mineral inclusions, is the dominant mineral of the sands, with the heavy minerals. magnetite, haematite, epidote, rutile, anatase, zircon and tourmaline, occurring in minor amounts. Grain surface texture studies of the quartz grains have identified a series of mechanical and chemical features. Microtextures depicting marine, aeolian and pedological environments have been retained on the grains and represent the last three stages in the history of the grains. The petrography of the sands indicates an igneous provenance, with the major source of the detrital minerals being the Cretaceous granitoids that outcrop in the eastern half of the island. These rocks were unroofed during the uplift of Jamaica in the Late Tertiary and were subjected to extensive chemical weathering, which accounted for the breakdown of the majority of their primary silicate minerals. Fluvial transportation and deposition of detritus onto the shelf of the south coast commenced during this period and continued into the Pleistocene, providing terrigenous sand that was modified along the coast to quartz arenite by moderate to high energy marine conditions. Tidal currents, east-west longshore currents and weathering contributed to the maturity of the sand by the time it had been transported along the shelf to the vicinity of Black River. During low sea level stands in the Pleistocene, some of this sediment that became trapped on the shelf was blown inland by south-east winds.     

Cathodoluminescence imaging and titanium thermometry in metamorphic quartz

Cathodoluminescence (CL) of quartz from metamorphic rocks representing a range of conditions from the garnet grade to the migmatite grade reveals a variety of textures, that is, a function of metamorphic grade and deformation history. Ti concentrations, determined by electron microprobe and ion microprobe, generally correlate with CL intensity (blue wavelengths), and application of the Ti‐in‐quartz thermometer (TitaniQ) reflects the temperature of quartz growth or recrystallization, and, in some settings, modification by diffusion. Quartz from garnet grade samples is not visibly zoned, records temperatures of 425–475 °C, and is interpreted to have recrystallized during fabric formation. Quartz grains from staurolite grade samples are zoned in CL with markedly darker cores and brighter rims, some of which are interpreted to have been produced by the dominant staurolite‐producing reaction, whereas others are interpreted as having formed by diffusion of Ti into quartz rims. Quartz from the matrix of kyanite and sillimanite grade samples are generally unzoned, although locally displays slightly brighter rims (higher Ti); quartz inclusions within garnet and staurolite have distinctly brighter rims, which are interpreted as having been produced by diffusive exchange with the host mineral. Quartz from migmatite grade samples displays highly variable CL intensity, which is dependent on the location of the grain. Matrix grains in melanosomes are largely unzoned or rarely zoned with darker cores. Leucosome quartz is strongly zoned with bright cores and dark rims and is interpreted as having formed during crystallization of the melt. Locally within the leucosome is observed oscillatory‐zoned quartz, which is interpreted as a subsolidus recrystallization to achieve strain relaxation. Quartz inclusions within garnet or plagioclase crystals often show bright domains separated by zones of dark CL. These enigmatic textures possibly reflect local melting fluxed by fluid inclusions. Temperatures calculated from the Ti–in–quartz thermometer are a function of the metamorphic grade of the sample, the textural setting of the quartz, the reaction history and the deformation history of the rock. The TitaniQ temperatures can be used to constrain the conditions at which various metamorphic processes have occurred.     

Index test for the degradation potential of carbonate sands during hydraulic transportation

Carbonate sands undergo degradation when transported hydraulically from a dredging vessel to the reclamation site. Risks involved in the production of fines during hydraulic transport are a deterioration of the mechanical properties of the fill in certain areas of the reclamation area where these fines concentrate. In order to assess sand degradation in the concrete and road construction industry, the Micro-Deval test for fine aggregates was developed in France and Canada. During Micro-Deval testing, aggregates degrade when tumbled in a rotating steel drum with water and steel balls. In the Canadian standard, the steel charge is lower than in the French standard and balls have the diameter of the smallest balls used in the French test. During testing, the quantity of fines produced is measured. This makes the Micro-Deval test an option for assessing the degradation of sand during hydraulic transportation of slurries in the dredging industry. Three sands are tested: two shelly carbonate sands and one quartzic river sand for comparison. The carbonate sands were sampled on reclaimed land and had been subjected to hydraulic transportation in pipeline before artificial deposition. Due to differences in particle shape, the carbonate sands and the quartz sand have a different number of contacts with the steel charge in the drum of the Micro-Deval and are not exposed to the same degradation forces during testing. It was found that the quartzic sand suffers relatively much degradation as compared to the carbonate sands, despite its greater hardness and resistance to crushability. The French test appears to create turbulence that promotes floatation of the curved shells of the carbonate sands instead of shell grinding at the bottom of the drum by contact with the steel balls. Microscopic observations of sand samples before and after testing showed that the French Micro-Deval test is too destructive. The test leads to the fragmentation by impact of the quartz sands and the destruction of certain particle types that had survived hydraulic transportation. With respect to the Canadian test, microscopic examination of sand grains before and after testing shows there is still much fragmentation of quartz grains. A lower rotational speed combined with a limited steel charge made of uniform balls of a smaller diameter, reduces turbulence, shell floatability and last but not the least, impact forces. It produces the desired result: a high Micro-Deval loss for the carbonate sands in comparison to that for the quartz sands and a very limited fragmentation of the quartz grains. Once the slurry reaches its destination, the grain size distribution of the fines fraction will influence the mechanical behaviour of mixed sands. A procedure is proposed to measure the particle size distribution of the fines fraction produced during Micro-Deval testing.Field validation is needed to validate preliminary laboratory results.     

应用石英释光灵敏度溯源的研究现状和展望

应用石英释光灵敏度进行物源研究是释光技术发展的新方向。回顾了石英释光灵敏度在测年研究中的发展现状,对其产生的机制、实验中的影响因素及其在测年中对灵敏度的监测、矫正等进行了介绍,详细介绍了空间尺度上不同沉积物(冰碛物、风成沉积物、水成沉积物)石英释光灵敏度的差异和时间序列上风成沉积物释光灵敏度的变化特征。据现有的研究成果分析,沉积历史和母岩来源对沉积物中石英的释光灵敏度的高低有重要的影响,因此可用它来追溯石英的物源。探讨该技术在物源研究领域存在的问题,对其发展前景进行了展望。     

Provenance record of late Maastrichtian–late Palaeocene Andean Mountain building in the Amazonian retroarc foreland basin (Madre de Dios basin,Peru)

Biostratigraphic, sedimentological and provenance analyses suggest that a proto‐Andean Cordillera already existed in southern Peru by late Maastrichtian–late Palaeocene times. A 270‐m‐thick stratigraphic section shows changes in depositional environments from shallow marine (early Maastrichtian) to non‐marine (late Maastrichtian) then back to estuarine (late Palaeocene) conditions. An erosional surface separates lower Maastrichtian from upper Maastrichtian deposits. Above this surface, the late Maastrichtian unit exhibits moderately developed palaeosols and syn‐sedimentary normal faults. The sedimentary evolution is accompanied by a decrease in sedimentation rate and by changes in provenance. Shallow marine lower Maastrichtian deposits have a cratonic provenance as shown by their low εNd(0) values (?15 to ?16) and the presence of Precambrian inherited zircon grains. The upper Maastrichtian deposits have a mixed Andean and cratonic origin with εNd(0) values of ~12.6 and yield the first Cretaceous and Permo‐Triassic zircon grains. Estuarine to shallow marine upper Palaeocene deposits have an Andean dominant source as attested by higher εNd(0) values (?6 to ?10) and by the presence of Palaeozoic and Late Cretaceous zircon grains. The changes in depositional environments and sedimentation rates, as well as the shift in detrital provenance, are consistent with a late Maastrichtian–late Palaeocene period of Andean mountain building. In agreement with recently published studies, our data suggest that an Andean retroarc foreland basin was active by late Maastrichtian–late Palaeocene times.     

Provenance, Tectonic Setting and Geochemistry of Ahwaz Sandstone Member (Asmari Formation, Oligo-Miocene), Marun Oilfield, Zagros Basin, SW Iran

The Asmari Formation deposited in the Zagros foreland basin during the OligoceneMiocene. Lithologically, the Asmari Formation consists of limestone, dolomitic limestone, dolomite, argillaceous limestone, some anhydrite(Kalhur Member) and sandstones(Ahwaz Member). This study is based on the analysis of core samples from four subsurface sections(wells Mn-68, Mn-281, Mn-292 and Mn-312) in the Marun Oilfield in the Dezful embayment subzone in order to infer their provenance and tectonic setting of the Ahwaz Sandstone Member. Petrographical data reveal that the Ahwaz Sandstone comprises 97.5% quartz, 1.6% feldspar, and 0.9% rock fragments and all samples are classified as quartz arenites. The provenance and tectonic setting of the Ahwaz Sandstone have been assessed using integrated petrographic and geochemical studies. Petrographic analysis reveals that mono- and poly-crystalline quartz grains from metamorphic and igneous rocks of a craton interior setting were the dominant sources. Chemically, major and trace element concentrations in the rocks of the Ahwaz Sandstone indicate deposition in a passive continental margin setting. As indicated by the CIW′ index(chemical index of weathering) of the Ahwaz Sandstone(average value of 82) their source area underwent "intense" recycling but "moderate to high" degree of chemical weathering. The petrography and geochemistry results are consistent with a tropical, humid climate and low-relief highlands.     

Modern sands of South America: composition,provenance and global significance

Standard petrographic methods were used to study 604 modern sands from South America, of which 351 came from rivers and 253 from beaches. In spite of the wide geomorphic contrasts, these sands belong to only three great families: (1) an immature Andean family of lithic arenites rich in volcanic and metamorphic grains that covers about 30% of South America; (2) a cratonic association rich in quartz that covers about 62% of the continent; and (3) a transitional, molasse association, which occurs between these two and covers only about 8% of the continent. The grand arithmetic average Q:F: Rf ratio for the entire continent is 60:11:29 and the area-weighted, carbonate-free average Q_a:F_a:Rf_a is 68:10:22, a superior continental estimate, and the first ever for an entire continent.Rock fragments are the most informative of all the provenance indicators and in South America they range from tropical alterites of the cratonic family through the dominant volcanic and metamorphic grains of the Andean family to biogenic carbonate in beach sands. Carbonate grains are almost totally absent in modern South American rivers because of present day tropical weathering and a long geological evolution that has favored sand production. They are present in many of the beach sands, however, and are most abundant along the tropical Brazilian and Caribbean coasts. Metamorphic grains rival volcanics as earmarks of the Andean family and survive tropical weathering far better than volcanic grains.There is a strong association between continental soil types and the composition of river sand, but the ultimate controls are tectonic history — the ancient landscapes preserved on the Gondwana shields of South America versus the tectonically young landscapes of the Andes — and climate. Climate can either cause leaks to a far distant ocean where weathering is retarded by aridity or it can serve as a barrier to continental sand dispersion, where tropical weathering eliminates unstable grains in transit to the sea.When provenance studies are conducted across an entire, unglaciated continent, events in the far distant past need to be considered when seeking fundamental explanations of its contemporary, surficial sands.     

Petrography and provenance of subsurface Neogene sandstones of Bengal Basin, Bangladesh

This study deals with petrography and provenance of the Neogene reservoir sandstones encountered in the Kailas Tila, Titas, Bakhrabad and Shahbazpur Gas Fields of Bengal Basin. Framework grains are sand-sized to silt-sized particles of mainly detrital origin. The most common detrital grains are quartz, feldspars, and rock fragments. Mica occurred as minor and non-opaque heavy minerals found as minor accessories. Among the main detrital framework grains, quartz constitutes 51–60%, feldspar 3–15%, lithic fragments 8–22%. Sandstones encountered in the studied wells have been classified as sublithic arenite, feldspathic arenite and lithic arenite in order of abundance. Different triangular plots reveal that the Neogene sandstones of the studied wells exhibit a quartzolithic composition, low feldspar, very low volcanic grains and abundant sedimentary and low grade metamorphic lithic clasts indicating that the sands were derived from quartzose recycled orogen province, such as a fold thrust province or a collision suture zone. This study suggests that either the eastern Himalayas or Indo-Burman Ranges might act as the source of the sandstones of the studied wells of the Bengal Basin.     

Simple Shear Behavior of Calcareous and Quartz Sands

The monotonic and cyclic simple shear behavior of several loose skeletal calcareous sands is investigated and compared to that of common Nevada and Ottawa quartz sands in order to draw contrasts between these types of materials and to develop stiffness and modulus degradation curves for quasi-nonlinear ground response analysis. Mobilized frictional resistance and cyclic strength are generally higher for the calcareous sands, whereas shear modulus and damping are larger for quartz sand at strain levels between 0.05 and 1%. Degradation properties do not appear to be very sensitive to the initial cyclic stress ratio. Differences in behavior between the calcareous and quartz sands are presumably due to contrasts in grain geometry, hardness, gradation and the amount of intraparticle voids.     

Physical and chemical properties of sound-producing and soundless sand particles from booming sand dunes,northern China

This study here is the result of a comparative study of the geomorphic features, grain size distribution, major mineral components, and micro-textures of sound-producing and soundless sands from three geoparks in north China, and discusses the possible causes of this naturally occurring, physical phenomenon. The sound-producing sand dunes we have investigated are situated along a curvilinear belt of deserts and experience variable precipitation–evaporation rates on a yearly basis. “Singing sands” occur mainly on barchan-type dunes and adjacent to lakes or springs, whereas soundless sands are mainly located in desert areas where there is no nearby surface or groundwater sources. We have analyzed samples from nine sound-producing and two soundless sand dunes using grain size, X-ray diffraction and fluorescence, and SEM analyses. All sand types are composed largely of quartz and feldspar, but sound-producing sands also contain secondary minerals such as kaolinite (3–5%), albite (2–6%), microcline (2–5%), and calcite (5%) that are lacking in the soundless sand samples. Sound-producing sands are generally fine-grained whereas soundless sands are coarse-grained, and all sand types are generally sub-rounded to rounded indicating long transport distance from their provenance. Sphericity values of both sand types are nearly identical with predominantly oblate shapes. Surface pitting is not a unique feature of either sand types, and hence can be ruled out as a major cause of the acoustic properties of sound-producing sands. Densely distributed dissolution features such as scale-like upturned plates and silica scales on grain surfaces contribute significantly to the sound emission of singing sands. Thus, the physical–climatic conditions in deserts such as the presence of surface water and groundwater and precipitation–evaporation rates, which collectively control the formation and distribution of dissolution features on sand surfaces, have a first-order control on the production of sound-producing sands.     

巴丹吉林沙漠石英δ18O值及其物源意义

巴丹吉林沙漠是世界上沙丘最高大的沙漠,其沙源研究对认识沙漠形成、高大沙山发育和防沙治沙工程有重要意义。石英是沙漠沉积物中常见的矿物,其氧同位素值可示踪物源。采集沙漠西北部、东部、东南部高大沙山、丘间低地与湖泊以及雅布赖山前的表层沉积物,测定了样品不同粒级的石英δ18O值。结果表明:①石英δ18O值随粒级减小有增大趋势,同一样品不同粒级石英δ18O值存在较大差异,相同粒级石英δ18O值也有变化。②石英δ18O值介于9.4‰~19.3‰,均值为13.3‰（n=55）;其中沙丘沙的石英δ18O值介于9.5‰~16.6‰,均值为12.9 ‰（n=39）;湖相沉积物的石英δ18O值介于9.4‰~19.3‰,均值为14.2‰（n=16）。③区域内,<16 μm粒级的石英δ18O值与16~64 μm、125~154 μm、200~250 μm、> 300 μm粒级的石英δ18O值都存在显著差异,但200~250 μm与 > 300 μm粒级的石英δ18O值没有显著差异;经区域对比,巴丹吉林沙漠 < 16 μm粒级的石英δ18O值与柴达木盆地沙漠、蒙古戈壁风成沉积物 < 16 μm石英δ18O值无显著差异,但巴丹吉林沙漠16~64 μm粒级的石英δ18O值与蒙古戈壁风成沉积物16~64 μm石英δ18O值存在显著差异;这似乎暗示研究区的细颗粒物质可能是远源的。巴丹吉林沙漠沉积物的石英δ18O值位于火成岩石英、砂岩和变质岩石英δ18O值分布阈值内,受区域地质条件、物源混合、粒级效应等因素的影响,砂粒级的石英δ18O值所指示的母岩成份特征与祁连山区岩石的岩性有较好吻合。     

Actualistic Ophiolite Provenance: The Cyprus Case

The island of Cyprus represents an excellent site to assess quantitatively petrologic clastic response to actively obducting oceanic sources in order to define an actualistic reference for ophiolite provenance, in terms of framework composition and heavy mineral suites. An improved methodology, an extension of the classic ternary QFL logic to include a wider spectrum of key indexes and ratios, provides an accurate synthesis of modal data and allows differentiation of three main petrographic provinces and at least seven subprovinces. Diagnostic signatures of detritus from various levels of an oceanic lithospheric source, and criteria for distinguishing provenance from suprasubduction versus mid-oceanic ophiolites are also outlined. Modern sands derived from the Troodos Ophiolite contain variable proportions of largely pelagic carbonate to chert, boninite to basalt, diabase to metabasite, plagiogranite to gabbroic, and cumulate grains supplied from progressively deeper-seated levels of the multilayered oceanic crust. Dense minerals are mainly clinopyroxenes (diopside), prevailing over orthopyroxenes (enstatite, hypersthene, clinoenstatite), hornblende, tremolite/actinolite, and epidote. Where serpentinized mantle harzburgites have been unroofed, detritus is markedly enriched in cellular serpentinite grains and enstatite, with still negligible olivine and spinel. Sedimentaclastic sands dominated by chert (Mamonia Province) or carbonate grains (Kyrenia Province) are deposited along the southern and northern shores of the island, respectively. Compositions of Cyprus sands are virtually unaffected by climatic, sedimentary, or anthropic processes; recycling of sandstones from foreign sources is a major process only in the Karpaz Peninsula. Petrographic analysis also provides an independent mean to identify prevalent directions of longshore sand transport.     

Improvement of the quartz sand processing at Hohenbocka

The raw sands from Hohenbocka (Germany) containing iron essentially in pyrite form is used for glass grade sands processing by dump leaching for several weeks followed by attrition and two-stage classification. The analysis of the sands by means of X-Ray Fluorescence Analysis (RFA) showed an average of about 420 ppm Fe. The objective of this investigation was to reduce the processing time and the total iron content below 105 ppm in the sand product for special glass applications. Due to the presence of sulfide and oxide iron at different ratios in raw sands, a combination of chemical and physical methods was investigated. Leaching was carried out at different acid concentrations, followed by surface cleaning by neutral and alkaline attrition, and gravity separation. Additionally, the effect of continuous addition of H₂O₂ during leaching to remove iron from sands was investigated. Only two days of leaching was required at the initial acid concentration to 25 g/L. After attrition and tabling of leached sands, a product with 84 ppm of iron was achieved. The continuous removal of dissolved metals by adsorption with active carbon could make it possible to reuse the regenerated sulphuric acid for leaching. With recirculation, the quantity of fresh sulphuric acid required was 0.4 kg/t of quartz sand.     

广东乳源彩石的矿物学特征及颜色成因研究

乳源彩石是具有华丽色彩的一种观赏石.采用偏光显微镜、扫描电子显微镜、电子探针、红外光谱仪以及X射线粉末衍射仪等测试手段对4块乳源彩石标本的显微结构、矿物组成和化学成分等进行测试与分析.结果表明,这些乳源彩石具有变粉砂结构,主要由石英组成（占总体质量分数的90％以上）,含少量云母,其它矿物的质量分数低,是一种浅变质的变石英粉砂岩;另外,4块乳源彩石样品的结晶度指数相近,结晶度指数最高的绿色样品推测是由于其含有后期充填的鲕状矿物导致.最后对乳源彩石样品的颜色成因进行了分析与探讨,认为其颜色为次生色,是由次生矿物组合、交代蚀变和氧化程度的不同而形成的.     

混积岩一例--滇东震旦系陡山沱组砂质砂屑白云岩的成因

滇东震旦系陡山沱组顶部的砂质砂屑白云岩是一例典型的混积岩,即狭义的混合沉积。岩石中的石英砂分选好,圆度和球度高,它们时稀时密地呈“悬浮”状散布在白云石砂屑沉积物中。其产状及结构构造特征表明,它是当时的海滩砂在海进过程中被搬运到海洋中,并与白云石砂屑混合而形成的。