On the Origin of the Carat as the Unit of Weight for Gemstones

The carat is the unit of weight for diamonds and other gemstones.It corresponds to the average weight of the seeds of a leguminous tree.What kind of tree is this?We have studied the samples from Ethiopia,Egypt,Cyprus and the United States.The tree is neither“Kuara“nor“Locust“（Robina pseudoacacia Linn.）,but rather Carob(Ceratonia Siliqua).In Ethiopia,as called by local inhabitants,“Kuara“is a species of Erythrina-E.brucei rather than E.abyssinica.As might be expected,using the seeds as a means of weighing an extremely valuable commodity is not very scientific.Before 1907,at various times and in various countries,there were at least twenty-three stan-dards for the carat ranging from 187.00mg to 215.990mg.The metric carat equal to 200mg was proposed in Paris in 1907.It was adopted in the United States on July1,1913 and now is the world-accepted standard.But in reality,the standard of the carat is still confused with respect to its usage throughout the world .This is why the author reiterates that the standard of the car-at should be integrated with the metric system.     

Analytical Model for the Palaeoenvironmental Evolution of the Nihewan Beds

In this paper, the evolutional characteristics of palaeoclimate and oxidation-reduction conditions as well asacidity-alkalinity environment are discussed by means of the step-regression, cluster, optimal partitioning andcorrelation analyses of CaCO_3, C / P_2O_5, Fe~(2+) / Fe~(3+), pH and Eh values, taking the Xiaodukou section in theNihewan basin as an example. The CaCO_3, C / P_2O_5 and pH were calculated respectively using the optimalpartitioning method. Thus five cold zones and six warm zones as well as five reduction and six oxidation zoneswere distinguished. Then the inductive method was used to produce four numerical groups: 8.10, 8.3-8.4,8.6-8.7 and 8.9-8,97. The above-mentioned results are respectively based on CaCO_3 content, C/P_2O_5 andpH values. From Fig. 3, Tables 1 and 2 it can be seen that the Nihewan Beds were formed mainly under a re-duction and slightly alkaline environment of cold climate, with pH values of 8.3-8.4. Fig. 3 shows that bed 35is approximately near the boundary between the Brunhes and Matuyama polarity epochs, 0.73 Ma in age; bed26 is roughly near the Jaramillo event (base), 0.97 Ma in age; bed 18 coincides roughly with themagnetostratigraphic boundary of 2.00 Ma (?). Bed 13 may be the Pleistocene-Pliocene boundary, 2.48 Ma inage. Thus geochemical zones Ⅰ, Ⅱ, Ⅲ and Ⅳ include respectively cold zones 1; 2 and 3; 4; and 5.     

Degradation of Microbes for the Crude Oil Contaminants

Production and storage-transportation of crude oil can not only give rise to soil pollution but also destroy ecological environment．Degradation of microbes for oily soil was studied with the strument，Geofina Hydrocarbon Meter（GHM），by experimental analysis qualitatively and quantitatively in the paper．Analytical result showed that the crude oil could be considerably degraded by eating-oil microbes in oily soil and the number of eating-oil microbes increased while the working hours of oil-well rising．As a result，contaminated oil could be degraded more quickly by a lot of eating-oil microbes in the soil．At the same time，the degradation rate of contaminated oil increased gradually as the time went on．In addition，amount of gaseous component in the oily soil samples increased with degraded time and the microbes could selectively consume contaminated oil strongly，so biodegradation might alleviate the degree of contamination and destruction to the soil and environment in the process of oil production at oilfield．The law of oily soil degraded by microbes was investigated and some useful conclusions were drawn in the paper．     

Equation of state of magnesite for the conditions of the Earth’s lower mantle

A semiempirical equation of state was derived for magnesite under the thermodynamic conditions of the Earth’s mantle. Within experimental uncertainties, it is consistent with thermochemical, ultrasonic, X-ray, and shock-wave data at temperatures from 15 K to the melting point and pressures of up to 100–130 GPa. The following values were recommended for the isothermal bulk modulus and its pressure derivative: K _T = 111.71 GPa and K′ = 4.08. Thermodynamic analysis showed that magnesite does not decompose to periclase and CO₂ under the thermodynamic conditions of the Earth’s lower mantle and outer core.     

The Principles for Discrimination of the Source Composition of Mantle-Derived Igneous Rocks and the Nature of the Mantle Source Region of the Emeishan Basalts

This paper discusses the discrimination principles. deduction and methods for probing into the source composition of mantle-derived magma. The magmatophile (incompatible) source elements are not all optimal tracers for mantle source composition. The ratios of two strong magmatophile elements (D<1) or the ratios of two trace elements with the same D value are not controlled by the formation mode and evolution degree of a magma, but maintain the characteristics of their composition in mantle source region prior to the magma formation. The ratios are related to different mantle-crust structures and dynamics. The mantle source composition of the Emeishan Basalt series is similar to that of the South Atlantic Rio Grande Rise-Walvis Ridge Basalts and Brazil continental-margin basalts. This may indicate that these basalt series might have similar source regions and tectonic environments.     

Evidence for the Lower Continental Crustal Origin of the Xihuashan Granite

The Xihuashan granite is typically representative of the tungsten-bearing granites widespread in theNanling area of South China. It was considered in the past to have been formed by partial melting of the upper continental crust, with its source rocks most probably of the Sinian or Cambrian. However, detailed REE analyses, studies of the Rb-Sr isotopic system and melting experiments of metasedimentary rocks all argue against this idea. Moreover, stable isotopic data also indicate a deep source origin for S, C, H and O. The authors thus propose a genetic concept of the lower continental crustal source of the Xihuashan granite, and point out further that tungsten deposits related to this kind of granite are linked in some way to deep-seated structure and concentrated along NNE-NE- and ENE-striking major deep fault belts above the transitional zone between mantle uplift and mantle depression.     

Degradation of Microbes for the Crude Oil Contaminants

Production and storage-transportation of crude oil can not only give rise to soil pollution but also destroy ecological environment. Degradation of microbes for oily soil was studied with the instnunent, Geofina Hydrocarbon Meter (GHM), by experimental analysis qualitatively and quantitatively in the paper. Analytical result showed that the crude oil could be considerably degraded by eating-oil microbes in oily soil and the number of eating-oil microbes increased while the working hours of oil-well rising. As a result, contaminated oil could be degraded more quickly by a lot of eating-oil microbes in the soil. At the same time, the degradation rate of contaminated oil increased gradually as the time went on. In addition, amount of gaseous component in the oily soil samples increased with degraded time and the microbes could selectively consume contaminated oil strongly, so biedegradation might alleviate the degree of contamination and destruction to the soil and environment in the process of oil product     

A Scheme of the Hierarchy for Sequence Stratigraphy

Inthelasttwodecades,sequenCestratigraphyhasbecomethecornerstoneofmodernstratigraphyandhasbeenwidelyusedbothintheexplorationofoilandgasandinthestudyofregionalgeology.Assequencestratigraphyhasextendedfromundergroundinvestigationsbyseismicmethodstooutcropstudiesbyordinary$tratigraphicapproaches,andasithasgrownintoamoreorlessmaturebranchofstratigraphicaldisciplines,theestablishmentofarelevanthierarchyofthesequencestratigraphictntSseemstohavebecomeoneoftheurgefltrequire~,especiallyasthereexistsomec…     

Geological Evidence for the Presence of the Emperor Event in China

The presence of the reversals of the geomagnetic field within the Brunhes is indicated by paleomagnetic stuides on Cenozoic volcanic rocks in the Leizhou Peninsula, loess strata and Quaternary marine sediments in the Pearl River Mouth basin in China. These regional reversals occured at 0.58±0.13 Ma, 0.45 Ma and 0.47—0.48 Ma respectively according to the results of K-Ar isotopic dating and climatostratigraphic and biostratigraphic analyses. The reversals equivalent to the Emperor Event is suggested.The reversals revealed in different regions with various lithologic characters in China prove that the Emperor Event is a global reversal event rather than a geomagnetic excursion, and its confirmation will permit a precise definition of the Middle/Late Pleistocene boundary.     

Modelling of the oxygen isotope evolution of seawater: implications for the climate interpretation of the δ18O of marine sediments

It is often argued that the δ¹⁸O value of oceanic water was maintained close to 0‰ for hundreds of millions of years, as a consequence of oxygen isotope exchange between oceanic crust and seawater. However, for several decades, the interpretation of the biosedimentary oxygen isotope record has conflicted with the igneous record because, with increasing age, a general trend of decreasing δ¹⁸O values (about 6‰) is observed in most carbonates, cherts and phosphates, especially for the Paleozoic and early Mesozoic. We developed a dynamical model of seawater-crust interaction that computes the δ¹⁸O value in these two reservoirs as function of time. This model takes into account the continuous production of crust at oceanic ridges, its expansion rate, the permeability profile with space and time, the mineralogical mode of the crust, and the kinetics of oxygen isotope exchange between rock-forming minerals and seawater. The model indicates that the δ¹⁸O value of seawater may vary by ±2‰ with a time response ranging from 5 to 50 Ma for expansion rates of 1 to 10 cm.a⁻¹. The variation of ±2‰ is fixed by both integrated water-rock ratio and closure time of the seawater-crust system by sediments. Variations in the oxygen isotope ratio of seawater through time have important implications for the interpretation of the systematically low δ¹⁸O values of pre-Jurassic marine sediments. According to our model, marine paleotemperatures could be up to 10°C lower than those expected when applying the classical hypothesis of an ice-free ocean with a δ¹⁸O value of −1‰.     

Lead isotopic composition and lead source of the Tongchanghe basalt-type native copper-chalcocite deposit in Ninglang, western Yunnan, China

1 Introduction The native copper-chalcocite deposits associated with the Emeishan basalt have attracted great attention of many scientists engaged in ore deposits in recent years, but their focus is more put on the deposits hos- ted in the high-Ti basalt …     

内蒙古包头—白云鄂博地区金矿的同位素研究

从内蒙古包头至白云鄂博地区,横跨高、中、低级变质岩区,都发现有金矿及金矿化点。对三个主要金矿床的Pb、S、Rb—Sr、K—Ar等同位素的研究表明,成矿物质来自变质岩和花岗岩,成矿时代与古生代晚期华北陆台活化的岩浆作用有关。铅的混合模型说明在不同变质岩区变质岩和花岗岩对矿源的贡献不同。     

海南抱板金矿铅同位素化探评价

通过对海南抱板金矿几个切穿矿脉剖面的矿石和围岩的铅同位素组成分析。发现铅同位素组成与矿的产出具有相关关系。铅同位素的异常可能反映了成矿物质来源深度的差异，据此可进行铅同位素化探评价，提出了“正异常以深部找矿为主。负异常注意扩大横向找矿”的原则，土外山地区是地表的浅层金矿化，而二甲，北牛为深源金矿化，在土外山地区深部应可能找到对应于二甲，北牛的深源金矿化层。     

滇中荒田铅锌矿床Rb-Sr同位素年代学与C-O-S-Pb同位素地球化学特征

滇中荒田铅锌矿床赋存于下二叠统碳酸盐岩与上二叠统峨眉山玄武岩接触界面上,矿体主要呈似层状、透镜状产出。矿石矿物组合以闪锌矿、方铅矿为主,脉石矿物以石英、方解石、白云石为主。热液方解石C、O同位素组成表明荒田铅锌矿床成矿流体中CO_2的碳具有多元性,主要来源于幔源与海相碳酸盐岩的混合碳;硫化物硫同位素组成表明荒田铅锌矿床硫以岩浆硫为主,可能混有其他硫源(可能包括地层硫酸盐),铅同位素表明赋矿围岩、玄武岩和燕山期花岗岩均有可能为成矿提供了成矿物质,是多源混合后的产物;闪锌矿Rb-Sr同位素等时线年龄为(83.2±3.4)Ma,指示荒田铅锌矿床形成于晚燕山期,荒田铅锌矿床成矿动力学背景可能与右江褶皱带在中生代末期发生了大规模的岩石圈伸展有关。而晚二叠世海相喷发火山岩对矿区铅锌矿床的形成起了重要的盖层、赋矿层及矿化作用。综上,荒田铅锌矿床成矿流体中的不同组分来源不同,矿床类型为沉积-改造型矿床。     

会泽铅锌矿床Pb、Zn成矿物质来源探讨

长期以来,有关会泽铅锌矿床的Pb、Zn成矿物质来源问题存在较大的争论。作者从成矿金属元素地球化学特征、Sr和Pb同位素组成特征出发,全面阐述了会泽铅锌矿床的Pb、Zn成矿物质来源。指出：成矿金属则是来自多方面的,它不仅来源于从震旦系到二叠系碳酸盐岩地层,而且来源于基底岩石（如昆阳群）和峨眉山玄武岩。因此,成矿物质具有多源性。     

云南兰坪北部铜多金属矿化区成矿流体流动与矿化分带

通过研究白秧坪、富隆厂、吴底厂、麻栗坪、金满、科登涧等矿床和矿点的矿化脉体中黝铜矿等矿物的铅同位素组成及黝铜矿和白云石的特征元素组成，进一步探讨了成矿流体与矿化分带的关系。结果表明，黝铜矿中Cu分别与As、Sb之间的正、负相关性，白云石中Sr含量与矿床之间相对距离间正相关关系，指示成矿流体由西向东流动；矿石与盆地的中新生界沉积岩系的铅同位素组成相似。不同矿化部位矿石的铅同位素组成与逆冲推覆构造断裂主要围岩铅同位素组成之间的对应关系指示，金属组分可能主要源自盆地中的中新生界沉积岩系，成矿流体与不同围岩之间的相互作用是造成不同部位矿石铅同位素组成不同的主要原因之一。成矿流体的形成、流动和沉淀源自和发生在该区地壳浅部范围。喜马拉雅期青藏高原的隆升，造成了盆地地形西高东低，有利于形成水力梯度，驱动流体由西向东流动。流体以逆冲推覆构造断裂系统作为通道流动，有效地在更大范围内、长期或周期性地从所流经的各种岩石中萃取和迁移金属组分到合适部位富集。     

Isotopes and Geochronology of the Meixian-type Pb-Zn-(Ag)Deposits,Central Fujian Rift,South China:Implications for Geological Events

Central Fujian Rift is another new and important volcanogenic massive sulfide Pb-Zn polymetallic metallogenetic belt. In order to find out the material genesis and mineralization period of Meixian-type Pb-Zn-Ag deposits, S and Pb isotope analysis and isotope geochronology of ores and wall rocks for five major deposits are discussed. It is concluded that the composition of sulfur isotope from sulfide ore vary slightly in different deposits and the mean value is close to zero with the 834S ranging from -3.5‰ to ＋5.6‰ averaging at ＋2.0‰, which indicates that the sulfur might originate from magma or possibly erupted directly from volcano or was leached from ore-hosted volcanic rock. The lead from ores in most deposits displays radioactive genesis character （206pb/204pb〉18.140, 207Pb/204pb〉15.584, 208pb/204pb〉38.569） and lead isotope values of ores are higher than those of wall rocks, which indicates that the lead was likely leached from the ore-hosted volcanic rocks. Based on isotope data, two significant Pb-Zn metallogenesis are delineated, which are Mid- and Late-Proterozoic sedimentary exhalative metailogenesis （The single zircon U-Pb, Sm-Nd isochronal and Ar-Ar dating ages of ore- hosted wall rocks are calculated to be among 933-1788 Ma.） and Yanshanian magmatic hydrothermal superimposed and alternated metallogenesis （intrusive SHRIMP zircon U-Pb and Rb-Sr isochronal ages between 127-154 Ma）.     

Lead Isotopic Composition and Lead Source of the Huogeqi Cu-Pb-Zn Deposit, Inner Mongolia, China

The Huogeqi orefield located on the northern side of Mt. Langshan, Inner Mongolia occurs in the Middle Proterozoic Langshan Group metamorphic rocks, and the orebodies arc stratiform. In the past twenty years, many Chinese geologists have conducted researches on the Huogeqi Cu-Pb-Zn deposit, but there has been still a controversy on its origin. Some advocate that the deposit is of sedimentary-metamorphic rcworking origin, some hold that it is of sea-floor SEDEX origin, and others have a preference for magmatic superimposition origin. The crux of the controversy is that there is no common understanding about the source of ore-forming materials. In this paper, the Pb isotopic compositions of regional Achaean-Early Proterozoic basement rocks, various types of sedimentary- metamorphic rocks and volcanic rocks in the mining district, Late Proterozoic and Hercynian magmatic rocks arc introduced and compared with the orc-lead composition, so as to constrain the source of the ore lead. The result indicates that （1） sulfides in the ores have homogeneous Pb isotopic compositions, showing a narrow variation range. Their ^206pb/^204pb ratios arc within a range of 17.027- 17.317; ^207Pb/^204pb ratios, 15.451-15.786 and ^208Pb/^204pb ratios, 36.747-37.669; （2） the Pb isotopic compositions of the regional Achaean-Early Proterozoic basement rocks arc characteristic of the old Pb isotopic composition at the early-stage evolution of the Earth, which varies over a wider range, reflecting significant differences in Pb isotopic compositions of the ores. All this indicates that the source of ore lead has no bearing on the basement rocks; （3） the sedimentary-metamorphic rocks in the mining district arc characterized by highly variable and more radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions and their Pb isotopic ratios arc obviously higher than those of ores, demonstrating that ore lead did not result from metamorphic rcworking of these rocks; （4） Pb isotopic compositions of Late Proterozoic diorite-gabbro and Hercynian granite are higher than those of ores. Meanwhile, the Pb isotopic compositions of sulfides in the small-sized strata-penetrating mineralized veinlets formed at later stages arc completely consistent with that of sulfides in stratiform-banded ores, suggesting that these veiniets arc the product of autochthonous rcworking of the stratiform-banded ores during the period of metamorphism and the late magmatic superimposition-mineralization can be excluded; （5） amphibolite, whose protolith is basic volcanic rocks, has the same Pb isotopic compositions as ores, implying that ore lead was derived probably from basic volcanism. So, the source of ore-forming materials for the Huogeqi deposit is like that of the volcanic massive sulfide （VMS） deposits. However, the orebodies do not occur directly within the volcanic rocks, and instead they overlie the volcanic rocks, showing some differences from those typical VMS-type deposits.     

Geological significance of nickeliferous minerals in the Fule Pb–Zn deposit,Yunnan Province,China

The Fule Pb–Zn deposit is located in the Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou Province, and it is an important and giant low temperature metallogenic domain in China. In our research area, the Pb–Zn deposits are mainly hosted in the Permian Yangxin Formation and are composed of dolostone and limestone. The distance between the ore bodies and the Permian Emeishan basalt ranged from 50 to 160 m. In this study, the nickel rich minerals, including vaesite, polydymite and millerite, were reported for the first time in the Fule deposit. These minerals occurred as xenomorphic mineral aggregate and were sporadically distributed in the sphalerite–galena–calcite vein, which is the main ore type in the deposit. Our study indicated that the paragenetic sequence of minerals in the Fule deposit is the following order: polydymite?→?vaesite?→?millerite?→?sphalerite?→?galena?→?tetrahedrite (tennantite). The geological occurrence characteristics of those nickeliferous minerals suggested that the Permian Emeishan basalt is a possible barrier layer of Pb–Zn ore-forming fluid, and it is an important source for the Ni and part of the Cu in the deposit. The Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou Pb–Zn mineralization province is a world-class production base of Pb and Zn, in which the Permian Emeishan basalt and Pb–Zn deposits have uniformly spatial distribution, but the relationship of mineralization between them is still under debate. This report provides new evidence for understanding the relationship between Pb–Zn mineralization and Permian Emeishan basalt in the Sichuan–Yunnan–Guizhou Pb–Zn mineralization province.     

The potential source of lead in the Permian Kupferschiefer bed of Europe and some selected Paleozoic mineral deposits in the Federal Republic of Germany

New lead isotopic compositions have been measured for Paleozoic bedded and vein ore deposits of Europe by the high precision thermal emission (triple filament) technique. Eleven samples have been analyzed from the Upper Permian Kupferschiefer bed with representatives from Poland to England, three samples from the Middle Devonian Rammelsberg deposit and one from the Middle Devonian Meggen deposit, both of which are conformable ore lenses and are in the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG); and also two vein deposits from the FRG were analyzed, from Ramsbeck in Devonian host rocks and from Grund in Carboniferous host rocks. For Kupferschiefer bed samples from Germany, the mineralization is of variable lead isotopic composition and appears to have been derived about 250 m.y. ago from 1700 m.y. old sources, or detritus of this age, in Paleozoic sedimentary rocks. Samples from England, Holland, and Poland have different isotopic characteristics from the German samples, indicative of significantly different source material (perhaps older). The isotopic variability of the samples from the Kupferschiefer bed in Germany probably favors the lead containing waters coming from shoreward (where poor mixing is to be expected) rather than basinward (where better mixing is likely) directions. The data thus support the interpretation of the metal source already given by Wedepohl in 1964. Data on samples from Rammelsberg and Meggen tend to be slightly less radiogenic than for the Kupferschiefer, about the amount expected if the leads were all derived from the same source material but 100 to 150 m.y. apart in time. The vein galena from Ramsbeck is similar to that from Rammelsberg conformable ore lenses, both in rocks of Devonian age; vein galena from Grund in Upper Carboniferous country rocks is similar to some bedded Kupferschiefer mineralization in Permian rocks, as if the lead composition was formed at about the same time and from similar source material as the bedded deposits. Although heat has played a more significant role in the formation of some of these deposits (veins and Rammelsberg-Meggen) than in others (Kupferschiefer), there is no indication of radically different sources for the lead, all apparently coming from sedimentary source material containing Precambrian detritus. One feldspar lead sample from the Brocken-Oker Granite is not the same in isotopic composition as any of the ores analyzed.Publication authorized by the Director, U.S. Geological Survey