Contributions to the mineralogy and geochemistry of some iron-ore deposits in Egypt (U.A.R.)

This paper deals with the mineralogy and geochemistry of the economically most interesting Egyptian iron-ore deposits. It is specifically concerned with the examination of the iron-ores occurring at East Aswan, in the Eastern Desert, at Bahariya Oasis, in the Western Desert, and in several localities of the Eastern Desert near the Red Sea coast. This study has thrown some light upon the nature of the ore and gangue minerals, the paragenesis and the probable origin of the iron-ore deposits in the above mentioned areas. The iron-ore deposits of these localities vary greatly in their mineralogical and chemical composition as well as in the nature of their associated rocks, as also regarding the assemblage of trace elements.

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Zusammenfassung Die vorliegende Arbeit über die Mineralogie und Geochemie der abbauwürdigsten Eisenerzlagerstätten von Ägypten behandelt in erster Linie die Lagerstätten von Ostassuan, der Oase Bagarya und verschiedener Lagerstätten der östlichen Wüsten in der Nähe der Küste des Roten Meeres. Nach einer Diskussion der Erz- und Gangmineralien wird die Paragenese und die wahrscheinliche Genese erörtert. Insbesondere werden die Unterschiede in der mineralogischen Zusammensetzung des Nebengesteins und der Spurenelemente aufgeführt und für die genetische Deutung verwendet.

     

Problems resulting from misinterpretations of natural resources and natural hazards in tropical countries. The example of Peru

Natural resources in a tropical country like Peru are often overestimated. Peru is characterized by a wide range of regional differences, varied physical settings, and numerous natural hazards. Some climatical and hydrological conditions are examined and the factors causing instability in agricultural and nonagricultural production are discussed. Natural resources must be evaluated in the framework of internal political, social, and economic circumstances. Several points are recommended to foster economic development when considering the constraints of the physical environment.     

Composition and reactivity of some river sediments from the Mackenzie Valley,N.W.T., Canada

Sediments from the Mackenzie Valley — two suspended and one river bottom — were analyzed for major and minor elements, mineralogy, particle size, and ability to release trace metals when subjected to mild leaching. Copper and zinc in suspended sediments and cadmium in bottom sediment occurred largely (70 to 84 percent for Cu, 72 to 98 percent for Zn, 75 to 81 percent for Cd) in a form that could not easily be separated from the sediments by 0.1M HC1 and EDTA solutions. Cadmium was present in suspended sediments in low concentrations, and was present totally in sorbed leachable form. Iron, manganese, cobalt and chromium were separable from the particulate phase by mild leaching. It was found that approximately 70 hours were required for an apparent steady state concentration to be attained in such leachings. Reaction of these sediments with Beaufort Sea water (salinity 22.3 parts per thousand) indicated that both iron and manganese were released from sediments to sea water to a very small degree. Copper, lead, and zinc, however, were absorbed by sediments from sea water.     

Burial diagenesis and crystal diminution. The origin of crystal diminution in some limestones from South Wales

ABSTRACT Carboniferous speleothem calcites in un-metamorphosed limestones from South Wales exhibit crystal diminution (degrading neomorphism) textures. These textures result from processes which have been considered only important under metamorphic conditions. The textures are interpreted as the result of recrystallization associated with dislocation processes. These processes relate to low temperature creep associated with low strain rates extended over long periods of time. The textures described here occur in unusually large crystals but similar textures have been described in limestones from deep boreholes. Dislocation processes, recovery and recrystallization are likely to be important processes operating during deep burial diagenesis.     

Shell repair and drilling in some gastropods from the Ripley Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of the south-eastern U.S.A.

Breakage-induced shell repair and drilling were studied in 548 shells belonging to 24 species of gastropod from the Ripley Formation (latest Campanian-Maastrichtian) of the south-eastern U.S.A. Frequencies of repair are high even by Recent standards. These is no relationship between the frequency of shell repair and shell architecture. Repair increases in frequency with increasing shell length. Drilling, which is less common in Ripley gastropods than in most warm-water Tertiary species, decreases in frequency with increasing shell length.     

Dissolved nutrient fluxes through a sandy estuarine beachface (Cape Henlopen,Delaware, U.S.A.): Contributions from fresh groundwater discharge,seawater recycling,and diagenesis

The sandy beachface at Cape Henlopen, Delaware, receives dissolved nutrient inputs from fresh upland groundwater and estuarine seawater and exports nutrients through intertidal and submarine groundwater discharge. The discharge of brackish beachface waters indicates that there must be additional diagenetic nutrient sources and sinks within the porous beachface aquifer. At some times of the year, diagenetic processes within the beachface remove nitrate from waters draining the beachface consistent with the stoichiometry of either denitrification or dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium. Up to 50–100% of the nitrate load from the upland groundwaters is apparently reduced to N₂O/N₂ gas or ammonium during these periods. At other times, ammonium and nitrate are added to beachface waters consistent with the stoichiometry of organic matter remineralization and nitrification. Dissolved reactive phosphorus and silica are similarly consumed and produced by beachface processes at different times of the year, presumably by adsorption or desorption. Infiltration of reactive estuarine particles may be an additional source of nutrients and carbon that supports the diagenetic activity in the beachface aquifer. These observations suggest that sandy beachfaces are biogeochemically reactive systems that can serve as sources, sinks, and temporary reservoirs of nutrients to support the primary and secondary production of the adjacent intertidal zone.     

Scapolite-bearing and related calc-silicate layers from the alpujarride series. (Betic cordilleras of Southern Spain). A discussion on their origin and some comments

Generalized development of calc-silicate bands in several alpujarride units of the central and western segments of the Betic Zone, is interpreted as the result of metamorphic differentiation from original calcium-rich sedimentary beds in the sequence. Presence of Scapolite suggests that this phenomenon may have been made possible by the catalizing action of high anion concentrations in the pore fluid medium during metamorphism, probably caused by the existence of evaporic material in the original sediments. This hypothesis, which is further supported by anomalous high Ca, Na and K contents of the enclosing metapelites, leads to the correlation of the present calc-silicate bearing metamorphic formations with well-known permo-werfenian evaporitic series in other units of the Betic Zone. The use of this new criterion of stratigraphic correlation would indicate that highly metamorphosed permo-triassic sequences have often been misidentified as more ancient formations, thus causing an underestimation of the importance of alpine HT-LP metamorphism in the alpujarride tectonic domain.

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Zusammenfassung Das häufige Auftreten von Kalksilikatbändern (manchmal mit Skapolith) in einigen alpujarriden Einheiten, besonders im zentralen und westlichen Abschnitt der betischen Kordillere, wird erklärt als Ergebnis einer metamorphen Differentiation von ursprünglich Ca-reichen Schichten. Die Anwesenheit von Skapolith legt eine hohe Anionenkonzentration der intergranularen fluiden Phasen während der Metamorphose nahe, bedingt durch evaporitisches Material der ursprünglichen Sedimente. Diese Hypothese, zusätzlich gestützt durch den extrem hohen Gehalt der umgebenden Pelite an löslichen Kathionen (Ca, Na, K), erlaubt die Korrelation der Kalksilikatbänder-haltigen Formationen mit aus anderen betischen Einheiten bekannten evaporitischen Serien des Permowerfenïan. Auf die stratigraphische Korrelation angewendet, legt dies nahe, daß öfters hochmetamorphe, permotriadische Serien fälschlicherweise als älter betrachtet wurden, was zu einer Unterschätzung der alpinen Metamorphose (Niederdruck-Hochtemperatur) im alpujarridem Bereich führte.

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Resumen El desarrollo bastante generalizado de bandas de silicatos calcicos, entre los cuales se encuentra a veces una escapolita, en varias unidades alpujárrides de los segmentos central y occidental de la Zona Bética, es interpretado como el resultado de un proceso de diferenciación metamórfica a partir de lechos sedimentarios originalmente ricos en calcio. La presencia de escapolita sugiere que este hecho ha sido probablemente posible gracias a la existencia de una alta concentración de aniones en el fluido metamórfico intergranular, condicionada por la existencia de material evaporitico en los sedimentos originales. Esta última hipótesis que es ulteriormente apoyada por un contenido anómalamente alto de cationes solubles (Ca, Na, K) en las metapelitas encajantes, permite correlacionar las formaciones que contienen los lechos de silicatos calcicos con conocidas series evaporiticas de edad permowerfenense en otras unidades de la Zona Bética. La aplicación de este nuevo criterio de correlación estratigráfica sugiere que series permotriásicas altamente metamorfizadas han sido a menudo erróneamente interpretadas como más antiguas, hecho que ha conllevado a una substimación de la importancia del metamorfismo (BP-AT) alpino en el dominio tectónico alpujárride.

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Résumé Le developpement très fréquent de roches litées à silicates calciques dans quelques unités alpujarrides des regions centrale et occidentale de la Zone Bétique, est interpreté comme la conséquence d'un processus de différenciation métamorphique à partir de lits riches en calcium dans les sequences sédimentaires originelles. La présence de scapolite suggére que ce phénomène a été rendu possible par l'intervention d'un cataliseur naturel, tel que des hautes concentrations en anions dans le milieu fluide intergranulaire pendant le métamorphisme, occasionées probablement par l'existence de materiel évaporitique dans les sédiments originels.Cette hypothese, qui se trouve additionellement supportée par des teneurs élevées en cations solubles des métapelites encaissantes, permet d'assimiler les formations qui contiennent les lits à silicates calciques avec des séries évaporitiques permowerféniennes, bien connues dans d'autres unités des zones internes des Cordilléres Bétiques. L'application de ce nouveau critère de corrélation stratigraphique indiquerait que des séquences permotriasiques fortement affectées par le métamorphisme ont été souvent à tort interprétées comme plus anciennes, amenant ainsi a une sous-estimation de l'importance du métamorphisme alpin (BP-HT) dans le domaine tectonique alpujarride.

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Composition of plagioclase and associated minerals in some schists from Vermont,U.S.A., and South Westland,New Zealand,with inferences about the peristerite solvus

Two suites of regionally metamorphosed semi-pelitic schists were studied in order to investigate the paragenesis of low temperature plagioclase, from which something may be inferred as to the nature of the peristerite solvus at the temperatures and pressures of formation of these rocks: one from the Gile Mountain Formation in the Hanover and Mt. Cube quadrangles, eastern Vermont, U.S.A.; the other from the Alpine schists along the Haast River, South Westland, New Zealand. Plagioclase, muscovite, biotite, chlorite, carbonate, and garnet compositions were determined with an ARL EMX electron probe microanalyzer. The variation in plagioclase composition with increasing grade in the Vermont schists suggests that the peristerite solvus is asymmetrical with a near vertical albite-rich side and a sloping oligoclase-rich side. The top of the solvus appears to lie slightly above the temperature expressed by the almandine isograd in these schists. The compositions of the coexisting albite and oligoclase in the New Zealand rocks suggest a lower geothermal gradient than in Vermont, creating a different pattern of variation in plagioclase composition. Distribution diagrams of Mg, Ti, and Al^IV for muscovite-biotite and chlorite-biotite pairs in both suites of rocks support the hypothesis that the plagioclase relations observed represent equilibrium.     

Early diagenesis of fatty acids in lacustrine sediments—II. A statistical approach to changes in fatty acid composition from recent sediments and some source materials

The percentage composition and total amounts of fatty acids from plankton, live and dead plants (waterweeds and higher plants) and a forest soil, considered as possible origins of autochthonous and allochthonous organic materials in lacustrine sediments, have been determined by gas-liquid chromatography. Statistical analyses were carried out by computing distance index of the fatty acid composition between these source materials and the uppermost sediment from Lake Suwa, and the composition diversity index (CDI) of fatty acids in the recent sediments from Lake Suwa.The distance index indicated that the fatty acid composition in the uppermost sediment is similar to those in diatoms, Zooplankton and forest soil, and the values for dead leaves were smaller than for live ones. It suggests that the autolysis and/or decomposition processes prior to deposition onto the top sediment makes the fatty acid composition of organic debris similar to the uppermost sediment. The CPI in recent sediments varied irregularly, whereas the CDI increased during early diagenesis to yield a value comparable to ancient sediments.     

Chemistry of some Pb-(Cu,Fe)-(Sb,Bi sulfosalts from France and Portugal. Implications for the crystal chemistry of lead sulfosalts in the Cu-poor part of the Pb2S2-Cu2S-Sb2S3-Bi2-Bi2S3 system

Electron microprobe analysis of Pb-Cu(Fe)-Sb-Bi sulfosalts from Bazoges and Les Chalanches (France), and Pedra Luz (Portugal), give new data about (Bi, Sb) solid-solution and incorporation of the minor elements Cu, Fe or Ag in jaskolskiite, and in izoklakeite-giessenite and kobellite-tintinaite series. Jaskolskiite from Pedra Luz has high Sb contents (from 17.9 to 20.7 wt.%), leading to the extended general formula: Cu _x Pb_2+x (Sb_1–y Bi _y )_2–x S₅, with 0.10 x 0.22 and 0.19 y 0.41. Fe-free, Bi-rich izoklakeite from Bazoges has high Ag contents (up to 2.2 wt. %), leading to the simplified formula Cu₂Pb₂₂Ag₂(Bi, Sb)₂₂S₅₇; in Les Chalanches it contains less Ag content (1.2 wt.%), but has an excess of Cu that gives the formula: Cu_2.00 (Cu_0.49Ag_1.18)_=1.67Pb_22.70(Bi_12.63Sb_8.99)_=21.62S_57.27.In tintinaite from Pedra Luz, the variation of the Fe/Cu ratio can be explained by the substitution: Cu + (Bi, Sb) Fe + Pb; Fe-free kobellite from Les Chalanches has a Cu-excess, corresponding to the formula Cu_2.81Ag_0.54Pb_9.88(Bi_10.37Sb_5.21)_=15.38S_35.09. Eclarite from the type locality, structurally related to kobellite, shows a Cu excess too. In natural samples of the kobellite homologous series, Fe is positively correlated with Pb, and its contents never exceed that of Cu. Ag substitutes for Pb, together with (Bi, Sb). Taking into account the possibility of Cu excess, but excluding formal Cu²⁺ and Fe³⁺, general formulae can be written: