A Potash-rich trachyte from the Pre-Cambrian of England

A potash trachyte (containing 13% K₂O) crops out within the Malvernian (Pre-cambrian) calc-alkaline igneous complex. The chemical composition is similar to that of minor intrusions in areas of alkaline igneous activity. An origin by partial melting of biotite-rich basement rocks is proposed.     

The western border of the Archaean province of the Baltic shield: evidence from northern Sweden

Restricted areas of acid to intermediate gneisses in northernmost Sweden are known to be Archaean and several other gneissic granodioritic to tonalitic massifs have been suggested to be of this age. To delimit the western border of the Archaean province of the Baltic Shield, and to characterize the Swedish Archaean, we have studied the 2.83 Ga old Soppero gneiss and 8 of the proposed Archaean massifs in northern Sweden by Sm-Nd isotopic analyses, U-Pb zircon dating (in two cases), and geochemistry.Of the Archaean gneisses proposed thus far, only those from the Soppero and Kukkola areas have Archaean ages (2.83 and 2.67 Ga, respectively). These gneisses have geochemical characteristics such as LREE-enrichment, low U-contents, and low K/Na-ratios, which are typical of Archaean TTG (tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite) rocks worldwide. The REE results indicate that the Soppero and the Kukkola gneisses were generated by partial melting of basic rocks, presumably amphibolites. According to the Sm-Nd isotopic data for the Soppero gneiss, this process occurred only a short time after initial segregation from the mantle ( _Nd values between +0.9 and +3.5). The Kukkola gneiss, however, has longer crustal residence time as indicated by negative _Nd values (–1.0 and –2.5) at the U-Pb zircon age of 2.67 Ga. Evidence in support of an important event at that time is given by secondary overgrowth on zircon cores in the 2.83 Ga old Soppero gneiss.The Sm-Nd isotope results show that the Proterozoic granitoids in northern Sweden have a decreasing involvement of Archaean source material with increasing distance from the Archaean areas. Before the Proterozoic reworking, the rather small Archaean areas in northern Sweden presumably belonged to a large continuous Archaean craton. The western palaeoboundary of this craton in Sweden probably follows approximately a line extrapolated from the western limit of the Archaean of central Finland, passing west of Kukkola, and then continues to the Lofoten area in northern Norway.     

Metal sources in the Early Proterozoic Svecofennian terrain of central Sweden: Pb isotope evidence

The lead isotope composition of three Cu-Zn-Pb sulfide deposits and one Au deposit in the Early Proterozoic Svecofennian of central Sweden reveals the existence of two distinct lead sources in the region. Rockliden and Enstern contain lead of upper crustal affinity and are isotopically homogeneous. Lead in these deposits probably originates from Archean-derived detritus which was well homogenized by sedimentary processes and deposited over large areas as a component in Early Proterozoic sedimentary and tuffaceous rocks. Lead isotopic homogeneity within the Tjärnberget and Enåsen deposits is less pronounced, and the less radiogenic character of the lead suggests a source of mantle affinity. In areas where metasedimentary rocks are absent or contain very little Archean-derived material the isotopic signature of mantle-derived volcanic rocks is reflected in the ore lead. This approach is also applicable to other Svecofennian deposits. Together with deposits in west-central Finland the Rockliden deposit constitutes the northern boundary for lead of upper-crustal affinity, i.e., Archean-derived lead, in Svecofennian sulfide deposits.Despite these differences the isotope ratios of the four deposits indicate that they formed roughly contemporaneously with other Svecofennian deposits in Sweden and Finland.     

Earthquake data analysis: An example from Sweden

Methods and results of earthquake data analysis are illustrated by the seismicity of Sweden in the period 1951–1976, summarizing a comprehensive research project for the past five years. Starting from the regional structural properties, methods are given for the evaluation of instrumental and macroseismic observations, including error analysis and source identification. The resulting earthquake distribution is investigated in relation to space (various types of seismicity mapping), time (periodicities) and magnitude (frequency-magnitude and energy-magnitude relations). The tectonophysical explanations of the earthquake origin are still subject to considerable uncertainty and can be treated only by way of discussions. The engineering applications, stimulated recently by the nuclear power industry, can be placed on much more reliable ground. They include calculations of seismic risk and fracture risk as well as investigations of certain phenomena of practical consequences, especially rockbursts.This review is primarily addressed to those who have use for seismological data in their work, especially geologists, tectonophysicists and engineers. It is important for them to realize how the seismological data are obtained, their reliability and their range of application. Sweden is here mainly used as an example, but the developed methods have a general applicability to any earthquake region, with proper modifications.In short, our purpose is two-fold: (1) to summarize recent research on the seismicity of Sweden: (2) to introduce all users of seismological data into methods and results.     

Deformation mechanisms of deeply buried and surface-piercing Late Pre-Cambrian to Early Cambrian Ara Salt from interior Oman

We compared microstructures of Late Pre-Cambrian to Early Cambrian Ara Salt diapirs from the deep subsurface (3.5–5 km) of the South Oman Salt Basin and from surface-piercing salt domes of the Ghaba Salt Basin. Laterally, these basins are approximately 500 km apart but belong to the same tectono-sedimentary system. The excellent data situation from both wells and outcrops allows a unique quantification of formation and deformation mechanisms, spanning from sedimentation to deep burial, and via re-activated diapir rise to surface piercement. Microstructures of gamma-irradiated and etched thin sections indicate dislocation creep and fluid-assisted grain boundary migration as the main deformation mechanisms operating in the deep subsurface. Microstructures from the surface are characterised by large ‘old’ subgrain-rich crystals. These ‘old’ grains are partly replaced by ‘new’ subgrain-free and subgrain-poor crystals, which show gamma irradiation-decorated growth bands and fibrous microstructures, indicative of pressure solution creep and static recrystallisation, most likely due to surface piercement and exposure. Using subgrain size piezometry, the maximum differential stresses for the subsurface salt is 1.7 MPa and those for the surface-piercing salt is 3.4 MPa, the latter value displaying the high stress conditions in the diapir ‘stem’ as the salt rises on its way to the surface.     

滇中地区早前寒武纪地质研究新进展

滇中地区中元古界"昆阳群"的地层层序是长期争议的重大基础地质问题,在一定程度上制约了地质调查工作的部署及勘查效果,也制约着滇中地区前寒武纪地质研究水平的进一步提高。云南省地质调查院在进行《云南省区域地质志》(第二版、修编)、1:5万二街等4幅区域调查子项目工作中,在前人工作成果的基础上,通过大量的野外地质调查及锆石同位素年代学研究,在滇中地区早前寒武纪地层层序及时代、重大地质事件记录、早期生命与环境协同演化等方面取得了一系列的新发现,具有重要意义。     

Petrology of the Pre-Cambrian Kolhan formations of Jhinkpani,Singhbhum district,Bihar

Pre-Cambrian Geology of an area of about 14 sq. miles has been investigated in this paper. The oldest rock is a very small patch of serpentinite, tentatively correlated with the huge ultrabasic body at Jojohatu, some 10 miles north. Granite and Newer dolerite are intrusive rocks of the area. Kolhan series, resting unconformably on Granite and showing facies variation from basal sandstone conglomerate to phyllitic shale through sandstone and impersistent limestone in a thickness of only a few tens of metres, is a shallow epicontinental deposit. Kolhan sandstone, rich in hematitic cement, is an argillaceous orthoquartzite practically devoid of feldspar and is very poor in heavy and accessory minerals. It is richly current bedded, immature, bimodal, fine grained, positively skewed and well sorted. Kolhan limestone is recrystallized micrite, its lower horizon is mostly high grade and contains pink calcite and quartz crystals in cavities. Its upper horizon is low grade, phyllitic and argillaceous and is partly metasomatic and exhibits contemporaneous deformation structures like hassock bedding and slickenside (slickolites?). Kolhan phyllitic shale exhibits effects of Singhbhum orogeny in development of cleavage and crumpling of foliation. Dirty green vug quartz contains abundant oriented microscopic chlorite inclusions. Non-metallic and metallic mineralization in Kolhans is represented by limestones, and local hematite-molybdenite and iron-rich manganese ore respectively.     

前寒武系对东秦岭-大别山钼成矿带成钼作用的贡献

对东秦岭-大别山钼成矿带25个铝矿床成矿母岩外接触带的地层及围岩观察统计,可清楚表明,所有钼矿床的赋矿层位均为前寒武纪老地层.成矿母岩侵入寒武系及以后地层中均形不成工业矿床.前寒武系不同的围岩岩性对钼矿床成矿作用的影响也不尽相同.主要反映在:1.地幔分异熔浆上侵时易于捕获前寒武系有用组分钼,而成其主要矿源层;2.成矿母岩的围岩岩性对矿床主要矿种组合有重要制约作用;3.围岩的物理力学性质,尤其是围岩的抗压抗剪强度(即岩石的破裂程度)对钼矿富集起关键作用.围岩容矿裂隙的发育程度决定了矿石的品位,从而控制着矿床的规模.东秦岭-大别山钼成矿带进一步寻找钼矿资源应以前寒武系(尤其是元古代老地层)作为找矿首选区域,特别是元古界岩石组合中的火山岩系列、大理岩及片岩系列构成的成矿有利围岩的地区.     

Observations of the Earth's atmosphere: Introductory remarks

The Earth is surrounded by a layer of relatively thin gas, the mass of which is mainly concentrated in the first kilometres. With an exponential decrease of the density of the atmosphere as a function of altitude, 99.9% of this mass is located in the first 50 km. In addition, the composition of major species is homogeneous up to about 85 km, contrarily to what happens beyond. This is the homosphere. This layer of atmosphere, considered in this special issue, is also that which we breathe and which we unfortunately often pollute. All this justifies considering it as of vital importance, in the most basic sense of the word. However, in studying it, it is not possible to ignore what is happening beyond, from where comes, in particular, solar radiation, just as we cannot ignore what happens below the continents and the oceans, where solar radiation is absorbed, diffused and re-emitted to the top by the Earth's surface as infrared radiation. We must therefore keep in mind what are the layers that surround the homosphere, the importance of observing them and also give some examples of possible interactions which may exist with the surrounding layers; these are the objectives of these introductory remarks. Another general consideration must be made here, concerning the problems, which have existed until the middle of the 20th century, of how to observe the atmosphere in situ at all the altitudes. However, since then, the development of engineering involving balloons, rockets, aircrafts and artificial satellites has revolutionized our knowledge of this observational atmosphere; this is the second message of these remarks.     

The Veiki moraines in northern Sweden - widespread evidence of an Early Weichselian deglaciation

The Veikimoraines in northernmost Sweden display a very conspicuous distribution pattern, sharply demarcated to the east and successively decreasing to the south, west and north. The sharp demarcation to the east is thought to reflect the front of a stagnant ice sheet. The downwasting of this glacier was retarded by the insulation of a thick superglacial debris cover and subarctic vegetation invaded at least parts of the slowly collapsing ice. Radiocarbon datings of organic matter deposited in connection with the formation of the Veiki moraine, lithostratigraphical evidence and the relation to other glacial features prove the Veiki moraine landscape to date from the deg laciation of the first Weichselian ice sheet, i.e. the Peräpohjola Interstadial. The good preservation of the features implies that in extensive areas of northern sweden the Early Weichselian glacial landscape escaped significant erosion despite being overrun by two later glaciers. Previous interpretations of the Late Weichselian/Holocene deglaciation are largely based on an Early Weichselian deglaciation pattern.     

Biotite Variation as a Guide to Petrogenesis of Granitic Rocks in the Pre-Cambrian of Northeastern Alberta

Information about internal variation in a band of foliated graniticrocks in the Pre-Cambrian of northeastern Alberta has been obtainedby mapping variation in biotite refractive index on the basisof 430 determinations distributed throughout the northern portionof the band. In many parts of the area isopleths of the biotiterefractive index parallel the regional foliation, whereas refractiveindex does not vary in other portions of the area. A correlation coefficient of 0?804 between refractive indexand Fe:Mg ratio in seven analysed biotites supports the contentionthat refractive index can be used as a measure of relative Fe:Mgratio in this suite of related biotites. Of the factors thatcontrol the Fe:Mg ratio in biotites, variation in oxygen partialpressure is the most important in this particular geologicalsituation. As a result, the pattern of refractive index variationreflects the pattern of variation in oxygen partial pressureat the time of formation of the biotite. In the light of this relationship, the isopleths that parallelthe foliation in many areas are interpreted as relics of anoriginal system consisting of individual layers that were closedsystems with respect to oxygen partial pressure. The areas ofuniform refractive index have been subject to a continuous vaporphase which equalized oxygen partial pressures throughout thearea. This vapor phase could be of magmatic origin or couldarise during progressive metamorphism. Field relations and chemical and mineralogical variation withinand around this group of rocks are consistent with this interpretationand further suggest that the granitic rocks were derived froma mixed suite of intermediate to basic volcanic rocks, tuffaceousmetasediments, and feldspathic wackes by metamorphic recrystallizationand accompanying homogenization of these materials.     

A reinterpretation of the crustal N‐isotope record: evidence for a 15N‐enriched Archean atmosphere?

A new compilation of N‐isotope and abundance data for metasedimentary rocks, and hyrdothermal micas that proxy for bulk crust, show systematic patterns. (1) δ¹⁵N values of kerogen in Precambrian cherts are more negative relative to siliciclastic counterparts, probably due to a mantle hydrothermal component. (2) There is a secular trend from average δ¹⁵N 15.3 ± 1.8‰ in Archean shales, through intermediate values in the Proterozoic, to Phanerozoic counterparts where δ¹⁵N averages +3.5‰. (3) Hydrothermal micas in metamorphic hydrothermal systems of Palaeozoic and Mesozoic age that proxy for crust have δ¹⁵N within the range of contemporaneous sedimentary rocks. (4) Hydrothermal micas track the secular trend of δ¹⁵N for kerogen from 2.7 Ga to the Phanerozoic. (5) Within Precambrian datasets δ¹⁵N does not increase with decreasing N content; accordingly, high δ¹⁵N values cannot stem either from metamorphism or form Rayleigh fractionation. (6) Previous studies show isotopic shifts during metamorphism are only +1 to +3‰ up to amphibolite facies. Values of 10–24‰ are attributed to a high δ¹⁵N Archean atmosphere, a residual signature of CI carbonaceous chondrites where δ¹⁵N is +30‰ to + 42‰.     

Ionization effects from cosmic sources of x-rays in the lower atmosphere

Detectable ionization effects in the ionosphericD-region from individual, strong and steady x-ray sources such as Sco X-1 and transient x-ray sources such as Cet X-2 have been reported by us and many others previously based on the field strength and phase variations of the VLF data. As a follow up to these investigations, we have examined the integrated effects of many of the known x-ray sources discovered by UHURU, ANS, Ariel V and SAS-3 satellites, in order to understand the totality of their effects. These effects are examined in the present paper for 0° and +38° geographic latitudes corresponding to midnight conditions and for different times of the year. Such effects are compared, in turn, with those of the known steady sources responsible forD-region ionization such as Lyman-alpha and galactic cosmic radiations. The results are presented as profiles of electron production rates as a function of height. Our study leads to the conclusion that there should be detectable annual variations of the electron density which are pronounced around May-August. Further, the results of the computations on electron production rates corresponding to the spectacular x-ray nova A0620-00 are also included in the present paper.     

Degassing history and carbon cycle of the Earth: From an impact-induced steam atmosphere to the present atmosphere

The recent theoretical studies on the formation and evolution of the atmosphere and oceans of the Earth are reviewed. Impact degassing during accretion of the Earth would probably generate an impact-induced steam atmosphere on the proto-Earth. At the end of accretion, the steam atmosphere became unstable and condensed to form the proto-ocean with almost the present mass of ocean. The steam atmosphere would have thus evolved to the proto-CO₂ atmosphere during the earliest history of the Earth because CO in the proto-atmosphere may be photochemically converted to CO₂. However, CO₂ in the proto-atmosphere has decreased with time through the global carbon cycle which may have stabilized the terrestrial environment against an increase in the solar luminosity. The continental growth during Hadean and Archean would therefore have a significant influence on the carbon cycle and the surface temperature. It is also suggested that the continental growth is a necessary condition for the terrestrial environment to evolve to the present state. Both the impact degassing and the subsequent continuous degassing are suggested to have played a major role in the formation and evolution of the atmosphere and ocean. In particular, most of N₂ may have been produced by the impact degassing during accretion, and the contribution of the subsequent continuous degassing is at most 10% for N₂. As a consequence, after the CO₂ level decreased to less than 1 bar, the atmosphere may have been at about 1 bar and composed mainly of N₂ for most of the subsequent history of the Earth.     

阿尔泰基性麻粒岩的发现：来自矿物学的证据

新疆北部阿尔泰造山带富蕴乌恰沟一带首次发现代表中、下地壳深变质作用的基性麻粒岩详细的野外和室内研究表明阿尔泰基性麻粒岩主要由粗粒和细粒的麻粒岩组成(SiO2含量为47．83～53．57％)。两者的矿物组合相近，为斜方辉石 单斜辉石 斜长石 角闪石 黑云母。角闪石和黑云母成分富镁，可能与岩石的成分富镁有关、基性麻粒岩的岩石地球化学成分显示其富Mg/(Mg Fe^2 )和亏损U，Th，K及Rb，而且其原岩为钙碱性玄武岩，是岛弧构造环境下形成的产物。矿物化学特征表明斜方辉石中Mg／(Mg Fe^2 )介于0．65～0．71之间，为紫苏辉石，具高MgO FeO，低Al2O3和Ca／(Ca Mg Fe)，而单斜辉石具低TiO2和Al2O3的特点，说明它们皆为变质成因。部分角闪石和褐色黑云母富钛，指示它们为高温下形成的产物。这些特征证实了上述岩石为基性麻粒岩。角闪石和黑云母氟和氯含量较低以及水速度较高，暗示其流体成分氟和氯在变质作用过程中不起主导作用。根据麻粒岩中矿物共生组合、期次和矿物温压计估算，麻粒岩形成的峰期和退变质温压条件分别为750～780℃，0．6～0．7GPa和590～620℃，0．23～0．37GPa，前者属高温中压条件，阿尔泰地区基性麻粒岩的发现为进一步研究阿尔泰地区深部下地壳的组成和结构以及深化阿尔泰地区、新疆北部甚至中亚地区大陆动力学过程和机制都具有重要意义。     

Why the atmosphere became oxygenated: A proposal

The increase in the oxidation state of the atmosphere during Earth history is well documented, but not the reasons for this process. The course of atmospheric evolution has been dominated by the effects of photosynthesis and by the composition of volcanic gases. The H₂/H₂O ratio of volcanic gases has remained essentially constant during most of Earth history. It is here proposed that their CO₂/H₂O and SO₂/H₂O ratios have increased with time. A simple model for the degassing and the recycling of CO₂, SO₂, and H₂O can account for many of the major steps in the oxygenation of the atmosphere.     

Origin of fossil meteorites from Ordovician limestone in Sweden

Based on the analysis of data in [1, 2] on the concentrations of noble gases and the cosmic ray exposure age (CREA) of chromite grains in fossil meteorites, it was demonstrated in [3] that the distributions of gas concentrations and cosmic ray exposure ages can be explained under the assumption of the fall of a single meteorite in the form of a meteorite shower in southern Sweden less than 0.2 Ma after the catastrophic destruction of the parental body (asteroid) of L chondrites in space at approximately 470 Ma. This assumption differs from the conclusion in [1, 2, 4] about the long-lasting (for 1–2 Ma) delivery of L chondrites to the Earth, with the intensity of the flux of this material one to two orders of magnitude greater than now. The analysis of newly obtained data on samples from the Brunflo fossil meteorite [5] corroborates the hypothesis of a meteorite shower produced by the fall of a single meteorite. The possible reason for the detected correlations between the cosmic ray exposure ages of meteorites and the masses of the samples with the ²⁰Ne concentrations can be the occurrence of Ne of anomalous isotopic composition in the meteorites.