Crystallization temperature of anatectic melt: An example of biotite–muscovite granite in the Rikolatvi structure,Belomorian Mobile Belt

Zircon hosted in granite, which crystallized from local pools of anatectic melt among migmatites, in the Rikolatvi structure, Belomorian Mobile Belt, contains minute inclusions of various minerals, biotite and garnet among others. The compositions of the biotite and garnet in the microinclusions differ from those of the same minerals in the granite containing the zircon. The crystallization temperature of the anatectic melt was estimated by the biotite–garnet geothermometer and the composition of the biotite and garnet inclusions at ~800°C.     

Structure and stages in development of the cataplatform cover in the Central Russian‒Belomorian province

The results of correlation between seismic sequences (based on the CMP data) and lithostratigraphic units (based on drilling data) of the preplate sedimentary section are discussed. By the structure and interrelations of seismic sequences, as well composition and facies features of lithological varieties, three successive stages in the formation of the cataplatform cover of the province are recognizable: (1) main stage of the graben formation in the Central Russian and White Sea?Pinega regions; (2) terminal stage of the graben formation?initial stage of postrift subsidence in all regions; (3) the formation of a ‘protosyneclise” (non-riftogenic depression) in the Orsha region. The model for explaining the formation of the Orsha depression is proposed.     

Kinetics of feldspar and quartz dissolution at 70–80°C and near-neutral pH: effects of organic acids and NaCl

Effects of the organic acid (OA) anions, oxalate and citrate, on the solubility and dissolution kinetics of feldspars (labradorite, orthoclase, and albite) at 80°C and of quartz at 70°C were investigated at pH 6 in separate batch experiments and in media with different ionic strength (0.02–2.2 M NaCl). Although it has been shown that OAs can increase rates of feldspar dissolution, prior experiments have focused primarily on dilute, highly undersaturated and acidic conditions where feldspar dissolution kinetics are dominated by H⁺ adsorption and exchange reactions. Many natural waters, however, are only weakly acidic and have variable ionic strength and composition which would be expected to influence mineral surface properties and mechanisms of organic ligand-promoted reactions.Oxalate and citrate (2–20 mM) increased the rate of quartz dissolution by up to a factor of 2.5. Quartz solubility, however, was not increased appreciably by these OAs, suggesting that Si–OA complexation is not significant under these conditions. The lack of significant OA–SiO₂ interaction is important to understanding the effects of OAs on the release of both Si and Al from feldspars. In contrast to quartz, both the rates of dissolution and amounts of Si and Al released from the three feldspars studied increased regularly with increasing OA concentration. Feldspar dissolution was congruent at all but the lowest OA concentrations. Total dissolved Al concentrations increased by 1–2 orders of magnitude in the presence of oxalate and citrate, and reached values as high as 43 mg/l (1.6 mM). Si concentrations reached values up to 65 mg/l (2.3 mM) in feldspar–OA experiments. Precipitation of authigenic clays was observed only in experiments without or at very low concentrations of OAs. The high concentrations of dissolved Si attained during dissolution of feldspars in OA solutions, relative to Si concentrations in quartz–OA experiments, is attributed to concomitant release of Si driven by strong Al–OA interactions.Modeling of the dependence of feldspar dissolution rates on OA concentration in natural diagenetic environments is complicated by the competing effects of overall solution chemistry and ionic strength on the dissolution mechanism. Results of experiments using labradorite (An₇₀) indicate that in OA-free solutions, dissolution is progressively slower at increasing NaCl concentrations (up to 2.2 M), in agreement with prior experiments on the effects of alkali metals on feldspar dissolution. The combined effects of oxalate and NaCl on labradorite dissolution rates are such that the rate increase due to oxalate is suppressed by the addition of NaCl. Thus, feldspar dissolution kinetics should be most significantly affected by a given concentration of OAs in low ionic strength solutions.     

Petrology of the Strathgordon area,Western Tasmania: Si4+‐content of phengite mica as monitor of metamorphic grade

Important mineral assemblages of metapelite and quartzite of the Strathgordon area are phengite + chlorite + tourmaline + quartz and phengite + garnet + chlorite + tourmaline + quartz. Over a limited area the Si⁴⁺‐content of phengite does not vary significantly and is considered to depend only on the PT regime. The Si⁴⁺‐content of phengite coexisting with almandine‐grossular‐spessartine garnet and tourmaline indicate that the maximum metamorphism of the area occurred at 400 ± 50°C and 3 ± 1 kb.     

Zircon–quartz–calcite segregations in carbonate–alkaline metasomatic rocks of the western Baikal region and their petrogenetic implications

Fine-grained segregations up to 5 mm in size composed of graphic intergrowths of zircon, quartz, calcite and containing up to 0.8 wt % SrO have been found in albite–riebeckite and dolomite–biotite metasomatic rocks formed after alaskite granite. They contain magnetite, titanomagnetite (25.4 wt % TiO₂), cerite-(Ce,Nd), rutile (up to 1.2 wt % Nb₂O₅), as well as rare micrograins of monazite-(Ce), bastnaesite-(Ce), and barite (up to 5.7 wt % SrO). The fine-grained structure of mineral aggregates suggests a metacolloidal nature. It is assumed that the zircon–quartz–calcite assemblage was formed due to exchange decomposition reaction between the salt phase of hydrothermal solution with predominant Na₂CO₃, elevated Zr and, to a lesser extent, Fe, Ti, LREE, Nb contents and dissolved calcium and silica compounds of a Na₂SiO₃ type.     

High-Ba mica in olivinites of the Guli massif (Maimecha–Kotui province,Siberia)

High-Ba (~ 11 wt.% BaO) phlogopite was found for the first time in olivinites of the Guli intrusion in the Maimecha–Kotui province of ultrabasic alkaline rocks and carbonatites. The high-Ba mica occurs in assemblage with a paragenesis of olivinite minerals—clinopyroxene, titanomagnetite, apatite, and ilmenite. High-Ba mica is an early phlogopite generation. Its magmatic crystallization led to a decrease in Ba content. Low-Ba mica is a late phlogopite generation. The high Ba/K ratios at the early stages of evolution of a mantle magmatic system are necessary for the formation of high-Ba minerals and point to magma formation at great depths and the contribution of mantle metasomatism to the geochemical characteristics of parental magmas.     

Early cretaceous subduction-related adakite-like rocks of the Gangdese Belt,southern Tibet: Products of slab melting and subsequent melt–peridotite interaction?

The limited geochronology and geochemistry data available for the Early Cretaceous igneous rocks of the southern Gangdese Belt, southern Tibet, has resulted in the proposal of conflicting geodynamic models for the generation of the widespread Cretaceous igneous rocks in the middle and northern parts of the belt. To explore this issue, we present SHRIMP U–Pb zircon data and geochemical and Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf isotopic data for the Mamen andesites from the southern margin of the Gangdese Belt. The Mamen andesites, emplaced at 136.5 Ma, are sodic (Na₂O/K₂O = 1.2–2.3) and have geochemical characteristics typical of adakites (i.e., high Al₂O₃, high La/Yb ratios and Sr contents, low Y and HREE contents, and positive Eu anomalies), except for high Cr, Ni, and MgO contents. The andesites have initial (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_t ratios of 0.70413–0.70513, positive εNd(t) values of 3.7–5.8, and (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb)_t ratios of 18.37–18.51, (²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb)_t ratios of 15.59–15.65, and (²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb)_t ratios of 38.43–38.72. In situ Hf isotopic analyses of zircons that had previously been dated by SHRIMP yielded positive initial εHf(t) values ranging from +11.0 to +15.5. A model calculation using trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data indicates that several percent of subducted sediment is required to generate the Mamen andesites, which were derived via the partial melting of subducted Neo-Tethyan slab (MORB + sediment + fluid) and subsequently hybridized by peridotite in the mantle wedge. Our data indicate that the Neo-Tethyan oceanic crust was subducted northward beneath the Gangdese Belt during the Early Cretaceous at a high angle. Our results are inconsistent with a tectonic model that advocates the low-angle or flat-slab subduction of Neo-Tethyan oceanic crust in generating the widespread Cretaceous magmatism recorded in the Gangdese Belt.     

An ion–salt complex of rocks from the Bazhenov formation of West Siberia

The results of experimental studies on the macro- and microcomponent composition of the ion–salt complex of argillaceous siliceous rocks from the Bazhenov formation of West Siberia are presented. The studies were based on the analysis of samples using a high-resolution mass spectrometer with ionization in inductively coupled plasma, by the X-ray diffraction (XRD) method, and via the study of water and ammonium extracts from samples with a natural moisture content, as well as after drying. It was established that the composition of the solutions of water extracts from rocks with a natural moisture content belongs to the sulfate- sodium-bicarbonate type with increased content of dissolved silicic acid with weakly alkaline pH values (～9.5) and is considerably different from the content of water extracts from the samples after drying. Sodium dominates in the exchange complex; the cation exchange capacity is 14–19 mg-eq/100 g of rock. A sharp excess of the percentage abundance by 2–10 orders of magnitude was recorded for barium, boron, zinc, vanadium, uranium, and arsenic. The barium content in pore water exceeds the strontium content by a factor of 10, which is anomalous with respect to the reservoir formation waters in the majority of oil fields and to the ocean water.     

Variations in the Pb isotope composition in polyformational magmatic rocks of the Ketkap–Yuna igneous province of the Aldan Shield: Evidence for mantle–crust interaction

The Pb isotope composition of polyformational Mesozoic igneous rocks of the Ketkap–Yuna igneous province (KYIP) and lower crustal metamorphic rocks of the Batomga granite–greenstone area (the complex of the KYIP basement) of the Aldan Shield was studied for the first time. Based on the data obtained, several types of material sources participating in petrogenetic processes were distinguished. The mantle source identified as PREMA is registered in most of the igneous formations and predominates in mafic alkaline rocks. According to the isotope characteristics, the upper crustal source corresponds to a source of the “Orogen” type by the model of “plumbotectonics” or to the average composition of the continental crust by the Stacey–Kramers model. The lower crust is the third material source; however, the type of lower crustal protolith involved in the igneous process is still not defined, which makes difficult to estimate its role in the petrogenetic processes.     

Generation of hydrogen ions and hydrogen gas in quartz–water crushing experiments: an example of chemical processes in active faults

To understand the fundamental chemical processes of fluid–rock interaction during the pulverization of quartz grains in fault zones, quartz grains were crushed within pure water. The crushing experiments were performed batch style using a shaking apparatus. The crushing process induced a decrease in pH and an increase in hydrogen gas with increased shaking duration. The amount of hydrogen ions generated was five times larger than that of the hydrogen gas, which was consistent with the amount of Si radicals estimated from electron spin resonance measurements by Hochstrasser and Antonini (1972). This indicates that hydrogen gas was generated by consuming most of the Si radicals. The generation of hydrogen ions was most likely related to the presence of silanols on the newly formed mineral surface, implying a change of proton activities in the fluid after pulverization of quartz.     

Intermediate sodium–potassium mica in hydrothermally altered rocks of the Waterloo deposit,Australia: a combined SEM-EMP-XRD-TEM study

Metastable intermediate Na–K mica represents a product of hydrothermal alteration in volcanic rocks from the alteration halo of the Waterloo massive sulfide deposit, Australia. The XRD pattern of this solid solution between paragonite and muscovite is characterized by a rational series of basal reflections with d values intermediate between the end members. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that the intermediate Na–K mica forms thick stacks that belong to a two-layer polytype. Na-rich intermediate Na–K mica typically occurs together with paragonite whereas K-rich intermediate Na–K mica is intergrown with muscovite. The intermediate Na–K mica is interpreted to have formed as a result of the incomplete transformation of K-rich mica to Na-rich mica through dissolution and recrystallization processes driven by compositional changes of the hydrothermal fluids interacting with the volcanic rocks. Alteration must have proceeded under non-equilibrium conditions because the composition of the solid solution falls into the miscibility gap separating paragonite and muscovite.Editorial responsibility: T.L. Grove     

Intelligent prediction of the stress–strain response of intact and jointed rocks

An application of Artificial Neural Networks for predicting the stress–strain response of jointed rocks under different confining pressures is presented in this paper. Rocks of different compressive strength with different joint properties (frequency, orientation and strength of joints) are considered in this study. The database for training the neural network is formed from the results of triaxial compression tests on different intact and jointed rocks with different joint properties tested at different confining pressures reported by various researchers in the literature. The network was trained using a three-layered network with the feed-forward back propagation algorithm. About 85% of the data was used for training and the remaining 15% was used for testing the network. Results from the analyses demonstrated that the neural network approach is effective in capturing the stress–strain behaviour of intact rocks and the complex stress–strain behaviour of jointed rocks. A single neural network is demonstrated to be capable of predicting the stress–strain response of different jointed rocks, whose intact strength varies from 11.32 MPa to 123 MPa, spacing of joints varies from 10 cm to 100 cm, and confining pressures range from 0 to 13.8 MPa.     

Secondary alterations of globular and platy phyllosilicates of the glauconite–illite series in the Precambrian and Vendian–Cambrian rocks

Previously published and new data on secondary transformations of the globular and platy phyllosilicates of the glauconite–illite series from the Upper Proterozoic terrigenous rocks of the Olenek and Anabar uplifts (East Siberia), Srednii Peninsula (Murmansk coast), and Vendian–Cambrian boundary rocks of the Podolian Dniester area (Ukraine) are generalized for the first time. Plastic deformation, aluminization, chloritization, berthierinization, as well as replacement of phyllosilicates of different morphology by corrensite- chlorite and pyrite at different lithogenesis stages, are considered and lithological-mineralogical characteristics of the glauconite-bearing rocks are reported. The structural, crystal-chemical, genetic, and isotopegeochronological features of di- and trioctahedral phyllosilicates are discussed.     

Structure and Evolution of the Belomorian–Severodvinsk Shear Zone in the Late Proterozoic and Phanerozoic,East European Platform

Geotectonics - The tectonics, morphological features, and development stages of the Belomorian‒Severodvinsk shear zone (northwestern part) found in the East European Platform are considered....     

Late Palaeozoic igneous rocks of the Great Xing’an Range,NE China: the Tayuan example

ABSTRACT

The Tayuan plutons located at the boundary of the Erguna and Xing’an blocks expose a coexisting mafic–felsic association that is made of monzogranite and gabbro-monzodiorite as well as subordinate quartz monzonite. LA–ICP–MS U–Pb zircon dating revealed a synchronous emplacement of the monzogranite (314–317 Ma), gabbro (308–315 Ma), and quartz monzonite (310 ± 3 Ma). The majority of these intrusions are characterized by an enrichment in light rare earth elements relative to heavy rare earth elements and a depletion of high strength field elements (e.g. Nb, Ta, Ti). Zircons from the gabbro and monzogranite have ε_Hf(t) values of 1.1–9.6 and ?3.0–3.3, respectively. Geochemical data show that the gabbro-monzodiorite may have been generated by the melting of a fluid-metasomatized lithospheric mantle, while the monzogranite may have been formed by a partial melting of the Mesoproterozoic crust. The quartz monzonite has similar whole-rock geochemical and Hf isotopic compositions to those of the gabbros and could have been produced from the same mantle source as that from which the gabbros were extracted. The Tayuan plutonic rocks have high contents of K₂O and total alkalis and show a northwestward polarity like that of the continental margin plutonic rocks along the Hegenshan–Heihe suture zone. Combined with data from published studies, our data indicate that the Tayuan intrusive rocks were generated by the northwestward subduction of the Hegenshan–Heihe Oceanic plate.     

Late Precambrian terrigenous rocks of the Anamakit–Muya zone of the Baikal–Muya belt: geochemistry and results of LA-ICP-MS dating of detrital zircons

A comparative geochemical characteristics of Late Precambrian sedimentary rocks (Ust’-Kelyana and Tuluya rock units) in the Anamakit–Muya zone of the Baikal–Muya belt is given, and the conditions of their sedimentation are considered. The first results of U–Pb (LA-ICP-MS) dating of detrital zircons and Sm–Nd isotope data on the Tuluya unit deposits are presented. Petrogeochemical study showed that the studied sediments are first-cycle rocks similar in composition to terrigenous island-arc sediments. The low contents of Th, Rb, Zr, Hf, and LREE and high contents of Co, Ni, Sc, V, Cr, and Fe₂O₃* in the sandstones of the Ust’-Kelyana unit evidence that these rocks are similar to oceanic-arc deposits. In contrast, the enrichment of the Tuluya unit rocks in Zr, LREE, Th, Rb, and Nb indicates their similarity to deposits of continental island arcs or active continental margin. Isotope-geochronological studies of the Tuluya rock unit showed the mixing of detrital material resulted from the erosion of Neoproterozoic island-arc igneous rock associations (625–700 Ma), like those in the Karalon–Mamakan zone (Yakor’ and Karalon Formations), and more ancient associations, like the Kelyana (812–824 Ma) and/or Dzhaltuk Groups. Judging from the minimum age of detrital zircon, the lower time bound of sedimentation corresponds to 0.6 Ga.     

Cretaceous A-type volcanic–intrusive rocks and simultaneous mafic rocks along the Gan-Hang Tectonic Belt,Southeast China: petrogenesis and implications for the transition of crust–mantle interaction

ABSTRACT

Abundant evidence points to the Cretaceous crust–mantle interaction and plate subduction in the Gan-Hang Tectonic Belt (GHTB), southeastern China, but the evolutionary process remains poorly constrained. Here we conduct a comprehensive study on Daqiaowu granitic porphyry and diabase dikes in the eastern GHTB, in conjunction with previous studies on simultaneous felsic and mafic rocks along the GHTB, to demonstrate their petrogenesis and geodynamic evolutionary process. The Daqiaowu granitic porphyry (125 Ma), as well as the coeval granitic rocks, exhibits high zircon saturation temperatures, alkalis, 10⁴*Ga/Al ratios, and Zr + Nb + Ce + Y contents, concluding a distinctive belt of the Early Cretaceous (~137–125 Ma) A-type volcanic–intrusive rocks in the GHTB. Their ε_Nd(t) and zircon ε_Hf(t) values gradually increased through time from approximately ?9.0 to ?1.0 and ?10.0 to +4.0, respectively, implying increasing contribution of mantle-derived components to their formation, and hence progressively intensified crust–mantle interaction in an intra-arc rift environment (a geodynamic transition stage from continental arc to back-arc) during the Early Cretaceous. This plausibility is further supported by the Early Cretaceous Daqiaowu diabase dikes and coeval mafic rocks which exhibit arc-like magmatic signatures and were derived from mantle wedge. In contrast, the Late Cretaceous mafic rocks show ocean island basalt-like geochemical characteristics, reflecting a depleted asthenosphere mantle source. This discrepancy of mantle sources concludes that the geodynamic setting in the GHTB may have basically transferred to back-arc regime in the Late Cretaceous. Thus, the Cretaceous geodynamic evolutionary process in the GHTB can be defined as the Early Cretaceous gradually intensified crust–mantle interaction in a geodynamic transition stage (from continental arc to back-arc extension) and the Late Cretaceous back-arc extensional setting.     

Olivine and Cr-spinel as indicators of the petrogenesis and partial melting conditions of the high-MgO ultramafic volcanic rocks from NW Ad Dhala Province—Yemen

Acta Geochimica - The high-MgO ultramafic volcanic rocks in the NW Ad Dhala province are classified as meimechite according to the IUGS classification scheme. This province represents the...