Heavy Mineral Placer Sand Deposits of Kontiagarh Area,Ganjam District,Orissa, India

The Kontiagarh placer deposit in the Ganjam district, Orissa, India extends in northeast direction having a width of 700–1000 m. A total of 187 samples were collected meterwise from 55 bore holes in a grid pattern from beach, frontal, intermediate and back dunes covering an area of approximately 1 km². Light minerals decrease in size from the beach to the back dunes, whereas the size distribution of heavy minerals in the beach and dunes is more or less uniform. The average heavy mineral content in the beach and dunes vary from 9.38% to 24.20%. The heavy minerals are ilmenite, garnet, sillimanite, rutile, monazite, and zircon with trace amounts of magnetite, hornblende, diopside, sphene, tourmaline, and epidote. Heavy minerals are mostly less than 350 µm in size, with a peak distribution in the range between 180 and 125 µm. Ilmenite shows exsolution intergrowth with hematite. Mineral chemistry of ilmenite, hematite, leucoxene, magnetite, monazite and sillimanite are examined by EPMA. Leucoxene is lower in Fe and higher in Ti, Al, Cr and V than ilmenite. The litho‐units of the Precambrian Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt, comprising primarily khondalite, charnockite, calc‐silicate granulite and gneiss, are the source of heavy minerals for this deposit. The bulk sample has 7.30% ilmenite, 5.24% sillimanite, 9.16% garnet, 0.18% rutile, 0.14% monazite, 0.06% zircon and 0.52% other heavy minerals. The deposit has good potential for economic exploitation of ilmenite, rutile, sillimanite, monazite, zircon and garnet.     

Morphology and Chemistry of Placer Gold from Attappadi Valley, Southern India

We report the morphological, textural and chemical characteristics of gold grains in stream gravels from the Siruvani River in Attappadi Valley, southern India. The placer gold deposits contain both primary grains with jagged grain contours and secondary grains with smooth grain margins. The primary and secondary gold grains are also distinguished by marked contrast in microtextures with the latter displaying a range of corrosion textures including striations, etch pits and chemical corrosion cavities that coalesce to form honey-comb patterns. Some of these cavities are filled with fine clay derived from lateritic weathering front. While the primary grains are characterized by high silver content (up to 35.77 wt.%) with marginal overgrowths of high purity gold, the secondary grains show exceedingly high fineness (1000 Au/Au+Ag) levels (up to 984) with no marked compositional variation indicating selective extraction of Ag and/or reprecipitation of Au. From morphological and chemical characteristics, we propose that the high purity gold grains were not derived directly from primary sources, but underwent chemical refinement in the weathering front before they were transferred to the fluvial systems. Our findings have important implications for gold exploration in the Attappadi Valley.     

Long-lived Nb-Ta mineralization in Mufushan,NE Hunan,South China: Geological,geochemical, and geochronological constraints

The Mufushan Complex (MFSC), located in northeastern Hunan, is a significant producer of Nb-Ta-Li-Be rare metals in South China. The present study examines the genetic relationship, material provenance, fluid evolution, and metallogeny of the co-developed ore-free pegmatite (OFP) and ore-bearing pegmatite (OBP) in granite-related pegmatite-type Nb-Ta rare-metal deposits in MFSC. Three minerals (columbite-tantalite (coltan), zircon, and monazite) were chosen for analysis. The coltan grains display both primary crystallization structures (crystal homogeneity, oscillatory zonings, and primary growth rims) resulting from equilibrium and disequilibrium reactions due to localized changes in the physicochemical conditions and environment, as well as later replacement structures (alteration rims, patches, irregular zonations, and complex zonations) from metasomatic replacement processes related to hydrothermal fluid activity. The coltan yielded two weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 138.1 ± 2.1 Ma and 125.3 ± 2.0 Ma corresponding to magmatic and hydrothermal Nb-Ta mineralization ages. For the OFP, zircons also yielded two weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 138.4 ± 0.8 Ma and 131.5 ± 0.7 Ma, whereas monazite gave a weighted mean U-Pb age 142.9 ± 1.2 Ma. The ages of 142–138 Ma and 131 Ma represent the early and late stages of OFP crystallization and barren pegmatites in the MFSC, respectively. Zircon Lu-Hf isotopic compositions link rare-metal metallogenesis to the Lengjiaxi Group, which was the source material to the Mufushan composite batholith. Calculated ε_Hf(t) values and T_DM2 ages from the OFP (?7.6 to ?3.6 and 1676–1418 Ma, respectively) and the OBP (?14.1 to +4.9 and 2976–1548 Ma, respectively) are akin to those of schists and metasandstones of the metasedimentary Lengjiaxi Group. We propose a long-lived (ca. 13-Myr) event involving two metallogenic episodes of Nb-Ta mineralization in the Mufushan region. This study demonstrates the potential of zircon, coltan, and monazite for fingerprinting minerals and classifying the mineralization potential of pegmatite veins.     

A note on radioactive riverine placers around Midtul,Bastar craton,Central India

Reconnaissance survey in the Midtul area (toposheet no. 65F/1; 18°52′30″N: 81°09′55″E) of the Bastar district, Chhattisgarh, revealed well-developed, 1 to 4 m thick riverine placers, derived from granitic terrain in the environs of the Mari River. The sediments comprise largely unconsolidated, cross-stratified gravels, sands, and silts, with low flat-topped surfaces which, at places, correspond to the morphology of terraces that are preserved on convex banks of the present day meanders, indicating their deposition by fluvial processes as channel bars. Available field data suggest deep-seated secular weathering of granites of the area, extensive reworking of such weathered products by fluvial processes, and their deposition as riverine placers in the vicinity of the streams draining the area. The granitic rocks of the area record radioactivity of 0.01–0.02 milli Roentgen per hour (mR/hr), with spots of higher radioactivity of 0.04–0.08 mR/hr, whereas riverine placers derived from them show radioactivity up to 0.25 mR/hr. Hand-panned polymineral concentrates from such placer deposits, analyzed by wavelength-dispersive x-ray fluorescence (WDXRF) spectrometry, showed 0.006–0.67 (n = 47; av. 0.092) % Y₂O₃ and 0.019–4.729 (n = 46; av. 0.834) % Ce₂O₃, with low values of Nb (41–467; n = 15; av. 197 ppm), Ta (115–598, n = 13; av. 230 ppm), and Sn (17–468; n = 14; av. 104 ppm). From the observed heavy mineral assemblage of monazite, zircon, ilmenite, epidote, hematite, and magnetite, as revealed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) studies, it is clear that the radioactivity is contributed by cerium, besides monazite (a phosphate of La, Ce, Th), and yttrium, possibly by zircon. Small amounts of niobium, tantalum, and tin are considered to be associated with ilmenite, epidote, and biotite. An occasional higher value of cerium (∼5% Ce₂O₃), together with restricted higher radioactivity, indicates only localized and uneconomic concentration of light REE-bearing mineral, monazite in isolated patches in such riverine placers.     

滇东南中三叠统法郎组含锰岩系稀土元素和铀、钍元素的特征及意义

对滇东南中三叠统法郎组含锰岩系进行了系统采样,用ICP-MS法分析了17件锰矿样品和两件含锰灰岩样品中的稀土元素组成。研究表明,所有样品REE配分模式皆为富LREE型,锰矿样品表现较弱的Ce(δCe值0.79~1.29)异常和Eu(δEu值0.84~1.20)异常;而含锰灰岩则显示出强烈的负Ce异常和较弱的负Eu异常。并通过logTh-logU图解分析,得出滇东南中三叠统法郎组含锰岩系普遍经受了多期次的热液的作用。     

大别-苏鲁造山带高级变质岩中锆石微区U，Th和Pb化学组成特征统计

对大别-苏鲁造山带27个高级变质岩(以榴辉岩和片麻岩为主)中锆石进行了337次微区离子探针U.Th和Pb测定和U-Pb年龄研究。根据测定点年龄的不同，可以把变质岩中锆石分成三种不同成因区域，一是变质岩原岩(继承)锆石区域，它遭受了不同程度的变质重结晶作用，其^206Pb/^238U年龄值大于277Ma；二是三叠纪高压.超高压变质阶段形成的变质锆石区域，其年龄限定为273-184Ma；三是碰撞造山变质作用后形成的锆石区域，其年龄小于148Ma。对三种类型锆石中U，Th和Pb特征分析发现：片麻岩锆石中U的含量是榴辉岩类锆石中U的丰度的两倍，片麻岩类和榴辉岩类锆石中Th的丰度大致相近。各类岩石变质阶段形成的变质锆石和原岩锆石区域相比，U含量有升有降，而Th含量则大幅下降，下降幅度一般在2-10倍，高者可达20-30倍以上。除石榴石橄榄岩外，各类岩石变质锆石中区域的Th/U比都小于0.1，这是判断高压-超高压变质成因锆石的极重要化学指标。大别山超高压变质阶段后形成的锆石的Th/U比多数类似于其原岩锆石，少数接近变质锆石，说明白垩纪后期热扰动对变质岩中已存在的锆石的影响如同岩浆结晶过程。各类岩石中锆石Pb的含量变化比较复杂，Pb-U正相关性表明锆石中普通铅含量很低，绝大部分为放射成因铅。     

联生矿床——第四种矿床成因类型

联生矿床是指在内生和外生因素共同作用下,在地表或地下一定深度所形成的矿床.根据成矿要素的配置关系,联生矿床可以分为内源外成和外源内成两种类型;根据宏观地质环境可分为海相和陆相两类.海底火山喷气(喷流)沉积矿床(热水沉积矿床)是典型的海相联生矿床,陆相油气资源和地热资源属于陆相联生矿床,而陆相火山-次火山高度开放型的容矿构造中通过流体的沸腾浓缩形成的浅成高温热液矿床也具有联生矿床的属性.联生矿床概念的提出有助于对成矿物质运动时空结构的全面理解.     

Dahab stream sediments, southeastern Sinai, Egypt: a potential source of gold, magnetite and zircon

The stream sediments of Dahab area, southeastern Sinai, Egypt, were studied for their content of economic minerals. These sediments are immature as indicated by poor sorting and other mechanical parameters. They are derived from Precambrian basement rocks, which are mostly represented by granitic rocks in addition to lesser amounts of volcanics and gabbros. The mineralogical investigation revealed that these sediments contain considerable amounts of placer gold, Fe–Ti oxides and zircon.The concentrated Fe–Ti oxides comprise homogeneous magnetite and ilmenite in addition to ilmeno-magnetite, hemo-ilmenite and rutile–hematite intergrowths. Isodynamic separation of some raw samples of SIZE=1 mm revealed that up to 15.12% magnetic minerals can be recovered. Zircon shows remarkable variations in morphology, colour, chemistry and provenance. U-poor and U-rich varieties of zircon were discriminated containing UO₂ in the ranges of 0.04–1.19 and 3.05–3.68 wt.%, respectively. REE-bearing minerals comprise monazite, allanite and La-cerianite.On mineralogical basis, the present work suggests that Dahab stream sediments represent a promising target for further geochemical exploration for precious metals, especially gold. Fire assay data indicate that placer gold in the studied sediments sometimes reaches 15.34 g/t. Narrow gullies and valleys cutting the basement manifest the development and preservation of gold in this arid environment. Background concentration of gold and variation in lithology suggest multiple source of the metal in the investigated sediments.     

Trend Surface Modelling of Karlapat Bauxite Deposit, Eastern Ghat Group, Orissa, India

Abstract: The Karlapat bauxite deposit occurs in the Eastern Ghat Group of rocks in Orissa and has developed in the khondalites. Mineralogical and physical observations on bore hole samples reflect the presence of a maximum of six weathered zones from top to bottom. These zones are termed as topsoil, siliceous laterite, ferruginous laterite, bauxite, lithomarge and altered khondalite. Four-dimensional trend surface models are developed for the data of 45 and 36 bore holes from north and south blocks, respectively, on Al₂O₃ and SiO₂ to delineate the zones of metallurgical grade bauxite (SiO₂5 % and Al₂O₃40 %). The results indicate about 15 m thickness of bauxite in the north block while it could be up to 20 m thick in the south block, leaving about 10 m of lat-erites at the top of each block. High grade bauxite (>47 % Al₂O₃) is also encountered at specific locations.     

Differential Alteration of Ilmenite in a Tropical Beach Placer, Southern India: Microscopic and Electron Probe Evidences

Abstract. The study based on microscopic and microprobe techniques reveals that ilmenite of Manavalakurichi deposit has generally reached the alteration phase of 'leached ilmenite'. The XRD and bulk chemical analysis confirm the limited alteration undergone by ilmenite grains. Ilmenite alteration has been found to be a process of continuous leaching of iron from the mineral lattice and hydroxylisation. The enrichment of trace elements with progressive alteration is discussed. Si and Al are enriched by more than 100 fold. The prevalence of reducing environment at present in the deposit indicates that the oxidation of ferrous iron leading to pseudorutile formation would have occurred during transportation of sediments.     

Beach erosion and acceretion—An example from Kerala,Southwest Coast of India

The thickly populated coastal zone of Kerala, India is facing severe problems due to attack of high waves during the southwest monsoon. Systematic beach profiling at 5-km intervals was carried out along the 560-km stretch of the Kerala coast during the pre-and postmonsoon seasons in 1984. Beach volume changes were calculated at each profile station, and the erosional and accretional trends for the entire coastal tract were demarcated in a map. Total erosion along 55 stations is 1276 m³/m. The general erosional and acceretional trends were also found to coincide with diverging and converging littoral currents deduced from the wave refraction diagrams. Such study at periodic intervals will be highly useful for proper management of the coastal zone.     

Ilmenite, Magnetite and Chromite Beach Placers from South Maharashtra, Central West Coast of India

The heavy mineral placer deposits of the coastal sediments in south Maharashtra stretch for 12.5 km from Pirwadi in the north to Talashil in the south. The area is a sand bar represented by a narrow submergent coastal plain lying between the Achara and Gad Rivers. The sediments in the area are mainly sands which are moderately well sorted to well sorted. The heavy mineral concentration in the surficial sediments ranges between 0.69 and 98.32 wt % (28.73 wt % in average). The heavy mineral concentration shows an increasing trend from north to south. The heavy mineral suite consists predominantly of opaque minerals (ilmenite, magnetite and chromite), garnet, pyroxene, amphibole, zircon, tourmaline, rutile, staurolite, etc. Ilmenite grains are fresh whereas magnetite grains show the effect of weathering and alteration. The chromite grains are rounded to sub-rounded with alteration at the margin of the grains. The surficial textures of the opaque minerals show mechanical breaking that indicates limited distance of transportation. Ilmenite has TiO₂ in the range between 40.04 and 46.6 wt %. Based on ore microscopy studies, the magnetite grains appear to be of two types: pure magnetite and titano-magnetite. Compositionally, the total magnetite fractions have Fe₂O₃ between 32 and 46 wt %, FeO between 19.0 and 25 wt % and TiO₂ between 14.3 and 23.9 wt %. The chromite grains are an admixture of two varieties, ferro-chromite and magnesio-chromite. The chromite grains have 32.06–47.5 wt % of Cr₂O₃ with total iron between 23.86 wt % (4.73% Fe₂O₃ and 19.13% FeO) and 27.89 wt % (4.36% Fe₂O₃ and 23.53% FeO) and MgO between 12 and 40 wt %. The observed variations in the distribution of heavy minerals in the area are due to differences in the sediment supply, their specific gravity and oceanographic processes all of which result in a selective sorting of the sediments. The observed mineral assemblages of transparent heavy minerals (pyroxene, amphibole, tourmaline, kyanite, garnet, zircon and olivine) are suggestive of their derivation from a heterogeneous provenance comprising of igneous rocks, high grade metamorphic rocks and reworked Kaladgi sediments. The chromite grains appear to have been derived from ultrabasic rocks present in the upper reaches of the Gad River. The inferred reserves of ilmenite, magnetite and chromite are 0.175, 0.395 and 0.032 million tons, respectively.     

湘南风化壳淋积型稀土矿床地质特征

风化壳淋积型稀土矿床，在湘南地区普遍发育。具有分布面广、厚度大、品位较富、浸取率高的特点。在风化壳分层中，矿体呈似层状、透镜状赋存于上部、中部，顶部及下部无矿。矿化原岩（花岗岩）含稀土总量０．０６％以上才具找矿价值。     

Mineral Paragenesis of the Lepanto Copper and Gold and the Victoria Gold Deposits, Mankayan Mineral District, Philippines

Abstract: Mineral paragenesis of the alteration, ore and gangue minerals of the Lepanto epithermal copper‐gold deposit and the Victoria gold deposit, Mankayan Mineral District, Northern Luzon, Philippines, is discussed. The principal ore minerals of the Lepanto copper‐gold deposit are enargite and luzonite, with significant presence of tennantite‐tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, native gold/electrum and gold‐silver tellurides. Pervasive alteration zonations are commonly observed from silicification outward to advanced argillic then to propylitic zone. The ore mineralogy of the Lepanto copper‐gold deposit suggests high f_S2 in the early stages of mineralization corresponding to the deposition of the enargite‐luzonite‐pyrite assemblage. Subsequent decrease in the f_S2 formed the chalcopyrite‐tennantite‐pyrite assemblage. An increase in the f_S2 of the fluids with the formation of the covellite‐digenite‐telluride assemblage caused the deposition of native gold/electrum and gold‐silver tellurides. The principal ore minerals of the Victoria gold deposit are sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite and native gold/electrum. The alteration halos are relatively narrow and in an outward sequence from the ore, silica alteration grades to illitic‐argillic alteration, which in turn grades to propylitic alteration. The Victoria gold mineralization has undergone early stages of silica supersaturation leading to quartz deposition. Vigorous boiling increased the pH of the fluids that led to the deposition of sulfides and carbonates. The consequent decrease in H₂S precipitated the gold. Gypsum and anhydrite mainly occur as overprints that cut the carbonate‐silica stages. The crosscutting and overprinting relationships of the Victoria quartz‐gold‐base metal veins on the Lepanto copper‐gold veins manifest the late introduction of near neutral pH hydrothermal fluids.     

新疆西准噶尔包古图地区中酸性侵入体的岩石学、年代学和地球化学研究

新疆西准噶尔包古图地区出露一些中酸性小岩体,以花岗闪长岩、石英闪长岩和闪长岩为主,富Na贫K,属于亚碱性岩石,Mg#值较高(平均0.48)。锆石U-Pb年代学研究表明其形成于310~319Ma期间。通过对比研究,划分出两种侵入体类型:I、Ⅱ、Ⅴ号岩体属于磁铁矿型侵入体,具有较高的氧逸度特征(LogfO2=-22~-16);Ⅲ号岩体属于钛铁矿型侵入体,显示较低的氧逸度特征。这些侵入体具有相似的微量元素和同位素地球化学特征:富集Cs、Rb、Ba、Th、U和LREE,亏损Nb、Ta、Ti,无明显Eu异常;(87Sr/86Sr)i为0.7036~0.7038,εNd(t)为6.64~8.30;具有年轻的Nd模式年龄tDM1=435.4~587.7Ma。元素和同位素地球化学特征显示,包古图中酸性侵入体是受交代的亏损地幔部分熔融生成的玄武质岩浆经历高度结晶分异之后的产物(可能发生岩浆混合),古老地壳物质的混染很弱。     

哈萨克斯坦阿尔泰戈尔诺耶古近纪砂金矿地质特征及成矿规律

阿尔泰造山带砂金矿资源丰富,前人对河流中的砂金矿进行了详细研究,而对山间盆地中赋存的砂金矿研究较少.本文对哈萨克斯坦阿尔泰造山带南缘最东侧的戈尔诺耶古近纪含砂金盆地进行了初步研究,通过地质、自然重砂测量圈定了砂金异常,经浅井和砂钻等工程深部查证,结果显示砂金主要赋存在古近纪粗粒的石英砾石层中,砂金形态以片状为主,是以微...     

斑岩型矿床——非传统矿产资源研究的重要对象

多年来, 斑岩型矿床在传统意义上被认为是铜和钼的主要来源.然而, 斑岩型矿床成岩成矿地质条件复杂, 矿化类型丰富, 尤其是对一些大型-超大型斑岩矿床, 均为多元素综合性的巨型矿床, 除传统意义上的铜、钼等矿产外, 非传统矿产的成矿-找矿潜力巨大, 包括: 金、银、锡、钨、铋、铅、锌、铼、铀、钴、硫、硒、碲、铂族元素、磁铁矿等, 金红石和稀有金属如钽、铌等也值得关注.开展斑岩型矿床成岩成矿地质背景、矿床地质特征与非传统矿产矿化富集分布规律研究, 总结斑岩型矿床非传统矿产资源潜力预测评价标志, 指导找矿预测与资源潜力评价, 具有重要的理论价值和现实意义.      

河南小秦岭金矿稀土元素地球化学特征及地质意义

小秦岭金矿产于新太古界太华群变质岩中,其中的次级拆离断裂为赋矿构造。为了探究矿床的地球化学特征和矿床成因,从矿区主要地质体采集了100件来自太华群地层、文峪岩浆岩和矿石的样品进行测试,其稀土元素的主要特征为：太华岩群的ΣREE值为30.81×10^-6~188.66×10^-6;δEu值为0.62~1.24;花岗岩和脉岩类ΣREE值为58.22×10^-6~365.98×10^-6;δEu为0.90~1.10;矿石的ΣREE值多集中于76.74×10^-6~358.22×10^-6,δEu值多集中于0.74~1.14。结果表明：各地质体稀土总量接近,没有Eu异常或有微弱的正、负铕异常;矿石的稀土元素含量特征与太华群接近,而与文峪等花岗岩相差较远。分析认为,成矿物质主要来源于太华群地层而不是花岗岩。     

Giant Mineral Deposits and Their Geodynamic Setting in the Lanping Basin, Yunnan, China

There are giant mineral deposits, including the Jinding Zn-Pb and Baiyangping Ag-Co-Cu, and otherimportant mineral deposits (e.g., Baiyangchang Ag-Cu, Jinman Cu deposits, etc.) in the Lanping Mesozoic-Cenozoic Basin, Yunnan Province, China. The tabular ore-bodies and some veins hosted in terrestrial clastic rocks of the Mesozoic-Cenozoic age and no outcropping of igneous rocks in the giant deposits lead to the proposal of syngenetic origin, but the giant mineral deposits are not stratabound (e.g. MVT, sandstone- and Sedex-type). They formed in a continental red basin with intense crust movement. The mineralization is controlled by structures and lithology and occurs in different strata, and no sedimentary nature and no exhalative sediments are identified in the deposits. The deposits show some relations with organic matter (now asphalt and petroleum) and evaporates (gypsum). The middle-low-temperature (mainly 110℃ to 280℃) mineralization took place at a depth of about 0.9 km to 3.1 km during the early