Bismuthoan Galena—A New Variety of Galena

Bismuthoan galena is a variety of galena, resulting from the replacement of Bi for some Pb in galena.This mineral occurs in the No.11 orebody of the Lamo skarn-type Zn-Cu deposit in the Dachang ore field ,but only the No,11 orebody of the Lamo deposit is developed such bismuthoan galena.This is closely related to such a geochemical background that the No.11 orebody contains high Bi and Bi-sulfosalt minerals are well developed there.Eight electron microprobe analyses of five samples give 60.17-70.20%Pb(66.94% on average),10.00-16.06%Bi (12.47%),4.83-8.97%Ag(6.39%)and 13.25-13.98% S(13.65%).Its molecular formula is Pb0.76,Bi0.14,Ag0.13,1.03S.No galena so high in Bi has been reported in the literature and this is the first report in China.     

A New Variety of Mineral—Argentian Mercurian Gold

Argentian mercurian gold,golden-yellow in colour,is a variety of native gold containing Ag and Hg,coccurring as hexagonal and tetragonal crystals in hairy,milk-droplet or irregular forms.Its microhardness Hv=91kg/mm^2,equivalent to 3.04on Mons‘scale,and the reflectance is 70.35%(589nm).Chemical analysis gave:Au 56.05-67.33,Ag18.29-31.06 and Hg 10-14.82%,as well as minor Cu.In a few samples Bi or Fe was also detected.The simplified formula is (Au0.52Ag0.36Hg0.09Cu0.02)0.99.X-ray analysis suggests the mineral is of isometric system,with space group=Oh^5-Fm3m,a0=0.40803nm,V=0.06739nm^3,and Z=4.Argentian mercurian gold occurs in a Ag-multimetal deposit at Xiacun,Baiyu County,Sichuan Province,As observed in the mining district,the mineral is distributed along the fissures of the main metallic minerals pyrite,tetrahedrite,chalcopyrite,arsenopyrite,galena,sphalerite,etc.,or in the sulfide veinlets developed in the.fissures of these minerals.Also found in the mineral deposit are native gold,argentite,sulvanite,bournonite,boulangrite,etc.     

Changchengite—A New Iridium Bismuthide-Sulphide from the Yanshan Mountains

Changchengite occurs in chromite orebodies in dunite and in platinum placer deposits in chromite orebodies nearby. The mineral occurs as massive aggregates or veinlets on margins of iridisite (IrS2) and replaces it. Opaque. Lustre metallic. Colour steel-black. Streak black. Hm = 3.7. VHN20= 165 kg/ mm2. Isotropic. Cleavage none. Density 11.96 g/ cm3. Seven electron microprobe analyses give the following mean chemical results (wt. %): S 7.2, Cu 0.3, Te 0.4, Ir 41.2, Pt 2.8 and Bi 47.3 with total 99.1. The simplified formula is IrBiS. The strongest X-ray powder diffraction lines (hkl, d, I) are 210, 2.75 (70); 211, 2.51 (60); 311, 1.860 (100); 440. 1.090 (50) and 600, 1.027 (50). The X-ray powder diffraction pattern is similar to that of mayingite. After the diffraction data are indexed the mineral is determined to be cubic. The space group is P213 with a = 0.6164(4) nm, V = 0.2342 nm3 and Z = 4.     

A New Method for Clay Mineral Analysis and Its Application in Geology

X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks in a low-angle diffraction section of clay minerals, especially those of authigenic origin, have broadening and tailing features in shape. Using the five basic parameters, peak position, peak height, width, shape coefficient and asymmetry, to describe an XRD peak is more accurate, comprehensive and integrated than using only 3 of them, position, height and width. Following the concept of the five basic parameters of an XRD peak, the program Decoform proposed in this study provides more information in mineralogical analyses by fitting actual XRD profiles. In combination with the HW-IR plot, Decoform can be systematically and accurately used in the comprehensive analyses of crystallinity, domain size, lattice strain and quantitative phase. It is also of value for the geological investigations of diagenesis, metamorphism, basin maturity, structural stress field and so on.     

A New Fauna——Qinghezhen Fauna——from the Northern Margin of the North China Platform

In the Inner Mongolia axis and Jiaoliao anteclise along the northern margin of the North China Platform.it has been found that the strata formerly considered as Archaean and Proterozoic are in fact an ophiolite suitesimilar to the Early Palaeozoic Ondor Sum Group in the Northern Geosyncline region of China. The stratahave been named in northern Liaoning as the Qinghezhen Group. The emphasis of this paper is on the discus-sion of the simall shelly fossils found in the siliceous rocks in the upper part of the Qinghezhen Group. Thisophiolite suite stretches in an E-W direction for about 1000 km along the northern margin of the North ChinaPlatform. in which 15 fossil localities with stable stratigraphic horizons have been discovered. In this paper. 4types. 7 genera (including 5 new ones) and 10 species (including 8 new ones and 1 new subspecies) aredescribed, which are collectively referred to as the Qinghezhen Fauna. The characteristics of these fossils are:shell form simple. the maximum length not exceeding 4 mm. with obvious shell wall and wall ornaments. TheQinghezhen Fauna is comparable in shell structure of some genera and species with the Meishucun Fauna inSouth China, but differs from the latter in having only monotonous fossil groups developed in a distinctly va-ried ecological environment. The two faunas may belong to the same evolutionary stage of the Early Cambrianbut have developed parallelly in different regions. The existence of the Qinghezhen Fauna represents an impor-tant biological event in the Early Cambrian in the Northern Geosyncline region of China. The discovery of theQinghezhen Fauna will bring new knowledge and profound influence to a series of problems on basic geologyand mineral deposit prospecting such as the Cambrian faunas. biogeographical povincialism in China and thegeotectonic features of the northern margin of the North China Platform.     

A New Scheme for Calculating Mineral End-Members With Reference to Clinopyroxene And Garnet

In order to eliminate the defect of successively separative calculations of different end-members of a min-eral and to establish a widely applicable new scheme for calculating mineral end-members, the use of the linearprogramming technique is proposed to calculate simultaneously all end-members in this paper. All calculationswith the scheme under study can result in non-negative values. In the case of calculating end-members ofclinopyroxene, the Eskola's molecule is introduced so as to reach stoichiometry. When certain minor elementsin solid solutions are present in a remarkable amount, by adding to the equations the vectors of the corre-sponding end-members and adjusting the component vectors it is possible to obtain calculation results, in-cluding those of such end-mempbers. The possibility of using the calculation scheme under study to estimate theFe~(3+)/Fe~(2+) ratio of a mineral from electron microprobe analysis is also discussed in this paper.     

Diamond and Recycled Mantle:A New Perspective——Introduction of IGCP 649 Project

<正>The IGCP 649 project entitled "Diamonds and Recycled Mantle"was approved by UNESCO and IUGS in March 2015.This project is led by an international team of researchers,including Prof.Yang Jingsui of Institute of Geology of CAGS(China),Prof.Yildirim Dilek of Miami     

A New Report of Serpentinites from Northern Central Indian Ridge (at 6oS) — An Implication for Hydrothermal Activity

Serpentinites from the inside corner high （6°38.5′S/68°19.34′E） from the Northern Central Indian Ridge （NCIR） are comprised mainly of high Mg-rich lizardite and chrysotile pseudomorphs with varying morphologies. ＇Mesh rim＇, ＇window＇, ＇hourglass＇ and ＇bastite＇ are the most common textures displayed by both chrysotile and lizardite. Numerous chrysotile veins in association with cross cutting magnetite veins indicate an advanced stage of serpentinisation. The relatively high abundance of chrysotile and lizardite suggest their close association and formation at a temperature below 250℃. Abundant ＇mesh rim＇ and ＇bastite＇ texture and variegated matrix reveal that the present serpentinites might have formed due to the interaction of harzburgite and seawater. Positive Eu anomaly （Eu/Eu^＊ up to ＋3.38）, higher La/Sm （up to 4.40） and Nb/La （up to 6.34） ratios suggest substantial hydrothermal influence during the formation of the serpentinites.     

Regional Geochemical Division—A Tool for Delineating Geochemical Block

INTRODUCTIONGeochemists need to study the spatial distribution of theassociations of the geochemical elements(AGE) to delineatethe geochemical blocks or recognize geochemical anomalies inregional geochemical exploration.Regional geochemical divi-sion (RGD) is a mapping technique for the division of thestudy area into slices where the natural AGEs are relativelysimple and uniform.A practical approach to RGD is to digital-ly devide the collected geochemical samples into groups bymeans o…     

A New Report of Serpentinites from Northern Central Indian Ridge(at 6°S)—An Implication for Hydrothermal Activity

Serpentinites from the inside corner high(6°38.5′S/68°19.34′E)from the Northern Central Indian Ridge(NCIR)are comprised mainly of high Mg-rich lizardite and chrysotile pseudomorphs with varying morphologies.‘Mesh rim',‘window',‘hourglass' and‘bastite' are the most common textures displayed by both chrysotile and lizardite.Numerous chrysotile veins in association with cross cutting magnetite veins indicate an advanced stage of serpentinisation.The relatively high abundance of chrysotile and lizardite suggest their close association and formation at a temperature below 250℃. Abundant‘mesh rim'and‘bastite'texture and variegated matrix reveal that the present serpentinites might have formed due to the interaction of harzburgite and seawater.Positive Eu anomaly(Eu/Eu~* up to 3.38),higher La/Sm(up to 4.40)and Nb/La(up to 6.34)ratios suggest substantial hydrothermal influence during the formation of the serpentinites.     

A New Report of Serpentinites from Northern Central Indian Ridge (at 6°S)—An Implication for Hydrothermal Activity

Serpentinites from the inside corner high (6°38.5'S/ 68°19.34'E) from the Northern Central Indian Ridge (NCIR) are comprised mainly of high Mg-rich lizardite and chrysotile pseudomorphs with varying morphologies.'Mesh rim','window', 'hourglass'and'bastite'are the most common textures displayed by both chrysotile and lizardite.Numerous chrysotile veins in association with cross cutting magnetite veins indicate an advanced stage of serpentinisation.The relatively high abundance of chrysotile and lizardite suggest their close association and formation at a temperature below 250°C. Abundant 'mesh rim' and 'bastite'texture and variegated matrix reveal that the present Serpentinites might have formed due to the interaction of harzburgite and seawater.Positive Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu*up to 3.38), higher La/Sin (up to 4.40) and Nb/La (up to 6.34) ratios suggest substantial hydrothermal influence during the formation of the Serpentinites.     

Mass Extinction——A Fundamental Indicator for Major Natural Divisions of Geological History

In the Phanerozoic, there are three major geological boundaries: Precambrian/Cambrian.Permian/Triassic and Cretaceous/Tertiary. Studies of these boundaries in China and over the world stronglysuggest that they have the following similar features: mass extinctions of many taxa, positive anomalies ofplatinum-group metals, and abrupt changes of stable isotopes (δ~(13)C). It is quite probable that these were theconsequences of some rare catastrophic events of extraterrestrial origin. Hence, the three above-mentionedmass extinction events may be regarded as key indicators for the division of the geological history of thePhanerozoic.     

A Continuum One——Dimensional Model for Radionuclide Migration Testing in Unsaturated Loess

Unsaturated radionuclide migration experiments were conducted in a pit inside thetesting hall.Several types of radionuclides were used in the experiments.Tritium wasused as a tracer for water movement in unsaturated loess.Other kinds of radionuclideswere also used in order to obtain fundamental parameters for radionuclide migration sothat further environmental assessment of low—level radioactive waste disposal can be car-ried out.Mechanisms governing unsaturated flow in loess,that is,principles ofone—way lateral flow,are presented qualitatively in this paper.And a continuumone—dimensional model for radionuclide migration testing is developed based on the ex-periments conducted under the particular conditions at the test site.The data measuredfrom the tests were compared with solutions of this one—dimensional model.Resultsshow that this model is feasible for modeling radionuclide migration in unsaturatedloess.     

REE Compositions of Lower Ordovician Dolomites in Central and North Tarim Basin, NW China： A Potential REE Proxy for Ancient Seawater

Rare earth element compositions of Lower Ordovician dolomites in the Central and Northern Tarim Basin are studied. Most dolomite samples are more or less contaminated by clay minerals. Their rare earth element compositions have been consequently changed, showing both seawater-like and non-seawater-like features. The clay contamination should be disposed before the REE data are used. Through ICP-MS and ICP-AES analyses, the REE features are well documented. The clay contamination is quantitatively determined by microscopic investigation, trace elements and REE contents. The dolomites, at least in the Tarim Basin, are thought to be pure when their total LREE contents are less than 3×10^-6. Through comparison, the pure dolomites show similarities in REE patterns but differences in REE contents with co-existing pure limestone, which indicates that dolomitization may slightly change the REE compositions. Nevertheless, whatever the change is, the pure dolomites may act as a potential REE proxy for Ordovician seawater, which would be significant for ancient massive dolomite strata that lack limestone.     

A New Mechanism of Formation of the Silver—Rim Structure on Primary Gold Grains

Gold minerals in the Baochun skarn-type gold deposit are Au-Ag allogy with Ag contents within the range of 15-35.5wt% and the inerals vary from 5μm to 50μm in size.As viewed from the electron microprobe images,most gold grains show silver rims with a high Ag content as compared with the core,ranging generally from 2 to 3μm in width.From dynamic calculations based on the mass action and mass balance constratints on the crystallization of native gold,it is considered that the enrichment of silver in the rim of gold minerals in due to gradual enrichment of silver in the ore-forming solutions with its evolution from the early to the late metallogenic stage.     

“Three-Component” Digital Prospecting Method：A New Approach for Mineral Resources Quantitative Prediction and Assessment

“Three-component” method consists of three clase-connected aspects: geological anomaly,diversity of mineralization and mineral deposit spectrum. All these three concepts are not new separately, but it is a new approach to combine these three aspects in one single concept for quantitative mineral resources prediction and assessment and it is also the first time to conduct a more detailed study in each aspect. Investigation and clarification of geological anomalies, diversity of mineralization and spectrum of mineral deposits are realized by digitization and quantification of ore forming controlling factors, oreexisting symbols or marks, characteristics of mineralization and regulation of ore-genesis and laws of distribution. These procedures lead to construction of a “digital model“ for mineral resources prediction andassessment.