The Firestone Sill ganister,Namurian, northern England—the A2 horizon of a podzol or podzolic palaeosol

The Firestone Sill is a sandstone of early Namurian age which outcrops in the northern Pennines. Occasionally the top of this sandstone contains a conspicuous white quartz arenite upto 1.5 m thick. This was formerly worked for refractory purposes and became known as the Firestone Sill ganister. The presence of roots, rootlets, soil horizons and pedogenically produced structures, e.g. cutans associated with the quartz arenite suggest that it represents the A₂ (eluvial) horizon of a podzol or podzolic palaeosol. The main processes operating during pedogenesis were the accumulation and incorporation of organic matter into the surface (A₁) horizon, destruction of sedimentary structures by bioturbation (principally rootlets), and the downward translocation of carbonaceous material, clays and other mineral breakdown products. The latter led to a relative quartz enrichment of a few percent in the A₂ (ganister) horizon and resulted in the development of a B-horizon of accumulation.The presence of occasional feldspars in the A₂-horizon and the rather small amount of quartz enrichment which took place in this zone suggest that pedogenesis was of fairly brief duration.     

金矿床中长石天然热发光强度的标型意义

对河北及山东4个金矿床中的交代成因钾长石与钠长石进行了天然热发光的研究,它们包括两种类型:一种为蚀变岩型(胶东夏甸金矿,河北高家店金矿);另一种为石英脉型(胶东金翅岭金矿,河北金厂峪金矿)。经研究发现,当接近矿化地段时,钾长石与钠长石天然热发光峰值增高,尤其是在富矿地段突然升高;在破碎带或受动力影响的长石,热发光峰值突然降低。因此长石天然热发光可用以指示交代作用,矿化作用与成矿后动力作用的空间位置,因而可以作为成因与找矿标志。     

板溪锑矿两类石英脉成因及其对找矿的指示意义

板溪矿区内广泛发育无矿石英脉，其与含矿石英脉空间关系密切，但人们对两者是否具有成因联系并不清楚.围绕该问题作者开展了二者形成时代、成分组成及物质来源等方面的对比研究，结果发现含矿石英脉旁侧总是发育与其平行的无矿石英脉，二者无穿插关系，但存在连接二者的石英脉，结合区域地质资料认为无矿石英脉形成于燕山期，与含矿石英脉形成时代一致；无矿石英脉局部含微量辉锑矿±黄铁矿，脉体发育绢云母化、硅化等围岩蚀变，与含矿石英脉一致；无矿石英脉流体包裹体均一温度(143~266℃)和盐度(1.7%~8.5% NaCl eqv.)较含矿石英脉的均一温度(185~332℃)和盐度(3.3%~7.7% NaCl eqv.)略低，但二者均为中低温、低盐度的流体体系；激光拉曼分析显示两者流体气相组分均为H₂O±CO₂±CH₄±N₂，LA-ICP-MS测试结果显示无矿石英脉与含矿石英脉均含Sb、Fe、As等元素；无矿石英脉包裹体的δD值(-74.4‰~-69.7‰)、δ18O_H2O值(2.6‰~3.4‰)、硫化物δ34S值(3.04‰~4.87‰)与含矿石英脉包裹体的δD值(-140‰~-107‰)、δ18O_H2O值(5.9‰~8.4‰)、硫化物δ34S值(3.46‰~6.12‰)相似性较高，指示二者具有相同的物质来源.两类石英脉应属同一成矿热液系统，其差异是成矿流体混合的结果，因此其他热液矿床，特别是矿田范围内的无矿石英脉可能对矿脉具有指示作用，应引起重视.      

Correlation of Fe4+ optical anisotropy,Brazil twinning and channels in the basal plane of amethyst quartz

The biaxial absorption bands in amethyst quartz, with peaks at 2.28 eV and 3.54 eV related to Fe⁴⁺ and a peak at 3.02 eV—which is the A₃ band related to the [AlO₄]° trapped hole center, have orientations of maximum light absorption in the basal plane of Brazil-twinnedr-growth sectors paralleling the planes of Brazil optical twinning. Absorption minima are at 90° to the maxima in all cases. The Brazil twinning planes always parallel thea-axes(1210,etc) of quartz and in many cases also parallel planes perpendicular to ther-faces(1011,etc.). These are directions of channels in the quartz structure. The anisotropy ratio,σ_max/σ_min, of the Fe⁴⁺ band is that of the A₂ absorption band in smoky quartz as would be expected if Fe³⁺ furnishes electrons to quench the trapped holes causing this absorption band. In the absence of the A₁ and A₂ absorption bands, the A₃ absorption band width at half-maximum decreases from 1.43 to 0.36 eV indicating decreased charge-transfer character of the [AlO₄]° center in the absence of the other types of Al trapped-hole centers in quartz. The key to the Brazil twinning in α-quartz are the channels which fill with large Fe³⁺ ions that force twinning to relieve strain in the structure. Amethyst color results only if aluminum is present substitutionally in the quartz as well as the interstitial iron plus ionizing radiation.     

Germanium-bearing Colusite in Siliceous Black Ore from the Ezuri Kuroko Deposit, Hokuroku District, Japan

Abstract. Germanium‐bearing colusite occurs with sphalerite, galena, tetrahedrite‐tennantite, chalcopyrite and pyrite in microdruses and veinlets in the siliceous black ore from the Ezuri Kuroko deposit in the Hokuroku district of Japan. X‐ray microdiffractometry of this mineral gives strongest lines at 1.60, 1.32 and 1.09 Å, which are consistent with the known powder diffraction data of colusite. On the basis of 32 S atoms per formula unit, electron microprobe analyses yield empirical chemical formulae of (Cu_{24 0}Fe_0.3Zn_1.0)_σ25.3V_1.9(A_s4.8Sb_0.2)_σ5.0Ge _1.3S₃₂ for Ge‐bearing colusite in close association with sphalerite, and (Cu_24.6Fe_0.9)_σ25.4V_1.8(A_s4.1 Sb_0.2)_σ4.3Ge_1.7S₃₂ for that coexisting with chalcopyrite, consistent with the ideal formula of Cu_24+xV₂(As, Sb)_6‐x(Sn, Ge)_xS₃₂ (x = 0 to 2) proposed by Spry et al. (1994) for this mineral species. The Ge‐bearing colusite mineralization is suggested to have occurred concurrently with consolidation of the siliceous black ore, possibly during hydrothermal modification in association with the igneous activity of the Ohtaki quartz diorite of the later Onnagawa stage. It is likely that biogenic siliceous ooze, a possible precursor of the siliceous black ore, may have served as an in situ source of Ge as well as other essential rare elements, leading to the formation of Ge‐bearing colusite during transformation or recrystallization of biogenic opal into a‐quartz.     

Pyrite,marcasite, and arsenopyrite type minerals: Crystal chemical and structural principles

Quantitative molecular orbital (MO) calculations and qualitative perturbational MO arguments are used to interpret the spectra and structure of transition metal dichalcogenides and related compounds. Competition between pyrite (FeS₂), marcasite (FeS₂) and loellingite (FeAs₂) structure types is explained in terms of the number of electrons occupying a set of MO's obtained from the mixing of dianion (A ₂) orbitals and metal (M) dσ orbitals. Direct metal-metal d orbital interaction is argued to be small. Attention is focused upon the M - A - M angles which differ substantially among the three structure types as a consequence of varying numbers of electrons in orbitals which closely resemble the pπ* orbitals of the dianions. Variations in M - A and A - A distances can also be understood in terms of the occupations of this set of MO's. Disulfide valence region photo-emission spectra are interpreted in terms of calculations on MS₆ and S₆ molecular clusters. M3d orbitals are found to progressively approach the S3p orbitals with increasing atomic number of M from Fe to Ni. For CuS₂ comparison of calculation and experiment supports an approximate electron configuration of Cu⁺¹ S ₂ ^?1 .     

长江中下游贵池矿集区燕山期岩浆作用及其地质意义:年代学、地球化学及Sr-Nd-Hf同位素证据

长江中下游贵池地区燕山期侵入岩发育,与成矿关系密切.本文对该区侵入岩开展了详细的锆石U-Pb年代学、地球化学及Sr-Nd-Hf同位素研究.结果表明,马头花岗闪长斑岩形成于147±2Ma,而花园巩石英二长岩形成于127±1Ma,比花岗闪长斑岩晚约20Ma.早期的花岗闪长斑岩(147 ～ 145Ma)为高钾钙碱性系列,具有高Al2O3、Sr含量和Sr/Y、La/Yb比值,以及低的Y、Yb含量,与埃达克质岩的地球化学特征一致;而晚期石英二长岩(127Ma)和石英正长岩为钾玄岩系列,具有高的(Na2O+ K2O)、Zr、Nb、Y含量和Y/Nb、Yb/Ta比值,与造山带A2型花岗岩地球化学特征相似;碱长花岗岩(125～124Ma)同样具有A型花岗岩的地球化学特征,但与石英二长岩、石英正长岩相比,碱长花岗岩的Y/Nb、Yb/Ta比值相对较低,具板内环境A1型花岗岩的地球化学特征.因此,贵池地区岩浆岩从早期的埃达克质岩变为晚期的A型花岗岩,反应了晚中生代时期长江中下游地区的构造环境由大陆边缘环境向伸展环境的转变.     

Phase equilibria among pumpellyite,lawsonite, epidote and associated minerals in low grade metamorphic rocks

Phase relations of pumpellyite, epidote, lawsonite, CaCO₃, paragonite, actinolite, crossite and iron oxide are analysed on an Al-Ca-Fe³⁺ diagram in which all minerals are projected from quartz, albite or Jadeite, chlorite and fluid. Fe²⁺ and Mg are treated as a single component because variation in Fe²⁺/Mg has little effect on the stability of phases on the diagram. Comparison of assemblages in the Franciscan, Shuksan, Sanbagawa, New Caledonia, Southern Italian, and Otago metamorphic terranes reveals several reactions, useful for construction of a petrogenetic grid:

1. lawsonite+crossite + paragonite = epidote+chlorite + albite + quartz + H₂O
2. lawsonite + crossite = pumpellyite + epidote + chlorite + albite+ quartz + H₂O
3. crossite + pumpellyite + quartz = epidote + actinolite + albite + chlorite + H₂O
4. crossite + epidote + quartz = actinolite + hematite + albite + chlorite + H₂O
5. calcite + epidote + chlorite + quartz = pumpellyite + actinolite + H₂O + CO₂
6. pumpellyite + chlorite + quartz = epidote + actinolite + H₂O

     

Radiation-induced defects in quartz. IV. Thermal properties and implications

The thermal stabilities and decay kinetics of three peroxy radicals (Centers #1, B and B′) and three other radiation-induced defects (#3, C′ and E₁′) in natural quartz from the high-grade McArthur River uranium deposit (Athabasca basin, Canada) have been investigated by isochronal and isothermal annealing experiments and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Single-crystal EPR spectra of isochronally (2 h) annealed quartz show that these centers all grow in intensity to 280°C and then decay with further increase in temperature, but their disappearance temperatures differ markedly and depend on the initial concentrations (e.g., Center #1 in a dark smoky quartz is annealed out at 380°C, B and B′ at 420°C and #3 and C′ at 580°C). The isothermal decay processes of these centers are all of the second order type. The calculated activation energies for the peroxy radicals [#1 and B + B′ at 0.36 (9) and 0.83 (8) eV, respectively] are smaller than those of Centers #3, C′ and E₁′ [1.09 (8), 1.24 (8) and 1.45 (7) eV, respectively]. Gamma-ray irradiations of thermally bleached quartz restore a fraction of the peroxy radicals, suggesting that their diamagnetic precursors are stable up to at least 800°C. The unusual decay characteristics of “peroxy radicals” in quartz reported in the literature are shown to most likely arise from multiple radiation-induced defects. These results have implications for not only applications of peroxy radicals in quartz for EPR dating but also better understanding of thermoluminescence and cathodoluminescence spectra of this mineral.