The complex age of orthogneiss protoliths exemplified by the Eoarchaean Itsaq Gneiss Complex (Greenland): SHRIMP and old rocks

Field studies integrated with cathodoluminescence petrography and SHRIMP U–Pb dating of zircons from >150 orthogneisses and metatonalites from the Eoarchaean Itsaq Gneiss Complex (southern West Greenland) shows that only a minority contain ≥3840 Ma zircons, whereas the majority carry only younger ones. Rocks containing ≥3840 Ma zircons vary from very rare single-phase metatonalites to more common complexly banded tonalitic migmatites. The former metatonalites have simple oscillatory-zoned ≥3840 Ma zircon with limited recrystallisation and overgrowth, whereas the more common migmatites have much more complicated zircon populations with both ≥3840 Ma and 3650–3600 Ma oscillatory-zoned zircon, more extensive recrystallisation and widespread complex core-rim multiple growth relationships.     

An investigation of aspects of mine waste from a kyanite mine,Central Virginia,USA

Kyanite Mining Corporation, located in Dillwyn, Virginia has been in operation for over 50 years and their local operation is the largest kyanite mine in the world. As part of the processing at this location, a magnetic separate is generated and a minimum estimation of 3.57 million tons of waste has accumulated. Currently no use for the magnetic separate has been identified. We investigated eight representative samples of the magnetic mine waste which varied in color from a dark tan to black, to determine if the waste could be recycled as an ore or could be used as an environmental media. Mineralogical investigations indicate the composition of the magnetic mine waste is dominated by magnetite, kyanite, lesser amounts of hematite and charcoal. Magnetite occurs as fine grained crystals and as inclusions in kyanite. Hematite occurs largely as botryoidal textures, as discrete grains, and as coatings on kyanite grains. Fe-oxide spheres ranging in diameter from approximately 5–100 μm are common and may compose up to 10% in some samples. Titanium dioxide was rarely observed as coatings on silicate mineral grains. Energy dispersive spectroscopy analysis on magnetite crystals indicates they have end-member compositions. Bulk property investigations indicate that grain size distributions of samples are primarily unimodal with 20–40% of material being between 0.600 and 0.250 mm. Hydraulic conductivity values of samples investigated vary between 0.0036 and 0.0077 cm/s and are broadly consistent with those expected of sands with similar grain size distributions. In addition to the magnetic waste stream a light blue, water soluble, amorphous Cu sulfate occurs as a coating on surfaces of boulders. The coating is composed of rounded interlocking particles 5–60 μm in diameter. This material is of some environmental concern for freshwater invertebrates, but can be managed using sorption media. Hyperspectral data were gathered of the magnetic separate, kyanite ore samples, and the light blue Cu sulfate. The signatures of the kyanite ore, the blue mineral coating, and a mixture of the two provide spectral fingerprints that an imaging spectrometer could exploit for rapid detection and subsequent environmental monitoring.     

Origin of granites in an Archean high-grade terrane,southern India

Archean deep-level granites in southern India are similar geochemically to young granites from continentalmargin arc systems. They exhibit light REE enriched patterns with variable, but chiefly positive Eu anomalies. This is in striking contrast to the negative Eu anomalies typical in high-level Archean granites. In addition, the deep-level granites are relatively enriched in Ba and Sr and depleted in total REE and high field strength elements (HFSE). One pluton, the Sankari granite, has unusually low contents of REE and HFSE. Most of the deep-level granites appear to represent cumulates with variable amounts of trapped liquid and of minor phases, resulting from fractional crystallization of a granitic parent. Such parental granitic magmas can be produced by batch melting of Archean tonalite at middle to lower crustal depths. The Sankari granite requires a tonalitic source depleted in REE and HFSE. Archean tonalites and tonalitic charnockites exhibit original igneous geochemical signatures and their average composition does not show a significant Eu anomaly. Hence, they cannot represent the positive Eu-anomaly complement to the negative Eu-anomaly, high-level granites. Our results suggest that Archean deep-level granites may represent this complement. Such granite may form in waterrich zones in the middle or lower crust and be produced in response to dehydration of the lower crust by a rising CO₂-rich fluid phase.     

Determination of Selenium Concentrations in NIST SRM 610, 612, 614 and Geological Glass Reference Materials Using the Electron Probe, LA-ICP-MS and SHRIMP II

A combination of EMPA, sensitive high resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP II) and/or LA-ICP-MS techniques was used to measure the concentration of selenium (Se) in NIST SRM 610, 612, 614 and a range of reference materials. Our new compiled value for the concentration of Se in NIST SRM 610 is 112 ± 2 μg g⁻¹. The concentration of Se in NIST SRM 612, using NIST SRM 610 for calibration, determined using LA-ICP-MS (confirmed using SHRIMP II) was 15.2 ± 0.2 μg g⁻¹. The concentration of Se in NIST SRM 614, using LA-ICP-MS was 0.394 ± 0.012 μg g⁻¹. LA-ICP-MS determination of Se in synthetic geological glasses BCR-2G, BIR-1G, TB-1G and the MPI-DING glasses showed a range in concentrations from 0.062 to 0.168 μg g⁻¹. Selenium in the natural glass, VG2, was 0.204 ± 0.028 μg g⁻¹.     

Studies in fluviatile sedimentation: Lateral variation in some fining-upwards cyclothems from the Red Marls,Pembrokeshire

The lateral lithological variability of 18 stratigraphically close fluviatile cyclothems is analysed in three ways: (1) qualitatively, (2) by means of the upwards facies transition probability matrix, and (3) using the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U statistic. Some cyclothems are relatively very uniform over lateral distances comparable with 100 cyclothem thicknesses, whereas others have a lateral variability similar to the variability characteristic of the set of cyclothems. Hence some amongst stratigraphically close cyclothems are considered to show real differences, which may be attributed to allocyclic environmental factors operating on a relatively large time scale. The variation within cyclothems can be explained by shorter term autocyclic factors.     

Geochemistry of the Archean low- to high-grade transition zone,Southern India

The transition zone between Archean low- and high-grade rocks in southern India represents eroded crustal levels representative of 15–20 km. It is comprised chiefly of tonalitic gneisses with some varieties showing incipient charnockitization and of minor amounts of granitic gneiss and charnockite, both of which appear to have developed from the tonalitic gneisses.Tonalitic gneisses and charnockites are similar in major and trace elements composition while granitic gneisses are relatively enriched in Rb, K, Th, Ba and light rare earth element (REE) and depleted in Cr and Sc. All three rock types exhibit enriched light REE patterns with variable positive Eu anomalies. Total REE content decreases with increasing Eu/Eu and SiO₂ and with decreasing Fe₂O_3T and MgO in the tonalitic gneisses and charnockites.An internally consistent model for the production of the tonalitic gneisses involves partial melting of an enriched mafic source with variable ratios of hornblende to clinopyroxene. This source, in turn, is derived from an ultramafic mantle relatively enriched in incompatible elements. Granitic gneisses form from tonalitic gneisses by alkali metasomatism from chloride-bearing fluids with high H₂O/CO₂ ratios purged from the lower crust by CO₂, and charnockites are produced from tonalitic gneisses (and granitic gneisses) by ischochemical CO₂ metamorphism following the alkali metasomatism.     

Plagioclase lherzolite-residual mantle relationships within two eastern mediterranean ophiolites

The ophiolites of Othris, northern Greece, and Troodos, Cyprus, are of mixed lherzolite-harzburgite and harzburgite sub-type respectively. Within both ophiolites an entire spectrum of harzburgite, plagioclase harzburgite, lherzolite and plagioclase lherzolite interpreted respectively as residual and highly, moderately and slightly modified upper mantle has been recognised. Plagioclase lherzolite frequently contains gabbroic segregations generated by partial melting and incomplete extraction. Othris shows the full range of mantle peridotites while Troodos is dominated by harzburgite with very minor occurrences of plagioclase harzburgite and lherzolite. Chemically, the plagioclase lherzolites have low contents of the basaltophillic minor elements, and a composition slightly more residual than postulated upper mantle compositions, suggestive of a preceding phase of minor depletion. The Othris and Troodos ophiolites seem to have formed under fundamentally different environments — Othris as a marginal ophiolite at the inception on rifting of continental crust, and Troodos later in such an event when spreading was well established.     

A quantitative technique for assessing the roundness of pottery sherds in water currents

The shape property of transposed pottery sherds that changes most rapidly due to wear during water transport in natural sedimentary environments is roundness, the degree of curvature of edges and corners. of the many methods for the measurement of particle roundness, which are briefly reviewed, that proposed by Wadell (1932, 1933) is considered to specify roundness best. A simple and rapid procedure for the measurement of the Wadell projection roundness is described, which yields roundness values having a precision of the order of a few percent, the precision improving with the degree of roundness. the technique is therefore suitable for the analysis of large samples of transposed and transported sherds.