Concentrations of 222 Rn, Its Short-Lived Daughters And 212 Pb And Their Ratios Under Complex Atmospheric Conditions And Topography

Atmospheric activity concentrations of ²¹²Pb and short-lived ²²²Rndaughters, together with meteorological elements, have been observed continuously atthree sites at Kamisaibara Village in Japan. In addition, atmospheric activity concentrationof ²²²Rn, equilibrium-equivalent concentration of ²²²Rn and conditionsof the lower atmosphere were observed for three intensive observation periods at Akawase,one of the three sites in Kamisaibara Village. The equilibrium-equivalent concentration of²²²Rn is almost the same as the atmospheric activity concentration of short-lived²²²Rn daughters.The activity concentrations of ²¹²Pb and the short-lived ²²²Rn daughtersand their ratio were low in the daytime owing to convective mixing, and high at nightowing to the surface-based inversion during periods of no precipitation. Their variationshave several patterns corresponding to the scale of the drainage wind or weak mixing.Mechanical mixing due to strong winds through both day and night during the first andsecond observation periods made the atmospheric activity concentrations of ²¹²Pb and the short-lived ²²²Rn daughters continuously low. However, their ratios werecontinuously high during the first period yet continuously low during the second period.This difference can be explained by the effect ofextraction of ²²⁰Rn and ²²²Rndue to strong winds and snow cover. There were also cases in which the ratio of theatmospheric activity concentration of ²¹²Pb to that of the short-lived ²²²Rndaughters at night was equal to or less than the ratio in the daytime. Thisinverse trend, asin the periods of no precipitation mentioned above, is considered to be due to near-neutralconditions on these nights.We find a difference in the ratio of the equilibrium-equivalent concentration of²²²Rn (the activity concentration of short-lived ²²²Rn daughters) tothe activity concentration of ²²²Rn during the first observation period and thatduring the second. The difference can be explained by snow cover on the ground. Wealso find differences among the ratios of the activity concentration of the short-lived²²²Rn daughters to that of ²²²Rn during the three observation periods.These differences can be explained by the submergence of paddy fields.     

"Brown Ore" from the Fukasawa Kuroko Deposits, Northeast Japan: Its Characteristics and Formation Process

Abstract: Brown–colored sulfide ore (brown ore) occurs in the easternmost part of the Tsunokakezawa No. 1 orebody of the Fukasawa kuroko-type deposits, northern Honshu, Japan. As this type of ores also occur in the marginal or uppermost part of several other kuroko deposits in Japan, the formation of brown ore appears to be repeated in the process of kuroko formation. The brown ore is characterized by its higher Ag concentration (up to around 2000 g/t) than ordinary black ore (Zn–Pb ore) of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits. The brown ore from the Fukasawa deposits can be divided into following three ore types based on its texture and mineral composition: pyritic brown ore, principal brown ore and “diseased” brown ore. Primary precipitation textures such as framboidal– and colloform-textures and compositional zoning within sulfide grains are significant in the brown ores. This seems to be due to lack of overprinting high temperature mineralization resulting in preservation of primary features. The Ag-Au mineralization is widely observed within the brown ores. Silver and gold are especially concentrated in the barite veinlets in the principal brown ore, which are supposed to be fillings of conduit of hydrothermal solution precipitated in the latest stage of hydrothermal activity. This mineralization seems to occur at waning stage of brown ore formation by ore solution at a lower temperature (around 250°C) than that of main part of brown ore (around 270°C). Relatively low fluid temperature and contribution of oxic ambient seawater may be responsible for the development of the Ag-Au mineralization in the brown ore. The occurrence of framboidal-rich pyritic brown ore having negative δ³⁴S values (less than –10%) and filamentous texture of sphalerite, seeming remnant of bacteria, indicate the presence of intensive microbial activity in the hydrothermal area for brown ore formation. Formation environment of each ore type of the brown ore is supposed to be as follows: Pyritic brown ore is likely to have formed on the sea-floor around redox boundary at temperature (around 240°C) lower than ordinary black ore. Principal brown ore seems to have been formed beneath the shell of the pyritic brown ore at temperature around 270°C. Footwall of the brown ore is disseminated tuff breccia corresponding to feeder zone of hydrothermal fluid. Overprinting chalcopyrite mineralization is not observed in the brown ore except in limited part of “diseased” ore, which occurs just above the disseminated tuff breccia. Based on the features distinct from the ordinary black ore, the brown ore can be regarded as a product in the marginal part of submarine hydrothermal system, where temperature and flow rate of hydrothermal solution was relatively low and microbial activity was intensive. The brown ore seems to well preserve its primary features after its deposition and might show the initial feature of some part of the ordinary stratiform black ore.     

Monte Carlo simulation of normal grain growth in 2- and 3-dimensions: the lattice-model-independent grain size distribution

The phenomenon of normal grain growth in pure single phase systems is modeled with the Monte Carlo technique and a series of simulations are performed in 2- and 3-dimensions. The results are compared with natural and experimental monomineralic rock samples. In these simulations various lattice models with different anisotropic features in grain boundary energy are examined in order to check the universality of the simulation results. The obtained microstructure varies with the artificial parameter T ^′ in each lattice model, where T ^′ means scaled temperature and controls thermal fluctuation on grain boundary motion. As T ^′ (thermal fluctuation) increases, the boundary energy anisotropy characterizing each lattice model becomes less important for the evolution of the microstructure. As a result the difference in the grain size distribution among the lattice models, which is significantly large for low T ^′, is reduced with increasing T ^′. The distribution independent of both the lattice model and the dimension is obtained at sufficiently high T ^′ and is very close to the normal distribution when carrying out the weighting procedure with a weight of the square of each grain radius. A comparison of the planar grain size distribution of the natural and experimental rock samples with the 3-D simulation results reveals that the simulations reproduce very well the distributions observed in the real rock samples. Although various factors such as the presence of secondary minerals and a fluid phase, which are not included in the simulation modeling, are generally considered to influence the real grain growth behavior, the good agreement of the distribution indicates that the overall grain growth behavior in real rocks may still be described by the simplified model used in the present simulations. Thus the grain size distribution obtained from the present simulations is possessed of the universal form characterizing real normal grain growth of which the driving force is essentially grain boundary energy reduction through grain boundary migration. Received: 7 January 1997 / Accepted: 25 August 1997     

Granulite Facies Relics in the Early Paleozoic Kyanite-bearing Ultrabasic Metacumulate in the Oeyama Belt, the Inner Zone of Southwestern Japan

Granulite facies relics are found in the early Paleozoic kyanite-bearing melanocratic metagabbro from the Fuko Pass metacumulate mass of the Oeyama belt, southwestern Japan. The granulite facies assemblage consists of relict Al-rich clinopyroxene (up to 8.5 wt.% Al₂O₃) and pseudomorphs of spinel and plagioclase. The spinel pseudomorphs consist mainly of symplectic intergrowth of corundum and magnetite with minor gahnitic spinel. The plagioclase pseudomorphs are composed mainly of clinozoisite with minor kyanite. The symplectite suggests oxidation and Mg-depletion of the original spinel: hercynite (3FeAl₂O₄)+(O) = corundum (3Al₂O₃)+magnetite (Fe₃O₄). This oxidation reaction may have taken place at 700-900°C temperature. The melanocratic metagabbro has later been hydrated to form the epidote amphibolite assemblage represented by clinozoisite+kyanite+paragonite. The clinozoisite+kyanite assemblage has further reacted to form margarite at a lower temperature. The first granulite facies assemblage implies that the metacumulate has originally constituted a basal part of thick oceanic crust, and then has experienced the high-P/T type metamorphism in a subduction zone. This indicates that the thick oceanic crust has been formed and accreted to the Circum-Pacific orogenic belt in the early Paleozoic time.     

Association of Electrum and Calcite and Its Significance to the Genesis of the Hishikari Gold Deposits, Southern Kyushu, Japan

Abstract. Mineral assemblage, precipitation sequence and textures of the gold‐bearing veins from the Hishikari epithermal vein‐type deposits, southern Kyushu, Japan, were examined. In addition, fluid inclusion microthermometry and carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of calcite were determined. Calcite, and that replaced by quartz, were commonly observed throughout the precipitation sequence of the veins. Thus, calcite must be a more common gangue constituent initially than observed presently. Association of calcite and electrum is observed immediately subsequent to columnar adularia in some vein samples. In addition, close association of electrum with pseudo‐acicular quartz, and electrum with truscottite were observed. The initial coprecipitation of electrum and calcite might be a common phenomenon in the gold‐bearing veins at the Hishikari deposits. The Th (homogenization temperature) data from the Honko‐Sanjin deposits are generally higher than those from the Yamada deposit. Samples that show association of calcite and electrum yielded higher Th (206–217°C, average) than the Th data from calcite associated with low‐grade Au ore or barren (180–204°C, average). The measured Tm (temperature of last melting point of ice) range from ‐0.4 to 0.0°C. The result suggests that the salinity of the hydrothermal solution was low during the precipitation both of calcite associated with Au mineralization and of barren calcite. Fluid inclusion evidence suggestive of boiling of hydrothermal solution for the precipitation of calcite was not recognized in the present work. The δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O values of calcite range from ‐10.8 to —4.7 % and from +3.2 to +15.2 %, respectively. The δ¹³C value of H₂CO₃ and the δ¹⁸O value of H₂O in the hydrothermal fluids calculated assuming isotopic equilibrium with calcite using the temperature obtained by fluid inclusion microthermometry, range from ‐14.4 to ‐9.1 %, and from ‐6.2 to +5.5 %, respectively. Thus, the calculated δ¹⁸O values of H₂O for calcite further confirm the presence of the ¹⁸O‐enriched ore fluids during the mineralization at the Hishikari deposits. The hydrothermal solution isotopically equilibrated with the sedimentary basement rocks was responsible for the gold mineralization associated with calcite.     

Victoria Carbonate-Base Metal Gold Deposit and Its Significance in the Mankayan Mineral District, Luzon, Philippines

Abstract. The Victoria gold deposit is a low-sulfidation style epithermal carbonate-base metal gold deposit discovered in 1995 in the Mankayan mineral district, northern Luzon, Philippines. It occurs just south of a high-sulfidation copper-gold orebody (Lepanto enargite deposit) and a porphyry copper-gold orebody (Far Southeast (FSE) deposit). Radiometric dating of the Victoria mineralization yields ages from 1.6 to 1.1 Ma, similar to ages of the Lepanto enargite deposit. Mineralogical, geochemical, fluid inclusion and sulfur isotope studies suggest that the Victoria deposit is not directly related to the late stage of hydrothermal activity that produced the FSE porphyry copper-gold and the Lepanto enargite deposits. The hydrothermal fluids from which Victoria was formed appear to have been derived from the south, and not from the FSE intrusive center to the northeast. This would suggest a regional south to north hydrothermal gradient, consistent with the similar flow within the FSE porphyry-Lepanto enargite system. On a district scale, structures similar to those of the Victoria deposit in trend and nature would be highly prospective, especially if they occur north of identified plutons and volcanic centers.     

Verification of two-dimensional non-linear analysis of sand-structure system by examining the results of the shaking-table test

The verification of a two-dimensional non-linear analysis based on a hybrid constitutive model, which consists of the Ramberg-Osgood model extended to two-dimensional problems and a dilatancy model, is discussed through a comparison of the shaking-table test results for a one-storey structure standing on a dry sandy deposit with those for the same on a saturated sandy deposit. Since the relationships G vs. γ and h vs. γ for shear strains of 10^?5?10^?3 can be obtained accurately by an inversion analysis of the resonance curve of the sandy deposit the proposed non-linear method can represent well the observed non-linear response of the dry or the saturated sandy deposit including the structure. This method, however, should be applied carefully to assess the response of a soil-structure system when the three-dimensional interaction affects significantly the response of the model. An equivalent linear analysis using a sway-rocking model is applied to simulate the non-linear ground motion including the three-dimensional interaction, and it is found that the sway-rocking model can also represent well the non-linear response of the system.