Fluid Inclusion Study and Opaque Mineral Assemblage at the Deep and Shallow Part of the Batu Hijau Porphyry Copper-gold Deposit, Sumbawa, Indonesia

The Batu Hijau deposit is the only porphyry type deposit in production in the Sunda‐Banda arc, Indonesia. This study discusses the reason for the localization of copper grade at the deep part of the deposit based on the observation of opaque mineral assemblage. In addition, the formation condition of quartz veins and opaque minerals is discussed on the basis of the fluid inclusion microthermometry. Samples were selected from drill holes SBD100, SBD168, SBD194, SBD254, and SBD257 to cover the wide vertical range. At the Batu Hijau deposit, quartz veins have been classified mainly into four types called A, B, C and D veins, and the A veins contain mainly bornite, often associated with digenite and chalcocite. In addition, magnetite occurs in A veins. However, at the deep part of the deposit, there are quartz veins associated with magnetite, but few copper sulfides such as bornite and chalcopyrite in quartz veins, as observed in SBD257. Quartz veins at depth in SBD257 have abundant magnetite and pyrite. Pyrite in quartz veins at depth in SBD257 mainly occur at the rim of magnetite grains or interstices between them. In quartz veins in SBD254, there are abundant copper sulfides such as bornite and chalcopyrite in spite of the depth. Bornite and chalcopyrite occur as inclusions in magnetite grains in quartz veins in SBD254. Pyrite which often occurs in low grade zone in quartz veins in SBD254 is also recognized at the rims of copper sulfides. This indicates that pyrite in SBD257 and SBD254 formed later than magnetite. On the other hand, blebs of bornite and chalcopyrite inclusions in magnetite grains, which are recognized in quartz veins in SBD168 at shallow high grade part, suggest that the hydrothermal fluid, from which magnetite was deposited also brought the copper sulfides such as bornite and chalcopyrite to the deep part of the Batu Hijau deposit. Therefore, it is concluded that initially the high grade ore zone extended to depth without localization. However due to the later overprinting hydrothermal activity, copper sulfides and magnetite were replaced or dissolved and pyrite was formed, resulting the low grade zone at the deep part of the deposit. Dissolution temperatures (Td) of halite obtained by from fluid inclusion microthermometry show significant differences between SBD168 and other drill holes. The high Td obtained in SBD168 may indicate larger volume of NaCl crystals in hydrothermal fluid at the time of entrapment of the fluid inclusions and formation of other opaque minerals such as magnetite and copper‐iron sulfides. It suggests that the ratio of vapor to brine is also higher at the shallow part of the deposit. The higher vapor to brine ratio may suggest a higher degree of boiling. Removal of vapor phase separated from brine during boiling increases the concentration of substances dissolved in the brine, and this will result in saturation, as evidenced by the salinity and NaCl saturation. The higher degree of boiling suggested by the higher vapor to brine ratio at shallow part may have increased the copper concentration in the brine that may have lead the saturation, resulted in the deposition of copper‐bearing minerals.     

Metallogenesis of Porphyry Cu Deposits of the Western Luzon Arc, Philippines: K-Ar ages, SO3 Contents of Microphenocrystic Apatite and Significance of Intrusive Rocks

Abstract: K–Ar ages of the following porphyry Cu deposits in the western Luzon arc are determined: Lobo-Boneng (10.50.4 Ma), Santo Niño (9.50.3 Ma), Black Mountain (2.10.1 Ma), Dizon (2.50.2 Ma) and Taysan (7.30.2 Ma). Microphenocrys-tic apatite in the late Cenozoic intermediate to silicic intrusions associated with porphyry Cu deposits in the western Luzon arc contains sulfur as SO₃ detectable by electron probe microanalyzer. Sulfur is supposed to have been accommodated dominantly as oxidized species in oxidizing hydrous magmas that generated porphyry Cu deposits. Likewise, such high SO₃ contents in microphenocrystic apatite are common characteristics of the intermediate to silicic magmatism of the western Luzon arc, from tonalitic rocks of the Luzon Central Cordillera of about 15 Ma to an active magmatism at Mount Pinatubo. Thus, the western Luzon arc has been generating porphyry Cu mineralization associated with oxidizing hydrous intermediate to silicic magmatism related to eastward subduction, since Miocene to the present day. Intermediate to silicic rocks since 15 Ma to present-day western Luzon arc generally show high whole-rock Sr/Y ratio ranging from 20 to 184. However, porphyry Cu deposit is not necessarily related to the rocks that show higher Sr/Y ratios compared to the other barren rocks in the western Luzon arc. The characteristics of the intermediate to silicic magma associated with porphyry Cu deposit are not attributed to the composition of the source material of the magma, but to the properties defined by the high activity of oxidized species of sulfur in the fluid phase that is encountered during the generation of intermediate to silicic magmas.     

泰国北部三叠系Lampang群Doi Long组的有孔虫组合与沉积环境

A rich foraminiferal assemblage, consisting of abundant Aulotortus sinuosus and A. tumidus in association with Lamelliconus multispirus, Endoteba ex gr. controversa, E. ex gr. badouxi, Endotebanella kocaeliensis, Endotriada tyrrhenica, Endotriadella wirzi, Malayspirina fontainei, Ammobaculites rhaeticus, Diplotremina astrofimbriata, Agathammina austroalpina, and others, was found in the Doi Long Formation of the Triassic Lampang Group, Northern Thailand. These foraminifers suggest that the formation is referable to the Carnian (early Late Triassic), which is consistent with the age estimated by ammonoids. In microfacies, peloidal grainstone, bioclastic grainstone, sponge-microbial boundstone, and oolitic grainstone were recognized in the Doi Long Formation. Based on microfacies, three depositional facies, the lagoon facies, reef facies, and shoal facies, are recognized in this formation. These lines of evidence are suggestive that the Doi Long Formation was deposited in a reef or bank setting rather than a ramp setting.     

Sulfur Isotopic Study of the Toyoha Deposit, Hokkaido, Japan Comparison between the Earlier-Stage and the Later-Stage Veins

Abstract: The sulfur isotopic ratios (δ³⁴S) of ore minerals from the Toyoha deposit, Hokkaido, one of the largest Pb–Zn–Ag polymetallic vein-type deposits in Japan, were studied. More than 90% of the δ³⁴S values of the studied sulfide minerals collected from the Toyoha deposit range from +5 to +9%, with an average of approximately +7% irrespective of the mineral species, veins, elevations, depth, mineralization stages and mineral assemblages. Relatively uniform δ³⁴S values obtained in this study suggest that the reduced aqueous sulfur species predominated over the oxidized sulfur in the ore solution throughout the mineralization stages. Thus, the source of sulfur for the ore sulfides is postulated to be magmatic.
The temperature obtained from the fluid inclusion study and the temperature of the sulfur isotopic geothermometer are not consistent. This suggests that each mineral precipitated under disequilibrated conditions with respect to the sulfur isotope.
The change in redox conditions presumably encountered between the mineralization stages did not account for the isotopic fluctuations since the isotopic exchanges between the oxidized and reduced aqueous sulfurs are much slower than the rate of oxidation of the ore solution.     

地质聚合物技术的发展近况

概要介绍了一种无机聚合物———地质聚合物。首先对地质聚合物材料的制备过程作了介绍。根据原料的不同,地质聚合物材料的制备可以有两种途径:一种是以偏高岭石为基础原料,一种是以粉煤灰为主要原料。通常以硅酸钠水溶液作为单体硅源,氢氧化钠溶液作为碱激发剂以提高原料的溶出性。对某些在常温和低于100 ℃下制备的独石材料作了介绍。对煅烧高岭石,叶蜡石,粉煤灰和钢渣的溶出特性作了阐述。应用SEM EDX,对以粉煤灰为原料的地质聚合物材料的化学组成作了分析。最后对地质聚合物材料的经济性以及在环境保护等领域的应用前景,特别是在减少二氧化碳排放与废弃物处理方面的意义作了介绍。     

Upper Mantle Velocity Structure Estimated From Ps-Converted Wave Beneath the North-Eastern Japan Arc

Summary. The upper boundary of the descending oceanic plate is located by using PS -waves (converted from P to S at the boundary) in the Tohoku District, the north-eastern part of Honshu, Japan. the observed PS-P time data are well explained by a two-layered oceanic plate model composed of a thin low-velocity upper layer whose thickness is less than 10 km and a thick high-velocity lower layer; the upper and lower layers respectively have 6 per cent lower and 6 per cent higher velocity than the overriding mantle. the estimated location of the upper boundary is just above the upper seismic plane of the double-planed deep seismic zone. This result indicates that events in the upper seismic plane, at least in the depth range from 60 to 150 km, occur within the thin low-velocity layer on the surface of the oceanic plate.     

Hydrodynamic Instability of Ionization Front in HII Regions: From Linear to Nonlinear Evolution

A sample of 54 6.7-GHz methanol maser sources was monitored at HartRAO for 4 years, and 11 12.2-GHz methanol masers for 3 years. The majority of the maser features display a significant degree of variability but with a wide range of timescales and behaviors. Some maser features remained unvarying throughout the monitoring programme, while others showed sporadic flares or sudden drops in flux density. Yet another group show quasi-periodic and periodic variations. In some cases the maser features dropped below the detection limit for a significant length of time before increasing in intensity and reappearing.     

Optical observations of FY Persei

The results are presented of multi-channel photometry and spectroscopy of the suspected nova-like variable FY Per. These results suggest that FY Per may be a Herbig Ae/Be star rather than a nova-like variable.     

Multi-aquifer pumping test to determine cutoff wall length for groundwater flow control during site excavation in Tokyo, Japan

Multi-aquifer pumping tests, using a multi-screen pumping well and multi-level piezometers, were carried out for groundwater flow control in a large-scale excavation site in Tokyo, Japan. The site was underlain by multi-layered confined aquifers. In the tests, pumping was carried out using a multi-aquifer pumping well in which a screen depth was chosen arbitrarily. Changes in groundwater pressure heads in each aquifer were measured at each screen position of the multi-aquifer pumping well. Hydraulic conductivity (K) and specific storage (S _s) of not only aquifers, but also for low permeability layers between the aquifers, were estimated using the Cooper-Jacob method, and calibrated by a finite element method (FEM) groundwater model. Four different cutoff wall lengths were assumed for final excavation depth, and correlations among wall length, pumping discharge and drawdown at the back of the cutoff wall were obtained from simulations using the K and S _s parameters in the FEM model. Then, the most suitable wall length was selected based on the simulated correlations considering environmental condition, construction period and cost of the cutoff wall.     

Petrogenesis of greenstones from the Mino–Tamba belt, SW Japan: Evidence for an accreted Permian oceanic plateau

Permian greenstones in the Jurassic Mino–Tamba accretionary complex, southwest Japan, are divided into three distinct series on the basis of their geological occurrence, mineralogy, and geochemistry. A low-Ti series (LTS) is associated with Lower Permian chert and limestone, and is the most voluminous of the three series. The LTS shows slightly more enriched geochemical and isotopic characteristics than MORB. A transition series (TS) is mainly associated with Lower Permian chert, and has more enriched geochemical signatures than MORB. Its isotopic characteristics are divided into enriched and depleted types. A high-Ti series (HTS) occurs as sills and hyaloclastites within Middle Permian chert and as dikes intruding the TS. Some HTS rocks have high MgO contents. The HTS is characterized by enrichment in incompatible trace elements and an isotopic composition comparable to HIMU-type basalt. The geochemistry of the voluminous LTS is similar to that of the oceanic basalt series of the Kerguelen plateau, suggesting production by partial melting of a shallow mantle plume head below thick oceanic lithosphere in Early Permian time. We infer that the TS formed simultaneously at the margins of the mantle plume head. In contrast, the HTS may have resulted from partial melting of a deep mantle plume tail in Middle Permian time. Permian greenstones in the Mino–Tamba belt may have thus formed by superplume activity in an intra-oceanic setting. Given the presence of two known contemporary continental flood basalt provinces (Siberia and Emeishan) and some accreted oceanic plateau basalts, the vast magmatism of the Mino–Tamba oceanic plateau suggests a large-scale superplume pulse in Permian time. Accretion of oceanic plateaux may have played an important role in the growth of continental margins and island arcs in Japan and elsewhere in the circum-Pacific region.