Assimilation and partial melting of continental crust: evidence from the mineralogy and geochemistry of autoliths and xenoliths

This paper presents a model for the partial melting of quartz diorite and greywacke in the upper crust based on the mineralogy and geochemistry of enclaves within the Loch Doon granitic intrusion of southern Scotland. The melting of quartz diorite was modelled using autoliths, which represent fragments of cogenetic igneous rocks that became incorporated in the fractionating magma. Compared to their quartz diorite parents, the autoliths are enriched to varying degrees in some elements (notably Rb, Nb, Ta, Sm, Y, Yb) and depleted in others (Sr, and Ba); Eu and P are also depleted in the more assimitated autoliths. The compositions of melts that could be derived from assimilation of the autoliths have also been calculated: their REE patterns reveal a light REE enrichment, low concentrations of heavy REEs (1–3 x chondrite) and a positive Eu anomaly. The calculated degrees of melting vary from 35% in the least assimilated to 84% in the most assimilated autolith (assuming a bulk distribution coefficient of 10 for the most compatible element). Results from modelling of xenolith compositions (derived from metasediments) are also reported, but because of uncertainties in the composition of the parental sediment, these data are subject to larger errors. They do, however, indicate that resultant partial melts are distinctly different from those derived by partial melting of autoliths. In particular, the REE pattern of a greywacke-derived melt shows a slight enrichment in light REEs, greater concentrations of heavy REEs (10 x chondrite) and a small negative Eu anomaly. The calculated degrees of melting of the xenoliths fall in the range of 66–88% (assuming a bulk distribution coefficient of 10 for the most compatible element). The results have direct implications for assimilation and melting of the upper crust. By taking into account how the nature of residual phases is likely to change with depth, it can be demonstrated that some Archaean tonalite gneisses could represent liquids derived by partial melting of igneous material.     

Numerical experiments on ice age climates

Numerical experiments with a hemispheric thermodynamic model are carried out, using present and ice age conditions. The computed surface temperatures for 18,000 years ago are in good agreement with the CLIMAP values. It is shown that the snow-ice cap that existed in the summer 18,000 years ago created a feedback mechanism which was responsible for perpetuating these ice age conditions. The increase of insolation due to orbital variations was responsible, at least in part, for the shrinkage of the snow-ice cap from 18,000 to 8,000 years ago. It is shown that the effect on the earth-atmosphere system of the changes in insolation due to the orbital variations depends on the preexisting snow-ice cap. It is significant for the ice cap that existed 18,000 years ago and insignificant for present conditions. The numerical experiments suggest that the evolution of climate depends in an important way on the initial snow-ice conditions. Therefore, according to the model the problem of simulating the evolution of climate is not determined if one does not prescribe these snow-ice conditions. Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory contribution No. 3115. Visiting Senior Research Associate at Lamont Doherty Geological Observatory, Columbia University.     

四川红泥坡铜矿床三维地质建模及控矿构造演化的新认识

红泥坡铜矿是近年来在四川拉拉地区发现的一个大型铜矿床,其包含铜储量64.2万t,平均品位1.31%。矿体赋存于元古宙老的褶皱基底河口群,与辉长岩侵入体具有时间上的联系,围岩发生了普遍的钠质蚀变。通过红泥坡铜矿区224个钻孔和23条勘探剖面建立了矿体、地层与构造要素的三维模型,该三维地质模型能够表达矿床的精细地质结构以及解释区域成矿作用与构造演化:矿区早期的南北向主应力使河口群形成轴向近东西向的大型向斜,晚期的东西向主应力在改造早期褶皱基底的基础上,形成了叠加在其之上的轴向北北东向的复向斜。经过两期主要的构造运动,该地区形成了现在北北东向与北西西向构造相叠加的格架。本项研究为拉拉地区的矿床学研究提供了新的思路,并能对该地区矿产勘查提供科学依据。     

斑岩铜矿床研究综述

综述了板块构造、大地构造单元、区域构造、深大断裂以及地球深部热点与斑岩铜矿床形成关系的研究成果，系统介绍了斑岩铜矿床蚀变矿化分带特征、蚀变矿化物理化学条件、蚀变矿化的热力学研究、斑岩铜矿床中脉体的产状和分布特征以及成因观点，总结了斑岩铜矿床成矿物质来源与矿床成因模式，最后指出了斑岩铜矿床将来应该注意的研究方向。     

Inverse relationship between D/H fractionation in cyanobacterial lipids and salinity in Christmas Island saline ponds

Sediments from 28 saline and hypersaline (salinity 13.6-149.2) ponds on Christmas Island (Kiritimati), in the Central tropical Pacific Ocean, were investigated for the effect of salinity on the D/H ratios of lipid biomarkers. Hydrogen isotope ratios (expressed as δD values) of total lipid extracts, and individual hydrocarbons heptadecane, heptadecene, octadecane, octadecene, diploptene, and phytene from cyanobacteria, became increasingly enriched in deuterium as salinity increased, spanning a range of 100‰, while lake water δD values spanned a range of just 12‰. Net D/H fractionation between lipids and source water thus decreased as salinity increased. Isotope fractionation factors (α_lipid-water) were strongly correlated with salinity, and increased in all compound classes studied by up to 0.0967 over a salinity range of 136. Differences in the hydrogen isotopic composition of lipids derived from three biosynthetic pathways (acetogenic, mevalonate, and non-mevalonate) remained similar irrespective of the salinity. This suggests that the mechanism responsible for the observed α_lipid-water-salinity relationship originates prior to the last common biosynthetic branching point, the Calvin Cycle. We propose that a decrease in the exchange of intra- and extra-cellular (ambient) water resulting from down-regulation or closure of water channels (aquaporins) within cyanobacterial cell membranes, and subsequent isotopic enrichment of the intracellular water, likely resulting from metabolic reactions. These findings imply that caution must be exercised when attempting to reconstruct source water δD values using lipid δD values from environments that may have experienced salinity variations. On the other, hand our results can be used to establish a paleo-salinity proxy based on lipid δD, if additional constraints on source water δD values can be made.     

Petrochemistry of the south Marmara granitoids, northwest Anatolia, Turkey

Post-collision magmatic rocks are common in the southern portion of the Marmara region (Kap?da?, Karabiga, Gönen, Yenice, Çan areas) and also on the small islands (Marmara, Av?a, Pa?aliman?) in the Sea of Marmara. They are represented mainly by granitic plutons, stocks and sills within Triassic basement rocks. The granitoids have ages between Late Cretaceous and Miocene, but mainly belong to two groups: Eocene in the north and Miocene in the south. The Miocene granitoids have associated volcanic rocks; the Eocene granitoids do not display such associations. They are both granodioritic and granitic in composition, and are metaluminous, calc-alkaline, medium to high-K rocks. Their trace elements patterns are similar to both volcanic-arc and calc-alkaline post-collision intrusions, and the granitoids plot into the volcanic arc granite (VAG) and collision related granite areas (COLG) of discrimination diagrams. The have high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.704–0.707) and low ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.5124–0.5128). During their evolution, the magma was affected by crustal assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC). Nd and Sr isotopic compositions support an origin of derivation by combined continental crustal AFC from a basaltic parent magma. A slab breakoff model is consistent with the evolution of South Marmara Sea granitoids.     

U–Pb and Re–Os Geochronology of the Hucunnan Copper–Molybdenum Deposit in Anhui Province,Southeast China,and its Geological Implications

The Middle–Lower Yangtze Region (MLYR) is one of the most important metallogenic belts in China that hosts numerous Cu–Fe–Au–S deposits. The Hucunnan deposit in the central part of MLYR is a newly discovered porphyry–skarn‐type copper–molybdenum deposit during recent drilling exploration. Laser ablation ICP–MS analysis carried out in this study yields U–Pb isotopic ages of 137.5 ± 1.2 Ma for the Cu–Mo bearing granodiorite rock and 125.0 ± 1.5 Ma for the Cu‐bearing quartz diorites. The Re–Os isotopic dating of seven molybdenite samples gave an isochron age of 139.5 ± 1.1 Ma, suggesting a syn‐magma mineralization of molybdenite in the Hucunnan deposit. Since porphyry‐type molybdenum deposits are rare in central MLYR, the discovery of the Hucunnan deposit suggests possible molybdenite mineralizations in the deep places of the Cu–Mo bearing granitoids. In addition, the U–Pb isotopic age of 125 Ma for the Cu‐bearing quartz diorites implies a new Cu mineralization period for the MLYR that was rarely reported by previous studies.     

SPAWNN: A Toolkit for SPatial Analysis With Self‐Organizing Neural Networks

This article introduces the SPAWNN toolkit, an innovative toolkit for spatial analysis with self‐organizing neural networks, which is published as free and open‐source software ( http://www.spawnn.org ). It extends existing toolkits in three important ways. First, the SPAWNN toolkit distinguishes between self‐organizing neural networks and spatial context models with which the networks can be combined to incorporate spatial dependence and provides implementations for both. This distinction maintains modularity and enables a multitude of useful combinations for analyzing spatial data with self‐organizing neural networks. Second, SPAWNN interactively links different self‐organizing networks and data visualizations in an intuitive manner to facilitate explorative data analysis. Third, it implements cutting‐edge clustering algorithms for identifying clusters in the trained networks. Toolkits such as SPAWNN are particularly needed when researchers and practitioners are confronted with large amounts of complex and high‐dimensional data. The computational performance of the implemented algorithms is empirically demonstrated using high‐dimensional synthetic data sets, while the practical functionality highlighting the distinctive features of the toolkit is illustrated with a case study using socioeconomic data of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.     

A hybrid approach to improving the skills of seasonal climate outlook at the regional scale

A hybrid seasonal forecasting approach was generated by the National Centers for Environmental Prediction operational Climate Forecast System (CFS) and its nesting Climate extension of Weather Research and Forecasting (CWRF) model to improve forecasting skill over the United States. Skills for the three summers of 2011–2013 were evaluated regarding location, timing, magnitude, and frequency. Higher spatial pattern correlation coefficients showed that the hybrid approach substantially improved summer mean precipitation and 2-m temperature geographical distributions compared with the results of the CFS and CWRF models. The area mean temporal correlation coefficients demonstrated that the hybrid approach also consistently improved the timing prediction skills for both variables. In general, the smaller root mean square errors indicated that the hybrid approach reduced the magnitude of the biases for both precipitation and temperature. The greatest improvements were achieved when the individual models had similar skills. The comparison with a North American multi-model ensemble further proved the feasibility of improving real-time seasonal forecast skill by using the hybrid approach, especially for heavy rain forecasting. Based on the complementary advantages of CFS the global model and CWRF the nesting regional model, the hybrid approach showed a substantial enhancement over CFS real-time forecasts during the summer. Future works are needed for further improving the quality of the hybrid approach through CWRF’s optimized physics ensemble, which has been proven to be feasible and reliable.