A reassessment of models for hydrocarbon generation in the Khibiny nepheline syenite complex, Kola Peninsula, Russia

Although hydrocarbon-bearing fluids have been known from the alkaline igneous rocks of the Khibiny intrusion for many years, their origin remains enigmatic. A recently proposed model of post-magmatic hydrocarbon (HC) generation through Fischer-Tropsch (FT) type reactions suggests the hydration of Fe-bearing phases and release of H₂ which reacts with magmatically derived CO₂ to form CH₄ and higher HCs. However, new petrographic, microthermometric, laser Raman, bulk gas and isotope data are presented and discussed in the context of previously published work in order to reassess models of HC generation. The gas phase is dominated by CH₄ with only minor proportions of higher hydrocarbons. No remnants of the proposed primary CO₂-rich fluid are found in the complex. The majority of the fluid inclusions are of secondary nature and trapped in healed microfractures. This indicates a high fluid flux after magma crystallisation. Entrapment conditions for fluid inclusions are 450–550 °C at 2.8–4.5 kbar. These temperatures are too high for hydrocarbon gas generation through the FT reaction. Chemical analyses of rims of Fe-rich phases suggest that they are not the result of alteration but instead represent changes in magma composition during crystallisation. Furthermore, there is no clear relationship between the presence of Fe-rich minerals and the abundance of fluid inclusion planes (FIPs) as reported elsewhere. δ¹³C values for methane range from − 22.4‰ to − 5.4‰, confirming a largely abiogenic origin for the gas. The presence of primary CH₄-dominated fluid inclusions and melt inclusions, which contain a methane-rich gas phase, indicates a magmatic origin of the HCs. An increase in methane content, together with a decrease in δ¹³C isotope values towards the intrusion margin suggests that magmatically derived abiogenic hydrocarbons may have mixed with biogenic hydrocarbons derived from the surrounding country rocks.     

Zircon geochronology and Sm–Nd isotopic study: Further constraints for the Archean and Paleoproterozoic geodynamical evolution of the southeastern Guiana Shield, north of Amazonian Craton, Brazil

The eastern part of the Guiana Shield, northern Amazonian Craton, in South America, represents a large orogenic belt developed during the Transamazonian orogenic cycle (2.26–1.95 Ga), which consists of extensive areas of Paleoproterozoic crust and two major Archean terranes: the Imataca Block, in Venezuela, and the here defined Amapá Block, in the north of Brazil.

Pb-evaporation on zircon and Sm–Nd on whole rock dating were provided on magmatic and metamorphic units from southwestern Amapá Block, in the Jari Domain, defining its long-lived evolution, marked by several stages of crustal accretion and crustal reworking. Magmatic activity occurred mainly at the Meso-Neoarchean transition (2.80–2.79 Ga) and during the Neoarchean (2.66–2.60 Ga). The main period of crust formation occurred during a protracted episode at the end of Paleoarchean and along the whole Mesoarchean (3.26–2.83 Ga). Conversely, crustal reworking processes have dominated in Neoarchean times. During the Transamazonian orogenic cycle, the main geodynamic processes were related to reworking of older Archean crust, with minor juvenile accretion at about 2.3 Ga, during an early orogenic phase. Transamazonian magmatism consisted of syn- to late-orogenic granitic pulses, which were dated at 2.22 Ga, 2.18 Ga and 2.05–2.03 Ga. Most of the ε_Nd values and T_DM model ages (2.52–2.45 Ga) indicate an origin of the Paleoproterozoic granites by mixing of juvenile Paleoproterozoic magmas with Archean components.

The Archean Amapá Block is limited in at southwest by the Carecuru Domain, a granitoid-greenstone terrane that had a geodynamic evolution mainly during the Paleoproterozoic, related to the Transamazonian orogenic cycle. In this latter domain, a widespread calc-alkaline magmatism occurred at 2.19–2.18 Ga and at 2.15–2.14 Ga, and granitic magmatism was dated at 2.10 Ga. Crustal accretion was recognized at about 2.28 Ga, in agreement with the predominantly Rhyacian crust-forming pattern of the eastern Guiana Shield. Nevertheless, T_DM model ages (2.50–2.38 Ga), preferentially interpreted as mixed ages, and ε_Nd < 0, point to some participation of Archean components in the source of the Paleoproterozoic rocks. In addition, the Carecuru Domain contains an oval-shaped Archean granulitic nucleus, named Paru Domain. In this domain, Neoarchean magmatism at about 2.60 Ga was produced by reworking of Mesoarchean crust, as registered in the Amapá Block. Crustal accretion events and calc-alkaline magmatism are recognized at 2.32 Ga and at 2.15 Ga, respectively, as well as charnockitic magmatism at 2.07 Ga.

The lithological association and the available isotopic data registered in the Carecuru Domain suggests a geodynamic evolution model based on the development of a magmatic arc system during the Transamazonian orogenic cycle, which was accreted to the southwestern border of the Archean Amapá Block.     

Microvariability of line profiles in the spectrum of the star ι Her

We present the results of a search for and analysis of line-profile variations in the spectrum of the star ι Her. The observations were acquired with the 1.8 m telescope of the Bohyunsan Optical Astronomy Observatory (Republic of Korea) in May–June 2004. We obtained 69 spectra of the star with signal-to-noise ratios ≈300 and a time resolution of 5–7 min. Profile variability was revealed for six lines of HI, HeI, and SiIII, in the central parts of the lines. The variability amplitude is ≈(1–2)% in units of the intensity of the adjacent continuum. Evidence was found for cyclic variations of the lines, with periods from ≈7^h to ≈2.9^d. We conclude that ι Her belongs to the group of slowly pulsating stars.     

Simulations of motions of images of extragalactic sources due to weak gravitational microlensing

A statistical study of motions of images of distant extragalactic sources, such as quasars on the celestial sphere, due to the action of weak gravitational microlensing is presented. It was assumed that the parallax of the lens was 10 milliarcseconds (mas), the mass of the lens was 1 M _⊙, and the proper motion was μ = 30 mas. The initial point for the motion of the lens (a star in our Galaxy) was taken to be the boundary of a region with a radius of ϑ = 100 mas and its center coincident with the distant source. The simulations for each trajectory were carried out in steps, with the time step being 0.1 year. The number of sources “launched” over the computational period was 5000. The appearance of the trajectories for the source images is presented; 57% of the total number of sources that participated in the simulations showed motions of 0.7–1.0 mas. Original Russian Text ? T.A. Kalinina, M.S. Pshirkov, 2006, published in Astronomicheskiĭ Zhurnal, 2006, Vol. 83, No. 6, pp. 483–488.     

Mudstone lithogeochemistry and formation conditions of Vendian deposits in the Shkapovo-Shikhan Basin

Variation of geochemical modules and indices in mudstones from the Upper Vendian Kairovo and Shkapovo groups of the Shkapovo-Shikhan Basin provides the comprehensive information on changes in maturity of the fine aluminosiliciclastic material delivered in the basin, characterizes the redox environment in bottom water, and makes it possible to reconstruct the rock composition in provenance and its evolution through time. The generally moderate maturity of the fine terrigenous clastic material suggests that a nearly semiarid-semihumid climate dominated in paleodrainage area throughout the Late Vendian. It has been established that reducing environment did not exist in bottom water of the central Shkapovo-Shikhan Basin throughout the Late Vendian. Intermediate rocks prevailed in the paleodrainage area. More silicic rocks could occur only in the early Staropetrovo and late Salikhovo times. Data points of mudstones from the Kairovo and Shkapovo Groups plotted on the Cr-Ni, Co-V, Co/Hf-Ce/Cr, La-Th, and La/Sm-Sc/Th diagrams indicate that both Archean and more mature Paleoproterozoic crustal blocks existed in different proportions in the Late Vendian within source areas.     

Metals,arsenic, and sulfur in the Aue and Eibenstock granites,Erzgebirge

Average concentrations of Pb, Zn, Cu, and other metals, as well as S and As, were calculated for the Aue granitic cupola, the contact aureole of which hosts the large vein-type uranium deposit of Schlema-Alberoda and the Schneeberg uranium-base metal deposit (Erzgebirge, Germany). The cupola was exposed by mine workings and boreholes, which provided an opportunity to evaluate variations in the abundances of metals in the granites over a vertical interval of more than 2.5 km and estimate their losses in the upper oxidized part of the investigated volume of the cupola (coefficient of iron oxidation, KO _Fe, increases in the granites from bottom to top from 7 to 70%) compared with the lower unaltered and unoxidized part (with a KO _Fe plateau at about 5%). The average concentrations of metals in the upper part of the cupola are lower than those in the lower part by a factor of 2.5 for Pb, 1.56 for Zn, 1.45 for Cu, 1.3 for Co, etc. A similar decrease in the abundances of ore elements along the vertical section associating with the relative epigenetic alteration and oxidation of the granite was previously described by us for U and Th and for the components of high-temperature ores, W, Sn, and Mo. The removal of ore elements from the granite was accompanied by a decrease in the bulk contents of sulfur and arsenic by a factor of 1.35 and 1.65, respectively. The leaching of trace metals from the granites of the upper part of the Aue cupola was followed by their partial redeposition above the cupola in the ore veins of the Schlema and Schneeberg deposits. Original Russian Text ? Vikt. L. Barsukov, N.T. Sokolova, O.M. Ivanitskii, 2006, published in Geokhimiya, 2006, No. 9, pp. 967–982.     

Evolution of stress fields in the Por’ya Guba dike field (Kandalaksha Gulf, White Sea)

The tectonic evolution of the Por’ya Guba segment of the White Sea Rift System began in the late Paleoproterozoic, i.e., soon after completion of the Svecofennian collision. The fracture system that controlled localization of the lamproite dike complex was formed under conditions of horizontal compression combined with shear. Subsequently, this system predetermined the location of a rift-graben segment that formed as a result of simple shear. The reactivation of the rift system in the Middle Paleozoic proceeded in two stages. The first stage, when strike-slip movements along previously formed faults predominated, resulted in formation of quartz-carbonate veins bearing base-metal mineralization. The veins that filled the shear fractures opened owing to local reorientation of the stress field. The second stage fitted the transtension conditions, and the Late Devonian alkaline ultramafic dikes of this stage introded into the already existing fracture system, which was oriented at a roughly right angle to the predominant stress orientation.