Vertical distribution of living mangrove foraminifera from KwaZulu-Natal,South Africa

Modern foraminiferal assemblage zones can be used to reconstruct palaeo sea levels when applied to fossil foraminifera down a sediment core. Previous intertidal foraminiferal studies have predominantly focused on assemblages in surface sediments (0–1 cm), with the rationale that surface assemblages reflect the modern-day environment. Foraminifera live infaunally and therefore there is a need to document the infaunal vertical distribution of living foraminifera to fully capture the modern environment. Infaunal foraminiferal populations may compositionally differ from or be similar to those in the uppermost 1 cm of a core sample, but abundance is variable vertically, making it very complex to reconstruct and interpret past sea levels. This can have implications for the choice of assemblages to use as modern analogues for past sea-level reconstructions. This study documents the vertical infaunal distribution of living foraminifera, to allow for more informed interpretations of palaeo-reconstructions in mangrove environments. The down-core vertical distribution and abundance of living foraminifera, along with grain size and organic content, were documented using sediment cores along an elevational transect. Nine taxa were recorded as living at the time of collection, six of which were restricted to the top 4 cm. The majority of these were calcareous and found in the cores situated closer to the intertidal channel. Therefore, we argue that the diversity of living calcareous and agglutinated foraminifera could be restricted by grain size, with coarser grain sizes associated with lower species diversity. The findings suggest that foraminiferal species inhabiting the top 4 cm represent deeper living foraminiferal populations. Therefore, the top 4-cm interval can be used to establish a modern training set upon which reconstructions can be based. The findings from this study will provide guidance on the use of South African mangrove environments for future sea-level reconstructions.     

内蒙古西拉沐伦成矿带碾子沟钼矿床成矿流体地球化学特征

碾子沟钼矿床是内蒙古西拉沐伦钼多金属成矿带中石英脉型钼矿床的典型代表,矿体以石英大脉形式产于燕山期中粗粒黑云母二长花岗岩内,受断裂构造控制。流体包裹体研究发现包裹体均为气液两相,按照相比不同,可进一步分为WL型(5%～20%)和WV型(20%～50%)。Ⅰ阶段流体为低温(89.3～245.2℃)、中低盐度(2.07%～17.96%NaCleqv)流体;Ⅱ阶段流体具有中低温(134.4～458.8℃,峰值170℃～240℃)、中低盐度(0.53%～19.92%NaCleqv)特征;Ⅲ阶段流体为低温(134.9～202.4℃)、中低盐度(4.96%～14.97%NaCleqv)流体。流体成分均以H2O为主(96.1mol%),含少量挥发份CO2、N2、CH4、C2H6、Ar、H2S,阳离子以Na+为主,阴离子以SO42-、Cl-为主,属NaCl-H2O体系。各阶段成矿热液氢、氧同位素特征为:δ18OH2O介于-5.75‰～-1.90‰、δD介于-128.821‰～-109.234‰,说明成矿流体是岩浆热液与古大气降水混合而成。开放的断裂体系为流体混合创造了条件,流体的混合作用是造成碾子沟辉钼矿沉淀成矿的主要原因。这与斑岩型钼矿床的高盐度流体以及以沸腾为主的矿石沉淀机制具有显著区别。     

Isotopic variations of dissolved copper and zinc in stream waters affected by historical mining

Zinc and Cu play important roles in the biogeochemistry of natural systems, and it is likely that these interactions result in mass-dependent fractionations of their stable isotopes. In this study, we examine the relative abundances of dissolved Zn and Cu isotopes in a variety of stream waters draining six historical mining districts located in the United States and Europe. Our goals were to (1) determine whether streams from different geologic settings have unique or similar Zn and Cu isotopic signatures and (2) to determine whether Zn and Cu isotopic signatures change in response to changes in dissolved metal concentrations over well-defined diel (24-h) cycles.Average δ⁶⁶Zn and δ⁶⁵Cu values for streams varied from +0.02‰ to +0.46‰ and −0.7‰ to +1.4‰, respectively, demonstrating that Zn and Cu isotopes are heterogeneous among the measured streams. Zinc or Cu isotopic changes were not detected within the resolution of our measurements over diel cycles for most streams. However, diel changes in Zn isotopes were recorded in one stream where the fluctuations of dissolved Zn were the largest. We calculate an apparent separation factor of ∼0.3‰ (^66/64Zn) between the dissolved and solid Zn reservoirs in this stream with the solid taking up the lighter Zn isotope. The preference of the lighter isotope in the solid reservoir may reflect metabolic uptake of Zn by microorganisms. Additional field investigations must evaluate the contributions of soils, rocks, minerals, and anthropogenic components to Cu and Zn isotopic fluxes in natural waters. Moreover, rigorous experimental work is necessary to quantify fractionation factors for the biogeochemical reactions that are likely to impact Cu and Zn isotopes in hydrologic systems. This initial investigation of Cu and Zn isotopes in stream waters suggests that these isotopes may be powerful tools for probing biogeochemical processes in surface waters on a variety of temporal and spatial scales.     

The invasive Asian green mussel Perna viridis in South Africa: all that is green is not viridis

The Asian green mussel Perna viridis is an invasive Indo-Pacific species recently reported from South African harbours. To verify the invasion, a phylogenetic (and morphological) analysis of green-shelled mussels (n = 39), found in six South African harbours, was conducted using the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I gene (COI). Estimates of genetic distances using the neighbour-joining analysis identified P. viridis only from Durban Harbour. All other green mussels were more than 3.2% divergent from P. viridis and were identified as green-shelled variants of indigenous P. perna. The only reliable morphological differences distinguishing the two species were the poorly developed mantle papillae and the wavy pallial line in P. viridis. The confirmed occurrence of P. viridis in a South African harbour suggests that there is a possible threat of the species becoming established and then spreading onto the open coast and competing with indigenous P. perna.     

新疆阿尔泰铁木尔特铅锌矿床流体包裹体研究及地质意义

铁木尔特中型铅锌矿是阿尔泰山南缘克兰盆地内的重要VMS型矿床。矿床赋存于上志留统-下泥盆统康布铁堡组上亚组第二岩性段,容矿岩石为大理岩、绿泥石英片岩、变钙质粉砂岩、夕卡岩。矿体呈似层状和透镜状。矿床的形成经历了喷流沉积期、叠加改造期和表生期。石英、长石、方解石和石榴子石中包裹体类型主要为液体包裹体,在石英中另出现了气体包裹体、纯气体包裹体、含子矿物多相包裹体、含液体CO2的三相包裹体和两相CO2包裹体。喷流沉积期成矿流体均一温度变化于150～330℃,其峰值是165℃和285℃,成矿流体盐度(NaCleq)为4%～16%,流体密度为0.77～0.97g/cm3,流体阳离子主要以Na+为主,次之为K+,阴离子以Cl-为主,其次是SO42-,气相成分主要是H2O和CO2。叠加改造期均一温度范围是150～480℃,峰值为285℃,盐度(NaCleq)为2.2%～17.08%和33.93%～47.2%,流体密度变化于0.61～1.03g/cm3之间,流体阳离子主要以Na+为主,次为K+、Mg2+、Ca2+,阴离子以Cl-为主,其次是SO42-,气相成分主要是H2O和CO2,其次为N2、CH4,含有少量C2H6。     

A case study of a modelled episode of low Arctic sea ice

Simulations of the Arctic sea ice cover over the last 32 years generated by the HadGEM1 coupled climate model are able to capture the observed long term decline in mean September ice extent. HadGEM1 is also capable of producing an episode of low September ice extent of similar magnitude to the anomalously low extent observed in 2007. Using a heat budget analysis, together with diagnostics partitioning the changes in ice and snow mass into thermodynamic and dynamic components, we analyse the factors driving the long term decline in the ice mass and extent as well as those causing the modelled low ice event. The long term decline in the mass of ice and snow in HadGEM1 is largely due to extra melting during the summer, partly at the top surface of the ice, and partly via extra heating from the ocean as it warms due to the ice retreat. The episode of low summer ice extent is largely driven by the synoptic conditions over the summer moving the ice across and out of the Arctic basin, and also due to pre-conditioning of the snow and ice which is thinner than usual in the Eastern Arctic at the start of the melt season. This case study demonstrates that although HadGEM1 does not capture the persistent dipole pressure anomaly observed during the summer of 2007, it represents broadly similar mechanisms of generating a low ice extent.     

The abundance of rock types on tenerife,canary islands,and its petrogenetic significance

Although the frequency distribution of rock types on Tenerife shows an excess of salic over intermediate products, caution should be applied in interpreting this simply in terms of fractional crystallisation in the descent basalt-trachyte-phonolite. Field relations indicate that the volumetric relations are more meaningfully interpreted in terms of the substructure of the volcano, and the effect this has on the composition of the magma on eruption. The availability of magma for eruption should also be considered, as well as eruptions that may only sample part of a magma chamber. The length of time over which the sub-aerial volcano has grown is also an important factor.     

The petrology of some volcanic rocks from the British Tertiary province: The islands of Rhum,Eigg, Canna,and Muck

On Rhum, Eigg, Canna and Muck Tertiary volcanics rest upon a Mesozoic or Pre-Mesozoic basement. Aphyric, olivine-phyric, and plagioclase-phyric basalts are recognized. The aphyric basalts are mildly alkaline or transitional types with either a few percent normative nepheline or normative hypersthene. They have anomalously low concentrations of Rb, Sr and K₂O compared to Tertiary tholeiites from the same province.Aphyric hawaiites, and mugearties are found on all the islands, but are particularly abundant on Rhum. The volcanics from Bloodstone Hill, Rhum, originally described as mugearites are anomalous in that they are quartz normative and contain both augite and hypersthene, in contrast to the normal one-pyroxene rocks of the alkali basalt-trachyte association (Muir and Tilley, 1961). These volcanics have closer affinities to the icelandites, the presence of basic plagioclase xenocrysts suggesting an hybrid origin.Olivine and plagioclase are involved in the low-pressure fractionation of the transitional basalts, whereas pyroxene and titanomagnetie play only minor roles. Consequently, the suppression of titanomagnetite crystallization results in an initial trend towards iron enrichment. The presence of both oversaturated and undersaturated derivitives following the hawaiite stage of differentiation, reflects variation in the amount of extracted pyroxene and titanomagnetite.Felsites and pitchstones intrude the volcanic pile on Eigg. The felsites carry corroded quartz crystals and rare alkali feldspar. The more crystal rich pitchstones generally contain augite, hypersthene, zoned plagioclase and titanomagnetite. One from Rudh an Tancaird contains alkali feldspar, titanomagnetite and ferrohedenbergite.Whole rock analyses and microprobe analyses of feldspars and pyroxenes indicate that the acid volcanics are not genetically related to the basalt-hawaiite-mugearite lineage. The felsites appear to have been derived from Torridonian arkose by partial melting, but the pitchstones could only be derived by anatexis of Lewisian gneiss basement (see Dunham, 1968) substantially more basic than that outcropping on Rhum.It is suggested that the low concentrations of Rb, Sr, and K₂O in the alkaline and transitional basalts, mitigates against extensive pre-eruptive differentiation. Possibly the basalts could have been derived by partial melting of a mantle depleted in these elements.     

Syn-amphibolite facies archaean lode gold mineralisation in the Mt. York District,Pilbara Block,Western Australia

The Archaean lode gold deposits in the Mt. York District, Pilbara Block, Western Australia are hosted in banded iron formation (Main Hill/Breccia Hill prospect) of the ca. 3.33 Ga Gorge Creek Group and in amphibolites (Zakanaka prospect) of the ca. 3.46 Ga Warrawoona Group. Gold mineralisation at the Main Hill/Breccia Hill prospect is associated with breccias comprising quartz clasts in a quartz-pyrrhotite matrix, and quartz-amphibole veins, with löllingite being the major host for gold. Minimum temperatures for gold mineralisation at the prospect are constrained as 455°C to 550°C by arsenopyrite thermometry. Gold mineralisation at the Zakanaka prospect is spatially associated with quartzclinopyroxene-calcite-microcline-calcic-amphibole veins and biotite altered wallrock adjacent to the veins. Temperatures for vein emplacement are estimated as 480°C to 570°C using both plagioclase-amphibole thermometry and mineral equilibria with respect to T and X_CO2. The timing of gold mineralisation relative to the peak of metamorphism is constrained by mineral textures and the relative temperatures of hydrothermal alteration and metamorphism. Gold mineralisation at both deposits was broadly synchronous with the peak of regional amphibolite facies metamorphism, which reached temperatures of 520°C to 640°C based on amphibole-plagioclase and garnet-biotite thermometry. In this respect, the deposits are similar to other well documented syn-amphibolite facies lode gold deposits from the Archaean Southern Cross greenstone belt in the Yilgarn Block, and represent the deeper section of a crustal continuum of lode gold deposits that includes mesothermal deposits such as those at Kalgoorlie at higher crustal levels.     

The Granny Smith gold deposit: the role of heterogeneous stress distribution at an irregular granitoid contact in a greenschist facies terrane

The Granny Smith gold deposits formed late in the structural history of the Yilgarn Block at a high crustal level in a largely brittle structural régime. Gold mineralisation is located along a N-S striking fault which wraps around the contact of a small granitoid intrusion. In different sections of the fault, mineralisation may be developed in the granitoid, in the adjacent sedimentary sequence and/or along the contact between them. In the granitoid, gold mineralisation is in conjugate networks of thin carbonate-quartz veins and their alteration halos. Small displacements along veins are common. In contrast, veins and faults in the sedimentary rocks are subparallel to bedding. Spatial variations in the conjugate vein orientations indicate that the local stress field was heterogeneous and controlled by the shape of the granitoid contact. The greatest variations in vein and implied stress orientations occur in zones where the contact is most irregular. These are also the areas of richest mineralisation. Fluid flow was thus focused in a regional-scale low mean-stress region created by the geometry of the granitoid intrusion. Its irregular contact caused deposit scale variations in fluid flow and resulted in heterogeneous gold grades along the contact zone.