Hydrogeochemical modelling of an active system of uranium fixation by organic soils and sediments (Needle's Eye,Scotland)

Uranium accumulation in organic-rich sediments can be closely modelled by assuming that the dominant effect of the uranium-organic matter interaction is the direct or indirect reduction of uranyl compounds to form U(IV) minerals, especially uraninite-pitchblende. Application of this model to the Needle's Eye (Scotland) site where uranium is actively accumulating in Quaternary sediments demonstrates that uranium accumulation is both effective and rapid in environments involving shallow, organic-rich, reducing horizons. The period of uranium deposit formation at Needle's Eye is estimated to be as short as 5000 years. The transport of uranium to the site of deposition by oxidizing groundwaters and the channelling of these oxidizing uraniferous groundwaters are identified as important factors involved in the rapid accumulation of uranium. The regional hydrogeological model indicates that a fault in the area appears to act as a hydraulic screen for the uraniferous groundwaters. On one side of the fault the Quaternary sediments are well drained whilst on the other the flow of groundwater seeps out creating a major flux just at the bottom of the organic-rich layers. The local hydrogeological model shows that the groundwater flow is vertical in this area. A third significant factor in the development of these uranium accumulations is the presence of a significant nearby source of leachable primary uranium. In the case of the Needle's Eye site this is in the form of some thirty 185 ±20 Ma, pitchblende-bearing veins.     

Late Quaternary kinematics of the Pallatanga strike-slip fault (Central Ecuador) from topographic measurements of displaced morphological features

The northeast-trending Pallatanga right-lateral strike-slip fault runs across the Western Cordillera connecting N50E-N70E trending normal faults in the Gulf of Guayaquil with N-S reverse faults in the Interandean Depression. Over most of its length, the fault trace has been partly obscured by erosional processes and can be inferred in the topography only at the large scale. Only the northern fault segment, which follows the upper Rio Pangor valley at elevations above 3600 m, is prominent in the morphology. Valleys and ridges cut and offset by the fault provide an outstanding record of right-lateral cumulative fault displacement. The fault geometry and kinematics of this particular fault segment can be determined from detailed topographic levellings. The fault strikes N30E and dips 75 to the NW. Depending on their size and nature, transverse morphological features such as tributaries of the Rio Pangor and intervening ridges, reveal right-lateral offsets which cluster around 27 ± 11m, 41.5 ± 4 m, 590 ± 65 m and 960 ± 70 m. The slip vector deduced from the short-term offsets shows a slight reverse component with a pitch of about 11.5 SW. The 41.5 ± 4 m displacements are assumed to be coeval with the last glacial termination, yielding a mean Holocene slip-rate of 2.9- 4.6 mm yr⁻¹. Assuming a uniform slip rate on the fault in the long term, the 27 m offset appears to correlate with an identified middle Holocene morphoclimatic event, and the long term offsets of 590 m and 960 m coincide with the glacial terminations at the beginning of the last two interglacial periods.     

Olivine-normative dolerite dikes from western South Carolina: Mineralogy,chemical composition and petrogenesis

This investigation describes five Mesozoic dolerite dikes which intrude Paleozoic metamorphic and igneous rocks of the Inner Piedmont of western South Carolina. The dikes are vertical or nearly so and strike approximately N40° W. Three major northeast-trending faults also occur in the study area. Left lateral displacement of one dolerite is documented at a locality near Cleveland, South Carolina. Elsewhere, several of the dolerite dikes appear to terminate at or near the faults. — The dolerite dikes have subophitic to microporphyritic textures and consist principally of plagioclase (generally An_70–80), olivine (dominantly Fo_80–90) and augite with subordinate pigeonite, titanomagnetite, chromite and brown, partly glassy mesostasis. In one dike pyroxene compositions trend from augite to ferroaugite in contrast to an augitesubcalcic augitepigeonite trend characteristic of the other dolerites. The contrasting trends primarily result from differences in SiO₂ abundance in the dolerite magmas. — Major and trace element analyses indicate the presence of two different olivine-normative dolerite magma types. The two magma types are not related by near surface crystal fractionation. Models for genesis of the olivine-normative dolerite magmas by partial melting of a plagioclase peridotite upper mantle source region are presented. The models require that the source region be enriched in LREE and incompatible elements such as Rb, Ba, Hf and Th relative to Cl chondritic abundances. One magma type appears to represent a primary dolerite magma that ascended from the source region with little subsequent compositional change. The second magma type most likely experienced assimilation of clinopyroxene-garnet (eclogite) during ascent, thereby acquiring a REE pattern with a less steep negative slope for the LREE and a slight positive slope in the HREE.     

Impact melting of the Cachari eucrite 3.0 Gy ago

Both the host phase and glass veins of the Cachari eucrite have been analyzed by microprobe and neutron activation analysis for their chemical compositions and by mass spectrometry for their ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar gas retention ages. Cachari is chemically similar to other non-cumulate eucrites. The vesicular glass veins vary from pure glass, to devitrified glass, to areas that are substantially crystalline. The glassy areas have nearly the same concentrations of major and trace elements as the unmelted portions of Cachari, but some differences, probably due to preferential dissolution, occur along melt contacts. The glass formed by shock melting of Cachari host or of rock identical to it. ³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar data for the host and glass suggest distinctly different ages of 3.04 ±.07 Gy and 3.47 ±.04 Gy, respectively. The time of glass formation, which may also be the time of brecciation, is most likely given by the 3.0 Gy age of the host. The higher age for the glass is interpreted to represent incomplete Ar degassing during the 3.0 Gy event due to the greater resistance to Ar diffusion shown by the glass compared to the host. Event ages significantly younger than 4.5 Gy have now been determined for several eucrites and howardites and suggest a long dynamic regolith history for the parent body.     

Chemical composition of Luna 20 rocks and soil and Apollo 16 soils

The abundances of 24 major, minor and trace elements have been measured by INAA in Luna 20 metaigneous rocks 22006,1 and 22007,1, breccia 22004 and soil 22001,9 and in Apollo 16 soils 62281, 66041 and 66081. An additional 12 trace meteoritic and non-meteoritic elements have also been determined in 22001 and 62281 soils by RNAA. The bulk compositions of L 20 and Ap 16 rocks and soils show close similarity between the two highland sites. There are appreciable differences in bulk compositions between the L 20 highland and the L 16 mare site (120 km apart), suggesting little intermixing of rocks and soils from either site. Luna 20 rocks 22006 and 22007 are nearly identical in chemical composition to Ap 16 metaigneous rocks 61156 and 66095. Luna 20 rocks are feldspathic and are similar to low K-type Fra Mauro basalts. Such rocks and anorthositic gabbros appear to be the major components in highland soils. Luna 20 soil can be distinguished from Ap 16 soils by lower abundances of Al₂O₃, CaO and large ion lithophilic elements. Luna 20 breccia 22004 probably is compacted soil. All L 20 samples show negative Eu anomalies with $\text{Sm}\text{Eu}$ ratios of 5.8, 7.2, 3.9 and 3.3 for rocks 22006, 22007, breccia 22004 and soil 22001, respectively. Norite-KREEP is insignificant, ≤1 per cent, at the L 20 highland site. The derivation of the L 20 soil may be explained by ≈33 per cent of L 20 metaigneous rocks and ≈ 65 per cent anorthositic gabbroic breccia rocks like 15418 (with a positive Eu anomaly) and ≈ 2 per cent meteoritic contributions. Interelement correlations observed previously for maria are also found in highland samples. Luna 20 and Ap 16 soils are low in alkalis. Both soils show an apparent Cd-Zn rich component similar to that observed at the mare sites and high 11 abundances relative to mare sites. The Ap 16 (62281) soil contains a fractionated meteoritic component (probably ancient) of ≈ 1.5 per cent in addition to ≈ 1.9 per cent Cl like material. Luna 20 soil may simply contain 1.9 per cent Cl equivalent.