Zircon Ce4+/Ce3+ ratios and ages for Yulong ore-bearing porphyries in eastern Tibet

Yulong ore-bearing porphyries, along the northwestern extension of the Red River–Ailao Shan fault system in eastern Tibet, consist of five porphyry deposits, containing a total of more than 8 million tons of copper resources. U–Th–Pb laser inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry dating of zircon shows that the porphyries were emplaced in Early Tertiary (41.2–36.9 Ma), covering a period of ∼4.3 Ma, with formation ages decreasing systematically from northwest to southeast. The start of porphyry magmatism coincided with the onset of transpressional movement along the Red River–Ailao Shan fault system, implying a close link between these two events. Age sequence in intrusions can be plausibly explained by assuming that a region of melting in the lower northwestern plate moved southeasternward along the Tuoba–Mangkang fault relative to the upper plate. Zircon grains from the Yulong ore-bearing porphyries have higher Ce⁴⁺/Ce³⁺ than those from barren porphyries in the region. This suggests that the ore-bearing porphyries crystallized from a relatively oxidized magma, which has important implications for future ore exploration in the region and other Cu deposits in convergent margin environments in general.     

Two forsterite-bearing FUN inclusions in the Allende meteorite

We have discovered two FUN inclusions, CG-14 and TE, among a group of five forsterite-rich inclusions in Allende, two of which are described for the first time herein. All five consist of euhedral forsterite and spinel crystals poikilitically enclosed by fassaite. Forsterite and spinel are usually segregated from one another, sometimes into a spinel-rich mantle and a forsterite-rich core. Some inclusions contain vesicles, indicating that they were once molten. The crystallization sequence inferred from textures is: spinel, forsterite, fassaite and, finally, Mg-rich melilite. One concentrically-zoned inclusion contains melilite in its mantle whose composition lies on the opposite side of the liquidus minimum in the melilite binary from that in its core. This suggests that segregation of forsterite from spinel in all of these inclusions could be due to volatilization of MgO and SiO₂ relative to Al₂O₃ and CaO from the outsides of droplets. CG-14 is relatively uniformly enriched in refractory elements relative to Cl chondrites by a factor similar to that for Ca-, Al-rich coarse-grained inclusions except for Ca, Al and Hf which are unusually low. No Ce anomaly such as found in FUN inclusions Cl and HAL is present in CG-14. Whole-rock samples of CG-14 and TE are more strongly mass-fractionated in oxygen relative to “normal” Allende inclusions than the FUN inclusion EK 1-4-1 and less so than Cl. Relative to bulk Allende, both inclusions have strongly massfractionated magnesium and silicon and ²⁵Mg excesses or deficits of ²⁴Mg or ²⁶Mg. CG-14 has a ²⁹Si excess or a deficit of ²⁸Si or ³⁰Si. Volatilization loss cannot be responsible for the magnesium and silicon isotope fractionations, as this would require prohibitively large mass loss from these magnesium-rich inclusions. The remarkable similarity in textures between FUN and non-FUN inclusions implies similar thermal histories, arguing against different rates of evaporative loss of major elements. Sputtering alone may be insufficient to account for the magnitude and direction of oxygen isotope fractionation in FUN inclusions.     

Activities of olivine and plagioclase components in silicate melts and their application to geothermometry

The activity of a given mineral component in a silicate melt can be calculated from the compositions of coexisting melt and crystals, provided that 1) the component is an independently variable component of the crystal, and 2) appropriate thermodynamic data for the component are known. This approach is used to calibrate the compositional dependence of the activities of forsterite, fayalite, anorthite, and albite from experimental data on natural mafic-to-intermediate melts. The natural logarithms of the activities of forsterite and anorthite can be closely approximated as second-degree polynomial functions of the melt composition (r ²=0.99 and 0.97, respectively); corresponding fits for fayalite and albite are significantly poorer (r ²=0.81 and 0.87, respectively). The shapes of the fitted activity surfaces yield information about speciation in silicate melts. The activity models for forsterite and anorthite provide excellent geothermometers with standard deviations of temperature residuals of approximately 10° C. These geothermometers, when combined with the activity models for fayalite and albite, can be used to predict the temperature at which olivine or plagioclase will crystallize from a melt, along with the composition of the crystals.     

Heavy-mineral concentrates from rocks in exploration for massive sulphide deposits

A number of programs have investigated the use of rock geochemistry in the search for volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits in the Canadian Shield. Regional-scale studies have been successful in differentiating productive from nonproductive volcanic cycles. Wall-rock studies have successfully delineated alteration halos related to the mineralizing event. While an alteration halo has been identified around the South Bay massive sulphide deposit, this halo does not extend far enough from the deposit to be useful for reconnaissance purposes. The authors therefore tested the possibility of enhancing detection of a primary trace-element halo by using the heavy mineral fraction of the rocks.The geochemical dispersion of trace elements in the heavy-mineral fraction of rocks was investigated around the South Bay massive sulphide deposit, in the Superior Province of the Canadian Shield. Approximately 270 samples were ground to 74–500 μm (−35 +200 mesh) and separated using the heavy liquid bromoform. Following removal of the magnetic fraction, the samples were further pulverized, and analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry for Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag, Fe, Mn, Co and Ni. Corresponding whole-rock samples were analyzed to provide for a comparative study with the whole-rock geochemistry.Analysis of the heavy-mineral fraction of rocks revealed strong and extensive halos of Cu, Pb, Zn and Ag persisting in some cases up to 10 km along strike away from the South Bay Deposit. By comparison, in the whole-rock data, halos of Pb, Ag and Zn were detected no farther than 1–2 km away from the deposit. Furthermore, trace-element content in the whole rocks appeared to be dominated by rock type; either multivariate statistical techniques, or separation of the data by rock type, was necessary to distinguish the anomaly related to mineralization. Trace-element content in the heavy-mineral concentrates was dominated by the presence of the sulphide minerals pyrite, chalcopyrite, and sphalerite, thus directly reflecting mineralization.Use of the heavy-mineral fraction of the rock eliminates the dilution effects of quartz and feldspar, allowing enhancement of trace-metal concentrations in sulphide minerals, and the delineation of strong and extensive halos of Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag and Mn around the South Bay massive sulphide deposit. While the cost of preparation of heavy-mineral separates is higher than that for whole-rock samples, the anomaly clearly defined by the trace-element content of the heavy fraction avoids the need for costly major-element and subsequent statistical analysis, and increases target size by an order of magnitude. The heavy-mineral fraction obtained from rocks shows great potential as an exploration guide to volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits.     

Kinematic hardening of a porous limestone

Summary A concept for a kinematic hardening yield surface in stress space for Cordova Cream limestone (Austin Chalk) developed by Celle and Cheatham (1981) has been improved using Ziegler's modification of Prager's hardening rule (Ziegler, 1959). Data to date agree with the formulated concepts. It is shown how kinematic hardening can be used to approximate the yield surface for a wide range of stress states past the initial yield surface. The particular difficulty of identifying the yield surface under conditions of unloading or extension is noted. A yield condition and hardening rule which account for the strain induced anisotropy in Cordova Cream Limestone were developed. Although the actual yield surface appears to involve some change of size and shape, it is concluded that true kinematic hardening provides a basis for engineering calculations.     

Bacterial and algal hydrocarbons in sediments from a saline Antarctic lake, Ace Lake

Capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (C-GC-MS) and Iatroscan thin layer chromatography-flame ionisation detection (TLC-FID) were used to study hydrocarbon distributions in a sediment core from Ace Lake, a saline, meromictic lake in the Vestfold Hills of Antarctica. Hydrocarbons were abundant in most core sections (up to 125/μg/g dry wt), particularly in near-surface samples, and the distributions were very complex. Major constituents were identified as phytane, 2,6,10,15,19-pentamethyleicosane, tetrahydrosqualene, a mixture of phytenes, cholesta-3,5-diene and fern-7-ene. Smaller amounts of sterenes and hopenes were also present. The predominance of the first 3 acyclic isoprenoids in sediments buried less than 30 cm is consistent with high populations of methanogenic bacteria known to be present.Phytenes were abundant in all core sections, and there was no relationship between their abundance and that of phytane which suggests that they were not derived from methanogenic bacteria. Phytadienes were minor constituents at all depths studied. An unusual feature of some distributions was the high concentrations of fern-7-ene which was the major hydrocarbon in the 20–25 cm core section. This alkene was only abundant in sediments which contained high concentrations of methanogen markers suggesting that it may also be indicative of anoxic depositional environments. A possible source might be from purple non-sulphur bacteria. High concentrations of straight-chain C₂₉ and C₃₄ alkenes were also found in these sediments but their origin has not been determined. Major changes in the hydrocarbon distributions with depth indicate that the depositional environment in the lake has altered dramatically since the lake was formed less than 8000 years ago. The present condition of permanent anoxic bottom waters probably developed only in the last 1000 years.     

Minor and trace elements in some meteoritic minerals

The mineral phases including olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, troilite, nickel-iron, plagioclase, chromite and the phosphates were separated from several meteorites. These were a hypersthene chondrite (Modoc), a bronzite chondrite (Guareña), an enstatite chondrite (Khairpur), and two eucrites (Haraiya and Moore County); diopside was separated from the Nakhla achondrite. The purified minerals were analyzed for trace and minor elements by spark source mass spectrometry and instrumental neutron activation analysis. On the meteorites examined our results show that Co, Ni, Cu, Ge, As, Ru, Rh, Pd, Sn, Sb, W, Re, Os, Ir, Pt and Au are entirely or almost entirely siderophile; Na, Rb, Sr, Y, Ba and the rare earth elements lithophile; Se chalcophile. The transition elements So, Ti, V, Cr and Mn are lithophile in most stony meteorites, but show chalcophile affinities in the enstatite chondrites (and enstatite achondrites), as do Zn, Zr and Nb. In the ordinary chondrites Ga shows both lithophile and siderophile affinities, but becomes entirely siderophile in the enstatite chondrites. Molybdenum and tellurium show strong siderophile and weaker chalcophile affinity. The lithophile elements are distributed among the minerals according to the crystallochemical factors, the most effective controlling factor being ionic size.     

Development of flute-mark assemblages, 1. Evolution of pairs of defects

Experiments using a bed of hardened Plaster of Paris dissolved by a turbulent water stream (practical analogue of natural mud-bed erosion) show that paired defects evolve into compound flute marks which at a critical age become marks indistinguishable from structures developed from single defects. The critical age increases as the relative spacing of the paired defects grows larger but decreases as their alignment approaches the mean flow direction. Growth of the compound marks follows similar laws to single flutes. A natural assemblage of flute marks may be expected during an early stage of development to show a progressive reduction in the number-density of the structures, as a consequence of the merging of marks generated from defects sufficiently closely spaced to have interacted during the time available.