Zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopic characteristics of the Dehe biotite monzonitic gneiss pluton in the North Qinling orogen and their geological significance

The Dehe granitic pluton intruded the Xiahe Group which is in the core complex of the North Qinling Orogenic Belt(NQOB).It shows gneissic bedding and possesses typical S-type granite minerals such as muscovite and garnet.LA-ICP-MS U-Pb isotopic dating of the Dehe granite yielded a weighted average age of 925±23 Ma which represents the emplacement age of the pluton.Most of the εHf(t) values are negative,and the two-stage model ages are consistent with the age of the Qinling Group.The isotope data show that the Dehe granite was formed in the following geological setting:in the syn-collision setting of the NQOB in the Neoproterozoic,crustal thickening induced partial melting of materials derived from the Qinling complex,and then the maga upwelled and intruded into the Xiahe Group.The formation of the Dehe S-type granite implied the occurrence of a convergent event in the QOB during the Neoproterozoic.     

Fragmentation during Rock Falls: Two Italian Case Studies of Hard and Soft Rocks

In recent years, rock fall phenomena in Italy have received considerable attention for risk mitigation through in situ observations and experimental data. This paper reports the study conducted at Camaldoli Hill, in the urban area of Naples, and at Monte Pellegrino, Palermo, Italy. The rocks involved are volcanic Neapolitan yellow tuff (NYT) in the former area and dolomitic limestone in the latter. Both rocks, even though with different strength characteristics, have shown a significant tendency towards rock fragmentation during run out. This behavior was first investigated by comparing the volumes of removable blocks on the cliff faces (V ₀) and fallen blocks on the slopes (V _f). It was assumed that the ratio V _f/V ₀ decreases with the distance (x _f) from the detachment area by an empirical law, which depends on a coefficient α, correlated with the geotechnical properties of the materials involved in the rock fall. Finally, this law was validated by observation of well-documented natural rock falls (Palermo) and by in situ full-scale tests (Naples). From the engineering perspective, consideration of fragmentation processes in rock fall modeling provides a means for designing low-cost mitigation measures.     

Precambrian crystalline basement in southern Mongolia as revealed by SHRIMP zircon dating

Single zircon ages determined by ion microprobe (SHRIMP II) for granitoid gneisses from the southern slope of the Baga Bogd massif (Gobi-Altai, southern Mongolia) reveal several episodes of zircon growth, ranging from late Palaeoproterozoic to late Cambrian. The oldest events are documented by a zircon crystallization age for a gneiss protolith at 1519 ± 11 Ma and by a xenocrystic zircon from a dark grey augen-gneiss yielding an age of c. 1701 Ma. Discrete igneous events are recorded in granite-gneisses with protolith emplacement ages of 983 ± 6, 956 ± 3 and 954 ± 8 Ma. These ages provide the first record of early Neoproterozoic magmatic activity in this region. A much younger and discrete magmatic event is recorded by several dioritic to granitic orthogneisses which are tectonically interlayered with the older gneisses and have protolith emplacement ages between 502 and 498 Ma. These late Cambrian granitoids of calc-alkaline affinity are likely to have been emplaced along an active continental margin and suggest that the Baga Bogd Precambrian crustal fragment was either docked against the southward (present-day coordinates) growing margin of the CAOB or was a large enough crustal entity to develop an arc along its margin. We speculate that the Precambrian gneisses of this massif may be part of a crustal fragment rifted off the Tarim Craton.     

Textural evidences for dissolution of silica-rich rocks of the Ypresian phosphatic series,Gafsa-Metlaoui basin,southwestern Tunisia: implication of biogenic silica supply on genesis of fibrous clays

The present work aimed to determine the mineralogical composition of Ypresian series and to clarify the influence of the dissolution of siliceous frustules on the genesis of fibrous clay minerals. The specimens sampled from CPG trench are mainly constituted of silica-rich rocks at Mides area located at the western part of Gafsa-Metlaoui basin. The samples were investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) in order to determine texture of constituents. The data obtained indicate that the bulk rock samples are mainly made up of opal CT and clay minerals. The latter consists of palygorskite-sepiolite minerals associated with smectite and few amount of illite. The trend of mineralogical composition indicates that fibrous clay minerals are more concentrated at the upper part. SEM observations indicated that palygorskite mineral appears as thread-like facies, which surround foliated texture of smectite in the lower part of the Mides section, although with the low Mg activity confirmed by the absence of dolomite. But, at the upper part of the Mides section, SEM observations revealed the occurrence of siliceous frustules, which have numerous dissolved areas and replacement of carbonate tests by silica. The dissolution saturated the depositional environment with silica which is required for the formation of palygorskite and sepiolite minerals, in addition to high Mg activity confirmed by the presence of dolomite in the bulk rock, which is required basically for the formation of sepiolite. Although the genesis mode of palygorskite and sepiolite is similar with very little difference, the genesis of sepiolite needs a high alkalinity than the formation of palygorskite.     

Enhancement of removal efficiency of ammonia nitrogen in sequencing batch reactor using natural zeolite

Two sets of lab-scale sequencing batch reactors (SBR), i.e., control SBR and SBR using zeolite as carrier (zeo-SBR), were applied to assess nitrogen removal efficiency. The test results revealed that zeolite powder added in SBR could improve its performance. Due to the combination of zeolite adsorption for NH₄ ⁺–N and enhanced simultaneous nitrification and de-nitrification (SND), a higher removal ratio of ammonia nitrogen in wastewater was observed in the test reactor, and the introduction of zeolite powder was helpful to inhabit sludge bulging comparing with the control SBR, in other words, activated sludge immobilized by zeolite powder could remove NH₄ ⁺–N, COD, and PO₄ significantly in a shorter cycle time. Applied two hydraulic retention times (HRTs) showed that the nitrogen and phosphorus removal could be improved while adapting to load variations.     

Sorption behaviour of pentachlorophenol in sub-Saharan tropical soils: soil types sorption dynamics

In order to predict exposure risks as well as appropriate remediation strategies for pesticides in soils, knowledge of pesticides sorption processes onto various representative soils is vital. Hence, laboratory batch experiments were carried out to study sorption of a pesticide, pentachlorophenol (PCP), on five soils obtained from different sub-Saharan agro-ecological zones (AEZs) in order to understand sorption equilibrium, kinetics, and thermodynamics. Experimental data showed that sorption equilibrium was attained within 24 h. The fitting of kinetic results and equilibrium data to different models suggested partly surface adsorption and partly partitioning of PCP within voids of the various soil components. Sorption was mainly attributed to sharing or exchange of valence electrons between negatively charged PCP molecules and positively charged soil sorption sites. The sorption process was spontaneous and accompanied by decreased entropy, but was pH and temperature dependent, reducing with increase in pH and temperature. The various soils’ PCP sorption capacities were directly proportional to their cation exchange capacities. The low PCP sorption observed in these soils suggested high risk of PCP being present in soil water solution, especially at higher temperatures, which can lead to contamination of the aquifer. This risk may be higher for soils obtained from AEZs with warmer natural temperatures.     

Formation of the adakite-like granitoid complex and porphyry copper-gold deposit in Shaxi from southern Tancheng-Lujiang fault belt： A clue to the West Pacific plate subduction

On the basis of the geological and geochemical studies, including chemical analysis of bulk rocks, rare-earth and trace element studies, fluid inclusion, and S and O isotopic analyses, the authors described the geo-logical background of the deposit in detail and presented significant proofs for the conditions of formation of the Shaxi porphyry copper-gold deposit. Compared with other large and supper-large porphyry copper deposits in China and the adjacent Cu-Au mineralized areas, the ore-forming processes and conditions were analyzed; and the possibil-ity of forming large porphyry copper deposits in the Shaxi area was discussed. The present study indicated that the ore-forming fluid and material were mainly of magmatic origin, while meteoric water played a certain role in the ore-forming processes. Interactions between subducting and overriding plates provided a major driving force for the formation of igneous rocks and the deposition of metal elements in East China since Jurassic. Based on the geo-chemical data of the Shaxi intrusive, it is found that the copper (gold) mineralization is closely related to the genesis of adakite-like intrusive in the Shaxi area. This adakite-like intrusive was formed in the subduction environment as a result of the subduction of the West Pacific plate toward the East China continent, where there is a great potential-ity to form a large porphyry copper deposit.     

Raman spectroscopic study of K-lingunite at various pressures and temperatures

K-lingunite is a high-pressure modification of K-feldspar that possesses the tetragonal hollandite structure. Variations of the Raman spectra of K-lingunite were studied up to ~31.5 GPa at room temperature, and in the range 79–823 K at atmospheric pressure. The Raman frequencies of all bands were observed to increase with increasing pressure, and decrease with increasing temperature for K-lingunite. This behavior is in line with those observed for most of other materials. New sharp Raman bands appear at pressures greater than 13–15 GPa, suggesting a phase transition in K-lingunite with increasing pressure. The transition is reversible when pressure was released. The appearance of these new Raman bands may correspond to the phase transition revealed earlier at around 20 GPa by X-ray diffraction studies. Instead of transforming back to its stable minerals, such as orthoclase, microcline or sanidine, K-lingunite became amorphous in the temperature range 803–823 K at atmospheric pressure.     

Geochemical characteristics of island-arc volcanic rocks in the Nan-Nam Pat-Phetchabun zone,northern Thailand

Late Permian-Early Triassic (P₂-T₁) volcanic rocks distributed on the eastern side of ocean-ridge and oceanic-island basalts in the Nan-Uttaradit zone were analyzed from aspects of petrographic characteristics, rock assemblage, REE, trace elements, geotectonic setting, etc., indicating that those volcanic rocks possess the characteristic features of island-arc volcanic rocks. The volcanic rock assemblage is basalt-basaltic andesite-andesite. The volcanic rocks are sub-alkaline, dominated by calc-alkaline series, with tholeiite series coming next. The chemical composition of the volcanic rocks is characterized by low TiO₂ and K₂O and high Al₂O₃ and Na₂O. Their REE patterns are of the flat, weak LREE-enrichment right-inclined type. The trace elements are characterized by the enrichment of large cation elements such as K, Rb and Ba, common enrichment of U and Th, and depletion of Nb, Ta, Zr and Hf. The petrochemical plot falls within the field of volcanic rocks, in consistency with the plot of island-arc volcanic rocks in the Jinsha River zone of China. This island-arc volcanic zone, together with the ocean-ridge/oceanic island type volcanic rocks in the Nan-Uttaradit zone, constitutes the ocean-ridge volcanic rock-island-arc magmatic rock zones which are distributed in pairs, indicating that the oceanic crust of the Nan-Uttaradit zone once was of eastward subduction. This work is of great significance in exploring the evolution of paleo-Tethys in the Nan-Uttaradit zone.     

Glauconites from the Late Palaeocene — Early Eocene Naredi Formation,western Kutch and their genetic implications

Glauconitic minerals are considered as one of the valuable input parameters in sequence stratigraphic analysis of a basin. In the present study glauconitic minerals are reported from subtidal green shale facies in the lower part of the Late Paleocene-Early Eocene Naredi Formation of western Kutch. On the basis of the foraminiferal assemblage the glauconite bearing beds are interpreted to have formed in a mid shelf depositional settings of an unstable marine conditions. XRD studies confirm the glauconite mineralogy of the green pellets and provide an estimation of glauconite maturity. Textural attributes of the glauconites confirm their derivation by different degrees of alteration of precursor feldspar grains. Because of the authigenic origin and autochthonous nature, these glauconites hold promise for understanding sequence stratigraphy of the Palaeogene succession of the western Kutch.