The shoshonite porphyry Cu-Au association in the Goonumbla District,N.S.W., Australia

Summary The Goonumbla porphyry copper-gold deposit in N.S.W., Australia, is hosted by late Ordovician (439.2 ± 1.2 Ma)shoshonitic igneous rocks. In terms of their petrography, the rocks vary from andesitic to dacitic lavas and tuffs which are partly intruded by monzonite stocks; they are characterized by high and variable Al₂O₃ (13.4–19.9 wt%), very high K₂O values (up to 6.8 wt%), and high K₂O/Na₂O ratios (0.58–1.48), which are typical for the shoshonite association. The rocks also have enriched LILE concentrations (Ba up to 1200 ppm, Sr up to 1350 ppm), low HFSE (TiO₂ < 0.67 wt%, Zr < 125 ppm, Nb < 10 ppm, Hf < 3.4 ppm), and very low LREE (La < 22.4 ppm, Ce < 31 ppm), which are typical for potassic volcanic rocks formed in alate oceanic-arc setting.Mineral chemistry of selected magmatic mica and apatite phenocrysts from host rocks reveals relatively high SrO and BaO contents (micas: 0.15 wt% and up to 0.28 wt%, respectively; apatites: up to 0.28 wt% and 0.19 wt%, respectively) and very high halogen concentrations. Micas are characterized by up to 3.9 wt% F and 0.14 wt% Cl, whereas apatites have up to 3.6 wt% F and 0.68 wt% Cl. These very high halogen contents compared to those from barren intrusions imply that the shoshonitic magmatism was the source of mineralization.Copper-gold mineralization consists mainly of bornite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite and minor pyrite and tetrahedrite. Native gold occurs mainly as minute grains within silicates of the host rocks, and more rarely as fine inclusions in the sulphides. Mineralization is accompanied by wallrock alteration comprising a spatially restricted potassic type and a regional propylitic alteration type.Thus, the porphyry copper-gold deposit in the Goonumbla district can be viewed as an additional example of a worldwide association between potassic/shoshonitic magmatism and base- and precious-metal mineralization. More specifically, it appears to be the oldest recorded example of a shoshontie-associated porphyry Cu-Au deposit from a late oceanic-arc setting, a possible modern analogue being Ladolam at Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea

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Die Shoshonit Porphyry Cu-Au Assoziation im Goonumbla Distrikt, N.S.W., Australien

Zusammenfassung Die Porphyry Cu-Au Vererzung im Goonumbla Distrikt in New South Wales, Australien, sitzt in oberordovizischen (ca. 439.2 ± 1.2 Ma) Shoshoniten auf. Das petrographische Spektrum dieser Gesteine reicht von andesitischen bis dazitischen Laven und Tuffen, die lokal von Monzonit-Stöcken intrudiert werden; die Gesteine besitzen hohe, aber variable Al₂O₃ Gehalte (13.4–19.9 Gew%), sehr hohe K₂O Gehalte (bis zu 6.8 Gew%) und hohe K₂O/Na₂O Verhältnisse (0.58–1.48), die typisch sind für Shoshonite. Außerdem weisen sie hohe Konzentrationen an LILE Elementen (Ba bis 1200 ppm, Sr bis 1350 ppm) auf und geringe Konzentrationen an HFSE (TiO₂ < 0.67 Gew%, Zr < 125 ppm, Nb < 10 ppm, Hf < 3.4 ppm) sowie an LREE (La < 22.4 ppm, Ce < 31 ppm), die als typisch gelten für potassische Vulkanite von ozeanischen Plattengrenzen.Die Mineralchemie von repräsentativen Glimmer- und Apatit-Phänokristallen ist charakterisiert durch hohe SrO und BaO Gehalte (Glimmer: 0.15 Gew%, bzw. bis 0.28 Gew%; Apatite: bis 0.28 Gew%, bzw. 0.19 Gew%). Sie enthalten ferner sehr hohe Halogen-Konzentrationen. Die Glimmer enthalten beispielsweise bis zu 3.9 Gew% F und 0.14 Gew% Cl, während Apatite bis zu 3.6 Gew% F und 0.68 Gew% Ci aufweisen. Dies erscheint nicht ungewöhnlich, weil Glimmer und Apatite von vererzten Mag matiten zumeist deutlich höhere Halogengehalte besitzen, als solche von unvererzten Magmatiten. Die hohen Halogen-Gehalte in Phänokristallen aus den Shoshoniten legen nahe, die Vulkanite als den Ursprung der Vererzung zu interpretieren.Die Cu-Au Vererzung besteht überwiegend aus den Sulfiden Bornit, Kupferkies, Kupferglanz und vereinzelt auftretendem Pyrit und Tetrahedrit. Gediegen Gold wird in der Regel nur als kleine Partikel innerhalb von Silikaten der shoshonitischen Wirtsgesteine und seltener als feine Einschlüsse in Sulfiden gefunden.Die Vererzung wird von hydrothermaler Alteration der Wirtsgesteine begleitet und zwei Alterationsarten lassen sich unterscheiden: eine potassische sowie eine regional zu beobachtende propylitische Alteration.Die Porphyry Cu-Au Lagerstätte im Goonumbla Gebiet ist ein Beispiel für die weltweit beobachtete Assoziation von Bunt- und Edelmetallvererzungen und potassisch/shoshonitischem Magmatismus. Der Goonumbla Distrikt stellt die älteste bisher bekannte Porphyry Cu-Au Lagerstätte aus einerspätgenetischen ozeanischen Plattengrenze dar. Einmodernes Beispiel für eine Cu-Au Lagerstätte vergleichbaren Typs ist Ladolam auf Lihir Island, Papua New Guinea.

     

Environmental geochemistry of the River Gomti: A tributary of the Ganges River

Water and sediment samples collected from the Gomti River, a tributary of the Ganges River system, during the postmonsoon season have been analyzed to estimate major elemental chemistry. Water chemistry of the River Gomti shows almost monotonous spatial distribution of various chemical species, especially because of uniform presence of alluvium Dun gravels throughout the basin. The river annually transports 0.34×10⁶ tonnes of total suspended material (TSM) and 3.0×10⁶ tonnes of total dissolved solids (TDS), 69 percent of which is accounted for by bicarbonate ions only. Samples collected downstream of the city of Lucknow show the influence of anthropogenic loadings for a considerable distance in the river water. Na⁺, Cl^–, and SO₄ ^2– concentrations build up downstream. The bed sediment chemistry is dominated by Si (36 percent), reflecting a high percentage of detrital quartz, which makes up about 74 percent of the mineralogy of the bed sediments in the River Gomti. The average Kjeldahl nitrogen concentration (234 g/g) indicates indirectly the amount of organic matter in the sediments. The Hg concentration in sediments has been found to be higher (average 904 ppb) than the background value. The suspended sediments are well sorted, very finely skewed, and extremely leptokurtic, indicating a low energy condition of flow in the Gomti River. The influence of chemical loads in the Gomti has been found to be small or nonexistent on the Ganges River, perhaps because the water discharge of the Gomti (1.57 percent) to the Ganges is quite low.     

Influence of karst hydrology on water quality management in southeast South Australia

Southeast South Australia has large reserves of potable groundwater, generally close to the surface. European settlement has had a major impact on groundwater quality due to the presence of extensive karst in the unconfined aquifer. Historically, industries such as cheese factories were often sited close to karst features (e.g. caves and sinkholes) because they provided a convenient means of waste disposal. Although most have long since closed, they have left a legacy of pollution plumes of varying sizes. In Mount Gambier, the main regional centre, the presence of both exposed and subterranean karst features provided a perfect system for the disposal of stormwater. Prior to the provision of a sewerage system within Mount Gambier, all toilet and household wastewaters were disposed to ground. These activities and the subsequent problems that began emerging in the 1960s have led to a concerted effort over the last 20 years to change the philosophy of waste disposal and to generate an understanding and responsibility by those who live in the region and depend on groundwater for the major part of their water supply. Mount Gambier's water supply comes from the Blue Lake. Groundwater inflow from a highly karstic Tertiary limestone aquifer provides 90% of the recharge to the Blue Lake. The lake is a high-value resource in a high-risk environment and in order to minimize this risk, a water-quality management plan for the lake is currently being developed.     

An evaluation of residential air radon concentrations and related variables in southeast Michigan,USA

Analysis of 153 residential air radon (Rn-222) screening measurements from southeast Michigan indicates that basements host Rn levels two to three times higher than upper-level rooms. Compared to unfinished basements, finished (e.g., paneled walls, tiled floors) basements apparently reduce indoor air Rn levels while partially finished basements may not. Factor analysis of residence questionnaire data explains 59 percent of the Rn data variance. The volume of pathways (e.g., foundation cracks/holes, uncapped sumps) allowing Rn seepage into the dwelling controls the largest portion, 23 percent, of the explained data variance. The residence water source explains 11 percent of the Rn data variance. Groundwater Rn levels contribute to the air Rn data variability, but the study data cannot quantitatively assess this contribution. Seven percent of the Rn data variance is likely controlled by house depressurization facilitated by residence structural properties. Residences with foundation cracks or poorly sealed joints and low-volume indoor-outdoor air exchange are more prone to this effect. Eighteen percent of the explained Rn data variance correlates with the residence's primary heat source. Evidently, operating combustion sources also induce house depressurization and allow Rn to be drawn into the house through entry paths. Twenty-four percent of the analyses equal or exceed 4 pCi/1 Rn. In residences occupied 5 years by the same individuals, 17 percent of the Rn data are 4 pCi/l; here the arithmetic mean air Rn level is 8.3 pCi/l and the average occupancy period 17.4 years.     

Connection between X-ray and optical variability in NGC 4151

We have used long light curves in the X-ray (ARIEL V, EXOSAT, Ginga and others), UV (IUE), and optical (data of intensive ground-based monitoring) ranges of NGC 4151 to investigate connections between variations in these spectral fields. Applying Fourier (CLEAN algorithm) and modern cross-correlation analysis, we revealed the different character of the variability and the cross-correlation between high and low states of the nucleus. In contrast to earlier results, we found that X-ray and optical fluxes correlate in the active state without any apparent delay.In the power spectrum of the optical and X-ray light curves in the high state we found the existence of the same period of about 65 days, which disappeared in the low state.We confirmed previous data that X-ray variations correlate more strongly with UV and optical continuum variability during the low state, but it is possible that the optical variations appear to lag behind those involving X-rays by several tens of days.Strong variations in H line profile and [Fe X]6374 line intensity variations correlate with the observed X-ray covering dip in 1990 (Yaqoobet al., 1993).We discuss briefly the implications of these results.     

Once more on quasar periodicities

In an earlier paper Arp, Bi, Chu and Zhu investigated various quasar samples and recognized a periodicity of remarkable degree in them. Their conclusion was that the existence of such a periodicity is a counterevidence against the cosmological origin of quasar redshifts. Since this question is of great importance in a cosmological context, here we reanalyze some of the samples together with a galaxy sample of the pencil-beam survey of Broadhurstet al. Our result is that on the plane of cosmological parameters (₀, ₀) there is a non-negligible region where two quasar samples and the galaxy sample are simultaneously fairly periodic. Pure periodicity is still compatible with cosmological principles, at least on length scales much longer than the period length. So the regularities can fit into a cosmological context.     

Long,accurate time series measurements of radial velocities of solar-type stars

We have been measuring changes in the radial velocities (RV's) of solar-type stars to search for gravitational perturbations by planets. We transmit violet starlight through a Fabry-Perot etalon interferometer and sense changes in Doppler shift from changes in the fluxes of light on the slopes of stellar absorption lines. Our data now span 6 years. Our observations of the Sun showed earlier that both our technique and the profiles of solar photospheric violet absorption lines can be stable enough to reveal planetary perturbations. We now carry this validation to the spectra of other near-solar-type stars. Annual averages of our RV's of Draconis and Virginis are stable to ±6 m s^–1. The slope of our five-year series of RV's of Bootis A is consistent with the star's well-determined visual astrometric orbit about Bootis B. The Fabry-Perot technique of Doppler shift measurement is fully capable of detecting perturbations due to planets with masses and orbits similar to those of Jupiter.Paper presented at the Conference onPlanetary Systems: Formation, Evolution, and Detection held 7–10 December, 1992 at CalTech, Pasadena, California, U.S.A.     

The project “spice”

Proposed to both the French and the European Space Agency as one possible small mission, SPICE is a project for a dedicated small satellite for a near-IR spectroscopic all-sky survey. The instrument would cover the spectral range 1.8 - 3.6µm, possibly extended to 1.8 - 7µm, at a resolution of 100, with pixels of 1 arc-min. The excellent sensitivity (0.02 MJy sr-1) results from: i) the quasi-zero level of background due to the efficient passive cooling of the whole experiment; ii) the use of large format arrays; iii) the non-stop observing mode (drift-scanning). The spectral domain, complementing the one of ISO, partially opaque from the ground, is specially rich in spectral features tracing stars and all components of the Interstellar Medium (molecular, atomic and ionized gas, dust). With a cooling below 80 K of the focal instrument, then it becomes possible to consider doubling the spectral domain and to cover the whole 1.8 - 7µm range.     

A coronal loop model for the production of X-ray and radio flares in the RS CVn binary HR 1099

The RS CVn binary stellar system HR 1099 is a source of both X-ray and radio flares. We present here a model of the system in which the two types of flare are produced by the same population of mildly-relativistic ( 10) electrons, injected into a coronal loop. After reviewing possible radiation mechanisms we conclude that, given the probable conditions in the flaring region, the radio emission is gyrosynchrotron radiation and the X-ray emission is thermal bremsstrahlung. The thermal X-ray source must lie in the stellar chromosphere, but the apparent absence of plasma absorption at radio frequencies indicates that the radio source is located high in the coronal loop. Using the relationships given by Dulk and Marsh (1982) for the radio emission from a power-law electron energy spectrum,N() ( - 1)^–, we conclude that 3 7, with 30% of the electron population trapped in the radio source. Some implications of these results for one particular version of the model are discussed.     

Nonthermal radio emission from hot star winds

Nonthermal radio emission has been observed from some of the most luminous hot star winds. It is understood to be synchrotron radiation of the relativistic electrons in the winds. To understand how the electrons are accelerated to such high energies and to correctly explain the observed radio flux and spectra require an exhaustive investigation of all the relevant physical processes involved and possibly point to a complex wind structure. In this paper we discuss the logical path toward a comprehensive model of the nonthermal radio emission from hot star winds. Based on the available observational data and fundamental theoretical considerations, we found that the only physically viable and self-consistent scenario is:the nonthermal radio emission is synchrotron radiation of relativistic electrons the electrons are accelerated by shocks via the first-order Fermi mechanism the acceleration has to be in situ in the radio emitting region the shocks formed at the base of the winds have to propagate to beyond the radio photosphere).