The Ordovician chondrite from Brunflo, central Sweden: III. Geochemistry of terrestrial alteration

The fossil H chondrite Brunflo, found in a slab of Ordovician limestone from central Sweden, is pervasively altered to an assemblage dominated by calcite and barite. The meteorite is surrounded by a 15–20 cm wide zone of lighter colors than the unaffected limestone due to dissolution of hematite. Here we present detailed geochemical analyses of two meteorite samples, 14 limestone samples at distances from 0 to 29 cm along two profiles from the meteorite, and a reference sample of Brunflo limestone. Element concentrations in Brunflo and surrounding bleached limestone have been strongly disturbed during two stages of alteration (early oxygenated and deep burial). In the meteorite, the Ni/Co ratio has changed from an initial value of 20 to 0.8 and redox sensitive elements like V, As, Mo, Re and U are strongly enriched. The sulfur isotope composition of barite from Brunflo (δ³⁴S=+35‰) indicates initial loss of meteoritic sulfide, followed by later accumulation of sea water sulfate as barite. During deep burial under more reducing conditions, reduction processes supported by an externally derived reductant possibly derived from alum shale underlying the limestone, were largely responsible for the observed redox phenomena. In spite of massive redistribution of many elements, concentrations of Pt, Ir and Au remain at chondritic levels. The geochemistry and mineralogy of alteration determined for Brunflo are similar to those in “reduction spots” in red beds, where accumulation of a similar suite of elements (except Mo, Re) occurred as a result of isolated reduction activity.     

Elevated marine deposits in Bermuda record a late Quaternary megatsunami

Deposits of coral-bearing, marine shell conglomerate exposed at elevations higher than 20 m above present-day mean sea level (MSL) in Bermuda and the Bahamas have previously been interpreted as relict intertidal deposits formed during marine isotope stage (MIS) 11, ca. 360–420 ka before present. On the strength of this evidence, a sea level highstand more than 20 m higher than present-day MSL was inferred for the MIS 11 interglacial, despite a lack of clear supporting evidence in the oxygen-isotope records of deep-sea sediment cores. We have critically re-examined the elevated marine deposits in Bermuda, and find their geological setting, sedimentary relations, and microfaunal assemblages to be inconsistent with intertidal deposition over an extended period. Rather, these deposits, which comprise a poorly sorted mixture of reef, lagoon and shoreline sediments, appear to have been carried tens of meters inside karst caves, presumably by large waves, at some time earlier than ca. 310–360 ka before present (MIS 9–11). We hypothesize that these deposits are the result of a large tsunami during the mid-Pleistocene, in which Bermuda was impacted by a wave set that carried sediments from the surrounding reef platform and nearshore waters over the eolianite atoll. Likely causes for such a megatsunami are the flank collapse of an Atlantic island volcano, such as the roughly synchronous Julan or Orotava submarine landslides in the Canary Islands, or a giant submarine landslide on the Atlantic continental margin.     

Post-Svecokarelian andinotype evolution in central Sweden

Granitoids and associated volcanics, postorogenic in relation to the Svecokarelian orogeny, constitute a belt in central Sweden. Evidence presented in this paper suggest that the belt originated in an Andinotype orogenic environment. The inferred development of the belt was characterized by fracture-controlled high-level emplacement of batholiths in an ensialic setting. Voluminous venting of ignimbrites and formation of grabens through cauldron subsidence accompanied the recurrent intrusive activity. Block movements and episodes of burial metamorphism appear to have been prominent features throughout the history of the post-Svecokarelian belt.

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Zusammenfassung Granitoide Plutonite und verwandte Vulkanite, post-orogen im Verhältnis zur Svekokarelischen Orogenese, bilden einen Gürtel in Mittelschweden. Es wird gezeigt, daß der Gürtel in einer andinotypen Orogenese gebildet wurde. Die vorgeschlagene Entwicklung des Gürtels ist geprägt durch spaltentektonisch kontrollierte Platznahme von Batholithen in einem seichten Niveau der Kruste in ensialischem Mileau. Umfangreiche Eruptionen von Ignimbriten sowie die Bildung von Grabenbrüchen durch Kalderen-Einstürzungen begleiten die erneute intrusive Tätigkeit. Blockbewegungen und episodische Versenkungsmetamorphosen sind charakteristisch während der gesamten Entwicklungsgeschichte des post-svekokarelischen Gürtels.

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Résumé Des granitoïdes et des volcanites associées, postorogéniques par rapport à l'orogénese svécokarélienne, forment une ceinture en Suède centrale. La présente étude suggère que la mise en place de ces roches s'est effectuée dans un environment orogénique Andinotype. L'évolution de la ceinture c'est caractérisée par la mise en place; contrée par des fractures, de batholites peu profonds, en milieu ensialique. Des volumineuses éruptions d'ignimbrites et la formation de grabens par «cauldron subsidence» ont accompagné la mise en place des batholites. Des mouvements verticaux de blocs, ainsi que des épisodes de métamorphisme d'enfouissement («burial metamorphism») semblent être des faits dominants du développement historique de la ceinture post-svécokarélienne.

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Glacial and environmental changes over the last 60 000 years in the Polar Ural Mountains,Arctic Russia,inferred from a high‐resolution lake record and other observations from adjacent areas

Our knowledge about the glaciation history in the Russian Arctic has to a large extent been based on geomorphological mapping supplemented by studies of short stratigraphical sequences found in exposed sections. Here we present new geochronological data from the Polar Ural Mountains along with a high‐resolution sediment record from Bolshoye Shchuchye, the largest and deepest lake in the mountain range. Seismic profiles show that the lake contains a 160‐m‐thick sequence of unconsolidated lacustrine sediments. A well‐dated 24‐m‐long core from the southern end of the lake spans the last 24 cal. ka. From downward extrapolation of sedimentation rates we estimate that sedimentation started about 50–60 ka ago, most likely just after a large glacier had eroded older sediments from the basin. Terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) exposure dating (¹⁰Be) of boulders and Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) dating of sediments indicate that this part of the Ural Mountains was last covered by a coherent ice‐field complex during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 4. A regrowth of the glaciers took place during a late stage of MIS 3, but the central valleys remained ice free until the present. The presence of small‐ and medium‐sized glaciers during MIS 2 is reflected by a sequence of glacial varves and a high sedimentation rate in the lake basin and likewise from ¹⁰Be dating of glacial boulders. The maximum extent of the mountain glaciers during MIS 2 was attained prior to 24 cal. ka BP. Some small present‐day glaciers, which are now disappearing completely due to climate warming, were only slightly larger during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) as compared to AD 1953. A marked decrease in sedimentation rate around 18–17 cal. ka BP indicates that the glaciers then became smaller and probably disappeared altogether around 15–14 cal. ka BP.     

Geochemistry and mineralogy of Platinum-group elements in the Ransko gabbro–peridotite massif,Bohemian Massif (Czech Republic)

The Ransko gabbro-peridotite massif in Eastern Bohemia is a strongly differentiated intrusive complex of Lower Cambrian age. The complex hosts low grade Ni-Cu ores mainly developed close to the contact of olivine-rich rocks with gabbros, in troctolites and, to a much lesser extent, in both pyroxene and olivine gabbros and plagioclase-rich peridotites. The ore zone is characterized by strong serpentinization and uralitization. The total Ni + Cu locally reaches up to 4 wt%. Anomalous concentrations of platinum-group elements (PGE's) (maximum 532 ppb Pd, 182 ppb Pt, 53 ppb Rh, 15 ppb Ru, 41 ppb Ir) were detected in samples of Cu-Ni and Ni-Cu ores (maximum 2.63 wt% Ni and 2.31 wt% Cu) from the Jezírka orebody. The main ore paragenesis includes pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite, cubanite, pyrite, magnetite, mackinawite, valleriite, ilmenite and sphalerite. During this work, michenerite, froodite, sperrylite, gold, native bismuth, altaite, tsumoite, hessite, an unnamed Bi-Ni telluride, cobaltite-gersdorffite and galena were newly identified. The host rocks originated through partial melting of a slightly depleted mantle source with noble metals scavenged from this primitive magma prior to the development of these rocks.     

Das Neokom in Polen und seine paläogeographische Bedeutung

Zusammenfassung Die geologische Geschichte Nordwest-Polens zur Zeit der unteren Kreide kann in allgemeinen Zügen folgenderma\en dargestellt werden:Gegen Ende des Jura, ungefähr zur Zeit des Münder Mergels, sind hier Bewegungen eingetreten, die das Land teilweise trockengelegt und der Denudation preisgegeben haben. In den durch die Bewegungen gebildeten Senken blieben Lagunen erhalten, deren einige brackisches Wasser führten, während in anderen durch Eindampfung Gipslager abgesetzt wurden. Der Serpulit brachte eine positive Meeresbewegung mit, die sich im Infravalanginian derart verstärkte, da\ sich seine Ablagerungen nicht nur in den alten Senken kontinuierlich auf dem Serpulit abgesetzt, sondern auch auf denudierte, früher gehobene Schollen transgressiv ausgebreitet haben. Die Infravalanginian-See war brackisch und hat in NW-Polen typische Wealdenablagerungen abgesetzt, bei Tomaszów aber, etwas südlicher, ist das Infravalangian zwar litoral, aber rein marin ausgebildet, wobei es viele ähnlichkeit mit dem Infravalangian der Teschener Karpathen aufweist. Die Wealdensee und das karpathische Meer waren durch einen Sund verbunden, der sich über Tomaszów längs dem Polnischen Mittelgebirge gegen die Karpathen hinzog. Im Valanginian erreicht die neokome Transgression ihren Höhepunkt, es werden dunkle Tone mit reicher Hilsfauna abgesetzt; wahrscheinlich hat sich diese Transgression von Ru\land über die Polesje-Schwelle und über das westliche Polen nach Deutschland und weiter bis nach Ost-England erstreckt. Das polnische Becken stand in direkter Verbindung mit dem nordwestdeutschen; es war ebenfalls, obwohl dürftiger, mit dem karpathischen Meere verbunden; gerade hier ist der Weg zu suchen, den die Migrationen der nördlichen Elemente ins alpine Becken eingeschlagen haben. Im oberen Valanginian fängt eine Regression an, die in Zentral-Ru\land einsetzt und zu dessen Trockenlegung und zum Abschlu\ der Verbindung des polnischen Beckens mit dem Osten führt. Mit dem Anfang des Hauterivians macht sich die Regression auch in Polen fühlbar und verursacht die Verflachung des Meeres in Polen sowie den Abbruch der Verbindung mit dem karpathischen Meere, in welchem von nun ab keine nordischen eingewanderten Faunenelemente mehr erscheinen. Im oberen Hauterivian zieht sich das Meer von Polen und NO-Deutschland zurück. Auf dem neuen Lande herrscht mächtige Denudation, deren gröbere Produkte sich als sehr mächtige Flu\- und Seesande anhäufen. Das Landstadium dauert während des ganzen BarrÊme, Apt und eines Teiles des Albians an, bis zum Anfang der gro\en Gault-Transgression, die wieder in die Senken vordringt.     

Leaching capabilities of iodine monochloride (ICl) and diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DPTA) at different concentrations and pH for some major and trace metals from coal and coal fly ash

In the present study, coal from Chakwal (Pakistan) was leached with an aqueous solutions of iodine monochloride (ICl) and diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (DPTA) of different concentrations. The effect of stirring time, concentration and pH was studied on the leaching of different metals from coal. The physicochemical parameters indicated that the coal was of reasonably good quality. The results indicated that with increase in time duration, the extraction of metals increased. In most of the cases, metal concentration increased in the leachate with increasing the concentration of the leaching agents. DPTA was found to be the best leaching agent for most of the metals. Higher extraction of metals from coal fly ash indicated that coal organic matter has a pronounced effect on the leaching. Higher concentration of metals was extracted from virgin coal and coal fly ash at low pH (p?>?0.00) as compared to high pH. DPTA extracted metals in higher concentration from virgin coal and coal fly ash at low pH as compared to ICl. Based on the present study, the most leached metals were Fe, Cu, Mn and the least were Pb, Ni, Cd and Cr.