Nd and Sr isotopic variations in acidic rocks formed under a peculiar tectonic environment in Miocene Southwest Japan

Initial Nd and Sr isotopic ratios were obtained for middle Miocene igneous rocks as well as for related rocks from the Outer Zone of Southwest Japan to investigate the petrogenesis of acidic magmas and their relation to a peculiar tectonic environment bearing on the back-arc spreading of the Japan Sea. On the _Nd- _Sr diagram, data points for the acidic rocks fall in the – _Nd, + _Sr quadrant occupying different positions from those for sedimentary and old crustal rocks, and seem to define several subparallel lines which extend towards the lower-righthand sedimentary field. The S-type acidic rocks occupy an intermediate position between I-type rocks and sedimentary ones, a fact suggesting mixing of an igneous component and a sedimentary one. The linear mixing trend observed on the _Nd- _Sr diagram can be attained in the restricted case that the igneous component has similar Sr/Nd concentration ratios to that of the sedimentary one, which implies an intermediate to acidic composition for the igneous component. Inconsistency between the elemental and isotopic variations observed may be reconciled by considering that mixing, probably in the relatively deep part of the crust, might have occured prior to chemical differentiation processes. The episodic igneous activity and the high heat energy required to melt such materials involving sedimentary rocks may be explained by a model in which a hot mantle region probably corresponding to the rising part of the mantle convection supplied the heating energy to the Outer Zone of Southwest Japan when passing beneath Southwest Japan in the course of movement of the hot rising part from the Shikoku basin areas to the Japan Sea area.     

Tectono–Magmatic Evolution and Metallogenesis along the Northeast Jiangxi Deep Fault, China

Abstract: From the southernmost part of Jiangsu province to the northeastern part of Jiangxi province, China, the Northeast Jiangxi Deep Fault runs for about 400 km length with a width of 30 to 40 km. This fault marks the suture zone of two ter-ranes of Proterozoic age. At the both sides of the fault, Yanshanian granitic activity is recognized. That is, the Dexing-Wuyuan porphyry belt on the NW side of the fault, and the Damaoshan-Lingshan granite belt on the SE side. The former activity is characterized by the occurrence of small stocks of granodioritic composition, rich in siderophile elements but poor in LIL elements. No distinct Eu anomaly is recognized in the REE pattern, and a low initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio is reported. Magnetite, sphene and apatite are observed as accessory minerals. On the contrary, granitic activity on the SE side of the fault is characterized by the occurrence of composite batholiths, in general of granitic to monzogranitic composition, rich in LIL and alkali elements but poor in siderophile and alkali earth elements. A strong Eu anamaly is recognized in the REE pattern, and initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are as high as 0. 716. Fluorite, zircon and REE minerals are observed as accessory minerals. These two contrasting granitic activities are refered to as syntexis– and transformation–types, respectively, following the classification commonly used in China, and have similar petrochemical characteristics to those defined for the magnetite– and ilmenite–series, and I– and S-type granitoids. Considering that the above igneous activity occurred far from the supposed subduction zone along the East Coast of China, intracontinental A-type (continent to continent) subduction is proposed to have occurred northwestwards along the NE Jiangxi Deep Fault during Yanshanian time due to a strong compressional stress from SE to NW. A-type subduction introduced the continental slab to some depth, and resulted in the production of the paired granitic activity observed on both sides of the fault. Many mineral deposits are associated with both granitic belts. In the Dexing-Wuyuan porphyry belt, the Dexing porphyry Cu and Yinshan polymetallic deposits are representative, whereas in the Damaoshan-Lingshan granite belt, several tens of rare metal deposits are known such as the Geyuan Nb–Ta–W–Sn deposits. Metal assemblages of those deposits reflect the source materials of magmas in both granitic belts.     

An experimental study of the grain-scale processes of peridotite melting: implications for major and trace element distribution during equilibrium and disequilibrium melting

The grain-scale processes of peridotite melting were examined at 1,340°C and 1.5 GPa using reaction couples formed by juxtaposing pre-synthesized clinopyroxenite against pre-synthesized orthopyroxenite or harzburgite in graphite and platinum-lined molybdenum capsules. Reaction between the clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene-rich aggregates produces a melt-enriched, orthopyroxene-free, olivine + clinopyroxene reactive boundary layer. Major and trace element abundance in clinopyroxene vary systematically across the reactive boundary layer with compositional trends similar to the published clinopyroxene core-to-rim compositional variations in the bulk lherzolite partial melting studies conducted at similar P–T conditions. The growth of the reactive boundary layer takes place at the expense of the orthopyroxenite or harzburgite and is consistent with grain-scale processes that involve dissolution, precipitation, reprecipitation, and diffusive exchange between the interstitial melt and surrounding crystals. An important consequence of dissolution–reprecipitation during crystal-melt interaction is the dramatic decrease in diffusive reequilibration time between coexisting minerals and melt. This effect is especially important for high charged, slow diffusing cations during peridotite melting and melt-rock reaction. Apparent clinopyroxene-melt partition coefficients for REE, Sr, Y, Ti, and Zr, measured from reprecipitated clinopyroxene and coexisting melt in the reactive boundary layer, approach their equilibrium values reported in the literature. Disequilibrium melting models based on volume diffusion in solid limited mechanism are likely to significantly underestimate the rates at which major and trace elements in residual minerals reequilibrate with their surrounding melt. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Japanese early-warning for debris flows and slope failures using rainfall indices with Radial Basis Function Network

Early-warning systems for natural disasters are important tools for disaster risk reduction and for achieving sustainable development and livelihoods. In 2005, the Japanese government initiated a new nationwide early-warning system for landslides disasters. The main methodology of the system is to set a criterion for occurrences of debris flows and slope failures based on several rainfall indices (60-min cumulative rainfall and soil–water index) in each 5-km grid mesh covering all of Japan. Because many of the records of mass movements are lacking in scientific precision on timing and location, the system applies Radial Basis Function Network methods to set the criterion based primarily on rainfall data recorded as not triggering disasters. Since the end of March 2007, under torrential rainfall conditions, early-warning information has been disseminated as part of weather news using TV, radio, and the Internet. Because of the increasing worldwide recognition of the importance of early-warning systems for natural disaster reduction, the aim of this article is to introduce the new Japanese early-warning system to the international landslide community. In this article, the method, the system, and the result of its application to landslide disasters in 2009 are presented.     

The Ag/Au ratio of native gold and electrum and the geochemical environment of gold vein deposits in Japan

The chemical composition of native gold and electrum from auriferous vein and gold-silver vein deposits in Japan has been analyzed and summarized. The Ag/Au ratios of native gold and electrum from these two types of deposits are distinct, i.e., 10–20 Ag at % (auriferous vein) and 30–70 Ag at % (gold-silver vein). Thermochemical calculations suggest that the Ag/Au ratio of native gold and electrum should decrease with increasing chloride concentration and temperature. This is consistent with analytical results of native gold and electrum and fluid inclusion studies. Based on the Ag content of native gold and electrum, the Fe content of sphalerite, and the estimated temperatures, it is deduced that the sulfur activity for auriferous vein-type systems was lower than that of gold-silver vein-type systems.     

Iron and zinc partitioning between coexisting stannite and sphalerite: a possible indicator of temperature and sulfur fugacity

Stannite and sphalerite coexisting with iron sulfides (pyrite and/or pyrrhotite) from Japanese ore deposits associated with tin mineralization were analyzed. Based on the iron and zinc partitioning between stannite and sphalerite, the formation temperature and sulfur fugacity for this mineral assemblage were estimated. A good correlation between stannite-sphalerite temperatures and filling temperatures of fluid inclusions and sulfur isotope temperatures was obtained. This good correlation suggests that the stannite-sphalerite pair is a useful indicator of temperature and sulfur fugacity. It is deduced that the formation temperatures are not different for skarn-type, polymetallic vein-type and Sn-W vein-type deposits, whereas the sulfur fugacities are different; sulfur fugacities increase from the skarn-type through the Sn-W vein-type to the polymetallic vein-type deposits.     

与季节内振荡-超级云团系统相关的赤道波的识别

文中重点研究与热带季节内振荡－超级云团系统相关联的赤道波的识别。考虑到赤道波的本质为截获在赤道地区的一般的气候平衡场附近的线性动力过程的固有模态,首先从原理上阐明了ＰＯＰｓ分析技术对于分离各类赤道波动的有效性,以后利用这种分析方法对日本静止气象卫星所观测到的黑体红外辐射温度资料进行了ＰＯＰｓ分析。结果表明,在热带季节内振荡－超级云团系统中,对应于４０ｄ振荡的模态基本表现为Ｋｅｌｖｉｎ波的结构;对应于１０ｄ左右的模态,亦为Ｋｅｌｖｉｎ波,而在２ｄ尺度上,则分别存在经向模态序号ｎ＝１和ｎ＝２的西进和东进惯性重力波。分析中还发现了西进的混合Ｒｏｓｓｂｙ重力波的存在。