Relation of Carlin-type gold mineralization to lithology,structure and alteration: Screamer zone,Betze-Post deposit,Nevada

An evaluation of the relation between geologic features and gold grade has been undertaken in the Screamer zone of the Betze-Post deposit, the largest Carlin-type gold deposit in the world. Screamer, which forms the western end of Betze-Post, is a stratiform ore zone that is hosted almost entirely by the wispy member of the Popovich Formation. The wispy member is overlain by the planar member of the same formation and underlain by the Roberts Mountains Formation, both of which contain much smaller amounts of gold mineralization in the Screamer zone. Geologic features recognized at Screamer reflect the long history of events that have affected the area since mid-Paleozoic time. The two earliest events at Screamer were probably sulfidation and formation of flat fractures, and the two latest events were pyritization and formation of kaolinite-filled fractures, which took place at least partly during gold mineralization. Gold mineralization at Screamer shows ambiguous relations to most lithologic, alteration and structural features. For instance, gold grades in the wispy member of the Popovich Formation are slightly higher in rock units that contain the largest proportion of debris flow material, but this relation does not account for most ore. The correlation of gold grades with fracture density is also generally poor, but gold grades are slightly higher in samples containing vertical and/or kaolinite-bearing fractures, particularly those with a northeasterly trend. Most early veins at Screamer are horizontal and most later veins are vertical, suggesting that the long-term trend of fluid pressures in the area has been from lithostatic to hydrostatic. Finally, gold grades correlate poorly with silicification and decarbonatization, and although some gold appears to be associated with rock containing kaolinite, much is not. The only rock feature that shows a direct relation to gold grade is pyrite. Some pyrite formed by sulfidation of the original rock, but much of it formed by addition of pyrite to the rock. Stability limits for ore and alteration assemblages at Screamer indicate that pressures of mineralization were probably not less than about 300 bar, which require depths of about 3 km for the hydrostatic conditions that probably prevailed in the Betze-Post hydrothermal system.     

Characterization of multiple functional groups on kaolinite

Multiple proton functional group conditional binding constants (K′_i) and their concentrations (C_i) are determined from detailed acid/base titration data. The C-K′ information is obtained for kaolinite by assuming that the distribution can be approximated by cumulative independent mono protic groups. Linear programming optimization techniques are used to Fit the data. In addition, the electrode calibration is optimized in the data fit. This adjustment is important for high and low pHs. Discrete concentration dependent pXs of about 3.4, 4.5, 6.7 and 9.8 are determined for a reference kaolinite. These correspond reasonably well to designations made by Wehrli et al. (1990, Aquatic Sciences, Vol. 52, pp. 1–31 ) to A10H2 and AlOH proton reactions at edge and surface sites and to silanol exchange. There is an ionic strength effect for one site. Long and short reaction times and reversibility affect the results.     

Application of a sensitive chemiluminescent technique for comparison of cytochrome P4501A induction in hepatic and intestinal tissues of fish exposed to bleached kraft mill effluent

In conjunction with an environmental assessment of biologically-treated bleached kraft mill effluent (BKME) in a Western Canadian river, data indicated that lipophilic compounds were transferred to the mountain whitefish Prosopium williamsoni through ingestion of filter-feeding benthic caddisflies. P4501A induction was correlated with lipophilic body burdens, not with indices of recent BKME exposure. P4501A contents in hepatic and intestinal tissues of BKME-exposed whitefish were compared during a follow-up collection. Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) activity was not detectable in intestines; P-450 spectral analysis indicated denaturation had occurred. Use of enhanced chemiluminescence (ECL) immunoblotting achieved at least 10-fold greater sensitivity over colorimetric methods and indicated that some intestines did contain P4501A protein. No correlation of intestinal P4501A with hepatic EROD activity or P4501A content was found. Application of the ECL technique significantly improves the analytical detection limits of P4501A immunoblotting. Analysis of historical samples from this site will further probe water-borne versus dietary routes of uptake of BKME-related P4501A inducers in this species.     

Modelling gravel-bed topography from sediment transport

A simple queueing model which generates bed topography consistent with the mechanics of gravel motion is presented. The equations on which it is based are derived from the application of simple theoretical ideas and an analysis of published flume data (Meland and Norrman, 1966; Francis, 1973; Abbott and Francis, 1977). The simulation produces an extremely variable bed topography in which at least two scales of bedform may be identified. Features of 5–10 grain wavelengths, similar to pebble clusters, are superimposed on other forms whose wavelength is up to 30–40 grains and which resemble step-pools systems and antidunes. Sediment transport shows many of the characteristics found in the field and the model is, therefore, thought to provide a useful starting point from which to examine the interaction between flow, sediment transport, and bedforms in gravel-bed and cobble streams.     

Cattail invasion and persistence in a coastal salt marsh: The role of salinity reduction

The hypothesis thatTypha domingensis (cattail) can invade tidal marshes only after soil salinities are substantially reduced was tested experimentally by comparing the salt tolerance of seeds, seedlings, and plants reared from rhizomes. Germination rates for four southern California populations reached 100% in fresh water, decreasing to 2% at 20‰. The salt tolerance of seeds from three coastal populations was lower than that of the Salton Sea population. Salt tolerance of plants grown in the lab did not increase with age for seedlings up to 8 weeks old. Rhizome-bearing plants had greatly decreased growth at 10‰ and no growth at 25‰ However, rhizomes of about 5% of the plants survived 9 months at 45‰. The seeds and seedlings are salt sensitive, which explains why invasion into tidal marshes is restricted to prolonged periods of low soil salinity. The older, rhizome-bearing plants are salt tolerant, which explains how invading plants persist persist under hypersaline conditions.     

Incursion of a large-volume,spatter-bearing pyroclastic density current into a caldera lake: Pavey Ark ignimbrite,Scafell caldera,England

The Scafell caldera-lake volcaniclastic succession is exceptionally well exposed. At the eastern margin of the caldera, a large andesitic explosive eruption (>5 km³) generated a high-mass-flux pyroclastic density current that flowed into the caldera lake for several hours and deposited the extensive Pavey Ark ignimbrite. The ignimbrite comprises a thick (≤125 m), proximal, spatter- and scoria-rich breccia that grades laterally and upwards into massive lapilli-tuff, which, in turn, is gradationally overlain by massive and normal-graded tuff showing evidence of soft-state disruption. The subaqueous pyroclastic current carried juvenile clasts ranging from fine ash to metre-scale blocks and from dense andesite through variably vesicular scoria to pumice (<10³ kg m⁻³). Extreme ignimbrite lithofacies diversity resulted via particle segregation and selective deposition from the current. The lacustrine proximal ignimbrite breccia mainly comprises clast- to matrix-supported blocks and lapilli of vesicular andesite, but includes several layers rich in spatter (≤1.7 m diameter) that was emplaced in a ductile, hot state. In proximal locations, rapid deposition of the large and dense clasts caused displacement of interstitial fluid with elutriation of low-density lapilli and ash upwards, so that these particles were retained in the current and thus overpassed to medial and distal reaches. Medially, the lithofacies architecture records partial blocking, channelling and reflection of the depletive current by substantial basin-floor topography that included a lava dome and developing fault scarps. Diffuse layers reflect surging of the sustained current, and the overall normal grading reflects gradually waning flow with, finally, a transition to suspension sedimentation from an ash-choked water column. Fine to extremely fine tuff overlying the ignimbrite forms ∼25% of the whole and is the water-settled equivalent of co-ignimbrite ash; its great thickness (≤55 m) formed because the suspended ash was trapped within an enclosed basin and could not drift away. The ignimbrite architecture records widespread caldera subsidence during the eruption, involving volcanotectonic faulting of the lake floor. The eruption was partly driven by explosive disruption of a groundwater-hydrothermal system adjacent to the magma reservoir.     

The estuarine chemistry and isotope systematics of U in the Amazon and Fly Rivers

Natural concentrations of ²³⁸U and δ²³⁴U values were determined in estuarine surface waters and pore waters of the Amazon and Fly (Papua New Guinea) Rivers to investigate U transport phenomena across river-dominated land–sea margins. Discharge from large, tropical rivers is a major source of dissolved and solid materials transported to the oceans, and are important in defining not only oceanic mass budgets, but also terrestrial weathering rates.On the Amazon shelf, salinity-property plots of dissolved organic carbon, pH and total suspended matter revealed two vastly contrasting water masses that were energetically mixed. In this mixing zone, the distribution of uranium was highly non-conservative and exhibited extensive removal from the water column. Uranium removal was most pronounced within a salinity range of 0–16.6, and likely the result of scavenging and flocculation reactions with inorganic (i.e., Fe/Mn oxides) and organic colloids/particles. Removal of uranium may also be closely coupled to exchange and resuspension processes at the sediment/water interface. An inner-shelf pore water profile indicated the following diagenetic processes: extensive (1 m) zones of Fe(III)—and, to a lesser degree, Mn(IV)—reduction in the absence of significant S(II) concentrations appeared to facilitate the formation of various authigenic minerals (e.g., siderite, rhodocrosite and uraninite). The pore water dissolved ²³⁸U profile co-varied closely with Mn(II). Isotopic variations as evidenced in δ²³⁴U pore waters values from this site revealed information on the origin and history of particulate uranium. Only after a depth of about 1 m did the δ²³⁴U value approach unity (secular equilibrium), denoting a residual lattice bound uranium complex that is likely an upper-drainage basin weathering product. This suggests that the enriched δ²³⁴U values represent a riverine surface complexation product that is actively involved in Mn–Fe diagenetic cycles and surface complexation reactions.In the Fly River estuary, ²³⁸U appears to exhibit a reasonably conservative distribution as a function of salinity. The absence of observed U removal does not necessarily imply non-reactivity, but instead may record an integration of concurrent U removal and release processes. There is not a linear correlation between δ²³⁴U vs. 1/²³⁸U that would imply simple two component mixing. It is likely that resuspension of bottom sediments, prolonged residence times in the lower reaches of the Fly River, and energetic particle–colloid interactions contribute to the observed estuarine U distribution. The supply of uranium discharged from humid, tropical river systems to the sea appears to be foremost influenced by particle/water interactions that are ultimately governed by the particular physiographic and hydrologic characteristics of an estuary.