Hydrogeochemistry of coal mine water of North Karanpura coalfields,India: implication for solute acquisition processes,dissolved fluxes and water quality assessment

Mine water samples collected from different mines of the North Karanpura coalfields were analysed for pH, electrical conductivity, total dissolved solids (TDS), total hardness (TH), major anions, cations and trace metals to evaluate mine water geochemistry and assess solute acquisition processes, dissolved fluxes and its suitability for domestic, industrial and irrigation uses. Mine water samples are mildly acidic to alkaline in nature. The TDS ranged from 185 to 1343 mg L^?1 with an average of 601 mg L^?1. Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ are the dominant cations, while SO₄ ^2? and HCO₃ ^? are the dominant anions. A high concentration of SO₄ ^2? and a low HCO₃ ^?/(HCO₃ ^? + SO₄ ^2?) ratio (<0.50) in the majority of the water samples suggest that either sulphide oxidation or reactions involving both carbonic acid weathering and sulphide oxidation control solute acquisition processes. The mine water is undersaturated with respect to gypsum, halite, anhydrite, fluorite, aluminium hydroxide, alunite, amorphous silica and oversaturated with respect to goethite, ferrihydrite, quartz. About 40% of the mine water samples are oversaturated with respect to calcite, dolomite and jarosite. The water quality assessment shows that the coal mine water is not suitable for direct use for drinking and domestic purposes and needs treatment before such utilization. TDS, TH, F^?, SO₄ ^2?, Fe, Mn, Ni and Al are identified as the major objectionable parameters in these waters for drinking. The coal mine water is of good to suitable category for irrigation use. The mines of North Karanpura coalfield annually discharge 22.35 × 10⁶ m³ of water and 18.50 × 10³ tonnes of solute loads into nearby waterways.     

Petrology and stable isotope (S,C, O) studies of selected sedimenthosted basemetal ore deposits in the proterozoic Aravalli-Delhi Fold Belt,Rajasthan

An integrated mineralogical-geochemical and stable isotopic study of Pb-Zn deposits located at Kayar-Ghugra (Zn-Pb ± Ag), Rampura-Agucha (Zn-Pb, Ag), Dariba-Bethumni (Zn-Pb) and Zawar (Pb-Zn ± Cd, Ag) in Rajasthan is presented in this paper. The Kayar Zn-Pb deposit hosted by (i) phlogopite-tremolite bearing dolomitic carbonates and (ii) scapolite bearing calc-silicates, both belonging to Mesoproterozoic Delhi Supergroup exhibit distinctly different δ¹³C signatures being close to zero permil for the former reflecting deposition in pristine marine environment and much depleted isotopic values for the latter possibly related to post-depositional alterations. The Zn-Pb sulphides of Agucha, hosted in amphibolite facies to lower granulite facies metasedimentary units belonging to the Bhilwara Supergroup have δ³⁴S values that indicate (i) H₂S dominated regime characterized by low fO₂, low pH, wherein the δ³⁴S_(fluid) responsible for mineralisation approximates the δ³⁴S_(sulphide); (ii) the role of seawater in the generation of Agucha ores; (iii) the process of a low temperature oxidation of sulphides in the hydrothermal fluids resulting in the formation of sulphate, by the interaction of ground water; (iv) isotopic disequilibrium in sulphatesulphide pairs that explain oxidation of H₂S by acid groundwater (low pH) and deposition of sulphides at higher temperatures and (v) equilibrium isotopic fractionation of the coexisting sulphides reflecting in a higher concentration of H₂S (>10^?5m) in relation to the total metal content in the hydrothermal fluid $\left( {m_{H_2 S} \geqslant mS_{_{metals} } } \right)$ . Accordingly the concentration of sulphide-sulphate in the hydrothermal solution responsible for the mineralization in Agucha exceeds that of total metals. The sulphides of Bethumni-Rajpura-Dariba belt hosted in low to medium grade siliceous carbonates has a marginally positive (mean of +1.5‰) δ¹³C values. At Sindeswar, broad and widely scattered δ³⁴S values indicate a polymodal sedimentary source of sulphur that recrystallised at rather low temperature of < 50°C possibly during the processes of low temperature bacterial reduction. The C and O-isotopic studies on mineralized and non-mineralized carbonates reveal (i) normal marine depositional signatures for non-mineralized carbonates with possible minor influence of biogenic carbon during deposition and (ii) ore zone carbonates exhibit depleted δ¹³C values presumably due either to the deeper mantle-like source of carbonates or due to post-depositional equilibration with isotopically light meteoric waters. In Zawar belt, sulphides hosted in dolomitic carbonate indicated (i) near identical δ³⁴S values of disseminated galena and pyrite veinlets and depleted values of ?4.6 ‰ for late veins of massive galena of Zawar Mala (ii) pyritepyrrhotite veinlet having enhanced δ³⁴S values when compared to the PbS-ZnS veinlet in Morchia-Magra, Balaria and Baroi mines. The carbon isotopic values for carbonates of Zawar Mala mine area are mostly depleted and those from Balaria and Baroi mines exhibit values of ¹³C close to zero. The generally depleted δ ¹⁸O clustering around ?15 ‰ tally well with the reported Paleoproterozoic carbonates and is attributed to the post-depositional equilibration reactions with isotopically light meteoric waters. It is summarized that the host carbonates for Zn-Pb deposits occurring in different tectono-stratigraphic units in Rajasthan have largely similar but bimodal distribution of δ ¹⁸O and δ¹³C isotopic ratios that suggest normal marine values and much depleted values. Whereas the former seems to be in general agreement with the nature of distribution in the Palaeoproterozoic carbonates the latter is attributed to (i) depositional conditions of the basins that includes absence or presence of biogenic activity (ii) isotopic re-equilibration under different metamorphic recrystallization events and/or (iii) interaction with isotopically lighter meteoric waters. In contrast to the uniformity in the C and O distribution pattern, the S-isotopic distribution in the deposits of Rampura-Agucha, Bethumni-Rajpura-Darbia and Zawar mine areas show marked variations reflecting complex deposit-specific ore-forming processes in the said deposits.     

Timescales of disequilibrium melting in the crust: constraints from modelling the distribution of multiple trace elements and a case study from the Lesser Himalayan rocks of Sikkim

A numerical code has been developed to track the distribution of trace elements in crustal rocks undergoing melting. The model handles diffusion with moving boundaries and accounts for the processes of diffusion, dissolution and precipitation in a partially molten system. Among the various input parameters for modelling, source composition (i.e. modal abundance) variations, diffusion coefficients and partition coefficients are found to exert a significant control on the melt chemistry. The other inputs such as melt reaction stoichiometry, kinetics of melting and grain size of protolith have lesser influence. Exploration of the general behaviour indicates that for systems in which disequilibrium melting of the kind considered in this paper occurs, trace element concentrations may be used to constrain the composition of the protolith or the timescales of melting, depending on the specific circumstances. After exploring some general features of melting in a pelitic system, the model is applied to calculate trace element distributions in migmatites from the Lesser Himalayan rocks in Sikkim, India. We focus on the distribution of trace elements during the initial stages of melt formation. These partially molten rocks show disequilibrium distribution of trace elements, and the numerical code is capable of quantitatively reproducing many of the observed patterns. The results of the modelling indicate that the observed melts in this zone were formed within 50,000 years and that segregation of melts (into leucosome and restite) was complete between 50,000 and 250,000 years. These short timescales may point to deformation-enhanced melt segregation at least on a hand specimen scale. It is important to distinguish between timescales of segregation over these scales and timescales of removal of melt on an outcrop scale to form plutons—the latter, requiring higher degrees of melting and larger distances of migration, take longer.     

Inverted metamorphic sequence in the Sikkim Himalayas: crystallization history, P–T gradient and implications

The metapelitic rocks of the Sikkim Himalayas show an inverted metamorphic sequence (IMS) of the complete Barrovian zones from chlorite to sillimanite + K‐feldspar, with the higher grade rocks appearing at progressively higher structural levels. Within the IMS, four groups of major planar structures, S₁, S₂ and S₃ were recognised. The S₂ structures are pervasive throughout the Barrovian sequence, and are sub‐parallel to the metamorphic isograds. The mineral growth in all zones is dominantly syn‐S₂. The disposition of the metamorphic zones and structural features show that the zones were folded as a northerly plunging antiform. Significant bulk compositional variation, with consequent changes of mineralogy, occurs even at the scale of a thin section in some garnet zone rocks. The results of detailed petrographic and thermobarometric studies of the metapelites along a roughly E–W transect show progressive increase of both pressure and temperature with increasing structural levels in the entire IMS. This is contrary to all models that call for thermal inversion as a possible reason for the origin of the IMS. Also, the observation of the temporal relation between crystallization and S₂ structures is problematic for models of post‐/late‐metamorphic tectonic inversion by recumbent folding or thrusting. A successful model of the IMS should explain the petrological coherence of the Barrovian zones and the close relationship of crystallization in each zone with S₂ planar structures along with the observed trend(s) of P–T variation in Sikkim and in other sections. A discussion is presented of some of the available models that, with some modifications, seem to be capable of explaining these observations.     

Chelonodontops bengalensis (Tetraodontiformes: Tetraodontidae): A New Species of Puffer Fish from the Northern Bay of Bengal Based on Morphology and DNA Barcode

Ocean Science Journal - The new puffer fish species Chelonodontops bengalensis (Pisces: Tetraodontidae) is described from two specimens collected on the southwest coast of the Bay of Bengal,...     

Environmental geochemistry and quality assessment of mine water of Jharia coalfield,India

A long mining history and unscientific exploitation of Jharia coalfield caused many environmental problems including water resource depletion and contamination. A geochemical study of mine water in the Jharia coalfield has been undertaken to assess its quality and suitability for domestic, industrial and irrigation uses. For this purpose, 92 mine water samples collected from different mining areas of Jharia coalfield were analysed for pH, electrical conductivity (EC), major cations (Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, Na⁺, K⁺), anions (F⁻, Cl⁻, HCO₃ ⁻, SO₄ ²⁻, NO₃ ⁻), dissolved silica (H₄SiO₄) and trace metals. The pH of the analysed mine water samples varied from 6.2 to 8.6, indicating mildly acidic to alkaline nature. Concentration of TDS varied from 437 to 1,593 mg L⁻¹ and spatial differences in TDS values reflect the variation in lithology, surface activities and hydrological regime prevailing in the region. SO₄ ²⁻ and HCO₃ ⁻ are dominant in the anion and Mg²⁺ and Ca²⁺ in the cation chemistry of mine water. High concentrations of SO₄ ²⁻ in the mine water of the area are attributed to the oxidative weathering of pyrites. Ca–Mg–SO₄ and Ca–Mg–HCO₃ are the dominant hydrochemical facies. The drinking water quality assessment indicates that number of mine water samples have high TDS, total hardness and SO₄ ²⁻ concentrations and needs treatment before its utilization. Concentrations of some trace metals (Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb) were also found to be above the desirable levels recommended for drinking water. The mine water is good to permissible quality and suitable for irrigation in most cases. However, higher salinity, residual sodium carbonate and Mg-ratio restrict its suitability for irrigation at some sites.