Degana (Rajasthan, India) and Tigrinoe (Primorye, Russia) tungsten and tin-tungsten deposits: Composition of mineral-forming fluids and conditions of wolframite deposition

Formation conditions of orebodies and conditions of wolframite deposition at the Degana tungsten deposits in Rajasthan, India and the Tigrinoe tin-tungsten deposit in the Russian Far East were studied. Differences in the composition and state of fluid systems were established by microthermometric study of fluid inclusions (FI) and thorough petrographic examination of FI. At the Degana deposit, the ore veins in granite were formed from K-Na-Ca-(Mg, Fe, etc.) chloride solutions with a salinity up to 36 wt % NaCl equiv at a temperature of >420 to 120°C and under a pressure reaching 1550 bar. The formation temperature of the orebodies hosted in breccia reached 450°C and pressure was below 400 bar. The salinity of mainly Nachloride aqueous solutions was no higher than 18 wt % NaCl equiv. At the Tigrinoe deposit, the temperature during formation of quartz-wolframite-cassiterite veins varied from 420 to 240°C and the pressure was no higher than 300 bar. The salt concentration of Na-chloride solutions was 7-3 wt %. Wolframite crystallized at the very beginning of ore deposition. Probable sources of fluids are discussed. It is suggested that the factors controlling wolframite deposition could have been different even at the same deposit.     

A Generalized Model of Filtration in a Fractured-Porous Medium with Low-Permeable Inclusions and Its Possible Applications

Izvestiya, Physics of the Solid Earth - Abstract—This work generalizes the classical mathematical model of fluid and gas filtration in a fractured-porous medium. It results in a generalized...     

Solar Intranetwork Magnetic Elements: Evolution and Lifetime

Based on Hinode SOT/NFI observations with greatly improved spatial and temporal resolution and polarization sensitivity, the lifestory of the intranetwork (IN) magnetic elements are explored in a solar quiet region. A total of 2282 IN elements are followed from their appearance to disappearance and their fluxes measured. By tracing individual IN elements their lifetimes are obtained, which fall in the range from 1 to 20 min. The average lifetime is 2.9±2.0 min. The observed lifetime distribution is well represented by an exponential function. Therefore, the e-fold characteristic lifetime is determined by a least-square fitting to the observations, which is 2.1±0.3 min. The lifetime of IN elements is correlated closely with their flux. The evolution of IN elements is described according to the forms of their birth and disappearance. Based on the lifetime and flux obtained from the new observations, it is estimated that the IN elements have the capacity of heating the corona with a power of 2.1×10²⁸ erg s⁻¹ for the whole Sun.     

Phenanthrene biomarkers in the organic matter of Precambrian and Phanerozoic deposits and in the oils of the Siberian Platform

The composition and distribution of phenanthrenes (polyaromatic compounds) have been studied in chloroform extracts from dispersed organic matter (OM) of clayey, siliceous, carbonate, and terrigenous rocks of different ages and facies and from some oils of the Siberian Platform. Phenanthrenes have been analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. High contents of 1,7,8-trimethylphenanthrene and 1,1,7,8-tetramethyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydrophenanthrene are present in the OM of Vendian and Cambrian carbonate-shale deposits and in ancient oils of the Nepa-Botuobiya and Anabar anteclises. The OM of Permian continental deposits and oils of the Vilyui syneclise is dominated by 1-methyl-7-isopropylphenanthrene (retene). A triangular diagram for identification of the types of original OM of rocks and classification of genetically related oils has been constructed based on the assessment of phenanthrene biomarker distribution. Putative pathways of the formation of phenanthrene biomarkers are discussed.     

Partitioning data pertaining to Fe-Mg ordering around trace cations in olivine and low-Ca pyroxene

We have used trace element partitioning data available in the literature to investigate nonideality of the cations of Yb, Sm, Gd, Ca, Mn, Sc, Ni, and Al in silicate melt, olivine, and low-Ca pyroxene. Results are consistent with ordering of Mg and Fe around trace cations in olivine and pyroxene. On the basis of these data, we suggest there is an increasing tendency for Fe to congregate in the vincinity of the trace cation as the size of the trace cation increases. These results are important both in achieving a better understanding of trace element behavior in crystals and in constraining the temperature and compositional dependence of trace element partitioning.     

Late pleistocene sedimentation history of the Shirshov Ridge, Bering Sea

The analysis of the lithology, grain-size distribution, clay minerals, and geochemistry of Upper Pleistocene sediments from the submarine Shirshov Ridge (Bering Sea) showed that the main source area was the Yukon-Tanana terrane of Central Alaska. The sedimentary materials were transported by the Yukon River through Beringia up to the shelf break, where they were entrained by a strong northwestward-flowing sea current. The lithological data revealed several pulses of ice-rafted debris deposition, roughly synchronous with Heinrich events, and periods of weaker bottom-current intensity. Based on the geochemical results, we distinguished intervals of an increase in paleoproductivity and extension of the oxygen minimum zone. The results suggest that there were three stages of deposition driven by glacioeustatic sea-level fluctuations and glacial cycles in Alaska.     

The influence of volcanological and sedimentological processes on diamond grade distribution in kimberlites: examples from the EKATI Diamond Mine,NWT, Canada

The distribution of diamonds within individual kimberlite pipes is poorly documented in the public domain due to the proprietary nature of the data. The study of the diamond distribution within two pipes, Fox and Koala, from the EKATI Diamond Mine, NWT, Canada, in conjunction with detailed facies models has shown several distinct relationships of deposit type and grade distribution. In both pipes, the lithological facies represent grade units which can be distinguished from each other in terms of relative size and abundance of diamonds. A positive relationship between olivine grain size and abundance with diamond size and abundance is observed, indicating that sorting of fragmental kimberlites influences diamond distribution. Though surface geological processes do not control the diamond potential of the erupting magma, they can be responsible for concentrating diamonds into economically significant proportions. A good understanding of the eruption, transport and depositional processes responsible for the individual lithological units and the diamond distribution within them is important for successful resource estimation. This may lead to recognition of areas suitable for selective mining, making a marginal deposit economic.