The distribution of strontium in limestones on Barbuda, West Indies

The Sr²⁺ content of Barbudan limestones is proportional to the aragonite content. The Sr²⁺ content of calcite which has replaced aragonite varies from 3000 p.p.m. in the youngest limestones to 50 p.p.m., average values are approximately 300 p.p.m. The (mSr²⁺/mCa²⁺)_L ratios from well waters within the limestone fall within the predicted values assuming K^Sr_C～0·1. The high (mSr²⁺/mCa)²⁺_L ratios expected by a lower value of K^Sr_C do not occur. The build up of (mSr²⁺/mCa²⁺)_L ratios seen in waters from Barbados is not seen in the well waters from Barbuda. The Sr²⁺ content of calcite is generally lower than is seen in Barbados, but similar to that seen in parts of the Miami Oolite. Diagenesis of aragonite in Barbudan limestones is probably occurring in a more open system than in Barbados.     

Metasomatic Mantle Xenoliths from the Bismarck Microplate (Papua New Guinea)--Thermal Evolution, Geochemistry and Extent of Slab-induced Metasomatism

A suite of ultramafic mantle xenoliths from the TUBAF and EDISONseamounts in the Bismarck Archipelago NE of Papua New Guineawas sampled by video-guided grab. The xenoliths, which weretransported to the sea floor by rift-related, Quaternary trachybasalts,mainly represent part of the oceanic mantle. Mineral zoningin peridotite xenoliths testifies to slow cooling after mantleformation at a mid-ocean ridge. Cooling rates in the range of1°C/Ma were calculated from zoning of Ca in olivine usingthe Lasaga algorithm. Subsequent to this cooling, a strong metasomatismaffected the mantle peridotites when metasomatic agents emergedfrom the underlying slab of a subduction zone, which was stalledabout 15 my ago. This resulted in the formation of orthopyroxene-,clinopyroxene-, phlogopite- and hornblende-bearing veins crosscuttingspinel peridotites and olivine clinopyroxenites, as well aspervasively metasomatized plagioclase lherzolites. The metasomaticxenoliths reveal strong chemical disequilibria between the metasomaticminerals and the adjacent, unaltered host rock minerals, whichare especially prominent in the veined samples. Temperaturesduring the metasomatic overprint, estimated using spinel–olivinethermometry, range between 660 and 950°C. Oxygen barometryreveals an elevated oxygen fugacity, with     

GRADIENT ARRAY PROFILES OVER THIN RESISTIVE VEINS1

Furness , P. 1993. Gradient Array Profiles over thin resistive veins. Geophysical Prospecting 41 , 113–130. Gradient array geoelectric surveys are commonly used to explore for buried sheet-like targets. It is demonstrated that under certain circumstances the responses of such features can become practically equivalent for a range of models differing considerably in resistivity and thickness. This is the dual of the familiar equivalence phenomenon associated with thin beds in geoelectric sounding operations. Hence the geoelectric response profiles over thin dipping resistive veins are conveniently studied by considering equivalent forms with vanishing thickness and infinite resistivity but with the same resistivity-thickness product. The effects of varying the dip, depth of burial, depth extent and resistivity–thickness product of such features on the gradient array response profiles are investigated by means of a series of numerical experiments. These demonstrate several effects of significance to survey design and data interpretation. In particular it is found that while the resistivity–thickness product influences the amplitude of the response profiles it has little effect on their form. A similar behaviour is found to be exhibited by veins with extended depth extent when the dip is varied. A complete quantitative interpretation of gradient array profiles over thin dipping resistive veins is thus only possible for veins of limited depth extent. For veins with an extended depth dimension, the data is ambiguous (in a practical sense) in terms of the dip and the resistivity–thickness product. Here, the interpretation can only be expected to deduce the horizontal and vertical locations of the vein apex.     

Hindered settling of sand grains

The sedimentation rate of sand grains in the hindered settling regime has been considered to assess particle shape effects. The behaviour of various particulate systems involving sand has been compared with the widely used Richardson–Zaki expression. The general form of the expression is found to hold, in as much as remaining as a suitable means to describe the hindered settling of irregular particles. The sedimentation exponent n in the Richardson–Zaki expression is found to be significantly larger for natural sand grains than for regular particles. The hindered settling effect is therefore greater, leading to lower concentration gradients than expected. The effect becomes more pronounced with increasing particle irregularity. At concentrations around 0·4, the hindered settling velocity of fine and medium natural sands reduces to about 70% of the value predicted using existing empirical expressions for n. Using appropriate expressions for the fluidization velocity and the clear water settling velocity, a simple method is discussed to evaluate the sedimentation exponent and to determine the hindered settling effect for sands of various shapes.