Fluorite Deposits at Voznesenka in the Khanka Massif, Russia: Geology and Age of Mineralization

Abstract. A huge fluorite deposit at Voznesenka in the Khanka massif, Far East Russia is concluded to have formed at ca. 450 Ma in Late Ordovician time based on the K‐Ar ages for Li‐micas in the fluorite ore and greisenized leucogranite within the deposit. This conclusion is inconsistent with the current view of Devonian mineralization that stemmed from widely scattered whole‐rock Rb‐Sr isotope data for the heterogeneous leucogranite stocks influenced by strong alteration. The Voznesenka and neighboring fluorite deposits may have formed in Cambrian limestone in relation to the intrusion of the Li‐F‐rich felsic magma which has a similar chemistry to representative Li‐F‐rich felsic rocks including topaz granite and ongonite or topaz rhyolite; these rocks may be classified as a specific group of highly fractionated felsic magmas. Biotite granite plutons exposed in the Voznesenka district are divided in age into two groups based on the CHIME age data for zircon, monazite and xenotime: Ordovician and Permian. The Ordovician plutons seem to be coeval to the fluorite deposits and are characterized by F‐rich chemistry, reduced nature and association of tin mineralization with the deposition of fluorite and tourmaline. The biotite granite magmas of initially enhanced F contents could have been highly fractionated to form Li‐F‐rich leucogranite cupolas that provided fluorite deposits within the host limestone. Future prospecting for similar fluorite deposits is to be focused on areas of intersection between Ordovician Li‐F‐rich granite and Cambrian carbonate sequences. The Permian granite of southeastern margin of the Grodekovo batholith is characterized by lesser F content, oxidized nature and the lack of tin and fluorite mineralization in contrast to the Ordovician granite. The result of Permian age does not support the current view of Silurian age for the batholith and requires overall chronological reinvestigation in connection with the tectonic history of the Khanka massif because the Grodekovo is a representative of Paleozoic batholiths in Primorie.     

Determination of Molybdenum in Fifty Three Geochemical Reference Materials by Flameless Atomic Absorption Spectrometry

The molybdenum (Mo) contents of fifty three geochemical reference materials issued by ANRT, GIT-IWG, NIST and GSJ, have been determined by atomic absorption spectrometry, using a graphite furnace atomiser, after extraction of Mo dithiol with isoamyl acetate. Detection limits for this method (0.01 μg g⁻¹) are ten times smaller than for most classical methods. The agreement between the present results and published data is satisfactory.     

1994 COMPILATION OF ANALYTICAL DATA FOR MINOR AND TRACE ELEMENTS IN SEVENTEEN GSJ GEOCHEMICAL REFERENCE SAMPLES, "IGNEOUS ROCK SERIES"

Analytical data for minor and trace elements published or communicated to us, on seventeen GSJ (Geological Survey of Japan) reference samples, "Igneous rock series" received up to April 1994 are compiled. The data were evaluated statistically in consideration of analytical methods. Based on the selected available data, 1994 recommended and proposed values for 65 minor and trace elements are presented.     

DETERMINATION OF TOTAL NITROGEN AND CARBON IN TWENTY-TWO SEDIMENTARY ROCK REFERENCE SAMPLES BY COMBUSTION ELEMENTAL ANALYZER

Total nitrogen and carbon have been determined in 22 sedimentary rock reference samples by combustion elemental analyzer. Satisfactory agreement is observed between the present study and the published values but much more data for nitrogen are required for better comparisons.     

DETERMINATION OF MERCURY IN ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN GEOCHEMICAL REFERENCE SAMPLES BY COLD VAPOR ATOMIC ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY

The mercury content of 118 geochemical reference samples have been determined by combustion followed by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry. The negative interference from volatile halogen and sulfur was eliminated by a packing of sodium carbonate in the combustion tube and addition of magnesium oxide to the samples. A comparison with published data show clearly the need for much more data on most reference samples.     

Elasticity and anharmonicity of potassium chloride at high temperature

High temperature elasticity of single crystal potassium chloride has been studied by the Rectangular Parallelepiped Resonance (RPR) method up to 870 K (? 3.8 times the Debye temperature, ?). The elastic stiffness moduli, C ₁₁ and C ₄₄, decrease linearly with temperature while C ₁₂ increases slightly with temperature. The RPR method is particularly suited to measurements of elasticity at high temperatures, since no glues (which decompose at high temperature) are used to connect the transducers to a specimen. As a consequence, the measured spectrum closely approximates the theoretical spectrum of a specimen freely suspended in space with no external contact. The present elasticity data permits the investigation of the thermodynamic properties of potassium chloride far above the Debye temperature when used together with the previous zero-pressure data on thermal expansivity and heat capacity. The equation of state of potassium chloride is virtually unaffected by anharmonicity, even at T/?=3.8. One result is that the thermal pressure for KCl above the Debye temperature linearly increases with temperature. There is also small dependence on volume, in contrast to NaCl where there is no dependence on volume.     

Elemental distribution of coastal sea and stream sediments in the island-arc region of Japan and mass transfer processes from terrestrial to marine environments

A total of 49 elements have been identified in 338 coastal sea sediment samples collected from an area situated off the Ise-Tokai region of Japan for a nationwide marine geochemical mapping project. The spatial distribution patterns of the elemental concentrations in coastal seas along with the existing geochemical maps in terrestrial areas were used to define the natural geochemical background variation, mass transport, and contamination processes. The elemental concentrations of coastal sea sediments are determined primarily by particle size and regional differences. Most elemental concentrations increase with a decrease in particle size. Some elements such as Ca, Mn, and Yb are found to exist in large quantities in coarse particles containing calcareous shells, Fe–Mn oxides, and felsic volcanic sediments. Regional differences reflect the mass transfer process from terrestrial areas to coastal seas and the influence of the local marine geology. An analysis of variance (ANOVA) reveals that for many elements, the particle size effect is predominant over regional difference. The mean chemical compositions of coastal sea sediments are similar to those of stream sediments in adjacent terrestrial areas and in the upper crust of Japan. This observation supports the fact that coastal sea sediments have certainly originated from terrestrial materials. However, the spatial distributions of elemental concentrations are not always continuous between the land and coastal seas. The scale of mass movement observed in marine geochemical maps occurs at a distance of 20 km from the river mouth. A detailed examination of the spatial distribution patterns of K (K₂O) and Cr concentrations suggests that terrestrial materials supplied through rivers are deposited near the shore initially, and then gravity-driven processes shift the sediments deeper into the basin. Contamination with heavy metals such as Zn, Cd and Pb was observed in coastal bays surrounded by urban and industrial areas. It is noteworthy that the areas with the highest concentration of these elements usually do not occur near the shore (not near the contamination source) but at the center of the bay. Unexpected low concentrations of Zn, Cd and Pb near shore may either be due to a decreased anthropogenic load in the most recent sediments or to dilution by unpolluted flood sediments.     

Correlation between crystallographic structure and infrared spectra of silicon oxide films containing iron or magnesium atoms

Abstract— Films condensed from vapors containing SiO, Fe, or Mg showed an amorphous structure. Infrared (IR) spectra and electron microscopic characterization have been carried out on these films. After the heat treatment of these films in air, IR peaks at approximately 18–23 μm appeared, in addition to peaks attributable to SiO₂. These peaks can be attributed to metallic oxides such as FeO, Fe₂O₃, and MgO. It can be concluded that Fe‐ or Mg‐bearing silicate minerals cannot be produced by the rapid cooling of SiO, Fe, or Mg vapors. Although IR spectra of FeO have been discussed in order to match some spectra obtained with the Infrared Space Observatory, the identification of FeO as the impurity would be very important because the IR spectra of FeO grains are very dependent on the shape and size of the grains. These impurities can also influence the IR spectral feature of SiO₂.