The Origin of the Proterozoic Bidjovagge Gold-Copper Deposit, Finnmark, Northern Norway, as Deduced from Rare Earth Element and Nd Isotopic Evidences on Calcites

Abstract: The Bidjovagge gold-copper deposit, northern Norway occurs in the lower Proterozoic Kautokeino greenstone belt, and consists of ten ore bodies in albite felsite, graphite schist and meta-diabase sills, along with a series of syenodiorite dykes. Calcite is one of the most important gangue minerals occurring within the ore veins. The early primary calcite samples from A, C and D ore bodies (copper–rich) show almost flat chondrite-normalised REE curves, and slightly positive Eu anomalies. A Sm-Nd isotope age of 1858 ± 72 Ma (2ρ) has been given based on fifteen primary calcite samples. The Sm-Nd age of calcite is in well agreement with previously published U-Pb davidite age of 1885 ±18 Ma (2ρ) and Sm-Nd davidite age of 1886 ± 88 Ma (2ρ). All these isotopic age data indicate that the gold-copper mineralisation may occur during or slightly after the peak of the Svecokarelian orogeny. Two late primary calcite samples from C and D ore bodies have flat chondrite-normalised LREE curves, positive HREE curves, and negative Eu anomalies. In contrast, most of the early primary calcite samples from B ore body (gold–rich) show an overall negative chondrite-normalised REE slope and negative Eu anomalies. Sm-Nd data on seven primary calcite samples from the B ore body are relatively scattered, and gave an isochrone age of 1809 ± 150 Ma (2ρ), identical to the age of the calcite samples from A, C and D ore bodies. Two late primary calcite samples from the B ore body have almost flat chondrite-normalised REE slope and negative Eu anomalies. REE patterns and eNd (T) values of calcites suggest that the ore fluids for the calcites from the A, C and D ore bodies derived their metals from mafic igneous rocks (diabase sills). For the secondary calcites from the C ore body, their relative high initial Nd (T) values at 1858 Ma imply that much more radiogenic Nd-component were incorporated during calcite crystallisation when another ore fluid emplaced. Combined Nd isotope data and REE geochemical features suggest that the isotopically more evolved source such as albite felsite and syn-genetic high level syenodiorite dykes were probably metal source for these calcites in the B ore body. Three samples of secondary calcite from the B ore body, which obviously deviated from 1809 Ma isochron are easily explained as products of post-ore hydrothermal events.     

The point of no return and pectoral angle of Japanese anchovy(Engraulis japonicus) larvae during growth and starvation

At a temperature of 23.0~24.8℃,the mixed feeding of Japanese anchovy larvae was initiated 24 h before the yolk-sac was exhausted.The point of no return(PNR) was reached on the 6th day after hatching.On the 4th day after hatching,the pectoral angle appeared in both fed and unfed anchovy larvae although it was more evident and sharper in the starved and the PNR stage larvae than in the fed ones.According to observations of larvae collected in the sea,the pectoral angles were evident not only in the larvae of 3.62~7.44 mm in standard length,but also in the larvae of 2.70 mm in standard length with remnants of yolk.The pectoral angles became diffuse when the larvae reached 7.84 mm and vanished at 9.86 mm.The pectoral angle cannot be used as a criterion to distinguish healthy from starving larvae.     

Timing of gold mineralisation in the Ballarat goldfields,central Victoria: Constraints from 40Ar/39Ar results

⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data for muscovite separates and hydrothermally altered whole‐rock samples from the Ballarat West and the Ballarat East goldfields indicate that mesothermal gold mineralisation at Ballarat occurred during several episodic pulses, ranging in age from the Late Ordovician to the Early Devonian. Initial formation of auriferous structures in the Ballarat goldfields coincided with folding and thrusting associated with the development of the western Lachlan Fold Belt between 460 and 440 Ma. Subsequent fault reactivation and magmatism resulted in remobilisation and additional mineralisation between 410 and 380 Ma, and around 370 Ma. The results presented herein are in agreement with findings for other major gold deposits in central Victoria and further constrain the history of deformation, metamorphism and mineralisation in the western subprovince of the Lachlan Fold Belt.     

Geological observations in high‐grade mid‐Proterozoic rocks from Else Platform,northern Prince Charles mountains region,east Antarctica

Granulite facies rocks on Else Platform in the northern Prince Charles Mountains, east Antarctica, consist of metasedimentary gneiss extensively intruded by granitic rocks. The dominant rock type is a layered garnetbiotite‐bearing gneiss intercalated with minor garnet‐cordierite‐sillimanite gneiss and calc‐silicate. Voluminous megacrystic granite intruded early during a mid‐Proterozoic (ca 1000 Ma) granulite event, M₁, widely recognized in east Antarctica. Peak metamorphic conditions for M₁ are in the range of 650–750 MPa at ～800°C and were associated with the development of a gneissic foliation, S₁ and steep east‐plunging lineation, L₁. Strain partitioning during progressive non‐coaxial deformation formed large D₂ granulite facies south‐dipping thrusts, with a steep, east‐plunging lineation. In areas of lower D₂ strain, large‐scale upright, steep east‐plunging fold structures formed synchronously with the D₂ high‐strain zones. Voluminous garnet‐bearing leucogneiss intruded at 940 ±20 Ma and was deformed in the D₂ high‐strain zones. Textural relationships in pelitic rocks show that peak‐M2 assemblages formed during increasing temperatures via reactions such as biotite + sillimanite + quartz ± plagioclase = spinel + cordierite + ilmenite + K‐feldspar + melt. In biotite‐absent rocks, re‐equilibration of deformed M₁ garnet‐sillimanite‐ilmenite assemblages occurred through decompressive reactions of the form, garnet + sillimanite + ilmenite = cordierite + spinel + quartz. Pressure/temperature estimates indicate that peak‐M₂ conditions were 500–600 MPa and 700±50°C. At about 500 Ma, north‐trending granitic dykes intruded and were deformed during D₃‐M₃ at probable upper amphibolite facies conditions. Cooling from peak D₃‐M₃ conditions was associated with the formation of narrow greenschist facies shear zones, and the intrusion of pegmatite. Cross‐cutting all features are abundant north‐south trending alkaline mafic dykes that were emplaced over the interval ca 310–145 Ma, reflecting prolonged intrusive activity. Some of the dykes are associated with steeply dipping faults that may be related to basin formation during Permian times and later extension, synchronous with the formation of the Lambert Graben in the Cretaceous.     

Asynchronous responses of East Asian and Indian summer monsoons to mountain uplift shown by regional climate modelling experiments

It has been demonstrated in climate models that both the Indian and East Asian summer monsoons (ISM and EASM) are strengthened by the uplift of the entire Asian orography or Tibetan Plateau (TP) (i.e. bulk mountain uplift). Such an effect is widely perceived as the major mechanism contributing to the evolution of Asian summer monsoons in the Neogene. However, geological evidence suggests more diachronous growth of the Asian orography (i.e. regional mountain uplift) than bulk mountain uplift. This demands a re-evaluation of the relation between mountain uplift and the Asian monsoon in the geological periods. In this study, sensitivity experiments considering the diachronous growth of different parts of the Asian orography are performed using the regional climate model COSMO-CLM to investigate their effects on the Asian summer monsoons. The results show that, different from the bulk mountain uplift, the regional mountain uplift can lead to an asynchronous development of the ISM and EASM. While the ISM is primarily intensified by the thermal insulation (mechanical blocking) effect of the southern TP (Zagros Mountains), the EASM is mainly enhanced by the surface sensible heating of the central, northern and eastern TP. Such elevated surface heating can induce a low-level cyclonic anomaly around the TP that reduces the ISM by suppressing the lower tropospheric monsoon vorticity, but promotes the EASM by strengthening the warm advection from the south of the TP that sustains the monsoon convection. Our findings provide new insights to the evolution of the Asian summer monsoons and their interaction with the tectonic changes in the Neogene.     

Accumulation over the Greenland Ice Sheet as Represented in Reanalysis Data

Annual precipitation,evaporation,and calculated accumulation from reanalysis model outputs have been investigated for the Greenland Ice Sheet (GrIS),based on the common period of 1989-2001.The ERA-40 and ERA-interim reanalysis data showed better agreement with observations than do NCEP-1 and NCEP-2 reanalyses.Further,ERA-interim showed the closest spatial distribution of accumulation to the observation.Concerning temporal variations,ERA-interim showed the best correlation with precipitation observations at five synoptic stations,and the best correlation with in situ measurements of accumulation at nine ice core sites.The mean annual precipitation averaged over the whole GrIS from ERA-interim (363 mm yr 1) and mean annual accumulation (319 mm yr 1) are very close to the observations.The validation of accumulation calculated from reanalysis data against ice-core measurements suggests that further improvements to reanalysis models are needed.