Petrogenesis of Archaean ultrabasic and basic volcanics: Evidence from rare earth elements

Rare earth element (REE) and major element data are presented on 44 Archaean samples which include spinifex textured ultramagnesian lavas (STPK) spinifex textured basalts (STB) and low MgO tholeiites. The samples come from the Yilgarn and Pilbara Blocks (W. Australia), Barberton (South Africa), Belingwe and Que Que (Rhodesia), Abitibi (Canada) and the 3.7 b.y. Isua Belt of Western Greenland. In addition REE data are given on three near primitive mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) and a glassy MORB-type basalt from Taiwan. We suggest that REE patterns, particularly the light REE and Eu, can be affected by metamorphism, but argue that the consistency of pattern from samples both within and between areas enables recognition of primary patterns. La/Sm ratios of 2.7 b.y. STPK are characterised by being lower than those of associated basalts. The 3.5 b.y. STPK Barberton material does not show this feature but instead displays significant heavy REE depletion. The separation of garnet from these liquids is suggested as a possible mechanism for the high CaO/Al₂O₃ ratios, (Al loss) and the heavy REE and Sc depletion. The REE data on Barberton material is equivocal on the derivation of the so-called basaltic komatiites from the peridotitic komatiites. However, REE analyses on STPK and high magnesian lavas from elsewhere suggests that crystal fractionation is not a viable mechanism to produce one from the other. We suggest instead, that varying amounts of partial melting of different sources is responsible for the spectrum of compositions. The STB appear to be an easily recognised rock type within the Archaean. They are characterised by quench (clinopyroxene) textures and a light REE enriched pattern. It is suggested that these are near primary melts and that their REE patterns mirror their mantle source. We propose a two stage model for the 2.7 b.y. mafic complexes, in which, prior to the generation of ultrabasic magmas, the source underwent a small amount of partial melting which resulted in the removal of a melt enriched in incompatible elements. The depletion process could be achieved either during mantle diapirism or by upward migration of interstitial melts into an Archaean low velocity zone. The spread of La/Sm ratios in STPK and STB is used as an argument that the Archaean mantle was chemically heterogeneous and that the degree of heterogeneity was similar to that observed in modern ocean volcanics. As a result, partial melting of the mantle under different P-T conditions produced a spectrum of magma types. The information presently available on Archaean mafic and silicic magmatism and the incompleteness of geochemical data on present day tectonic environments are two major obstacles in formulating Archaean tectonic models. In addition a comparison of present day and Archaean ultramafic and silicic rocks suggests that plate tectonic models as presently understood may not be suitable analogues for all Archaean tectonic environments.     

Dinoflagellate cysts in recent marine sediment from Guangxi, China

Total of 33 species of dinoflagellate cysts were discovered from surface sediment in the searegion of Guangxi, among them 12 cyst types (Diplopsalopsis sp.1, D. sp. 2, D. sp. 3, Cochlodinium sp., Protoperidinium sp. 1, P. sp. 2, P. compressum , Scrippsiella sp. 1, S. sp. 2, Alexandrium sp. 1, A. sp. 2, A. sp. 3) were first reported from the South China Sea. And one cyst type (Cochlodinium sp.) was first reported in the world. Scrippsiella trochoidea is the dominant species in this area, accounting for 45% of all the cysts. There are 2 cysts of toxic dinoflagellate (Alexandrium tamarensis and Gymnodinium catenatum). But there is no relationship between cyst number and grain size distribution.     

Structural differences between the western and eastern Qiongdongnan Basin: evidence of Indochina block extrusion and South China Sea seafloor spreading

Located at the intersection between a NW-trending slip system and NE-trending rift system in the northern South China Sea, the Qiongdongnan Basin provides key clues for us to understand the proposed extrusion of the Indochina Block along with Red River Fault Zone and extensional margins. In this paper we for the first time systematically reveal the striking structural differences between the western and eastern sector of the Qiongdongnan Basin. Influenced by the NW-trending slip faults, the western Qiongdongnan Basin developed E–W-trending faults, and was subsequently inverted at 30–21 Ma. The eastern sector was dominated by faults with NE orientation before 30 Ma, and thereafter with various orientations from NE, to EW and NW during the period 30–21 Ma; rifting display composite symmetric graben instead of the composite half graben or asymmetric graben in the west. The deep and thermal structures in turn are invoked to account for such deformation differences. The lithosphere of the eastern Qiongdongnan Basin is very hot and thinned because of mantle upwelling and heating, composite symmetric grabens formed and the faults varied with the basal plate boundary. However, the Southern and Northern Uplift area and middle of the central depression is located on normal lithosphere and formed half grabens or simple grabens. The lithosphere in the western sector is transitional from very hot to normal. Eventually, the Paleogene tectonic development of the Qiongdongnan Basin may be summarized into three stages with dominating influences, the retreat of the West Pacific subduction zone (44–36 Ma), slow Indochina block extrusion together with slab-pull of the Proto-South China Sea (36–30 Ma), rapid Indochina block extrusion together with the South China Sea seafloor spreading (30–21 Ma).     

中国南极维多利亚地新站气象特征分析

中国南极新站选择在维多利亚地特拉诺瓦湾难言岛上进行建设,其气象环境状况是开展科学研究的基础工作,也是考察队员生命安全保障的基础资料。因此,通过2013年度难言岛气象站的观测资料,结合附近地区历史气象资料,对该区域气象要素特征进行了分析。结果表明:(1)由于地处罗斯海与东南极冰盖交界处,难言岛年均气压为987.8 h Pa,与中山站非常接近;(2)年均温为-16.1℃,最低气温为-39.3℃,且冬季气温波动较大,标准差可达±6.0℃;(3)年均相对湿度为42.1%,年均比湿为0.6 g·kg-1且冬季比湿极低,空气非常干燥,降水量非常低;(4)盛行风向为WNW,5—7级风出现频率超过50%,但夏季风速明显低于冬季风速,一般不超过8.0 m·s~(-1),有利于中国在夏季开展工程建设和补给;(5)难言岛年总辐射量为3 342.8 MJ·m~(-2),明显低于中山站,但两站反照率非常接近。     

岩体不连续间距数学模型的一个修正函数

不连续间距对岩体性质具有十分重要的意义。基于无限长测量线得到的岩体不连续间距的负幂指数分布是最重要的一种概率分布密度, 为纠正因用有限长测量线而带来的不连续间距的分布误差, 本文提出了一个封闭形式的修正函数。结果表明, 该法可显著减少不连续间距的相对误差, 从而可以采用较短的测量线来测量岩体的不连续间距。     

新疆觉罗塔格韧性变形带组构及动力学意义

新疆觉罗塔格韧性变形带,惯称秋格明塔什-黄山韧性剪切带,发育于吐哈地块和中天山地块之间的EW向石炭系火山-沉积建造中,由一组走向EW、产状陡立的透入性片理组成。韧性变形带内韧性构造形迹发育,并可分为4个等级:大型构造、小型构造、微观构造和超微观构造。不同级别构造形迹的组构分析表明,觉罗塔格韧性变形带的内部组构是对称的,这意味着其成因于对称的构造变形。与主界面平行的大量压性构造形迹的产出,说明该对称组构成因于与垂直变形带(面)的共轴挤压作用,即觉罗塔格韧性变形带是一个韧性挤压带。      

对影响招远市黄金矿山地质环境评价的几点认识

招远市黄金资源蕴藏丰富,开采历史悠久,素有“金城天府”之称,建国以来,累计向国家交售黄金近200t,是全国第一产金大市（县）。其矿山地质环境问题不同于一般的县市,通过对其矿山地质环境特点的分析,认为招远市金矿区矿山地质环境影响评价的重点为采空塌陷,地裂缝,渣石流等地质灾害及水环境等。     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000156

Employing the Unit Soil Carbon Amount (USCA) approach, soil carbon storage was calculated across the Northeast Plain of China based on the Multi-purpose Regional Geochemical Survey conducted in 2004 – 2006 (MRGS). The results indicated that the soil organic carbon (SOC) storage in topsoil (0 – 0.2 m), subsoil (0 – 1 m) and deep soil (0 – 1.8 m) was 768.1 Mt, 2978.4 Mt and 3729.2 Mt with densities of 3327.8 t/km2, 12,904.7 t/km2 and 16,157.5 t/km2, respectively. These values were consistent with national averages, whereas the soil carbon densities showed a clear increasing trend from the southern area of the Northeast Plain (Liaoning), to the middle (Jilin) and the northern Plain (Heilongjiang) — particularly in terms of topsoil carbon density, which increased from 2284.2, to 3436.7 and 3861.5 t/km2, respectively. In comparison to carbon data obtained from the Second National Soil Survey in 1984 – 1986 (SNSS), the topsoil SOC storage values from the MRGS were found to have decreased by 320.59 Mt (29.4%), with an average annual decline of 16.0 Mt (l.73%) over the 20 years. In the southern, middle and northern areas of the plain, soil carbon densities decreased by 1060.6 t/km2, 1646.4 t/km2 and 1300.2 t/km2, respectively, with an average value of 1389.0 t/km2 for the whole plain. These findings indicate that the decrease in soil carbon density varied according to the different ecosystems and land use types. Therefore, ratios of soil carbon density were calculated in order to study the carbon dynamic balance between ecosystems, and to further explore distribution characteristics, as well as the sequestration potential of SOC.     

The formation of porphyry copper deposits

Copper is a moderately incompatible chalcophile element. Its behavior is strongly controlled by sulfides. The speciation of sulfur is controlled by oxygen fugacity. Therefore, porphyry Cu deposits are usually oxidized (with oxygen fugacities > ΔFMQ +2) (Mungall 2002; Sun et al. 2015). The problem is that while most of the magmas at convergent margins are highly oxidized, porphyry Cu deposits are very rare, suggesting that high oxygen fugacity alone is not sufficient. Partial melting of mantle peridotite even at very high oxygen fugacities forms arc magmas with initial Cu contents too low to form porphyry Cu deposits directly (Lee et al. 2012; Wilkinson 2013). Here we show that partial melting of subducted young oceanic slabs at high oxygen fugacity (>ΔFMQ +2) may form magmas with initial Cu contents up to >500 ppm, favorable for porphyry mineralization. Pre-enrichment of Cu through sulfide saturation and accumulation is not necessarily beneficial to porphyry Cu mineralization. In contrast, re-melting of porphyritic hydrothermal sulfide associated with iron oxides may have major contributions to porphyry deposits. Thick overriding continental crust reduces the “leakage” of hydrothermal fluids, thereby promoting porphyry mineralization. Nevertheless, it is also more difficult for ore forming fluids to penetrate the thick continental crust to reach the depths of 2–4 km where porphyry deposits form.     

钛酸镧烧结物中游离氧化镧的测定

本文研究了La(Ⅲ)与甲基百里酚蓝和溴化十六烷基吡啶在pH7.8—11.0的NH_4OH-NH_4Cl介质中生成紫色络合物的显色反应,λ_(max)=628nm,ε=8.1×10~4,La量在0—90μg/25ml范围内遵循比尔定律,烧结物中一些常见的离子不干扰测定。本法用于烧结物中游离氧化镧的测定,结果满意。