Audio frequency magneto-telluric survey of Norikura Volcano in central Japan

Norikura Volcano has not been active during the last 10,000 years in spite of the activity of the surrounding volcanic mountains. To study past volcanic activities, geological studies were carried out extensively. However, quite a few geophysical investigations were conducted to contribute to volcanology. Our objective is to detect the present subsurface structure of Norikura Volcano and to define volcanic stratifications. In the vicinity of Norikura Volcano, geothermal fields are still active. Subsurface volcanic rocks in this area have been exposed to geothermal activity and altered. To comprehend volcanic stratifications of Norikura and geothermal activity, we conducted audio frequency magneto-telluric (AMT) surveys around Norikura Volcano. AMT survey is useful in clearly defining the resistivity structure related to volcanic regions. The AMT data were acquired over a frequency range 10 Hz–10 kHz. Decomposition analysis was applied to the tensor impedance data. Subsequently, apparent resistivity and phase data were inverted using a two-dimensional magneto-telluric (MT) inversion and a model of Norikura was derived. The final model manifests that the surface resistors are in agreement with andesite lava or dacite lava. As for the deeper structure, a horizontal conductor is situated above resistive basements. The alteration of the conductor was weak, while basement rocks were strongly altered and/or heated through the thermal activity. The existence of these layers seems to indicate the degree of thermal activity of Norikura Volcano.     

Reconstruction of the eruptive history of Usu volcano,Hokkaido, Japan,inferred from petrological correlation between tephras and dome lavas

Usu volcano has erupted nine times since 1663. Most eruptive events started with an explosive eruption, which was followed by the formation of lava domes. However, the ages of several summit lava domes and craters remain uncertain. The petrological features of tephra deposits erupted from 1663 to 1853 are known to change systematically. In this study, we correlated lavas with tephras under the assumption that lava and tephra samples from the same event would have similar petrological features. Although the initial explosive eruption in 1663 was not accompanied by lava effusion, lava dome or cryptodome formation was associated with subsequent explosive eruptions. We inferred the location of the vent associated with each event from the location of the associated lava dome and the pyroclastic flow deposit distribution and found that the position of the active vent within the summit caldera differed for each eruption from the late 17th through the 19th century. Moreover, we identified a previously unrecognized lava dome produced by a late 17th century eruption; this dome was largely destroyed by an explosive eruption in 1822 and was replaced by a new lava dome during a later stage of the 1822 event at nearly the same place as the destroyed dome. This new interpretation of the sequence of events is consistent with historical sketches and documents. Our results show that petrological correlation, together with geological evidence, is useful not only for reconstructing volcanic eruption sequences but also for gaining insight into future potential disasters.     

吉林蛟河上地幔岩碎块内熔融微区矿物学及其地质意义

吉林蛟河地幔岩碎块是被碱性橄榄玄武岩岩浆喷发携带至地壳浅部或地表的。碱性橄榄玄武岩中地幔岩碎块含量40%~55%,局部达60%以上;碎块大小不等,一般直径以5~10 cm居多,大者达20~35 cm,故定名为地幔岩集块熔岩(岩流)。地幔岩碎块以尖晶石二辉橄榄岩和尖晶石斜辉橄榄岩碎块为主,纯橄榄岩次之,未发现石榴石橄榄岩;胶结物为碱性橄榄玄武岩岩浆。本次研究发现地幔岩内存在丰富的、不同成分和形态的熔融微区。熔融微区类型以其形状可分为滴状、扇状、球状、不规则状、短脉状和环边状,以其特征新生矿物分为OL型、K型、Na+Chl型、PL型、OL+SP型、C+SP型和SP+Chl+Ser型。熔融微区结构为玻基间隐结构或放射状结构;矿物呈骸晶状、中空为玻璃质;残余玻璃脱玻化,产生少量针状和不透明黑色雏晶。熔融微区的形状、结构、物质组成及矿物结晶等特征具有标型性,表征这些熔融体是在上地幔深度保存的幔源岩熔融交代的产物,幔源结晶岩是固相残留。该幔源岩经历强火山喷发使其发生爆炸的地质事件,导致K、Na、Al、Ca易熔组分和H₂O、CO₂等挥发分开始熔融和气体释放,营造快速固化结晶和淬火的环境。这些少量的熔融物择优占据矿物间隙、裂隙、位错或晶体缺陷处汇聚并熔融交代相邻矿物,不断扩展空间,遂形成滴状等特征形状的“微区”。由于熔融程度不同,产生的熔融物的化学成分和结晶程度也有差异,所代表的初始岩浆性质也不一样,可以是超基性或碱性橄榄玄武质,抑或碧玄岩质岩浆。从检测出的这些信息证实,蛟河地幔岩是被不一致熔融抽取后的地幔残留,即岩石圈地幔。     

Field and geochemical characteristics of the Mesoarchean ( 3075 Ma) Ivisaartoq greenstone belt, southern West Greenland: Evidence for seafloor hydrothermal alteration in supra-subduction oceanic crust

The Mesoarchean (ca. 3075 Ma) Ivisaartoq greenstone belt in southern West Greenland includes variably deformed and metamorphosed pillow basalts, ultramafic flows (picrites), serpentinized ultramafic rocks, gabbros, sulphide-rich siliceous layers, and minor siliciclastic sedimentary rocks. Primary magmatic features such as concentric cooling-cracks and drainage cavities in pillows, volcanic breccia, ocelli interpreted as liquid immiscibility textures in pillows and gabbros, magmatic layering in gabbros, and clinopyroxene cumulates in ultramafic flows are well preserved in low-strain domains. The belt underwent at least two stages of calc-silicate metasomatic alteration and polyphase deformation between 2963 and 3075 Ma. The stage I metasomatic assemblage is composed predominantly of epidote (now mostly diopside) + quartz + plagioclase ± hornblende ± scapolite, and occurs mainly in pillow cores, pillow interstitials, and along pillow basalt-gabbro contacts. The origin of this metasomatic assemblage is attributed to seafloor hydrothermal alteration. On the basis of the common presence of epidote inclusions in diopside and the local occurrence of epidote-rich aggregates, the stage I metasomatic assemblage is interpreted as relict epidosite. The stage II metasomatic assemblage occurs as concordant discontinuous layered calc-silicate bodies to discordant calc-silicate veins commonly associated with shear zones. The stage II metasomatic assemblage consists mainly of diopside + garnet + amphibole + plagioclase + quartz ± vesuvianite ± scapolite ± epidote ± titanite ± calcite ± scheelite. Given that the second stage of metasomatism is closely associated with shear zones and replaced rocks with an early metamorphic fabric, its origin is attributed to regional dynamothermal metamorphism. The least altered pillow basalts, picrites, gabbros, and diorites are characterized by LREE-enriched, near-flat HREE, and HFSE (especially Nb)-depleted trace element patterns, indicating a subduction zone geochemical signature. Ultramafic pillows and cumulates display large positive initial ε_Nd values of + 1.3 to + 5.0, consistent with a strongly depleted mantle source. Given the geological similarities between the Ivisaartoq greenstone belt and Phanerozoic forearc ophiolites, we suggest that the Ivisaartoq greenstone belt represents Mesoarchean supra-subduction zone oceanic crust.     

Volcanic-sedimentary features in the Serra Geral Fm., Paraná Basin,southern Brazil: Examples of dynamic lava-sediment interactions in an arid setting

The formation of volcanic–sedimentary interaction features in extreme arid environments is not a commonly described process. Specifically the occurrence of dynamically mixed sediments and juvenile igneous clasts as peperites, for water has been considered one major important factor in the processes of magma dismantling and mingling with unconsolidated sediment to form such deposits. The study area, located in south Brazil, shows a sequence of lava flows and intertrapic sandstone layers from the Paraná Basin, associated with the formation of clastic dykes, flow striations, peperite and ‘peperite-like’ breccias. Four processes are suggested for the genesis of the peperites: (a) fragmentation of the flow front and base; (b) sand injection; (c) dune collapse; (d) magma cascade downhill. The continued flow of a lava, while its outer crust is already cooling, causes it to break, especially in the front and base, fragments falling in the sand and getting mixed with it, generating the flow front ‘peperite-like’ breccia. The weight of the lava flow associated to shear stress at the base cause sand to be injected inwards the flow, forming injection clastic dykes in the cooled parts and injection peperite in the more plastic portions. The lava flow may partially erode the dune, causing the dune to collapse and forming the collapse ‘peperite-like’ breccia. The shear stress at the base of a flowing lava striates the unconsolidated sand, forming the flow striations. The sand that migrates over a cooled, jointed lava flow may get caught in the cavities and joints, forming the filling clastic dykes. These deposits are analogous to those found in the Etendeka, NW Namibia, and show that sediment–lava interactions in arid settings are widespread throughout the Paraná-Etendeka province during the onset of flood volcanism.     

大兴安岭南段上二叠统林西组中的火山岩

上二叠统林西组灰绿色岩段中首次发现了喷发相火山熔岩，其岩石组合为安山岩-英安岩，为低Na2O、富FeO的钙碱性岩系，岩石化学和稀土元素特征明显不同于侵入于林西组的休罗纪脉岩。该套火山岩可能形成于陆内俯冲的构造环境，是西伯利亚古板块与中朝古板块在泥盆纪完成拼贴之后反复“挤压-松驰-再挤压”过程的末期阶段。同时，该火山岩组合中Sn、Pb、Zn等成矿元素含量比岩石圈背景值高出1～3个数量级。     

Broadband seismic experiment at Merapi Volcano, Java, Indonesia: very-long-period pulses embedded in multiphase earthquakes

Multiphase (MP) and low frequency (LF) earthquakes with spectral peak amplitudes at 3–4 and 1 Hz, respectively, are two common types of shallow volcanic earthquakes previously recognized at Merapi Volcano. Their mechanisms are poorly understood but MPs have been temporally associated with lava dome growth. We conducted a seismic experiment in January–February 1998, using four broadband seismographs to investigate the nature of seismic activity associated with dome growth. During our experiment, Merapi experienced mild dome growth with low-level seismic activity. We compare our data to that recorded on a local short-period (SP) network, with the following preliminary results.MP and LF events as recorded and classified on the short-period network instruments were recognized on the broadband network. Frequency spectrograms revealed similar patterns in the near summit region at widely separated broadband stations. Higher frequency spectra than previously recognized were identified for both MP and LF events, and were strongly attenuated as a function of radial distance from the source. Thus the spectral characteristics of these events as recorded on far-field stations are not fully indicative of the source processes. In particular, many events classified as LF-type appear to have much high frequency energy near the source. This aspect of these so-called LF earthquakes, and their association with very-long-period (VLP) pulses, suggests that many events identified in the far-field as LF events are in actuality a variety of the MP event and involve similar source processes. Broadband records indicated that simple large-amplitude VLP pulses were embedded in MP and LF wavetrains. From event to event these pulses were similar in their waveforms and had periods of 4 s. VLP events embedded in LF and MP earthquakes were located using particle motions. The epicenters were clustered in a central region of the dome complex, and preliminary source depths were within about 100 m of the dome surface, suggesting a source region deep within the dome or the uppermost conduit. A similar source location was established by study of MP high-frequency onsets. Our broadband data suggests that we have recorded both elastic seismic waves and a simple embedded pulse that is interpreted to represent a surface tilt at the seismometer site. The inferred tilt indicates an inflation and subsequent deflation, possibly caused by a gas pressure pulse or episodic shallow magma transport with stick-slip movement of the conduit wall.     

Evidence for microbial activity in British and Irish Ordovician pillow lavas

Pyrite is consistently found in modern seafloor vesicular basalts and has a sulphur isotopic composition consistent with microbial activity. We present S isotope data from pyrite in Ordovician pillow lavas at localities across the British Isles, which yield a range of δ³⁴S compositions consistent with two components of sulphur: groundmass pyrite (~0 ± 4‰) and ³²S‐enriched pyrite in the vesicles (−8‰ to −27‰). The latter are recorded from vesicular lavas in four different terranes, representing different settings at the margins of the Iapetus Ocean. Whereas a component of magmatic sulphate is recognized in the groundmass values, the isotopically light data in the vesicles are consistent with microbial reduction of seawater sulphate in sub‐seafloor lavas. This is consistent with modern examples and indicates considerable longevity for this sub‐seafloor microbial habitat. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

江西省广丰县李家膨润土矿床成因及找矿标志

广丰县李家膨润土矿床赋存于白垩系上统南雄组第二岩性段酸性火山岩的顶底部。膨润土的主要矿物成分为蒙脱石,矿石结构构造与成矿原岩有关。矿石化学成分与酸性熔岩相近,矿体形态及空间分布受酸性熔岩流相带的控制。因此认为,膨润土矿床成矿原岩为酸性玻质熔岩,矿床是由酸性玻璃质熔岩经水解脱玻化而形成,其成因类型为风化淋滤蚀变岩型矿床。膨润土可自然改型,由原来的钠基膨润土改型成钙基膨润土和偏镁的钙基膨润土。对时代较新的酸性火山岩,在玻质熔岩发育处都有可能找到有利用价值的膨润土矿。由于膨润土常由珍珠岩、沸石脱玻化形成,三者常共生出现,是很好的找矿标志。