The Reliability of Assigned Values from the GeoPT Proficiency Testing Programme from an Evaluation of Data for Six Test Materials that have been Characterised as Certified Reference Materials

Assigned values derived from the GeoPT proficiency testing programme were compared with certified values for six certified reference materials that have been used as test materials in the GeoPT programme. Statistical analysis showed that there were few significant differences between these sets of data and that these differences had no significant impact on the GeoPT assessment when fitness‐for‐purpose criteria were taken into account.     

Lithosphere formation in the central Slave Craton (Canada): plume subcretion or lithosphere accretion?

Major-element compositions of minerals in peridotite xenoliths from the Lac de Gras kimberlites provide constraints on the mode of lithosphere formation beneath the central Slave Craton, Canada. Magnesia contents of reconstructed whole rocks correlate positively with NiO and negatively with CaO contents, consistent with variable partial melt extraction. Alumina and Cr₂O₃ contents are broadly positively correlated, suggestive of melt depletion in the absence of a Cr–Al phase. Garnet modes are high at a given Al₂O₃ content (a proxy for melt depletion), falling about a 7 GPa melt depletion model. These observations, combined with high olivine Mg# and major-element relationships of FeO-poor peridotites (<7.5 wt%) indicative of melt loss at pressures >3 GPa (residual FeO content being a sensitive indicator of melt extraction pressure), and similar high pressures of last equilibration (∼4.2 to 5.8 GPa), provide multiple lines of evidence that the mantle beneath the central Slave Craton has originated as a residue from high-pressure melting, possibly during plume subcretion. Apparent low melt depletion pressures for high-FeO peridotites (>7.5 wt%) could suggest formation in an oceanic setting, followed by subduction to their depth of entrainment. However, these rocks, which are characterised by low SiO₂ contents (<43 wt%), are more likely to be the result of post-melting FeO-addition, leading to spuriously low estimates of melt extraction pressures. They may have reacted with a silica-undersaturated melt that dissolved orthopyroxene, or experienced olivine injection by crystallising melts. A secular FeO-enrichment of parts of the deep mantle lithosphere is supported by lower average Mg# in xenolithic olivine (91.7) compared to olivine inclusions in diamond (92.6).     

Playa‐lake sedimentation and organic matter accumulation in an Andean piggyback basin: the recent record from the Cuenca de Pozuelos,North‐west Argentina

Expansive playa‐lake systems situated in high‐altitude piggyback basins are important and conspicuous components of both modern and ancient cordilleran orogenic systems. Extant playa lakes provide vital habitat for numerous endemic species, whereas sediments from these deposystems may record signals of climate change or develop natural resources over geological time. Laguna de los Pozuelos (North‐west Argentina) provides the opportunity for an actualistic sedimentological and geochemical assessment of a piggyback basin playa lake in an area of critical interest for understanding Quaternary palaeoclimate dynamics. Silty clays and diatom ooze are the dominant playa‐lake centre microfacies, with concentrations of total organic carbon and biogenic silica commonly exceeding 1·5 wt% in this sub‐environment. Elemental and stable isotopic analyses point to a mixed organic matter composition in the playa‐lake centre, with substantial contributions from algae and transported aquatic macrophytes. Bulk sediment and organic mass accumulation rates in the southern playa‐lake centre approach 0·22 g cm^?2 year^?1 and 2·89 mg cm^?2 year^?1, respectively, indicating moderately rapid deposition with negligible deflation over historic time. Playa margin facies contain higher percentages of fragmented biogenic carbonate (ostracods and charophytes) and inorganically precipitated aragonite crusts due to seasonal pumping and evaporation of ground water. Organic matter accumulation is limited along these heavily bioturbated wet and dry mud flats. Fluvial–lacustrine transitional environments, which are key waterbird habitats, are either silty terminal splay (northern axis) or sandy deltas (southern axis) containing highly oxidized and partially allochthonous organic matter. Modern analogue data from Laguna de los Pozuelos provide key insights for: (i) environmental reconstructions of ancient lake sequences; and (ii) improving facies models for piggyback basins.     

Nouvelles données sur le téphra de Sarliève et le téphra CF7, marqueurs chrono-stratigraphiques de Grande Limagne (Massif central,France)

A trachytic tephra, discovered in the ancient lake of Sarliève, ‘Grande Limagne’, has been dated using the thermoluminescence technique. The obtained age, 16±4 ka ($\text{2}\text{σ}$), is older than that of the trachytic volcanoes of the Cha??ne des Puys, the ashes of which have already been locally recognised in the region. Its analysis confirms its originality. In the course of the comparisons made to search for its spring, it appears that the wide-dispersion tephra CF7, beforehand correlated by hypothesis to the Puy de Clierzou, probably originates from the Kilian crater or the Puy de Vasset. To cite this article: D. Miallier et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Polymetallic (Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag ± Au) vein-type deposits in brittle-ductile transtensional shear zones,Eastern Sierras Pampeanas (Argentina): Age constraints and significance for the Late Paleozoic tectonic evolution and metallogenesis

This paper discusses new structural, kinematic and geochronological data from polymetallic (Pb-Zn-Cu-Ag ± Au) vein-type deposits hosted in the metamorphic basement of the southern Sierras de Córdoba. A Carboniferous age was established for the hydrothermal event between ∼329 and 315 Ma (Late Mississippian-Early Pennsylvanian) by the K/Ar fine-fraction dating method of sericitic alteration related to metallic ore deposition in the Las Guindas and Oro districts. The obtained ages postdate the spatially associated Devonian magmatism and overlap the A-type Early Carboniferous magmatism defined for the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas. The presence of non-exhumed granitic bodies at shallow depths, possibly related to mineralization, is supported by available geophysical and field evidence.The strain fabric and 3-D kinematic analyses constitute first kinematic data for the Carboniferous basement of the Southern Sierras Pampeanas demonstrating that mineralization was controlled by NNW- and ENE-trending brittle-ductile transtensional shear zones that overprint the earlier high-strain deformation fabrics of the basement. Transtensional deformation has accommodated large amounts of strike-slip movements and subordinated extensional components. The calculated kinematic axes indicate a coherent kinematic pattern of the mineralized systems in the two studied districts, with a maximum extension direction oriented NNE- to NE and maximum shortening direction oriented WNW- to NW. This deformation regime, active during mineralization, point to a non-compressive setting at the Late Mississippian-Early Pennsylvanian boundary. In line with other regional evidence, we propose a distinctive Carboniferous deformational phase in the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas, dominated by transtension. This period would have occurred after the transition with the Devonian compressional/transpressional orogenic regime.     

An Exploration of the Interplay between the Measurement Uncertainty and the Number of Samples in Contaminated Land Investigations

In the assessment of potentially contaminated land, the number of samples and the uncertainty of the measurements (including that from sampling) are both important factors in the planning and implementation of an investigation. Both parameters also effect the interpretation of the measurements produced, and the process of making decisions based upon those measurements. However, despite their importance, previously there has been no method for assessing if an investigation is fit‐for‐purpose with respect to both of these parameters. The Whole Site Optimised Contaminated Land Investigation (WSOCLI) method has been developed to address this issue, and to allow the optimisation of an investigation with respect to both the number of samples and the measurement uncertainty, using an economic loss function. This function was developed to calculate an ‘expectation of (financial) loss’, incorporating costs of the investigation itself, subsequent land remediation, and potential consequential costs. To allow the evaluation of the WSOCLI method a computer program ‘OCLISIM’ has been developed to produce sample data from simulated contaminated land investigations. One advantage of such an approach is that as the ‘true’ contaminant concentrations are created by the program, these values are known, which is not the case in a real contaminated land investigation. This enables direct comparisons between functions of the ‘true’ concentrations and functions of the simulated measurements. A second advantage of simulation for this purpose is that the WSOCLI method can be tested on many different patterns and intensities of contamination. The WSOCLI method performed particularly well at high sampling densities producing expectations of financial loss that approximated to the true costs, which were also calculated by the program. WSOCLI was shown to produce notable trends in the relationship between the overall cost (i.e., expectation of loss) and both the number of samples and the measurement uncertainty, which are: (a) low measurement uncertainty was optimal when the decision threshold was between the mean background and the mean hot spot concentrations. (b) When the hot spot mean concentration is equal to or near the decision threshold, then mid‐range measurement uncertainties were optimal. (c) When the decision threshold exceeds the mean of the hot spot, mid‐range measurement uncertainties were optimal. The trends indicate that the uncertainty may continue to rise if the difference between hot spot mean and the decision threshold increases further. (d) In any of the above scenarios, the optimal measurement uncertainty was lower if there is a large geochemical variance (i.e., heterogeneity) within the hot spot. (e) The optimal number of samples for each scenario was indicated by the WSOCLI method, and was between 50 and 100 for the scenarios considered generally; although there was significant noise in the predictions, which needs to be addressed in future work to allow such conclusions to be clearer.     

Nickel speciation in Sebertia acuminata,a plant growing on a lateritic soil of New Caledonia

Nickel speciation in a nickel hyperaccumulating plant (Sebertia acuminata) and its associated soil of southern New Caledonia was studied using various analytical methods. The soil is formed of iron oxides (goethite, hematite), which contain almost all the nickel. The available nickel is probably linked to the organic matter in the litter. Sebertia acuminata, acts as a nickel pump, and concentrates the metal in its leaves. It partitions nickel and silica; nickel is concentrated in the cells (probably in the vacuoles) as organometallic complexes, whereas silica forms the framework of the cells, and the phytolithes. A thorough study of these plants seems essential in order to define the soil–plant relations, and to propose appropriate ways for ecological restoration. To cite this article: N. Perrier et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

The geology of kimberlite pipes of the Ekati property, Northwest Territories, Canada

This paper reviews key characteristics of kimberlites on the Ekati property, NWT, Canada. To date 150 kimberlites have been discovered on the property, five of which are mined for diamonds. The kimberlites intrude Archean basement of the central Slave craton. Numerous Proterozoic diabase dykes intrude the area. The Precambrian rocks are overlain by Quaternary glacial sediments. No Phanerozoic rocks are present. However, mudstone xenoliths and disaggregated sediment within the kimberlites indicate that late-Cretaceous and Tertiary cover (likely <200 m) was present at the time of emplacement. The Ekati kimberlites range in age from 45 to 75 Ma. They are mostly small pipe-like bodies (surface area mostly <3 ha but up to 20 ha) that typically extend to projected depths of 400–600 m below current surface. Pipe morphologies are strongly controlled by joints and faults. The kimberlites consist primarily of variably bedded volcaniclastic kimberlite (VK). This is dominated by juvenile constituents (olivine and lesser kimberlitic ash) and variable amounts of exotic sediment (primarily mud), with minor amounts of xenolithic wall-rock material (generally <5%). Kimberlite types include: mud-rich resedimented VK (mRVK); olivine-rich VK (oVK); sedimentary kimberlite; primary VK (PVK); tuffisitic kimberlite (TK) and magmatic kimberlite (MK). The presence and arrangement of these rock types varies widely. The majority of bodies are dominated by oVK and mRVK, but PVK is prominent in the lower portions of certain kimberlites. TK is rare. MK occurs primarily as precursor dykes but, in a few cases, forms pipe-filling intrusions. The internal geology of the kimberlites ranges from simple single-phase pipes (RVK or MK), to complex bodies with multiple, distinct units of VK. The latter include pipes infilled with steep, irregular VK blocks/wedges and at least one case in which the pipe is occupied by well-defined sub-horizontal VK phases, including a unique, 100-m-thick graded sequence. The whole-rock compositions of VK samples suggest significant loss of kimberlitic fines during eruption followed by variable dilution by surface sediment and concurrent incorporation of kimberlitic ash. Diamond distribution within the kimberlites reflects the amount and nature of mantle material sampled by individual kimberlite phases, but is modified considerably by eruption and depositional processes. The characteristics of the Ekati kimberlites are consistent with a two-stage emplacement process: (1) explosive eruption/s causing vent clearing followed by formation of a significant tephra rim/cone of highly fragmented, olivine-enriched juvenile material with varying amounts of kimberlitic ash and surface sediments (predominantly mud); and (2) infilling of the vent by direct deposition from the eruption column and/or resedimentation of crater rim materials. The presence of less fragmented, juvenile-rich PVK in the lower portions of certain pipes and the intrusion of large volumes of MK to shallow levels in some bodies suggest emplacement of relatively volatile-depleted, less explosive kimberlite in the later stages of pipe formation and/or filling. Explosive devolatilisation of CO₂-rich kimberlite magma is interpreted to have been the dominant eruption mechanism, but phreatomagmatism is thought to have played a role and, in certain cases, may have been dominant.     

An Early-Cambrian UPb apatite cooling age for the high-temperature regional metamorphism in the Piancó area,Borborema Province (NE Brazil): initial conclusions

The Borborema Province (BP) of northeastern Brazil is a complex crustal assemblage, which has undergone a polycyclic evolution during the Proterozoic. In the Piancó-Alto Br??gida belt, a metamorphosed leucosome vein inserted in amphibolites has a trace element pattern suggesting a T-MORB protolith. Apatites yield a REE pattern indicating growth in equilibrium with garnet, thus pointing to its metamorphic origin. UPb analyses yield an age of 540±5 Ma interpreted as a cooling age following amphibolite facies regional metamorphism associated with granitic emplacement at ca. 580 Ma. The resulting slow cooling rates (ranging from ca. 2.5 to 5 °C Ma^?1) are consistent with underplating of mafic magmas, or crustal thickening caused by nappe stacking, as possible processes governing the metamorphic evolution of the BP. To cite this article: B. Dhuime et al., C. R. Geoscience 335 (2003).     

Calcium,Na, K and Mg Concentrations in Seawater by Inductively Coupled Plasma‐Atomic Emission Spectrometry: Applications to IAPSO Seawater Reference Material,Hydrothermal Fluids and Synthetic Seawater Solutions

We report a measurement procedure to determine simultaneously the major cation concentrations (Na, Ca, K and Mg) of seawater‐derived solutions by inductively coupled plasma‐atomic emission spectrometry. The best results were obtained when the IAPSO (‘standard’) seawater reference material was diluted by thirty times with Milli‐Q^® water. We obtained an average reference value r_K (the ratio of the mass fraction of potassium to that of chlorine, i.e., (g kg^?1)/(g kg^?1)) for IAPSO seawater of 0.0205 ± 0.0006 (2.9% RSD), not significantly different from 0.0206 ± 0.0005 (2.4% RSD) for seawater composition reported in the literature. The measured Na, Ca and Mg concentrations correspond to r_Na, r_Ca and r_Mg values of 0.5406 ± 0.0026 (0.5% RSD), 0.02192 ± 0.00048 (2.2% RSD) and 0.06830 ± 0.00047 (0.7% RSD), respectively, in line with previous values measured by wet‐chemistry and atomic absorption spectrophotometry or wet‐chemical titration. Our measurement procedure was used successfully on synthetic seawater solutions and high‐temperature hydrothermal fluids.