Petrography and uplift history of the Quaternary Takidani Granodiorite: could it have hosted a supercritical (HDR) geothermal reservoir?

The Quaternary Takidani Granodiorite (Japan Alps) is analogous to the type of deep-seated (3–5 km deep) intrusive-hosted fracture network system that might support (supercritical) hot dry/wet rock (HDR/HWR) energy extraction. The I-type Takidani Granodiorite comprises: porphyritic granodiorite, porphyritic granite, biotite-hornblende granodiorite, hornblende-biotite granodiorite, biotite-hornblende granite and biotite granite facies; the intrusion has a reverse chemical zonation, characterized by >70 wt% SiO₂ at its inferred margin and <67 wt% SiO₂ at the core. Fluid inclusion evidence indicates that fractured Takidani Granodiorite at one time hosted a liquid-dominated, convective hydrothermal system, with <380°C, low-salinity reservoir fluids at hydrostatic (mesothermal) pressure conditions. ‘Healed’ microfractures also trapped >600°C, hypersaline (35 wt% NaCl_eq) fluids of magmatic origin, with inferred minimum pressures of formation being 600–750 bar, which corresponds to fluid entrapment at 2.4–3.0 km depth. Al-in-hornblende geobarometry indicates that hornblende crystallization occurred at about 1.45 Ma (7.7–9.4 km depth) in the (marginal) eastern Takidani Granodiorite, but later (at 1.25 Ma) and shallower (6.5–7.0 km) near the core of the intrusion. The average rate of uplift across the Takidani Granodiorite from the time of hornblende crystallization has been 5.1–5.9 mm/yr (although uplift was about 7.5 mm/yr prior to 1.2 Ma), which is faster than average uplift rates in the Japan Alps (3 mm/yr during the last 2 million years). A temperature–depth–time window, when the Takidani Granodiorite had potential to host an HDR system, would have been when the internal temperature of the intrusive was cooling from 500°C to 400°C. Taking into account the initial (7.5 mm/yr) rate of uplift and effects of erosion, an optimal temperature–time–depth window is proposed: for 500°C at 1.54–1.57 Ma and 5.2±0.9 km (drilling) depth; and 400°C at 1.36–1.38 Ma and 3.3±0.8 km (drilling) depth, which is within the capabilities of modern drilling technologies, and similar to measured temperature–depth profiles in other active hydrothermal systems (e.g. at Kakkonda, Japan).     

黑龙江省金厂金矿床J0矿体流体地球化学研究

黑龙江省东宁县金厂金矿床是最新发现的特大型金矿床,目前探获黄金资源量86吨,它位于中亚造山带东端的吉黑成矿带,是与中生代中酸性岩浆活动有关的复杂成矿系统,矿化类型可能包括了斑岩型、爆破角砾岩型、浅成低温热液型.研究表明,高丽沟J0号矿体为爆破角砾岩型,热液成矿过程经历了早、中、晚3个阶段,分别形成以石英-黄铁矿、多金属硫化物-石英和碳酸盐为代表的矿物组合,中阶段矿物含自然金最多,次为早阶段矿物.初始成矿流体系统为高温、高盐度、高氧逸度、富CO2的岩浆热液;经减压沸腾,CO2等挥发分大量逸出,流体温度、盐度和氧逸度下降,导致大量金属硫化物及自然金快速沉淀;大气降水混入导致晚阶段流体低温、低盐度、贫CO2,对成矿贡献甚微.总体而言,成矿流体盐度高(11.70%～37.81%NaCl.eq),成矿作用发生在中-高温(238.3～425.7℃)的浅成环境(深633m～2736m).岩浆-流体成矿系统富CO2应发育于大陆碰撞造山带的伸展构造背景,而非大洋板块俯冲诱发的岩浆弧背景.     

On the physical model of earthquake precursor fields and the mechanism of precursors＇timespace distribution──origin and evidences of the strong body earthquake──generating model

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云南巍山小纪罗异常区铜多金属矿找矿思路

小纪罗异常反映低温热液活动元素的主异常。已发现2个铜矿点。讨论异常区成矿围岩条件、矿化类型,分析矿化与构造、岩体之间的关系,为下一步铜多金属找矿工作提供思路。     

An SVM-based machine learning method for the separation of alteration zones in Sungun porphyry copper deposit

Sungun porphyry copper deposit is in East Azarbaijan province, NW of Iran. There exist four hypogene alteration types in Sungun: potassic, propylitic, potassic–phyllic, and phyllic. Copper mineralization is essentially associated more with the potassic and less with the phyllic alterations and their separation is, therefore, quite important. This research has tried to separate these two alteration zones in Sungun porphyry copper deposit using the Support Vector Machine (SVM) method based on the fluid inclusion data, and seven variables including homogenization temperatures, salinity, pressure, depth, density and the Cu grade have been measured and calculated for each separate sample. To apply this method, use is made of the radial basis function (RBF) as the kernel function. The best values for λ and C (the most important SVM parameters) that perform well in the training and test data are 0.0001 and 1, respectively. If these values for λ and C are applied, the phyllic and potassic alteration zones in the training and test data will be separated with an accuracy of about 95% and 100%, respectively. This method can help geochemists in separating the alteration zones because classifying and separating samples microscopically is not only very hard, but also quite time and money consuming.     

拉林铁路板块缝合带隧道地应力分析

青藏高原板块缝合带为印度板块和欧亚板块两大陆块的缝合区域,带区地质条件复杂,构造运动强烈。川藏线拉林铁路几乎沿雅鲁藏布江缝合带展布,高地应力问题十分突出,但目前针对板块缝合带隧道的地应力研究相对较少。本文采用空心包体法对拉林铁路沿线隧道进行了原位地应力测量,并与成兰、兰渝和锦屏等几个典型工程的地应力进行对比分析。研究表明：拉林铁路沿线隧道埋深大,构造应力突出,总体表现为最大水平主应力 > 垂直主应力 > 最小水平主应力;平均侧压系数（1.0~1.5）分布较为集中且处于较高水平;最大主应力量值大多在20~50 MPa之间,最大主应力与埋深的梯度为0.033 7 MPa/m,方向以北北西-北北东向为主。建议采用仰拱结构减小隧道墙脚处的应力集中现象。     

Origin of the Nchanga copper–cobalt deposits of the Zambian Copperbelt

The Zambian Copperbelt forms the southeastern part of the 900-km-long Neoproterozoic Lufilian Arc and contains one of the world’s largest accumulations of sediment-hosted stratiform copper mineralization. The Nchanga deposit is one of the most significant ore systems in the Zambian Copperbelt and contains two major economic concentrations of copper and cobalt, hosted within the Lower Roan Group of the Katangan Supergroup. A Lower Orebody (copper only) and Upper Orebody (copper and cobalt) occur towards the top of arkosic units and within the base of overlying shales. The sulfide mineralogy includes pyrite, bornite, chalcopyrite, and chalcocite, although in the Lower Orebody, sulfide phases are partially or completely replaced by malachite and copper oxides. Carrollite is the major cobalt-bearing phase and is restricted to fault-propagation fold zones within a feldspathic arenite. Hydrothermal alteration minerals include dolomite, phlogophite, sericite, rutile, quartz, tourmaline, and chlorite. Quartz veins from the mine sequence show halite-saturated fluid inclusions, ranging from ~31 to 38 wt% equivalent NaCl, with homogenisation temperatures (Th_TOT) ranging between 140 and 180°C. Diagenetic pyrites in the lower orebody show distinct, relatively low δ ³⁴S, ranging from −1 to −17‰ whereas arenite- and shale-hosted copper and cobalt sulfides reveal distinctly different δ ³⁴S from −1 to +12‰ for the Lower Orebody and +5 to +18‰ for the Upper Orebody. There is also a clear distinction between the δ ³⁴S mean of +12.1±3.3‰ (n=65) for the Upper Orebody compared with +5.2±3.6‰ (n=23) for the Lower Orebody. The δ ¹³C of dolomites from units above the Upper Orebody give δ ¹³C values of +1.4 to +2.5‰ consistent with marine carbon. However, dolomite from the shear-zones and the alteration assemblages within the Upper Orebody show more negative δ ¹³C values: −2.9 to −4.0‰ and −5.6 to −8.3‰, respectively. Similarly, shear zone and Upper Orebody dolomites give a δ ¹⁸O of +11.7 to +16.9‰ compared to Lower Roan Dolomites, which show δ ¹⁸O of +22.4 to +23.0‰_. Two distinct structural regimes are recognized in the Nchanga area: a weakly deformed zone consisting of basement and overlying footwall siliciclastics, and a moderate to tightly folded zone of meta-sediments of the Katangan succession. The fold geometry of the Lower Roan package is controlled by internal thrust fault-propagation folds, which detach at the top of the lowermost arkose or within the base of the overlying stratigraphy and show vergence towards the NE. Faulting and folding are considered to be synchronous, as folding predominantly occurred at the tips of propagating thrust faults, with local thrust breakthrough. The data from Nchanga suggests a strong link between ore formation and the development of structures during basin inversion as part of the Lufilian Orogeny. Sulfides tend to be concentrated within arenites or coarser-grained layers within shale units, suggesting that host-rock porosity and possibly permeability played a role in ore formation. However, sulfides are also commonly orientated along, but not deformed by, a tectonic fabric or hosted within small fractures that suggest a significant role for deformation in the development of the mineralization. The ore mineralogy, hydrothermal alteration, and stable isotope data lend support to models consistent with the thermochemical reduction of a sulfate- (and metal) enriched hydrothermal fluid, at the site of mineralization. There is no evidence at Nchanga for a contribution of bacteriogenic sulfide, produced during sedimentation or early diagenesis, to the ores.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.Editorial handling: H. Frimmel     

川东北毛坝气藏含自然硫包裹体的发现及其地质意义

根据流体包裹体显微观察,均一温度、盐度测定和激光拉曼分析结果,毛坝气藏储层中存在多种类型包裹体,包括气液H20包裹体、烃一H20包裹体、气相烃包裹体、沥青包裹体和含自然硫气液H20包裹体。在含自然硫气液H20包裹体中,自然硫的特征激光拉曼峰值是151．1cm^1～、217．9em^1和473．3cm^1。根据包裹体的产状、分布以及组合特征,可将本区下三叠统储层流体包裹体划分为3期。晚成岩期方解石中气液H20包裹体均一温度变化范围为104～206°c,盐度为4．03％～19．29％NaCl。温度和盐度呈一定的负相关关系,反映随着成岩环境的埋藏深度增加,地层中孔隙水的温度趋于升高,同时烃类与流体中SO42发生热化学还原反应（TSR）,生成H2s和H20,使盐度降低。在区域抬升降温、降压期,由于外来流体的不均匀混合,流体温度、盐度进一步降低（均一温度为31～108℃,盐度为0．35％～4．03％NaCl）,在低温及硫主要以H2s形式存在的条件下,02与H2s反应生成大量自然硫。在自然硫形成过程中,随着温度的降低,pH值趋向于升高,lgf（02）趋向于降低。当温度为100℃时,自然硫在pH=2．9～3．4,lgf（02）=-50．61～-49．92的环境中形成;25℃时,自然硫形成于pH=1．9～6．5,lgf（02）=-69．30～-63．11的环境中。     

Strike-slip fault bridge fluid pumping mechanism: insights from field-based palaeostress analysis and numerical modelling

We present a finite-element study of stress perturbation in evolving compressive and extensional strike-slip fault bridges. The results are compared with a fracture study of a compressive bridge at St Donats, UK. Horizontally interbedded calcareous mudstone and bioclastic calcilutite at St Donats have a distinct vertical permeability anisotropy. This sedimentary sequence behaves as a set of horizontal aquifers. The fluid flow in these aquifers is sensitive to mean stress gradients. Paleostress analysis of field fracture data, verified by finite-element modelling, indicates a rotation of σ₁ towards parallelism with boundary faults inside the growing compressive bridge. Boundary faults and bridge faults recorded numerous fluid flow events. The modelled mean stress pattern shows a regional maximum within the bridge and local maxima/minima pairs at boundary fault tips.Finite-element modelling of an extensional bridge indicates that σ₃ rotates towards parallelism with boundary faults. The mean stress pattern is similar to the pattern in compressive bridge but with maxima and minima locations interchanged. The stress patterns are reestablished by each stress build-up preceding the rupturation of the boundary faults throughout the development stages of strike-slip fault bridges. Mean stress gradients developed pre-failure control the fluid flow in fractures of the strike-slip fault system at and after the end of each stress build-up and the fluid flow in boundary faults post-failure. Fracture reactivation and new fracture generation within an evolving bridge is a process consisting of multiple successive events that retain the storage capacity of the bridge. Rupture and sealing of the main bounding-faults is a step-wise process that opens and closes fluid conduits between areas with different pressures.