The Proterozoic,albitite-hosted,Valhalla uranium deposit,Queensland, Australia: a description of the alteration assemblage associated with uranium mineralisation in diamond drill hole V39

The Valhalla uranium deposit, located 40 km north of Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia, is an albitite-hosted, Mesoproterozoic U deposit similar to albitite-hosted uranium deposits in the Ukraine, Sweden, Brazil and Guyana. Uranium mineralisation is hosted by a thick package of interbedded fine-grained sandstones, arkoses and gritty siltstones that are bound by metabasalts belonging to the ca. 1,780 Ma Eastern Creek Volcanics in the Western Succession of the Mount Isa basin. Alteration associated with U mineralisation can be divided into an early, main and late stage. The early stage is dominated by laminated and intensely altered rock comprising albite, reibeckite, calcite, (titano)magnetite ± brannerite. The main stage of mineralisation is dominated by brecciated and intensely altered rocks that comprise laminated and intensely altered rock cemented by brannerite, apatite, (uranoan)-zircon, uraninite, anatase, albite, reibeckite, calcite and hematite. The late stage of mineralisation comprises uraninite, red hematite, dolomite, calcite, chlorite, quartz and Pb-, Fe-, Cu-sulfides. Brannerite has U–Pb and Pb–Pb ages that indicate formation between 1,555 and 1,510 Ma, with significant Pb loss evident at ca. 1,200 Ma, coincident with the assemblage of Rodinia. The oldest ages of the brannerite overlap with ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages of 1,533 ± 9 Ma and 1,551 ± 7 Ma from early and main-stage reibeckite and are interpreted to represent the timing of formation of the deposit. These ages coincide with the timing of peak metamorphism in the Mount Isa area during the Isan Orogeny. Lithogeochemical assessment of whole rock data that includes mineralised and unmineralised samples from the greater Mount Isa district reveals that mineralisation involved the removal of K, Ba and Si and the addition of Na, Ca, U, V, Zr, P, Sr, F and Y. U/Th ratios indicate that the ore-forming fluid was oxidised, whereas the crystal chemistry of apatite and reibeckite within the ore zone suggests that F⁻ and were important ore-transporting complexes. δ¹⁸O values of co-existing calcite and reibeckite indicate that mineralisation occurred between 340 and 380°C and involved a fluid having δ¹⁸O_fluid values between 6.5 and 8.6‰. Reibeckite δD values reveal that the ore fluid had a δD_fluid value between −98 and −54‰. The mineral assemblages associated with early and main stages of alteration, plus δ¹⁸O_fluid and δD_fluid values, and timing of the U mineralisation are all very similar to those associated with Na–Ca alteration in the Eastern Succession of the Mount Isa basin, where a magmatic fluid is favoured for this style of alteration. However, isotopic data from Valhalla is also consistent with that from the nearby Mount Isa Cu deposit where a basinal brine is proposed for the transport of metals to the deposit. Based on the evidence to hand, the source fluids could have been derived from either or both the metasediments that underlie the Eastern Creek Volcanics or magmatism that is manifest in the Mount Isa area as small pegmatite dykes that intruded during the Isan Orogeny.     

Modern Wyoming plant and pronghorn isoscapes and their implications for archaeology

Stable isotope ratios obtained from pronghorn teeth recovered from archaeological sites in southwestern Wyoming may provide information on past climate and hunter behavior. However, the interpretation of archaeological isotope values depends on pronghorn isotopic correlations with the environment and geography. To investigate these correlations, a series of modern Wyoming carbon, oxygen and strontium isoscapes are compared with recent temperature, humidity and geological variation. Results indicate that both pronghorn and sagebrush carbon, and to a lesser degree oxygen, isotope ratios are tied to relative humidity. Temperature is correlated with oxygen isotope ratios in sagebrush, but not pronghorn. Strontium isotope ratios in both sagebrush and pronghorn vary with geography, which in turn reflects variation in geology.     

滇东北富乐铅锌矿床微量元素和S-Pb同位素地球化学研究

富乐铅锌矿床位于我国西南川滇黔铅锌多金属矿集区的东南部,矿体呈层状、透镜状赋存于中二叠统阳新组白云岩中,受层间破碎带控制。该矿床铅锌金属资源量超过50万吨,铅锌平均品位大于15. 6%。碳酸盐岩围岩溶蚀、重结晶和热液角砾岩化是该矿床普遍发育的热液蚀变类型,是酸性热液流体与碳酸盐岩围岩化学反应的结果。热液白云岩在成矿期前、成矿期和成矿期后都可形成,晚期形成的热液白云岩往往会部分替换早期形成的白云石,热液沿裂隙充填过程中,会引起围岩重结晶作用,形成明显的蚀变晕。矿石中主要硫化物包括闪锌矿、方铅矿和黄铁矿,伴有少量的黄铜矿和黝铜矿,白云石和方解石是主要脉石矿物。矿石的主要构造有致密块状、浸染状、脉状和角砾状。本次工作在富乐矿床厘定出三种颜色闪锌矿,即黑色、红色和棕色。LA-ICPMS研究表明,三种颜色闪锌矿中Cd、Cu、Ga和Ge等元素不同程度富集,而Fe、Mn和In等元素有不同程度亏损。在LA-ICPMS时间分辨率剖面图中,上述元素均呈水平直线出现,与Zn和S等主要元素的含量曲线平行,表明它们可能以类质同象形式赋存于闪锌矿中。而Sb、Pb和Ag等元素在LA-ICPMS时间分辨率剖面图中,呈较大波动趋势,暗示这些元素可能以微细粒包体存在,这与显微观测发现闪锌矿中有方铅矿微小矿物颗粒相吻合。本研究初步认为富乐闪锌矿颜色可能是Ni、Cu、Tl、Ga、Hg、Fe和Cr等多种元素共同引起的,其中Ni、Cu和Ga使闪锌矿呈紫色,Cu使闪锌矿呈红色,Ga使闪锌矿呈黄色。三种颜色闪锌矿样品的硫同位素组成变化较小,其δ~(34)S值变化范围为12. 2‰～14. 6‰,具有富集34S特征,与二叠系海相硫酸盐的δ~(34)S值相似,暗示热化学硫酸盐还原作用(TSR)可能是该矿床HS~-或S~(2-)离子形成的主要机制。不同颜色闪锌矿的~(207)Pb/~(204)Pb、~(206)Pb/~(204)Pb和~(208)Pb/~(204)Pb值分别为15. 604～15. 737、18. 570～18. 732和38. 532～38. 667。大部分闪锌矿的Pb同位素组成与基底昆阳群浅变质岩石的Pb同位素组成相似,少量闪锌矿具有与峨眉山玄武岩和赋矿沉积岩相似的Pb同位素组成,表明富乐铅锌矿床的成矿金属主要来源于基底岩石,并可能受到沉积岩和玄武岩的影响。综上所述,本文认为富乐铅锌矿床是一个形成于挤压背景下、受层间构造控制的高品位、富分散元素后生碳酸盐岩容矿型铅锌矿床。     

Chemical,isotopic and amino acid composition of Mukundpura CM2.0(CM1) chondrite: Evidence of parent body aqueous alteration

The carbonaceous chondrites are intriguing and unique in the sense that they are the only rocks that provide pristine records of the early solar nebular processes. We report here results of a detailed mineralogical, chemical, amino acid and isotopic studies of a recently observed fall at Mukundpura, near Jaipur in Rajasthan, India. Abundance of olivines in this meteorite is low and of serpentine minerals is high. FeO/SiO_2 = 1.05 in its Poorly Characterized Phases(PCP) is similar to that observed in other CM2.0 chondrites. The water content of ～9.8 wt.% is similar to that found in many other CM chondrites.Microscopic examination of matrix shows that its terrestrial weathering grade is WO but aqueous parent body alteration is high, as reflected in low abundance of identifiable chondrules and abundant remnants of chondrules(～7%). Thus, most of the chondrules formed initially have been significantly altered or dissolved by aqueous alterations on their parent bodies. The measured bulk carbon(2.3%) and nitrogen content and their isotopic(δ¹³C =-5.5‰, δ¹⁵N = 23.6%0) composition is consistent with CM2.0 classification probably bordering CM1. Several amino acids such as Alanine, Serine, Proline, Valine, Threonine,Leucine, Isoleucine, Asparagine and Histamine are present. Tyrosine and Tryptophan may occur in trace amounts which could not be precisely determined. All these data show that Mukundpura chondrite lies at the boundary of CM2.0 and CM1 type carbonaceous chondrites making it one of the most primitive chondrites.     

Interplay of S and As in Mekong Delta sediments during redox oscillations

The cumulative effects of periodic redox cycling on the mobility of As,Fe,and S from alluvial sediment to groundwater were investigated in bioreactor experiments.Two particular sediments from the alluvial floodplain of the Mekong Delta River were investigated:Matrix A(14 m deep)had a higher pyrite concentration than matrix B(7 m deep)sediments.Gypsum was present in matrix B but absent in matrix A.In the reactors,the sediment suspensions were supplemented with As(Ⅲ)and SO_4~(2-),and were subjected to three full-redox cycles entailing phases of nitrogen/CO_2,compressed air sparging,and cellobiose addition.Major differences in As concentration and speciation were observed upon redox cycling.Evidences support the fact that initial sediment composition is the main factor controlling arsenic release and its speciation during the redox cycles.Indeed,a high pyrite content associated with a low SO_4~(2-)content resulted in an increase in dissolved As concentrations,mainly in the form of As(Ⅲ),after anoxic half-cycles;whereas a decrease in As concentrations mainly in the form of As(Ⅴ),was instead observed after oxic half-cycles.In addition,oxic conditions were found to be responsible for pyrite and arsenian pyrite oxidation,increasing the As pool available for mobilization.The same processes seem to occur in sediment with the presence of gypsum,but,in this case,dissolved As were sequestered by biotic or abiotic redox reactions occurring in the Fe—S system,and by specific physico-chemical condition(e.g.pH).The contrasting results obtained for two sediments sampled from the same core show that many complexes and entangled factors are at work,and further refinement is needed to explain the spatial and temporal variability of As release to groundwater of the Mekong River Delta(Vietnam).     

Time series analysis of mantle cycles Part I: Periodicities and correlations among seven global isotopic databases

In this study, seven isotopic databases are presented and analyzed to identify mantle and crustal episodes on a global scale by focusing on periodicity ranging from 70 to 200 million years (Myr). The databases are the largest, or among the largest, compiled for each type of data – with an objective of finding some samples from every region of every continent, to make each database as global as conceivably possible. The databases contain zircon Lu/Hf isotopic data, whole-rock Sm/Nd isotopic data, U/Pb detrital zircon ages, U/Pb igneous zircon ages, U/Pb non-zircon ages, whole-rock Re/Os isotopic data, and large igneous province ages. Part I of this study focuses on the periodicities of age histograms and geochemical averages developed from the seven databases, via spectral and cross-correlation analyses. Natural physical cycles often propagate in exact integer multiples of a fundamental cycle, referred to as harmonics. The tests show that harmonic geological cycles of ～93.5 and ～187 Myr have persisted throughout terrestrial history, and the cyclicities are statistically significant for U/Pb igneous zircon ages, U/Pb detrital zircon ages, U/Pb zircon-rim ages, large igneous province ages, mean ε_Hf(t) for all samples, mean ε_Hf(t) values for igneous-only samples, and relative abundance of mafic rocks. Equally important, cross-correlation analyses show these seven time-series are nearly synchronous (±7 Myr) with a model consisting of periodicities of 93.5 and 187 Myr. Additionally, the similarities between peaks in the 93.5 and 187 Myr mantle cycles and terminal ages of established and suspected superchrons provide a framework for predicting and testing superchron periodicity.     

ROCKS & MINERALS DETERMINATION AND ANALYSIS

正20141456 Chen Juan(Laboratory of High Temperature and High Pressure Study of the Earth’s Interior,Institute of Geochemistry,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Guiyang550002,China);Tang Hongfeng Progress in Analytical Methods of Tungsten Isotope and Experimental Research on Digestion of Whole     

高龙金矿同位素地球化学特征及其地质意义

高龙金矿是桂西北地区一典型的超微细粒浸染型金矿,本文对其硫、氢、氧、铅同位素进行了系统研究,分析总结了同位素组成特征、演化规律,并结合野外地质研究,推知高龙金矿成矿物质来源于围岩地层,成矿热液由雨水下渗形成的深循环地下水和岩浆水组成,矿床形成于开放环境,且越到后期开放程度越大,成矿时代大约为中生代,矿床成因为雨水下渗并淋滤围岩地层中的金形成深循环的地下含金溶液,与岩浆热液汇合,沿高龙隆起边缘环状断裂上侵,并在断裂中及围岩孔隙、裂隙中沉淀聚集、富积成矿。从而确定了同位素地球化学研究在高龙金矿成矿作用及矿床成因研究中的重要地位。     

铜陵地区层控矽卡岩型矿床地质特征和成矿条件

铜陵地区层控矽卡岩型矿床,主要分布于中石炭统黄龙组白云岩段。研究分析铜官山、冬瓜山、天马山、新桥等矿区地质特征、成矿物质和含矿流体的来源后,认为该类矿床属同生沉积—岩浆热液叠加改造成因。     

同位素地球化学在地震监测预测研究中的应用进展

随着新观测技术和理论的进一步发展,同位素地球化学方法在地震监测预测研究中发挥了越来越重要的作用。通过同位素地球化学方法确定地下流体来源,研究地下流体循环特征,分析地震前兆异常的成因,评估地质构造活动的程度,开展地震预测研究。同位素示踪技术还可以结合深源流体监测和地球物理方法,揭示地震孕育、流体与震源之间的关系。此外,同位素地球化学还可以构建断裂带流体地球化学背景特征,用于地震监测点映震效能的评估,提高地震监测预测的准确性,为地震新监测点的布设和震情跟踪提供技术支撑。通过对现今同位素在地震监测预测中所使用的方法、技术及国内外应用情况的总结分析,力图全面认识同位素地球化学在地震监测预测应用中的现状及发展趋势。