The color of pumice: case study on a trachytic fall deposit, Meidob volcanic field, Sudan

 This paper examines the cause of color variations of trachytic pumices which are essentially uniform in chemical composition and proposes a geological model for their formation. A pyroclastic sequence of distinct subunits with brown, buff, and black pumices was deposited during the 5000-B.P. eruption of a tuff ring in the central Meidob volcanic field (Sudan). Subunits of buff pumices locally contain minor amounts of streaky pumice with pale-gray and dark-gray domains. The combined evidence of petrographic studies, chemical analyses of whole pumices and groundmass separates, electron microprobe analyses, optical spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and magnetic susceptibility measurements show that color variations of the pumice clasts are related to the size and distribution of Fe³⁺-rich oxide microcrysts. Buff pumice and light-gray domains of streaky pumice have a colorless, transparent groundmass with very few microcrysts. Dark-gray domains of streaky pumice contain abundant hematite and/or magnetite microcrysts visible in thin section within a transparent, colorless glass groundmass. The groundmass of the black pumice clasts is brown in thin section which is most likely caused by submicroscopic magnetite microcrysts. Brown pumice clasts have a mixed groundmass consisting of brown domains and domains with opaque microcrysts in transparent glass. Variations in the eruption dynamics have been inferred from lithological observations. Subunits of black pumices are related to eruption pulses with low magma discharge and high water/magma mass ratio, whereas subunits of buff pumice were deposited during eruption pulses with high magma discharge and low water/magma mass ratio. Brown pumices represent the top part of the magma body, and the initial stage of the eruption probably had a low magma discharge. Streaky pumices are interpreted as the product of syn-eruptive mixing of Fe³⁺-rich oxide microcryst-bearing magma and microcryst-free magma. Received: 3 February 1997 / Accepted: 28 July 1997     

Paleogeographic maps of the Japanese Islands: Plate tectonic synthesis from 750 Ma to the present

Abstract A series of paleogeographic maps of the Japanese Islands, from their birth at ca 750–700 Ma to the present, is newly compiled from the viewpoint of plate tectonics. This series consists of 20 maps that cover all of the major events in the geotectonic evolution of Japan. These include the birth of Japan at the rifted continental margin of the Yangtze craton ( ca 750-700 Ma), the tectonic inversion of the continental margin from passive to active ( ca 500 Ma), the Paleozoic accretionary growth incorporating fragments from seamounts and oceanic plateaux ( ca 480-250 Ma), the collision between Sino-Korea and Yangtze (250–210 Ma), the Mesozoic to Cenozoic accretionary growth (210 Ma-present) including the formation of the Cretaceous paired metamorphic belts (90 Ma), and the Miocene back-arc opening of the Japan Sea that separated Japan as an island arc (25-15 Ma).     

陆相渐新统划分中的问题及新进展

近年来国际上关于始新世－渐新世界线的研究取得了重大进展，其同位素年龄被确认为３４Ｍａ，北美哺乳动物年代表已据此重新厘定。通过对哺乳动物群的分析和对比，论证了我国原认为是早渐新世的乌兰戈楚期和呼尔井期的时代应改归晚始新世，原认为是中渐新世的三达河期的时代应为早渐新世。在亚洲始新世－渐新世的界线不是在乌兰戈楚期之末，而是在呼尔井期与三达河期之间。     

福建沙县地区早白垩世火山岩成因及构造环境分析

本文着重阐述了沙县地区早白垩世火山岩地球化学特征，论证了中性与酸性火山岩的成因及物质来源，认为二者为不同源岩浆演化的产物，其岩浆物质来源于壳幔混源区，为省内双峰式火两端员岩石间成因关系的分析研究提供了新的例征。     

太白维山中生代火山岩特征及其与成矿的关系

晋北太白维山火山岩属钾质碱性玄武岩系列,产于板块内部活化带,来源于上地幔或下部地壳,被上部地壳物质混染,为壳幔源型或同熔型火山岩.火山岩与Ag(Pb、Zn)矿化关系密切,是成矿热液和矿质的主要来源之一.     

益阳市矿泉水的基本特征及形成机理探讨

益阳市矿泉水是一种弱酸、弱碱性、低矿化、富含偏硅酸的ＨＣＯ３－Ｃａ天然优质饮料矿泉水。它赋存于武陵期海底裂隙式喷溢形成的基性火山岩－细碧玄武岩的构造断裂和半风化层的风化裂隙之中。矿泉水水量起源于多途，化学成分形成于多因，是多因复成的产物。     

试论层序地层学在1∶5万区调工作中的应用—以浑江地区为例

通过在吉南浑江地区开展的白山市等三幅１∶５万区调工作，尝试性地运用层序地层学的理论，初步总结了不同特征的不整合面（层序界面）及凝缩段的识别标志；分析了地层序列中矿产分布特征；探讨了层序分析中以剖面岩石（岩性、组构）、相转换界面的基础研究方法。进而将浑江地区新元古代—早古生代地层划分为三个Ⅱ级沉积序列（超层序）、七个Ⅲ级沉积序列（层序）。     

藏南特提斯喜马拉雅带中段二叠纪-白垩纪的火山活动(Ⅰ):分布特点及其意义

在野外实地考察和追索的基础上，详细厘定了特提斯喜马拉雅带中段晚古生代以来火山岩的分布特点和迁移规律。结果表明，在特提斯喜马拉雅带中段晚古生代以来的地层系统中，从二叠纪→三叠纪→侏罗纪→白垩纪，共有11个层位含规模不等的火山岩，它们以透镜体、薄夹层或以块状玄武岩、玄武质安山岩等形式产出于不同地层系统中；从二叠纪→早中三叠世→晚三叠世→侏罗纪和白垩纪，具有由西向东、从南→北→南→北的迁移规律。这些火山活动的发现和厘定，对填补特提斯喜马拉雅带火山岩研究的空白，了解陆下岩石圈地幔和软流圈地幔之间的相互作用和新特提斯洋盆的形成演化都具有一定的指示意义。     

Timing and geochemical characters of the Sanchazi magmatic arc in Mianlüe tectonic zone, South Qinling

The Sanchazi mafic-ultramafic complex in Mianlue tectonic zone, South Qinling can be subdivided into two blocks, i.e. Sanchazi paleo-magmatic arc and Zhuangkegou paleo-oceanic crust fragment (ophiolite). The Sanchazi paleo-magmatic arc is mainly composed of andesite, basaltic and basalt-andesitic gabbro (or diorite), andesitic dyke, plagiogranite and minor ultramafic rocks, which have typical geochemical features of island arc volcanic rocks, such as high field strength element (e.g. Nb, Ti) depletions and lower Cr, Ni contents. The Light rare earth element (LREE) and K enrichments of these rocks and zircon xenocrystals of 900 Ma from plagiogranite suggest that this magmatic arc was developed on the South active continental margin of the South Qinling micro-continent. The U-Pb age of (300 ± 61)Ma for zircons from plagiogranite indicates that the Mianlue paleo-oceanic crust was probably subducted underneath the South Qinling micro-continent in Carboniferous. This is consistent with the formation time (309Ma) of the Huwan eclogite originating from oceanic subduction in Dabie Mountains, suggesting that the Mianlue paleo-ocean probably extended eastward to the Dabie Mountains in Carboniferous. The high-Mg adakitic rocks in Sanchazi paleo-magmatic arc suggest that the subducted oceanic crust was relatively young (＜25Ma) and hot.