Dating the giant Zhuxi W–Cu deposit (Taqian–Fuchun Ore Belt) in South China using molybdenite Re–Os and muscovite Ar–Ar system

The recently discovered Zhuxi W–Cu ore deposit is located within the Taqian–Fuchun Ore Belt in the southeastern edge of the Yangtze Block, South China. Its inferred tungsten resources, based on new exploration data, are more than 280 Mt by 2016. At least three paragenetic stages of skarn formation and ore deposition have been recognized: prograde skarn stage; retrograde stage; and hydrothermal sulfide stage. Secondly, greisenization, marmorization and hornfels formation are also observed. Scheelite and chalcopyrite are the dominant metal minerals in the Zhuxi deposit and their formation was associated with the emplacement of granite stocks and porphyry dykes intruded into the surrounding Carboniferous carbonate sediments (Huanglong and Chuanshan formations) and the Neoproterozoic slate and phyllites. The scheelite was mostly precipitated during the retrograde stage, whereas the chalcopyrite was widely precipitated during the hydrothermal sulfide stage. A muscovite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau age of about 150 Ma is interpreted as the time of tungsten mineralization and molybdenite Re–Os model ages ranging from 145.9 ± 2.0 Ma to 148.7 ± 2.2 Ma (for the subsequent hydrothermal sulfide stage of activity) as the time of the copper mineralization. Our new molybdenite Re–Os and muscovite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating results, along with previous zircon U–Pb age data, indicate that the hydrothermal activity from the retrograde stage to the last hydrothermal sulfide stage lasted up to 5 Myr, from 150.6 ± 1.5 to 145.9 ± 1 Ma, and is approximately coeval or slightly later than the emplacement of the associated granite porphyry and biotite granite. The new ages reported here confirm that the Zhuxi tungsten deposit represents one of the Mesozoic magmatic–hydrothermal mineralization events that took place in South China in a setting of lithospheric extension during the Late Jurassic (160–150 Ma). It is suggested that mantle material played a role in producing the Zhuxi W–Cu mineralization and associated magmatism.     

Combined zircon and cassiterite U–Pb dating of the Piaotang granite-related tungsten–tin deposit,southern Jiangxi tungsten district,China

The large low-grade Piaotang W–Sn deposit in the southern Jiangxi tungsten district of the eastern Nanling Range, South China, is related to a hidden granite pluton of Jurassic age. The magmatic-hydrothermal system displays a zonation from an inner greisen zone to quartz veins and to peripheral veinlets/stringers (Five-floor zonation model). Most mineralization is in quartz veins with wolframite > cassiterite. The hidden granite pluton in underground exposures comprises three intrusive units, i.e. biotite granite, two-mica granite and muscovite granite. The latter unit is spatially associated with the W–Sn deposit.Combined LA-MC-ICP-MS U–Pb dating of igneous zircon and LA-ICP-MS U–Pb dating of hydrothermal cassiterite are used to constrain the timing of granitic magmatism and hydrothermal mineralization. Zircon from the three granite units has a weighted average ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 159.8 ± 0.3 Ma (2 σ, MSWD = 0.3). The cathodoluminescence (CL) textures indicate that some of the cassiterite crystals from the wolframite-cassiterite quartz vein system have growth zonations, i.e. zone I in the core and zone II in the rim. Dating on cassiterite (zone II) yields a weighted average ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 159.5 ± 1.5 Ma (2 σ, MSWD = 0.4), i.e. the magmatic and hydrothermal systems are synchronous. This confirms the classical model of granite-related tin–tungsten mineralization, and is against the view of a broader time gap of >6 Myr between granite magmatism and W–Sn mineralization which has been previously proposed for the southern Jiangxi tungsten district. The elevated trace element concentrations of Zr, U, Nb, Ta, W and Ti suggest that cassiterite (zone II) formed in a high-temperature quartz vein system related to the Piaotang granite pluton.     

Insights into the extreme PGE enrichment of the W Horizon,Marathon Cu-Pd deposit,Coldwell Alkaline Complex,Canada: Platinum-group mineralogy,compositions and genetic implications

The W Horizon, Marathon Cu-Pd deposit in the Mesoproterozoic Midcontinent rift is one of the highest grade PGE repositories in magmatic ore deposits world-wide. The textural relationships and compositions of diverse platinum-group mineral (PGM) and sulfide assemblages in the extremely enriched ores (>100 ppm Pd-Pt-Au over 2 m) of the W Horizon have been investigated in mineral concentrates with ∼10,000 PGM grains and in situ using scanning electron microprobe and microprobe analyses.Here we show, from ore samples with concentrations up to 23.1 Pd ppm, 8.9 Pt ppm, 1.4 Au ppm and 0.73 Rh ppm, the diversity of minerals (n = 52) including several significant unknown minerals and three new mineral species marathonite (Pd₂₅Ge₉; McDonald et al., 2016), palladogermanide (Pd₂Ge; IMA 2016-086, McDonald et al., 2017), kravtsovite (PdAg₂S, IMA No 2016-092, Vymazalová et al., 2017). The PGM are distributed as PG-, sulfides (52 vol%), -arsenides (34 vol%), -intermetallics of Au-Ag-Pd-Cu and Pd-Ge(10 vol%) and -bismuthides and tellurides (4 vol%). The discovery of abundant (>330 grains) large unknown sulfide minerals with Rh allows us to present analyses three significant potentially new minerals (WUK-1, WUK-2, WUK-3) that are all clearly enriched in Rh (averaging 4.2, 8.5 and 28.21 wt% Rh respectively). Several examples of paragenetic sequences and mineral chemical changes for enrichment of Cu, Pd and Rh with time are revealed in the PGM and base-metal sulfides. We suggest this enhanced metal enrichment formed in response to increasing fO₂ causing the oxidation of Fe²⁺ to Fe³⁺ and to a lesser extent, S.Phase relations in the Ag-Pd-S, Rh-Ni-Fe-S, Pd-Ge, Au-Pd-Cu-Ag, Pd-Ag-Te systems help constrain the crystallization temperatures of the majority of ore minerals in the W Horizon at ∼500 °C or moderate to high subsolidus temperatures (400–600 °C). Local transport by aqueous fluids becomes evident as minerals recrystallize down to <300 °C. The PGE-enriched W Horizon ores exhibit a complex post-magmatic history dominated by the effects of oxidation during cooling of a Cu-PGE enriched magma source from a deep reservoir.     

Chronology of the Tungsten Deposits in Southern Jiangxi Province,and Episodes and Zonation of the Regional W‐Sn Mineralization – Evidence from High‐precision Zircon U‐Pb,Molybdenite Re‐Os and Muscovite Ar‐Ar Ages

Previous studies have obtained some petrogenetic and metallogenic chronological data with SHRIMP (sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe) zircon U-Pb, zircon LA-ICPMS (laser-ablation–inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy) U-Pb, molybdenite Re-Os isochron and muscovite Ar-Ar methods in southern Jiangxi Province and its adjacent areas. Based on these, the purpose of this paper is to study the petrogenetic and metallogenic ages and their time gap for different genetic types of W-Sn deposits, and thus to research their numerous episodes, zonal arrangement and their geodynamic background. The result shows that the large-scale W-Sn mineralization in southern Jiangxi Province occurred in the middle to late Jurassic (170–150 Ma), the skarn W-Sn-polymetallic deposits formed much earlier (170–161 Ma), and all of the wolframite – quartz vein type, greisen type, altered granite type and fractured zone type tungsten deposits formed in the late Jurassic (160–150 Ma). In one ore field or ore district, greisen type tungsten deposits formed earlier than quartz vein type ones hosted in the endo- or exo-contact zone; and quartz vein type hosted in the endocontact zone formed earlier than that of exocontact zone. There is no significant time difference between tungsten-tin mineralization and its intimately associated parent granite emplacement (1–6 Ma). They all formed in the same rock-forming and ore-forming system and under the same geodynamic setting. Regionally, rock-forming and ore-forming processes of the W-Sn deposits in the Nanling region (include southern Jiangxi Province, southern Hunan Province, northern Guangdong Province and eastern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region) exhibit numerous episodes. The mineralization in the Nanling region mainly occurred at (240–210) Ma, (170–150) Ma and (130–90) Ma. The tungsten-tin deposits in this region are centered by the largest scale in southern Jiangxi Province and southern Hunan Province, and become small in the east, west, south and north directions. This displays a zonal arrangement and temporal and spatial distribution regularity. Integrated with the latest research results, it is concluded that the W-Sn mineralization in southern Jiangxi Province and its adjacent areas corresponds to the second large-scale mineralization in South China. The Indosinian W-Sn mineralization formed under the extensional tectonic regime between collisional compressional stages, while the Yanshanian large-scale petrogenetic and metallogenic processes occurred in the Jurassic intraplate extensional geodynamic setting of lithosphere extension.     

天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川径流对气候变化的响应分析

利用天山乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川1959-2006年的气象、冰川物质平衡和1980-2006年的水文资料,分析了其冰川径流的变化.结果表明:由于1996年以来的显著升温,导致了1号冰川水文点径流主要受夏季气温变化的控制,冰川物质损失对径流的补给作用已超过了降水的作用.1996-2006年与1980-1995年相比,夏季气温...     

西藏察隅县那阿钨床成矿地质特征与找矿前景

那阿钨矿为矽卡岩型白钨矿床,矿体产于沿北西向分布的二长花岗岩岩体与大理岩的外接触带的矽卡岩及其强矽卡岩化大理岩中,其规模、形态、产状严格受矽卡岩岩性控制,自南向北矿体埋藏深度逐渐加大,向深部钨矿化有变好趋势。围岩蚀变主要有矽卡岩化、硅化及碳酸岩化等。通过对矿区的成矿地质条件进行分析,总结分析了区内找矿及成矿标志,提出了有益建议。     

汶川8.0级地震序列及相关问题讨论

汶川8.0级地震序列具有明显的分段特性,较强余震分布于茂县、绵竹以南及平武以北。主破裂过程在中南段以逆冲为主,序列逐渐衰减,呈主余型的序列衰减特征;北段是汶川地震破裂过程的终止区域,主破裂过程在该区域以走滑为主,形成多震型的序列特征,也成为汶川序列较大余震的主体活动区域。序列较强余震活动明显受引潮力调制,大多数较强余震发生在固体潮大、小潮时段,并且16时前后是较强余震的优势发震时段。序列衰减系数p值随时间增加而逐渐增大,最终基本稳定在1附近变化。结合以往的研究,对序列类型及最大强余震震级、强余震活动持续时间等进行了初步讨论。初步的统计结果还显示,8级左右强震序列中主震与最大余震之间的震级差正比于主震破裂尺度,这意味着当震级大体接近时,较大的破裂尺度与较为充分的能量释放相对应     

An overview of physical and ecological processes in the Rio de la Plata Estuary

The Rio de la Plata is a large-scale estuary located at 35°S on the Atlantic coast of South America. This system is one of the most important estuarine environments in the continent, being a highly productive area that sustains valuable artisanal and coastal fisheries in Uruguay and Argentina. The main goals of this paper are to summarize recent knowledge on this estuary, integrating physical, chemical and biological studies, and to explore the sources and ecological meaning of estuarine variability associated to the stratification/mixing alternateness in the estuary. We summarized unpublished data and information from several bibliographic sources. From study cases representing different stratification conditions, we draw a holistic view of physical patterns and ecological processes of the stratification/mixing alternateness. This estuary is characterized by strong vertical salinity stratification most of the time (the salt-wedge condition). The head of the estuary is characterized by a well-developed turbidity front. High turbidity constrains their photosynthesis. Immediately offshore the turbidity front, water becomes less turbid and phytoplankton peaks. As a consequence, trophic web in the estuary could be based on two sources of organic matter: phytoplankton and plant detritus. Dense plankton aggregations occur below the halocline and at the tip of the salt wedge. The mysid Neomysis americana, a key prey for juvenile fishes, occurs all along the turbidity front. A similar spatial pattern is shown by one of the most abundant benthic species, the clam Mactra isabelleana. These species could be taken advantage of the particulate organic matter and/or phytoplankton concentrated near the front. Nekton is represented by a rich fish community, with several fishes breeding inside the estuary. The most important species in terms of biomass is Micropogonias furnieri, the main target for the coastal fisheries of Argentina and Uruguay. Two processes have been identified as producing partially stratified conditions: persistent moderate winds (synoptic scale), or low freshwater runoff (interannual scale). Less frequently, total mixing of the salt wedge occurs after several hours of strong winds. The co-dominance of diatoms (which proliferate in highly turbulent environments) and red tides dinoflagellates and other bloom taxa (better adapted to stratified conditions), would indicate great variability in the turbulence strength, probably manifested as pulses. Microplankton and ichthyoplankton assemblages defined for the stratified condition are still recognized during the partially mixed condition, but in this case they occupy the entire water column: vertical structure of the plankton featuring the stratified condition become lost. Bottom fish assemblages, on the contrary, shows persistence under the different stratification conditions, though the dominant species of the groups show some variations. Summarizing, the Río de la Plata Estuary is a highly variable environment, strongly stratified most of the time but that can be mixed in some few hours by strong wind events that occur in an unpredictable manner, generating stratification/partially mixed (less frequently totally mixed) pulses all along the year. At larger temporal scales, the system is under the effects of river discharge variations associated to the ENSO cycle, but their ecological consequences are not fully studied.     

Water and nutrient fluxes off Northwest Africa

A historical data set is used to describe the coastal transition zone off Northwest Africa during spring 1973 and fall 1975, from 17° to 26°N, with special emphasis on the interaction between subtropical (North Atlantic Central Waters) and tropical (South Atlantic Central Waters) gyres. The near-surface geostrophic circulation, relative to 300 m, is quite complex. Major features are a large cyclonic pattern north of Cape Blanc (21°N) and offshore flow at the Cape Verde front. The large cyclone occurs in the region of most intense winds, and resembles a large meander of the baroclinic southward upwelling jet. The Cape Verde frontal system displays substantial interleaving that may partly originate as mesoscale features at the coastal upwelling front. Property–property diagrams show that the front is an effective barrier to all properties except temperature. The analysis of the Turner angle suggests that the frontal system is characterized by large heat horizontal diffusion as a result of intense double diffusion, which results in the smoothing of the temperature horizontal gradients. Nine cross-shore sections are used to calculate along-shore geostrophic water-mass and nutrient transports and to infer exchanges between the coastal transition zone and the deep ocean (import: deep ocean to transition zone; export: transition zone to deep ocean). These exchanges compare well with mean wind-induced transports and actual geostrophic cross-shore transport estimates. The region is divided into three areas: southern (18–21°N), central (21–23.5°N), and northern (23.5–26°N). In the northern area geostrophic import is roughly compensated with wind-induced export during both seasons. In the central area geostrophic import is greater than wind-induced export during spring, resulting in net import of both water (0.8 Sv) and nitrate (14 kmol s⁻¹), but during fall both factors again roughly cancel. In the southern area geostrophy and wind join to export water and nutrients during both seasons, they increase from 0.6 Sv and 3 kmol s⁻¹ during fall to 2.9 Sv and 53 kmol s⁻¹ during spring.