Very high-frequency and seasonal cave atmosphere PCO2 variability: Implications for stalagmite growth and oxygen isotope-based paleoclimate records

Cave air P_CO2 at two Irish sites varied dramatically on daily to seasonal timescales, potentially affecting the timing of calcite deposition and consequently climate proxy records derived from stalagmites collected at the same sites. Temperature-dependent biochemical processes in the soil control CO₂ production, resulting in high summer P_CO2 values and low winter values at both sites. Large Large-amplitude, high-frequency variations superimposed on this seasonal cycle reflect cave air circulation. Here we model stalagmite growth rates, which are controlled partly by CO₂ degassing rates from drip water, by considering both the seasonal and high-frequency cave air P_CO2 variations. Modeled hourly growth rates for stalagmite CC-Bil from Crag Cave in SW Ireland reach maxima in late December (0.063 μm h^− 1) and minima in late June/early July (0.033 μm h^− 1). For well-mixed ‘diffuse flow’ cave drips such as those that feed CC-Bil, high summer cave air P_CO2 depresses summer calcite deposition, while low winter P_CO2 promotes degassing and enhances deposition rates. In stalagmites fed by well-mixed drips lacking seasonal variations in δ¹⁸O, integrated annual stalagmite calcite δ¹⁸O is unaffected; however, seasonality in cave air P_CO2 may influence non-conservative geochemical climate proxies (e.g., δ¹³C, Sr/Ca). Stalagmites fed by ‘seasonal’ drips whose hydrochemical properties vary in response to seasonality may have higher growth rates in summer because soil air P_CO2 may increase relative to cave air P_CO2 due to higher soil temperatures. This in turn may bias stalagmite calcite δ¹⁸O records towards isotopically heavier summer drip water δ¹⁸O values, resulting in elevated calcite δ¹⁸O values compared to the ‘equilibrium’ values predicted by calcite–water isotope fractionation equations. Interpretations of stalagmite-based paleoclimate proxies should therefore consider the consequences of cave air P_CO2 variability and the resulting intra-annual variability in calcite deposition rates.     

大青山逆冲推覆构造形成演化过程的流体证据

大青山逆冲断层带内热液脉体十分发育,按其产状可划分为充填脉和边缘脉。根据形成时间主要划分为3期:早期石英脉、中期石英脉和晚期方解石脉。早期石英脉中流体包裹体类型较为复杂,见有气液两相、含CO2三相、纯CO2及少量单液相等4种类型原生包裹体,分析表明流体主要来源于地壳深部或上地幔。中期石英脉中主要发育气液两相包裹体和少量单液相包裹体,流体主要来源于大气降水,并且有少量岩浆热液混入。晚期方解石脉内仅含有气液两相包裹体及少量的单液相包体,流体主要来源于层间建造水。根据逆冲变形事件期次、时间,结合热液脉体形成深度数据,确定了大青山逆冲推覆体系变形演化历史:印支期逆冲推覆事件发生在地壳7～8 km深度,燕山中期逆冲推覆事件发生在3～6 km范围内,而燕山晚期逆冲推覆事件发生近地表2 km范围内。     

黄土和沉积岩中分离方解石和白云石的方法实验

采用不同浓度的ＨＣｌ、ＨＡｃ、ＮＨ４Ａｃ及ＮＨ４Ａｃ－ＨＡｃ缓冲深液对典型黄土剖面的黄土样品进行了系统的浸取实验,结果表明,稀ＨＡｃ是分离方解石与白云石的最佳深剂,在浸取实验中对１４种不同元素含量进行测试,多数元素的含量有变化,用稀ＨＡｃ溶液浸取所得的浸取注中＾８７Ｓｒ／＾８６Ｓｒ的测定结果与使用稀ＨＣｌ浸取的浸取液中＾８７Ｓｒ／＾８６Ｓｒ测定值有一定的差别,方法可满足在古气候研究中对不同成因碳酸盐利用的要求。     

利用矿物方解石进行水体除磷实验研究

为探索解决水体富营养化问题的新方法,利用矿物方解石对含磷溶液进行了除磷实验。实验结果表明,方解石晶芽可以促进磷的沉淀,降低溶液磷浓度;其降磷效果与溶液初始磷浓度有关,初始磷浓度为1.2mg/L,除磷率为12.68%,初始磷浓度为3mg/L,除磷率为69.94%,初始磷浓度为5mg/L,除磷率为88.48%;同样,实验温度升高,可使方解石降磷效果明显提高。经透射电子显微镜测试,除磷沉淀物没有明显的晶质体特征。     

砂宝斯金矿区多矿物脉特征及其对砂岩的改造

砂宝斯矿区的成矿围岩为长石石英砂岩，砂岩被多期次的石英脉、方解石脉和高岭石脉所穿切，这些多矿物脉是热液流体运移的结果。矿物脉形成过程中对围岩进行了热改造，使砂岩发生了压溶作用、胶结作用和溶蚀作用，形成了蚀变砂岩。由于流体酸碱性和温压的变化，孔隙水介质的性质由酸性向碱性转变，在酸性成岩环境下形成的蚀变高岭石、伊利石将转变成绿泥石、绢云母等。绢云母的大量出现，石英次生加大和自生粘土矿物的形成均是热液流体活动的产物。     

伏牛山构造带变质流体脉变形特征及构造意义

伏牛山构造带由多条近平行的断裂带和夹持其间的变形岩片组成,洛南-栾川断裂带和瓦穴子-乔端断裂带为其中的两条主要断裂带。这两条断裂带虽遭受多期强烈构造活动的影响,但主造山期的构造特征至今仍然保存完好,并以中深层次的韧性剪切变形为主,形成了典型的糜棱岩和同构造期石英脉。本文从宏观、微观、超微观变形特征及年龄等方面对这些变质流体脉进行了研究,以探讨与其形成密切相关的构造活动特征、年代及其在秦岭造山带和华北板块南缘强变形带中的作用。石英脉中石英颗粒动态重结晶特征总体显示远离剪切带只有少量的膨凸式,靠近断裂带为亚颗粒式,形成核-幔结构,位错特征显示远离剪切带位错密度较小,靠近断裂带较大,位错形态显示瓦乔断裂带以挤压为主,洛南-栾川断裂带以剪切为主。两条断裂带石英脉的变形特征说明它们的糜棱岩化过程均为塑性变形中的晶质塑性变形,形成过程均为挤压在先,剪切在后。所测糜棱岩中石英脉的ESR年龄分别为372.9±30.0 Ma、275.0±20.0 Ma和218.0±20.0 Ma,真实地记录了晚加里东至中-晚海西期北秦岭的构造活动及所受影响。其中372.9±30.0 Ma是宽坪岩块向华北板块下的斜向俯冲汇聚和走滑的年代, 275.0±20.0 Ma是瓦乔断裂带的形成年龄。218.0±20.0 Ma的年龄则反映了华南、华北两大板块印支晚期全面闭合作用在秦岭造山带内部的影响。从以上3个年龄可以看出:北秦岭各构造带自北向南演化,时代上自北向南变新。     

芙蓉锡矿方解石稀土元素地球化学特征及其对成矿流体来源的指示

方解石是芙蓉锡矿田重要的脉石矿物。根据芙蓉矿田白蜡水矿区和狗头岭矿区不同产状(云英岩型、蚀变岩体型和构造蚀变带-矽卡岩型)矿石中方解石稀土元素地球化学特征研究表明:两矿区成矿期热液方解石具有两种稀土模式,LREE(轻稀土元素)富集型和相对平坦型。其中,蚀变岩体型方解石所具有的相对平坦型稀土模式代表了LREE带出后残余热液的稀土模式特征,而云英岩型和构造蚀变带—矽卡岩型方解石的LREE富集型稀土模式与骑田岭新鲜花岗岩类似,表明成矿过程中没有LREE明显带出的迹象,残余热液继承了岩浆期后热液的特征。成矿流体来源于骑田岭花岗岩岩浆期后热液。     

Fluid inclusion studies of the Abawso gold prospect,near the Ashanti Belt,Ghana

The major Ghanaian lode gold deposits are preferentially aligned along the western and eastern contacts of the Kumasi Basin with the Ashanti and Sefwi Belts, respectively. The investigated area of the Abawso small-scale concession, covering the workings of the old Ettadom mine, is situated 3 km west of the lithological contact of the Birimian metavolcanic rocks of the Akropong Belt in the east with the Birimian metasedimentary rocks of the Kumasi Basin in the west. The rocks of the Abawso concession represent a steeply NW-dipping limb of a SE-verging anticline with an axis plunging to the SW. Quartz veining occurs predominantly in the form of en échelon dilatational veins along NNE–SSW-striking shear zones of a few metres width and shows evidence of brittle and ductile deformation. Also stockwork-style quartz veining occurs in the vicinity of the main shaft of the old Ettadom mine. Hydrothermal alteration includes sericitisation, sulphidation and locally carbonatisation. The auriferous quartz veins mainly follow the trend of brittle to ductile deformed quartz veins; however, some occur in stockwork. Fluid inclusion studies reveal a large number of H₂O inclusions along intragranular trails in auriferous quartz vein samples, as well as an overall dominance of H₂O and H₂O-CO₂ inclusions over CO₂ inclusions. Textural observations and physico-chemical fluid inclusion properties indicate post-entrapment modifications for all quartz vein samples due to grain boundary migration recrystallisation. This process is interpreted to be responsible for the generation of the CO₂ inclusions from a H₂O-CO₂ parent fluid. In comparison with mineralisation at the Ashanti and Prestea deposits, which are characterised by CO₂±N₂ inclusions, the observed inclusion assemblage may be due to a shallower crustal level of mineralisation, or different degrees and styles of recrystallisation, or a less pronounced development of laminated quartz veins due to comparably restricted pressure fluctuations. Furthermore, the microthermometric observations allow the reconstruction of a possible retrograde P-T path, depicting near-isothermal decompression in the P-T range of the brittle/ductile transition.Editorial handling: E. Frimmel     

微生物对碳酸盐岩的风化作用

微生物-矿物相互作用可以促进许多表生生物地球化学反应过程,是表生地球化学研究的重要内容。通过综合岩石表面的微生物类群及其地质作用,分析碳酸盐岩微生物风化的各种现象,特别是微观尺度上的各种形态,阐述碳酸盐岩的微生物风化机制与风化产物,笔者提出微生物对碳酸盐岩风化的4种途径:(1)通过微生物在岩石表面和缝隙中生长,导致岩石表层发生生物溶蚀、生物磨蚀和生物钻孔作用,加速岩石风化进程;(2)微生物群体形成的钻孔网络可以增强岩石化学溶蚀的有效表面积并导致其表面强度减弱而促进机械侵蚀作用,微生物对周围岩石颗粒胶结结构的破坏、疏松作用也会导致岩石矿物颗粒的分解;(3)微生物的持水作用,微生物分泌的有机酸以及微生物呼吸所释放的CO2对岩表水分的酸化过程亦加速岩石矿物的分解;(4)微生物生长过程中从岩石内摄取营养元素和产生复杂的有机配体,能促进矿物元素的释放。文中提出在开展微生物对碳酸盐岩风化过程和机理研究的基础上,有必要引入微生物生物技术来综合开发本地低品位含钾磷矿产资源,加速岩溶地区山地土壤的形成与演化。     

An Overview of Dissolved and Suspended Matter Fluxes in the Loire River Basin: Natural and Anthropogenic Inputs

The spatial and temporal distributions of major elements were investigated in the surface waters and in associated suspended matter at two sites of the upper Loire basin (Orleans and Brehemont) between 1995 and 1998.According to geochemical and isotopic patterns, the dissolved load appears to result from a process of mixing rainwater inputs, weathering processes of carbonate and silicate bedrock, and agricultural and urban inputs. Natural inputs influence 60% of water chemical composition at both sites. Annual dissolved fluxes were estimated to be 1300 10³ t/y at Orleans and 1620 10³ t/y at Brehemont. Major elements are transported mainly in the dissolved fraction. After correcting for atmospheric and anthropogenic inputs, the silicate specific export rate was calculated to be 11 t/y/km² throughout the basin and the carbonate specific export rate to be from 47 t/y/km² at Orleans to 23 t/y/km² at Brehemont.The suspended load appears to result from at least two particle reservoirs: a silicate reservoir and a carbonate reservoir. The silicate reservoir has a detrital origin, mainly during periods of high flow, while the carbonate reservoir has a detrital origin during periods of high flow and an authigenic origin during periods of low flow. Of the total annual flow of suspended matter, this authigenic material represents 16% at Orleans, 25% at Brehemont and 37% in the fluvial part of the estuary. After correcting authigenic inputs, the specific export rate due to mechanical weathering was estimated to be 8 t/y/km² throughout the Loire basin.