Microchemical Characterization of Natural Gold and Copper Alloys from the Ancient Um Shashoba Gold Mine,South Egypt

The SEM-EDX technique was applied to investigate Au, and Cu＋Sn alloyed grains in the mineralization of the Um Shashoba mine for achieving further understanding of occurrences, internal structures and microchemistry of Au and Cu alloys and associated minerals, and mineralization type. This study is aiming at the genetic history of ore-bearing fluid events, geochemical evaluation and exploration significance. The results showed that the mineralization could be considered as a single major episode generated by metamorphic mesothermal solution rich in sulfides and unsaturated respect to Au. It was differentiated into many stages; started with formation of auriferous pyrite that was pseudomorphed by secondary hematite, limonite and goethite. Three phases of Au alloy were precipitated, and Cu＋Sn and Ag-rich alloys were produced respectively and followed by deposition of two generations of barren pyrite. Calcite and ankerite were crystalized, surrounded and partially replaced some of early formed minerals. Finally, barren muscovite recrystallized around and inside both later formed carbonate minerals that were free of any sign of Au in their structures. The processes of deformation, recrystallization, annealing, dissolution, remobilization and re-precipitation played the most important roles in the genetic history of the mineralization.     

Mica Inclusions inside Host Mica Grains from the Sutlej Section of the Higher Himalayan Crystallines, India—Morphology and Constrains in Genesis

Abstract: Biotite and muscovite inclusions inside mica host minerals from the Sutlej section of the Higher Himalayan Crystalline were studied under an optical microscope. These inclusions formed possibly by local recrystallization of mica grains during regional prograde metamorphism, with some affected by top-to-SW shear leading to parallelogram shapes. Recrystallization may have been assisted by solution transfer along the cleavage planes of the host grains. The relative competency of deformed phyllosilicate inclusions with the same or different composition to the host depends on the size and orientation of (001) cleavage planes of the inclusions relative to the host. Shearing of mica inclusions led to their parallelogram geometries within the contained mica inclusions. Some of the sheared inclusions deflect cleavage planes in the host minerals and define flanking microstructures. Trapezoid-shaped inclusions are a new finding that deserves more attention for their genesis. These structurally anisotropic inclusions did not originate from sub-grains, secondary infillings or retrogression. These inclusions are also not related to pseudomorphism, isomorphism, folding of the bulk rock etc. Some of the inclusions formed by recrystallization of the host mineral during top-to-SW ductile shear.     

Extraterrestrial samples from low Earth orbits: techniques for their collection and analysis

In the context of dust samples collections in space, the COMET experiment (Collecte en Orbite de Matière ExtraTerrestre) was proposed for the first time in 1982. The idea of such an experiment was to collect grains with identified cometary parent body, instead of mixing all extraterrestrial contributions present in low Earth orbit. It was thus proposed to install collectors inside hermetic boxes, to have these boxes mounted outside a space station, orbiting the Earth and to have the capability of choosing the time and duration of the collection. Since 1985, the COMET experiment has been exposed three times to space (COMET-1, in October 1985 during the encounter of the Earth with the Draconid meteor stream; the EUROMIR-95 instrument, exposing collectors, during the crossing by the Earth of the Orionid meteor stream associated to comet P/Halley and, in November 1998, during the crossing by the Earth of the Leonid meteor stream associated to comet Temple-Tuttle, COMET-99). Specific collection techniques, and corresponding analytical procedures have been developed. The collected particles are the only ones accessible in the laboratory with a known cometary origin, before the return to Earth (2006) of the Stardust mission, which will collect cometary grains in the tails of comet Wild 2. Such a challenge justifies the tremendous efforts brought into play, and that are summarized here.     

Laser Ablation (U-Th-Sm)/He Dating of Zircons: Analytical Age Bias and its Consequence for Studying Detrital Zircon Populations

The in situ (U-Th-Sm)/He and U/Pb laser-ablation double-dating procedure is a valuable method that can provide a large dataset relatively efficiently in contrast with conventional bulk helium thermochronometry. In this study, we evaluate the potential age error associated with the double ablation procedure and report the in situ (U-Th-Sm)/He double-ablation dating of 249 zircons from the Fish Canyon Tuff locality. With LA-ICP-MS pseudo-depth profiling and 3D numerical modelling, we show that the concentric double-ablation procedure in minerals with U-Th-Sm zoning can generate a significant (U-Th-Sm)/He age error (positive or negative), resulting in over-scattering and/or an offset of the mean age. Pseudo-depth profiling is insufficient to predict the individual age error, partly because of the superimposed ablations. To evaluate the consequence of this inherent bias, we confront a synthetic age distribution to the error expected for U-Th-Sm zoned zircons analysed with double-ablation (U-Th-Sm)/He thermochronometry. As expected, a strong age bias causes the spreading of peak ages, downgrading the original signal. Yet, the throughput of the ablation-based method can allow intra- and inter-sample peak age identification and comparison, and the coupling of (U-Th-Sm)/He and U/Pb ages extends our ability to deconvolute a multimodal age spectrum.     

西拉木伦构造带克德河砂砾岩的时代及构造意义

西拉木伦构造带北部双井地区发育一套巨厚的、成熟度低的快速堆积的粗碎屑沉积建造,为同造山磨拉石沉积,前人称其为克德河砂砾岩带并将其时代分别划为中二叠世(哲斯组)、晚二叠世(林西组)。本次工作对该套地层进行了大比例尺剖面测量,对取自剖面第下、中、上(1、25、86层)三个部分的砂岩样品进行LA-ICP-MS U-Pb年代学研究,结果显示：3个样品具有相似的主要年龄区间,依次为405-485Ma、401-463Ma、363-520Ma,其峰值年龄分别为427Ma、445Ma、440Ma,锆石数量分别占总量的48％、52.5％和38.75％;其次为大于1000Ma的年龄,锆石数量分别占30.7%、22.5%、45%,且均具有1800Ma和2500Ma左右的峰值年龄,明显具有华北板块基底年龄信息;自下而上3个测年样品最年轻峰值年龄分别为312Ma、376Ma,282Ma,最年轻的锆石年龄分别为304Ma、244Ma和245Ma。在第85层杂色复成分砾岩的灰岩砾石中发现晚石炭－早二叠世阿木山组的蜓和珊瑚化石,在41及43层发现中生代孢粉化石。综合碎屑锆石测年及生物化石研究结果,克德河砂砾岩带的时代应为中三叠世。推测西拉木伦构造带经历了一个较长的演化过程,中二叠世开始华北板块和西伯利亚板块进入碰撞造山阶段, 同造山磨拉石建造(克德河砂砾岩带)标志着中亚造山带演化的终止,华北板块和西伯利亚板块的碰撞拼合造山一直延续到中三叠世才结束。     

大兴安岭中段林西组砂岩LA-ICP-MS碎屑锆石U-Pb年代学及其地质意义

大兴安岭中段扎赉特旗西北部分布大面积的晚二叠世林西组沉积地层,该沉积地层主要为长石砂岩、粉砂岩、长石岩屑砂岩夹不同规模的含砾砂岩及灰岩,中部含有较为丰富的双壳类、植物化石。本次研究针对林西组下部的长石岩屑砂岩进行LA-ICP-MS碎屑锆石U-Pb测年工作,共获得98个有效年龄,年龄分布范围为（2 552.3±22.5）~（227.6±5.4）Ma,大部分年龄位于谐和曲线上,部分结果偏离曲线,根据测试数据按年龄值和频率分布特征大致分为以下几组：上泥盆世—晚二叠世（380.0~246.1 Ma）、志留纪—寒武纪晚期（489.0~413.8 Ma）、中元古代—新元古代（1 239.5～808.1 Ma）、古元古代（2 554.0～1 784.3 Ma）。上述年龄与区域上的岩浆事件基本吻合。综合研究表明研究区内林西组沉积下限为（253.4±1.5） Ma,林西组的物源主体应来自于西拉木伦河—延吉一线,其余锆石来源主要为兴蒙造山带内部、华北板块北缘和东北各地块,1.8和2.5 Ga的碎屑锆石更有可能来自华北板块北缘,华北板块和西伯利亚板块在（253.4±1.5） Ma之前已经完成碰撞、拼合,古亚洲洋已经闭合,兴蒙海槽形成。林西组海相核形石的发现表明晚二叠世大兴安岭中段地区应以海相环境为主,直到三叠纪早期才逐渐转变为陆相沉积环境。     

Bayesian analysis of De distributions in optical dating: Towards a robust method for dealing with outliers

In optical dating, especially single-grain dating, various patterns of distributions in equivalent dose (D_e) are usually observed and analysed using different statistical models. None of these methods, however, is designed to deal with outliers that do not form part of the population of grains associated with the event of interest (the ‘target population’), despite outliers being commonly present in single-grain D_e distributions. In this paper, we present a Bayesian method for detecting D_e outliers and making allowance for them when estimating the D_e value of the target population. We test this so-called Bayesian outlier model (BOM) using data sets obtained for individual grains of quartz from sediments deposited in a variety of settings, and in simulations. We find that the BOM is suitable for single-grain D_e distributions containing outliers that, for a variety of reasons, do not form part of the target population. For example, D_e outliers may be associated with grains that have undesirable luminescence properties (e.g., thermal instability, high rates of anomalous fading) or with contaminant grains incorporated into a sample when collected in the field or prepared in the laboratory. Grains that have much larger or smaller D_e values than the target population, due to factors such as insufficient bleaching, beta-dose heterogeneity or post-depositional disturbance, may also be identified as outliers using the BOM, enabling these values to be weighted appropriately for final D_e and age determination.     

Luminescence and ESR dating of the sedimentary infill from the multi-level cave system of Alkerdi-Zelaieta (Navarre,N Spain)

The finding of Upper Paleolithic engravings in 2016 triggered a multidisciplinary investigation of the Alkerdi cave system (Urdazubi, N Spain). The study of the speleogenetic processes led to the identification of at least 6 paragenetic cave levels with associated sedimentary infill. In order to unravel the timing of changes in the karst dynamics and to get some insights about sediment origin, two sediment samples were collected from cave levels 4 and 1 for numerical dating purpose, using both Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) and Electron Spin Resonance (ESR) methods. One additional modern-age sample was also taken from the entrance of the karst to evaluate the magnitude of the optical bleaching achieved by the quartz grains before entering the cave system. Last, one sample was collected from a flowstone for U-series dating, providing independent age control.OSL measurements were carried out using small quartz multi-grain (MG) and single-grain (SG) Single Aliquot Regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol. Initial Equivalent Dose (D_e) results show evidence of saturated OSL signal for the sample of the higher level (with ∼60% of saturated aliquots). Unlike SA data, SG analyses do not meet the usual quality criteria (e.g., relatively high recuperation ratios, only a few grains with useable signal), suggesting that corresponding dating results should be treated with caution.Hence, both MG and SG TT-OSL and MG ESR methods were subsequently employed, as the corresponding signals are known to have higher saturation levels than OSL ones. ESR analyses were based on the Multiple Centre (MC) approach using the standard multi-grain multi-aliquot additive (MAA) dose method, while TT-OSL measurements were performed following Demuro et al. (2020). The latter, however, did not return any useful results for both samples. MC ESR data show the usual D_e pattern (D_e(Al)>D_e(Ti op. D)>D_e(Ti–H)) indicating that among the three ESR signals analyzed, the Ti–H most likely provides the closest estimate to the true burial age. However, low measurement repeatability and goodness-of-of fit indicate that the reliability of the ESR results may be reasonably questioned.Results derived from this multi-technique dating approach provide the first chronological constraints for the sedimentary infill of the Alkerdi cave system. In particular, they suggest that sediment deposition in Cave Level 4 (ALK-OSL01) occurred around 130 ka, which is in good agreement with the minimum age constraint given by the speleothem (80.5 ± 9.0 ka). In comparison, the young age obtained for sample ALK-OSL02 (5.0 ± 0.9 ka) suggests recent Holocene formation of the lowest cave level 1.Finally, the MG De value obtained for the modern sample is close to zero (<1 Gy), indicating that the OSL signal is almost fully reset at a multi-grain level before entering the cave. Additionally, despite the large De overdispersion measured in this modern sample, the De values are one to two order of magnitude lower than those obtained with the same model in the other two samples. Therefore, the large OSL D_e overdispersion (OD) values of up to 64% obtained for the two samples from Cave Level 4 and 1 are most likely related to re-sedimentation processes inside the cave system.     

阿拉善地块东北缘狼山地区大红山组沉积时代、物质来源及区域构造意义

阿拉善地块位于中亚造山带南缘,是研究中亚造山带南缘二叠纪构造背景及演化的关键地区。本研究在阿拉善地块东北缘狼山地区野外调查的基础上,对狼山地区大红山组地层进行古流向、碎屑锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb定年和砂岩碎屑组分分析。研究表明砾石最大扁平面倾向为SWW—NWW,指示大红山组地层沉积时的古水流的流向总体呈现自西向东,推测大红山组砾石主要来自狼山西部地区。砂岩中碎屑锆石最小年龄峰值为275 Ma和278 Ma,表明大红山组沉积时代不早于中二叠世早期。砂岩的碎屑组分分析和碎屑锆石年龄谱指示大红山组可能来自于晚古生代诺尔公—狼山弧,砾石的古流向分析和碎屑锆石年龄谱推测大红山组砾石极有可能来自于阿拉善地块前寒武纪变质基底。结合诺尔公—狼山构造带晚古生代大陆岩浆弧的存在,认为二叠系大红山组地层沉积于弧背前陆盆地的构造背景。     

北秦岭柳叶河盆地石炭系—二叠系含砾砂岩碎屑锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb年龄及其地质意义

通过北秦岭黑河地区柳叶河盆地碎屑锆石年龄研究,探讨盆地沉积物年龄结构,并进一步推断其物源及与秦岭造山带的盆山耦合过程。采自柳叶河盆地石炭系—二叠系含砾砂岩样品中的82颗碎屑锆石年龄可分为6组:260~542Ma、800~1100Ma、1320~1560Ma、1640~2250Ma、2300~2660Ma和2720~2870Ma。其中260~542Ma年龄段所占测点比例最大,占锆石总数的31%,其次为1640~2250Ma、2300~2660Ma和800~1100Ma年龄段。最老年龄值为2834±40Ma,最年轻者为264±5Ma。从碎屑锆石年龄结构对比及石炭纪地层交错层理推断,柳叶河盆地石炭系—二叠系物源区主要为当时的北秦岭山地。此外,碎屑锆石年龄结构对比表明,鄂尔多斯盆地南部与柳叶河原始盆地有相同的年龄谱特征,意味着它们具有同一物源区。北秦岭山地是在加里东造山作用后期影响下迅速隆升而形成的。其后,随着南侧勉略洋的打开,华北地台相对沉降及沿商丹带的走滑断陷使柳叶河盆地出现,仍旧处于隆升状态的北秦岭山地开始作为该盆地及其北侧鄂尔多斯盆地南部的主要物源区。