Zebra dolomitization as a result of focused fluid flow in the Rocky Mountains Fold and Thrust Belt, Canada

Discordant zebra dolomite bodies occur locally in the Middle Cambrian Cathedral and Eldon Formations of the Main Ranges of the Canadian Rocky Mountains Fold and Thrust Belt. They are characterized by alternating dark grey (a) and white (b) bands, forming an ‘abba’ diagenetic cyclicity. These bands developed parallel to both bedding and cleavage. Dark grey (a) bands consist of fine (< 300 μm) non-planar crystalline impure dolomite. The white (b) bands are composed of coarse (up to several millimetres) milky-white pure saddle dolomites (b1) which are often covered by pore-lining zoned dolomite (b2). The b phases often possess a saddle-shaped morphology. In contrast to the replacement origin of the a dolomite, the zoned b2 dolomite rims are interpreted as a cement formed in open cavities. The b1 dolomite is interpreted as the result of recrystallization with diagenetic leaching of non-carbonate components. All the zebra dolomites studied are (nearly) stoichiometric and are characterized by enriched Na and depleted Sr concentrations. Fe and Mn concentrations in these dolomites differ depending on the sample locality. Fluid inclusion data indicate that the dolomites formed from relatively hot (T_H = 130–200 °C), saline (20–23 wt% CaCl₂ eq.) fluids. A diagenetic high temperature origin is also supported by depleted δ¹⁸O values (−20 to −14‰ VPDB). A contribution of ⁸⁷Sr-enriched fluids is reflected in the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values (0·7091–0·7123). Zebra dolomite development is explained by focused fluid flow, which exploited areas of structural weaknesses (e.g. basin-platform, rim areas, faults, etc.). Expulsion of hot basinal brines in a tectonically active regime generated overpressures, which explains the development of secondary porosity during zebra dolomitization as well as the intra-zebra fracturing at decimetre to micrometre scale.     

Advances in lunar science from the Clementine mission: A decadal perspective

The Clementine spacecraft orbited the Moon and acquired science data for 10 weeks in the Spring of 1994. During this time it collected global 11-band multispectral images and near global altimetry. Select areas of the Moon were imaged at 25 m/pixel in visible light and 60 m/pixel in thermal wavelengths. From these datasets a new paradigm for the evolution of the lunar crust emerged. The Moon is no longer viewed as a two-terrane planet, the Apollo samples were found not to represent the lunar crust as a whole, and the complexity of lunar crustal stratigraphy was further revealed. More than ten years later the Clementine datasets continue to significantly advance lunar science and will continue to do so as new measurements are returned from planned missions such as Chandrayaan, SELENE, and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter. This paper highlights the scientific research conducted over the last decade using Clementine data and summarizes the influence of Clementine on our understanding of the Moon.     

贵州绥阳双河洞国家地质公园洞穴基本特征及成因探讨

106地质大队于1959～1960年曾对双河洞石膏矿进行过地质勘查。1986年～2006年4月,先后有中、法、日等国专家19次进双河洞考察,初步查明了该洞总长度为105.7km,是亚洲第二长洞,在世界上排名第16位。该洞不仅规模宏大,网络复杂,且有一定数量的次生淋滤型石膏矿分布,成为国内外罕见的独特洞穴景观。双河洞自2004年荣获国家地质公园称号以来,已引起国内外专家的广泛关注。该洞的形成,与该区域大范围内下寒武统清虚洞组上部至中寒武统平井组下部白云岩中,含大量硬石膏层有着密切的成因联系。     

滇东南官房钨矿床矽卡岩矿物学特征及其地质意义

官房钨矿床位于滇东南薄竹山W多金属矿集区,是近年来新发现的大型白钨矿床。矽卡岩多产于层间破碎带,呈似层状、透镜状和脉状,一般不与花岗岩体接触而形成远端矽卡岩（深部揭露有少量产于接触带）,矽卡岩矿物发育。为进一步查明矽卡岩矿物学和矿物化学特征,揭示矽卡岩形成环境,探讨矽卡岩与矿化类型之间的关系,笔者采集了KT3近端矽卡岩与KT5远端矽卡岩进行对比,通过开展系统的矿物学镜下观察,利用EMPA进行石榴子石成分分析,LA-ICP-MS对典型的矽卡岩矿物进行了单矿物分析。研究表明,官房钨矿床矽卡岩属典型钙质矽卡岩,矽卡岩矿物主要有石榴子石、辉石、符山石等,其中石榴子石为钙铝榴石-钙铁榴石系列,辉石为透辉石-钙铁辉石系列,符山石属普通符山石。由近端矽卡岩向远端矽卡岩,石榴子石主要成分由钙铝榴石向钙铁榴石转化;辉石几乎全部为透辉石向透辉石、钙铁辉石的组合转化,石榴子石与辉石的特征表明矿床的矽卡岩由还原型矽卡岩转为氧化型矽卡岩;KT5形成条件较KT3氧逸度更高,两者流体交代方式以扩散交代为主。石榴子石、辉石端员组分及Mn/Fe、Mg/Fe比值稍高的特征,综合指示其矿化类型属于铁铜锌等多金属矿化类型;符山石中较低的w（W）可作为钨矿找矿标志。     

南沙群岛南科1井白云岩发育特征及铁白云石成因机制的初步研究

南海自新生代以来发育了大量的碳酸盐岩台地和生物礁,并普遍发生白云岩化作用,具有广阔的油气勘探前景。文章通过开展岩相学观察、矿物学分析、常微量元素和碳氧同位素分析,同时结合Fe组分及Fe同位素地球化学分析,对南沙群岛南科1井白云岩的发育特征和成岩环境进行了系统研究。结果表明:南科1井上中新统—下更新统白云岩主要形成于近地表环境中,溶蚀孔隙发育,残余结构明显。白云岩层中发育有多个与暴露成因有关的界面,未发现石膏层的存在。同时,白云岩普遍具有低Fe、Mn和Sr的特征以及与现代海水相似的REE分布模式, δ¹³C和δ¹⁸O多为正值,但不存在相关性。整体来看,白云岩可能形成于轻微蒸发海水的渗透回流作用,还受到了与古气候变冷有关的海平面下降的控制。此外,南科1井岩芯中多个层位发育铁白云石,并且集中分布在暴露面附近。Fe组分和Fe同位素组成结果显示,白云岩中Fe主要来源于海水中碳酸盐的沉淀,成岩过程中基本不存在额外的陆源或热液来源的Fe混入。铁白云石主要形成于低温和浅埋藏环境中,大气淡水对生物骨架、生物碎屑以及自生碳酸盐矿物的淋滤-溶解作用为其提供了重要的...     

Palaeogeography and clay mineralogy of mid-Cretaceous flysches in the Gibraltar Arc area

A combined sedimentological and mineralogical study of several mid-Cretaceous sequences of the western Betic Cordillera and northern Rif has lead to the distinction of three main palaeogeographic areas. The basins of these areas received influxes of terrigenous sediments from different source areas. The southern Iberian margin was fed from the Iberian palaeocontinent and its clay-mineral association is characterized by a high content of well crystallized illite and kaolinite; the distal part of this margin was locally starved of continental sedimentation, but contains a considerable clayey contribution, probably oceanic in origin, made up mainly of smectites, illite and palygorskite. The sediments in the North African margin and the southern part of the North African Flysch Trough came from the African continent, the typical Aptian-Albian clay-mineral association being well crystallized illite, illite-smectite mixed layers, kaolinite, chlorite and lesser quantities of vermiculite. The terrigenous supply to the Mauritanian Realm of the North African Flysch Trough came from the Meso-Mediterranean terrane, and its usual Aptian-Albian clay association is illite, vermiculite, illite-smectite mixed layers and kaolinite. A significant change in the clay mineralogy occurred during the late Albian-early Cenomanian in the two former areas, consisting of a decrease in the detrital supply and a concomitant increase in smectites and palygorskite.The sedimentological and mineralogical evolution of this area was controlled by a combination of tectonic, eustatic and climatic changes in the westernmost Tethys during the mid-Cretaceous.     

Flotation Separation of Trace Elements from Alkaline-Earth Matrices by Co(III) Hexamethylenedithiocarbamate before ICP-AES Determination

A method for the selective separation of Ag, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in traces from solutions of calcite (CaCO₃), dolomite (CaMg(CO₃)₂) and gypsum (CaSO₄.2H₂O) before their determination by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES) is presented. The expected interferences of Ca and Mg on intensities of trace analytes were removed by collecting the elements of interest with cobalt(III) hexamethylenedithiocar-bamate, Co(HMDTC)₃. The flotation of aqueous solutions (1 l) of calcite, dolomite and gypsum was performed at pH 6.0, by 1.5 mg l⁻¹ Co and 0.6 mmol l⁻¹ HMDTC⁻. To minimise the effect of the reaction between Ca/Mg, which restrains the function of the surfactant, careful selection of the most suitable foaming reagent was necessary. The accuracy of the method was established by analysing natural alkaline-earth minerals by the standard addition method as well as using the dolomite reference materials GBW 07114 and GSJ JDo-1. The ICP-AES limits of detection following flotation on different minerals were found to be 0.080 μg g⁻¹ for Cd, 0.105 μg g⁻¹ for Ag, 0.142 μg g⁻¹ for Cu, 0.195 μg g⁻¹ for Cr, 0.212 μg g⁻¹ for Ni, 0.235 μg g⁻¹ for Zn and 0.450 μg g⁻¹ for Pb.     

A new locality of palygorskite-rich clay from the southeastern Yucatán: a potential material source for environmental applications

A palygorskite unit was discovered in a road cut of undifferentiated Tertiary limestone between the villages of El Pariso and San Roman (18°49.309N, 88°37.861W) in the southeastern Yucatán Peninsula, Mexico. This is the southern most locality of a clay-rich sedimentary unit reported in the literature for the Tertiary carbonates of the Yucatán Peninsula. This occurrence indicates a much wider range of palygorskite-rich clay deposition than previously recognized. The lithology is 99% clay and 1% sand to silt size diagenetic quartz grains. The clay consists of approximately 85% palygorskite, 15% montmorillonite and trace amounts of titanium oxides. EDS analyses on palygorskite are largely consistent with sedimentary palygorskites from other coastal marine settings, however palygorskite has a low total Fe content (average = 0.40 wt% expressed as Fe₂O₃) compared to many other sedimentary palygorskites. Montmorillonite chemical compositions are typical and compared to the palygorskite have substantially higher Fe₂O₃ concentrations (average = 3.90 wt%). The low percentage of coarse grains in the lithology combined with a high proportion of palygorskite and lack of detrimental trace minerals suggest the deposit is of industrial grade; however, it has limited reserves (6,000 m³). The unit could be potentially used in a wide array of environmental applications which are needed in the region including liners for landfills and constructed wetlands. The unit is in a geographic location which would serve the expanding economy of the region. This resource has the potential to have great impact on the quality of the local environment and the economy of a region under great environmental threat.     

Diagenetic formation of gypsum and dolomite in a cold‐water coral mound in the Porcupine Seabight,off Ireland

Authigenic gypsum was found in a gravity core, retrieved from the top of Mound Perseverance, a giant cold‐water coral mound in the Porcupine Basin, off Ireland. The occurrence of gypsum in such an environment is intriguing, because gypsum, a classic evaporitic mineral, is undersaturated with respect to sea water. Sedimentological, petrographic and isotopic evidence point to diagenetic formation of the gypsum, tied to oxidation of sedimentary sulphide minerals (i.e. pyrite). This oxidation is attributed to a phase of increased bottom currents which caused erosion and enhanced inflow of oxidizing fluids into the mound sediments. The oxidation of pyrite produced acidity, causing carbonate dissolution and subsequently leading to pore‐water oversaturation with respect to gypsum and dolomite. Calculations based on the isotopic compositions of gypsum and pyrite reveal that between 21·6% and 28·6% of the sulphate incorporated into the gypsum derived from pyrite oxidation. The dissolution of carbonate increased the porosity in the affected sediment layer but promoted lithification of the sediments at the sediment‐water interface. Thus, authigenic gypsum can serve as a signature for diagenetic oxidation events in carbonate‐rich sediments. These observations demonstrate that fluid flow, steered by environmental factors, has an important effect on the diagenesis of coral mounds.     

乌兰图嘎超大型锗矿床含锗煤的矿物学

内蒙古乌兰图嘎锗矿是我国近年来发现的产在煤层中的超大型锗矿床,锗金属储量达1600 t。以乌兰图嘎超大型锗矿床的含锗煤为研究对象,利用X射线衍射(XRD)、带能谱的扫描电镜(SEM-EDX)和电子探针(EPMA)详细研究了乌兰图嘎含锗煤及其同时代的红旗煤矿无矿煤的矿物学特征。分析结果表明,乌兰图嘎含锗煤中的主要矿物包括石英、蒙脱石;次要矿物包括长石、高岭石、伊利石;另含少量三水铝石、角闪石、叶蜡石、石膏、绿泥石、锐钛矿、黄铁矿、方解石、白云石和草酸钙石;微量的锆石、闪锌矿、白钨矿、重晶石、黄铜矿、卤化物、磷酸盐以及含Pb、Bi、Cr、As和Sb矿物。未发现含锗矿物。推测含锗煤中的锗可能主要呈有机结合,而Ba、Zn、Ti、W、Pb、Bi、Cr、Fe、As、Zr、Sb、Cu和REE可能主要与矿物相结合。此外,首次在乌兰图嘎含锗煤及红旗煤矿无矿煤中发现含银颗粒或自然银,推测胜利煤田的褐煤可能有相当规模的Ag矿化。