Distribution Patterns of Calcite Cement in the Turbidite Sandstones of the Shahejie Formation in the Dongying Depression, Eastern China

Calcite cements are volumetrically dominant among the most diagenetic constituents in turbidite sandstones of the Paleogene Shahejie Formation in the Dongying Depression. The results show carbonate cements mainly occur in three phases: Calcite I (pre-compaction), Calcite II (post-compaction) and ankerite in the turbidite sandstone. The isotopic composition of Calcite I and Calcite II range from ?4.3‰ to 4.4‰, ?3.5‰ to 4.3‰ PDB, respectively, suggesting that the calcite cements are mainly derived from the interbedded shales. The early calcite cement precipitated from the mixing of lacustrine and meteoric waters at 38–69°C. The late-phase calcite precipitated from pore waters modified by water-rock interactions at 64–126°C. Two distribution patterns of calcite cements can be identified, depending on their position within the sandstone. The peripheral cementation of the sandstones is near the sand-shale contact. The development of cement is controlled by sandstone thickness and the properties of the interbedded shale. For scattered cementation, the distribution of the calcite cement is not controlled by the sand-shale contact. Calcite cement was preferentially distributed in coarse-grained sandstones, indicating that sandstones with high original permeability are the preferred pathway for the migration of early diagenetic fluids.     

Stable isotopic signatures of superposed fluid events in granulite facies marbles of the Rauer Group, East Antarctica

The role of volatiles in the stabilization of the lower (granulite facies) crust is contentious. Opposing models invoke infiltration of CO₂-rich fluids or generally vapour-absent conditions during granulite facies metamorphism. Stable isotope and petrological studies of granulite facies metacarbonates can provide constraints on these models. In this study data are presented from metre-scale forsteritic marble boudins within Archaean intermediate to felsic orthogneisses from the Rauer Group, East Antarctica. Forsteritic marble layers and associated calcsilicates preserve a range of ¹³C- and ¹⁸O-depleted calcite isotope values (δ¹³C= -9.9 to -3.0% PDB, δ¹⁸O = 4.0 to 12.1% SMOW). A coupled trend of ¹³C and ¹⁸O depletion (～2%, ～5%, respectively) from core to rim across one marble layer is inconsistent with pervasive CO₂ infiltration during granulite facies metamorphism, but does indicate localized fluid-rock interaction. At another locality, more pervasive fluid infiltration has resulted in calcite having uniformly low, carbonatite-like δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values. A favoured mechanism for the low δ¹⁸O and δ¹³C values of the marbles is infiltration by fluids that were derived from, or equilibrated with, a magmatic source. It is likely that this fluid-rock interaction occurred prior to high-grade metamorphism; other fluid-rock histories are not, however, ruled out by the available data. Coupled trends of ¹³C and ¹⁸O depletion are modified to even lower values by the superposed development of small-scale metasomatic reaction zones between marbles and internally folded mafic (?) interlayers. The timing of development of these layers is uncertain, but may be related to Archaean high-temperature (>1000d?C) granulite facies metamorphism.     

Geochemical constraints on the modes of carbonate precipitation in peridotites from the Logatchev Hydrothermal Vent Field and Gakkel Ridge

The ultramafic-hosted Logatchev Hydrothermal Field (LHF) at 15°N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the Arctic Gakkel Ridge (GR) feature carbonate precipitates (aragonite, calcite, and dolomite) in voids and fractures within different types of host rocks. We present chemical and Sr isotopic compositions of these different carbonates to examine the conditions that led to their formation. Our data reveal that different processes have led to the precipitation of carbonates in the various settings. Seawater-like ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios for aragonite in serpentinites (0.70909 to 0.70917) from the LHF are similar to those of aragonite from the GR (0.70912 to 0.70917) and indicate aragonite precipitation from seawater at ambient conditions at both sites. Aragonite veins in sulfide breccias from LHF also have seawater-like Sr isotope compositions (0.70909 to 0.70915), however, their rare earth element (REE) patterns show a clear positive europium (Eu) anomaly indicative of a small (< 1%) hydrothermal contribution. In contrast to aragonite, dolomite from the LHF has precipitated at much higher temperatures (~ 100 °C), and yet its ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.70896 to 0.70907) are only slightly lower than those of aragonite. Even higher temperatures are calculated for the precipitation of deformed calcite veins in serpentine–talc fault schists form north of the LHF. These calcites show unradiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.70460 to 0.70499) indicative of precipitation from evolved hydrothermal fluids. A simple mixing model based on Sr mass balance and enthalpy conservation indicates strongly variable conditions of fluid mixing and heat transfers involved in carbonate formation. Dolomite precipitated from a mixture of 97% seawater and 3% hydrothermal fluid that should have had a temperature of approximately 14 °C assuming that no heat was transferred. The much higher apparent precipitation temperatures based on oxygen isotopes (~ 100 °C) may be indicative of conductive heating, probably of seawater prior to mixing. The hydrothermal calcite in the fault schist has precipitated from a mixture of 67% hydrothermal fluid and 33% seawater, which should have had an isenthalpic mixing temperature of ~ 250 °C. The significantly lower temperatures calculated from oxygen isotopes are likely due to conductive cooling of hydrothermal fluid discharging along faults. Rare earth element patterns corroborate the results of the mixing model, since the hydrothermal calcite, which formed from waters with the greatest hydrothermal contribution, has REE patterns that closely resemble those of vent fluids from the LHF. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that (1) precipitation from pure seawater, (2) conductive heating of seawater, and (3) conductive cooling of hydrothermal fluids in the sub-seafloor all can lead to carbonate precipitation within a single ultramafic-hosted hydrothermal system.     

Abiotic versus biotic controls on the development of the Fairmont Hot Springs carbonate deposit, British Columbia, Canada

The relict Fairmont Hot Springs deposit, formed largely of carbonates, covers an area of 0·5 km², and is up to 16 m thick. The triangle‐shaped discharge apron, which broadens down‐valley, is divided into a proximal part with beds dipping at <10° and a distal part with beds dipping at 10° to 15°. The deposit is formed of the: (1) Basal Macrophyte; (2) Lower Carbonate; (3) Middle Clastic; (4) Upper Carbonate; and (5) Upper Clastic Sequences. Two charcoal samples embedded in the Lower Carbonate Sequence yielded dates of 8690 ± 90 and 8270 ± 70 cal yr bp , indicating that much of the deposit formed post‐glacially during the Early to Mid‐Holocene. Deposit aggradation ceased in the Mid to Late Holocene when the Fairmont Creek valley was incised. The Lower and Upper Carbonate Sequences, which are the thickest sequences, are composed of nearly equal parts of travertine (abiotic) and tufa (biotic), with feather dendrite travertine, radiating dendrite travertine and stromatolite tufa dominating. Competition between calcite precipitation rates and biotic growth rates controlled the distribution of tufa and travertine across the discharge apron. Calcite and biotic growth rates were controlled largely by flow velocity across the apron which, in turn, was controlled by topography and regular fluctuations in spring water discharge volume. During times of high spring discharge, slow sheet flow over the proximal part of the apron promoted stromatolite growth, whereas fast, turbulent flow on the distal part of the apron induced rapid feather dendrite formation. During times of low spring discharge, quiescent, shallow evaporative pools, conducive to radiating dendrite formation, formed on the proximal part of the apron, whereas slow flow on the distal part promoted stromatolite growth. Facies with high calcite supersaturation experienced rapid abiotic dendrite growth that precluded most biotic growth.     

The biogenic origin of needle fibre calcite

Needle fibre calcite is one of the most ubiquitous habits of calcite in vadose environments (caves deposits, soil pores, etc.). Its origin, either through inorganic, indirect or direct biological processes, has long been debated. In this study, investigations at 11 sites in Europe, Africa and Central America support arguments for its biogenic origin. The wide range of needle morphologies is the result of a gradual evolution of the simplest type, a rod. This rod is the elementary brick which, by aggregation and welding, builds more complex needles. The absence of cross‐welded needles implies that they are welded in a mould, or under a longitudinal and unidirectional constraint, before being released inside the soil pores. The difference between the lengthening of the needles and the c axis can be explained by the existence of needles observed under a scanning electron microscope in organic sleeves, which can act as a mould during rod growth. Complex morphologies with epitaxial outgrowths on straight rods cannot have grown entirely inside organic microtubes; they must result from soil diagenesis after the release of straight rods in a soil‐free medium. Whisker crystals are interpreted as the result of growth and coalescence of euhedral crystals on a rod. Rhomb chains are considered to be the consequence of successive epitaxial growth steps on a needle during variations in growth conditions. Isotopic signatures for needle fibre calcite vary from ?16·63‰ to +1·10‰ and from ?8·63‰ to ?2·25‰ for δ¹³C and δ¹⁸O, respectively. The absence of high δ¹⁸O values for needle fibre calcite precludes a purely physicochemical origin (evaporative) for this particular habit of calcite. As epitaxial growth cannot precipitate in the same conditions as initial needles, needle fibre calcite stable isotopic signatures should be used with caution as a proxy for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. In addition, it is suggested that the term needle fibre calcite should be kept for the original biogenic form. The other habit should be referred to as epitaxial forms of needle fibre calcite.     

Diagenesis impact on a deeply buried sandstone reservoir (Es1 Member) of the Shahejie Formation,Nanpu Sag,Bohai Bay Basin,East China

Diagenesis has a significant impact on reservoir quality in deeply buried formations. Sandstone units of the Shahejie Formation (Es₁ Member) of Nanpu Sag, Bohai Bay Basin, East China is a typical deeply buried sandstone with large hydrocarbon accumulations. The methodology includes core observations and thin section studies, using fluorescence, scanning electron microscope (SEM), cathodoluminescence (CL), fluid inclusion and isotope and electron probing analysis as well as the numerical determination of reservoir characteristics. The sandstones consist of medium to coarse-grained, slight to moderate sorted lithic arkose and feldspathic litharenite. Porosity and permeability values range from 0.5 to 30% and 0.006 to 7000 mD, respectively. The diagenetic history reveals mixed episodes of diagenesis and deep burial followed by uplift. The main diagenetic events include compaction, cementation alteration, dissolution of unstable minerals and grain fracturing. Compaction resulted in densification and significantly reduced the primary porosity. Quartz, calcite and clay are the dominant pore-occluding cement and occur as euhedral to subhedral crystals. Alteration and dissolution of volcanic lithic fragments and pressure solution of feldspar grains were the key sources of quartz cement whereas carbonate cement is derived from an external source. Clay minerals resulted from the alteration of feldspar and volcanic lithic fragments. Porosity and permeability data predict a good inverse relationship with cementation whereas leaching of metastable grains, dissolution of cement and in some places formation of pore-lining chlorite enhanced the reservoir quality. The best reservoir is thicker sandstone bodies that are medium to coarse-grained, well-sorted sandstone with low primary ductile grains with a minor amount of calcite cement. The present study shows several diagenetic stages in the Es₁ Member, but the overall reservoir quality is preserved.     

沙漠微生物矿化覆膜及其稳定性的现场试验研究

将微生物诱导矿化技术应用于原位沙漠覆膜的形成,使得流动沙丘经结皮固定而成为半固定、固定沙丘,从根本上阻断沙尘暴的源头。在内蒙古乌兰布和沙漠腹地选择两个微生物矿化试验区域（TP1和TP3）,分别用于两种不同矿化菌种诱导生成碳酸钙覆膜。研究沙漠微生物矿化覆膜的现场试验方法及工艺,对原位矿化覆膜的强度及其在沙漠环境中的长期稳定性进行跟踪检测。采用沙漠土中自行提取的葡萄球菌和传统的巴氏芽孢杆菌两种不同的微生物矿化菌种,通过现场贯入试验检测7、14、28、60、210 d后矿化覆膜沿深度发展的贯入阻力,并将覆膜厚度为2 cm处的平均贯入阻力换算成覆膜层强度,总结覆膜强度随时间的发展变化规律。现场观测结果显示,不同微生物菌种诱导生成的矿化覆膜均在试验的第4天开始形成,到第7天覆膜层具有稳定的强度和厚度,现场检测覆膜的平均厚度为2.0～2.5 cm,经自源葡萄球菌诱导生成的矿化覆膜（TP1）的强度是巴氏芽孢杆菌诱导生成的矿化覆膜（TP3）强度的1.05倍。当经历冬春交替后覆膜层强度都有不同程度的降低,明显地TP3较TP1区域表面剥落更为严重,第210天检测TP3的平均厚度为0.7～1.0 cm,覆膜强度较第7天时降低19%,覆膜内碳酸钙含量较第7天检测时降低15%～30%。而TP1在第210天时的强度较第7天时强度降低仅2%。因此,微生物诱导矿化技术可以应用于沙漠原位覆膜的形成,且沙漠自源葡萄球菌经诱导生成的矿化覆膜层具有更好的强度表现和稳定性。     

Calibration of oxygen isotope fractionation and calcite-corundum thermometry in emery at Naxos,Greece

Corundum (Crn), including sapphire, occurs in emery pods surrounded by marble on the island of Naxos, Greece. The emery formed from bauxite deposited in karst that was metamorphosed to 400–700°C at 20–15 Ma. Many of these rocks initially appeared well suited for refractory accessory mineral (RAM) thermometry, which uses oxygen isotope fractionation between a RAM – corundum – and a modally dominant phase with faster diffusion of oxygen – calcite (Cc) – to determine peak metamorphic temperatures. However, previous attempts at oxygen isotope thermometry were confounded by highly variable fractionations (Δ¹⁸O) measured at mm-scale and the uncertain calibration of Δ¹⁸O(Cc-Crn) versus temperature. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) permits in situ analysis of δ¹⁸O in corundum and calcite at the 10-μm scale in adjacent grains where textures suggest peak metamorphic equilibrium was attained. SIMS analyses of adjacent mineral pairs in eight rocks yield values of Δ(Cc-Crn) that systematically decrease from 7.2 to 2.9‰ at higher metamorphic grade. Pairing these data with independent temperature estimates from mineral isograds yields an empirical calibration of 1,000 lnα(Cc-Crn) = 2.72 ± 0.3 × 10⁶/T² (T in K). The new fractionations (2.7‰ at 1,000 K) are significantly smaller than those calculated from the modified increment method (6.5‰ at 1,000 K; Zheng, Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 1991, 55:2299–2307; Zheng, Mineral Mag, 1994, 58A:1000–1001), which yield unreasonably high temperatures of 630 to 1,140°C when applied to the new Naxos data. The new calibration of Δ(Cc-Crn) can be combined with published fractionations to calculate A-factors for corundum versus a range of 14 other minerals. These new fractionation factors can be used for thermometry or to constrain the genesis of corundum. A compilation of gem corundum δ¹⁸O values shows that many igneous sapphires, including important deposits of basalt-associated sapphire, are mildly elevated in δ¹⁸O relative to the calculated range in equilibrium with mantle values (4.4–5.7‰) and formed from evolved magmas.     

Micro-environmental controls on biomineralization: superficial processes of apatite and calcite precipitation in Quaternary soils, Roussillon, France

Calcium hydroxyapatite and calcite precipitates around bacteria were observed in 2-week-old alluvial topsoil (Roussillon area, SE France). This observation prompted a laboratory study of Ca²⁺ and PO₄³⁻ incorporation into hydroxyapatite and Ca²⁺ into calcite mediated by bacteria using similar topsoil material, but free from apatite and calcite. Subsamples were prepared using three different grain sizes, and experiments were undertaken using sucrose and different contents of Ca²⁺ and PO₄³⁻. Mineralization experiments proceeded over 5 days. Calcium and PO₄³⁻ sorption onto clay influenced the Ca/P ratio in the solutions. Hydroxyapatite and calcite precipitation only occurred in unsterilized samples. The presence of clay minerals promoted biomineralization.     

The origin of magnetization and geochemical alteration in a fault zone,Kilve, England

The origin of an apparently syndeformational chemical remanent magnetization (CRM) and geochemical alteration in a fault zone in the Bristol Channel Basin, southwest England, was investigated. Deformation in the fault zone occurs in Jurassic aged, organic-rich limestones and consists of numerous normal and oblique-slip faults and associated folds. Migration of basinal, radiogenic fluids is indicated by elevated ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values for calcite veins that occur throughout the fault zone. Some of the calcite veins contain hydrocarbons sourced from deeper strata. Elevated ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values in the host Jurassic limestones indicate that they were also extensively altered by radiogenic fluids that migrated through microfractures in addition to major fault and fracture planes. Folded and tilted host limestones contain a pervasive secondary CRM residing in magnetite that was acquired during deformation in the Tertiary. The association between this pervasive CRM and the pervasive geochemical alteration is consistent with a genetic connection between the orogenic fluids and the CRM although the timing of CRM acquisition (Tertiary) is not consistent with structural interpretations for the timing of most veining. An alternative remagnetization mechanism which is not triggered by externally derived fluids, such as diagenesis of hydrocarbons, might account for the CRM. Hydrocarbon-bearing veins also contain a CRM that resides in magnetite, although the time for remanence acquisition is not well constrained by field tests. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.