The origin of tin deposits in the Mount Wells region,Pine Creek Geosyncline,Northern Territory

Tabular steeply dipping cassiterite‐bearing lodes in the Mount Wells region are hosted by lower greenschist fades metasediment of the Pine Creek Geosyncline within the contact aureole of late orogenic granitoids. The latter are predominantly I‐type, but S‐type phases are developed near the sediment‐granitoid contact.

Quartz, cassiterite, pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite are the main minerals. Two types of lodes are present: (i) Sn‐quartz lodes containing 5–10 vol% sulphide minerals; and (ii) Sn‐sulphide lodes containing ～ 70 vol% sulphide minerals. At the surface, the former appear as normal quartz veins and the latter as hematite‐quartz breccia resulting from the collapse of original sulphide‐rich lodes as a consequence of volume reduction due to oxidation and leaching.

Two stages of quartz veining are recognized in both types of lodes. Cassiterite is present in stage I while stage II is composed of barren quartz with minor pyrite. Late stage III carbonate veinlets are present in Sn‐sulphide lodes. The lode‐wallrock contact is sharp with weak alteration effects confined to the fringe of the lodes. The alteration minerals include sericite, quartz, tourmaline, chlorite, pyrite and minor K‐feldspar.

Four types of fluid inclusions are present in vein quartz and cassiterite: Type A (CO₂ ± H₂O ± CH₄); Type B (H₂O+～ 20% vapour); Type C (H₂O+ < 15% vapour) and Type D (H₂O+ < 15% vapour + NaCl). Early ‘primary’ inclusions represented by Types A and B are present in stage I only and have a well‐defined temperature mode at ～300°C and a salinity range of 1–20 wt% eq NaCl. Types C and D inclusions are ‘secondary’ in stage I and primary in stage II and have a temperature mode at 120–160°C and salinities from about 1 to more than 26 wt% eq NaCl. Variable H₂O‐CO₂ ratios of Type A inclusions and homogenization in CO₂ or H₂O phase at near identical temperature indicate entrapment at the H₂O‐CO₂ solvus and define a pressure of ～ 100 MPa. The melting sequence of frozen inclusions suggests that the ore fluids were mainly H₂O‐CO₂‐CH₄‐Na‐Ca‐Cl brines. This is also confirmed by Raman Laser Spectrometry.

Oxygen and sulphur isotope data are consistent with a magmatic origin of the ore fluids. The δD values are up to 20%0 higher than those expected for magmatic fluids and probably resulted from interaction of the latter with the carbonaceous strata. This interpretation is supported by δ¹³C data on the fluid inclusion CO₂.

Fluid inclusions, stable isotope and mineralogical data are used to approximate the physico‐chemical parameters of the ore fluids which are as follows: T 300°C, m Cl～2, fO₂ ～ 10^‐35, mSS ～ 0.01, Sn ～ 1 ppm, Cu ～ 1 ppm and pH ～ 5.5.

It is suggested that fluids of granitic parentage interacted with the enclosing sediment and picked up CO₂, CH₄ and possibly Ca. The granitic phases became reduced due to this interaction and developed S‐type characteristics. Tin was probably partitioned into the CH₄‐bearing reduced fluids. At some stage the fluid overpressure exceeded the lithostatic lode enforcing failure of the carapace and the intruded rocks by hydraulic fracturing causing CH₄ and CO₂ loss resulting in the precipitation of the ore minerals.     

Origin and evolution of geothermal fluids from Las Tres Vírgenes and Cerro Prieto fields,Mexico – Co-genetic volcanic activity and paleoclimatic constraints

Major and trace elements, noble gases, and stable (δD, δ¹⁸O) and cosmogenic (³H, ¹⁴C) isotopes were measured from geothermal fluids in two adjacent geothermal areas in NW-Mexico, Las Tres Vírgenes (LTV) and Cerro Prieto (CP). The goal is to trace the origin of reservoir fluids and to place paleoclimate and structural-volcanic constraints in the region. Measured ³He/⁴He (R) ratios normalized to the atmospheric value (R_a = 1.386 × 10⁻⁶) vary between 2.73 and 4.77 and are compatible with mixing between a mantle component varying between 42 and 77% of mantle helium and a crustal, radiogenic He component with contributions varying between 23% and 58%. Apparent U–Th/⁴He ages for CP fluids (0.7–7 Ma) suggest the presence of a sustained ⁴He flux from a granitic basement or from mixing with connate brines, deposited during the Colorado River delta formation (1.5–3 Ma). Radiogenic in situ ⁴He production age modeling at LTV, combined with the presence of radiogenic carbon (1.89 ± 0.11 pmC – 35.61 ± 0.28 pmC) and the absence of tritium strongly suggest the Quaternary infiltration of meteoric water into the LTV geothermal reservoir, ranging between 4 and 31 ka BP. The present geochemical heterogeneity of LTV fluids can be reconstructed by mixing Late Pleistocene – Early Holocene meteoric water (58–75%) with a fossil seawater component (25–42%), as evidenced by Br/Cl and stable isotope trends. CP geothermal water is composed of infiltrated Colorado River water with a minor impact by halite dissolution, whereas a vapor-dominated sample is composed of Colorado River water and vapor from deeper levels. δD values for the LTV meteoric end-member, which are 20‰–44‰ depleted with respect to present-day precipitation, as well as calculated annual paleotemperatures 6.9–13.6 °C lower than present average temperatures in Baja California point to the presence of humid and cooler climatic conditions in the Baja California peninsula during the final stage of the Last Glacial Pluvial period. Quaternary recharge of the LTV geothermal reservoir is related to elevated precipitation rates during cooler-humid climate intervals in the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. The probable replacement of connate water or pore fluids by infiltrating surface water might have been triggered by enhanced fracture and fault permeability through contemporaneous tectonic–volcanic activity in the Las Tres Vírgenes region. Fast hydrothermal alteration processes caused a secondary, positive δ¹⁸O-shift from 4‰ to 6‰ for LTV and from 2‰ to 4‰ for CP geothermal fluids since the Late Glacial infiltration.     

闽浙沿岸海域沉积物中汞和甲基汞的含量分布及其影响因素

在2012年6月实施的国家自然科学基金春季航次中,采集了闽浙沿岸海域表层和岩心沉积物样品。对沉积物样品进行了汞和甲基汞的分析测试,并结合沉积物中常量元素含量、粒度组分、有机质含量和孔隙水中硫酸根离子浓度等系统地分析了汞和甲基汞含量的分布及其影响因素。研究结果表明:(1)闽浙沿岸海域沉积物中汞和甲基汞含量分布大致表现为近岸含量高(杭州湾以南浙江沿岸),远岸含量低的特点。泥质区岩心沉积物中汞的甲基化作用主要发生在近表层较小的深度范围内(泥质区北部和南部,其深度范围分别为0~15和0~13 cm)。(2)在闽浙近岸泥质区,汞的原位甲基化是甲基汞的主要来源,在成岩过程中,埋深或其他环境条件的变化可以导致甲基汞的转移或再分配。(3)影响沉积物中汞和甲基汞含量分布及甲基化作用强弱的因素主要包括人为污染、海流体系、粒级组成、有机质含量和硫酸盐还原菌活性。人为污染是沉积物中汞含量的主控因素;海流体系控制着汞含量的分布格局;粒级组成影响着甲基汞的富集程度;有机质对表层沉积物中汞的甲基化作用影响不明显,在岩心沉积物中,既可以促进汞的甲基化,也可以抑制汞的甲基化,主要取决于沉积物中有机质的类型;硫酸盐还原菌的活化能力是汞甲基化作用的主控因素之一。     

湖泊碳酸盐在过去环境变化研究中的应用

国内外的研究成果表明,湖泊沉积碳酸盐矿物及其微量元素、同位素分布特征记录了全球或区域古气候环境演变历史,可以从中提取大量定量化的古气候参数。因此,可以根据湖泊碳酸盐矿物的含量和碳、氧同位素变化等信息推知其形成时期的气候环境,重建古环境,揭示气候环境演变的规律。湖泊碳酸盐是一种研究古环境演化重要的代用指标,在过去气候环境变化研究中有广阔的应用前景。     

Central England temperature since AD 1850: the potential of stable carbon isotopes in British oak trees to reconstruct past summer temperatures

In regions with seasonal temperate climatic regimes, tree growth is rarely controlled by any single environmental factor. As a consequence, the development of robust palaeoclimate reconstructions has proved challenging. Tree‐ring stable carbon isotope ratios (δ¹³C), however, are controlled primarily by photosynthetic rate, not by net growth. Therefore, at sites where climatic controls on tree‐ring growth are not strongly expressed, a robust (isotopic) palaeoclimate signal may still potentially be preserved. This hypothesis was tested using a 160‐year record of δ¹³C measured from the pooled latewood cellulose of six Quercus petraea L. (sessile oak) trees from Allt Lan‐las in West Wales, UK. Raw δ¹³C values were corrected for changes in the isotopic ratio of atmospheric carbon dioxide and for changes in the behaviour of trees due to the increasing availability of atmospheric CO₂ since AD 1850. Strong correlations with local summer temperature and sunshine are reported, and also with the Central England Temperature record over the full length of the isotopic chronology (AD 1850–2010) (r = 0.69, P < 0.001). We conclude that tree‐ring stable isotopes can be used to extract strong palaeoclimate signals even from oak trees growing in a temperate maritime climate. This demonstrates the potential for extracting robust palaeoclimatic information from the very long and well‐replicated oak chronologies which have been developed in western and central Europe primarily for dating rather than palaeoclimatic research purposes. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrogeochemistry and isotope analyses used to determine groundwater recharge and flow in low-gradient catchments of the province of Buenos Aires,Argentina

The region known as Pampa Plain, in Argentina, is a vast area characterized by slopes of less than 0.05%. The surface sediment is silty sand, mainly Aeolian, referred to as Pampean Loess, which is a phreatic aquifer unit of utmost importance for the water supply of the region. On account of the slight gradient, hydrogeological analyses using only hydraulic measurements are difficult to perform, often leading to confusing results. Thus, the study presented relies on hydrochemical modeling and isotopic determinations as well. The study area comprises three catchments in the inter-mountainous area corresponding to El Moro, Tamangueyú and Seco creeks, and covering 2,570 km² in the province of Buenos Aires. Measurements of piezometric levels and samples of groundwater, surface water and rainwater were carried out between January and March 2005. Major ion results were analyzed by means of hydrochemical graphs and hydrogeochemical modelling using NETPATH. The resulting data show that it is possible to identify local changes in recharge, flow direction and stream/groundwater relationship by using hydrochemical and isotopic information, which may become a useful and more precise tool for the study of particularly flat landscapes.     

西藏洞嘎金矿床地质特征、原位硫同位素组成及成因探讨

洞嘎金矿位于西藏雄村矿集区, 是冈底斯成矿带较早发现且投入开采的金矿, 但研究程度低, 矿床成因存在较大争议。本文通过系统的矿床地质特征研究, 开展了硫化物原位硫同位素测试, 分析成矿物质来源, 进而探讨洞嘎金矿的成因。洞嘎金矿体受控于雄村组凝灰岩中的裂隙系统, 矿体呈脉状产出, 已探获金金属资源量9.55 t, 达到中型规模。矿石构造主要为脉状-细脉状构造, 金主要以包裹金和粒间金的形式赋存于黄铁矿和黄铜矿中。根据脉体穿插关系及矿物共生组合特征, 将洞嘎金矿的成矿过程划分为热液成矿期与表生氧化期, 其中热液成矿期为主成矿期, 可进一步划分为3个成矿阶段: 成矿早阶段、成矿主阶段及成矿晚阶段。洞嘎金矿床硫化物的硫同位素δ34S= –1.57‰~+5.26‰, 平均值+1.69‰, 具明显的塔式分布, 表明硫源具岩浆硫的特点。结合前人已发表的数据, 我们认为洞嘎金矿属于斑岩铜金成矿系统外围的热液脉型金矿床, 深部可能存在斑岩型铜金矿床, 找矿潜力极大。洞嘎金矿的成矿物质来源主要为地幔, 有少量的地壳物质(俯冲沉积物)加入。洞嘎金矿床的金与绿泥石密切相关, 该绿泥石主要为溶蚀-迁移-结晶机制形成, 绿泥石形成过程导致含金热液流体成分及物理化学性质发生改变, 使得成矿流体中的金发生卸载, 最终在凝灰岩的裂隙系统中形成洞嘎金矿床。     

Zircon and whole-rock Nd-Pb isotopic provenance of Middle and Upper Ordovician siliciclastic rocks, Argentine Precordillera

Graptolite‐bearing Middle and Upper Ordovician siliciclastic facies of the Argentine Precordillera fold‐thrust belt record the disintegration of a long‐lived Cambro‐Mid Ordovician carbonate platform into a series of tectonically partitioned basins. A combination of stratigraphic, petrographic, U‐Pb detrital zircon, and Nd‐Pb whole‐rock isotopic data provide evidence for a variety of clastic sediment sources. Four Upper Ordovician quartzo‐lithic sandstones collected in the eastern and central Precordillera yield complex U‐Pb zircon age spectra dominated by 1·05–1·10 Ga zircons, secondary populations of 1·22, 1·30, and 1·46 Ga, rare 2·2 and 1·8 Ga zircons, and a minor population (<2%) of concordant zircons in the 600–700 Ma range. Archaean‐age grains comprise <1% of all zircons analysed from these rocks. In contrast, a feldspathic arenite from the Middle Ordovician Estancia San Isidro Formation of the central Precordillera has two well‐defined peaks at 1·41 and 1·43 Ga, with no grains in the 600–1200 Ma range and none older than 1·70 Ga. The zircon age spectrum in this unit is similar to that of a Middle Cambrian quartz arenite from the La Laja Formation, suggesting that local basement rocks were a regional source of ca 1·4 Ga detrital zircons in the Precordillera Terrane from the Cambrian onwards. The lack of grains younger than 600 Ma in Upper Ordovician units reinforces petrographic data indicating that Ordovician volcanic arc sources did not supply significant material directly to these sedimentary basins. Nd isotopic data (n = 32) for Middle and Upper Ordovician graptolitic shales from six localities define a poorly mixed signal [ɛ_Nd(450 Ma) = −9·6 to −4·5] that becomes more regionally homogenized in Upper Ordovician rocks (−6·2 ± 1·0; T_DM = 1·51 ± 0·15 Ga; n = 17), a trend reinforced by the U‐Pb detrital zircon data. It is concluded that proximal, recycled orogenic sources dominated the siliciclastic sediment supply for these basins, consistent with rapid unroofing of the Precordillera Terrane platform succession and basement starting in Mid Ordovician time. Common Pb data for Middle and Upper Ordovician shales from the western and eastern Precordillera (n = 15) provide evidence for a minor (<30%) component that was likely derived from a high‐μ (U/Pb) terrane.     

印度尼西亚北苏拉威西红树林生态系统碳库研究

近年来的研究指出红树林在海岸带碳固定和碳储存方面发挥着重要的作用。尽管印度尼西亚的红树林面积在全球占很大的比重,对于该地区红树林的有机碳储量和土壤有机碳来源的认识仍有限。本研究调查了印度尼西亚北苏拉威西海洋型的Wori红树林中生态系统有机碳储量及其空间分布特征,以及土壤有机碳的来源,以期加深该地区红树林“蓝碳”功能的认识。研究结果显示,Wori红树林0-50cm深度土壤中有机碳储量为15.4 kg/m²,占生态系统碳储量的主要部分（65%）。红树植物生物量和生态系统碳储量分别为8.3 kg/m²和23.7 kg/m²。土壤有机碳储量在不同离岸距离的采样站位中未表现出显著的空间分布差异,而生物量碳储量则在外滩最高。¹³C稳定同位素分析结果表明红树林土壤中蓄积的有机碳主要来源于红树林有机质,而潮水中的悬浮有机质和红树林外缘的海草并不构成红树林土壤有机碳的重要来源,它们的贡献者都低于20%。研究结果进一步证实了热带地区海洋型红树林湿地在碳储存以及红树植物对碳固定方面的重要性。     

Upwelling signals in radiocarbon from early 20th-century Peruvian bay scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) shells

We quantified Δ¹⁴C, δ¹⁸O, and δ¹³C cycles along ontogeny within four bay scallop (Argopecten purpuratus) shells collected from Callao Bay, Salaverry, and Sechura Bay, Peru following the 1907–1908 non-El Niño years and the 1925–1926 El Niño. Δ¹⁴C and δ¹³C generally covary; Δ¹⁴C and δ¹⁸O vary inversely. Simultaneous decreases in Δ¹⁴C and increases in δ¹⁸O in non-El Niño shells are followed by constant Δ¹⁴C and gradually decreasing δ¹⁸O, which we interpret as evidence for discrete marine upwelling events followed by warming of the initially cold upwelled water. Upwelling changes from El Niño events are detectable with difficulty in mollusk shell Δ¹⁴C.