Geology and Genesis of the Ta'ergou Skarn - Quartz Vein Tungsten Deposit in the North Qilian Caledonian Orogenic Belt, Northwest China

Abstract. The Ta'ergou tungsten deposit in Gansu province, northwestern China, is located in the western part of the North Qilian Caledonian orogen, and consists of scheelite skarn bodies and wolframite quartz veins. The tungsten‐bearing skarn developed by the replacement of carbonate layers intercalated in the Precambrian schist and amphibolite whereas wolframite‐quartz ore veins developed along a group of fractures that cut through horizontal skarns. The Ta'ergou tungsten deposit is genetically related to the Caledonian Yeniutan granodiorite intrusion and occurs ca. 500 m wide in the exo‐contact zone 300 ～ 500 m apart from the intrusion. The granodiorite displays a lower grade of differentiation, low content of SiO₂ and high contents of mafic components. There are three types of fluid inclusions in the wolframite‐quartz vein systems, i. e. aqueous, CO₂‐H₂O and CO₂‐rich. The homogenization temperature of aqueous inclusion ranges from 140 to 380d?C and their salinities from 6.4 to 17.4 equivalent wt% NaCl. Laser Raman spectroscopy shows that the inclusions contain a relatively high content of CO₂. The δ³⁴S values of skarn type sulfides range from +8.1 to +12.7 per mil and those of quartz vein sulfides from +9.3 to +14.9 per mil, similar to sulfides of the granodiorite with from +6.0 to +11.7 per mil. The δ¹⁸O values of quartz are between +10.5 and +13.3 per mil and those of wolframite between +3.4 and +5.1 per mil. The δ¹⁸O water values of ore forming fluids range from +0.6 to +6.4 per mil and suggest the mixture of magmatic fluids with meteoric water formed the ore‐forming fluids. It has been proved that Precambrian strata in the west sector of North Qilian region are enriched in tungsten. We propose the strata were remelted to be tungsten‐granitoid during subduction. The polymetallic tungsten was gradually accumulated into the roof pendants of the granite intrusion by fractional crystallization and then was deposited by hydrothermal fluids during metasomatism and infilling along fractures. On the other hand, the granite intrusion also acted as “heating machine” to make hydrothermal fluids leach out the metals from Precambrian strata and these metals joined the ore‐forming hydrothermal system.     

Petrology and Geochemistry of the Volcanic Rocks Dredged from the Geophysicist Seamount in the Kurile Basin: Evidence for the Existence of Thinned Continental Crust

Dredged samples from the Geophysicist seamount volcano in the northeastern part of the Kurile Basin include volcanic and volcanoclastic rocks ranging from basalt to andesite. The rocks have geochemical features typical of high-K island-arc calc-alkaline volcanism. They are enriched in LILE and depleted in Zr, Ti, Nb, Ta and Y. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns are characterized by enrichment of LREE similar to those of island-arc lava from the submarine volcanoes of rear-arc zone of the Kurile Island Arc. The volcanic rocks have a wide range of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.70287-0.70652), varying ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and Pb isotopic ratios. Their trace-element compositions and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope signatures may be explained by a small addition of crustal continental component to mantle-derived magmas that suggest the existence of thinned continental basement under the eastern part of the Kurile Basin.     

从赋矿岩系岩石类型的多样性论羊拉铜矿的成因

通过野外调查和室内工作，将羊拉铜矿床按矿石的矿物成分和组构分出9种类型，包括矽卡岩型、大理岩型、砂板岩型、角岩型、凝灰质流纹岩型、玄武岩-辉绿岩型、花岗质碎裂岩-花岗斑岩型、安山岩型和绢英岩型。矽卡岩型矿石是构成矿体的最主要矿石类型，但在不同矿段可由碳酸盐岩(里农)和凝灰质火山岩(贝吾)两种原岩形成。矿体在赋矿岩系中有3种产出形态：顺层呈层状．似层状；沿花岗岩与沉积岩接触面呈透镜状；贯穿岩体和沉积岩呈大脉状。它们均与后期构造密切相关，矿体无确定的顶、底板岩石，围岩蚀变以矿体为中心呈环带状分布。研究表明，矿床相对赋矿岩系显示出明显的后成性，属于印支期花岗岩-花岗斑岩与古生代混杂岩通过强烈的接触交代作用形成的矽卡岩型铜矿床。     

黑龙江省东宁县洋灰洞子铜矿床成矿岩体特征

通过对洋灰洞子铜矿床的成矿岩体进行研究，进一步明确了其成矿地质背景，着重研究与铜钼矿床关系密切的花岗闪长岩体和花岗闪长斑岩体的岩性特征、岩石类型、岩石化学特点、成岩时代、物质来源及侵位方式等，确定了该区花岗闪长岩和花岗闪长斑岩为洋灰洞子斑岩型铜钼矿床的成矿母岩。     

Silica-rich Melts in Quartz Xenoliths from Vulcano Island and their Bearing on Processes of Crustal Anatexis and Crust-Magma Interaction beneath the Aeolian Arc, Southern Italy

Quartz-rich xenoliths in lavas and pyroclastic rocks from VulcanoIsland, part of the Aeolian arc, Italy, contain silicic meltinclusions with high SiO₂ (73–80 wt %) and K₂O (3–6wt %) contents. Two types of inclusions can be distinguishedbased on their time of entrapment and incompatible trace element(ITE) concentrations. One type (late, ITE-enriched inclusions)has trace element characteristics that resemble those of themetamorphic rocks of the Calabro-Peloritano basement of theadjacent mainland. Other inclusions (early, ITE-depleted) havevariable Ba, Rb, Sr and Cs, and low Nb, Zr and rare earth element(REE) contents. Their REE patterns are unfractionated, witha marked positive Eu anomaly. Geochemical modelling suggeststhat the ITE-depleted inclusions cannot be derived from equilibriummelting of Calabro-Peloritano metamorphic rocks. ITE-enrichedinclusions can be modelled by large degrees (>80%) of meltingof basement gneisses and schists, leaving a quartz-rich residuerepresented by the quartz-rich xenoliths. Glass inclusions inquartz-rich xenoliths represent potential contaminants of Aeolianarc magmas. Interaction between calc-alkaline magmas and crustalanatectic melts with a composition similar to the analysed inclusionsmay generate significant enrichment in potassium in the magmas.However, ITE contents of the melt inclusions are comparablewith or lower than those of Vulcano calc-alkaline and potassicrocks. This precludes the possibility that potassic magmas inthe Aeolian arc may originate from calc-alkaline parents throughdifferent degrees of incorporation of crustal melts. KEY WORDS: melt inclusions; crustal anatexis; magma assimilation; xenoliths; Vulcano Island     

The 1996 Eruption of Karymsky Volcano, Kamchatka: Historical Record of Basaltic Replenishment of an Andesite Reservoir

The simultaneous eruption in 1996 of andesite from Karymskyvolcano and of basalt from the Academy Nauk vent 6 km away appearsto provide a case of mafic recharge of an andesite reservoirfor which the time of recharge is exactly known and direct samplesof the recharging magma are available. The explosive phreato-magmaticeruption of basalt was terminated in less than 24 h, whereasandesite erupted continuously during the following 4 years.Detailed petrological study of volcanic ash, bombs and lavasof Karymsky andesite erupted during the period 1996–1999provides evidence for basaltic replenishment at the beginningof the eruptive cycle, as well as a record of compositionalvariations within the Karymsky magma reservoir induced by basalticrecharge. Shortly after the beginning of the eruption the compositionof the matrix glass of the Karymsky tephra became more maficand then, within 2 months, gradually returned to its originalstate and remained almost constant for the following 3 years.Further evidence for basaltic replenishment is provided by thepresence of xenocrysts of basaltic origin in the andesite ofKarymsky. A conspicuous portion of the plagioclase phenocrystsin the Karymsky andesite has calcic cores, with compositionsand textures resembling those of plagioclases in the AcademyNauk basalt. Similarly, the earlier portion of the andesiteof the eruption sequence contains rare olivines, which occuras resorbed cores in pyroxenes. The composition of the olivinematches that of olivines in the Academy Nauk basalt. The sequenceof events appears to be: (1) injection of basaltic magma intothe Karymsky chamber with immediate, compensating expulsionof pre-existing chamber magma from the Karymsky central vent;(2) direct mixing of basaltic and andesitic magmas with dispersalof phenocrysts associated with the basalt throughout the andesiteso that newly mixed magma appeared at the vent within 2 months;(3) re-establishment of thermal and chemical equilibrium withinthe reservoir involving crystallization in the new hybrid liquid,which returned the melt composition to ‘normal’,formed rims on inherited calcic plagioclase, and caused theresorption of dispersed olivine xenocrysts. Taken together,these findings indicate that the Karymsky magma reservoir wasrecharged by basalt at the onset of the 1996 eruptive cycle.The rapidity and thoroughness of mixing of the basalt with thepre-existing andesite probably reflects the modest contrastin temperature, viscosity, and density between the two magmas. KEY WORDS: Karymsky; Kamchatka; magma mixing; andesite; volcanic glass; plagioclase     

胶东金矿成矿系列硫同位素研究

胶东金矿的早晚两期成矿系列中，岩浆成因或在岩浆期即有天然水和表生矿质加入的矿床，δ＾３４Ｓ值均有自早而晚依次降低的规律。为重熔岩浆分异成矿理论和成矿系列的建立提供了重要证据。焦家式和某些晚期矿床，在形成矿液后有表生硫加入，扰乱了这一规律性。胶东群中的硫同位素没有达到均匀化，副变质岩偏重，而斜长角闪岩偏轻，接近陨石硫值，是近似原始岩浆的产物。     

铜官山地区矽卡岩型铜金矿床稀土元素特征及其成因意义

铜官山地区不同成因类型的矽卡岩发育，各自对应着不同成因类型的铜金矿床，且具有不同的稀土元素分布模式及演化特征，提供了矽卡岩矿床多成因的信息。     

华北克拉通南缘豫西燕山期花岗岩类的 Pb-Sr- Nd同位素地球化学特征

对华北克拉通南缘豫西燕山期具类似于板块俯冲带花岗岩成分变化规律（成分极性）的八宝山、柳关、后瑶峪花岗斑岩类的Pb、Sr、Nd同位素地球化学特征的研究,揭示了这些斑岩的主要物质来源是新太古代的太华群斜长角闪岩部分熔融产生的熔浆与地幔来源物质混合形成的产物。稀土元素含量非常低的八宝山花岗斑岩在岩石形成过程中有流体与其发生交代作用,由于交代及混合作用造成花岗斑岩类的Rb—Sr等时线多为假等时线;柳关花岗斑岩基本上完全由太华群的斜长角闪岩提供物质,豫西地区燕山期的花岗岩岩基其物质来源更为复杂,可能有宽坪群为其提供物质。     

The Moon 35 years after Apollo: What's left to learn?

With the cancellation of the Apollo program after Apollo 17 returned from the Moon in 1972, the focus of NASA switched to other areas of the Solar System. Study of the Moon did continue through analysis of the returned samples and remotely sensed data sets (both orbital and surface), as well as through Earth-based telescopic studies. In the 1990s, new orbital data were obtained from several missions (fly-by and orbital), the first being Galileo that allowed the lunar farside to be mapped, followed by global mapping by the Clementine and Lunar Prospector missions.Interest in the Moon started to increase at the beginning of the 21st century as other nations focused their space exploration programs on the Moon. The speech by President Bush in January 2004 put the Moon back into the critical exploration path for NASA, paving the way for humans to return to the lunar surface by 2020. This return will be critical for developing technologies and protocols for the eventual human exploration of other parts of the solar system. At the time of writing (June 2008), the SELENE/Kaguya mission (Japan and Chang’e-1 (China) are orbiting the Moon, with Chandrayaan-1 (India) and Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (USA) being scheduled to launch later in 2008.The past (and present) exploration of the Moon begs the question “what's left to be done?” With the renewed focus on the Moon, now that it is on the pathway for the exploration of Mars (and beyond) a similar question has been raised - what should the astronauts do on the Moon? The publication of the New Views of the Moon book [Jolliff et al., 2006. New Views of the Moon, Reviews in Mineralogy, vol. 60. American Mineralogical Society, 721pp] highlighted a number of important scientific questions that remain unanswered as well as posing many more on the basis of the currently available data. These questions resonated in three Lunar Exploration Analysis Group (LEAG) reports pertinent to this discussion, which were also published (on line) during 2006 (http://www.lpi.usra.edu/leag), and in the National Research Council of the National Academies [2007. The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon. National Academies Press, Washington, DC, 112pp] report entitled “The Scientific Context for Exploration of the Moon”. This paper synthesizes these recent studies, along with those from the 1980s and 1990s, to emphasize the lunar science questions that remain unanswered. In addition, it summarizes the missions already flown to the Moon along with those that are planned in order to give the reader an idea of exactly what lunar science has been and will be conducted in the hope that it will inspire proposals for missions to address the outstanding science questions.