Carbonate aeolianites of western Saurashtra,India: experimental decipherment of the depositional mechanisms

Granular carbonate deposits of Late Pleistocene to Early Holocene age, commonly referred to as ‘miliolite limestone’, occur in a linear belt, parallel to the southern coast of Saurashtra, India. In the present study area these carbonate deposits are found in select valleys between ridges and mounds of pyroclastic material present in the Deccan trap plateau. Two different depositional histories have been proposed for these sediments. The presence of marine bioclasts led to the postulation of a marine origin for these deposits. The second school of thought propounded redeposition of the coastal sediments by aeolian processes. Although a few features could not be explained by the proposed aeolian model, critical comparison of these two views favoured the aeolian origin. The mode of occurrence, lithological and structural attributes, and microscopic evidence presented here, also support a possible aeolian origin for these deposits. Experimental observation indicates that these carbonate aeolianites represent backflow deposits, which accumulated because of the flow separation caused by the presence of topographic highs. The conspicuous concave‐up geometry of the deposit conformed to the shape of the separation bulb. In view of the inferred depositional mechanism, the disposition of the deposits and the signature of the palaeoflow direction suggest that the carbonate particles were derived from the north‐western coast of Saurashtra by strong south‐easterly winds. Massive granular carbonates with outsized basement clasts appear to be the product of avalanching of granular material from the higher contours because of oversteepening of the primary deposit.     

Distinct climate change synchronous with Heinrich event one, recorded by stable oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions in stalagmites from China

Uranium-series dating of oxygen and carbon isotope records for stalagmite SJ3 collected in Songjia Cave, central China, shows significant variation in past climate and environment during the period 20-10 ka. Stalagmite SJ3 is located more than 1000 km inland of the coastal Hulu Cave in East China and more than 700 km north of the Dongge Cave in Southwest China and, despite minor differences, displays a clear first-order similarity with the Hulu and Dongge records. The coldest climatic phase since the Last Glacial Maximum, which is associated with the Heinrich Event 1 in the North Atlantic region, was clearly recorded in SJ3 between 17.6 and 14.5 ka, in good agreement in timing, duration and extent with the records from Hulu and Dongge caves and the Greenland ice core. The results indicate that there have been synchronous and significant climatic changes across monsoonal China and strong teleconnections between the North Atlantic and East Asia regions during the period 20-10 ka. This is much different from the Holocene Optimum which shows a time shift of more than several thousands years from southeast coastal to inland China. It is likely that temperature change at northern high latitudes during glacial periods exerts stronger influence on the Asian summer monsoon relative to insolation and appears to be capable of perturbing large-scale atmospheric/oceanic circulation patterns in the Northern Hemisphere and thus monsoonal rainfall and paleovegetation in East Asia. Climatic signals in the North Atlantic region propagate rapidly to East Asia during glacial periods by influencing the winter land-sea temperature contrast in the East Asian monsoon region.     

Mapping Proterozoic unconformity-related uranium deposits in the Rockhole area, Northern Territory, Australia using landsat ETM+

The Rockhole area, Northern Territory, Australia, hosts a number of Proterozoic unconformity-related uranium deposits. The geology of the area features within Paleoproterozoic rocks of the Pine Creek Orogen, near the unconformity with overlying platform cover sandstone of the Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic McArthur Basin. Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper plus (ETM+) data was used in the Rockhole area to assist in mapping geological structures and lithology, and to identify anomalous concentrations of ferrous minerals, the product of alteration, which can be indicators of buried uranium mineralization. Several image-processing procedures were applied to the ETM+ data to identify, isolate and enhance mineralogical information as simple and complex false color composites. ETM+ 754 shown as red green and blue respectively was the best simple image. Overall, complex images based on Principal Component Analysis proved to be the most useful products. Sandstone, shale and siltstone, the target lithologies, Koolpin Formation, the target stratigraphic unit, and bleaching pattern due to the removal of iron(II) compounds, the target alteration pattern, were confidently mapped to provide information required by the mineral emplacement model, which ultimately identified areas of likely uranium mineralization. Thus the contrasting behavior of the two principle oxidation states of uranium and iron can be utilized to map/delineate bleached alteration zones associated with economic concentrations of uranium using multispectral sensors like Landsat or better hyperspectral sensors.     

Magnetotelluric investigations for imaging electrical structure of Garhwal Himalayan corridor,Uttarakhand, India

Magnetotelluric investigations have been carried out in the Garhwal Himalayan corridor to delineate the electrical structure of the crust along a profile extending from Indo-Gangetic Plain to Higher Himalayan region in Uttarakhand, India. The profile passing through major Himalayan thrusts: Himalayan Frontal Thrust (HFF), Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) and Main Central Thrust (MCT), is nearly perpendicular to the regional geological strike. Data processing and impedance analysis indicate that out of 44 stations MT data recorded, only 27 stations data show in general, the validity of 2D assumption. The average geoelectric strike, N70°W, was estimated for the profile using tensor decomposition. 2D smooth geoelectrical model has been presented, which provides the electrical image of the shallow and deeper crustal structure. The major features of the model are (i) a low resistivity (<50Ωm), shallow feature interpreted as sediments of Siwalik and Indo-Gangetic Plain, (ii) highly resistive (> 1000Ωm) zone below the sediments at a depth of 6 km, interpreted as the top surface of the Indian plate, (iii) a low resistivity (< 10Ωm) below the depth of 6 km near MCT zone coincides with the intense micro-seismic activity in the region. The zone is interpreted as the partial melting or fluid phase at mid crustal depth. Sensitivity test indicates that the major features of the geoelectrical model are relevant and desired by the MT data.     

内蒙古正蓝旗羊蹄子山-磨石山钛矿区硅质岩地球化学特征及沉积环境意义

文章通过详细的野外地质调查和系统的岩石化学、稀土元素、微量元素及硅、氧同位素等研究,探讨了羊蹄子山-磨石山钛矿区无矿白色硅质岩和富钛硅质岩的成因及形成地质构造环境。研究结果表明,呈厚层状产出的无矿白色硅质岩具较高的SiO2、Al2O3含量及Al/(Al Fe Mn)、Al2O3/(Al2O3 Fe2O3)比值,稀土元素总量很低,其北美页岩标准化配分模式为向右倾的曲线,无明显铈异常和铕异常,表明其形成于受陆源影响的大陆边缘构造环境;赋矿岩系中薄层状富钛硅质岩的TiO2、Fe2O3、Cu、V含量较高,但Al/(Al Fe Mn)、Al2O3/(Al2O3 Fe2O3)比值较低,稀土元素总量较高,北美页岩标准化曲线为明显左倾型-平坦型,具弱的负铈异常,表明其形成于洋脊及附近环境。两种硅质岩的δ30Si值为变化较小的负值,与热水沉积和某些生物成因硅质岩的硅同位素组成相似,两者的δ18O值范围和平均值均相似。两类硅质岩的成因及形成构造环境不同,富钛硅质岩的地球化学特征表明,该矿床的形成与本区元古宙海底火山热液喷流作用有关。     

内蒙古敖包吐萤石矿床的Sr、Nd、Pb同位素地球化学特征

敖包吐萤石矿床是内蒙古北部苏莫查干地区单一萤石矿集区中的一个代表性矿床,产于早二叠世大石寨组火山-沉积岩与早白垩世敖包吐花岗岩的接触带上。文章通过分析该矿床岩、矿石的微量元素和稀土元素,揭示出萤石的成矿作用可分为2个阶段,即交代作用和充填作用。交代作用过程中大石寨组的结晶灰岩可能为萤石的形成提供了部分Ca来源,萤石矿石的稀土元素配分模式与海水基本类似,具有Ce负异常;成矿作用后期主要表现为充填作用,形成颗粒粗大的萤石,表现为重稀土元素富集的特征,并随着萤石的沉淀析出,稀土元素总量逐渐下降,反映出成矿流体经历了较长期的演化过程。各地层单元、花岗岩体和萤石矿石的Sr、Nd、Pb同位素研究表明,萤石的放射性同位素组成具有壳、幔源混合的特点,成矿物质来源具有多源性。早白垩世敖包吐花岗岩可能是萤石中F的主要来源,而大石寨组的结晶灰岩则可能提供了Ca。另外,Pb、Nd同位素的极大不均一性,有可能是成矿流体在运移过程中对艾力格庙群放射性组分的选择性吸收的结果。萤石成矿作用与钾玄岩的时空关系暗示了萤石的成矿过程可能是中国东部岩石圈减薄和下地壳的置换地质事件的结果。在构造转型的过程中,燕山中期富碱的酸性花岗岩浆的活动分异出富含F的成矿流体,与幔源流体混合,沿区域重新活化的深大断裂和大石寨组的层间破碎带上升,交代其间的灰岩透镜体,从而形成敖包吐中型萤石矿床。     

新疆阿尔泰蒙库铁矿床的成矿流体及成矿作用

蒙库大型铁矿床赋存于上志留统—下泥盆统康布铁堡组变质火山-沉积岩系中,容矿岩石为石榴子石矽卡岩、变粒岩、浅粒岩和大理岩。矿体总体顺层分布,空间上与矽卡岩密切相关。研究表明,矽卡岩期石榴子石以发育玻璃质熔融包裹体、流体熔融包裹体和流体包裹体为特征,晚期矽卡岩阶段矿物中发育液相包裹体,变质期矿物中主要发育液相包裹体和含子矿物包裹体。矽卡岩期熔融包裹体的均一温度为1100℃,早期矽卡岩阶段流体包裹体均一温度变化于193～499℃,在450℃、350℃和230℃出现峰值。中期矽卡岩阶段均一温度变化于236～550℃,峰值为350℃。区域变质期均一温度介于132～513℃,在350℃、230℃和190℃出现峰值。流体包裹体的盐度w(NaCleq)介于1.23%～60.31%,流体密度变化于0.60～1.16g/cm3。石榴子石、石英和方解石的δ18OSMOW变化于0.2‰～8.4‰,δ18OH2O介于-5.1‰～5.33‰,δD为-127‰～-81‰,表明矽卡岩期成矿流体主要是岩浆水,混合少量大气降水;变质期流体主要为大气降水,为混合变质水。方解石δ13CPDB变化于-6.1‰～-2.3‰,表明流体中碳来自深部或地幔。成矿时代为早泥盆世早期(略晚于404～400Ma),成矿作用与矽卡岩的退化变质作用有关。     

云南官房铜矿床矿石矿物特征及银的赋存状态

通过显微镜鉴定、电子探针(EPMA)及扫描电镜能谱分析(SEM/EDS)等方法,首次对官房铜矿的矿物组合和银的赋存状态进行了研究。初步查明,矿石矿物为中-低温热液成因,并受火山机构及断裂构造的控制;银矿物主要为碲银矿和辉银矿。矿石中银与铜呈明显正相关关系,而方铅矿中不含银。银主要以类质同象的形式赋存于含铜矿物或黄铁矿中;银的独立矿物含量低,且多呈包裹体的形式存在于黄铜矿、斑铜矿及黄铁矿中,或以微细粒状赋存于矿物颗粒间和斑铜矿的表面。     

赣南淘锡坑钨多金属矿床花岗岩和云英岩岩石特征及云英岩中白云母40Ar/39Ar定年

赣南崇义县淘锡坑钨矿位于南岭东西向构造带东段,属于以黑钨矿石英脉型为主的钨多金属矿床。矿床形成与燕山期中酸性岩浆作用有密切关系,石英矿脉受一组北西向断裂控制,穿切新元古界。本文在淘锡坑钨矿区3个揭露到花岗岩体顶部的中段（206、106、56中段）采集到岩体顶部云英岩样品,利用40Ar/39Ar同位素定年测得云英岩中的白云母的坪年龄分别为152.7 ± 1.5 Ma（206中段）,153.4 ± 1.3 Ma（106中段）,155.0 ± 1.4 Ma（56中段）。与前人用其他方法测定的花岗岩成岩和成矿年龄几乎一致。花岗岩和云英岩全岩稀土元素均具有M型四分组效应和强烈的Eu亏损特征,反映出花岗质岩浆经历了高度分异演化及其岩体结晶晚期流体/熔体相互作用。综合前人在南岭地区同类矿床的研究资料,可知南岭地区160～150Ma成岩成矿作用主要分布于南岭中-东段,可能为大陆边缘弧后岩石圈伸展的构造动力学背景的产物。     

山东省济宁强磁异常区深部铁矿初步验证及其意义

山东省济宁磁异常是一个重、磁同源体,面积大于100 km2,磁异常峰值为3800nT。钻探验证在孔深1041.57～1796.54m位置发现铁矿体,矿体总厚度74.04～220m,磁性铁平均品位15.89～25.19%。矿石类型有条带状方解磁铁石英岩和条带状磁铁石英大理岩,矿石的主要组成矿物为石英、方解石、磁铁矿、磁赤铁矿、菱铁矿。矿体产于济宁岩群浅变质岩系中,矿床特征与条带状铁建造（BIF）铁矿或鞍山式铁矿有明显区别,铁矿成因类型属与千枚岩、变质中酸性火山岩、大理岩有关的沉积变质型铁矿床。该区铁矿资源潜力巨大。