Rare earth elements in Quaternary clays of the Numedal area, southern Norway

Rare earth elements (REE) in the clay fraction (< 2μ) of the Quaternary deposits in the Numedal area, southern Norway, have been determined by a spark source mass spectrometric method. The REE content was studied in relation to weathering and sedimentological factors.

The total REE content varies from 100 to 1300 ppm. An average of the similar fraction of 16 non-marine clays, mostly tillitic, gave 527 ppm REE. An average of 38 glacial and postglacial marine clays from the lower part of the Numedal valley gave 335 ppm REE (max. 781 ppm). After removal of adsorbed ions the average total REE content of morainian and marine clays decreased to 186 ppm.

The content and distribution of the REE in the Numedal clays are strongly influenced by environmental factors. Under neutral and alkaline conditions the REE are accumulated by adsorption on clay minerals, and by increasing the hydrogen ion concentration the adsorbed ions are readily removed.     

Gas-charged sediments in the Amazon submarine delta

Seismic profiling with 3.5-kHz and GeoPulse in the Amazon submarine delta indicates that gas-charged sediments cover an area greater than 31,000 km². Gas appears on seismic profiles as gas-brightening reflectors near the river mouth, where mud and sand are well stratified. In fine sediments of the distal portion of the system, gas turbidity zones predominate. Biogenic gas is generated during degradation of terrestrial and marine organic matter by bacteria. The depth of gas in sediment below the seabed depends in part on anaerobic methane oxidation and the base of the sulfate reduction zone and on stratigraphic traps.     

Rock Mechanical Characterization of an Offshore Mudrock from Haltenbanken, Mid-Norway

Summary Rock mechanical tests and subsequent investigations in scanning electron microscopy (SEM) have been carried out on samples retrieved from the Late Cretaceous Springar Fm offshore Mid-Norway. Mineralogical and petrophysical analyses pertinent to this study have been conducted according to standard methods. The Springar Fm has a clay content of 45–50%, with smectite rich mixed-layer illite/smectite as the dominating clay mineral. Consolidated undrained (CU) triaxial tests show a geomechanically brittle behaviour at all test conditions. The brittle behaviour is mainly due to diagenetic siderite cement. During the rock mechanical consolidation phases only minor reductions in the pore volumes took place. During the induced shear deformation local orientation of small mica grains parallel to the direction of shear occurred in the vicinity of the failure zone. The small fabric changes observed in the SEM are in agreement with the low deformations seen from the CU triaxial test data of the Springar Fm.     

Rare earth element distributions in some Precambrian rocks and their phyllosilicates,Numedal, Norway

Mass spectrometric analyses for rare earth elements (REE) have been carried out on some Precambrian mica schists, gneisses and granites from the Precambrian Numedal area, Norway and on their phyllosilicates. The rocks, which are metamorphosed in the upper greenschist to amphibolite facies, were originally partly sedimentary, partly magmatic.The total REE contents for rocks varies from 145 to 761 ppm. An average of 16 phyllosilicate samples gave 417 ppm REE (max. of 1809 ppm, min. of ca. 50 ppm). Coexisting light and dark phyllosilicates have similar abundances of REE. For the micas of high REE content most of the REE was extractable by rinsing with EDTA. The data thus support the possibility of an extensive adsorption of REE ions on micaceous minerals. The REE distribution patterns do not provide a clear distinction between the sedimentary and magmatic origin for the rocks examined.     

Rare earth elements in vivianite from Lake Åstrum

The rare carth elements are determined in vivianite concretions and surrounding clay sediments. Approximately 3/4 of the rare earth elements in the clay is present in adsorbed state. The concentration of REE in the pore water is calculated from the composition of the vivianite, assuming a diffusion model for the formation of the concretions and lower solubility of the rare earth elements above the concretions than in the pore water at some distance from the concretions. The concentrations thus calculated are similar to published values for ocean water.     

西天山造山带构造单元划分及古生代洋陆转换过程

西天山造山带位于哈萨克斯坦—准噶尔板块与卡拉库姆—塔里木板块的结合部,是由一系列前寒武纪微陆块、古生代洋壳残片及陆缘弧相互拼贴而成的多聚合带、多成矿带,其独特的造山-成矿过程受到了国内外的广泛关注。本文通过构造单元划分与编图,建立了古生代西天山造山带的构造格架,认为古生代西天山造山带的构造演化依次经历了:罗迪尼亚大陆裂解与北天山早古生代多岛洋盆形成阶段(Z-O_2),北天山早古生代多岛洋盆闭合与南天山洋盆开始形成阶段(O_3-S),南、北天山洋晚古生代洋盆形成与发展阶段(D-C_1),南、北天山晚古生代洋盆全面闭合与天山碰撞造山带形成阶段(C1-C_2)和碰撞后板内演化阶段(C_2-P)。