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.     

江西浒坑钨矿含矿石英脉的地质特征及成矿构造演化

位于赣西武功山地区的江西浒坑钨矿是一个大型石英脉型钨矿床,与赣南典型的“五层楼”模式不同,矿脉主要集中在岩体内接触带。含矿石英脉除了普通的块状构造以外,还普遍存在条带状构造。详细的野外编录和镜下研究表明含矿块状石英脉在形成后遭受不同程度的韧性剪切,从而形成不同成分的分异条带。剪切带以出现新生的面理和线理（拉伸线理）为特征。岩石学研究表明条带状矿石属于糜棱岩,具有丰富的塑性变形显微构造特征。通过对含矿石英脉的构造解析,认为与岩浆岩有关的原生节理系统基本上是同时形成的,沿节理充填的石英脉经历了长期的、多期次的构造运动,从而形成了复杂的石英脉和矿石类型。建立了原生节理形成→石英充填→韧性剪切发生→二期石英充填→脆性碎裂的矿区构造演化序列。韧性剪切作用的动力学背景可能是受后期岩浆侵入的影响,最后的脆性破裂应与区域上存在南北向的压应力有关。     

Biokarst on Limestone Coasts, Morphogenesis and Sediment Production

Abstract. Biokarst-forms on limestone coasts are developed and arranged according to the bionomic zonation. The development of biokarst is the result of bioerosion, a synergistic effect of biological corrosion by endoliths and biological abrasion by grazers.
The cumulative effect of biogenic carbonate destruction leads to coastal destruction with a resulting highly profiled morphology on the limestone surfaces along the coastal profile. Under the influence of environmental factors a zonation of organisms develops which brings in turn a zonation of erosion rates (0.1-1.1 mm a^-1) resulting in biokarst-forms such as rock holes, rock pools and notches.
Products of bioerosion on limestone coasts are dissolved carbonate (by biological corrosion, 10–30% of the decomposed limestone) and particulate carbonate (by biological abrasion, 70–90% of the decomposed limestone) both of which contribute directly or indirectly to nearshore sedimentation. Size and shape of the bioerosional grains are determined by the boring pattern of the endoliths. The fine-grained sediments (maximum within the fraction 20–63 μm) contribute 3–25 % to the nearshore sediments.
Drastic changes in the biological zonation (like the mass invasion of the sea urchin Paracentrotus lividus in the Northern Adriatic since 1972 which eliminated nearly the entire macrophyte zone) due to unknown factors or pollution can have a profound effect on the bioerosion rates, altering them by as much as a factor of ten.     

Quantitative study of landscape patterns in homogenous carbonate rock distributed regions in Guizhou

With the utilization of GIS software, research is conducted on （a） the characteristics of cells, fragmentation, and patch fractal of landscape based on homogenous carbonate rocks in Guizhou; （b） causes of the formation of these characteristics. It has been found that under the influence of lithology, the landscape of the study region as a whole shows consistency, yet embodies distinct diversity inside. The consistency is embodied in the following aspects： （a） the preponderant landscape consists of bushes and small woods; （b） secondary landscape is characteristic of forests and grounds covered with grass; （c） of all the patches making up the study area small patches are in the majority, with positive-skewed distribution of patches-as a result, steep peaks are characteristic of the charts showing the distribution of patches. The factor of scale is not taken into account in the study of patches. The shapes of patches tend to be regular with strong disturbances from human activities, and consequently, the values of fractal dimensions of landscape types tend to get smaller. The fragmentation of patches is more apparent in landscape under influence of human activities than the one without these disturbances. Compared with regions characteristic of homogenous dolomite, the characteristics of homogenous limestone areas are described as follows： （a） low utilization rate of water resource; （b） uneven distribution of diversified landscape; （c） weak resistance against disturbances from human activities; （d） the continuous degradation, ever-increasing fragmentation, intensification of spatial heterogeneity, and the deteriorating stability of landscape.     

泥晶灰岩地层孔壁坍塌掉块现象及处理

在灰岩地区钻探施工过程中，常见孔壁坍塌、掉块现象，尤其在含泥晶灰岩地层分布区钻进过程中，这种现象尤为突出，轻则影响钻探施工效率，重则造成钻探孔内事故。针对孔内坍塌、掉块现象的征兆及特点，提出了相对应的处理办法。     

Construction Problems on the Karstified Limestone Tuffs of Condeixa, Central Portugal: A Case Study

During the excavations for the foundations of a three storey building on the limestone tuffs of Condeixa, Central Portugal, a large dissolution fissure and smaller dissolution voids were found. Since the area has never been the subject of engineering geology investigation, it was decided to evaluate the risk associated with the construction of the building. These limestone tuffs were formed in a continental environment by the precipitation of calcite carried by the water coming from the large limestone body in the east. The precipitated calcite mixed with the terrigenous materials and around trunks and leaves of plants, originating a very heterogeneous and porous ground, which is characteristic of limestone tuffs. The study started with a detailed geological survey followed by a large number of destructive drillings, located essentially under the pad foundations. The results revealed several karstic cavities with serious problems for the building foundations and the structure, and many smaller dissolution cavities, often filled with clayey soils. The ground treatment solutions used included, dental cleaning, filling with concrete or granular material the dissolution structures accessible at the level of the foundation, reinforcement of the footing and the structure of the building and adding a continuous foundation beam to hold the foundations together. The cost of the engineering geology study, site investigation, ground treatment, and the reinforcement of the foundation and building, increased the total construction cost from 2%, at the design stage, to 4.8%.     

Isotopic constraints on growth conditions of multiphase calcite–pyrite–barite concretions in Carboniferous mudstones

Carbonate concretions in the Lower Carboniferous Caton Shale Formation contain diagenetic pyrite, calcite and barite in the concretion matrix or in different generations of septarian fissures. Pyrite was formed by sulphate reduction throughout the sediment before concretionary growth, then continued to form mainly in the concretion centres. The septarian calcites show a continuous isotopic trend from δ¹³C=?28·7‰ PDB and δ¹⁸O=?1·6‰ PDB through to δ¹³C=?6·9‰ PDB and δ¹⁸O=?14·6‰ PDB. This trend arises from (1) a carbonate source initially from sulphate reduction, to which was added increasing contributions of methanogenic carbonate; and (2) burial/temperature effects or the addition of isotopically light oxygen from meteoric water. The concretionary matrix carbonates must have at least partially predated the earliest septarian cements, and thus used the same carbonate sources. Consequently, their isotopic composition (δ¹³C=?12·0 to ?10·1‰ PDB and δ¹⁸O=?5·7 to ?5·6‰ PDB) can only result from mixing a carbonate cement derived from sulphate reduction with cements containing increasing proportions of carbonate from methanogenesis and, directly or indirectly, also from skeletal carbonate. Concretionary growth was therefore pervasive, with cements being added progressively throughout the concretion body during growth. The concretions contain barite in the concretion matrix and in septarian fissures. Barite in the earlier matrix phase has an isotopic composition (δ³⁴S=+24·8‰ CDT and δ¹⁸O=+16·4‰ SMOW), indicating formation from near‐surface, sulphate‐depleted porewaters. Barites in the later septarian phase have unusual isotopic compositions (δ³⁴S=+6 to +11‰ CDT and δ¹⁸O=+8 to +11‰ SMOW), which require the late addition of isotopically light sulphate to the porewaters, either from anoxic sulphide oxidation (using ferric iron) or from sulphate dissolved in meteoric water. Carbon isotope and biomarker data indicate that oil trapped within septarian fissures was derived from the maturation of kerogen in the enclosing sediments.     

四川江油-北川地区下石炭统灰岩的古地磁研究

对采于四川北部江油 北川地区 (31.4°N ,10 4 .3°E)下石炭统 39个采点的 334块灰岩标本进行了较为系统的古地磁学研究 ,结果表明 ,标本中剩磁方向具有明显的双分量特征 ,低温 (10 0～ 30 0℃ )分量在地理坐标系下与现代地磁场方向基本一致 ,且不能通过褶皱检验 ,应是现代地磁场的重磁化 ,中温 (30 0～ 4 80℃ )反极性分量在地层坐标系中具有高负倾角的特征 ,其形成可能与早侏罗世岩层的褶皱弯曲有关 .     

Chemical, Isotopic, and Fluid Inclusion Evidence for the Hydrothermal Alteration of the Footwall Rocks of the BIF-Hosted Iron Ore Deposits in the Hamersley District, Western Australia

Abstract. The petrography, chemical, fluid inclusion and isotope analyses (O, Rb-Sr) were conducted for the shale samples of the Mount McRae Shale collected from the Tom Price, Newman, and Paraburdoo mines in the Hamersley Basin, Western Australia. The Mount McRae Shale at these mines occurs as a footwall unit of the secondary, hematite-rich iron ores derived from the Brockman Iron Formation, one of the largest banded iron formations (BIFs) in the world. Unusually low contents of Na, Ca, and Sr in the shales suggest that these elements were leached away from the shale after deposition. The δ¹⁸O (SMOW) values fall in the range of + 15.0 to +17.9 per mil and show the positive correlation with calculated quartz/sericite ratios of the shale samples. This suggests that the oxygen isotopic compositions of shale samples were homogenized and equilibrated by postdepositional event. The pyrite nodules hosted by shales are often rimmed by thin layers of silica of varying crystallinity. Fluid inclusions in quartz crystals rimming a pyrite nodule show homogenization temperatures ranging from 100 to 240C for 47 inclusions and salinities ranging from 0.4 to 12.3 wt% NaCl equivalent for 18 inclusions. These fluid inclusion data give direct evidence for the hydrothermal activity and are comparable to those of the vein quartz collected from the BIF-derived secondary iron ores (Taylor et al, 2001). The Rb-Sr age for the Mount McRae Shale is 1,952 ± 289 Ma and at least 200 million years younger than the depositional age of the Brockman Iron Formation of ∼ 2.5 Ga in age. All the data obtained in this study are consistent with the suggestion that high temperature hydrothermal fluids were responsible for both the secondary iron ore formation and the alteration of the Mount McRae Shale.     

典型带状云系强降雨过程卫星云图演变特征分析

通过对两个典型的带状云系的强降水过程的卫星云图进行定量分析,初步验证了可以用云带0℃边界反映冷高压和副高的活动态势,揭示了降雨强度与云带强度指数及TBB面积指数有很好的对应关系。同时,还研究了暴雨落区与对流云团活动范围的关系,强降水时段与对流云团的发展阶段的对应关系。