A 20‐ka climate record from Central Himalayan loess deposits

The southwest monsoon that dominated Central Himalaya has preserved loessic silt deposits preserved in patches that are proximal to periglacial areas. The occurrence of such silts suggests contemporary prevalence of cold and dry northwesterly winds. Field stratigraphy, geochemistry, mineral magnetism, infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) and radiocarbon dating has enabled reconstruction of an event chronology during the past 20 ka. Three events of loess accretion could be identified. The first two events of loess deposition occurred betweem 20 and 9 ka and were separated by a phase of moderate weathering. Pedogenesis at the end of this event gave rise to a well‐developed soil that was bracketed around 9 to > 4 ka. This was followed by the third phase of loess accretion that occurred around 4 to > 1 ka. Episodes of loess deposition and soil formation are interpreted in terms of changes in the strength of the Indian southwest monsoon. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magma Ascent and Crustal Accretion at Ultraslow-Spreading Ridges: Constraints from Plagioclase Ultraphyric Basalts from the Arctic Mid-Ocean Ridge

Plagioclase ultraphyric basalts (PUBs) with up to 54% plagioclasephenocrysts were dredged in the rift valley and adjacent flanksof the ultraslow-spreading Mohns and Knipovich ridges. The PUBsshow large variations in crystal morphologies and zoning. Thelarge variations suggest that single basalt samples containa mixture of plagioclase crystals that aggregated at differentlevels in the magma conduits. Resorbed crystals and repeatedreverse zones suggest that the magma reservoirs were replenishedand heated several times. Thin concentric zones with melt inclusions,and sharp reductions in the anorthite content of 3–7%,are common between the reverse zones. These zones, and skeletalcrystals with distinctly lower anorthite contents than massivecrystals, are interpreted to be the result of rapid crystalliztionduring strong undercooling. The changes between short periodsof cooling and longer periods with reheating are explained bymultiple advances of crystal-rich magma into cool regions followedby longer periods of gradual magma inflow and temperature increase.The porphyritic basalts are characterizd by more depleted andmore fractionated compositions than the aphyric basalts, withlower (La/Sm)_N, K₂O and Mg-numbers. This relationship, and theobservation that PUBs are sampled only close to segment centresalong these ridges, suggests that the PUBs formed by higherdegrees of melting and evolved in more long-lived magma reservoirs.We propose that the zoning patterns of plagioclase crystalsand crystal morphologies of these PUBs reflect the developmentand flow of magma through a stacked sill complex-like conduitsystem, whereas the aphyric equivalents represent later flowof magma through the conduit. The formation of voluminous higher-degreemelts may trigger the development of the magma conduits andexplain the generally depleted compositions of PUB magmas. KEY WORDS: basalt; mineral chemistry; MORB; magma mixing; magma chamber; major element     

In situ strength measurements on natural upper-mantle minerals

Using in situ strength measurements at pressures up to 10 GPa and at room temperature, 400, 600, and 700°C, we examined rheological properties of olivine, orthopyroxene, and chromian-spinel contained in a mantle-derived xenolith. Mineral strengths were estimated using widths of X-ray diffraction peaks as a function of pressure, temperature, and time. Differential stresses of all minerals increase with increasing pressure, but they decrease with increasing temperature because of elastic strain on compression and stress relaxation during heating. During compression at room temperature, all minerals deform plastically at differential stress of 4–6 GPa. During subsequent heating, thermally induced yielding is observed in olivine at 600°C. Neither orthopyroxene nor spinel shows complete stress relaxation, but both retain some stress even at 700°C. The strength of the minerals decreases in the order of chromian-spinel ≈ orthopyroxene > olivine for these conditions. This order of strength is consistent with the residual pressure of fluid inclusions in mantle xenoliths.     

南海西沙西南海域表层沉积物特征

西沙西南海域表层沉积物样品矿物成分，地球化学，微体古生物分析测试结果表明：沉积物可分为７种类型，沉积环境主要是陆坡，部分为深海平原，海洋生物，海洋化学以及火山物质的沉积起到了积极的作用，陆源物质的影响较小，它们主要来源于北部大陆和南部岛礁等物源区。     

湿法冶锰废渣中锰的形态分析与应用

将湿法冶锰废渣经过烘干、研细等预处理,按其所使用的原材料进行形态研究,通过筛选和实验,确定了废渣中的锰可用形态分析方法。在弄清废渣中锰的各种形态及含量的基础上,将其成果进行转化,用于指导工业生产、环境评价和废渣处理,具有很好的经济效益和社会效益。     

成像光谱矿物填图精度兼与矿物丰度关系初探

成像光谱遥感技术在岩石矿物识别和矿物填图方面发挥着越来越大作用,而成像光谱矿物填图的精度问题一直是研究的焦点。文章利用高光谱数据HyMap对新疆东天山地区的矿物填图结果,通过引入矿物填绘分布强度的概念,探索性的分析了成像光谱矿物填图与填绘矿物丰度的关系。     

云南东川因民铜矿金矿化特征及成因初探

因民铜矿发育两种金矿化类型:一是铜矿的伴生金;二是热液构造蚀变岩型。化探样品分析结果显示,金矿化主要赋存于金箔箐断层上、下盘的角砾状蚀变岩内,空间上受岩性和断裂构造的双重控制。邻区拖布卡金矿的成矿地质背景与本区相似,在成矿地质年代上作以类比推测,认为喜马拉雅期是主成矿期。另外通过对光片镜下和化探原生晕样聚类分析研究,发现构造蚀变岩型金矿化具明显的多期多阶段性及热液特征。     

鄂尔多斯盆地黄陵、东胜地区地温场对比

鄂尔多斯盆地黄陵、东胜铀矿区分别处于盆地南部渭北隆起的北侧边缘和盆地北部伊盟隆起的东部,赋矿层位都是中侏罗统直罗组。盆地南、北铀矿区在现今地温场及古地温场都存在明显差异,南部现今大地热值及热演化程度明显高于北部。对于下侏罗统延安组和石炭—二叠系煤层,黄陵地区镜质体反射率都高于东胜地区。通过镜质体反射率资料得出同一埋深的一套地层经历的最大古地温和对应的古地温梯度也有南部高于北部的现象。由于早白垩世后期盆地普遍整体抬升使得现今地温相对古地温降低,南部黄陵地区抬升剥蚀量大于北部东胜地区,导致古、今地温差异也大于后者。盆地南部庆阳—富县一带局部构造热运动,导致南部异常地温场的形成,使得南部热演化程度高于北部。     

大别地块东南缘逆冲滑脱构造体系及其对金矿的控制作用

大别地块自晚元古代以来主要经受了自北而南的推挤,并且发生了两次较强烈的南移运动,造成了地块前线逆冲滑脱构造体系。特别是中生代的推挤和滑移,不仅构造变形强烈,而且还伴有热事件,大别地块东南缘郯－庐断裂南延部分和广济－宿松平移－推覆型韧性剪切带均是＂热线构造＂,它们提供了深层次岩浆活动的通道。本区岩石以绿片岩－角闪岩相变质岩为主,含金背景值高,逆冲滑脱构造和韧性剪切带的活动与金元素的活化、迁移和富集创造了良好的条件。