Tectonic and eustatic control on deposition and preservation of Upper Cretaceous ooidal ironstone and associated facies: Peace River Arch area, NW Alberta, Canada

The Late Coniacian, shallow-marine Bad Heart Formation of the Western Canada foreland basin is very unusual in that it contains economically significant ooidal ironstone. Deposition of shallow-water and iron-rich facies appears to have been localized over the crest and flanks of a subtle intrabasinal arch, in part interpreted as a forebulge and partly attributed to reactivation of the long-lived Peace River Arch. The formation comprises two upward-shoaling allomembers, typically 5–10 m thick, that are bounded by regionally mappable ravinement surfaces. The lower unit, allomember 1, grades up from laminated mudstone to bioturbated silty sandstone, which is abruptly overlain by bioturbated ooidal silty sandstone grading into an almost clastic-free ooidal ironstone up to 7 m thick. Ooidal ironstone was concentrated into NW- to SE-trending ridges, kilometres wide and tens of kilometres long. Ironstone formation appears to have been promoted by: (a) drowning of the arch, which progressively curtailed sediment supply; and (b) enhanced reworking over the shallowly submerged arch and over a fault-bounded block that underwent episodic vertical movement of 10–20 m during Bad Heart deposition. Allomember 2 also shoals upwards from mudstone to bioturbated and laminated silty sandstone but lacks ooids, apparently reflecting a rejuvenated supply of detrital sediment from the arch. The marine ravinement surface above allomember 2 is a Skolithos firmground, above which is developed a regional blanket of ooidal sediment. In the east, ooids are dispersed in a bioturbated silty sandstone with abundant evidence of repeated reworking and early siderite and phosphate cements. Westwards, this facies grades, over about 40 km, into almost clastic-free ooidal ironstone about 5 m thick; the lateral facies change may reflect progressive clastic starvation distal to a low-relief source area. The two allomembers are interpreted to reflect eustatic oscillations of about 10 m, superimposed on episodic tectonic warping and block-faulting events. The development of ooidal ironstone immediately above initial marine flooding surfaces indicates a close relationship to marine transgression, reflecting sediment-starved conditions. Ironstone does not appear to be related to either sequence boundaries or maximum flooding surfaces. The Bad Heart Formation is blanketed by marine mudstone deposited in response to major flexural subsidence and rejuvenation of clastic sources in the Cordillera to the SW.     

Facies analysis and palaeoclimatic significance of ironstones formed during the Eocene greenhouse

Lower and middle Eocene ironstone sequences of the Naqb and Qazzun formations from the north‐east Bahariya Depression, Western Desert, Egypt, represent a proxy for early Palaeogene climate and sea‐level changes. These sequences represent the only Palaeogene economic ooidal ironstone record of the Southern Tethys. These ironstone sequences rest unconformably on three structurally controlled Cenomanian palaeohighs (for example, the Gedida, Harra and Ghorabi mines) and formed on the inner ramp of a carbonate platform. These palaeohighs were exposed and subjected to subaerial lateritic weathering from the Cenomanian to early Eocene. The lower and middle Eocene ironstone sequences consist of quiet water ironstone facies overlain by higher energy ironstone facies. The distribution of low‐energy ironstone facies is controlled by depositional relief. These deposits consist of lagoonal, burrow‐mottled mud‐ironstone and laterally equivalent tidal flat, stromatolitic ironstones. The agitated water ironstone facies consist of shallow subtidal–intertidal nummulitic–ooidal–oncoidal and back‐barrier storm‐generated fossiliferous ironstones. The formation of these marginal marine sequences was associated with major marine transgressive–regressive megacycles that separated by subaerial exposure and lateritic weathering. The formation of lateritic palaeosols with their characteristic dissolution and reprecipitation features, such as colloform texture and alveolar voids, implies periods of humid and warm climate followed major marine regressions. The formation of the lower to middle Eocene ironstone succession and the associated lateritic palaeosols can be linked to the early Palaeogene global warming and eustatic sea‐level changes. The reworking of the middle Eocene palaeosol and the deposition of the upper Eocene phosphate‐rich glauconitic sandstones of the overlying Hamra Formation may record the initial stages of the palaeoclimatic transition from greenhouse to icehouse conditions.     

鄂西晚泥盆世含磷鲕状铁矿石中磷的赋存状态与形成

广泛分布于我国南方泥盆纪地层的"宁乡式"铁矿储量巨大, 然而含磷高严重制约了该类型铁矿的开发利用.铁矿石中磷的赋存状态是设计该类型铁矿"提铁降磷"方案的理论基础, 是开发该铁矿首先要了解的问题.充分利用湿化学全岩分析、电感耦合等离子体质谱分析等全岩元素分析, 扫描电子显微镜、X射线衍射等物相分析, 电子探针微分析、激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱分析等微区分析技术, 对鄂西晚泥盆世含磷鲕状铁矿石中磷的赋存状态、物质来源与磷矿物形成过程进行了初步探讨.铁矿石中的含磷矿物主要为碳氟磷灰石, 分别以短柱状磷灰石晶体颗粒(65%以上粒径小于20 μm)、磷灰石内碎屑(粗砂至极粗砂级, 集中形成透镜状或带状层理)以及鲕粒中与赤铁矿相互包裹的凝胶状磷灰石(层厚度10~50 μm)3种形式存在.磷灰石晶体是在孔隙水中重结晶而生成, 磷质可能来源于晚震旦世地层的磷块岩; 磷灰石内碎屑是古海水体中原位化学沉积的产物, 磷质可能来源于古海周边的大陆; 鲕粒中凝胶状磷灰石也是原位化学沉积的产物, 但与铁质沉积位置相同, 并与富铁的鲕绿泥石混合或相互包裹形成鲕粒.      

津巴布韦绿岩带中构造型铁矿成矿特征

津巴布韦铁矿层分布普遍,是组成太古界津巴布韦克拉通绿岩带地层常见岩性单元,其岩石特征类似于“硫化物相”含铁建造层,实际上是一种伴有硅化和硫化物矿化的剪切带。过去这种构造成因的铁矿层被认为是一种原始沉积岩层,但从野外露头上可明显辨别出呈交织状分布的片理化带、褶皱变形带、石香肠构造和糜棱岩带;区域上铁矿层与层理或片理相交切,岩层呈交织状分布,同一岩层单元会重复出现。在花岗岩底辟上升作用导致岩石发生变形之前,一系列逆推断层使得原始火山沉积岩单元层产生水平伸展、叠瓦状构造推覆以及岩层重复出现。因此绿岩带地层中这种包含有构造型铁矿层的“馅饼状”岩层模式,愈来愈成为地质工作者研究的焦点。