Metamorphism in Archaean greenstone belts: calculated fluid compositions and implications for gold mineralization

An inescapable consequence of the metamorphism of greenstone belt sequences is the release of a large volume of metamorphic fluid of low salinity with chemical characteristics controlled by the mineral assemblages involved in the devolatilization reactions. For mafic and ultramafic sequences, the composition of fluids released at upper greenschist to lower amphibolite facies conditions for the necessary relatively hot geotherm corresponds to those inferred for greenstone gold deposits (X_CO2= 0.2–0.3). This result follows from the calculation of mineral equilibria in the model system CaO–MgO–FeO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O–CO₂, using a new, expanded, internally consistent dataset. Greenstone metamorphism cannot have involved much crustal over-thickening, because very shallow levels of greenstone belts are preserved. Such orogeny can be accounted for if compressive deformation of the crust is accompanied by thinning of the mantle lithosphere. In this case, the observed metamorphism, which was contemporaneous with deformation, is of the low-P high-T type. For this type of metamorphism, the metamorphic peak should have occurred earlier at deeper levels in the crust; i.e. the piezothermal array should be of the ‘deeper-earlier’type. However, at shallow crustal levels, the piezothermal array is likely to have been of ‘deeper-later’type, as a consequence of erosion. Thus, while the lower crust reached maximum temperatures, and partially melted to produce the observed granites, mid-crustal levels were releasing fluids prograde into shallow crustal levels that were already retrograde. We propose that these fluids are responsible for the gold mineralization. Thus, the contemporaneity of igneous activity and gold mineralization is a natural consequence of the thermal evolution, and does not mean that the mineralization has to be a consequence of igneous processes. Upward migration of metamorphic fluid, via appropriate structurally controlled pathways, will bring the fluid into contact with mineral assemblages that have equilibrated with a fluid with significantly lower X_CO2. These assemblages are therefore grossly out of equilibrium with the fluid. In the case of infiltrated metabasic rocks, intense carbonation and sulphidation is predicted. If, as seems reasonable, gold is mobilized by the fluid generated by devolatilization, then the combination of processes proposed, most of which are an inevitable consequence of the metamorphism, leads to the formation of greenstone gold deposits predominantly from metamorphic fluids.     

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.     

Diet of albacore Thunnus alalunga from the waters of Mauritius (western Indian Ocean) inferred from stomach contents and fatty acid analysis

The diet of albacore Thunnus alalunga from their spawning ground in the waters of Mauritius was investigated. The stomach contents of 249 albacore individuals, caught by industrial longliners and artisanal fishers, was analysed, and the dominant prey taxa were selected for lipid and fatty acid (FA) analysis. The FA profiles of prey were compared with those of liver tissue of spawning-capable and post-spawning female albacore, using multivariate analysis. Whereas stomach content analysis identified cephalopods and crustaceans as the dominant prey items in number, FA-profile analysis identified crustaceans and fishes as the most-frequently consumed prey of post-spawning female albacore. In contrast, the FA profiles of spawning-capable albacore and those of prey showed very low similarity. Analysis of the prey suggests that although cephalopods, crustaceans and fishes could all provide albacore with the required lipids and FAs, cephalopod prey seem to be less desirable owing to their lower energy content (i.e. low in total lipid, triacylglycerol, 16:0, 18:0 and 18:1ω9). Instead, the most beneficial food appeared to be locally available fishes, which are more energy-rich and have a higher docosahexaenoic acid/ eicosapentaenoic acid ratio. These results provide new information on the trophic ecology of albacore, promote our understanding of the importance of prey type for successful reproduction of albacore, and highlight the advantages of FA profiling to study diet.     

新生相形成的模拟实验研究

通过模拟实验制备了硅酸盐类不溶性固体，从Ｘ射线衍射特征和红外光谱特征两方面看，制得的硅酸盐类与河口新生相成分，结构相似，表明铁水解成的β－ＦｅＯＯＨ胶体吸附Ｓｉ，Ａｌ，Ｍｇ，Ｋ等元素，经结构重组可形成硅酸盐矿物，这可能是河口体系新生相的形成原因。     

一种改进的周跳多项式拟合方法

多项式拟合探测周跳受相位观测值所含误差的影响,随着采样数的增加,其探测周跳的能力随之降低,通常将观测数据分成若干段来进行处理。这样不可避免的增加工作强度,降低工作效率。本文根据多项式拟合探测周跳的基本原理,对多项式进行改进。经实验证明,利用改进后的多项式进行拟合能够有效地弥补传统方法的不足,使周跳的探测与修复更加稳定可靠。     

四元体系Na~ ∥Cl~-,CO_3~(2-),B_4O_7~(2-)-H_2O 273K介稳相平衡研究

采用等温蒸发法研究简单四元体系Na ∥Cl-,CO32-,B4O72--H2O273K时的介稳相平衡,并测定该体系273K平衡液相中各组分的溶解度及密度,该体系的介稳相图和密度组成图显示:该四元体系在273K时的相图由3条溶解度单变量线、3个结晶区及1个共饱和点组成。体系属简单共饱型,无复盐或固溶体形成,3个结晶区分别对应单盐Na2CO3·10H2O,NaCl和Na2B4O7·10H2O。共饱点E处于Na2CO3·10H2O,NaCl及Na2B4O7·10H2O3盐共饱和,所对应的平衡液相组成为w(Na2CO3)=6.81%,w(NaCl)=21.69%,w(Na2B4O7)=0.65%,w(H2O)=70.85%。研究体系在273K下,Na2CO3·10H2O是碳酸钠盐的唯一析出形式,且硼酸钠对碳酸钠有盐析作用。     

GPS signal acquisition using the repeatability of successive code phase measurements

This paper introduces a new method for GPS signal acquisition, which is based on the repeatability of successive code phase measurements and the M-of-N search algorithm. The performance of the proposed method in terms of probability of signal detection is similar to that of traditional methods, except that the calculation of the probability of detection does not rely on the noise distribution or the Carrier-to-Noise ratio (C/N₀). The code phase repeatability-based method is presented along with equations for probability of detection and probability of false detection. If the distribution of the noise is known, it also provides an estimate of the C/N₀. The proposed method is illustrated for coherent and non-coherent acquisition and C/N₀ estimation.     

On some problems of seismic crustal phase

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井下记录的PP和SS震相

本文在系统分析静海台井下地震记录图的基础上,发现并解决了具有一定实际和理论意义的两个问题:其一是证明了最初误认为是干扰的“双脉冲”图形实际上均是微地震。从而指出研究静海周围地区的地震活动性应考虑微震活动问题。其二确认静海周围地区微震波形的4个主要震相是P、PP、S和SS,并对地面反射波PP和SS能够观测到的条件作了初步分析,其结果进一步说明井下地震记录较之地面记录更为“逼真”,复杂和丰富。