European Deposits Research Articles

Spatial and Temporal Evolution of the Freiberg Epithermal Ag-Pb-Zn District, Germany

Abstract The Freiberg district hosts one of the largest series of epithermal polymetallic vein deposits in Europe. The availability of a systematic collection of historical samples provides an excellent opportunity to study the anatomy of these epithermal systems. Detailed petrographic investigations, geochemical analyses, and fluid inclusion studies were conducted on several vertical profiles within the Freiberg district to decipher mineralogical and geochemical zoning patterns. Six distinctive mineral associations have been recognized within the Freiberg epithermal veins; sphalerite-pyrite-quartz and galena-quartz±carbonate associations are most abundant in the central sector, as well as in the deepest sections of veins on the periphery of the district. A high-grade sphalerite-Ag-sulfides-carbonate association occurs laterally between the central and peripheral sectors and at intermediate depth in veins on the periphery. Shallow and peripheral zones are dominated by an exceptionally Ag-rich Ag-sulfides-quartz association, whereas the shallowest veins locally comprise Ag-poor stibnite-quartz and quartz-carbonate associations. Fluid inclusion assemblages returned low salinities (<6.0 wt % NaCl equiv), and homogenization temperatures successively decrease from ~320°C associated with the proximal and deep sphalerite-pyrite-quartz association, to ~170°C related to the distal and shallow Ag-sulfides-quartz association. The architecture of the Freiberg district is related to the temporal and spatial evolution of magmatic-hydrothermal fluid systems, including boiling and concomitant cooling, as well as CO2 loss. Constraints on the paleodepth indicate that the veins formed between 200 and 1,800 m below the paleowater table. High-grade Ag ore occurs over a vertical interval of at least 500 m and is bracketed by shallower stibnite-quartz and barren quartz, and deeper base metal-sulfide-quartz zones.

A new Triodus shark species (Xenacanthidae, Xenacanthiformes) from the lowermost Permian of France and its paleobiogeographic implications

ABSTRACT The Xenacanthiformes from Central and Eastern European deposits have been extensively studied, but the systematics of the species from the French Carboniferous–Permian Autun Basin (Saône-et-Loire) remains debated. Numerous xenacanthiform remains are still identified under the doubtful genus ‘Expleuracanthus’, and many of them consist of isolated dorsal spines which are difficult to identify. Numerous well-preserved specimens are still undescribed and the diversity of the xenacanthiform fauna from the Autun Basin is poorly understood. For example, specimens of the genus Triodus from the Muse oil-shale bed (OSB) of the Autun Basin have no specific attribution, whereas this genus is widely distributed across European Carboniferous–Permian basins. In this study, we describe new specimens of Triodus from the lowermost Permian of the Muse OSB. They allow the erection of a new species, Triodus aeduorum sp. nov., and discussion of the validity of several species from the same locality: ‘Expleuracanthus’ frossardi is considered as a nomen dubium and other Triodus specimens need for the time being to be left in open nomenclature as Triodus sp. These results highlight the endemism of the Triodus species in each European Carboniferous–Permian basin and raise the question of how they migrated from one to another.

The Niederschlag fluorite-(barite) deposit, Erzgebirge/Germany\u2014a fluid inclusion and trace element study

The Niederschlag fluorite-barite vein deposit in the Western Erzgebirge, Germany, has been actively mined since 2013. We present the results of a first comprehensive study of the mineralogy, petrography, fluid inclusions, and trace element geochemistry of fluorite related to the Niederschlag deposit. Two different stages of fluorite mineralization are recognized. Stage I fluorite is older, fine-grained, associated with quartz, and forms complex breccia and replacement textures. Conversely, the younger Stage II fluorite is accompanied by barite and often occurs as banded and coarse crystalline open-space infill. Fluid inclusion and REY systematics are distinctly different for these two fluorite stages. Fluid inclusions in fluorite I reveal the presence of a low to medium saline (7–20% eq. w (NaCl+CaCl2)) fluid with homogenization temperatures of 140–180 °C, whereas fluorite II inclusions yield distinctly lower (80–120 °C) homogenization temperatures with at least two high salinity fluids involved (18–27% eq. w (NaCl+CaCl2)). In the absence of geochronological data, the genesis of the earlier generation of fluorite-quartz mineralization remains enigmatic but is tentatively related to Permian magmatism in the Erzgebirge. The younger fluorite-barite mineralization, on the other hand, has similarities to many fluorite-barite-Pb-Zn-Cu vein deposits in Europe that are widely accepted to be related to the Mesozoic opening of the northern Atlantic Ocean.

Historia, stan i potrzeby badań nad uzbrojeniem z ziem polskich okresów rzymskiego i wędrówek ludów. Spojrzenie subiektywne (pomimo dobrych chęci)

Historia, stan i potrzeby badań nad uzbrojeniem z ziem polskich okresów rzymskiego i wędrówek ludów. Spojrzenie subiektywne (pomimo dobrych chęci)

The history of development and features of gas industry in Norway and the Netherlands

Natural gas occupies one of the leading places in the energy system of the modern world. More and more countries are using environmentally friendly raw materials for domestic needs, moving away from coal consumption due to the decarbonization policy. The article provides an overview and analysis of data on two leaders in natural gas deposits in Europe: Norway and the Netherlands. Special attention is paid to the history of the development of the kingdoms gas market and its impact on the formation of this industry in the European Community and in the world. Both the largest deposits of Troll and Groningen and little-known small deposits discovered at the moment, such as Ekofix, Frigg, Drogen, Ozberg, OrmenLang, F4B, K5A, F4, FA and others, are considered. The development of oil and gas resources on the Norwegian Continental Shelf has followed different paths since the first commercial production of hydrocarbons began in 1971. All licensees on the Norwegian Continental Shelf are responsible for the sale of their own gas. In contrast, the Netherlands, which required very large investments for the development of the Groningen field, developed a new type of take or pay – “take or pay” contract, and the gas price was tied to the oil price to return a large amount of public investment. Some results on the development of the industry in the countries have been summed up.

Cobalt resources in Europe and the potential for new discoveries

Global demand for cobalt is increasing rapidly as we transition to a low-carbon economy. In order to ensure secure and sustainable supplies of this critical metal there is considerable interest in Europe in understanding the availability of cobalt from indigenous resources. This study reviews information on cobalt resources in Europe and evaluates the potential for additional discoveries.Based on published information and a survey of national mineral resource agencies, 509 cobalt-bearing deposits and occurrences have been identified in 25 countries in Europe. Harmonised cobalt resources, classified using the United Nations Framework Classification (UNFC), have been estimated for 151 deposits in 12 countries where data are available. The calculated total resource comprises 1342649 tonnes of contained cobalt metal. This includes: 114638 tonnes in commercial projects with current cobalt extraction; 370409 tonnes in potentially commercial projects; 111107 tonnes in historic estimates compliant with modern reporting; and 746495 tonnes in non-compliant historic estimates. Analysis of these data reveals that cobalt resources are widely distributed across Europe in deposits of several different types.Global mine production of cobalt is dominated by stratiform sediment-hosted copper deposits, magmatic nickel-copper deposits and nickel laterite deposits, but other deposit types may also be significantly enriched in cobalt. In Europe, current cobalt production is derived from three mines in Finland: the magmatic sulfide deposit at Kevitsa; the Kylylahti deposit of volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) affinity; and the black shale-hosted deposit at Sotkamo (Talvivaara).This study has identified 104 deposits in Europe that are currently being explored for cobalt, of which 79 are located in Finland, Norway and Sweden. The Fennoscandian Shield and the Caledonian Belt in these countries are high priority exploration terrains for a variety of cobalt-bearing deposits, notably magmatic Ni-Cu-Co deposits. The Svecofennian, Sveconorwegian and the Caledonian orogenies in Fennoscandia also resulted in the formation of several other cobalt-enriched deposit types. These include chiefly metasediment- and metavolcanic-hosted Co-Cu-Au, VMS, skarn and polymetallic vein deposits.The Kupferschiefer deposits in Poland and Germany are stratiform sediment-hosted Cu deposits with some similarities to the Central African Copperbelt, which is the predominant global producer. However, the cobalt grade in the Kupferschiefer deposits is relatively low (0.005–0.008% Co) and not currently economic to exploit without significant improvement in extraction technology.In the Balkans and Turkey cobalt grades and tonnages are known in 27 nickel laterite deposits, with several containing more than 10000 tonnes of cobalt metal. Only nickel is currently recovered from these deposits, but new processing technologies such as high-pressure acid leaching could enable cobalt recovery in the future.Small polymetallic cobalt-bearing vein deposits in several European countries have been historic producers of cobalt. Today most are uneconomic, but new technologies and the drive towards locally-sourced raw materials could make them viable future sources of cobalt.Our analysis suggests that geological availability in Europe is not a problem. However, many economic, technological, environmental and social challenges will have to be overcome for exploration projects to become commercial.

Public opposition to shale gas extraction in Algeria: Potential application of France's ‘Duty of Care Act’

Algeria, a former French Colony, gained independence from France in 1962. It can be argued, however, that the legacy of post-colonialism continues, particularly with respect to the extractive industries. Both France and Algeria have large unconventional shale deposits—France has the second largest shale gas deposits in Europe after Poland and Algeria has the third largest in the world. Proposals to extract shale gas have led to widespread public opposition in both France and Algeria. The protests in France arguably led to the 2011 ban on hydraulic fracturing for shale gas, followed by the 2017 decision to ban all hydrocarbon exploration and extraction (unconventional and conventional) in French territory by 2040. Hydrocarbon company Total S.A., headquartered in France, has given up on operating in France but has now focused on potential development in Algeria, arguably an illustration of the continuation of a post-colonial relationship or NIMBY'ism (Not In My Back Yard). This perspective article aims to briefly highlight issues related to unconventional hydrocarbons in Algeria and introduce an emerging regulatory mechanism that could potentially provide a remedy to protect human and environmental rights and provide a model for future legislation in other countries. France's 2017 Duty of Care Act (Devoir de Vigilance) requires companies headquartered in France of a certain size to develop a ‘plan of care’ that mandates corporate responsibility throughout the supply chain and all subsidiaries, including outside French territory, and moreover provides a mechanism for legal recourse in the event of environmental or human rights harm from business activities.

The La Bellière gold and antimony district (French Armorican Massif): A two-stage evolution model controlled by Variscan strike-slip tectonic

The La Bellière gold district, in the Ligerian domain of the Armorican Massif is the third one of France in term of production. It shows gold-bearing quartz veins neighboring with a complex network of Sb veins, hosted in the Neoproterozoic metasedimentary basement of the Mauges Nappe. New structural data, mineralogical, textural and geochemical assays have been carried out to clarify the gold and Sb veins relationships. Our results favor of two-step hydrothermal event with an early deep-seated gold event followed by a late shallower Sb event. The gold-bearing quartz veins are hosted by N60°E to N90°E sinistral strike-slip faults. These veins exhibit a four-stage paragenesis: 1) early barren quartz filling, 2) arsenopyrite-pyrite with minor scheelite assemblage, 3) gold and base metal sulfides crystallized after a ductile/brittle deformation stage, and 4) pyrite-carbonate coeval with a late brittle stage. These results support a continuous evolution model from a deep emplacement level (12 to 9 km) to a shallow one (7 to <5 km) with a brutal change in the P/T conditions that triggered the deposition of gold (stage 2) controlled by a seismic-valve mechanism. On the contrary, Sb veins correspond to open space vein types, hosted in a N20°W to N20°E conjugated strike-slip fault network arranged in a Riedel shear model, controlled by N130-140°E regional dextral strike-slip shear zone associated to the South Armorican Shear Zone system. A two-stage evolution is recognized, the first one consists of early pyrite-arsenopyrite with microcrystalline quartz, followed by a late stibnite stage formed after geodic quartz deposition. Quartz texture argues for a shallow emplacement (<5 km) of veins controlled by a suction-pump mechanism. Chronologically, the gold vein opening complies with a NE-SW maximum shortening direction different from the late-Variscan stress field responsible for the dextral Armorican shear zone during late Carboniferous, and constrains an indirect dating. Thus, a Visean age is proposed for the formation of gold veins. The overall features of gold deposits are close to those of mesozonal orogenic gold deposits in Europe. Conversely, Sb-bearing veins are generated by a N-S shortening during the late Carboniferous. The Sb event, distinct in time from the earlier gold one, might correspond to a different expression of the so-called “epizonal” type in the orogenic gold model. It is proposed that the Late Carboniferous “Or 300” event is not the unique metallogenic period for gold deposition in the French Variscan domain. Our study highlights the role of the sinistral strike-slip shearing of possible Visean age, in the gold metallogenesis of the Ligerian domain.

The last known freshwater coelacanths: New Late Cretaceous mawsoniid remains (Osteichthyes: Actinistia) from Southern France.

Coelacanths are iconic fishes represented today by a single marine genus. The group was a little bit more diversified in the Mesozoic, with representatives in marine and continental environments in the Late Cretaceous. Here we describe isolated skull bones of the last know freshwater coelacanths found in several fossil sites from the Early Campanian to the Early Maastrichtian of Southern France (in the Departments of Aude, Bouches-du-Rhône, Hérault, and Var). The sample does not allow distinguishing different species, and all material is referred to Axelrodichthys megadromos Cavin, Valentin, Garcia originally described from the locality of Ventabren in Southern France. A reconstruction of the skull is proposed. Previously unrecognized features are described, including parts of the postparietal portion of the skull, of the suspensorium and of the mandible. The new data confirm the assignation of the species to the mawsoniids, and more specifically to Axelrodichthys. A cladistic analysis scoring new character states provides a similar topology than a previous analysis, i.e. A. megadromos is placed in a polytomy with Axelrodichthys araripensis and Lualabaea lerichei, two species from the Early Cretaceous of Brazil and from the Late Jurassic of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, respectively. A. megadromos appears to have been restricted to freshwater environments, to the contrary of oldest Western Gondwanan representatives of the family that were able to live in brackish and marine waters. A. megadromos is the last representative of the mawsoniids and its occurrence in Europe is probably the result of a dispersal event from Western Gondwana that happened somewhen in the Cretaceous. Based on the available data, the mawsoniids went extinct in the mid-Maastrichthian, i.e. before the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. But it is possible that the fossil record of this family, which has been only recently recognized in Late Cretaceous European deposits, will geographically and stratigraphically widen with further discoveries.

Extratropical cyclones over the North Atlantic and western Europe during the Last Glacial Maximum and implications for proxy interpretation

Abstract. Extratropical cyclones are a dominant feature of the midlatitudes, as their passage is associated with strong winds, precipitation and temperature changes. The statistics and characteristics of extratropical cyclones over the North Atlantic region exhibit some fundamental differences between pre-industrial (PI) and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) climate conditions. Here, the statistics are analysed based on results of a tracking algorithm applied to global PI and LGM climate simulations. During the LGM, both the number and the intensity of detected cyclones were higher compared to PI. In particular, increased cyclone track activity is detected close to the Laurentide ice sheet and over central Europe. To determine changes in cyclone characteristics, the top 30 extreme storm events for PI and LGM have been simulated with a regional climate model and high resolution (12.5 km grid spacing) over the eastern North Atlantic and western Europe. Results show that LGM extreme cyclones were characterised by weaker precipitation, enhanced frontal temperature gradients and stronger wind speeds than PI analogues. These results are in line with the view of a colder and drier Europe, characterised by little vegetation and affected by frequent dust storms, leading to reallocation and build-up of thick loess deposits in Europe.

Complexes of Late Bronze Age Molds from Tokivske

This paper deals with the Late Bronze Age complexes (deposits) of molds made of stone which were found near Tokivske village, Apostolivskyi region, Dnipropetrovsk oblast, at the eastern bank of the Kamianka River, Dnipro basin. Complexes included, respectively, three and seven matrixes mainly made of shale. Molds were used for production of bronze sickles, daggers, flat adzes, sleeve chisels, celts, round disc (mirror), pins, round plaques-buttons. Most of types are typical for the Middle Dnipro region. However, some of those have analogies in wide territories of Eurasia, from the Carpathians to Central Asia. The complexes of finds are contemporaneous to each other. It is confirmed by their dating and the presence of similar matrixes for the production of daggers in both complexes. Metal finds produced in Tokivske forms have analogies in complexes of Loboikivka (Middle Dnipro region, Donets region) and mainly the Ingul — Krasnyi Maiak (Lower Dnipro region, North-Western Pontic region) centers of metal production. Tokivske itself was located in the contact area of two large cultural complexes dated by the Middle Bronze Age, i.e. Zrubna (Berezhnivsko-Maivska Zrubna culture — BMZC) and Sabatynivka–Noua, to which those centers of metal production related. Similarities to the metal tools can be also found among the materials typical for the Central European deposits of Ópályi-Uriu-Domǎneşti. To a certain extent, analogies to the described finds are known in Kardashynka center of metal production belonging to Bilozerka culture. Therefore, the time of functioning of the workshop at the Tokivske site can be dated to the transition from Late Sabatynivka (BMZC-II after V. V. Otroshchenko) to Early Bilozerka time, BzD — HaA1 period according to P. Reineke or 13th—12th century BC. This was a time of the beginning of the so-called “The Bronze Age collapse”. In South-Eastern Europe the latter is marked by the decline of Noua–Sabatynivka and Zrubna (also known as Timber-Grave) cultural complexes and the formation of new cultures of the Final Bronze Age, from which Bilozerka and Bilohrudivka cultures were developed in the eastern bank of the Dnipro.

Geochemistry of recent and fossil brachiopod calcite of Megathiris detruncata (Terebratulida, Megathyrididae): A modern baseline study to trace past environmental conditions

Modern and fossil calcareous shells of the terebratulide brachiopod Megathiris detruncata have been investigated for stable oxygen and carbon isotope and elemental (Mg, Sr, Mn, Fe, Ba) compositions to assess the possibility of using this species to trace past environmental conditions. Modern shells were collected from the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, while fossil specimens were sampled from late Eocene to Pleistocene deposits in Europe. We mainly analysed bulk shells (i.e., primary and secondary layers together) but, in some cases, their single median and lateral septa, ventral and dorsal valves. The oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of the modern shells indicate that M. detruncata mineralizes the bulk of its calcite shell in equilibrium with seawater. In addition, their Mn, Ba, and Fe concentrations are low with few exceptions from the Atlantic Ocean where high Fe/Ca ratios can probably be related to locally enhanced Fe availability. The Sr/Ca ratio ranges narrowly between 1.4 and 1.7mmol/mol, while the Mg/Ca ratio has larger variability from about 23 to 45mmol/mol. The δ18O derived temperatures do not correlate with Mg/Ca, suggesting that Mg is likely affected by greater vital effects. Physiological control on biomineralization might also explain the somewhat larger spread of δ13C between different valves of the same individual and will require further testing by in situ analyses.The fossil M. detruncata shells have a compositional range much larger than modern specimens, with large intra-shell and intra-site variabilities indicative of partial or full alteration. Altered fossils, characterized by low δ18O and δ13C values, low Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca, and high Mn/Ca and Fe/Ca ratios are often associated with clear signs of re-crystallization and/or secondary calcite precipitation within the shells.We used fossil samples without obvious recrystallization features and chemical and isotopic compositions similar to modern specimens to discuss environmental parameters such as temperature and δ18Oseawater at the given time. We recognized variable local controls on seawater isotopic compositions in the Paratethys from the Oligocene until the Middle Miocene, and we propose somewhat warmer habitats for the M. detruncata in the Aquitaine Basin in southwestern France during the Late Oligocene. Isotope variation recorded in the Plio-Pleistocene Mediterranean shells are instead best explained by changing glacial-interglacial conditions.

The Pb-Zn-Ag vein system at Montevecchio-Ingurtosu, southwestern Sardinia, Italy: A summary of previous knowledge and new mineralogical, fluid inclusion, and isotopic data

The Montevecchio-Ingurtosu district (SW Sardinia) was among the largest historical Pb-Zn producers of Italy, with significant Ag output, and yields of metallic byproducts such as Cd, Co, Cu, Bi, Sb, Ge, In, and Ga. Despite this importance, detailed descriptions of orebodies and mineral assemblages are surprisingly scarce and old. Here we summarize all previously available information and contribute new textural, microchemical, fluid inclusion, and C-O isotopic data deriving from a recent sampling of currently exposed orebodies. Mineralization occurs as steeply dipping veins extending for almost 20 km at the northern and western flanks of the Variscan Arbus pluton; veins are hosted in phyllites of the Arburese Unit close to the thermometamorphic aureole. Ore enrichments range from massive to coarsely nodular, stockwork and brecciated. Vein filling consists of siderite (locally Zn-rich), quartz, sphalerite, galena (remarkably rich in micro-inclusions), with accessory chalcopyrite, fahlore, bournonite, barite, and Ni-Co sulfarsenides. Vein assemblages may vary, even within a single vein, from sphalerite- to galena-dominated. Cu-rich assemblages (fahlore + chalcopyrite) were locally observed. Wallrock is affected by silicification, sericitization and pyrite dissemination. Sphalerite shows a complex mineral chemistry, with marked variations in Fe (0.08 to 8.9 mol% FeS) and in Cd contents (from <0.05 to >1 wt%). Trace element analyses (LA-ICP-MS) document the presence of measurable amounts of Ga, Ge, In, Ag, Ni, Co, Tl and Mo. Fahlore varies from the Sb (tetrahedrite) and the As (tennantite) endmembers, with Ag-rich compositions corresponding to Sb endmembers. The occurrence of Cd-rich tetrahedrite (up to 14.5 wt%) is remarkable. Fluid inclusion studies on sphalerite and quartz are in agreement with previous literature data, and indicate comparatively low (in the range 90°–130 °C) homogenization temperatures (Th) and high salinities (14 to 25 equiv. mass % NaCl); both microthermometric data and SEM/EDS analyses of decrepitated inclusions indicate the presence of Ca and K beside Na. Pressure correction to Th is presumably low (in the order of 10 °C), considering a hydrostatic pressure regime. Application of the sphalerite-based GGIMFiS thermometer provided temperatures in excellent agreement with fluid inclusion data for the Montevecchio mineralization. Isotopic data on Montevecchio carbonates define mildy negative δ13CPDB values (between −1 and −5 per mil), and a larger spread of δ18OSMOW values, between +14 and +20 per mil. Other isotopic data from literature include a limited set of δ34S values for galena, sphalerite and pyrite, and a fairly large body of Pb isotopic data on galena. Comparatively narrow ranges for sulfur isotope signatures suggest a homogeneous, possibly igneous, sulfur source, whereas the large spread in Pb isotope signatures reflects the large-scale character of the hydrothermal process and indicates that the Arbus pluton may have been just one of the sources of ore lead. The Montevecchio vein system shows affinities with other late to post Variscan European deposits. The nature of the mineralizing fluids at Montevecchio is analogous to low temperature, basinal brines, and typical of several regional-scale, late to post-Variscan hydrothermal events across Europe. Mineralization at Montevecchio obviously postdates the emplacement of the Arbus plutonic complex, but its exact age remains unknown..

μ‐Raman as a fundamental tool in the origin of natural or synthetic cinnabar: Preliminary data

AbstractThis paper is a preliminary study on the origin of the precious red pigment cinnabar by μ‐Raman analysis. The importance of this pigment is partly due to its low availability. When the mineral was used in the Roman Age, the district of Almadén, Spain, was probably the most exploited region. However, it is still not well defined if further ores were chosen for supply. A scientific methodology has to be assessed. In the present study, samples with known provenance (Spain, Slovenia, Italy, Russia, China, and minor European deposits) were collected from Italian Mineralogical and Earth Science Museums. μ‐Raman analysis was chosen to acquire structural data, which were finally treated by statistical analysis. Most of the samples from China were characterized by the presence of selenium. This was proved by the additional band at ~200 cm−1. The statistical analysis of Raman data suggests that the position of the most intense band at ~252 cm−1 also influences the discrimination of the Chinese samples. This work also demonstrates that a higher purity may be revealed by μ‐Raman analysis, eventually leading to the discrimination of natural sources from synthetic cinnabar. It also proves that the most common exploitation sites, Almadén and Idrija, may be statistically distinguished. Despite its exploratory nature, this study is intended as a successful preliminary step to gain information of provenance from a single, potentially non‐destructive technique, such as μ‐Raman spectroscopy.

The Potential for REE and Associated Critical Metals in Coastal Sand (Placer) Deposits of Greece: A Review

The rare earth elements (REEs) are characterized by the European Union (EU) as critical raw materials with a significant risk of supply because of their broad utility in both traditional and emerging technological applications. The growing demand for REE has caused a flurry in the search for new REE deposits in Europe and elsewhere in the world, and is also linked to rising exploitation efforts in a variety of geological settings. To this end, Greece appears to be a promising candidate to become a leading EU country in terms of REE by virtue of its natural endowment in sedimentary heavy mineral deposits (placers) along its long coastline. The present review focuses on the distribution, abundance, and bulk geochemistry of REEs and other critical metals (Ta, Nb, Co) associated with placer deposits of Greece, and specifically with geologically young heavy mineral sand accumulations developed proximal to felsic plutonic source rocks. These deposits are also enriched in the actinides uranium (U) and thorium (Th), as both of these metals are typically associated with REE-rich minerals such as xenotime, monazite, thorite, allanite, and zircon. Previous studies have employed a variety of analytical techniques down to nano-meter scale with the aim to elucidate the mineralogy and distribution of REE and associated actinides in Greek beach placers. In view of this mineralogically-intensive background, the present review focuses chiefly on bulk geochemical characteristics of the same deposits and the variations thereof between two major geographical regions (northern Greece, southern Aegean) and across individual placer occurrences within them. In this framework, we present comprehensive compositional comparisons between the different deposits, highlighting the geological sub-environments wherein they occur, their distinctive sources and geochemical signatures, and their potential economic significance in terms of REE and other critical metal enrichments where applicable.

Map of Quaternary formations of Ukraine in scale 1:2,500,000

The article announces a new map of Quaternary formations on the territory of Ukraine on the scale 1:2,500,000. It considers the prerequisites for the preparation of this map and summarises more than a century of historical research and mapping of the Quaternary formations on the territory of Ukraine. Due to the continuity of scientific research, an extremely developed theoretical and methodological basis of both research and mapping of Quaternary formations has been formed in the country. This is also due to the extraordinary diversity of the geological structure of the Quaternary cover, due to the presence of two mountain systems, lowland areas (including within them several deflections and two crystalline foundations), as well as due to the presence of two seas (including the continental shelf, slope and deep-water zone). A very wide spectrum of facies and formations is also listed (including a thick loess-soil cover, facies of two glaciers of different ages, alluvia, estuary, marine shelf, deep-water and etc.). Attention is focused on two important problems of mapping Quaternary cover. The first is related to new views on the origin of the subaerial cover. The significance of the new (geo-eolian) factor is disclosed, which determined both the thickness and lithological properties of the strata of each paleogeographic stage (of climatoliths) of each separate section, and the stratigraphic structure of the loess-soil cover. Spatial patterns of the structure of the subaerial cover are briefly described, in particular, the mosaic division into areas with a homogeneous stratigraphic structure (type-sections), due to the corresponding geo-eolian mode (sequence). The second problem concerns the ways of visualization of the geological structure of Quaternary sediments on the map. Two principles of reflection of the Quaternary cover are considered, and the disadvantages and advantages of each of them are indicated. Promising ways to map the Quaternary subaerial cover on the basis of ideas about its mosaic structure are proposed. A solution to the problem of various principles of visualization of the Quaternary cover is recommended involving compilation of «multi-visual» maps based on their interactive reissuing (re-design) with modern geographic information systems in accordance with various principles of visualization of the structure of the Quaternary. It has been proposed to use the above scientific approaches in the mapping of the Quaternary deposits of Europe and the World, and also to take into account the geo-eolian factor in the studies of the subaerial cover.

Isotope systematics and chemical composition of tin ingots from Mochlos (Crete) and other Late Bronze Age sites in the eastern Mediterranean Sea: An ultimate key to tin provenance?

The origin of the tin used for the production of bronze in the Eurasian Bronze Age is still one of the mysteries in prehistoric archaeology. In the past, numerous studies were carried out on archaeological bronze and tin objects with the aim of determining the sources of tin, but all failed to find suitable fingerprints. In this paper we investigate a set of 27 tin ingots from well-known sites in the eastern Mediterranean Sea (Mochlos, Uluburun, Hishuley Carmel, Kfar Samir south, Haifa) that had been the subject of previous archaeological and archaeometallurgical research. By using a combined approach of tin and lead isotopes together with trace elements it is possible to narrow down the potential sources of tin for the first time. The strongly radiogenic composition of lead in the tin ingots from Israel allows the calculation of a geological model age of the parental tin ores of 291 ± 17 Ma. This theoretical formation age excludes Anatolian, central Asian and Egyptian tin deposits as tin sources since they formed either much earlier or later. On the other hand, European tin deposits of the Variscan orogeny agree well with this time span so that an origin from European deposits is suggested. With the help of the tin isotope composition and the trace elements of the objects it is further possible to exclude many tin resources from the European continent and, considering the current state of knowledge and the available data, to conclude that Cornish tin mines are the most likely suppliers for the 13th–12th centuries tin ingots from Israel. Even though a different provenance seems to be suggested for the tin from Mochlos and Uluburun by the actual data, these findings are of great importance for the archaeological interpretation of the trade routes and the circulation of tin during the Late Bronze Age. They demonstrate that the trade networks between the eastern Mediterranean and some place in the east that are assumed for the first half of the 2nd millennium BCE (as indicated by textual evidence from Kültepe/Kaneš and Mari) did not exist in the same way towards the last quarter of the millennium.

Ctenodus boudariensis nov. sp., a ctenodont lungfish from the mid-Viséan Ducabrook Formation of Queensland, Australia

Kemp, A. 24 April, 2019. Ctenodus boudariensis nov. sp., a ctenodont lungfish from the mid-Viséan Ducabrook Formation of Queensland, Australia. Alcheringa 43, 423-429. ISSN 0311-5518.An extensive collection of isolated tooth plates and skull bones of a lungfish is described from the early Carboniferous mid-Viséan Ducabrook Formation from Ducabrook, in the Drummond Basin, east central Queensland. This species of lungfish, Ctenodus boudariensis, only about one metre in length, was small compared with members of the genus from the Northern Hemisphere. Many characters of the head of C. boudariensis are reminiscent of the skull of the living Australian lungfish, such as the lack of bone around the olfactory organ, and the presence of exoccipital bones embedded in the chondrocranium, although C. boudariensis has gular bones in the mandible, where the living species has scales. The skull has paired E and C bones, a single D bone perforated by a foramen for the pineal organ and a large unpaired B bone flanked by tabular bones with attachment sites for the epaxial muscles of the trunk. The tooth plates, while similar to those of European genera of Ctenodus, were narrower and had fewer ridges. This record extends the incidence of Ctenodus of the classic form, common in Carboniferous and Permian deposits in Europe and also recorded from localities of similar age in North America, to eastern Australia.Anne Kemp [annerkemp@gmail.com], Queensland Museum, Hendra Annexe, 122 Gerler Road, Hendra, Queensland 4011, Australia.

A turiasaurian sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous Wealden Supergroup of the United Kingdom.

The Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary, 145 million years ago, has long been recognised as an extinction event or faunal turnover for sauropod dinosaurs, with many ‘basal’ lineages disappearing. However, recently, a number of ‘extinct’ groups have been recognised in the Early Cretaceous, including diplodocids in Gondwana, and non-titanosauriform macronarians in Laurasia. Turiasauria, a clade of non-neosauropod eusauropods, was originally thought to have been restricted to the Late Jurassic of western Europe. However, its distribution has recently been extended to the Late Jurassic of Tanzania (Tendaguria tanzaniensis), as well as to the Early Cretaceous of the USA (Mierasaurus bobyoungi and Moabosaurus utahensis), demonstrating the survival of another ‘basal’ clade across the J/K boundary. Teeth from the Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous of western Europe and North Africa have also tentatively been attributed to turiasaurs, whilst recent phylogenetic analyses recovered Late Jurassic taxa from Argentina and China as further members of Turiasauria. Here, an anterior dorsal centrum and neural arch (both NHMUK 1871) from the Early Cretaceous Wealden Supergroup of the UK are described for the first time. NHMUK 1871 shares several synapomorphies with Turiasauria, especially the turiasaurs Moabosaurus and Tendaguria, including: (1) a strongly dorsoventrally compressed centrum; (2) the retention of prominent epipophyses; and (3) an extremely low, non-bifid neural spine. NHMUK 1871 therefore represents the first postcranial evidence for Turiasauria from European deposits of Early Cretaceous age. Although turiasaurs show clear heterodont dentition, only broad, characteristically ‘heart’-shaped teeth can currently be attributed to Turiasauria with confidence. As such, several putative turiasaur occurrences based on isolated teeth from Europe, as well as the Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous of Africa, cannot be confidently referred to Turiasauria. Unequivocal evidence for turiasaurs is therefore restricted to the late Middle Jurassic–Early Cretaceous of western Europe, the Late Jurassic of Tanzania, and the late Early Cretaceous of the USA, although remains from elsewhere might ultimately demonstrate that the group had a near-global distribution.

Indigenous rights to defend land and traditional activities

One of the largest remaining unexploited iron ore deposits in Europe is the Kallak Iron Deposit in the province of Norrbotten in northern Sweden, where a significant Sámi population is located. Since 2011, the UK-based company, Beowulf Mining, has begun a large campaign for extraction in northern and southern Kallak. However, the Sámi of the region, together with environmentalists and non-Sámi individuals have drastically expressed their opposition blocking with various ways the processes. The Sámi being aware of the environmental risk have concerns about their ability to drive reindeer across the land, and the impact Beowulf’s operations are likely to have on the reindeer migratory patterns. Nowadays, seven years after the initial application for licensing, the approval of the application is still pending and Beowulf is pressing more and more the Swedish authorities for a final response in order to start extracting. Only the County Administrative Board of Norrbotten, despite its initial consent, still advocates for Sámi and their reindeer refusing to issue licensing for the British company. Accordingly, this article was designed as a descriptive study of the legal framework of the implementation of this endeavour addressing the legal arguments of both sides as they derive from a qualitative study of official documents, environmental reports, and relative articles of scholars. Concluding, the article illustrates the gaps of legal protection of indigenous land-rights in Sweden presenting their vulnerability to such kind of challenges.