Geological Association Research Articles

Tracking quartz and zircon provenance in sedimentary rocks using Ti distributions: Unlocking the volcanic-plutonic connection in old igneous systems

Although the relationship between silicic volcanic and plutonic rocks has been extensively studied, it remains controversial whether most plutons have volcanic counterparts and how the volcanic-to-plutonic ratio has evolved through time. This stems primarily from the scarcity of geologic examples with both volcanic and plutonic counterparts, especially in ancient terranes where volcanic deposits have likely been eroded. Here, we introduce a novel approach to identify remnant volcanic crystals in proximal siliciclastic/detrital rock formations. As most erupted crystals stop their growth before reaching the solidus, in contrast to plutonic crystals, the distribution of Ti (a proxy for temperature of crystallisation and/or magma evolution) in (weathering-resistant) quartz and zircon can help in identifying volcanic crystals in sedimentary rocks derived from supracrustal sources that have been completely eroded. Laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analyses of quartz and zircon from volcanic and plutonic units that are known to be spatially and temporally related (from Southern Rocky Mountain Volcanic Field, Colorado, and Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand) reveal that volcanic crystals have generally distinct distributions of, and on average higher Ti contents than, plutonic crystals. To further develop and test this methodology, we analysed samples from the 1.075 Ga Pikes Peak granite (CO, USA) and from the associated series of intra-granite sedimentary dikes that form part of the Cryogenian Period Tava sandstone. Blue band cathodoluminescence (CL) images can be used as a proxy for Ti-in-quartz. Our CL-screening method provides a statistically representative distribution of Ti contents in quartz crystals from individual thin sections. The Tava sandstone contains a higher concentration of high-Ti (and hence high-temperature) quartz and zircon grains than the average Pikes Peak batholith, interpreted as grains eroded from a no longer exposed, volcanic counterpart of the Pikes Peak magmatic system. Our study illustrates a means to test whether magmatic reservoirs that are now represented by crystallised ancient plutons once fed volcanic eruptions, and identifies a strategy for reconstructing volcanic-plutonic relationships, even when parts of the geological association have been eroded.

Geological Association of Canada - Newfoundland and Labrador Section Abstracts: 2024 Technical Meeting, March 20 and 21, 2024

Geological Association of Canada - Newfoundland and Labrador Section Abstracts: 2024 Technical Meeting, March 20 and 21, 2024

Studies of the hydrodynamic properties of the formation of an oil and gas condensate field

This paper presents the experience of well testing conducted by several geological associations. The studies were conducted to assess the characteristics of productive formations, such as hydroconductivity, productivity, saturation pattern and operating mode. Various methods and equipment were used, including various types of drilling rigs and drills. Some disadvantages of the tests are also described, such as the erroneous choice of perforation intervals or poor-quality gas condensate studies. The data on the tools and techniques used, as well as the results of studies on stationary and unsteady filtration modes are presented. The findings of the study will help to improve understanding of the geological characteristics of the formations and improve production efficiency.

Orbital Characterization of the Composition and Distribution of Spinels Across the Crisium Region: Insight From Luna 20 Samples

AbstractSpinels represent a small fraction of lunar surface materials but provide important insights into the petrological evolution of the lunar crust and mantle. Previous remote sensing analyses of highlands spinel‐bearing lithologies have focused on pure Mg‐Al spinels, which are rare in the lunar sample collection. Using Moon Mineralogy Mapper data, we develop and test an approach for detecting spectral signatures of spinel across a wider range of Mg, Al, Fe, Cr, Ti‐bearing compositions than have been addressed in previous studies, including within mafic‐bearing assemblages. This approach is validated through integration with laboratory‐measured spinel spectra and petrographic observations of samples returned by the Luna 20 mission from the Hilly and Furrowed Terrain surrounding the Crisium Basin. Applying this approach to data from the Crisium region, small abundances of spinel (<∼5 vol%) with a range of Mg, Al, Fe, Cr, and Ti content and petrologic origin (inferred from Luna 20 samples) were found to be widespread within highlands soils across the Crisium region. This result diverges from previous remote sensing analyses, which only reported small, isolated exposures of pure Mg‐Al spinel (as well as a possible detection of Fe, Cr‐bearing spinels localized within pyroclastic materials at Sinus Aestuum). Geologic associations of candidate spinel detections across this region are consistent with a shallow crustal origin rather than excavation from depth during the Crisium‐forming impact. These spinels are detectible in near‐infrared spectroscopic data, particularly in areas of low optical maturity and may influence the spectral continuum of highlands soils.

Geological Association of Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Section Abstracts: Spring Technical Meeting, April 24 and 25, 2023

Geological Association of Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Section Abstracts: Spring Technical Meeting, April 24 and 25, 2023

Academician Vladimir K. Petković (1873–1935) – a brief introduction to the life and work of one of the founders of the Carpathian-Balkan Geological Association (CBGA)

Academician Vladimir K. Petković was one of the founders of the Carpathian-Balkan Geological Association (CBGA) in 1922. The announcement gives a brief information about his professional path and his contributions to the geology of Serbia.

Report on the XXII International Congress of the Carpathian Balkan Geological Association (CBGA) in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, September 7–11, 2022

Report on the XXII International Congress of the Carpathian Balkan Geological Association (CBGA) in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, September 7–11, 2022

22nd Congress of the Carpathian-Balkan Geological Association (CBGA2022), 7–11 September 2022, Plovdiv (Bulgaria)

22nd Congress of the Carpathian-Balkan Geological Association (CBGA2022), 7–11 September 2022, Plovdiv (Bulgaria)

Geological Association of Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Section Abstracts: Spring Technical Meeting, February 21 and 22, 2022

Geological Association of Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Section Abstracts: Spring Technical Meeting, February 21 and 22, 2022

THE PALAEOENVIRONMENTS AND DEPOSITIONAL MODEL FOR THE NGRAYONG SANDSTONES AN OUTCROP STUDY IN EASTERN PART OF THE MADURA ISLAND AS A REFERENCE

This topic is the most eastern portion of the se- ries depositional model of the Ngrayong Sandstone, which well develops particularly in Madura Island. This study is also observing both vertical and horizontal sequences of the sedintentological aspects and its geological associations of the Ngrayong Sandstone outcrops. The eastern part is situated between 06° 58' 10" S- 113° 46' 16" E and 06 59' 47" S- 113° 56' 09" E, that covers the eastern studies area ie, Mandala --Belukares and Prenduan to the west and Banjar Barat – Gapura - Sema to the eastern margin (Fig- ure 1). These areas are also exemplifying the east- ern most of the Ngrayong Sandstone depositional setting. Like most of the previous Ngrayong Sandstone Studies of these series is to consign the sand- stone deposition aspects especially in the main land of Madura to obtain good affiliation within the basin configuration related to hydrocarbon exploration in this region. The worked was converged on the Ngrayong Sandstone exposures to investigate the depositional style of the sandstone in the eastern portion of the island. The data mostly obtained from direct measurement of even single section of the outcrop, paleocurrent analysis and sedimentary structure, collecting the rock samples for petrographic study to see the modal analysis, di- agenesis, and reservoir characteristic.

20-РІЧЧЯ СТУДЕНТСЬКОГО ОСЕРЕДКУ ТОВАРИСТВА ГЕОФІЗИКІВ-РОЗВІДНИКІВ У КИЇВСЬКОМУ УНІВЕРСИТЕТІ!

Geological education is the basis for training specialists in the study of natural resources. The rational use of subsoil is the basis of the economic development of Ukraine, especially in the conditions of the energy transition. Educational institutions provide a wide range of disciplines for the geological training of students. Participation in international societies contributes to getting additional knowledge. The distribution of professional societies within institutions and enterprises is world practice in many countries. There are several geological associations that cooperate with Ukraine in the geologic sciences. The student section of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) was established at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv at the Department of Geophysics twenty years ago. The introduction to new features was interesting and useful for students and teachers. Thanks to SEG programs, students received new computer equipment, geophysical literature, educational courses, attendance of lectures, international participation in symposia, possibility of organizing field camps, getting of scholarships, etc. The field of activity of the SEG Kyiv student chapter covers reports on its work at international conferences and educational institutions, the invitation of specialists of the geological industry, participation in geological quizzes and competitions among foreign students, conducting geophysical studies, etc. Members of the SEG section organized international geoscience investigations in various regions of Ukraine. The geophysical surveys were conducted to study ancient buildings in Kamianets-Podilskyi, a gypsum Verteba cave and paleovolcanoes near Uzhgorod. 49 students from 11 countries participated in the field camps. Local studies of pipelines were carried out by geophysical methods near the building of the ESI "Institute of Geology" (Kyiv) and on Totoha Mount, located in Kyiv region. Students performed magnetics, electrical resistivity tomography (ERT), surface seismic exploration, ground-penetrating radar (GPR), geodesic measurements and surveys UAV. The student chapter activity was presented at its meetings, with more than 50 reports. For 20 years, more than 100 students were members of the SEG section, which has been the basis for the AAPG and EAGE faculty circles. The SEG Kyiv student chapter is recognized as the best one in 2018. The geophysical section SEG has made a significant contribution to the spread of geological knowledge and the presentation of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv internationally.

100th anniversary of the Carpathian-Balkan geological association (CBGA)

During the 22nd Congress of the Carpathian-Balkan Geological Association (CBGA) held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria (September 7?11, 2022), the 100th anniversary of the foundation of the CBGA was marked. A resolution for establishing the ?Carpathian Geological Association? was adopted during the 13th session of the international Geological Congress in Brussels (August 19, 1922). it was a result of the efforts and initiative of R. Kettner(Czechoslovakia), J. Nowak (Poland), G. Munteanu Murgoci (Romania), and V. Petkovic (Yugoslavia). Later, after the Second world war, the association changed its name to the Carpathian-Balkan Geological Association (CBGA). during the last hundred years, the CBGA has passed several phases of its existence and organization regarding European geopolitical changes. the main goal of the CBGA remained the same as at the beginning: to promote and encourage joint fundamental and applied geological research in the Carpathian-Balkan region and surrounding area. today, many geoscientists from the 16 member states collaborate in the frame of official working groups of CBGA, EU professional projects, business meetings and joint topics, education programs, etc. CBGA is affiliated with the international union of Geological Science (IUGS) as one of the oldest regional organizations. Based on increasing industrial and environmental demands and needs and an interest in the region?s vast scientific and professional community, we believe the CBGA can improve its activity and give additional benefits to the scientific community, industry, and the environment.

Boulders on Mercury

Boulders on the surfaces of planets, satellites and small bodies, as well as their geological associations, provide important information about surface processes. We analyzed all available images of the surface of Mercury that have sufficient resolution and quality to detect boulders, and we mapped all the boulders observed. The lower size limit of detectable boulders was ~5 m. All boulders found on Mercury are associated with fresh impact craters hundreds of meters in diameter or larger. We compared boulder population on Mercury with population of boulders of the same size on the Moon, and found that boulders on Mercury are ~30 times less abundant than in the lunar highlands. This exact quantitative estimate is inherently inaccurate due to the limitation in the source data; however, the significant relative rarity of boulders on Mercury can be firmly and reliably established. We discuss possible causes of the observed difference. Higher thermal stresses and more rapid material fatigue due to diurnal temperature cycling on Mercury may cause rapid disintegration of the upper decimeters of the boulder surface and thus contribute to more rapid boulder obliteration; however, these factors alone cannot account for the observed difference. A proposed thicker regolith on Mercury is likely to significantly reduce boulder production rate. A higher micrometeoritic flux on Mercury is likely to result in micrometeoritic abrasion being a dominant contributor to boulder degradation; this high abrasion rate likely shortens the boulder lifetime. A combination of these factors appears to be able to account for the relative rarity of boulders on Mercury.

Sending Laurion Back to the Future: Bronze Age Silver and the Source of Confusion

Silver-bearing lead ores at Laurion in Attica were considered to have been first exploited with the introduction of coinage sometime around the birth of Classical Greece. However, in the late 20th century this chronology was radically revised earlier, to the Bronze Age, largely supported by lead isotope analyses (LIA). Here, we acknowledge that lead and silver metallurgy emerged from the earliest times but we propose that any correlation between these metals in the archaeological record is not a consequence of a geological association between lead and silver in ores such as galena until the middle of the first millennium BCE. We suggest that ancient metallurgists recognised that silver minerals (such as horn silver) dispersed in host rocks could be concentrated in molten lead and that LIA signatures of Bronze Age silver artefacts reflect the use of exogenous lead to extract silver, perhaps applying processes similar to those used to acquire silver in Bronze Age Siphnos. We further propose that lead from Laurion used for silver extraction resulted in the inadvertent transfer of its LIA signature (probably aided by roving silver prospectors) to silver objects and metallurgical debris recovered around the Aegean. New compositional analyses for the Mycenaean shaft-grave silver (c. 1600 BCE) support these conclusions. We believe that reverting to the mid-first millennium BCE for the first exploitation of silver from argentiferous lead ores is consistent with the absence of archaeological evidence for centralised control over Laurion until the Archaic period, the paucity of lead slag associated with silver-processing debris at Bronze Age sites, the scarcity of silver artefacts recovered in post-shaft grave contexts at Mycenae and throughout the Early Iron Age Aegean, the few Attic silver coins with LIA signatures consistent with Laurion until after 500 BCE and a single unambiguous mention of silver in the Linear B texts.

The Magnificent of Geosites as Geoheritage Potential in Djuanda Grand Forest Park Area, Bandung, Indonesia

Djuanda Grand Forest Park (Tahura Djuanda) at Bandung, West Java Province, built-in 1985, has functioned as a conservation area concerning Indonesia’s biodiversity. It is the first Grand Forest Park among 27 of them, which was built in Indonesia. In addition, Djuanda Grand Forest Park potential for geodiversity and geoheritage concerning the geological history of the Tangkuban Parahu volcano formation since ancient times, so that conservation is needed. The Indonesian Geological Association (IAGI), in collaboration with the Djuanda Grand Forest Park Institution and the Geological Agency, researched the geoheritage potential of the Djuanda Grand Forest Park for accelerating the Tahura Djuanda to be a geoheritage area. The method used in this study consist of inventorying, identifying, analyzing, and mapping each geodiversity/geoheritage. The finding is that the Djuanda Grand Forest Park area has seven geoheritage potentials: the Dago Waterfall Lava, Pahoehoe Lava, Lalay Waterfall Lava, Omas Waterfall Lava, Ignimbrite at “Gua Belanda” and “Gua Jepang” and the Kraton Cliff Fault Scarp. By establishing the Djuanda Grand Forest Park area as a geoheritage area will expose more information about the geological history of Tangkuban Parahu Volcano’s formation through some interpretation boards (signboards) installed at each geoheritage location for conservation and education purposes through tourists visit points. In addition, West Java will be the second province to have a geoheritage after the Geoheritage of Pandeglang Regency, located in Banten Province.

Geological Association of Canada-Newfoundland and Labrador Section Abstracts: Spring Technical Meeting, February 22 and 23, 2021

The Annual Technical Meeting was held virtually on February 22 and 23, 2021 from various home offices, dens, and bedrooms across St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador and beyond.This year the meeting kicked off on Monday with a Special Session to pay tribute to R. Frank Blackwood who passed away in the summer of 2020. Frank was a strong supporter of bedrock mapping, mineral exploration, and the mining industry in Newfoundland and Labrador which is reflected in the following abstracts. Tuesday featured a General Session with presentations on a wide range of geoscience topics.As always, this meeting was brought to participants by volunteer efforts and would not have been possible without the time and energy of the executive and other members of the section such as Anne Westhues, Jared Butler, James Conliffe, Shawn Duquet, Sarah Hashmi, Zsuzsanna Magyarosi, Annie Parrell, and Karen Waterman. The organizers are also indebted to their sponsors, particularly the Geological Association of Canada, Department of Earth Sciences (Memorial University of Newfoundland), and the Geological Survey of Newfoundland and Labrador, Department of Energy, Industry, and Technology.Although the abstracts are modified and edited as necessary for clarity and to conform to Atlantic Geology format and standards, the journal editors do not take responsibility for their content or quality.

Covert Environmental Warfare Assault on India: An Open Letter to the Indian Academy of Sciences

In 2015, in response to an urgent call for assistance to understand the geological association of high aluminum mobility with human health in the Ganga Alluvial Plain, I published a General Article in Current Science entitled “Aluminum poisoning of humanity and Earth’s biota by clandestine geoengineering activity: implications for India”. The events that transpired following its publication led to evidence and documentation that the furtherance of that activity is tantamount to waging environmental warfare against Indian citizens, and citizens of other countries. Its publication, however, triggered an assault by one or more disinformation professionals that may have “poisoned the well” at the Indian Academy of Sciences. The truth is laid out here. During the following five years many questions were answered, such as: Why were the particles being placed into the lower-atmosphere (troposphere), not into the upper-atmosphere (stratosphere)? Why was there no public mention of the jet-emplaced particulate trails except through dissemination of false information, i.e. the contrail lie? What is the legal justification? What are the dangers to human and environmental health? The survival of Indian citizenry is critically dependent upon the natural weather cycles. No one has the right to poison the air people breathe or to disrupt the natural environment that makes life possible. The United Nations’ sanctioned “peaceful environmental improvement” constitutes, I allege, covert, hostile, environmental warfare. By virtue of their abilities and advanced training, scientists have an implicit responsibility toward humanity. Scientific integrity is even more important for members of the Indian Academy of Sciences who must now muster courage to confront a very real threat to the survival of their nation.

Ércföldtan Magyarországon a Földtani Közlöny 150 évének tükrében

Áttekintésünk a Földtani Közlöny megszületésének 150. évfordulójára készült. Célja, hogy a folyóiratban megjelent közleményekből felépítve adjon összegzést a hazai ércföldtan eredményeiről. Áttekintettük az összes, a Közlöny hasábjain megjelent közleményt, s ebből választottuk ki azokat, amelyek valamilyen szempontból jelentős súlyban hoztak napvilágra ércföldtani információt. Úgy változtattuk az áttekintésünk területi merítését, ahogy az ország határai változtak, a történelmi Magyarországra és a mai határainkon belül eső területekre. Az időszakot a politika és történelem diktálta szakaszokra tagoltuk, amelyek egyúttal az állam gazdasági struktúrájában, ezen belül ásványvagyon politikájában fellépő változásokat is tükrözték. A mai országhatáron kivűl eső területeken lévő lelőhelyek esetében a magyar név mellett a ma érvényes helységneveket is feltüntettük. Az információ bőség és a terjedelmi korlát kettős szorítása miatt egy-egy (mégolyan fontos) lelőhely említésére is csak 1-2 mondatot fordíthattunk. Az ábrák néhány legfontosabbnak ítélt telepegyüttes földtani térképe, szelvénye és teleptani modellje révén mutatták be az ismeretek bővülését és az értelmezés fejlődését. Néhány általunk legjelentősebbnek vélt olyan személy nevét is kiemeltük az egyes időszakokban, akik véleményünk szerint a legfontosabb alakítói voltak a mindenkori szakmai tudásunknak. Az összes válogatásunk szubjektiv volt, amit a ma aktív szakemberek három generációját képviselő társszerző csapat önellenörző képessége útján reméltünk kordában tartani.

Человек дела (к 85-летию профессора Жана Вячеславовича Семинского)

The work of Zhan Vyacheslavovich Seminsky, Professor of Irkutsk National Research Technical University is multifaceted and highly productive. The article is dedicated to the 85 th anniversary of the scientist and aims at familiarizing a wider audience with the achievements in his multi-year research and production work. The article is based on the materials from different editions and personal contacts of the author with Seminsky in the field geological conditions when working on joint research-and-production state budget projects and writing scientific articles together within the frames of preparation of the Ph.D. thesis of the author with Zh.V. Seminsky as the research supervisor. Professor Seminsky has worked for 15 years in the production geological association “Sosnovgeologia” where he defended his candidate thesis on ancient volcanic complexes containing various ore deposits. This experience became later of value for the student’s audience. During his work at Irkutsk National Research Technical University, Professor Seminsky defended his Ph.D. thesis, prepared 20 manuals and a monograph, and became a scientific adviser for 17 postgraduates and Ph.D. students. His studies on the ore field structures, regularities of the ore deposits formation and the metallogeny of Eastern Siberia and Transbaikalia (plate tectonics approach) have made him known as one of the leading specialists in Russia and other countries. Zh.V. Seminsky for 33 years had been chief of the Department of Mineralogy, Petrography and Mineral Resources (later, the Department of Geology and Geochemistry of Mineral Resources). For many years, he has been Chairperson of the Dissertation Council D 212.073.01 of Irkutsk National Research Technical University. Professor Seminsky is full member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, Honored Worker of Science of the Russian Federation, Distinguished Mineral Explorer, Honorary Worker of the Education of Mongolia, Professor Emeritus of Irkutsk National Research Technical University, and Honorary Professor of Mongolia. Of special note is the fact that Seminsky’s many-year work has become the base for this journal: Zh.V. Seminsky for many years had been Editor-in-Chief of the scientific edition “Proceedings of the Siberian Department of the Earth Sciences section of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Geology, prospecting and exploration for mineral deposits” that is on the list of the Higher Attestation Commission.

Geological Association of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador Section Abstracts: Technical Meeting 2020

Geological Association of Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador Section Abstracts: Technical Meeting 2020