Mineral Fragments Research Articles

Urban and rural limestone weathering; the contribution of dust to black crust formation

A novel approach of studying dust, black crust and host limestones by using various techniques is presented in this paper. Samples were collected from limestone monuments located in rural, urban and industrial areas in Germany and Hungary. The paper focuses on differences in the mineralogical composition, major and trace element distribution of materials and their total polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) concentration having different exposure to air pollutants. High concentration of gypsum was found in laminar and dendritic black crusts and even in the dust of both urban and rural areas, despite the low concentration of SO2 in rural atmospheric environments. The black crusts show a typical microfabric with distinct layers of various gypsum–calcite mineral associations, silt-sized mineral fragments and black particle content. In dust, newly formed gypsum crystals were found along with mineral fragments, and siliceous and, less frequently, carbonaceous fly ash particles. High concentration of lead was found both in the samples of urban and rural areas of Germany and Hungary. Lead mostly accumulates in dust and also in the black crust. Highest lead concentrations were found not on the surface of the black crust, but close to the crust/limestone boundary according to LA-ICPMS analyses. It indicates that despite the ban of leaded petrol, lead is still present in the dust and the in the soiled zones of the built environment. Similarly to lead, no significant difference in the total PAH content of dust and crust samples were found in the two countries. Dusts are equally enriched in PAH in both countries, whereas black crusts contain fewer amounts. Most of the aqueous extracts of the samples were saturated with respect to sulphate, which also indicate the presence of gypsum, whilst in some German samples unsaturated conditions were detected. In summary, by using a combination of these analytical techniques, it was possible to distinguish rural and urban samples and to outline the role of dust in bringing pollutants to the stone surface. It is suggested that the analysed dust and stone samples indicate not only present, but also the past, pollution fluxes and as a consequence stones similar to sediments or surface waters can be used as environment indicators.

Generation of a lunar regolith agglutinate simulant using friction welding apparatus

An important ingredient of the lunar regolith is agglutinate, which is generated by micrometeorite bombardment and resulting fusion of the soil. The agglutinate component has proven difficult to replicate, yet it typically constitutes 25–30%, and up to 60%, by volume of the lunar soil. In this work, the results of deploying friction welding apparatus to generate the agglutinate component of lunar highland regolith are reported. Using Shawmere anorthosite from the Canadian Shield as source material, the agglutinate has been produced via the friction melting of machined rock cylinders rotated under load at 2000 rpm. The products are 0.5–5.0 mm globular aggregates comprising mineral fragments (1–30 μm) bonded by silicate glass. The glass is vesiculated and close in composition to the bulk rock. The size and morphology of the synthesized agglutinates are similar to natural agglutinates (e.g., as found in Apollo 16 regolith sample 64500). The source anorthosite has previously been used to produce a root simulant (UNB-AN-1) and an olivine-composition glass-bearing derivative (OB-1), currently deployed as a highland simulant ( Battler and Spray, 2009). Generation of an agglutinate component from the same source rock provides for the production of a more advanced, high-fidelity regolith simulant for lunar geotechnical and engineering applications.

Interactions of nerve agents with model surfaces: Computational approach

The development of cost effective, cleanup technologies for organophosphorus contaminants continue to be a high priority for environmental restoration research. Such development involves the coordination of experimental and theoretical investigations to understand and integrate both technological and fundamental aspects of key processes. Although the major processes affecting the natural and engineered treatment of organophosphates have been appreciated qualitatively, many questions remain regarding their reaction mechanisms. Unique properties of clay minerals and metal oxides such as high adsorption and catalytic ability have resulted in their applications as natural adsorbents and catalysts in the development of cleanup technologies. An understanding of the physical and chemical characteristics of the contaminants, adsorption sites of selected catalytic materials, details of sorption of contaminants on soil, on soil in water solution, and also their distribution within the environment is of particular interest. Application of computational chemistry can provide deeper insight into the aforementioned characteristics of organophosphorus compounds as is discussed in this article. Theoretical models were developed that explain and predict how clay minerals and metal oxides, their type and size, and adsorption site can affect the adsorption and decomposition of selected nerve agents and their simulants, and the influence on many factors including the presence of cations, water, and different used computational methods and techniques was analyzed. Several different initial positions and orientations of organophosphate molecules on models of metal oxides and clays were tested. The results show that the small fragments of metal oxides and clay minerals are much more reactive toward the adsorption of organophosphates which under certain conditions can lead to their decomposition. On the other hand, decrease in ionicity of metal oxides results in lowering of the binding affinity toward such compounds.

The Messinian volcaniclastic layers of the Northern Apennines: evidence for the initial phases of the Southern Tyrrhenian spreading?

A petrological investigation has been carried out on the Late Miocene (around 5.5 Ma) volcaniclastic layer interbedded in the uppermost Messinian deep-water sediments of the Northern Apennines foredeep basin. The studied samples derive from five sections located on a 200 km long area and reveal that the volcaniclastic layer corresponds to centimetric- to metric-thick turbiditic sequence, essentially composed of lapilli to ash-sized glass shards and scarce (<5%) mineral fragments. The homogeneous chemical composition of the glass shards (calc-alkaline rhyolite) and crystals (plagioclase, sanidine, biotite) suggests a cogenetic origin for the studied samples. In these samples non-volcanic detritus is absent and the morphology of the glass shards is indicative of an origin by an explosive magmatic eruption. Morphological, geochemical and sedimentological features suggest that the volcaniclastic layer can be considered as «primary monomagmatic turbidite» resulting directly from the eruptive vent of a calc-alkaline rhyolitic volcanic arc system. None of the coeval outcropping volcanoes, up to a distance of 1500 km from the studied sections, can be considered as the possible source of this layer. Nevertheless, tectono-magmatic evidence suggests that it may represent the witness of the activity of a calc-alkaline submarine volcanic arc located northwestward of the Aeolian Arc, and related to the first rifting-spreading episode of the Southern Tyrrhenian region.

Frictional Melting Processes in Planetary Materials: From Hypervelocity Impact to Earthquakes

Frictional melting is the result of the conversion of mechanical deformation to heat under adiabatic conditions of slip. Within planetary materials, which are mainly natural ceramics, frictional melting occurs at high strain rates (typically &gt;10−2 s−1) and at slip velocities greater than 0.1 m s−1. The pathway to friction melting is controlled by the mechanical properties of a rock's constituent minerals, especially fracture toughness. Minerals with the lowest fracture toughnesses and breakdown temperatures are preferentially comminuted and fused to form the melt. The product is a polyphase suspension comprising mineral and rock fragments enclosed in a liquid matrix. This cools to form the rock type known as pseudotachylyte, and at even higher strain rates, it forms shock veins in meteorites and in impact craters, which may contain high-pressure mineral polymorphs. The generation of melt on sliding surfaces can lubricate earthquake faults, facilitate the post-shock modification of impact craters, and make landslides more hazardous.

Evaluating microfossil content of dental calculus from Brazilian sambaquis

To date, limited numbers of dental calculus samples have been analyzed by researchers in diverse parts of the world. The combined analyses of these have provided some general guidelines for the analysis of calculus that is non-destructive to archaeological teeth. There is still a need for a quantitative study of large numbers of calculus samples to establish protocols, assess the level of contamination, evaluate the quantity of microfossils in dental calculus, and to compare analysis results with the literature concerning the biology of calculus formation. We analyzed dental calculus from 53 teeth from four Brazilian sambaquis. Sambaquis are the shell-mounds that were established prehistorically along the Brazilian coast. The analysis of sambaqui dental calculi shows that there are relatively high concentrations of microfossils (phytoliths and starch), mineral fragments, and charcoal in dental calculus. Mineral fragments and charcoal are possibly contaminants. The largest dental calculi have the lowest concentrations of microfossils. Biologically, this is explained by individual variation in calculus formation between people. Importantly, starch is ubiquitous in dental calculus. The starch and phytoliths show that certainly Dioscorea (yam) and Araucaria angustifolia (Paraná pine) were eaten by sambaqui people. Araceae (arum family), Ipomoea batatas (sweet potato) and Zea mays (maize) were probably in their diet.

Kosmochloric Ca‐rich pyroxenes and FeO‐rich olivines (Kool grains) and associated phases in Stardust tracks and chondritic porous interplanetary dust particles: Possible precursors to FeO‐rich type II chondrules in ordinary chondrites

Abstract— Terminal particles and mineral fragments from comet 81P/Wild 2 were studied in 16 aerogel tracks by transmission and secondary electron microscopy. In eight tracks clinopyroxenes with correlated Na2O and Cr2O3 contents as high as 6.0 wt% and 13.0 wt%, respectively, were found. Kosmochloric (Ko) clinopyroxenes were also observed in 4 chondritic interplanetary dust particles (IDPs). The Ko‐clinopyroxenes were often associated with FeO‐rich olivine ± Cr‐rich spinel ± aluminosilicate glass or albitic feldspar, assemblages referred to as Kool grains (Ko = kosmochloric Ca‐rich pyroxene, ol = olivine). Fine‐grained (submicron) Kool fragments have textures suggestive of crystallization from melts while coarse‐grained (&gt;1 μm) Kool fragments are often glass‐free and may have formed by thermal metamorphism in the nebula. Average major and minor element distributions between clinopyroxenes and coexisting FeO‐rich olivines are consistent with these phases forming at or near equilibrium. In glass‐bearing fine‐grained Kool fragments, high concentrations of Na in the clinopyroxenes are inconsistent with existing experimentally determined partition coefficients at equilibrium. We speculate that the availability of Cr in the melt increased the clinopyroxene Na partition coefficient via a coupled substitution thereby enhancing this phase with the kosmochlor component. The high temperature minerals, fine‐grain sizes, bulk compositions and common occurrence in the SD tracks and IDPs support the idea that Kool grains could have been precursors to type II chondrules in ordinary chondrites. These grains, however, have not been observed in these meteorites suggesting that they were destroyed during chondrule formation and recycling or were not present in the nebula at the time and location where meteoritic chondrules formed.

Petrography, mineralogy, and trace element geochemistry of lunar meteorite Dhofar 1180

Abstract— Here we report the petrography, mineralogy, and trace element geochemistry of the Dhofar 1180 lunar meteorite. Dhofar 1180 is predominantly composed of fine‐grained matrix with abundant mineral fragments and a few lithic and glassy clasts. Lithic clasts show a variety of textures including cataclastic, gabbroic, granulitic, ophitic/subophitic, and microporphyritic. Both feldspathic and mafic lithic clasts are present. Most feldspathic lithic clasts have a strong affinity to ferroan anorthositic suite rocks and one to magnesian suite rocks. Mafic lithic clasts are moderately to extremely Fe‐rich. The Ti/[Ti+Cr]‐Fe/[Fe+Mg] compositional trend of pyroxenes in mafic lithic clasts is consistent with that of low‐Ti mare basalts. Glasses display a wide chemical variation from mafic to feldspathic. Some glasses are very similar to those from Apollo 16 soils. KREEP components are essentially absent in Dhofar 1180. One glassy clast is rich in K, REE and P, but its Mg/[Mg+Fe] is very low (0.25). It is probably a last‐stage differentiation product of mare basalt. Molar Fe/Mn ratios of both olivine and pyroxene are essentially consistent with a lunar origin.Dhofar 1180 has a LREE‐enriched (La 18 × CI, Sm 14 × CI) pattern with a small positive Eu anomaly (Eu 15 × CI). Th concentration is 0.7 ppm in Dhofar 1180. Petrography, mineralogy, and trace element geochemistry of Dhofar 1180 are different from those of other lunar meteorites, indicating that Dhofar 1180 represents a unique mingled lunar breccia derived from an area on the lunar nearside but far away from the center of the Imbrium Basin.

Generation, mobilization and crystallization of impact-induced alkali-rich melts in granitic target rocks: Evidence from the Araguainha impact structure, central Brazil

This paper provides important insights into the generation, extraction and crystallization of clast-laden impact melt rocks from the Araguainha impact structure, central Brazil. Despite the mixed nature of the Araguainha target rocks (comprising a 2 km thick sequence of sedimentary rocks and underlying granitic basement), the exposed melt bodies are characterised by an alkali-rich granitic matrix embedding mineral and rock fragments derived only from the target granite. The melt rocks occur in the form of a massive impact melt sheet overlying the eroded central uplift structure, and as melt veins in the granite of the core of the central uplift. Bulk-rock major and trace element data (including platinum group elements) indicate that the precursor melts were generated locally, principally by partial melting of the target granite, without any contribution from the sedimentary sequence or the projectile. The dense network of melt veins was formed in isolation, by selective melting of plagioclase and alkali feldspar within the granite target. Plagioclase and alkali feldspar melted discretely and congruently, producing domains in the matrix of the melt veins, which closely match the stoichiometry of these minerals. The compositionally discrete initial melt phases migrated through a dense network of microfractures before being assembled into larger melt veins. Freezing of the melt veins was substantially fast, and the melt components were quenched in the form of alkali-feldspar and plagioclase schlieren in the matrix of the melt veins. The overlying impact melt rock is, in contrast, characterised by a granophyric matrix consisting of albite, sanidine, quartz, biotite and chlorite. In this case, melt components appear to have been more mobile and to have mixed completely to form a granitic parental melt. We relate the melting of the minerals to post-shock temperatures that exceeded the melting point of feldspars.

Glueomics: An Expression Survey of the Adhesive Gland of the Sandcastle Worm

Random clones were sequenced from a cDNA library constructed from the adhesive gland of Phragmatopoma californica, a marine polycheate that builds protective shells by gluing together sand grains and biogenic mineral fragments. As many as 14 new proteins and two phenoloxidase enzymes were found that may be structural components of or involved in processing the bioadhesive. Glue protein classification was based on the following criteria: (i) the presence of predicted secretion signal peptides, (ii) low complexity sequences, (iii) strongly skewed amino acid compositions enriched with G, Y, K, H, A, or S, (iv) repeating peptide motifs, and (v) homology to known glue proteins, other structural proteins, or enzymes. The new genes provide probes for further characterization of the adhesive gland as well as potential biotechnological resources and insight.

Application of SEM/EDS to environmental geochemistry of heavy metals

Heavy metals represent a ubiquitous constituent of the near-surface environment, present in widely varying concentrations that typically have little impact on human behaviour and health. However, the mining of metals and use of these metals in industrial processes has produced significant anthropogenic inputs of metals to both local and global environments. As such, a rigorous overview of the current accumulation of heavy metals and knowledge of mineralogy of heavy metal-bearing phases is important for understanding their stability, solubility, mobility, bioavailability and toxicity. These data are of fundamental importance for environmental risk assessment and evaluation of future scenarios. Since conventional geochemical analyses provide limited information, other analytical methods have to be utilized for the characterisation of heavy metal-bearing phases. Significant analytical method for identification and characterisation of heavy metals in environmental media is a scanning electron microscope coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM/EDS), an apparatus for qualitative and semi-quantitative chemical analysis at microne level, newly introduced to Geological Survey of Slovenia. Use of SEM/EDS was already introduced to environmental studies world-wide. In Slovenia, SEM/EDS analyses of environmental media were firstly carried out on the Meža River stream sediments and snow deposits from Ljubljana urban area. Heavy metal-bearing phases in the Meža River stream sediments were apportioned to three source areas: Mežica mining/smelting area (geogenic-technogenic origin), Ravne ironworks area (technogenic origin) and the Meža River catchment area (geogenic origin), which corresponds to data obtained by conventional geochemical and multivariate statistical methods. Airborne particles, identified in urban snow deposits, were interpreted as geogenic particles, represented by fragments of heavy metal-bearing minerals, and technogenic particles that originate from combustion of solid and liquid fuels, iron and steel melting processes and road traffic emissions. SEM/EDS proved to be a very useful analytical method for the study of heavy metal-bearing phases and characterisation according to their sources and genesis.

Subvolcanic vent-filling welded tuff breccia of Cabo Frio Island, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

At the southwestern corner of Cabo Frio Island, State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a pyroclastic body is present in an area of 500 x 600 m, intruding into the host orthogneiss with subvertical contact. Between the orthogneiss and pyroclastic body, there is a trachyte intercalation, 5 to 10 m wide. The pyroclastic rocks have a clast-matrix supported structure and the clast size ranges from 1 mm to 40 cm. Larger than 10 cm clasts are semi-rounded and those that are less than 5 cm are angular. They are composed mainly of trachyte, subordinately of orthogneiss, and eventually of welded tuff. The texture is heterogeneous and no grain-size sorting or volcanic layering of the clasts was observed. Microscopic observations have revealed hydrothermal alteration featured by calcite dissemination, alkaline feldspar sericitization, and mafic mineral decomposition. The matrix is filled by angular fragments of alkaline feldspar, quartz, plagioclase, and opaque minerals, smaller than 0.6 mm. The existence of the welded tuff clasts indicates that explosive eruptions took place repeatedly. The subvertical intrusive contact, small exposure area, rounded clasts, heterogeneous clast size, and absence of volcanic layering indicate that the pyroclastic rock is subvolcanic vent-filling welded tuff breccia, and not a constituent of a subaerial eruptive deposit.

The casting core composition and provenance of the Goljamata Kosmatka (Bulgaria) bronze head

The composition of casting core residues from the interior of a 4th century BC bronze head, unearthed in a Thracian tomb of central Bulgaria, was studied by means of petrographic, SEM, chemical and XRD analyses. Results indicated that the sand–clay mixture is dominantly rich in rock and mineral fragments, mostly derived from metamorphic and plutonic silica-rich rocks. No significant compositional differences were noted between the five analysed samples, except for content of bronze impurities and oxidation products. On the basis of geological studies and of chemical comparison with potteries of various ages, speculations were made about the location of the bronze foundry. The results are compatible with a derivation of the casting core from northeast Greece and the southern areas of F.Y.R.O. Macedonia and Bulgaria have terrains compatible with the casting core composition

Petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry of lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 300

Abstract— We report here the petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry of lunar meteorite Sayh al Uhaymir 300 (SaU 300). SaU 300 is dominated by a fine‐grained crystalline matrix surrounding mineral fragments (plagioclase, pyroxene, olivine, and ilmenite) and lithic clasts (mainly feldspathic to noritic). Mare basalt and KREEPy rocks are absent. Glass melt veins and impact melts are present, indicating that the rock has been subjected to a second impact event. FeNi metal and troilite grains were observed in the matrix. Major element concentrations of SaU 300 (Al2O3 21.6 wt% and FeO 8.16 wt%) are very similar to those of two basalt‐bearing feldspathic regolith breccias: Calcalong Creek and Yamato (Y‐) 983885. However, the rare earth element (REE) abundances and pattern of SaU 300 resemble the patterns of feldspathic highlands meteorites (e.g., Queen Alexandra Range (QUE) 93069 and Dar al Gani (DaG) 400), and the average lunar highlands crust. It has a relatively LREE‐enriched (7 to 10 x CI) pattern with a positive Eu anomaly (˜11 x CI). Values of Fe/Mn ratios of olivine, pyroxene, and the bulk sample are essentially consistent with a lunar origin. SaU 300 also contains high siderophile abundances with a chondritic Ni/Ir ratio. SaU 300 has experienced moderate terrestrial weathering as its bulk Sr concentration is elevated compared to other lunar meteorites and Apollo and Luna samples. Mineral chemistry and trace element abundances of SaU 300 fall within the ranges of lunar feldspathic meteorites and FAN rocks. SaU 300 is a feldspathic impact‐melt breccia predominantly composed of feldspathic highlands rocks with a small amount of mafic component. With a bulk Mg# of 0.67, it is the most mafic of the feldspathic meteorites and represents a lunar surface composition distinct from any other known lunar meteorites. On the basis of its low Th concentration (0.46 ppm) and its lack of KREEPy and mare basaltic components, the source region of SaU 300 could have been within a highland terrain, a great distance from the Imbrium impact basin, probably on the far side of the Moon.

Diagensis and Factor Analysis of Sandstones of Injana Formation in Selected Sections Northern Iraq

Three sections of Injana Formation are studied in selected areas at Northern Iraq. Tewenty seven samples of sandstone are chosen for point counting and diagensis studies. The classification of these sandstone beds are feldspathic litharenite. A diagenetic study elucidates the presence of carbonate, iron oxide, clay and silicate cements, as well as compaction, replacement, recrystallization and alteration processes. Factor analysis shows three main factors controlling the distribution of mineral and rock fragments in sandstones reflecting the type of source rocks and the maturity of the sandstone beds. The first is diagensis , the second is metamorphism of the source rocks, while the third factor is the mechanical erosion of the source rocks. The study of minerals and factor analysis indicate an acidic igneous rocks affected by differential metamorphism of the source rocks with sedimentary rock (carbonate and clastic) and immature texture of sandstone rocks.

A possible early age for a diprotodon (Marsupialia: Diprotodontidae) fossil from the Papua New Guinea highlands

MENZIES, J., DAVIES, H.L., DUNLAP, W.J. & GOLDING, S.D., June, 2008. A possible early age for a diprotodon (Marsupialia: Diprotodontidae) fossil from the Papua New Guinea highlands. Alcheringa 32, 129–147. ISSN 0311-5518. A fossil diprotodon jawbone coated and impregnated with a well-cemented fine breccia or tuff was recovered from weakly consolidated Pleistocene lacustrine sediments near Yonki in the Papua New Guinea highlands. The fine breccia includes angular rock and mineral fragments derived from country rock, accretionary lapilli and clay minerals. It does not include any identifiable primary volcanic material. The presence of accretionary lapilli and lack of volcanic clasts suggests an origin by phreatic eruption—an explosive eruption driven by the violent escape of gas. Minerals in the fine breccia have an age of 13.2 ± 0.2 Ma, middle Miocene, as indicated by 40Ar/39Ar analysis. This is the age of the country rock that was blasted by the phreatic eruption. Igneous activity in the Yonki area is thought to have ceased at 7.4 Ma (younger age limit of Elandora Porphyry; late Miocene), and so it is likely, but not certain, that the phreatic eruption occurred not later than 7.4 Ma. The jawbone, as far as can be told from its poor condition, is dentally similar to the late Pliocene and possibly Pleistocene ‘Kolopsis’ watutense recovered from other sites in New Guinea. Probably, the jawbone, or the living marsupial, was buried in the fine breccia at the time of the phreatic eruption, and its remains were subsequently reworked by river erosion and redeposited in the lacustrine sediments. Recrystallization and loss of primary texture in some of the bone may be a result of heating at the time of, or preceding, the eruption.

Character and origin of lithofacies in the conduit of Unzen volcano, Japan

Unzen, western Kyushu, Japan, is an andesitic to dacitic, polygenetic volcano that reaches an elevation of 1486 m above sea level. A 1996-m-long hole has been drilled on a slanted trajectory passing beneath the volcano, penetrating the conduit zone of the volcano at 30–150 m below sea level. Spot drill cores, totalling 75 m in length, were recovered between lengths 1582 to 1996 m of the hole. The principal lithofacies of the cores are polymict volcanic breccia (74 vol.% of total drill cores), coherent dacite (13 vol.%), coherent andesite (6 vol.%), partly brecciated coherent dacite (5 vol.%), and volcaniclastic veins (2 vol.%). The polymict volcanic breccia is poorly sorted, non-graded and made up of various clasts of andesite/dacite composition, 1–120 cm across, in a matrix of andesite/dacite fragments, up to 5 mm across. The clasts are subangular to subrounded, non-vesicular to vesicular, and contain 62–66 wt.% SiO 2. This facies is interpreted as forming the subvertical body of a diatreme, and to have been produced by fragmentation of vent–conduit wall rocks by explosive eruptions and associated gravitational failure. The coherent dacite (SiO 2 = 66–67 wt.%) is uniform to flow-banded and commonly has chilled margins. The dacite is porphyritic containing phenocrysts of plagioclase, hornblende, biotite and minor quartz in a non-vesicular groundmass. This facies is interpreted as representing dykes that have intruded into the polymict volcanic breccia. The coherent andesite (SiO 2 = 59 wt.%) and partly brecciated coherent dacite (SiO 2 = 69 wt.%) are massive to fractured, vesicular and porphyritic. These facies are interpreted to be lavas extruded during the old stage (500–300 ka) of the evolution of the Unzen volcano. The volcaniclastic veins occur within all the lithofacies described and range from 0.1 to 250 mm wide. The veins consist of volcanic lithic and mineral fragments up to several millimetres across, and are inferred to have formed by injection of high-temperature fluid and entrained particles into temporarily opened fractures. Below 30–150 m sea level the conduit zone is at least 350 m wide in the north–south direction, and consists of polymict volcanic breccia and east–west-striking subvertical dykes. Both single dykes, 4–8 m wide, and composite dykes, 26 – 44 m wide, are present. Numerous volcaniclastic veins intrude both the breccia and dykes.

Characterization of Recent Sediments between Abu Dhabi and Dubai Coasts, United Arab Emirates, with Multiple Analytical Techniques

Surface sediments collected from the shoreline area between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), were analysed to determine their textural and compositional characteristics. The relatively heterogeneous sediments of the UAE coastal areas present a broad spectrum of grain sizes and mineralogical compositions, which have potential as discriminates for depositional environments. The trends in textural characteristics of the sampled sediments include (i) a systematic decrease in mean grain size from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, (ii) a systematic increase in the content of evaporite minerals from Dubai to Abu Dhabi, and (iii) a relative increase in degree of sediment sorting from Dubai to Abu Dhabi. The results also indicate that the sediments of both areas are marine in origin and were delivered to the coastal area during large tidal events. Results of compositional analyses reveal (i) a decrease in abundance of shell fragments from Dubai (>55%) to Abu Dhabi (<9%) and (ii) a complementary increase in percentage of mineral fragments (aragonite, halite, plagioclase, and gypsum, except calcite) in Abu Dhabi sediments compared with Dubai sediments. Geochemically, the coastal sediments from Abu Dhabi have higher concentrations of major and trace elements, except for Pb, than sediments from Dubai. The reported results set the background information of the studied sediments, and could be useful for ongoing development activities.

Identification and enumeration of asbestos fibers in the mining environment: Mission and modification to the Federal Asbestos Standard

Since the promulgation of the first Federal Asbestos Standard by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in 1972, other federal agencies have modified the standard to better carry on their own unique missions. The instruments used to identify and measure asbestos, the sampling protocol, and the criteria used to define asbestos, have been modified to some degree. The Mine Safety and Health Administration regulates and controls asbestos dust in the mining and mineral commodity industries. However, crushed stone and processed ores contain mineral fragments that are frequently difficult to distinguish from asbestos. Mineral nomenclature, instruments for particle analysis, and sampling strategy must be accommodated to some degree to make asbestos control workable and meaningful. Precedent in other agencies has made consideration of these changes possible. Newly identified amphibole asbestos minerals have further complicated the agency’s regulatory charge. Changes in its Asbestos Standard are now being considered. Crushed taconite ore in the Eastern Mesabi highlights many of these issues.

Grenville-age pseudotachylite in the Lewisian: laserprobe 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages from the Gairloch region of Scotland (UK)

Infrared laserprobe 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating has been used to date pseudotachylite and host-rock minerals from a crush belt in the Lewisian basement of Scotland. It has revealed complexity in the pseudotachylite data that is attributable to the presence of refractory host-rock clasts and mineral fragments in the pseudotachylite. In conjunction with the host-rock mineral laserprobe 40 Ar/ 39 Ar data it has been possible to simplify the pseudotachylite data for the samples, and the preferred ages for these are: 980 ± 39 Ma, 999 ± 31 Ma and 1024 ± 30 Ma (2σ). These ages are the first record of Grenville-aged brittle deformation in the Lewisian. Further, this study serves to illustrate the complexity of dating pseudotachylites, and the advantages and limitations of the IR laserprobe applied to such materials.