Basic Schists Research Articles

Geology of the Fishtie deposit, Central Province, Zambia: iron oxide and copper mineralization in Nguba Group metasedimentary rocks

The Fishtie copper deposit, located in the Central Province of Zambia, contains approximately 55 Mt of 1.04 % Cu at a 0.5 % Cu cut-off in oxide, sulfide, and mixed oxide–sulfide ores. The deposit is hosted in Neoproterozoic diamictites and siltstones of the Grand Conglomerat Formation and overlying Kakontwe Limestone Formation of the lower Nguba Group. The Grand Conglomerat Formation at Fishtie directly overlies basement schists and quartzites. Mineralized zones are located adjacent to high-angle normal faults that appear to control thickness variations in the Grand Conglomerat Formation suggesting synsedimentary fault movement. Iron-rich rocks consisting of nearly monomineralic bands of magnetite and ankerite occur within the Grand Conglomerat Formation. The absence of magnetite-rich clasts in overlying diamictites and the presence of disseminated magnetite, ankerite, and apatite in adjacent diamictites suggest this iron-rich rock formed by replacement of siltstone beds. These magnetite-rich rocks thicken towards normal faults suggesting the faults formed conduits for oxidized hydrothermal solutions. The magnetite–ankerite–quartz rock was overprinted by later hydrothermal alteration and sulfide mineralization. Copper sulfide precipitation was associated with growth of both muscovite and chlorite, together with weak silicification. Sulfides are zoned relative to normal faults with bornite more common in proximity to faults and ore stage pyrite most common in an outer zone with chalcopyrite. Copper sulfides display generally heavy sulfur isotopic values, suggesting sulfide derivation from thermochemical reduction of Neoproterozoic seawater sulfate. Copper mineralized zones in the Grand Conglomerat at Fishtie are megascopically similar to those observed in the newly discovered Kamoa deposit in the southern Democratic Republic of Congo. Alteration and mineralization at Fishtie display lateral zoning relative to normal faults unlike the broad vertical zonation observed at the giant Kamoa deposit. The small size of the known mineralized zones at the Fishtie deposit relative to Kamoa is probably due to the absence of a thick siliciclastic palaeoaquifer beneath the Grand Conglomerat Formation as is present at Kamoa.

Geology of the Enterprise Hydrothermal Nickel Deposit, North-Western Province, Zambia

The Enterprise nickel deposit (40 Mt of 1.07% Ni) is located on the eastern edge of the Kabompo dome in the North-Western Province of Zambia. The deposit area contains basement schists overlain by Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks. Nickel sulfides are hosted within a sequence of quartz-, carbonate-, and carbon-rich metasedimentary rocks that interfinger with and overlie siliciclastic metasedimentary rocks. The host rocks contain significant kyanite, talc, and magnesian chlorite. Silicification and magnesian metasomatism occurred prior to or concurrent with a regional metamorphic event (590–500 Ma). Mineralization resulted in the precipitation of nickel and iron-nickel sulfides in veins and as semimassive replacements of the host rocks. Nickel sulfides precipitated in two main stages: a millerite-vaesite-pyrite assemblage that formed disseminations and semimassive replacements in vuggy textured rocks, and a later millerite-bravoite-(molybdenite) assemblage in quartz-kyanite veins and local semimassive replacements. The deposit contains minor copper and trace amounts of cobalt and platinum group elements (PGEs). A discrete zone of copper sulfides underlies a portion of the nickel sulfide zone. Re-Os geochronology on molybdenite yields a 540.6 ± 1.8 Ma age for mineralization at Enterprise, the approximate age of metamorphism. Sulfur isotope results indicate that the sulfur at Enterprise was derived largely from Neoproterozoic marine sulfate by thermochemical sulfate reduction. Significant volumes of mafic igneous rocks are not present in the immediate area of the Enterprise deposit. No evidence of prealteration concentrations of nickel exists within the sedimentary rock sequence at the deposit. The alteration and mineralization style of the Enterprise deposit is similar to the much less metamorphosed nickel-bearing Shinkolobwe uranium deposit in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), though the Enterprise deposit does not contain significant uranium. The sediment-hosted nickel-rich deposits of Central African Copperbelt exemplified by Enterprise appear to represent a new style of hydrothermal nickel mineralization.

Seasonal Changes in the Carbohydrate Pool of an Atlantic Forest Soil under Different Vegetation Types .

The seasonal variations of the content and composition of soil carbohydrates, a labile pool of the soil organic matter, were studied in a Humic Cambisol located within the Atlantic temperate-humid zone (Galicia, N.W. of Spain) and developed over basic schists and under different type of vegetation: Quercus robur (climax forest), Pinus pinaster and Eucalyptus globulus. Soil samples from the A horizon (0-15 cm depth) of the three different forests were collected in spring, summer, autumn and winter. The carbohydrate content was estimated by colorimetry after their extraction by a sequential two-step acid hydrolysis method and further purification of the hydrolysates (first hydrolysis fraction, FA, non-cellulosic polysaccharides; second hydrolysis fraction, FB, cellulosic polysaccharides). The total amount of neutral sugars (hexoses and pentoses) from the three forests was in the range of 2.9-27.4 g kg<sup>-1</sup> d.w., and represented between 5 and 12 % of the total organic C. The carbohydrate content was much higher in the FA fraction than that in the FB fraction, hexoses predominating over pentoses in both fractions. Seasonal variations of hexoses and pentoses exhibited the same behaviour pattern, showing that for FA and FB fractions higher concentrations of both neutral sugars were found in spring and winter (mean values: 12 and 14 g total neutral sugars kg<sup>-1</sup> d.w., respectively) than in summer and autumn (7 and 8 g total neutral sugars kg<sup>-1</sup> d.w., respectively). Likewise, for each year’s season, the total content of both hexoses and pentoses in both fractions varied in the order: Quercus (16 g neutral sugars kg<sup>-1</sup> d.w.) > Pinus (9 g neutral sugars kg<sup>-1</sup> d.w.) > Eucalyptus (5 g neutral sugars kg<sup>-1</sup> d.w.) forests. Vegetation type clearly affected soil organic carbon, carbohydrate content and aggregate stability, while the ratio neutral sugar C / total organic C was mostly affected by season. Compared to the climax oak forest, the pine and eucalyptus stands exhibited a significant reduction in the content of carbohydrates, total organic C, total N and in aggregate stability, showinga decrease in soil quality.

Geochemistry of metabasites of the Kolpakov Group of the Sredinny crystalline Massif in Kamchatka

Metabasites (amphibolites, garnet amphibolites, and basic crystalline schists) compose numerous sheeted bodies (often highly boudined) from a few to 100 meters thick in the plagiogneisses and migmatites of the Kolpakov Group. Chemically, they are reconstructed as basalts and picrites that were metamorphosed, as host terrigenous rocks, under the kyanite-sillimanite subfacies of the amphibolite facies (t = 620–650°C, Ps = 5.9–6.9 kbar). Metabasites are dominated by amphibolites and basic crystalline schists distributed throughout the entire section of the Kolpakov Group, whereas garnet amphibolites are more typical of the upper parts of the group, where they are intercalated with amphibolites, basic crystalline schists, plagiogneisses, and quartzites. Metaultrabasites (plagioclase-free amphibolites) occur much more rarely as small boudins up to few meters in size. According to U-Pb SHRIMP zircon dating, the plagiogneiss protolith age corresponds to the end of the Early-Late Cretaceous (90–100 Ma), which is similar in age to the weakly metamorphosed terrigenous deposits of the Kikhchik Group of the Sredinny Range. This allows us to consider the terrigenous rocks of these groups as isofacial sedimentary rocks. The same age (Early-Late Cretaceous boundary) was taken for protoliths of metabasites forming interbeds among metaterrigenous deposits of the Kolpakov Group. The interval of 100−90 Ma coincides with the beginning of the formation of the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanogenic marginal-continental belt in East Asia. It is shown that the Kolpakov Group possesses the geochemical features of tholeiitic basalts of different geodynamic settings and comprises both typically island arc (low-Ti) and oceanic (moderate to high-Ti) tholeiites associated with ultrabasic volcanic rocks—picrites. Such a chemical peculiarity of basic rocks is typical of the marginal-continental extension zones (pull-apart basin) that were initiated on the sialic crust. It is obvious that similar geodynamic setting of the basite magmatism existed for the Sredinny Range of Kamchatka. The ascent of the mantle matter beneath the extension zone of the continental crust of the sedimentary basin and its intersection by faults that formed simultaneously with the Okhotsk-Chukotka volcanogenic belt served as the beginning of the basite volcanism in the sedimentary basin. They provided an intense fluid effect and a temperature increase in the crust with subsequent granitization and metamorphism of volcanogenic-terrigenous deposits and, finally, the development of the modern structure of the Sredinny Kamchatka Massif. The intense Late Cretaceous basite volcanism and associated granitoid magmatism in Kamchatka were presumably caused by the ascent of mantle plumes bearing hydrogen fluids.

Geochemical and mineralogical characteristics of fault gouge in the Median Tectonic Line, Japan: evidence for earthquake slip

We carried out geochemical and mineralogical analyses on fault-zone rocks from the Anko section of the Median Tectonic Line in Nagano Prefecture, Japan, to investigate coseismic physicochemical processes in the fault zone. The latest fault zone in the Anko section contains cataclasite, fault breccia, and fault gouge of granitic composition, and brecciated basic schist. Protoliths of the granitic composition are from the Ryoke metamorphic belt and those of the basic schist from the Sambagawa metamorphic belt. X-ray diffraction analyses show a selective decrease of clay minerals coupled with an increase of amorphous phase in an intensely deformed layer of black gouge (5- to 10-cm thick). SEM observation reveals that the black gouge is characterized by a drastic reduction of grain size and abundant ultrafine particles of submicrometer to several tens of nanometers with well-rounded spheroidal shapes. These observations for the black gouge are indicative of strong mineral lattice distortion and granulation associated with earthquake slip. Geochemically, the black gouge is characterized by distinctly higher Li content and 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratio than surrounding cataclasites, breccias, and gouges, which have similar major element compositions. Model analysis reveals that the trace element composition of the black gouge is consistent with high-temperature (up to 250°C) coseismic fluid-rock interactions. Thermal and kinetic constraints indicate that there have been repeated slips on the fault at moderate depths (e.g., 600 m), although the tectonic process by which the fault zone has been uplifted and exposed in this area is not well understood.

Elemental transport upon hydration of basic schists during regional metamorphism: Geochemical evidence from the Sanbagawa metamorphic belt, Japan

Elemental transport upon hydration of basic schists during regional metamorphism: Geochemical evidence from the Sanbagawa metamorphic belt, Japan

The age and composition of the pre-Cenozoic basement of the Jalisco Block: implications for and relation to the Guerrero composite terrane

The Jalisco Block is thought to be part of the Guerrero terrane, but the nature and age of the underlying crystalline basement are largely unknown. We have collected a suite of schists, granitoids, and weakly metamorphosed marine sediments from various parts of the Jalisco Block including Atenguillo and Ameca, Mascota and San Sebastian, Cuale, Puerto Vallarta, Punta Mita, Yelapa, and Tomatlan. The schists range in age from 135 to 161 Ma, with many exhibiting Proterozoic and Phanerozoic zircon ages. The granitoids range in age from 65 to 90 Ma, and are calc-alkaline compositionally—similar to granitoids from the Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos batholiths. The Jalisco granitoids also experienced similar uplift rates to granitoids from the regions to the north and south of the Jalisco Block. The marine sediments yield a maximum depositional age of 131 Ma, and also contain a significant zircon population with ages extending back to the Archean. Granitoids from this study define two age groups, even after the effects of thermal resetting and different closure temperatures are considered. The 66.8-Ma silicic ash flow tuff near Union de Tula significantly expands the extent of this Cretaceous–Paleocene age ash flow tuff unit within the Jalisco Block, and we propose calling the unit “Carmichael silicic ash flow tuff volcanic succession” in honor of Ian Carmichael. The ages of the basement schists in the Jalisco Block fully overlap with the ages of terranes of continental Mexico, and other parts of the Guerrero terrane in the south, confirming the autochthonous origin of the Jalisco Block rather than exotic arc or allochthonous origin. Geologic data, in combination with geochronologic and oxygen isotopic data, suggest the evolution of SW Mexico with an early 200–1,200-Ma passive margin, followed by steep subduction in a continental arc setting at 160–165 Ma, then shallower subduction by 135 Ma, and finally, emplacement of granitoids at 65–90 Ma.

The circular Uneged Uul structure (East Gobi Basin, Mongolia) – Geomorphic and structural evidence for meteorite impact into an unconsolidated coarse-clastic target?

Abstract The Uneged Uul structure is a ∼10 km circular, complex, multi-ridged domal feature in the Unegt subbasin of the East Gobi Basin, southeastern Mongolia. As revealed by remote sensing and recent field reconnaissance, the central part of the Uneged Uul structure comprises a complex central peak of outward-radiating curved ridges, composed of stratigraphically uplifted greenschist-facies basement schists, surrounded by an annular moat. The most prominent feature of the structure is a central annular ridge ∼3 km in diameter composed of pebble-boulder conglomerates and gravels of the Upper Jurassic Sharilyn Formation, surrounded by three outer domal ridges composed of Lower Cretaceous conglomeratic sandstones and gypsum clays. Jurassic conglomerates forming the main part of the central annular ridge show effects of severe internal deformation. The original population of pebbles, cobbles and boulders appears moderately displaced and mostly broken but nowhere aligned along shear planes or foliated. Primary sedimentary features, such as cross-lamination or imbrication, have been obliterated. We explain this penetrative brecciation as a result of dissipative shearing caused by a strong and rapid singular event that in magnitude was beyond the range of the common crustal tectonics recorded elsewhere in this region. Disrupted and chaotically distributed conglomeratic sandstone beds in the central annular ridge dip in highly variable directions on a local scale but show an apparent SE-NW trend of bedding plane alignment. Further outside, the tilted and uplifted Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous strata of the domal area are overlain by the flat-lying Upper Cretaceous, which stratigraphically constrains the timing of deformation at the Uneged Uul structure to most likely the Early Cretaceous. Endogenic formation models, such as magmatism and salt, gypsum, or mud diapirism, fail to explain the nature of the Uneged Uul structure. The Uneged Uul structure bears a set of geomorphic and structural features resembling those at some eroded complex impact structures on Earth. Morphologically similar central peaks are observed at the Spider and Matt Wilson impact structures in Australia; the central annular ridge reminds of that at Gosses Bluff in Australia; the outer domal ridges might correspond to ring-like features as known from Tin Bider in Algeria. We, therefore, cautiously propose that an impact may have produced the Uneged Uul feature causing structural uplift (∼1000 m) of basement rocks at its center. So far, no convincing evidence for shock metamorphism could be proven by field work and petrographic analyses. However, it is likely that at the time of the deformation event the unconsolidated conglomerates were highly porous and possibly immersed in groundwater buffering the propagation of sudden stress-reducing deformation. Further studies will be in order to unravel the nature of the Uneged Uul structure, which should be considered a promising possible impact structure.

Tectonic controls on the evolution of the Clutha River catchment, New Zealand

A synthesis of published information on mountain uplift and river capture in Otago suggests that the Clutha River catchment has evolved westwards and expanded since the Pliocene. River capture events that facilitated catchment expansion are indicated by sediment provenance, drainage geometry and freshwater fish genetics. The catchment has been partly confined by NW-trending ranges and the Southern Alps to the west, and drainage geometry was disrupted by subsequent growth of NE-trending ranges. Examination of crustal-scale deformation via an established numerical model, which portrays the Otago Schist basement as rheologically weak compared to adjacent greywacke-dominated structural blocks, suggests that uplift geometry was controlled by the inherited Cretaceous boundary between these crustal blocks. Pre-existing faults had relatively minor effects on uplift geometry. A low-relief corridor between Canterbury and Southland permitted genetic connections of freshwater fish populations through to <1 Ma, to the west of the developing Clutha catchment.

New geochronological results and structural evolution of the Pataz gold mining district: Implications for the timing and origin of the batholith-hosted veins

The Paleozoic Pataz–Parcoy gold mining area is located in a right-stepping jog on the regional Cordillera Blanca fault, in northern Peru. Most of the 8million ounces of gold production from this area has come from quartz–carbonate–sulfide veins hosted by the Pataz batholith. Despite a subduction zone setting since at least the Cambrian, the area records several periods of extension and its present structure is that of a rift and graben terrain. The Pataz district (the northern part of the Pataz–Parcoy area) is dominated structurally by northwest to north northwest-striking (NW–NNW) faults and northeast to east northeast-striking (NE–ENE) lineaments, both of which have been active periodically since at least the Mississippian (Early Carboniferous). NW–NNW faults control the margins of a central horst that exposes basement schist and the Pataz batholith, and step across NE–ENE lineaments. The Lavasen graben, to the east of the central horst, contains the Lavasen Volcanics, and the Chagual graben, to the west, contains an allochthonous sedimentary sequence derived from the Western Andean Cordillera.New SHRIMP zircon geochronological data indicate emplacement of the Pataz batholith during the Middle Mississippian, at around 338–336Ma, approximately 10Ma earlier than previous estimates based on 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. The calc-alkaline, I-type batholith comprises diorite and granodiorite, the latter being the major component of the batholith, and was emplaced as a sill complex within the moderately NE-dipping sequence of the Eastern Andean Cordillera. Moderate- to high-temperature ductile deformation took place on the batholith contacts during or shortly after emplacement. Following emplacement of the batholith, differential uplift occurred along NW–NNW faults forming the Lavasen graben, into which the Lavasen Volcanics were deposited. SHRIMP U–Pb in zircon ages for the Lavasen Volcanics and the Esperanza subvolcanic complex, which was intruded into the western margin of the graben, are within error of one another at ca 334Ma. The ductile batholith contacts were cut by renewed movement on NW–NNW faults such that the margins of the batholith are now controlled by these steep brittle-ductile faults. The NW–NNW faults were oriented normal to the principal axis of regional shortening (ENE–WSW) during formation of the batholith-hosted, gold-bearing quartz–carbonate–sulfide veins. The misoriented faults were unable to accommodate significant displacement, leading to high fluid pressures, vertical extension in the competent batholith and formation of gold-bearing veins. Brittle failure of the batholith was most extensive in the northern Pataz district where the fault-controlled western contact of the batholith is offset by a swarm of NE–ENE lineaments.The timing of vein formation is not established, despite published 40Ar/39Ar ages of 312 to 314Ma for metasomatic white mica, which are interpreted as minimum ages of formation. Gold-bearing veins formed during or shortly after uplift of the Pataz batholith and formation of the Lavasen graben; they were therefore broadly coeval with deposition of the Lavasen Volcanics and emplacement of the Esperanza subvolcanic complex. These K-rich, weakly alkalic, ferroan (A-type) magmas may provide a viable source for the ore fluid that deposited gold in the Pataz batholith.

Metabasalts of the Bryanta sequence of the Stanovoi complex of the Dzhugdzhur-Stanovoi superterrane, Central Asian fold belt: Age and geodynamic environment of formation

In this paper, we report U-Pb geochronological, Sm-Nd isotopic, and geochemical data for the basic schists of the Bryanta sequence of the Stanovoi complex of the Dzhugdzhur-Stanovoi superterrane of the Central Asian fold belt. It was shown that the protolith of the schists was composed of island-arc subalkali basalts, which crystallized at 1933 ± 4 Ma; the age of the earliest metamorphic processes is approximately 1890–1910 Ma. This metamorphic event could be related to the collision of the Aldan and Stanovoi continental plates or accretion-collision processes at the boundary of the Ilikan and Kupurin lithotectonic zones during the formation of the latter.

Isotopic and hydrochemical approach to the functioning of an aquifer system in the region of Marrakech (Morocco)

A geochemical and isotopic (water and dissolved sulphate) study was performed on groundwater in the region of Marrakech, Morocco, with the aim of better understanding the regional hydrogeological system in order to improve water resources management. Significant differences in stable isotope contents and chemical compositions were observed between groundwater collected in the northern part of the region (Jbilets massif), where the basement schists outcrop, and that sampled in the southern part (Haouz basin), where the basement schists are overlaid by Plio-Quaternary deposits. The stable isotope composition of the groundwater showed that in the southern part the aquifer is mainly recharged from high-altitude precipitation over the High-Atlas Mountains, which may reach 600 mm per year or more, whereas, in the northern part, it is only recharged by lower-altitude local precipitation, which does not exceed 240 mm per year. Because of this limited supply, the groundwater flux in the northern compartment is much lower than in the southern compartment. This affects the water-rock interaction and the modalities of groundwater mineralization: the schist alteration is more developed in the southern compartment than in the northern one, leading to different behaviours of the conservative elements dissolved in groundwater. The observed geochemical and isotopic zonation of the studied area corresponds to a hydrogeological compartmentalisation, where the wells located in the north of the area generally produce less water than those located in the south of the area.

Phengite geochronology of crystalline schists in the Sakuma–Tenryu district, central Japan

AbstractThe Sakuma–Tenryu district consists mainly of pelitic and basic schists. Its metamorphic sequence has been divided into two units, the Shirakura and the Sejiri units. We carried out K–Ar analyses of phengite separates and X‐ray diffraction analyses of carbonaceous materials from the pelitic schists of both units. The age–d002 relationships show that the ages become older (66–73 Ma) in the Shirakura unit and younger (57–48 Ma) in the latter with increasing metamorphic temperature. The former has a positive relationship observed in the Sanbagawa meta‐Accretionary Complex (meta‐AC) (Sanbagawa metamorphic belt sensu stricto) in central Shikoku and the latter, a negative one in the Shimanto meta‐AC (a subunit of traditional Sanbagawa belt) of the Kanto Mountains. These contrasting age–temperature relationships are due to different tectonic styles relating to the exhumation of the metamorphic sequences. The duration from the peak metamorphism to the closure of the phengite K–Ar system was significantly different between the two metamorphic sequences: longer than 31 my in the Sanbagawa meta‐AC and shorter than 13 my in the Shimanto meta‐AC. The different natures of subducted plate boundaries may cause the different exhumation processes of metamorphic belts.

CSRMT measurements in the frequency range of 1–250kHz to map a normal fault in the Volvi basin, Greece

Abstract In order to gain a better understanding of the geometry of surface faults, five Controlled Source/Radio Magnetotelluric (CSRMT) profiles were measured across the Volvi basin, 45 km northeast of the city of Thessaloniki in Greece. The data were collected in two frequency ranges: a) 1–12.5 kHz using a remotely controlled double horizontal magnetic dipole transmitter (CSAMT measurements), and b) 15–250 kHz using the signal from distant radio transmitters (RMT measurements). The transition from the RMT band to the CSAMT band was smooth and continuous allowing us to combine both datasets for plane-wave modeling. The surface geology shows a predominantly 2D structure, and therefore we planned the survey into profiles perpendicular to the geological strike. We have used a 2D interpretation tool to model the data in TE, TM, TE + TM and determinant modes. Using a 4% error floor on the impedance, 2D resistivity models from inversion of the determinant data provide lower RMS data fits (4.2 and 1.2 for resistivity and phase, respectively) compared to the combined TE + TM data (4.4, 2.8, overall resistivity and phase, respectively). 2D inversion of the measured tensor data shows a sharp change in the depth to the top of resistive gneiss–schist basement that is overlain by a less resistive overburden at southern basin flanks. The change in depth to the bedrock is clearly seen in all 2D models along the measured profiles suggesting the existence of normal faults with strike directions of NE–SW to E–W. The 2D electrical resistivity models suggest that the bedrock deepens towards south-west. The resistivity models are also compared with the existing borehole information in the area and show a reasonable correlation. For example the sharp change of depth to the bedrock towards the center of the basin as seen in the resistivity models are also confirmed by the borehole data.

Short‐ and medium‐term evolution of soil properties in Atlantic forest ecosystems affected by wildfires

ABSTRACTThe immediate effect of low and high severity wildfires on the main soil properties, as well as their short‐ and medium‐term evolution under field conditions, was examined. The study was performed with three pine forest soils (two Leptosols and one Humic Cambisol, developed over granite and basic schist, respectively), located in the Atlantic humid temperate zone (Galicia, NW Spain). Samples were collected from the A‐horizon (0–5 cm depth) of the burnt and the corresponding unburnt soils, immediately and 3, 6 and 12 months after the wildfires. Most properties analysed exhibit immediate fire‐induced changes and different evolution depending on fire severity and soil type. In general, immediately after the fire pH and soil properties related to nutrients availability increased and cation exchange capacity decreased, whereas properties related to soil organic matter content (C, N, Fe and Al oxides) had a variable effect depending mainly on the soil studied; all these modifications were accentuated by fire severity. These effects were attenuated in the short term in the soil affected by a low severity wildfire, but they lasted for at least 1 year in the soils affected by high severity wildfires, particularly in the Leptosols. The results showed the importance of the fire as a disturbance agent in the dynamic of nutrients and soil organic matter that is directly related with soil quality in the Galician forest ecosystems. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.

Evidence for multiple burial–partial exhumation cycles from the Onodani eclogites in the Sambagawa metamorphic belt, central Shikoku, Japan

AbstractEclogites from the Onodani area in the Sambagawa metamorphic belt of central Shikoku occur as layers or lenticular bodies within basic schists. These eclogites experienced three different metamorphic episodes during multiple burial and exhumation cycles. The early prograde stage of the first metamorphic event is recorded by relict eclogite facies inclusions within garnet cores (XSps 0.80–0.24, XAlm 0–0.47). These inclusions consist of relatively almandine‐rich garnet (XSps 0.13–0.24, XAlm 0.36–0.45), aegirine‐augite/omphacite (XJd 0.08–0.28), epidote, amphiboles (e.g. actinolite, winchite, barroisite and taramite), albite, phengite, chlorite, calcite, titanite, hematite and quartz. The garnet cores also contain polyphase inclusions consisting of almandine‐rich garnet, omphacite (XJd 0.27–0.28), amphiboles (e.g. actinolite, winchite, barroisite, taramite and katophorite) and phengite. The peak P–T conditions of the first eclogite facies metamorphism are estimated to be 530–590 °C and 19–21 kbar succeeded by retrogression into greenschist facies. The second prograde metamorphism began at greenschist facies conditions. The peak metamorphic conditions are defined by schistosity‐forming omphacites (XJd ≤ 49) and garnet rims containing inclusions of barroisitic amphibole, phengite, rutile and quartz. The estimated peak metamorphic conditions are 630–680 °C and 20–22 kbar followed by a clockwise retrograde P–T path with nearly isothermal decompression to 8–12 kbar. In veins cross‐cutting the eclogite schistosity, resorbed barroisite/Mg‐katophorite occurs as inclusions in glaucophane which is zoned to barroisite, suggesting a prograde metamorphism of the third metamorphic event. The peak P–T conditions of this metamorphic event are estimated to be 540–600 °C and 6.5–8 kbar. These metamorphic conditions are correlated with those of the surrounding non‐eclogitic Sambagawa schists. The Onodani eclogites were formed by subduction of an oceanic plate, and metamorphism occurred beneath an accretionary prism. These high‐P/T type metamorphic events took place in a very short time span between 100 and 90 Ma. Plate reconstructions indicate highly oblique subduction of the Izanagi plate beneath the Eurasian continent at a high spreading rate. This probably resulted in multiple burial and exhumation movements of eclogite bodies, causing plural metamorphic events. The eclogite body was juxtaposed with non‐eclogitic Sambagawa schists at glaucophane stability field conditions. The amalgamated metamorphic sequence including the Onodani eclogites were exhumed to shallow crustal/surface levels in early Eocene times (c. 50 Ma).

Crystal chemistry of chromian pumpellyite from Osayama, Okayama Prefecture, Japan

The crystal structure and crystal chemistry of chromian pumpellyite from basic schist in the Osayama ultramafic body, Okayama, Japan, were investigated using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and single-crystal X-ray diffraction to determine the distribution of chromium between two independent octahedral sites and structural changes caused by ionic substitutions in pumpellyite, VIIW8VIX4VIY8 IVZ12O56-n(OH)n (Z = 1). Five chromian pumpellyite crystals (ocp1211, ocp0604, ocp1028, ocp1013, and ocp1016) with 0.52, 1.65, 1.26, 1.94, and 1.43 Cr atoms per formula unit (apfu) (EPMA data), respectively, were picked from a hand specimen for X-ray diffraction analysis. The crystal structures (space group C2/m) of ocp1211 [a = 19.1129(6), b = 5.8963(5), c = 8.818(1) Å, β = 97.449(2)°], ocp0604 [a = 19.0935(4), b = 5.900(1), c = 8.810(2) Å, β = 97.540(7)°], ocp1028 [a = 19.105(2), b = 5.9021(6), c = 8.8143(7) Å, β = 97.513(3)°], ocp1013 [a = 19.1558(6), b = 5.9125(9), c = 8.844(1) Å, β = 97.448(4)°], and ocp1016 [a = 19.174(3), b = 5.9194(8), c = 8.830(1) Å, β = 97.497(4)°] were refined using 1058, 829, 1070, 1105, and 1095 unique reflections, and calculations converged at R factors of 4.08, 5.02, 6.32, 6.92, and 7.88%, respectively. The resulting site populations at the X and Y sites are (Mg1.88Al1.51Fe2+0.38 Cr0.16Mn2+0.05Ni0.02)X(Al7.90Ti0.07V0.03)Y for ocp1211, (Mg1.81Al1.53Cr0.42Fe2+0.18Mn2+0.04Ni0.01)X(Al7.34Cr0.65V0.01)Y for ocp0604, (Al1.62Mg1.60Cr0.61Fe2+ 0.13 Mn2+0.03Ni0.01)X(Al7.36Cr0.61V0.03)Y for ocp1028, (Mg1.79Al1.33Cr0.47 Fe2+0.33Mn2+0.08)X(Al6.66Cr1.31V0.03)Y for ocp1013, and (Mg1.94Al1.23Cr0.38Fe2+0.37Mn2+0.08)X(Al6.72Cr1.25V0.03)Y for ocp1016. Cr3+ ions in ocp1211 are distributed only in the X site. The distribution coefficient of Cr and Al between the X and Y sites [(Cr/Al)X/(Cr/Al)Y] is 1.66, 1.79, 3.09, and 4.54 for ocp1016, ocp1013, ocp0604, and ocp1028, respectively, indicating a stronger preference of Cr for the X site than the Y site. The a and b axes increase with increasing Cr content, whereas the c axis is almost constant. The mean Y-O distances increase linearly with increased Cr3+ content in the Y site. However, the mean X-O distances do not depend on the substitution of Cr3+ for Al3+ at the X site.

Delayed accumulation of placers during exhumation of orogenic gold in southern New Zealand

The giant gold placer system on the Otago Schist of southern New Zealand was derived from Mesozoic orogenic gold deposits in the underlying schist basement. The core of the schist basement was exhumed in the middle Cretaceous, coeval with the accumulation of the oldest preserved nonmarine sedimentary rocks in the area (ca 112 Ma). Those sedimentary rocks contain quartz clasts, with distinctive ductile deformation textures, that were derived from structural zones in, or adjacent to, major orogenic gold deposits. Quartz textures in these structural zones are readily distinguishable from the rest of the schist belt, and hence provide a fingerprint for erosion of gold. The earliest sedimentary rocks on the margins of the gold-bearing schist belt are immature, and were derived from unoxidised outcrops in areas of high relief. Gold was not liberated from unoxidised basement rocks during erosion, and was removed from the system without placer concentration. Placer concentration did not begin until about 20 million years later, when oxidative alteration of gold deposits had facilitated gold grain size enhancement from micron scale (primary) to millimetre scale (secondary). Subsequent erosion and recycling of gold in the early Cenozoic, and again in the late Cenozoic, caused additional concentration of gold in progressively younger deposits. The Klondike giant placer goldfield of Canada had a similar geological history to the Otago placer field, and Klondike placer accumulation occurred in the late Cenozoic, at least 70 million years after Mesozoic exhumation of orogenic gold. The giant placer deposit on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada in California occurs in Eocene and younger sedimentary rocks, at least 40 million years younger than the timing of major exhumation of the source rocks. Circum-Pacific giant gold placers formed under entirely different tectonic regimes from the emplacement of their source orogenic deposits, and these giant placer deposits do not form in foreland basins associated with convergent orogens. Formation of giant placers requires less active erosion and more subdued topography than the collisional orogenic activity that accompanied emplacement of source gold deposits in basement rocks, as well as oxidative alteration of the primary deposits to liberate gold from sulfide minerals and enhance secondary gold grain size.

玄武岩質帯水層内でのＣＯ２地化学トラッピング：ＣＯ２‐水‐玄武岩反応実験からの示唆

Quite recently, a basaltic aquifer receives particular attention as a suitable candidate for CO2 aquifer storage because basaltic rocks contain high concentrations of Ca, Mg, and Fe that can enhance CO2 geochemical trapping via acid neutralization and carbonate mineral formation. Despite the increasing interest in basaltic aquifer CO2 storage, there are few experimental researches on CO2-water-basalt interaction. In addition, the influence of rock alteration on the geochemical trapping processes has not been considered. In this study, therefore, we conducted CO2-water-basalt interaction experiments using three types of fresh to altered basaltic rocks.The fresh basalt (non-altered basalt) is composed of olivine, plagioclase, and basaltic glass. On the other hand, the basic schist (high-T altered basalt) completely consists of secondary greenschist minerals (albite, epidote, chlorite, actinolite, quartz) , and the seamount basalt (low-T altered basalt) is mainly composed of secondary clay minerals (celadonite, smectite, Fe-oxyhydroxide) . In our experiments, the cations eluted from fresh basalt and basic schist are mostly Mg and Na, while the fluids reacting with seamount basalt contain large amount of Na and K with noticeably higher pH. This suggests that Na and K eluted from clay minerals play an important role in acid neutralization. Our experiments further demonstrate that, regardless of alteration types, a Na-dominant condition emerges at an early stage of the CO2 storage in a basaltic aquifer, leading to dawsonite (NaAlCO3 (OH) 2) precipitation. The present findings lead us to propose a new perspective on carbonate formation sequence of dawsonite → siderite → calcite/dolomite in basaltic aquifers.

Concentrated flow erosion as a main source of sediments in Galicia, Spain

AbstractKnowledge of soil loss rates by water erosion under given climate, soil, topography, and management conditions is important for establishing soil conservation schemes. In Galicia, a region with Atlantic climatic conditions in Spain, field observations over the last decade indicate that interrill, rill and ephemeral gully erosion may be an important sediment source. The aim of this work was to assess concentrated erosion rates, describe types of rills and ephemeral gullies and determine their origin, evolution and importance as sediment sources. Soil surface state and concentrated flow erosion were surveyed on medium textured soils, developed over basic schists of the Ordenes Complex series (Coruña province, Spain) from 1997 to 2006. Soil surface state was characterized by crust development, tillage features and roughness degree. Soil erosion rate was directly measured in the field. Concentrated flow erosion took place mainly on seedbeds and recently tilled surfaces in late spring and by autumn or early winter. During the study period, erosion rates were highly variable and the following situations could be distinguished: (a) no incision or limited rill incision, i.e. below 2 Mg ha−1 year−1; (b) generalized rill and ephemeral gully incision in the class of mean values between 2·5 and 6·25 Mg ha−1 year−1, this was the most common erosion pattern; and (c) heavy erosion as observed during an extremely wet winter period, between October 2000 and February 2001, with erosion figures that may be about ten orders of magnitude higher, up to 55–60 Mg ha−1 year−1. Therefore, low values of soil losses are dominant, but also large values of rill and ephemeral gully erosion occurred during the study period. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.