The Merensky Reef of the Bushveld Complex is one of the world'slargest resources of platinum group elements (PGE); however,mechanisms for its formation remain poorly understood, and manycontradictory theories have been proposed. We present precisecompositional data [major elements, trace elements, and platinumgroup elements (PGE)] for 370 samples from four borehole coresections of the Merensky Reef in one area of the western BushveldComplex. Trace element patterns (incompatible elements and rareearth elements) exhibit systematic variations, including small-scalecyclic changes indicative of the presence of cumulus crystalsand intercumulus liquid derived from different magmas. Ratiosof highly incompatible elements for the different sections areintermediate to those of the proposed parental magmas (CriticalZone and Main Zone types) that gave rise to the Bushveld Complex.Mingling, but not complete mixing of different magmas is suggestedto have occurred during the formation of the Merensky Reef.The trace element patterns are indicative of transient associationsbetween distinct magma layers. The porosity of the cumulatesis shown to affect significantly the distribution of sulphidesand PGE. A genetic link is made between the thickness of theMerensky pyroxenite, the total PGE and sulphide content, petrologicaland textural features, and the trace element signatures in thesections studied. The rare earth elements reveal the importantrole of plagioclase in the formation of the Merensky pyroxenite,and the distribution of sulphide. KEY WORDS: Merensky Reef; platinum group elements; trace elements相似文献
A new model is presented which simulates the dispersal and deposition of material from a Hawaiian eruption column. The model treats the Hawaiian column as a coarse-grained Plinian column and uses a modified version of the Wilson and Walker [Wilson, L., Walker, G.P.L., 1987. Explosive volcanic eruptions: VI. Ejecta dispersal in Plinian eruptions: the control of eruption conditions and atmospheric properties. Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc. 89, 657–679.] Plinian pyroclast dispersal model to simulate the fall out of material during a Hawaiian eruption. The model results are found to be in good agreement with independent estimates of various parameters made for the 1959 Kilauea Iki eruption of Kilauea volcano. The close agreement between the model results and these independent estimates shows that, dynamically, Hawaiian eruptions are indistinguishable from Plinian eruptions. The major differences in the styles and deposits of these two types of eruptions are accounted for by differences in the mass fluxes and gas contents of the erupting magmas and, most fundamentally, by differences in the grainsize distribution of the erupted clasts. Plume heights predicted by the model are greater than those found for previous models of Hawaiian eruptions. This is because previous models did not allow for the progressive fall out of particles from the plume and, more importantly, made no correction for the velocity disequilibrium between gas and clasts when the grainsize distribution is coarse. 相似文献
This paper presents an analysis of two large rock toppling/sliding events which occurred in January 2014 and February 2019 at the Cliets unstable slope (Savoie, French Alps). To understand the mechanism involved and its control by external forcings, a multi-technique analysis approach is used combining geological observations, meteorological data analysis, topographic measurements and simple physical modeling. The pre-failure stage of the events is more particularly analyzed. No direct relationships are found between triggering factors and surface motion though a kinematics analysis highlights the transition toppling-sliding. It showed that, at first order, this transition occurred 4 years before the first failure of 2014, while it happened 2 months before the second failure of 2019. From this date, the environment is considered like a block sliding on an inclined plane. By applying a frictional model (Helmstetter et al. in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 109(B2), 2004), we illustrated that the two events belong to an unstable velocity-weakening sliding regime. The time to failure (Voight in Science 243(4888):200–203, 1989) is forecasted with the model, and the results are consistent with the observations. They confirm that the gravitational factor is predominant over the triggering factors for the two events.
