The Potential for Environmentally Sound Development of Marine Deposits of Potassic and Phosphatic Minerals Offshore, Southern Africa     

S. K. P. Coles  C. I. Wright  D. A. Sinclair  P. Van den Bossche 《Marine Georesources & Geotechnology》2002,20(2):87-110

Extensive potassium and phosphorous-rich mineralization occurs on the outer continental shelf of the southern and west coasts of South Africa and Nambia. This article reviews the potential of exploiting these deposits in an environmentally sound manner for the manufacture of fertilizer. At present, reserves of potash and phosphate fertilizer are exploited from terresterial deposits, the majority being surface mined. The use of fertilizer in South Africa has shown no growth in the past 13 years, and, in some years, usage has even declined. On average, over the last decade, South Africa has consumed 2 million Mt of fertilizer (including nitrogen) per annum, the vast majority of phosphate fertilizer being produced by FOSKOR from the Phalaborwa Igneous Complex. Potash fertilizer is imported into South Africa. Although fertilizer consumption is expected to decrease in the short-term, there are good future prospects for the domestic and international fertilizer market. Considerable research into both glauconitic (containing K 2 O) and phosphatic deposits along the southern African continental shelf indicate that these sedimentary deposits have a complex genesis and mineralization. Of the total K 2 O reserves of 1300 million Mt on the southern African margin, 1000 million Mt is located off the southern African west coast, and the remainder situated on the Agulhas Bank. The largest glauconite concentration ( ±300 million Mt K 2 O) off southern Africa lies west of Saldanha Bay, South Africa. The distribution of P 2 O 5 off southern Africa is dominated by the vast deposit between Walvis Bay and Luderitz, Nambia. This reserve is estimated to contain 1000 million Mt of greater than 5% P 2 O 5 in a relatively small area of about 10000 km2. The phosphorite deposit south of Saldanha Bay constitutes a reserve of ±3500 million Mt of apatite and the deposit on the Agulhas Bank comprises 5500 million Mt. The phosphate deposit off Saldanha Bay occurs as an extensive, low to medium grade deposit. Although vast resources of potash and phosphatic minerals occur along the southern African outer continental shelf the expensive nature of marine exploitation may render most of these deposits, especially the phosphates, subeconomic. The low price of fertilizer andextensive natureontheonland deposits, although confined to asmallnumber of countries, mean that it will not be financially viable to extract these deposits. Assuming high grade glauconitic sand with the right composition can be located, the high market price indicates good future prospects for these potash deposits.  相似文献   

Pb and other ore metals in modern seafloor tectonic environments: Evidence from melt inclusions   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Yannick Beaudoin  Steven D. Scott  Zoltan Zajacz 《Marine Geology》2007,242(4):271-289

Many modern seafloor tectonic environments are host to hydrothermal systems and associated polymetallic sulfide deposits. Metal transport and precipitation are controlled by magmatic processes such as pre-eruptive degassing and the hydrothermal cycle. The original availability of Pb and other ore metals in a given setting is dependent on concentrations in the original magmatic source or additional enrichment processes. We have examined the Pb budget of melt inclusions from nine modern seafloor settings representing back-arcs, mid-ocean ridges and seamounts. Melt inclusions provide information on the characteristics of parental magmas, including insights into metal budgets. Trace element data in melt inclusions hosted in plagioclase, olivine and pyroxene were obtained by laser-ablation inductively-coupled mass-spectrometry.Results from back-arcs emphasize the impact of slab-subduction and dehydration processes on the chemical characteristics of generated magmas. Volatile- and fluid-mobile element-rich melt inclusions at Manus basin and Okinawa trough reflect a robust contribution of elements from the subducting slab as evidenced by relatively low Ce/Pb ratios. At Bransfield strait, on the other hand, melt inclusions are volatile poor, and fluid-mobile element ratios are similar to mid-ocean ridge values indicating little or no contribution from the slab. High Cu concentrations at Manus basin and Okinawa trough can be explained by fluxing of ferric iron from the subducting slab benefiting the production of sulfate over sulfide.Metal budgets for seamounts located on and nearby the axis of mid-ocean ridge segments appear to be independent of any input of mantle plume material. Results from the southern Explorer ridge (strong lower mantle influence, transitional- and enriched-MORBs), Pito and Axial seamounts (moderate lower mantle influence, transitional-MORBs) and a Foundation near-ridge seamount (little to no mantle influence, normal-MORB) show that, despite similar tectonic environments and varying contributions of mantle plume material, Cu, Zn and Pb values do not vary significantly between the enriched and non-enriched magma components of a given setting.  相似文献   

滇西地区地壳上地幔电性结构与地壳构造活动的关系   总被引：46，自引：3，他引：43       下载免费PDF全文

孙洁  徐常芳 《地震地质》1989,11(1):35-45

本文根据滇西地区18个大地电磁测深点资料的数据处理和分析结果,对测区深部导电率在纵、横向上的变化特征进行了研究。结果表明:滇西地区深部电性为多层结构,大致可分四至五个电性结构层;深部电性结构横向变化大,明显受区域构造控制;该区上部地壳内普遍存在低阻层;上地幔高导层明显存在两个隆起区,一个以剑川—鹤庆为中心呈北北西向展布的隆起区,另一个以腾冲—潞西为轴呈南北向展布的隆起区。 本文还讨论了地壳上地幔电性结构与大地构造的关系,滇西北裂陷区盆地的形成,以及该区地震活动与深部构造的关系  相似文献   

Helium-argon isotopic tracing for the Pb-Zn-Ag polymetallic ore deposits in the central-south segment of the Da Hinggan Ling Range     

Baode Wang  Shuyin Niu  Aiqun Sun  Huabin Hu  Yaming Liu  Lijun Guo  Shuo Wang 《中国地球化学学报》2008,27(3):235-241

In recent years big strides have been made in the exploration of ores in the central-south segment of the Da Hinggan Ling Range, though some debates still exist on the metallogenesis and sources of ore-forming materials. Pyrite and other sulfides in direct relation to the Pb-Zn-Ag ore deposits were chosen for the He and Ar isotopic analysis of ore-forming fluids, and the first He and Ar isotope data have been obtained from the study region. ^3He/^4He ratios in 14 samples collected from 7 mining districts are 2.17×10^-6-12.52×10^-6, averaging 6.86×10^-6 and their R/Ra ratios are 1.56-9.01 Ra, averaging 4.37 Ra. By projecting the data points onto the ^3He-^4He concentrations diagram, all the points fall near the mantle helium area. The calculated mantle-source helium ratios are within the range of 19.58%-76.96%, with an average of 49.52%. Argon isotopic characteristics are close to those of mantle source, indicating that the ore-forming material was transport upwards via the multi-stage evolution of mantle plume and concentrated as ores in the favorable loci of mantle branch structures.  相似文献   

Estimating Influence of Crystallizing Latent Heat on Cooling-Crystallizing Process of a Granitic Melt and Its Geological Implications     

ZHANG Bangtong  WU Junqi  LING Hongfei  CHEN Peirong 《《地质学报》英文版》2008,82(2):438-443

Based on the theory of thermal conductivity, in this paper we derived a formula to estimate the prolongation period （AtL） of cooling-crystallization process of a granitic melt caused by latent heat of crystallization as follows：△tL=QL×△tcol/（TM-TC）×CP where TM is initial temperature of the granite melt, Tc crystallization temperature of the granite melt, Cp specific heat, △tcol cooling period of a granite melt from its initial temperature （TM） to its crystallization temperature （Tc）, QL latent heat of the granite melt.
The cooling period of the melt for the Fanshan granodiorite from its initial temperature （900℃） to crystallization temperature （600℃） could be estimated -210,000 years if latent heat was not considered. Calculation for the Fanshan melt using the above formula yields a AtL value of -190,000 years, which implies that the actual cooling period within the temperature range of 900°-600℃ should be 400,000 years. This demonstrates that the latent heat produced from crystallization of the granitic melt is a key factor influencing the cooling-crystallization process of a granitic melt, prolongating the period of crystallization and resulting in the large emplacement-crystallization time difference （ECTD） in granite batholith.  相似文献   

大兴安岭白音诺尔铅锌矿控矿构造研究与找矿预测   总被引：4，自引：1，他引：3  

牛树银  孙爱群  郭利军  王宝德  胡华斌  刘建明 《大地构造与成矿学》2008,32(1):72-80

成矿物质来源及控矿因素是矿床学研究的前沿课题。过去人们认为成矿物质主要源于含矿围岩的萃取。因此,找矿重点是寻找矿源层。但是,更多的事实表明,成矿物质主要来自深源,通过地幔热柱多级演化迁移至地壳,并在幔枝构造较好的控矿构造空间聚集成矿。本文探讨了大兴安岭中南段的成矿作用,总结了该区的主要控矿构造,指出了不同级别构造对成矿的控制作用,并预测了不同级别的成矿靶区。  相似文献   

中国边缘海域及其邻区的岩石层结构与构造分析   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

胥颐  郝天珧  李志伟  刘建华 《地学前缘》2008,15(3):55-63

利用中国边缘海域近年的地震层析成像结果,根据速度异常和各向异性分析东海、黄海和南海北部的岩石层结构和构造,讨论中朝块体和扬子块体在黄海内部的拼合边界(黄海东部断裂带)、东海陆架盆地上地幔异常与岩石层形成演化、南海北部地壳底部高速层的成因及地幔活动等问题。分析表明,黄海东部与朝鲜半岛之间存在一个深部构造界限(大致对应于黄海东部断裂带),分界两侧Pn波速度各向异性存在明显差异,反映不同构造应力和断裂剪切运动作用下的岩石层地幔变形特征。东海陆架下方的低速异常揭示了张裂盆地形成时期的地幔活动痕迹,表明中、新生代期间发生过地幔上涌并造成岩石层减薄,菲律宾海板块向西俯冲引发的地幔活动对东海陆架岩石层的形成、演化产生明显的影响。南海北部岩石层厚度较大并且温度相对偏低,地幔异常仅限于局部地区,估计南海北部大陆边缘的地壳底部高速层形成于张裂发生之前,或者是地壳形成时期壳幔分异时的产物。南海中央海盆的扩张不仅导致地壳拉张,软流层物质上涌,而且也造成岩石层地幔减薄甚至缺失。  相似文献   

幔源CO_2释出机理、脱气模式及成藏机制研究进展   总被引：10，自引：0，他引：10  

鲁雪松  宋岩  柳少波  洪峰  付晓飞 《地学前缘》2008,15(6):293

针对幔源CO2如何从地幔岩浆中脱出并进入沉积地层中形成CO2气藏聚集这一关键问题,总结了国内外研究进展和前缘方向。研究表明,地幔深部的碱性玄武岩浆和碱性岩浆才是深部流体和CO2等挥发份大量赋存、渗滤和释出的场所。浅成侵入岩、次火山岩和火山通道等是CO2释放和聚集的有利位置,岩浆期后和岩浆衰弱期的热液活动阶段是CO2大量释放和聚集的有利时期。幔源CO2进入沉积盆地中具有3种脱气模式,即沿岩石圈断裂直接脱气模式、热流底辟体脱气模式和壳内岩浆房-基底断裂组合脱气模式。CO2的固有物化性质决定其运移相态多样,具有运移和聚集过程同步的特征。只有在满足大量的化学消耗及地层水或原油的溶解和耗散之后才能形成CO2有效聚集。幔源CO2成藏和分布主要受岩浆气源体和气源断裂体系的控制。今后,在超临界CO2及其对油气运移聚集的作用、CO2与深大断裂及火山岩的关系、CO2脱气运移机制、CO与常规烃类油气的耦合差异成藏机制等方面仍需要进一步的研究和探索。  相似文献   

(ϖμ/ϖT) P of the lower mantle     

Yanbin Wang  Donald J. Weidner 《Pure and Applied Geophysics》1996,146(3-4):533-549

We estimate (/T) _P of the lower mantle at seismic frequencies using two distinct approaches by combining ambient laboratory measurements on lower mantle minerals with seismic data. In the first approach, an upper bound is estimated for |(/T) _P | by comparing the shear modulus () profile of PREM with laboratory room-temperature data of extrapolated to high pressures. The second approach employs a seismic tomography constraint ( lnV _S / lnV _P ) _P =1.8–2, which directly relates (/T) _P with (K _S /T) _P . An average (K _S /T) _P can be obtained by comparing the well-established room-temperature compression data for lower mantle minerals with theK _S profile of PREM along several possible adiabats. Both (K _S /T) and (/T) depend on silicon content [or (Mg+Fe)/Sil of the model. For various compositions, the two approaches predict rather distinct (/T) _P vs. (K _S /T) _P curves, which intersect at a composition similar to pyrolite with (/T) _P =–0.02 to –0.035 and (K _S /T) _P =–0.015 to –0.020 GPa/K. The pure perovskite model, on the other hand, yields grossly inconsistent results using the two approaches. We conclude that both vertical and lateral variations in seismic velocities are consistent with variation due to pressure, temperature, and phase transformations of a uniform composition. Additional physical properties of a pyrolite lower mantle are further predicted. Lateral temperature variations are predicted to be about 100–250 K, and the ratio of ( lnp/ lnV _S ) _P around 0.13 and 0.26. All of these parameters increase slightly with depth if the ratio of ( lnV _S / lnV _P ) _P remains constant throughout the lower mantle. These predicted values are in excellent agreement with geodynamic analyses, in which the ratios ( ln / lnV _S ) _P and ( / lnV _S ) _P are free parameters arbitrarily adjusted to fit the tomography and geoid data.  相似文献   

Dynamics of the mid-ocean ridge plate boundary: Recent observations and theory     

Yongshun John Chen 《Pure and Applied Geophysics》1996,146(3-4):621-648

The global mid-ocean ridge system is one of the most active plate boundaries on the earth and understanding the dynamic processes at this plate boundary is one of the most important problems in geodynamics. In this paper I present recent results of several aspects of mid-ocean ridge studies concerning the dynamics of oceanic lithosphere at these diverging plate boundaries. I show that the observed rift valley to no-rift valley transition (globally due to the increase of spreading rate or locally due to the crustal thickness variations and/or thermal anomalies) can be explained by the strong temperature dependence of the power law rheology of the oceanic lithosphere, and most importantly, by the difference in the rheological behavior of the oceanic crust from the underlying mantle. The effect of this weaker lower crust on ridge dynamics is mainly influenced by spreading rate and crustal thickness variations. The accumulated strain pattern from a recently developed lens model, based on recent seismic observations, was proposed as an appealing mechanism for the observed gabbro layering sequence in the Oman Ophiolite. It is now known that the mid-ocean ridges at all spreading rates are offset into individual spreading segments by both transform and nontransform discontinuities. The tectonics of ridge segmentation are also spreading-rate dependent: the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge is characterized by distinct bulls-eye shaped gravity lows, suggesting large along-axis variations in melt production and crustal thickness, whereas the fast-spreading East-Pacific Rise is associated with much smaller along-axis variations. These spreading-rate dependent changes have been attributed to a fundamental differences in ridge segmentation mechanisms and mantle upwelling at mid-ocean ridges: the mantle upwelling may be intrinsically plume-like (3-D) beneath a slow-spreading ridge but more sheet-like (2-D) beneath a fast-spreading ridge.  相似文献