Origin of the Nchanga copper–cobalt deposits of the Zambian Copperbelt     

Ross R. McGowan  Stephen Roberts  Adrian J. Boyce 《Mineralium Deposita》2006,40(6-7):617-638

The Zambian Copperbelt forms the southeastern part of the 900-km-long Neoproterozoic Lufilian Arc and contains one of the world’s largest accumulations of sediment-hosted stratiform copper mineralization. The Nchanga deposit is one of the most significant ore systems in the Zambian Copperbelt and contains two major economic concentrations of copper and cobalt, hosted within the Lower Roan Group of the Katangan Supergroup. A Lower Orebody (copper only) and Upper Orebody (copper and cobalt) occur towards the top of arkosic units and within the base of overlying shales. The sulfide mineralogy includes pyrite, bornite, chalcopyrite, and chalcocite, although in the Lower Orebody, sulfide phases are partially or completely replaced by malachite and copper oxides. Carrollite is the major cobalt-bearing phase and is restricted to fault-propagation fold zones within a feldspathic arenite. Hydrothermal alteration minerals include dolomite, phlogophite, sericite, rutile, quartz, tourmaline, and chlorite. Quartz veins from the mine sequence show halite-saturated fluid inclusions, ranging from ~31 to 38 wt% equivalent NaCl, with homogenisation temperatures (Th_TOT) ranging between 140 and 180°C. Diagenetic pyrites in the lower orebody show distinct, relatively low δ ³⁴S, ranging from −1 to −17‰ whereas arenite- and shale-hosted copper and cobalt sulfides reveal distinctly different δ ³⁴S from −1 to +12‰ for the Lower Orebody and +5 to +18‰ for the Upper Orebody. There is also a clear distinction between the δ ³⁴S mean of +12.1±3.3‰ (n=65) for the Upper Orebody compared with +5.2±3.6‰ (n=23) for the Lower Orebody. The δ ¹³C of dolomites from units above the Upper Orebody give δ ¹³C values of +1.4 to +2.5‰ consistent with marine carbon. However, dolomite from the shear-zones and the alteration assemblages within the Upper Orebody show more negative δ ¹³C values: −2.9 to −4.0‰ and −5.6 to −8.3‰, respectively. Similarly, shear zone and Upper Orebody dolomites give a δ ¹⁸O of +11.7 to +16.9‰ compared to Lower Roan Dolomites, which show δ ¹⁸O of +22.4 to +23.0‰_. Two distinct structural regimes are recognized in the Nchanga area: a weakly deformed zone consisting of basement and overlying footwall siliciclastics, and a moderate to tightly folded zone of meta-sediments of the Katangan succession. The fold geometry of the Lower Roan package is controlled by internal thrust fault-propagation folds, which detach at the top of the lowermost arkose or within the base of the overlying stratigraphy and show vergence towards the NE. Faulting and folding are considered to be synchronous, as folding predominantly occurred at the tips of propagating thrust faults, with local thrust breakthrough. The data from Nchanga suggests a strong link between ore formation and the development of structures during basin inversion as part of the Lufilian Orogeny. Sulfides tend to be concentrated within arenites or coarser-grained layers within shale units, suggesting that host-rock porosity and possibly permeability played a role in ore formation. However, sulfides are also commonly orientated along, but not deformed by, a tectonic fabric or hosted within small fractures that suggest a significant role for deformation in the development of the mineralization. The ore mineralogy, hydrothermal alteration, and stable isotope data lend support to models consistent with the thermochemical reduction of a sulfate- (and metal) enriched hydrothermal fluid, at the site of mineralization. There is no evidence at Nchanga for a contribution of bacteriogenic sulfide, produced during sedimentation or early diagenesis, to the ores.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.Editorial handling: H. Frimmel  相似文献   

Seismic Hazards Assessment for Radioactive Waste Disposal Sites in Regions of Low Seismic Activity   总被引：4，自引：0，他引：4  

Clark H. Fenton  John Adams  Stephen Halchuk 《Geotechnical and Geological Engineering》2006,24(3):579-592

A comparative tectonic quiescence and lack of earthquakes make the stable centres of continents attractive for siting long-term radioactive waste storage facilities. The low rates of deformation in such regions, however, make it difficult to characterize their long-term seismotectonic behaviour, leading to uncertain estimates for the very low probability hazard estimates required by society. In an attempt to overcome the deficiency of both contemporary seismicity and paleoseismic data in central Canada, we have used earthquake histories from regions with similar seismotectonic characteristics from around the world. Substituting space for time, we estimate a long-term rate per 10⁶ km² of 0.004 magnitude ≥6 earthquakes per annum, of which 33–100% might rupture to the surface.  相似文献   

A Note On Surface Humidity Measurements In The Cold Canadian Environment   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Stephen J. Déry  Marc Stieglitz 《Boundary-Layer Meteorology》2002,102(3):491-497

In the cold Canadian environment, humidity measurements can be verydifficult to conduct. In this brief communication, humidity observationstaken by two different sensors at six remote Canadian Arctic locations arecompared. The observations collected by Vaisala HMP35CF sensors displaya strong tendency toward the ice saturation point whereas dew cell instrumentsexhibit significantly lower values of relative humidity with respect to ice (RH_i).Humidity data collected by HMP35CF hygrometers are therefore unreliable sincethey are subject to persistent icing that lead them to record values of RH_i near 100%, irrespective of the air temperature. The high humidity bias emerges atmeteorological stations mounted with the HMP35CF probes since these instrumentsare usually neither sheltered nor heated, and are not attended to at regular intervals. Thus, great care must be taken in utilizing humidity data recorded by HMP35CF sensors across the network of climate autostations in Canada.  相似文献   

Discussion on "Mississippi Valley-type lead–zinc deposits through geological time: implications from recent age-dating research" by D.L. Leach, D. Bradley, M.T. Lewchuk, D.T.A. Symons, G. de Marsily, and J. Brannon (2001) Mineralium Deposita 36:711–740     

Stephen E. Kesler  Charles W. Carrigan 《Mineralium Deposita》2002,37(8):800-802

  相似文献   

Cosmogenic-nuclide ages for New England coastal moraines, Martha's Vineyard and Cape Cod, Massachusetts, USA     

Greg Balco  John O.H. Stone  Stephen C. Porter  Marc W. Caffee   《Quaternary Science Reviews》2002,21(20-22)

Cosmogenic-nuclide exposure ages for 13 glacially transported boulders atop the Martha's Vineyard moraine, MA, USA, indicate that the southeastern margin of the Laurentide ice sheet reached its maximum extent during the last glaciation 23,200±500 yr ago. Another 10 age determinations from the younger Buzzards Bay moraine near Woods Hole, MA, indicate that this moraine complex was formed 18,800±400 yr ago. These ages correlate approximately with the terminations of cooling cycles recorded in Greenland ice cores and coeval ice-rafting events, suggesting that the marginal position of this sector of the ice sheet was tightly coupled to North Atlantic climate during the last glacial maximum.  相似文献   

δC of low-molecular-weight organic acids generated by the hydrous pyrolysis of oil-prone source rocks     

Robert F Dias  Katherine H FreemanMichael D Lewan  Stephen G Franks 《Geochimica et cosmochimica acta》2002,66(15):2755-2769

Low-molecular-weight (LMW) aqueous organic acids were generated from six oil-prone source rocks under hydrous-pyrolysis conditions. Differences in total organic carbon-normalized acid generation are a function of the initial thermal maturity of the source rock and the oxygen content of the kerogen (OI). Carbon-isotope analyses were used to identify potential generation mechanisms and other chemical reactions that might influence the occurrence of LMW organic acids. The generated LMW acids display increasing ¹³C content as a function of decreasing molecular weight and increasing thermal maturity. The magnitudes of observed isotope fractionations are source-rock dependent. These data are consistent with δ¹³C values of organic acids presented in a field study of the San Joaquin Basin and likely reflect the contributions from alkyl-carbons and carboxyl-carbons with distinct δ¹³C values. The data do not support any particular organic acid generation mechanism. The isotopic trends observed as a function of molecular weight, thermal maturity, and rock type are not supported by either generation mechanisms or destructive decarboxylation. It is therefore proposed that organic acids experience isotopic fractionation during generation consistent with a primary kinetic isotope effect and subsequently undergo an exchange reaction between the carboxyl carbon and dissolved inorganic carbon that significantly influences the carbon isotope composition observed for the entire molecule. Although generation and decarboxylation may influence the δ¹³C values of organic acids, in the hydrous pyrolysis system described, the nondestructive, pH-dependent exchange of carboxyl carbon with inorganic carbon appears to be the most important reaction mechanism controlling the δ¹³C values of the organic acids.  相似文献   

G-Probe-1 - An International Proficiency Test for Microprobe Laboratories - Report on Round 1 : February 2002 (TB-1 Basaltic Glass)     

Philip J. Potts  Michael Thompson  Stephen Wilson 《Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research》2002,26(2):197-235

Results are presented for round one of a new international proficiency testing programme designed for microprobe laboratories involved in the routine analysis of silicate minerals. The sample used for this round was TB-1, a basaltic glass fused and prepared by the USGS. Thirty nine laboratories contributed data to this round, the majority of major element results being undertaken by EPMA and the majority of trace elements by LA-ICP-MS. Assigned values were derived from the median of results produced by nine selected laboratories that analysed powdered material by conventional ICP-MS, INAA and XRF techniques using bulk powders of the sample. Submitted microprobe results were evaluated using a target precision calculated using the Horwitz function, adopting the same criteria as those used for "applied" geochemistry laboratories in the companion GeoPT proficiency testing programme for laboratories involved in the routine bulk analysis of silicate rocks. An evaluation of results from participating microprobe laboratories indicated that overall, data were compatible with this precision function. A comparison between the performance of bulk and microprobe techniques used in the analysis of the basaltic glass showed remarkably good agreement, with significant bias only observed for the major oxide MgO.  相似文献   

Integrated Two-Dimensional Modeling of Fluid Flow and Compaction in a Sedimentary Basin     

Zhangxin Chen  Richard E. Ewing  Hao Lu  Stephen L. Lyons  Serguei Maliassov  Michael B. Ray  Tong Sun 《Computational Geosciences》2002,6(3-4):545-564

In this paper we employ mixed finite elements and numerically study an integrated two-dimensional model of fluid flow and compaction in a sedimentary basin. This model describes a single phase incompressible flow in a two-dimensional section of a sedimentary basin with vertical compaction. At each time step, an iterative algorithm is used to solve this model. The determination of the grid movement is based on the mass conservation and movement of sediments in the basin, while the mixed method is utilized to solve the fluid flow over the moving grid. Numerical experiments are presented to verify this iterative algorithm and show representative solutions for the model under consideration.  相似文献   

A model of equilibrium bed topography for meander bends with erodible banks     

Stephen E. Darby  Ivana Delbono 《地球表面变化过程与地形》2002,27(10):1057-1085

Channel curvature produces secondary currents and a transverse sloping channel bed, along which the depth increases towards the outer bank. As a result deep pools tend to form adjacent to the outer bank, promoting bank collapse. The interaction of sediment grains with the primary and secondary flow and the transverse sloping bed also causes meanders to move different grain sizes in different proportions and directions, resulting in a consistent sorting pattern. Several models have been developed to describe this process, but they all have the potential to over‐predict pool depth because they cannot account for the influence of erodible banks. In reality, bank collapse might lead to the development of a wider, shallower cross‐section and any resulting flow depth discrepancy can bias associated predictions of flow, sediment transport, and grain‐size sorting. While bed topography, sediment transport and grain sorting in bends will partly be controlled by the sedimentary characteristics of the bank materials, the magnitude of this effect has not previously been explored. This paper reports the development of a model of flow, sediment transport, grain‐size sorting, and bed topography for river bends with erodible banks. The model is tested via intercomparison of predicted and observed bed topography in one low‐energy (5·3 W m^?2 specific stream power) and one high‐energy (43·4 W m^?2) study reach, namely the River South Esk in Scotland and Goodwin Creek in Mississippi, respectively. Model predictions of bed topography are found to be satisfactory, at least close to the apices of bends. Finally, the model is used in sensitivity analyses that provide insight into the influence of bank erodibility on equilibrium meander morphology and associated patterns of grain‐size sorting. The sensitivity of meander response to bank cohesion is found to increase as a function of the available stream power within the two study bends. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.  相似文献   

Predicting average annual groundwater levels from climatic variables: an empirical model   总被引：8，自引：0，他引：8  

Zhuoheng Chen  Stephen E. Grasby  Kirk G. Osadetz 《Journal of Hydrology》2002,260(1-4):102-117

On the basis of one-dimensional theoretical water flow model, we demonstrate that the groundwater level variation follows a pattern similar to recharge fluctuation, with a time delay that depends on the characteristics of aquifer, recharge pattern as well as the distance between the recharge and observation locations. On the basis of a water budget model and the groundwater flow model, we propose an empirical model that links climatic variables to groundwater level. The empirical model is tested using a partial data set from historical records of water levels from more than 80 wells in a monitoring network for the carbonate rock aquifer, southern Manitoba, Canada. The testing results show that the predicted groundwater levels are very close to the observed ones in most cases. The overall average correlation coefficient between the predicted and observed water levels is 0.92. This proposed empirical statistical model could be used to predict variations in groundwater level in response to different climate scenarios in a climate change impact assessment.  相似文献