Quantitative elemental mapping of granulite-facies monazite: Textural insights and implications for petrochronology     

Owen M. Weller  Simon Jackson  William G. R. Miller  Marc R. St-Onge  Nicole Rayner 《Journal of Metamorphic Geology》2020,38(8):853-880

Texturally complex monazite grains contained in two granulite-facies pelitic migmatites from southern Baffin Island, Arctic Canada, were mapped by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (using spot sizes ≤5 µm) to quantitatively determine the spatial variation in trace element chemistry (with up to 1,883 analyses per grain). The maps highlight the chemical complexity of monazite grains that have experienced multiple episodes of growth, resorption and chemical modification by dissolution–precipitation during high-grade metamorphism. Following detailed chemical characterization of monazite compositional zones, a related U–Pb data set is re-interpreted, allowing petrologically significant ages to be extracted from a continuum of concordant data. Synthesis of these data with pseudosection modelling of prograde and peak conditions allows for the temporal evolution of monazite trace element chemistry to be placed in the context of the evolving P–T conditions and major phase assemblage. This approach enables a critical evaluation of three commonly used petrochronological indicators: linking Y to garnet abundance, the Eu anomaly to feldspar content and Th/U to anatectic processes. Europium anomalies and Th/U behave in a relatively systematic fashion, suggesting that they are reliable petrochronological witnesses. However, Y systematics are variable, both within domains interpreted to have grown in a single event, between grains interpreted to be part of the same age population, and between samples that experienced similar metamorphic conditions and mineral assemblages. These observations caution against generalized petrological interpretations on the basis of Y content, as it suggests Y concentrations in monazite are controlled by domainal equilibria. The results reveal a c. 45 Myr interval between prograde metamorphism and retrograde melt crystallization in the study area, emphasizing the long-lived nature of heat flow in high-grade metamorphic terranes. Such long timescales of metamorphism would be assisted by the growth, retention and dominance of high-Th suprasolidus monazite, as observed in this study, contributing to the radiogenic heating budget of mid- to lower-crustal environments. Careful characterization of monazite grains suggests that continuum-style U–Pb data sets can be decoded to provide insights into the duration of metamorphic processes.  相似文献   

Calcareous algae and cyanobacteria     

Michael C. Leaf  Jessica S. A. Gay  Matthew J. Newbould  Owen R. Hewitt  Steven L. Rogers 《Geology Today》2020,36(2):75-80

Algae is an informal term used to describe a broad group of simple organisms from the plant kingdom. The organisms included within this grouping are aquatic photosynthetic biota with an extensive range of life habits and forms. These organisms range from micron-sized unicellular forms to giant seaweeds and kelps, which can grow to several metres long. Both benthic and planktonic modes of life are known and display a wide variety of life cycles.  相似文献   

Sea Level Rise in Miami Beach: Vulnerability and Real Estate Exposure     

Zella Ann Conyers  Richard Grant  Shouraseni Sen Roy 《The Professional geographer》2019,71(2):278-291

Sea level rise threatens coastal communities throughout the United States, and South Florida is on the front line. The iconic and built-up city of Miami Beach, Florida, has a well-developed, high-value property market, and the municipality has been lauded for proactively taking action to adapt to anticipated sea level rise. Moving beyond hyperbole and piecemeal evidence, we compile a comprehensive inventory of adaptation and mitigation measures implemented by various municipal agencies. We employ these data sets to measure exposure and readiness for the entire city and make a preliminary effort to develop a city vulnerability index. Our findings reveal that exposure throughout the city is high and that readiness is concentrated near stormwater drainage systems, leading to high vulnerability along the coast. When we compare the spatial patterns of the vulnerability index and the residential property values, we find a mismatch. The most vulnerable regions are characterized by high income, transiency, and an apparent unresponsiveness to sea level rise. No doubt our findings illustrate a lag effect, but if sea level rise increases, the real estate market could reach a tipping point unless state and federal agencies also fund more comprehensive adaptation.  相似文献   

William Smith's map brought alive by digital remastering     

Alan R. Butcher  Duncan Pirrie  Gavyn K. Rollinson  Hanna Horsch  Stephen P. Hesselbo  Michael Owen  David Haberlah 《Geology Today》2020,36(5):175-182

The geological mapping carried out by William Smith, which resulted in the publication of his famous map in 1815, was remarkable in many respects, not least because it relied on him being able to make consistent and accurate observations on the rock types he encountered during his fieldwork. This ability, gained from his many years studying rocks, allowed him to observe features with his own eyes (or at the very least, with the aid of a simple magnifying device) that others could not. We take a new look at William Smith's original stratigraphical sequences, and with samples collected from his classic field areas (many of which are around the city of Bath, Somerset, UK), demonstrate how spatial mineralogy mapping can be incorporated into the modern age of digital mapping.  相似文献   

Micromechanical analysis of cyclic and asymptotic behaviors of a granular backfill     

Hadda  Nejib  Wan  Richard 《Acta Geotechnica》2020,15(3):715-734

The paper examines the mechanics and physics of granular material responses at the macroscopic and microscopic levels during both monotonic and cyclic loadings. A numerical analysis referring to a long retaining wall is conducted using a two-dimensional discrete element model representing a granular system with a free top surface. On one of the lateral boundaries referring to the retaining wall, both active and passive loadings were applied monotonically as well as cyclically. First, the development of sheared zones and classic failure wedges resulting from active and passive monotonic displacements are discussed with respect to Rankine’s and Roscoe’s solution angles. Then, a series of loading cycles were performed using slow small-amplitude displacements at different stress states chosen before the occurrence of failure along the passive monotonic stress response curve. Particular interest is focused on the ultimate asymptotic cyclic response of the granular system, the occurrence of a high-mobility (convective) zone and a detailed macroscopic and microscopic analysis. Finally, major kinematical features that are displayed during cyclic loading from different starting stresses to eventually reach the same asymptotic state were elucidated through particle vortex-like flux formations, including contact rotations. The change in material stiffness was also investigated based on the evolution of strong and weak contact networks, together with the analysis of fabric anisotropy within the entire domain, including the high-mobility zone considered separately.

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Geochemical and geochronological characteristics of the Um Rus granite intrusion and associated gold deposit,Eastern Desert,Egypt     

Basem Zoheir  Richard Goldfarb  Astrid Holzheid  Hassan Helmy  Ahmed El Sheikh 《地学前缘(英文版)》2020,11(1):325-345

The Um Rus tonalite-granodiorite intrusion(~6 km2)occurs at the eastern end of the Neoproterozoic,ENE-trending Wadi Muba rak shear belt in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt.Gold-bearing quartz veins hosted by the Um Rus intrusion were mined intermittently,and initially by the ancient Egyptians and until the early 1900 s.The relationship between the gold mineralization,host intrusion,and regional structures has always been unclear.We present new geochemical and geochronological data that help to define the tectonic environment and age of the Um Rus intrusion.In addition,field studies are integrated with EPMA and LA-ICP-MS data for gold-associated sulfides to better understand the formation and distribution of gold mineralization.The bulk-rock geochemical data of fresh host rocks indicate a calc-alkaline,metaluminous to mildly peraluminous,I-type granite signature.Their trace element composition reflects a tectonic setting intermediate between subduction-related and within-plate environments,presumably transitional between syn-and post-collisional stages.The crystallization age of the Um Rus intrusion was determined by in situ SHRIMP 206 Pb/238 U and 207Pb/235U measurements on accessory monazite grains.The resultant monazite U-Pb weighted mean age(643±9 Ma;MSWD 1.8)roughly overlaps existing geochronological data for similar granitic intrusions that are confined to major shear systems and are locally associated with gold mineralization in the Central Eastrn Desert(e.g.,Fawakhir and Hangaliya).This age is also consistent with magmatism recognized as concomitant to transpressional tectonics(D2:~650 Ma)during the evolution of the Wadi Mubark belt.Formation of the gold-bearing quartz veins in NNE-SSW and N-S striking fault segments was likely linked to the change from transpressional to transtensional tectonics and terrane exhumation(D3:620-580 Ma).The development of N-S throughgoing fault arrays and dike swarms(~595 Ma)led to heterogeneous deformation and recrystallization of the mineralized quartz veins.Ore minerals in the auriferous quartz veins include ubiquitous pyrite and arsenopyrite,with less abundant pyrrhotite,chalcopyrite,sphalerite,and galena.Uncommon pentlandite,gersdorffite,and cobaltite inclusions hosted in quartz veins with meladiorite slivers are interpreted as pre-ore sulfide phases.The gold-sulfide paragenesis encompasses an early pyrite-arsenopyrite±loellingite assemblage,a transitional pyrite-arsenopyrite assemblage,and a late pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite±galena assemblage.Free-milling gold/electrum grains(10 sμm-long)are scattered in extensively deformed vein quartz and in and adjacent to sulfide grains.Marcasite,malachite,and nodular goethite are authigenic alteration phases after pyrrhotite,chalcopyrite,and pyrite and arsenopyrite,respectively.A combined ore petrography,EPMA,and LA-ICP-MS study distinguishes morphological and compositional differences in the early and transitional pyrites(PyⅠ,PyⅡ)and arsenopyrite(ApyⅠ,ApyⅡ).Py I forms uncommon small euhedral inclusions in later PyⅡand Apy II.PyⅡforms large subhedral crystals with porous inner zones and massive outer zones,separated by narrow As-rich irregular mantles.The Fe and As contents in PyⅡare variable,and the LA-ICP-MS analysis shows erratic concentrations of Au(<1 to 177 ppm)and other trace elements(e.g.,Ag,Te,and Sb)in the porous inner zones,most likely related to discrete sub-microscopic sulfide inclusions.The outer massive zones have a rather homogenous composition,with consistently lower abundances of base metals and Au(mean 1.28 ppm).The early arsenopyrite(Apy I)forms fine-grained euhedral crystals enriched in Au(mean 17.7 ppm)and many other trace elements(i.e.,Ni,Co,Se,Ag,Sb,Te,Hg,and Bi).On the other hand,ApyⅡoccurs as coarsegrained subhedral crystals with lower and less variable concentrations of Au(mean 4 ppm).Elevated concentrations of Au(max.327 ppm)and other trace elements are measured in fragmented and aggregated pyrite and arsenopyrite grains,whereas the undeformed intact zones of the same grains are poor in all trace elements.The occurrence of gold/electrum as secondary inclusions in deformed pyrite and arsenopyrite crystals indicates that gold introduction was relatively late in the paragenesis.The LAICP-MS results are consistent with gold redistribution by the N-S though-going faults/dikes overprinted the earlier NNW-SSE quartz veins in the southeastern part of the intrusion,where the underground mining is concentrated.Formation of the Um Rus intrusion and gold-bearing quartz veins can be related to the evolution of the Wadi Mubarak shear belt,where the granitic intrusion formed during or just subsequent to D2 and provided dilatation spaces for gold-quartz vein deposition when deformed by D3 structures.  相似文献   

Revisiting the existence of an effective stress for wet granular soils with micromechanics          下载免费PDF全文

Jérôme Duriez  Richard Wan  Mehdi Pouragha  Félix Darve 《国际地质力学数值与分析法杂志》2018,42(8):959-978

A possible effective stress variable for wet granular materials is numerically investigated based on an adapted discrete element method (DEM) model for an ideal three‐phase system. The DEM simulations consider granular materials made of nearly monodisperse spherical particles, in the pendular regime with the pore fluid mixture consisting of distinct water menisci bridging particle pairs. The contact force‐related stress contribution to the total stresses is isolated and tested as the effective stress candidate for dense or loose systems. It is first recalled that this contact stress tensor is indeed an adequate effective stress that describes stress limit states of wet samples with the same Mohr‐Coulomb criterion associated with their dry counterparts. As for constitutive relationships, it is demonstrated that the contact stress tensor used in conjunction with dry constitutive relations does describe the strains of wet samples during an initial strain regime but not beyond. Outside this so‐called quasi‐static strain regime, whose extent is much greater for dense than loose materials, dramatic changes in the contact network prevent macroscale contact stress‐strain relationships to apply in the same manner to dry and unsaturated conditions. The presented numerical results also reveal unexpected constitutive bifurcations for the loose material, related to stick‐slip macrobehavior.  相似文献   

Equivalent continuum strain calculations based on 3D particle kinematic measurements of sand          下载免费PDF全文

Siavash Amirrahmat  Khalid A. Alshibli  Maha F. Jarrar  Boning Zhang  Richard A. Regueiro 《国际地质力学数值与分析法杂志》2018,42(8):999-1015

Constitutive modeling of granular materials has been a subject of extensive research for many years. While the calculation of the Cauchy stress tensor using the discrete element method has been well established in the literature, the formulation and interpretation of the strain tensor are not as well documented. According to Bagi, 1 researchers mostly adopt well‐known continuum or discrete microstructural approaches to calculate strains within granular materials. However, neither of the 2 approaches can fully capture the behavior of granular materials. They are considered complementary to each other where each has its own strengths and limitations in solving granular‐mechanics problems. Zhang and Regueiro 2 proposed an equivalent continuum approach to calculating finite strain measures at the local level in granular materials subjected to large deformations. They used three‐dimensional discrete element method results to compare the proposed strains measures. This paper presents an experimental application of the Zhang and Regueiro 2 approach using three‐dimensional synchrotron microcomputed tomography images of a sheared Ottawa sand specimen. Invariant Eulerian finite strain measures were calculated for representative element volumes within the specimen. The spatial maps of Eulerian octahedral shear and volumetric strain were used to identify zones of intense shearing within the specimen and compared well with maps of incremental particle translation and rotation for the same specimen. The local Eulerian volumetric strain was compared to the global volumetric strains, which also can be considered as an averaging of all local Eulerian volumetric strains.  相似文献   

Experimental partitioning of trace elements into schreibersite with applications to IIG iron meteorites     

Nancy L. Chabot  Rachel H. Cueva  Andrew W. Beck  Richard D. Ash 《Meteoritics & planetary science》2020,55(4):726-743

Some of the defining characteristics of the IIG iron meteorite group are their high bulk P contents and massive, coarse schreibersite, which have been calculated to make up roughly 11–14 wt% of each specimen. In this study, we produced two data sets to investigate the formation of schreibersites in IIG irons: measurements of trace elements in the IIG iron meteorite Twannberg and experimental determinations of trace element partitioning into schreibersite. The schreibersite‐bearing experiments were conducted with schreibersite in equilibrium with a P‐rich melt and with bulk Ni contents ranging from 0 to 40 wt%. The partitioning behavior for the 20 elements measured in this study did not vary with Ni content. Comparison of the Twannberg measurements with the experimental results required a correction factor to account for the fact that the experiments were conducted in a simplified system that did not contain a solid metal phase. Previously determined solid metal/P‐rich melt partition coefficients were applied to infer schreibersite/solid metal partitioning behavior from the experiments, and once this correction was applied, the two data sets showed broad similarities between the schreibersite/solid metal distribution of elements. However, there were also differences noted, in particular between the Ni and P contents of the solid metal relative to the schreibersite inferred from the experiments compared to that measured in the Twannberg sample. These differences support previous interpretations that subsolidus schreibersite evolution has strongly influenced the Ni and P content now present in the solid metal phase of IIG irons. Quantitative attempts to match the IIG solid metal composition to that of late‐stage IIAB irons through subsolidus schreibersite growth were not successful, but qualitatively, this study corroborates the striking similarities between the IIAB and IIG groups, which are highly suggestive of a possible genetic link between the groups as has been previously proposed.  相似文献   

Mesoscale and microscale shock effects in the LL6 S4 chondrites Saint‐Séverin and Elbert: A tale of two breccias     

Richard C. Hugo  Alex M. Ruzicka  Alan E. Rubin 《Meteoritics & planetary science》2020,55(6):1418-1438

Saint‐Séverin and Elbert, two LL6 chondrite breccias, were systematically studied to evaluate multiple deformation effects on spatial scales ranging from thin section (mesoscale) to micron‐submicron (microscale) using optical microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The different techniques provide consistent results but have complementary strengths, together providing a powerful approach to unravel even complex impact histories. Both meteorites have an S4 conventional shock stage, but interclast areas are more deformed, and clasts are more deformed in Elbert than in Saint‐Séverin. TEM and EBSD data provide compelling evidence that Saint‐Séverin experienced significant shock deformation while already hot, and cooled rapidly afterward, as a result of a major, possibly disruptive impact on the LL chondrite parent body ~4.4 Ga ago. In contrast, Elbert was shocked from a cold initial state but was heated significantly during shock, and cooled in a localized hot impact deposit on the LL asteroid. Both meteorites probably were shocked at least twice; data for Saint‐Séverin are best reconciled with a three‐impact model.  相似文献