Provenance controls on volcaniclastic beach sand: example from the Aeolian Archipelago, Mediterranean Sea

2021 ◽  
pp. SP520-2021-91
Author(s):  
Consuele Morrone ◽  
Emilia Le Pera ◽  
Kathleen M. Marsaglia ◽  
Rosanna De Rosa

AbstractSand and sandstone composition of volcanic origin may be clues to the provenance of the sediments and sedimentary rocks. Volcaniclastic provenance studies contribute significantly to unravel the sediment generation and provenance under investigation that in the Aeolian archipelago comprise preserved units of outcrops dominated by lava flows intercalated with air fall tephras as source rocks. The aim of this paper is the study of the petrographic composition and the textures of beach sands that may be used as a guide for the interpretation of provenance and origin of beach sand(stone)s rich in volcanic debris transported into deeper water. The composition of Aeolian beach deposits defines a single immature petrofacies with a high amount of unweathered glass and mafic minerals. Panarea island is dominated by dacites and new grain categories have been proposed to discriminate this provenance. Surface processes such as mechanical erosion (mass wasting and surface runoff) produce an overestimation of mafic components, with respect to the felsic ones in the beach sand fraction.Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5608950

2021 ◽  
pp. SP520-2020-222
Author(s):  
O. E. McLeod ◽  
A. Pittari

AbstractA newly discovered, large volume (3.3 km3) volcanic debris-avalanche is described from the Pirongia Volcano in North Island, New Zealand. Mapping, field surveys and drill core data were used to reconstruct the distribution and facies of the deposit (the Oparau breccia). The debris avalanche was channelised into a lowland graben structure resulting in a prolonged runout distance of ≥20 km and substantial thickness of >200 m in medial areas. The deposit contains block and matrix facies dominated by ankaramite basalt sampled from the oldest parts of the volcanic edifice. The age of deposition of the Oparau breccia is constrained to the period 2.2-1.75 Ma. The collapse source zone is marked by a prominent unconformity on the southwestern flank of the mountain. Movement on faults within the graben is identified as the most likely cause of sector collapse. The collapse scarp is infilled by 5 km3 of post-collapse volcanic material.Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5505549


2019 ◽  
Vol 177 (5) ◽  
pp. 1057-1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. Holdsworth ◽  
R. Trice ◽  
K. Hardman ◽  
K. J. W. McCaffrey ◽  
A. Morton ◽  
...  

Hosting up to 3.3 billion barrels of oil in place, the upfaulted Precambrian crystalline rocks of the Lancaster field, offshore west of Shetland, give key insights into how fractured hydrocarbon reservoirs can form in such old rocks. The Neoarchean (c. 2700–2740 Ma) charnockitic basement is cut by deeply penetrating oil-, mineral- and sediment-filled fissure systems seen in geophysical and production logs and thin sections of core. Mineral textures and fluid inclusion geothermometry suggest that a low-temperature (<200°C) near-surface hydrothermal system is associated with these fissures. The fills help to permanently prop open fissures in the basement, permitting the ingress of hydrocarbons into extensive well-connected oil-saturated fracture networks. U–Pb dating of calcite mineral fills constrains the onset of mineralization and contemporaneous oil charge to the mid-Cretaceous and later from Jurassic source rocks flanking the upfaulted ridge. Late Cretaceous subsidence and deposition of mudstones sealed the ridge, and was followed by buoyancy-driven migration of oil into the pre-existing propped fracture systems. These new observations provide an explanation for the preservation of intra-reservoir fractures (‘joints’) with effective apertures of 2 m or more, thereby highlighting a new mechanism for generating and preserving fracture permeability in sub-unconformity fractured basement reservoirs worldwide.Supplementary material: Analytical methods and isotopic compositions and ages are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4763237Thematic Collection: This article is part of the Geology of Fractured Reservoirs collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/the-geology-of-fractured-reservoirs


2021 ◽  
pp. SP520-2021-144
Author(s):  
Marie-Noëlle Guilbaud ◽  
Corentin Chédeville ◽  
Ángel Nahir Molina-Guadarrama ◽  
Julio Cesar Pineda-Serrano ◽  
Claus Siebe

AbstractThe eruption of the ∼10 km3 rhyolitic Las Derrumbadas twin domes about 2000 yrs ago has generated a wide range of volcano-sedimentary deposits in the Serdán-Oriental lacustrine basin, Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Some of these deposits have been quarried, creating excellent exposures. In this paper we describe the domes and related products and interpret their mode of formation, reconstructing the main phases of the eruption as well as syn-and-post eruptive erosional processes. After an initial phreatomagmatic phase that built a tuff ring, the domes grew as an upheaved plug lifting a thick sedimentary pile from the basin floor. During uplift, the domes collapsed repeatedly to form a first-generation of hetero-lithologic hummocky debris avalanche deposits. Subsequent dome growth produced a thick talus and pyroclastic density currents. Later, the hydrothermally-altered over-steepened dome peaks fell to generate 2nd generation, mono-lithologic avalanches. Subsequently, small domes grew in the collapse scars. From the end of the main eruptive episode onwards, heavy rains remobilized parts of the dome carapaces and talus, depositing lahar aprons. Las Derrumbadas domes are still an important source of sediments in the basin, and ongoing mass-wasting processes are associated with hazards that should be assessed, given their potential impact on nearby populations.Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5752296


2021 ◽  
pp. jgs2021-035
Author(s):  
Wanchese M. Saktura ◽  
Solomon Buckman ◽  
Allen P. Nutman ◽  
Renjie Zhou

The Jurassic–Cretaceous Tsoltak Formation from the eastern borderlands of Ladakh Himalaya consists of conglomerates, sandstones and shales, and is intruded by norite sills. It is the oldest sequence of continent-derived sedimentary rocks within the Shyok Suture. It also represents a rare outcrop of the basement rocks to the voluminous Late Cretaceous–Eocene Ladakh Batholith. The Shyok Formation is a younger sequence of volcaniclastic rocks that overlie the Tsoltak Formation and record the Late Cretaceous closure of the Mesotethys Ocean. The petrogenesis of these formations, ophiolite-related harzburgites and norite sill is investigated through petrography, whole-rock geochemistry and U–Pb zircon geochronology. The youngest detrital zircon grains from the Tsoltak Formation indicate Early Cretaceous maximum depositional age and distinctly Gondwanan, Lhasa microcontinent-related provenance with no Eurasian input. The Shyok Formation has Late Cretaceous maximum depositional age and displays a distinct change in provenance to igneous detritus characteristic of the Jurassic–Cretaceous magmatic arc along the southern margin of Eurasia. This is interpreted as a sign of collision of the Lhasa microcontinent and the Shyok ophiolite with Eurasia along the once continuous Shyok–Bangong Suture. The accreted terranes became the new southernmost margin of Eurasia and the basement to the Trans-Himalayan Batholith associated with the India-Eurasia convergence.Supplementary material:https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5633162


2021 ◽  
pp. geochem2021-074
Author(s):  
Godson Godfray

Successful gold exploration projects depend on a piece of clear information on the association between gold, trace elements, and mineralization controlling factors. The use of soil geochemistry has been an important tool in pinpointing exploration targets during the early stage of exploration. This study aimed to establish the gold distribution, the elemental association between gold and its pathfinder elements such as Cu, Zn, Ag, Ni, Co, Mn, Fe, Cd, V, Cr, Ti, Sc, In, and Se and identify lithologies contributing to the overlying residual soils. From cluster analysis, a high similarity level of 53.93% has been shown with Ag, Cd, and Se at a distance level of 0.92. Au and Se have a similarity level of 65.87% and a distance level of 0.68, hence is proposed to be the most promising pathfinder element. PCA, FA, and the Pearson's correlation matrix of transformed data of V, Cu, Ni, Fe, Mn, Cr, and Co and a stronger correlation between Pb and U, Th, Na, K, Sn, Y, Ta and Be shows that source gold mineralization might be associated with both hornblende gneisses interlayered with quartzite, tonalite, and tonalitic orthogneiss. From the contour map and gridded map of Au and its pathfinder elements, it has been noted that their anomalies and target generated are localized in the Northern part of the area. The targets trend ESE to WNW nearly parallel to the shear zones as a controlling factor of Au mineralization emplacement.Supplementary material:https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5721965


2021 ◽  
pp. SP521-2021-141
Author(s):  
Chang-Fu Zhou ◽  
Xinyue Wang ◽  
Jiahao Wang

AbstractCtenochasmatid pterosaurs flourished and diversified in the Early Cretaceous Jehol Biota. Here, a partial mandible of Forfexopterus is described based on a three-dimensional reconstruction using high-resolution X-ray Computed Tomography (CT) data. The first nine pairs of functional teeth of the rostral dentition revealed along with their replacements. The functional teeth are evenly arranged with a tooth density of 2.2 teeth/cm. The tooth crown is distinctly reduced from its base to the tip, and framed by two weak ridges, possibly as a pair of vestigial carinae. The replacement teeth are sharp and pointed, and have erupted slightly against the medial surface of the functional teeth. Surprisingly, tooth wear is observed in this specimen, the first record of tooth-tooth occlusion in ctenochasmatids. The wear facets exhibit high-angled lingual and lower-angled labial facets, implying a tooth-tooth occlusion in pterosaur clade. This discovery indicates that the Jehol ctenochasmatids possibly employed a more active feeding strategy than other filter-feeding pterosaurs (e.g. Ctenochasma, Pterodaustro, Gnathosaurus).Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5722060


2021 ◽  
pp. jgs2021-109
Author(s):  
Igor V. Kemkin ◽  
Andrei V. Grebennikov ◽  
Xing-Hua Ma ◽  
Ke-Ke Sun

We present new U–Pb age data for granitoids in the Central Sikhote–Alin orogenic belt in SE Russia, which refute the established opinion about the absence of the Late Cretaceous magmatism at the eastern margin of the Paleo-Asian continent. It was previously thought that a period of magmatic quiescence occurred from 88 to 50 Ma, related to subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate under the eastern margin of the Paleo-Asian continent, although this is inconsistent with evidence from the Sikhote–Alin, Sakhalin, and Japan regions. Three suites of plutonic rocks with different ages were identified in this study. The first suite has ages of 105–92 Ma and formed in a syn-orogenic setting. The second (86–83 Ma) and third (ca. 73 Ma) suites formed during the post-orogenic stage of the Sikhote–Alin orogenic belt. The second and third suites were coeval with Late Cretaceous granitoids that formed in a suprasubduction continental arc known as the Eastern Sikhote–Alin volcanic–plutonic belt (ESAVPB). However, the studied rocks are located far inland from the ESAVPB. The ages of the studied granitoids coincide with the timing of a change in the angle of convergence between the Paleo-Pacific Plate and eastern margin of the Paleo-Asian continent. This change in motion of the oceanic plate with respect to the continental plate was probably caused by a rupture in the subducted slab (i.e., a slab tear), followed by asthenospheric upwelling and partial melting of the overlying crust, which ultimately generated post-orogenic intrusive magmatism.Supplementary material:https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5738616


2021 ◽  
pp. jgs2021-027
Author(s):  
Valeria Boyko ◽  
Jürgen Pätzold ◽  
Alexey Kamyshny

High fluxes of iron minerals associated with aeolian dry deposition may result in anomalously high reactive iron content and fast reoxidation of hydrogen sulphide in the sediments that prevents pyrite formation and results in “cryptic” sulphur cycle. In this work, we studied cycling of iron and sulphur in the deep-water (> 800 m water depth) sediments of the Red Sea and its northern extension, Gulf of Aqaba. We found that reactive iron content in the surface sediments of the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea is high, while the content of sulphur-bound iron is very low and decreases with water depth. The presence of pyrite traces and zero-valent sulfur as well as isotopic compositions of sulphate and pyrite, which are consistent with sulphate reduction under substrate-limiting conditions, suggest that cryptic sulfur cycling is likely to be a result of fast reoxidation of hydrogen sulfide rather than microbial sulfate reduction suppression. In the sediments of Shaban Deep, which are overlain with hyper-saline hydrothermal brine, low reactive iron and high organic carbon contents result in a non-cryptic sulphur cycle characterized by preservation of pyrite in the sediments.Thematic collection: This article is part of the Sulfur in the Earth system collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/cc/sulfur-in-the-earth-systemSupplementary material:https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5508155


2021 ◽  
pp. SP523-2021-76
Author(s):  
Robert W. Dalrymple

AbstractThis study reviews the morphology, hydrodynamics and sedimentology of 33 modern straits, including examples from diverse tectonic and climatic settings. Strait morphology ranges from short, simple straits to long, tortuous passages many 100s of kilometers long; depths range from 10 m to >1 km. The morphological building block of strait sedimentation is a constriction flanked by open basins; a single strait can contain one or several of these. Currents accelerate through the constrictions and decelerate in the basins, leading to a spatial alternation of high- and low-energy conditions. Currents in a strait can be classified as either ‘persistent’ (oceanic currents or density-driven circulation) or ‘intermittent’ (tidally or meteorologically generated currents). Constrictions tend to be bedload partings, with the development of transport paths that diverge outward. Deposition occurs where the flow decelerates, generating paired subaqueous ‘constriction-related deltas’ that can be of unequal size. Cross-bedding predominates in high-energy settings; muddy sediment waves and contourite drifts are present in some straits. In shallow straits that were exposed during the sea-level lowstand, strait deposits typically occur near or at the maximum flooding surface, and can overlie estuarine and fluvial deposits. The most energetic deposits need not occur at the time of maximum inundation.Supplementary material at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5746061


2021 ◽  
pp. geochem2021-051
Author(s):  
Sarah Hashmi ◽  
Matthew I. Leybourne ◽  
Stewart Hamilton ◽  
Daniel Layton-Matthews ◽  
M. Beth McClenaghan

A geochemical study over the southwestern part of the South Range of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) was completed to assess the suitability of surficial media (humus, B-horizon soil and C-horizon soil) for delineating geochemical anomalies associated with Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization. Another objective was to test whether Na pyrophosphate can eliminate the effects of anthropogenic contamination in humus. Results of this study suggest that the natural geochemical signature of humus is strongly overprinted by anthropogenic contamination. Despite no indication of underlying or nearby mineralization, metal concentrations in humus samples by aqua regia collected downwind from smelting operations are higher compared to background, including up to 13 times higher for Pt, 12 times higher for Cu and 9 times higher for Ni. The high anthropogenic background masks the geogenic signal such that it is only apparent in humus samples collected in the vicinity of known Ni-Cu-PGE deposits. Results of this study also demonstrate that anthropogenically-derived atmospheric fallout also influences the upper B-horizon soil; however, lower B-horizon soil (at > 20 cm depth) and C-horizon soil (both developed in till) are not affected. Glacial dispersal from Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization is apparent in C-horizon till samples analyzed in this study. Compared to the background concentrations, the unaffected C-horizon till samples collected immediately down-ice of the low-sulfide, high precious metal (LSHPM) Vermilion Cu-Ni-PGE deposit are enriched over 20 times in Pt (203 ppb), Au (81 ppm) and Cu (963 ppm), and over 30 times in Ni (1283 ppm).Supplementary material:https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5691080


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