Paleoredox conditions, hydrothermal history, and target vectoring in the Macmillan Pass base-metal district, Yukon, Canada: 2 – Pyrite paragenesis and mineral chemistry

ABSTRACT The MacMillan Pass district in Yukon, Canada, hosts the Tom and Jason clastic sediment-hosted Zn-Pb-Ag-(Ba) deposits. Pyrite-bearing drill core samples were collected from seven drill holes that intersected sulfide mineralization and time-stratigraphically equivalent rocks at varied spatial distances extending up to 3 km away from the deposits to assess the relative timing of pyrite mineralization and the chemistry of pyrite paragenesis. There are four pyrite morphologies: framboids and polyframboids (Py1), subhedral to euhedral inclusion-free crystals (Py2a), silicate inclusion-bearing nodules with serrated edges (Py2b), and euhedral idiomorphic overgrowths on preexisting pyrite morphologies (Py3). These morphological varieties correspond in time from syngenetic to earliest diagenetic growth (Py1), early to late diagenetic growth (Py2a, Py2b), and metamorphic crystallization and/or recrystallization of previous textural varieties (Py3). A representative subset of pyrite grains was analyzed for trace element contents and distributions by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Analyses by LA-ICP-MS reveal that each textural variety of pyrite has a distinct trace element composition that also varies depending on stratigraphic unit. A suite of clastic sediment-hosted sulfide mineralization-related elements was incorporated into Py2 within sulfide mineralized units at greater abundances than that in unmineralized units (e.g., Zn, As, Pb, Tl, Bi). Lead abundances and Pb/Se and As/Mo values in pyrite are the most robust vectoring tools documented. The timing for clastic sediment-hosted Zn-Pb mineralization was syn and/or post late diagenesis (Py2b). A Ba-enriched horizon was identified in rocks and this is interpreted to be the distal time-stratigraphic equivalent unit to Zn-Pb mineralization. The Ba-enriched horizon contains Py2 with anomalous metal (Tl, Co, Mn, Cd, Zn, Sb) contents and abundant macroscopic baryte, and it is interpreted to represent the distal expression of sulfide mineralization-forming hydrothermal activity. Four genetic models for mineralization are reviewed; however, the only model that is consistent with our whole rock and pyrite geochemistry involves venting of buoyant hydrothermal fluid, mixing with ambient seawater, and remaining or sinking into unconsolidated sediments, with lateral migration up to 2–3 km from the vent source.

Exploring the relationship between organic deposition resulting from marshes and autogenic scales in deltaic stratigraphy

<p>Many deltas contain extensive marshes, typically defined as laterally extensive, low energy settings tied to a narrow elevation window around sea level. Biological activity in marshes results in in-situ organic sediment accumulation that has the potential to be stored in the sedimentary record. However, it is unclear how marshes interact with channels that transport the clastic sediment and typically control autogenic stratigraphic architecture. We present results from a physical experiment designed to explore the coupled evolution of marshes and deltas over geologic timescales. In the experiment, deltaic channels self-organized due to constant input rates of water and clastic sediment that experience constant long-term accommodation production through sea-level rise. A low bulk density kaolinite clay was deposited on the delta-top following rules developed by the ecology community for in-situ organic production. The kaolinite clay serves as a proxy for the in-situ organic sediments in overbank regions. As such, the autogenic processes of the clastic transport system, which influence elevation relative to sea-level, also exert a control on the scales of preserved organic-rich strata. We quantify the fraction of the organic sediment proxy in the fluvio-deltaic deposit to define a transfer function between the accumulation of organic sediment and its preservation beneath the morphodynamically active layer. We also use synthetic stratigraphy and images of the preserved strata to characterize the spatial arrangements of organic strata, and the influence of marshes on the resulting arrangement of channel bodies. Initial findings suggest that the thickest seams are located near the mean shoreline but extend significant distances from this location due to autogenic shoreline transgressions and regressions. Quantifying these trends will inform our understanding of how in-situ organic sediment accumulation influences clastic transport systems and the structure of deltaic stratigraphy.</p>

Depositional signatures of historical flood and human landscape disturbances in lakes of the northeastern U.S.

<p>Sedimentary archives in lakes and ponds are widely used to reconstruct past climatic and environmental conditions, as well as to quantify the environmental impacts of human activity. In this study, we summarize the characteristics of sedimentary deposits associated with different types of disturbances including floods, landslides, timber harvest, and conversion of forested land to agricultural use. We evaluated sediment cores from a network of lakes across the northeastern U.S. The watersheds span a range of topographic and surficial geologic characteristics, and have land-use histories with differing types, timing, intensity, and duration of anthropogenic disturbance. Cores were analyzed to identify distinct event deposits and changes in clastic sediment input indicative of landscape disturbances. While most records span the past millennium, we focus specifically on the period of record that overlaps with historical and instrumental records of events that can be linked to specific sedimentary deposits. Neither hydroclimatic nor human land-use signals are ubiquitous across all watersheds. The identification of distinct flood deposits was limited to higher relief, mountainous watersheds with abundant glacial-age sediment. Distal flood deposits are typically thin (mm to cm scale) and characterized by sharp contacts between dominant gyttja and fine-grained clastic flood layers. Hydrologic disturbances associated with landslide activation (such as occurred during tropical storm Irene in 2011) result in similarly sharp basal contacts between gyttja and clastic sediment. However, these deposits are commonly thicker (10s of cm) and characterized by compositional grading from more clastic to more organic rich sediment, and have complex patterns of textural variability. These signatures reflect a multi-year duration of elevated sediment delivery as the landscape gradually stabilizes and vegetation returns. In contrast, human land cover alteration typically manifests in sediments as a gradual and often prolonged increase in clastic content. Thick (up to 10s of cm), often sandy, texturally graded clastic deposits are distinct from those formed by both hydrologic and human disturbances, and interpreted as a consequence of subaqueous mass movements.</p>

Alternatives to zircon in sedimentary provenance analysis: A case study in detrital garnet U-Pb and trace-element analysis

<p>Provenance analysis of clastic sediment is a powerful tool to track the evolution of hinterland tectonics and sediment routing systems, for which detrital U-Pb geochronology has proved a popular and rapidly-growing technique. However, >90% of published studies employ zircon (3,691/3,933 results for the keywords detrital geochronology; Clarivate Analytics Web of Science), a mineral which exhibits strong fertility bias towards felsic to intermediate igneous sources, and is rare in metamorphic settings in the absence of anatexis (e.g., Moecher & Samson, 2006). Thus, the development of complementary proxies is desirable. Garnet group minerals are particularly promising because garnet is dominantly formed in metamorphic settings and is a rock-forming mineral in several common metamorphic lithologies; it is thus typically abundant in clastic sediment sourced from orogenic terranes. Moreover, it can incorporate sufficient U to be dated in-situ by the U-Pb method (e.g., Millonig et al., 2020).</p><p>Here we focus on the Oligo-Miocene pro-foreland basin of the European Alps. Evolving from a distal marine to a fluvial-alluvial environment affected by at least one major marine incursion, the basin preserves a rich record of tectonic and climatic change in the hinterland. We report detrital garnet U-Pb and trace-element data acquired by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS), which we integrate with compositional data obtained by energy- and wavelength-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (Stutenbecker et al., 2019), and crystallographic data from Raman spectroscopy. We integrate these results with detrital apatite, rutile, and zircon U-Pb data, and discuss the implications for Alpine tectonics and drainage evolution, and future potential for detrital garnet U-Pb analysis.    </p><p>Millonig, L., et al., 2020. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 552, 116589, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2020.116589</p><p>Moecher, D., & Samson, S., 2006, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 247, 252–266, doi: 10.1016/j.epsl.2006.04.035</p><p>Stutenbecker, L., et al., 2019, Solid Earth 10, 1581–1595, doi: 10.5194/se-10-1581-2019</p>

Inter-decadal variation in clastic sediment yield from a forested mountain basin in relation to natural and anthropogenic disturbances

<p>The variability in fluvial yield of clastic sediment is a useful metric of the upstream basin's geomorphic response to natural and anthropogenic landscape disturbances. It reflects an integrated signal of sediment mobilization and connectivity, that is the efficiency with which the mobilized material is evacuated by the sediment routing system. Average clastic sediment yield has also been used as a measure of mechanical denudation rates, although material storage along the routing system necessitates caution in such inferences.</p><p>Insight into the geomorphic responses to disturbances, provided by sediment yield analysis, is crucial for the understanding and management of river ecosystems. In the context of ongoing environmental change, intermediate-term system responses (spanning decades-to-centuries) to shifting disturbance regimes are of particular interest. Because of non-stationary conditions and high variability in fluvial sediment transport, knowledge developed based on short-term records of instrumented measurements is not readily transferrable to such longer time-scales. As a result, there is a need for more research focused on multi-decadal sediment yield patterns. </p><p>This research addresses such a research need, by estimating clastic sediment yield from a forested mountain basin in NE Washington (USA) during a period of 107 years. To this end, we use historical aerial imagery and track, at the decadal resolution, sedimentation associated with delta growth following the construction of a dam. We interpret these data in the context of available records of streamflow and timber harvest operations, which constitute primary natural and anthropogenic disturbances. </p><p>Preliminary results suggest relatively low sediment yield from the study basin, almost an order of magnitude lower than those reported from the coastal Pacific Northwest. We interpret inter-decadal variation in sediment yield estimates as indicative of interactive effects of flow forcing and land cover disturbance magnitude. We also believe that, because of variations of connectivity within the routing system, the sensitivity of sediment yield to disturbance at this time-scale is modulated by the location within the basin relative to its outlet.</p>

Perkembangan Fasies Sedimen Formasi Mamberamo Berumur Miosen Akhir-Pliosen di Cekungan Papua Utara

North Papua Basin is a fore arc basin located in northern coastal of Papua Island. This basin filled by Middle-Upper Miocene turbidite sediment and overlied by Upper Miocene – Quarternary clastic sediment. Upper Miocene – Quaternary clastic sediments (Mamberamo Formation) composed by interbedding conglomerate, sandstone and shale as molasses deposit. A detailed stratigraphic study was performed to identify facies and its association of the Mamberamo Formation to that give a new perspective on the characteristics and development of facies succession of Lower Mamberamo Formation. Result shows that the Lower Mamberamo Formation consists of three facies: A) cross bedding sandstone (subtidal), B) heterolothic silty shale (intra-tidal), C) carbonaceous shale (supra-tidal) deposited on Late Miocen to Plio-Pleistocene during centra range orogeny (syn-orogeny) as molasses deposits.Keywords: Fore arc basin, North Papua Basin, Mamberamo Formation, molasse deposits.

Perkembangan Fasies Sedimen Formasi Mamberamo Berumur Miosen Akhir-Pliosen di Cekungan Papua Utara

North Papua Basin is a fore arc basin located in northern coastal of Papua Island. This basin filled by Middle-Upper Miocene turbidite sediment and overlied by Upper Miocene – Quarternary clastic sediment. Upper Miocene – Quaternary clastic sediments (Mamberamo Formation) composed by interbedding conglomerate, sandstone and shale as molasses deposit. A detailed stratigraphic study was performed to identify facies and its association of the Mamberamo Formation to that give a new perspective on the characteristics and development of facies succession of Lower Mamberamo Formation. Result shows that the Lower Mamberamo Formation consists of three facies: A) cross bedding sandstone (subtidal), B) heterolothic silty shale (intra-tidal), C) carbonaceous shale (supra-tidal) deposited on Late Miocen to Plio-Pleistocene during centra range orogeny (syn-orogeny) as molasses deposits.Keywords: Fore arc basin, North Papua Basin, Mamberamo Formation, molasse deposits.

Perkembangan Fasies Sedimen Formasi Mamberamo Berumur Miosen Akhir-Pliosen di Cekungan Papua Utara

North Papua Basin is a fore arc basin located in northern coastal of Papua Island. This basin filled by Middle-Upper Miocene turbidite sediment and overlied by Upper Miocene – Quarternary clastic sediment. Upper Miocene – Quaternary clastic sediments (Mamberamo Formation) composed by interbedding conglomerate, sandstone and shale as molasses deposit. A detailed stratigraphic study was performed to identify facies and its association of the Mamberamo Formation to that give a new perspective on the characteristics and development of facies succession of Lower Mamberamo Formation. Result shows that the Lower Mamberamo Formation consists of three facies: A) cross bedding sandstone (subtidal), B) heterolothic silty shale (intra-tidal), C) carbonaceous shale (supra-tidal) deposited on Late Miocen to Plio-Pleistocene during centra range orogeny (syn-orogeny) as molasses deposits.Keywords: Fore arc basin, North Papua Basin, Mamberamo Formation, molasse deposits.