The enriched Variscan lithosphere of NE Iberia: data from postcollisional Permian calc-alkaline lamprophyre dykes of Les Guilleries

Post-collisional mafic dykes crosscut the Paleozoic metamorphic basement and late-Variscan plutons in Les Guilleries massif (Catalan Coastal Ranges, NE Iberia). The predominance of mafic phenocrysts, porphyritic texture, abundant amphibole, high MgO and volatile content, together with crustal-like trace-element patterns indicate that the dykes correspond to calc-alkaline lamprophyres, mainly spessartites. Their enrichment in LILE, HFSE and REE and initial Sr-Nd isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sri between 0.70851 and 0.71127, epsilon Ndi between -5.23 and -4.63) are consistent with an enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle source. U-Pb ages of matrix titanite crystals yield concordia ages of 262±7Ma, congruent with crosscutting relationships. Postmagmatic processes are evidenced by intense chloritization and albitization of the lamprophyres, together with systematic variations of Na2O vs SiO2, K2O, CaO, Ba, Rb, Cs, Pb, Sr, Tl, and Zn, and possibly the removal of F. The geochemical and geochronological data support an orogenic geochemical affinity, in accordance with the transitional tectonic regime between Variscan compression/transpression and post-collisional transtension/extension, related to the fragmentation of Pangea and thinning of the lithosphere. The lamprophyre dykes studied could represent the youngest pulse of Variscan orogenic magmatism and, therefore, mark its end in NE Iberia before the onset of the generalized Triassic extension.

Petrophysical and petrographic characteristics of Barail Sandstone of the Surma Basin, Bangladesh

The Barail sandstone in the Surma Basin is a medium- to coarse-grained pinkish-colored rock exposed near the northeastern margin of Bangladesh. In this study, we evaluated the reservoir quality of the Barail sandstone based on its petrophysical and petrographic characteristics. Petrophysical analyses of outcropped samples showed that sandstones are made up of 16.48% porosity and 132.48 mD permeability. Sandstone density ranges from 1.94 g/cm3 to 2.37 g/cm3, with a mean value of 2.12 g/cm3, shown as moderately compacted sandstone. Integrated data such as bulk density, porosity, permeability, Rock Quality Index (RQI), Normalized Porosity Index (NPI), Flow Zone Indicator (FZI), compressive strength, etc. with their relationships indicate that Barail sandstone owing characters to become a good petroleum reservoir. The rock samples consisted mainly of quartz with an insignificant amount of rock fragments and plagioclase feldspar and are categorized as sub-arkose to sub-litharenite. The rock samples also contains lithic (andesine, microcline, muscovite, biotite, etc.) of granitic and gneissic fabric and some volcanic product like aguite, albite, andesine, garnet, spinel and ulvo-spinel indicating the source of nearby orogeny. The euhedral to subhedral shape of the quartz grain in a porphyritic texture, moderately sorted with a smaller amount of clay minerals indicating the moderately mature rock type. The iron oxide border around the quartz grain also indicates that the Barail sandstone was deposited under dry climatic condition.

Sintering of sepiolite-rich by-products for the manufacture of lightweight aggregates: technological properties, thermal behavior and mineralogical changes

A sepiolite mining by-product (SEP) has been studied as major component for lightweight aggregate (LWA) manufacture. Pellet bursting during firing was avoided by the addition of 2.5 wt% of thermoplastic waste (P) and 2.5 wt% P + 2.5 wt% carbon fiber residue (FC) in powder form. The mixtures were pelletized and then sintered at 1225º˚C for 4 minutes in a rotary kiln. Highly porous white LWAs with good mechanical strength were produced. A mineralogical study revealed the formation of amorphous phase ( > 50%) and minor proportions of enstatite, protoenstatite and diopside. Quartz was the only inherited mineral, appearing in the form of isolated phenocrysts within a general porphyritic texture. The result of this study suggests the promising use of sepiolite (whether or not in residue form) for the manufacture of high quality LWAs.

Upper Cretaceous intrusives in the Coastal Cordillera near Valdivia: forearc magmatism related to the passage of a triple junction?

Upper Cretaceous intrusives of limited extent crop out in the Coastal Cordillera near of Valdivia (39º48’ S), 100 km west of the main topographic divide of the Andean Cordillera. Given that plutonic rocks of the same age crop out at the same latitudes in the high Andes the coastal intrusives emplaced in a forearc position in the upper plate of a subduction setting. They correspond to hypabyssal intrusives displaying mainly porphyritic texture and lithological variations with microtonalites (minor), porphyritic microgranodiorites (main) and microgranites. They intrude the Upper Paleozoic-Triassic accretionary complex of the Bahia Mansa Metamorphic Complex. These intrusives, that comprise the Chaihuín Pluton and minor stocks of porphyritic felsic rocks, have calc-alkaline affinities with metaluminous and peraluminous character. They are geochemically similar to the contemporaneous main arc-related plutonic rocks of the Gualletué Plutonic Group. The microgranitoids and dacitic rocks from Los Boldos, the low and Loncoche are peculiar because they show an apparently adakitic affinity in Sr/Y and LaN/YbN discriminant diagrams; nevertheless Sr contents of these rocks (

First Finding of the Orbicular Gabbroids in the Ukrainian Antarctic Station Area (Wilhelm Archipelago, West Antarctica)

A new occurrence of igneous rocks with an orbicular structure was discovered by the authors in West Antarctica. The place of finding is Hovgaard Island in the Wilhelm Archipelago located near the Graham Coast of the Antarctic Peninsula. Until now, not a single manifestation of these rare rocks was known in this region. Usually orbicular rocks are formed under the condition of local "coincidence" of many geological and petrogenetic factors. The study of the geological position, texture features and mineral composition of the orbicular rocks on Hovgaard Island was carried out in order to create their primary petrographic description. It was found that orbiculites are exposed in a small area, about 200 m2, in the field of amphibolized gabbroids and their intrusive breccias. The occurrence and textures of the orbiculites indicate that their crystallization occurred at the hypabyssal depth. Probably, this occurrence is a marginal facies of a small gabbroid intrusion, some parts of which are exposed on the adjacent coastal areas of Hovgaard Island. The studies performed have shown that the orbiculites of Hovgaard Island belong to the rarest petrographic representatives of these rocks namely orbicular gabbroids. In their petrographic feature, they differ markedly from the famous French napoleonites (corsites) exposed on the Corsica Island. The mineral composition of the orbicules is represented by calcium plagioclase (An88-97), hornblende (#Mg = 0.77-0.81), clinopyroxene (Wo48-50En43-47Fs5-8), spinel (Sp62-72Hrc14-20Mt12-17), actinolite, phlogopite, chlorite, magnetite and apatite. The interorbicular matrix has a gabbroid composition and a porphyritic texture. It differs from orbicules in somewhat less calcium plagioclase and less magnesian hornblende, as well as in the absence of spinel. In view of the rarity of orbicular gabbroids and the specificity of the described manifestation, it is proposed that the orbicular gabbro on Hovgaard Island be considered as a new petrographic variety of the gabbroid family. The name "hovgaardite" is recommended for the name of this variety of orbicular gabbro.

Macrochondrules in Some Chondrites: 1. Structural-Mineralogical Characteristics

The results of structural, mineralogical and chemical study of rare structural units of chondrites, macrochondrules and their fragments, found in five chondrites of different chemical groups and petrological types (Allende CV3, Krymka LL3.1, Saratov L4, "Velyka Balka" L4-5, Château-Renard L6), are given. Most of them are generally similar to ordinary chondrules and previously studied macrochondrules. They have a radial and porphyritic texture, consist of olivine and pyroxene, and are covered by a silicate rim, which is fine-grained in the macrochondrules of unequilibrated chondrites and coarse-grained in equilibrated ones. Only two macrochondrules among studied one’s are extraordinary and indicate specific conditions for their formation in the protoplanetary nebula. The first one, separated directly from the Allende chondrite, is characterized by the presence of a thin amorphous shell with a porous structure and with unambiguous sculpture features of instantaneous melting and solidification of its surface silicate layer. The second one, studied in a polished section of the Krymka meteorite, is characterized by a zonal structure and the presence of graphite grains and possibly bitumen inclusions. According to the SiO2/MgO ratio, its fine-grained silicate rim with rare graphite crystals and possibly bitumen inclusions corresponds to the fine-grained rims of ordinary chondrules, but is different from the carbonaceous material of meteorites.

Petrology of granitic rocks in Dan Chang District, Suphan Buri Province, Thailand

<p>Granitic rocks in Thailand and South East Asia have been divided into Eastern belt granite, Central belt granite, and Western belt granite.The Central belt granite widely expose in Thailand including Dan Chang area. According to the field investigation, there are two granitic bodies in Dan Chang area. The main granitic body is composed of mainly K-feldspar, plagioclase, quartz, and biotite with some accessory minerals of opaque mineral and zircon. The granitic rocks are obviously characterized by porphyritic texture of coarse-grain K-feldspar.Another granitic body is small body which is similar mineral assemblage to those granite in the main body with different proportion of K-feldspar. The amount of K-feldspar in the small body granite is less than the main body granite. However, both granitic bodies are generally characterized by porphyritic texture of K-feldspar. Moreover, aplite and pegmatite are associated with both of them. The results of field investigation and petrographic study of the granitic rocks in Dan Chang District, Suphan Buri Province, Thailand can be compared with the Central belt granite which may be resulted from the Sibumasu and Indochina collision in Late Triassic.</p>

Lithostratigraphy of the Palaeoproterozoic Verena Granite

The Verena Granite forms part of the Palaeoproterozoic Lebowa Granite Suite of the Bushveld Complex and was named after the village of Verena in the Mpumalanga Province of South Africa. It occurs over an area of ~600 km2 and is intrusive into the Rooiberg Group, the Rashoop Granophyre Suite and the Klipkloof Granite. It is in turn intruded by the Makhutso Granite, the youngest known granite of the Lebowa Granite Suite. The Verena Granite is characterised by its coarse to very coarse-grained nature, its pinkish to reddish colours and its porphyritic texture defined by the presence of large perthitic K-feldspar phenocrysts within a finer grained groundmass of plagioclase (An8-15) and quartz. Geochemically it can be classified as an A-type granite that straddles the boundary between metaluminous and peraluminous compositions. The granite is enriched in REEs relative to chondrite and shows strong fractionation of the LREEs, a distinct negative Eu anomaly and little fractionation of the HREEs. U-Pb dating presented here places the age of the Verena Granite at 2052 ± 9 Ma, which is the same as that of the published 2054 ± 2 Ma age of the Nebo Granite. Currently no consensus exists regarding the petrogenesis of the Verena Granite. Doubts have been cast on a genetic link between the Verena Granite and the remainder of the Nebo Granite. A genetic link between the Klipkloof Granite and the Verena Granite appears likely, with the former possibly representing the rapidly chilled roof of the magmas that crystallised to form the latter. Lu-Hf isotope data on zircons are consistent with that from other units of the Lebowa Granite Suite. It also supports the unconventional model involving a common enriched mantle origin for all mafic and felsic units of the Bushveld Complex, with minimal input from older crust.

Miocene adakites in south Tibet: Partial melting of the thickened Lhasa juvenile mafic lower crust with the involvement of ancient Indian continental crust compositions

Although postcollisional adakitic rocks are widely distributed in the southern Lhasa subterrane, their petrogenesis remains controversial. Complex petrogenesis models, mainly including partial melting of subducted oceanic crust, partial melting of the Indian lower continental crust, and magma mixing, are pivotal in reconstruction of the postcollisional dynamic processes in south Tibet. In order to constrain the geodynamic processes, we present systemic geochronological and geochemical data for newly discovered adakitic dikes in the Xigaze area, southern Lhasa subterrane. Based on the K2O and Na2O contents, the Xigaze dikes can be divided into K-rich and Na-rich dikes. Zircon U-Pb dating for the Xigaze K- and Na-rich dikes yielded ages of ca. 10.31 Ma and 14.78–12.75 Ma, respectively. The K-rich dikes show porphyritic texture and are characterized by high SiO2 (68.91–69.59 wt%) and K2O (5.53–5.68 wt%) contents and low Na2O/K2O (0.48–0.60) ratios, with Al2O3/(CaO + Na2O + K2O) (=A/CNK) ratios of 1.07–1.23. They have lower MgO (0.63–0.64 wt%), Mg# (37–39), and Cr (18.56–26.62 ppm) and Ni (4.37–4.62) contents. In addition, the K-rich dikes display enriched ([La/Yb]N = 65–68) light rare earth elements (LREEs), low concentrations of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs) and Y (e.g., Yb = 0.83–0.86 ppm; Y = 10.56–11.55 ppm), and high Sr (841–923 ppm), with high Sr/Y (74–84) ratios, indicating geochemical characteristics of typical adakitic rocks. Compared with the K-rich dikes, the Na-rich dikes also display porphyritic texture, but they have lower SiO2 (59.14–64.87 wt%) and K2O (1.98–3.25 wt%) contents, and higher Na2O (4.43–5.64 wt%) and MgO (1.40–3.08 wt%) contents, Mg# (46–59), and Cr (22.62–82.93 ppm) and Ni (8.91–39.76 ppm) contents. The HREE abundances (e.g., Yb = 0.36–0.81 ppm; Y = 5.30–10.56 ppm) of the Na-rich dikes are generally lower than the K-rich dikes. These Na-rich dikes are also characterized by adakitic geochemical features with high Sr/Y (60–223) but low (La/Yb)N (15–40) ratios. Both the K-rich and Na-rich dikes display distinct whole-rock-element geochemistry and Sr-Nd isotopic composition, with (87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.7121, εNd(t) = –8.62 to –8.11 and (87Sr/86Sr)i = 0.7054–0.7086, εNd(t) = –7.55 to –1.23 for K-rich and Na-rich dikes, respectively, which indicate different magma sources for the two types of dikes. The K-rich dikes were most likely derived from partial melts of Lhasa juvenile mafic lower crust with significant involvement of Indian continental crust compositions, whereas the Na-rich dikes were generated in the same way with less input of Indian continental crust compositions. Moreover, the postcollisional adakites in the southern Lhasa subterrane display distinctive spatial variations in geochemistry along the strike of this subterrane, indicating that the magma sources were heterogeneous. In combination with previously published data, we therefore suggest that all these late Oligocene to Miocene adakitic rocks were most likely generated dominantly by partial melting of the Lhasa mafic lower crust with involvement of Indian continental crust components, which was probably triggered by the tearing of the subducting Indian plate.