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Geochemical Signatures (geochemical + signature)
Selected AbstractsGeochemical Signatures of Early Paleogene Source Rocks in the Sanshui Basin, South ChinaACTA GEOLOGICA SINICA (ENGLISH EDITION), Issue 1 2010Chunlian LIU Abstract: The Honggang member of the early Paleogene Buxin Formation is the main source rock in the Sanshui Basin, characterized by organic-rich black shales with the cyclic recurrence of organic-poor sediments. The geochemical characteristics of the Honggang member have been documented to determine the organic matter types and depositional environments in this paper. The organic matter of the black shales mainly consists of a mixture of land plant-derived and phytoplankton-derived organic matter. Total organic carbon content (TOC)-sulfur-iron (Fe) relationships suggest that the organic-rich black shales were deposited under dysoxic-to-euxinic water conditions. The time that iron minerals remained in contact with H2S in anoxic waters possibly influenced the formation of syngenetic pyrite, and organic carbon controlled the formation of diagenetic pyrite. Organic-poor intervals usually show pyrite sulfur enrichment and higher degree of pyritization values relative to low organic carbon contents. This resulted from HS, diffusing downward from overlying organic-rich sediments and formed Fe sulfides through reactions with sufficient Fe. Trace elements generally exhibit low concentrations and little TOC dependence, suggesting some degree of depletion in these elements in the early Paleogene sediments of the Sanshui Basin. This probably resulted from cyclic recurrences of oxic benthic conditions, which promoted the remobilization of trace elements and caused the low concentration of trace elements. [source] Influence of Potsdam sandstone on the trace element signatures of some 19th-century American and Canadian glass: Redwood, Redford, Mallorytown, and Como,HudsonGEOARCHAEOLOGY: AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL, Issue 5 2008J. Victor Owen Potsdam sandstone from quarries and outcrops near 19th-century glassworks sites in Redwood, NY, and Saranac, NY, Mallorytown, ON, and Como and Hudson, QC, commonly contains _97% silica, so in terms of its purity can compete with other historical producers of silica sand (e.g., Cheshire quartzite, MA; southern New Jersey sand). Exploratory analysis of trace element data using multidimensional scaling (MDS) shows that geographically distinct sources of Potsdam sandstone can be distinguished from one another and from competing sources of silica sand, particularly in terms of high field strength elements (e.g., Nb, Y, Ti, Zr), the rare earth elements, and radioactive elements (U, Th), and this geochemical signature is carried through to the glass it was used to manufacture. Other trace elements (e.g., Ba, Sr, Rb) are concentrated in various batch ingredients (e.g., limestone, alkali fluxes). The Hf/Nb, La/Ce, Nb/Th, and La/Zr ratios for each type of glass and nearby Potsdam sandstone sources cluster together in distinct fields on MDS plots. These data confirm the use of Potsdam sandstone in these important historical glassworks, and show that except for material sampled from neighboring communities (Mallorytown and Redwood), trace elements can be used to identify specific sources of silica historically used by the glassmaking industry. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [source] Distribution, sediment magnetism and geochemistry of the Saksunarvatn (10 180 ± 60 cal. yr BP) tephra in marine, lake, and terrestrial sediments, northwest IcelandJOURNAL OF QUATERNARY SCIENCE, Issue 8 2002Prof. John T. Andrews Abstract In 1997, seismic surveys in the troughs off northwest and north Iceland indicated the presence of a major, regional sub-bottom reflector that can be traced over large areas of the shelf. Cores taken in 1997, and later in 1999 on the IMAGES V cruise, penetrated through the reflector. In core MD99-2269 in Húnaflóaáll, this reflector is shown to be represented by a basaltic tephra with a geochemical signature and radiocarbon age correlative with the North Atlantic-wide Saksunarvatn tephra. We trace this tephra throughout northwest Iceland in a series of marine and lake cores, as well as in terrestrial sediments; it forms a layer 1 to 25 cm thick of fine- to medium-grained basaltic volcanic shards. The base of the tephra unit is always sharp but visual inspection and other measurements (carbonate and total organic carbon weight %) indicate a more diffuse upper boundary associated with bioturbation and with sediment reworking. Off northwest Iceland the Saksunarvatn tephra has distinct sediment magnetic properties. This is evident as a dramatic reduction in magnetic susceptibility, an increase in the frequency dependant magnetic susceptibility and ,hard' magnetisation in a ,0.1T IRM backfield. Geochemical analyses from 11 sites indicate a tholeiitic basalt composition, similar to the geochemistry of a tephra found in the Greenland ice-core that dates to 10 180 ± 60 cal. yr BP, and which was correlated with the 9000 14C yr BP Saksunarvatn tephra. We present accelerator mass spectrometry 14C dates from the marine sites, which indicate that the ocean reservoir correction is close to ca. 400 yr at 9000 14C yr BP off northwest Iceland. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Metagenomic and stable isotopic analyses of modern freshwater microbialites in Cuatro Ciénegas, MexicoENVIRONMENTAL MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 1 2009Mya Breitbart Summary Ancient biologically mediated sedimentary carbonate deposits, including stromatolites and other microbialites, provide insight into environmental conditions on early Earth. The primary limitation to interpreting these records is our lack of understanding regarding microbial processes and the preservation of geochemical signatures in contemporary microbialite systems. Using a combination of metagenomic sequencing and isotopic analyses, this study describes the identity, metabolic potential and chemical processes of microbial communities from living microbialites from Cuatro Ciénegas, Mexico. Metagenomic sequencing revealed a diverse, redox-dependent microbial community associated with the microbialites. The microbialite community is distinct from other marine and freshwater microbial communities, and demonstrates extensive environmental adaptation. The microbialite metagenomes contain a large number of genes involved in the production of exopolymeric substances and the formation of biofilms, creating a complex, spatially structured environment. In addition to the spatial complexity of the biofilm, microbial activity is tightly controlled by sensory and regulatory systems, which allow for coordination of autotrophic and heterotrophic processes. Isotopic measurements of the intracrystalline organic matter demonstrate the importance of heterotrophic respiration of photoautotrophic biomass in the precipitation of calcium carbonate. The genomic and stable isotopic data presented here significantly enhance our evolving knowledge of contemporary biomineralization processes, and are directly applicable to studies of ancient microbialites. [source] DOLOMITIZATION OF THE EARLY EOCENE JIRANI DOLOMITE FORMATION, GABES-TRIPOLI BASIN, WESTERN OFFSHORE, LIBYAJOURNAL OF PETROLEUM GEOLOGY, Issue 4 2000I. Y. Mriheel Dolomitization in the early Eocene Jirani Formation in the Gabes-Tripoli Basin (offshore western Libya) occurred in two stages. Stage I dolomites are composed of two types, one associated with anhydrite (Type I) the other anhydrite free (Type II,). The stratigraphic and sedimentological settings together with petrographic and geochemical criteria suggest that dolomitization was effected by refluxed evaporative seawater. Stable isotope and trace element analyses suggest dolomitization of both Types from a fluid of near-surface seawater composition under oxidising conditions modified by evaporation. Non-luminescence and lack ofzonation of all the dolomite indicate that the dolomitizing fluids maintained a relatively constant composition. The geologic setting during the early Eocene, interpreted as hypersaline lagoon, supports an evaporative reflux origin for the anhydritic dolomite Type I. Type II developed under less saline conditions in the transition zone between lagoon and open marine shelf. Stage II dolomitization is recorded by negative isotope values in both Types I and II indicating their dissolution and recrystallization (neomorphism) by dilute solutions. A period of exposure of the overlying Jdeir Formation following a relative sea-level fall allowed ingress of meteoric waters into both the Jdeir and the underlying Jirani Formations. Flushing by meteoric waters also resulted in development of excellent secondaly porosity and caused major dissolution of anhydrite to form the anhydritic-free dolomite facies typical of Type II. Following, and possibly during, both Stages I and II, low temperature dolomites (Type IIIa) precipitated in pore spaces from residual jluids at shallow burial depths, partially occluding porosity. In the late stage of basin evolution, medium clystalline, pore-filling saddle dolomite precipitated, causing some filling of mouldic and vuggy porosity (Type IIIb). Very light oxygen isotopic signatures confirm that it developed from high temperature fluids during deep burial diagenesis. Calculation of temperatures and timings of the dolomitization and cement phases show that the main dolomitization phases and Type IIIa cements occurred in the early Eocene, and that the saddle dolomite precipitated in the Miocene; these results are consistent with age relationships established from stratigraphic, petrographic and geochemical signatures. The most common porosity includes intercrystal, vuggy and mouldic types. Porosity is both pre-dolomitization and syn-dolomitization in origin, but the latter is the most dominant. Hence, reservoir quality is largely controlled by fluid dynamics. [source] THE ORIGIN AND GEOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF RED OCHRES FROM THE TITO BUSTILLO AND MONTE CASTILLO CAVES (NORTHERN SPAIN)*ARCHAEOMETRY, Issue 2 2009E. IRIARTE Ochres were the most common source materials for pigments used in Palaeolithic rock art paintings. This work analyses the petrographic and geochemical signatures of different ochre samples from outcrops inside Tito Bustillo Cave and the Monte Castillo Caves using the most common techniques (petrography, XRD, SEM,EDS and ICP,MS) in archaeological pigment characterization studies. The results obtained permit the identification and characterization of the different source ochre types and, furthermore, allow the establishment of mineralogical and geochemical proxies for the study of questions related to ochre characterization, formation processes and provenance. [source] |