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The Permian to Triassic period represents a pivotal phase in the evolution of the Paleo-Asian Ocean, marked by significant tectonic transitions from subduction, collision, and post-orogenic extension. The timing of closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean in northeastern China has always been controversial. In this contribution, the petrology, zircon U-Pb geochronology and geochemistry are conducted on granite found in well HFD1, Songliao Basin, eastern part of Central Asian orogenic belt. Zircon U-Pb dating indicates that granite crystallized at 258.9 ± 2.2 Ma, as the product of magmatism occurred in the early Late Permian. The rocks have high SiO2, Al2O3, Na2O content, negative Eu anomaly, light enrichment of rare-earth elements, depletion of heavy rare-earth elements, high Sr (448.29–533.11 ppm, average 499.68 ppm), low Yb (0.49–0.59 ppm, average 0.54 ppm), Y (4.23–5.19 ppm, average 4.49 ppm), and high Sr/Y ratios (98–125, average 112) and can be classified as O-type adakite. This is the first discovery of late Paleozoic adakite in the Songliao Basin and the neighboring areas. The geochemistry of adakite indicates derivation by partial melting of MORB-type subducted oceanic crust, indicating that the subduction of the Paleo-Asian Oceanic lithosphere lasted until at least 258.9 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the facies and degrees of hydrothermal alteration related to the low-sulfidation epithermal Kestanelik Au deposit in the Biga Peninsula metallogenic province are identified through petrographic studies and analysis of geochemical characteristics, such as mass changes, molar element ratios, and alteration indices. The gold mineralization is located in silicified zones containing veins and stockwork veinlets of silica. In the Kestanelik Au deposit, common hydrothermal alteration is mainly found in the Permian-Upper Cretaceous Çamlıca basement metamorphics and the Eocene granodiorite, and less often in the Eocene Şahinli volcanic rocks of the Karabiga Massif on the Peninsula. Based on mineralogical and geochemical studies conducted on altered samples, four different alteration facies are defined as silicic, sericitic, argillic, and propylitic, which show remarkable differences in the behavior of REEs, Si, K, Al, Na, and Ca elements. The hydrothermal fluids that caused alteration in the Kestanelik Au mineralization and host rocks had low REE contents because of REE mobilization. In addition, the kaolinization of feldspars and micas, and the chloritization of biotite and feldspars, may have caused negative Eu anomalies. The characterization of rocks subjected to hydrothermal alteration that are most influenced by diverse K-metasomatism with the largest K gains and losses in Na–Ca is illustrated by molar element ratio plots. Depending on the intensity of K-metasomatism, gold mineralization increases with increasing K trends toward gold ore veins. In the Kestanelik Au field, the argillic, sericitic, and propylitic alteration types from the zones enclosing the Au ore veins are revealed using the Ishikawa alteration index and chlorite–carbonate–pyrite index. Mass changes in the altered rocks indicate that there are gains in Si, K, and Al, and losses in Na and Ca with the increasing intensity of alteration toward the ore veins. The results confirm the presence of silicic and K–metasomatic (sericite and argillic) and propylitic (Fe-rich chloride) alteration zoning extending from the inner regions to the outer regions, which characterize the epithermal ore systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits are globally significant sources of metals. The Hongtoushan VMS deposit is the only large Archean Cu-Zn VMS deposit in the North China Craton, carrying substantial economic value. Significant deformation and metamorphism have made the tectonic setting of the Hongtoushan VMS deposit the subject of extensive debate. This study investigates the petrogenesis and chronology of the ore-bearing host rocks from the Hongtoushan Cu-Zn VMS deposit in the North China Craton. By utilizing whole-rock geochemical analyses and zircon dating, this research sheds light on the origin and evolution of the ore-bearing rocks within the deposit. The whole-rock geochemical analysis data indicate that the Hongtoushan ore-bearing rock series is mainly composed of amphibole plagioclase gneiss (basalt protolith) and biotite plagioclase gneiss (andesite and rhyolite protolith), suggesting a complete volcanic cycle from basic to medium-acidic volcanic rocks. The amphibole plagioclase gneiss has slight LREE enrichment patterns with unremarkable depletions of Nb, Ta, and Ti and belongs to contaminated ocean plateau basalt (OPB) in terms of composition, which is generally interpreted as being generated from the mantle plume head. Meanwhile, the biotite plagioclase gneiss has relatively steep LREE enrichment distribution patterns with remarkable negative Ta, Nb, and Ti anomalies and a wide range of Zr/Y ratios, indicating their classification as FI- and FII-type felsic rocks; they were likely formed through the fractional crystallization of basic magma combined with crustal assimilation. When combined with the zircon dating results, the ore-bearing host rocks of the Hongtoushan VMS deposit were generated via a continuous magmatic evolution process. The zircon dating of the host rocks indicates a formation age of between 2609 and 2503 Ma, with metamorphic events between 2540 and 2466 Ma, which is consistent with the 2.5 Ga-related global mantle plume event. Further research shows that the ore-bearing host rocks are more likely to have been formed in a mantle plume-related stretching environment, possibly a margin rift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Kaolin-group minerals occur in nature as the result of high-sulfidation acid sulfate, sulfur-poor HCl-, HF- and H2CO3-rich acidic fluid-related hydrothermal alterations and in situ geochemical weathering. These minerals possess different crystallographic and chemical properties that determine their application areas, mainly in the ceramic and paper industries, and as nanocomposite materials. The physicochemical properties of hydrothermal kaolin deposits are the result of the type of parent rock, the effect of the regional tectonism-associated magmatism, and the chemical features of hydrothermal fluids that interact with the deep basement rocks. However, understanding these geothermal systems is one of the most challenging issues due to the rich mineralogical assemblages, complex geochemistry and isotopic data of hydrothermal alteration zones. This study evaluates the formation of hydrothermal-origin kaolin-group minerals by considering their characteristics of hydrothermal alteration, isotopic compositions and differences in characteristic properties of low- and high-sulfidation occurrences; this paper also addresses mineralogical and structural differences between hypogene and supergene kaolin formations, and kaolin–alunite–pyrophyllite association, and it provides examples of worldwide occurrences. The study of the mineralogical assemblages, geochemistry and isotopic data of the hydrothermal alteration zones is one of the most challenging subjects in terms of gaining a detailed understanding of the geothermal systems. Silicification processes are subsequent to late-stage alteration after the completion of kaolinization processes, erasing existing hydrothermal mineralogical and geochemical traces and making interpretation difficult. In the early stages involving magmatic–hydrothermal-origin acidic geothermal fluids, the latter comes from the disproportionation of SO2 (+H2O) and H2S oxidation to H2SO4 in hydrothermal environments. In the later stages, due to spatial and temporal changes over time in the chemistry of geothermal fluids, the system comes to have a more alkali–chloride composition, with neutral pH waters frequently saturated with amorphous silica which characteristically precipitate as siliceous sinter deposits containing large amounts of opal-A. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shuangwang Au deposit (with a gold resource of approximately 70 t Au), is located in the Fenxian-Taibai fore-arc basin in the West Qinling Orogen of central China. Igneous intrusions in the region include the Xiba granitic pluton and granite porphyry and lamprophyre dykes. The Xiba pluton is composed of granodiorite and monzonite granite. The granodiorite is typical I-type granite, and it yields a crystallization age of 221.1 ± 1.2 Ma and a two-stage Hf model age of 1432–1634 Ma. The monzonite granite shows a transitional characteristic between I-type and A-type granite, and it yields a crystallization age of 214.8 ± 1.2 Ma and a two-stage Hf model age of 1443–1549 Ma. The granitoid was derived mainly from a crust–mantle mixed source. The ages indicate that the granodiorite and monzonite granite formed during two different stages. The REE distribution patterns of the Xiba granitoid exhibit significant fractionation between LREE and HREE, showing right-dipping curves, with an enrichment of LREE and a deficit of HREE. The granodiorite displays a light negative Eu anomaly, while the monzonite granite displays an obvious negative Eu anomaly. The granite porphyry dikes are distributed in the No. I breccia and Jiupinggou granite porphyry, and they yield crystallization ages of 219.9 ± 1.5 Ma and 213.1 ± 0.89 Ma, respectively, and two-stage Hf model ages of 1382–1501 Ma and 1373–1522 Ma, respectively. The lamprophyre dikes in the deposit yield a crystallization age of 214.4 ± 2.7 Ma. After the collision event between the Yangtze and the North China Plates along the Qinling orogenic belt, at approximately 220 Ma in the Late Triassic, the detachment of the slab produced the upwelling of the asthenosphere material. Under conditions of mantle heat and tectonic stress, widespread partial melting of the subducted continental crust and the upper lithosphere mantle occurred, forming granitoids with various degrees of adakite characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica provide a testbed for alteration processes on Mars due to the cold, arid, and windy conditions. Analysis of three sediment cores collected from Don Juan Basin, Wright Valley, Antarctica, reveals that surface sediment formation is primarily dominated by physical alteration. Chemical alteration occurs sporadically in this region and is frequently indicated by the accumulation of sulfates and Cl-bearing salts. We investigated the effects of physical and chemical alteration in Don Juan Basin by considering major and trace element abundances in the sediments based on depth and location. Our results indicate inversely related chemical- and physical-alteration gradients with proximity to Don Juan Pond where the current center of the pond represents a more chemically altering environment and the perimeter a more physically altering one. Comparing calculated sulfate abundances for Don Juan Basin cores to rock and soil samples taken by the rover Curiosity at Gale crater, we observed that the core from within Don Juan Pond best matches Curiosity soil sulfate abundances. A new Chemical Index of Alteration equation that adjusts for salt dilution was also applied to the Antarctic cores and Curiosity rocks and soils. Our analysis indicates a significantly higher degree of chemical alteration than originally reported for most Antarctic and martian samples. Our investigation provides evidence for aqueous-based chemical alteration under cold, hyperarid conditions in Don Juan Basin, Antarctica. Our work also demonstrates the analogous nature of terrestrial microenvironments to similar, local-scale sample sites on Mars, thereby supporting past or present chemical alteration on Mars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middle Eocene to early Oligocene intrusions, widespread in the Ruby Mountains– East Humboldt Range metamorphic core complex, Nevada, USA, provide insights into a major Paleogene magmatic episode and its relation to tectonism in the northeastern Great Basin. These intrusions, well-exposed in upper Lamoille Canyon, range in composition from gabbro to leucomonzogranite. They form small plutons, sheets, and dikes that intrude the metamorphic and granitic infrastructure of the core complex. Two types of Paleogene monzogranite were recognized. The first is exemplified by two of the larger intrusive bodies, the Snow Lake Peak and Castle Lake intrusions, which occur as sheet- like bodies near and at the structural base of metamorphosed Neoproterozoic and Cambrian Prospect Mountain Quartzite where it is inverted above Cambrian and Ordovician marble of Verdi Peak in the Lamoille Canyon nappe. Swarms of dikes are associated with these intrusions. U-Pb (zircon) ages range ca. 40– 33 Ma and typically display relatively simple and minor inheritance. The rocks have the lowest εHf (zircon) and εNd (whole rock) of any of the middle Cenozoic granites. The second type of monzogranite, Overlook type, typically occurs as thin, isolated dikes and leucosome- like bodies in Late Cretaceous granites of the infrastructure, with no obvious relationship to the large monzogranite bodies. Overlook- type monzogranite displays complex zircon inheritance, yields igneous ages ca. 37– 32 Ma, and has εHf (zircon) and εNd (whole rock) identical to those of Late Cretaceous granites in the core complex. These isotopic and field data indicate that Overlook- type monzogranite formed in situ through anatexis of host Cretaceous granites. A pervasive thermal event was required to stimulate this crustal melting. Gabbros from Lamoille Canyon and quartz diorite dated from 32 km away signal mantle- derived magmatism ca. 39– 37 Ma (U-Pb, zircon) was a driver of crustal melting and hybridization. Eocene 40Ar/39Ar apparent ages on hornblende and biotite are consistent with syn- to post- magmatic extensional exhumation and decompression. Thus, the core complex provides a window into trans- crustal magmatism and insight into how such magmatism affected the Nevadaplano orogenic plateau. This Paleogene thermal pulse, which may relate to removal of the Farallon slab by delamination of mantle lithosphere, involved partial melting of the upper mantle and transfer of magma and heat to the Nevadaplano crust. Lower- crustal melting of Archean(?) to Paleoproterozoic rocks resulted in Snow Lake Peak– type magmas, and middle- crustal melting of granite in the infrastructure yielded Overlook- type magmas. This crustal magmatism, as exemplified by the intrusions in the core complex, likely played a role in destabilizing the Nevadaplano and its later collapse during middle Miocene extension. The Paleogene intrusions and associated structural features also provide insight into the evolution of the core complex through either the buoyant upwelling of a melt- rich diapir (gneiss- dome model) or buoyant upwelling of the melt- rich middle crust synchronous with a west- rooted mylonitic shear zone (extensional shear- zone model). We favor a hybrid that incorporates both models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origins and primary relationships between tectono-stratigraphic units are fundamental to the terrane concept in accretionary orogens, but they are challenging to assess in metamorphic terranes. In NW British Columbia, three tectonically bounded metamorphic suites of the Yukon-Tanana terrane formed in distinct tectonic settings, based on high-spatial-resolution geochronology and immobile trace-element geochemistry. The Florence Range suite comprises late Neoproterozoic or younger to pre-latest Devonian metasedimentary rocks derived from continental crust, 360 ± 4 Ma calc-alkaline intermediate orthogneiss, and 357 ± 4 Ma amphibolite with oceanic-island basalt composition, consistent with rifting of a continental margin. The detrital signature is dominated by late Mesoproterozoic zircon, which indicates different sources than other parts of the Yukon-Tanana terrane. The Boundary Ranges suite comprises pre-Late Devonian metasedimentary rocks derived in part from a mafic source, amphibolite derived from subduction-zone metasomatized mantle, and 369 ± 4 Ma to 367 ± 7 Ma calc-alkaline felsic to intermediate orthogneiss. The Whitewater suite comprises meta-chert, graphite-rich metapelite, and amphibolite with back-arc basin basalt composition consistent with an anoxic basin near a volcanic source. Our data indicate that the Florence Range and Boundary Ranges suites were separate until at least the Early Mississippian and may have formed a composite terrane since the Permian, whereas the relationship with the Whitewater suite is uncertain. We compare the Paleozoic evolution of the Yukon-Tanana terrane in NW British Columbia with several modern analogues in the west and southwest Pacific Ocean. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present bulk-rock and mineral Fe isotope data of ultramafic to mafic xenoliths and basaltic to andesitic lavas from Adagdak Volcano (Adak Island, Central Aleutians) to study the effects of early differentiation on the Fe isotopic evolution of island arc basalts and their crystallization products. The Fe isotope composition of ultramafic cumulate xenoliths increases from dunite (δ56Fe = –0.09 to –0.02 ‰) to clinopyroxenite (δ56Fe = +0.06 to +0.09 ‰), consistent with higher modal proportions of clinopyroxene (δ56Fe = –0.05 to +0.11 ‰) relative to olivine (δ56Fe = –0.10 to +0.06 ‰) in the latter. Mid-crustal cumulate amphibole gabbro and hornblendite cumulates also record heavier Fe isotope compositions (δ56Fe = +0.04 to +0.08 ‰) due to the abundance of isotopically heavy amphibole (δ56Fe = +0.07 to +0.09 ‰) and magnetite (δ56Fe = +0.11 to +0.13 ‰) in these rocks. High inter-mineral fractionations observed in spinel-olivine and spinel-clinopyroxene pairs (Δ56Fe spl-ol = +0.12 to +0.28 and Δ56Fe spl-cpx = +0.06 to +0.19) suggest that spinel is not recording equilibrium crystallization conditions for the ultramafic assemblages, likely due to subsolidus Fe-Mg exchange. Our data also include Fe isotope measurements of one mantle dunite (δ56Fe = +0.03 ± 0.05 ‰). Five Adagdak lavas, spanning from basalts to andesites, yield a narrow range of δ56Fe between +0.03 and +0.06 ‰. Our results highlight the potential of amphibole in driving the Fe isotope depletion trends observed in many erupted arc lavas, as amphibole hosts 28–99 % of the FeO T budget in the amphibole gabbro and hornblendite cumulates. This is also supported by single-crystal synchrotron Mössbauer spectroscopy of two amphibole grains, the first from an amphibole gabbro and the second from a hornblendite, which yield Fe3+/ΣFe ratios of 0.55 ± 0.06 and 0.58 ± 0.02, respectively. Water content and hydrogen isotope compositions determined by secondary-ion mass spectrometry from the same amphibole grains indicate partial dehydrogenation. Using Rayleigh fractionation modeling to account for oxidation during post-crystallization dehydrogenation, we calculate magmatic Fe3+/ΣFe ratios of 0.41 ± 0.04 for the amphibole gabbro and 0.30 ± 0.05 for the hornblendite. These data are then used to estimate an appropriate Fe force constant for Adagdak amphibole and quantitatively evaluate the effects of amphibole fractionation. Through a fractional crystallization model, we show how arc melts may experience periods of increasing δ56Fe during olivine-dominated fractionation, followed by decreasing δ56Fe once magnetite and amphibole saturate as cumulate phases. Notably, this dichotomy between fractionation of isotopically light versus heavy cumulate assemblages and its effects on the Fe isotope evolution of arc magmas is not captured by the Adagdak lava record, highlighting the utility of cumulates in chronicling the early isotopic evolution of magmatic systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The integration of archaeological, historical and geoarchaeological records represents a significant contribution to research into the medieval landscape. This study focuses on the medieval field system in the deserted village of Debrné, located in northeastern Bohemia, Czechia. The village features a well‐preserved croft plužina field system, a typical historical landscape of central Europe. The main and most visible elements of the field system are the earthen field boundaries, which were the focus of the geoarchaeological investigations. Archaeological excavations in trench S1 revealed a collection of larger stones at a depth of 1 m, potentially serving a drainage function akin to the observed plužina. Additionally, a boulder paving, identified as a remnant of a path between fields, provided insights into the historical use of the area. In trench S2, positioned closer to the village's core, layers with increasing stone content were recorded at a depth of 130 cm. However, the drainage structure observed in trench S1 was not replicated. The dating of earthen field boundaries indicated the creation of the terrace in the second half of the 16th century in trench S1. In trench S2, radiocarbon dating at a depth of 70 to 80 cm ranged from 1025 to 1175 A.D., predating the first written source about Debrné. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating in trench S2 suggested exposure to sunlight during the third century A.D. Archaeobotanical analysis of charred macroremains from trench S1 revealed 236 plant macroremains belonging to approximately 20 taxa, showcasing wild‐growing, collected useful species such as raspberry, blackberry and elderberry. Trench S2 yielded 23 plant macroremains belonging to 11 taxa, with similar species as trench S1. Pedological and micromorphological examinations displayed distinct layering in both trenches, showing up to six layers. Micromorphological analysis unveiled vuggy microstructures, varying grain sizes and elemental patterns, shedding light on different periods of occupation. Multidisciplinary investigations of the buried soils forming the earthen field boundaries discovered that the original soil cover comprised automorphic lixisols and cambisols, which also form under present conditions. These results underscore the importance of integrating pedological, geoarchaeological, archaeobotanical and physical data to comprehend the intricate nature of anthropogenic landscape changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The timing of extensional events in northern Gondwana remains elusive. In relations to this event, a new zircon U-Pb age and Hf isotopic compositions, and whole-rock geochemistry provided here for the amphibolites in the basement unit of the Menderes Massif (MM) within the Anatolide-Tauride Block (ATB). LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon dating of one sample yielded a crystallization age of 367.0 ± 2.5 Ma, providing the first record of Late Devonian (Famennian) mafic magmatism in the Menderes Massif. This sample contains inherited zircon grains with ages spanning from 588 Ma to 541 Ma, likely sourced from late Neoproterozoic country rocks. Chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns exhibit enrichment in light rare earth elements and flat patterns for heavy rare earth elements, suggesting affinities with tholeiitic EMORB and ocean island basalt. The geochemical data, coupled with the positive εHf(t) values ranging from 0.5 to 7.8, indicate that the amphibolite likely originated from juvenile melts generated by partial melting of the asthenospheric mantle. This melt was subsequently modified by crustal contamination and fractional crystallization. Contemporaneous EMORB- and OIB-like mafic rocks are identified in the eastern Taurides and Iran, respectively. Both regional geological and geochemical evidence proposes that Late Devonian magmatism in the Anatolide-Tauride Block occurred in a within-plate tectonic setting. This magmatic activity might have been triggered by the northward subduction of the Paleotethys beneath the Pontides during the Devonian, a process that would produce a slab-pull force, creating an extensional tectonic regime along the northern margin of Gondwana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Nkout banded iron formations (BIFs)-hosted iron deposit is located in the Ntem Complex at the northwestern part of the Congo craton, southern Cameroon. We report geochronological and geochemical data of magnetite BIFs and interlayered mica schists from the Nkout iron ore deposit. The BIFs show typical features of chemical precipitates characterized by seawater-like shale-normalized rare earth elements plus yttrium spectra. Weak positive Eu anomalies indicate the contribution of high-temperature hydrothermal fluids to the BIFs, with low detrital input. The absence of true Ce anomalies indicates that the BIFs were likely to be deposited in anoxic seawater. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb detrital zircon data for the BIFs and associated metasiliciclasltic rocks constrained the maximum depositional age at ca. 2.8 Ga, suggesting that the Nkout BIFs are likely the oldest iron formations in the Ntem Complex. Our zircon U-Pb isotope data indicate that the Nkout succession experienced lower-amphibolite facies metamorphism at ca. 2.0 Ga, which correlates with the regional tectono-thermal event linked to the convergence and assembly of terranes between the Congo and São Francisco cratons during the Eburnean-Transamazonian orogeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the huge composition space, composition screening is of great importance to the optimization of high‐entropy diborides (HEBs) with exceptional oxidation resistance. However, related studies are lacking. Here, a novel rapid, effective strategy to fully screen the compositions on the oxidation resistance of HEBs is proposed. Specifically, the synthesis of the equiatomic 1‐ to 9‐cation multicomponent diborides of the IVB, VB, and VIB groups in seconds via an ultrafast ultrahigh‐temperature synthesis technique is realized. Subsequently, combined with the thermogravimetric analysis and first‐principles calculations, the roles of incorporated elements are systematically explored. The results show that Zr, Cr, Ta, Nb, and W elements are the key to the improved oxidation resistance of HEBs, while Ti, Mo, and V elements are destructive. In particular, the positive roles of metal elements are mainly attributed to the partial dissolution of the generated metal oxides into the generated B2O3 glass, which can improve the viscosity of B2O3 and thus enhance its high‐temperature stability and reduce the oxygen diffusion rate, as confirmed by the first‐principles calculations. This study paves a way to rapidly screen the elements in HEBs, which can be a guide for further anti‐oxidation designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provenance records from sediments deposited offshore of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) can help identify past major ice retreat, thus constraining ice‐sheet models projecting future sea‐level rise. Interpretations from such records are, however, hampered by the ice obscuring Antarctica's geology. Here, we explore central West Antarctica's subglacial geology using basal debris from within the Byrd ice core, drilled to the bed in 1968. Sand grain microtextures and a high kaolinite content (∼38–42%) reveal the debris consists predominantly of eroded sedimentary detritus, likely deposited initially in a warm, pre‐Oligocene, subaerial environment. Detrital hornblende 40Ar/39Ar ages suggest proximal late Cenozoic subglacial volcanism. The debris has a distinct provenance signature, with: common Permian‐Early Jurassic mineral grains; absent early Ross Orogeny grains; a high kaolinite content; and high 143Nd/144Nd and low 87Sr/86Sr ratios. Detecting this "fingerprint" in Antarctic sedimentary records could imply major WAIS retreat, revealing the WAIS's sensitivity to future warming. Plain Language Summary: Ice loss from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) could potentially raise global sea level by up to 4 m over the coming decades to centuries. However, projections of sea‐level contributions from the WAIS are highly uncertain. Understanding when the WAIS was smaller in warm times in the Earth's more recent history would reduce these uncertainties, but direct evidence for the most recent large‐scale WAIS retreat is lacking. Tracing the source of sediments deposited offshore will help detect WAIS retreat because, under a smaller WAIS, there would be more erosion of presently ice‐covered areas in central West Antarctica. However, the subglacial geology of central West Antarctica is poorly known, making it difficult to identify a WAIS retreat signal in sedimentary records. Here, we present new results from debris in the Byrd ice core, drilled in the center of the WAIS to its base in 1968. The mineralogical, geochemical and age compositions of the debris provide a distinct geological "fingerprint" that should be identifiable in sedimentary records. This fingerprint can be searched for in existing and upcoming Antarctic drill core records, which will ultimately help constrain the environmental conditions that would lead to future WAIS retreat and the resulting sea‐level rise. Key Points: Debris from the base of the Byrd ice core comprises predominantly of sedimentary strata weathered before the onset of Antarctic glaciation40Ar/39Ar dated hornblende grains support evidence for recent subglacial volcanismByrd geochemical data reveal the provenance signature expected in marine sediments following major West Antarctic Ice Sheet retreat [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chert is a sedimentary rock abundant and conspicuous throughout the geologic record. It serves as an essential geological archive and is vital for palaeogeographic reconstruction. The Chert Database Working Group is part of the OneSediment Working Groups of the Deep‐time Digital Earth (DDE) Big Science Program. To facilitate the sharing of chert information and promote chert research, we have compiled a summary of literature containing chert information worldwide and established the Global Chert Database (GCDB). The main body of the current database consists of seven data tables, each providing details on references, lithology, depositional age, geographic location, depositional environment and geochemical information for each sample. As of December 2023, the GCDB contains 8417 sample data from 617 pieces of literature, which can be downloaded from the ‘DDE Data Publish & Repository’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Permian mafic dikes crop out widely within Beishan area in the southernmost Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). These mantle-derived products provide important clues for elucidating the genesis and geodynamic setting of Permian magmatism. The mafic dikes within the Beishan area display zircons U–Pb ages of 281 ± 4 Ma. Characterized by low SiO2 (44.88–47.73 wt.%) and high Mg# values (62.2–68.6), the type 1 dikes are relatively depleted in light rare earth elements (LREEs; (La/Yb)n = 0.72–1.43) but enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs). They show high positive εNd(t) values (6.6–8.5) with a range of (87Sr/86Sr)i (0.703477–0.705789) ratios. In contrast, the type 2 dikes have higher SiO2 content (47.47–51.13 wt.%) and lower Mg# (40.9–63.0). They are enriched in LREEs ((La/Yb)n = 1.79–5.02) and LILEs, and have lower εNd(t) values (3.8–7.4) with a variable range of (87Sr/86Sr)i (0.702873–0.706949) ratios. Thus, the type 1 dikes resulted from lower degrees of fractional crystallization and contamination than the type 2 dikes. Considering the LILEs and Pb enrichments, high field strength elements depletions, and high Ba/Th (86–460) ratios, the mantle source was metasomatized by subduction-related fluids. These dikes should be derived from high degrees (>20%) of partial melting of a Sr–Nd isotope-depleted, phlogopite-bearing spinel lherzolite lithospheric mantle according to their high Rb/Sr (0.04–0.24), low Ba/Rb (0.9–3.3), low La/Sm, and constant Sm/Yb ratios in addition to Sr–Nd depletion. Combined with the coeval evidence of regional geology and novel tectonic discriminate diagrams, we suggest that the mafic dikes in Beishan area formed in arc-related setting rather than intracontinental setting during the Permian. The metasomatized lithospheric mantle by subduction-related fluids were heated by upwelling asthenosphere mantle triggered by the slab roll-back, resulting in the formation of the parental magma of the mafic dikes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Eastern Pontide Orogenic Belt (EPOB), a well-preserved palaeo-magmatic arc, exists south of the Black Sea, from Bulgaria to Georgia. The region, which forms an essential part of the Alpine-Himalayan belt, contains volcanic rocks formed in the Late Cretaceous. This paper aims to investigate the petrogenesis of the Late Cretaceous volcanic rocks using both new and previously existing geochemical and geochronological data. Based on the geochemical features, the studied volcanics are divided into Group I (dacite/rhyolite) and Group II (basalt/basaltic andesite). According to LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb data, the crystallization age of Group I is 83.43 ± 0.87 Ma. The εNd(t) values of Group I are −1.4 and + 4.5, and the εNd(t) value of Group II is +3.0. The Lu–Hf isotope data from zircon shows that Group I have positive εHf(t) values (+14.20 - +12.15), and their crustal model age is 240–339 Ma. The εHf(t) values indicate that the Group I rocks are derived from the melting of a depleted mantle source. Whole-rock geochemistry data show that Group II samples were formed by partial melting of metasomatised spinel-bearing lherzolites at shallow depths. It is thought that the Late Cretaceous volcanic rocks are the products of arc magmatism associated with the northward subduction of the Neotethys oceanic lithosphere under the Eurasian plate, and the EPOB was an active continental margin arc during the Late Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phase envelopes are routinely employed by reservoir engineers for fluid characterisation. These envelopes are controlled by reservoir fluid composition, pressure and temperature. As a result of increasing source-rock maturation, fluids with decreasing molecular weights and densities and increasing gas-to-oil ratios (and hence different phase envelopes) are generated, which are thus linked to fluid history. In addition to their importance for exploration, charge models can play a key role in constraining reservoir models and optimising field development, particularly when pressure–volume-temperature (PVT) data are properly integrated with fluid geochemistry. Two contrasting scenarios of fluid phase evolution from two different fields are presented, and their relations to charge analysis and reservoir models are discussed. The first example discusses the identification, based on hydrocarbon geochemistry complemented by overlapping modeled phase envelopes, of compartmentalised filling cycles in what was initially considered a single oil-rimmed gas accumulation. The second example presents an opposite scenario where two wet gas accumulations 20-km apart laterally and 400-feet average depth difference appear to represent a single more-expansive accumulation spread over areas of variable PVT conditions and reservoir qualities. The wet gas across both accumulations is characterised by a continuous phase evolution pattern that shrinks systematically (cricondentherm shifts to lower temperature and cricondenbar to lower pressure), suggestive of phase fractionation of a charge of single maturity. The proposed gas distribution model represents a discovery of a hybrid conventional and unconventional (tight sand) system, with potential for basin-centered gas. These findings provided better understanding of observed and projected fluids, impacting the development and completion plans by locating new gas producers. A recent well drilled midway between the two accumulations indeed tested wet gas, confirming fluid connectivity. Future work will attempt to link the gas distribution model with seismic attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoir characteristics and source rock geochemistry are essential for petroleum system investigation as they reveal reservoir quality and hydrocarbon generation capability, respectively. The primary Karama oil field reservoir of Abu El Gharadig Basin is the limestone-sand-shale Abu Roash G (AR/G) Member. This study examines AR/G, analyzes source rocks for maturity and organic elements, and defines the main reservoir lithotypes and evaluates reservoir properties. Five well log datasets and an AR/F pyrolysis analysis on another well were used in this study to characterize the AR/G's 168-foot effective thickness and assess the AR/F source-rock maturation. The effective porosity is up to 30%. The highest shale concentration was 24% in central and western parts of the field. Therefore, drilling development wells in this area, especially east and north, demands caution. The composition and vertical and lateral lithofacies variations of the defined reservoir in the Karama field region are a significant control of its petrophysical properties. The pyrolysis of AR/F revealed 1.32–5.84% content of organic matter. That content qualifies AR/F as a hydrocarbon source if thermal maturity is reached. Type I and type II kerogen in the Abu Roash F Member suggests oil production. The Abu Roash G Member and Upper Bahariya (UB) formation produce oil and gas due to their own type II and III kerogen. GC biomarker data suggests that the research area is predominantly maritime, with most samples showing environmental degradation. The area under consideration has one reservoir, AR/G, and three members of source rocks in AR/F&G and UB. AR/G electrofacies revealed various lithotypes and flow units. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shuangyuangou copper deposit is located in the southern segment of the Qinling orogenic belt in central China. The ore‐related intrusions include quartz diorite porphyry, granite porphyry and lamprophyre. In this study, we present whole‐rock geochemistry, zircon U–Pb geochronology, trace elements and Lu–Hf isotope data on the Shuangyuangou intrusions which provide critical constraints on the emplacement age, magma origin, petrogenesis and implications for porphyry Cu mineralization in this newly discovered deposit. Zircon U–Pb dating constrains the emplacement age of quartz diorite porphyry, lamprophyre and granite porphyry at 150–147 Ma. The quartz diorite porphyry and granite porphyry display high‐K calc–alkaline I‐type granite affiliation. The rocks show enrichment of LREE and LILE (Rb, Ba), depletion in HREE and HFSE (Nb, Ta, Ti) and absence of Eu anomaly. Zircon εHf(t) values of quartz diorite porphyry, lamprophyre and granite porphyry range from −7.5 to −1.7 with TDM2 ages of 1.3–1.6 Ga. Our data suggest that the parental magma was derived from partial melting of juvenile lower crust and metasomatic lithospheric mantle, with more involvement of mantle material for the lamprophyre. The zircon Eu/Eu* values of 0.55–0.78 suggest high magmatic water content which suppresses the fractionation of plagioclase. In addition, the ΔFMQ values calculated from zircon trace elements range from −0.90 to 2.96 which is a favourable factor for porphyry Cu mineralization at Shuangyuangou. The Late Jurassic Shuangyuangou intrusion and associated Cu mineralization were formed within an intracontinental setting after the collisional assembly of the Qinling orogenic belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on detrital monazite dating, mineral chemistry of tourmaline and rutile, bulk rock geochemistry, modal analysis of petrographic and palaeocurrent data, this study tracks the source of quartzose sandstone within the Cretaceous succession of the Cambay Basin primarily to rocks within the Aravalli‐Delhi Fold Belt. Monazite geochronology shows predominant peaks around 506 ± 11 Ma, 905 ± 12 Ma and a minor peak at 750 ± 20 Ma, 1485 ± 30 Ma relating sediment sources to the Aravalli‐Delhi orogeny and Pan‐African orogeny. The petrographic modal analysis of the moderate‐to‐well‐sorted Himmatnagar Sandstone indicates at least 91% quartz, with minor feldspar and rock fragments. The mineral chemistry of tourmalines in Himmatnagar Sandstone matches with Li‐ and Ca‐poor granitoid, pegmatites, metapelites and quartz tourmaline rocks. The trace element content of rutiles in sandstones corresponds to metapelitic sources. Detrital monazite dates and mineral chemistry of tourmalines and rutiles pinpoint the sediment source to the South Delhi Supergroup of rocks. The dominance of rounded zircons and tourmalines and abraded quartz overgrowth in the Himmatnagar Sandstone indicate the recycling of sediments, possibly from the Marwar Supergroup. Palaeoclimatic proxies based on mineralogy and geochemistry, particularly, the high value (93–97) of mineralogical index alteration, indicate intense chemical weathering of the source rocks under humid climatic conditions. Therefore, the combination of factors, including the quartzo‐feldspathic source rocks, intense chemical weathering under humid climatic conditions and the recycling of sediments facilitated the formation of quartzose sandstone within the Himmatngar Sandstone in the Cambay Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, field descriptions of the dolerite dykes cross‐cutting the Pan‐African basement (DPB) and the dolerite and gabbroic dykes cross‐cutting the Cretaceous sedimentary basin (DGCSB) are used together with petrographic, bulk‐rock geochemistry, as well as Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data to constrain the geodynamic setting and origin of these mafic (basanite, basalt and basaltic andesite in composition) rocks that outcrop in the Figuil–Léré area. The DPB dykes are alkaline with SiO2 of 46.63–49.03 wt% and MgO of 3.93–7.11 wt%. In contrast, the DGCSB dykes are subalkaline with SiO2 ranging between 50.24 and 53.16 wt% and MgO fluctuating between 5.22 and 7.90 wt%, comparable to dykes described in other regions of the Cameroon Line (CL). The rocks studied belong to the tholeiitic series and were emplaced in within‐plate basalts (WPB) and mid‐ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) setting. The variations in major and trace elements from the basanite to basaltic andesite compositions are dependable with fractional crystallization (FC) of different mineral phases such as opaque minerals, olivine, clinopyroxene, amphibole and alkali feldspar. Most samples exhibit negative Nb–Ta and positive Sr anomalies, which together with the negative correlation between MgO and 87Sr/86Sr, and isotopic ratio of 206Pb/204Pb <19.5 (18.27–19.49) suggests interactions of crustal components. Nevertheless, this contamination seems limited because there is a positive correlation between SiO2 and 143Nd/144Nd plot and low Ba contents (72–210 ppm) of the samples compared to the mid‐continental crust (259–628 ppm). Trace element modelling proposes a derivation of the Figuil–Léré dykes from parental melts generated by 4%–15% partial melting of a source containing garnet peridotite in the mixed lithospheric–asthenospheric mantle. The isotopic data of the dykes studied with hybrid magma composition are characterized by more radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd and 206Pb/204Pb isotopic ratios with a dominant mixing of depleted MORB mantle (DMM)–enriched mantle 1 (EM1)–enriched mantle 2 (EM2), like those of other mafic dykes of the CL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Records of atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration, sea-surface temperature, and global vegetation show that Earth's climate and environment changed significantly during the late Miocene-early Pliocene. Understanding the environmental response to insolation forcing during this transitional period may provide insights into future environmental variations resulting from the perturbation of the global carbon cycle caused by fossil fuel combustion. However, terrestrial paleoclimate records capable of resolving orbital time-scale environmental variations are mostly from Europe, especially from the region around the Mediterranean Sea. Here, we present high-resolution records of grain size, black carbon, and geochemistry from a sedimentary sequence from the northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, where precipitation is mainly via the East Asian summer monsoon. We observed increases in sediment accumulation rate and black carbon mass accumulation rate at ca. 5.3 Ma, which we interpret as the result of intensified seasonal precipitation associated with the strengthening of the East Asian summer monsoon; concurrently, precessional and obliquity cycles became more prominent during the early Pliocene. Our results suggest that, in response to current and future high atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, changes in the East Asian summer monsoon are likely to result in increased precipitation and seasonality within its region of influence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature and tectonic evolution of the Bangong-Nujiang Tethyan Ocean remain unresolved, which seriously restricts our understanding of the role of this ocean in the Tethys tectonic domain and hinders in-depth study of the geodynamics of the Tethyan tectonic evolution. The study of intraplate oceanic-island fragments in the Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone of Northern Tibet, which are remnants of the oceanic crust, is important for determining the nature and tectonic evolution of the Bangong-Nujiang Tethyan Ocean. Here, we present a combined analysis of petrological, geochronological, geochemical, and Sr-Nd isotope data for the five intraplate oceanic-island fragments preserved in the Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone. The oldest intraplate oceanic-island fragment in the Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone is of Late Permian-Triassic age, and the underlying oceanic lithosphere is Late Permian or older, which indicates the development of the Bangong-Nujiang Tethyan Oceanic basin at this time. The opening time of the Bangong-Nujiang Tethyan Ocean must be even earlier than the Late Permian. At least four Triassic intraplate oceanic-island fragments have been recognized in the Bangong-Nujiang Suture Zone, and their assemblages and geochemistry are mostly similar to present-day oceanicisland basalts that erupted onto the thick lithosphere of mature oceanic basins. All of these observations indicate that the Bangong-Nujiang Tethyan Ocean evolved into a mature oceanic basin during the Triassic. The youngest intraplate oceanic-island fragments are of Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous ages, which effectively argues for the continued presence of the Bangong-Nujiang Tethyan Ocean at this time. The abundant data of the intraplate oceanic-island fragments provide strong evidence that the Bangong-Nujiang Tethyan Ocean was a broad oceanic basin that separated Cimmeria from Gondwana during the Permian-Early Cretaceous and experienced complex evolution over at least 160 m.y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread crust-derived granitoids in North China provide evidence of Mesozoic lithospheric thinning and destruction of the North China Craton. However, the link between lower crust and lithospheric mantle reactivation remains poorly understood. We present whole-rock geochemistry and zircon O-Hf isotopes for Early Cretaceous peralkaline A-type granites (i.e., Xiwanzi, Xiangshan, and Yansehu) from the Yanshan Mountains of the eastern block of the North China Craton. The Xiwanzi granite has a U-Pb age of 134.3 ± 0.4 Ma, with homogeneous whole-rock Nd isotopes [εNd(t) = -7.7 to -7.5] but highly variable zircon O-Hf isotopes [δ18O = 5.1‰ to 7.2‰ and εHf(t) = -7.7 to +9.6]. Such isotopic variations likely resulted from a hybrid juvenile source consisting of partial melting of newly underplated basaltic rocks derived from both the metasomatized ancient and juvenile sub-continental lithospheric mantle. In contrast, the Xiangshan (117.4 ± 1.0 Ma) and Yansehu (116.3 ± 1.4 Ma) granites have relatively uniform isotopic compositions [whole-rock εNd(t) = -12.2 to -10.8, zircon δ18O = 5.2‰ to 6.4‰, and εHf(t) = -17.1 to -4.7], close to those of the Proterozoic mafic granulite xenoliths from the ancient lower crust. The isotopic variations of the Early Cretaceous A-type granites suggest a continuous change in the melting model from the underplated juvenile lowermost crust to the overlying ancient lower crust at high temperatures in an extensional environment. Our results indicate that A-type granites can be used to probe the nature and reactivation of the lower crust of an Archean craton. Significantly, large-scale continuous thinning of lower continental crust provides key insights into the generation of the widespread Mesozoic crust-derived granitoids in North China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several large high-grade iron skarn deposits in the Laiwu district of Shandong Province (North China Craton) are developed along the contact zone between the Early Cretaceous Kuangshan diorite pluton and Middle Ordovician dolomitic limestone. In sharp contrast, no iron skarn mineralization has been recognized in association with other contemporaneous dioritic intrusions (Jiaoyu, Jinniushan, Tietonggou) in this district. The reason for this contrast remains elusive. Here we present a comparative study of the orerelated Kuangshan pluton and its barren equivalents using whole-rock and mineral (zircon, apatite) geochemistry combined with existing Sr-Nd isotope data to provide new insights into the critical controls on iron skarn mineralization and shed light on future mineral exploration. Geochemical and Sr-Nd isotope data suggest that both the ore-related and barren intrusions were derived from a common enriched lithospheric mantle source following variable degrees of fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation. Modeling based on whole-rock Sr-Nd isotopes implies that the magmas responsible for the Kuangshan and Jinniushan diorite plutons assimilated significant quantities of the Ordovician evaporite-bearing carbonates. Both the fertile and barren diorites show high wholerock Sr/Y ratios, high zircon Eu/Eu* and Eu/Eu*/Y ratios, and low zircon Dy/Yb ratios. These data, combined with high magmatic water contents (4.4-8.0 wt%) calculated from amphibole compositions, indicate that those four plutons crystallized from hydrous magmas. High whole-rock Fe2O3/FeO, and high ΔFMQ values (mostly >1; fayalitemagnetite-quartz oxygen buffers) estimated from zircon, apatite, and amphibole suggest that the magmas from which the diorite intrusions crystallized were all oxidized. Using available partitioning coefficients for Cl between apatite and magma, the parental melts of the Kuangshan and Jinniushan diorite are estimated to have had higher Cl contents (0.15-0.77 wt%) than the Jiaoyu and Tietonggou diorites (0.06-0.34 wt%). Two types of apatite from the intrusions studied are recognized based on their paragenetic relations: Type 1 apatite (Ap1) is an early-formed phase enclosed in euhedral amphibole, plagioclase, and biotite, whereas type 2 (Ap2) is a late-formed variety hosted in, or intergrown with, anhedral K-feldspar (± anhedral amphibole ± subhedral to anhedral quartz). In the fertile Kuangshan diorite, Cl and OH contents of apatite decrease, but Sr contents increase from Ap1 to Ap2. However, those parameters show reverse trends or remain constant from Ap1 to Ap2 in barren diorites. Such distinctive apatite geochemical signatures are best interpreted as reflecting more efficient fluid exsolution from the parental magma of the Kuangshan diorite than from the barren intrusions. This view is supported by the presence of abundant fluid inclusions in apatite and quartz exclusively from the mineralized intrusion, indicating its crystallization from volatile oversaturated melts. The results presented here indicate that elevated magma Cl contents and efficient separation of magmatic hydrothermal fluid from cooling magmas have been the critical factors controlling iron skarn mineralization in the Laiwu district. Mass balance constraints on Cl budget indicate that a minimum of 44-60 km3 of magma was required to form the Fe deposits associated with the Kuangshan pluton. Our preliminary results suggest that decreasing OH and Cl contents from early to late apatite in intermediate rocks can be used as an indicator for efficient fluid exsolution and consequently metal fertility of those rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ulgen porphyry Mo deposit, recently discovered in the northeastern segment of the Derbugan metallogenic belt, NE China, is a large and hidden ore deposit. Investigation of this deposit provides insights into the geodynamic background and metallogenic mechanism of Mesozoic porphyry Mo deposits that are exposed elsewhere in NE China. The host rocks consist of muscovite monzonitic granite (MMG) and biotite granitic porphyry (BGP), which are intruded into Lower and/or Middle Jurassic intermediate-felsic volcanic-sedimentary rocks and pre-ore monzogranitic porphyry (MP). Zircon laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric (LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb age dating indicates that the MMG and BGP were emplaced at 144.9 Ma and 144.7 Ma, ca. 14 m.y. younger than the intrusion age of MP (159.3 Ma). Molybdenite Re-Os isotopic dating indicates that Mo mineralization occurred at 144.9 Ma, almost simultaneously with the 145 Ma magmatic activity. Geochemically, all of the Ulgen granitoids are enriched in large ion lithophile elements (e.g., Rb, Th, U, and K) and light rare earth elements, and are depleted in high field strength elements (e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti). The pre-ore MPs belong to I-type granites with moderately negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.62-0.65), whereas the syn-ore MMGs exhibit S-type affinity with pronounced negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.29-0.39). The ore-forming BGPs display adakite-like geochemical features in terms of high-Sr, low-Y, and low-Yb contents, and slightly negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.72-0.74). All intrusive rocks have relatively low initial (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios (0.7044-0.7055) and positive εNd(t) values (+1.15 to +2.65), positive εHf(t) values (+4.0 to +9.4), young two-stage Nd and Hf model ages (tDM2(Nd) = 841-731 Ma, tDM2(Hf) = 943-604 Ma), and moderate (206Pb/204Pb)i (18.300-18.402), (207Pb/204Pb)i (15.557-15.564), and (208Pb/204Pb)i (38.180-38.307) ratios. Therefore, it is most likely that these intrusive rocks originated from a mixture of two sources of magma derived from the mantle and juvenile lower crust, in which there were variable degrees of the fractional crystallization of ilmenite, apatite, and plagioclase. Rather than the partial melting of oceanic slabs, the fractional crystallization of hornblende and accessory minerals (e.g., ilmenite and apatite) induces the adakitic geochemical signature of BGPs. Compared with the BGPs, the MPs had a relatively deeper magma source region, whereas the MMGs had a relatively shallower magma source region. The BGPs and the Mo-bearing fluids of the Ulgen deposit were most probably derived simultaneously from magma that was generated at an extensional setting following the closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean during the latest Jurassic. Enrichment of Mo by late-stage fractional crystallization most likely played an important role in concentrating Mo during the formation of the Ulgen hidden Mo deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-silica granitoids signal maturity of continental crust and are also closely associated with rare metal mineralization. However, the possible factors controlling the upper crustal differentiation and rare metal mineralization have not been well-constrained. In this work, we report zircon U-Pb ages, trace elements, Hf-O isotopes, and wholerock elemental and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic data on six high-silica granitic intrusions from the Southern Great Xing'an Range Metallogenic Belt (SGXRMB), NE China, with a view to elucidate their source, differentiation mechanism, and rare metal mineralization potential. Zircon U-Pb dating of the granites (including porphyritic granite and alkalifeldspar granite) yields Early Cretaceous ages of ca. 144-135 Ma. Petrographic and geochemical features including the high SiO2, DI, and TE1,3 values, and similar Sr-Nd-Hf-O isotopes suggest that the rocks are weakly peraluminous, highly evolved I-type granites sharing a common silicic magma reservoir. Integrated isotope modeling suggests a complex source region for the evolved I-type granites involving dominantly juvenile lower crustal components with subordinate older continental basement and possible contribution of recycled pelagic sediments. The highsilica granite in the Jingpeng-Lindong region and the quartz diorite-monzonite, granodiorite, and monzogranite in the Lindong-Zalute region show close spatial-temporal distribution, common source and consistent variations in their whole-rock zircon compositions, indicating melt extraction processes in a highly crystalline mush rejuvenated by the injection of high temperature magma and F-enriched volatile filter-pressing, with the former derived from initial interstitial melts leaving behind residual silicic cumulates represented by the latter. Detailed comparisons of the rare metal-bearing and barren highsilica granites within the SGXRMB show that simple anatectic or fractional crystallization processes cannot account for the rare metal granites. Fluid-melt interactions combined with a high degree of crystallization differentiation and changes in melt structures are proposed as the potential mechanisms for generating the rare metal mineralization in I-type granitic magmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Songliao Basin is rich in uranium ores, and the Yaojia Formation, which is dominated by gray fine-grained sandstones, contains the main ore-bearing stratum. Rocks in the formation contain high SiO2, Al2O3, and total alkali, with enrichment in Rb, Th, U, K, and light rare earth elements but are depleted in high field strength elements, similar to upper crustal rocks. U–Pb dating of zircon grains from sandstones in the formation yielded four groups of ages, including 99–182, 202–245, 284–365, and 1800–1900 Ma. These ages combined with the Hf isotope composition, geochemical characteristics, and regional history suggest that the Yaojia Formation rocks are associated with passive and active continental margin settings. These clastic rocks originate principally from felsic rocks in the Zhangguangcailing–Xiao Xing'anling area, and these were deposited in oxic freshwater environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tianhu East turquoise deposit is located 180 km southeast of the city of Hami (also known as Kumul) in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. This deposit has been mined since as early as 1279-379 BCE. New mining activity took place around 2015, and some of the production emerged briefly on the Chinese market. Mining was subsequently prohibited because of the location's protected status as an archaeological site. The geology of Tianhu East turquoise as well as updated reports and field exploration are systematically summarized in this study. The turquoise usually occurs as blue and bluish green veins in the fissures and shear zones of quartzite in the Cambrian Pochengshan Formation. It is characterized by high lithium, vanadium, chromium, strontium, and gallium concentrations and low barium content. Multiple associated minerals (e.g., quartz, apatite, goethite, hematite, jarosite, bonattite, muscovite, atacamite, svanbergite, and gypsum) were identified using Raman spectroscopy and electron probe microanalysis. This study contains the first report of atacamite in Chinese turquoise. Petrography, mineralogy, and geochemistry of the bedrock as well as the crystallization sequences of the associated minerals are highlighted. Based on the results, the authors propose a supergene weathering origin and elemental derivation for Tianhu East turquoise. Black shale was likely the main original source of the aluminum, phosphorus, and copper necessary for formation, while quartzite provided enough space for precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predictive subsurface transport of selenium oxyanions is important for the assessment of long-term nuclear waste repository performance, as well as monitoring compliance of selenium presence in groundwater once discharged from industry, agriculture or natural seleniferous minerals. The aim of the present study is to quantify the diffusion of selenite and selenate through water-saturated compacted clays of smectite and illite rich geochemistry. Diffusion coefficient (De) values for selenium oxyanions in argillaceous clay are ̴ 10–12 m2s−1 and are nearly an order of magnitude higher in the bentonite clay. Results indicate the role of clay geochemistry in controlling migration of selenium oxyanions through natural clay. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the Tethyan belt, the NW-Iranian block is bound by two sutures, the Sevan-Akera suture in the north, and the Zagros suture in the south, where the pre-Cambrian geology is poorly constrained. Lower-Middle Cambrian sandstone in NW Iran is represented by quartz and feldspar dominated sub-arkose and sub-litharenite with well-developed cross bedding structures. They are interlayered with shale and limestone and overlain unconformably by Middle Cambrian dolomite. Here we describe and present U–Pb ages of the detrital zircon and rutile together with in-situ ε-Hf data from Lower to Middle Cambrian sandstones. Some zircons are characterized by oscillatory zoning and Th/U ratios of 0.3 to 2.0, pointing to an igneous provenance. Ages of the detrital zircons range from 481 to 2762 Ma, whereby the majority of zircons have ages between 524 and 1000 Ma (Neoproterozoic), and small peaks at 1800–2000 and 2400–2600 Ma. Late Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic zircons (1100–1750 Ma) are absent in the detrital record which is a distinctive feature of Gondwana-related detrital zircons. Detrital rutile has elevated Cr contents and variable Zr content (88 to 1087 ppm), suggesting derivation mainly from amphibolite-facies meta-basic rocks. U–Pb rutile ages range from 561 to 1253 Ma. Initial ε-Hf values of the Neo-Proterozoic zircons range from -10 to 20, suggesting an association of highly depleted mantle and crustal magmas. Thus, the Lower-Middle Cambrian sandstones in Iranian Azerbaijan were supplied from a Neoproterozoic igneous and metamorphic provenance. Sandstone whole-rock major and trace elements are in accordance with a detrital material provenance from continental granitoids and Precambrian recycled sediments. These results support the hypothesis that Iranian Azerbaijan Cambrian detritus was supplied from repetitive recycling of the crystalline basement and related sedimentary cover of the Saharides and the Arabian-Nubian Shield and deposited in a passive-margin setting in northern Gondwana land. Our results show a close geological tie between Iranian Azerbaijan, Sanandaj-Sirjan, Zagros, Alborz, and other Gondwana-Land-derived units in terms of Early Paleozoic detritus sources. Northwest Iranian Block was probably a passive continental margin in Late Ediacaran-Cambrian after the so-called Cadomian orogeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geochemical and geochronologic data are presented for meta-mafic to meta-felsic rocks along the Paleo-Tethys Suture in the Binalood Mountains east of Neyshabur, NE Iran. The rocks have a late Cambrian age (U–Pb zircon, ~ 490 Ma) and were metamorphosed in the Early Jurassic (40Ar/39Ar amphibole and plagioclase, 199–192 Ma). The rocks of this suite are alkaline and sub-alkaline (tholeiitic). The alkaline rocks are enriched in light relative to heavy rare earth elements, and do not show depletion of high-field strength elements on primitive mantle-normalized multi-element diagrams; they are similar to ocean island basalts (OIB). The tholeiitic rocks are depleted in Nb and Ta and have higher MgO and lower TiO2 than the alkaline rocks. Both types have similar, high and variable 87Sr/86Sr(i) isotopic compositions of 0.7044 to 0.7082 and 143Nd/144Nd(i) values of 0.5118 to 0.5122. The alkaline rocks are lower-degree partial melts than the tholeiitic rocks and were generated at greater depths; they likely originated from a garnet pyroxenite-rich source. The spatial, temporal, and geochemical relationships of early Paleozoic meta-mafic to felsic rocks along the Paleo-Tethys Suture (e.g., Shahrud, Jajarm, Binalood, Torbat-e-Jam) substantiate the role of a mantle plume in continental breakup along the northern margin of Gondwana and a late Cambrian-Ordovician onset of rifting that resulted in the opening of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean. The Early Jurassic metamorphism post-dates its closure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study delves into the geochemical dispersion of gold-bearing quartz veins in the Wadi Abu Khusheiba area, southern Jordan, with a focus on uncovering the complex patterns of mineralization and their geological significance. Employing an in-depth geochemical analysis of 24 rock samples from the region, we identified that these samples are predominantly hosted by oversaturated rhyolitic rocks, characterized by high SiO2 content and abundant free Quartz and orthoclase minerals. The mineralized zone of the quartz veins is particularly notable for its gold and silver concentrations, with maximum values reaching up to 5 ppm for gold and 18 ppm for silver. Our investigation into the elemental correlations revealed nuanced relationships, dependent on the 21 sample and analyzed at confidence level of (85%). Contrary to initial assumptions, we did not find a significant positive correlation between gold (Au) and arsenic (As), nor significant negative correlations between gold and other trace elements. These insights are critical for understanding the geochemical behavior of gold in the area and offer a nuanced view of elemental associations. The results of this study are significant for both academic research and practical exploration. They enhance our comprehension of the geological history and mineralization processes in Wadi Abu Khusheiba, providing valuable data that can inform future exploration strategies and deepen our understanding of mineral deposition in similar geological settings. This research not only contributes to the scientific community's knowledge of the area's geochemistry but also has potential implications for the mining and exploration industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Geochemical and mineralogical investigations of the Lower Permian Kemmlitz rhyolite within the NW-Saxonian Basin (Germany) and associated lithophysae (high-temperature crystallization domains) as well as agates were carried out to constrain the genesis and characteristics of these volcanic rocks and the origin of the agate-bearing lithophysae. The volcanic rocks of rhyolitic composition are dominated by quartz, sanidine, and orthoclase and most likely derive from lava flows. Agate-bearing lithophysae were exclusively formed in a glassy facies (pitchstone) of the rhyolites, which was afterwards altered to illite-smectite mixed-layer clays. The results of this study show that agate formation can be related to the alteration of the volcanic rocks accompanied by the infill of mobilized silica into cavities of lithophysae. Fluid inclusion studies point to temperatures of agate formation above 150 °C, indicating that the mobilization and accumulation of silica started already during a late phase of or soon after the volcanic activities. Remarkable high concentrations of B (29 ppm), Ge (> 18 ppm), and U (> 19 ppm) as well as chondrite-normalized rare earth element (REE) distribution patterns of the agates with pronounced negative Eu-anomalies, slightly positive Ce-anomalies and enriched heavy rare earth elements (HREE) indicate interactions of the host rocks and transport of SiO2 with magmatic volatiles (F/Cl, CO2) and heated meteoric water. Characteristic yellow cathodoluminescence (CL), heterogeneous internal textures as well as high defect density of micro- and macrocrystalline quartz detected by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy point to crystallization processes via an amorphous silica precursor under non-equilibrium conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The post-tectonic and post-orogenic mafic rocks from the Spanish Central System (SCS) (Iberian Massif) include dyke swarms of shoshonitic (microgabbros) and alkaline (lamprophyres and diabases) geochemical affinity, which register the nature of the metasomatic lithospheric mantle under central Spain. Such magmas sometimes show a direct (or indirect) relationship with the formation of orogenic and intrusion-related gold deposits, which are relatively abundant in the Iberian Massif. The noble and base metal composition of these intrusions shows Primitive Mantle-normalized patterns characterized by positive Au and Co anomalies and fractionated platinum group elements (PGE): from lower Ir-group PGE (IPGE; Ir–Ru) to higher Pd-group PGE (PPGE; Rh–Pt–Pd). The low contents of PGE, together with the base metal contents of pyrite (which is the dominant sulphide phase in the alkaline dykes), is in accordance with low degrees of mantle partial melting and the early segregation of sulphides during magma differentiation. The scarcity of PGE mineral deposits in the Iberian Massif could be explained in part by the apparent lack of PGE enrichment in the Iberian lithospheric mantle. On the contrary, the positive Au anomaly of the SCS mafic dykes represents relatively high Au contents, similar to (and higher than) those of mafic rocks derived from metasomatized subcontinental lithospheric mantle underlying Au-endowed cratons. Several geochemical features point to subduction-related metasomatism of either oceanic or continental nature as the main source of Au enrichment. The Au re-fertilization of the lithospheric mantle under central Spain makes it a potential source in the formation of gold mineralizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies of the effects of volcanic activity on the Hawaiian Islands are extremely relevant due to the past and current co‐eruptions at both Mauna Loa and Kīlauea. The Big Island of Hawaiʻi is one of the most seismically monitored volcanic systems in the world, and recent investigations of the Big Island suggest a widespread subsurface connectivity between volcanoes. Volcanic activity has the potential to add mineral contaminants into groundwater ecosystems, thus affecting water quality, and making inhabitants of volcanic islands particularly vulnerable due to dependence on groundwater aquifers. As part of an interdisciplinary study on groundwater aquifers in Kona, Hawaiʻi, over 40 groundwater wells were sampled quarterly from August 2017 through March 2019, before and after the destructive eruption of the Kīlauea East Rift Zone in May 2018. Sample sites occurred at great distance (~80 km) from Kīlauea, allowing us to pose questions of how volcanic groundwater aquifers might be influenced by volcanic subsurface activity. Approximately 400 water samples were analyzed and temporally split by pre‐eruption and post‐eruption for biogeochemical analysis. While most geochemical constituents did not differ across quarterly sampling, microbial communities varied temporally (pre‐ and post‐eruption). When a salinity threshold amongst samples was set, the greatest microbial community differences were observed in the freshest groundwater samples. Differential analysis indicated bacterial families with sulfur (S) metabolisms (sulfate reducers, sulfide oxidation, and disproportionation of S‐intermediates) were enriched post‐eruption. The diversity in S‐cyclers without a corresponding change in sulfate geochemistry suggests cryptic cycling may occur in groundwater aquifers as a result of distant volcanic subsurface activity. Microbial communities, including taxa that cycle S, may be superior tracers to changes in groundwater quality, especially from direct inputs of subsurface volcanic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the depth of mineral exploration has increased in recent years, multiple exploration methods have become necessary to obtain more accurate depth and surface data. Each type of exploratory data has different uncertainty, resolution, and efficiency levels. Using these data individually or preparing traditional models based on a single data type often fails to meet the desired accuracy level. Therefore, mineral prospectivity mapping (MPM) has become more common in integrating these data. MPM methods require determining the importance of the data used. This importance is expressed as the weight of the layers (evidence). Typically, data-driven methods cannot be used to determine the weight of evidence layers in green areas due to the need for sufficient deposits. In these areas, knowledge-based methods, using the opinions of expert geologists, are often used to determine the weight of the layers. However, the weights determined by different experts may vary depending on their perspectives. Therefore, one of the challenges of using MPM methods in green areas is determining a reliable weight for the layers. This paper uses different exploration data, such as airborne geophysical data, geochemistry, geology, and remote sensing data, to prepare suitable reference layers. Due to the limited mineral prospects available in this area, we used the prediction-area (P-A) method to calculate the layers' weights without experts' opinions. We then used these weights to produce the gold prospectivity map in this area using the multi-index overlay (MIO) and the (Adjusted, Conventional, and Modified) TOPSIS methods. Finally, the obtained results were used to evaluate the efficiency of these methods and the calculated weights for this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the mineral willemseite, which is the nickel analogue of talc and minnesotaite. It was first described in material from the Bon Accord nickel deposit in South Africa and is characterized by its light green color, Mohs hardness of 2, and perfect cleavage. The mineral is named after Professor Johannes Willemse, an authority on layered intrusions and the head of the Department of Geology at the University of Pretoria. The article also provides information about the Bon Accord nickel deposit and Willemse's contributions to the field of geology. [Extracted from the article]

The mineralogical and chemical characteristics of Upper Cretaceous-Lower Paleocene claystone sediment samples taken from Mardin and Batman, located in southeastern Türkiye, were analyzed in the present study. The clay mineral paragenesis in the Upper Cretaceous units consisted of chlorite-smectite (C-S) and illite, whereas the Lower Paleocene unit consisted of chlorite-vermiculite (C-V) and vermiculite minerals. Analyses conducted on clay samples indicated high levels of Al, Mg, Fe, Cr, V, Ni, and Zr. Low levels of alkali and alkaline earth elements (Mg, Na, Ca, K) in the clay-rich sediments suggest relatively high-grade weathering in the source area. The mineralogical compositions, major elemental ratios, and trace and rare earth element (REE) contents of the sediments indicate that the Upper Cretaceous unit consists of materials with predominantly felsic lithology, whereas relatively detrital contributions from basic sources are found in the Lower Paleocene unit. A comparison of the major and trace element contents of phyllosilicate/clay minerals with the members revealed that the patterns of the clays were distinct from each other. However, the enrichments/depletions varied depending on the origin (basement rocks or detrital) of the derived rocks, minerals, and elements. The major and trace element geochemistry of Upper Cretaceous-Lower Paleocene rocks was associated with a passive margin setting. Sedimentation processes and differences in provenance among members of the Germav Formation during the Cretaceous-Tertiary periods were largely influenced by local or regional geodynamic and diagenetic events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Singhbhum Shear Zone, eastern India is known for its large uranium and copper resources. Uraninite, the most abundant U-ore mineral, occurs as inclusions in magnetite, ilmenite, apatite, tourmaline, biotite, chlorite and allanite. Shared grain boundaries of uraninite with magnetite and ilmenite are common. Uraninite also shows complex symplectic intergrowth with ilmenite. In some places, the symplectite shares a straight grain boundary with ilmenite and magnetite and is surrounded and enveloped by magnetite. The symplectite could be formed by the reaction of separate U-bearing and Fe–Ti-bearing minerals or by the breakdown of a single U–Ti–Fe-bearing mineral under changed physicochemical conditions. Using the textural settings, geochemistry, and known occurrence of brannerite (UTi2O6) in the shear zone, we propose that the uraninite–ilmenite symplectite is most likely formed by the breakdown of brannerite by interaction with a Fe-bearing hydrothermal fluid. Based on in-situ EPMA chemical dating of uraninite in the symplectite and the known ages of uraninite formation/recrystallization in the shear zone, we further suggest that the symplectite formed during 950±50 Ma, an age which represents a pervasive tectonothermal event in the shear zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The site of Jebel Moya, situated in the center of the southern Gezira Plain in southcentral Sudan, has an occupational sequence spanning at least five millennia until around 2000 years ago. Renewed excavation is shedding new light on its occupational chronology and socioeconomic history, including activities such as burial, savanna herding, and domesticated sorghum cultivation practices dating to at least the mid-third millennium BC. In the present study, predominantly final phase pottery sherds from the first millennium BC to the start of the first millennium AD (Assemblage 3) have been analyzed via a combination of thin section petrography and instrumental geochemistry to determine their raw materials and place of manufacture and reconstruct their manufacturing technology. Organic residue analysis was also conducted to identify the products processed within vessels found at the site. The results suggest the existence of a well-developed local ceramic craft tradition that persisted for over one thousand years. Pots from Assemblage 3 were used to process, store, and consume animal and plant products, thus reinforcing emerging evidence for early agro-pastoral activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New stalagmites from Qadisha Cave (Lebanon) located at 1720 m above sea level provide a high-resolution and well-dated record for northern Mount Lebanon. The stalagmites grew discontinuously from 9.2 to 5.7 and at 3.5 ka, and they show a tendency to move from a more negative oxygen isotope signal at ~9.1 ka to a more positive signal at ~5.8 ka. Such a trend reflects a change from a wetter to a drier climate at high altitudes. The δ13C signal shows rapid shifts throughout the record and a decreasing trend toward more negative values in the mid-Holocene, suggesting enhanced soil activity. In the short-term trend, Qadisha stalagmites record rapid dry/wet changes on centennial scales, with a tendency to more rapid dry events toward the mid-Holocene. Such changes are characterized by overall good agreement between both geochemical proxies and stalagmite growth and might be affected by the seasonal variations in snow cover. The Qadisha record is in good agreement with other Levantine records, showing more humid conditions from 9 to 7 ka. After 7 ka, a drier climate seems to affect sites at both low- and high-altitude areas. The Qadisha record reflects uniquely mountainous climate characteristics compared with other records, specifically the effect of snow cover and its duration regulating the effective infiltration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three variably old groups of banded iron formation (BIF) are known in the Kostomuksha Greenstone Belt (KGB) of the Karelian Craton. This paper deals with the earliest of them, Mesoarchean (2.87–2.81 Ga) BIF-1. BIF-1 occurs among the komatiite–basalt unit of the KGB. BIF-1 consists mainly of quartz and magnetite, with varying amounts of amphibole, biotite, and garnet; the variations of SiO2 (48.3–58.6 wt %) and (21.34–33.82 wt %) suggest that the rocks are BIF. BIF-1 of the KGB, as well as most Archean BIFs, contain high concentration, display a contrasting positive Eu anomaly, lack of Ce anomaly, and the depletion of LREE relative to HREE. However, they differ from other BIFs in the higher Al2O3, TiO2, MgO, K2O, Cr, Ni, Zr, Ba, Cu and Zn concentrations. BIF-1 was formed in a marine basin at an anoxic atmosphere due to hydrothermal fluids, the proportion of which varies from 20 to 80%, and a terrigenous component derived mainly from basalts, komatiites, and dacites of host rocks. Mesoarchean BIF-1 of the KGB was accumulated in a small rift structures within an oceanic volcanic plateau, the formation of which is associated with the influence of a mantle plume on the oceanic lithosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Bam area is located north of the Kerman magmatic copper belt (KMCB) in SE Iran. It belongs to the Urumieh-Dothtar magmatic assemblage (UDMA) that hosts many large Cu-porphyry deposits such as Sarchemeh, Iju, Meiduk, Pakram, and Dalli. The area comprises volcanic and volcano-sedimentary rocks of the Eocene intruded by some sub-volcanic patches. Geochemical analyses show that the sub-volcanic rocks are calc-alkaline granodiorites formed on an active continental margin. The rare earth elements (REE) distribution patterns are differentiated (LaN/YbN = 4–31), having weak to moderate Eu negative anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.4–0.8) and flat heavy rare earth element (HREE) sections. The MgO, SiO2, La, Yb, Sr, Sm, and Y contents of these rocks are consistent with adakite-like magmas formed by partial melting of thickened lower crust containing no garnet. Negative correlations of Al2O3, Y and Ba with SiO2 and moderate to weak Eu negative anomalies, indicate the role of hornblende, K-feldspar, and plagioclase fractionation in the formation of these rocks. Geochemical features of the Bam sub-volcanic rocks are similar to those of the Cu-porphyry deposits from UDMA and Malmyzh deposit from eastern Russia, indicating fertility of these rocks for Cu mineralization that should be considered in the future explorations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halophytic plant communities have developed on exposed coastal landforms to form low-stature turf in several locations around New Zealand. We quantify the inorganic geochemistry, mineralogy and simulated ephemeral surface water composition of saline soil-free bare ground at a well-preserved site at Maori Head on Otago Peninsula, where halophytes have colonised from adjacent coastal turf. The community at this site is dominated by Leptinella dioica, Samolus repens, Disphyma australe and Selliera radicans. Maori Head substrates are dominated by clay-altered basalt colluvium and show a general trend from high electrical conductivity (EC > 10 mS/cm) and weakly acid pH (< 6) on bare ground to low EC (< 1 mS cm−1) and higher pH (> 7) in turf and adjacent pasture soils. High salinities on dry substrates and in simulated ephemeral surface waters result from surface evaporation of airborne sea spray and contain halite (NaCl) with some gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O). Chemical interactions with the substrate are minor. The high surface salinities were maintained despite a major winter rain event with strong onshore winds. However, surface salinity is frequently leached by rain and shallow groundwater, whereas inland saline sites (pH 8–11) have substantial salt accumulations driven by lower rainfall, high evaporation and chemical interaction with Otago Schist-derived substrates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lord Howe Volcanic Complex (LHVC) is part of a seamount chain associated with the detached continental crust of Zealandia. We present petrographic and geochemical data for the LHVC, including the first reported data for Balls Pyramid and the first trace element data for Lord Howe Island, clarifying the tectonic affiliation and general mantle source characteristics. Classification and discrimination diagrams based on concentrations and ratios of immobile elements, such as rare earth and high field strength elements, Th, Ti, Y, and Mg, show the LHVC comprises transitional to alkali basalts and at least two, and probably three, shield building complexes, consistent with an intraplate tectonic setting. Primitive-mantle normalised trace element patterns, variation in Dy/Yb for a restricted range of Dy/Dy*, Zr/Yb > 90, and variations in Zr/Hf and P2O5/TiO2 through the eruptive sequences indicate the mantle source may be a laterally heterogeneous enriched garnet peridotite that has undergone varying degrees of partial melting and carbonatitic metasomatism, both within the LHVC and along the Lord Howe Seamount Chain. The LHVC is thus an ideal natural laboratory for probing the probability of small intraplate volcanic fields originating via mantle plumes or from previously subducted slabs stagnating at the mantle transition zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]