Links between bulk sediment particle size and magnetic grain‐size: general observations and implications for Chinese loess studies

Using a combination of particle size analysis, magnetic measurements, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy imaging, this study shows that in a wide range of depositional environments, there is a strong link between particle size classes and magnetic response, especially below the upper limit of stable single domain magnetic behaviour. Ferrimagnetic grain assemblages dominated by stable single domain magnetosomes regularly have peak susceptibility and remanence values in coarser grades than do those containing finer‐grained, viscous and superparamagnetic secondary magnetic minerals formed during pedogenesis. This effect is despite the fact that there is a one to two orders of magnitude size difference between the particle size boundaries (at 1 or 2 μm) and key domain state transitions (mostly below 0·05 μm). The implications of these results are explored using samples spanning 22 Myr of loess accumulation on the Chinese Loess Plateau. The results from the loess sections, complemented by data from low‐temperature magnetic experiments, show that there are subtle distinctions in mean ferrimagnetic grain‐size between the Pleistocene and Miocene parts of the record, thus allowing more refined rock magnetic interpretations of the fine‐grained ferrimagnetic mineral assemblages arising from the effects of weathering, pedogenesis and possibly diagenesis in the sections studied.     

西昆仑山黄土的岩石磁学特征及其磁化率增强机制

成壤过程中形成的细颗粒的软磁性矿物被认为是导致古土壤磁化率增加的主要原因。但近来的研究表明,在一些地区,尤其是靠近沙漠边缘的黄土-古土壤序列,源区对黄土磁化率的影响要远大于成壤作用。因此,有必要对不同地区、不同环境条件下的典型黄土堆积进行详细的岩石磁学研究。日前,我们在西昆仑山北侧钻取了一根长达671m的岩芯,这为研究极端干旱区黄土的岩石磁学性质提供了难得的契机。本文对第一期黄土钻探得到的207m岩芯进行了详细的岩石磁学研究,结果表明: 昆仑山黄土的主要载磁矿物为磁铁矿和磁赤铁矿,同时还含有少量的针铁矿、赤铁矿;  该地区磁化率的变化主要受源区粗颗粒的软磁性矿物含量的影响,成壤作用形成的细颗粒磁性矿物对磁化率的贡献极小;  磁化率、粒度在0.5Ma左右急剧升高和变粗,主要与气候干旱化加剧有关。     

北京市昌平区钻孔岩芯的磁化率与粒度组份变化的相关性研究

以昌平区钻孔岩芯为例,分析沉积物粒级组分与磁化率大小变化的相关性。从厚约150 m的剖面选取590多个样品,分别测试从0.5~500 μm各个粒度区间颗粒的百分含量和磁化率。通过计算它们之间的相关关系,认为湖相沉积物磁化率的变化与0.5~30 μm间细粒物质的含量,特别是与0.5~10 μm区间悬浮物质的含量反相关,而与65~500 μm间较粗粒物质的含量正相关。这种相关性与黄土沉积刚好相反,反映了二者之间磁化率不同的变化机制, 蕴涵着一定的古气候信息。     

矿物磁性特征在金矿床形成及成矿预测中的作用

金矿床形成和成矿预测一直为国内外学者所关注。随绿岩带金矿、暗色岩易富金及赤铁矿总含有大粒金等不断地被发现,指示矿物磁性对金矿床形成有一定的控制作用。1)金粒级的大小与磁体间作用力的强弱呈正比,磁力的大小与两磁体间距离的平方呈反比,这正、反比规律进一步解析绿岩带富金机理和强、弱磁性岩石富金条件的差别。2)电流在金、黄铁矿和磁黄铁矿等附近每一点都能产生磁化场(H场)和磁通密度(B场),H场和B场的大小与不同成矿介质具有一定的正比例关系,按此比例可追踪含矿流体形成过程和富金条件。3)根据矿物磁性特征,建立了矿物磁力晕、矿物磁性矢量等找矿标志。4)除温度和压力等因素外,矿物磁性特征应视为金矿床形成和预测主要条件之一。     

Understanding heavy mineral dynamics using magnetic fingerprinting technique: a case study of North Maharashtra Coast,India

Environmental magnetic and grain size measurements were carried out on sand samples collected from nine sand pits along a 20-km coastal stretch of Arnala Beach, North Maharashtra, India. This study sets out to identify the potential heavy (magnetite) mineral-rich sites in a dynamic coastal system and decipher their enrichment processes. Combination of rock-magnetic and grain size data of the sand pits mirrors the differential heavy mineral fluxes along the coast. Two distinct and well-separated bands of magnetite enrichments were identified. The upper magnetite band (UMB) is more pronounced and shows uniform magnetite enrichment representing the present-day beach erosional state. A well-separated lower magnetite band (LMB) had highest magnetite concentration at Vaitarna River mouth and depicts a strong decrease in magnetite content and clastic (mean) grain size away from the river mouth. This suggests that the NW–SE-directed coast-parallel sediment transport in the past played a major role in the formation of magnetite-rich layers of LMB. A non-enriched zone (NEZ) between UMB and LMB is magnetically weak and showed large variations in clastic grain sizes and possibly represents a period of sediment accretion. A strong correlation between magnetite concentration and magnetic grain size was found for all the sand pit samples, with highest magnetic susceptibility values being dominated by coarser magnetic grains. This relationship needs to be further exploited as a potential fingerprint to identify the heavy mineral lag deposits in coastal environments. Our study explores the potential of using environmental magnetism and sedimentological methods to identify the potential areas enriched in heavy (magnetic) minerals and explains the mechanism of their formation.     

Diagenetic Dissolution of Biogenic Magnetite in Surface Sediments of the Benguela Upwelling System

Intense primary biologic productivity in the surface waters of the Benguela upwelling system provides a high supply of organic matter to the sea floor at the continental slope off Namibia and sustains extreme concentrations of magnetite producing bacteria in the top sediment layers. Biogenic magnetite is thus by far the dominant carrier of the magnetic signal in these deposits also because of a very minor input of terrigenous ferrimagnetic minerals. Reducing conditions in the sediment column cause a selective dissolution of the bacterial magnetite fraction just a few centimeters below the main mineralization horizon. This diagenetic process is documented in detail by high-resolution rock magnetic analyses and transmission electron microscopy. Concentration dependent and grain-size sensitive magnetic parameters, such as susceptibility, laboratory imparted remanences, and hysteresis data, reveal a significant drop in ferrimagnetic mineral content within the upper 10 cm of the sediments accompanied by a gradual downward coarsening of the ferrimagnetic mineral assemblage from primarily magnetic single-domain particles in the top centimeters to multi-domain grains in deeper strata. Electron microscope observations enable both an unequivocal identification of bacterial magnetite on the basis of shape and grain-size and to trace dissolution effects on the biogenic magnetic mineral component to depth. Received: 9 November 1998 / Accepted: 10 October 1999     

Spatial Variations in Particle Size and Magnetite Concentration on Cedar Beach: Implications for Grain-Sorting Processes, Western Lake Erie, Canada

<正>This study examined spatial variations in the concentration,grain size and heavy mineral assemblages on Cedar Beach(Lake Erie,Canada).Magnetic studies of heavy mineral-enriched,dark-reddish sands present on the beach showed that magnetite(～150μm) is the dominant magnetic mineral.Surficial magnetic susceptibility values defined three zones:a lakeward region close to the water line(Zone 1),the upper swash zone(Zone 2) and the region landwards of the upper swash zone (Zone 3).Zone 2 showed the highest bulk and mass susceptibility(κ,χ) and the highest mass percentage of smaller grain-size(250μm) fractions in the bulk sand sample.Susceptibility(i.e.κandχ) values decreased and grain size coarsened from Zone 2 lakewards(into Zone 1) and landwards (into Zone 3),and correlated with the distribution of the heavy mineral assemblage,most probably reflecting preferential separation of large,less dense particles by waves and currents both along and across the beach.The eroded western section of Cedar Beach showed much higher concentrations of heavy minerals including magnetite,and finer sand grain sizes than the accreting eastern section, suggesting that magnetic techniques could be used as a rapid,cost-effective way of examining erosion along sensitive coastline areas.     

Mineralogy of Holocene Sediments from the Southwestern Black Sea Shelf (Turkey) in Relation to Provenance, Sea-level and Current Regimes

Grain size and mineral composition of core sediments were used to investigate influences of various terrestrial and marine conditions, which have prevailed on the southwestern Black Sea shelf during the Holocene. Siliciclastic mud with small amounts of sand and gravel from nearby coastal hinterland is the principal sediment type, whereas sediments deposited near the shelf edge and the Istanbul Strait and off the Duru Lake （a paleo-river mouth） constitued large quantities of sand and gravel of both biogenic and terrigenic origin. Variable amounts of aragonite, 1 nmmicas, quartz, feldspars, calcite and dolomite constitute the dominant non-clay minerals in bulk sediments. The clay mineral assemblage in the 〈 2 μm fraction is made up of smectite, illite, kaolinite and chlorite. Aragonite and calcite are mainly derived from benthic accumulations, whereas feldspars （mainly plagioclase） and smectite reflect magmaticvolcanic provenance and the distribution of 1 nm-micas and chlorite correlate with nearby metamorphic sources onland. Nevertheless, grain size and mineral distribution generally indicate a combination of effects of wind and wave climate, longshore and offshore cyclonic currents, changing sea-level stands and nearby source rock and morphological conditions. It is also suggested that at least part of clay minerals could be derived from the northwesterly Danube River input.     

Aerodynamic grain‐size distribution of blown sand

Aeolian sand entrainment, saltation and deposition are important and closely related near surface processes. Determining how grains are sorted by wind requires a detailed understanding of how aerodynamic sand transport processes vary within the saltating layer with height above the bed. Grain‐size distribution of sand throughout the saltation layer and, in particular, how the associated flux of different grain size changes with variation in wind velocity, remain unclear. In the present study, a blowdown wind tunnel with a 50 cm thick boundary layer was used to investigate saltating sand grains by analyzing the weight percentage and transport flux of different grain‐size fractions and the mean grain size at different wind velocities. It was found that mean grain size decreases with height above the sand bed before undergoing a reversal. The height of the reversal point ranges from 4 to 40 cm, and increases with wind velocity following a non‐linear relationship. The content of the finer fractions (very fine and fine sand) initially increases above the sand bed and then decreases slightly with height, whereas that of the coarser fractions (medium and coarse sand) exhibits the opposite trend. The content of coarser grains and the mean grain size of sand in the saltation layer increase with wind velocity, indicating erosional selectivity with respect to grains in multi‐sized sand beds; but this size selectivity decreases with increasing wind velocity. The vertical mass flux structure of fine sand and very fine sand does not obey a general exponential decay pattern under strong wind conditions; and the coarser the sand grain, the greater the decrease rate of their transport mass with height. The results of these experiments suggest that the grain‐size distribution of a saltating sand cloud is governed by both wind velocity and height within the near‐surface boundary layer.     

鹤庆盆地湖相岩心磁化率记录及其古环境意义

鹤庆盆地位于受印度季风影响的中国西南地区, 沉积连续, 厚度大, 是古环境研究的理想场所。本文主要通过对鹤庆湖相岩心磁化率记录的分析研究, 并结合碳酸盐、烧失量和粒度特征对古环境变化的响应机理, 探讨了沉积物中磁化率的古环境指示意义。本研究发现, 磁化率与碳酸盐和烧失量具有显著的相反变化; 而与粒度的关系较为复杂。磁化率与指示粗颗粒变化的中值粒径在含砂(砾)层具有较好的正相关关系; 与指示细颗粒变化的 < 4μm颗粒的相对含量, 在湖相粘土沉积中具有较为明显的正相关关系, 表明湖相沉积物中的亚铁磁性矿物主要来自于外源带入的粘土粒级碎屑物中。通过分析磁化率对古环境变化的响应机制, 并结合碳酸盐含量、烧失量和粒度变化特征, 本研究认为鹤庆盆地湖相岩心的磁化率记录可以用来反映水动力对物源区地表的侵蚀强度和搬运状况, 与流域内植被覆盖和降雨量密切相关。在干旱的冰期, 植被覆盖度较低, 地表侵蚀加剧, 带入湖泊的粘土粒级碎屑含量增加, 磁化率增高; 在湿润的间冰期, 植被覆盖度较高, 地表侵蚀减弱, 粘土粒级碎屑物的带入量减少, 磁化率降低。      

黄土和古土壤中磁性矿物的粒度分布

磁化率是一种重要的环境替代性指标，对中国黄土中古土壤磁性增强已有不少讨论．本文对采自吉县、西峰和西宁的S₁和L₂的代表性样品进行了粒度分离，并测量了各个不同粒级的磁性参数，对所获得的结果就不同粒级的颗粒对磁化率的贡献、黄土和古土壤中磁性矿物颗粒的粒度和古土壤磁性增强的原因进行了初步的探讨，指出古土壤形成过程中并没有像一些学者所认为的那样，有大量超顺磁颗粒生成，它们对古土壤磁化率增大的作用有限。     

磁组构形成机理与动力学意义

岩石磁组构的形成机理:如火山活动、构造活动、流体活动引起磁性矿物的定向排列,改变了矿物或者部分矿物原生剩磁的排列方向(矿组构),定向排列的磁性矿物在当时地球磁场的影响下被重新磁化,赋予新的磁性特征,同时反映了当时矿物的动力学特征。磁化率各向异性可以很好用来分析、展示和恢复地球动力学过程,是研究地球动力学很好的方法和工具。     

古地磁学在矿床研究中的应用

古地磁学是研究地质历史上地球磁场强度及其变化的一门学科,其核心是岩石中富含若干的磁性矿物。通过测定其保存的剩磁强度和方向等,可计算获得岩石形成时的初始磁性强度和方向,从而为约束岩石形成时的古磁极位置、形成时代和地球动力学背景等研究提供证据。矿石作为地球演化过程中形成的一类特殊的岩石,对其进行古地磁研究可为矿床的"源—运—储—保—变"等过程提供强有力的证据。现有关于矿床古地磁学的研究主要集中在两方面,一是通过矿物的退磁参数限定其形成时的磁化年龄（矿床定年）,二是通过磁组构信息获取矿床形成后的构造应力场变化（矿床保存变化）。需要指出的是,矿床古地磁学的研究一定要立足于地质事实。由于地质产状和围岩蚀变对磁性参数的影响极大,在进行矿床地磁数据处理时一定要慎重,并与磁性地层学互相印证,才有可能获得有价值的磁性参数,从而为约束矿床成因提供有效证据。     

Magnetic properties related to hydrothermal alteration processes at the Escondida porphyry copper deposit,northern Chile

Fluid–rock interaction related to the circulation of hydrothermal fluids can strongly modify the physicochemical properties of wall rocks in porphyry Cu deposits. These processes can also produce compositional and textural changes in ferromagnetic minerals, which can be quantified using magnetic methods. In the Escondida porphyry Cu deposit of northern Chile, each hydrothermally altered lithology is characterized by a discrete assemblage of Fe–Ti oxide minerals. These minerals have distinctive bulk magnetic susceptibility (K _bulk), temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility, and magnetic hysteresis parameters. Selectively altered rocks (i.e., potassic and chloritic alteration types) exhibit the highest K _bulk values (>3.93?×?10^?3 SI units), and their hysteresis parameters indicate multidomain magnetic mineral behavior. This suggests that these rocks are composed of the coarsest magnetic grain sizes within the deposit. Optical analyses and susceptibility–temperature curves confirm that the magnetic signals in selectively altered rocks are mainly carried by secondary magnetite. In contrast, pervasively altered rocks (i.e., quartz-sericite and argillic alteration types) exhibit low K _bulk values (<1.93?×?10^?4 SI units) and contain smaller pseudo-single domain magnetic grain assemblages. This is consistent with the destruction and/or reduction in size of magnetite under acidic conditions. The results therefore demonstrate a genetic relationship between the hydrothermal alteration processes, Fe–Ti oxide minerals, and magnetic properties of the wall rock in the Escondida deposit. These magnetic methods can be considered a sensitive and efficient petrophysical tool for the identification and semi-quantification of alteration assemblages, and facilitating the recognition and mapping of discrete hydrothermal zones during exploration and operation of porphyry Cu deposits.     

长江、汉江沉积物磁学特征比较研究

长江和汉江现代沉积物的磁学特征分析研究结果表明：  1）长江和汉江现代沉积物中铁磁性矿物均以亚铁磁性矿物为主,它们主导了样品的磁性特征。但长江沉积物比汉江沉积物亚铁磁性矿物含量要高;  2)长江和汉江沉积物的亚铁磁性矿物晶粒都以假单畴~多畴为主。相对汉江沉积物,长江沉积物磁性颗粒总体上要比汉江的粗;   3）长江沉积物中的不完全反铁磁性矿物含量比汉江高,但不完全反铁磁性矿物对沉积物磁性参数和SIRM的贡献却比汉江的小;   4）长江上游金沙江段比长江中游（宜昌-武汉）江段沉积物中亚铁磁性矿物含量要高,且长江中游沉积物样品磁性颗粒要比长江上游的偏细,这可能与搬运距离有关;   5）长江样品的磁性参数的变化区间比汉江大,数据间的相关性也比汉江差。这可能与长江较汉江流域范围广、支流多、物源复杂有密切的关系。     

新疆柴窝堡盆地南缘晚新生代陆源沉积物岩石磁学特征及其古环境意义

亚洲内陆晚新生代干旱化历史及其驱动机制是非常重要的科学问题。选择天山北麓柴窝堡盆地南缘乌鲁木齐河剖面为研究对象,基于磁性地层年代学研究建立的时间标尺,分析了该剖面碎屑沉积物岩石磁学特征及其控制因素,进一步探讨了柴窝堡盆地晚新生代古气候特征。磁性地层年代学研究约束乌鲁木齐河剖面底界年龄为~6.8 Ma,顶界年龄为~3.3 Ma。详细的岩石磁学测量及漫反射光谱分析结果表明,乌鲁木齐河剖面沉积物中磁性矿物主要包括磁铁矿、赤铁矿等,磁学参数χ_lf、χ_ARM、SIRM、S_-100mT、S_-300mT、 χ_ARM/SIRM等在~6.3 Ma、~5.2 Ma存在明显变化,揭示磁性矿物粒度、含量等存在相应变化,如在~6.3 Ma前后,磁性矿物颗粒逐渐变粗、含量降低;在~5.2 Ma前后,磁性矿物颗粒逐渐变细后趋于稳定、含量逐渐增多。基于稀土元素分析、沉积粒度与磁学参数相关性分析,认为沉积物源与沉积物粒度不是导致乌鲁木齐河剖面磁学性质变化的主要因素,自~6.8 Ma以来逐步干旱化的气候条件可能是导致该剖面磁学特征变化的重要原因。基于漫反射光谱分析得到的红度与亮度数据结果也揭示了同样的古气候特征。     

2006年4月17日北京降尘的粒度分布与磁学特征

对2006年4月17日北京降尘的粒度和磁学性质进行深入分析,提出降尘磁化率相对黄土样品较高是现代降尘磁化率的特点,源区表土磁化率普遍较高是本次降尘磁化率值高的主要原因,污染产生的磁性物质对其也有一定的影响。同时通过对比几次降尘的粒度特征和传输方式提出粒度可以有效地指示源区的变化。结合降尘的粒度、磁化率分析与沙尘暴的监测信息和卫星云图,认为此次降尘粒度为0.8～20.0μm的组分可能是来自内蒙古西部的物质;20～70μm与>70μm的组分可能是来自距离北京较近的河北北部和内蒙古中部发生强烈沙尘暴的地区。     

中国黄土和阿拉斯加黄土磁化率气候记录的两种模式探讨

在中国和中欧黄土-古土壤研究中发现的磁化率与成壤作用(或古气候温湿程度)的正相关性已被第四纪科学家广泛认识,并应用于古气候研究中.成壤过程形成的亚铁磁性矿物被认为是古土壤磁化率增加的主要原因;然而,这一模式并不一定适用于其他黄土沉积地区,如阿拉斯加和西伯利亚黄土沉积显示了一个完全相反的磁化率行为,即在黄土层获高磁化率值而在古土壤层获低磁化率.这种相反的关系过去被解释为磁化率反映的是与风动力吹来的亚铁磁性矿物的含量,即与风速或风力大小有关.本研究发现阿拉斯加黄土与古土壤的磁性矿物性质有明显差异,不仅仅是粒径的大小,还有磁性矿物的种类即矿物相的差别.这一证据很难单纯以风力强度的大小来解释,意味着阿拉斯加古土壤的低磁化率至少部分是在成壤过程中亚铁磁性矿物发生改变(如溶解)而造成,表明阿拉斯加黄土和中国黄土的磁化率与古气候记录可能存在两种模式,即氧化和还原条件下的成土模式.黄土磁化率在不同的气候(温度湿度)条件下有着不同的对应关系:在低降水量、高蒸发量的干旱氧化成壤条件下,利于亚铁磁性矿物的生成,其磁化率与古气候的关系呈正相关,如中国和中亚黄土;在高纬高湿的还原成壤条件下,亚铁磁性矿物会被破坏被分解,其磁化率与古气候呈负相关关系,如阿拉斯加黄土.如果成壤条件在氧化和还原之间来回变换,那么就很难找到两者之间的联系.因此,将磁化率应用于古气候的重建时要加倍的小心.     

泥河湾盆地沉积物粒度组分与磁化率变化相关性研究

以泥河湾盆地郝家台剖面为例,分析沉积物粒级组分与磁化率大小变化的相关性。从厚约 12 2m的剖面选取 80 0多个样品,分别测试从 0.2～ 5 0 0 μm各个粒度区间颗粒的百分含量和质量磁化率。通过计算它们之间的相关关系,认为湖相沉积物磁化率的变化与 0.2～ 35 μm间细粒物质的含量,特别是与 0.2～ 7.5 μm区间悬浮物质的含量反相关,而与 35～ 5 0 0 μm间较粗粒物质的含量正相关。这种相关性与顶部的黄土堆积刚好相反,反映了二者之间磁化率不同的变化机制。据此可认为以外源碎屑输入为主的湖泊中,沉积物磁化率的变化主要受控于外源铁磁性矿物,它反映了湖水面的升降,蕴涵着一定的古气候信息。