K-Ar Ages of Granitic Magmatism and Related Pegmatite Formation at the Umanotani-Shiroyama Mine, Shimane Prefecture, SW Japan and Their Bearings on Cooling History

Abstract. The Umanotani-Shiroyama pegmatite deposits, the largest producer of K-feldspar and quartz in Japan, are of typical granitic pegmatite. Ilmenite-series biotite granite and granite porphyry, hosting the ore deposits, and biotites separated from these rocks yielded K-Ar ages ranging from 89.0 to 81.4 Ma and 95.2 to 93.7 Ma, respectively. Muscovite and K-feldspar separated from the ore zone yielded K-Ar ages with the range of 96.2 to 93.1 Ma and 87.3 to 80.7 Ma, respectively. Muscovites from quartz-muscovite veins in the ore zone and in the granite porphyry yielded K-Ar ages of 90.4 and 76.3 Ma, respectively. K-feldspar is much younger in age than coexisting muscovite. It is noted that the K-Ar ages of biotite separates and the whole-rock ages are identical to those of muscovite and K-feldspar in the ore zone, respectively. These time relations, as well as field occurrence, indicate that the formation of the pegmatite deposits at the Umanotani-Shiroyama mine is closely related in space and time to a series of granitic magmatism of ilmenite-series nature. Using closure temperatures of the K-Ar system for biotite and K-feldspar (microcline), cooling rate of the pegmatite deposits is estimated to be about 82C/m.y. at the beginning, but slowed down to about 15C/m.y. in the later period.     

Genesis of the Jinchuan PGE deposit, China: evidence from fluid inclusions, mineralogy and geochemistry of precious elements

Summary The Jinchuan deposit is a platinum group element (PGE)-rich sulfide deposit in China. Drilling and surface sampling show that three categories of platinum group element (PGE) mineralization occur; type I formed at magmatic temperatures, type II occurs in hydrothermally altered zones of the intrusion, and type III in sheared dunite and lherzolite. All ore types were analyzed for Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pd, Pt and Au, as well as for Cu, Ni, Co and S. Type I ore has (Pt + Pd)/(Os + Ir + Ru + Rh) ratios of <7 and relatively flat chondrite-normalized noble metal patterns; the platinum group minerals (PGM) are dominated by sperrylite and moncheite associated with chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite and pentlandite. Type II has (Pt + Pd)/(Os + Ir + Ru + Rh) ratios from 40 to 330 and noble metal distribution patterns with a positive slope; the most common PGM are sperrylite and Pd bismuthotelluride phases concentrated mostly at the margins of base metal sulfides. Type III ores have the highest (Pt + Pd)/(Os + Ir + Ru + Rh) ratios from 240 to 710; the most abundant PGM are sperrylite and phases of the Pt–Pd–Te–Bi–As–Cl system. It is concluded that the Jinchuan deposit formed as a result of primary magmatic crystallization followed by hydrothermal remobilization, transport, and deposition of the PGE.     

Impact of Changes in Redox Conditions on Leaching of Some Elements from MSW Fly Ash

Abstract. Oxidation and reduction processes can influence extent of leaching of elements from solid waste. Three samples of municipal solid waste combustion fly ash were subjected to oxidizing and reducing conditions in order to evaluate leaching of elements in the Milli-Q water and fly ash (liquid to solid ratio, 100) mixtures. Although the oxidizing and reducing conditions were applied for 6 hours only, elements like Cs, Li, Mg, Sb, Tl and V leached more under oxidizing condition than under reducing condition in the case of all three ash samples. Cadmium, Pb and Zn leached more from all samples under reducing condition than under oxidizing condition. Leaching of other elements like Al, Ba, Cr, Cu, Ni and Rb was inconsistent with oxidizing or reducing conditions and varied from sample to sample, suggesting that factors other than redox may be more important in controlling leaching of these elements. Strong acid neutralization capacity of the fly ash samples let the pH vary within a narrow range, and thus severely limited the extent of leaching during the course of the experiment. Lead and Zn were the most sensitive while K and Na were the least sensitive to changes in redox conditions.     

Temperature and pH Dependence of Some Metals Leaching from Fly Ash of Municipal Solid Waste

Abstract. Municipal solid waste combustion leads to concentration of various metals in the solid residue (fly ash) remaining after combustion. These metals pose serious environmental hazard and require proper handling and monitoring in order to control their harmful effects. Leachability of some metals from fly ash was examined in fly ash and Milli-Q water mixture (liquid-to-solid ratio, 100) under various temperature and pH conditions in the laboratory. The leaching experiments conducted for 24 hours showed that pH was generally more important than temperature in controlling the amount of metals leached out of the fly ash. However, at a given pH, rise in temperature led to different degree of (usually one to two fold) enhanced or reduced leaching of metals. Owing to amphoteric nature of oxides of Al, Cr, Pb and Zn, these metals often yielded typical pattern of increase and decrease in their concentrations with change in pH. The extent of leaching of Cr and Pb in our experiments suggests that decrease of pH to acidic range in the case of Pb and to neutral to acidic range for Cr over a long period of storage of fly ash at solid waste dumping site may facilitate leaching of these metals from fly ash, leading to contamination of groundwater to the level that exceeds beyond the level permitted by the environmental laws.     

Experimental study of the alteration process of labradorite in acid hydrothermal solutions

Labradorite was altered artificially by HC1 solution ranging from M = 1 to M = 0.003 at 245 and 230°C. The products of alteration were examined by X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, electron diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and the electron microprobe and the solution was analyzed chemically.Amorphous silica only was formed in solutions with M_HCl = 1 and M_HCl = 0.3. In a solution with M_HCl = 0.2, amorphous silica was initially formed, later dissolved and replaced by kaolinite. A mixture of microcrystalline boehmite and amorphous aluminosilicate was formed, altering to kaolinite in solutions with M_HCl = 0.1 and 0.3. Small amounts of kaolinite were initially formed but the alteration soon stopped in solution with M_HCl = 0.003. Relationships between the alteration processes and pH of the solutions can be roughly explained by using solubility diagrams assuming the congruent dissolution of labradorite and precipitation of the products in partial equilibrium. However, these assumptions are not valid with strongly acid solutions.The rate of dissolution of labradorite is controlled not only by its surface area, but also by the diffusion of matter through the layer of alteration products.     

Apatite Composition of Representative Magnetite‐series and Ilmenite‐series Granitoids in Japan

Apatites of representative magnetite‐series and ilmenite‐series granitoids were studied in the Japanese Islands. Concentrations of the volatile components F, Cl and SO₃ are differently distributed in apatites of these granitoid series. Apatites are always fluoroapatite. They have weakly higher F content in the ilmenite series than in the magnetite series. In contrast, Cl and SO₃, are significantly concentrated in apatites of the magnetite series compared to the ilmenite series. These characteristics reflect the original concentrations of these components in the host granitic magmas. A high fO₂ seems most important for the S‐concentration as sulfate in apatite of the magnetite series. REE and Y are only erratically high in the studied apatites.     

Ozone variation in the lower stratosphere and its mechanism

Seasonal variations of ozone are studied by taking into consideration both photochemical and dynamical processes. Assuming that the seasonal variations of total ozone amounts are linear combinations of photochemical equilibrium variations and those due to atmospheric motions, the observed variations of the total ozone amount seem reasonably to be explained.The concept mentioned above implies that the time scale of ozone might be rather short in the lower stratosphere. The order of the half restoration time was estimated to be 10 to 10² days in the lower stratosphere. Thus the estimated time scale of ozone must be somewhat longer than that of the temperature in the lower stratosphere, of which variation usually shows its maximum in the midwinter in middle latitudes, while that of ozone shows its maximum in the late winter or early spring. As the maximum values of both quantities would appear in the early summer without air motions, the similarity in the phase differences of temperature and ozone suggests the validity of the concept of this paper.     

Otolith Microstructure Analysis Reveals Different Growth Histories of Japanese Sardine (Sardinops melanostictus) in the Oyashio Waters

After decades of low year classes,the stock of Japanese sardine(Sardinops melanostictus)has begun to recover since the mid-2000s.The hatch dates and otolith growth rates of age-0 juvenile sardine,which were collected in the subarctic Oyashio waters in autumn 2018,were determined from an otolith microstructure analysis.The sardines were hatched from late January to late April,while mostly in February and March.The otolith growth rate increased continuously up to 60 d after hatching and thereafter de-creased.The revealed growth rate in a crucial growth period is faster than that reported for juvenile sardines collected in the 1990s,which is coincided with the recent recovery trend of the sardine stock.Two groups with different hatch dates,growth histories,and migration routes were identified using unsupervised random forest clustering analysis.They were considered inshore and offshore migration individuals in accordance with recent researches.In the offshore group,a high proportion of sardine juveniles hatched late and grew faster in the Kuroshio-Oyashio transitional waters,a finding consistent with the hypothesis of growth-rate-dependent re-cruitment.This finding on the population composition and growth rate of juvenile sardine in the Oyashio waters can be a basis for an improved prediction of their survival and provides us with valuable information on the recruitment processes of this stock during the period of stock recovery.     

REE Abundance and REE Minerals in Granitic Rocks in the Nanling Range,Jiangxi Province,Southern China,and Generation of the REE‐rich Weathered Crust Deposits

Studies of Mesozoic granites associated with rare earth element (REE)‐rich weathered crust deposits in southernmost Jiangxi Province indicate that they have high‐K to shoshonite compositions and belong to ilmenite‐series I‐type granites. Of the studied rocks at 59–292 ppm of bulk REE content, the highest are seen in the biotite granites of Dingnan (358, 429 ppm) and mafic biotite granite of the Wuliting Granite (344 ppm) near the Dajishan tungsten mine, both areas where weathered‐crust REE deposits occur. REE‐bearing accessory minerals in these granites are mainly zircon, apatite and allanite, and REE‐fluorocarbonates are common. REE enrichment occurs in the rims of apatite crystals, and in fluorocarbonates that occur along grain boundaries of and cracks in major silicate minerals, and in fluorocarbonates that replaced altered biotite. It is therefore thought that a major part of the REE content of these granites was concentrated during deuteric activity, rather than during magmatic crystallization. The crack‐filling REE‐fluorocarbonates could subsequently have been easily leached out and deposited in weathered crust developed during a long period of exposure.