Journal ArticleDOI
Water Content of Opal-A: Implications for the Origin of Laminae in Geyserite and Sinter
Brian Jones,Robin W. Renaut +1 more
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In this paper, the authors show that the compositional heterogeneity in the opal-A, as highlighted by BSEI, must reflect variation in the water content of opal A.Abstract:
Sinter and geyserite, formed largely of amorphous opaline silica (opal-A), precipitate at many hot-spring and geyser systems like those found on the North Island of New Zealand. Opal-A is a hydrated silicon dioxide (SiO2.n H2O) that may contain silanols, trapped water, and/or absorbed water. Little is known about the factors that control the distribution of water (H2O + OH) in sinter and geyserite. Backscattered electron images (BSEI) of geyserite and sinter commonly reveal sectors and/or alternating laminae that are characterized by differences in their average atomic weights. Electron microprobe (EMP) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) analyses, however, show that differences in the average atomic weights cannot be attributed to the presence of other elements (e.g., Au, Ag) or minerals (e.g., sulfur, kaolinite, jarosite). The compositional heterogeneity in the opal-A, as highlighted by BSEI, must reflect variation in the water content of the opal-A. Integration of BSEI and EMP analyses for Si and O shows that opal-A contains "excess" O that must be bound into the H2O and OH. The excess O can be used a proxy for the total water (H2O + OH) content of the opal-A that forms geyserite and sinter. Geyserite and sinter from the Whakarewarewa geothermal area is formed of "dry" opal (average 5-6 wt % H2O + OH) and "wet" opal (average 12-13 wt % H2O + OH). Interpretation, based largely on the distribution of these different types of opal in the geyserite and sinter, suggests that the "wet" opal forms as a result of rapid precipitation whereas the "dry" opal forms as a result of slower precipitation. Such information must be integrated into any model that attempts to explain the evolution of geyserite and sinter deposits.read more
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The “chessboard” classification scheme of mineral deposits: Mineralogy and geology from aluminum to zirconium
TL;DR: In this article, the authors used the concept of a "chessboard" to classify mineral resources in the mixtum compositum of all geoscientific disciplines focused on one goal, finding new mineral depsosits and enhancing their exploitation.
Journal ArticleDOI
Quantification of initial steps of nucleation and growth of silica nanoparticles: An in-situ SAXS and DLS study
TL;DR: In this article, the initial steps of silica polymerization and silica nanoparticle formation were studied in-situ and in real-time using time-resolved synchrotron-based Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) and conventional dynamic light scattering (DLS) combined with scanning and (cryo)-transmission electron microscopy (SEM/cryo-TEM).
Journal ArticleDOI
Mercury isotopic composition of hydrothermal systems in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field and Guaymas Basin sea-floor rift
Laura S. Sherman,Joel D. Blum,D. K. Nordstrom,R. B. McCleskey,Tamar Barkay,Costantino Vetriani +5 more
TL;DR: In this article, fluid and precipitate samples from hot springs in the Yellowstone Plateau volcanic field and vent chimney samples from the Guaymas Basin sea-floor rift were analyzed to characterize mercury isotopes and isotopic fractionation in hydrothermal systems.
Journal ArticleDOI
Hot spring and geyser sinters: the integrated product of precipitation, replacement, and deposition
Brian Jones,Robin W. Renaut +1 more
TL;DR: Complex ornate sinter deposits are found in many hot spring and geysers systems throughout the world, including those located in the Taupo Volcanic Zone on the North Island of New Zealand.
Journal ArticleDOI
Diagenesis, sediment strength, and pore collapse in sediment approaching the Nankai Trough subduction zone
Glenn A. Spinelli,Peter S. Mozley,Harold Tobin,Michael B. Underwood,Nicole W. Hoffman,Glen M. Bellew +5 more
TL;DR: In this paper, a minor amount of opal cement inhibits consolidation of sediment approaching the Nankai Trough subduction zone at Ocean Drilling Program Sites 1173 and 1177.
References
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Journal ArticleDOI
The nature of opal I. nomenclature and constituent phases
J. B. Jones,E. R. Segnit +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the X-ray diffraction pattern was used to classify hydrous silicas into three structural groups: well-ordered α-cristobalite, opal-CT and highly disordered, near amorphous opal.
Journal ArticleDOI
Light transmission in quasiperiodic multilayers of porous silicon
TL;DR: In this article, a photonic model for quasiperiodic multilayer structures, which are built experimentally by alternating porous silicon layers with high and low refractive indices, is presented.
Journal ArticleDOI
Amorphous silica solubility and the thermodynamic properties of H4SiO°4 in the range of 0° to 350°C at Psat
TL;DR: In this paper, a temperature equation describing amorphous silica solubility was obtained for the reaction SiO2,s + 2H2O = H4SiO°4.