Petrography

About: Petrography is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 7449 publications have been published within this topic receiving 102018 citations.

Agents of low temperature ocean crust alteration

Abstract: δ18O and87Sr/86Sr isotopic data from smectites, calcites, and whole rocks, together with published isotopic age determinations, alkali element concentration data and petrographic observations suggest a sequential model of ocean floor alteration. The early stage lasts about 3 m.y. and is characterized by palagonite and smectite formation, and solutions with a large basaltic component, increasing with temperature which varies from 15° to 80° C at DSDP site 418A. Most carbonates are depositedafter this stage from solutions with a negligible basaltic Sr component and temperatures of 15° to 40° C. Water of seawater Sr and O isotopic composition is shown to percolate to at least 500 m into the basaltic basement. No evidence was found for continuing exchange of strontium or oxygen after 3 m.y.

Variability of the engineering properties of rock masses quantified by the geological strength index: the case of ophiolites with special emphasis on tunnelling

Abstract: The paper presents a quantitative description, using the Geological Strength Index (GSI), of the rock masses within an ophiolitic complex including types with large variability due to their range of petrography, tectonic deformation and alteration. This description allows the estimation of the range of rock mass properties and the understanding of the dramatic changes in behaviour which can occur during tunnelling, from stable conditions to severe squeezing within the same formation at the same depth. The paper presents the geological model in which the ophiolitic complexes develop, their various petrographic types and their tectonic deformation, mainly due to overthrusts. The structure of the various rock masses includes all types from massive strong to sheared weak, while the conditions of discontinuities are in most cases fair to poor or very poor due to the fact that they are affected by serpentinisation and shearing. Serpentinisation also affects the initial intact rock itself, reducing its strength. Associated pillow lavas and tectonic melanges are also characterised. Based on the GSI, a classification of the behaviour in terms of tunnelling is presented, including stable conditions, structural instability, mild overstressing, stress dependant instability, squeezing and ravelling.

Heavy Minerals for Junior Woodchucks

Abstract: In the last two centuries, since the dawn of modern geology, heavy minerals have been used to investigate sediment provenance and for many other scientific or practical applications. Not always, however, with the correct approach. Difficulties are diverse, not just technical and related to the identification of tiny grains, but also procedural and conceptual. Even the definition of “heavy minerals” is elusive, and possibly impossible. Sampling is critical. In many environments (e.g., beaches), both absolute and relative heavy mineral abundances invariably increase or decrease locally to different degrees owing to hydraulic-sorting processes, so that samples close to "neutral composition" are hard to obtain. Several widely shared opinions are misleading. Choosing a narrow size-window for analysis leads to increased bias, not to increased accuracy or precision. Only point-counting provides real volume percentages, whereas grain-counting distorts results in favor of smaller minerals. This paper also briefly reviews the heavy mineral associations typically found in diverse plate-tectonic settings. A mineralogical assemblage, however, only reproduces the mineralogy of source rocks, which does not correlate univocally with the geodynamic setting in which those source rocks were formed and assembled. Moreover, it is affected by environmental bias, and by diagenetic bias on top in the case of ancient sandstones. One fruitful way to extract information on both provenance and sedimentological processes is to look for anomalies in mineralogical–textural relationships (e.g., denser minerals bigger than lower-density minerals; harder minerals better rounded than softer minerals; less durable minerals increasing with stratal age and stratigraphic depth). To minimize mistakes, it is necessary to invariably combine heavy mineral investigations with the petrographic analysis of bulk sand. Analysis of thin sections allows us to see also those source rocks that do not shed significant amounts of heavy minerals, such as limestone or granite, and helps us to assess heavy mineral concentration, the “outer” message carrying the key to decipher the “inner message” contained in the heavy mineral suite. The task becomes thorny indeed when dealing with samples with strong diagenetic overprint, which is, unfortunately, the case of most ancient sandstones. Diagenesis is the Moloch that devours all grains that are not chemically resistant, leaving a meager residue difficult or even impossible to interpret when diagenetic effects accumulate through multiple sedimentary cycles. We have conceived this friendly little handbook to help the student facing these problems, hoping that it may serve the purpose.

Chemical differentiation of the Cordillera Paine granite (southern Chile) by in situ fractional crystallization

Abstract: Geochemical and field data for the Cordillera Paine (CP) pluton of southern Chile, indicate that differentiation took place by closed system in situ fractional crystallization. Minor, local and irregular separation of liquids from crystals led to the formation of evolved granites and aplites which are encountered mostly at the plutons roof and margins. Chemical trends show strong depletions of Sr, Ba, Mg less intense depletions of Ca, La, Ce, Nd, Fe, Ti, Al and enrichment of Nb, Y, Th, Rb and Si with differentiation. Pronounced crystal zoning of Ca, Sr and Ba in plagioclase, Ba in orthoclase and LREE, Y and Th in allanite closely correspond to the whole rock chemical variation. The crystal zoning data suggest that surface equilibrium only was maintained for the zoned elements during crystallization. Thus, continuous separation of liquids from crystals was not necessary to generate the kind highly evolved differentiates whose character reflects fractional crystallization. The schedule of liquid-crystal separation affects mainly the location, degree of dispersion and relative abundance of the differentiates. The homogeneity of the CP pluton and the intense crystal zoning suggest that crystal-liquid separation was inefficient, and that whole rock compositions approach liquid compositions. Assumption of a closed system during crystallization allows estimation of mineral/melt partition coefficients (K d s) using crystal core and whole rock compositions. Crystal zoning and whole rock chemical trends are consistent with models constructed using the K d s thus obtained along with modal abundances from petrographic estimates.

Evaluation of multispectral middle infrared aircraft images for lithologic mapping in the East Tintic Mountains, Utah

Abstract: Six channels of multispectral middle infrared (8 to 14 micron) aircraft scanner data were acquired over the East Tintic mining district, Utah. This area has high relief and moderate vegetation and consists mainly of Tertiary silicic igneous rocks and Paleozoic quartzite and carbonate rocks that have been locally hydrothermally altered. These digital-image data were computer processed to create a color-composite image based on principal component transformations. Color differences in this image are related to the spectral differences in the surface material and allow discrimination of several rock types, depending primarily on their silica content. When combined with a visible and near infrared color-composite image from a previous flight, with limited field checking, it is possible to discriminate quartzite, carbonate rocks, quartz latitic and quartz monzonitic rocks, latitic and monzonitic rocks, silicified altered rocks, argillized altered rocks, and vegetation.