Geochemistry Commons^™

Geochemical Characteristics Of Laterites: The Ailibaltalu Deposit, Iran, Ali Abedini, Ali Asghar Calagari, Khadijeh Mikaeili

Bulletin of the Mineral Research and Exploration

Alibaltalu laterite deposit is located ~20 km northeast of Shahindezh, south of West-Azarbaidjan
province (NW of Iran). This deposit is developed as stratiform lenses along the boundary of
Elika dolomites (Triassic) and Shemshak sandstones (Jurassic). The distribution fashion of
minerals such as boehmite, diaspore, kaolinite, muscovite-illite, rutile, anatase, hematite and
goethite in this deposit was accompanied by the development of four types of ore facies: (1)
ferrite; (2) laterite; (3) bauxitic kaolinite; and (4) kaolinitic bauxite. Petrographically, the ores
show conglomeratic, rounded-granular, veinlet, colloform, pelitomorphic, pseudo-porphyritic,
nodular, and spongy textures. Comparison of distribution pattern of elements along a selective
profile …

Trace/Heavy Metal Accumulation In Soil And In The Shoots Of Acacia Tree, Gümüfihane-Turkey, Alaaddin Vural

Bulletin of the Mineral Research and Exploration

In this study, heavy metal/trace element accumulation was investigated in soils along the
road passing through Gümüshane city center and shoots of 1-2 years of acacia trees
(Robiniapseudoacacia L.) grown in these soils. Heavy metal contents in soils and plants
were analyzed by Enrichment Factor (EF), Geo-accumulation index (Igeo) parameters,
and by Bio Accumulation Factor (BAF), respectively. According to geo-accumulation
index (Igeo) data, it is seen that the soil was unpolluted in terms of Cr, Co, Cu, Rb, Sr;
unpolluted to moderately polluted in terms of V, Ni and Zn; moderate to excessively
polluted in terms of As, and moderate …

The Evolution Of Respiratory O2/No Reductases: An Out-Of-The-Phylogenetic-Box Perspective, Anne-Lise Ducluzeau, Barbara Schoepp-Cothenet, Robert Van Lis, Frauke Baymann, Michael J. Russell, Wilfgang Nitschke

Department of Biochemistry: Faculty Publications

Complex life on our planet crucially depends on strong redox disequilibria afforded by the almost ubiquitous presence of highly oxidizing molecular oxygen. However, the history of O₂-levels in the atmosphere is complex and prior to the Great Oxidation Event some 2.3 billion years ago, the amount of O₂ in the biosphere is considered to have been extremely low as compared with present-day values. Therefore the evolutionary histories of life and of O₂-levels are likely intricately intertwined. The obvious biological proxy for inferring the impact of changing O₂-levels on life is the evolutionary history …

Contact Zone Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of The Mt. Mica Pegmatite, Oxford County, Maine, Kimberly T. Clark

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

This study focuses on exocontact mineral assemblages to determine composition, thermal signatures, and the extent of exomorphism that occurred between the Mt. Mica pegmatite and the migmatite host rock at the contact. Biotite-garnet thermometry of country rock samples resulted in an average temperature estimate of 630 °C. Measured biotite Fe/(Fe+Mg) ratios were used to calculate an fO2 of -18. The results indicate that the country rock and pegmatite formed under similar oxidizing conditions near the quartz-fayalite-magnetite (QFM) equilibria buffer. Whole rock (REE) analysis indicates an interaction trend between the country rock and pegmatite. Exomorphism does not appear to have …

Mineralogy And Geochemistry Of The Erongo Granite And Interior Quartz-Tourmaline Orbicules And Nyf-Type Miarolitic Pegmatites, Namibia, Andrew P. Boudreaux

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

The early Cretaceous anorogenic Erongo Granite of Namibia is known to host abundant boron mineralization in rounded, quartz-tourmaline clusters and in NYF-type miarolitic, pegmatitic cavities. Rock and mineral samples were taken from the bulk granite, tourmaline nests, and miarolitic cavities and analyzed using a variety of modern analytical techniques. Geochemical and mineralogical data suggest substantial input from the metasedimentary rocks of the Damara orogen was important in the genesis of the Erongo Granite magma. The geochemical signature of the Damara orogen is most evident in the tourmaline clusters and miarolitic cavities, where fractional crystallization accumulated volatile and incompatible elements enough …

Geochemistry, Mineralogy And Evolution Of Mica And Feldspar From Within The Mount Mica Pegmatite, Maine, Usa, Karen L. Marchal

University of New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Mount Mica is a poorly zoned sodic LCT-type pegmatite consisting dominantly of quartz, albite and muscovite in the outer portions. Potassium feldspar and lepidolite are restricted to the core zone. Micas in the wall zone are chemically homogeneous, but abruptly evolve into higher Cs + Rb bearing lithian muscovites and lepidolites in the core zone. The abrupt increase of the Cs, Rb in K-feldspar, and Cs, Rb and F in muscovite, and lepidolite combined with the occurrence of highly evolved species lepidolite, pollucite, elbaite, beryl and spodumene in the core zone suggests that incompatible elements were retained in residual …

Pore Water Extraction For Unsaturated Zone Isotope Research: An Investigation Using An Immiscible Displacement Fluid And A Centrifuge, Caitlin Burnett Weaver

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Accurate and reliable pore water extraction techniques are important to an array of scientific fields including, but not limited to, hydrogeology, soil science, and paleoenvironmental research. The aim of the current project is to test the applicability of an immiscible displacement extraction technique for stable isotopes of water under a range of textural, hydrologic, and chemical conditions. In this study, laboratory experiments were conducted to establish the extent to which the proposed method 1) achieves sufficient yield for laboratory isotopic analyses, 2) results in isotopic exchange between water and the displacement fluid, 3) conserves initial isotopic compositions of spike test …

Gastrointestinal Microbial Diversity And Diagenetic Alteration Of Bone From The American Alligator (Alligator Mississippiensis), Sarah Wheeler Keenan

Doctoral Dissertations

One of the most challenging questions in paleobiology is how bone transforms from a living tissue into a fossil. In life, the gastrointestinal tract microbiome of an animal promotes host health. But, in death, these microbial communities, as well as soil communities, begin to degrade tissue, including bones. Using the American alligator from coastal wetland habitats as a model system, the gastrointestinal tract microbiome was found to contain microbial communities consisting of Fusobacteria, Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes, with variations based on tissue type along the length of the digestive tract. The overall dominance of Fusobacteria is distinct from any other …

Microbe-Mineral Relationships And Biogenic Mineral Transformations In Actively Venting Deep-Sea Hydrothermal Sulfide Chimneys, Tzihsuan J. Lin

TZIHSUAN J LIN

This dissertation uses a combination of microbiology, mineralogy, and geochemistry to understand dissimilatory iron reduction in hyperthermophilic archaea and the role and potential impact of these and other vent microorganisms within active deep-sea hydrothermal vent chimneys. The central objective of the dissertation is to determine if mineral composition and chimney type are among the primary determinants of microbial community composition and hyperthermophilic, dissimilatory iron reducer growth, in addition to other environmental factors such as nutrient availability, temperature, pH, and chlorinity. This is done using samples and organisms collected from the Endeavour Segment of the Juan de Fuca Ridge in the …

Modern To Late Pleistocene Stable Isotope Climatology Of Alaska, Alison Sloat

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Understanding modern controls on climate is necessary to interpret past climatic conditions. This project investigated the modern controls on δ18O and δD values in Alaskan surface waters to interpret the controls on Late Pleistocene climate variability. ArcGIS was used to develop an isoscape of modern δ18O and δD values of over 400 surface water samples collected across Alaska and the Yukon. It was found that winter temperature and precipitation have the greatest controls on δ18O and δD values in Alaska, resulting in high δ18O values along the coast of the Gulf of Alaska and low values inland toward Central Alaska. …

Geochemical And Stratigraphic Analysis Of The Linnévatnet Sediment Record: A Study Of Late Holocene Cirque Glacier Activity In Spitsbergen, Svalbard, Graham Harper Edwards

Honors Projects

Morainal and lacustrine sediments in Linnédalen, Spitsbergen, Svalbard, record the fluctuations of a glacier in a currently unglaciated mountain cirque during the Little Ice Age (LIA). This study attempts to reconstruct Late Holocene glacial activity within this cirque from geochemical, physical, and visual stratigraphic variation of the Linnévatnet lacustrine sediment record. A 57 cm lacustrine sediment core (D10.5) from Linnévatnet was analyzed at a high-resolution for variations in X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF)-measured elemental composition, spectral reflectance, and magnetic susceptibility. The visual stratigraphy was observed at a microscopic scale. An age-depth model for D10.5 is developed by extrapolating sedimentation rates from dated …

Impacts Of Carbonate Mineral Weathering On Hydrochemistry Of The Upper Green River Basin, Kentucky, Laura Leigh Osterhoudt

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Kentucky’s Upper Green River Basin has received significant attention due to the area’s high biodiversity and spectacular karst development. While carbonate bedrock is present throughout the watershed, it is more extensive and homogenous along the river between Greensburg and Munfordville than upstream from Greensburg where the geology is more heterogeneous. This research quantitatively evaluated how lithological differences between the two catchment areas impact hydrochemistry and inorganic carbon cycling. This first required correcting catchment boundaries on previous US Geological Survey Hydrologic Unit Maps to account for areas where the boundaries cross sinkhole plains. Basin boundaries using existing Kentucky Division of Water …

Geologic Factors Affecting Hydrocarbon Occurrence In Paleovalleys Of The Mississippian-Pennsylvanian Unconformity In The Illinois Basin, Jeremy Taylor London

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Paleovalleys associated with the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian unconformity have been identified as potential targets for hydrocarbon exploration in the Illinois Basin. Though there is little literature addressing the geologic factors controlling hydrocarbon accumulation in sub-Pennsylvanian paleovalleys basin-wide, much work has been done to identify the Mississippian-Pennsylvanian unconformity, characterize the Chesterian and basal Pennsylvanian lithology, map the sub-Pennsylvanian paleogeology and delineate the pre-Pennsylvanian paleovalleys in the Illinois Basin. This study uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to determine the geologic factors controlling the distribution of hydrocarbon-bearing sub-Pennsylvanian paleovalley fill in the Illinois Basin. A methodology was developed to identify densely-drilled areas without associated petroleum …

The Effect Of Single Crystal Elastic And Plastic Anisotropy On Stress And Strain Heterogeneity: Comparison Of Olivine To Other Common Minerals, Christopher Joseph Cline Ii

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

In order to investigate the influence of single crystal elastic anisotropy on the heterogeneity of stress distributions during polycrystalline deformation multiple deformed crystalline materials were analyzed using electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD). Deformation experiments were conducted on samples of Solnhofen limestone using a modified Griggs piston cylinder apparatus at UNLV, and also on San Carlos olivine using the D-DIA multi-anvil press at the National Synchrotron Light Source beamline X17B2. Analysis of the mechanical twins in deformed calcite and kink bands in olivine help elucidate deviations in local stress directions away from that of the applied macroscopic stress. Combined calculated compression directions …

Linking Mineral Deposits To Speleogenetic Processes In Cova Des Pas De Vallgornera (Mallorca, Spain), Bogdan P. Onac, Joan J. Fornós, Antoni Merino, Joaquín Ginés, Jacqueline Diehl

International Journal of Speleology

Cova des Pas de Vallgornera (CPV) is the premier cave of the Balearic Archipelago. Over 74 km of passages develop within two carbonate lithofacies (reef front and back reef), which ultimately control the patterns of the cave and to some degree its mineral infilling. The diversity of speleothem-forming minerals is four times greater around or within hypogene-related features (vents, rims, cupolas), compared to any other vadose passages in the cave. The mineralogy of speleothems (crusts, nodules, crystals, earthy masses) associated with hypogene features in the seaward upper maze of Sector F is characterized by the presence of aragonite, ankerite, huntite, …

Groundwater Geochemistry Observations In Littoral Caves Of Mallorca (Western Mediterranean): Implications For Deposition Of Phreatic Overgrowths On Speleothems, Liana M. Boop, Bogdan P. Onac, Jonathan G. Wynn, Joan J. Fornós, Marta Rodríguez-Homar, Antoni Merino

International Journal of Speleology

Phreatic overgrowths on speleothems (POS) precipitate at the air-water interface in the littoral caves of Mallorca, Spain. Mainly composed of calcite, aragonite POS are also observed in specific locations. To characterize the geochemical environment of the brackish upper water column, water samples and salinity values were collected from water profiles (0-2.9 m) in April 2012 and March 2013 near aragonite POS in Cova des Pas de Vallgornera and calcite POS in Coves del Drac (hereafter, Vallgornera and Drac). Degassing of CO₂ from the water was evidenced by the existence of lower dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration and enriched δ …

Investigating Telogenetic Karst Aquifer Processes And Evolution In South-Central Kentucky, U.S., Using High-Resolution Storm Hydrology And Geochemistry Monitoring, Nicholas Lawhon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Recent studies have investigated the hydrological and geochemical characteristics of karst aquifers in different settings; however, telogenetic karst aquifer processes remain poorly understood. In south-central Kentucky, the iconic Lost River Cave and Valley represents a large, complex telogenetic karst drainage basin with a series of discharge points along a collapsed section of the cave. Two Campbell Scientific® CR1000 automated dataloggers were installed at Blue Hole Four, a primary discharge point of the Lost River Karst Aquifer (LRKA). These dataloggers recorded spring discharge, water temperature, specific conductance (SpC), and pH at ten-minute intervals from January to November, 2013. During the year, …

Response Of Benthic Foraminifera To Ocean Acidification And Impact On Florida's Carbonate Sediment Production, Paul O. Knorr

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Increasing concentrations of atmospheric CO2 are in dynamic equilibrium with the oceans. The absorption of CO2 by seawater causes a decrease in seawater pH and calcite saturation state (SS). This process, termed ocean acidification, exerts deleterious effects on marine calcifiers. Studies of symbiont-bearing large benthic foraminifera (LBF) have reported a generally unfavorable response to increased concentrations of carbon dioxide ([CO2]).

Experiments and analyses were undertaken to examine the effect of increased [CO2] on the growth rate, ultrastructure, stable isotopes of carbon and oxygen, as well as Mg/Ca of the high-Mg miliolid Archaias angulatus and the low-Mg rotalid Amphistegina gibbosa. A …

Shear Zone Influence On The Emplacement Of A Giant Pegmatite: The Whabouchi Lithium Pegmatite, Quebec,Canada, Laurisha Bynoe

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

The Whabouchi pegmatite is within a transpressional high-strain zone of a metamorphosed volcano-sedimentary belt. A well-developed subvertical transposition foliation and a subvertical stretching lineation are present in this zone. The main body of the Whabouchi pegmatite is parallel to the transposition foliation and branching veinlets from this body have been folded and boudinaged by shear zone deformation. Thus suggesting that the Whabouchi pegmatite intruded syn-kinematically during the deformation of the shear zone. Previously, the Whabouchi pegmatite gave a zircon age of 2577 + 14Ma. The Whabouchi pegmatite is linked geochemically and geochronologically to a large pegmatite body to the south …

Are You Getting What You Paid For? A Case Study In Forensic Geochemistry, Abdelmawgoud Mohammed, R. V . Krishnamurthy

Research and Creative Activities Poster Day

Introduction

Isotopes are atoms of the same element that differ in atomic mass due to different number of neutrons in the nucleus. Some isotopes are stable isotopes and others are unstable, or radioactive, isotopes. Stable isotopes maintain constant concentrations in the environment over time. Unstable isotopes continue to decay into daughter elements. Stable isotopes of oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, sulfur, and nitrogen are the most commonly used in environmental and ecological research.

Forensic geochemistry is a relatively new discipline that uses chemical and isotopic markers to solve problems of forensic interest. These include fingerprinting oil spills, food adulteration and forgery in …