The use of mineral interfaces in sand-sized volcanic rock fragments to infer mechanical durability

The use of mineral interfaces, in sand-sized rock fragments, to infer the influence exerted by mechanical durability on the generation of siliciclastic sediments, has been determined for plutoniclastic sand. Conversely, for volcaniclastic sand, it has received much less attention, and, to our knowledge, this is the first attempt to make use of the volcaniclastic interfacial modal mineralogy of epiclastic sandy fragments, to infer mechanical durability control at a modern beach environment. Volcaniclastic sand was collected along five beaches developed on five islands, of the southern Tyrrhenian Sea(Alicudi, Filicudi, Salina, Panarea and Stromboli) from the Aeolian Archipelago, and one sample was collected near the Stromboli Island volcanic crater. Each sample was sieved and thin sectioned for petrographic analysis. The modal mineralogy of the very coarse, coarse and medium sand fractions was determined by point-counting of the interfacial boundaries discriminating 36 types of interfaces categories, both no-isomineralic and/or no iso-structural(e.g., phenocrystal/glassy groundmass or phenocrystal/microlitic groundmass boundaries) and iso-mineralic interfaces, inside volcanic lithic grains with lathwork and porphyric textures. A total of 47,386 interfacial boundaries have been counted and, the most representative series of interfaces, from the highest to the lowest preservation, can be grouped as: a) ultrastable interfaces, categorized as Pl(Plagioclase)/Glgr(Glassy groundmass) > > Px(Pyroxene)/Glgr > > Ol(Olivine)/Glgr > > Op(Opaque)/Glgr > > Hbl(Hornblende)/Glgr> > Bt(Biotite)/Glgr > > Idd(Iddingsite)/Glgr > > Rt(Rutile)/Glgr;b) stable interfaces, categorized as Pl/Migr(Microlitic groundmass) > > Op/Migr > > Px/Migr > > Ol/Migr;c) moderately stable interfaces, categorized as Op/Px > > Op/Hbl > > Px/P > > Ol/Pl> > Bt/Op;and d) unstable interfaces, categorized as Pl/Pl > > Px/Px > > Ol/Ol > >Op/Op > > Hbl/Hbl > > Bt/Bt. Grains, eroded from the volcanic bedrock, if affected solely by abrasion, developed a rounded and smoothed form, with prevailing no-isostructural interfaces such as Plagioclase/Glassy groundmass,Pyroxene/Glassy groundmass and Olivine/Glassy groundmass interfaces. Grains that during transport suffered fracturing and percussion have a sharp and angular form: these combined transport mechanisms produce mainly volcanic sandy grains with iso-structural interfaces, such as Pl/Pl, Px/Px, Hbl/Hbl, and, to a lesser extent, Bt/Op and Bt/Glgr interfaces.

Mineralization and Ore-controlling Implications of Low-angle Faults

Abstract Low-angle faults include those occurring in thrust-nappe structures in a compressive setting and the detachment of metamorphic core complexes in an extensional setting. All low-angle faults have their own particularities. The low-angle fault plays an important role in controlling over some endogenetic metallic ore deposits. Based on studies of the Xiaoban gold deposit, Xinzhou gold deposit, and Longfengchang polymetallic ore deposit, and comparisons with other mines, the authors conclude the ore-controlling implications of low-angle faults as follows. (1) Because of high temperature and high pressure, as well as strong ductile deformation, the internal energy of the elements rises in the large-scale deep ductile low-angle faults, which causes the elements to activate and differentiate from the source rocks, forming ore-bearing hydrothermal solution, and bring mineralization to happen. (2) When rising from depths and flowing along the low-angle faults, the ore-bearing hydrothermal solution will alter and replace the tectonites in the fault zone. The rocks of the hanging side and the heading side differ in lithology, texture and structure, which results in changes or dissimilarities of the physical-chemical conditions. This destroys the balance of the hydrothermal solution system and causes the dissolved ore-forming elements to precipitate; as a result, a deposit is formed. Therefore, the meso-shallow ductile-brittle low-angle faults play the role of a geochemical interface in the process of mineralization. (3) Low-angle faults are often one of the important host structures.