Experimental investigation of the inhibition of deep-sea mining sediment plumes by polyaluminum chloride

Deep-sea sediment disturbance may occur when collecting polymetallic nodules,resulting in the creation of plumes that could have a negative impact on the ecological environment.This study aims to investigate the potential solution of using polyaluminum chloride(PAC)in the water jet.The effects of PAC are examined through a self-designed simulation system for deep-sea polymetallic nodule collection and sediment samples from a potential deep-sea mining area.The experimental results showed that the optimal PAC dose was found to be 0.75 g/L.Compared with the test conditions without the addition of PAC,the presence of PAC leads to a reduction in volume,lower characteristic turbidity,smaller diffusion velocity,and shorter settling time of the plume.This indicates that PAC inhibits the entire development process of the plume.The addition of PAC leads to the flocculation of mm-sized particles,resulting in the formation of cm-sized flocs.The flocculation of particles decreases the rate of erosion on the seabed by around 30%.This reduction in erosion helps to decrease the formation of plumes.Additionally,when the size of suspended particles increases,it reduces the scale at which they diffuse.Furthermore,the settling velocity of flocs(around 10^(-2) m/s)is much higher that of compared to sediment particles(around 10^(-5) m/s),which effectively reduces the amount of time the plume remains in suspension.

Automatic segmentation of gas plumes from multibeam water column images using a U-shape network

Cold seeps are widely developed on the seabed of continental margins and can form gas plumes due to the upward migration of methane-rich fluids.The detection and automatic segmentation of gas plumes are of great significance in locating and studying the cold seep system that is usually accompanied by hydrate layers in the subsurface.A multibeam echo-sounder system(MBES)can record the complete backscatter intensity of the water column,and it is one of the most effective means for detecting cold seeps.However,the gas plumes recorded in multibeam water column images(WCI)are usually blurred due to the interference of the complicated water environment and the sidelobes of the MBES,making it difficult to obtain the effective segmentation.Therefore,based on the existing UNet semantic segmentation network,this paper proposes an AP-UNet network combining the convolutional block attention module and the pyramid pooling module for the automatic segmentation and extraction of gas plumes.Comparative experiments are conducted among three traditional segmentation methods and two deep learning methods.The results show that the AP-UNet segmentation model can effectively suppress complicated water column noise interference.The segmentation precision,the Dice coefficient,and the recall rate of this model are 92.09%,92.00%,and 92.49%,respectively,which are 1.17%,2.10%,and 2.07%higher than the results of the UNet.

Quantitative estimation of bubble volume fraction of submarine seep plumes by modeling seismic oceanography data

Submarine seep plumes are a natural phenomenon in which different types of gases migrate through deep or shallow subsurface sediments and leak into seawater in pressure gradient.When detected using acoustic data,the leaked gases frequently exhibit a flame-like structure.We numerically modelled the relationship between the seismic response characteristic and bubble volume fraction to establish the bubble volume fraction in the submarine seep plume.Results show that our models are able to invert and predict the bubble volume fraction from field seismic oceanography data,by which synthetic seismic sections in different dominant frequencies could be numerically simulated,seismic attribute sections(e.g.,instantaneous amplitude,instantaneous frequency,and instantaneous phase)extracted,and the correlation between the seismic attributes and bubble volume fraction be quantitatively determined with functional equations.The instantaneous amplitude is positively correlated with bubble volume fraction,while the instantaneous frequency and bubble volume fraction are negatively correlated.In addition,information entropy is introduced as a proxy to quantify the relationship between the instantaneous phase and bubble volume fraction.As the bubble volume fraction increases,the information entropy of the instantaneous phase increases rapidly at the beginning,followed by a slight upward trend,and finally stabilizes.Therefore,under optimal noise conditions,the bubble volume fraction of submarine seep plumes can be inverted and predicted based on seismic response characteristics in terms of seismic attributes.

Cold plumes trigger contamination of oceanic mantle wedges with continental crust-derived sediments:Evidence from chromitite zircon grains of eastern Cuban ophiolites

The origin of zircon grains, and other exotic minerals of typical crustal origin, in mantle-hosted ophiolitic chromitites are hotly debated. We report a population of zircon grains with ages ranging from Cretaceous(99 Ma) to Neoarchean(2750 Ma), separated from massive chromitite bodies hosted in the mantle section of the supra-subduction(SSZ)-type Mayari-Baracoa Ophiolitic Belt in eastern Cuba. Most analyzed zircon grains(n = 20, 287 ± 3 Ma to 2750 ± 60 Ma) are older than the early Cretaceous age of the ophiolite body, show negativeε_(Hf)(t)(-26 to-0.6) and occasional inclusions of quartz, K-feldspar,biotite, and apatite that indicate derivation from a granitic continental crust. In contrast, 5 mainly rounded zircon grains(297±5 Ma to 2126±27 Ma) show positive εHf(t)(+0.7 to +13.5) and occasional apatite inclusions, suggesting their possible crystallization from melts derived from juvenile(mantle)sources. Interestingly, younger zircon grains are mainly euhedral to subhedral crystals, whereas older zircon grains are predominantly rounded grains. A comparison of the ages and Hf isotopic compositions of the zircon grains with those of nearby exposed crustal terranes suggest that chromitite zircon grains are similar to those reported from terranes of Mexico and northern South America. Hence, chromitite zircon grains are interpreted as sedimentary-derived xenocrystic grains that were delivered into the mantle wedge beneath the Greater Antilles intra-oceanic volcanic arc by metasomatic fluids/melts during subduction processes. Thus, continental crust recycling by subduction could explain all populations of old xenocrystic zircon in Cretaceous mantle-hosted chromitites from eastern Cuba ophiolite.We integrate the results of this study with petrological-thermomechanical modeling and existing geodynamic models to propose that ancient zircon xenocrysts, with a wide spectrum of ages and Hf isotopic compositions, can be transferred to the mantle wedge above subducting slabs by cold plumes.

Deep mantle plumes and an increasing Earth radius

Recent space geodetic and gravimetric studies have given indications that the Earth’s radius is increasing at 0.1-0.4 mm yr-1 at present. Seismic studies have also shown that earthquakes alone could be causing the radius to increase at 0.011-0.06 mm yr-1. Deep mantle plumes provide a geophysical context within which such radial expansion, if confirmed, could possibly be explained. Both theory and observation suggest that these rising plumes more readily penetrate the 670 km barrier than do subducting slabs moving in the opposite direction towards the core-mantle boundary. If so, there would be a net flow of mass from the deep lower mantle into the upper mantle. Due to the lower pressures in the upper mantle,the excess mass of plume materials reaching there would transform to minerals with lower densities than they had at the mantle base. An increase in the mantle volume and the Earth’s radius would therefore be implied. Using previously published data for the African superplume. it is estimated that this mechanism could cause the Earth’s radius to increase at rates of 0.02-0.3 mm yr-1, similar to the rates possibly indicated in the present studies. This mechanism could also explain the very large range in current estimates of mantle plume heat and volume fluxes. A possible energy source for this plumedriven mode of expansion is discussed.

The Influence of Boundaries on the Stability of Compositional Plumes

The influence of boundaries on the dynamics of a compositional plume is studied using a simple model in which a column of buoyant fluid rises in a less buoyant fluid bounded by two vertical walls with a finite distance apart. The problem is governed by four dimensionless parameters: The Grashoff number, R, which is a measure of the difference in concentration of light material of the plume to its surrounding fluid, the Prandtl number, σ, which is the ratio of viscosity, ν, to thermal diffusivity, κ, the thickness of the plume, 2x0, and the distance, d, between the two vertical walls relative to the salt-finger length scale. The influence of the boundary on the fluxes of material, heat, and buoyancy is examined to find that the buoyancy flux possesses a local maximum for moderate to small thicknesses of the plume when they lie close to the wall. This has the effect of introducing a region of instability for thin plumes near the wall with an asymptotically larger growth rate. In addition, the presence of the boundary suppresses the three-dimensional instabilities present in the unbounded domain and allows only two-dimensional instabilities for moderate to small distances between the bounding walls.

LIF Measurement of the Diluting Effect of Surface Waves on Turbulent Buoyant Plumes

In this paper, the diluting effect of surface waves on a buoyant plume has been measured using a Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF) technique. The resulting time-averaged, full field concentration maps have allowed quantification of enhanced mixing due to surface waves as well as measurement of other plume parameters.

A global satellite survey of density plumes at river mouths and at other environments: Plume configurations, external controls, and implications for deep-water sedimentation

The U. S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration(NASA) has archived thousands of satellite images of density plumes in its online publishing outlet called 'Earth Observatory' since 1999. Although these images are in the public domain, there has not been any systematic compilation of configurations of density plumes associated with various sedimentary environments and processes. This article, based on 45 case studies covering 21 major rivers(e.g., Amazon, Betsiboka, Congo [Zaire], Copper, Hugli [Ganges], Mackenzie, Mississippi, Niger, Nile, Rhone, Rio de la Plata, Yellow, Yangtze, Zambezi, etc.) and six different depositional environments(i.e., marine, lacustrine, estuarine, lagoon, bay, and reef), is the first attempt in illustrating natural variability of configurations of density plumes in modern environments. There are, at least, 24 configurations of density plumes. An important finding of this study is that density plumes are controlled by a plethora of 18 oceanographic, meteorological, and other external factors. Examples are: 1) Yellow River in China by tidal shear front and by a change in river course; 2) Yangtze River in China by shelf currents and vertical mixing by tides in winter months; 3) Rio de la Plata Estuary in Argentina and Uruguay by Ocean currents; 4) San Francisco Bay in California by tidal currents; 5) Gulf of Manner in the Indian Ocean by monsoonal currents; 6) Egypt in Red Sea by Eolian dust; 7) U.S. Atlantic margin by cyclones; 8) Sri Lanka by tsunamis; 9) Copper River in Alaska by high-gradient braid delta; 10) Lake Erie by seiche; 11) continental margin off Namibia by upwelling; 12) Bering Sea by phytoplankton; 13) the Great Bahama Bank in the Atlantic Ocean by fish activity; 14) Indonesia by volcanic activity; 15) Greenland by glacial melt; 16) South Pacific Ocean by coral reef; 17) Carolina continental Rise by pockmarks; and 18) Otsuchi Bay in Japan by internal bore. The prevailing trend in promoting a single type of river-flood triggered hyperpycnal flow is flawed because there are 16 types of hyperpycnal flows. River-flood derived hyperpycnal flows are muddy in texture and they occur close to the shoreline in inner shelf environments. Hyperpycnal flows are not viable transport mechanisms of sand and gravel across the shelf into the deep sea. The available field observations suggest that they do not form meter-thick sand layers in deep water settings. For the above reasons, river-flood triggered hyperpycnites are considered unsuitable for serving as petroleum reservoirs in deep-water environments until proven otherwise.

Cascaded Evolution of Mantle Plumes and Metallogenesis of Core- and Mantle-derived Elements

Mineral deposits are unevenly distributed in the Earth's crust, which is closely related to the formation and evolution of the Earth. In the early history of the Earth, controlled by the gravitational contraction and thermal expansion, lighter elements, such as radioactive, halogen-family, rare and rare earth elements and alkali metals, migrated upwards; whereas heavier elements, such as iron-family and platinum-family elements, base metals and noble metals, had a tendency of sinking to the Earth's core, so that the elements iron, nickel, gold and silver are mainly concentrated in the Earth's core. However, during the formation of the stratified structure of the Earth, the existence of temperature, pressure and viscosity differences inside and outside the Earth resulted in vertical material movement manifested mainly by cascaded evolution of mantle plumes in the Earth. The stratifications and vertical movement of the Earth were interdependent and constituted the motive force of the mantle-core movement. The cascaded evolution of mantle plumes opens the passageways for the migration of deep-seated ore-forming material, and thus elements such as gold and silver concentrated in the core and on the core-mantle boundary migrate as the gaseous state together with the hot material flow of mantle plumes against the gravitational force through the passageways to the lithosphere, then migrate as the mixed gas-liquid state to the near-surface level and finally are concentrated in favorable structural expansion zones, forming mineral deposits. This is possibly the important metallogenic mechanism for gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper and other many elements. Take for example the NE-plunging crown of the Fuping mantle-branch structure, the paper analyzes ductile-brittle shear zone-type gold fields (Weijiayu) at the core of the magmatic-metamorphic complex, principal detachment-type gold fields (Shangmingyu) and hanging-wall cover fissure-vein-type lead-zinc polymetallic ore fields (Lianbaling) and further briefly analyzes the source of ore-forming material and constructs an ore-forming and -controlling model.

Further studies on the numerical simulation of bubble plumes in the cold seepage active region

Using the occurrence characteristics of bubble plumes in the South China Sea as a reference, this paper continues to study the seismic responses produced by bubble plumes in the cold seepage active region. To make the plume modelling scheme more reasonable, we modified the original modelling scheme and reconstructed a plume water body model based on the variation of its radius as bubbles rise in seawater. The plume seismic records of shot gathers were obtained by forward simulation. The seismic records of single shot show obvious characteristics of a scattering wave field and the periodic characteristics of the model. Seismic records of shot gathers were processed using prestack depth migration. The boundary of its imaging section has a good convergence effect. The migration sections can be imaged distinctly with higher accuracy. The aforementioned studies once again laid a foundation for the further study of the seismic responses produced by plumes. They also gradually probed a more suitable seismic data processing method for plumes and provided a theoretical guidance for the identification of plumes.

Numerical Simulation of Bubble Plumes and an Analysis of Their Seismic Attributes

To study the bubble plume's seismic response characteristics,the model of a plume water body has been built in this article using the bubble-contained medium acoustic velocity model and the stochastic medium theory based on an analysis of both the acoustic characteristics of a bubble-contained water body and the actual features of a plume.The finite difference method is used for forward modelling,and the single-shot seismic record exhibits the characteristics of a scattered wave field generated by a plume.A meaningful conclusion is obtained by extracting seismic attributes from the pre-stack shot gather record of a plume.The values of the amplitude-related seismic attributes increase greatly as the bubble content goes up,and changes in bubble radius will not cause seismic attributes to change,which is primarily observed because the bubble content has a strong impact on the plume's acoustic velocity,while the bubble radius has a weak impact on the acoustic velocity.The above conclusion provides a theoretical reference for identifying hydrate plumes using seismic methods and contributes to further study on hydrate decomposition and migration,as well as on distribution of the methane bubble in seawater.

Mantle plumes,triple junctions and transforms:A reinterpretation of Pacific Cretaceous-Tertiary LIPs and the Laramide connection

The Shatsky and Hess Rises,the Mid-Pacific Mountains and the Line Islands large igneous provinces(LIPs) present different challenges to conventional plume models.Resolving the genesis of these LIPs is important not only for a more complete understanding of mantle plumes and plume-generated magmatism,but also for establishing the role of subducted LIP conjugates in the evolution of the Laramide orogeny and other circum-Pacific orogenic events,which are related to the development of large porphyry systems.Given past difficulties in developing consistent geodynamic models for these LIPs,it is useful to consider whether viable alternative geodynamic scenarios may be provided by recent concepts such as melt channel networks and channel-associated lineaments,along with the "two mode"model of melt generation,where a deeply-sourced channel network is superimposed on the plume,evolving and adapting over millions of years.A plume may also interact with transform faults in close proximity to a mid ocean ridge,with the resultant bathymetric character strongly affected by the relative age difference of lithosphere across the fault.Our results suggest that the new two-mode melt models resolve key persistent issues associated with the Shatsky Rise and other LIPs and provide evidence for the existence of a conduit system within plumes that feed deeply-sourced material to the plume head,with flow maintained over considerable distances.The conduit system eventually breaks down during plume-ridge separation and may do so prior to the plume head being freed from the triple junction or spreading ridge.There is evidence for not only plume head capture by a triple junction but also for substantial deformation of the plume stem as the distance between the stem and anchored plume head increases.The evidence suggests that young transforms can serve as pathways for plume material migration,at least in certain plume head-transform configurations.A fortuitous similarity between the path of the Shatsky and Sio plumes,with respect to young spreading ridges and transforms,helps to clarify previously problematic bathymetric features that were not readily ascribed to fixed plumes alone.The Line Island Chain,which has been the subject of a vast number of models,is related mainly to several plumes that passed beneath the same region of oceanic crust,a relatively rare event that has resulted in LIP formation rather than a regular seamount track.Our findings have important implications for the timing and mechanism for the Laramide Orogeny in North America,demonstrating that the Hess Rise conjugate may be much smaller than traditionally thought.The Mid Pacific Mountains conjugate may not exist at all,given large parts of these LIPs were formed at an ‘off-ridge’ site.This needs to be taken into account while considering the effects of conjugate collision on mineralization and orogenic events.

Comparison of smoothness-constrained and geostatistically based cross-borehole electrical resistivity tomography for characterization of solute tracer plumes

Experiments using electrical resistivity tomography(ERT) have shown promising results in reducing the uncertainty of solute plume characteristics related to estimates based on the analysis of local point measurements only.To explore the similarities and differences between two cross-borehole ERT inversion approaches for characterizing salt tracer plumes,namely the classical smoothness-constrained inversion and a geostatistically based approach,we performed two-dimensional synthetic experiments.Simplifying assumptions about the solute transport model and the electrical forward and inverse model allowed us to study the sensitivity of the ERT inversion approaches towards a variety of basic conditions,including the number of boreholes,measurement schemes,contrast between the plume and background electrical conductivity,use of a priori knowledge,and point conditioning.The results show that geostatistically based and smoothness-constrained inversions of electrical resistance data yield plume characteristics of similar quality,which can be further improved when point measurements are incorporated and advantageous measurement schemes are chosen.As expected,an increased number of boreholes included in the ERT measurement layout can highly improve the quality of inferred plume characteristics,while in this case the benefits of point conditioning and advantageous measurement schemes diminish.Both ERT inversion approaches are similarly sensitive to the noise level of the data and the contrast between the solute plume and background electrical conductivity,and robust with regard to biased input parameters,such as mean concentration,variance,and correlation length of the plume.Although sophisticated inversion schemes have recently become available,in which flow and transport as well as electrical forward models are coupled,these schemes effectively rely on a relatively simple geometrical parameterization of the hydrogeological model.Therefore,we believe that standard uncoupled ERT inverse approaches,like the ones discussed and assessed in this paper,will continue to be important to the imaging and characterization of solute plumes in many real-world applications.

Areas of the global major river plumes

River plumes are the regions where the most intense river-sea-land interaction occurs, and they are char- acterized by complex material transport and biogeochemical processes. However, due to their highly dy- namic nature, global river plume areas have not yet been determined for use in synthetic studies of global oceanography. Based on global climatological monthly averaged salinity data from the NOAA World Ocean Atlas 2009 （WOA09）, and monthly averaged salinity contour maps of the East and South China Seas from the Chinese Marine Atlas, we extract the monthly plume areas of major global rivers using a geographic information system （GIS） technique. Only areas with salinities that are three salinity units lower than the average salinity in each ocean are counted. This conservative estimate shows that the minimum and max- imum monthly values of the total plume area of the world＇s 19 largest rivers are 1.72× 106 kin2 in May and 5.38× 106 klTl2 inAugust. The annual mean area of these river plumes （3.72× 106 knl2） takes up approximately 14.2% of the total continental shelves area worldwide （26.15 × 106 km2）. This paper also presents river plume areas for different oceans and latitude zones, and analyzes seasonal variations of the plume areas and their relationships with river discharge. These statistics describing the major global river plume areas can now provide the basic data for the various flux calculations in the marginal seas, and therefore will be of useful for many oceanographic studies.

Utilizing ^(234)Th/^(238)U disequilibrium to constrain particle dynamics in hydrothermal plumes in the Southwest Indian Ocean

Metal-enriched minerals have been widely observed near hydrothermal vent fields.However,the dynamics of particulate metals influenced by hydrothermal activities is poorly constrained.Here,radioactive 234Th in both dissolved and particulate phases were used to examine the kinetics of particle-reactive metal adsorption,removal,and residence in a newly found hydrothermal plume over the Southwest Indian Ridge.The results showed a relatively low value on ^(234)Th/^(238)U ratios(i.e.,0.73-0.88)compared to the deep oceans,indicating an enhanced adsorption of particle-reactive metals onto particulate matter in the plume.Based on the 234Th-238U disequilibria,the adsorption and sinking rate constants of 234Th averaged(0.009±0.001)d^(-1) and(0.113±0.024)d^(-1) in the hydrothermal plume,corresponding to the residence times of(115±19)d and(16±5)d for dissolved and particulate 234Th,respectively.This timescale allows vent-discharged particle-reactive metals to disperse hundreds to thousands of miles away.Thus,hydrothermal activities might influence the metal distribution in deep ocean over a very large scope.Also,a high sinking flux of(36.2±5.4)B q/(m^(2)·d)for 234Th was observed for the plume,suggesting an enrichment of metal in particles deposited close to the vent.The enhancement of particle sinking could also benefit the transport of organic carbon and nitrogen and fuel the benthic ecosystems under the plume regimes.Thus,hydrothermal plumes may have an impact on both the elemental geochemistry and/or ecosystem to the deep oceans interior than previous expectation.

Sensitivity study of coastal plumes

A three-dimensional numerical model of the coastal plume in an ideal basin for the western Gulf of Maine of USA, based on the observations, was configured to examine the dynamical properties under the spring riverine, tidal, and wind forcing. The purpose of this paper is to reveal possible effects of different factors on the coastal plume. The control run with a sloping bottom mimicking the western Gulf of Maine reproduced a southward advection speed of 14 km/d, consistent with the observed speed of 13.3 km/d. The plume evolutions due to the two typical wind forcing, upwelling favourable (wind from north) and downwelling favourable (wind from south). were simulated to explain the observations during the spring of 1993. A systematic sensitivity study was also conducted on the following themes: model parameters. dynamic processes, and topography effect.

Short-term offshore extension of Brahmaputra-Ganges and Irrawaddy freshwater plumes to the central northern Bay of Bengal based on in situ and satellite observations

In this study, the short-term offshore extension of Brahmaputra-Ganges(BG) and Irrawaddy freshwater plumes to the central northern Bay of Bengal(BoB) was investigated based on in situ and satellite observations. In the summer and winter of 2015, two significant freshening events with periods of weeks were observed from a moored buoy at 15°N, 90°E in the BoB. Soil Moisture Active Passive(SMAP) satellite sea surface salinity compares well with the in situ data and shows that these freshening events are directly related to the short-term offshore extension of the BG and Irrawaddy freshwater, respectively. These data combined with the altimeter sea level anomaly data show that the offshore extending plumes result from freshwater modulated by eddies. During summer, the BG freshwater is modulated by a combination of three closely located eddies: a large anticyclonic eddy(ACE) off the northwestern BoB coast and two cyclonic eddies in the northern BoB. Consequently, the freshwater extends offshore from the river mouth and forms a long and narrow tongue-shaped plume extending southwestward to the central BoB. During winter, the Irrawaddy freshwater is modulated by two continuous ACEs evolved from Rossby wave propagating westward from the Irrawaddy Delta off Myanmar, forming a tongueshaped plume extending to the central BoB. Strong salinity fronts are formed along the boundaries of these tongue-shaped plumes. These findings confirm good capability of the SMAP data to investigate the short-term offshore extension of the BG and Irrawaddy freshwater. This study provides direct evidences of the pathways of the offshore extension of the BG and Irrawaddy freshwater and highlights the role of eddies in the northern BoB freshwater plume variability.

Progress in the numerical modeling of mantle plumes

The mantle plume model, as an integral part of the Earth’s internal convection system, is complementary to the theory of plate tectonics. They together constitute the key configuration of material circulation and energy transport in the Earth’s interior. Seismology, high-temperature and high-pressure mineralogy, geology, and geodynamic numerical modeling have conducted comprehensive studies on the mantle plume model since it was proposed. In particular, numerical simulation, which investigates the dynamic processes of mantle plumes by establishing a theoretical model, provides a quantitative description of possible mantle plume evolution and the responses of the Earth’s interior and surface, which can be used to explain observations and experimental results from other disciplines. Thus, it is one of the most important means to study plume dynamics. This paper summarizes the research progress in numerical modeling of mantle plumes in past decades, including the origin of mantle plumes, seismological evidence for the existence of plumes, interactions between mantle plumes and the lithosphere, mid-ocean ridges, subduction zones, and the mantle transition zone, as well as the relationship between plumes and large low shear wave velocity provinces. The theoretical results of numerical modeling combined with observations from other disciplines enable us to deeply understand the dynamic process of mantle plumes. With the continuing development of numerical methodology and the improvement of high-performance computing, geodynamic numerical modeling will become a more accurate and efficient approach for studying mantle plume dynamics and related frontier problems in geosciences.

Age and geochemical evolution of granite magmatism in Olkhon region from Caledonian syncollisional ore-free granite to the rare metal granite and pegmatite of Middle Paleozoic intraplate setting

The detailed description of two granite complexes in the Olkhon subterrane is given.The Early Paleozoic Sharanur complex was formed by granitization of gneisses of the Olkhon series.It includes migmatites,granite-gneisses,granites and pegmatites of normal alkalinity;they belong to the type of syncollisional granites.The Middle Paleozoic Aya granite complex includes mother Aya massif of amazonite-bearing granites and several types of rare-metal pegmatites.They have elevated alkalinity,low of Ba,Sr,and high LILE and HFSE elements contents.The Aya pegmatites lie in northwest cracks of stretching and associated with the rise of the territory under the influence of the North Asian plume.These cracks and pegmatites mark the beginning of a new intraplate geodynamic setting.Two geochemical types are distinguished among the pegmatites of this complex.These are amazonite pegmatites of Li-F type with Ta mineralization and complex type pegmatite with Be-Rb-Nb-Ta and Li-F mineralization(the Ilixin vein).The Tashkiney pegmatite vein is similar to Ilixin,but lies in the gneisses of the Olkhon series.It shows high concentrations of Be,Nb,Ta,as well as W,Sn,but lacks Li and F,due to a greater depth and higher temperature of the melt crystallization of this pegmatite.

Plume-lithosphere interaction in the Comei Large Igneous Province: Evidence from two types of mafic dykes in Gyangze, south Tibet, China

Two suites of mafic dykes,T1193-A and T1194-A,outcrop in Gyangze area,southeast Tibet.They are in the area of Comei LIP and have indistinguishable field occurrences with two other dykes in Gyangze,T0902 dyke with 137.7±1.3 Ma zircon age and T0907 dyke with 142±1.4 Ma zircon age reported by Wang YY et al.(2016),indicating coeval formation time.Taking all the four diabase dykes into consideration,two different types,OIB-type and weak enriched-type,can be summarized.The“OIB-type”samples,including T1193-A and T0907 dykes,show OIB-like geochemical features and have initial Sr-Nd isotopic values similar with most mafic products in Comei Large Igneous Provinces(LIP),suggesting that they represent melts directly generated from the Kerguelen mantle plume.The“weak enriched-type”samples,including T1194-A and T0902 dykes,have REEs and trace element patterns showing withinplate affinity but have obvious Nb-Ta-Ti negative anomalies.They show uniform lowerεNd(t)values(−6‒−2)and higher 87Sr/86Sr(t)values(0.706‒0.709)independent of their MgO variation,indicating one enriched mantle source.Considering their closely spatial and temporal relationship with the widespread Comei LIP magmatic products in Tethyan Himalaya,these“weak enriched-type”samples are consistent with mixing of melts from mantle plume and the above ancient Tethyan Himalaya subcontinental lithospheric mantle(SCLM)in different proportions.These weak enriched mafic rocks in Comei LIP form one special rock group and most likely suggest large scale hot mantle plume-continental lithosphere interaction.This process may lead to strong modification of the Tethyan Himalaya lithosphere in the Early Cretaceous.