SEARCH · Search USGS

Results for “Geochemical Journal”

Search indexed USGS publications on groundwater, aquifers, geologic maps, mineral resources and earthquakes. Explore source records by subject and place.

SourceResearch connectionFrom yearThrough year

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 397 records · Page 22Linked to original sources

USGS1970

Comparison of chemical hydrogeology of the carbonate peninsulas of Florida and Yucatan

Aquifers of the peninsulas of Florida and northern Yucatan are Tertiary marine carbonate formations showing many lithologic and faunal similarities. In addition, the tropical to subtropical climates of the two areas are similar, each having annual rainfall of about 1000 to 1500 mm. Despite similarities in these fundamental controls, contrasts in the hydrologic and geochemical systems are numerous and striking. For example, Florida has many rivers; Yucatan has none. Maximum thickness of fresh ground water in Florida is about 700 meters; in the Yucatan it is less than 70 meters. In Florida the gradient of the potentiometric surface averages about 1 meter per kilometer; in the Yucatan it is exceedingly low, averaging about 0.02 meter per kilometer. In Florida the chemical character of water changes systematically downgradient, owing to solution of minerals of the aquifer and corresponding increases in total dissolved solids, sulfate, calcium, and Mg-Ca ratio; in the Yucatan no downgradient change exists, and dominant processes controlling the chemical character of the water are solution of minerals and simple mixing of the fresh water and the body of salt water that underlies the peninsula at shallow depth. Hydrologic and chemical differences are caused in part by the lower altitude of the Yucatan plain. More important, however, these differences are due to the lack of an upper confining bed in Yucatan that is hydrologically equivalent to the Hawthorn Formation of Florida. The Hawthorn cover prevents recharge and confines the artesian water except where it is punctured by sinkholes, but sands and other unconsolidated sediments fill sinkholes and cavities and impede circulation. In the Yucatan the permeability of the entire section is so enormous that rainfall immediately infiltrates to the water table and then moves laterally to discharge areas along the coasts.

Florida Peninsula, Yucatan Peninsula↗

USGS1999

Geochemical heterogeneity of a gasoline-contaminated aquifer

The scale of biogeochemical reactions was studied in a physically and chemically heterogeneous surficial Coastal Plain aquifer contaminated by a gasoline spill. The physical heterogeneity of the aquifer is manifested in two hydrologic units, a shallow local aquifer of perched water and a regional sandy aquifer. Over the studied vertical interval of 21.3 ft (6.5 m), concentrations of reactive species varied by orders of magnitude, and the impact of biodegradation was expressed to widely varying degrees. A thin (3 ft thick) section of the perched-water zone was the most contaminated; total aromatic hydrocarbons were as high as 19.4 mg/l. Hydrocarbons were degraded by microbially mediated reactions that varied over short vertical distances and time. Anaerobic processes dominated within the low-permeability clay unit, whereas in the more permeable sandy layers nitrate reduction and aerobic degradation occurred. Hydrocarbons were more persistent over time in the low-permeability layer due to the limited availability of electron acceptors for degradation. The microbial degradation of hydrocarbons was linked to sulfate and iron reduction in the clay unit and led to alterations in the aquifer solids; electron microscopy revealed the presence of FeS minerals encrusting primary aquifer grains. High concentrations of Fe 2+ in groundwater, up to 34.5 mg/l, persist in kinetic disequilibrium in the presence of elevated H 2 S levels of 1.0 mg/l. Assessment of aquifer heterogeneities and groundwater contamination was possible due to sample discrimination at a scale of approximately 2 ft (∼0.6 m), a much finer resolution than is attempted in many remedial investigations of polluted aquifers. The information obtained in this type of study is essential to the development of models capable of estimating the fate of hydrocarbons at a site scale.

Journal of Contaminant Hydrology↗

USGS2007

Geochemical evidence for African dust inputs to soils of western Atlantic islands: Barbados, the Bahamas, and Florida

We studied soils on high-purity limestones of Quaternary age on the western Atlantic Ocean islands of Barbados, the Florida Keys, and the Bahamas. Potential soil parent materials in this region, external to the carbonate substrate, include volcanic ash from the island of St. Vincent (near Barbados), volcanic ash from the islands of Dominica and St. Lucia (somewhat farther from Barbados), the fine-grained component of distal loess from the lower Mississippi River Valley, and wind-transported dust from Africa. These four parent materials can be differentiated using trace elements (Sc, Cr, Th, and Zr) and rare earth elements that have minimal mobility in the soil-forming environment. Barbados soils have compositions that indicate a complex derivation. Volcanic ash from the island of St. Vincent appears to have been the most important influence, but African dust is a significant contributor, and even Mississippi River valley loess may be a very minor contributor to Barbados soils. Soils on the Florida Keys and islands in the Bahamas appear to have developed mostly from African dust, but Mississippi River valley loess may be a significant contributor. Our results indicate that inputs of African dust are more important to the genesis of soils on islands in the western Atlantic Ocean than previously supposed. We hypothesize that African dust may also be a major contributor to soils on other islands of the Caribbean and to soils in northern South America, central America, Mexico, and the southeastern United States. Dust inputs to subtropical and tropical soils in this region increase both nutrient-holding capacity and nutrient status and thus may be critical in sustaining vegetation. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union.

Journal of Geophysical Research F: Earth Surface↗

USGS2017

Petrology and geochronology of Mesoproterozoic basement of the Mount Rogers area of southwestern Virginia and northwestern North Carolina: Implications for the Precambrian tectonic evolution of the southern Blue Ridge province

Results from new geologic mapping, SHRIMP U-Pb geochronology, and petrologic studies indicate that Mesoproterozoic basement in the northern French Broad massif near Mount Rogers consists of multiple, mostly granitic plutons, map- and outcrop-scale xenoliths of pre-existing crustal rocks, and remnants of formerly overlying meta-sedimentary lithologies. Zircon and titanite ages demonstrate that these rocks collectively record nearly 350 m.y. of tectonic evolution including periods of igneous intrusion at ca . 1190 to 1130 Ma (Early Magmatic Suite) and ca . 1075 to 1030 Ma (Late Magmatic Suite) and three episodes of regional metamorphism at ca . 1170 to 1140, 1070 to 1020, and 1000 to 970 Ma. The existence of ca . 1.3 Ga age crust is indicated by (1) orthogranofels of ca . 1.32 Ga age in a map-scale xenolith, (2) inherited zircons of ca . 1.33 to 1.29 Ga age in Early Magmatic Suite plutons, and (3) ca . 1.36 to 1.30 Ga age detrital zircons in meta-sedimentary lithologies. Mineral assemblages developed in amphibolites and granofelses indicate that metamorphism during both Mesoproterozoic episodes occurred at upper amphibolite- to lower granulite-facies conditions. Syn-orogenic Early Magmatic Suite plutons emplaced at ca . 1190 to 1145 Ma are characterized by high-K, variably magnesian, dominantly calc-alkalic compositions, and have trace-element characteristics indicative of continental-arc magmatic origin involving melting of thick continental crust. In contrast, ca . 1140 Ma age quartz syenite displays A-type features indicating derivation from depleted crustal sources with increased mantle input during waning stages of regional contraction. Plutons of the compositionally bimodal Late Magmatic Suite include (1) ca . 1060 Ma meta-granite with geochemical characteristics transitional between silicic rocks of arc systems and post-collisional granites of A-type lineage, and (2) ca . 1055 Ma monzodioritic rocks with A-type compositional characteristics that likely reflect derivation from fertile, mafic sources in the lower crust. Collectively, these data suggest that Mesoproterozoic rocks of the study area preserve evidence of multiple orogenic episodes that likely involved continental-arc development and deformation at ca . 1150 Ma followed by crustal thickening at ca . 1060 Ma. Field relations and geochronologic data indicate that regional uplift and sedimentation occurred at ca . 1100 Ma between the two episodes of overlapping magmatism and orogenesis. The nature and timing of Mesoproterozoic events recorded in basement rocks of the study area illustrate significant differences in the lithologic assemblages and geologic history preserved by Mesoproterozoic basement of the adjacent Shenandoah and French Broad massifs, suggesting that the Blue Ridge massifs occupied different locations within the regional Grenville-age orogen until about 1070 Ma when the effects of Ottawan-age tectonics began to affect both areas. The near ubiquity of Ottawan-age orogenic activity recorded in Mesoproterozoic rocks of the Blue Ridge, other Appalachian inliers such as the New Jersey Highlands, and the Grenville province of Canada, including the Adirondacks, suggests that these formerly disparate terranes were amalgamated to form a common, regional orogen by this time.

North Carolina, Virginia↗

USGS2018

Groundwater salinity mapping using geophysical log analysis within the Fruitvale and Rosedale Ranch oil fields, Kern County, California, USA

A method is presented for deriving a volume model of groundwater total dissolved solids (TDS) from borehole geophysical and aqueous geochemical measurements. While previous TDS mapping techniques have proved useful in the hydrogeologic setting in which they were developed, they may yield poor results in settings with lithological heterogeneity, complex water chemistry, or limited data. Problems arise because of assumed values for empirical constants in Archie’s Equation, unrealistic porosity and temperature gradients, or bicarbonate-rich groundwater. These issues become critical in complex geologic settings such as the San Joaquin Valley of California, USA. To address this, a method to map TDS in three dimensions is applied to the Fruitvale and Rosedale Ranch oil fields near Bakersfield, California. Borehole resistivity, porosity, and temperature data are used to derive TDS using Archie’s Equation, and are then kriged to interpolate TDS. Archie’s a and m (tortuosity factor and cementation exponent, respectively) are found by comparing model predictions, after kriging, to TDS measurements, and minimizing the differences via mathematical optimization. Contributions of abundant bicarbonate ions to TDS were corrected using an empirical model. This work was motivated by federal and state law requirements to monitor and protect underground sources of drinking water. Modeling shows the legally significant boundary of 10,000 ppm TDS is at ~1,067 m below sea level in Rosedale Ranch, and deepens into Fruitvale to ~1,341 m. Mapping groundwater TDS at this resolution reveals that TDS is primarily controlled by depth, recharge, stratigraphy, and in some places, by faulting and facies changes.

California↗

USGS2009

A lacustrine record from Lop Nur, Xinjiang, China: Implications for paleoclimate change during Late Pleistocene

Climate variability during the Late Pleistocene is studied from the proxies in core CK-2 drilled from the Luobei Depression (91??03???E, 40??47???N), Lop Nur in the eastern Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China. Geophysical and geochemical properties, including magnetic susceptibility, granularity, chroma, carbonate content, loss on ignition and trace elements, have been determined to reconstruct the environmental evolution of the area during 32-9 ka BP. The chronology is established by uranium-thorium disequilibrium dating techniques. Our data suggest four paleoclimate stages, indicating glacial variations between cold-humid and warm-arid environments. A period of extreme humidity occurred during 31,900-19,200 yr BP is attributed the last glacial maximum (LGM). The period was followed by a warm-arid episode during 19,200-13,500 yr BP. Then a cold-humid interval during 13,500-12,700 yr BP may correspond to another cooling phases at high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The last stage from 12,700 to 9000 yr BP has a trend that the climate turned warm and arid. The Lop Nur region is characterized by particularly humid stadials and arid interstadials. The climate variability in Lop Nur was constrained by global climate change because it is correlated with Dansgaard-Oeschger and Heinrich events, which were observed at the northern high latitudes. The synchroneity of the palaeoclimatic events suggested that cold air activity at the northern high latitudes was the most important factor that influenced the climate evolution in the Lop Nur region. A probable mechanism that involves the migration of westerly winds is proposed to interpret this synchroneity. ?? 2008 Elsevier Ltd.

Journal of Asian Earth Sciences↗

USGS2014

A mass balance approach to investigating geochemical controls on secondary water quality impacts at a crude oil spill site near Bemidji, MN

Secondary water quality impacts can result from a broad range of coupled reactions triggered by primary groundwater contaminants. Data from a crude-oil spill research site near Bemidji, MN provide an ideal test case for investigating the complex interactions controlling secondary impacts, including depleted dissolved oxygen and elevated organic carbon, inorganic carbon, CH 4 , Mn, Fe, and other dissolved ions. To better understand these secondary impacts, this study began with an extensive data compilation of various data types, comprising aqueous, sediment, gas, and oil phases, covering a 260 m cross-sectional domain over 30 years. Mass balance calculations are used to quantify pathways that control secondary components, by using the data to constrain the sources and sinks for the important redox processes. The results show that oil constituents other than BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, o -, m - and p -xylenes), including n -alkanes and other aromatic compounds, play significant roles in plume evolution and secondary water quality impacts. The analysis underscores previous results on the importance of non-aqueous phases. Over 99.9% of the Fe 2+ plume is attenuated by immobilization on sediments as Fe(II) and 85–95% of the carbon biodegradation products are outgassed. Gaps identified in carbon and Fe mass balances and in pH buffering mechanisms are used to formulate a new conceptual model. This new model includes direct out-gassing of CH 4 and CO 2 from organic carbon biodegradation, dissolution of directly produced CO 2 , and sorption with H + exchange to improve pH buffering. The identification of these mechanisms extends understanding of natural attenuation of potential secondary impacts at enhanced reductive dechlorination sites, particularly for reduced Fe plumes, produced CH 4 , and pH perturbations.

Minnesota↗

USGS2011

Geochemistry of environmentally sensitive trace elements in Permian coals from the Huainan coalfield, Anhui, China

To study the geochemical characteristics of 11 environmentally sensitive trace elements in the coals of the Permian Period from the Huainan coalfield, Anhui province, China, borehole samples of 336 coals, two partings, and four roof and floor mudstones were collected from mineable coal seams. Major elements and selected trace elements were determined by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES), inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), and hydride generation atomic absorption spectrometry (HAAS). The depositional environment, abundances, distribution, and modes of occurrence of trace elements were investigated. Results show that clay and carbonate minerals are the principal inorganic constituents in the coals. A lower deltaic plain, where fluvial channel systems developed successively, was the likely depositional environment of the Permian coals in the Huainan coalfield. All major elements have wider variation ranges than those of Chinese coals except for Mg and Fe. The contents of Cr, Co, Ni, and Se are higher than their averages for Chinese coals and world coals. Vertical variations of trace elements in different formations are not significant except for B and Ba. Certain roof and partings are distinctly higher in trace elements than underlying coal bench samples. The modes of occurrence of trace elements vary in different coal seams as a result of different coal-forming environments. Vanadium, Cr, and Th are associated with aluminosilicate minerals, Ba with carbonate minerals, and Cu, Zn, As, Se, and Pb mainly with sulfide minerals.

Huainan coalfield↗

USGS2026

Constraining the permeability and outer-rise hydration at the Central America margin

Subduction zones are important drivers of Earth's geochemical evolution; the presence of water within the subduction system has substantial implications for geohazards, including the style of seismicity and the volume of magma generated at arc volcanoes. We utilize estimates of pore fluid distributions in the outer-rise region of the Central American margin imaged using controlled-source electro-magnetic surveys and novel two-dimensional forward models simulating poro-elastic deformation of slab bending to constrain the background permeability structure of the Cocos Plate and within outer-rise fault damage zones. The model results suggest that a relatively low background permeability structure is required to match the observed porosity at depths greater than 3 km (less than ~10 −21 m 2 . Similarly, increasing the permeability within the damage zones of outer-rise faults by more than a factor of 10 also over-predicts observed porosity distributions at depths greater than 3 km. However, the simulations consistently underpredict pore fluid distributions between depths of 1–3 km, which may reflect nonlinear elastic or anelastic deformation processes not included in the simulations or inherent uncertainty in the conversion of resistivity measurements to porosity distributions. The best-fitting depth-permeability relationship is relatively low, which has important implications for the timing of pore fluid release down-dip of the trench, as it restricts shallow fluid release, likely leading to higher pore fluid pressures, more widespread hydraulic fracturing, and deeper release of pore fluid along the plate interface.

Journal of Geophysical Research, Solid Earth↗

USGS2020

Conditions and timing of high-grade metamorphism and ductile deformation of the southern segment of the Central Anatolian Ophiolite

Ophiolitic fragments scattered over a wide area of Central Anatolia exhibit varying degrees of metamorphism, from unmetamorphosed to upper amphibolite facies, although geochemical similarities suggest they are all part of the Central Anatolian Ophiolite (CAO). Magmatic crystallization of oceanic crust in the CAO at ~ 91 Ma coincided with high-grade metamorphism of rocks that underlie the southern, highest grade part of the CAO, raising questions about the tectonic relationship of the ophiolite to underlying metasedimentary and plutonic rocks. New geochronology results show that the 40 Ar/ 39 Ar hornblende age of amphibolite-facies metagabbro in the high-grade metamorphic part of the CAO is ~ 87 Ma, similar to hornblende ages from amphibolite in the underlying Niğde metamorphic/plutonic massif. Biotite in a deformed quartzofeldspathic rock associated with high-grade meta-ophiolitic rocks yielded an 40 Ar– 39 Ar age of ~ 78 Ma, similar to biotite ages from the Niğde Massif. Hornblende in gabbro from unmetamorphosed CAO yielded an older 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age of ~ 90 Ma, similar to the previously determined crystallization age of the ophiolite. These data indicate that the southern part of the ophiolite was incorporated into and therefore metamorphosed and deformed with the orogenic mid-crust now exposed in the Niğde metamorphic–plutonic complex, whereas the northern, unmetamorphosed part of the ophiolite was obducted onto the continent. This distinct difference in different parts of the ophiolite may indicate oblique collision or irregularities in the continental margin, resulting in part of the ophiolite being incorporated into the orogenic crust and subsequently exhumed and cooled with it, and another part being obducted.

Anatolia↗

USGS2014

Application of near-surface geophysics as part of a hydrologic study of a subsurface drip irrigation system along the Powder River floodplain near Arvada, Wyoming

Rapid development of coalbed natural gas (CBNG) production in the Powder River Basin (PRB) of Wyoming has occurred since 1997. National attention related to CBNG development has focused on produced water management, which is the single largest cost for on-shore domestic producers. Low-cost treatment technologies allow operators to reduce their disposal costs, provide treated water for beneficial use, and stimulate oil and gas production by small operators. Subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems are one potential treatment option that allows for increased CBNG production by providing a beneficial use for the produced water in farmland irrigation. Water management practices in the development of CBNG in Wyoming have been aided by integrated geophysical, geochemical, and hydrologic studies of both the disposal and utilization of water. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) have utilized multi-frequency airborne, ground, and borehole electromagnetic (EM) and ground resistivity methods to characterize the near-surface hydrogeology in areas of produced water disposal. These surveys provide near-surface EM data that can be compared with results of previous surveys to monitor changes in soils and local hydrology over time as the produced water is discharged through SDI. The focus of this investigation is the Headgate Draw SDI site, situated adjacent to the Powder River near the confluence of a major tributary, Crazy Woman Creek, in Johnson County, Wyoming. The SDI system was installed during the summer of 2008 and began operation in October of 2008. Ground, borehole, and helicopter electromagnetic (HEM) conductivity surveys were conducted at the site prior to the installation of the SDI system. After the installation of the subsurface drip irrigation system, ground EM surveys have been performed quarterly (weather permitting). The geophysical surveys map the heterogeneity of the near-surface geology and hydrology of the study area. The geophysical data are consistent between surveys using different techniques and between surveys carried out at different times from 2007 through 2011. This paper summarizes geophysical results from the 4-year monitoring study of the SDI system.

Wyoming↗

USGS2018

Uptake and distribution of organo-iodine in deep-sea corals

Understanding iodine concentration, transport, and bioavailability is essential in evaluating iodine's impact to the environment and its effectiveness as an environmental biogeotracer. While iodine and its radionuclides have proven to be important tracers in geologic and biologic studies, little is known about transport of this element to the deep sea and subsequent uptake in deep-sea coral habitats. Results presented here on deep-sea black coral iodine speciation and iodine isotope variability provides key information on iodine behavior in natural and anthropogenic environments, and its geochemical pathway in the Gulf of Mexico. Organo-iodine is the dominant iodine species in the black corals, demonstrating that binding of iodine to organic matter plays an important role in the transport and transfer of iodine to the deep-sea corals. The identification of growth bands captured in high-resolution scanning electron images (SEM) with synchronous peaks in iodine variability suggest that riverine delivery of terrestrial-derived organo-iodine is the most plausible explanation to account for annual periodicity in the deep-sea coral geochemistry. Whereas previous studies have suggested the presence of annual growth rings in deep-sea corals, this present study provides a mechanism to explain the formation of annual growth bands. Furthermore, deep-sea coral ages based on iodine peak counts agree well with those ages derived from radiocarbon ( 14 C) measurements. These results hold promise for developing chronologies independent of 14 C dating, which is an essential component in constraining reservoir ages and using radiocarbon as a tracer of ocean circulation. Furthermore, the presence of enriched 129 I/ 127 I ratios during the most recent period of skeleton growth is linked to nuclear weapons testing during the 1960s. The sensitivity of the coral skeleton to record changes in surface water 129 I composition provides further evidence that iodine composition and isotope variability captured in proteinaceous deep-sea corals is a promising geochronometer as well as an emerging tracer for continental material flux.

Journal of Environmental Radioactivity↗

USGS2024

Defining the hafnium isotopic signature of the Appalachian orogen through analysis of detrital zircons from modern fluvial sediments

Fluvial sediments are the product of erosion, weathering, and transport of bedrock within a well-defined catchment area, and their constituent grains may therefore record valuable information about the lithological and geochemical properties of geologic units within the upstream drainage. Analysis of U-Pb ages and Lu/Hf isotopic values in detrital zircon grains from major rivers in the eastern USA characterizes these parameters within broad areas of the Appalachian orogen. In this study, five modern fluvial sediment samples, collected across ~1500 km and representing 216,000 km2 of total catchment area, reveal that the relative proportions of Mesoproterozoic to Paleozoic U-Pb crystallization ages vary widely across the former Laurentian margin. However, εHft values in the same samples are largely consistent regardless of their geographic location. Mesoproterozoic (Grenville orogen) zircons display a more limited range of εHft values (approximately 0 to +10 εHft units) compared to the more negative, more variable values (-15 to +10) found in grains from the Paleozoic orogenies. When compared to other published modern detrital samples from the Gulf Coastal Plain, Appalachian samples show more similarity to each other and to the Pleistocene of Florida than to those from the Mississippi River mouth, likely because the latter also sources sediments from the Cordillera of western North America. More negative εHft values in Paleozoic zircons may be genetically related to older Mesoproterozoic grains, as they are compatible with the continued isotopic evolution of Lu/Hf derived from the mantle between 1.2 and 2.0 Ga. Hafnium geochemistry in detrital grains may therefore have some utility in discerning sediment provenance between the Appalachians and other regions, and may also provide useful information regarding the nature of crustal generation through time.

Journal of Geology↗

USGS2004

Record of late Pleistocene glaciation and deglaciation in the southern Cascade Range: II. Flux of glacial flour in a sediment core from Upper Klamath Lake, Oregon

During the late Wisconsin, glacial flour from alpine glaciers along the east side of the Cascade Range in southern Oregon was deposited in Upper Klamath Lake. Quantitative interpretation of magnetic properties and grain-size data of cored sediments from Caledonia Marsh on the west side of the lake provides a continuous record of the flux of glacial flour spanning the last ≈37 000 calendar years. For modeling purposes, the lake sediments from the 13-m core were divided into three sedimentary components defined from magnetic, geochemical, petrographic, and grain-size data. The components are (1) strongly magnetic, glacial flour made up of extremely fine-grained, fresh volcanic rock particles, (2) less magnetic lithic material made up of coarser, weathered volcanic detritus, and (3) non-magnetic biogenic material (largely biogenic silica). Quantitative interpretation is possible because there has been no significant postdepositional destruction or formation of magnetic minerals, nor alteration affecting grain-size distributions. Major steps involved in the interpretation include: (1) computation of biogenic and lithic components; (2) determination of magnetic properties and grain-size distributions of the non-glacial and glacial flour end-members; (3) computation of the contents of weathered and glacial flour components for each sample; (4) development of an age model based on the mass accumulation of the non-glacial lithic component; and (5) use of the age model and glacial flour contents to compute the flux of glacial flour. Comparison of the glacial flour record from Upper Klamath Lake to mapped glacial features suggests a nearly linear relation between flux of glacial flour and the extent of nearby glaciers. At ≈22 ka, following an extended period during which glaciers of limited size waxed and waned, late Wisconsin (Waban) glaciers began to grow, reaching their maximum extent at ≈19 ka. Glaciers remained near their maximum extent for ≈1000 years. During this period, lake sediments were made up of ≈80% glacial flour. The content of glacial flour decreased as the glaciers receded, and reached undetectable levels by 14 ka.

Oregon↗

USGS1996

Characterizing coal beds in western Kentucky with the Al-La-Sc coherent triad

Cyclic sedimentation and lateral facies changes make coal bed correlations inconclusive and difficult. This uncertainty can be further complicated if a coal basin has been structurally deformed. Coal macerals can be studied to indicate the nature and degree of coalification. Their use in coal bed correlation, however, is limited. Most of the trace elements and their ratios that have been studied show significant within-bed lateral and stratigraphic variations, and thus are not effective in correlating coal beds regionally. Geochemically coherent groups of elements, such as rare earth elements (REE) and platinum group elements (PGE), appear to be highly differentiated in coal-forming environments. Geochemical coherent elemental triads appear to be useful for coal bed identification or fingerprinting. The best triad which was demonstrated to be effective in coal bed characterization in western Kentucky, is that of Al, La and Sc. These three elements are highly correlated with one another and they can be determined accurately and simultaneously with instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA). The elemental triad Al-La-Sc is used to identify and fingerprint three key coal beds in western Kentucky: the Springfield (western Kentucky No. 9), the Davis (western Kentucky No. 6), and the Mining City and Dawson Springs are both considered to be the No. 4 coal bed in western Kentucky). Four distinct groupings can be recognized by use of the Al-La-Sc triad. The Dawson Springs coals have the highest Al/(La + Sc) ratios, followed by the Springfield, the Davis and the Mining City. The Mining City coal bed generally has the highest La/Sc ratio. However, the Dawson Springs is not correlated with the Mining City using the triad analysis, even though they have reportedly similar stratigraphic positions in the western Kentucky coal basin. The Al-La-Sc triad appears to be effective in discriminating between the Springfield and the Davis coal beds throughout the entire Illinois Basin. Furthermore, the range of concentration variation of the AL-La-Sc triad suggests individual groupings of the No. 4 coal in western Kentucky. In addition to characterizing these coal beds, the Al-La-Sc triad may be used to confirm stratigraphic correlations.

International Journal of Coal Geology↗

USGS2008

Mineralogical and compositional characteristics of Late Permian coals from an area of high lung cancer rate in Xuan Wei, Yunnan, China: Occurrence and origin of quartz and chamosite

Some townships in Xuan Wei County, Yunnan Province, have one of the highest lung cancer mortality rates in China and the epidemic disease in the area has generally been attributed to the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) released from domestic coal burning. However, the cancer-causing culprit is not settled as Tian [Tian, L., 2005. Coal Combustion Emissions and Lung Cancer in Xuan Wei, China. Ph.D. thesis, University of California, Berkeley.] found nanometer quartz in these coals, soot emissions, and lung cancer tissues. We have conducted mineralogical and geochemical studies of the coals from Xuan Wei for the purpose of shedding light on the minerals which may be related to the epidemic lung cancer. In this paper, abundances, modes of occurrence, and origins of minerals and elements in the coals from two mines in Xuan Wei have been studied using optical microscope, low-temperature ashing, X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscope equipped with energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer, and inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The minerals in the coals are mainly composed of quartz, chamosite, kaolinite, and calcite. The particle size of quartz is rather small, mostly less than 20????m and it is of authigenic origin. Chamosite occurs mainly as cell-fillings. The occurrence of quartz and chamosite indicates that they were derived from the hydrothermal fluids. Epigenetic calcite is derived from calcic fluids. Kaolinite is derived mainly from sediment source region of Kangdian Oldland to the west of coal basin. The composition of Xuan Wei coal is high in SiO2, Fe2O3, TiO2, CaO, MnO, V, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn. The high SiO2 content is attributed to quartz, and the Fe2O3 content to chamosite. The high Mn and low Mg contents in the coal indicate the inputs of hydrothermal fluids. CaO occurs mainly in epigenetic calcite. Elements Ti, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and rare earth elements were derived from the basaltic rocks at sediment source region. ?? 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

International Journal of Coal Geology↗

USGS1991

A geochemical model of the Platanares geothermal system, Honduras

Results of exploration drilling combined with results of geologic, geophysical, and hydrogeochemical investigations have been used to construct a geochemical model of the Platanares geothermal system, Honduras. Three coreholes were drilled, two of which produced fluids from fractured Miocene andesite and altered Cretaceous to Eocene conglomerate at 450 to 680 m depth. Large volume artesian flows of 160-165??C, predominantly bicarbonate water are chemically similar to, but slightly less saline than widespread boiling hot-spring waters. The chemistry of the produced fluid is dominated by equilibrium reactions in sedimentary rocks at greater depths and higher temperatures than those measured in the wells. Chemical, isotope, and gas geothermometers indicate a deep fluid temperature of 200-245??C and reflect a relatively short residence time in the fractures feeding the wells. Chloride-enthalpy relations as well as isotopic and chemical compositions of well discharges, thermal springs, and local cold waters support a conceptual model of ascending high-temperature (minimum 225??C) parent fluid that has cooled conductively to form the 160-165??C shallow (to 680 m) fluid encountered by the wells. The hot-spring waters are formed by boiling and steam loss from more or less conductively cooled parent fluid. The more dilute boiling spring waters (Cl = ???32 mg/kg) have cooled from > 225??C to about 160??C by conduction and from 160??C to 98??C by boiling. The most concentrated boiling spring waters (Cl = 37 mg/kg) have cooled from > 225??C to about 200??C by conduction and from 200??C to 98??C by boiling. Intermediate concentrations reflect mixed cooling paths. ?? 1991.

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research↗

USGS2020

Petrologic insights into rift zone magmatic interactions from the 2011 eruption of Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaiʻi

The high frequency of historical eruptions at Kīlauea Volcano presents an exceptional opportunity to address fundamental questions related to the transport, storage, and interaction of magmas within rift zones. The Nāpau Crater area on Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone (ERZ) experienced nine fissure eruptions within 50 years (1961–2011). Most of the magma intruded during these frequent eruptions remained stored within the rift zone, creating a potential magma mixing depot within the ERZ. The superbly monitored and sampled 2011 eruption (Puʻu ʻŌʻō episode 59) presents an extraordinary opportunity to evaluate magma mixing processes within the ERZ. Whole-rock, glass, and olivine compositions were determined, not only for lava from the 2011 eruption, but also for a new suite of Nāpau Crater area samples from the 1963, 1965, 1968, 1983, and 1997 eruptions, as well as the previously undocumented 1922 eruption. Whole-rock XRF data revealed two geochemically distinct magma batches for episode 59: one less evolved (∼6·6 wt % MgO, 0·46 wt % K2O) than the other (∼6·2 wt % MgO, 0·58 wt % K2O). Episode 59 lava is remarkably aphyric (∼0·1 vol. % phenocrysts), making use of mineralogy to identify parent magma affinities problematic. Linear compositional trends of whole-rock major and trace elements, and reversely zoned olivine crystals indicate episode 59 lavas underwent magma mixing. Least squares regression calculations and plots of major and trace element data, were used to evaluate whether the episode 59 samples are products of mixing summit-derived magma with residual magma from previous Nāpau Crater area eruptions. The regression results and trace element ratios are inconsistent with previously proposed mixing scenarios, but they do support mixing between summit-derived magma and residual magma from the 1983 and 1997 Nāpau Crater area eruptions. These magmas were stored in physically and chemically distinct pods at depths of 1·6–3·0 km prior to mixing with new magma intruded from the summit to produce the episode 59 lava. One pod contained a fractionated equivalent of 1983 lava, and the other a hybrid of compositions similar to 1983 and 1997 lavas. The petrology of episode 59 lava demonstrates that magmas from two previous eruptions (1983 and 1997) were available to mix with magma intruded from the summit region. This study clarifies the pre-eruptive history of the mixed episode 59 lava, and elucidates the evolution of the volcano's magmatic system in a region of frequent eruptions.

Hawaii↗