Two types of carbonatic cumulate xenoliths occur in alkali basalts of the northern part of the Carpatho-Pannonian region, Central Europe. One is dominated by Ca-Fe-Mg carbonates with randomly distributed bisulphide globules (Fe1+xS2, x = 0–0.1), Mg-Al spinel, augite, rhönite, Ni-Co-rich chalcopyrite, and a Fe(Ni,Fe)2S4 phase. The second, carbonatic pyroxenite xenolith type, is composed of diopside, subordinate fluorapatite, interstitial Fe-Mg carbonates, and accessory K-pargasite, F-Al-rich ferroan phlogopite, Mg-Al spinel, albite and K-feldspar. All accessory minerals occur in ultrapotassic dacite-trachydacite glass in primary silicate melt inclusions in diopside, together with calcio-carbonatite and CO2-N2-CO inclusions. Textural evidence is provided for multiphase fluid-melt immiscibility in both xenolith types. The carbonatic pyroxenite type is inferred to have accumulated from differentiated, volatile-rich, ultrapotassic magma derived by a very low-degree partial melting of strongly metasomatized mantle. Mineral indicators point to a genetic link between the carbonatite xenolith with olivine-fractionated, silica-undersaturated alkalic basalt ponded at the mantle-crust boundary.

New electron-microprobe analyses of mayenite from the Ettringer Bellerberg volcano near Mayen in the Eifel district, Germany have high Cl contents and Raman spectroscopy indicates the presence of OH groups. Neither of these components is included in the generally accepted chemical formula, Ca12Al14O33. A refinement of the crystal structure by single-crystal X-ray methods reveals a previously unrecognized partial substitution. The O2 site which forms one of the apices of an AlO4 tetrahedron (with 3 × O1 sites) is replaced by 3 × O2a sites, which change the coordination of the central Al atom from tetrahedral to octahedral. This substitution is related to partial hydration of Ca12Al14O32Cl2 according to the isomorphic scheme (O2– + Cl–) ↔ 3(OH)–. The revised composition of Eifel mayenite is best described by the formula Ca12Al14O32–xCl2–x(OH)3x (x ∼0.75); the original formula, Ca12Al14O33, is inadequate. The analysed mineral can be considered to consist of endmember Ca12Al14O32Cl2 (62.5 mol.%) and endmember Ca12Al14O30(OH)6 (37.5 mol.%).

The Kupferschiefcr contains from 0.3 to 30 wt.% of organic matter, with an average value close to 10 wt.%. The concentration of heavy metals increases strongly towards the base of a black shale horizon. Where the black shale rests directly on red sandstone, the bottom few mm of the shale may contain (ppm): Hg 8-1500, mean 174; Ag 310-5780, mean 1222; Au 1-3000, mean 40; Pd 2-1000, mean 37; Pt 2-340, mean 18. The shale, enriched in noble metals, is overlain by thucholite shale. The flotation sulphide concentrate contains 1-3 ppm Au and a detectable Pd and Pt content. Selected gravity concentrates from the black shale contain 4-56 ppm Au, up to 25 ppm Pd, while the Pt content does not exceed 1 ppm. A tightly intermixed clay-organic matrix of the noble metal-bearing shale contains small accumulations of Au, Pt and Pd presumably as organomctallic compounds.

Thucholite is present locally. It contains inclusions of uraninite, brannerite and noble metal minerals lcoated at the boundary between optically isotropic and anisotropic components. The optically homogeneous organic matrix of the thucholite contains discrete inclusions of UO2, brannerite, electrum and organic compounds of Au, U, Pt and Ni varying in size from 0.008 to 0.025 μm as shown by TEM. Gold occurs in a continuous Au-Ag series. Refractory Au is present as substitutions in native silver and in the organic matrix of the shale and thucholite. Palladium forms several arsenides and sulphoarsenides. Refractory Pd is present as substitutions in Ni-Co arsenides and in the organic matrix of the shale and thucholite. Platinum is present as substitutions in the organic matrix of the noblemetal- bearing shale and thucholite.

The average detection limits of micro-PIXE were 8-10 ppm, and those of the SXRFA from one to a few ppm. A major factor defining detection limits in the studied samples were minor uranium lines overlapping spectral lines of the studied elements.

Cretaceous, strongly alkaline mafic igneous provinces occur around the margins of the Ordovician to Cretaceous Paraná sedimentary basin of southern Brazil. The Serra do Bueno diatreme is situated in the southern portion of the largest of these alkaline provinces, the Alto Paranaíba Igneous Province in Minas Gerais. The well-exposed diatreme crops out close to the south-west surface limit of the São Francisco craton and is adjacent to several other poorly exposed ultramafic alkaline pipes, previously described variously as kimberlites (Barbosa, 1991) and lamproites (Ramsay and Tompkins, in press). The diatreme has two distinct facies: (1) a crater facies dominated by lapilli tuffs; and (2) a magmatic hypabyssal facies formed by a relatively fresh ultramafic (MgO = 15 wt.%) potassic (K2O/Na2O = ∼ 1.5) intrusion that contains xenoliths of meta-sediments, feldspathic gneiss and dunite. It is massive and porphyritic, with large olivine phenocrysts (Fo87) and smaller crystals of diopside (Ca50Mg44Fe6), phlogopite, perovskite, ilmenite and zeolites in a fine-grained groundmass that contains altered leucite and up to 20% devitrified glass. The Serra do Bueno intrusion shows a strong enrichment in light relative to heavy rare earth elements, with La/Yb of ∼85. Its initial 87Sr/86Sr (0.705176) and 143Nd/144Nd (0.512312) isotopic ratios are similar to those of other intrusions (e.g. Limeira 2) and lavas (e.g. Presidente Olegário) in the Alto Paranaíba Igneous Province. This suggests that these Late Cretaceous alkaline magmas were all derived from a similar source, predominantly within the subcontinental lithospheric mantle.

Laser 40Ar/39Ar analyses have yielded an isochron of 90 ± 4 Ma for the Serra do Bueno intrusion. This age is higher than the corresponding K/Ar bulk-rock age for the same sample but similar to K/Ar ages determined on mica separates from both intrusive and extrusive rocks in the Alto Paranaíba Igneous Province.

The Palaeogene Eskdalemuir dyke, part of the Mull dyke swarm in the Southern Uplands of Scotland, is ~60 km long and up to 40 m thick. Its southern tip is 230 km from the inferred source on Mull. The dyke is composite, with tholeiitic basaltic margins and a vitreous central facies ranging from basaltic andesite to andesite in composition. Plagioclase and pyroxene phenocrysts and matrix crystals in the central facies show unusually large compositional ranges and complex textural relationships. Wholerock major and trace-element abundances show linear variations against MgO content, consistent with the rocks in the central facies having formed by mixing of basalt and rhyolite magmas. The rhyolite can be closely matched by rocks from the Mull centre. The mafic and silicic magmas were intruded from a compositionally zoned chamber beneath Mull, perhaps during collapse of the Centre 1 caldera. The lower-viscosity basaltic magma was emplaced before, but lubricated the lateral propagation of, the silicic magma, which mixed with the partially solidified basalt, the proportion of rhyolite increasing towards the dyke centre. The Eskdalemuir dyke represents an unusual, perhaps unique, example of a rhyolite magma being emplaced >200 km from its inferred source. The supposed correlative of the Eskdalemuir dyke north of the Southern Uplands Fault, the Dalraith-Linburn dyke, is not comagmatic with it.

Alkalic rhyolites with peralkaline affinities, bearing quartz and potassic feldspar phenocrysts, are described from Iceland for the first time. Evidence from electron-probe analyses of feldspar phenocrysts indicates crystallization in or near the thermal valley of the system SiO2-Or-Ab. Icelandic acid volcanic rocks are subdivided into alkalic rhyolites, belonging to transitional and alkalic basalt lineages, and the mildly calc-alkaline rhyolites of tholeiite lineages.

Most of the granitic sheets and veins in the Loch Coire migmatite complex do not have chemical compositions in accordance with a formation by local anatexis. Regional metasomatism by fluids from outside the exposed confines of the complex was an important factor in the development of the sheets and veins, although there was probably some overlap with magmatic conditions.

Chemical compositions of goldfieldite-tetrahedrite series minerals from the Iriki mine in Japan are reported for the frst time. The compositional variations of coexisting goldfieldite [atomic proportion Te > (Sb + As + Bi)], tellurian tetrahedrite [Sb > (Te + As + Bi)], and Te-free tetrahedrite from this locality are considered alongside data from the literature. These show that the substitution of (Sb, As)3+ for Te4+ in natural goldfieldite-tetrahedrite series minerals occurs by the following two mechanisms: (i) tetrahedrite, and goldfieldite, form a continuous solid-solution according to the coupled substitution of Cu+Te4+ for (Cu,Fe,Zn)2+(Sb,As)3+, and (ii) goldfieldite, and the ideal end-member, might also form a continuous solid-solution by the coupled substitution of ☐(vacancy)Te4+ for Cu+(Sb,As)3+. According to this work, the general formulae of tellurian tetrahedrite and goldfieldite are, therefore, respectively, , with x = 0 to 2 and , with y = 0 to 2.

Elemental distribution maps by wavelength-dispersive electron microprobe of enamel and dentine in modern crocodile teeth illustrate variations in both minor and major elements. Mg has the largest difference between the enamel and dentine, being enriched in the dentine. Mg, Ca and P are not homogeneously distributed in the dentine, but their distribution reflects changes during growth of the teeth. These variations in compositional differences of teeth from modern samples potentially can assist in establishing growth rates in fossil teeth samples, and thereby provide information on the physiology of extant species.

The Neves-Corvo mine opened officially in December 1988 and it is already the biggest producer of copper in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). Tin production started in 1990. The ore deposits of the IPB are related to felsic submarine volcanism which developed during the lower Tournaisian to the middle Visean. At the end of the first phase of Hercynian deformation in the middle Westphalian, the ore deposits were affected by low-pressure metamorphism producing schistosity and prehenite-pumpellyite greenschist facies assemblages in the volcanogenic sediments of the IPB.

The unique nature of the mineralogy of the Neves-Corvo deposit compared with other IPB deposits is mainly a result of the introduction of later Cu-rich hydrothermal solutions to the primitive ore pile and the presence of tin mineralisation. The cupriferous ores are rich in tetrahedrite-tennantite, stannite, kesterite, stannoidite and mawsonite.

Cassiterite occurs in Neves-Corvo: (a) as thin layers of euhedral crystals in cupriferous ores, partially replaced by chalcopyrite; (b) in the schistosity of a banded black shale chalcopyrite hanging wall formation; (c) as metre-sized lenses of massive cassiterite overlying the cupriferous ores.

The ore textures at Neves-Corvo are complex, due to intergrowths of fine colloform pyrite with the base metal minerals. Because of the low grade of metamorphism, colloform, geopetal and soft-sediment diagenetic features are preserved in the ‘complex ores’. These ‘complex ores’ have contents of 0.5% Cu, 1% Pb and 5.5% Zn. In copper-rich ores (7.9% Cu and 1.4% Zn), replacement of the primary ore by chalcopyrite has obliterated most of these textures and produced fine chalcopyrite-tetrahedrite-pyrite intergrowths. The textures clearly indicate the genesis of these ores but they impose a practical problem in recovery of the metals. There is no clear correlation between these textures and the ore classification used at the mine, but an understanding of the textures is vital since the ‘complex ores’ require fine grinding to achieve liberation and the fine grinding adversely affects the froth flotation processing of the ore.

The implications of the complex sulphide textures for ore beneficiation have been studied using reflected light microscopy, with determination of modal analyses and grain-size distributions of free particles and middlings from concentrates and tailings.

The outcome of a one-year intensive study is that the ore microscopy laboratory at the mine now produces daily information about the textures of the feed ores so that metallurgical engineers can optimise the performance of the ore dressing plant.

A 250 µm olivine crystal in Sharps contains 1 to 5 µm insets identified by microprobe analysis as ferroan monticellite, spinel, and fassaite with average compositions: olivine (host), (Fe0·44Mg1·51Ca0·05) (Si0·99Al0·01)O4; ferroan monticellite, (Ca0·89Fe0·41Mg0·66) (Si1·00Al0·02)O4; spinel, (Fe0·41Mg0·59)(Fe0·063+Cr0·23Al1·69Si0·01Ti0·01)O4; and fassaite, Ca0.96(Fe0·01Mg0·59)(Al0·18Ti0·07Fe0·163+)(Si1·53Al0·47)O6. Textural and experimental data suggest early crystallization of spinel from a calcic olivine melt, exsolution of ferroan monticellite from the host olivine, and reaction of spinel and ferroan monticellite to form fassaite. The severe depletion of alkalies and silica in this crystal suggests it is a residue from vapour fractionation.

In this paper we present new petrological and geochemical data for two peraluminous granite batholiths (Nisa Alburquerque and Jalama batholiths) representative of the ‘Araya-type’ granites of the Central-Iberian Zone. Both granites are composite with several facies (monzogranites and leucogranites) that can be grouped into two main granite units: the external units and central units. Intrusive relationships and lack of geochemical coherence between the central and external units indicate that they are not comagmatic but represent different pulses. The central units of both batholiths are petrologically and geochemically different. On the other hand, external units show a lot of similarities and are the main object of this study. The main characteristics of the external granites can be interpreted in terms of an incomplete fractional crystallization process of early mineral phases (plg + Kf + bt) which probably took place at the level of emplacement. Other possible mechanisms of magmatic differentiation (magma mixing, restite unmixing, sequential melting) can be discarded based on field, petrography and geochemical data. We propose that the ‘Araya-type’ granites are formed by the intrusion of distinct magma pulses (central and external). Further evolution within each pulse can be due to incomplete fractional crystallization possibly taking place at the emplacement level.

Coexisting zoisite and clinozoisite in seventeen specimens from six localities in Japan have been studied with the electron-probe microanalyser. Zoisite and clinozoisite are commonly zoned, but compositional gaps between them are systematic. Referring to the metamorphic grade of the host rocks, a temporary and schematic phase-diagram for the system Ca2Al3Si3O12-(OH)-Ca2Al2Fe3+Si3O12(OH) is presented. With increasing temperature, in the range of low- to medium-grade metamorphism, the compositional gap between the two epidote-group minerals shifts towards higher Fe3+ compositions.

Iodine-129 is a high-yield fission product formed in nuclear reactors and is a risk-driving radionuclide in both contaminated land and radioactive waste disposal due to its high mobility and long half-life. Here, the bioreduction behaviour of iodate was investigated by tracking iodine speciation and concentration in solution during the development of progressive anoxia in sediment microcosm experiments incubated at neutral pH. Experiments with acetate added as an electron donor showed the expected cascade of terminal electron-accepting processes. Analysis of solution chemistry showed reduction of iodate to iodide during the early stages of metal (Mn(IV) and Fe(III)) reduction, but with no significant retention of iodine species on solids. There was, however, a net release of natural iodine associated with the sediments to solution when robust iron reduction / sulfate reduction had developed. In addition, over 210 days, the controls with no electron donor and the sterile controls showed no Mn(IV) or Fe(III) reduction but displayed modest sorption of iodate to the sediments in the absence of bioreduction. Overall these results show that under oxic conditions iodate may be partially sorbed to sediments over extended periods but that development of mildly reducing conditions leads to the reductive release of iodine to solution as iodide.

Rutile grains occur extensively in host phases of biotite and quartz-feldspar aggregate in high-temperature paragneisses of the Mogok metamorphic belt of Myanmar. They occur as an isolated phase and sometimes show intergrowth texture with ilmenite. Most rutile grains contain up to 3.7 wt.% Nb2O5, which shows positive correlations with Fe and trivalent elements. Niobium substitutes for Ti by a coupled substitution with the trivalent cations (M3+) of Nb5+M3+Ti4+-2. Fine-grained rutile grains included in ilmenite are distinctly poor in Nb (<0.1 wt.% as Nb2O5) and contain Fe of 1.7–3.2 wt.% as Fe2O3, suggesting vacancybearing substitution of Fe3+4 Ti4+-3□–1, where □ indicates a vacancy. The rutile grains in the felsic phases contain high Zr contents of up to 4200 ppm, suggesting equilibrium temperatures over 800°C using the Ti-in-rutile geothermometer. These high-temperature conditions are consistent with those estimated by conventional methods reported in the literature and suggest widespread occurrences of the upperamphibolite and granulite facies metamorphic rocks in the middle segment of the Mogok metamorphic belt. In contrast, the Zr contents of rutile grains in biotite are usually <1000 ppm, implying equilibrium temperatures lower than 750°C. Most of the rutile grains poorer in Zr might have been included in biotite and were isolated from the zircon-bearing system during an early stage of prograde metamorphism. Some other rutile grains poorer in Zr might have been an exsolved phase from Ti-rich biotite during retrograde metamorphism, which was furthered by the infiltration of metamorphic fluid under lower-amphibolite facies conditions.

The zeolites form a group of minerals of considerable interest by reason of their peculiar properties. In particular, their remarkable continuous dehydration curves, in part reversible, and the ready base-exchange of some members have attracted attention. But in spite of much work, many important characters remain quite uncertain. Many of the zeolites show variations in composition which are not recognized or are incorrectly interpreted by the accepted formulae. Optical investigation has all too rarely been made on analysed material, and little is known of the variation of the optical properties of most members with their composition, and practically nothing of the variations consequent on artificial base-exchange reactions. In spite of much work, conflicting views are still held as to the interpretation of the dehydration results. In some instances even the crystal-system is still uncertain.

Differential thermal analysis alone appears inadequate as a tool for distinguishing the many chlorite varieties; however, this process is capable of yielding much valuable information about the chlorites. The 7 Å septechlorite structure may be easily distinguished from the normal 14 Å chlorite structure. Two stages of dehydration, oxidation of ferrous iron, and structural collapse appear as endothermic and exothermic peaks on the D.T.A. chlorite curves. Septechlorites show only one, large dehydration stage, which leads directly to the structural breakdown. Iron oxidation accompanies the initial dehydration in both structural types, and the temperature at which dehydration begins is noticeably lowered by increasing ferrous iron content of the chlorite variety.