Heterogeneous Os isotope compositions in the Kalatongke sulfide deposit, NW China: the role of crustal contamination

Re-Os isotope compositions of mantle-derived magmas are highly sensitive to crustal contamination because the crust and mantle have very different Os isotope compositions. Crustal contamination may trigger S saturation and thus the formation of magmatic Ni-Cu-(PGE) sulfide deposits. The ∼287-Ma Kalatongke norite intrusion of NW China are hosted in carboniferous tuffaceous rocks and contain both disseminated and massive sulfide mineralization. The Re-Os isotope compositions in the intrusion are highly variable. Norite and massive sulfide ores have γ Os values ranging from +59 to +160 and a Re-Os isochron age of 239 ± 51 Ma, whereas disseminated sulfide ores have γ Os values from +117 to +198 and a Re-Os isochron age of 349 ± 34 Ma. The variability of Os isotope compositions can be explained as the emplacement of two distinct magma pulses. Massive sulfide ores and barren norite in the intrusion formed from the same magma pulse, whereas the disseminated sulfide ores with more radiogenic Os isotopes formed from another magma pulse which underwent different degrees of crustal contamination. Re-Os isotopes may not be suitable for dating sulfide-bearing intrusions that underwent variable degrees of crustal contamination to form magmatic sulfide deposits. © 2012 The Author(s).published_or_final_versionSpringer Open Choice, 28 May 201

The Aguablanca Ni–(Cu) sulfide deposit, SW Spain: geologic and geochemical controls and the relationship with a midcrustal layered mafic complex

The Aguablanca Ni–(Cu) sulfide deposit is hosted by a breccia pipe within a gabbro–diorite pluton. The deposit probably formed due to the disruption of a partially crystallized layered mafic complex at about 12– 19 km depth and the subsequent emplacement of melts and breccias at shallow levels (<2 km). The ore-hosting breccias are interpreted as fragments of an ultramafic cumulate, which were transported to the near surface along with a molten sulfide melt. Phlogopite Ar–Ar ages are 341– 332 Ma in the breccia pipe, and 338–334 Ma in the layered mafic complex, and are similar to recently reported U–Pb ages of the host Aguablanca Stock and other nearby calcalkaline metaluminous intrusions (ca. 350–330 Ma). Ore deposition resulted from the combination of two critical factors, the emplacement of a layered mafic complex deep in the continental crust and the development of small dilational structures along transcrustal strike-slip faults that triggered the forceful intrusion of magmas to shallow levels. The emplacement of basaltic magmas in the lower middle crust was accompanied by major interaction with the host rocks, immiscibility of a sulfide melt, and the formation of a magma chamber with ultramafic cumulates and sulfide melt at the bottom and a vertically zoned mafic to intermediate magmas above. Dismembered bodies of mafic/ultramafic rocks thought to be parts of the complex crop out about 50 km southwest of the deposit in a tectonically uplifted block (Cortegana Igneous Complex, Aracena Massif). Reactivation of Variscan structures that merged at the depth of the mafic complex led to sequential extraction of melts, cumulates, and sulfide magma. Lithogeochemistry and Sr and Nd isotope data of the Aguablanca Stock reflect the mixing from two distinct reservoirs, i.e., an evolved siliciclastic middle-upper continental crust and a primitive tholeiitic melt. Crustal contamination in the deep magma chamber was so intense that orthopyroxene replaced olivine as the main mineral phase controlling the early fractional crystallization of the melt. Geochemical evidence includes enrichment in SiO2 and incompatible elements, and Sr and Nd isotope compositions (87Sr/86Sri 0.708–0.710; 143Nd/144Ndi 0.512–0.513). However, rocks of the Cortegana Igneous Complex have low initial 87Sr/86Sr and high initial 143Nd/144Nd values suggesting contamination by lower crustal rocks. Comparison of the geochemical and geological features of igneous rocks in the Aguablanca deposit and the Cortegana Igneous Complex indicates that, although probably part of the same magmatic system, they are rather different and the rocks of the Cortegana Igneous Complex were not the direct source of the Aguablanca deposit. Crust–magma interaction was a complex process, and the generation of orebodies was controlled by local but highly variable factors. The model for the formation of the Aguablanca deposit presented in this study implies that dense sulfide melts can effectively travel long distances through the continental crust and that dilational zones within compressional belts can effectively focus such melt transport into shallow environments

Consequences of epistasis on growth in an erhualian × white duroc pig cross

Epistasis describes an interaction between the effects of loci. We included epistasis in quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping of growth at a series of ages in a cross of a Chinese pig breed, Erhualian, with a commercial line, White Duroc. Erhualian pigs have much lower growth rates than White Duroc. We improved a method for genomewide testing of epistasis and present a clear analysis workflow. We also suggest a new approach for interpreting epistasis results where significant additive and dominance effects of a locus in specific backgrounds are determined. In total, seventeen QTL were found and eleven showed epistasis. Loci on chromosomes 2, 3, 4 and 7 were highlighted as affecting growth at more than one age or forming an interaction network. Epistasis resulted in both the QTL on chromosomes 3 and 7 having effects in opposite directions. We believe it is the first time for the chromosome 7 locus that an allele from a Chinese breed has been found to decrease growth. The consequences of epistasis were diverse. Results were impacted by using growth rather than body weight as the phenotype and by correcting for an effect of mother. Epistasis made a considerable contribution to growth in this population and modelling epistasis was important for accurately determining QTL effects

Temporal variability in shell mound formation at Albatross Bay, northern Australia

We report the results of 212 radiocarbon determinations from the archaeological excavation of 70 shell mound deposits in the Wathayn region of Albatross Bay, Australia. This is an intensive study of a closely co-located group of mounds within a geographically restricted area in a wider region where many more shell mounds have been reported. Valves from the bivalve Tegillarcca granosa were dated. The dates obtained are used to calculate rates of accumulation for the shell mound deposits. These demonstrate highly variable rates of accumulation both within and between mounds. We assess these results in relation to likely mechanisms of shell deposition and show that rates of deposition are affected by time-dependent processes both during the accumulation of shell deposits and during their subsequent deformation. This complicates the interpretation of the rates at which shell mound deposits appear to have accumulated. At Wathayn, there is little temporal or spatial consistency in the rates at which mounds accumulated. Comparisons between the Wathayn results and those obtained from shell deposits elsewhere, both in the wider Albatross Bay region and worldwide, suggest the need for caution when deriving behavioural inferences from shell mound deposition rates, and the need for more comprehensive sampling of individual mounds and groups of mounds

Author Correction: Genome-wide association study of classical Hodgkin lymphoma identifies key regulators of disease susceptibility

Correction to: Nature Communications; https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-00320-1; published online 1 December 2017

Origin of PGE-Poor and Cu-Rich magmatic sulfides from the kalatongke deposit, Xinjiang, Northwest China

The Kalatongke Cu-Ni sulfide deposit in the Paleozoic Altay orogenic belt, NW China, is hosted in a Permian mafic intrusion consisting of norite, troctolite, gabbro, and diorite. Disseminated Ni-Cu, massive Ni-Cu, and massive Cu-rich sulfide ores are mainly hosted in norite and gabbro. Some massive Ni-Cu ores also occur in the Carboniferous sedimentary rocks. The geologic and compositional relationships between various sulfide ores and the rocks of Kalatongke offer a new interpretation of the sequence of emplacement of the magmas, which underpins an understanding of the compositions of the ores and the formation of the Kalatongke deposit. Olivine grains from disseminated Ni-Cu ores have Fo values ranging from 71.6 to 78.0 mol % and Ni contents from 1,000 to 2,200 ppm. Typically, Ni decreases from the cores to the rims from 2,000 to 1,000 ppm at constant Fo content, indicating the reaction of early-formed olivine with later-segregated sulfide melt. Cr spinels at Kalatongke are highly enriched in Fe 3+ and Fe 2+, with relatively low Cr, Al, and Ti, reflecting reaction with evolved trapped intercumulus melt. Norites are depleted in Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, and Th and enriched in Sr and Ba, whereas disseminated Ni-Cu sulfide ores have considerable depletion of Rb and enrichment of Sr and Ba and lack depletion of Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf, indicating their different origins. Disseminated Ni-Cu sulfide ores have bulk compositions with variable Cu and Ni contents which are much lower than those of massive Cu-rich and Ni-Cu ores, but disseminated and massive Ni-Cu ores have similar PGE contents with relatively low Pd/Ir ratios. Massive Cu-rich ores have much higher Pd and Pt with very high Pd/Ir ratios. The Kalatongke Cu-Ni sulfide deposit appears to have formed from two different pulses of PGE-poor and Cu-rich basaltic magmas that underwent different degrees of assimilation and fractional crystallization. The first magma pulse gained sulfide saturation because of minor crustal contamination and fractionated a small amount of sulfide (<0.03%); the evolved melt then intruded and assimilated crustal materials to attain sulfide saturation again. Sulfide liquid segregated from the magma to form the massive sulfide melts and residual magma formed the noritic rocks in the shallow magma chamber. The segregated massive sulfide melts then underwent further fractionation to form massive Ni-Cu and massive Cu-rich ores. The second pulse of magma after removal of sulfides (<0.02%) experienced more crustal contamination and re attained S saturation. This new S-saturated and phenocryst-laden magma intruded the earlier formed massive sulfide ores and norites and formed the disseminated sulfide ores. © 2012 Society of Economic Geologists, Inc.link_to_subscribed_fulltex

Selective crustal contamination and decoupling of lithophile and chalcophile element isotopes in sulfide-bearing mafic intrusions: An example from the Jingbulake Intrusion, Xinjiang, NW China

The Jingbulake mafic-ultramafic intrusion in the South Tianshan orogenic belt, Xinjiang, NW China, is a zoned intrusive body composed of gabbro-diorite, olivine gabbro and wehrlite, locally intruded by pyroxenite, within a major W-E structure. Both olivine gabbro and wehrlite contain disseminated Ni-Cu sulfides, whereas pyroxenite hosts an ore body containing massive, net-textured and disseminated sulfide ores. Both silicate rocks and sulfide ores from the Jingbulake intrusion have low Pd/Ir ratios (10-63). The silicate rocks contain Ni-poor olivine (generally 30% crustal contamination is required to explain the radiogenic Os isotopic composition if average upper crust is adopted as the crustal contaminant, or 5%-25% if sulfide-rich crustal rock is used as the crustal contaminant. However only 5-10% crustal contamination is required to explain the Nd and Sr isotopes. We propose that the decoupling of Os from Sr-Nd isotopes in the silicate rocks was due to selective crustal contamination. Addition of external sulfur from a crustal source may be the key factor triggering sulfide saturation. The silicate magma that underwent sulfide extraction before emplacement to shallow depth preserved a crustal Os isotope signature. Continued reaction of sulfide melts with new pulses of mantle-derived magma increased the Os content and decreased the 187Os/ 188Os(i) ratios, effectively masking the crustal Os contribution in the sulfides. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.link_to_subscribed_fulltex