Rocks chemical composition

Definitions. In addition to showing varying degrees of chemical purity, limestone assumes a number of widely divergent physical forms, including marble, travertine, chalk, calcareous mad, coral, shell, ooHtes, stalagmites, and stalactites. AH these materials are essentially carbonate rocks of the same approximate chemical composition as conventional limestone (2—4). 

Intrusive Deposits. Deposits included in the intmsive deposit type are those associated with intmsive or anatectic rocks of different chemical composition, eg, alaskite, granite, monzonite, peralkaline syenite, carbonatite, and pegmatite. Examples include the uranium occurrences in the porphyry copper deposits such as Bingham Canyon and Twin Butte in the United States, the Rossing Deposit in Namibia, and Ilimaussaq deposit in Greenland, Palabora in South Africa, and the deposits in the Bancroft area, Canada (15). 

The fiber extraction (milling) process must be chosen so as to optimize recovery of the fibers in the ore, while minimizing reduction of fiber length. Since the asbestos fibers have a chemical composition similar to that of the host rock, the separation processes must rely on differences in the physical properties between the fibers and the host rock rather than on differences in their chemical properties (33). 

For example, consider the chemical composition of a very old crystal of pitchblende, U308. We may presume that this crystal was formed at a time when chemical conditions for its formation were favorable. For example, it may have precipitated from molten rock during cooling. The resulting crystals tend to exclude impurities. Yet, careful analysis shows that every deposit of pitchblende contains a small amount of lead. This lead has accumulated in the crystal, beginning at the moment the pure crystal was formed, due to the radioactive decay of the uranium. 

Several workers have intended to estimate the chemical compositions of Kuroko ore fluids based on the chemical equilibrium model (Sato, 1973 Kajiwara, 1973 Ichikuni, 1975 Shikazono, 1976 Ohmoto et al., 1983) and computer simulation of the changes in mineralogy and chemical composition of hydrothermal solution during seawater-rock interaction. Although the calculated results (Tables 1.5 and 1.6) are different, they all show that the Kuroko ore fluids have the chemical features (1 )-(4) mentioned above. 

Chemical composition of hydrothermal solution experimentally interacted with rocks... 

Origin of ore fluids is constrained by (1) chemical compositions of ore fluids estimated by thermochemical calculations (section 1.3.2) and by fluid inclusion analyses, (2) isotopic compositions of ore fluids estimated by the analyses of minerals and fluid inclusions (section 1.3.3), (3) seawater-rock interaction experiments, (4) computer calculations on the seawater-rock interaction, and (5) comparison of chemical features of Kuroko ore fluids with those of present-day hydrothermal solutions venting from seafloor (section 2.3). 

During the last two decades, many experimental studies on the seawater-rock interaction at elevated temperatures (100-400°C) have been conducted. Particularly, detailed seawater-basalt interaction experiments have been done. Several experimental studies on seawater-rhyolite interaction and seawater-sedimentary rock interaction are also available (Bischoff et al., 1981). Examples of chemical compositions of modified seawater experimentally interacted with various kinds of rocks are shown in Table 1.9. 

Several factors such as Cl concentration, water/rock ratio and temperature are important in controlling the chemical composition of the hydrothermal solution interacted with the rocks. For example, water/rock ratio affects the alteration mineralogy (Mottl and Holland, 1978 Seyfried and Mottl, 1982 Shikazono, 1984). For example, at low water/rock ratio, epidote is stable, while chlorite at high water/rock ratio (Shikazono, 1984 Shikazono and Kawahata, 1987). 

The above argument on the calculation of chemical composition of ore fluids, seawater-rock interaction experiments, and isotopic compositions of ore fluids clearly demonstrates that Kuroko ore fluids were generated by seawater-rock interaction at elevated temperatures. The chemistry of present-day hydrothermal solution venting from back-arc basins and midoceanic ridges (sections 2.3 and 2.4) also support this view. 

Generally, the chemical composition of rocks does not considerably change during the propylitic alteration. The components which are added to the rocks are only H2O, CO2 and S (e.g., Okabe and Bamba, 1976). 

Considerable changes in the chemical composition of rocks occur during the advanced argillic alteration. For example, Si02 content of highly silicified rocks of the Ugusu silica mine reaches 99% (Iwao, 1962). This silicification is caused by the considerable leaching of elements from the rocks by acid hydrothermal solution except Si and addition of Si from hydrothermal solution. 

Few data on the chemical compositions of feldspars (albite, K-feldspar) are available. Fuji (1976) indicated that K-feldspar and albite in the propylite of west Izu Peninsula, middle Honshu are of nearly end member composition. Nagayama (1992) showed that K-feldspars in the Hishikari Au-Ag vein and in the host andesitic rock have different composition Na/K ratio of K-feldspars from the vein is lower than that from the host rocks. 

In the last two decades, great progress has been made in the field of hydrothemal alteration studies, mainly from computation works on water-rock interactions at elevated temperatures (e.g., Wolery, 1978 Reed, 1983, 1997 Takeno, 1989). These studies revealed the relationship between the changes in chemical composition of hydrothermal solution and the relative abundance of minerals in the rocks. 

Giggenbach (1984) calculated the effect of temperature on the chemical composition of fluids buffered by alteration minerals. The causes for the hydrothermal alteration considered below are mainly based on the works by Shikazono (1978a) and Giggenbach (1984). The effect of the extent of water-rock interaction is not taken into account. 

Thick sedimentary pile from middle Miocene to late Pliocene is exposed in the Oga Peninsula, northern Honshu, Japan (Fig. 1.153). Age of the sedimentary rocks has been determined by microfossil data. Thus, the sedimentary rocks in the Oga Peninsula where type localities of Miocene sedimentary rocks in northern Japan are well exposed have been studied to elucidate the paleoenvironmental change of the Japan Sea (Watanabe et al., 1994a,b). Kimura (1998) obtained geochemical features of these rocks (isotopic and chemical compositions) and found that regional tectonics (uplift of Himalayan and Tibetan region) affect paleo-oceanic environment (oxidation-reduction condition, biogenic productivity). However, in their studies, no detailed discussions on the causes for the intensity and periodicity of hydrothermal activity, and temporal relationship between hydrothermal activity, volcanism and tectonics in the Japan Sea area were discussed. They considered only the time range from ca. 14 Ma to ca. 5 Ma. 

Factors in controlling chemical compositions of gold in equilibrium with the ore fluids are temperature, pH, concentration of aqueous H2S and Cl in the ore fluids, concentration ratio of Au and Ag species in the ore fluids, activity coefficient of Au and Ag components in gold, and so on (Shikazono, 1981). In the Yamizo Mountains, as a result, Ag/Au ratios of gold are correlated with a kind of the host rocks and sulfur isotopic compositions of the deposits. This correlation could be used to interpret Ag/Au ratios of gold. 

It is concluded that, in either case, in situ interaction of the ore fluids with the host rocks controls the chemical compositions of gold in the Yamizo Mountains. 

Hayashi, M. (1979) Chemical composition of chlorite in altered rocks in Chitose and Ohe deposits. Earth Sci. (Japan), 33, 102-103 (in Japanese). 

Tsuchiya, N. (1988) Distribution and chemical composition of the Middle Miocene basaltic rocks in Akita-Yamagata oil fields of northeastern Japan. J. Geol. Soc. Japan, 94, 591-608 (in Japane.se). 

Previous studies clearly indicated that the chemical compositions of geothermal waters are intimately related both to the hydrothermal alteration mineral assemblages of country rocks and to temperature. Shikazono (1976, 1978a) used a logarithmie cation-Cl concentration diagram to interpret the concentrations of alkali and alkaline earth elements and pH of geothermal waters based on thermochemical equilibrium between hydrothermal solution and alteration minerals. 

Chemical compositions of major elements (alkali, alkali earth elements. Si) in back-arc and midoceanic ridge hydrothermal solutions are not so different (Table 2.15). This is thought to be due to the effect of water-rock interaction. For example, Berndt et al. (1989) have shown that mQ i+ of midoceanic ridge hydrothermal fluids is controlled by anorthite-epidote equilibrium (Fig. 2.37). Figure 2.37 shows that /Mca2+/m + of back-arc hydrothermal fluids is also controlled by this equilibrium. 

These differences are considered to be attributed to the dilferences in compositions of rocks and alteration minerals interacted with circulating seawater or modified seawater at elevated temperatures. For example, high K and Li concentrations in the hydrothermal solution in the Mid-Okinawa Trough baek-arc basin (Jade site) are due to the interaction of hydrothermal solution with acidic volcanic rocks (Sakai et al., 1990). It is evident that the chemical compositions of hydrothermal solution are largely alfected by water-rock interaction at elevated temperatures. 

These differences are caused by the influences of /02, /s2> pH, temperature of ore fluids and chemical compositions of rocks interacted with seawater in hydrothermal system. 

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