Thesis (B.Sc.(Hons.)) --University of Adelaide, Department of Geology, 1966.

Thesis ((Hons). B.Sc.)--University of Adelaide, Dept of Economic Geology, 1961. / *Missing pages 50-64 (incl. Conclusion), all of Appendix A, and p. 1-5 of Appendix B*

Thesis (M.S.) -- University of Texas at Dallas, 2006. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-63)

The Rayfield River copper property, 14 miles east of 70 Mile House in south central British Columbia, is underlain by a zoned syenite intrusion of late Triassic or early Jurassic age. The batholith was introduced into Mesozoic volcanics of the Nicola Group and has since been partially buried by Tertiary Basalt flows. The syenite grades from several hybrid phases at the country rock contact, through hornblende syenite, to leucocratic syenite and finally, to several centrally disposed pegmatitic bodies. Chalcopyrite and bornite, the major sulphides present, occur as inclusions within hornblende, along feldspar veinlets and along fractures in a concentric zone surrounding the leucrocratic syenite. On the property, the Rayfield River dissects to 400 feet, a gently rolling plateau. Glacial deposits are rare along the valley but commonly approach 50 feet in thickness on the plateau. Soil, lake sediment and water samples collected from these young and relatively unweathered surficial deposits are alkaline. Talus soils along the valley, however, are slightly more acidic, due to oxidation of primary sulphide minerals. The value of geochemical patterns in locating bedrock mineralization may be gauged by the success attained where sources of copper in bedrock are known. Three copper rich areas have been found. The most striking bedrock anomaly, near the center of the property, is outlined by copper-rich syenite float, stream sediment, lake water and sediment and talus soils. The second, along the northern half of the river valley, was found by stream sediment and talus surveys. The third bedrock anomaly, on the southeastern fraction of the property, is surrounded by float blocks relatively high in copper. Copper enrichment within glacial overburden is usually detectable over twice the area underlain by bedrock mineralization. Most secondary anomalies overly batholithic rocks, except in the south where rounded syenite float blocks, mineralogically and structurally similar to the most striking bedrock anomaly, were transported by a glacial Bonaparte River to where they now overly Nicola Volcanics. On a regional survey, boulder tracing and lake sediment or lake water sampling are most likely to indicate the presence of a mineralized intrusive. Detailed sampling reveals anomalous stream sediments of the Rayfield River and copper-rich talus along the valley sides of the northern half of the property. Detailed soil sampling is not suitable for outlining copper mineralization, as alkaline soil and thick overburden restrict movement of copper ions. Erratic high copper values are usually related to mineralized float or bedrock. Analysis of second year growth of Douglas fir or lodgepole pine apparently does not detect mineralization in bedrock. / Science, Faculty of / Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Department of / Graduate

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / The paucity of geochemical criteria for stratigraphic correlations and defining the styles of mineralisation pose serious problems in locating PGE-rich zones in the Platreef. This study is therefore aimed at identifying and appraising process-based mineralogical/geochemical criteria which may be useful in stratigraphic correlations and characterizing the nature and styles of PGE mineralisation. In addition, the work investigated the possible use of geochemical vectoring as a tool to locate the PGE-rich zones. Boreholes OY 482 and SS 330, drilled at the Overysel and Sandsloot farms respectively, were logged, and a total of 119 quarter cores were sampled for petrographic studies. The elemental contents in the rocks were determined by XRF and ICP-OES analyses and were evaluated using various statistical and mass balance techniques. In borehole OY 482, where the floor rock is Archaean granite, the Platreef consists of three feldspathic pyroxenite sills referred to as Lower, Middle and Upper Platreef units, from the bottom to the top, respectively. The results show that the Lower and Upper Platreef units have higher median values of Mg# (0.58 and 0.57) and Ni/Cu (0.68 and 0.75) when compared to the Middle Platreef (Mg#: 0.54 and Ni/Cu: 0.67) which may not be totally suggestive of two magmatic intrusive pulses. In borehole SS 330, where the floor rock is dolomite, the rocks consist of clinopyroxenites and olivine clinopyroxenites (variably serpentinised). These two units are intercalated with each other and are products resulting from the injection of Platreef magma sills within the dolomite floor rock. The hierarchical clustering and mass balance calculations show that when compared to the Platreef feldspathic pyroxenites, which have higher SiO2, Al2O3 and Fe2O3 median contents, the clinopyroxenites possess higher CaO median content whereas the olivine clinopyroxenites have higher MgO and LOI median contents. The PGE-rich zones (i.e. Pt+Pd) in clinopyroxenites are marked by low Ca/Mg median values, whereas in both, the olivine clinopyroxenites and the Platreef units, these zones are marked by high Mg/Fe median values. The suggested base metal index [(Cu/Zn) x (Ni/Co)] used to vector towards PGE-rich zones, which reflects the presence of the base metal sulphides (BMS), correlates with the Pt+Pd in the BMS-rich zones. This is not always the case in zones of low BMS contents which may reflect changes in the mineralogy of the BMS. In conclusion, the two boreholes studied show contrasting petrographic and geochemical attributes. This dissimilarity is mainly due to the fact that borehole OY 482 comprises Platreef magmatic rocks whereas borehole SS 330 intersected metamorphic/ metasomatic rocks.

No description available.

No description available.

Intense chemical weathering accompanies physical instability at the site of a repeatedly active landslide in North Derbyshire. In order to describe and quantify the chemical weathering, a programme of water sampling and analysis was devised. A sequence of reactions are proposed, based on theresults of this work, to account for the observed concentrations of chemical species in the drainage waters. It is thought that pyrite oxidation, accelerated by the presence of catalytic bacteria, is responsible for the considerable acidity of these waters. Additional reactions involving carbonates and silicates occur at strictly comparable rates and consume over 99% of the acidity prior to the water's emergence in a number of ochre-precipitating springs. Analysis of the solid reactants and products confirms the suggested sequence of events and suggests a number of ways in which chemical weathering might be related to slope stability. Clay minerals appear to be little affected by weathering, and the growth of precipitate minerals such as gypsum in joints and on bedding planes might be a more important mechanism in shale breakdown. After this initial rapid physical disintegration, chemical weathering, at the surface, proceeds relatively slowly. Chemical processes build up stresses within the rocks and possibly help to maintain any inherent planes of weakness. Ultimately landslide movement is triggered by increases in porewater pressures brought about by fluctuations in local ground water levels.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 331-337). Available also in a digital version from Dissertation Abstracts.

Thesis(M.S.)--Auburn University, 2006. / Abstract. Includes bibliographic references (p.76-81).