MENVSC / Department of Mining and Environmental Gelogy / In the present study, the physico-chemical, applications, mineralogy, geochemistry and stable isotope of Lwamondo and Zebediela kaolin is documented, in order to understand the genesis, paleoenvironmental conditions and possible utilization. Mineral identification studies were conducted using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR) and scanning electron microscope with energy dispersive X-ray micro analysis (SEM-EDX). Major oxides were identified by X-ray Florescence (XRF) whereas trace elements were identified by Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). Hydrogen and oxygen isotopic composition were determined by δ18O and δD isotopic measurements. Kaolinite was dominant mineral in all the kaolin samples whereas muscovite, quartz, goethite, hematite, smectite, anatase occurred in minor to trace quantities. The chemical data show that the kaolins are composed mainly of SiO2 and Al2O3 due to the presence of quartz and kaolinite, with minor to trace amounts of other elements such as Ca, Na, Cr, K, Fe, Mn, Mg, P and Ti which affected the kaolin application negatively. Lower concentration of Ca, Na, K, Fe, Mn, Mg, and Ti show the extent of the kaolinitisation. The samples were enriched in Ni and depleted in some other trace elements. The chondrite-normalised rare earth elements patterns show enrichmnent in Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) than Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE) with slight positive Eu anomaly. The Rare Earth Elements (REE) pattern and the content of other trace elements show evidence of weathering processes related to kaolinitisatioon. Kaolin genesis is explained using kaolin mineralogy, particle morphology, structural order (functional group), major and trace elements geochemical data. The data suggest that kaolin is derived from the intensive chemical weathering of intermediate to mafic rocks deposited in non-marine environment. The stable isotopes were used to determine the paleoenvironmental conditions which influenced kaolinitisation of Lwamondo and Zebediela kaolins. Stable isotopes mean values for kaolinite from both Lwamondo and Zebediela were as follows: δ18O for Lwamondo= +18.57‰ and for Zebediela = +16.67 ‰ vii and δD for Lwamondo = -65‰ and for Zebediela = -64‰. The calculated mean temperatures were 26.94 ⁰C for Lwamondo kaolin and 36 ⁰C for Zebediela kaolin. Low temperatures were inferred from stable isotope values to have been involved in the kaolinitisation wherein hydrothermal processes were eliminated. The data suggests that kaolin was formed in a weathering environment. The kaolin is found to be suitable for brick making and based on the physico-chemical, mineralogical and chemical data it was suggested that the kaolin could also be used in producing low temperature ceramics, refractory materials, pottery and stoneware

Quand et comment le Plateau Tibétain s'est édifié demeure une question complexe, aux nombreuses implications pour la compréhension du comportement des lithosphères continentales en collision. Certains modèles mettent en avant l'importance du sous-plaquage de la lithosphère indienne et d'un épaississement localisé aux limites de micro-plaques asiatiques rigides ; tandis que d'autres considèrent au contraire que la lithosphère asiatique est peu résistante et se déforme de manière distribuée. La base croissante de données de haute qualité documentant les processus de surface et les processus profonds doit à présent être intégrée afin de contraindre les différents modèles d'évolution du Plateau. Ce travail de thèse se concentre sur le nord-est du bloc du Qiangtang, au Tibet Central : alors qu'elle constitue un élément clé pour les reconstructions et les modèles, cette région demeure l'une des moins étudiées de la zone de collision. Dans une première partie, l'acquisition de nouveaux âges 40Ar/39Ar de la déformation tardi-triasique (215-200 Ma) sur la suture de Jinsha, ainsi que la datation et l'étude métamorphique de xénolites crustales à corindon d'âge Trias Inférieur (249 Ma) échantillonnées dans des laves éocènes, mettent en évidence le rôle majeur et sous-estimé des subductions mésozoïques dans l'épaississement crustal total. Les résultats suggèrent que la région avait atteint, avant le début de l'Éocène, une épaisseur crustale de l'ordre de 45 à 55 km, soit près de 80% de son épaisseur actuelle de 66 km. Cet épaississement crustal mésozoique fut probablement en grande partie la conséquence du magmatisme d'arc du NE-Qiangtang, lié à 80 Ma de subductions océaniques à ses bordures. Ces nterprétations sont cohérentes avec les données régionales d'émersion et de paléoaltitude entre le Trias et l'Éocène. Dans une seconde partie, l'étude pétrologique et géochimique de roches magmatiques d'âge Éocène des bassins de Xialaxiu et de Nangqian suggère un intense métasomatisme du manteau lithosphérique source par des fluides ou magmas riches en H2O et en CO2. Ces résultats servent de point de départ à une série de modèles rhéologiques et thermomécaniques visant à caractériser le comportement d'une telle lithosphère dans un contexte de convergence continentale. Nous montrons que le manteau lithosphérique sous notre région d'étude à l'Éocène était à la fois très peu résistant (logmin~2.3), très peu dense (~3310 kg/m3 à 2 GPa), et possédait un solidus fortement défléchi vers les basses températures aux moyennes pressions mantelliques (~930°C à 3 GPa). À partir de ces caractéristiques, les modèles thermo-mécaniques laissent envisager un régime atypique de déformation et de fusion partielle, par l'injection de manteau lithosphérique métasomatisé dans l'asthénosphère sous-jacente. Celui-ci reproduit correctement l'intervalle de temps et la distance entre les épisodes magmatiques de Xialaxiu et de Nangqian, ainsi que la magnitude de l'épaississement crustal dans notre région d'étude, sans impliquer de délamination de la racine lithosphérique adoucie. Ces résultats nous amènent à proposer un réexamen des données géophysiques disponibles sur le manteau lithosphérique tibétain, dans lequel la zone de faibles vitesses sismiques imagée à l'aplomb du Tibet Central pourrait être interprétée en terme d'anomalie chimique et minéralogique, et non d'anomalie thermique. / How and when the Tibetan Plateau was built remains a complicated issue, with many implications for our understanding of the behaviour of colliding continental lithospheres. Some models highlight the importance of the underthrusting of the Indian lithosphere and of localized thickening at the edges of rigid Asian microplates ; while others consider that the Asian lithosphere is weak and deforms in a distributed manner. The growing, high-quality database documenting deep and surface processes has now to be integrated in order to constrain the different evolution models of the Plateau.This thesis work focuses on the north-eastern Qiangtang block in Central Tibet : although it is a keystone for reconstructions and models, this region remains one of the least studied of the collision zone.In a first part, new 40Ar/39Ar dating of the Late Triassic (215-200 Ma) deformation on the Jinsha suture, along with a metamorphic study of Early Triassic (249 Ma) corundum-bearing crustal xenoliths sampled in Eocene magmatic rocks, shed light on the the major, but underestimated role played by the Mesozoic subductions in bulk crustal thickening. Our results suggest that prior to the Eocene, our study area had reached a crustal thickness of 45-55 km, i.e 80% of its present-day crustal thickness of 66 km. This Mesozoic crustal thickening was likely achieved by continental arc magmatism related to the 80 Ma of continuous oceanic subductions on both edges of the NE-Qiangtang terrane.These interpretations are consistent with the regional emersion and paleo-altitude data.In a second part, a petrological and geochemical study of Eocene magmatic rocksfrom the Nangqian and Xialaxiu basins suggests an intense metasomatism of the source lithospheric mantle by H2O- and CO2-rich fluids or melts. These results are used as a starting point for a series of rheological and thermo-mechanical models, to characterize the behaviour of such lithosphere in a continental convergence context. We show that the lithospheric mantle underlying our study area in the Eocene was particularly weak (logmin~2.3) and buoyant (~3310 kg/m3 à 2 GPa), and its solidus was deflected to low temperatures at medium mantle pressures (~930°C à 3 GPa). From these characteristics, thermo-mechanical models forecast an atypical deformational and partial melting regime, through the injection of metasomatized lithospheric mantle into the asthenosphere, whichadequately reproduces the timing and location of Xialaxiu and Nangqian magmatic events, and the magnitude of crustal thickening observed in our study area, without any delamination of the weakened lithospheric root.This eventually leads us to reconsider the available geophysical data for the Tibetan lithospheric mantle : the low-velocity zone imaged beneath Central Tibet could indeed represent a geochemical, rather than thermal anomaly.

The purpose of this study is to characterize the metasomatism that has taken place as a result of the chemical incompatibility between mafic and metaultramafic bulk compositions during high-grade regional metamorphism in the Tobacco Root Mountains, southwest Montana. Metasomatism of these rocks took place by both diffusionand infiltration-dominated processes. The result of these processes are characterized mineralogically and geochemically in the rocks.

No description available.

Dans l’objectif d’évaluer le devenir de sédiments subduits variablement enrichis en soufre dans des conditions P-T (pression – température) correspondant au toit de la plaque sous un arc volcanique, des expériences de fusion et de cristallisation ont été réalisées en conditions hydratées en presse piston-cylindre(3 GPa ; 650 – 1000°C ; ƒO2 ~ NNO) sur des sédiments naturels (pélite et marne), non dopés en éléments en traces et variablement enrichis en soufre (0, 1 et 2 wt% Sin). Lors de la fusion du sédiment pélitique, des liquides trondhjémitiques à granitiques sont produits en équilibre avec un résidu composé de grenat +disthène ± phengite ± quartz + rutile. Lors de la fusion du sédiment marneux, des liquides granodioritiques sont produits en équilibre avec un résidu constitué de grenat ± épidote ± clinopyroxène ± disthène ± quartz +rutile. L’ajout de soufre dans le système pour une ƒO2 ~ NNO conduit à une précipitation de sulfures. La quantité de fer (Fe2+) disponible dans le système diminue fortement (augmentation du Mg#) et impactegrandement les relations de phases : le grenat, l’épidote et la phengite sont déstabilisées au profit des pyroxènes, de la biotite ou encore de l’amphibole. La distribution des éléments en traces dans le liquide silicaté par rapport au sédiment de départ est également très affectée pour les systèmes dopés en soufre(ex : fractionnement des terres rares). Nous proposons, à partir des données obtenues dans des xénolites mantelliques (Grenade, Petites Antilles) et lors de modélisations géochimiques, que la contribution dans lecoin mantellique de 1 à 3 % de liquides trondhjémitiques/granitiques issus de la fusion de sédiments pélitiques modérément enrichis en soufre (≤ 1 wt% Sin) peut expliquer la variabilité de composition des basaltes du sud de l’arc des Petites Antilles (Grenade et Grenadines). / The main issue of this study is to constrain the fate of subducted sediments variably enriched in sulphur for P-T (pressure – temperature) relevant for the slab at sub-arc depth. Using piston-cylinder apparatus, we performed melting and crystallisation experiments (3 GPa; 650 – 1000°C; ƒO2 ~ NNO) on natural, trace elementundoped and volatile-rich sediments (pelite and marlstone). Experiments were conducted with variable water (5 to 10 wt% H2Oin) and sulphur (0, 1 and 2 wt% Sin) contents. Silicate melts produced by the fluid-present melting of pelite range from trondhjemitic to granitic compositions, are broadly peraluminous and coexist with garnet + kyanite ± phengite ± quartz + rutile. Those produced by the fluid-present melting of marlstone are sodic (granodioritic composition), metaluminous to slightly peraluminous and coexist with garnet ± epidote ± clinopyroxene ± kyanite ± quartz + rutile. Sulphur addition at ƒO2 ~ NNO leads to sulphide precipitation. Thus, iron (Fe2+) contents decrease (Mg# increase) in the system and this strongly impacts phase relationships: garnet, epidote and phengite are consumed in favour of pyroxens, biotite and amphibole. Trace-element distribution between silicate melt and starting bulk for S-doped systems is largely impacted (e.g. rare earth elements fractionation). On the basis of data obtained in mantle xenoliths(Grenada, Lesser Antilles) and from geochemical modelisations, we are suggesting that a contribution in the mantle wedge of 1 to 3 % of trondhjemitic/granitic melts derived from pelitic sediments (≤ 1 wt% Sin) mayaccount for the composition of basalts in the southern part of Lesser Antilles (Grenada and Grenadines).

L’objectif de cette thèse était d’utiliser les propriétés magnétiques des roches (paléomagnétisme, anisotropie de la susceptibilité magnétique (ASM) et différentes techniques d’analyse de la minéralogie magnétique), complété par d’autres méthodes classiques (microscopie pétrographique et électronique, goniométrie de texture, spectroscopie Raman, statistiques d’orientation préférentielle de forme et cathodoluminescence) pour aborder des thématiques récurrentes relatives à la formation des gisements métalliques. Cette approche a été appliquée à deux problèmes métallogéniques : (i) le traçage de la circulation du fluide ayant produit la métasomatose ferrifère des carbonates de La Florida (Cantabrie, Nord de l’Espagne) et la mise en place des minéralisations à Pb–Zn associées (MVT) ; et (ii) l’étude de la structuration des gossans et le décryptage de l’histoire de l'altération des amas sulfurés de la Ceinture Pyriteuse Sud Ibérique (CPSI, Andalousie, Sud de l’Espagne). Dans le premier cas, nous avons pu démontrer expérimentalement que la circulation des fluides produit une anisotropie de forme dont on peut retrouver l’empreinte dans le signal de l’ASM. Cette propriété nous a permis de définir une direction NE–SW de circulation du fluide métasomatique à La Florida. Dans le deuxième cas, le couplage entre l’ASM et le paléomagnétisme nous a permis de définir deux fabriques magnétiques dans les gossans primaires ; (i) une fabrique, d’âge ancien, de « compaction », caractéristique des parties supérieures des gossans, probablement associé au réchauffement de l’Oligocène supérieur et (ii) une fabrique de « mélange », plus récente, localisée dans les parties inférieures des gossans, formée probablement lors de l’événement messinien. La fabrique de « compaction » refléterait donc une altération plus mâture comparée à la fabrique de « mélange ». Par ailleurs, l’analyse de la minéralogie magnétique des gossans et des terrasses de la CPSI a révélé la présence « inhabituelle » de la pyrrhotite, une présence que nous avons attribué à l’activité de bactéries sulfato-réductrices dans des microdomaines réducteurs, disséminés dans un environnement globalement oxydant et très acide. / The purpose of this PhD thesis was to use the magnetic properties of rocks (paleomagnetism, anisotropy of the magnetic susceptibility (ASM) and various techniques of magnetic mineralogy analysis), supplemented by some traditional methods (petrographic and electronic microscopy, texture goniometry, Raman spectroscopy, shape preferential orientation statistics and cathodoluminescence) to study the formation of metal deposits. This approach was applied to two metallogenic studies: (i) the track of fluid circulation that produced the iron-bearing metasomatism of the carbonates of La Florida mining district (Cantabria, Northern Spain), and the Pb–Zn mineralization deposits (MVT); and (ii) the study of the internal structures of the gossans and the alteration history of the massive sulphides of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB, Andalusia, Southern Spain). In the first case, we showed experimentally that the fluid circulation produces a shape anisotropy, recorded in the form of a magnetic anisotropy. This property enabled us to define a NE–SW direction of the circulation of the metasomatic fluid in the La Florida district mining. In the second case, the coupling of AMS and paleomagnetism enabled us to define two magnetic fabrics in the primary gossans; (i) a “compaction” fabric in the upper parts of the gossans, associated to an old age, and probably caused by the Late Oligocene Warming Event, and (ii) a “mixture” fabric, more recent, located in the lower parts of the gossans and probably formed during the Messinian Salinity Crisis. The “compaction” fabric would reflect an alteration stage more mature than the “mixture” fabric. In addition, the magnetic mineralogical analysis of the gossans and the associated terraces of the CPSI revealed the “curious” occurrence of the pyrrhotite, which was attributed to the sulfato-reducing bacteria activity in some reducing microdomains, disseminated in an environment globally oxidant and highly acid.

Η παρούσα έρευνα αναφέρεται στην πετρολογική και κοιτασματολογική μελέτη του πλουτωνίτη της νήσου Τήνου και την συνδεδεμένη μ' αυτόν μεταλλοφορία σεελίτη (βολφραμιούχος) τύπου skarn. Ο ασβεσταλκαλικού χαρακτήρα πλουτωνίτης δείχνει τεκτονικού-θερμομεταφορικού τύπου επαφή με τα πετρώματα του πλαισίου. Συνίσταται άπό δύο βασικές λιθολογικές φάσεις: έναν μεταργιλικού χαρακτήρα βιοτιτικό-κεροστιλβικό γρανοδιορίτη που τοποθετήθηκε γύρω στους 17 Μα σε καθεστώς συμπίεσης σε θερμοκρασία ~770οC και πίεση ~5,2 Kbars. Ο γρανοδιορίτης προήλθε από ένα μάγμα που ήταν αποτέλεσμα μερικής τήξης υλικών μανδυακής προέλευσης και πετρωμάτων του ανώτερου φλοιού. Ο δεύτερος λιθότυπος πλουτωνίτη είναι ένας περιφερειακά αναπτυσσόμενος υπεραργιλικός γρανιτικός - βιοτιτικός λευκογρανίτης. Ο λευκογρανίτης τοποθετήθηκε γύρω στα 14 Μα σε καθεστώς διαστολής σε θερμοκρασία ~680οC και πίεση ~2Kbars. Κρυσταλλώθηκε από μάγμα που προήλθε από την μερική τήξη του γρανοδιορίτη και των περιβαλλόντων μεταϊζημάτων. Γύρω από τον πλουτωνίτη σχηματίσθηκε άλως επαφής πάχους ~1km. Μέσα στην ζώνη του πυροξενικού κερατίτη εντοπίστηκαν σε δύο περιοχές της δυτικής επαφής του πλουτωνίτη οι σχηματισμοί skarn πυροξένου - γρανάτη. Ο τύπος του skarn είναι "οξειδωτικός" εντούτοις διατηρούνται υπολέιμματα του αναγωγικού σταδίου (πλούσιοι σε εδεμβεργίτη πυρόξενοι και πλούσιοι σε γροσσουλάριο πυρήνες γρανατών που έχουν υποστεί ανθρακορρωγμάτωση). Η μεταλλοφορία του σεελίτη εντοπίστηκε μέσα στην ζώνη του πυροξενικού κερατίτη ως αποτέλεσμα διηθητικών - μετασωματικών διαδικασιών. Οι μεγακρύσταλλοί του βρίσκονται σε ισορροπία με τον υδροθερμικό γρανάτη (ζωνώδεις κρύσταλλοι πλούσιοι σε ανδραδίτη με παλμική ζώνωση και ανισοτροπία) και έχουν αποτεθεί σε θερμοκρασία ~375 οC (από ρευστά εγκλείσματα) και πίεση μικρότερη των 500 bars. / The present work is a petrological and mineralization study of the Tinos pluton and particularly of the tungsten skarn ie scheelite mineralization associated with this intrusion. the calcalkaline pluton displays a thermal - tectonic contact with the country rocks. It consists of two lithotypes: a metaluminous biotite- hornblende granodiorite and emplaced ca.17Ma under compression at T~700oC and P ~ 5.2kbars. The granodiorite represents a partial melt of mantle derived and upper crustal materials. The second lithotype of Tinos pluton is a peripherally occurring metaluminous garnet - biotite leucogranite that was emplaced ca. 14Ma at T ~ 680oC and P ~ 2kbars. The leucogranite crystallized from a magma representing a hybrid partial melt from the granodiorite and the encasing metasedimentary rocks. A contact halo of ~1km was formed around the Tinos pluton. In the pyroxene hornfels zone in the western part of the halo, mineralized pyroxene - garnet skarns were developed in two areas as a result of pyrometasomatism followed by infiltration metasomatism. The type of the Tinos skarn is "oxidized" however retains "reduced" characteristics such as hedenbergite and garnet rich in grossular component. The carbofractured grossular garnet cores with hourglass twinning are overgrown by anisotropic, oscillatory - zoned andradite - rich mantles. The scheelite megacrysts are in equilibrium with the latter, hydrothermal garnet. Fluid inclusion studies indicate that the scheelite has crystallized at T~375oC and pressure lesser than 500bars.

No description available.

PhD (Geology) / Department of Mining and Environmental Geology / Cretaceous-Tertiary Periods marked the break-up of Gondwana, a large landmass composed of most of the present-day southern continents. In understanding the events of the supercontinental break-up, paleoenvironmental studies need to be carried out. In such studies, kaolinites could be used as paleoenvironmental proxies due to their small particle sizes and large surface area. It is in this context that this research sought to reconstruct the paleoenvironments in which selected Cretaceous-Tertiary kaolin deposits in the Douala Sub-Basin in Cameroon formed. To achieve this objective, mineralogical and geochemical characterisations were carried out using x-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, thermal analyses and x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy. Trace elements and stable isotopes were analysed using mass spectrometries. Ages of zircons in the kaolins were determined using laser ablation magnetic sector-field inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-SF-ICP-MS) U-Pb geochronology. Diagnostic evaluation for industrial applications of the kaolins were carried out using particle size distribution, texture, moisture content, pH, and electric conductivity. Six kaolin deposits from Cretaceous-tertiary Formations of the Douala Sub-Basin were studied; namely, Bomkoul (Tertiary), Dibamba (Tertiary), Ediki (Cretaceous), Logbaba (Cretaceous), Missole (Tertiary) and Yatchika (Cretaceous). The nature and occurrences of these kaolin deposits in Cameroon were determined through thorough mineralogical and geochemical characterisations of bulk (< 2 mm size fraction), silt (2-63 μm size fraction) and clay samples (< 2 μm size fraction). By quantifying the mineral phases present, the morphology and the functional groups in the kaolins are presented as the mineralogical characteristics of kaolins of each study site; whereas, the major oxides geochemistry and the micro-elemental composition constitute the geochemical characteristics of these kaolins. The minerals’ geneses were also determined and the prevailing paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic conditions in which they were formed were reconstructed using trace elements and stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen in kaolinite. The maximum age of the kaolins were determined using U-Pb LA-SFICP-MS dating of zircons in the kaolin deposits. Diagnostic evaluation of the kaolins was carried out, and involved the determination of physical characteristics (particle size, texture, colour and moisture content) and physico-chemical characteristics (pH and electrical conductivity). Results showed that kaolinite and quartz (as major phases), smectite and/or illite (as minor phases), anatase and rutile (as minor or trace phases), goethite and hematite (as trace viii phases) were the mineral phases present in bulk and silt samples. Whereas, in the < 2 μm fractions, the mineral phases are made up of kaolinite and smectite (as major phases), smectite and/or illite (as minor phases), anatase and rutile (as minor or trace phases), goethite and hematite (as trace phases). The kaolins are mostly made up of thin platy or pseudo-hexagonal particles or flakes, books or stacks of kaolinite. The Dibamba, Logbaba and Missole II kaolins have well-ordered structures. Exothermic peak temperatures were generally between 943-988oC. The most abundant major oxides are silica and alumina, followed by iron oxide and titania; though Logbaba and Missole II had higher titania than iron oxide. 85% of the kaolins, portrayed extreme silicate weathering (chemical index of alteration > 80%) and are compositionally mature (index of compositional variability > 0.78). The geochemical composition of the kaolins showed that source rocks of these kaolins vary between rhyolite/granite and rhyolite/granite + basalt. The geochemistry also suggested that the kaolins formed in a marine environment (except Logbaba samples). Trace elements results revealed that Cretaceous-Tertiary kaolins in the Douala Sub-Basin are mainly enriched in rare earth elements compared to the upper continental crust, and have negative Eu anomaly. Large ion lithophiles (mainly Rb and U) were highly enriched in samples, high field strength elements (Y and Nb) were enriched in studied samples of all fractions; and transition trace elements generally had concentrations quite similar to upper continental crust values. Stable isotopes showed that the kaolins were formed in a supergene environment; and temperatures of kaolinitisation (assuming equilibrium with the global meteoric water line) were 26.58oC ± 9.65oC for Cretaceous kaolins and 29.40oC ± 7.22oC for Tertiary kaolins. Assuming equilibrium with the local (Douala) meteoric water line, the temperatures of kaolinitisation were 24.64oC ± 9.48oC for Cretaceous and 27.42oC ± 7.08oC for Tertiary kaolins. Four main zircon populations were identified from radiogenic dating: the 1st between 550 and 650 Ma, the 2nd between 950 and 1050 Ma, the 3rd around 1600 Ma and the 4th between 2800-3200 Ma. These four zircon populations belong to the Proterozoic (Neo-, Meso- and Paleoproterozoic) and the Archean. The maximum depositional ages of the kaolins, reflected by the youngest weighted averages of zircon populations varied between 588 ± 2 Ma and 612 ± 2 Ma, all belonging to the Ediacaran Period (Neoproterozoic). The diagnostic evaluation of the kaolins revealed that the kaolins are very sandy, with 50% of the samples having a sandy loamy clay or sandy loam texture. The colour of the samples varied considerably from white to darker colours (dark grey); with 15% of the kaolins being light reddish brown. The moisture content was generally very low (< 2 wt %) in all size fractions, except in Yatchika samples (moisture content > 2 wt %). The kaolins are generally acidic, with ix a pH(KCl) varying between 3.06 and 3.81, except in Missole I samples, which had a pH (KCl) < 2. The electrical conductivity (EC) generally varied between 20 to ~ 50 μS/cm, except Dibamba and MSL II 01 samples which had EC values in the interval 50 μS/cm < EC < 80 μS/cm; and Missole I samples having an EC > 7500 μS/cm. In conclusion, no great distinction was found between Cretaceous and Tertiary kaolins of the Douala Sub-Basin based on their mineralogy and geochemistry. The best kaolins in terms of these characteristics, and in comparison with the Georgia Kaolins (known for their high kaolinite quality), were the Dibamba (Tertiary), Logbaba (Cretaceous) and Missole II (Tertiary) kaolins. Based on their compositional maturity and mineralogical characteristics, these three kaolins are considered to be second cycle sediments; unlike Bomkoul, Yatchika and Ediki kaolins, which are believed to be first cycle sediments. Based on the trace elements and stable isotopes composition, Cretaceous and Tertiary kaolins of the Douala Sub-Basin were derived from felsic rocks. However, Cretaceous kaolins were formed in a cooler anoxic reducing environment; whereas the Tertiary kaolins were formed in a warmer oxidising environment, with higher precipitation. Ages of zircons in Cretaceous-Tertiary kaolins suggested that the zircon formed during two main tectonic events: the Eburnean orogeny, during which older zircons crystallised and the Pan-African orogeny, during which younger zircons crystallised. The maximum depositional ages of the kaolins varied between 588 ± 2 Ma and 612 ± 2 Ma. The main identified sources of these zircons are the Archean Ntem Complex, the Paleoproterozoic Nyong Group and the Neoproterozoic Yaounde Group. The diagnostic evaluation indicated that the particle size greatly influences the mineralogy and geochemistry of the kaolins because the finer particles (< 2 μm) have higher amounts of kaolinite and Al2O3. The moisture content of the kaolins makes them suitable as paint fillers and in soap production. Paper coating, paper filler, ceramics, pharmaceutics and cosmetics are potential applications for the kaolins, though particle size reduction and beneficiation will give them a higher quality. However, because these kaolin deposits are not big and extensive, they cannot be recommended for large scale industrial applications; but they can be used for bricks, pottery and stoneware manufacturing.

Use of Re-Os systematics in sulfides from the Bagdad porphyry Cu-Mo deposit provide information on the timing of mineralization and the source of the ore -forming elements. Analyzed samples of pyrite, chalcopyrite and molybdenite mainly from the quartz monzonite and porphyritic quartz monzonite units are characterized by a moderate to strong potassic alteration (secondary biotite and K- feldspar). Rhenium concentrations in molybdenite are between 330 and 730 ppm. Two molybdenite samples from the quartz monzonite and porphyritic quartz monzonite provide a Re-Os isotope age of 71.7 ± 0.3 Ma. A third sample from a molybdenite vein in Precambrian rocks yields an age of 75.8 ± 0.4 Ma. These molybdenite ages support previous suggestions of two mineralization episodes in the Bagdad deposit. An early event at 76 Ma and a later episode at 72 Ma. Pyrite Os and Re concentrations range between 0.008-0.016 and 3.9-6.8 ppb, respectively. Chalcopyrite contains a wide range of Os (6 to 91 ppt) and Re (1.7 to 69 ppb) concentrations and variable ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios that range between 0.13 to 22.27. This variability in the chalcopyrite data may be attributed to different copper sources, one of them the Proterozoic volcanic massive sulfides in the district, or to alteration and remobilization of Re and Os. Analyses from two pyrite samples yield an eight point isochron with an age of 77 ± 15 Ma and an initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratio of 2.12. This pyrite Re-Os isochron age is in good agreement with the molybdenite ages. We interpret the highly radiogenic initial 1870s/188Os as an indication that the source of Os and, by inference, the ore-forming elements for the Bagdad deposit, was mainly the crust. This conclusion agrees with previous Pb and Nd isotope studies and supports the notion that a significant part of the metals and magmas have a crustal source.