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Mineralogy and geochemistry of reduction spheroids in red beds

Mineralogie und Geochemie von Reduktionshöfen in Rotsedimenten

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Summary

The mineralogy and geochemistry of reduction spheroids from continental and marine red beds of Europe, North America and Oman were investigated. Reduction spheroids are spheroidal, isolated reduction sites in hematitic rocks. They consist of a mineralized core (0.1 to 5 cm diameter) and a hematite-dissolution halo (1 to 20 cm diameter). Irrespective of origin and age of host rocks, all reduction spheroid cores show a very similar mineralogy dominated by the vanadian mica roscoelite and a similar pattern of element enrichment relative to their host rocks dominated by V and U. Element enrichments in most reduction spheroids are very similar to those of sandstone-hosted vanadium-uranium deposits except for a lack of a molybdenum enrichment. Isotopically light sulfide of in-situ, low-temperature origin is an indication for the involvement of bacterial sulfate reduction during reduction spheroid formation.

Zusammenfassung

Reduktionshöfe aus kontinentalen und marinen Rotsedimenten von Europa, Nordamerika und aus dem Oman wurden geochemisch und mineralogisch untersucht. Reduktionshöfe sind kugelsymmetrische, isolierte Reduktionszentren in hämatithaltigen Gesteinen. Sie bestehen aus einem mineralisierten Kern von 0.1 bis 5 cm Durchmesser welcher von einem infolge Hämatitlösung gebleichten Hof von 1 bis 20 cm Durchmesser umgeben ist. Reduktionshöfe zeigen unabhängig von ihrer Herkunft und vom Alter des Nebengesteins immer eine sehr ähnliche Mineralogie der mineralisierten Kerne mit dominierendem Roscoelith sowie eine ähnliche Charakteristik der Elementanreicherung relativ zum Muttergestein. Die Elementanreicherung wird von V und U dominiert und gleicht jener von Sandstein-Typ Vanadium-Uran-Lagerstätten mit Ausnahme des Fehlens einer Molybdänanreicherung. In-situ unter Tieftemperaturbedingungen produziertes, isotopisch leichtes Sulfid ist ein Hinweis darauf, dass bakterielle Sulfatreduktion bei der Bildung der Reduktionshöfe eine Rolle spielte.

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  1. Naturhistorisches Museum Bern, Bernastrasse 15, CH-3005, Bern, Switzerland

    B. A. Hofmann

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Hofmann, B.A. Mineralogy and geochemistry of reduction spheroids in red beds. Mineralogy and Petrology 44, 107–124 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01167103

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