Physical and chemical characterization of zoned minerals as a measure of environmental change

分区矿物的物理和化学特征作为环境变化的衡量标准

• 批准号: 612-2011
• 负责人: Halden, Norman
• 金额: $ 1.6万
• 依托单位: University of Manitoba
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2011-01-01 至 2012-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=473356
• 关键词: Physical; chemical; characterization; zoned; minerals

Zoning in minerals occurs on a variety of length-scales in many environments, as minerals take time to grow, this zoning records changes in the environment over time. Zoning patterns may be interpreted as (i) driven by external forcing, with evidence of chemical disequilibrium or (ii) self-organization with micron-scale oscillatory zoning, here trace elements are particularly sensitive to environmental change. This research will quantify rates and extent of environmental change using zoned mineral chemistry in near surface environments. Otoliths, ear bones of bony fish, will be used as a tool for i) monitoring the affects of mine tailings on aquatic organisms and environments, and ii) assessing migratory behaviour in fish; and an examination of the physical and chemical controls of mineral growth in ice. Incremental structures in biominerals can be used to establish background chemical/trace element levels in aqueous environments, and monitor environmental change. The scale and rate of response of the biomineral to externally driven environmental change is largely unknown, and the biomineral is often "buffered" by the metabolism of the organism. Metabolic transformation of trace elements makes their use as temporal markers of contaminant uptake tenuous. The advantage of otoliths is that they are metabolically inert, retaining a complete record of chemical exposure over several years to decades. Research is planned in four areas: 1) otolith microchemistry focusing on Sr, Ba and Mn, Hg & Se in otoliths; 2) stable isotope analysis of otoliths from migratory fish species to assess the extent of trace element uptake connected with organic carbon (food sources; 3) trace element analysis of synthetic CaCO3 and 4) trace element characterization of carbonate minerals from sea ice. Zoning patterns will be analyzed by fs-NIR-LA-ICP-MS and SIMS. Mining operations require water for processing and/or tailings storage so resource extraction and conservation are often seen as competing interests. Data from this research will inform land use decisions and fish management practices crucial to planning in northern Canada as mineral exploration and global warming proceed.

在许多环境中，随着矿物的生长需要时间，这种分区记录随着时间​​的推移而变化。分区模式可以解释为（i）由外部强迫驱动的，具有化学不平衡或（ii）通过微米尺度振荡性分区的自我组织的证据，此处痕量元素对环境变化特别敏感。这项研究将使用近地面环境中的矿物化学划分的矿物化学来量化环境变化的速率和程度。耳石，骨鱼的耳骨，将用作i）监测矿山对水生生物和环境的影响，以及ii）评估鱼类的迁移行为；并检查冰中矿物质生长的物理和化学控制。生物工厂中的增量结构可用于在水性环境中建立背景化学/痕量元素水平，并监测环境变化。生物矿物质对外部驱动环境变化的响应量和速度在很大程度上是未知的，生物矿物通常被生物体的代谢“缓冲”。痕量元素的代谢转化使它们用作污染物摄入的时间标记。耳石的优势在于它们是代谢惰性的，在数年距离几年的时间内保留了化学暴露的完整记录。 研究计划在四个领域进行：1）耳石微化学的重点是SR，BA和MN，HG＆SE在耳石中； 2）对迁移鱼类的耳石的稳定同位素分析，以评估与有机碳相关的痕量元素摄取的程度（食物来源； 3）合成CACO​​3和4的痕量元素分析）碳酸盐矿物质的痕量元素从海冰中进行了痕量元素表征。分区模式将通过FS-NIR-LA-ICP-MS和SIMS分析。采矿作业需要水进行加工和/或尾矿存储，因此资源提取和保护通常被视为竞争利益。这项研究的数据将为土地使用决策和鱼类管理实践提供信息，对于加拿大北部的计划至关重要，因为矿产探索和全球变暖。