Geochemistry of the rare earth elements in the sparkling groundwaters of the Caucasus ridge, Russia

The paper presents data on the content and distribution of rare earth elements (REE) in the high pCO2 mineral waters of the Caucasus mountain-folded region. It is shown that the concentrations of REEtotal are rather high in the studied waters. However, they vary in a very wide range (from 0.46 to 50.37 µg/L). A characteristic feature of these waters is the predominance of light REE in comparison with heavy REE in them. The distinct correlation of REEtotal in the solution from the concentration of iron and aluminum in it indicates that the absolute contents of REE in the mineral waters of the region are regulated not only by pH and Eh of the solution but also by the content of these elements in it

Isotopes & Geochemistry: Tools For Geothermal Reservoir Characterization (Kamchatka Examples)

The thermal, hydrogeological, and chemical processes affecting Kamchatka geothermal reservoirs were studied by using isotope and geochemistry data: (1) The Geysers Valley hydrothermal reservoirs; (2) The Paratunsky low temperature reservoirs; (3) The North-Koryaksky hydrothermal system; (4) The Mutnovsky high temperature geothermal reservoir; (5) The Pauzhetsky geothermal reservoir. In most cases water isotope in combination with Cl- transient data are found to be useful tool to estimate reservoirs natural and disturbed by exploitation recharge conditions, isotopes of carbon-13 (in CO2) data are pointed either active magmatic recharge took place, while SiO2 and Na-K geothermometers shows opposite time transient trends (Paratunsky, Geysers Valley) suggest that it is necessary to use more complicated geochemical systems of water/mineral equilibria

New evidences of Holocene tectonic and volcanic activity of the western part of Lake Sevan (Armenia)

The purpose of this paper is to present new data on active geological processes in the Lake Sevan Basin and to show its multidisciplinary aspects. The investigations of its structures, recent lake sediments, and lake floor gas emission allow a better understanding of the history of geological development and the recent tectonic and volcanic activity of the basin. This paper summarizes underwater investigations of active geological features of Lake Sevan, undertaken for the first time in Armenia. More than 30 aligned underwater-source related gas emission points were discovered. The gas contains carbon dioxide of volcanic or volcanogenic-metamorphogenic origin and can be related to unloading of deep fluid systems. This allows defining the Noratus-Kanagegh Fault segment trace below the recent Lake Sevan floor sediments. The discovery of the subaqueous segment of active fault shows the presence of another natural hazard of lake tsunami related to possible future co-seismic rupture. The recent sediments of the northwestern Lake Sevan coastline are sandwiched between two blocky lava flows. The radiocarbon dating of bones of bovine mammals (with entire skull), found ~15 cm from the cover of the lake sediments, suggests that the upper blocky basaltic-andesite layer can be a result of eruption younger than ~3400 years BP. About 80 m of the Noratus sequence sediments have been sampled for palaeomagnetic study and the age of 3.1-2.3 Ma for the lower part (42 m) is obtained. The upper and post-Gelasian activity of the Noratus-Kanagegh Fault is proven by a cross-cutscoria layer of 2.30 ±0.15 Ma K/Ar age