Sedimentary deposition of Bozeş Formation (Apuseni Mts., Romania) – detrital zircon dating and micropaleontological ages

In order to establish the age of the Bozeş Formation, which crops out in the SE Apuseni Mts., calcareous nannofossils investigations and U-Pb detrital zircon dating were performed on Stăuinii Valley deposits. The results were correlated, and further compared with previous fossil age data. The U-Pb detrital zircon age spectrum reveals a consistent Upper Cretaceous grain population, which yielded an age of 83 Ma (concordia age of 82.87±0.59 Ma), interpreted as the maximum deposition age, thus, marking the Lower Campanian as the initiation of sediment deposition. Based on the presence of some important taxa in the calcareous nannofossils assemblage, the age of studied deposits were assigned to Upper Santonian? – upper Upper Campanian. The Upper Santonianage is presumed by the presence of curved Lucianorhabdus cauyeuxii, reworked from older deposits. The Campanian stage is confirmed by the presence of Broinsonia parca parca, Broinsonia parca constricta and rare specimens of Ceratolithoides aculeus and Uniplanarius sissinghii. Both Reinhardtites anthophorus and Eiffelithus eximius indicate that the upper part of the Stăuinii section is ending in CC22 / UC15dTP – UC15eTP Subzones, thus in upper Upper Campanian. FO of Eiffellithus parallelus points to the same age. The calcareous nannofossils assemblages do not sustain the presence of the Lower Maastrichtian deposits on Stăuinii Valley, as mentioned by few previous studies based on Pachydiscus neubergicus

Geochemical investigation of Neogene volcaniclastic rocks from the south-eastern part of the Zărand Basin (Apuseni Mts., Romania) – implications for locating the source area

A geochemical study of the Neogene volcaniclastic deposits from the south-eastern part of the Zărand Basin (Apuseni Mts., Romania) was performed. The investigated rocks are represented by medium-K calc-alkaline andesites. Their geochemical features are similar with those of other Neogene volcanic rocks from the Apuseni Mts. However, the investigated rocks also display a few particularities: limited variation of some major oxides and trace elements content, much lower content of Nb or of light REE. As for the other Neogene volcanic rocks from Apuseni area, the geochemical evidence supports a magma source located close to the boundary between crust and garnet-free lithospheric mantle, minor fractional crystallization processes affecting the magma. A subduction signature was identified for the investigated samples, and, similar to other Neogene volcanic rocks from Apuseni Mts., was interpreted as being related to some enrichment in fluids of the magma source. Based on the location and geochemical similarities with those of other Neogene volcanic rocks from the Apuseni Mts, the assumed age range of volcanic activity generating the volcaniclastic rocks of the study area is 13.8-10 Ma, while the source of the volcaniclastic material is most probably the Bontău volcanic structure

Geochemistry of Upper Cretaceous Sediments of Bozeş Formation (Apuseni Mts., Romania) – Provenance Implications

A whole-rock geochemical study was carried out on sandstones from the Upper Cretaceous Bozeş Formation in the southeastern part of the Apuseni Mountains (Romania) in order to constrain their provenance and depositional setting. The geochemical results were compared and integrated with previously reported provenance indicators, such as framework composition and heavy mineral assemblages. The chemical composition is similar for all samples investigated, with limited ranges for both major oxides and trace elements. The sandstones are potassic (Na2O/K2O \u3c 1) and can be classified mainly as arenites with a few greywackes. Their immature to relatively mature character is revealed by the SiO2/Al2O3 ratios, ranging between 3.90 and 11.25, as well as their high Sr/Rb ratios. The source rocks were affected by weak to moderate chemical alteration, as indicated by the specific index (CIA), with values between 47 and 71. The detrital material was influenced by a little hydraulic sorting during transportation, while post-depositional effects were limited to K-metasomatism. Two major potential source types were identified based on the chemical composition of the samples studied: a felsic magmatic arc and a recycled, quartzose metasedimentary basement. Our data indicate that the depositional setting is likely to be on a convergent margin. The results are consistent with uplifted and exhumed Transylvanian basement as the major source area

Vashegyite from Gaura cu Muscă Cave (Locvei Mountains, Romania): a new and rare phosphate occurrence

This study investigated the occurrence of vashegyite from a guano-rich deposit located in the Gaura cu Muscă Cave, Romania. Analytical methods used include optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron-microscopy (SEM), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), thermal investigations and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses. Vashegyite occurs as friable, chalky white, irregular nodules of up to 2.5 cm in diameter, within a 15 cm thick sequence of organic and minerogenic sediments. The chemical structural formula is: (Al10.91Fe3+0.06Na0.1Ca0.02Mg0.08)Σ=11.17[(PO4)8.78(SiO4)0.056]Σ=8.83(OH)6.17·43.79H2O. Electron microscope images show vashegyite crystals to be flattened on (001). The orthorhombic lattice constants of vashegyite determined by XRD are a = 10.766(2) Å, b = 15.00(4) Å, c = 22.661(1) Å, and V = 3660.62 Å3 (Z = 4). The major weight loss, reflected in 3 endothermic peaks, was observed between 40° and 200°C, corresponding to the removal of water molecules. Vashegyite FT-IR absorption bands are comparable in position and relative intensity to other Al-phosphates. Water percolating through guano becomes strongly acidic and reacts with the clay-rich sediment laid down by the underground stream to form vashegyite. In the lower part of the investigated profile, crandallite and ardealite were also found

Vashegyite from Gaura cu Muscă Cave (Locvei Mountains, Romania): a new and rare phosphate occurrence

This study investigated the occurrence of vashegyite from a guano-rich deposit located in the Gaura cu Muscă Cave, Romania. Analytical methods used include optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron-microscopy (SEM), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), thermal investigations and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses. Vashegyite occurs as friable, chalky white, irregular nodules of up to 2.5 cm in diameter, within a 15 cm thick sequence of organic and minerogenic sediments. The chemical structural formula is: (Al10.91Fe3+0.06Na0.1Ca0.02Mg0.08)Σ=11.17[(PO4)8.78(SiO4)0.056]Σ=8.83(OH)6.17·43.79H2O. Electron microscope images show vashegyite crystals to be flattened on (001). The orthorhombic lattice constants of vashegyite determined by XRD are a = 10.766(2) Å, b = 15.00(4) Å, c = 22.661(1) Å, and V = 3660.62 Å3 (Z = 4). The major weight loss, reflected in 3 endothermic peaks, was observed between 40° and 200°C, corresponding to the removal of water molecules. Vashegyite FT-IR absorption bands are comparable in position and relative intensity to other Al-phosphates. Water percolating through guano becomes strongly acidic and reacts with the clay-rich sediment laid down by the underground stream to form vashegyite. In the lower part of the investigated profile, crandallite and ardealite were also found

Vashegyite from Gaura cu Muscă Cave (Locvei Mountains, Romania): a new and rare phosphate occurrence

This study investigated the occurrence of vashegyite from a guano-rich deposit located in the Gaura cu Muscă Cave, Romania. Analytical methods used include optical microscopy, X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron-microscopy (SEM), inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), thermal investigations and Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) analyses. Vashegyite occurs as friable, chalky white, irregular nodules of up to 2.5 cm in diameter, within a 15 cm thick sequence of organic and minerogenic sediments. The chemical structural formula is: (Al10.91Fe3+0.06Na0.1Ca0.02Mg0.08)Σ=11.17[(PO4)8.78(SiO4)0.056]Σ=8.83(OH)6.17·43.79H2O. Electron microscope images show vashegyite crystals to be flattened on (001). The orthorhombic lattice constants of vashegyite determined by XRD are a = 10.766(2) Å, b = 15.00(4) Å, c = 22.661(1) Å, and V = 3660.62 Å3 (Z = 4). The major weight loss, reflected in 3 endothermic peaks, was observed between 40° and 200°C, corresponding to the removal of water molecules. Vashegyite FT-IR absorption bands are comparable in position and relative intensity to other Al-phosphates. Water percolating through guano becomes strongly acidic and reacts with the clay-rich sediment laid down by the underground stream to form vashegyite. In the lower part of the investigated profile, crandallite and ardealite were also found