Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2015

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Poster

Symbol B (Biogeosciences) » B-CG Complex & General

[B-CG28] Interrelation between Life, Water, Mineral, and Atmosphere

Tue. May 26, 2015 6:15 PM - 7:30 PM Convention Hall (2F)

Convener:*Fumito Shiraishi(Department of Earth and Planetary Systems Science, Graduate School of Science, Hiroshima University), Tsubasa Otake(Division of Sustainable Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University), Yohey Suzuki(Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo), Ken Takai(Extremobiosphere Research Center, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science & Technology), Yuichiro Ueno(Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology), Takeshi Naganuma(Graduate School of Biosphere Science), Takeshi Kakegawa(Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University), Tadashi Yokoyama(Department of Earth and Space Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka University), Kentaro Nakamura(Precambrian Ecosystem Laboratory (PEL), Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC))

6:15 PM - 7:30 PM

[BCG28-P12] Geological and geochemical studies of sedimentary rocks at the Wagon Road gold mine, Barberton Greenstone Belt.

*Takemi SAKAI1, Takeshi KAKEGAWA1 (1.Graduate School of Science, Tohoku University)

Banded iron formations (BIFs) are common in Archean to early Proterozoic cratons. The formation processes of BIF are controversy as to if a variety of microbes (e.g., cyanobacteria and Fe-oxidizing bacteria) were involved or inorganic oxidation was responsible. Detailed studies on BIF and the surrounding sedimentary rocks may constrain factors to oxidize Fe and the role of microbial activities. Therefore, the BIF and the surrounding sedimentary rocks in the Fig Tree Group (〜3.2 Ga in age) in the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa, are investigated in the present study. The studied area is called Euryca syncline area, and abandon Au mine (Waggon Road mine) is located. Sandstone, shale, black chert, and BIF are found in the studied area. Besides petrographic characterization, SEM-EDS analyses were performed on the representative rocks. Concentrations of organic carbon and their δ13C values were determined by EA and IR-MS. Siderite and hematite were found as ferruginous minerals in BIF and black chert samples. The grain size of siderite was larger (30-200 μm) than the surrounding quartz(< 10 μm). Siderite is interpreted as a secondary mineral formed during early diagenesis. Euhedral hematite crystals (< 5 μm) were found. Hematite is interpreted as a primary mineral, although some hematite, normally larger and more red color, are supergene origin. Black chert samples show separated features of organic-rich layers and Fe-rich layes Therefore, it is considered that the source of organic carbon is not related to Fe-oxidizing bacteria. The δ13C values of all analyzed samples were range from -27.7 to -23.5 ‰. These values are made by metabolisms by Calvin cycle using atmospheric CO2. Overall results of this study indicated that presence of 3.2 Ga oxygenic shallow oceans in where cyanobacteria were active.