Day 1 :
Keynote Forum
Erik Mikhailovich Galimov
Russian Academу of Sciences, Russia
Keynote: The origin of hydrocarbon accumulation in Precambrian of the Eastern Siberia
Time : 10:00-10:30
Biography:
Galimov Erik Mikhailovich is presently the Director of the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of Russian Academу of Sciences, Russia. He is graduated from Gubkin University in Moscow in 1959. He was also the Honored Professor at the Moscow State University, Russia. He was also the President of International Association Geochemistry and Cosmochemistry during 2000-2004 and the Vice-President of IAGC during 1996-2000.
Abstract:
Petroleum in Precambrian deposits, including giant oil and gas fields are discovered in many parts of the world. In East Siberia, the major petroleum occurrences are related to Lena-Tunguska petroleum province, where the total reserves of gas are estimated to be about 6-7 trillion m3, and that of oil are about 1 billion tons. The most prominent feature of the Precambrian oil is its unusual carbon isotope composition, which varies in the range of the δ13C-values between -32 and -37‰, while the majority of world's oils occurring in Fanerozoic deposits are characterized by the δ13C-values from -27 to -29‰. Chemical composition of the Siberian Proterozoic oils is also distinctive. The peculiar hydrocarbon chemistry and unusual carbon isotope composition are characteristic of many Precambrian oils in the world. We show that geochemical specificity of the Precambrian oil is related to their origin predominantly from bacterial material, and bacterial kingdom proliferates in periods of intensive volcanism that may explain correlation of oil occurrences in Precambrian with times of active volcanism. We observed two types of Precambrian gases in East Siberia. The first type is gas generated from kerogen at the late stage of its catagenesis. The East Siberian gases with δ13C-values from -28 to -32‰ may have such origin. The other type of gas, which δ13C-values from -35 to -43‰ originates from destruction of high molecular hydrocarbons at the end of the “oil window’ stage, when formation of gas-condensate begins. We believe that petroleum in Precambrian is most likely to be secondary product of destruction of the initial oil deposits.
Keynote Forum
Asma Al-Farraj AlKetbi
Emirates Geographical Society, UAE
Keynote: Quaternary geology of United Arab Emirates
Time : 10:05-10:35
Biography:
Asma Al-Farraj AlKetbi completed her PhD from University of Liverpool-UK. She is not only a Scientist from the UAE but also a writer and researcher. Throughout her career, she has been distinguished for her professional work. Her professional work has been supplemented by her commitment to community service, and a dedication to the development of UAE culture and literature. At present, she is the CEO of 2 non-governmental organizations; SPHER International Ltd., for human and environment rights, and Emirates Geographical Society. Previously, she was an Associate Professor in Geomorphology in UAE University, Plus Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of the UAE in Washington, DC.
Abstract:
With the small area size (83,600 km2) of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), it is blessed with a number of significant and rare geologic features and environments that are both well exposed and easily accessible, zones such as the Dibba zone (where 3 rock types outcrop adjacent to each other). This presentation will go through overall geological history of the UAE. Then, it will appraise in more detail the Quaternary geology, from the oldest Quaternary sediments (The Hurmuz salts) to the youngest (the modern coastal sabkhas). North UAE is an area of young tectonic activity, and continuous uplift and dissection, creating a desert mountain environment. They are formed of rocks of late Palaeozoic to late Mesozoic age, deposited on the margin of the Tethys Ocean. The main rocks groups are; the Ruus Al-Jibal group, the Elphinstone group and the Musandam group. During the late Cretaceous these groups have been overthrust as a unit onto the rocks of the Hawasina series of approximately the same age (Glennie et al., 1974). Over the past 1.8 million years, the Quaternary history of the UAE–as with many other parts of the world has been greatly influenced by Quaternary climatic sequence, affecting both erosion rates and sea-level change. Sea-level change primarily reflects global climatic changes, but is locally modified by tectonics. In the UAE, these factors plus salt tectonics are well exposed in the present landscape. Much of the evidence for the Early Quaternary is missing. It has been either eroded away or covered by sea or by sand. The most well established Early Quaternary feature is the marine terrace at the mountain front in Northern UAE. This is followed by tufa from the relict spring water along the fault line through Wadi Idan. At Wadi Taweeyen and Kudaa, they are relict fragments of old relatively high wadi terraces. The late Quaternary features are more obvious; wadi terraces and alluvial fans as well as the complex sand dunes and sabkhas of the modern desert areas.
Keynote Forum
Can Rao
Zhejiang University, China
Keynote: Mengxianminite, Ca2Sn2Mg3Al8[(BO3)(BeO4)O6]2, a new borate mineral from Xianghualing skarn, Hunan Province, China
Time : 10:30-11:00
Biography:
Can Rao has completed his PhD from Nanjing University and Post-doctoral studies from Nanjing University. He is one of Associate Professors of Zhejiang University. He has found 3 new minerals (strontiohurlbutite, minjiangite and mengxianminite), which have been approved by IMA, and published 16 papers in reputed journals.
Abstract:
Mengxianminite, Ca2Sn2Mg3Al8[(BO3)(BeO4)O6]2, is a new borate mineral from Xianghualing skarn, Hunan Province, southern China. It occurs in the Hsianghualite vein from this skarn, and is associated with fluorite, phlogopite, hsianghualite, magnetite, tourmaline, magnesiotaaffeite-2N2S and calcite. Mengxianminite forms subhedral to euhedral green crystals from 20 to 200 μm long, translucent to transparent, with a vitreous luster. The crystals show perfect cleavage on {100} and good cleavage on {010}, and do not fluoresce in long- or short-wave ultraviolet light. The estimated Mohs hardness is 8, and the tenacity is brittle with irregular fracture. The calculated density is 4.17 g/cm3. Optically, mengxianminite is biaxial (–), with α = 1.80(2), β = 1.83(2), γ = 1.84(2) (589 nm). Chemical analysis by electron microprobe (average of 6) gave Al2O3 40.00, SnO2 25.96, MgO 6.57, CaO 8.56, FeO 4.83, B2O3 6.52, BeO 4.68, ZnO 1.81, MnO 1.23, Na2O 1.13, TiO2 0.10, SiO2 0.04, sum 101.42 wt%. The empirical formula, calculated on the basis of 26O, 2Be and 2B atoms per formula unit, is (Ca1.63,Na0.39)Æ©2.02(Sn1.84,Zn0.24)Æ©2.08(Mg1.74,Fe0.72,Al0.38,Mn0.19,Ti0.01)Æ©3.04Al8 [(BO3)(BeO4)O6]2. The stronger eight lines of the powder XRD pattern [d in Å (I)(hkl)] are: 3.000(35)(16 20); 2.931(100)(17 11); 2.475(29)(022); 2.430(30)(13 31); 2.375(100)(14 02/640); 2.028(52)(21 31); 1.807(35)(913); 1.530(98)(14 60/15 33). Mengxianminite is orthorhombic, space group Fdd2; unit-cell parameters refined from single-crystal X-ray diffraction data are: a = 60.689 (3), b = 9.907 (1), c = 5.740 (1) Å, V = 3451.0 (3) Å3, Z = 8. The structure of mengxianminite is composed of alternating O-T1-O-T2-O’-T2 layers stacked along the a axis, equal to two alternating modules: A module (O-T1-O) consists of the spinel modular and another O layer (AlO6 octahedra layer); B modular (T2-O’-T2) shows the simplified formula CaSnAl(BeO4)(BO3), SnO6 octahedra are isolated in the T2 layers, connected via BeO4 and CaO11 groups; AlO6 edge-sharing octahedra in the O’ layer form chains running along the b axis; these chains are connected in the c direction by the BO3 triangular groups. Mengxianminite is of hydrothermal origin, crystallized during the late stage of the xianghualing skarn.
- Track 1: Environmental Geology Track 3: Geology and Mineral Resources Track 4: Exploration Geophysics Track 5: Engineering Geology Track 9: Geology and Civil Engineering