Mineralogie-Geochemie Institut für Geowissenschaften - Albert

Mineralogie-Geochemie 

Institut für Geowissenschaften 

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg 

Annual 

Report 

2009

Institute of Geosciences 

Mineralogy-Geochemistry 

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg 

Albertstraße 23b 

D-79104 Freiburg 

Germany 

Telephone: +49-761-203-6396 

Fax: +49-761-203-6407 

E-mail: info@minpet.uni-freiburg.de 

Wordwide web: http://www.minpet.uni-freiburg.de/

On the photograph (from left to right): 

Upper row: Hiltrud Müller-Sigmund, Reto Gieré, Jörg Keller, Ella Goldenberg, Kurt 

Bucher, Karin Eckmann, Melanie Schrage, Sebastian Weber, Peter Glasnák, Paul 

Keppner; 

Middle row: Wei Zhou, Fleurice Parat, Sigrid Hirth-Walther, Hoa Thi Bich Hoang, 

Xiaoyan Li, Ulrike Seelig, Slavica Drndelic-Eich, Dagmar Flemming (Lili), Kathleen 

Robinson, Isolde Schmidt; 

Lower row: Angela Thiemann, Christine Höher, Susanne Schuble, Anette von der Handt; 

Missing: Marlies Bergheim, Duy Ahn Dao, Juraj Majzlan, Anja Oehler, Sigrid Recha, 

Andreas Scheld, Tobias Weisenberger, Lu Zheng. 

Report editor: Fleurice Parat 

Cover photographs: 

1. Archean Pillow Lavas, Norway. Photo by Kurt Bucher 

2. Dr. Dao Duy Anh collecting a water sample from coal-mine drainage water at Cam 

Pha, Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam (December 2009) 

Top and bottom: Gabbro contact back veins, Norway. Photo by Kurt Bucher

Director’s Statement 

The year 2009 was the first full year of the new Institute 

of Geosciences. The daily routine at the Institute has not 

changed much. A few additional board meetings became 

necessary but the overall damage is rather limited. 

The most important event in 2009 was the final 

decision by the rectorate not to establish a professorate in 

hydrogeology and geothermal energy research. This means 

that the planning of future developments in the Geosciences 

of Freiburg became obsolete. The common focus on 

Kurt Bucher 

“geothermal energy utilization” in research and teaching 

has united the different fields in the geosciences after fall 2005. This is now history 

and the research and teaching profile of the Geosciences in Freiburg is characterized 

by five unrelated specialties represented by the research interests of the five remaining 

professorates. 

There are still two unfilled professorates at the Geosciences (in Geology and 

Crystallography) (as in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008). One of these positions (structural 

geology) is in the formal process of being filled. The present status is that the position has 

been offered to the top candidate. We hope that the person accepts the offer. The status 

of the second position is unclear. The original plan to establish a “hydrogeology and 

geothermal energy” professorate in order to support student demands and the job market 

has not been accepted by the rectorate. 

Mineralogy and Geochemistry as a part of the Institute of Geosciences has been 

prosperous as ever. MG stands for well over 2/3 of the research production of the Institute 

(the other 1/3 is contributed by Crystallography). In addition to the research production, in 

2009 four PhD’s graduated, two of them from MG Freiburg, one from Peking University 

and one from China University of Petroleum Qingdao. I am extremely happy about the 

rapidly increasing number of PhD from the MG. Particularly remarkable is the increasing 

number of excellent students from Eastern Asia at our Institute (3 of four completed PhD). 

There were many changes to the staff in 2009. Dr. Juraj Majzlan finished his term 

as a research assistant at MG and assumed a full professor position at the University of 

Jena. Juro has been an excellent staff member and MG very gratefully acknowledges his 

outstanding efforts and achievements in research and teaching, which added substantially 

to the success of MG. Juro has been replaced by Anette von der Handt who joined us 

from Hawaii, where she spent a post doc position after her PhD at MPI in Mainz. She has 

been working on the petrology of ultramafic rocks from Gakkel Ridge. Also in 2009 we 

filled the old lab position of Erika Lutz with Angela Thiemann. Angela joined us from 

the Institute of Inorganic Chemistry. Our lab technician Mellie Schrage left for her baby 

permission and we have been lucky to find Paul Robert Keppner who replaces Mellie 

for one year. Lab technician Dagmar Flemming returned to MG after her one year baby 

permission on a 50% level. Peter Glasnak has taken over the other 50% of Dagmar’s 

position and hopes to complete his PhD in 2010. 

Kurt Bucher

Table of Contents 

Teaching and Student Affairs................................................................................5 

Bachelor and Master program.....................................................................5 

Student Recruitment ...................................................................................5 

Guest Lectures Presented at MGI in 2008 ..........................................................6 

Invited Lectures Presented by the MGI Staff .....................................................6 

Service to the Earth Science Community ............................................................6 

Editorial Responsibilities ...........................................................................6 

Peer Review Responsibilities......................................................................7 

Administrative Offices, Membership in Committees and Boards..............7 

Major Events (Openings, Meetings, Conferences).....................................8 

Short Courses .............................................................................................8 

Completed Theses....................................................................................................9 

Bachelor Theses ..........................................................................................9 

Diploma Theses ..........................................................................................9 

PhD Dissertations......................................................................................10 

MGI 2009 Publication List ..................................................................................11 

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles, Books, and Book Chapters ....................11 

Abstracts....................................................................................................12 

Awards.......................................................................................................13 

Research Abstracts...............................................................................................14 

Hydrochemistry and Geothermal Energy .................................................15 

Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology.........................................................23 

Environmental Geosciences......................................................................35 

Mineralogy and Geochemistry..................................................................38 

Laboratories of the MGI .....................................................................................43 

Public Outreach Activities...................................................................................48 

Student Field Trips...............................................................................................49 

4

Teaching and Student Affairs 

5

Guest Lectures Presented at MGI in 2009 

Dr. Inga Moeck, GFZ Potsdam 

Die Nutzung des Rotliegend zur geothermischen Stromerzeugung: Das 

Geothermieprojekt Groß Schönebeck im Nordostdeutschen Becken. Januar 26, 2009 

Prof. Dr. Ingo Sass, Dipl.-Ing. U. Burbaum 

Artesisches Grundwasser, Anhydrit und Karsterscheinungen im Konflikt mit 

Erdwärmesonden: Überlegungen zur Schadensursache im Fall Staufen im Breisgau. 

June 29, 2009 

Dr. Arjan Dijkstra, IGUN-Université de Neuchâtel 

Osmium isotopic mantle heterogeneity - A perspective from the field, with implications 

for geodynamics. December 07, 2009 

Invited Lecture Presented by the MGI staff 

The natrocarbonatite volcano Oldoinyo Lengai, Tanzania, Earth Science Colloquium 

University Basel, December 9, 2009, Jörg Keller 

Influence and record of volatiles in magma chambers: inference from mineral composition 

and phase equilibria – CRPG Nancy (France), March 25, 2009, Fleurice Parat 

Mineralogy of the atmosphere: characteristics and health impacts of particulate matter. 

Universität Innsbruck (Austria), ÖMG Lecture Tour; May 7, 2009, Reto Gieré 

Mineralogy of the atmosphere: characteristics and health impacts of particulate matter, 

Montanuniversität Leoben (Austria), ÖMG Lecture Tour; May 5, 2009, Reto Gieré 

Mineralogy of the atmosphere: characteristics and health impacts of particulate matter, 

Universität Wien (Austria), ÖMG Lecture Tour; May 4, 2009, Reto Gieré 

Neue geowissenschaftliche Daten für die Tiefengeothermie am Oberrheingraben. – 

GeoTherm – expo & congress, Offenburg, March 05, 2009, Ingrid Stober & M. 

Jodocy. 

Melt stagnation at ultraslow-spreading ridges, Steinmann-Institut, University of Bonn, 

November 05, 2009, Anette von der Handt 

Palmen und Nordpol: Als Geowissenschaftlerin in der Forschung, Kolloquium zur 

Berufsqualifikation, Steinmann-Institut, University of Bonn, June 8, 2009, Anette 

von der Handt 

Service to the Earth Science Community 

Editorial offices 

The international system of scientific journal publication of research data and results 

depends largely on the volunteered effort of editors and peers writing reviews and 

assessments. The MGI has carried a heavy burden for maintaining an international high 

standard publication system. Reto Gieré is member of the editorial board of Journal of 

Petrology (the highest standard petrology journal); Kurt Bucher is on the advisory board 

of Journal of Petrology and associate editor of the Journal Geofluids. Ingrid Stober is 

associate editor of Hydrogeology Journal. Jörg Keller is member of the editorial board of 

Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (JVGR). 

6

Peer-Review Responsibilities 

Journals 

The members of the institute have invested considerable time and effort in reviewing 

research papers for the following international first class journals: American Journal of 

Science, American Mineralogist, Applied Geochemistry, Atmospheric Environment, 

Bulletin of Volcanology, Canadian Mineralogist, Chemical Geology, Environmental 

Science & Technology, European Journal of Mineralogy, Journal of African Earth 

Sciences, Journal of Metamorphic Geology, Journal Petrology, Journal of Volcanology 

and Geothermal Research, Fuel, Geochemical Journal, Geochimica Cosmochimica Acta, 

Geofluids, Geology, Lithos, Mineralogical Magazine, Science of the Total Environment 

and others. 

Grant-awarding bodies 

The experts of MGI have written assessment of grants proposals for Deutsche 

Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), Germany, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research 

Council of Canada, U.S. National Science Foundation (both research and equipment 

proposals), USA, Institut de Radioprotection et de Sûreté Nucléaire, France, FNSNF, 

NFR, and other granting agencies worldwide. 

Administrative offices 

Kurt Bucher is Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry, Pharmacy and Geosciences 

until October 2011. Kurt Bucher was Director of the ZEE Center of Renewable Energy 

(together with Prof. Oesten and Prof. Reindl) until summer 2009. 

Reto Gieré is the Dean of Student Affairs and a member the Research Evaluation 

Committee (since Oct. 2008) and Admission Committee for M.Sc Curricula (since Apr. 

2008), Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg, Faculty Steering Committee (since Oct. 

2008), Habilitation Committee, Graduate Committee, School of Chemistry, Pharmacy 

and Geosciences, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg (since Oct. 2005), Search 

Committee for the Professorship “Structural Geology and Tectonics”, Albert-Ludwigs- 

Universität Freiburg (May-July 2009), Search Committee for the Professorship “Risques 

et Environnement”, Université de Haute-Alsace, Mulhouse, France (April-May 2009). He 

is also a book advisor for the Geological Society, London (since June 2005), and member 

of the subcommittee for the Pyrochlore Group, International Mineralogical Association, 

Commission on New Minerals and Mineral Names (since September 2008) and member 

of the Campus Representative for the Geological Society of America (since Mar. 2009). 

Jörg Keller is a member of the International Scientific Evaluation Committee for the 

2008-2010 Research Programmes of Italian INGV (National Insitute of geophysics and 

Volcanology - Istituto Nazionale di Geofisica e Vulcanologia (INGV) and Dipartimento 

della Protezione Civile (DPC/INGV), Scientific Council for VULCANIA, Parc Européen 

du Volcanisme, Auvergne, France, Leiter des Geologenarchivs der Geologischen 

Vereinigung e.V. in der Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg; Medal and Awards Commissions 

of IAVCEI. 

7

Major Events (Openings, Meetings, Conferences) 

GeoTherm, Offenburg 5.-6. February 2009 

The Institute participated in this major German conference and exhibit in Geothermal 

Resources Utilization with lecture presentations (Prof. Stober and Prof. Henk) and a 

permanently manned booth (Prof. Henk and team). 

Short courses 

“Geothermal Energy Utilization” a continuous education course by FH-DGG held at 

GeoTherm Offenburg. March 4, 2009, organized by Prof. Dr. Ingrid Stober 

Lectures were given by: 

Kurt Bucher: “Geothermal Fluids”. 

Ingrid Stober: “Overview on Deep Geothermal Energy Utilization, geothermal Parameters 

and geothermal Techniques”. 

Short course: “Hydrogeology of hard rock aquifers” a continuous education course by 

FH-DGG held at MG University of Freiburg. October 15, 2009, organized by Prof. Dr. 

Ingrid Stober. 

Lectures were given by: 

Kurt Bucher: “Water-rock interaction”. 

Ingrid Stober: “Overview on hydrogeology of hard rock aquifers, hydraulic parameters 

and hydraulic techniques”. 

Prof. Dr. Bernhard Dold (Universidad de Concepción, Chile) taught a short course 

entitled “Acid Mine Drainage and Sustainability in Metal Mining”. This excellent and 

very interesting course, which took place from December 21-23, 2009, was attended by 

25 students and scientists, including seven participants from other institutions. 

Topics included: Sulfide oxidation in mining; Element cycles in mine waste 

environments; Strategies for the environmental management of mine waste; Strategies 

for optimization and development of metal recuperation in the metallurgical process 

for a more sustainable mining operation. The participants had the opportunity to obtain 

knowledge from a well-known expert and to learn how to tackle real-life environmental 

problems, such as those shown in the figure: 

8 

Dr. Dao Duy Anh collecting a water 

sample from coal-mine drainage water 

at Cam Pha, Quang Ninh Province, 

Vietnam (December 2009)

Bachelor Theses 

Baierl Michael : Mineralogy and geochemistry of xenoliths and host tephras from Mt. 

Briancon. Advisor:Parat; co-referee: Müller-Sigmund 

Bockholt Jan: Tracerversuche im Grundwassertestfeld Merdingen. 

Advisor: Bucher; co-referee: Käß 

Bruzek Peter: Zechstein Anhydrit - Radiometrie-Messungen an Bohrkernen des Zechstein 

Anhydrits. Advisor: Henk; co-referee: Bucher 

Etter Kilian: Geology and Geochemistry of “killer-Lakes” in Africa. 

Advisor: Gieré, co-referee: Parat 

Faißt Tobias: Ryolith von Diersburg. Advisor: Gieré; co-referee: Müller-Sigmund 

Fibich Stephan: Sources of Asian mineral dust and atmospheric chemistry in terms of air 

pollution in East Asian mega-cities. Advisor: Gieré; co-referee: Hoppe 

Haas Simon: Entstehung und Vorkommen von Wadflecken in Sandsteinen. 

Advisor: Müller-Sigmund, co-referee: Stein 

Hahmann Andreas: Diskussion verschiedener geologischer Gesteinsformationen als 

mögliche Endlager von hochradioaktiven Stoffen. Advisor: Stein; co-referee: Gieré 

Kleine Barbara: Volatiles in minerals of the Fish Canyon Tuff Dacite, Colorado, U.S.A.. 

Advisor: Parat; co-referee: Müller-Sigmund 

Koch Stefan: Alpine Naturgefahren - Auslösung von Schneebrettlawinen. 

Advisor: Gieré; co-referee: Hübel (Wien) 

Lehner Florian: Geologie des Untergrunds in den deutschen Gebieten bei Jestetten. 

Advisor: Rahn; co-referee: Gieré 

Nedyalkova Latina: Grey and black obsidians from Lipari, Italy. 


Radecke Daniel:Markierungsversuch mit Uranin und Kaliumchlorid im hydrogeologischen 

Testfeld Merdingen. Advisor: Bucher; co-referee: Käß 

Rucki Katharina: Methoden zur Probenentnahme von reduziertem und langsam 

fliessendem Wasser in der Grube Clara bei Oberwolfach. 

Advisor: Bucher; co-referee: Gieré 

Wagner Moritz: Mineralogy of tephra and lavas from Arenal volcano. 


Zech Mikko Jens: Kompilation gesteinstechnischer Daten zu Steinbrüchen im 

Buntsandstein. Advisor: Müller-Sigmund; co-referee: Henk 

Diploma Theses 

Niklas Mundhenk: Alteration klastischer Sedimente durch CO 2 und CO 2 -reiche Lösungen 

im Mittelrheingebiet. Advisor: Reto Gieré & F. May (BGR Hannover) 

Ralph Bolanz: Large-area arsenic pollution in the Horna Nitra valley (Slovakia). 

Advisor: Juraj Majzlan 

Björn Brecht: Chemical and mineralogical inventory of the waste impoundment in 

Pezinok (Slovakia). Advisor: Juraj Majzlan 

Sakonvan Chawchai: Mineralogy and Weathering of Antimony Deposits in the Black 

Forest”. Advisor: Reto Gieré and Andreas Danilewsky 

Johannes Dick: Ore mineralization at the Lom and Male Zelezne deposits (Slovakia). 


9

Sebastian Hobler: Geology and mineralogy of the ore occurences in Mlynna Dolina 

(Slovakia). Advisor: Juraj Majzlan 

Sebastian Lindauer: Jurassic manganese oxides deposits in Western Carpathians: A case 

study in Borinka. Advisor: Juraj Majzlan 

Ronny Müller: Ni-Co mineralization near Dobsina (Slovakia). Advisor: Juraj Majzlan 

Caroline Seeburger: Ore mineralization at Suggental Schwarzwald). 


Sven Thor: Bleiminerale in der Grube Clara und in Aufbereitungsprodukten. 

Advisor: Kurt Bucher 

Miryana Apostolova: Geothermie Bulgariens. Advisor: Kurt Bucher & Reto Gieré 

Radoslav Michallik: Mineralization at the Ag-Au veins Aller Heiligen and Rozalia in 

Hodrusa (Slovakia). Advisor: Juraj Majzlan 

PhD Dissertations 

Dao Duy Anh: Research of Technology of Manganese Ore Processing to Produce High 

Quality Finished Products such as EMD and CMD from Vietnam’s Manganese Ore. 

Advisor: Reto Gieré, co-referee: Kurt Bucher 

Weisenberger, Tobias: Zeolites on fissures of crystalline basement rocks. 

Advisor: Kurt Bucher; co-referee: Reto Gieré 

Zeng, Lu: Ultra-high-pressure ophiolites from Tian Shan, China. 

Advisor: Zhang Lifei, co-referee: Kurt Bucher 

Ahmatjan, Abdurahman: Fracture genesis of Ordovician carbonate rock in Tahe Oilfield 

Advisor: Zhong Jian Hua, co-referee: Kurt Bucher 

10

MGI 2009 Publication List 

Peer-reviewed Journal Article, Books, and Book Chapters 

Ackermann S., Gieré R., Newville M., Majzlan J., 2009: Antimony sinks in the 

weathering crust of bullets from Swiss shooting ranges. Science of the Total 

Environment 407, 1669-1682. 

Ackermann S., Armbruster T., Lazic B., Doyle S., Grevel K.-D., Majzlan J., 2009: 

Thermodynamic and crystallographic properties of kornelite (Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ·~7.75H2O) 

and paracoquimbite (Fe 2 (SO 4 ) 3 ·9H 2 O). American Mineralogist 94, 1620-1628. 

Bratzdrum C., Grapes R., Gieré R., 2009: Late-stage hydrothermal alteration and 

heteromorphism of calc-alkaline lamprophyre dykes in Late Jurassic granite, 

Southeast China. Lithos 113, 820-830. 

Bucher K., Zhu Y., Stober I. 2009: Groundwater in fractured crystalline rock, the Clara 

mine, Black Forest, Germany. International Journal of Earth Sciences, 98, 1727-1739. 

Bucher K. & Grapes R. 2009: The Eclogite-facies Allalin Gabbro of the Zermatt- 

Saas Ophiolite,Western Alps: a Record of Subduction Zone Hydration. Journal of 

Petrology, 50, 1405-1442. 

Bucher K., Zhang L., Stober I. 2009: A Hot Spring in Granite of the Western Tianshan, 

China. Applied Geochemistry, 24, 402-410. 

Gieré R., Williams C.T., Wirth R., Ruschel K., 2009: Metamict fegusonite-(Y) in a 

spessartine-bearing granitic pegmatite from Adamello, Italy. Chemical Geology 261, 

333-345. 

Grapes R. & Keller J., 2009: Rhönite in undersaturated alkaline basaltic rocks, Kaiserstuhl 

Volcanic Complex, Upper Rhine Graben, SW Germany. European Journal of 

Mineralogy (accepted and in print 2009). 

Gertisser R., Preece K., Keller J., 2009: The Plinian Lower Pumice 2 Eruption, Santorini, 

Greece: Magma Evolution And Volatile Behaviour. Journal of Volcanology and 

Geothermal Research 186, 387-406. 

Grevel K.-D. & Majzlan J., 2009: Internally consistent thermodynamic data for 

magnesium sulfate hydrates. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 73, 6805-6815. 

Hiller E., Jurkovic L., Kordík J., Slaninka I., Jankulár M., Majzlan J., Göttlicher J., 

Steininger R., 2009: Arsenic mobility from anthropogenic impoundment sediments - 

consequences of contamination to biota, water and sediments, Poša, Eastern Slovakia. 

Applied Geochemistry 24, 2175-2185. 

Jankulár M., Hiller E., Jurkovic L., Veselská V., Majzlan J., 2009: Arsenic and zinc 

in impoundment materials and related stream sediments from a polluted area in 

eastern Slovakia: Distribution, mobility, and water quality. Journal of Hydrology and 

Hydromechanics 57, 200-211. 

Jodocy, M. & Stober, I., 2009: Geologisch-geothermische Tiefenprofile für den 

südwestlichen Teil des Süddeutschen Molassebeckens. Z. Dt. Ges. Geowiss., 160/4, 

359-366. 

Lü Z., Zhang L., Du J., Bucher K., 2009: Petrology of coesite-bearing eclogite from 

Habutengsu Valley, western Tianshan, NW China and its tectonometamorphic 

implication. Journal of metamorphic Geology, 27, 773-787. 

Majzlan J., 2009: Ore mineralization at the Rabenstein occurrence near Banská Hodruša, 

Slovakia. Mineralia Slovaca 41, 45-54. 

Parat F., Holtz F., René M., Almeev A., 2009: Experimental constraints on ultrapotassic 

magmatism from the Bohemian Massif (Durbachite series, Czech Republic). 

11

Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology DOI : 10.1007/s00410-009-0430-5. 

Song S.G., Niu Y.L., Zhang L.F., Bucher K., 2009: The Luliangshan garnet peridotite 

massif of the North Qaidam UHPM belt, NW China - a review of its origin and 

metamorphic evolution. Journal of metamorphic Geology, 27, 621-638. 

Stober I. & Jodocy M., 2009: Eigenschaften geothermischer Nutzhorizonte im badenwürttembergischen 

und französischen Teil des Oberrheingrabens.- Grundwasser 

Grundwasser, 14, S.127-137, Springer-Verlag. 

Stober I., Fritzer T., Obst K., Schulz R., 2009: Nutzungsmöglichkeiten der Tiefen 

Geothermie in Deutschland.- BMU (Bundesministerium für Umwelt, Naturschutz 

und Reaktorsicherheit), 73 S., Berlin. 

Weisenberger T. & Spürgin S., 2009: Zeolites in alkaline rocks of the Kaiserstuhl 

volcanic complex, SW Germany - new micropobe investigation and their relationship 

to the host rock. Geolgica Belgica 12/1-2, 75-91 

Wiedenmann D., Zaitsev A.N., Britvin S.N., Krivovichev S.V., Keller, J., 2009: 

Alumoåkermanite, (Ca,Na) 2 (Al,Mg,Fe 2+ )(Si 2 O 7 ), a new mineral from the active 

carbonatite-nephelinite-phonolite volcano Oldoinyo Lengai, Northern Tanzania. 

Min. Mag. 73, 373-384. 

Zaitsev A.N., Keller J., Billström K., 2009: Isotopic composition of Sr, Nd and pb in 

unaltered natrocarbonatite and in pirssonite, shortite and calcite carbonatites from 

Oldoinyo Lengai Volcano, Tanzania. Doklady Earth Sciences, 425, 2, 302-306. 

Zaitsev A.N., Zaitseva O.A., Buyko A.K., Keller J., Klaudius J., Zolotaev A.A., 2009: 

Gem-quality yellow-green haüyne from Oldoinyo Lengai volcano, Northern Tanzania. 

Gems & Gemology, Vol. 45, No.3, 1-5. 

Ziegler S., Ackermann S., Majzlan J., Gescher J., 2009: Matrix composition and 

community structure analysis of a novel bacterial pyrite leaching community. 

Environmental Microbiology 11, 2329-2338. 

Abstracts 

Dietze V., Kaminski U., Oehler A., Gieré R., Stille P., Grobéty B., 2009: Einsatz und 

Absicherung der bildanalytischen Auswertung (dp>2.5 μm) von Passivsammlerproben 

im Rahmen einer trinationalen Zusammenarbeit mit chemischen und 

elektronenmikroskopischen Verfahren. Accepted 44. Messtechnisches Kolloquium, 

Goslar, June 2009. 

Dietze V., Kaminski U., Oehler A., Gieré R., Stille P., Grobéty B., 2009: Passive sampling 

technique Sigma-2, operational application and validation of the automated optical 

single-particle analysis in the size range 2.5–80 μm. International Conference on 

“Measuring Air Pollutants by Diffusive Sampling and Other Low Cost Monitoring 

Techniques”, Krakow. Abstract Volume, O18. 

Ghobadi M., Gerdes A., Brey G., Keller J., 2009: Trace element disribution in perowskite 

& pyrochlore of Kaiserstuhl sövite carbonatites. Abstract DMG 2009, Hallesches 

Jahrbuch für Geowissenschaften 31, p. 79. 

Gieré R., Rumble D., Günther D., Connolly J.A.D., 2009: Correlation of growth and 

breakdown of major and accessory minerals in metapelites from the Central Alps. 

Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs 41/7, p. 357. 

Gieré R., Chawchai S., Danilewsky A., 2009: Mineralogical composition and weathering 

of the Sulzburg antimony deposit, Black Forest. Geological Society of America, 

Abstracts with Programs, 41/7, p. 330. 

12

Goldenberg E., Könczöl M., Gieré R., Grobéty B., Seidel A., Mersch-Sundermann V., 

Gminski R., 2009: Influence of chemical composition, particle size and morphology 

on the cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of three black toner powders and their 

dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) extracts in cultured human epithelial A549 lung cells 

in vitro. International Symposium on “Mineralogy, Environment and Health”, Paris. 

86-88. 

Hellebrand E., von der Handt A., Johnson K., Snow J.E., Liu C., Dick H.J.B., Hofmann 

A.W., 2009: Composition, distribution and properties of the Ultra-Depleted Mantle 

component. 19th Goldschmidt Conference, Davos, Switzerland. 

Oehler A., Gieré R., Grobéty B., Dietze V., 2009: Preliminary results from a study 

of coarse airborne particles >2.5 μm in Hanoi, Vietnam. Goldschmidt Conference 

Abstracts, A963. 

Oehler A., Gieré R., Stille P., Grobéty B., Dietze V., 2009: Geochemical and mineralogical 

study of airborne particulate matter in Strasbourg, France. International Symposium 

on “Mineralogy, Environment and Health”, Paris. Abstract Volume, 38-39. 

Parat F. & Bucher K., 2009: Topaz-fluorite granites from the Black Forest, Germany: 

evolution of F-rich felsic magmas and origin of topaz. Goldschmidt conference, 

Davos. A992. 

Parat F., 2009: Sulphur yield of volcanic eruptions. Tag der Forschung, Fakultät für 

Chemie, Pharmazie und Geowissenschaften, Universität Freiburg. 

Snow J.E., Ohara Y, Harigane Y., Michibayashi K., Hellebrand E., von der Handt A., 

Loocke M., Ishii T., 2009: Secular evolution of partial melting and melt stagnation 

during the formation of Godzilla Mullion, Philippine Sea. T33D-07. 

von der Handt A., Hellebrand E., Snow J.E., 2009: Melt stagnation at ultraslow-spreading 

ridges - Tag der Forschung, Fakultät für Chemie, Pharmazie und Geowissenschaften, 

Universität Freiburg (published on website). 

Weber S. & Braun I., 2009: Petrological investigations and Electron microprobe analysis 

(EPMA) of rocks from the Palghat-Cauvery lineament, southern India. DMG Tagung, 

Halle-Wittenberg. 

Wiedenmann D., Keller J., Zaitsev A.N., 2009: Occurrence and compositional variation 

of high-Na-Al melilites at Oldoinyo Lengai, Tanzania. Abstracts XXVI International 

Conference “Geochemistry of Magmatic Rocks / School Geochemistry of Alkaline 

Rocks”, May 2009, Moscow. 

Zaitsev A.N. & Keller J., 2009: Mineralogy of carbonatites from active Oldoinyo Lengai 

volcano, Tanzania. Abstracts of V International Symposium “Mineral Diversity, 

Research and Preservation”, October 2009, Sofia, 66. 

Zaitsev A.N., Keller J., Jones G., Grassineau N., 2009: Mineralogical and geochemical 

changes of natrocarbonatites due to fumarolic activity at Oldoinyo Lengai volcano, 

Tanzania. Abstracts of XXVI International Conference “Geochemistry of Magmatic 

Rocks / School Geochemistry of Alkaline Rocks”, May 2009, Moscow, 168-169. 

Awards 

4th Most Cited Paper (Gieré & Sorensen 2004) in Reviews in Mineralogy and 

Geochemistry. GeoScienceWorld, January 2009 

(http://rimg.geoscienceworld.org/reports/mfc1.dtl) 

5th Most Cited Paper (Gieré & Sorensen 2004) in Reviews in Mineralogy and 

Geochemistry. GeoScienceWorld, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, 

September, October, November, December 2009 

(http://rimg.geoscienceworld.org/reports/mfc1.dtl) 

13

Research Abstracts 

14

Hydrochemistry and Geothermal Energy 

In 2009, we prepared a general invited article for the 10 year anniversary of the Journal 

“Geofluids” Bucher, K. and Stober, I. 2010. Fluids in the upper continental crust. Geofluids, 

14 pages. The paper will be a contribution to a collection of papers from leading 

scientists in the field of geofluids. The contributions will also be published as a hard cover 

book in early 2010. 

Hydrochemical evolution of deep groundwater in fractured basement aquifer 

The project studies a unique set of water 

samples from the world longest railroad 

tunnel currently under construction between 

Erstfeld and Bodio in Switzerland (NEAT 

Alptransit, Gotthard). The Amsteg section 

has been completed in 2006 and Ulrike 

Seelig used the Amsteg water samples 

for her PhD work. She has submitted her 

thesis at the end of December 2009 and 

will defend the thesis early in 2010. The 

revision of a first paper: “Seelig, U. and 

Bucher, K. Halogens in water from the 

crystalline basement of the Gotthard rail 

base tunnel (Central Alps)” has been resubmitted 

to Geochimica Cosmochimica 

Acta in December 2009. The manuscript 

of a second paper: “Seelig, U. and Bucher, 

K. Geochemical characterization of highpH 

waters from the crystalline basement of 

the new Gotthard rail tunnel, Switzerland, 

has been prepared and will be submitted to 

“Chemical Geology” in January 2010. 

Sedrun section, preparing for hydraulic 

test 

In 2009 we visited the Sedrun section 

two times and we collected water samples 

15 

from the Gotthard massif. The year 2010 

will be the final year with water samples 

from the Gotthard tunnel. The Faido and 

the Sedrun team will meet in the late fall 

2010 and then the tunnel construction work 

will not produce water and rock samples. 

Alptransit geologist Federico Giovanoli 

taking water sample 

Sedrun preparing for water sampling 

We received and analyzed the last water 

samples from the Erstfeld construction 

site in 2009. This section is completed and 

the complete set of data from the Erstfeld 

section awaits investigation. 

The NEAT Gotthard tunnel project will

continue to be our central research effort in the field of water and geothermal energy 

research. 

Geochemical characterization of high-pH waters from the crystalline basement of 

the new Gotthard rail tunnel, Switzerland 

Report by Ulrike Seelig 

122 water samples, collected from 

fractures in the Amsteg section of the new 

Gotthard railway tunnel, currently under 

construction in Switzerland, were analyzed 

and characterized according to their main 

element composition. The waters are 

characterized by their sodium domination 

and low to very low concentration of 

calcium and magnesium, respectively with 

varying dominance and concentration of 

the anions as shown in the ternary diagram 

in Fig. 1. In addition, they have very high 

fluoride concentration up to 29 mg/L and 

high pH values up to 10.4. According to 

the main element contribution to the total 

load of dissolved solids the tunnel waters 

can be categorized into the following six 

water types: Na HCO 3 -(Cl), Na Cl-(SO 4 ), 

Na Cl, Na HCO 3 , Na-(Ca) HCO 3 -SO 4 , and 

Ca-(Na) SO 4 . 

Stable isotope composition of H and O 

as well as geothermometrical calculations 

suggest a meteoric origin of the waters. 

Intensive water-rock interaction are solely 

responsible for the generation of these 

unique waters. The lithologies, where the 

waters were sampled from, are situated 

in the Aar massif in the Central Alps 

and consists of crystalline rocks with 

predominantly granitic character regarding 

their mineralogical content. The rocks 

have generally a similar mineralogical 

composition but with differing quantities 

and varying occurrences of minor 

minerals. In general, albite dissolution, 

leaching of fluid inclusions, sulphide 

oxidation, the alteration of F-phlogopite 

to F-free chlorite, and the formation of 

new Ca-bearing minerals were found 

as main overall reactions to form the 

16 

Gotthard tunnel waters. They, therefore, 

account as source for the majority of 

the components released into the tunnel 

waters. The reactions are in agreement 

with mineralogical findings in thin sections 

and on fracture walls. They could also be 

reproduced with mass balance models, 

where a surface water analysis, the tunnel 

water samples, and the mineralogical 

composition of the tunnel rocks served as 

input parameters. These models together 

with microscopic and EMP investigations 

revealed that small differences in the 

amounts of minerals reacting, varying 

environmental parameters such as P CO2 , as 

well as the involvement of certain minor 

minerals in the interactions are responsible 

for the formation of the six different water 

types. 

0.2 

0 

1 

Total 

alkalinity 

0.4 

0.6 

e 

d 

0.8 

SO4 0 

1 

a 

southern part of Amsteg section northern part of Amsteg section 

> Tm 12000 < Tm 12000 

0.2 

0.4 

0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2 

f 

b 

0.6 

0.8 

c 

1 

0 

Cl 

Ternary plot of major anions. Water 

samples are plotted according to their 

lithologies. Dashed line separates samples 

into northern (filled symbols) and southern 

(outlined symbols) part of the tunnel 

section by means of their Cl concentration.

Zeolites in fissures of crystalline basement rocks 

Our Zeolite Project focuses on zeolite minerals from Alpine fissures in crystalline 

basement rocks of the Swiss Alps. The topics of the project include: a complete review of 

Alpine zeolites, their geological and spatial distribution, the conditions and mechanisms 

of formation of zeolites in the diverse geological settings and the quantitative modeling 

of the fluid-rock interaction during the cooling of the basement units. Co-worker on the 

project was Tobias Weisenberger. He completed his PhD program in July 2009. A part of 

the thesis has been submitted as a paper manuscript to Journal of metamorphic Geology 

and is accepted for publication pending some major revisions. Below is the abstract of 

the paper: 

Zeolites in fissures of granites and gneisses of the Central Alps 

Tobias Weisenberger and Kurt Bucher 

Six different Ca-zeolites occur 

widespread in various assemblages in 

late fissures and fractures in granites and 

gneisses of the Swiss Alps. The zeolites 

form as a result of water-rock interaction 

at relatively low temperatures (< 250°C) in 

the upper continental crust. The low-grade 

fissure mineral assemblages are the key to 

the appreciation of water-rock interaction 

in hydrothermal and geothermal systems 

located in granites and gneisses of 

the crystalline basement. The zeolites 

typically overgrow earlier minerals of 

the fissure assemblages, but zeolites also 

occur as single stage fissure deposits in 

granite and gneiss. They represent the 

most recent fissure minerals formed 

during uplift and exhumation of the Alpine 

orogen. A systematic study of zeolite 

samples showed that the majority of finds 

originate from three regions particularity 

rich in zeolite-bearing fissures: (1) in the 

central and eastern part of the Aar- and 

Gotthard Massif, including the Gotthard 

road tunnel and the Gotthard-NEAT 

tunnel, (2) Gibelsbach/Fiesch, in a fissure 

breccia between Aar Massif and Permian 

sediments, and (3) in Penninic gneisses of 

the Simano nappe at Arvigo (Val Calanca). 

The excavation of tunnels in the Aar- 

and Gotthard massif give an excellent 

overview of zeolite frequency in Alpine 

17 

Laumontite cover on fissure quartz 

fissures, whereas 32% (Gotthard NEAT 

tunnel, 12000-18555) and 18% (Gotthard 

road tunnel) of all fissures are filled 

with zeolites. The number of different 

zeolites is limited to 6 species: laumontite, 

stilbite and scolecite are abundant and 

common, whereas heulandite, chabazite 

and epistilbite occur occasionally. Ca is 

the dominant extra-framework cations, 

with minor K and Na. Heulandite and 

chabazite additionally contain Sr up to 

29 and 10 mole%, respectively. Na and K 

content of zeolites tends to increase during 

growth as a result of systematic changes 

in fluid composition and/or temperature. 

The K enrichment of stilbite found in 

surface outcrops compare to stilbite in 

the subsurface may indicate late cation

exchange during interaction with surface 

water. Texture data, relative age sequences 

derived from fissure assemblages and 

equilibrium calculations shows that the Cadominated 

zeolites precipitated from fluid 

with decreasing temperature in the order 

(old to young = hot to cold): scolecite, 

laumontite, heulandite, chabazite and 

stilbite. 

The components necessary for zeolite 

formation are derived from dissolving 

primary granite and gneiss minerals. The 

nature of these minerals depends on the 

metamorphic history of the host rock. 

Zeolites in the Aar Massif derived from the 

dissolution of epidote or calcite and albite 

that were originally formed during Alpine 

greenschist metamorphism. Whereas 

albitization of plagioclase in higher grade 

18 

rocks releases the necessary components 

for zeolite formation, a process that 

is accompanied by a distinct porosity 

increase. Zeolite fissures occur in the zone 

where fluid inclusions in earlier formed 

quartz contain H 2 O dominated fluids. This 

is consistent with equilibrium calculations 

that predict a low CO 2 tolerance of 

zeolite assemblages particularly at low 

temperature. Pressure decrease along 

the uplift and exhumation can increase 

zeolite stability. The major zeolite forming 

reaction consumes calcite and albite; it 

increases pH and the total of dissolved 

solids. The produced Na 2 CO 3 waters are 

in accord with reported deep groundwater 

(thermal water) in the continental crust, 

which are typically oversaturated with 

respect to Ca-zeolites. 

Chemical Evolution of Surface Waters in Alpine Catchments of the Zermatt- 

Matterhorn Area (Central Alps) 

This project started in October 2007. The project will lead to the doctoral dissertation 

of Zhou Wei. In 2009 we concluded water sampling and analysis of surface waters in 

the Zermatt area. Currently, the data are summarized and discussed in a paper with the 

title “Wei Zhou and Kurt Bucher. Origin of solutes in surface waters from high Alpine 

catchments, Zermatt area (Swiss Alps)” scheduled for 2010. 

Field work carried out in the fall 2009 for the project focused on the description and 

the collection of weathering rinds on various rock types of the Zermatt area: 

Weathering of rock surfaces in the Zermatt-Saas area, quantification of water-rock 

interaction. 

Report by Zhou Wei 

Current research on water-rock 

interaction develops the quantitative 

approach to interpret the geochemical 

reactions and transport of solutes as coupled 

phenomena. In last two years, we have 

studied on the chemical composition of 

surface waters in high Alpine catchments, 

Zermatt-Matterhorn area. In those first 

results of our research project, the surface 

water in study area is predominantly 

controlled by the interaction of meteoric 

water with the exposed rocks (Fig. 1 & 

Fig. 2). Dissolving primary minerals of 

the predominantly metamorphic rocks 

contribute to the observed increase of total 

dissolved solids relative to precipitation 

leaving behind a residue of insoluble 

new minerals. In the following on the ongoing 

research process, we are interested 

in investigating the evolutions of primary

minerals and newly formed insoluble 

mineral, which are mainly forced by 

aqueous alteration or corrosion. 

Mineral dissolution and precipitation 

is controlled by the solubility of minerals 

at surface conditions in the presence of 

the atmosphere. Water-rock interactions 

proceeds until the surface water reaches 

saturation conditions with the most 

stable mineral assemblage. The geogene 

component of the chemical composition 

of most surface waters from catchments 

in silicate rock represents an intermediate 

non-equilibrium state shaped by mineral 

solubility and reaction rates. By linking 

a series of specified water compositions 

exhibit the combined effects of certain 

mineral dissolution one can deduce a 

19 

kinetically chemical model of geochemical 

reactions. 

The large variety of types of surface 

water compositions reflects the complex 

geology of the Zermatt area and the large 

variety of types of bedrocks that dominate 

individual catchments. In order to give 

a convincible water-rock interaction 

chemistry-weathering processing, during 

the field work in Autumn 2009 we collected 

most transformable and widely spreading 

rock in the area, including serpentinite, 

greenschist and gneiss. The streaky, rustcolored 

appearance and loosen texture 

of outcrops rock samples from Zermatt- 

Matterhorn area suggest that intense 

chemical weathering processes have acted 

upon it (Fig. 3). 

References 

Bearth, P. (1967) Die Ophiolithe der Zone von Zermatt-Saas Fee. Beiträge zur geologischen Karte der 

Schweiz N.F. Schweizerischen Geologischen Kommission. 132, pp.130. 

Bearth, P. (1953) 535 Zermatt. Geologischer Atlas der Schweiz. Schweizerischen Geologischen Kommission. 

Figure 1: The chemical type of surface water and lithology map in Findeln area (after 

Bearth, 1953, 1967). 

Figure 2: The chemical type of surface water and lithology map in Trockner Steg area 

(after Bearth, 1953, 1967).

Figure 3: BSE images of different altered rock types and the observation of thin sections 

under the microscopes . 

20

A Hot Spring in Granite of the Western Tianshan, China 

Kurt Bucher, Lifei Zhang, Ingrid Stober 

A cooperative project with scientists from Peking University, Beijing, PR China 

The study of the Muza Hot Spring is based on a research cooperation with Prof. Dr. 

Lifei Zhang from the Beijing University. The thermal water of the hot springs collected 

in 2005 at Muzhaerte in the Tian Shan range has been analyzed and studied in detail. The 

paper “A Hot Spring in Granite of the Western Tianshan, China” has been published in 

“Applied Geochemistry” in 2009. The paper abstract is printed below: 

The western Tianshan range is a major 

Cenozoic orogenic belt in central Asia 

exposing predominantly Paleozoic rocks 

including granite. Ongoing deformation is 

reflected by very rugged topography with 

peaks over 7000 m high. Active tectonic 

deformation is tied to an E-W trending 

fracture and fault system that sections the 

mountain chain into geologically diverse 

blocks that extend parallel to the orogen. 

In the Muzhaerte valley upwelling hot 

water follows such a fault system in the 

Muza granite. About 20 l min-1 Na-SO 4 -Cl 

water with a temperature of 55˚C having 

a total mineralization of about 1 g L-1 

discharge from the hot spring. The water is 

used in a local spa that is frequented by the 

people of the upper Ili river area. Its waters 

are used for balneological purposes and 

the spa serves as a therapeutic institution. 

The major element composition of 

the hot water is dominated by Na and by 

SO 4 and Cl, minor component is Ca. 1.04 

mmol L-1 dissolved silica corresponds to a 

quartz-saturation temperature of 116˚C and 

a corresponding depth of the source of the 

water of about 4600 m. This temperature 

is consistent with Na/K and Na/Li 

geothermometry. The water is saturated 

with respect to fluorite and contains 7.5 

mg L-1 F- as a consequence of the low Ca- 

Hot springs and salt lakes on the Tibet Plateau, China 

21 

concentration. The water is undersaturated 

with respect to the primary minerals of the 

reservoir granite at reservoir temperature 

causing continued irreversible dissolution 

of granite. The waters are oversaturated 

with respect to Ca-zeolite minerals (such 

as stilbite and mesolite), and it is expected 

that zeolites precipitate in the fracture pore 

space and in alteration zones replacing 

primary granite. 

The stable isotope composition of 

oxygen and hydrogen supports a meteoric 

origin of the water. The Cl/Br mass ratio 

of 1500 suggests that the salinity results 

from halite dissolution. Salts leached 

from powders of Muza granite show the 

same Cl/Br signature as the hot spring 

water. NaCl is stored in fluid and solid 

inclusions in the granite, which have 

been introduced to quartz by ductile 

shearing and faulting related to ongoing 

orogenesis. The hot water remobilizes 

the salt that is continuously liberated by 

the tectonic deformation. Water-granite 

interaction contributes a thenarditecomponent 

(Na 2 SO 4 ) to the major element 

composition by albite dissolution in 

sulfuric acid. The water-rock interaction 

along faults and fractures transforms and 

alters Muza granite to a low-temperature 

epigranite. 

Research cooperation with Prof. Dr. Zhong Jianhua from the University of Petroleum, 

Huangdao, Shandong Province has been established in 2005. In the summer 2006, we

visited the Qaidam basin and the Qaidam oilfields by invitation from Prof. Zhong and 

SINOPEC, the second largest Chinese oil company. 

During field work in 2006 on the northern Tibet plateau, we visited the oil fields, the 

salt deserts of the Qaidam basin and the Altun and Qilian mountains. We collected water 

samples from hot springs, salt lakes and tributaries to the lakes. In addition salt and rock 

samples were collected. 

In 2007, due to fortunate circumstances, we visited the DaQaidam hot springs again 

and re-sampled several outflow points. The new data are valuable additional information 

on the temporal variation of the hot spring system. The sampling campaign was made 

possible through the efforts of Prof. Zhang Lifei from Beijing University who also 

accompanied us in the field. 

In 2008, Prof. Zhong made it possible to visit western China in an exciting and 

outstanding field trip that brought us from Urumqi to Korla, Aksu and to Kashgar and 

from there via the Sinkiang-Tibet highway to Aksay Chin. The journey brought us via 

three mountain passes (two of them more than 5000 m) to the Tibet Plateau. The trip was 

difficult because of the riots in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet two month earlier that made 

it finally impossible to carry out our planned salt lake program. 

Fractures and fracture development in Ordovician carbonate reservoir rocks of 

Block 4, Tahe oil field, Tarim Basin, China 

Ahmatjan Abdurahman, Kurt Bucher, Jianhua Zhong 

This study is a part of the PhD project of Ahmatjan Abdurahman. Funding is provided 

by China Petrochemical Corporation (SINOPEC). Ahmatjan Abdurahman finished a 

research visit at the University of Freiburg in the spring 2009 and defended his PhD thesis 

December 22. 2009. 

The Tarim basin in Xingjiang is one of 

the most promising oil exploration areas 

in China. The Tahe oil field located at the 

Akekule uplift in the central Tarim basin 

is a prominent exploration block with 

an annual production capacity of oil and 

gas equivalent of more than 6 million 

tons. The capacity increases at the rate 

of 1-2 million tons per year. The Tahe 

oilfield is a carbonate karst reservoir and 

the porosity is mainly due to large karst 

cavities, pores and open fractures that 

resulted from karstification and tectonic 

deformation over several geologic periods. 

The complexity and heterogeneity of 

the reservoir is a serious challenge for 

exploration and development of the Tahe 

oilfield. 

22 

Fracture surveys were conducted across 

the Tahe oil field in order to investigate the 

development and geometries of fractures 

in carbonate reservoir rocks (Ahmatjan 

Abdurahman et al., 2008). The study 

shows that the fracture system and the 

internal morphology of these structures 

are very heterogeneous. Two kinds of 

fractures are dominating: tectoclase and 

sature. Satures are well developed in 

Tahe oil field, especially in carbonate 

karst reservoirs of Ordovician formations. 

Sature fracture frequency (fractures per 

meter) correlates well with hydrocarbon 

occurence, in contrast to tectoclase 

fractures. From the geometric relation 

between fracture and bedding plane, the 

sature can be classified into three types:

edding sature, oblique sature and vertical 

sature; also the tectoclase can be classified 

into three types: bedding fractures, oblique 

fractures and vertical fractures. Among 

them, bedding fractures are relatively 

rare. Tectoclase and satures combine 

to complex polygenic networks. Initial 

paths of hydrocarbon migration may have 

Metamorphic and Igneous Petrology 

23 

greatly enhanced the connectivity of the 

fracture network. Therefore, understanding 

fracture geometry, their syntactic relations 

and the contributing factors in fracture 

generation is compulsory for successful 

modeling hydrocarbon accumulation in 

fractured carbonate rocks. 

Zermatt-Saas Ophiolites, High-Pressure and Ultrahigh-Pressure Metamorphism 

The petrologic research in the Zermatt-Saas area that has started in 1978 with the 

mapping of the Matterhorn map sheet continued also in 2009. We published on the 

petrology of Allalin Gabbro (see below) and started a new PhD project on the petrology 

of eclogites and meta-sediments from previously unstudied outcrops in the ophiolite 

nappe. The new outcrops have been released by the retreating glaciers (thank’s to climate 

change). Sebastian Weber started with the new project in September 2009 with his first 

field season. His report follows below: 

Metapelites and eclogites from the Zermatt Ophiolite 

The P-T path of the HP-rocks from “Trockener Steg” region inside the Zermatt 

Ophiolites 

Sebastian Weber 

The Zermatt-Saas (ZS) unit represents 

an ophiolite complex in the western Alps 

situated between continental basement 

rocks of the Monte Rosa and Dent Blanche 

nappes. It remains the Piemonte Ligurian 

Ocean (Tethys) that opened in the Late 

Jurassic between the European continent 

to the NW and the Apulia plate to the 

SE. The rifting processes continues until 

the Mid-Cretaceous, when the Tethyian 

Ocean start to be subducted under its 

southern margin. The subduction process 

of the oceanic lithosphere was completed 

in the Eocene. The discovery of coesite in 

the Lago di Cignana unit that is part of ZS 

ophiolites is characterized an ultrahighpressure 

(UHP) terrain made it one of the 

most invastigated research objects of the 

alpine orogen. 

In this study we have taken samples 

from the “Trockener Steg” area, southwest 

of Zermatt that show characteristics 

comparable to the Lago di Cignana unit. 

The retraction of the glacier “Oberer 

Theodulgletscher” have generated new 

spectacular outcrops conditions in the 

last decade. These new exposed rocks 

show a heterogenous metamorphic unit of 

predominantly eclogites, but subordinary 

greenschist, metagabbros, serpentinites 

and metarodingites occur. The “Trockener 

Steg” eclogites are intercalated within 

biotite rich mica schist, which is in contrast 

to the classic Zermatt ophiolites. The mica 

schists does not belong to the ophiolitic 

unit and can be interpreted as a part of 

continental basement. 

The ongoing study will focus on the

following points by doing field work, phase 

modeling and geochemical investigation: 

(i) What is the relationship between 

the different lithologies, (ii) compare 

calculated P-T data from “Trockener 

Steg” rocks with the P-T data of the 

surrounding ophiolite units, (iii) search 

for signatures of UHP metamorphism, and 

(iv) investigate the geochemical signature 

to get informations about the protolithe. 

17 samples were taken in the late fall of 

2009 during fieldwork, including eclogite, 

garnet-phengite and biotite rich mica- 

schist. Nearly all of them were selected 

for thin section textural analyses. After 

this thin sections were investigated with 

the electron microprobe to determine the 

chemical composition of all mineral phases. 

By the occurrence of the paragenesis of 

omphacite, phengite and garnet, this rocks 

BSE images of eclogite sample 895 

24 

are well suited to calculate P-T conditions 

by using conventional thermobarometry 

and Theriak-Domino program. This 

high pressure assemblage is retrogressed 

to greenschist facies conditions. Here 

garnet is replaced at the rims by chlorite 

and biotite, whereas omphacite shows 

symplectites of actinolite and albite 

around the margins, as well as titanite and 

ilmenite overgrowth on rutile, caused by 

decompression. 

Some relicts of the prograde history 

can be found as inclusions in garnet and 

omphacite. Typical inclusions are epidote, 

glaucophane, quartz or rutile. Phengite 

has not been found as inclusions in other 

mineral grains, but occurs in the matrix, 

where it shows a preferred orientation 

parallel to the matrix foliation. 

In 2009 we published the paper on the petrology of the Allalin Gabbro in Journal of 

Petrology, 50, 1405-1442. 

The eclogite-facies Allalin gabbro of the Zermatt-Saas ophiolite, Western Alps: a 

record of subduction zone hydration 

Kurt Bucher and Rodney Grapes 

The Allalin gabbro is a 2 x 0.5 km block 

of layered olivine-gabbro and troctolite 

included in the Zermatt-Saas ophiolite 

nappe of the Western Alps. Comprehensive 

texture, mineral and rock composition data 

together with a thermodynamic analysis of 

the complex phase associations permit a 

detailed reconstruction of the igneous and 

metamorphic reaction history recorded 

by the gabbroic rocks. Based on rock 

and mineral composition data, the Allalin 

gabbro represents part of a Middle Jurassic

underplate of mafic magma at the base of the 

continental Apulian Plate (Dent Blanche 

- Sesia Lanzo system). Granulite facies 

recrystallization during cooling at ~825°C 

/ 1.0 GPa involving formation of Opx-Grt 

coronas between Ol-Pl can be related to 

crustal thickening. Eocene subduction of 

the Tethys oceanic lithosphere under the 

Apulian Plate detached the gabbro from 

the base of the continent and incorporated 

it into the ophiolite. Increasing pressure 

in the descending slab had little effect on 

the gabbro, which still locally contains 

unaltered igneous Ol, Aug and Pl and 

well preserved magmatic textures. With 

increasing subduction depth an increasing 

amount of aqueous fluid accessed the 

gabbro and transformed Pl to Zo-Jd-Ky- 

Tianshan Ophiolite, Xingjiang, Western China 

High-Pressure and Ultrahigh-Pressure Metamorphism 

25 

Qtz. At about 2.5 GPa (93 km) at ca. 610°C, 

a dramatic hydration process converted 

most of the rocks (>90 vol.%) into a fully 

hydrated eclogite-facies assemblage of 

Omp + Zo + Tlc + Cld ± Grt ± Ky + Rt. 

The full hydration under water-present 

conditions occurred at the greatest depth 

reached by the gabbro. After detachment 

from the downgoing slab, i.e. along the 

ascent path, Gln, Pg, and Mrg formed as 

additional hydrates. This last phase of 

hydration desiccated the metagabbro at a 

depth of ca. 78 km and from then on the 

rocks were essentially devoid of a free 

fluid phase. The Allalin gabbro confirms 

that the fundamental high-pressure 

transformation of mafic rocks is: gabbro + 

H 2 O = eclogite. 

This research project of Prof. Dr. Zhang Lifei of Peking University has been extended 

and receives funding for the next three years. The Tianshan UP and UHP ophiolites have 

specific similarities with the rocks of the Zermatt-Saas ophiolite. Therefore, a cooperative 

project involving both the Peking University and the University of Freiburg has been 

established in 2005. The cooperation produced joint research publications and we have 

been on jointly organized field trips in the Tianshan and Qilian mountains of China, 

the Alps and the Norwegian west coast. In 2009 Zeng Lü finished his 1.5 year visit in 

Freiburg and repurned to Beijing. He submitted his thesis in the late fall and defended his 

PhD thesis December 21. 2009 (I participated in the defense in Beijing). One subproject 

of the thesis has been published in 2009: Lü, Z., Zhang, L., Du, J. and Bucher K. 2009. 

Petrology of coesite-bearing eclogite from Habutengsu Valley, western Tianshan, NW 

China and its tectono-metamorphic implication. Journal of metamorphic Geology, 27, 

773-787. It is summarized below: 

Coesite-bearing eclogite from Habutengsu Valley, western Tianshan, NW China and 

its tectono-metamorphic significance 

Zeng Lü, Lifei Zhang, Jinxue Du and Kurt Bucher 

Coesite inclusions in garnet have 

been found in eclogite boudins enclosed 

in coesite-bearing garnet micaschist in 

the Habutengsu Valley, Chinese western 

Tianshan. The UHP mineral is distinguished 

from retrograde quartz by means of its 

optical characteristics, CL imaging and 

Raman analyses (Fig.1). The coesitebearing 

eclogite is mainly composed 

of porphyroblastic garnet, omphacite, 

paragonite, glaucophane and barroisite, 

minor amounts of rutile and dotted (or

Fig. 1 CL image showing the microtextures 

of SiO 2 aggregates. Inset photo was taken 

under plane polarized light. 

banded) graphite. In addition to coesite 

and quartz, the zoned porphyroblastic 

garnet contains inclusions of omphacite, 

Na-Ca amphibole, calcite, albite, chlorite, 

rutile, ilmenite and graphite. Multi-phase 

inclusions (e.g. Czo + Pg ± Qtz, Grt II + 

Qtz and Chl + Pg) can be interpreted as 

breakdown products of former lawsonite 

and possibly chloritoid. Coesite occurs 

scattered within a compositionally 

homogenous but narrow domain of garnet 

(outer core), indicative of equilibrium 

26 

at the UHP stage. Garnet-clinopyroxene 

thermometry yields peak temperatures of 

420-520°C at 2.7 GPa. Phase equilibrium 

calculations further constrain the P-T 

conditions for the UHP assemblage Grt + 

Omp + Lws + Gln + Coe to 2.4 - 2.7 GPa 

and 470-510°C (Fig. 2). Modeled modal 

abundances of major minerals along a 5°C 

km-1 geothermal gradient suggests two 

critical dehydration processes at ~430°C 

and ~510°C respectively. Computed 

garnet composition patterns are in good 

agreement with measured core-rim 

profiles. 

The petrological study of coesitebearing 

eclogite in this paper provides 

insight into the metamorphic evolution 

in a cold subduction zone. Together with 

other reported localities of UHP rocks 

from the entire orogen of Chinese western 

Tianshan, we conclude that the regional 

extent of UHP-LT metamorphism in 

Chinese western Tianshan is extensive 

and considerably larger than previously 

thought, although intensive retrogression 

has erased UHP-LT assemblages at most 

localities. 

Fig. 2 Phase modeling result for the coesite-bearing eclogite, with mineral assemblage 

(left) and garnet composition contouring (right).

In 2009 we also published a paper on the Luliangshan garnet peridotite body near 

DaQaidam. Song, S.G., Niu, Y.L., Zhang, L.F. and Bucher K. 2009. The Luliangshan 

garnet peridotite massif of the North Qaidam UHPM belt, NW China - a review of its 

origin and metamorphic evolution. Journal of metamorphic Geology, 27, 621-638. We 

visited the garnet peridotite body in the year 2007 during our field work in the North 

Qaidam and in the Qilian mountains. The garnet peridotite research is abstracted below: 

Ultrahigh-pressure garnet peridotites from Alaskan-type ultramafic cumulates in 

the North Qaidam UHPM belt, NW China 

The Luliangshan garnet peridotite 

massif is an ultramafic complex in the 

North Qaidam UHPM belt, NW China. 

The strongly layered complex comprising 

of garnet-bearing dunite, Grt-harzburgite, 

Grt-lherzolite and Grt-pyroxenite and 

garnet-free dunite occurs together with 

eclogite embedded in various continental 

gneisses. The geological setting, the 

internal structure, bulk-composition, REE, 

isotopic and mineral composition data 

show that the garnet peridotite derives 

from a middle Ordovician Alaskan-type 

layered sub arc cumulate intrusion of 

ascending mantle wedge melts. An abyssal 

peridotite protolith can be excluded. 

During the Ordovician-Silurian 

continental collision, thickening and 

foundering the Luliangshan peridotite 

complex has been exposed to ultrahigh 

pressures (UHP) reaching 5.5 GPa 

possibly > 6 GPa at temperatures of 900˚C 

(perhaps up to 1000˚C) corresponding to 

27 

a depth of about 200 km. The extreme 

pressure conditions have been derived 

from thermobarometry using mineral 

compositions of the garnet peridotite 

assemblages, but they are supported by a 

wealth of decompression-induced mineral 

exsolution in UHP minerals and by 

diamond inclusion in zircon. 

The Luliangshan garnet peridotite has 

experienced four stages of retrograde 

overprint during exhumation that lasted 

into the Devonian: I) decompressioninduced 

unmixing of the UHP minerals, 

II) garnet kelyphitisation, III) amphibole 

overprinting and IV) serpentinization. 

Hydrous minerals occurring within peak 

metamorphic assemblage represent 

pseudo-inclusions, that is reaction products 

of reactions related to various stages of 

decompression and cooling rather than 

prograde inclusions during porphyroblast 

growth. 

Fieldwork in the Luliangshan 

garnet peridotite body 

near DaQaidam

The Seiland Project in Northern Norway 

In 2009 we continued fieldwork in the Seiland Complex of Northern Norway. The 

project was initiated in the summer of 2003 and about 8 weeks of fieldwork have been 

performed. In 2009 an additional 7 weeks of field work produced the final collection of 

water samples from surface waters and an extensive collection of rock samples from the 

Seiland complex and its country rocks. 100 water analyses are now available from the 

Seiland area. 

The research project collected water and rock samples on Stjernøya, on Seiland 

and on the Øksfjorden peninsula, Northern Norway (70-71˚N). The Paleozoic alkaline 

igneous complex consists of e series of rocks that are characterized by high weathering 

rates. The rocks include nepheline-syenite, dunite, wherlite, carbonatite, troctolite and 

various gabbros including olivine gabbro. Fieldwork included detailed study of selected 

outcrops particularly in the nepheline-syenite mine of North Cape minerals on Stjernøy. 

The various occurrences of zeolite veins in the alkaline rocks and the gabbros are one 

of the main topics of the water-rock interaction research. Veins in the alkaline rocks 

contain thomsonite, natrolite and mesolite, in the gabbros laumontite dominates the vein 

assemblage. The field data and observations will be combined with water composition 

data and rock (mineral) data for an analysis of water-rock interaction in areas with rapidly 

weathering silicate rocks. 

Øksfjord gabbro complex 

Reinfjord peridotite 

28 

Li Xiaoyan started her PhD project in 

the Seiland Igneous Province and studied 

the petrology and geochemistry of the 

nepheline-syenite on Stjernøy. In addition 

during the field campaign 2009 she 

collected contact metamorphic gneisses in 

the aureole of the igneous complex. She 

is currently preparing a manuscript on 

the Ne-syenite and collects data from the 

high-grade gneisses. 

Xiaoyan and Zeng in the Stjernøy 

carbonatite

Magmatic and fluid evolution of nepheline syenite from the Seiland Igneous 

Province, Northern Norway 

Xiaoyan Li, Kurt Bucher 

The textures of the nepheline syenites 

from the Seiland Igneous Province 

(Northern Norway) indicate a slow 

isobaric cooling process involving an 

ortho-magmatic stage and a post-magmatic 

stage. The mineral assemblage of the orthomagmatic 

stage is clinopyroxene (saliteaugite) 

+ sanidine + nepheline + magnetite 

+ ilmenite + calcite at 750°C; sub-solidus 

radox reactions could be observed in 

textures (1) clinopyroxene surrounded 

by calcic amphibole (hastingsite and 

ferro-pargasite), and (2) ilmenite with 

titanite rim. In the cooling stage, the 

high temperature sanidine developed 

perthite texture, and nepheline crystals reequilibrated 

at a low temperature (< 500°C) 

suggested by the mineral chemistry. 

The latest autometasomatic alteration 

29 

extensively transferred nepheline into 

fibrous Na-zeolite (natrolite, thomsonite), 

and developed oligoclase rim and minor 

grossular when albitization happened 

along the boundary between perthite and 

other minerals. The development of this 

mechanism is reflected by several tiny 

veins (1-5mm wide) composed of zeolite 

aggregation and calcite, which accompany 

bilateral reaction zones displaying a 

remarkably reddish color. In addition, 

bulk chemical variations within reaction 

zones and original parts, combined with 

reactions, indicate a highly fractionated, 

volatile-rich fluid with low K/Na ratio 

(

Petrological investigations and Electron microprobe analysis (EPMA) of rocks from 

the Palghat-Cauvery lineament, southern India 

Sebastian Weber & Ingo Braun (Universität Bonn) 

Southern India exposes one of the major 

parts of east Gondwana, and comprises an 

accumulation of different tectonic blocks 

that assembled during different times of 

the Earth`s history. The oldest unit of these 

cratonic blocks is the Dharwar Craton (DC) 

that underwent initial growth during the 

Early Archean and was last consolidated 

at the end of the Archean c. 2,5 Ga ago. 

The terrains of the DC have not preserved 

any significant younger event. In contrast 

to this, Proterozoic blocks of the Southern 

Granulite Terrain (SGT) show strong 

imprints of the Pan-African (550-500 Ma) 

and, to the same extent, of Grenvillian 

high-grade metamorphism. In this study 23 

samples were taken from a c. 400 km large 

area in the eastern part of the transition 

zone between the DC in the north and the 

SGT in the south, the so called Palghat- 

Cauvery lineament, which is interpreted as 

a Proterozoic shear zone. The studied area 

lies west to the town of Erode, and mainly 

consists of highly deformed gneisses 

with intercalations of metabasites, BIF 

and other rock types. The common stable 

assemblage in the metabasites comprises 

quartz, hornblende, garnet, orthopyroxene, 

clinopyroxene and plagioclase and reflects 

granulite-facies metamorphism. The P-T 

evolution of these mafic granulites has 

been constrained with TWQ (version 2.02) 

and, yielded peak conditions of ~ 900°C 

and 10 +/- 1 kbar. These results correspond 

well with other P-T data from the literature 

(Srikantappa et al., 2003). Microtextures 

of BIF show spectacular pyroxeneplagioclase 

symplectites around garnet, 

which indicate a stage of decompression. 

30 

The application of TWQ to these rocks 

gave P-T data of 600 – 800 °C and 6 - 

8 kbar. Electron-microprobe (EPMA) 

dating of monazite has been applied to 

two gneiss samples. The monazite grains 

vary strongly in shape and size and only 

some of them show zonation. Determined 

monazite ages range between 706-331 Ma 

with a strong predominance of Pan-African 

ages between 550 – 500 Ma. These data 

support the available geochronological 

data that the last major tectonic-thermal 

event in the SGT took place during the 

Pan-African orogeny (Meissner et al., 

2002). Because of their different lithology 

it is not possible to link the monazite ages 

with the P-T data from the metabasites. It 

therefore remains unclear if the P-T path 

estimated in the metabasites recorded 

archean event and subsequent overprinted 

during the Pan-African orogeny or if they 

can be correlated with the age data from 

the gneisses and thus reflect a Pan-African 

stage of high-grade metamorphism and 

decompression. We assume the textures 

inside the metabasites form during the 

archean and were preserved during the 

Pan-African event. 

References 

Meissner, B., Deters, P., Srikatappa, C., Kohler, H., 

2002. Geochronological evolution of the Moyar, 

Bhavani and Palghat shear zones of southern India: 

implications for east Gondwana correlations. 

Precambrian Res. 114, 149–175. 

Srikantappa, C.,Srinivas, G., Basavarajappa, H.T., 

Prakash-Narasimha, K.N., Basavalingu, B., 2003, 

Metamorphic Evolution and Fluid Regime in the 

Deep Continental Crust along the N-S Geotransect 

from Vellar to Dharapuram, Southern India, 

Memoir Geological Society of India, 50, 319-373.

Constraining the thermal architecture of Hole 1309D (IODP Leg 304/305) through 

geospeedometry 

Anette von der Handt, Eric Hellebrand*, Kevin Johnson* (*University of Hawaii) 

More than 70% of the Earth’s crust is 

formed along mid-ocean ridges. A key 

role in the formation of the oceanic crust 

is played by the presence and nature of the 

axial magma chamber. Several models are 

used to describe the architecture and timing 

of the crust formation along mid-ocean 

ridges. These include: (a) crystallisation 

in deep (20-30 km) magma chambers, 

leading to a high-pressure crystallisation 

signature in MORB with cooling largely 

due to subsequent uplift; (b) crystallisation 

in large shallow level intrusions that are 

emplaced episodically; (c) emplacement 

of many small (m-scale) shallow level 

intrusions that cool separately. These 

different models predict very different 

thermal histories; in the first case cooling 

will be slow due to the hot wall-rocks and 

cooling will be largely controlled by the 

uplift rate. In the latter models cooling rates 

will depend on the size of the intrusion, 

the thermal structure at shallow levels and 

the extent of hydrothermal cooling. Thus 

by determining the cooling rate of samples 

from the lower oceanic crust, we can test 

these different models. One important 

method for this approach is the Calciumin-olivine 

geospeedometer that is based 

on the down-temperature diffusion of Ca 

out of olivine into clinopyroxene. The 

31 

Ca content in olivine in equilibrium with 

clinopyroxene is strongly temperature 

dependent and only very weakly pressure 

dependent at the conditions in the oceanic 

crust. 

However, only a limited number of 

sites exists where continuous sections of 

lower crust could be sampled. The most 

important insight into the lower oceanic 

crust that we have today comes from 

long drill cores obtained during drilling 

programs such as the ODP and IODP 

programs. For this study, we focus on a 

sample site at the slow-spreading Mid- 

Atlantic Ridge at 30°N. Here, deep drilling 

of the domal core of Atlantis Massif 

during IODP Leg 304/305 obtained a 1.5 

km long, dominantly gabbroic core (Hole 

1309D). The common occurrence of fresh, 

undeformed, olivine in Hole 1309D allows 

the Ca-in-ol geospeedometer to be applied 

throughout the core. Here we show the 

results from a short interval that was 

chosen to test the potential of the Ca-inol 

geospeedometer to unravel the intrusion 

sequence at Hole 1309D. 

The chosen interval consists of 

dunitic troctolite in the upper half and 

olivine gabbro in the lower half with a 

diffuse contact in between. The lower 

olivine gabbro is further crosscut by a 

small gabbroic vein with sharp contacts. 

While the major element composition of 

olivine is highly variable (Mg-number: 

Downhole variation in Mg-number 

(=Mg/(Mg+Fe)) in olivine and cooling 

rates calculated from the Ca-in-olgeospeedometer 

for a short section in 

Hole 1309D, Atlantis Massif, 30°N 

Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Cooling rates 

increase toward contacts while major 

element composition of olivine is less 

systematic.

0.68-0.85), it shows no compositional 

difference between the small vein and the 

olivine gabbro unit it intruded. 

Cooling rates calculated from the Cain-ol-geospeedometer 

show increasing 

cooling rates toward contacts. Additionally, 

fastest cooling is seen by the small vein, 

in agreement with an intrusion at shallow 

levels. The Ca-in-ol geospeedometer 

32 

gives consistent results for several 

olivine grains that were analysed in 

each sample. We therefore conclude 

that this geospeedometric approach has 

the potential to determine the relative 

sequence of intrusive lithologies as well 

as the overall uplift history of Atlantis 

Massif. 

Topaz-fluorite granites from the Black Forest, Germany: evolution of F-rich felsic 

magmas. 

Fleurice Parat and Kurt Bucher 

F-bearing phases such as topaz, 

together with fluorite, micas and apatite, 

appear late in the crystallization history of 

granitic systems. Topaz crystallizes mostly 

from vapour, rather than melt, although 

questions of magmatic vs. hydrothermal 

origins of topaz are still debated because 

its parageneses and stability involves a 

large number of interrelated factors. The 

Black Forest area in the southwestern 

part of Germany is an ideal area to study 

the evolution of felsic magmas and the 

stability of topaz because topaz as well as 

other F-bearing phases such fluorite, micas 

and fluorapatite are present in variscan 

peraluminous granites and associated 

rocks (e.g. pegmatite, aplite). 

Topaz-biotite granite and biotitemuscovite 

granite (topaz-free) contain 

quartz, plagioclase, alkali feldspar, 

fluorite, fluorapatite (up to 5 wt.% F), and 

zircon. Topaz granite deviates in chemical 

composition markedly from topaz-free 

granite. This peraluminous high-SiO 2 

granite (A/CNK=1.11) is relatively rich 

in F (0.36 wt.%), and low in Mg, Fe and 

Ti. The trace element composition is 

characterized by anomalously high Rb 

and Nb, and by low Ba and Zr suggesting 

highly differentiated residual melts similar 

to other topaz-bearing granite. Topaz 

granite contains fluor-topaz (5 vol.%; 18.3- 

20.3 wt.% F) in the matrix as subhedral 

grain (up to 800 μm) and as inclusion in 

quartz and plagioclase. Fluorite is present 

as small crystal in the matrix (

Experimental constraints on ultrapotassic magmatism from the Bohemian Massif 

(Durbachite series, Czech Republic). 

Fleurice Parat, François Holtz 1 , Miloš René 2 , and Renat Almeev 1 

1 Leibniz Universität Hannover; 2 Institute of Rock Structure and Mechanics, Praha 

The equilibrium phase relations of a 

mafic durbachite (53 wt.% SiO 2 ) from 

the Trebíc pluton, representative of the 

Variscan ultrapotassic magmatism of the 

Bohemian Massif (338-335 Ma), have been 

determined as a function of temperature 

(900-1100°C), pressure (100-200 MPa), 

and H 2 O activity (1.1 to 6.1 wt.% H 2 O 

in the melt). Two oxygen fugacity ranges 

were investigated: close to the Ni-NiO 

(NNO) buffer and 2.6 log unit above NNO 

buffer (∆NNO+2.6). At 1100°C, olivine is 

the liquidus phase and co-crystallized with 

phlogopite and augite at 1000°C for the 

whole range of investigated pressure and 

water content in the melt. At 900°C, the 

mineral assemblage consists of augite and 

phlogopite, whereas olivine is not stable. 

The stability field of both alkali feldspar 

and plagioclase is restricted to low 

pressure (100 MPa) and low water content 

(

Tracing sulfur and halogen concentrations in magmatic systems: constraints from 

experiments and natural glass inclusions in apatite 

Fleurice Parat, Francois Holtz (Universitzy Hannover), Andreas Klügel (University 

Bremen) 

Accurate methods for tracing the 

evolution of sulfur and halogen contents 

in magmatic system (pre-eruptive 

concentrations) are scarce and would be 

useful to understand the transport and/ 

or degassing of sulfur and halogen at 

the scale of a volcano. Since sulfur and 

halogen can be incorporated in apatite at 

oxidizing condition, the analysis of sulfur 

(S), chlorine (Cl) and fluorine (F) content 

in apatite minerals collected from volcanic 

rocks is a possible indicator of volatile 

concentrations in melts, provided that the 

partitioning of volatile between apatite 

and melt is calibrated experimentally. 

Crystallization experiments have been 

conducted with fluid-saturated rhyolitic 

and andesitic melt and different bulk 

S contents (0.15 to 2 wt.% SO 3 ) at 900- 

1100°C, 400-200 MPa,XH 2 Oin =0.3-1, 

and ∆logƒO 2 =NNO+1-3.6. The S content 

in the glass increases with increasing 

amount of added S. The S content in apatite 

increases with an increase in S content in 

the glass. The sulfur partitioning decreases 

with increasing S content in glass from 

15.5 to 2.5 for SO 3 =0.03 to 0.28 wt.% in 

the glass, respectively. 

We found in hauyne-bearing alkaline 

xenoliths from La Palma (Canary Island), 

S-rich apatite hosted melt inclusions 

that represent a unique opportunity to 

determine direct volatile partitioning 

between apatite and melt and corroborate 

experimental studies. 

The determination of KdS from the 

analyses of glass inclusions and host 

34 

apatites in alkaline gabbros (La Palma, 

Canary Island) confirms the experimental 

results. The combination of natural and 

experimental data reveals that the S 

partition coefficient tends toward a value 

of 2 for high S content in the glass (>0.2 

wt.% SO ). Considering experimental 

3 

and natural data from this study, the S 

partitioning between apatite and melt can 

be expressed as: SO apatite = 0.157 * Ln 

3 

SO melt + 0.9834. From natural data, we 

3 

also determine the partitioning of Cl and 

F between apatite and melt . The partition 

apa/melt coefficient D ranges from 0.4 to 1.4 

Cl 

(average: 0.8). This range is consistent 

with results of experimental research in 

rhyolitic system for low Cl concentration 

in apatite and melt (Webster et al., 2009) 

and mafic silicate system (Mathez and 

Webster, 2005) even though the melts 

include different compositions. 

With increasing F in melt inclusions, 

the partition coefficients for F between 

apa/melt apatite and melt (D ) decrease from 

F 

40 to 3.4. We observe no correlation neither 

with alkalinity nor aluminosity of silicate 

melts. Most of our data display a high 

apa/ 

partition coefficient (~40) close to DF melt determined experimentally in felsic 

rocks (Webster et al., 2009). This good 

agreement suggests that experimental 

results are applicable to natural system and 

that melt compositions has not a significant 

effect on sulphur and chlorine partitioning 

between apatite and felsic melt at waterrich 

and oxidized conditions.

Environmental Geosciences 

Influence of chemical composition, particle size and morphology on the cytotoxic 

and genotoxic effects of three black toner powders and their dimethylsulfoxide 

(DMSO) extracts in cultured human epithelial A549 lung cells in vitro 

Ella Goldenberg and Reto Gieré 

This project is part of the PhD project of Ella Goldenberg. Research collaboration 

with Mathias Könczöl, Volker Mersch-Sundermann and Richard Gminski (Department of 

Environmental Health Science, University Medical Center Freiburg, Germany), Bernard 

Grobéty (Department of Geosciences, University Fribourg, Switzerland) and Albrecht 

Seidel (Biochemisches Institut für Umweltcarcinogene, Grosshansdorf, Germany) 

Introduction: Toner powders for laser 

printers generally consist of a mixture 

of plastic resin, carbon black (CB) and 

iron oxide, often with numerous other 

additives such as TiO 2 and SiO 2 (Gminski 

et al. 2008). In humans, acute effects such 

as irritated eyes, headache and itching 

skin have been reported as being caused 

by exposure to toner dust. A recent study 

(Gminski et al., in prep.) examined 

selected, commercially available black 

toner powders as sonicated suspensions 

and as dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) extracts 

regarding their cytotoxic (“cell damage or 

loss in vitality”) and genotoxic (“DNA 

damage”) effects in human epithelial 

A549 lung cells in vitro. All studied toner 

powder suspensions showed significant 

genotoxicity in the Cytochalasin Block 

Micronucleus (CB-MNvit) and the singlecell 

gel electrophoresis (COMET) assays. 

Furthermore, a cytotoxic effect was 

observed using the Lactate Dehydrogenase 

(LDH) assay. In our institute, we 

characterized the toner powders physically 

and chemically in order to investigate the 

influence of particle size, morphology and 

chemical composition on cytotoxicity and 

genotoxicity in human epithelial A549 

lung cells. 

Methods: Three black toner powders 

and their suspensions were examined by 

scanning electron microscopy (SEM) 

and energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) 

35 

spectroscopy in order to determine size, 

shape, surface structure and elemental 

composition of individual toner particles. 

Powder X-ray Diffractometry (XRD) with 

Cu-Kalpha radiation was used to determine 

the mineral phases in the toner powders. 

The bulk contents of selected metals and 

metalloids in the toner powders were 

determined by graphite-furnace atomic 

absorption spectroscopy (AAS) (As, Pb, 

Sb, Ni, Cd) and flame AAS (Fe, Zn) after 

total digestion. The bulk Si concentration 

was determined using photometry. 

The content of polycyclic aromatic 

hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the toner powders 

was determined by gas chromatographymass 

spectrometry (GC-MS). 

Results and Discussion: The toner 

powders consist of C-bearing, rounded 

to slightly elongated particles with 

SEM image of toner B showing rounded 

submicrometer-sized magnetite particles 

on carbon-bearing toner particle

typical diameters of 2 to 12 μm (Figure). 

The particle surface is somewhat rough 

and is covered by rounded submicrometersized 

particles (0.03-0.2 μm), which are 

Fe- and O-rich, as shown by EDX-spectra. 

The toner powders are rich in Si (60000- 

75000 mg/kg) and Fe (30000-280000 mg/ 

kg) and contain considerable amounts of 

Ni (5-23 mg/kg), Zn (31-72 mg/kg), As 

(22-31 mg/kg) and Pb (0.8-1.1 mg/kg). 

In contrast, the DMSO extracts contain 

hardly any metals and metalloids. The 

content of most PAHs varies significantly 

between the three toner powders. While 

all toner powders showed strong (dosedependent) 

effects in cytotoxicity, the 

genotoxic effects varied between the 

three toner powders. We conclude that 

the cytotoxic effects in A549 cells of the 

toners are probably linked to the presence 

36 

of the magnetite-covered, C-bearing 

particles. Moreover, we assume that the 

genotoxic effects may be associated with 

the PAHs. Which specific compounds are 

responsible for the toxic effects observed 

will be the focus of further studies. 

References: Gminski et al. (in prep.): Cytotoxic 

and genotoxic effects of three selected black toner 

powders and their dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) 

extracts in cultured human epithelial A549 lung 

cells in vitro. 

Gminski R, Decker K, Heinz Ch, Mersch- 

Sundermann V (2008): Cytotoxic and genotoxic 

effects of three representative reprographic toner 

dusts and their dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) 

extracts on cultured human epithelial A 549 lung 

cells in vitro. N-s Arch Pharmacol, 377 (1): 82- 

82 (Deutsche Gesellschaft für experimentelle und 

klinische Pharmakologie und Toxikologie. Annual 

Meeting 11-13 March 2008). 

Risk analysis of unknown transformation products of various pharmaceuticals in 

the aquatic environment 

Marlies Bergheim, Reto Gieré, Klaus Kümmerer (Institut für Umweltmedizin und Krankenhaushygiene, 

Uniklinik Freiburg) 

Objective: The research project has 

started in March 2009 and its goal is to 

investigate and characterise the relevance, 

ecotoxicity and the environmental risk 

potential of unknown transformation 

products of different pharmaceuticals 

in the aquatic environment. The project 

focuses on transformation products formed 

by photolytic processes. 

Motivation: Pharmaceuticals are 

well-known as micropollutants in the 

aquatic environment. There, they are 

exposed to different biotic and abiotic 

transformation processes without being 

totally mineralized. In surface water, the 

two transformation processes hydrolysis 

and photodegradation play the most 

import role for elimination. The hereby 

formed transformation products and their 

environmental risk potential are still 

unknown. 

Methods: First, a literature research 

is carried out to select substances 

that are likely to possess an inherent 

environmental risk potential. High 

environmental input rates, biostability, 

solubility and photoreactivity are some 

of the criteria that are taken into account. 

To prove the stability of the substances 

against biotic degradation processes, the 

OECD standardised closed bottle test is 

conducted. Afterwards, the stability against 

photodegradation processes is tested with 

Hg- and Xe- lamps and is analysed by 

DOC monitoring. The (eco)toxicity of the 

hereby formed photodegradation products 

are further investigated with different invitro 

test systems. Tests on cell activity 

and DNA damage are performed with the 

WST assay and the micronucleus assay. 

Furthermore, the toxicity for bacteria is 

tested with the illumination inhibition test.

The nanoparticulate nature of invisible gold in arsenopyrite from Pezinok (Slovakia) 

Juraj Majzlan, Martin Chovan1, Peter Andráš2, Matthew Newville3, Michael Wiedenbeck4 

This research will be published: Majzlan, J., Chovan, M., Andráš, P., Newville, M., 

Wiedenbeck, M., 2010: The nanoparticulate nature of invisible gold in arsenopyrite from 

Pezinok (Slovakia). Neues Jahrbuch für Mineralogie Abhandlungen, doi 10.1127/0077- 

7757/2010/0156 

Arsenopyrite (FeAsS) is the most 

common sulfide host of invisible gold. 

Yet, despite many studies, the position of 

such gold in the structure of arsenopyrite 

has not been resolved conclusively. We 

have carried out a multitechnique study 

of arsenopyrite samples from the Pezinok 

deposits (Slovakia) with moderate gold 

concentrations of 7-10 μg/g. Secondary 

ion mass spectrometry showed that gold 

occurs as either (1) almost uniform, lowconcentration 

of “dispersed” gold, or 

as (2) hot spots along fractures. X-ray 

absorption spectra at the Au L edge were 

collected from such hot spots (see Figure). 

The spectra document metallic character 

of gold although no discrete gold particles 

were seen even after careful re-examining 

in back-scattered electron images. We 

conclude that such occurrences are most 

readily explained by the presence of 

gold nanoparticles. We suggest that the 

dispersed gold is the chemically-bound 

gold previously detected in these deposits 

by 197Au Mössbauer spectroscopy. The 

concentration of this “background” gold is 

too low for X-ray absorption spectroscopy. 

normalized absorption coefficient 

Au(OH) 3 

AuCl 3 

AuCl 

AuCN 

Au2S Au 

RB243 

37 

11880 11920 11960 

energy (eV) 

X-ray absorption spectra of a number of 

reference compounds and the sample RB- 

243. The spectra of the sample show that 

the invisible gold in this sample is metallic 

gold. 

1 Department of Mineralogy and Petrology, 

Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia 

2 Department of Environmental Management, 

Matej Bel University, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia 

3 Consortium for Advanced Radiation Sources, 

University of Chicago, Chicago, IL USA 

4 Helmholtz Zentrum Potsdam, Deutsches 

GeoForschungsZentrum, Germany 

Matrix composition and community structure analysis of a novel bacterial pyrite 

leaching community 

Sibylle Ziegler1, Sonia Ackermann, Juraj Majzlan, and Johannes Gescher1 

These results were published as: Ziegler, S., Ackermann, S., Majzlan, J., Gescher, J., 

2009: Matrix composition and community structure analysis of a novel bacterial pyrite 

leaching community. Environmental Microbiology 11, 2329-2338.

In collaboration with the microbiologists 

in Freiburg, we have studied peculiar 

stalactite-like objects called snottites from 

an underground mine in Elbingerode, 

Harz Mountains. Our collaborators, 

Sibylle Ziegler and Johannes Gescher, 

found these snottites and determined that 

these are bacterial colonies fueled by the 

decomposition of pyrite in this mine. The 

oxidation of pyrite leads to the release 

of ferric iron and via several steps - of 

sulfuric acid. This causes a dramatic 

decrease of the pH values which in turn 

leads to serious environmental problems. 

The novel bacterial community, described 

by the microbiologists, is embedded in 

a matrix of organic substances and bio/ 

geochemical products of pyrite oxidation. 

This community grows in the snottites on 

the ceiling of an abandoned pyrite mine 

at pH values of 2.2-2.6. We measured 

sulfate concentrations of 200 mM and 

total iron concentrations of 60 mM in 

the soluble fraction of the matrix. Our 

contribution was the study of the minerals 

found in the snottite matrix. Micro-X-ray 

diffraction analysis showed that jarosite 

is the major mineral embedded in the 

biofilm matrix. X-ray absorption nearedge 

structure experiments at the ANKA 

(Karlsruhe) SUL-X beamline revealed 

three different sulfur species, whereby 

the major signal was caused by sulfate. 

The other two peaks might correspond to 

Mineralogy and Geochemistry 

38 

organic sulfur compounds. Via restriction 

fragment length polymorphism analysis, 

we elucidated the community structure. 

It consists mainly of iron and probably 

sulfur oxidizing microorganisms but also 

of bacteria that could be involved in the 

reverse reactions (dissimilatory sulfate 

and dissimilatory iron reducers). 

1 Department of Biology, Univ. Freiburg 

A snottite hanging from the ceiling of the 

old pyrite mine in Elbingerode. Photo by 

Sibylle Ziegler, hand of Johannes Gescher. 

Coal dust and the environmental impact of coal mining activities in Quang Ninh 

province 

Hoa T.B. Hoang, Reto Gieré 

This work is a part of the PhD project of Hoa T.B. Hoang started in October 2009. 

Quang Ninh province, in North- 

Eastern Vietnam, is one of two main coalproducing 

areas of Vietnam, with a total 

reserve of 10 billion tons. 95% of the coal 

used domestically and 100% of the coal 

exported is produced here. Vietnam Coal-

Mineral Industry Group (VINACOMIN) 

is the largest employer in the province 

and provides jobs to over 90000 workers. 

The coal industry is old and so are the 

equipment and the techniques used, which 

leads to considerable emissions of coal 

dust and wastewater, and to overburden 

storage. 

The pollution resulting from coal 

mining activities is a serious issue. 

Following the environmental 2008 report 

of VINACOMIN, the content of airborne 

dust in Quang Ninh province exceeded the 

Vietnamese air standards (in the period 

of 24 hours) by 1.2 to 5.2 times (for coal 

mining field) and 3.3 times (for residential 

areas). The water quality decreases and 

the marine environment is affected. The 

wastewater is acid, enriched in heavy 

metals, and its transparency is reduced due 

to coal dust. The health of coal mining and 

processing workers as well as of native 

people is also affected. According to the 

Vietnam health-disease statistics, half of 

the dust-induced lung diseases recorded 

in the country is recorded in Quang Ninh 

province. Typically, the lung of patients 

contained 2-5 mg of coal dust. 

39 

This study focuses on the mineralogical 

and chemical characterization of 

Quang Ninh coal dust and assesses the 

environmental impact of coal mining 

activities. 

For this study, water samples (including 

wastewater and seawater), coal samples, 

and air samples were taken in the Cam Pha 

area (nearly 20km 2 ), which includes the 

three largest open-pit coal mines of Quang 

Ninh and more than 10 underground coal 

mines. The coal and gangue samples (from 

both open-pit and underground mines) 

are being characterized mineralogically 

during the next year, whereas most water 

samples (wastewater, sea water) have 

already been analyzed. Particles in the air 

were collected with a Sigma-2 sampler in 

four different localities, the highest being 

48m above seawater level. 

We will also analyze the mineral 

content of lung lavages, i.e. of liquids 

obtained from rinsing the lungs of coal 

miners. These investigations are aimed at 

identifying the most important particles 

trapped by the lung of miners, in an effort 

to assess the environmental health situation 

in the Quang Ninh coal-mining area. 

Research of technology of Mn ore processing to produce high quality EMD from Toc 

Tat Mn ore of Vietnam 

Duy Anh Dao and Reto Gieré 

Vietnam has a great potential for 

mining of extensive Mn ore deposits and 

currently is operating 34 mines. More than 

10 Mt of raw Mn ore have been estimated 

Sigma-2 sampler on the roof of 

an official building at 30m above 

sea level near the open-pit mining 

area 

to occur in the country. Although some 

modern processing plants have been 

installed in recent years, the material 

produced by these plants contains only

30-35 wt% Mn, which is satisfactory 

for metallurgical applications only 

(ferromanganese materials). The material 

required for the production of batteries 

and chemicals, however, is high-purity 

MnO 2 (EMD, or electrolytic manganese 

dioxide), which thus has to be imported. 

The project “Research of technology of 

Mn ore processing to produce high quality 

EMD from Toc Tat Mn ore of Vietnam” 

was carried out in order to find a method 

to produce high-purity MnO 2 from 

Vietnamese Mn ore, so that this important 

material can be produced within Vietnam. 

The Mn ore of the Toc Tat mine as well as 

of the Halang Mn ore basin in northeastern 

Vietnam originated as neritic chemical 

sediment. As other rocks in the area, the 

ore was affected by magmatic processes 

and weathering after its formation. For 

this reason, the mineralogical composition 

of the studied Mn ore is very complex. The 

mineralogical and chemical investigation 

presented here reveals that the Toc Tat 

Mn ore contains mainly the Mn minerals 

pyrolusite (MnO 2 ), manganite (MnOOH), 

and hollandite [(K, Na, Ba) Mn 8 O 16 ]; the 

Fe minerals magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ), hematite 

(Fe 2 O 3 ), and goethite (FeOOH); and the 

gangue minerals quartz (SiO 2 ) and calcite 

(CaCO 3 ). Additionally, small amounts of 

apatite (Ca 5 (PO 4 ) 3 (OH,F)) and potassium 

feldspar (KAlSi 3 O 8 ) may be present in 

some specimens. These minerals are 

associated with each other and commonly 

intergrown at a very small scale, typically 

on the order of several μm. These data 

help in determining the best strategy for 

the technological experiments designed to 

extract Mn and to transform it into highpurity 

MnO 2 . For example, to achieve high 

efficiency during the refining process, the 

raw ore must be ground to the size in which 

the Mn phases can be separated from the 

gangue minerals. Moreover, the best way 

to process the Mn ore of northeastern 

Vietnam is the chemical route, because the 

ore minerals exhibit very similar physical 

properties. 

40 

Leaching with SO 2 gas as a reducing 

agent in an H 2 SO 4 -rich solution is the 

suitable method for these Mn ores because 

the Mn minerals are present predominantly 

as Mn oxides. At the end of the leaching 

process, only 5 wt% of the Mn originally 

present in the raw ore remain in the residue, 

i.e. 95 wt% of Mn can be recovered. 

Moreover, less than 10 wt% of the Fe 

present in the raw ore was dissolved. The 

obtained leachate contains 71.35 g.L-1 Mn 

as well as several impurities, including: 

1870 mg.L-1 Fe; 730 mg.L-1 Al; 730 

mg.L-1 Ca; 810 mg.L-1 K; and small 

amounts of heavy metals (e.g., Cu, Cr, Co, 

Pb). 

Almost all impurities can be removed 

from the leachate at specific conditions. 

Removal of K is best achieved at the 

following conditions: 75-85°C, pH ~2, 

and addition of 40 g.L-1 jarosite seeds. 

Removal of Fe is best achieved at the 

following conditions: 20-22°C and pH 

~7. Conditions similar to those best suited 

for Fe removal were also effective in 

precipitating almost all the heavy metals 

as sulfides (by adding (NH 4 ) 2 S to the 

solution). The final solution, which was 

used for the electrolytic deposition of 

EMD, contains

is

Münsterbauhütte Freiburg 

Hiltrud Müller-Sigmund 

Collaboration with the Freiburg Association for Cathedral Construction continued in 

2009. Replacement stones for the Freiburg Münster spire were evaluated, freeze-thaw 

cycle tests performed and clay mineral compositions analyzed. Investigations on historical 

cement types were started. 

Thin section images of cement mortar used during restauration activities in the early 20th 

century (left) as opposed to historic lime mortar (right), long edges 6 mm. 

42

Laboratories of the MGI 

Public outreach activities 

Student field trips 

43

Laboratories of the MGI 

Gerät Analysenmöglichkeit Kontakt 

Tel: + 49 (0) 761 203 + .... 

Elektronenstrahl-Mikroanalytik Dr. H. Müller-Sigmund, Tel: 6388, 6392 

Elektronenstrahlmikrosonde hochgenaue automatisierte 

Cameca sx100, 5 Spektrometer, 14 Elementanalyse im Mikrobereich 

Kristalle, Elementanalyse im Mikrobereich 

(Elemente Be bis U), Anticon, 

Cl-Detektor, EDS Oxford Link ISIS 

• KohlenstoffbedampfungsgeräNt 

Edwards Auto 306, 

FTM7 Schichtdickenbestimmung 

• Au-Sputtergerät: Commonwealth 

Scientific Mini-Coater 

Röntgenanalytik I. Schmidt, Tel: 6401 

Röntgenfluoreszenzspektrometer qualitative und quantitative 

Philips 2404 mit 108-Probenwechsler chemische Materialanalyse (ab F) 

• Geräte zur Probenpräparation im speziellen Vollanalyse von Gesteinen 

(Presslinge, Schmelzlinge) 

Röntgenphasenanalytik I. Schmidt, Tel: 6401 

Röntgenpulverdiffraktometer mit Strukturanalyse von kristallinen 

9-fach Probenwechsler Bruker AXS D8 Festkörpern, im speziellen zur 

Mineralidentifikation 

Atomabsorptionsanalytik S. Hirth-Walther, A. Thiemann, Tel: 6397 

Atomabsorptionsspektrometer quantitative Elementanalyse von 

(AAS) Analytik Jena - Vario 6 Lösungen und Fest-stoffen 

Analysen im ppm-Bereich 

Atomabsorptionsspektrometer quantitative Elementanalyse von 

Perkin-Elmer 4110 ZL Zeeman Lösungen und Fest-stoffen, 

Analyse im ppb-Bereich 

Wasseranalytik S. Hirth-Walther, A. Thiemann, Tel: 6397 

Ionenchromatograph Dionex Anionen- und Kationen-Konzen- 

DX-120 mit Probensampler trationsbestimmungen (im ppm-Bereich), 

Photometer Perkin Elmer photometrische Konzentrations- 

Lambda 40 UV/VIS Bestimmung in wässrigen Lösungen 

Titrationsanlage Metrohm Säure/Basen, Redox- und 

Leitfähigkeitstitrationen 

Geländegeräte zur Wasseranalytik Messung von Wasserparametern 

(pH, Eh, Leitfähigkeit etc.) im Gelände 

44

Kalorimetrie Dr. Majzlan 

Kalorimeter CSC Isothermal Messung der Reaktionsenthalpien 

Microcalorimeter IMC-4400 (vorwiegend der Lösungswärme in 

geeigneten Lösungsmitteln) zur 

Bestimmung thermodynamischer 

Eigenschaften anorganischer Festkörper 

Sonstige Analytik S. Hirth-Walther, A. Thiemann, Tel: 6397 

Multiphasen C/H/H2O-Analysator fraktionierte Analyse von 

Leco RC-412 Kohlenstoff und Wasser in organischen 

und anorganischen 

Substanzen sowie auf Oberflächen 

C- und S-Analysator fraktionierte Analyse von 

Leco SC-144DR Kohlenstoff und Schwefel in organischen 

und anorganischen 

Substanzen 

Kammerofen Heraeus KR 170 E Erhitzen, Ausglühen von Proben 

bei T = 100-1150°C 

Aufschluss-Mikrowelle schnelle Aufschlüsse von festen 

MLS mPREP-A Stoffen 

Pyknometer Bestimmung von Dichte, Porosität und 

Wasseraufnahme von Mineralen und 

Gesteinen 

Mikroskopische Untersuchungen Dr. H. Müller-Sigmund, Tel: 6388, 6392 

Fluideinschlussmikroskop mit heiz- Bestimmung von Phasenüber 

und kühlbarem Probentisch Fluid Inc. gängen in Flüssigkeits- und 

Gaseinschlüssen in Festkörpern 

Kathodolumineszenzmikroskop Beobachtung des Lumineszenz- 

Luminoscope ELM-3 mit Photometer verhaltens von Mineralen 

Verschiedene Polarisationsmikroskope Identifikation und Charakterisierung von 

Durchlicht- und Auflicht- Mineralen im durchgehenden und 

untersuchungen im reflektierten Licht 

• Digitalkamera 

• Vickers-Mikrohärte 

• Lichtbrechungsbestimmung 

• Medenbach Kristallbohrgerät 

Gesteins- und Mineralpräparation 

Geräte zur Aufbereitung und D. Flemming, Tel: 6400, 8689 

Mineraltrennung Mineralseparation und Aufbereitung von 

• Frantz Magnetscheider Gesteinsproben für die Analytik 

• Nassschüttelherd KHD 

• Kugelmühle KHD 

• Scheibenschwingmühlen Retsch 

und Siebtechnik 

• Diverse Backenbrecher, Schüttelsiebe usw. 

45

• Minikern-Bohrmaschine 

• Sandstrahlgeräte Sandmaster FG 3-92 

und FG 2-94 

Geräte zur Präparation von Gesteinen M. Schrage, Tel: 6410 

Erzen und Mineralen Herstellung von Dünnschliffen 

• Logitech GTS1 Anschliffen und Spezialpräparaten 

• Logitech LP 30 

• Logitech LP 50 

• Logitech PM5 

• Leica DMLM mit BF, DF, IC 

• Div. Schleif-, Läpp- und Poliermaschinen 

• Eingießapparaturen 

Elektronenstrahlmikrosonde 

Dr. Hiltrud Müller-Sigmund 

Das wichtigste Ereignis für die Elektronenstrahlmikrosonde Cameca SX100 war in 

diesem Jahr die Umstellung von der 14 Jahre alten, Unix-basierten Software auf die 

aktuelle Software „Peak View“ unter Windows®, die im August völlig reibungslos 

über die Bühne ging. 2009 wurde die Mikrosonde an ca. 1100 Stunden genutzt. Davon 

entfielen 93 % auf institutsinterne Nutzung, 5 % auf die Studierendenausbildung und 1 % 

auf Fremdaufträge. Wegen Vakuum-Problemen gab es 1 Woche Ausfall. 

Dünnschliff Präparation 

Melanie Schrage 

Im Jahr 2009 wurden in unserem Dünnschlifflabor insgesamt 540 Proben bearbeitet. 

Der größte Anteil (mit ca. 79.6 %) entfällt dabei auf die Herstellung polierter und 

abgedeckter Dünnschliffpräparate. 

Ca. 11.2 % der Proben in diesem Jahr wurden von externen Institutionen oder 

Privatpersonen in Auftrag gegeben. 

Insgesamt wurden folgende Präparate erstellt: 

- abgedeckte Dünnschliffe 145 

- polierte Dünnschliffe 285 

- polierte Anschliffe/Erzanschliffe 29 

- polierte Körnerpräparate 24 

- polierte Trockenschliffe 3 

- abgedeckte Körnerpräparate 8 

- polierte Dickschliffe 7 

- sonstige Präparationsarbeiten 39 

Um noch effektiver arbeiten zu können, haben wir uns dieses Jahr neben dem 

normalen Laborbetrieb noch intensiv mit der Verbesserung unserer Dünnschliffpolituren 

46

eschäftigt. 

Durch die Erarbeitung verschiedener neuer Methoden und durch das Ausprobieren 

neuer Poliermittel konnten hinsichtlich Schnelligkeit und verbesserter Gesamtpolitur 

gute Ergebnisse erzielt werden. 

Wasserlabor 

Sigrid Hirth-Walther/Angela Thiemann 

Im vergangenen Jahr wurde unser Wasserlabor von Diplomanden, Doktoranden und 

Bachelor während ihrer Forschungsarbeit genutzt. 

Einige Forschungsschwerpunkte 2009 waren : 

- Analytik von Oberflächenwässern aus dem Gebiet von Zermatt 

- Tiefenwässer aus der Alp-Transit Bohrung (NEAT) 

- Wässer aus der Grube Clara ( Oberwolfach ) 

- Tracerversuche im Versuchsfeld Merdingen 

- Wasserproben aus Norwegen 

- Aufschluss- und Meßverfahren für Kohle 

- Wasserproben aus Vietnam 

Neben der Betreuung dieser Projekte, ist die Durchführung von verschiedenen 

Praktika, in denen den Studenten das analytische Arbeiten nahegebracht werden soll, ein 

großer Teil der Laborarbeit. Auch hatten wir im letzten Jahr wieder viele Aufträge aus 

anderen Instituten. 

Röntgenlabor 

Isolde Schmidt 

Im Jahr 2009 wurden im Röntgenlabor insgesamt 717 Proben präpariert und mit 

dem Röntgenfluoreszenspektrometer (RFA) gemessen. Im Juli diesen Jahres wurde die 

Software der RFA aktualisiert. Dazu wurde ein SuperQ Total Upgrade von Version 2.1 auf 

die neueste Version 5.0A durchgeführt. 

Dank unermüdlichem Einsatz unserer Frau Dr. Hiltrud Müller-Sigmund und unerwartet 

zur Verfügung gestellter Investitionsmittel konnte im Dezember das „Vulcan Schmelz 

aufschlussgerät“ in Betrieb genommen werden (siehe Fotos). 

47

Am Röntgendiffraktometer wurden in diesem Jahr 191 Proben untersucht. 

Um die Qualität unserer Analysen zu überprüfen, hat unser Institut auch in diesem Jahr 

an den externen Ringversuchen teilgenommen, welche von der International Association 

of Geoanalyst (IAG) organisiert werden. Im Rahmen dieser Ringversuche wurden die 

Proben Basalt HTB-1 (Basalt von Paraná Bassin) im Juni 2009 sowie die Probe OPC- 

1 (Ordinary Portland Cement) im Dezember 2009 analysiert. Zusätzlich beteiligten wir 

uns im Oktober 2009 mit umfangreichen Analysen an dem Zertifizierungsverfahren der 

beiden Standards OKUM (Komatiitic Basalt, Ontario) und MU-H (Harzburgite, Austria). 

Auch in diesem Jahr haben wir wieder zahlreichen interessierten Schülerinnen und 

Schülern Gelegenheit gegeben, unser Röntgenlabor zu besichtigen, z.B. im Rahmen des 

„Schnupperstudiums“ oder durch Einzelpraktika. 

Public Outreach Activites 

Schnupperstudium - an invitation for schoolgirls to sneak into natural sciences 


As every year twenty schoolgirls had the opportunity to look into several aspects 

of studying Geosciences at the Freiburg University during 2 days in August. They got 

an introduction into the broad field of geosciences and witnessed a lecture on “Our 

Earth”. We discussed aspects of the new Bachelor of Science program, topics of study 

and employment prospects. Much time and personal engagement was dedicated 

to four workshops for hands-on experience in thin-sectioning, analyzing mineral waters, 

studying the application of SEM and processing of semiconductors. Lecturers, laboratory 

staff, and several students were involved in this well prepared and successful part of the 

university’s initiative to encourage girls to go for a career in geosciences. 

Pupils for Geosciences 


Again, in March, we hosted a complete school class for one day to give them a deeper 

insight into the analysis of rocks and minerals. Pupils of the class 9 from the Hochrhein- 

Gymnasium Waldhut had the possibility to explore mineral formulae, different minerals, 

rocks and thin section microscopy. This activity forms part of the newly installed school 

subject “Natural Sciences and Technics”. 

48

Field Trips Organized by the Staff of MGI in 2009 

Destination Time _______ Leader 

Lukmanier Pass area, Switzerland 4.-5.7.2009 Bucher 

Finero-Baveno-Alpe Arami, Switzerland 4.-7.6.2009 Gieré 

Campolungo, Switzerland 11.-12.7.2009 Gieré 

Malenco-Bergell-Engadin, Switzerland 1.-6.9.2009 Gieré 

Vosges, France 20.-21.6.2009 Müller-Sigmund 

TREA Breisgau and MBA Kahlenberg 10.-11.7.2009 Müller-Sigmund 

Massif Central, France 1.-6.8.2009 Parat 

Aeolian Islands, Italy 31.5.-7.6.2009 Parat 

Finero Field Trip 

June 4-7, 2009 

Report by Philipp Sedlazeck 

The four Day-Field Trip was conducted by Prof. Dr. Reto Gieré and started June 14th, 

2009 and ended June 17th, 2009. The Field Trip’s destination was the small village Finero 

which is located in the North of Italy, north of the Lago Maggiore. The Field Trip’s goal 

was to study various magmatic and metamorphic rocks of the Alps. 

The first outcrop was on the top of the Gotthard Pass which was still covered in snow. 

The outcrop shows the Fibbia Granit. Further we went to a really beautiful place that is 

the destination for a lot of tourists. This place is close to the village Lavertezzo, at a river 

that runs down the Verzasca Valley into the Lago Maggiore. This visitor attraction is 

underneath a bridge which spans the river. 

left: Prof. Dr. Reto Gieré and students studying the outcrop; right: view from the 

bridge (pictures taken by Martin Voigt) 

49

The last outcrop for the day was in a migmatite zone and shows very well formed 

boudinage and several foldings. We ended the evening by having the one or other glass 

of wine. 

The second day started with an outcrop close to Finero, where we studied a beautiful 

Harzburgite. 

After a race of a few guys on the top of Mountain to the Alpe Polunia, where we 

made acquaintance with some goats, we looked at the next outcorp. Here harzburgite, 

accumulated with Chromite occurs. The next outcrops showed a garnet-rich gabbro of the 

lower crust, a peridotite and a mantle rock with exceptionally big amphiboles. 

The next day’s first stop was the quarry of the Mont’Orfano Mountain. This quarry 

shows a really pretty granite with a white coloured orthoclase. This quarry is the biggest 

and most important quarry in this region that is still beeing operated. 

Later, we rode to Mottarones peak, above Omegna to look at the granite that is located 

here. After that, we had some free time and spent it in Stresa, a little city at the Lago 

Maggiore and played soccer at the promenade. 

The last day started with an outcrop on the Passo Marco Pantani. Here is an extremly 

deformed, flasery gneiss to be found. 

Before heading back to Freiburg there was a last stop on the top of the Alpe Arami 

where the guys started the final race, crowned the winner and ended the field trip with the 

visit of the world famous garnet peridotite. 

This wonderful field trip to North Italy’s beautiful landscape helped to understand the 

observations better and made us gain a geological insight in the region around the Lago 

Maggiore. 

Field Trip Aeolian Islands 

May 31 – June 7, 2009 

Report by Dustin Marquardt 

A group of 17 students led by Dr. Fleurice Parat and accompanied by Ella Goldenberg 

went on an excursion to southern Italy. On the Aeolian Island Archipelago a series of 

volcanic rocks and events were looked at. Each day was reserved for one of the different 

islands to get an impression of island arc volcanism. On Lipari, the local expert Paola 

Donato joined the group and helped organize the rest of the excursion. 

50 

Group Photo on Lipari Island. In background: Vulcano Island.

The first two days were about Lipari itself. Lipari is the largest of the Aeolian Islands. 

The volcanic activity ranges back from at least 223 ka to recent time. The last eruption 

on Lipari took place in the fifth century AD when the Rocche Rosse obsidian lava flow 

was generated. Lipari´s volcanic history can be divided into three periods, the Pre- 

Tyrrhenian (223-124 ka), the Tyrrhenian (124-81 ka) and the Post-Tyrrhenian (starting 

81 ka) stages. Each stage has a different signature in terms of magma geochemistry and 

eruption style. Furthermore, each stage built up a different part of the island. Terraces of 

marine conglomerates on Lipari show evidence of paleo sea levels, an excellent hint on 

the climate of former millennia. 

The third day we went onto Vulcano, the southernmost volcanic island of the Aeolian 

Archipelago. The day started with an exhausting hike up to the crater rim. On the way 

up we could see active volcanic activity in form of fumaroles. Additionally, a wide view 

from a plateau half way up allowed us to have a look at every one of the sub aerial 

volcanic islands. In 183 BC, a smaller volcanic edifice, called Vulcanello, was formed 

north of Vulcano. Due to sedimentation the two parts were joined eventually. The last 

volcanic activity on Vulcano happened between 1888 and 1890. 

The third volcanic island to look at was Salina. A motor boat transferred us from Lipari 

to Salina on the fourth day, were we had a look at the oldest sub aerial volcanism of the 

archipelago. Amongst other things we could have a look at a dune like structure formed 

by pyroclastic flows. A violent plinian eruption ended volcanic activity on Salina in 13 

ka BC. 

51 

On the fifth day, which was probably 

the most exciting one, we went to 

Stromboli, a constantly active volcano, 

in fact one of the most active ones in 

the world. At night we had a look at the 

gorgeous strombolian eruptions. Every 

10 to 20 minutes a fountain of glowing, 

red lava was shot into the black sky just 

to land on the Sciara Del Fuoco, a large 

scale slide on which tons of rocks roll 

into the sea every hour. 

We used the last day to take a 

touristic tour through the ancient 

town of Pompeii. After a week of fun, 

good weather and with a lot of new 

experiences and knowledge we flew 

back to Germany the next morning.

Massif Central Excursion 

August 1–6, 2009 

Report by Latina Nedyalkova 

The focus of the excursion was the Massif Central, a volcanic region in Central France, 

situated between Clermont-Ferrand to the north and Montpelier to the south. Composed 

of several magmatic provinces, the Massif Central represents a typical example of 

continental intraplate alkaline volcanism. The magmatic activity in this region, which 

lasted from 65 Ma to 7 ka, formed variable volcanic products and landforms. During 

the first two days, visits of some of the Chaîne des Puys’ cinder cones and lava domes 

(noteworthy here are Lemptégy and Puy de Dôme) gave an insight into the formation of 

the chain and the structure of the volcanic edifice. The next two days put an emphasis on 

the strato-volcano Mont Dore, whose volcanic activity, unlike the one of Chaîne des Puys, 

had the characteristics of the Peléan and the Strombolian type of magmatism with higher 

energetic and mainly explosive eruptions. The last day of the excursion concentrated on 

the most eastern parts of Massif Central - the provinces Velay and Devès where the most 

common rock type is the basalt. 

The exceptional volcanism of Massif Central, formed by the interplay between 

lithosphere thinning and mantle upwelling due to rift-type extensional forces, provided 

us with an illustrative example of the diversity of magmatism and offered the rare view of 

perfectly formed basalt columnar joints. 

Group Photo on the “Puy 

de la Vache” 

52 

Columnar basalt at the 

Cheix quarry

Mineralogie-Geochemie Institut für Geowissenschaften - Albert

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