Coexistence of Algoma- and Superior-type BIFs in back-arc systems: Evidence from Xincai, North China Craton
Bibliographic record
Abstract
Superior-type and Algoma-type banded iron formations (BIFs) generally developed in distinct tectonic environments and have unique geological characteristics. Superior-type BIFs were deposited on passive continental shelves or intracratonic basins and are laterally extensive, whereas Algoma-type BIFs were formed near volcanic arcs and spreading centers. Here, we present a case where late Archean (∼2.5 Ga) Superior- and Algoma-type BIFs co-developed in a back-arc setting at Xincai, along the southern margin of the North China Craton. The Algoma-type BIFs at Xincai exhibit high Ge/Si ratios (4.84 to 8.84) and a broad range of εNd(t) values (−7.2 to +1.2). These geochemical signatures, along with similar εNd(t) values (+1.2) in contemporaneous amphibolites, indicate a significant influence of hydrothermal fluids associated with submarine volcanism. In contrast, the Superior-type BIFs at Xincai are characterized by positive La anomalies, low Ge/Si ratios (0.21 to 4.60) and narrow range of εNd(t) values (−6.1 to −1.0) suggesting a major contribution from terrigenous sources. The coexistence of Algoma- and Superior-type BIF types at Xincai is related to the interplay of multiple fluid systems in a back-arc environment. The Algoma-type BIFs formed from the confluence of hydrothermal fluids originating from enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle (high Ge/Si and low εNd(t)) with those emanating from the adjacent back-arc spreading centers (depleted mantle like—high Ge/Si and εNd(t)). On the other hand, the Superior-type BIFs formed near the continental margins of the back-arc basins, where surface seawater carrying terrigenous substances (low Ge/Si and εNd(t)) mixed with hydrothermal fluids from the back-arc spreading centers. The distinct co-existence of Algoma- and Superior-type BIFs at Xincai underscores the dynamic nature of back-arc environments as crucibles for diverse BIF mineralization processes, offering new perspectives on the contributions of submarine volcanic activity and terrigenous inputs to the BIFs.
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How this classification was reachedexpand
Full frame distilled prediction
Teacher imitationNot calibrated prevalence, not ground truth. Human validation pending. Learned from the 10,348 direct Codex labels and 10,348 direct Gemma labels. Candidate is the union of thresholded teacher heads; consensus is their intersection. These outputs are machine_predicted_unvalidated and are not human labels or direct frontier model labels.
Codex and Gemma teacher scores by category
| Category | Codex | Gemma |
|---|---|---|
| Metaresearch | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (narrow) | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Meta-epidemiology (broad) | 0.001 | 0.000 |
| Bibliometrics | 0.000 | 0.001 |
| Science and technology studies | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Scholarly communication | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Open science | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Research integrity | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Insufficient payload (model declined to judge) | 0.006 | 0.001 |
Machine scores (provisional)
The two teacher heads of the student model, read on this work. A score orders the frame for review; it never asserts a category, and the validation status ships verbatim with every row.
Baseline scores from an immature model (maturity gate not passed, 7 training rounds). Scores rank; they never assert a category.
score_only:v0-immature-baseline · verbatim from the scoring run: score_only means the number may rank works, and no category label ships from itClassification
machine, unvalidatedMachine predicted; both teacher heads agree on what is shown here.
How this classification was reached, model by model and score by score, is at the end of the page under "How this classification was reached".