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Carbonatites
Oeochimicaet CosmochimicaActa, 1967,Vol. 31, pp. 2449 to 2450. Pergamon Press Ltd. Printed in Northern Ireland
BOOK REVIEWS
Carbon&es.
New York,
edited by 0. F. TUTTLE 1966. 592 pp. $22.50.
and J. GITTINS.
THE PURPOSE of this book “is to bring together
Interscience
Publishers,
John Wiley
into one volume some of the scores of papers and articles which have been written dealing with field and laboratory studies of carbonatites and their associated rocks”. This has been achieved in a very commendable way. A few selected carbonatite complexes are There are 22 contributors to 17 major chapters. described in 9 chapters in Part I. They are dominated by African occurrences which are covered in 5 of the chapters (by Garson, King and Sutherland, Bailey, Dawson and Johnson respectively). In addition the two chapters in Part III on fenitization (by McKie and Verwoerd respectively) are largely concerned with African examples, and Part IV “Economic aspects” (by Deans) is entirely devoted to the economic mineralogy of African oarbonatites. This makes the book somewhat unbalanced but not unwelcome in view of the fact that considerable active research and recent contributions to the carbonatite problem are related to the African occurrences. Russia, the other area of considerable recent research, has no special mention in Part I and there are no Russian contributors. This is regrettable but presumably no fault of the editors. A short chapter (4 pages) by Gittins attempts to summarize the Russian views which favour extreme metasomatic origin which contrast sharply with the magmatic views dominating current Western thinking. The remaining 4 chapters of Part I are devoted to the classical carbonatite areas of Alno (von Eckermam); Jacupiranga (Melcher), Kaiserstuhl (Wimmenauer), and Fen (Barth and Ramberg). This reviewer found the two chapters of Part II on fenitization (McKie) and fenitization of basic igneous rocks (Verwoerd) particularly interesting. It is an editorial mistake not to have insisted on identical calculation of standard cells in the two chapters (they are based on 100 and 160 anions respectively). Though the practical difference is probably slight this is one of the reasons why books of this type take on the appearance of a collection of individual papers and are less coherent than monographs. Part III “Experimental studies” is rightly dominated by a paper of Wyllie where he presents his own and co-workers experimental data completed by September 1963. The other chapters are : “Preliminary survey of the system baritecalcite-fluorite at 500 bars”, by Kuellmer, Visocky and Tuttle; “The strontium isotopic composition and origin of carbonatites”, by Powell, Hurley and Fairbairn; and, “Russian views on the origin of carbonatite complexes” by Gittins. The latter chapter contains a comprehensive list of references to the Russian work. Part IV “Economic aspects” is entirely devoted to a comprehensive treatment of the economic mineralogy of African carbonatites by Deans. The editors would have been well advised to have included a general chapter on economic aspects. Part V “Summaries and bibliography”. One of the most valuable contributions in this book is a chapter by Gittins “S ummaries and bibliographies of carbonatite complexes”. The chapter is 125 pages in length and contains short descriptions, often with maps, and bibliographies of all known carbonatite complexes. It would have been an advantage to have all the references together in one list of references rather than following each chapter. Admittedly this is a minor point which would only lead to a saving of about 15 pages but it would have contributed towards the integration of the different contributions. 2449
Book
2450
reviews
In summary, this is a very valuable book which should belong to all petrologists. regrettable that it is not only valuable but expensive as well and the publishers may priced it out of reach of many private libraries. Department of Geophysics and Geochemistry Australian National University Canbema, A.C.T. 2600 Australia
KARL
HANS
WEDEPOHL:
Geochemie.
It is have
Ii. S. HEIER
W.
de Gruyter,
Berlin,
1967.
221 pp.
DM 7.80
(in
German).
THIS extremely useful and interesting pocket-size paperback offers a sophisticated, concentrated summary of the aims and findings of modern geochemistry, together with much data in the form of tables and diagrams. There are chapters on cosmic abundance of the elements and stability of nuclear species; structure and history of the solar system; meteorites; structure of the earth; origin and differentiation of basic magma; composition of the earth’s crust; origin and composition of granites and pegmatites; magmatio gases; mineralisation; chemical weathering and alteration; composition of natural waters; geochemistry of sediments; biogeochemistry; crystal chemistry; isotope geochemistry. Some of these chapters are very brief, yet never lack insight or ability to communicate. The book will be of use to those more advanced (German-speaking) undergraduates with a reasonable background in geology and/or chemistry, to earth scientists generally who require a rapid and reasonably comprehensive summary of one or more geochemicel topics, and not least to research-obsessed or administratively-overburdened university teachers who need to brush up some good lecture material at short notice in an authoritatively predigested form. There are numerous references throughout the text in the usual form of authors’ names and dates, but in most cases no clue is provided as to the source of these references. Only a few of the more important general books and memoirs are listed before the first chapter. The author index, at the end of the book, is similarly incomplete as far as the text is concerned and hence rather pointless. Despite normal handling, the binding of the reviewer’s copy has already disintegrated and the paper is turning yellow. The rapid mass-manufacture of scientific and technical books nowadays often seems to leave little scope for craftsmanship and good editing. (Symbolic in a general way, perhaps, of so much modern scientific effort?). Department of Geology and Mineralogy University of Oxford Parks Road, Oxford
STEPHEN MOORBATR
BOOK REVIEWS
Carbon&es.
New York,
edited by 0. F. TUTTLE 1966. 592 pp. $22.50.
and J. GITTINS.
THE PURPOSE of this book “is to bring together
Interscience
Publishers,
John Wiley
into one volume some of the scores of papers and articles which have been written dealing with field and laboratory studies of carbonatites and their associated rocks”. This has been achieved in a very commendable way. A few selected carbonatite complexes are There are 22 contributors to 17 major chapters. described in 9 chapters in Part I. They are dominated by African occurrences which are covered in 5 of the chapters (by Garson, King and Sutherland, Bailey, Dawson and Johnson respectively). In addition the two chapters in Part III on fenitization (by McKie and Verwoerd respectively) are largely concerned with African examples, and Part IV “Economic aspects” (by Deans) is entirely devoted to the economic mineralogy of African oarbonatites. This makes the book somewhat unbalanced but not unwelcome in view of the fact that considerable active research and recent contributions to the carbonatite problem are related to the African occurrences. Russia, the other area of considerable recent research, has no special mention in Part I and there are no Russian contributors. This is regrettable but presumably no fault of the editors. A short chapter (4 pages) by Gittins attempts to summarize the Russian views which favour extreme metasomatic origin which contrast sharply with the magmatic views dominating current Western thinking. The remaining 4 chapters of Part I are devoted to the classical carbonatite areas of Alno (von Eckermam); Jacupiranga (Melcher), Kaiserstuhl (Wimmenauer), and Fen (Barth and Ramberg). This reviewer found the two chapters of Part II on fenitization (McKie) and fenitization of basic igneous rocks (Verwoerd) particularly interesting. It is an editorial mistake not to have insisted on identical calculation of standard cells in the two chapters (they are based on 100 and 160 anions respectively). Though the practical difference is probably slight this is one of the reasons why books of this type take on the appearance of a collection of individual papers and are less coherent than monographs. Part III “Experimental studies” is rightly dominated by a paper of Wyllie where he presents his own and co-workers experimental data completed by September 1963. The other chapters are : “Preliminary survey of the system baritecalcite-fluorite at 500 bars”, by Kuellmer, Visocky and Tuttle; “The strontium isotopic composition and origin of carbonatites”, by Powell, Hurley and Fairbairn; and, “Russian views on the origin of carbonatite complexes” by Gittins. The latter chapter contains a comprehensive list of references to the Russian work. Part IV “Economic aspects” is entirely devoted to a comprehensive treatment of the economic mineralogy of African carbonatites by Deans. The editors would have been well advised to have included a general chapter on economic aspects. Part V “Summaries and bibliography”. One of the most valuable contributions in this book is a chapter by Gittins “S ummaries and bibliographies of carbonatite complexes”. The chapter is 125 pages in length and contains short descriptions, often with maps, and bibliographies of all known carbonatite complexes. It would have been an advantage to have all the references together in one list of references rather than following each chapter. Admittedly this is a minor point which would only lead to a saving of about 15 pages but it would have contributed towards the integration of the different contributions. 2449
Book
2450
reviews
In summary, this is a very valuable book which should belong to all petrologists. regrettable that it is not only valuable but expensive as well and the publishers may priced it out of reach of many private libraries. Department of Geophysics and Geochemistry Australian National University Canbema, A.C.T. 2600 Australia
KARL
HANS
WEDEPOHL:
Geochemie.
It is have
Ii. S. HEIER
W.
de Gruyter,
Berlin,
1967.
221 pp.
DM 7.80
(in
German).
THIS extremely useful and interesting pocket-size paperback offers a sophisticated, concentrated summary of the aims and findings of modern geochemistry, together with much data in the form of tables and diagrams. There are chapters on cosmic abundance of the elements and stability of nuclear species; structure and history of the solar system; meteorites; structure of the earth; origin and differentiation of basic magma; composition of the earth’s crust; origin and composition of granites and pegmatites; magmatio gases; mineralisation; chemical weathering and alteration; composition of natural waters; geochemistry of sediments; biogeochemistry; crystal chemistry; isotope geochemistry. Some of these chapters are very brief, yet never lack insight or ability to communicate. The book will be of use to those more advanced (German-speaking) undergraduates with a reasonable background in geology and/or chemistry, to earth scientists generally who require a rapid and reasonably comprehensive summary of one or more geochemicel topics, and not least to research-obsessed or administratively-overburdened university teachers who need to brush up some good lecture material at short notice in an authoritatively predigested form. There are numerous references throughout the text in the usual form of authors’ names and dates, but in most cases no clue is provided as to the source of these references. Only a few of the more important general books and memoirs are listed before the first chapter. The author index, at the end of the book, is similarly incomplete as far as the text is concerned and hence rather pointless. Despite normal handling, the binding of the reviewer’s copy has already disintegrated and the paper is turning yellow. The rapid mass-manufacture of scientific and technical books nowadays often seems to leave little scope for craftsmanship and good editing. (Symbolic in a general way, perhaps, of so much modern scientific effort?). Department of Geology and Mineralogy University of Oxford Parks Road, Oxford
STEPHEN MOORBATR