Magmatism and crustal evolution in Costa Rica (Central America)

New major element and trace element data of Lower Tertiary volcanics and of rocks of the Aguacate volcanic series permit a better understanding of the petrochemical evolution in the Costa Rica area. This evolution of the magmatic and tectonic processes shows clearly the transformation of oceanic crust with basic magmatism into a continental crust with intermediate to acidic magmatic activity. The main trend since the upper Cretaceous is characterized by a continual increase of the silica level of the magmatic products which build up the present tectonitic crust of Costa Rica.Only the Aguacate volcanic series is contrasting from all other magmatic series by predominance of alkaline rocks which are petrochemically quite similar to the volcanics of the East-Pacific Islands. It is considered, therefore, that the Aguacate volcanics represent remnants of Upper Tertiary island volcanoes.

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Zusammenfassung Neue chemische Gesteinsanalysen und Spurenelement-Daten von tertiären Vulkaniten Costa Ricas erlauben eine bessere Interpretation der petrochemischen Entwicklung im südlichen Mittelamerika. Sie ist gekennzeichnet durch einen kontinuierlichen Anstieg des SiO₂-Gehaltes der magmatischen Förderprodukte von der Oberkreide bis zur Gegenwart. Hierin kommt die Umwandlung ozeanischer in kontinentale (tectonitic) Kruste zum Ausdruck.Abweichend von allen anderen magmatischen Serien Costa Ricas weist die Aguacate-Serie eine Vorherrschaft von alkalinen Gesteinen auf, die petrochemisch denen der ost-pazifischen Inselvulkane ähnlich sind. Es wird daher die Möglichkeit erörtert, da\ die Aguacate-Serie stark abgetragene Reste tertiärer Inselvulkane darstellt.

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Resumen Nuevos análisis químicos y datos de elementos trazas en los volcanitos terciarios de Costa Rica permiten una mejor interpretación de la evolución quimica del magmatismo en la zona de América Central. Dicha evolución está caracterizada por un continuo aumento en el contenido de SiO₂ de las rocas volcánicas desde el Cretácico superior hasta el Reciente. El aumento de silice manifesta la transformación de la corteza oceánica en una corteza continental (tectonítica).La Serie Aguacate se diferencia de todas las otras series magmáticas de Costa Rica, mostrando una predominación de las rocas alcalinas, que químicamente se parecen a las de las islas volcánicas en el Pacífico oriental. Por esta razón se discute la posibilidad de que la Serie Aguacate representa los restos fuertemente erosionados de islas volcánicas terciarias.

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Vorläufige Mitteilungen über das Vorkommen des aus Purpurbakterien stammenden Pigmentes Okenon in Seesedimenten

The isolation of the carotenoid Okenone from the sediments of several shallow lakes gives evidence of anaerobic zones existing during the sedimentation 13 000 years before.     

Limnological investigation of biogenic silica sedimentation and silica biogeochemistry in Lake St. Moritz and Lake Zürich

Biogenic silica concentrations were determined from core samples of laminated sediments collected from Lake Zürich and Lake St. Moritz and used to calculate rates of biogenic silica sedimentation. In Lake Zürich biogenic silica sedimentation increased from 65 g SiO₂·^?2·yr^?1 in 1894 to nearly 900 g SiO₂·m^?2·yr^?1 in 1896 and in Lake St. Moritz biogenic silica sedimentation increased about 6-fold during the 1930s. Both periods of increased biogenic silica flux followed increased loadings of domestic sewage to the lakes. In Lake Zürich the period of increased flux only lasted for a few years whereas in Lake St. Moritz high fluxes were maintained to the top of the core. In Lake Zürich increased production and sedimentation of diatoms could be maintained only until the silca reservoir in the water mass was depleted whereas in Lake St. Moritz (0.10 year residence time and a mean depth of 25 m) diatom production and sedimentation was maintained at a high level by rapid replenishment of silica from tributary inputs. Although historical patterns of biogenic silica sedimentation differed for the two lakes, it is hypothesized that increased biogenic silica deposition in both lakes occurred because diatom production was stimulated by phosphorus enrichment of the water mass and that the silica biogeochemistry of both lakes was affected as a result.     

Pigmente phototropher Bakterien in Seesedimenten und ihre Bedeutung für die Seenforschung

Sediments of shallow lakes contain besides plankton pigments as well pigments of purple non-sulfur and purple sulfur bacteria. A thin-layer chromatographic method was developed for the separation of the most important pigments of purple bacteria beside plankton pigments. The new method was examined in three different lakes for a stratigraphic analysis of bacteria pigments beside plankton pigments and the results were discussed subsequently.      

New interpretations of the facies of the rhenish brown coal of West Germany

New ideas concerning the understanding of the facies of the Rhenish brown coal of West Germany are discussed. These new interpretations are based on a significantly larger number of samples and refined procedures for analysis within the field of paleobotany, palynology, coal petrology and organic geochemistry than were available to P. W. Thomson and M. Teichmüller. The light and dark bands in the coal are mainly the result of different degrees of plant decomposition. The influence of the peat-forming plant communities plays a subordinate role in the petrographical composition of these particular strata of the Rhenish brown coal.