Active intracontinental transpressional mountain building in the Mongolian Altai: Defining a new class of orogen

Mountain ranges that are actively forming around the western and northern perimeter of the Indo-Eurasia collisional deformational field, such as the Mongolian Altai, comprise a unique class of intracontinental intraplate transpressional orogen with structural and basinal elements that are distinct from contractional and extensional orogens. Late Cenozoic uplift and mountain building in the Mongolian Altai is dominated by regional-scale dextral strike-slip faults that link with thrust and oblique-slip faults within a 300-km-wide deforming belt sandwiched between the more rigid Junggar Basin block and Hangay Precambrian craton. Dominant orogenic elements in the Mongolian Altai include double restraining bends, terminal restraining bends, partial restraining bends, single thrust ridges, thrust ridges linked by strike-slip faults, and triangular block uplifts in areas of conjugate strike-slip faults. The overall pattern is similar to a regional strike-slip duplex array; however, the significant amount of contractional and oblique-slip displacement within the range and large number of historical oblique-slip seismic events renders the term “transpressional duplex” more accurate. Intramontane and range flanking basins can be classified as ramp basins, half-ramp basins, open-sided thrust basins, pull-apart basins, and strike-slip basins. Neither a classic fold-and-thrust orogenic wedge geometry nor a bounding foredeep exists. The manner in which upper crustal transpressional deformation is balanced in the lower crust is unknown; however, crustal thickening by lower crustal inflation and northward outflow of lower crustal material are consistent with existing geological and geodetic data and could account for late Cenozoic regional epeirogenic uplift in the Russian Altai and Sayan regions.     

Lithological control on the elevation of shore platforms in a microtidal setting

The shore platforms on Shag Point, southern New Zealand, are quasi‐horizontal surfaces and are developed between supratidal and low water spring levels. A range of morphologies occur, with more exposed platforms having a distinct low‐tide cliff, in contrast to low‐tide surfaces where the seaward edge is buried beneath rubble and macro‐algal growth. The platforms range in width from 20 to 80 m and are eroded into Late Cretaceous/Early Tertiary fine marine sandstones and mudstones. Shore platforms have formed in two principal lithological units: a homogeneous unit that is characterized by few discontinuities, and a fractured unit with joints spaced about 0·5 m apart. Rock hardness is low in both units (L‐type Schmidt hammer rebound values of 31 ± 4), and there is little systematic variation in values between the two units in which platforms have developed. Case‐hardened concretions within the sandstone are significantly harder than surrounding rock and cause local relief of metre scale as the spherical diagenetic features are eroded from the bedrock. They do not, however, appear to affect broad‐scale platform geometry. Joints within the bedrock are a primary control on platform elevation. Platforms formed in jointed rock occur at the lower portion of the intertidal zone, in contrast to platforms formed in unjointed bedrock, in which horizontal surfaces occur at or above mean high water spring tide level. Rock structure, therefore, appears to be the primary determinant factor of platform geometry at Shag Point. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Radium isotopes in saline seepages,south-western Yilgarn,Western Australia

Water samples from saline seepages in the south-western Yilgarn Block of Western Australia contain high activities of the four naturally-occurring radium isotopes. Activities of up to 310 $\text{pCi}\text{l}$ for ²²⁶Ra and 1720 $\text{pCi}\text{l}$ for ²²⁸Ra were measured and the ${}^{228}\text{Ra}{}^{226}\text{Ra}$ ratio averaged 6.1. Activities of the two short-lived radium isotopes were also high. ²²³Ra activities of up to 94 $\text{pCi}\text{l}$ were found with an average ${}^{226}\text{Ra}{}^{223}\text{Ra}$ ratio of 3.3, considerably lower than the natural abundance ratio of 21.4. Activities of up to 23 $\text{pCi}\text{l}$²²⁷Ac, the long-lived ($\text{t}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>1</mtext><mtext>2</mtext>}}\text{= 22 years}$) grandparent of ²²³Ra, were also measured. The analysis of surface granite samples, the probable source rocks of the radium, gave $\text{Th}\text{U}$ activity ratios of around 1.5. The higher ${}^{228}\text{Ra}{}^{226}\text{Ra}$ ratios of the waters were attributed to readily leached ²²⁸Ra in the weathered granites as a result of thorium remaining after weathering. Leach experiments on U-Th ore by NaCl solutions showed that all four radium isotopes were equally leached. Sulphate anions reduced the ²²⁶Ra and ²²⁸Ra leaching to a greater extent than for ²²³Ra and ²²⁴Ra, suggesting that the latter isotopes were being supported in solution by parent isotopes. In particular this suggested ²²⁷Ac was leached into the sulphate solution but this does not fully account for the amount of ²²⁷Ac seen in the seepage waters.     

Organic carbon and cation associations in humic material from pond water and sediment

Organic matter was isolated from the water columns and sediments of two pond systems in the south-eastern United States. Water column material was ultrafiltered to provide three fractions, i.e. <0.45 μm, but > 50,000 daltons; <50,000 daltons, but > 5000 daltons; and <5000 daltons. Sedimentary organic matter was separated into humic acid and fulvic acid fractions based on solubility criteria and the humic acid fraction was ultrafiltered to provide the same fractions as the water column isolates. All fractions were analysed for organic carbon, Al, Ca, Cu, Fe, Mg and Mn. Infra-red spectra were also measured for the sedimentary organic fractions. Organic matter isolated from the water column of the two ponds had similar organic carbon and elemental distributions, as did the organic matter isolated from the two sediments. However, significant differences in the organic carbon and elemental distributions were observed for water column and sedimentary organic matter isolated from the same pond. These studies have relevance to diagenetic alterations of organic matter and geochemical cycles of elements within lakes.     

Water—rock partition coefficients and the composition of natural waters — A reassessment

Recent data on world average river water composition and global mean composition of crustal rocks have allowed a reconsideration of earlier work on the concept of a chemical steady-state in the world ocean system. In the light of these new data, initial statistical analyses have been reinterpreted or modified. This paper reports improved correlations between mean oceanic residence times ($\text{t}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>Y</mtext>}}$) and water—rock partition coefficients (K_Y), and between K_Y and the electronegativity function (Q_YO). Such correlations support the concept that the average composition of seawater can be estimated, based on a simple dynamic model, using the electronegativities of elements and the rate of input of dissolved components.     

An ion-association model for estimating acidity constants (at 25°C and 1 ATM total pressure) in electrolyte mixtures related to seawater (ionic strength < 1 mol kg−1 H2O)

The ion-association model of Garrels and Thompson (1962) has been extended in order to incorporate the major acid—base systems present in seawater. The data for the activity coefficients of the various species considered have been presented as a function of ionic strength, thus making it possible to apply the model to solutions with ionic strengths in the range 0–1 mol kg^?1 H₂O. The model therefore allows the prediction of a variety of equilibrium thermodynamic data for natural waters.The model was used to estimate the stoichiometric acidity constants of the major weak acids present in seawater; the conditions simulated correspond to actual measurements made in seawater media at a variety of ionic strengths (salinities). The estimates obtained are generally in good agreement with the experimental results (all within 10% and usually within 5%), thus confirming the usefulness of this model.     

Sea‐cliff retreat and shore platform widening: steady‐state equilibrium?

We challenge the notion of steady‐state equilibrium in the context of progressive cliff retreat on micro‐tidal coasts. Ocean waves break at or close to the abrupt seaward edge of near‐horizontal shore platforms and then rapidly lose height due to turbulence and friction. Conceptual models assume that wave height decays exponentially with distance from the platform edge, and that the platform edge does not erode under stable sea‐level. These assumptions combine to a steady‐state view of Holocene cliff retreat. We argue that this model is not generally applicable. Recent data show that: (1) exponential decay in wave height is not the most appropriate conceptual model of wave decay; (2) by solely considering wave energy at gravity wave frequencies the steady‐state model neglects a possible formative role for infragravity waves. Here we draw attention to possible mechanisms through which infragravity waves may drive cliff retreat over much greater distances (and longer timescales) than imaginable under the established conceptual model. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.