Fission track thermochronology of the Beni Bousera peridotite massif (Internal Rif,Morocco) and the exhumation of ultramafic rocks in the Gibraltar Arc

The Beni Bousera peridotite massif and its metamorphic surrounding rocks have been analyzed by the fission track (FT) method. The aim was to determine the cooling and uplift history of these mantle and associated crustal rocks after the last major metamorphic event that dates back to the Lower Miocene–Upper Oligocene time (～22–24 Ma). The zircon FT analyses give an average cooling—i.e., below 320 °C—age of ～19.5 Ma. In addition, the apatite FT data give an average cooling—i.e., below 110 °C—age of ～15.5 Ma. Taking into account the thermal properties of the different thermochronological systems used in this work, we have estimated a rate of cooling close to 50 °C/Ma. This cooling rate constrains a denudation rate of about ～2 mm year^?1 from 20 to 15 Ma. These results are similar to those determined in the Ronda peridotite massif of the Betic Cordilleras documenting that some ultrabasic massifs of the internal zones of the two segments of the Gibraltar Arc have a similar evolution. However, Burdigalian sediments occur along the Betic segment (Alozaina area, western Betic segment) unconformably overlying peridotite. At this site, ultramafic rock was exposed to weathering at ages ranging from 20.43 to 15.97 Ma. Since the Beni Bousera peridotite was still at depth until 15.5 Ma, we infer that no simple age projection from massif to massif is possible along the Gibraltar Arc. Moreover, the confined fission track lengths data reveal that a light warming (～100 °C) has reheated the massif during the Late Miocene before the Pliocene–Quaternary tectonic uplift.     

Stable isotope profiles (Ca,O, C) through modern brachiopod shells of T. septentrionalis and G. vitreus: Implications for calcium isotope paleo-ocean chemistry

Brachiopod shells are widely used as an archive to reconstruct elemental and isotopic composition of seawater. Studies, focused on oxygen and carbon isotopes over the last decades, are increasingly extending to the emerging calcium isotope system. To date, only little attention has been paid to test the reliability of fossil brachiopods on their modern counterparts.In this context, the present study investigates two modern brachiopods, Terebratulina septentrionalis (eastern Canada, 5–30 m depth, 7.1 °C seasonal temperature variation, two-layer shell) and Gryphus vitreus (northern Mediterranean, 200 m depth, constant all-year round temperature, three-layer shell). Both species were sampled along the ontogenetic growth direction and calcium, oxygen, and carbon isotopes as well as elemental concentration were measured. Calcium isotopes were analyzed on TIMS. The elemental composition was analyzed by LA-ICP-MS and ICP-AES.The results indicate an intra-specimen δ^44/40Ca variation ranging from 0.16 to 0.33‰, pointing to a fairly homogenous distribution of calcium isotopes in brachiopod shells. However, in the light of the suggested 0.7‰ increase in calcium isotopes over the Phanerozoic such intra-specimen variations constrain ocean reconstruction. δ^44/40Ca values of T. septentrionalis do not seem to be affected by growth rate. Calcium isotopic values of G. vitreus are heavy in the central part of the shell and trend towards lighter values in peripheral areas approaching the maximum isotopic composition of T. septentrionalis. The maximum inter-species δ^44/40Ca difference of 0.62‰ between T. septentrionalis and G. vitreus indicates that care should be taken when using different taxa, species with different strontium content or brachiopods with specialized shell structure, such as G. vitreus, for ocean water reconstruction in terms of Ca isotopic composition. T. septentrionalis may record Ca isotopic fractionation related to seasonal seawater temperature variations in its shell but this is difficult to resolve at the current analytical precision. Average δ¹⁸O-derived temperatures of the two investigated species are close to on-site measured temperatures.     

Dryland Salinity on the Dundas Tableland: A historical appraisal

The groundwater recharge-discharge model, or hydro-equilibrium model, has driven Victorian dryland salinity research for the last 30 years. This paper challenges its application to the Dundas Tableland, south-western Victoria, on historical grounds. In exposing the weak historical foundation of the model for one geographical area so well represented in mainstream investigations, the critique is designed to question the validity of applying the model to other parts of Australia without corresponding historical research. More generally, it is hoped that this contribution from another discipline gives a respectful but significant nudge to the hegemony of physical science in defining and finding solutions for environmental problems.     

Sharp boundary inversion of 2D magnetotelluric data

We consider 2D earth models consisting of laterally variable layers. Boundaries between layers are described by their depths at a set of nodes and interpolated laterally between nodes. Conductivity within each layer is described by values at a set of nodes fixed within each layer, and is interpolated laterally within each layer. Within the set of possible models of this sort, we iteratively invert magnetotelluric data for models minimizing the lateral roughness of the layer boundaries, and the lateral roughness of conductivities within layers, for a given level of data misfit. This stabilizes the inverse problem and avoids superfluous detail. This approach allows the determination of boundary positions between geological units with sharp discontinuities in properties across boundaries, while sharing the stability features of recent smooth conductivity distribution inversions.
We compare sharp boundary inversion results with smooth conductivity distribution inversion results on a numerical example, and on inversion of field data from the Columbia River flood basalts of Washington State. In the synthetic example, where true positions and resistivities are known, sharp boundary inversion results determine both layer boundary locations and layer resistivities accurately. In inversion of Columbia flood basalt data, sharp boundary inversion recovers a model with substantially less internal variation within units, and less ambiguity in both the depth to base of the basalts and depth to resistive basement.