Flowage differentiation: Limitation of the “Bagnold effect” to the narrow intrusions

The Bagnold effect, the most important in the flowage differentiation, is practically inoperative in porphyritic rocks in the case of large dykes and pipes with a width or a diameter over 100 meters. For these large channels, the magmatic differentiation between the core and the walls is not related to the forced magmatic flow, but should be ascribed to other mechanisms: crystal settling, natural convection, synchronous injection of already differentiated materials.     

On the occurrence and origin of anthropogenic radionuclides found in a fragment of the Chelyabinsk (LL5) meteorite

A piece of the 2013 Chelyabinsk meteorite was investigated for its content of anthropogenic radionuclides. In addition to traces of cesium‐137 that had been previously reported for this particular fragment, we found an unusually high amount of strontium‐90, which indicates that the source of this contamination was the Kyshtym accident (1957). A high Sr‐90/Cs‐137 activity ratio is characteristic for Kyshtym‐derived contaminations. Based on the cesium‐137 content in the soil from the finding site, it is estimated that the fragment was contaminated with soil particles in the milligram range upon impact. Investigation of the soil revealed very unusual ferromagnetic characteristics and an iron‐rich chemical composition. Mössbauer spectroscopy indicated the presence of steel components in this soil, suggesting that the investigated meteorite fragment was found in an industrial dumping site rather than natural soil.     

Contrasting patterns of precipitation seasonality during the Holocene in the south‐ and north‐central Mediterranean

Pollen‐based quantitative estimates of seasonal precipitation from Lake Pergusa and lake‐level data from Lake Preola in Sicily (southern Italy) allow three successive periods to be distinguished within the Holocene: an early Holocene period before ca. 9800 cal a BP with rather dry climate conditions in winter and summer, a mid‐Holocene period between ca. 9800 and 4500 cal a BP with maximum winter and summer wetness, and a late Holocene period after 4500 cal a BP with declining winter and summer wetness. This evolution observed in the south‐central Mediterranean shows strong similarities to that recognized in the eastern Mediterranean. But, it contrasts with that reconstructed in north‐central Italy, where the mid‐Holocene appears to be characterized by a winter (summer) precipitation maximum (minimum), while the late Holocene coincided with a decrease (increase) in winter (summer) precipitation. Maximum precipitation at ca. 10 000–4500 cal a BP may have resulted from (i) increased local convection in response to a Holocene insolation maximum at 10 000 cal a BP and then (ii) the gradual weakening of the Hadley cell activity, which allowed the winter rainy westerlies to reach the Mediterranean area more frequently. After 4500 cal a BP, changes in precipitation seasonality may reflect non‐linear responses to orbitally driven insolation decrease in addition to seasonal and inter‐hemispheric changes of insolation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A synthesis of morphological evolutions and Holocene stratigraphy of a wave-dominated estuary: The Arcachon lagoon,SW France

This work presents the first synthesis of secular to millenary morphological evolutions and stratigraphy of a wave-dominated estuary, the Arcachon lagoon, from a combination of unpublished bathymetric maps (1865 and 2001), core results and high-resolution seismic profiles recorded for the first time in this lagoon. The Arcachon lagoon is located on the Atlantic coast of France, facing the wave-dominated shelf of the Bay of Biscay. It is a mesotidal semi-enclosed environment of about 160 km².The sediment budget of the Arcachon lagoon was computed by subtracting the 1865 bathymetric map from that of 2001. The computed volume difference is low (?9.9±35×10⁶ m³ in 136 yrs) and is the result of the balance between erosion and accretion that occurs within tidal channels and tidal flats, respectively. This morphological evolution pattern is explained by low sediment supply and also by the tidal distortion resulting from the morphology of the lagoon. Deep channels connected to the inlet are dominated by ebb currents inducing erosion. Tidal flats and transverse channels display weak or flood-dominated tidal currents leading to the deposition of silts. The areas of tidal flat siltation locally correlate with the presence of oyster farms, suggesting the influence of Man on the lagoon sediment-fill. Transverse channel-infill is related to weak tidal currents resulting from the hydraulically inefficient orientation of these channels which served as an ancient drainage network.Evidence for tidal channel-infill and channel abandonment are also provided by seismic profiling and cores. The upper stratigraphic succession of the lagoon (about 10 m thick) includes four main stratigraphic units dominated by channel-fills. The two lower units (around 7500–2800 yrs BP) display tabular-shape sandy channels interpreted to be records of the open estuarine phase of the Arcachon lagoon. The two upper units (around 2800 yrs BP to present-day) display U-shaped mixed sand-and-mud channel-fills interpreted to be records of the closure of the lagoon. Given that the basal estuarine units are transgressive and the upper lagoonal units are regressive, the main stratigraphic change at around 2800 yrs BP is interpreted as being the maximum flooding surface (MFS). This late MFS is explained by the low sediment supply. It is proposed that the transition from the estuarine to the lagoonal phase is related to the development of the Cap-Ferret spit in response to an increase in the ratio between wave power to tide power. This change in wave-to-tide ratio may be triggered by wave power increase following the Subboreal/Subatlantic climate instability or a decrease in tide power following a decrease in tidal prism related to the lagoon sediment-fill.Thus, the evolution of the Arcachon lagoon over the last millenaries was mainly controlled by its spit development, leading to a wave-dominated estuary in terms of its geomorphology. Once it was partially closed, extensive mud flats developed in the lagoon which became ebb-dominated.     

A structural and geophysical approach to the study of fractured aquifers in the Scansano-Magliano in Toscana Ridge, southern Tuscany, Italy

Fresh water availability has recently become a serious concern in the Italian Apennines, as various activities rely on a predictable supply. Along the ridge between Scansano and Magliano in Toscana, in southern Tuscany, the situation is further complicated by contamination of the nearby alluvial aquifers. Aquifers locally consist of thin fractured reservoirs, generally within low-permeability formations, and it can be difficult to plan the exploitation of resources based on conventional techniques. An integrated study based on geological data investigated the link between tectonics and groundwater circulation, to better define the hydrological model. After the regional identification of fault and fracture patterns, a major structure was investigated in detail to accurately map its spatial position and to understand the geometry and properties of the associated aquifer and assess its exploitation potential. The subsurface around the fault zone was clearly imaged using ground probing radar, two-dimensional and three-dimensional resistivity tomography, and three-dimensional shallow seismic surveys. The vertical and horizontal contacts between the different geological units of the Ligurian and Tuscan series were resolved with a high degree of spatial accuracy. Three-dimensional high-resolution geophysical imaging proved to be a very effective means of characterising small-scale fractured reservoirs.     

Factors influencing the distribution of coastal lichens Hydropunctaria maura and Wahlenbergiella mucosa

Responses to abiotic and biotic stresses that potentially drive the vertical zonation of the intertidal lichens Hydropunctaria maura, an upper littoral lichen, and Wahlenbergiella mucosa, a lower littoral lichen, were investigated in field and laboratory experiments. When transplanted, both lichens exhibited an inability to survive outside their normal vertical distribution range. W. mucosa appeared to be unable to tolerate prolonged periods of desiccation following translocation from lower to upper littoral regions, whereas H. maura was unable to survive in lower littoral zones possibly owing to increased grazing pressure. The effect of desiccation in both lichens was compared using pulse amplitude modulated chlorophyll fluorescence and infra‐red gas analysis; results indicated a more hydration‐dependent nature of W. mucosa. Photosynthetic (algal) pigments and phenolic compounds were determined in both lichen thalli, and a range of additional coastal lichens occupying a natural gradient from upper to lower shore levels. Pigment composition and concentration in both lichen thalli were similar whereas levels of phenolic compounds were up to three times higher in W. mucosa than H. maura. Pigment and phenolic concentration and composition exhibited some seasonality across 13 different lichens originating from different shore levels. Phenolic concentration increased towards the lower shore, suggesting a potential anti‐herbivory function. This marks the first study of pigments and phenolics in coastal lichen communities, and prompts further investigations on the particular physiological features of marine and maritime lichens that enable them to thrive in this extreme environment.     

Early Mars volcanic sulfur storage in the upper cryosphere and formation of transient SO2‐rich atmospheres during the Hesperian

In a previous paper (Chassefière et al. 2013 ), we have shown that most volcanic sulfur released to the early Mars atmosphere could have been trapped in the upper cryosphere under the form of CO₂‐SO₂ clathrates. Huge amounts of sulfur, up to the equivalent of an ~1 bar atmosphere of SO₂, would have been stored in the Noachian upper cryosphere, then massively released to the atmosphere during the Hesperian due to rapidly decreasing CO₂ pressure. It could have resulted in the formation of the large sulfate deposits observed mainly in Hesperian terrains, whereas no or little sulfates are found at the Noachian. In the present paper, we first clarify some aspects of our previous work. We discuss the possibility of a smaller cooling effect of sulfur particles, or even of a net warming effect. We point out the fact that CO₂‐SO₂ clathrates formed through a progressive enrichment of a pre‐existing reservoir of CO₂ clathrates and discuss processes potentially involved in the slow formation of a SO₂‐rich upper cryosphere. We show that episodes of sudden destabilization at the Hesperian may generate 1000 ppmv of SO₂ in the atmosphere and contribute to maintaining the surface temperature above the water freezing point.     

Geophysical and magneto‐structural study of the Maâdna structure (Talemzane,Algeria): Insights on its age and origin

The Maâdna structure is located approximately 400 km south of Algiers (33°19′ N, 4°19′ E) and emplaced in Upper‐Cretaceous to Eocene limestones. Although accepted as an impact crater on the basis of alleged observations of shock‐diagnostic features such as planar deformation features (PDFs) in quartz grains, previous works were limited and further studies are desirable to ascertain the structure formation process and its age. For this purpose, the crater was investigated using a multidisciplinary approach including field observations, detailed cartography of the different geological and structural units, geophysical surveys, anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility, paleomagnetism, and petrography of the collected samples. We found that the magnetic and gravimetric profiles highlight a succession of positive and negative anomalies, ones that might indicate the occurrence of a causative material which is at least in part identical. Geophysical analysis and modeling suggest the presence of this material within the crater at a depth of about 100 m below the surface. Using soil magnetic susceptibility measurements, the shallowest magnetized zone in the central part of the crater is identified as a recently deposited material. Paleomagnetic and rock magnetic experiments combined with petrographic observations show that detrital hematite is the main magnetic carrier although often associated with magnetite. A primary magnetization is inferred from a stable remanence with both normal and reverse directions, carried by these two minerals. Although this is supposed to be a chemical remagnetization, its normal polarity nature is considered to be a Pliocene component, subsequent to the crater formation. The pole falls onto the Miocene‐Pliocene part of the African Apparent Polar Wander Path (APWP). Consequently, we estimate the formation of the Maâdna crater to have occurred during the time period extending from the Late Miocene to the Early Pliocene. Unfortunately, our field and laboratory investigations do not allow us to confirm an impact origin for the crater as neither shatter cones, nor shocked minerals, were found. A dissolved diapir with inverted relief is suggested as an alternative to the impact hypothesis, which can still be considered as plausible. Only a drilling may provide a definite answer.