Coupling of oceanic and continental crust during Eocene eclogite-facies metamorphism: evidence from the Monte Rosa nappe,western Alps

High precision U–Pb geochronology of rutile from quartz–carbonate–white mica–rutile veins that are hosted within eclogite and schist of the Monte Rosa nappe, western Alps, Italy, indicate that the Monte Rosa nappe was at eclogite-facies metamorphic conditions at 42.6 ± 0.6 Ma. The sample area [Indren glacier, Furgg zone; Dal Piaz (2001) Geology of the Monte Rosa massif: historical review and personal comments. SMPM] consists of eclogite boudins that are exposed inside a south-plunging overturned synform within micaceous schist. Associated with the eclogite and schist are quartz–carbonate–white mica–rutile veins that formed in tension cracks in the eclogite and along the contact between eclogite and surrounding schist. Intrusion of the veins at about 42.6 Ma occurred at eclogite-facies metamorphic conditions (480–570°C, >1.3–1.4 GPa) based on textural relations, oxygen isotope thermometry, and geothermobarometry. The timing of eclogite-facies metamorphism in the Monte Rosa nappe determined in this study is identical to that of the Gran Paradiso nappe [Meffan-Main et al. (2004) J Metamorphic Geol 22:261–281], confirming that these two units have shared the same Alpine metamorphic history. Furthermore, the Gran Paradiso and Monte Rosa nappes underwent eclogite-facies metamorphism within the same time interval as the structurally overlying Zermatt-Saas ophiolite [∼50–40 Ma; e.g., Amato et al. (1999) Earth Planet Sci Lett 171:425–438; Mayer et al. (1999) Eur Union Geosci 10:809 (abstract); Lapen et al. (2003) Earth Planet Sci Lett 215:57–72]. The nearly identical P–T–t histories of the Gran Paradiso, Monte Rosa, and Zermatt-Saas units suggest that these units shared a common Alpine tectonic and metamorphic history. The close spatial and temporal associations between high pressure (HP) ophiolite and continental crust during Alpine orogeny indicates that the HP internal basement nappes in the western Alps may have played a key role in exhumation and preservation of the ophiolitic rocks through buoyancy-driven uplift. Coupling of oceanic and continental crust may therefore be critical in preventing permanent loss of oceanic crust to the mantle.     

The impact of dynamic sea-ice on the climatology and climate sensitivity of a GCM: a study of past, present, and future climates

 We assess two parametrisations of sea-ice in a coupled atmosphere–mixed layer ocean–sea-ice model. One parametrisation represents the thermodynamic properties of sea-ice formation alone (THERM), while the other also includes advection of the ice (DYN). The inclusion of some sea-ice dynamics improves the model's simulation of the present day sea-ice cover when compared to observations. Two climate change scenarios are used to investigate the effect of these different parametrisations on the model's climate sensitivity. The scenarios are the equilibrium response to a doubling of atmospheric CO₂ and the response to imposed glacial boundary conditions. DYN produces a smaller temperature response to a doubling of CO₂ than THERM. The temperature response of THERM is more similar to DYN in the glacial case than in the 2×CO₂ case which implies that the climate sensitivity of THERM and DYN varies with the nature of the forcing. The different responses can largely be explained by the different distribution of Southern Hemisphere sea-ice cover in the control simulations, with the inclusion of ice dynamics playing an important part in producing the differences. This emphasises the importance of realistically simulating the reference climatic state when attempting to simulate a climate change to a prescribed forcing. The simulated glacial sea-ice cover is consistent with the limited palaeodata in both THERM and DYN, but DYN simulates a more realistic present day sea-ice cover. We conclude that the inclusion of simple ice dynamics in our model increases our confidence in the simulation of the anomaly climate. Received: 24 May 2000 / Accepted: 25 October 2000     

Auswirkungen des Ablassens von Hochwasserrückhaltebecken auf deren Limnochemie und Phytoplankton-Biozönose

Reservoirs have to be released when repairing of the dams is necessary. In 1995, two reservoirs in Baden-Württemberg (Germany) of similar age and volume (Lake Herrenbach near Göppingen, 1.0 Mio. m³ and Lake Breitenau near Heilbronn, 2.3 Mio. m³) were emptied. This allowed the singular possibility to investigate the effects of drainage and refilling on the limnochemistry and the phytoplankton biocoenosis of such artificial lakes.Before the drainage of the reservoirs, both lakes showed phosphorus release from the sediment during summer stagnation. Phosphorus values of Lake Herrenbach were regularly higher than those of Lake Breitenau (Lake Herrenbach 88 μg/l, Lake Breitenau 33 μg/l). During release, both lakes indicated higher phosphorus and chlorophyll concentrations as well as rising biomasses. Remarkable differences were observed during refilling of the reservoirs: while Lake Herrenbach showed higher transparency and lower phosphorus concentrations, Lake Breitenau progressed towards eutrophication (total phosphorus during summer 1996: Lake Herrenbach 30 μg/l, Lake Breitenau 55 μg/l). One reason for the reaction of Lake Breitenau was the reduced ground drainage during the refilling, which caused an accumulation of nutrients in the hypolimnion. Another reason was the mineralisation of vegetation which covered great parts of the dry lake sediment. The limnological change of Lake Herrenbach was not as clear but could be caused by the restauration of the pre-reservoir which was drainaged and dredged before the emptying of the main reservoir started as well as many other facts which differed Lake Herrenbach from Lake Breitenau.     

Evidence of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) exposure in fish from the Antarctic peninsula

PAH exposure was assessed in fish from Arthur Harbor, Antarctica and sites remote from human activities by measuring the concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolites in bile and PAH in tissues and stomach contents. The highest concentrations of biliary metabolites and tissue PAH were present in fish captured near an Argentine supply ship (Bahia Paraiso) that ran aground in Arthur Harbor in 1989. The presence of biliary PAH metabolites in fish collected near Palmer Station, a small US scientific station in Arthur Harbor, suggests low level exposure to contaminants. However, PAH tissue concentrations in fish from Palmer Station were similar to those from remote sites. Both tissue PAH and metabolite concentrations were low in fish captured at sites remote from human activities. The confirmation of PAH metabolites in the bile of fish from Arthur Harbor is direct evidence that the presence of humans has resulted in Antarctic fish being exposed to petroleum-derived PAH.     

Predictive deconvolution applied to long-range seismic refraction observations

Summary The method of predictive deconvolution is described and applied to seismograms from the 1963 Lake Superior experiment. The process is successful in removing shot-generated reverberations and sometimes reveals seismic phases which are not easily identifiable on the original seismograms.     

Diamond genesis — A synthesis of opposing views

Estimates of the pressure and temperature in the region of kimberlite magma generation are compatible with the formation of diamond in its own thermodynamic stability field as deduced from high pressure experimental synthesis of diamond. However, if diamond growth is allowed only within its stability field, preservation during ascent of kimberlite magma and many properties of diamond distribution in kimberlite pipes as well as some of the geochemical properties of diamond are very difficult to explain. Metastable diamond growth in the laboratory is well established and its occurrence in natural systems is proposed. A theory of genesis with synthesis of diamond seed nucleii in kimberlite magma at depth in the mantle and with continued metastable growth during ascent and in kimberlite magma pools at the base of the crust is proposed. Eruption of kimberlite pipes to the surface terminates diamond growth.

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Résumé Les estimations de la pression et de la température dans la région de formation du magma kimberlitique sont compatibles avec la formation du diamant dans son propre domaine de stabilité thermodynamique comme déduit des données obtenues par la synthèse du diamant à haute pression. Néanmoins, en admettant la croissance du diamant seulement dans son propre domaine de stabilité, il est très difficile d'expliquer sa preservation pendant l'ascension du magma kimberlitique, beaucoup de ses caractéristiques de répartition dans les pipes kimberlitiques ainsi que certaines propriétés géochimiques. L'évolution du diamant métastable en laboratoire est bien connue et nous suggérons donc l'existence de cet état dans les systèmes naturels. On propose une théorie envisageant la formation du diamant en partant d'une synthèse de noyaux de germes de diamant dans le magma kimberlitique à profondeur dans le manteau suivie d'une évolution métastable continuelle pendant l'ascension de ce magma kimberlitique et dans les chambres magmatiques à la base de la croûte terrestre. L'éruption des pipes kimberlitiques à la surface termine la croissance du diamant.

     

‘Copernicus’ observations of extragalactic X-ray sources

The MSSL X-ray detectors onCopernicus have been used to study a number of extragalactic objects. At least three classes of unresolved sources are found and we suggest that accretion may be the dominant mechanism. The mass of the accreting object then determines the X-ray emission properties.Paper presented at the COSPAR Symposium on Fast Transients in X- and Gamma-Rays, held at Varna, Bulgaria, 29–31 May, 1975.