Multi-criteria spatialization of soil organic carbon sequestration potential from agricultural intensification in Senegal

On the eve of the 15th climate negotiations conference in Copenhagen, the pressure to assess all climate mitigation options is mounting. In this study, a bio-physic model and a socio-economic model were designed and coupled to assess the carbon sequestration potential of agricultural intensification in Senegal. The biophysical model is a multiple linear regression, calibrated and tested on a dataset of long-term agricultural trials established in West Africa. The socio-economic model integrates both financial and environmental costs related to considered practice changes. Both models are spatially explicit and the resulting spatial patterns were computed and displayed over Senegal with a geographic information system. The national potential from large-scale intensification was assessed at 0.65–0.83 MtC. With regards to local-scaled intensification as local projects, the most profitable areas were identified in agricultural expansion regions (especially Casamance), while the areas that meet the current financial additionality criteria of the Clean Development Mechanism were located in the northern part of the Peanut Basin. Using the current relevant mode of carbon valuation (Certified Emission Reductions), environmental benefits are small compared to financial benefits. This picture is radically changed if “avoided deforestation”, a likely consequence of agricultural intensification, is accounted for as the greenhouse gases sink capacity of projects increases by an average of a hundred-fold over Senegal.     

Physical modelling of gelifluction and frost creep: Some results of a large-scale laboratory experiment

An experimental slope was constructed in a 5 m × 5 m square refrigerated tank. The slope was formed of four sections, each consisting of regolith (soil) collected from a distinct bedrock lithology. The four lithologies utilized were granite, limestone, mudstone and slate. The slope was subjected to freezing and thawing from the surface downwards. Water was supplied at the base of the soil during freezing. Frost heaving and surface downslope soil movement were determined after each of 15 freezing cycles, and the profiles of soil movement with depth for each soil type were measured at the end of the 15th cycle. The experimental soils were non-cohesive; those derived from granite and limestone were respectively sandy and gravelly in texture, while those derived from mudstone and slate were silt-rich. Mass movement in the granite and limestone soils was due mainly to frost creep and was associated with the growth of needle ice. In the mudstone and slate soils, gelifluction was dominant as a result of high moisture contents caused by the melting of segregation ice. Mean per cycle rates of downslope soil transport for the granite, limestone, mudstone and slate soils were 5·8 cm³ cm^?1, 6·9 cm³ cm^?1, 21·2 cm³ cm^?1 and 31·2 cm³ cm^?1 respectively, units referring to the volume of soil passing a unit width of slope per cycle. Mass movement rates were shown to be strongly related to the silt content of the soils.     

Radiation-induced paramagnetic defects in natural kaolinites: Alpha dosimetry with ion beam irradiation

Three types of paramagnetic radiation-induced defects (RID), namely A, A′ (Si-O^?-centers) and B (Al-O^?-Al center), had been identified in natural kaolinites by means of electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The A-center, stable at the scale of geological periods, was thought to be of particular relevance to quantify past transits of radionuclides in the geosphere. Alpha radiation being likely the main source of RID in kaolinite, the objective of this paper is to define the role of α-particles on the creation of RID and to test the use of A-centers for an α-dosimetry. Three kaolinites with different crystalline order and containing other clays as impurities were irradiated with He⁺ ion beams. The radiation dose range (0–750 MGy) was consistent with natural radioactivity in environments from the Earth's surface. Irradiation drastically enhanced the original signals due to RID. An important increase of concentration of the unstable B-center, partly due to unrealistic dose rate provided by accelerator ion beam, was observed from the lower doses. The most stable defects remained of the Atype all along experimental irradiations. The contribution of ancillary phyllosilicates to EPR spectra was negligible. The concentration of the three types of RID was related to radiation doses up to 30 MGy. Dosimetry growth curves for the A-centers exhibited variable efficiencies and saturation levels that were related to the structural order and the chemical purity of the kaolinites: the more ordered and purer the kaolinite, the higher the efficiency and the lower the saturation plateau. Moreover, these results are of geochemical significance: dosimetry based on A-centers could be directly used to quantify past migrations of radioelements in the geosphere, by determination of the naturally-cumulated doses (paleodose) of kaolinites.     

Oxygen and carbon isotope composition of structural carbonate in weathering apatites from laterites, southern Brazil and western Senegal

The oxygen (δ¹⁸O_c) and carbon (δ¹³C_c) isotope compositions of the structural carbonate group (CO₃) in apatites from lateritic profiles were investigated. The weathering profiles, located in southern Brazil and in western Senegal, are developed on three different types of apatite-rich parent rock: carbonatite, metamorphosed marine phosphorite and sedimentary marine phosphorite. The parent rock apatites are of magmatic, hydrothermal, metamorphic and sedimentary origins. The in situ formation of apatite of weathering origin in the profiles is well documented petrographically and geochemically.The overall range of measured δ¹⁸O_c and δ¹³C_c values of apatites of weathering origin (22 to 27 SMOW for δ¹⁸O_c and −15 to −10 PDB for δ¹³C_c) is much smaller than the range of measured and/or published isotope compositions of parent rock apatites (4–35 for δ¹⁸O_c and −11 to +1 for δ¹³C_c). In any profile, the apatites of weathering origin can exhibit lower, similar or higher δ¹⁸O_c values than parent rock apatites. In contrast, their δ¹³C_c values are systematically and significantly lower than those of the parent rock apatites. Apatites formed as a result of weathering in laterites can therefore be readily distinguished from apatites of other origin on the basis of their isotope composition.Assuming that apatite CO₃ fractionates O in a way similar to calcite CO₃, the structural carbonate group of the apatites of weathering origin appears to form in approximate isotopic equilibrium with the weathering solutions. The very low δ¹³C_c values exhibited by these apatites indicate that the dominant sources of dissolved CO₂ in the soil water are organic. The isotope composition of structural carbonate in apatite of weathering origin in lateritic profiles may provide useful information for paleoenvironmental studies.     

Paleomagnetic record of two successive Miocene geomagnetic reversals in western Crete

Two geomagnetic reversals(R→N followed by N→R) have been recorded in a sequence of Miocene marine clays of Tortonian-Messinian age in western Crete (Greece). The time span of each transition is found to be of the order of 5000–10,000 years. The transitional VGP paths are largely constrained in longitude either near the site longitude(R→N) or opposite to it(N→R). A normalized magnetization intensity record has also been obtained and its variations during reversals are found to be in excellent agreement with the predictions of Hoffman's phenomenological model.     

Rosia Poieni copper deposit,Apuseni Mountains,Romania: advanced argillic overprint of a porphyry system

The Rosia Poieni deposit is the largest porphyry copper deposit in the Apuseni Mountains, Romania. Hydrothermal alteration and mineralization are related to the Middle Miocene emplacement of a subvolcanic body, the Fundoaia microdiorite. Zonation of the alteration associated with the porphyry copper deposit is recognized from the deep and central part of the porphyritic intrusion towards shallower and outer portions. Four alteration types have been distinguished: potassic, phyllic, advanced argillic, and propylitic. Potassic alteration affects mainly the Fundoaia subvolcanic body. The andesitic host rocks are altered only in the immediate contact zone with the Fundoaia intrusion. Mg-biotite and K-feldspar are the main alteration minerals of the potassic assemblage, accompanied by ubiquitous quartz; chlorite, and anhydrite are also present. Magnetite, pyrite, chalcopyrite and minor bornite, are associated with this alteration. Phyllic alteration has overprinted the margin of the potassic zone, and formed peripheral to it. It is characterized by the replacement of almost all early minerals by abundant quartz, phengite, illite, variable amounts of illite-smectite mixed-layer minerals, minor smectite, and kaolinite. Pyrite is abundant and represents the main sulfide in this alteration zone. Advanced argillic alteration affects the upper part of the volcanic structure. The mineral assemblage comprises alunite, kaolinite, dickite, pyrophyllite, diaspore, aluminium-phosphate-sulphate minerals (woodhouseite-svanbergite series), zunyite, minamyite, pyrite, and enargite (luzonite). Alunite forms well-developed crystals. Veins with enargite (luzonite) and pyrite in a gangue of quartz, pyrophyllite and diaspore, are present within and around the subvolcanic intrusion. This alteration type is partially controlled by fractures. A zonal distribution of alteration minerals is observed from the centre of fractures outwards with: (1) vuggy quartz; (2) quartz + alunite; (3) quartz + kaolinite ± alunite and, in the deeper part of the argillic zone, quartz + pyrophyllite + diaspore; (4) illite + illite-smectite mixed-layer minerals ± kaolinite ± alunite, and e) chlorite + albite + epidote. Propylitic alteration is present distal to all other alteration types and consists of chlorite, epidote, albite, and carbonates. Mineral parageneses, mineral stability fields, and alteration mineral geothermometers indicate that the different alteration assemblages are the result of changes in both fluid composition and temperature of the system. The alteration minerals reflect cooling of the hydrothermal system from >400 °C (biotite), to 300–200 °C (chlorite and illite in veinlets) and to lower temperatures of kaolinite, illite-smectite mixed layers, and smectite crystallization. Hydrothermal alteration started with an extensive potassic zone in the central part of the system that passed laterally to the propylitic zone. It was followed by phyllic overprint of the early-altered rocks. Nearly barren advanced argillic alteration subsequently superimposed the upper levels of the porphyry copper alteration zones. The close spatial association between porphyry mineralization and advanced argillic alteration suggests that they are genetically part of the same magmatic-hydrothermal system that includes a porphyry intrusion at depth and an epithermal environment of the advanced argillic type near the surface.Editorial handling: B. Lehmann     

Correlations and sequence stratigraphic model for Messinian carbonate platforms of the western and central Mediterranean

Distance correlations of Late Tortonian–Messinian littoral carbonate complexes are proposed from the study of eight platforms in the western and central Mediterranean. Correlations are based on the identification of two major biological sedimentary cycles and of two index surfaces. Surface A is a maximum flooding surface during cycle 1 at around 6.7 Ma. Surface B is a regional marine planation surface at around 5.95 Ma, at the base of cycle 2 (Terminal Carbonate Complex). A general sedimentary model is proposed for the 7–5.6-Ma time-span. The boundary between cycles 1 and 2 is coincident with the onset of the Messinian Salinity Crisis, and appears to be related to major environmental–paleo-oceanographic changes in the Mediterranean, rather than to a major sea-level drop or to climatic change.     

Un réseau fluviatile d'âge Burdigalien terminal dans le Sud-Est de la France : remplissage,extension, âge,implications

An integrated study combining facies analysis, multiple group biostratigraphy, identification of depositional sequences and mapping has been conducted on the Miocene Molasse Basin of the external Alps (southeastern France). The filling of the basin is described as resulting from a succession of fluvial incisions subsequently filled during marine transgressions. The major incision is dated as Latest Burdigalian and the major transgression as Langhian. This revised interpretation of the Miocene physiographic evolution of the Molasse Basin implies a re-examination of previous stratigraphic correlations within the basin. To cite this article: D. Besson et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Modes of thickening of analogue weak lithospheres

Several compressional contexts, such as those involving juvenile or thickened crust, are expected to be associated with rather hot lithospheres whose mechanical behaviour remains poorly documented. In this paper, we present a series of analogue models dedicated to compression of lithospheres characterized by a thin upper brittle crust overlying a weak ductile crust and a ductile sub-Moho mantle. The models show that (1) deformation is controlled by the ductile layers that undergo distributed thickening, (2) thrust systems are limited to the upper brittle crust, (3) thrusting induces burial and stacking of upper crust pop-downs. The overall deformation patterns can be basically interpreted in terms of pop-down thrusting of the brittle crust and pure-shear type ductile flow of crust and mantle. Moreover, the models show that the sinking of supracrustal units does not require inverse density profiles but can be simply driven by compression. Model deformation patterns are consistent with those shared by many ancient belts, including not only Archaean granite–greenstone belts, but also more generally Paleoproterozoic ones. They provide also insights on deformation modes that may characterize modern thickened and abnormally hot domains like High Plateaus.     

Mesozoic–Tertiary structural evolution of an extensional gneiss dome—the Kesebir–Kardamos dome, eastern Rhodope (Bulgaria–Greece)

The tectonic evolution of the Rhodope massif involves Mid-Cretaceous contractional deformation and protracted Oligocene and Miocene extension. We present structural, kinematic and strain data on the Kesebir–Kardamos dome in eastern Rhodope, which document early Tertiary extension. The dome consists of three superposed crustal units bounded by a low-angle NNE-dipping detachment on its northern flank in Bulgaria. The detachment separates footwall gneiss and migmatite in a lower unit from intermediate metamorphic and overlying upper sedimentary units in the hanging wall. The high-grade metamorphic rocks of the footwall have recorded isothermal decompression. Direct juxtaposition of the sedimentary unit onto footwall rocks is due to local extensional omission of the intermediate unit. Structural analysis and deformational/metamorphic relationships give evidence for several events. The earliest event corresponds to top-to-the SSE ductile shearing within the intermediate unit, interpreted as reflecting Mid-Late Cretaceous crustal thickening and nappe stacking. Late Cretaceous–Palaeocene/Eocene late-tectonic to post-tectonic granitoids that intruded into the intermediate unit between 70 and 53 Ma constrain at least pre-latest Late Cretaceous age for the crustal-stacking event. Subsequent extension-related deformation caused pervasive mylonitisation of the footwall, with top-to-the NNE ductile, then brittle shear. Ductile flow was dominated by non-coaxial deformation, indicated by quartz c-axis fabrics, but was nearly coaxial in the dome core. Latest events relate to brittle faulting that accommodated extension at shallow crustal levels on high-angle normal faults and additional movement along strike-slip faults. Radiometric and stratigraphic constraints bracket the ductile, then brittle, extensional events at the Kesebir–Kardamos dome between 55 and 35 Ma. Extension began in Paleocene–early Eocene time and displacement on the detachment led to unroofing of the intermediate unit, which supplied material for the syn-detachment deposits in supra-detachment basin. Subsequent cooling and exhumation of the footwall unit from beneath the detachment occurred between 42 and 37 Ma as indicated by mica cooling ages in footwall rocks, and extension proceeded at brittle levels with high-angle faulting constrained at 35 Ma by the age of hydrothermal adularia crystallized in open spaces created along the faults. This was followed by Late Eocene–Oligocene post-detachment overlap successions and volcanic activity. Crustal extension described herein is contemporaneous with the closure of the Vardar Ocean to the southwest. It has accommodated an earlier hinterland-directed unroofing of the Rhodope nappe complex, and may be pre-cursor of, and/or make a transition to the Aegean back-arc extension that further contributed to its exhumation during the Late Miocene. This study underlines the importance of crustal extension at the scale of the Rhodope massif, in particular, in the eastern Rhodope region, as it recognizes an early Tertiary extension that should be considered in future tectonic models of the Rhodope and north Aegean regions.