Cell parameters of thermally treated anorthite. Al,Si configurations in the average structures of the high temperature calcic plagioclases

Thermal treatments of anorthite carried out at up to 1,547° C show that the unit cell parameter changes as a function of the treatment temperature. The best fit curve found by non-linear least squares analysis is: =91.419-(0.327·10^-6)T ²+(0.199·10^-12)T ⁴-(0.391·10)T ⁶. The results obtained support significant Al,Si disorder (Al0.10, where Al=t ₁(0)-1/3 [t ₁(m)+t ₂(0)+t ₂(m)], Ribbe 1975), in anorthite equilibrated near the melting point and confirm a high temperature series differentiated from the low temperature series for calcic plagioclases in the An₈₅–An₁₀₀ range also. In the plot vs. An-content the high and low temperature curves intersect at An₈₅ composition and progressively diverge in the An₈₅–An₁₀₀ range. The trends of the high and low temperature curves in this range are interpretable on the basis of the degree of Al, Si order in the average structures of calcic plagioclases.     

Archaeoseismic evidence for a Late Roman earthquake in the Crotone area (Ionian Calabria, Southern Italy): Seismotectonic implications

The earthquakes of Calabria are among the strongest in the whole Mediterranean, and they all occurred between the disruptive sequences of 1638 and 1908 (6.7 ≤ M ≤ 7.2). Recent paleoseismological studies show that the return time of these events on their causative fault are larger than 1 ky, thus making ancient earthquakes not recognizable through ‘conventional’ historical research. On the other hand, in those areas characterized by highly erodible deposits, the identification and paleoseismic trenching of active seismogenetic faults has remained a challenge. In order to overcome these issues, we took an archaeoseismological approach for casting light on earthquake occurrence in one of these regions, i.e., the SE area of central Ionian Calabria (Marchesato region). The extensive traces of simultaneous and abrupt collapses in the Roman settlement of Capo Colonna (in the area of the sixth and fifth b.c. sanctuary of Hera Lacinia, near the town of Crotone) are evidence of a disruptive earthquake, which occurred possibly in the third century a.d. To the same event we ascribe the definitive collapse of the Hera Lacinia temple. Considering the seismotectonic framework of the region, this event could be tentatively associated with the active fault system which cuts from NW to SE the whole Sila massif and its Ionian slope, and which should be responsible for all the others known M > 6 earthquakes in the area.     

X-ray determination and equilibrium composition of clinopyroxenes in the system CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2

Ternary clinopyroxenes have been synthesized in the plane Di-CaTs-En. The variation of their crystallographic parameters has allowed the development of three determinative grids, which utilize b-, 2 _22¯1–2 ₃₁₀ and 2 ₃₃₀ –2 ₂₀₂ respectively. These grids show significant differences in comparison with the previously proposed ones. Present results have been used to review some data on clinopyroxenes equilibria in the system CaO-MgO-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ (CMAS) (Biggar 1969; Bruno and Facchinelli 1978; Herzberg 1978; O'Hara and Schairer 1963; Boyd 1969). In particular the petrogenic grid correlating P, T and CaTs content of clinopyroxenes in spinel-lherzolite assemblage (Herzberg 1978) has been revised, and consequently equilibrium temperatures rise by one hundred degrees.     

Source characteristics of the basement rocks from the Sulu and Celebes Basins (Western Pacific): chemical and isotopic evidence

 New Sr- Nd- and Pb-isotopic and trace element data are presented on basalts from the Sulu and Celebes Basins, and the submerged Cagayan Ridge Arc (Western Pacific), recently sampled during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 124. Drilling has shown that the Sulu Basin developed about 18 Ma ago as a backarc basin, associated with the now submerged Cagayan Ridge Arc, whereas the Celebes Basin was generated about 43 Ma ago, contemporaneous with a general plate reorganisation in the Western Pacific, subsequently developing as an open ocean receiving pelagic sediments until the middle Miocene. In both basins, a late middle Miocene collision phase and the onset of volcanic activity on adjacent arcs in the late Miocene are recorded. Covariations between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd show that the seafloor basalts from both the Sulu and Celebes Basins are isotopically similar to depleted Indian mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB), and distinct from East Pacific Rise MORB, defining a single negative correlation. The Cagayan Arc volcanics are different, in that they have distinctly lower ɛ_Nd(T) for a given ɛ_Sr(T), compared to Sulu and Celebes basalts. In the ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb versus ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb diagrams, the Celebes, Sulu and Cagayan rocks all plot distinctly above the Northern Hemisphere Reference Line, with high Δ7/4 Pb (5.3–9.3) and D8/4 Pb (46.3–68.1) values. They define a single trend of radiogenic lead enrichment from Celebes through Sulu to Cagayan Ridge, within the Indian Ocean MORB data field. The data suggest that the overall chemical and isotopic features of the Sulu, Cagayan and Celebes rocks may be explained by partial melting of a depleted asthenospheric N-MORB-type (“normal”) mantle source with isotopic characteristics similar to those of the Indian Ocean MORB source. This asthenospheric source was slightly heterogeneous, giving rise to the Sr-Nd isotopic differences between the Celebes and Sulu basalts, and the Cagayan Ridge volcanics. In addition, a probably slab-derived component enriched in LILE and LREE is required to generate the elemental characteristics and low _Nd(T) of the Cagayan Ridge island arc tholeiitic and calcalkaline lavas, and to contribute to a small extent in the backarc basalts of the Sulu Sea. The results of this study confirm and extend the widespread Indian Ocean MORB signature in the Western Pacific region. This signature could have been inherited by the Indian Ocean mantle itself during the rupture of Gondwanaland, when fragments of this mantle could have migrated towards the present position of the Celebes, Sulu and Cagayan sources. Received: 23 May 1995/Accepted: 12 October 1995     

Crystal structure of Di50CaTs50 synthetic clinopyroxene (CaMgo0.50AlSil1.5O6). Crystal chemistry along the Di-CaTs join

Summary The crystal structure of the Di₅₀CaTs₅₀ clinopyroxene Ca(Mg_0.5Al_0.5) (Al_0,5Si_1.5)O₆, synthesized at T=1 100°C andP=14 kb, was refined in the C 2/c space group. Cell parameters are:a=9.655,b=8.771,c= 5.278 Å, =106.22°. The finalR value is: 2.1%. Comparison with the Di and CaTs structures shows that the variation of the M 2-0, M 1-0 and T-0 bond lengths is continuous and almost linear in the clinopyroxene solid solutions along the Di-CaTs join. The modifications caused in M 2 and M 1 polyhedra by shifting in tetrahedral chains along z are significant. The different values of shifts with composition account for the anomalous trend for the angle in the DiCaTs solid solution.

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La structure cristalline du clinopyroxène synthétique CaMgo_0.5AlSil_1.5O₆ (Di₅₀CaTs₅₀). La cristallochime le long du joint Di-CaTs

Résumé La structure cristalline du clinopyroxáne Ca(Mg_0.5Al_0.5)(Al_0.5Si_1.5)O₆ (Di₅₀CaTs₅₀), cristallisé á T= 1100° etP=14 kb, a été affinée dans le groupe spatial C 2/c. Les paramétres de la maille sont:a=9.655,b=8.771,c=5.278 Å, =106.22°. La valeur finale deR est 2.1%. La comparaison avec les structures de Di et de CaTs montre que le variation des longueures de liaison M 2-0, M 1-0 et T-0 est continue et presque linéaire pour les clinopyroxénes le long du joint Di-CaTs. Le déplacement des chaines tétraédriques le long de l'axe z cause de remarquables modifications dans les polyèdres M 2 et M 1. Les différentes valeurs du déplacement le long de l'axe z avec la composition expliquent la tendance anomale du paramétre de la maille le long du joint.

     

Spada: An Array of Spad Detectors For Astrophysical Applications

Astrophysical studies require accurate, sensitive and fast detectors to detect faint sources with high variability. Recently an array of Single Photon Avalanche Diodes (SPAD), SPADA, has been developed. This array is suitable for competitive adaptive optics operations and fast transient image acquisition at a fraction of the current cost of imaging arrays. The fabricated solid-state photon counters are rugged, easily integrated with the optics, free from readout noise, and have very fast frame rates (> 10 kHz, for visible corrections) with nanosecond electronic gating. In this paper, the following are described: the development of silicon monolithic arrays of 60 photon-counters, the detection electronics (based on integrated active quenching circuits for each pixel of the array), the real-time data-processing board implemented into FPGA and some aspects of the mechanical housing.     

Initiation and evolution of intra-oceanic subduction in the Uralides: Geochemical and isotopic constraints from Devonian oceanic rocks of the Southern Urals, Russia

Abstract The Southern Uralides are a collisional orogen generated in the Late Devonian–Early Carboniferous by the collision of the Magnitogorsk island arc (MA) generated in the Early to Middle Devonian by intra‐oceanic convergence opposite to the continental margin, and the continental margin of the East European craton. A suture zone of the arc to the continental margin, the Main Uralian Fault (MUF), is marked by ophiolites and exhumed high‐pressure–low‐temperature metamorphic rocks of continental origin. The pre‐orogenic events of the Southern Urals and their geodynamic setting are traced by means of fluid‐immobile incompatible trace elements (rare earth elements and high field strength elements) and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope geochemistry of the MA suites, in particular the protoarc suite with boninites and probably ankaramites, and the mature arc comprised of island arc tholeiitic (IAT) suites, transitional IAT to calc‐alkaline (CA), and CA suites. The MA volcanics result in genetically distinct magmatic source components. In particular, depleted normal‐mid‐oceanic ridge basalt‐type mantle sources with various enrichments in a slab‐derived aqueous fluid component are evident. The enriched component is not involved in significant amounts, as testified by the rather radiogenic Nd isotopes and unradiogenic Pb isotopes. Further information on the pre‐orogenic events is provided by the Mindyak Massif metagabbros derived from diverse gabbroic protoliths that were affected by oceanic rodingitization, and subsequently by a high‐temperature (HT) metamorphism related to the development of a metamorphic sole. The HT metamorphism has the same age as the protoarc volcanism, and constrains the initiation of subduction at approximately 410 Ma. Consequently, the maximum timespan between initial intra‐oceanic convergence and final collision is approximately 31 my, a duration consistent with that of present‐day ongoing collisions in the western Pacific. The characteristics of early volcanism and the traces of a metamorphic sole provide useful criteria to attribute most MUF ophiolites to the Tethyan type with a complex pre‐orogenic evolution.     

Ca−Sr substitution in clinopyroxenes along the join CaMgSi2O6−SrMgSi2O6

Summary In order to define the limits of expansion of the M2 polyhedron in theC2/c clinopyroxenes of formulaX ^M2Mg^M1 [Si₂O₆] as the mean ionic radius in the M2 site increases, the join CaMgSi₂O₆–SrMgSi₂O₆ (Di–SrPx) has been investigated atP=1 atm and between 1090°C and 1350°C. The extent of the clinopyroxene solid solutions is limited to the compositional range Di₁₀₀–Di₇₀SrPx₃₀. Within this range the unit-cell parameters of the clinopyroxenes show a linear variation with the increase of Sr content. The comparison of the variations caused in the unit-cell dimensions by the increase of the mean ionic radius in the M2 site (Di–SrPx series) with those caused by the decrease of the mean ionic radius in M2 (Di–En series) displays a different trend ofb in the two series. This different trend ofb suggests a different mechanism of the structure deformation in the two solid solution series. The narrow extent of the Di–SrPx solid solutions atT=1200°C shows that the increase of the mean ionic radius in the M2 site is restricted to the range 1.12–1.16 Å.

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La substitution Ca–Sr dans les clinopyroxènes le long du joint CaMgSi₂O₆–SrMgSi₂O₆

Résumé Le joint CaMgSi₂O₆–SrMgSi₂O₆ (Di–SrPx) a été étudié entre 1090°C et 1350°C à 1 atm dans le but d'établir quelles sont les limites de l'expansibilité du polyhèdre M2 dans les clinopyroxènesX ^M2Mg^M1 [Si₂O₆] (group spatialC2/c) avec l'augmentation du rayon jonique moyen dans le site M2. La solution solide est limitée à l'intervalle de composition Di₁₀₀–Di₇₀ SrPx₃₀. Dans ce domaine les paramètres de la maille varient d'une façon linéaire avec la teneur croissante de Sr. Si on compare les variations de la maille, déterminées par le rayon jonique moyen croissant dans le site M2 (série Di–SrPx), avec celles causées par la diminution du rayon jonique moyen dans le site M2 (série Di–En), on observe une tendance différente du paramètreb dans les deux séries. Ceci indique un mécanisme différent de la déformation structuralle dans les deux séries de solutions solides. Puisque àT=1200°C le domaine des solutions solides Di–SrPx est étroit, l'augmentation du rayon ionique moyen dans le site M2 est bornée à l'intervalle 1.12–1.16 Å.

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With 5 Figures     

Pumpellyite in low-grade metamorphic rocks from Ligurian and Lucanian Apennines,Maritime Alps and Calabria (Italy)

In the Ligurian Apennines and the Brianzonese area of the Maritime Alps (Northern Italy), and in the Lucanian Apennines and Calabria (Southern Italy), pumpellyite formed during the Alpine metamorphism is widespread in terranes of Late Paleozoic to Miocene age, particularly in mafic ophiolites (Tethyan ophiolites of Jurassic-Early Cretaceous age).Pumpellyite developed under variable metamorphic conditions, which include zeolite, prehnite-pumpellyite, pumpellyite-actinolite, lawsonite-albite and blueschist facies. Pumpellyite from rocks belonging to all these facies was studied in 30 specimens of different chemistry, derived mostly from ophiolitic basalt and gabbro, but also from gneiss, amphibolite, and greywacke protoliths.Microprobe data give evidence of strong compositional variations of pumpellyite. The ranges are extreme for Al and Fe^tot (Al₂O₃=18.74–30.91; FeO_tot=0.46–12.71), to a lesser extent for Mg (MgO=0.58–4.00), with a reciprocal variation of Al and Fe^tot which suggests that most Fe is Fe³⁺.Pumpellyite compositions can be related with the metamorphic conditions, particularly an increase of the Al/Fe^tot ratio with increasing pressure, but larger compositional variation for each facies in the Al-Fe^tot-Mg diagram than those previously described was recognized. Particularly the compositions of pumpellyite from the pumpellyite-actinolite and blueschist fades assemblages extend towards higher Fe^tot contents. Moreover, pumpellyites of the lawsonite-albite facies rocks result to be more aluminous than in blueschist facies; such relations appear to be inconsistent with that expected by the effects of pressure on the Al content.As the rocks are generally incompletely re-equilibrated, their bulk chemistry is not an important factor of pumpellyite composition; in fact the correlations of Al, Fe^tot and Mg are low. The local environment of crystallization, more evidently the composition of the precursor minerals, seems to be a major controlling factor. The observed topologic relations indicate that either the nature of the precursor mineral, or the presence of relict phases have a great influence on the pumpellyite composition. The observed variations within individual specimens, as well as the interspecimen ones, can be explained by small-scale inhomogeneities and in some cases by differences in the activity of O₂.It can be therefore concluded that the composition of pumpellyite often reflects disequilibrium crystallization and cannot be generally used as an indicator of metamorphic conditions.