A high resolution,multiproxy Late‐glacial record of climate change and intrasystem responses in northwest England

A lacustrine carbonate sequence from Hawes Water, Lancashire, UK, has been studied using stable isotopic, lithological, pollen and mineral magnetic analysis. The data reveal four abrupt climatic oscillations in the Late‐glacial Interstadial leading up to the onset of the Loch Lomond Stadial. The data also point to climatic warming relatively early within the stadial, ca. 12 500 GRIP yr, prior to the onset of the Holocene. The oxygen isotope record is taken as a signature of climate forcing against which the response of the lake‐system can be monitored. By adopting this approach it is revealed that the response of the biological system to the rapid climatic oscillations is non‐linear and primarily a function of the antecedent conditions. A significant end‐Devensian isotopic excursion (A) is matched by only minor changes in the cold‐adapted floras and faunas. During the warmer interstadial, the response of the biological ecosystem (events B–D) is clearly influenced by thresholds: major changes in the catchment vegetation associated with relatively minor oscillations in the isotopic signature. The stratigraphical patterns reveal significant lag effects between the onset of climate deterioration and resulting changes in vegetation. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A field and theoretical analysis of garnet+chlorite+chloritoid+biotite assemblages from the tri-state (MA,CT, NY) area,USA

The prograde evolution of minerals in metapelites of a Barrovian sequence from the tri-state area (Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York) of the Taconic Range involves assemblages with garnet (Ga), chlorite (Ch), chloritoid (Ct), biotite (Bi) and staurolite (St). Detailed petrologic observations, mineral compositions and chemical zoning in garnet show: (1) garnet high in Mn and Fe but low in Mg is stable with chlorite at grades below those where chloritoid+biotite is found; (2) early formed garnet reacted partially to form Ct+Bi at intermediate grades; (3) at higher grades garnet (with low Mn)+chlorite is again produced, at the expense of chloritoid+biotite, suggesting a reversal in the continuous reaction involving the phases Ga, Ch, Ct and Bi. Thermodynamic modeling of the assemblage Ga+Ch+Ct+Bi±St in the MnKFMASH system reveals: (1) in the MnKFASH system the prograde reaction is Ga+Ch=Ct+Bi whereas in the KFMASH system the prograde reaction is the opposite: Ct+Bi=Ga+Ch; (2) the Ga–Ch–Ct–Bi–St invariant point in the KFMASH system occurs twice, at approximately 6.5 kbar, 545° C and 14.8 kbar, 580° C (although one of them may be metastable in a complex phase system); the appearance of the petrogenetic grid is markedly different from that of Albee, but similar to that of Spear and Cheney; (3) as a consequence, in the KFMASH system, chloritoid+biotite are stable over a wide range of P-T conditions whereas garnet+chlorite assemblages are restricted to a narrow band of P-T conditions; (4) MnO increases the stability field of Ga+Ch relative to both Ct+Bi at low temperatures, and St+Bi at high temperatures; (5) in natural samples the occurrence of Ct+Bi is controlled more by bulk Mg–Fe(-Mn) composition than P-T conditions. Specifically, Ct+Bi is restricted to bulk compositions with Fe/(Mg+Fe+Mn)>0.6. Rocks with Fe/(Mg+Fe+Mn)<0.5 are likely to display only chlorite+biotite at low grade. These observations are consistent with Wang and Spear and Spear and Cheney.     

Rigid unit modes in the molecular dynamics simulation of quartz and the incommensurate phase transition

A molecular dynamics simulation of quartz at different temperatures both in the a and in the phase has been conducted. The - phase transition could be observed. A phonon analysis of the -phase confirms and rounds out in a quantitative way the origin of the incommensurate (ic) modulated phase. In particular it traces the optic soft mode at becoming (to a good approximation) a so-called rigid unit mode (RUM) at q0, and elucidates its coupling to the transverse acoustic mode which precipitates the incommensurate transition. This success underpins and illuminates the concept of RUMs and their role in structural phase transitions.     

The structural state of the former lower continental crust in Calabria (S. Italy)

In the Northern Serre (S. Italy), a continuous section through a former lower continental crust is exposed (Schenk 1984, 1985). These granulite facies rocks have not been penetratively deformed during their uplift to higher crustal levels. Therefore, they allow to study the structural state of the lower continental crust. Most rockforming minerals, among them ortho- and clinopyroxene and cordierite, show recrystallization structures. Quarz basal subgrain boundaries are developed in lower levels of the lower crust and disappear toward higher levels. In addition to dimensional orientations of the rockforming minerals, the preferred crystallographic orientations of plagioclases, cordierite, amphibole, pyroxenes and, rarely, quartz reflect the strain orientation of the prograde high-T deformation. During this deformation, the stretching direction was constant NNE-SSW throughout the exposed lower crustal section. Shear indicators are rare. This points to the fact that deformation has been homogeneous and coaxial flattening. There is only a small variation in orientation and strength of textures throughout the exposed lower crust. Therefore, neighbouring layers of different composition rather than different deformation might serve as seismic reflectors in the former lower crust.

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Zusammenfassung In der nördlichen Serre (Süditalien) ist ein zusammenhängender Bereich einer ehemaligen kontinentalen Unterkruste aufgeschlossen (Schenk 1984, 1985). Diese granulitfaziellen Gesteine sind bei ihrem Aufstieg in höhere Krustenbereiche nicht durchgreifend überprägt worden. Deshalb läßt sich an ihnen noch der strukturelle Zustand der ehemaligen Unterkruste studieren. Außer in Feldspäten, Quarz und Amphibol tritt auch in Ortho- und Klinopyroxen und in Cordierit Rekristallisation auf. In tieferen Krustenniveaus sind im Quarz basisparallele Subkorngrenzen entwickelt, die in höheren Krustenbereichen nicht auftreten. Sowohl die Gestaltregelungen der gesteinsbildenden Minerale als auch die kristallographischen Plagioklas-, Cordierit-, Amphibol-, Pyroxen- und (seltener) Quarzregelungen spiegeln die Strain-orientierung der prograden hochtemperierten Deformation wider. Während dieser Deformation blieb die Streckung im gesamten Unterkrustenbereich konstant NNE-SSW orientiert. Scherindikatoren sind selten. Beides deutet darauf hin, daß die Deformation homogen und als koachsiale Plättung abgelaufen ist. Im gesamten aufgeschlossenen Unterkrustenbereich variieren weder Intensität noch Orientierung der kristallographischen und gestaltlichen Regelungen der gesteinsbildenden Minerale wesentlich. Deshalb sollten in der ehemaligen Unterkruste Lagen unterschiedlicher Deformation weniger als seismische Reflektoren in Frage kommen als Lagen unterschiedlicher Zusammensetzung.

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Résumé Le Massif de la Serre Septentrionale en Calabre (Sud de l'Italie) représente un tronçon d'une ancienne croûte continentale profonde (Schenk 1984, 1985). Les roches du faciès granulite qui le constituent n'ont pas subi de déformation penetrative lors de leur ascension dans les niveaux plus superficiels de la croûte. Leur étude permet donc de reconstruire les caractéristiques structurales de l'ancienne croûte profonde. Non seulement les feldspaths, le quartz et l'amphibole, mais encore l'orthopyroxène, le clinopyroxène et la cordiérite ont recristallisé. Dans les niveaux les plus profonds de la croûte on observe dans les cristaux de quartz des bordures de sous-grains parallèles à la base. Celles-ci n'apparaissent plus dans les niveaux plus superficiels. L'orientation des cristaux des minéraux constitutifs des roches, de même que l'orientation des réseaux cristallins du plagioclase, de la cordiérite, de l'amphibole, du pyroxène et (mais plus rarement) du quartz réflètent la direction de contrainte de la phase de déformation prograde de haute température. Pendant cette phase de déformation, la direction d'extension est demeurée NNE-SSW. Les témoins de cisaillement sont rares, ce qui montre que la déformation s'est effectuée de façon homogène, en relation avec un aplatissement coaxial. Les textures varient très peu en orientation comme en intensité dans toute la coupe de croûte profonde exposée. En conséquence, l'existence de réflecteurs sismiques devrait refléter des différences dans les compositions minéralogiques des roches plutôt que dans leurs caractéristiques structurales.

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Variability in the power spectrum of solar five-minute oscillations

Two-dimensional power spectra of solar five-minute oscillations display prominent ridge structures in (k, ω) space, where k is the horizontal wavenumber and ω is the temporal frequency. The positions of these ridges in k and ω can be used to probe temperature and velocity structures in the subphotosphere. We have been carrying out a continuing program of observations of five-minute oscillations with the diode array instrument on the vacuum tower telescope at Sacramento Peak Observatory (SPO). We have sought to establish whether power spectra taken on separate days show shifts in ridge locations; these may arise from different velocity and temperature patterns having been brought into our sampling region by solar rotation. Power spectra have been obtained for six days of observations of Doppler velocities using the Mgi λ5173 and Fei λ5434 spectral lines. Each data set covers 8 to 11 hr in time and samples a region 256″ × 1024″ in spatial extent, with a spatial resolution of 2″ and temporal sampling of 65 s. We have detected shifts in ridge locations between certain data sets which are statistically significant. The character of these displacements when analyzed in terms of eastward and westward propagating waves implies that changes have occurred in both temperature and horizontal velocity fields underlying our observing window. We estimate the magnitude of the velocity changes to be on the order of 100 m s^-1; we may be detecting the effects of large-scale convection akin to giant cells.     

Carbon biogeochemistry of the Betsiboka estuary (north-western Madagascar)

Madagascar’s largest estuary (Betsiboka) was sampled along the salinity gradient during the dry season to document the distribution and sources of particulate and dissolved organic carbon (POC, DOC) as well as dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC). The Betsiboka was characterized by a relatively high suspended matter load, and in line with this, low DOC/POC ratios (0.4–2.5). The partial pressure of CO₂ (pCO₂) was generally above atmospheric equilibrium (270–1530 ppm), but relatively low in comparison to other tropical and subtropical estuaries, resulting in low average CO₂ emission to the atmosphere (9.1 ± 14.2 mmol m⁻² d⁻¹). Despite the fact that C4 vegetation is reported to cover >80% of the catchment area, stable isotope data on DOC and POC suggest that C4 derived material comprises only 30% of both pools in the freshwater zone, increasing to 60–70% and 50–60%, respectively, in the oligohaline zone due to additional lateral inputs. Sediments from intertidal mangroves in the estuary showed low organic carbon concentrations (<1%) and δ¹³C values (average −19.8‰) consistent with important inputs of riverine imported C4 material. This contribution was reflected in δ¹³C signatures of bacterial phospholipid derived fatty acids (i + a15:0), suggesting the potential importance of terrestrial organic matter sources for mineralization and secondary production in coastal ecosystems.