Weathering: Toward a Fractal Quantifying

Weathering occurs over a wide range of scales. To link features through these scales is a major challenge for interdisciplinary weathering studies. Fractal approach seems to be specially useful for this purpose. We introduce a multistep fractal weathering assessment scheme devoted to extract fractal weathering classifiers from texture analysis of the mineral's image. Our scheme enables to quantitatively estimate the global and local information about the geometry of the weathering pattern. This information is basic to develop geometrical indices of weathering, which can significantly enrich the common qualitative and semiquantitative weathering assessment schemes. To justify the fractal approach, a strong statistical self-similarity has been documented for both the weathering and fresh features of two common silica minerals: quartz and biogenic A-opal (phytolith) over four orders of length scales. The procedure is fast, drastically reduces thresholding bias, promises to be universal, it is valid for genetically different minerals and rock types, scale independent, and specially useful for monitoring the changes in the mineral's roughness during the alteration. Two of the proposed classifiers seem to be potentially useful for direct application in the field and be used by nonspecialist.     

A simple geometric model of sedimentary rock to connect transfer and acoustic properties

A simple rock model is presented which reproduces the measured hydraulic and electric transport properties of sedimentary rocks and connects these properties with each other, as well as with the acoustic propagation velocities and elastic moduli. The model has four geometric parameters (average coordination number Z of the pores, average pore radius r, average distance between nearest pores d, and average throat radius δ) which can be directly determined from the measured porosity Φ, hydraulic permeability k, and cementation exponent m of the rock via simple analytic expressions. Inversion examples are presented for published sandstone data, and for cores taken from Saudi Arabian, Upper Jurassic and Permian carbonate reservoirs. For sandstone, the inversion works perfectly; for carbonates, the derived rock model shows order-of-magnitude agreement with the structure seen in thin sections. Inverting the equations, we express the transfer properties Φ, k, and m as functions of r, d, δ, and Z. Formulae are derived for the bulk density D _b, formation factor F, and P-wave velocity in terms of the proposed geometrical parameters.     

Paleogeographic evolution of the Southern Pannonian Basin: 40Ar/39Ar age constraints on the Miocene continental series of Northern Croatia

The Pannonian Basin, originating during the Early Miocene, is a large extensional basin incorporated between Alpine, Carpathian and Dinaride fold-thrust belts. Back-arc extensional tectonics triggered deposition of up to 500-m-thick continental fluvio-lacustrine deposits distributed in numerous sub-basins of the Southern Pannonian Basin. Extensive andesitic and dacitic volcanism accompanied the syn-rift deposition and caused a number of pyroclastic intercalations. Here, we analyze two volcanic ash layers located at the base and top of the continental series. The lowermost ash from Mt. Kalnik yielded an ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of 18.07?±?0.07?Ma. This indicates that the marine-continental transition in the Slovenia-Zagorje Basin, coinciding with the onset of rifting tectonics in the Southern Pannonian Basin, occurs roughly at the Eggenburgian/Ottnangian boundary of the regional Paratethys time scale. This age proves the synchronicity of initial rifting in the Southern Pannonian Basin with the beginning of sedimentation in the Dinaride Lake System. Beside geodynamic evolution, the two regions also share a biotic evolutionary history: both belong to the same ecoregion, which we designate here as the Illyrian Bioprovince. The youngest volcanic ash level is sampled at the Glina and Karlovac sub-depressions, and both sites yield the same ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age of 15.91?±?0.06 and 16.03?±?0.06?Ma, respectively. This indicates that lacustrine sedimentation in the Southern Pannonian Basin continued at least until the earliest Badenian. The present results provide not only important bench marks on duration of initial synrift in the Pannonian Basin System, but also deliver substantial backbone data for paleogeographic reconstructions in Central and Southeastern Europe around the Early–Middle Miocene transition.     

Radioisotopic dating of the Tortonian Global Stratotype Section and Point: implications for intercalibration of 40Ar/39Ar and astronomical dating methods

In this paper we present new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data of volcanic ash layers intercalated in the astronomically dated sections of Monte dei Corvi and Monte Gibliscemi (Italy) to obtain better radioisotopic time constraints on the Serravallian/Tortonian boundary and to confirm the intercalibration of radioisotopic and astronomical time proposed by Kuiper et al. [2004 ; Fish Canyon Tuff (FCT)-sanidine at 28.21 ± 0.03 Ma]. The latter intercalibration is supported by astronomically calibrated FCT sanidine ages for two ash layers at Monte Gibliscemi (GiF-1: 28.28 ± 0.04; GiD-3: 28.16 ± 0.04 Ma; ±1 SE). As a consequence, our results support the astronomically calibrated age of 11.608 Ma for the Tortonian Global Stratotype Section and Point and, hence, the tuning of the Serravallian/Tortonian boundary interval. The Ancona and Respighi levels at Monte dei Corvi give a more diffuse picture, possibly because of contamination with detrital or xenocrystic material and the inferior quality of biotite for intercalibration purposes.     

Fluoride ions in groundwater of the Turkana County,Kenya, East Africa

Acta Geochimica - Groundwater samples were evaluated throughout Turkana County (Kenya, East Africa) while looking for drinking water sources. Some samples showed high concentrations of fluoride...     

Spatial Distribution,Scaling and Self-similar Behavior of Fracture Arrays in the Los Planes Fault,Baja California Sur,Mexico

We present a case of detailed analysis of fracture arrays spanning four orders of magnitude in length; all of them measured at a single natural site by acquiring images at progressively larger scales. There is a high dispersion of cumulative-length exponents, box dimensions and fracture densities. However, the fractal analysis supports the fractal nature of fracture arrays. Our data indicate the existence of an upper limit for the density parameters, as similarly reported by other authors. We prove that box dimension is in inverse relation with fracture concentration and in direct relation with fracture density. These relations are also observed in our data and additionally there is an upper limit for the box dimensions. We interpret the dispersion in our results as more fundamental than methodological problems. It represents a truncation in the complete evolution of the fracture systems because in natural cases strain initiates overprinting of previous fracture arrays. Considering that larger fractures accommodate strain more efficiently than small fractures, the generation of small fractures is inhibited in the presence of pre-existing larger fractures. Maximum values of fracture density prevent accommodating an excess of strain in a single or restricted range of scales; we claim this condition produces migration of fracturing to larger scales originating fracture scaling.     

Long-eccentricity regulated climate control on fluvial incision and aggradation in the Palaeocene of north-eastern Montana (USA)

Aggradation and fluvial incision controlled by downstream base-level changes at timescales of 10 to 500 kyr is incorporated in classic sequence stratigraphic models. However, upstream climate control on sediment supply and discharge variability causes fluvial incision and aggradation as well. Orbital forcing often regulates climate change at 10 to 500 kyr timescales while tectonic processes such as flexural (un)loading exert a dominant control at timescales longer than 500 kyr. It remains challenging to attribute fluvial incision and aggradation to upstream or downstream processes or disentangle allogenic from autogenic forcing, because time control is mostly limited in fluvial successions. The Palaeocene outcrops of the fluvial Lebo Shale Member in north-eastern Montana (Williston Basin, USA) constitute an exception. This study uses a distinctive tephra layer and two geomagnetic polarity reversals to create a 15 km long chronostratigraphic framework based on the correlation of twelve sections. Three aggradation–incision sequences are identified with durations of approximately 400 kyr, suggesting a relation with long-eccentricity. This age control further reveals that incision occurred during the approach of – or during – a 405 kyr long-eccentricity minimum. A long-term relaxation of the hydrological cycle related to such an orbital phasing potentially exerts an upstream climate control on river incision. Upstream, an expanding vegetation cover is expected because of an increasingly constant moisture supply to source areas. Entrapping by vegetation led to a significantly reduced sediment supply relative to discharge, especially at times of low evapotranspiration. Hence, high discharges resulted in incision. This study assesses the long-eccentricity regulated climate control on fluvial aggradation and incision in a new aggradation–incision sequence model.     

First Principles Calibration of 40Ar Abundances in 40Ar/39Ar Mineral Neutron Fluence Monitors: Methodology and Preliminary Results

The accuracy and traceability of geochronometers are of vital importance to questions asked by many Earth scientists. The widely applied ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronometer relies on the co-irradiation of samples with neutron fluence monitors (reference materials) of known ages; the ages and uncertainties of these monitors are critical to our ability to apply this chronometer. Previously, first principles, astronomical and optimisation calibrations have been made. The first principles method for determining the age of monitor minerals is the K-Ar method, which involves measurement of their ⁴⁰K and ⁴⁰Ar* abundances. The AQuA (Absolute Quantities of Argon) pipette system, which emits calibrated quantities of ⁴⁰Ar* via the ideal gas law, was used to calibrate the sensitivity of the system across a range of source pressures and estimate ⁴⁰Ar* abundances in neutron fluence monitors. These ⁴⁰Ar abundances were combined with existing ⁴⁰K abundance data for these monitors. Ages for HD-B1 and MD2 (GA1550) biotite fluence monitors were calculated and combined with intercalibration data for HD-B1 and Fish Canyon sanidine (FCs) to determine ages for FCs. Current results do not have the targeted accuracy when compared with previous calibrations; however, we show how the extensive methodology development presented here can be used towards making reliable future measurements.     

Messinian events in the Black Sea

Past hydrological interactions between the Mediterranean Sea and Black Sea are poorly resolved due to complications in establishing a high‐resolution time frame for the Black Sea. We present a new greigite‐based magnetostratigraphic age model for the Mio‐Pliocene deposits of DSDP Hole 380/380A, drilled in the southwestern Black Sea. This age model is complemented by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of a volcanic ash layer, allowing a direct correlation of Black Sea deposits to the Messinian salinity crisis (MSC) interval of the Mediterranean Sea. Proxy records divide these DSDP deposits into four intervals: (i) Pre‐MSC marine conditions (6.1–6.0 Ma); (ii) highstand, fresh to brackish water conditions (~6.0–5.6 Ma); (iii) lowstand, fresh‐water environment (5.6–5.4 Ma) and (iv) highstand, fresh‐water conditions (5.4–post 5.0 Ma). Our results indicate the Black Sea was a major fresh‐water source during gypsum precipitation in the Mediterranean Sea. The introduction of Lago Mare fauna during the final stage of the MSC coincides with a sea‐level rise in the Black Sea. Across the Mio‐Pliocene boundary, sea‐level and salinity in the Black Sea did not change significantly.