Generation of Porphyritic and Equigranular Mafic Enclaves During Magma Recharge Events at Unzen Volcano, Japan

Mafic to intermediate enclaves are evenly distributed throughoutthe dacitic 1991–1995 lava sequence of Unzen volcano,Japan, representing hundreds of mafic recharge events over thelife of the volcano. This study documents the morphological,textural, chemical, and petrological characteristics of theenclaves and coexisting silicic host lavas. The eruptive productsdescribed in this study appear to be general products of magmamingling, as the same textural types are seen at many othervolcanoes. Two types of magmatic enclaves, referred to as Porphyriticand Equigranular, are easily distinguished texturally. Porphyriticenclaves display a wide range in composition from basalt toandesite, are glass-rich, spherical and porphyritic, and containlarge, resorbed, plagioclase phenocrysts in a matrix of acicularcrystals and glass. Equigranular enclaves are andesitic, non-porphyritic,and consist of tabular, medium-grained microphenocrysts in amatrix glass that is in equilibrium with the host dacite magma.Porphyritic enclaves are produced when intruding basaltic magmaengulfs melt and phenocrysts of resident silicic magma at theirmutual interface. Equigranular enclaves are a product of a moreprolonged mixing and gradual crystallization at a slower coolingrate within the interior of the mafic intrusion. KEY WORDS: mafic enclaves; quenched mafic inclusions; magma mingling; Unzen volcano; Unzen Scientific Drilling Project; resorbed plagioclase     

Geochemical Evolution of Akagi Volcano, NE Japan: Implications for Interaction Between Island-arc Magma and Lower Crust, and Generation of Isotopically Various Magmas

Major and trace element, and Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositionswere determined for whole-rock samples from the ‘isotopicallyanomalous’ Akagi volcano in the volcanic front of theNE Japan arc. Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of phenocrystswere also analyzed together with their major and trace elementcompositions. Compared with the other volcanoes from the volcanicfront, the whole-rock isotope compositions of Akagi show highlyenriched characteristics; ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0·7060–0·7088,     

Shift and Rotation of Composition Trends by Magma Mixing: 1983 Eruption at Miyake-jima Volcano, Japan

Pre-eruption processes are investigated for magmas erupted in1983 from Miyake-jima volcano, which is one of the most activevolcanoes in Japan. The whole-rock compositional trends of theeruptive products are principally smooth and linear. Magmaserupted from some fissures have compositions that deviate fromthe main linear trend. Phenocryst contents of samples displacedfrom the linear compositional trends are significantly lowerthan those of samples on the main trends. Anorthite-rich plagioclasephenocrysts, present throughout the 1983 products, are too calcicto have crystallized from the erupted magma composition, andwere derived from a basaltic magma through magma mixing. Althoughthe linear whole-rock composition trends favor simple two-componentmagma mixing, this cannot explain the presence of samples thatdeviate from the main trend. Instead, the observed compositiontrends were formed by mixing of a homogeneous basaltic magmawith andesitic magmas exhibiting compositional diversity. Theoriginal linear composition trends of the andesitic end-membermagma were rotated and shifted to the direction of the basalticend-member magma by magma mixing. The samples out of the maintrends represent magmas with less basaltic component than thoseon the trend. The density and viscosity of the basaltic end-membermagma were comparable with those of the andesitic end-membermagmas. The basaltic magma, discharged from one magma chamberat 2 kbar pressure, was injected into a magma chamber at lowerpressure occupied by the chemically zoned andesite magma (1kbar), and possibly as a fountain. To establish the characteristicmixing trend of the 1983 magma, the basaltic component musthave been distributed systematically in the zoned andesite magma.A requirement is that the basaltic magma spread laterally andmixed with the andesite magma at various levels of ascent ofthe fountain in the host andesite magma. Analysis of compositionalzoning in titanomagnetite crystals revealed that the eruptionof the 1983 magmas was initiated soon after the replenishmentof the basaltic magma in the 1 kbar magma chamber. KEY WORDS: compositional trend; liquid–liquid blending; magma chamber; magma mixing; Miyake-jima Volcano     

Sedimentation in a closed trough north of the Iberia Abyssal Plain in the northeast Atlantic†

Mirrol Trough of the northeast Atlantic contains five NNE-SSW trending, en echelon, turbidite-filled basins deeper than 5500 m, each ranging from 4 to 10 km in width and 19 to 65 km in length. Trough deposition has consisted mainly of turbidites from adjacent hills and ridges as indicated by the physiography of the region, sediment isopach map, the nature of the sediments in the trough, and benthic foraminiferal depth indicator species. The sedimentation rate on abyssal hills and ridges, as deduced from palaeomagnetic evidence, is 1.36 cm/10³ years. Using this sedimentation rate, it is estimated that Mirrol Trough subsided relative to the surrounding area and began receiving sediments between 8.3 and 11.5 m.y. ago; and the deposition of the most recent turbidite has occurred sometime between 29,000 and 44,000 years b.p. Tilting of the base of the most recent turbidite with respect to the basin floor is observed, and this is attributed to relative sinking of the eastern margin of the trough after the deposition of the most recent turbidite.     

SEM Observation of the Wing Membrane of Beipiaopterus chenianus (Pterosauria)

The cross-section and surface structures of wing membranes from the ctenochasmatid pterosaur Beipiaopterus chenianus were observed through a scanning electron microscope （SEM）. The results show that the wing membrane contains a high density of blood vessels, implying strong thermoregulatory function, similar to that of a bat wing membrane. This is the first comparison of the microstmctures of pterosaur wing membranes with those of the modem bat. It is inferred that a bat-like physiology exists, at least in relatively small pterosaurs suggesting that these pterosaurs were warm-blooded, active fliers.     

Sedimentary history with biotic reaction in the Middle Permian shelly sequence of the Southern Kitakami Massif,Japan

The transition of sedimentary environments and their organism‐related responses is exemplified in the active margin setting of the Middle Permian in the Southern Kitakami Massif. The transition in the sedimentary environment began with a shallowing‐upward sequence at an upper slope to an outer shelf depositional setting that was associated with a delta system which transported abundant botanic remains in the Hoso‐o Formation. By contrast, the sediments of the overlying Kamiyasse Formation, the base of which is roughly equivalent to the lowermost Capitanian, were deposited at a lower shoreface to the outer shelf setting, which originated from complex depositional sources, including beach, near shore reef mounds and a nearby independent area of shallow and hard substratum with a considerable difference of depth. This unique depositional setting resulted in the seemingly ‘mixed’ fauna associated with this formation. The depositional environment of the overlying Kurosawa Formation is similar to that of the Hoso‐o Formation, but with far fewer monotonous biotic remains. A comparison of lithological characteristics and fossil remains with those of neighboring regions suggests that the independent mounds were generated as if the talus formed elsewhere so as to provide a large amount of skeletal elements to a deeper basin in the earliest Capitanian. Accordingly, the complex sedimentary setting observed in the Kamiyasse Formation occurs widely throughout the South Kitakami Massif, making possible the ‘mixed’ and seemingly diverse fauna from a mixture of multiple allochthonous origins.     

Description and Phylogenetic Position of Dinosaur Eggshells from the Luanchuan Area of Western Henan Province, China

Here, we examine 145 dinosaur eggshells from a new fossil locality in the Qiupa Formation (Upper Cretaceous) of the Luanchuan area in western Henan Province, China. The eggshells display elongatoolithid macro- and microstructures, including ridges and nodes on the outer surface, two ultrastructural layers, and an undulatory boundary between the mammillary and continuous layers. A phylogenic analysis shows that the Luanchuan eggshells belong to the ooclade Elongatoolithidae. Within Elongatoolithidae, the thickness ratio of the mammillary layer to the entire eggshell, and the porosity of the Luanchuan eggshells are comparable to the oogenera Macroolithus and Elongatoolithus. There is no direct evidence for the taxonomic identity of the Luanchuan eggshells; however, they were likely laid by oviraptorids based on their phylogenetic position and their similarities with known oviraptorid eggs.     

A New Basal Sauropod Dinosaur from the Lufeng Basin,Yunnan Province, Southwestern China

<正>A new dinosaur Chuxiongosaurus lufengensis gen.et sp.nov.is erected based on a nearly complete skull.The taxon is characterized by the lacrimal perpendicular to the ventral margin of the upper jaw,which is similar to that of Thecodontosaurus;a depression present on the dorsal profile of the snout behind the naris;the rostral profile of the maxilla slopes continuously towards the rostral tip;and the presence of 25 dentary teeth.It also displays prosauropod characters such as a relatively long skull,the slope of the maxillary rostral profile,and teeth that do not have basically constricted crowns.The new specimen is more basal than Anchisaurus and represents the first basal sauropod dinosaur from the Early Jurassic of China.     

Prograde Metamorphism of the Horokanai Ophiolite in the Kamuikotan Zone, Hokkaido, Japan

The Horokanai ophiolite is a segment of metamorphosed oceaniccrust and upper mantle, tectonically replaced into the KamuikotanZone of Hokkaido, Japan. Metamorphic grade, ranging from thezeolite faciles (Zone A) through the greenschist facile (ZoneB) and the greenschist-amphibolite transitional facile (ZoneC), to the amphibolitic and granulizes facile (Zone D) increasesprogressively downwards with zone boundaries subparallel tothe ophiolite pseudostraitigraphy. The granulite facile rocksinclude both metagabbros and their underlying ultranafic rocks.Coexisting minerals from several tens of samples covering allthe minerals zones were analysed by means of an electronprodemicroanalyser; the results are presented, along with brief considerationof their compositional variation with metamorphic grade. Thefaciles series of metamorphism of the Horokanai ophiolite correspondsto the low-pressure type with a temperature range of 100-750?C, which is broadly comparable to that inferred for ocean-floormetamorphism. The major difference is the presence of the granulitefacile rocks in the Horokanai ophiolite and its absence in ocean-floormetamorphism.