A catalog of tsunamis in New Caledonia from 28 March 1875 to 30 September 2009

In order to establish a tsunami alert system in New Caledonia in April 2008, the French Secretary of State for Overseas Affairs, with the aid of the UNESCO French Commission, mandated an investigation to build a more complete record of the most recent tsunamis. To complete this task, a call for witnesses was broadcast through various media and in public locations. These witnesses were then interviewed onsite about the phenomenon they had observed. Previous witness reports that had been obtained in the last few years were also used. For the most recent events, various archives were consulted. In total, 18 events were documented, of which 12 had not been previously mentioned in past work. These results confirm an exposure to a hazard of: (1) local origin (the southern part of the Vanuatu arc) with a very short post-seismic delay (< 30 min) before the arrival of wave trains; (2) regional origin (Solomon Islands arc, northern part of the Vanuatu arc) with a delay of several hours; and (3) an exposure to trans-oceanic tsunamis (Kamchatka 1952, South Chile 1960, Kuril Islands 2006, North Tonga 2009), unknown until today. These results highlight the necessity for New Caledonia to adopt an alert system, coupled with ocean tide gauges, that liaises with the main alert system for the Pacific (Pacific Tsunami Warning Center), and brings to light the importance of establishing a prevention campaign.     

Mid- to late Holocene environmental and climatic changes in New Caledonia, southwest tropical Pacific, inferred from the littoral plain Gouaro-Déva

Multiproxy analysis of three littoral cores from western New Caledonia supports the hypothesis that the main controlling factors of environmental changes are sea-level change, ENSO variability and extra-tropical phenomena, such as the Medieval Warm Period (MWP) marked by a tendency for La Niña-like conditions in the tropical Pacific. The record starts during the late Holocene sea-level rise when the terrestrial vegetation indicated wet and cool conditions. The site was a coastal bay definitely transformed into a freshwater swamp at around 3400 cal yr BP, after the rapid drawdown of sea level to its current level. Sediments and foraminiferal assemblages indicated subsequent episodes of freshwater infillings, emersion or very high-energy conditions, likely related to climatic changes and mostly controlled by ENSO variability. Between 2750 and 2000 cal yr BP, relatively dry and cool climate prevailed, while wetter conditions predominated between ca. 1800 and 900 cal yr BP. The Rhizophoraceae peak between ca. 1080 and 750 cal yr BP, coeval with the MWP, may indicate a global phenomenon. Microcharcoal particles present throughout the record increased after 1500 cal yr BP, suggesting an anthropogenic source. From ca. 750 cal yr BP the appearance of current type of vegetation marks the human impact.     

Late Holocene paleoenvironment in northern New Caledonia, southwestern Pacific, from a multiproxy analysis of lake sediments

Lithostratigraphic and palynological analysis of two cores recovered from the ‘Grand Lac’ (New Caledonia), combined with 35 ¹⁴C AMS dates, yields a paleoenvironmental record spanning the last 2000 yr. The lithology is represented mainly by clayey or laminated layers. A catastrophic event, which is marked by very coarse deposits, occurred probably between ca 1070-960 cal yr B.P. and possibly is associated with an unusually severe La Niña event. Before and after this event, a similar combination of the two main sediment types is recorded. The repeated alternation of laminated and clayey layers is interpreted as the response to local hydrologic forcing, which may reflect a shift from relatively wet to relatively drier conditions, respectively. Variable amount of micro-charcoal is detected all along the profile. Without additional evidence, notwithstanding the initial local human settlement documented since ca 2900 ¹⁴C yr B.P., micro-charcoal occurrence and variability cannot be linked directly to an anthropogenic origin. No distinct palynological zonations in relation to the lithology are observed, and the vegetation changes may only represent minor transitions across environmental limits.     

Mineral fibres and environmental monitoring:A comparison of different analytical strategies in New Caledonia

Covered by ultrabasic units for more than a third of its surface,the New Caledonia(South West Pacific)is one of the largest world producers of Ni-ore from lateritic deposits.Almost all outcrops of geological units and open mines contain serpentine and amphibole,also as asbestos varieties.In this geological context,in which weathering processes had a great contribution in the production and dispersion of mineral fibres into the environment,the development of a routinely analytical strategy,able to discriminate an asbestiform fibre from a non-harmful particle,is a pivotal requisite.However,the acquisition of all these parameters is necessary for determining the risk associated to fibres exposition.A multidisciplinary routinely approach,based on the use of complementary simply-to-use but reliable analytical methods is the only possible strategy.In addition,the instrumental apparatus must be easily transportable on the field,directly on the mining site.The employment of specialized tools such as Polarized Light Microscopy associated to Dispersion Staining method(PLM/DS)and portable Raman spectroscopy for identification of environmental asbestos,are proved extremely effective in the improvement of the performance and rapidity of data acquisition and interpretation.Both PLM/DS and handheld Raman devices confirmed to be discriminant in the detection and characterization of asbestos fibres for both serpentine and amphibole.Furthermore,these techniques proved extremely effective even in the presence of strongly fibrous and altered samples.     

A late Quaternary pollen sequence from Mfabeni Peatland, South Africa: Reconstructing forest history in Maputaland

This paper documents a continuous  44,000-yr pollen record derived from the Mfabeni Peatland on the Maputaland Coastal Plain. A detailed fossil pollen analysis indicates the existence of extensive Podocarpus-abundant coastal forests before  33,000 cal yr BP. The onset of wetter local conditions after this time is inferred from forest retreat and the development of swampy conditions. Conditions during the last glacial maximum ( 21,000 cal yr BP) are inferred to have been colder and drier than the present, as evidenced by forest retreat and replacement of swampy reed/sedge communities by dry grassland. Forest growth and expansion during the Holocene Altithermal ( 8000–6000 cal yr BP) indicates warm, relatively moist conditions. Previous records from Maputaland have suggested a northward migration of Podocarpus forest during the late Holocene. However, we interpret a mid-Holocene decline in Podocarpus at Mfabeni as evidence of deforestation. Forest clearance during the mid-Holocene is supported by the appearance of Morella serrata, suggesting a shift towards more open grassland/savanna, possibly due to burning. These signals of human impact are coupled with an increase in Acacia, indicative of the development of secondary forest and hence disturbance.     

Syntectonic Mobility of Supergene Nickel Ores of New Caledonia (Southwest Pacific). Evidence from Garnierite Veins and Faulted Regolith

Supergene nickel deposits of New Caledonia that have been formed in the Neogene by weathering of obducted ultramafic rocks are controlled by fracture development. The relationship of tropical weathering and tectonic structures, faults and tension gashes, have been investigated in order to determine whether fractures play a passive role only, as previously thought; or alternatively, if brittle tectonics was acting together with alteration. Observation of time‐relationship, textures, and mineralogy of various fracture fills and fault gouges shows that active faulting has played a prominent role not only in facilitating drainage and providing room for synkinematic crystallization of supergene nickel silicate, but also in mobilizing already formed sparse nickel ore, producing the very high grade ore nicknamed “green gold”.     

Holocene fire and vegetation dynamics in a montane forest, North Cascade Range, Washington, USA

We reconstructed a 10,500-yr fire and vegetation history of a montane site in the North Cascade Range, Washington State based on lake sediment charcoal, macrofossil and pollen records. High-resolution sampling and abundant macrofossils made it possible to analyze relationships between fire and vegetation. During the early Holocene (> 10,500 to ca. 8000 cal yr BP) forests were subalpine woodlands dominated by Pinus contorta. Around 8000 cal yr BP, P. contorta sharply declined in the macrofossil record. Shade tolerant, mesic species first appeared ca. 4500 cal yr BP. Cupressus nootkatensis appeared most recently at 2000 cal yr BP. Fire frequency varies throughout the record, with significantly shorter mean fire return intervals in the early Holocene than the mid and late Holocene. Charcoal peaks are significantly correlated with an initial increase in macrofossil accumulation rates followed by a decrease, likely corresponding to tree mortality following fire. Climate appears to be a key driver in vegetation and fire regimes over millennial time scales. Fire and other disturbances altered forest vegetation at shorter time scales, and vegetation may have mediated local fire regimes. For example, dominance of P. contorta in the early Holocene forests may have been reinforced by its susceptibility to frequent, stand-replacing fire events.     

Platinum and palladium mobility in supergene environment: The residual origin of the Pirogues River mineralization, New Caledonia

Eluvial concentration of platinum-group minerals (PGM) has developed in the south of New Caledonia, from the weathering of a mafic and ultramafic cumulate. The platinum/palladium (Pt/Pd) ratio evolution from the bottom to the top of the weathering profile indicates a chemical mobilization of Pd in supergene environment. The examination by scanning electron microscopy of the residual PGM collected in the weathering profile and their chemical characterization by electronic microprobe show a preservation of the structure and chemical signature (in the core of the grains) of the fresh PGM. This clearly demonstrates that the PGM studied here are residual and are affected by dissolution process.     

U–Pb zircon dating of post-obduction volcanic-arc granitoids and a granulite-facies xenolith from New Caledonia. Inference on Southwest Pacific geodynamic models

In New Caledonia, the occurrence of one of the World’s largest and best-exposed subduction/obduction complex is a key point for the understanding of the geodynamic evolution of the whole Southwest Pacific region. Within the ophiolite, pre-and post-obduction granitoids intrude the ultramafic allochthon and provide new time constraints for the understanding of obduction processes. At 27.4 Ma, a new East-dipping subduction generated the active margin magmatism along the western coast of the island (Saint-Louis massif). At 24.3 Ma, the eastward shift of the magma activity and slightly different geochemical features (Koum-Borindi massif) was either related to the older slab break-off; or alternatively, due to the eastward migration of the mantle wedge following the collision of the eastern margin of the Low Howe rise. Finally, the occurrence of a granulite-facies xenolith in the Koum-Borindi massif with comparable 24.5 Ma U–Pb zircon age and isotopic features (initial ε_Nd = 5.1) suggests that these evolved magmas were generated within the lithospheric mantle beneath a continental crust of normal thickness. Geochronological evidence for continuous convergence during the Oligocene infers an East-dipping Eocene-Oligocene subduction/obduction system to have existed in the Southwest Pacific from the d’Entrecasteaux zone to the North Island of New Zealand.     

The internal deformation of the Peridotite Nappe of New Caledonia: A structural study of serpentine-bearing faults and shear zones in the Koniambo Massif

We present a structural analysis of serpentine-bearing faults and shear zones in the Koniambo Massif, one of the klippes of the Peridotite Nappe of New Caledonia. Three structural levels are recognized. The upper level is characterized by a dense network of fractures. Antigorite and polygonal serpentine form slickenfibers along fault planes with distinct kinematics. As a result, the upper level keeps the record of at least two deformation events, the first associated with the growth of antigorite (WNW-ESE extension), the second with the growth of polygonal serpentine (NW–SE compression). The lower level coincides with the ‘serpentine sole’ of the nappe, which consists of massive tectonic breccias overlying a layer of mylonitic serpentinites. The sole records pervasive tangential shear with top-to-SW kinematics and represents a décollement at the base of the nappe. The intermediate level is characterized by the presence of several meters-thick conjugate shear zones accommodating NE–SW shortening. Like the sole, these shear zones involve polygonal serpentine and magnesite as the main syn-kinematic mineral phases. The shear zones likely root into the basal décollement, either along its roof or, occasionally, around its base. Compared to top-to-SW shearing along the sole, the two deformation events recorded in the upper level are older.The three structural levels correlate well with previously recognized spatial variations in the degree of serpentinization. It is therefore tempting to consider that the intensity of serpentinization played a major role in the way deformation has been distributed across the Peridotite Nappe. However, even the least altered peridotites, in the upper level, contain so much serpentine that, according to theoretical and experimental work, they should be nearly as weak as pure serpentinite. Hence, no strong vertical gradient in strength due to variations in the degree of serpentinization is expected within the exposed part of the nappe. Our proposal is that strain localization along the serpentine sole results from the juxtaposition of the nappe, made of weak serpentinized peridotites, against the strong mafic rocks of its substratum. This interpretation is at odds with the intuitive view that would consider the nappe, made of peridotites, as stronger than its basement.     

A record of late-Holocene environmental change from southern New England, USA

Analyses of a sediment core from Little Pond, located in the town of Bolton, Massachusetts, provide new insights into the history of environmental and ecological changes in southern New England during the late Holocene. Declines in organic content and peaks in the abundance of Isoetes spores indicate reduced water depth at 2900–2600, 2200–1800, and 1200–800 calibrated years before present (cal yr BP), generally consistent with the timing of dry conditions in records from elsewhere in the northeastern United States. The Little Pond pollen record features little change over the last 3000 yr, indicating that the surrounding vegetation was relatively insensitive to these periods of drought. The 1200–800 cal yr BP dry interval, however, coincides with increased abundance of Castanea pollen, suggesting that the expansion of Castanea in southern New England may have been influenced by late-Holocene climatic variability.     

Postglacial vegetation, fire, and climate history of the Siskiyou Mountains, Oregon, USA

The forests of the Siskiyou Mountains are among the most diverse in North America, yet the long-term relationship among climate, diversity, and natural disturbance is not well known. Pollen, plant macrofossils, and high-resolution charcoal data from Bolan Lake, Oregon, were analyzed to reconstruct a 17,000-yr-long environmental history of high-elevation forests in the region. In the late-glacial period, the presence of a subalpine parkland of Artemisia, Poaceae, Pinus, and Tsuga with infrequent fires suggests cool dry conditions. After 14,500 cal yr B.P., a closed forest of Abies, Pseudotsuga, Tsuga, and Alnus rubra with more frequent fires developed which indicates more mesic conditions than before. An open woodland of Pinus, Quercus, and Cupressaceae, with higher fire activity than before, characterized the early Holocene and implies warmer and drier conditions than at present. In the late Holocene, Abies and Picea were more prevalent in the forest, suggesting a return to cool wet conditions, although fire-episode frequency remained relatively high. The modern forest of Abies and Pseudotsuga and the present-day fire regime developed ca. 2100 cal yr B.P. and indicates that conditions had become slightly drier than before. Sub-millennial-scale fluctuations in vegetation and fire activity suggest climatic variations during the Younger Dryas interval and within the early Holocene period. The timing of vegetation changes in the Bolan Lake record is similar to that of other sites in the Pacific Northwest and Klamath region, and indicates that local vegetation communities were responding to regional-scale climate changes. The record implies that climate-driven millennial- to centennial-scale vegetation and fire change should be considered when explaining the high floristic diversity observed at present in the Siskiyou Mountains.     

Migration and accumulation of ultra-depleted subduction-related melts in the Massif du Sud ophiolite (New Caledonia)

The Massif du Sud is a large ophiolitic complex that crops out in the southern region of New Caledonia (SW Pacific). It is dominated by harzburgite tectonite that locally shows a transitional gradation to massive dunite up section. Clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene and plagioclase progressively appear in dunite up to the transition to layered wehrlite and orthopyroxene–gabbro. The dunite–wehrlite and wehrlite–gabbro contacts are parallel and the latter defines the paleo-Moho.Highly depleted modal, mineral and bulk rock compositions indicate that harzburgites are residues after high degrees (20–30%) of partial melting mainly in the spinel-stability field. Their relative enrichment in HFSE, LREE and MREE is due to re-equilibration of melting residues with percolating melts. Dunite formed in the Moho transition zone by reaction between residual mantle harzburgite and olivine-saturated melts that led to pyroxene dissolution and olivine precipitation. Rare clinopyroxene and plagioclase crystallized in interstitial melt pores of dunite from primitive, low-TiO₂, ultra-depleted liquids with a geochemical signature transitional between those of island arc tholeiites and boninites.Ascending batches of relatively high-SiO₂, ultra-depleted melts migrated through the Moho transition zone and generated wehrlite by olivine dissolution and crystallization of clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene and plagioclase in variable amounts. These liquids were more evolved and were produced by higher degrees of melting or from a more depleted source compared with melts that locally crystallized clinopyroxene in dunite. Ultra-depleted magmas, non-cogenetic with those that formed the Moho transition zone, ascended to the lower crust and generated gabbroic cumulates with subduction-related affinity. Thus, the ultramafic and mafic rocks in the Moho transition zone and lower crust of the Massif du Sud ophiolite are not products of fractional crystallization from a single magma-type but are the result of migration and accumulation of different melts in a multi-stage evolution.The record of high partial melting in the mantle section, and migration and accumulation of ultra-depleted subduction-related melts in the Moho transition zone and lower crust support that the Massif du Sud ophiolite is a portion of forearc lithosphere generated in an extensional regime during the early phases of the subduction zone evolution. Our results show the existence of different types of ultra-depleted melt compositions arriving at the Moho transition zone and lower crust of an infant intraoceanic paleo-arc. Ultra-depleted melts may thus be a significant component of the melt budget generated in oceanic spreading forearcs prior to aggregation and mixing of a large range of melt compositions in the crust.     

A late-glacial transition from Picea glauca to Picea mariana in southern New England

Picea is an important taxon in late-glacial pollen records from eastern North America, but little is known about which species of Picea were present. We apply a recently developed palynological method for discriminating the three Picea species in eastern North America to three records from New England. Picea glauca was dominant at  14,500–14,000 cal yr BP, followed by a transition to Picea mariana between  14,000 and 13,500 cal yr BP. Comparison of the pollen data with hydrogen isotope data shows clearly that this transition began before the beginning of the Younger Dryas Chronozone. The ecological changes of the late-glacial interval were not a simple oscillation in the position of a single species' range, but rather major changes in vegetation structure and composition occurring during an interval of variations in several environmental factors, including climate, edaphic conditions, and atmospheric CO₂ levels.     

Latitudinal and downcore (0–750 ka) changes in n-alkane chain lengths in the eastern equatorial Pacific

The n-alkane C₃₁/(C₂₉ + C₃₁) ratios from surface sediments in the eastern equatorial Pacific (EEP) exhibit higher values to the north and lower values to the south across the southern edge (2–4°N) of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). Since plants tend to synthesize longer chain length n-alkanes in response to elevated temperature and/or aridity, the higher C₃₁/(C₂₉ + C₃₁) ratios at northern sites suggest a higher contribution of vegetation under hot and/or dry conditions. This is consistent with the observation that northern sites receive higher levels of plant waxes transported by northeasterly trade winds from northern South America, where hot and dry conditions prevail. Furthermore, from a sediment core covering the past 750 ka (core HY04; 4°N, 95°W) we found that C₃₁/(C₂₉ + C₃₁) ratios exhibit a long-term decrease from MIS (marine oxygen isotope stage) 17 to 13. During this period, the zonal SST (sea-surface temperature) gradient in the equatorial Pacific increased, suggesting an increase in Walker circulation. Such intensified Walker circulation may have enhanced moisture advection from the equatorial Atlantic warm pool to the adjacent northern South America, causing arid regions in northern South America to contract, which may explain long-term decrease in n-alkane chain lengths.     

Very Low-grade Metamorphic Evolution of Pelitic Rocks under High-pressure/Low-temperature Conditions, NW New Caledonia (SW Pacific)

The P–T gradient in a Late Eocene low-T high-P metamorphicbelt in northern New Caledonia increases from SW to NE. Metapelitesin the pumpellyite–prehnite and blueschist zones containlawsonite, Mg-carpholite, Fe-stilpnomelane and Fe-glaucophane.Thermodynamic calculations indicate a progression of metamorphicconditions from less than 0·3 GPa and 250°C in akaolinite-bearing rock in the SW, up to 1·5 GPa and 410°Cin a lawsonite–glaucophane-bearing sample in the NE ofthe Diahot terrane. Through a multi-method investigation ofphyllosilicates, organic matter and fluid inclusions, we demonstratethat the evolution of organic matter and illite crystallinitydepends strongly on the evolution of the P–T path withtime. In addition, we show that the illite–muscovite bcell dimension provides a robust estimate of maximum pressurereached in low-temperature domains with polyphase metamorphichistories, despite subsequent high-temperature–low-pressureevents. Fluid inclusion study reveals an isothermal decompressionin the Diahot terrane. KEY WORDS: low-temperature/high-pressure metapelites; illite crystallinity; coal rank; illite–muscovite b cell dimension; New Caledonia     

Holocene vegetation, fire and climate history of the Sawtooth Range, central Idaho, USA

The paucity of low- and middle-elevation paleoecologic records in the Northern Rocky Mountains limits our ability to assess current environmental change in light of past conditions. A 10,500-yr-long vegetation, fire and climate history from Lower Decker Lake in the Sawtooth Range provides information from a new region. Initial forests dominated by pine and Douglas-fir were replaced by open Douglas-fir forest at 8420 cal yr BP, marking the onset of warmer conditions than present. Presence of closed Douglas-fir forest between 6000 and 2650 cal yr BP suggests heightened summer drought in the middle Holocene. Closed lodgepole pine forest developed at 2650 cal yr BP and fires became more frequent after 1450 cal yr BP. This shift from Douglas-fir to lodgepole pine forest was probably facilitated by a combination of cooler summers, cold winters, and more severe fires than before. Five drought episodes, including those at 8200 cal yr BP and during the Medieval Climate Anomaly, were registered by brief intervals of lodgepole pine decline, an increase in fire activity, and mistletoe infestation. The importance of a Holocene perspective when assessing the historical range of variability is illustrated by the striking difference between the modern forest and that which existed 3000 yr ago.     

Sr,Nd,Pb and trace element systematics of the New Caledonia harzburgites:Tracking source depletion and contamination processes in a SSZ setting

The New Caledonia ophiolite(Peridotite Nappe)consists primarily of harzburgites,locally overlain by mafic-ultramafic cumulates,and minor spinel and plagioclase lherzolites.In this study,a comprehensive geochemical data set(major and trace element,Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes)has been obtained on a new set of fresh harzburgites in order to track the processes recorded by this mantle section and its evolution.The studied harzburgites are low-strain tectonites showing porphyroclastic textures,locally grading into protomylonitic textures.They exhibit a refractory nature,as attested by the notable absence of primary clinopyroxene,very high Fo content of olivine(91-93 mol.%),high Mg#of orthopyroxene(0.91-0.93)and high Cr#of spinel(0.44-0.71).The harzburgites are characterised by remarkably low REE concentrations(<0.1 chondritic values)and display"U-shaped"profiles,with steeply sloping HREE(DyN/YbN=0.07-0.16)and fractionated LREE-MREE segments(LaN/SmN=2.1-8.3),in the range of modern fore-arc peridotites.Geochemical modelling shows that the HREE composition of the harzburgites can be reproduced by multi-stage melting including a first phase of melt depletion in dry conditions(15%fractional melting),followed by hydrous melting in a subduction zone setting(up to 15%-18%).However,melting models fail to explain the enrichments observed for some FME(i.e.Ba,Sr,Pb),LREE-MREE and Zr-Hf.These enrichments,coupled with the frequent occurrence of thin,undeformed films of Al2 O3,and CaO-poor orthopyroxene(Al2O3=0.88-1.53 wt.%,CaO=0.31-0.56 wt.%)and clinopyroxene with low Na2 O(0.03-0.16 wt.%),Al2 O3(0.66-1.35 wt.%)and TiO2(0.04-0.10 wt.%)contents,point to FME addition during fluid-assisted melting followed by late stage metasomatism most likely operated by subductionrelated melts with a depleted trace element signature.Nd isotopic ratios range from unradiogenic to radiogenic(-0.80<εNdi≤+13.32)and negatively correlate with Sr isotopes(0.70257≤87Sr/86Sr≤0.70770).Pb isotopes cover a wide range,trending from DMM toward enriched,sediment-like,compositions.We interpret the geochemical signature displayed by the New Caledonia harzburgites as reflecting the evolution of a highly depleted fore-arc mantle wedge variably modified by different fluid and melt inputs during Eocene subduction.     

Development of P-T prograde and P-retrograde, T-prograde isogradic surfaces during blueschist to eclogite regional deformation/metamorphism in New Caledonia, as indicated by progressively developed porphyroblast microstructures

Abstract The mid-Tertiary blueschists, eclogites and eclogitic gneisses of northern New Caledonia are the products of four phases of regional metamorphism and deformation (D₁–D₄). Omphacite, lawsonite and Mn-rich garnet isogradic surfaces were developed during the second deformation (D₂) under prograde pressure and temperature conditions. Subsequent deformations (D₃–D₄) folded these D₂ isogradic surfaces. However, within the P-retrograde, T-prograde metamorphic environment of the D₄ phase, omphacite altered to albite and chlorite; as a result, a late-stage sub-horizontal isogradic surface developed for omphacite-out where this mineral preserved as relics within syn-D₄ albite porphyroblasts. Other minerals that crystallized for the first time (epidote) or had rim additions (almandine phengite) during D₄, also form nearly horizontal isogradic surfaces. Porphyroblastic garnet and albite contain inclusion trails, which allow their microstructural development and crystallization of the matrix to be traced from D₂ to D₄. Late syn-D₄ the temperature increased markedly in association with an extensive exothermic decarbonation, even though the rocks were in a state of pressure retrogression. This caused considerable neocrystallization, recrystallization and growth of mattix and porphyroblasts such that, although S₂ foliation crenulated by D₃ and D₄ is readily observable, almost all signs of stored strain due to D₃ and D₄ have been removed, and the deeper schists and eclogitic gneisses superficially appear to have undergone a drastic annealing recrystallization, post-dating deformation.     

Development of the mixed conifer forest in northern New Mexico and its relationship to Holocene environmental change

Chihuahueños Bog (2925 m) in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico contains one of the few records of late-glacial and postglacial development of the mixed conifer forest in southwestern North America. The Chihuahueños Bog record extends to over 15,000 cal yr BP. An Artemisia steppe, then an open Picea woodland grew around a small pond until ca. 11,700 cal yr BP when Pinus ponderosa became established. C/N ratios, δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values indicate both terrestrial and aquatic organic matter was incorporated into the sediment. Higher percentages of aquatic algae and elevated C/N ratios indicate higher lake levels at the opening of the Holocene, but a wetland developed subsequently as climate warmed. From ca. 8500 to 6400 cal yr BP the pond desiccated in what must have been the driest period of the Holocene there. C/N ratios declined to their lowest Holocene levels, indicating intense decomposition in the sediment. Wetter conditions returned after 6400 cal yr BP, with conversion of the site to a sedge bog as groundwater levels rose. Higher charcoal influx rates after 6400 cal yr BP probably result from greater biomass production rates. Only minor shifts in the overstory species occurred during the Holocene, suggesting that mixed conifer forest dominated throughout the record.