Evidence for shear heating,Musgrave Block,central Australia

The phenomenon of shear-heating is generally difficult to recognise from petrologic evidence alone. Establishing that shear zones attain higher temperatures than the surrounding country rocks requires independent evidence for temperature gradients. In the Musgrave Block, central Australia, there is a clear spatial association between shear zones and interpreted elevated temperatures. Eclogite facies shear zones that formed at ∼550 Ma record temperatures of ∼650–700°C. Outside the high-pressure shear zones, minerals with low closure temperatures such as biotite (∼450°C in the ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar and Rb–Sr systems), preserve ages >800 Ma, suggesting that these rocks did not experience temperatures greater than about 450°C at ∼550 Ma for any extended period. Thus, the shear zones record temperatures that are ∼200°C higher than the surrounding country rocks. Simple calculations show that the combination of relatively high shear stresses (∼100 MPa) and high strain rates (∼10⁻¹¹ s⁻¹) for short durations (<1 Ma) can account for the observed apparent temperature variations. The evidence indicates that shear heating is the dominant mechanism for localised temperature increases in the shear zones, while the country rock remained at relatively lower temperatures.     

Fracture networks and fluid transport in active fault zones

Field measurements were made of 1717 mineral-filled veins in the damage zone of an active dextral strike-slip fault zone in Iceland. Most veins are composed of quartz, chalcedony and zeolites, strike roughly parallel or perpendicular to the fault zone, and are members of dense palaeo-fluid transporting networks. A common vein frequency in these networks is 10 veins per metre. Cross-cutting relationships indicate that 79% of the veins are extension (mode I) cracks and 21% are shear cracks. The apertures of most veins, measured as mineral-fill thicknesses, are from 0.1 to 85 mm, and the aperture frequency distribution is a power law. The outcrop trace lengths of 384 veins (of the 1717) could be measured accurately. These 384 veins are mostly small and range in length from 2.5 to 400 cm, in aperture from 0.01 to 0.9 cm, and have an average length/aperture ratio of about 400. Simple analytical models are derived and used to make rough estimates of the volumetric flow rates in hydrofractures of dimensions equal to those of typical veins. The results indicate that volumetric flow rates for a horizontal fracture and a vertical fracture in a rigid (non-deforming) host rock would be around 1.5×10⁻⁴ and 8.9×10⁻⁴ m³s⁻¹, respectively. The volumetric flow rate in a vertical fracture of equal size but in a deforming host rock, with buoyancy added to the pressure gradient, is around 1.3×10⁻³ m³s⁻¹. Thus, vertical fluid transport is favoured under these conditions.     

Dilatant plasticity in high-strain experiments on calcite–muscovite aggregates

Torsion experiments were performed on synthetic aggregates of calcite with a 50% volume of muscovite. The tests were performed at 627–727 °C with a confining pressure of 300 MPa at constant shear strain rates of 3 × 10^?5–3 × 10^?4 s^?1 on cylindrical samples with the starting foliation parallel and perpendicular to the cylinder axis. Both the foliation parallel and the foliation perpendicular experiments show similar stress–strain patterns, with an initial hardening stage followed by significant strain weakening (>60%) before a catastrophic rupture. Microstructural analysis shows that in low-strain experiments calcite grains are intensely twinned while muscovite grains appear slightly bent and kinked. Higher strains promote a segregation of the two phases with calcite forming thin layers of fine, dynamically recrystallized grains, which act as localized shear bands, while muscovite grains keep their original size and rotate assuming a strong shape preferred orientation. This strain localization of the calcite from an initially homogeneous rock produced catastrophic failure at moderate bulk shear strains (γ ～ 3). Localization of the strain first involved ductile deformation to produce a new calcite layering with fine dynamically recrystallized grains along which cavities nucleated. The orientation and kinematics of the cavities are comparable to R1 Riedel structures. All experiments on calcite–muscovite mixtures resulted in heterogeneous strain. In these torsion experiments chemical changes and crystallization of new phases (anorthite and kalsilite) are observed at 627 °C. Whereas, samples hot pressed or deformed in compression at 670 °C did not show such reactions or any localization. The effect of stress-field geometry and pore pressure upon mineral reactions is discussed. It is concluded that deformation-induced heterogeneous phase distributions caused local strength differences initiating strain localization in the calcite–muscovite mixtures, eventually leading to plastic failure.     

The morphodynamics and internal structure of intertidal fine-gravel dunes: Hills Flats,Severn Estuary,UK

In the macrotidal Severn estuary, UK, the dynamics of intertidal fine-gravel dunes were investigated. These dunes are migrating across a bedrock platform. Systematic observations were made of hydraulic climate, geometry, migration rates and internal sedimentary structures of the dunes. During spring tides, the ebb flow is dominant, dunes grow in height and have ebb orientated geometry with bedrock floors in the troughs. During neap tides, a weak flood flow may dominate. Dunes then are flood orientated or symmetrical. Neap dune heights decrease and the eroded sediment is stored in the dune troughs where the bedrock becomes blanketed by muddy gravel. During spring tides, instantaneous bed shear stresses reach 8 N m^− 2, sufficient to disrupt a 9 mm-gravel armour layer. However, a sustained bed shear stress of 4 N m^− 2 is required to initiate dune migration at which time the critical depth-mean velocity is 1 m s^− 1. Ebb and flood inequalities in the bed shear stress explain the changes in dune asymmetry and internal structures. During flood tides, the crests of the dunes reverse such that very mobile sedimentary ‘caps’ overlie a more stable dune ‘core’. Because ebb tides dominate, internal structures of the caps often are characterised by ebb orientated steep open-work foresets developed by strong tidal currents and some lower angle crossbeds deposited as weaker currents degrade foresets. The foresets forming the caps may be grouped into cosets (tidal bundles) and are separated from mud-infused cores of crossbeds that lie below, by reactivation and erosion surfaces blanketed by discontinuous mud drapes. The cores often exhibit distinctive muddy toe sets that define the spacing of tidal cosets.     

Dissolved and particulate zinc and nickel in the Yangtze River (China): Distribution,sources and fluxes

Dissolved and particulate Zn and Ni concentrations were determined at 76 locations along the Yangtze River basin from the headwaters to the estuary during flood and dry seasons. Spatial and temporal variations of Zn and Ni were investigated and six major source zones were identified. The Three Gorges Dam (TGD) blocked most of the suspended loads and extremely low concentration of Zn and Ni were observed downstream of the dam. Dissolved (ranging from 0.062 to 8.0 μg L⁻¹) and particulate (ranging from 12 to 110 mg kg⁻¹) Ni showed similar levels of concentrations during flood and dry seasons, whereas dissolved (ranging from 0.43 to 49 μg L⁻¹) and particulate (ranging from 54 to 1100 mg kg⁻¹) Zn were slightly and much lower in the flood season than dry season, respectively. This was attributed to the increased water discharge during the flood season causing a dilution effect and sediment resuspension. In the flood season, average concentrations of Zn and Ni were higher in the main channel than in tributaries, due to soil erosion and mining activities providing the dominant inputs. The situation was opposite in the dry season, attributed to the contribution of municipal sewage, industrial activities, and waste disposal. During the flood season, dissolved Zn and Ni concentrations were negatively correlated with pH. Water and suspended particulate matter (SPM) from the upper reaches, middle reaches, and lower reaches of the Yangtze River were characterized by their Zn and Ni concentrations. The Panzhihua, Nanling and Tongling mining areas were considered as the most important source zones of particulate Zn and Ni. The Chongqing region, Wuhan region and the Yangtze River Delta provided most of the dissolved Zn and Ni inputs into the river. Annual net flux of Zn (10–72 × 10⁵ kg a⁻¹) and Ni (5.0–19 × 10⁵ kg a⁻¹) in each source zone were estimated according to their respective influent and effluent fluxes. Contributions of the source zones to Zn and Ni transport decreased from the upper reaches to the lower reaches.     

40Ar/39Ar age pattern associated with differential uplift along the Eastern Highlands shear zone,Cape Breton Island,Canadian Appalachians

The Eastern Highlands shear zone in Cape Breton Island is a crustal scale thrust. It is characterized by an amphibolite-facies deformation zone ∼5 km wide formed deep in the crust that is overprinted by a greenschist-facies mylonite zone ∼1 km wide that formed at a more shallow level. Hornblende ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages on the hanging wall decrease towards the centre of the shear zone. In the older zone (over 7.8 km from the centre), the ages are between ∼565 and ∼545 Ma; in the younger zone (within 4.5 km of the centre), they are between ∼425 and ∼415 Ma; and in the transitional zone in between, they decrease abruptly from ∼545 to ∼425 Ma. Pressures of crystallization of plutons in the hanging wall, based on the Al-in-hornblende barometer and corresponding to depth of emplacement, increase towards the centre of the shear zone and indicate a differential uplift of up to ∼28 km associated with movement along the shear zone. The age pattern is interpreted to have resulted from the differential uplift. The pressure data show that rocks exposed in the younger zone were buried deep in the crust and did not cool through the hornblende Ar blocking temperature (∼500°C) until differential uplift occurred. The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages in the zone (∼425–415 Ma) thus date shear zone movement or the last stage of it. In contrast, rocks in the older zone were more shallowly buried before differential uplift and cooled through the blocking temperature soon after the emplacement of ∼565–555 Ma plutons in the area, long before shear zone movement. The transitional zone corresponds to the Ar partial retention zone before differential uplift. The ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age pattern thus reflects a Neoproterozoic to Silurian cooling profile that was exposed as a result of differential uplift related to movement along the shear zone. A similar K–Ar age pattern has been reported for the Alpine fault in New Zealand. It is suggested that such isotopic age patterns can be used to help constrain the ages, kinematics, displacements and depth of penetration of shear zones.     

Pyrite oxidation by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans at various concentrations of dissolved oxygen

Pyrite oxidation rates were examined at various concentrations of dissolved oxygen (DO) in the presence of the sulfur and iron oxidizer Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans. Five different batch experiments were performed at room temperature for 75 days under various DO levels (273, 129, 64.8, 13.2, and ≤ 0.006 μM), containing pyrite grains (particle size 63–250 μm) and a modified 9K nutrient medium at pH 3. The reactors were inoculated with A. ferrooxidans. In all experiments, pH decreased with time and sulfur and iron were released to the solution, indicating pyrite oxidation at all DO levels. Pyrite oxidation rates (ca. 5 × 10^− 10 mol m^− 2 s^− 1 at 273 μM DO) from all experiments showed positive correlation with DO, Fe(III), and bacterial concentration. These rates were significantly slower than rates presented in other published studies, but this is probably due to the significantly greater Fe(III) concentration at lower pH in these previous studies. The results obtained in this study suggest that ferric iron reduction at the pyrite surface is the primarily mechanism for microbial pyrite oxidation in the presence of DO. The results from our study support the indirect mechanism of sulfide oxidation, where A. ferrooxidans oxidizes ferrous iron in the presence of DO, which then oxidizes pyrite.     

36Cl deposition rate reconstruction from bomb pulse until present: A study based on groundwater records

The radioactive isotope ³⁶Cl, with a half-life of 301 ka, is a valuable chronometer for estimation of groundwater residence time up to 2 millions of years. Aerial thermonuclear fission bomb tests, performed during the late 1950s, injected a massive amount of this isotope into the atmosphere, which exceeded the natural fallout signal. Since this bomb pulse, atmospheric ³⁶Cl deposition tends to return to natural fallout rate. The monitoring of this attenuation can provide a good opportunity to extend the use of this chronometer to shorter time spans. Venice’s lagoon alimentation zone shows groundwaters with residence times distributed over last fifty years. This permits the estimation of a continuous ³⁶Cl deposition curve, free from latitudinal and seasonal variations of the signal. Three old groundwater samples, with residence times comprised in the range −900 to −8000 BP, allow the estimation of a mean natural deposition of 49 at m⁻² s⁻¹ and are in good agreement with ³⁶Cl fallout observed for the last 40,000 years by (Plummer et al., 1997). For the bomb pulse period, a fallout of 5300 at m⁻² s⁻¹ was calculated. This was followed by a strong attenuation period, taking place until the 1980s, during which the fallout reached values ranging between 167 and 354 at m⁻² s⁻¹. The attenuation reached then a plateau: it experienced a slower lowering until the actual deposition, with fallout values calculated between 124 and 252 at m⁻² s⁻¹. This persistence of high deposition rate was classically attributed to biological and atmospherical recycling processes or underestimation of the natural atmospheric production of the ³⁶Cl. Additional source of ³⁶Cl production has been envisaged through the activation of chlorine radicals from stratospherical CFCs, leading to a ³⁶Cl production rate comparable with that of Ar spallation from the first approximation. Lastly, the latitudinal factor of the attenuation of the fallout rate is discussed and the impact of the jet streams is proposed as an explanation for the discrepancies in the attenuation rate.     

Dissolution kinetics and biodurability of tremolite particles in mimicked lung fluids: Effect of citrate and oxalate

The effect of citrate and oxalate on tremolite dissolution rate was measured at 37 °C in non-stirred flow-through reactors, using modified Gamble’s solutions at pH 4 (macrophages), 7.4 (interstitial fluids) and 5.5 (intermediate check point) containing 0, 0.15, 1.5 and 15 mmol L⁻¹ of citrate or oxalate. The dissolution rates calculated from Si concentration in the output solutions without organic ligands depend on pH, decreasing when the pH increases from −13.00 (pH 4) to −13.35 (pH 7.4) mol g⁻¹ s⁻¹ and following a proton-promoted mechanism. The presence of both ligands enhances dissolution rates at every pH, increasing this effect when the ligand concentration increases. Citrate produces a stronger effect as a catalyst than oxalate, mainly at more acidic pHs and enhances dissolution rates until 20 times for solutions with 15 mmol L⁻¹ citrate. However, at pH 7.4 the effect is lighter and oxalate solutions (15 mmol L⁻¹) only enhances dissolution rates eight times respect to free organic ligand solutions. Dissolution is promoted by the attack to protons and organic ligands to the tremolite surface. Magnesium speciation in oxalate and citrate solutions shows that Mg citrate complexes are more effective than oxalate ones during the alteration of tremolite in magrophages, but this tendency is the opposite for interstitial fluids, being oxalate magnesium complexes stronger. The biodurability estimations show that the destruction of the fibers is faster in acidic conditions (macrophages) than in the neutral solutions (interstitial fluid). At pH 4, both ligands oxalate and citrate reduce the residence time of the fibers with respect to that calculated in absence of ligands. Nevertheless, at pH 7.4 the presence of ligands does not reduce significantly the lifetime of the fibers.     

Assessing soil erosion and control factors by radiometric technique in the source region of the Yellow River,Tibetan Plateau

Measurements of ¹³⁷Cs concentration in soils were made in a representative catchment to quantify erosion rates and identify the main factors involved in the erosion in the source region of the Yellow River in the Tibetan Plateau. In order to estimate erosion rates in terms of the main factors affecting soil loss, samples were collected taking into account the slope and vegetation cover along six selected transects within the Dari County catchment. The reference inventory for the area was established at a stable, well-preserved, site of small thickness (value of 2324 Bq·m^− 2). All the sampling sites had been eroded and ¹³⁷Cs inventories varied widely in the topsoil (14.87–25.56 Bq·kg^− 1). The effective soil loss values were also highly variable (11.03–28.35 t·km^− 1·yr^− 1) in line with the vegetation cover change. The radiometric approach was useful in quantifying soil erosion rates and examining patterns of soil movement.     

Shear-zone geometries in experimentally deformed clays: the influence of water content,strain rate and primary fabric

In experimentally deformed clays, three parameters which influence the geometry of shear zones are water content, strain rate and the orientation of the shear zones with respect to any primary fabric. The shear zones are the main microstructures induced in the clays within the experimental conditions (triaxial compression at water contents between 20 and 35% w/w and strain rates between 10⁻⁴ and 10⁻⁸ s⁻¹). Small changes in water content produce a significant change in the appearance of shear zones: structures in wetter sediments are more complex and more numerous than those in drier sediments which tend to produce a small number of discrete planar shear zones. Strain rate is a far less important influence on shear-zone geometry. The orientation of the zones with respect to a primary fabric is also significant. Shear zones which are parallel to the fabric have a simpler geometry than zones which intersect the fabric at a high angle. Knowledge of these factors may help interpret the conditions within which shear zones formed in naturally-deformed soft sediments.     

Dissolution kinetics of Devonian carbonates at circum-neutral pH, 50 bar pCO2, 105 °C,and 0.4 M: The importance of complex brine chemistry on reaction rates

The dissolution kinetics of carbonate rocks sampled from the Keg River Formation in Northeast British Columbia were measured at 50 bar pCO₂ and 105 °C, in both natural and synthetic brines of 0.4 M ionic strength. Natural brines yielded reaction rates of −12.16 ± 0.11 mol cm⁻² s⁻¹ for Log R_Ca, and −12.64 ± 0.05 for Log R_Mg. Synthetic brine yielded faster rates of reaction than natural brines. Experiments performed on synthetic brines, spiked with 10 mmol of either Sr or Zn, suggest that enhanced reaction rates observed in synthetic brines are due to a lack of trace ion interaction with mineral surfaces. Results were interpreted within the surface complexation model framework, allowing for the discrimination of reactive surface sites, most importantly the hydration of the >MgOH surface site. Dissolution rates extrapolated from experiments predict that CO₂ injected into the Keg River Formation will dissolve a very minor portion of rock in contact with affected formation waters.     

The Diavik waste rock project: Water flow through mine waste rock in a permafrost terrain

A field experiment is being carried out at the Diavik diamond mine in northern Canada to investigate the influence of unsaturated flow behavior on the quality of drainage from mine waste rock piles in a region of continuous permafrost. This paper is part of a series describing processes affecting the weathering of waste rock and transport of reaction products at this site; here the focus is on unsaturated water flow and its role in mass loading. Two 15 m-high instrumented test piles have been built on 60 m by 50 m collection systems, each consisting of lysimeters and a large impermeable high-density polyethylene (HDPE) liner. Collection lysimeters are installed nearby to investigate infiltration in the upper 2 m of the waste rock. Porosity, water retention curves, and hydraulic conductivity functions are estimated from field measurements and for samples ranging in size from 200 cm³ to 16 m³. Net infiltration in 2007 is estimated to have been 37% of the rainfall for mean annual rainfall conditions. Early-season infiltration freezes and is remobilized as the waste rock thaws. Wetting fronts migrate at rates of 0.2–0.4 m d⁻¹ in response to common rainfall events and up to 5 m d⁻¹ in response to intense rainfall. Pore water and non-reactive solutes travel at rates of <10⁻² to 3 × 10⁻² m d⁻¹ in response to common rainfall events and up to 0.7 m d⁻¹ in response to intense rainfall. Time-varying SO₄ mass loading from the base of the test piles is dictated primarily by the flow behavior, rather than by changes in solute concentrations.     

Hydrogeochemistry in the Vouga River basin (central Portugal): Pollution and chemical weathering

To quantify and explain the contributions by pollution and chemical weathering to their composition, we studied the chemistries of springs and surface waters in the mountainous part of the Vouga River basin. Water samples were collected during a number of consecutive summer campaigns. Recharge rates were derived from monitored discharge rates within the basin. Very large contributions by meteoric, agricultural and domestic sources to the water chemistries were found, identified by the chloride, sulfate and nitrate concentrations: on average only 1/4 to 1/3 of the solutes could be attributed to chemical weathering. Two petrologic units characterize the river basin: granites and metasediments. The waters collected within metasediment units are distinct from those in granite terrain by a higher magnesium concentration. On that basis, it could be estimated that the Rio Vouga, when leaving the mountainous part of the basin, has for some 2/5 a signature determined by chemical weathering in the metasediments. The dominant primary minerals subject to chemical weathering are plagioclase (Pl) and biotite (in granite) or Pl and chlorite (in metasediment). Kaolinite, gibbsite and vermiculite are the major weathering products where annual precipitation (P) > 1000 mm y⁻¹, and kaolinite, vermiculite and smectite where P was lower. Using an algorithm based on the ratio of dissolved silica to bicarbonate, the contributions of chemical weathering of primary minerals could be unraveled. The results show that in granite the export rate (as mol ha⁻¹ y⁻¹ wt%mineral⁻¹) of oligoclase (Pl with An_10–30) was 5.0 ± 2.6 and of biotite 3.2 ± 2.6, while in metasediment these rates for albite (Pl with An_0–10) are 16.5 ± 8.9 and for chlorite are 0.5 ± 0.5. The observed decrease of dissolved silica in surface waters relative to springs was ascribed to (summer) uptake by aquatic biota.     

Structures,kinematic analysis,rheological parameters and temperature-pressure estimate of the Mesozoic Xingcheng-Taili ductile shear zone in the North China Craton

The NE to ENE trending Mesozoic Xingcheng-Taili ductile shear zone of the northeastern North China Craton was shaped by three phases of deformation. Deformation phase D₁ is characterized by a steep, generally E–W striking gneissosity. It was then overprinted by deformation phase D₂ with NE-sinistral shear with K-feldspar porphyroclasts forming a subhorizontal low-angle stretching lineation on a steep foliation. During deformation phase D₃, lateral motion accommodated by ENE sinistral strike-slip shear zones dominated. Associated fabrics developed at upper greenschist metamorphic facies conditions and show the deformation characteristics of middle- to shallow crustal levels. In some parts, the older structures have been in turn overprinted by late-stage sinistral D₃ shearing. Finite strain and kinematic vorticity in all deformed granitic rocks indicate a prolate ellipsoid (L-S tectonites) near plane strain. Simple shear-dominated general shear during D₃ deformation is probably of general significance. The quartz c-axis textures indicate prism-gliding with a dominant rhomb <a> slip and basal <a> slip system formed mainly at low-middle temperatures. Mineral deformation behavior, quartz c-axis textures, quartz grain size and the Kruhl thermometer demonstrate that the ductile shear zone developed under greenschist facies metamorphic conditions at deformation temperatures ranging from 400 to 500 °C. Dislocation creep is the main deformation mechanism at a shallow crustal level. Fractal analysis showed that the boundaries of recrystallized quartz grains had statistically self-similarities. Differential stresses deduced from dynamically recrystallized quartz grain size are at around 20–39 MPa, and strain rates in the order of 10⁻¹² to 10⁻¹⁴ s⁻¹. This indicates deformation of granitic rocks in the Xingcheng-Taili ductile shear zone at low strain rates, which is consistent with most other ductile shear zones. Hornblende-plagioclase thermometer and white mica barometer indicate metamorphic conditions of medium pressures at around ca. 3–5 kbar and temperatures of 400–500 °C within greenschist facies conditions. The main D₃ deformation of the ENE-trending sinistral strike-slip ductile shearing is related to the roll-back of the subducting Pacific plate beneath the North China Craton.     

Static stress drop inferred from near-fault parameters for the 1999 Chi–Chi earthquake in Taiwan

In 2001, a special issue of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America (BSSA) featured seismological research for the 1999 Chi–Chi Taiwan earthquake. This study uses source parameters suggested by the first author in this special issue to estimate static stress drop associated with the Chi–Chi earthquake. The waveform simulation method was used to carefully examine these source parameters. The simulation results indicate that source parameters, inferred from near-fault observations, are well determined. According to the rupture area and slip, the static stress drops (Δσ_s) obtained were distributed between a small value of 47 bars near the epicentral region and a much larger value (>200 bars) to the north. Similar trends in dynamic stress drop (Δσ_d) were also recognized by the first author in his paper published in 2001 BSSA special issue. Comparing the Δσ_s with Δσ_d, satisfies the relation Δσ_s/Δσ_d ≈ 1. This relation suggests that fault motion is mostly spent releasing seismic wave energy during the rupture process of the Chi–Chi earthquake. The consistency between static and dynamic stress drops thus provides a measure of energy-moment (E_s/M₀) ratios, which range from 9.0 × 10⁻⁵ to 6.5 × 10⁻⁴. The average E_s/M₀ ratio estimated for the northern portions of the fault is 3.4 × 10⁻⁴, which is about 3 times that of the south. Such a high E_s/M₀ ratio can be interpreted as having low strength in the rupture for the northern portions of the fault, where the fault would release less energy per unit rupture surface to create the new rupture.     

Magma mixing and gold mineralization in the Maevatanana gold deposit,Madagascar

The Maevatanana gold deposit in Madagascar is hosted by Archean metamorphic rocks in quartz–sulfide veins that are structurally controlled by NNW–SSE trending shear zones. Fluid inclusion data show that the trapping conditions in quartz range from 0.87 to 2.58 kbar at temperatures of 269–362 °C. Laser Raman spectroscopy confirms that these inclusions consist of CO₂, SO₂, and H₂O. The δ³⁴S values of the pyrites range from 1.7‰ to 3.6‰, with an average of 2.25‰, supporting a magmatic origin. Noble gases (He, Ne, Ar, Ke, Xe) are chemically inert, thus will not be involved in chemical reactions during geological processes. Also due to the low concentration of He in the atmosphere and the low solubility of He in aqueous fluids, the atmosphere-derived He is unlikely to significantly affect He abundances and isotopic ratios of crustal fluids, ensures that He production should have the typical crust ³He/⁴He ratios. The ³He/⁴He ratios of fluid inclusions in pyrite from the deposit range from 0.06 to 0.12 Ra, while the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios range from 6631 to 11441. We infer that the ore-forming fluids could have been exsolved from a granitic magma. The oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions of the ore-forming fluids (1.5‰ ≤ δ¹⁸O_H2O ≤ 7.8‰; –72‰ ≤ δD ≤ –117‰) indicate they were derived from a granitic magma. Four pyrite samples from the gold deposit yield a precise Re–Os isochron age of 534 ± 13 Ma. Given that the post-collisional granites in northern and central Madagascar were derived by melting of sub-continental lithospheric mantle and formed between 537 and 522 Ma, we can state that the gold metallogenesis was coeval with the crystallization age of these parental magmas. These data could be accounted for the formation of the Maevatanana gold deposit. First, the shear zones hosting the deposit formed around 2.5 Ga, when the Madagascan micro-continental blocks collided with other continental blocks, triggering large-scale tectono-magmatic activity and forming NNW–SSE trending shear zones. The gold mineralization at Maevatanana is coeval with the crystallization age of the Cambrian post-collisional A-type granitoid plutons in northern and central Madagascar, implying that this deposit is associated with extensional collapse of the East African Orogen. This extension in turn induced asthenospheric upwelling, melting of sub-continental lithospheric mantle. These magmas underplated the lower crust, generating voluminous granitic magmas by partial melting of the lower crust. The mixing magma during tectono-thermal reactivation of the East African Orogen produced large volumes of volatiles that extracted gold from the granitic magma and produced Au–S complexes (e.g., Au(HSO₃)²⁻). The shear zones, which were then placed under extensional collapse of the East African Orogen in the Cambrian, formed favorable pathways for the magmatic ore-forming fluids. These fluids then precipitated gold-sulfides that form the Maevatanana gold deposit.     

Rates and causes of recent global sea-level rise inferred from long tide gauge data records

Tide gauge data at seven sites of the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL), with information for relative sea-level during the past 140–200 yr, were analyzed to examine the rates and causes of the global sea-level rise (GSLR) during the twentieth century. By subtracting linear trends for relative sea-level rise during the past 100 yr from the observed data, we get the apparent GSLRs of ∼1 mm yr⁻¹ for five sites around the Baltic Sea and Brest. The rate for San Francisco is significantly larger than this, with an optimum value ∼2 mm yr⁻¹. The spatial difference of ∼1 mm yr⁻¹ between these sites is reasonably explained by the recent melting of the Greenland ice sheet with an equivalent sea-level rise of ∼1 mm yr⁻¹. The predicted relative sea-level change for this melting scenario is 0.5 mm yr⁻¹ at sites around the Baltic Sea and Brest, and 1.5 mm yr⁻¹ for San Francisco. The residuals between observations and predictions, ∼0.5 mm yr⁻¹ at all sites, may be contributed by thermal expansion of seawater and/or other melting sources. These results suggest the rate of twentieth-century GSLR to be 1.5 mm yr⁻¹.     

Shear wave attenuation characteristics over the Central India Tectonic Zone and its surroundings

The study area lies between latitude 18–26°N and longitude 73–83°E, and mainly covers the Central India Tectonic Zone (CITZ). The frequency-dependent shear wave quality factor (Q_s) has been estimated over the CITZ and its surroundings using Double Spectral Ratio (DSR) method. We have considered 25 local earthquakes with magnitude (M_L) varies from 3.0 to 4.7 recorded at 11 stations running under national seismic network. The Fast Fourier Transformed (FFT) spectra were computed from the recorded waveform having time-window from onset of S-phase to 1.0 s and for a frequency-band of 0.1–10 Hz. Three different shear wave velocities (i.e., 3.87, 3.39 and 3.96 km/s) were obtained over the study area based on a pair of earthquakes recorded at a pair of stations. The low Q_s values of 51–96 at 1 Hz (i.e., Q_s = 51f^0.49; Q_s = 90f^0.488 and Q_s = 96f^0.53) were found in the area covering the Son–Narmada–Tapti (SONATA) lineament, CITZ, eastern part of the Satpura fold belt, Vindhyan and Gondwana basins, Godavari and Mahanadi grabens, and southern part of Gangetic plain. Intermediate Q_s values of the order of 204–277 (i.e., Q_s = 204f^0.56 and Q_s = 277f^0.55) were noted in the cartonic areas, namely, Bundelkhand, Dharwar-Bhandara and Bastar. While the higher Q_s values of 391–628 at 1 Hz (i.e., Q_s = 391f^0.49, Q_s = 409f^0.48, Q_s = 417f^0.48, Q_s = 500f^0.66, Q_s = 585f^0.65 and Q_s = 628f^0.69) were found in the eastern part of the SONATA, CITZ, and the northeastern part of the Satpura fold belt. The low Q_s values might be attributing to the more heterogeneous SONATA rift system. Low Q_s values further may presumably be associated with lower-level of seismicity and apparently account for higher tectonic stress accumulation over long duration. The long-term accumulated stress is generally released through occasional triggering of moderate magnitude earthquakes in the SONATA zone. Surrounding the SONATA region, the higher Q_s values possibly accounts for a more homogeneous subsurface structure along the SONATA zone.