Clast fabric and mass wasting on Asteroid 25143-Itokawa: Correlation with talus and other periglacial features on Earth

Regolith on Itokawa, a 300-meter diameter near-Earth asteroid, first imaged by the Hayabusa Spacecraft in 2005, provides a new database of information on surface features and different space-form (i.e. landform) assemblages. The satellite imagery was taken from distances of near-surface and 2 km to 63 m, the latter giving image resolutions of 6 mm/pixel. Small regolith-covered asteroids produce rubble-covered surface mantles, resident on slopes ranging from 27° relative to an artificial horizon, and distributed non-uniformly across the surface. Low gravity acceleration on Itokawa means that clast movement is largely the result of global vibrations caused by impacts producing seismic shaking. Gravel-network orientations, previously correlated with imbricated stream gravels on Earth by the Hayabusa Scientific Team (Miyamoto, H., Yano, H., Scheeres, D.J., Abe, S., Barnaouin-Jha, O., Cheng, A.F., Demura, H., Gaskell, R.W., Hirata, N., Ishiguro, M., Michikami, T., Nakamura, A.M., Hakamura, R., Saito, J., Sasaki, S., 2007. Regolith migration and sorting on asteroid Itokawa. Science. 316, 1011–1014, Fig. 2F), are here partly correlated with talus and stone-banked lobe accumulations on Earth. We present ‘sliderock’ accumulations on Itokawa correlated with talus accumulations on Earth from several high, middle and low latitude Cryic localities. The presence of debris-flow accumulated clastic material indicates the presence of permafrost and issuance of meltwater at some time in the past, presumably linked to an orbital or solar radiation perturbation. The available data indicate the presence of water, at least on a punctuated time scale; along with the presence of Fe, the combination of the two suggesting weathering processes and a dynamic surface geology on what was previously considered to be a dry, barren, lifeless world.     

The magnetic fabric of some Irish Granites

Magnetic anisotropy measurements have been made on fifty-four oriented samples from the Carna and Screeb areas of the Galway Granite, and from the Ardara pluton and the Main Granite (including the Trawenagh Bay Granite) in Donegal. The origin of magnetic anisotropy in plutonic magnetic rocks is discussed, and it is concluded that it is probably due to grain alignment of inequant magnetite, which may occur either as free grains or as secondary inclusions in ferromagnesian minerals. The grain alignment may occur either whilst the magma is essentially fluid, giving a magnetic lineation transverse to the flow, or at a much later stage of consolidation during plastic deformation, in which case the magnetic lineation parallels the direction of greatest elongation. The results of the measurements are consistent with macroscopic foliations and lineations where these have been observed, but also indicate the existence of fabrics too weak to observe by conventional methods. This is because the magnetic method assesses the alignment of a very large number of grains, and is therefore much more sensitive than conventional fabric analysis. The weak fabrics can be qualitatively explained in terms consistent with other evidence relating to the emplacement of the granites, and experimental work now in progress may make possible a more quantitative interpretation.     

Microtextural analysis of a glacially ‘deformed’ bedrock: implications for inheritance of preferred clast orientations in diamictons

Although analysis of clast macrofabrics has been used to differentiate between different types of glacial diamictons and to determine palaeo‐ice flow directions, no account appears to have been made of preferred clast orientations inherited from the parental source material. Clast macrofabrics in tills are typically interpreted as having developed in response to an imposed subglacial deformation and as such provide a link between the sedimentary record and glacier dynamics. They rely on the assumption that any preferred clast orientation is a result of deformation/flow. The results of the micromorphological study of the Langholm Till exposed at North Corbelly near Dumfries (southwestern Scotland) clearly demonstrate that bedrock structure can influence clast orientation (macrofabric) within diamictons. In the lower part of the till, the orientation of elongate clasts preserves the geometry of the tectonic cleavage present within the underlying bedrock. The intensity of this steeply inclined, ‘inherited’ clast fabric decreases upward through the till, to be replaced by a more complex pattern of successive generations of clast microfabrics developed in response to deformation/flow. These results indicate potential limitations of applying clast macrofabric or microfabric analysis in isolation to establish till genesis or palaeo ice‐flow directions. Consequently, due account should be made of other glacial palaeo‐environmental and ice flow indicators, as well as rockhead depth and morphology in relation to the selection of fabric measurements sites. © British Geological Survey/Natural Environment Research Council copyright 2007. Reproduced with the permission of BGS/NERC. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Magnetic fabric of a basaltic dyke swarm associated with Mesozoic rifting in northeastern Brazil

The anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) has been studied in a 120 km long, Early Cretaceous tholeiitic dyke swarm emplaced during the early stages of rifting and opening of the equatorial Atlantic Ocean. The vertical dykes filled a set of E-trending fractures that cut the structural grain of the Precambrian basement of northeastern Brazil at a high angle. These strongly magnetic rocks contain pseudo-single domain, Ti-poor magnetite and secondary maghemite as revealed by thermomagnetic and hysteresis data. The contribution of the paramagnetic and the high coercivity antiferromagnetic fractions to the bulk susceptibility is less than 1.2%. The dykes generally show well-clustered AMS principal directions. The plunge of the magnetic lineation varies from nearly subvertical in the center of the swarm to horizontal in the west. The strike of the magnetic foliation is generally oblique to the dyke wall and exhibits a curved trend at the regional scale. This fabric pattern suggests that the magma source that fed the dykes was situated in the center of the swarm, which is presently below Tertiary sandstones.     

Tectonic implications of gravity anomalies associated with some continental rift valleys — a model study

An asthenospheric, diapir-type continental rift-valley model is developed. This model seems to satisfy the gravity anomalies observed over some of the rifts of East Africa without necessitating the assumption of excessively thick sections of low-density sediments or exceedingly low-density volcanics in the valleys. It is suggested that frequently observed large-amplitude Bouguer anomaly minima coinciding with some rift valleys are partially caused by hot creep of material from the lower crust into the mantle material in the rift zone.     

电子背散射衍射技术(EBSD)在组构分析中的应用和相关问题

在过去的二十年里,EBSD（Electron Backscattered Diffraction）,即电子背散射衍射测试技术,已广泛应用于韧性组构分析,成为变形运动学、流变学分析的常规手段。该方法主要应用于流变条件下矿物晶轴组构定向性分析,以判定流变剪切指向、对比应变强度、估算变形温度。理论上讲,EBSD法适用于所有矿物的全部晶轴定向的分析测试。然而鉴于天然变形的复杂性,笔者建议EBSD分析应以石英,特别是经历了动态重结晶的石英条带为组构分析的主要对象。长期以来,石英晶轴组构的不对称性被视作独立的剪切指向标志。然而,近年来基于天然变形和一般剪切实验的研究结果表明,塑性流变的剪切指向含义应为多重流变剪切指向标志综合判别比对的结果。尽管在提出之初,石英的轴组构开角被视作独立可靠的变形温度计（Kruhl,1998）。然而限于天然变形的复杂性,特别是对变质与变形阶段的对应、耦合的认识;尽管石英变形滑移系及石英晶轴组构开角可为动力变质温度提供重要的参考,但是石英晶轴组构开角并非独立的变形温度计。     

Etude de l''acquisition d''éléments dissous par les eaux de lessivage des roches granitiques sous climat tempéré

Using chemical potential diagrams and budget calculations, we show that the acquisition of solutes by surface water in granitic rocks under temperate climate corresponds with transformation of primary minerals into kaolinite or halloysite. This mineral controls aluminium solubility.     

Petrology of a suite of sedimentary rocks associated with some cole-bearing basins in northwestern Thailand

A number of basins in northwestern Thailand contain thick sequences of Cenozoic sedimentary rocks. Oil shales and coals are prominent lithologies within these sequences and occur together in some basins. Most of the sequences are, however, dominated by either oil shales or coals. The major oil shale deposit is in the Mae Sot Basin but oil shales also occur in the Ban Huay Dua, Mae Moh, Ban Pa Ka Li, Mae Teep, Ban Na Hong and Jae Hom Basins.Drilling and detailed mapping, in the Mae Sot Basin indicate thick sequences of oil shales and organic petrological studies show that they contain abundant lamalginite. Trace amounts of telalginite, liptodetrinite, bitumen/resinite and huminite/inertinite are also present in some of the rocks. The parts of the sequences rich in authigenic minerals are, in general, petrographically similar to Green River Formation lamosites. Where clay/silt-sized epiclastics are more abundant, similarities exist to Australian Tertiary lamosites. Vitrinite reflectance date from the oil shales and associated coals indicate a low level of maturity.Oil shales from the other basins are, petrographically similar to the Mae Sot lamosites, however some differences do exist. The Mae Sot and other lamosites were deposited in lacustrine environments that probably had highly variable water depths.     

Origin,evolution and anatomy of silt‐prone submarine external levées

Submarine external levées are constructional features that develop outside slope channel systems, and are a volumetrically significant component of continental margins. However, detailed observations of their process sedimentology and depositional architecture are rare. Extensive exposures of external levées at multiple stratigraphic intervals and well‐constrained palaeogeographic positions in the Fort Brown Formation, Karoo Basin, South Africa, have been calibrated with research boreholes. This integrated data set permits their origin, evolution and anatomy to be considered, including high‐resolution analysis of sedimentary facies distribution and characterization of depositional sub‐environments. An idealized model of the stratigraphic evolution and depositional architecture of external levées is presented, and variations can be attributed to allogenic (for example, sediment supply) and autogenic (for example, channel migration) factors. Initiation of external levée construction is commonly marked by deposition of a basal sand‐rich facies with sedimentary structures indicating rapid deposition from unconfined flows. These deposits are interpreted as frontal lobes. Propagation of the parent channel, and resultant flow confinement, lead to partial erosion of the frontal lobe and development of constructional relief (levées) by flow overspill and flow stripping. Overall fining‐upwards and thinning‐upwards profiles reflect increased flow confinement and/or waning flow magnitude through time. Identification of a hierarchy of levée elements is not possible due to the absence of internal bounding surfaces or sharp facies changes. The down‐slope taper in levée height and increasing channel sinuosity results in increasing numbers of crevasse lobe deposits, and is reflected by the increased occurrences of channel avulsion events down‐dip. External levées from the Fort Brown Formation are silt‐rich; however their stratigraphic evolution and the distribution of many components (such as sediment waves and crevasse lobe) share commonalities with mud‐rich external levées. This unique integrated data set has permitted the first high‐resolution characterization of external submarine levée systems.     

Preparation and identification of clay samples with controlled fabric

Techniques have been developed to prepare reasonably homogeneous, reproducible bulk samples of a kaolinite clay (Hydrite 10) with predetermined microfabrics and to reliably identify these microfabrics both quantitatively and qualitatively. Eight samples with quite diverse histories were produced in the laboratory by controlling the chemistry of the clay-water system, the consolidation stress path (either isotropic or anisotropic), and the magnitude of the consolidation stresses. The fabrics of these samples are identified and quantified by the combined use of scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and X-ray diffractometry, and reasonably comprehensive appraisals of particle associations and orientation are obtained. Anisotropic consolidation was found to induce a preferred particle orientation, whereas isotropic consolidation tended to provide basically random samples. The anisotropically consolidated samples from dispersed slurries exhibited somewhat greater particle orientation than those from flocculated slurries, and, although considerable particle orientation occurred at low values of the consolidation stress, increases in the major principal consolidation stress did accentuate the particle orientation. The presence of domains or small groups of particles is suggested in certain samples, especially in those consolidated isotropically.     

Contexte de mise en place des roches basiques de la ceinture de roches vertes birimienne de Diagorou-Darbani (Liptako,Niger, Afrique de l'Ouest) : plateau océanique ou environnement d'arc/bassin arrière-arc océanique

The Diagorou-Darbani Birimian greenstone belt includes (i) tholeiitic metabasalts with flat to slightly depleted LREE patterns, (ii) amphibolites having high contents in both compatible and incompatible elements with strongly fractionated spidergrams showing large HFSE negative anomalies, and (iii) metabasalts and amphibolites with intermediate features between the two previous groups. The chemical compositions of these rocks are not those of oceanic plateau basalts, but suggest a magmatic evolution from an arc environment to a back-arc oceanic basin. Source of the highly enriched amphibolites could be a depleted mantle metasomatized by slab-derived siliceous melts. To cite this article: A. Soumaila et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Découverte des roches à affinité ophiolitique dans la chaîne panafricaine au Cameroun : les talcschistes de Ngoung, Lamal Pougue et Bibodi Lamal

Outcrops of talc schists extending over >1 km have been discovered within the garnet- and muscovite-bearing mica schist of the Pan-African belt near Yaoundé (Cameroon). Mineralogical studies show that a metamorphism of the upper greenschist facies was prolonged by hydrothermal reactions. This latter led to the transformation of hornblendites into talc schists. Chemically, talc schists and relicts of hornblendite remind ultrabasic rocks, and REE patterns point to E-MORB and peridotite. It is thus suggested that the talc schists and relicts of hornblendite may correspond to slices of a dismembered Pan-African ophiolite set. To cite this article: C. Nkoumbou et al., C. R. Geoscience 338 (2006).     

法国比利牛斯山Trimouns滑石-绿泥石矿床地质与成因

位于法国比利牛斯山的Trimouns矿床是世界上最大的滑石-绿泥石矿床之一。对该矿床形成的条件及滑石和绿泥石矿石的含量已较清楚。它是由不同类型的岩石通过热液交代蚀变而形成的，主要包括白云岩蚀变为滑石为主的矿石和硅铝质岩石(云母片岩和伟晶岩)蚀变为绿泥石为主的矿石。滑石矿石显示片理化结构(滑石片岩)或压实块状结构(块滑石)。由伟晶岩蚀变而来的绿泥石矿石为呈绿色的球状矿体，而由云母片岩蚀变而来的绿泥石矿石呈块状或片理状、颜色为灰绿色和深灰色。本文对欧洲这个独一无二的滑石和绿泥石矿床的地质特征和成因进行了总结和讨论。流体包裹体研究表明成矿流体为高盐度(20to30％eq．wt％NaCl)、中温(320℃)、压为为2．5kbars。磷钇矿和独居石的U—Ph定年结果表明，成矿年代为112—97Ma，成矿作用可能持续了16Ma以上。     

Domainal fabric development,associated microstructures and <Emphasis Type="Italic">P-T</Emphasis> records attesting to polymetamorphism in a granulite complex of the Eastern Ghats granulite belt,India

The granulite complex around Jenapore, Orissa, Eastern Ghats granulite belt, bears the imprint of two episodes of strong deformation (D₁ and D₂) attended with foliation (fabric) development (S₁ and S₂). Two distinct metamorphic events at P-T conditions of ∼900°C at ∼9 kbar and ∼600°C at ∼6 kbar are correlated with D₁ and D₂ respectively. The reaction textures in S₁-microdomains are interpreted to be the product of near isobaric cooling at ∼9 kbar from 950°C to 600°C, whereas those in the S₂-microdomains are considered to be the result of an up-pressure trajectory from ∼6 kbar at 600°C. The D₁-M₁ high P-T granulite event is interpreted to be Archean in age (ca. 3 Ga) on the basis of the isotopic data obtained from the charnockite suite of the area. The later relatively low P-T granulite facies event, attendant to D₂-S₂ is considered to be related to the Grenvillian orogeny as represented by the dominant isotopic record in the belt.     

Modelling undrained behaviour of sand with fines and fabric anisotropy

Acta Geotechnica - Fabric anisotropy and fines content (fc) in sands modify significantly their mechanical behaviour, particularly as related to static liquefaction under undrained conditions. The...     

Electromagnetic signals associated with stick–slip of quartz-free rocks

We recorded clear transients in the electric and magnetic fields upon sudden slip in stick–slip experiments on dry, cylindrically shaped, quartz-free rock specimens of basalt and peridotite with a 30° saw-cut (representing a fault) at confining pressures of up to 120 MPa. The amplitudes of the measured electric field signals were always higher at the electrode pair oriented parallel to the strike of the fault than at the pair oriented perpendicular. This anisotropy suggests a preferred electric polarization normal to the slip surface. The transients in the electric and magnetic fields were observed only when the fault slip occurred by stick–slip mode, not by a stable mode of the sliding, and the amplitudes of the electric field signals increased with increasing stress drop. It is suggested that the generation process of the electromagnetic signals is closely related to the characteristic behavior of the fault at the time of the initiation of slip during stick–slip events, probably with respect to the intensity of the signals. We propose that one or both of the following two processes characteristic of the fault at the time of the initiation of slip during stick–slip events are essential for the generation of detectable electromagnetic signals: rapid slip along the simulated fault and separation of the rock masses across the fault.     

Experimental investigation of shear strength of sands with inherent fabric anisotropy

Loading direction-dependent strength of sand has been traditionally characterized in the principal stress space as a direct extension of the Mohr–Coulomb criterion. A recent study found that it is more appropriate to define anisotropic strength of sand on failure/shear planes, but this proposition has only been demonstrated with discrete element method (DEM) simulations. The present study experimentally investigates anisotropic shear strength of sands in this new framework. Three granular materials with distinct grain characteristics ranging from smooth and rounded particles to flaky and angular particles are tested with the bedding plane inclination angle ψ _b varying over the full range of 0°–180°. The main objective is to study how the peak friction angle ? _p of sand is affected by the ψ _b angle and how the ψ _b–? _p relationship evolves with the change of characteristics of constituent sand particles. We find that the general trend of ψ _b–? _p curves for real sands resembles what was predicted by DEM in a previous study, whereas rich anisotropic strength behavior is revealed by the laboratory data. The effects of normal stress and initial density, as well as shear dilation behavior at different shear directions, are also studied.     

THM analysis of a large‐scale heating test incorporating material fabric changes

Engineered barriers are basic elements in the design of repositories for the isolation of high‐level radioactive waste. This paper presents the thermo‐hydro‐mechanical (THM) analysis of a clay barrier subjected to heating and hydration. The study focuses on an ongoing large‐scale heating test, at almost full scale, which is being carried out at the CIEMAT laboratory under well‐controlled boundary conditions. The test is intensely instrumented and it has provided the opportunity to study in detail the evolution of the main THM variables over a long period of time. Comprehensive laboratory tests carried out in the context of the FEBEX and NF‐PRO projects have allowed the identification of the model parameters to describe the THM behaviour of the compacted expansive clay. A conventional THM approach that assumes the swelling clay as a single porosity medium has been initially adopted to analyse the evolution of the test. The model was able to predict correctly the global THM behaviour of the clay barrier in the short term (i.e. for times shorter than three years), but some model limitations were detected concerning the prediction of the long‐term hydration rate. An additional analysis of the test has been carried out using a double structure model to describe the actual behaviour of expansive clays. The double structure model explicitly considers the two dominant pore levels that actually exist in the FEBEX bentonite and it is able to account for the evolution of the material fabric. The simulation of the experiment using this enhanced model provides a more satisfactory reproduction of the long‐term experimental results. It also contributes to a better understanding of the observed test behaviour and it provides a physically based explanation for the very slow hydration of the barrier. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.