Trace element distribution among rock-forming minerals from metamorphosed to partially molten basic igneous rocks in a contact aureole (Fuerteventura, Canaries)

Low pressure partial melting of basanitic and ankaramitic dykes gave rise to unusual, zebra-like migmatites, in the contact aureole of a layered pyroxenite–gabbro intrusion, in the root zone of an ocean island (Basal Complex, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands). These migmatites are characterised by a dense network of closely spaced, millimetre-wide leucocratic segregations. Their mineralogy consists of plagioclase (An_32–36), diopside, biotite, oxides (magnetite, ilmenite), +/− amphibole, dominated by plagioclase in the leucosome and diopside in the melanosome. The melanosome is almost completely recrystallised, with the preservation of large, relict igneous diopside phenocrysts in dyke centres. Comparison of whole-rock and mineral major- and trace-element data allowed us to assess the redistribution of elements between different mineral phases and generations during contact metamorphism and partial melting.

Dykes within and outside the thermal aureole behaved like closed chemical systems. Nevertheless, Zr, Hf, Y and REEs were internally redistributed, as deduced by comparing the trace element contents of the various diopside generations. Neocrystallised diopside – in the melanosome, leucosome and as epitaxial phenocryst rims – from the migmatite zone, are all enriched in Zr, Hf, Y and REEs compared to relict phenocrysts. This has been assigned to the liberation of trace elements on the breakdown of enriched primary minerals, kaersutite and sphene, on entering the thermal aureole. Major and trace element compositions of minerals in migmatite melanosomes and leucosomes are almost identical, pointing to a syn- or post-solidus reequilibration on the cooling of the migmatite terrain i.e. mineral–melt equilibria were reset to mineral–mineral equilibria.     

Melt segregation in the continental crust: distribution and movement of melt in anatectic rocks

The grain‐ and outcrop‐scale distribution of melt has been mapped in anatectic rocks from regional and contact metamorphic environments and used to infer melt movement paths. At the grain scale, anatectic melt is pervasively distributed in the grain boundaries and in small pools; consequently, most melt is located parallel to the principal fabric in the rock, typically a foliation. Short, branched arrays of linked, melt‐bearing grain boundaries connect melt‐depleted parts of the matrix to diffuse zones of melt accumulation (protoleucosomes), where magmatic flow and alignment of euhedral crystals grown from the melt developed. The distribution of melt (leucosome) and residual rocks (normally melanocratic) in outcrop provides different, but complementary, information. The residual rocks show where the melt came from, and the leucosomes preserve some of the channels through which the melt moved, or sites where it pooled. Different stages of the melt segregation process are recorded in the leucosome–melanosome arrays. Regions where melting and segregation had just begun when crystallization occurred are characterized by short arrays of thin, branching leucosomes with little melanosome. A more advanced stage of melting and segregation is marked by the development of residual rocks around extensive, branched leucosome arrays, generally oriented along the foliation or melting layer. Places where melting had stopped, or slowed down, before crystallization began are marked by a high ratio of melanosome to leucosome; because most of the melt has drained away, very few leucosomes remain to mark the melt escape path — this is common in melt‐depleted granulite terranes. Many migmatites contain abundant leucosomes oriented parallel to the foliation; mostly, these represent places where foliation planes dilated and melt drained from the matrix via the branched grain boundary and larger branched melt channel (leucosome) arrays collected. Melt collected in the foliation planes was partially, or fully, expelled later, when discordant leucosomes formed. Leucosomes (or veins) oriented at high angles to the foliation/layering formed last and commonly lack melanocratic borders; hence they were not involved in draining the matrix of the melting layer. Discordant leucosomes represent the channels through which melt flowed out of the melting layer.     

Grain-scale melt distribution in two contact aureole rocks: implications for controls on melt localization and deformation

The grain‐scale spatial arrangement of melt in layer‐parallel leucosomes in two anatectic rocks from two different contact aureoles located in central Maine, USA, is documented and used to constrain the controls on grain‐scale melt localization. The spatial distribution of grain‐scale melt is inferred from microstructural criteria for recognition of mineral pseudomorphs after melt and mineral grains of the solid matrix that hosted the melt. In both rocks, feldspar mimics the grain‐scale distribution of melt, and quartz is the major constituent of the solid matrix. The feldspar pockets consist of individual feldspar grains or aggregates of feldspar grains that show cuspate outlines. They have low average width/length ratios (0.54 and 0.55, respectively), and are interstitial between more rounded and equant (width/length ratios 0.65 for both samples) quartz grains. In two dimensions, the feldspar pockets extend over distances equivalent to multiple quartz grain diameters, possibly forming a connected three‐dimensional intergranular network. Both samples show similar mesoscopic structural elements and in both samples the feldspar pockets have a shape‐preferred orientation. In one sample, feldspar inferred to replace melt is aligned subparallel to the shape‐preferred orientation of quartz, indicating that pre‐ or syn‐anatectic strain controlled the grain‐scale distribution of melt. In the other sample, the preferred orientation of feldspar inferred to replace melt is different from the orientations of all other mesoscopic or microscopic structures in the rock, indicating that differential stress controlled grain‐scale melt localization. This is probably facilitated by conditions of higher differential stress, which may have promoted microfracturing. Grain‐scale melt distribution and inferred melt localization controls give insight into possible grain‐scale deformation mechanisms in melt‐bearing rocks. Application of these results to the interpretation of deep crustal anatectic rocks suggests that grain‐scale melt distribution should be controlled primarily by pre‐ or syn‐anatectic deformation. Feedback relations between melt localization and deformation are to be expected, with important implications for deformation and tectonic evolution of melt‐bearing rocks.     

Garnet fractionation,progressive melt loss and bulk composition variations in anatectic metabasites:Complications for interpreting the geodynamic significance of TTGs

Tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite(TTG) suites constitute a large proportion of the Archean geological record;however,the geodynamic processes that generated them,and Archean continental crust in general,remain a subject of debate.The concentrations and ratios of Sr,Y,La,Yb,Nb,and Ta in TTGs are commonly used to determine the depth of melting of their metabasic sources.The trace element composition of melt produced by metabasic source rocks during anatexis is strongly affected by the presence and abundance of pressure-sensitive minerals,such as plagioclase(Sr-bearing),garnet(Y-and HREE-bearing),and rutile(Nb-and Ta-bearing).Elevated Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios and low concentrations of Nb and Ta in TTGs are generally considered to indicate melting at high pressures(≥2.0 GPa).The depth of melting is a key factor in determining the origin of TTGs as this provides critical information on the tectonic setting of their generation.We use phase equilibrium and trace element modelling to explore the effects of three potential influences on TTG trace element compositions:fractionation of trace elements into peritectic garnet cores,progressive melt loss from the source,and source bulk composition.We model three different compositions of Archean basalts along thermal gradients of 500℃/GPa,750℃/GPa,and 1000℃/GPa.The models produce maj or and trace element melt compositions that are generally consistent with measured compositions of TTGs.Although Sr/Y,La/Yb,Nb,and Ta exhibit pressure-dependent behaviour,other factors also affect these values.Garnet fractionation causes Sr/Y and La/Yb to reach much greater values and in this scenario,the values also increase with increasing temperature.Source bulk composition has an effect in all scenarios and most strongly influences La/Yb,Nb,and Ta.Overall,these results show that Sr/Y,La/Yb,Nb,and Ta can reach values generally considered to be indicative of high pressure melting at a range of P-T conditions including P 2.0 GPa.Consequently,trace element compositions of TTGs alone may provide a misleading impression of the depth of melting of metabasites and the geodynamic environment of Archean crustal growth and reworking.     

Possible detachment zone in Precambrian rocks of Kanjamalai Hills,Cauvery Suture Zone,Southern India: Implications to accretionary tectonics

Existence of a possible detachment zone at Elampillai region, NW margin of Kanjamalai Hills, located in the northern part of Cauvery Suture Zone (CSZ), Southern India, is reported here for the first time. Detailed structural mapping provides anatomy of the zone, which are rarely preserved in Precambrian high grade terranes. The detachment surface separates two distinct rock units of contrasting lithological and structural characters: the upper and lower units. The detachment zone is characterized by a variety of fold styles with the predominance of tight isoclinal folds with varied plunge directions, limb rotations and the hinge line variations often leading to lift-off fold like geometries and deformed sheath folds. Presence of parasitic folding and associated penetrative strains seem to be controlled by differences in mechanical stratigraphy, relative thicknesses of the competent and incompetent units, and the structural relief of the underlying basement. Our present study in conjunction with other available geological, geochemical and geochronological data from the region indicates that the structures of the detachment zone are genetically related to thrust tectonics forming a part of subduction–accretion–collision tectonic history of the Neoproterozoic Gondwana suture.     

Altitudinal shift in stable hydrogen isotopes and microbial tetraether distribution in soils from the Southern Alps,NZ: Implications for paleoclimatology and paleoaltimetry

The Southern Alps are an ideal locality for studying patterns of isotopic fractionation associated with orographic precipitation. We have evaluated whether altitudinal change is reflected in the stable hydrogen isotopic composition (δ²H) of stream water, plant stem water and leaf wax lipids (n-alkanes) from living plants and soils, as well as in soil temperature. Samples were collected along an altitudinal transect from the windward side of the Southern Alps to Lake Hawea in the rain shadow. The results indicate that δ²H values of stem water overlap with stream water, demonstrating a gradual decrease with elevation that complied with modeled Rayleigh distillation, reflecting an isotopic lapse rate of −18.0 (± 1.1, 1σ)‰/km. Leaf and soil n-alkanes shared similar δ²H values and were ²H depleted relative to stem/stream waters. The values for soil n-alkanes indicated an isotopic lapse rate of −21.8 (± 2.0, 1σ)‰/km, consistent with precipitation data and long term observations. MBT/CBT derived soil temperature values based on the relative distribution of microbial tetraether lipids were similar to midsummer temperature observations, displaying an elevational decrease rate of −5.6 (± 1.5, 1σ) °C/km, consistent with regional and global observations.The results indicate that sedimentary lipid δ²H and microbial tetraether temperature estimates captured altitudinal trends in the isotopic composition of precipitation and mean temperature and further support their application in the reconstruction of past climate and surface uplift histories. However, notable differences in isotopic composition and temperature estimates between in situ soils and those with downslope transport of material emphasize the importance of facies analysis when interpreting past systems.     

Mineral distribution within polymineralic veins in the Sanbagawa belt,Japan: implications for mass transfer during vein formation

Pelitic schists of the Sanbagawa metamorphic belt contain several types of polymineralic veins that formed during the late stages of exhumation. The vein mineral assemblages are quartz + albite + K-feldspar + chlorite ± calcite (Type I, II) and quartz + albite + calcite (Type III). Type I and II veins contain quartz and albite with stretched-crystal and elongate-blocky textures, respectively. The mineral species within Type I veins vary with compositional bands within the host rocks. Type III veins are characterized by euhedral to subhedral quartz grains with concentric zoning and a homogeneous distribution along the vein length. The vein textures vary depending on the crack aperture during multiple crack-seal events: <0.08 mm for Type I, and 0.5–10 mm for Type III. Type II veins show intermediate features between Type I and III veins in terms of mineral distribution (weak dependence on the host rock composition) and apparent crack aperture (less than 1–15 mm). These observations suggest a transition in the dominant transport mechanism of vein components with increasing crack aperture, from diffusion from host rocks to fluid advection along cracks.     

Paleomagnetism of the Upper Proterozoic and Devonian rocks from the K odzko Metamorphic Complex in the West Sudetes (SW Poland): tectonic implications for the Variscan belt of Central Europe

The K odzko Metamorphic Complex (KMC) consists of Upper Proterozoic metaigneous and metasedimentary rocks forming a stack pile thrusted over the Givetian and overlain by Frasnian–Fammenian sediments. Magnetomineralogical experiments show that the magnetic minerals are secondary. The paleomagnetic experiments identified three components of the Natural Remanent Magnetization; labeled A1, A2 and M. The mean pole positions calculated in situ correspond with the Baltica Upper Devonian (A1: PlatS=−18°, PlongE=317°), Permo-Carboniferous (A2: PlatS=−39°, PlongE=2°) and Triassic–Jurassic (M: PlatS=−60°C, PlongE=308°) segments of the Apparent Polar Wander Path (APWP) for Baltica. This indicates that the region studied was situated close to the Baltica plate at least since the Upper Devonian and was not folded after this period.     

本溪水洞洞穴空气CO2浓度与温、湿度的空间分布和昼夜变化特征

洞穴空气CO2浓度是影响洞穴次生化学沉积物沉积和溶蚀的重要因素之一。基于对本溪水洞洞穴空气CO2浓度、温度和湿度连续两个昼夜的系统观测结果,结合洞外大气CO2浓度、温度和湿度数据,初步分析了本溪水洞洞穴空气CO2浓度空间分布特征和昼夜变化规律：（1）洞穴空气CO2浓度自洞口开始快速增高至一定深度后趋于稳定,这个快速升高的距离与不同季节洞穴交换能力有关,秋季大约是370 m。洞穴CO2浓度稳定区的空间差异可能主要与洞穴结构和裂隙发育情况有关,在洞体变小的倚天长剑景点附近出现峰值,而在洞体变大的石瀑布景点和游客无法进入的源头区出现低谷。（2）观测期间,洞穴空气CO2浓度总体上呈递降趋势,基本上与游客数量有关。（3）在洞穴空气CO2浓度急剧上升的近洞口段,洞穴空气CO2浓度每个昼夜出现两个峰值,分别对应正午12时和午夜前后。本溪水洞洞穴空气CO2浓度的这种变化特点,受游客与工作人员的呼吸排放和洞穴与大气间的气体交换作用的双重影响。     

From orthogneiss to migmatite: Geochemical assessment of the melt infiltration model in the Gföhl Unit (Moldanubian Zone, Bohemian Massif)

The Gföhl Unit is the largest migmatite terrain of the Variscan orogenic root domain in Europe. Its genesis has been until now attributed to variable degrees of in situ partial melting. In the Rokytná Complex (Gföhl Unit, Czech Republic) there is a well-preserved sequence documenting the entire migmatitization process on both outcrop and regional scales. The sequence starts with (i) banded orthogneiss with distinctly separated monomineralic layers, continuing through (ii) migmatitic mylonitic gneiss, (iii) schlieren migmatite characterised by disappearance of monomineralic layering and finally to (iv) felsic nebulitic migmatite with no relics of the original banding.

While each type of migmatite shows a distinct whole-rock geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic fingerprint, the whole sequence evolves along regular, more or less smooth trends for most of the elements. Possible mechanisms which could account for such a variation are that the individual migmatite types (i) are genetically unrelated, (ii) originated by equilibrium melting of a single protolith, (iii) formed by disequilibrium melting (with or without a small-scale melt movement) or (iv) were generated by melt infiltration from external source. The first scenario is not in agreement with the field observations and chemistry of the orthogneisses/migmatites. Neither of the remaining hypotheses can be ruled out convincingly solely on whole-rock geochemical grounds. However in light of previously obtained structural, petrologic and microstructural data, this sequence can be interpreted as a result of a process in which the banded orthogneiss was pervasively, along grain boundaries, penetrated by felsic melt derived from an external source.

In terms of this melt infiltration model the individual migmatites can be explained by different degrees of equilibration between the bulk rock and the passing melt. The melt infiltration can be modelled as an open-system process, characterised by changes of the total mass/volume and accompanied by gains/losses in many of the major- and trace elements. The modelling of the mass balance resulted in identification of a component added by a heterogeneous nucleation of feldspars, quartz and apatite from the passing melt. This is in line with the observed presence of new albitic plagioclase, K-feldspar and quartz coatings as well as resorption of relict feldspars. At the most advanced stages (schlieren and nebulitic migmatites) the whole-rock trace-element geochemical variations document an increasing role for fractional crystallization of the K-feldspar and minor plagioclase, with accessory amounts of monazite, zircon and apatite.

The penetrating melt was probably (leuco-) granitic, poor in mafic components, Rb rich, with low Sr, Ba, LREE, Zr, U and Th contents. It probably originated by partial melting of micaceous quartzo-feldspathic rocks.

If true and the studied migmatites indeed originated by a progressive melt infiltration into a single protolith resembling the banded orthogneiss, this until now underappreciated process would have profound implications regarding rheology and chemical development of anatectic regions in collisional orogens.     

Application of multivariate spatial analysis in scale-based distribution and source study of PAHs in the topsoil: an example from Tianjin,China

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in soil originate from various sources under different spatial scales. Coregionalization analysis is more revealing than univariate geostatistical analysis. Scale-dependent spatial features of variables reflect different sources of spatial variability. In this study, 188 topsoil samples in the Tianjin area were collected. The contents of 16 PAHs and soil background properties were determined for all samples. A multivariate geostatistical approach was used for multi-scale spatial analysis for PAH compounds. Results show that coal combustion was the major source for the spatial distribution patterns of PAHs in the topsoil of the studied area. It worked mainly at the short-range scale (5–10 km). Significant spatial variation patterns were identified. In contrast, no significant spatial distribution trends at the nugget (0–5 km) or long-range scales (10–50 km) were seen. Long-range transport and site contamination of PAHs might not be key contributors in forming the distribution pattern of PAHs in the topsoil of Tianjin area.     

Geochemical fingerprint of hyaloclasts in glassy fragmental rocks of Macquarie Island (Southern Ocean): implications for volcanogenic sedimentary processes at a waning mid-ocean ridge

Two main types of glassy fragmental rocks formed along the Proto-Macquarie Spreading Ridge: (i) hyaloclastite breccia; and (ii) pillow-fragment breccia. Examples now exposed on Macquarie Island, Southern Ocean, were largely sourced from proximal pillow lavas. In each of seven samples examined, hyaloclasts (basaltic glass grains) have a narrow major- and trace-element geochemical range, consistent with derivation of each sample from a single volcanic eruption event. Moreover, every sample analysed within the one stratigraphic section (at three sites) displays distinctive major- and trace-element geochemistry compared with the other two sections. This suggests that hyaloclasts at each site represent discrete magma batches. A single source for these glassy fragmental rocks contrasts with the dominant fault-scarp-derived polymict sedimentary rocks on Macquarie Island. We suggest that the hyaloclasts analysed in this study were deposited in small basins between the slopes of growing pillow cones along the mid-ocean ridge. The geochemical analyses presented here encompass (weakly) fractionated (e.g. Bauer Bay) to near-primitive (e.g. Pyramid Peak) compositions. All samples presented here lie within the range of the enriched- to normal-MORB suites previously reported for the island that include the least fractionated MORB melts known globally. The interpretation of geochemically distinct magma batches over the small area of the island suggests very limited magma mixing consistent with an immature or waning magmatic system. We relate these geochemical characteristics to: (i) volcanism near a very long offset transform; and (ii) genesis of magmas during the waning stages of slow seafloor spreading within a very narrow (<50 km-wide) spreading corridor.     

豫西熊耳山Ag、Ag-Pb、Au、Mo及Pb矿床 (点)的空间分布特征及找矿启示

对豫西熊耳山121个Ag、Ag-Pb、Au、Mo及Pb矿床(点)的空间分布特征进行了分析,并在此基础上探讨了熊耳山地区找矿潜力区。在经度方向上,它们集中于熊耳山的东、西两端,而在中部(111.45°~111.50°和111.60°~111.65°)出现两个矿床频数低值;在纬度方向上,矿化主要集中分布于34.10°~34.25°的中部地带。121个矿床(点)的高程(采矿平硐海拔高度)集中分布于600~750 m、800~1 050 m和1 100~1 200 m三个高程区间内,熊耳山东、西两端大型Ag-Pb、Au和Mo矿床的高程大致相当。121个矿床(点)组成了6条矿化种类各异和走向不同的矿化条带,分别为近NW向的Ag及Ag-Pb矿化条带(M1)和Au(Mo、Pb)矿化条带(M3)、近NE向的Au(Mo、Pb)矿化条带(M2)、近EW的Pb-Au(Mo)矿化条带(M4)、近NNW向的Au矿化条带(M5)和近NS向的Au(Mo、Pb)矿化条带(M6),其走向均与区域以及矿床控矿构造的走向大致相当。121个矿床(点)在空间三个投影面中均遵循分形丛集分布,并且存在两个无标度网格区,显示了多重分形的特征,发现熊耳山矿集区的分布具有约10 km等间距的特征,并结合透岩浆流体成矿理论对熊耳山地区进一步的成矿潜力区进行了分析。     

The distribution of salt marsh foraminifera at Little Dipper Harbour New Brunswick, Canada: implications for development of widely applicable transfer functions in sea-level research

A stepwise linear regression analysis was carried out on both 0–1 and 0–10 cm surface samples from a transect across the marsh at Little Dipper Harbour, New Brunswick. Only the 0–1 cm surface samples produce statistically reliable results (R²=0.705; R′²=0.609). These results are in sharp contrast to those obtained from British Columbia marshes where infaunal habitat and taphonomic biasing result in 0–10 cm samples producing the best results using stepwise linear regression. The fundamental difference in the apparent preferred habitats of marsh foraminifera in these areas pose difficulties for researchers attempting to develop transfer function training sets that can be applied over wide areas in paleo-sea-level research.     

Monazite dating of granitic gneisses and leucogranites from the Kerala Khondalite Belt,southern India: implications for Late Proterozoic crustal evolution in East Gondwana

Two stages of granitic magmatism occurred during the Pan-African evolution of the Kerala Khondalite Belt (KKB) in southern India. Granitic gneisses were derived from porphyritic granites, which intruded prior to the main stage of deformation and peak-metamorphism. Subsequently, leucogranites and leucotonalites formed during fluid-absent melting and intruded the gneiss sequences. Monazites from granitic gneisses, leucogranites and a leucotonalite were investigated by conventional U-Pb and electron microprobe dating in order to distinguish the different stages of magma emplacement. U-Pb monazite dating yielded a wide range of ages between 590–520 Ma which are interpreted to date high-grade metamorphism rather than magma emplacement. The results of this study indicate that the KKB experienced protracted heating (>50 Ma) at temperatures above 750–800 °C during the Pan-African orogeny. The tectonometamorphic evolution of the study area is comparable to southern Madagascar which underwent a similar sequence of events earlier than the KKB. The results of this study further substantiate previous assertions that the timing of high-grade metamorphism in East Gondwana shifted from west to east during the Late Proterozoic.     

Nitrogen distribution in Lower Palaeozoic slates/phyllites of the Meguma Supergroup, Nova Scotia, Canada: implications for Au and Zn-Pb mineralisation and exploration

Major and trace elements and nitrogen were analysed in 59 Cambrian and Ordovician slates/phyllites of various lithostratigraphic levels within the Meguma Supergroup, 14 Ordovician slates/phyllites of The Ovens gold mineralisation, and 16 Ordovician slates/phyllites of the Eastville Pb-Zn-Cu mineralisation.The fixed nitrogen content and the normative N_fix/K₂O ratio of muscovite separates members of the Goldenville (sandstone-greywacke-quartzite dominated) and Halifax Formation (slate-phyllite dominated). Low fixed nitrogen concentration is related to high manganese concentration. Black slates/phyllites of the saddle-reef-type Au-mineralisation in The Ovens area are characterised by high fixed nitrogen and a high normative N_fix/K₂O ratio of muscovite. The nitrogen is of secondary hydrothermal origin. Therefore, it might be possible to use the fixed nitrogen as an exploration tool for black slates/phyllite hosted gold mineralisation in Nova Scotia. Mineralised slates/phyllites of the Eastville stratabound Pb-Zn mineralisation cannot be distinguished from nonmineralised time equivalent lithologies on the basis of the fixed nitrogen distribution or the N_fix/K₂O ratio of muscovite.     

Physical properties of ultrahigh-pressure metamorphic rocks from the Sulu terrain, eastern central China: implications for the seismic structure at the Donghai (CCSD) drilling site

About 30 samples representing major lithologies of Sulu ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic rocks were collected from surface exposures and exploration wells, and compressional (Vp) and shear wave (Vs) velocities and their directional dependence (anisotropy) were determined over a range of constant confining pressures up to 600 MPa and temperatures ranging from 20 to 600 °C. Samples range in composition from acidic to ultramafic. P- and S-wave velocities measured at 600 MPa vary from 5.08 to 8.64 km/s and 2.34 to 4.93 km/s, respectively. Densities are in the range from 2.60 to 3.68 g/cm³. To make a direct tie between seismic measurements (refraction and reflection) and subsurface lithologies, the experimental velocity data (corresponding to shallow depths) were used to calculate velocity profiles for the different lithologies and profiles of reflection coefficients at possible lithologic interfaces across the projected 5000-m Chinese Continental Scientific Drilling Program (CCSD) crustal segment. Comparison of calculated in situ velocities with respective intrinsic velocities suggests that the in situ velocities at shallow depths are lowered by an increased abundance of open microcracks. The strongly reflective zone beneath the Donghai drill site can be explained by the impedance contrasts between the different lithologies. Contacts between eclogite/peridotite and felsic rocks (gt-gneiss, granitic gneiss), in particular, may give rise to strong seismic reflections. In addition, shear-induced (lattice preferred orientation (LPO)-related) seismic anisotropy can increase reflectivity. For the explanation of the high velocity bodies (>6.4 km/s) around 1000 m and below 3200-m depth, large proportions of eclogite/peridotite (about 40 and 30 vol.%, respectively) are needed.     

Geochemistry of mafic and ultramafic xenoliths from Fidra (Southern Uplands, Scotland): implications for lithospheric processes in Permo-Carboniferous times

Several types of xenoliths occur in a Permian basanite sill in Fidra, eastern central Scotland. One group consists of spinel lherzolites, which have geochemical and isotopic characteristics similar to those of lithospheric upper mantle from elsewhere in western Europe, with both LREE-depleted and LREE-enriched compositions. A separate group comprises pyroxenites and wehrlites, some of which contain plagioclase; these have compositions and textures that indicate that they are cumulates from mafic magmas. In terms of Sr and Nd isotope compositions, the pyroxenites closely resemble the host basanite and most likely formed by high-pressure fractionation of Permo-Carboniferous alkaline magmas at lower crustal depths. They also have mantle-like δ¹⁸O values. A third group is composed of granulite xenoliths that vary between plagioclase-rich and clinopyroxene-rich compositions, some of which probably form a continuum with the pyroxenites and wehrlites. They are all LREE-enriched and most have positive Eu anomalies; thus, they are also mostly cumulates from mafic magmas. Many of the granulites also have Sr and Nd radiogenic isotope ratios similar to those of the host basanite, indicating that they have formed from a similar magma. However, several of the granulites show more enriched isotopic compositions, including higher δ¹⁸O values, trending towards an older crustal component. Thus, the pyroxenites and granulites are largely cogenetic and are mainly the product of a mafic underplating event that occurred during the widespread magmatism in central Scotland during Permo-Carboniferous times.     

Evidence for a Variscan suture zone in the Vendée, France: a petrological study of blueschist facies rocks from Bois de Cené

Abstract In the Bois de Cené area, blueschist facies rocks, characterized by glaucophane and/ or chloritoid, provide evidence for a suture zone in the Variscan. This terrain is considered to be the eastern equivalent of the Ile de Groix high-pressure metamorphic terrain. Petrological study of the two characteristic types of rocks found in the area shows that the primary high-pressure paragenesis was modified during a retrogression which followed substantial decompression, probably at constant or decreasing temperature. The simplest interpretation is that this retrogression followed tectonic emplacement within a nappe pile.