Stability assessment of marble statuaries of the Schlossbrücke (Berlin, Germany) based on rock strength measurements and ultrasonic wave velocities

The degree of weathering in natural stones on buildings and sculptures has been determined for many years in numerous cases by means of ultrasonic measurements. Conclusions concerning the strength of the rock and the type of weathering can thus be drawn. This relationship has not been established for all rock types. Most of the progress utilizing this method has been made in the analysis of marbles, where an increasing degree of weathering shows lower ultrasonic velocities. In the present study, four Carrara marble samples showing similar rock fabrics, but with respect to weathering exhibit considerable differences are investigated. Porosity varies between 0.2 vol. % and ca. 2.4 vol. %, whereby with increasing porosity the pore radii changes as well. Parallel to this the ultrasonic velocities change in dry samples from about 5.5 to 1.6 km/s, respectively. Model calculations reveal that the velocity reduction is caused by cracks with an extremely small aspect ratio of about 0.005 or even less. After a specific loss of strength, however, solution processes can become active, which modify the microcracks and generate an opposite trend. In the process a strong porosity increase correlates to a relatively small velocity reduction. With the presence of water the V _p porosity weathering relationship experiences a considerable modification. Parallel to the reduction of the ultrasonic velocities, it was determined that the mechanical strength (compressive strength, flexural strength, etc.) as well as the static Young’s modulus is reduced almost equally by a progressive advancement of the weathering front. In one case study dealing with tensile strengths, it was clearly documented how tensile cracks develop and propagate in dependence of the rock fabric. The rock mechanical and ultrasonic velocity data were used for stability assessments applied to the marble statuaries from the Schlossbrücke in Berlin. Stability assessments of the sculpture group 4 reveal that some critical parts must be replaced due to safety reasons.     

Stability assessment of sandstones from the St. Servatius Church in Quedlinburg (UNESCO’s World Heritage Site,Germany)

The St. Servatius Church in Quedlinburg (UNESCO’s World Heritage Site, Germany) is characterised by long-standing stability problems and structural damages, which have been known over the last several centuries. The monotonous Cretaceous sandstone with its poor lithification is considered to be the main factor. The sandstone is characterised by a high porosity of around 30 Vol.% (max. ca. 35 Vol.%) and a corresponding high w-value. The porosity and the degree of cementation are responsible for the very low compressive strength of around 8 MPa at maximum, whereas under moisture these values are significantly reduced up to 40%. The freeze–thaw tests indicate a very poor resistance to frost weathering, which may explain the near-surface softening of the sandstone. Direct shear experiments with an approximate 60° angle of friction on the sandstone clearly demonstrate the safety margins. Initial geotechnical modelling does not favour the hypothesis that a landslide of the hill parallel to the southward dipping bedding planes (i.e. shear failure along weak zones) can occur. A prominent clay layer (also with a southward dip) below the entire castle hill is monitored to determine the possible amount of movement with respect to the geological discontinuities (e.g. joints, fractures). At present, a combination of foundation problems are being considered for the stability situation at the church. These include construction deficiencies due to deformation or softening of the foundation of the forerunner churches and missing or faulty connections from building additions. Geological factors responsible for the stability problems include the softening of the sandstone by the influence of weathering and penetrating water as well as the presence of possible shear planes and joints.     

Lithostratigraphy,facies, and deposition environment of the lower Jurassic Ammonitico Rosso type sediments (ARTS) in the Gümüşhane area,NE Turkey: Implications for the opening of the northern branch of the Neo-Tethys Ocean

Ammonitico Rosso type sediments (ARTS) form the bottom level of the ?enköy Formation in the Gümü?hane area. The formation accumulated in the rift-related basins triggered by extensional tectonic regimes in the Early Jurassic times. Six different sections were studied in this area in order to interpret the lithostratigraphy, facies, and deposition environments of the ARTS. Two basic lithofacies were distinguished, nodular-marly and nodular-calcareous. These facies provide useful information regarding depositional conditions in the area and environmental energy. These factors were mainly related to the relative sea-level that in turn was controlled by tectonic and eustasy conditions. In addition, seven different types of microfacies were recognized and described as a result of the detailed analysis of the sections. The results of the analysis show that these sediments in the Gümü?hane area were developed in transgressive phases/events. These sediments share characteristics with other peri-Mediterranean regions and sea-level curves, and show a similarity to the major transgressive pulse during the Pliensbachian stage. Deposition of ARTS was controlled by syn-depositional extensional movements, leading to their accumulation on top of tilted blocks, slopes and horsts in an open marine environment. The ARTS were developed during the rifting of the continental margins pointing up the phases of the Tethys opening. Neptunian dykes verifying this opening developed at different levels of the ARTS and were filled with overlying sediments. These results support the hypothesis that the ARTS were formed in tectonically active environments where extensional tectonic movements were continuously improved during the deposition of the ARTS.     

Capturing digital data of rock magnetic,gamma-ray and IR spectrometry for in-situ quality control and for the study of the physical–chemical regime of residual kaolin deposits,SE Germany

Residual kaolin deposits are operated on a worldwide basis. The majority of them is derived from chemical weathering of felsic rocks during the Cenozoic. This is true for the kaolin deposits on the western edge of the Bohemian Massif. Here this type of deposit provides industrial minerals for the ceramic industry in SE Germany. This raw material formed under tropical climatic conditions during the Miocene and Pliocene across a vast peneplain. Only within the Naab-Wondreb Depression, however, were economic accumulations preserved from erosion. Here near Tirschenreuth, kaolin has been mined since its discovery in 1830. The semi-consolidated regolith is composed of quartz and opaline material, alkaline feldspar, different types of kaolinite, muscovite–illite, a variegated spectrum of 14 Å phyllosilicates, Fe–Mn oxide–hydroxides and minor heavy minerals, mainly containing Ti. A precise determination of the mineralogical composition of the ceramic raw material has so far solely relied on laboratory techniques, e.g., XRD, XRF, and spectroscopic methods. To the contrary, this study takes a different approach, capturing digital data in the field to determine its mineralogical composition. Gamma spectrometry (K, U, Th), measuring the susceptibility of and analyzing short-wave infrared spectra, allows for an in-situ quality control of the run-of-mine raw material. It further assists in mapping the monotonous lithology and enables the authors to constrain the physico-chemical regime throughout formation of the kaolin deposit. The benefit for technical mineralogy and applied economic geology, and the strong points of capturing digital data in the field, is the easy and cost-efficient handling of the various methods; methods that were applied in this way for the first time. The in-door calibration and test measurements as well as the data acquisition during the field survey are presented and the data are correlated with the enhancing or deteriorating impacts of the inferred minerals on the firing behavior of the ceramic product.Collecting digital data can also help constrain the physico-chemical regime during formation of the argillaceous deposit and improve further exploration through fine-tuning the genetic model of residual kaolin accumulation. The late Carboniferous granites around Tirschenreuth underwent strong supergene alteration in the pH range of 2.5–7 at log a _SiO2(aq) − 2.5 to − 3.5, which resulted in a thick kaolinitic regolith. Illite formed under slightly increased pH, between 4 and 7, attests to a change from tropical to more temperate humid conditions in the area. The chlorite-group phyllosilicates and nontronitic members of the smectite group came into existence when the pH increased to a pH interval of 7 to 11. This considerable change in the pH of the meteoric solutions occurred at the end of the Neogene between 4.55 Ma and 3.99 Ma.The different field methods compensate for each others' weak points. Neither method is successful on its own, but the current configuration can easily be expanded to include additional methods as there are neutron- and micro-resistivity and air- and space-borne approaches to cover more swiftly a larger exploration or study area.     

Geochemical and Petrological Characteristics of the Kale (Gümüshane) Volcanic Rocks: Implications for the Eocene Evolution of Eastern Pontide Arc Volcanism,Northeast Turkey

The Kale (Gumushane) volcanic rocks crop out in the southern zone of the eastern Pontide arc, and consist mainly of agglomerate, andesite, minor basalt, and tuff associated with sediments (limestone, marl, siltstone, sandstone) deposited in a shallow basin environment. The volcanites show mainly porphyritic, hyalo-porphyritic, and rare fluidal and glomeroporphyritic textures. These volcanic rocks consist predominantly of plagioclase, augite, hornblende, and lesser biotite, magnetite, and quartz, and secondary products of chloritization, carbonation, sericitization, and epidotization. In general, they show disequilibrium textures, possibly reflecting magma-mixing processes.

The volcanic rocks are mainly calc-alkaline in composition, and show moderate potassium enrichment. Most of the major- and trace-element variations reflect the significant role of fractional crystallization during the evolution of the volcanic suite. The fractionating phases are dominantly hornblende and augite, minor plagioclase, and magnetite. The rocks have high LILE and LREE enrichments, but are relatively depleted in HFSE relative to MORB. Moreover, incompatible trace-element distributions show similarities to those of an E-type MORB source. The rocks have moderately fractionated REE patterns with (La/Lu)_N = 2–12. Geochemical data suggest that the volcanites evolved by shallow-level fractional crystallization and magma-mixing contamination of a parental magma derived from metasomatized upper mantle by partial melting after thickening of the Pontide arc during the Paleocene-Eocene. Furthermore, differentiation took place in a magma chamber situated in the thickened arc crust within an extensional tectonic regime.     

Approaches for tsunami risk assessment and application to the city of Cádiz, Spain

Tsunamis can represent a significant risk to the population and cause huge economic damage in many costal regions. In order to be able to identify risk hot spots and implement targeted risk reduction measures, decision makers need to have a clear picture of the risk situation in their countries or regions. This work reviews existing approaches for tsunami risk assessment and recommends a five-step process for assessing tsunami risk. As a case study, a qualitative risk assessment for a worst-case tsunami scenario was carried out to understand the tsunami risk to the population in Cádiz. Moreover, a sensitivity analysis of the tsunami hazard input parameters was performed as a strong influence of the variability of the input parameters on the resultant tsunami hazard and risk zonation maps was observed. The study shows that regardless of the assumptions made a non-negligible tsunami risk to Cádiz exists.     

An integrated methodology for salt damage assessment and remediation: the case of San Jerónimo Monastery (Granada, Spain)

San Jerónimo Monastery (Granada, Spain) was selected as a case study for the investigation of the effect of indoor environmental conditions on salt weathering and for on-site testing of a remediation treatment using crystallization inhibitors on account of the extreme salt damage affecting both the building stone, a biomicritic limestone, calcarenite and wall paintings. A methodology combining several analysis techniques, phenomenological observations, salt and moisture analysis, environmental monitoring and thermodynamic simulations, was adopted in order to study the salt damage problems affecting this building. Within the collected samples, the majority of salts were found to be magnesium sulphate in the form of either hexahydrite or epsomite, depending on the climate conditions, together with minor amounts of gypsum, nitrates and chlorides. Comparison of empirical observations with thermodynamic simulations of the salt mixture behaviour clearly showed that salt-induced damage events take place during the seasonal changes from spring to summer and winter to spring. An aqueous solution of an organic phosphonate, which in laboratory experiments was found to be an effective inhibitor of magnesium sulphate crystallization, was sprayed over a selected test area of unpainted stonework at the site. Preliminary results seem to indicate that after the application of the treatment both the amount of efflorescence and ongoing damage to the stone support is reduced. However, long-term monitoring of the future condition of the test area is needed to confirm whether indeed this treatment is appropriate and effective in reducing salt damage at this case study site. The outcome of this study extends beyond the particular problems at San Jerónimo Monastery, as it demonstrates a methodological approach for the study and evaluation of salt weathering problems affecting cultural heritage.     

Tube-like schlieren structures in the Fürstenstein Intrusive Complex (Bavarian Forest,Germany): Evidence for melt segregation and magma flow at intraplutonic contacts

Tube-like schlieren structures occur at the boundary between two units of the Fürstenstein Intrusive Complex, the Tittling and the Saldenburg granites. We have analysed the magnetic fabrics, petrographic variation and geochemistry of key examples of these structures in order to test the hypothesis that they originated as granitic microdiapirs. The rims of the schlieren structures have high magnetic susceptibility compared to their interiors and surrounding granite due to the enrichment of biotite ± opaques. The low anisotropy that characterizes the AMS fabric is probably caused by magmatic flow. Hypersolidus microfabrics support this interpretation. Magnetic fabric orientation within the schlieren structures differs significantly from the NE–SW-trending magnetic foliation generally observed within the hosting Tittling granite. A steeply plunging magnetic lineation and a NNE–SSW girdle distribution of the magnetic foliation poles within the schlieren structures are consistent with the conical geometry of the schlieren structures evolved during the rise of the magma. Based on geochemistry, granite in the schlieren structures is interpreted to be differentiated melt expelled from the Tittling granite mush that formed after early crystallization of plagioclase. We suggest that the schlieren structures are pockets of residual melt of the Tittling granite that were mobilized buoyantly due to a thermal input from the neighbouring Saldenburg granite. The mafic rims of the schlieren structures formed as a result of early crystallization and subsequent accumulation due of the Bagnold effect. The results of the magnetic and geochemical investigations allow us to interpret the schlieren structures as diapiric in nature and consequently as “within-chamber diapirs” (sensu Weinberg et al., 2001).     

Middle Pleistocene (Saalian) lake outburst floods in the Münsterland Embayment (NW Germany): impacts and magnitudes

During the late Saalian Drenthe glaciation ice-damming of the Upper Weser Valley led to the formation of glacial Lake Weser. The lake drained catastrophically into the Münsterland Embayment as the western ice dam failed, releasing up to 110 km³ of water with a calculated peak discharge of 2.5 × 10⁵ m³/s to 1.3 × 10⁶ m³/s. Geographic information systems (GIS) and high-resolution digital elevation models (DEM) were used to map streamlined landforms and channel systems in front of lake overspills. Geological maps, 2450 boreholes and the DEM were integrated into the 3D modeling program GOCAD to reconstruct the distribution of flood-related deposits, palaeotopographic surfaces and the internal facies architecture of streamlined hills. The drainage pathways are characterized by the occurrence of deep plunge pools, channels, streamlined hills and 4 km long and 12 m deep V-shaped megaflutes. Plunge pools are deeply incised into Mesozoic basement rocks and occur in front of three major overspill channels. The plunge pools are up to 780 m long, 400 m wide and 35 m deep. Approximately 1–10.5 km downslope of the overspill channels fan shaped arrays of streamlined hills are developed, each covering an area of 60–130 km², indicating rapid flow expansion. The hills commonly have quadrilateral to elongated shapes and formed under submerged to partly submerged flow conditions, when the outburst flood entered a shallow lake in the Münsterland Embayment. Hills are up to 4300 m long, 1200 m wide, 11 m high and have characteristic average aspect ratios of 1:3.3. They are separated by shallow, anabranching channels in the outer zones and up to 30 m deep channels in the central zones. Hills partly display V-shaped chevron-like bedforms that have apices facing upslope, are 1.6–2.5 km long, 3–10 m high, 0.8–1.2 m from limb to limb, with limb separation angels of 20–35°. These bedforms are interpreted as mixed erosional depositional features. It is hypothesized that the post-Saalian landscape evolution of the Münsterland Embayment has considerably been influenced by catastrophic floods of glacial Lake Weser, creating large and deep valleys, which subsequently became the new site of river systems. The outburst floods probably followed the east-west-trending Saalian Rhine-Meuse river system eventually flowing into the North Sea, the Strait of Dover and the Bay of Biscay. It is speculated that the Hondsrug ice stream may have been enhanced or even triggered by the formation and outburst of glacial lakes in the study area.     

Geochronology,stratigraphy and geochemistry of Cambro-Ordovician,Silurian and Devonian volcanic rocks of the Saxothuringian Zone in NE Bavaria (Germany)—new constraints for Gondwana break up and ocean–island magmatism

International Journal of Earth Sciences - Stratigraphically well-defined volcanic rocks in Palaeozoic volcano-sedimentary units of the Frankenwald area (Saxothuringian Zone, Variscan Orogen) were...     

Centrifuge modelling of plutons intruding shear zones: application to the Fürstenstein Intrusive Complex (Bavarian Forest,Germany)

Models consisting of a thick overburden resting on a buoyant layer were sheared and centrifruged in order to study the relationship between strike-slip shear zones and intrusions of buoyant material. Three experiments were carried out: In model 1, where the overburden consisted of a viscous material, no diapirs formed even after shearing for 40 mm (? = -1.07) and 27 min centrifuging. In models 2 and 3, where the overburden was semi-brittle, prescribed cuts at two different orientations (model 2: parallel to s1; model 3: perpendicular to s1) were initiated in the overburden in order to see whether such cuts acted as pathways for intrusion. In model 2 the prescribed cuts were used by the buoyant material as pathways when the cuts opened during shearing. Continued shearing widened the cuts and allowed the buoyant material to extrude on the surface of the model forming a coalesced elliptical sheet. In model 3. the cuts were closed during shearing and prevented the intrusion of the buoyant material. During further shearing, the cuts rotated and activated as strike-slip faults bounding pull-apart basins. Such pull-apart basins were not deep enough to tap the buoyant material. Nevertheless, the results of the experiments suggest that magma ascends in shear zones not as diapirs, but rises along preexisting pathways as dykes. Model results were used to evaluate emplacement of the Fürstenstein Intrusive Complex (FIC) in the Bavarian Forest, whose magnetic and structural inventory have been investigated in detail. The pluton consists of 5 magma batches, each with distinct magnetic fabrics. which are interpreted as the result of magma intrusion along opening and rotating tension gashes within the BPSZ stress field. Shear failure of the crust in the FIC area due to thermomechanical weakening provided the space for the emplacement of the last and biggest granite magma batch. Overall, the emplacement history of the FIC fits perfectly with the observations made during experiment 2 and indicates that magma ascent in shear zones is bound to tension gashes.     

Development of a facility for analysis of natural ~(32)Si

The use of peat and sediment cores to reconstruct historical trends in levels of environmental contamination, or to provide palaeoclimatic information, depends critically on the development of accurate chronologies. Radionuclides have been exploited in th…     

Ruby–sapphire–spinel mineralization in marble of the middle and southern Urals: Geology,mineralogy, and genesis

Ruby and spinel occurrences hosted in marble on the eastern slope of the Urals are considered. Ruby- and spinel-bearing marble is a specific rock in granite-gneiss complexes of the East Ural Megazone, which formed at the Late Paleozoic collision stage of the evolution of the Urals. Organogenic marine limestone is the protolith of the marble. No relict sedimentary bedding has been retained in the marble. The observed banding is a secondary phenomenon related to crystallization and is controlled by flow cleavage. Magnesian metasomatism of limestone with the formation of fine-grained dolomite enriched in Cr, V, Ti, Mn, Cu, Zn, Ga, and REE took place at the prograde stage of metamorphism. Dedolomitization of rocks with the formation of background calcite marble also developed at the prograde stage. Mg-calcite marble with spinel and ruby of the first type formed in the metamorphic fluid circulation zone. Magnesian metasomatism with the formation of bicarbonate marble with ruby, pink sapphire, and spinel of the second type developed at the early retrograde stage. The formation of mica-bearing mineralized zones with corundum and spinel of the third type controlled by cleavage fractures is related to the pneumatolytic–hydrothermal stage. The data on ruby-bearing marble in the Urals may be used for forecasting and prospecting of ruby and sapphire deposits hosted in marble worldwide.     

Mineralogy and geochemistry of the Texeo Cu–Co mine site (NW Spain): screening tools for environmental assessment

The Cu–Co–Ni Texeo mine has been the most important source of Cu in NW Spain since Roman times and now, approximately 40,000 m³ of wastes from mine and metallurgical operations, containing average concentrations of 9,263 mg kg⁻¹ Cu, 1,100 mg kg⁻¹ As, 549 mg kg⁻¹ Co, and 840 mg kg⁻¹ Ni, remain on-site. Since the cessation of the activity, the abandoned works, facilities and waste piles have been posing a threat to the environment, derived from the release of toxic elements. In order to assess the potential environmental pollution caused by the mining operations, a sequential sampling strategy was undertaken in wastes, soil, surface and groundwater, and sediments. First, screening field tools were used to identify hotspots, before defining formal sampling strategies; so, in the areas where anomalies were detected in a first sampling stage, a second detailed sampling campaign was undertaken. Metal concentrations in the soils are highly above the local background, reaching up to 9,921 mg kg⁻¹ Cu, 1,373 mg kg⁻¹ As, 685 mg kg⁻¹ Co, and 1,040 mg kg⁻¹ Ni, among others. Copper concentrations downstream of the mine works reach values up to 1,869 μg l⁻¹ and 240 mg kg⁻¹ in surface water and stream sediments, respectively. Computer-based risk assessment for the site gives a carcinogenic risk associated with the presence of As in surface waters and soils, and a health risk for long exposures; so, trigger levels of these elements are high enough to warrant further investigation.     

Identification and assessment of groundwater flow and storage components of the relict Schöneben Rock Glacier,Niedere Tauern Range,Eastern Alps (Austria)

More than 2,600 relict rock glaciers are known in the Austrian Alps but the knowledge of their hydraulic properties is severely limited. The relict Schöneben Rock Glacier (Niedere Tauern Range, Austria), with an extension of 0.17 km², was investigated based on spring data (2006–2014) and seismic refraction survey. Spring-discharge hydrographs and natural and artificial tracer data suggest a heterogeneous aquifer with a layered internal structure for the relict rock glacier. The discharge behavior exhibits a fast and a delayed flow component. The spring discharge responds to recharge events within a few hours but a mean residence time of several months can also be observed. The internal structure of the rock glacier (up to several tens of meters thick) consists of: an upper blocky layer with a few meters of thickness, which lacks fine-grained sediments; a main middle layer with coarse and finer-grained sediments, allowing for fast flow; and an approximately 10-m-thick basal till layer as the main aquifer body responsible for the base flow. The base-flow component is controlled by (fine) sandy to silty sediments with low hydraulic conductivity and high storage capacity, exhibiting a difference in hydraulic conductivity to the upper layer of about three orders of magnitude. The high storage capacity of relict rock glaciers has an impact on water resources management in alpine catchments and potentially regulates the risk of natural hazards such as floods and related debris flows. Thus, the results highlight the importance of such aquifer systems in alpine catchments.     

Major and trace element compositions (including REE) of mineral,thermal, mine and surface waters in SW Germany and implications for water–rock interaction

The near-surface water cycle in a geologically complex area comprises very different sources including meteoric, metamorphic and magmatic ones. Fluids from these sources can react with sedimentary, magmatic and/or metamorphic rocks at various depths. The current study reports a large number of major, minor and trace element analyses of meteoric, mineral, thermal and mine waters from a geologically well-known and variable area of about 200 × 150 km in SW Germany. The geology of this area comprises a Variscan granitic and gneissic basement overlain in parts by Triassic and Jurassic shales, sandstones and limestones. In both the basement and the sedimentary rocks, hydrothermal mineralization occurs (including Pb, Cu, As, Zn, U, Co and many others) which were mined in former times. Mineral waters, thermal waters and meteoric waters flowing through abandoned mines (mine waters) are distributed throughout the area, although the mine waters concentrate in and around the Schwarzwald.The present analyses show, that the major element composition of a particular water is determined by the type of surrounding rock (e.g., crystalline or sedimentary rocks) and the depth from which the water originates. For waters from crystalline rocks it is the origin of the water that determines whether the sample is Na–Cl dominant (deeper origin) or Ca–HCO₃ dominant (shallow origin). In contrast, compositions of waters from sedimentary rocks are determined by the availability of easily soluble minerals like calcite (Ca–HCO₃ dominant), halite (Na–Cl dominant) or gypsum (Ca–SO₄ dominant). Major element data alone cannot, therefore, be used to trace the origin of a water. However, the combination of major element composition with trace element data can provide further information with respect to flow paths and fluid–rock interaction processes. Accordingly, trace element analyses showed, that:

• −Ce anomalies can be used as an indicator for the origin of a water. Whereas surface waters have negative or strongly negative Ce anomalies, waters originating from greater depths show no or only weak negative Ce anomalies.
• −Eu anomalies can be used to differentiate between host rocks. Waters from gneisses display positive Eu anomalies, whereas waters from granites have negative ones. Waters from sedimentary rocks do not display any Eu anomalies.
• −Rb and Cs can also be indicators for the rock with which the fluid interacted: Rb and Cs correlate positively in most waters with Rb/Cs ratios of ∼2, which suggests that these waters are in equilibrium with the clay minerals in the rocks. Rb/Cs ratios >5 indicate reaction of a water with existing clay minerals, whereas Rb/Cs ratios <2 are probably related to host rock alteration and clay mineral formation.

The chemical compositions of carbonate precipitates from thermal waters indicate that rare earth elements (REEs), Rb and Cs concentrations in the minerals are controlled by the incorporation of clay particles that adsorb these elements.