Preservation of diagenetic products of β-carotene in sedimentary rocks from the Lopare Basin (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Sedimentary rocks from the saline formation of the Lopare Basin were investigated. Sediments contain a moderate amount of immature to marginally mature algal organic matter deposited under slightly reducing to anoxic and slightly saline to hypersaline conditions. Almost all of the samples contain β-carotane in a relatively high quantity, and in some, it represents the most abundant compound in the total distribution of hydrocarbons. The objective of the study was to determine the conditions that are favourable to precursors of β-carotene and/or the preservation of the carotenoid hydrocarbon skeleton. Moreover, the dominant transformation pathways of β-carotene under different redox and salinity conditions, which lead to the formation of aromatic carotenoids were defined.     

Karst rivers’ particularity: an example from Dinaric karst (Croatia/Bosnia and Herzegovina)

The very complex system of sinking, losing and underground transboundary Karst rivers, lakes and aquifers in the central part of the deep and bare Dinaric karst in Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina is analysed. The groundwater and surface water are hydraulically connected through numerous karst forms which facilitate the exchange of water between the surface and subsurface. A complex underground conduit system is an inherent characteristic karst system analysed. Groundwater and surface water exchange with both adjacent and distant aquifers through underground routes or inflows from surface streams and artificial reservoirs. Because of a complex surface and underground karst features, which strongly influenced its hydrological and hydrogeological regime, the main open stream flow, with a longitude of about 106 km, undergoes eight name changes. In this paper, it is noted as “the eight-name river”. In fact, it represents one river with losing, sinking and underground stream sections. Different surface and underground karst forms play crucial roles in the way the water flowing over the surface and on the underground sections of its catchment. The analysed area is full of varied and often spectacular surface landforms, including for example the Blue and Red Lakes and the Kravice Waterfall. The analyses made in the paper show the existence of a decreasing trend of mean annual discharges on the eight-name river, which can cause numerous problems in the regional water resource management of this transboundary river and catchment.     

Conodonts from the Sesong Slate and Hwajeol Formation (Guzhangian to Furongian) in the Taebaeksan Basin, Korea

Abundant conodont elements have been recovered from the Hwajeol Formation, to allow five zones to be erected: Proconodontus, Eoconodontus notchpeakensis, Cambrooistodus minutus, Cordylodus proavus, and Fryxellodontus inornatus-Monocostodus sevierensis-Semiacontiodus lavadamensis zones, in ascending order. More confident biozones are recognized in the Sesong Slate and lower Hwajeol Formation in the Makgol section, a part of the southern limb of the Baekunsan syncline, Taebaeksan Basin, Korea, especially focusing on the conodont biostratigraphic boundary of two units, and the subdivision potential of the previous "Proconodontus Zone", lowermost biozone of the Hwajeol Formation. Similarly, only a few conodont elements recovered from upper 14.5 m interval, namely the Furongian portion of the Sesong Slate, in the Makgol section did not allow erection of a biozone. Nevertheless, this part of the unit plus the basal 2.5 m interval of the Hwajeol Formation is characterized by the occurrence of Prooneotodus rotundatus(Druce and Jones), Teridontus nakamurai(Nogami), Phakelodus elongatus(An) and Phakelodus tenuis Müller. This interval marks the early Furongian "Prooneotodus rotundatus Zone". The rest of the measured section yielded relatively abundant conodonts, so three conodont biozones are proposed, based on the successive appearance of key species: Proconodontus tenuiserratus, Proconodontus posterocostatus, and Proconodontus muelleri zones, in ascending order, and thus allowing subdivision of the previous "Proconodontus Zone". The four conodont biozones are correlated with the relevant biozones of North and South China, and North America.     

Charophytes from the Cretaceous – Paleogene transition in the Pingyi Basin (Eastern China) and their Eurasian correlation

Charophytes from uppermost Campanian to Paleocene deposits in the Pingyi Basin (Shandong Province, Eastern China) are studied from the perspectives of taxonomy, paleoecology, biogeography, and biostratigraphy. The taxonomy of charophytes used by previous authors is revisited based on a study of intraspecific gyrogonite polymorphism, facilitating comparisons between China and Europe. A number of synonymies are proposed. Gobichara deserta is confirmed as a younger synonym of Microchara cristata. The genus Euaclistochara Z. Wang is shown to be a younger synonym of Lamprothamnium J. Groves. Charophyte assemblages from the Pingyi Basin were generally species-poor but showed a high degree of variation depending on the paleoenvironment. During the latest Campanian–Maastrichtian, brackish water assemblages were monospecific, formed by Feistiella anluensis. Permanent lakes were dominated by Microchara cristata and Peckichara praecursoria. Lamprothamnium ellipticum and Mesochara voluta inhabited the overbank ponds near braided rivers. The Paleocene was much more homogeneous and was dominated by Peckichara varians in permanent lakes. A new biozonation is proposed which encompasses two biozones based on species with broad paleoecological requirements and a Eurasiatic distribution. These are the Microchara cristata biozone starting in the latest Campanian and lasting at least until the earliest Danian and the Peckichara varians biozone encompassing the late Danian–earliest Eocene. These biozones allow direct correlation between Chinese and European basins.     

Provenance of the Upper Triassic siliciclastics of the Mecsek Mountains and Villány Hills (Pannonian Basin,Hungary): constraints to the Early Mesozoic paleogeography of the Tisza Megaunit

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The Tisza Megaunit in the Southern Pannonian Basin formed part of the southern margin of the European Plate in the Early Mesozoic era. Its exact...     

Hazardous weather events in the St Lawrence Valley from the French regime to Confederation: descriptive weather in historical records from Quebec City and Montreal, 1742–1869 and 1953—present

Natural Hazards - Daily weather records for the St Lawrence Valley region in Québec, Canada, exist on a continuous basis for nearly two centuries and on a more fragmentary level back to the...     

Metasomatism-induced wehrlite formation in the upper mantle beneath the Nógrád-G?m?r Volcanic Field(Northern Pannonian Basin):Evidence from xenoliths

Clinopyroxene-enriched upper mantle xenoliths classified as wehrlites are common(～20% of all xenoliths) in the central part of the Nograd-G(o| ")m(o|")r Volcanic Field(NGVF),situated in the northern margin of the Pannonian Basin in northern Hungary and southern Slovakia.In this study,we thoroughly investigated 12 wehrlite xenoliths,two from each wehrlite-bearing occurrence,to determine the conditions of their formation.Specific textural features,including clinopyroxene-rich patches in an olivine-rich lithology,orthopyroxene remnants in the cores of newlyformed clinopyroxenes and vermicular spinel forms all suggest that wehrlites were formed as a result of intensive interaction between a metasomatic agent and the peridotite wall rock.Based on the major and trace element geochemistry of the rock-forming minerals,significant enrichment in basaltic(Fe,Mn,Ti) and high field strength elements(Nb,Ta,Hf,Zr) was observed,compared to compositions of common lherzolite xenoliths.The presence of orthopyroxene remnants and geochemical trends in rock-forming minerals suggest that the metasomatic process ceased before complete wehrlitization was achieved.The composition of the metasomatic agent is interpreted to be a mafic silicate melt,which was further confirmed by numerical modelling of trace elements using the plate model.The model results also show that the melt/rock ratio played a key role in the degree of petrographic and geochemical transformation.The lack of equilibrium and the conclusions drawn by using variable lherzolitic precursors in the model both suggest that wehrlitization was the last event that occurred shortly before xenolith entrainment in the host mafic melt.We suggest that the wehrlitization and the Plio-Pleistocene basaltic volcanism are related to the same magmatic event.     

Distribution of δ~(34)S and δ~(18)O in SO_4~(2-) in Groundwater from the Ordos Cretaceous Groundwater Basin and Geological Implications

<正>The Ordos Cretaceous Groundwater Basin,located in an arid-semiarid area in northwestern China,is a large-style groundwater basin.SO_4~(2-) is one of the major harmful components in groundwater.Dissolved SO_4~(2-) concentrations,andδ~(34)S-SO_4~(2-) andδ~(18)O-SO_4~(2-) in groundwater from 14 boreholes and in gypsum from aquifer were analyzed.Results show that SO_4~(2-) in shallow groundwaters originates from precipitation,sulfide oxidation,and dissolution of stratum sulphate,with a big range ofδ~(34)S values,from-10.7‰to 9.2‰,and addition of SO_4~(2-) in deep groundwater results from dissolution of stratum sulphate,with biggerδ~(34)S values,from 7.8‰to 18.5‰,compared with those in shallow groundwater.This research also indicates that three types of sulphate are present in the strata,and characterized by highδ~(34)S values and highδ~(18)O values-style,highδ~(34)S values and middleδ~(18)O valuesstyle, middleδ~(34)S values and lowδ~(18)O values-style,respectively.Theδ~(34)S-SO_4~(2-) andδ~(18)O-SO_4~(2-) in groundwater have a good perspective for application in distinguishing different groundwater systems and determining groundwater circulation and evolution in this area.     

Exhumation of the Neuquén Basin in the southern Central Andes (Malargüe fold and thrust belt) from field data and low-temperature thermochronology

Apatite fission-track analysis performed on eighteen Mesozoic sediment samples of the Neuquén Basin from the Southern Central Andes orogenic front between 35°30′ and 37°S has revealed Campanian-Paleocene (75-55 Ma), late Eocene-early Oligocene (35-30 Ma) and middle Miocene (15-10 Ma) cooling episodes. Each cooling episode corresponds closely with major unconformities observed in the preserved sedimentary sequences, and is associated with kilometer-scale additional burial and subsequent exhumation. A similar degree of cooling is inferred from associated vitrinite reflectance data. Late Eocene-early Oligocene exhumation is recognized only near the eastern orogenic front adjacent to the foreland in the southernmost part of the study area and may be related partly to within-plate magmatism and associated extension in the Palaoco Basin. The Campanian-Paleocene and middle Miocene cooling episodes are recognized more widely in the fold and thrust belt and appear to coincide with periods of eastward arc expansion and mountain building processes.     

Geological evolution of the Hampshire Basin (southern England) during a global climate transition from ‘hothouse’ to ‘coolhouse’ in the Palaeogene

Palaeogene sediments of the Hampshire Basin were a sensitive recorder of fluctuations in climate and eustatic sea level as Earth's climate transitioned from the global early Eocene ‘hothouse’ to the early Oligocene ‘coolhouse’, accompanied by the first permanent continent-scale glaciation of Antarctica at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. A study of the Palaeogene sediments of the Hampshire Basin is not only interesting from a palaeoclimate perspective, but the marine middle Eocene formations are renowned for containing some of the most abundant and diverse Palaeogene fossil assemblages in the world. In this article, I take you on a tour of the geological evolution of the Hampshire Basin from the end of the Paleocene through to the Pleistocene. I highlight some of the best exposures where sediments can be studied at outcrop and representative fossil assemblages can be collected, along with the economic and archaeological significance of these Palaeogene sediments.     

The low-temperature thermochronological record of sedimentary rocks from the central Rovuma Basin (N Mozambique) — Constraints on provenance and thermal history

Fission track (FT) dating of detrital titanites, zircons and apatites combined with sandstone petrography from rocks of the Rovuma Basin was used to constrain the basin's provenance and its post depositional thermal history. A comparison of metamorphic basement and sedimentary titanite and zircon FT data indicates that erosion was localized along a zone which followed the margin of the Rovuma Basin and was the source for the late Jurassic to Cretaceous sandstones. Time–temperature models of apatite FT data show, that after the deposition, the sandstones were heated up to temperatures of ca. 60–110 °C most likely due to a combination of intensified regional heat flux and burial heating caused by fast sedimentation in a transtensional pull-apart setting and intensified by regionally elevated heat flux. The utter western part of the basin was inverted between ca. 60 and 40 Ma, concordant with the drop in the global eustatic sea level which led to a rearrangement of the source-to-sink system. Some reworked zircons were deposited in the Cenozoic strata in the eastern part of the basin.     

Detrital and volcanic zircon U–Pb ages from southern Mendoza (Argentina): An insight on the source regions in the northern part of the Neuquén Basin

The infill of the Neuquén Basin recorded the Meso-Cenozoic geological and tectonic evolution of the southern Central Andes being an excellent site to investigate how the pattern of detrital zircon ages varies trough time. In this work we analyze the U–Pb (LA–MC–ICP–MS) zircon ages from sedimentary and volcanic rocks related to synrift and retroarc stages of the northern part of the Neuquén Basin. These data define the crystallization age of the synrift volcanism at 223 ± 2 Ma (Cerro Negro Andesite) and the maximum depositional age of the original synrift sediments at ca. 204 Ma (El Freno Formation). Two different pulses of rifting could be recognized according to the absolute ages, the oldest developed during the Norian and the younger during the Rhaetian–Sinemurian. The source regions of the El Freno Formation show that the Choiyoi magmatic province was the main source rock of sediment supply. An important amount of detrital zircons with Triassic ages was identified and interpreted as a source area related to the synrift magmatism. The maximum depositional age calculated for the Tordillo Formation in the Atuel-La Valenciana depocenter is at ca. 149 Ma; as well as in other places of the Neuquén Basin, the U–Pb ages calculated in the Late Jurassic Tordillo Formation do not agree with the absolute age of the Kimmeridgian–Tithonian boundary (ca. 152 Ma). The main source region of sediment in the Tordillo Formation was the Andean magmatic arc. Basement regions were also present with age peaks at the Carboniferous, Neoproterozoic, and Mesoproterozoic; these regions were probably located to the east in the San Rafael Block. The pattern of zircon ages summarized for the Late Jurassic Tordillo and Lagunillas formations were interpreted as a record of the magmatic activity during the Triassic and Jurassic in the southern Central Andes. A waning of the magmatism is inferred to have happened during the Triassic. The evident lack of ages observed around ca. 200 Ma suggests cessation of the synrift magmatism. The later increase in magmatic activity during the Early Jurassic is attributed to the onset of Andean subduction, with maximum peaks at ca. 191 and 179 Ma. The trough at ca. 165 Ma and the later increase in the Late Jurassic could be explained by changes in the relative convergence rate in the Andean subduction regime, or by the shift to a more mafic composition of the magmatism with minor zircon fertility.