200-m-deep earthquake swarm in Tricastin (lower Rhône Valley, France) accounts for noisy seismicity over past centuries

In the lower Rhône Valley (France), the Tricastin area was struck in 2002–2003 by an earthquake swarm with a maximum M _L-magnitude of 1.7. These shocks would have gone unnoticed if they had not occurred beneath habitations and close to the surface, some events being only 200-m deep. A several months' monitoring of the seismic activity by a 16-station mobile network showed that earthquakes clustered along a N–S-trending, at least 5-km long, shallow rupture zone, with no corresponding fault mapped in the surface. Half of the seismic events occurred in a massive, c.  250-m-thick, Lower Cretaceous limestone slab that outcrops near by. Since the late eighteenth century, several much more severe earthquake swarms have struck Tricastin. The 1772–1773 and 1933–1936 swarms were prolific and protracted, with reports of numerous detonations and even damage. Obviously, the abnormal noises that caused panic in the past centuries can be explained by the shallowness of the phenomena, a 200-m focal depth being perhaps a record value for tectonic earthquakes.     

Deep-sea avulsion and morphosedimentary evolution of the Rhône Fan Valley and Neofan during the Late Quaternary (north-western Mediterranean Sea)

The Petit-Rhône Fan Valley (north-western Mediterranean) is a broad, sinuous, filled valley that is deeply incised by a narrow, sinuous thalweg. The valley fill is differentiated into three seismic subunits on high-resolution seismic-reflection profiles. The lower chaotic subunit probably consists of channel lag deposits that seem to be in lateral continuity with high-amplitude reflections representing levee facies. The intermediate transparent subunit, which has an erosional base and clearly truncates levee deposits, is interpreted to be mass-flow deposits resulting from the disintegration of the fan-valley flanks. The upper bedded subunit shows an overall lens-shaped geometry and the seismic reflections onlap either onto the top of the underlying transparent subunit or onto the Rhône levees. Piston core data show that the upper few meters of this upper subunit consist of thin turbidites, probably deposited by overflow processes. The few available ¹⁴C ages suggest that the upper stratified subunit filled the Petit-Rhône Fan Valley between 21 and 11 kyr BP. The upper bedded subunit is deposited within the Petit-Rhône Fan Valley downslope of a major decrease in slope gradient. This upper subunit and the thalweg are genetically related and represent a small channel/levee system confined within the fan valley. Previous studies interpreted this thalweg to be an erosional feature resulting from a recent avulsion of the major channel course. Our interpretation implies that the thalweg is not a purely erosional feature but a depositional/erosional channel. This small channel/levee system is superimposed on a large muddy channel/levee system after the sediment supply changed from thick muddy flows during the main phase of aggradation of the Rhône Fan levees, to thin, mixed (sand and mud) flows at the end of Isotope Stage 2 (～16–18 ka BP). The pre-existing morphology of the Petit-Rhône Fan Valley played a determinant role in the sediment dispersal leading to the creation of this small and confined channel/levee system. These mixed flows have undergone flow stripping resulting from the changes in the slope gradient along the thalweg course. The finer sediment overflowed from the thalweg and were deposited in the Petit-Rhône Fan Valley. Coarser channelled sediment remaining in the thalweg were deposited as a ‘sandy’lobe (Neofan). As indicated by ¹⁴C dating, sedimentation on this lobe continued until very recently, suggesting a further evolution of the turbidity flows from small mixed flows to small sandy flows. the deposition of this study lobe and the sedimentary fill of the Petit-Rhône Fan Valley may be related to widespread shelf edge and canyon wall failures with a resulting downslope evolution of failed sediment into turbidity currents.     

Grundmoräne versus Schlammoräne— two types of lodgement till in the Alpine Foreland of Switzerland

In the Aare River Valley between Berne and Thoune a mud till unit occurs together with lacustrine sediments in a complex relationship. The high content of fine material in the mud till is due to incorporation of lake sediments by the advancing Aare glacier probably during the most extensive glaciation of the Swiss Alps. Special attention is given to the evolution of the grain size parameters in vertical sequences in sections at Raintalwald and Räbli. The trend of vertical variation of the parameters reflects the origin of the mud till. Ground moraine and mud till may both be lodgement till but are texturally quite distinct, and the incorporation of pre-existing sediments in the mud till is clearly demonstrated by the use of the grain size parameters.     

Late Pleistocene–Holocene deposits of the Rhône inner continental shelf (France): detailed mapping and correlation with previous continental and marine studies

Very-high-resolution seismic data acquired on the Rhône continental shelf were used to address the detailed morphology of Late Pleistocene and post-glacial units (from 18 000 yr BP to the present). Two groups of units can be distinguished. (1) Lower units that are mainly the product of variations in relative sea level. They comprise the last Pleistocene regressive deposits made of alluvial sheets (U0, U1) and, above, transgressive deposits that can be divided into: backstepping transgressive units (U3 and U4a), deposited during the landward retreat of the river mouth and transgressive units (U4b, U4c) laid down during the inundation of the shelf. A prograding littoral/lagoon system (U5/U6) indicating a fluctuation during the rise in sea level caps the transgressive units. This work has emphasized the complexity of these depositional environments, mainly related to a river system situated near the current Petit-Rhône. (2) Upper units that make up the recent Rhône delta and correspond to the current highstand systems tract (HST) developed since the stabilization of relative sea level. Seven prodeltaic lobes have been identified (U7–U13). Two of them are bilobate (U7 and U8) and date from a period when the delta was split as a result of the fluviatile system being progressively divided into several channels. Other prodeltaic lobes (U9, U10) are stacked in front of the distributary's outlet, recording several periods of outflow. The results show a strong correlation with studies on land. The distribution of recent prodeltaic lobes was constrained by canalization of the Rhône river to prevent the effects of climatic crises or other natural disasters.     

Impact of nitrogenous fertilizers on carbonate dissolution in small agricultural catchments: Implications for weathering CO2 uptake at regional and global scales

The goal of this study was to highlight the occurrence of an additional proton-promoted weathering pathway of carbonate rocks in agricultural areas where N-fertilizers are extensively spread, and to estimate its consequences on riverine alkalinity and uptake of CO₂ by weathering. We surveyed 25 small streams in the calcareous molassic Gascogne area located in the Garonne river basin (south-western France) that drain cultivated or forested catchments for their major element compositions during different hydrologic periods. Among these catchments, the Hay and the Montoussé, two experimental catchments, were monitored on a weekly basis. Studies in the literature from other small carbonate catchments in Europe were dissected in the same way. In areas of intensive agriculture, the molar ratio (Ca + Mg)/HCO₃ in surface waters is significantly higher (0.7 on average) than in areas of low anthropogenic pressure (0.5). This corresponds to a decrease in riverine alkalinity, which can reach 80% during storm events. This relative loss of alkalinity correlates well with the content in surface waters. In cultivated areas, the contribution of atmospheric/soil CO₂ to the total riverine alkalinity (CO_{2 ATM-SOIL}/HCO₃) is less than 50% (expected value for carbonate basins), and it decreases when the nitrate concentration increases. This loss of alkalinity can be attributed to the substitution of carbonic acid (natural weathering pathway) by protons produced by nitrification of N-fertilizers (anthropogenic weathering pathway) occurring in soils during carbonate dissolution. As a consequence of these processes, the alkalinity over the last 30 years shows a decreasing trend in the Save river (one of the main Garonne river tributaries, draining an agricultural catchment), while the nitrate and calcium plus magnesium contents are increasing.We estimated that the contribution of atmospheric/soil CO₂ to riverine alkalinity decreased by about 7-17% on average for all the studied catchments. Using these values, the deficit of CO₂ uptake can be estimated as up to 0.22-0.53 and 12-29 Tg¹ yr⁻¹ CO₂ on a country scale (France) and a global scale, respectively. These losses represent up to 5.7-13.4% and only 1.6-3.8% of the total CO₂ flux naturally consumed by carbonate dissolution, for France and on a global scale, respectively. Nevertheless, this loss of alkalinity relative to the Ca + Mg content relates to carbonate weathering by protons from N-fertilizers nitrification, which is a net source of CO₂ for the atmosphere. This anthropogenic CO₂ source is not negligible since it could reach 6-15% of CO₂ uptake by natural silicate weathering and could consequently partly counterbalance this natural CO₂ sink.     

Geochemical evolution of historical lavas from Askja Volcano, Iceland: Implications for mechanisms and timescales of magmatic differentiation

The mechanisms and the timescales of magmatic evolution were investigated for historical lavas from the Askja central volcano in the Dyngjufjöll volcanic massif, Iceland, using major and trace element and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic data, as well as ²³⁸U-²³⁰Th-²²⁶Ra systematics. Lavas from the volcano show marked compositional variation from magnesian basalt through ferrobasalt to rhyolite. In the magnesian basalt-ferrobasalt suite (5-10 wt% MgO), consisting of lavas older than 1875 A.D., ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr increases systematically with increasing SiO₂ content; this suite is suggested to have evolved in a magma chamber located at ∼600 MPa through assimilation and fractional crystallization. On the other hand, in the ferrobasalt-rhyolite suite (1-5 wt% MgO), including 1875 A.D. basalt and rhyolite and 20th century lavas, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr tends to decrease slightly with increasing SiO₂ content. It is suggested that a relatively large magma chamber occupied by ferrobasalt magma was present at ∼100 MPa beneath the Öskjuvatn caldera, and that icelandite and rhyolite magmas were produced by extraction of the less and more evolved interstitial melt, respectively, from the mushy boundary layer along the margin of the ferrobasalt magma chamber, followed by accumulation of the melt to form separate magma bodies. Ferrobasalt and icelandite lavas in the ferrobasalt-rhyolite suite have a significant radioactive disequilibrium in terms of (²²⁶Ra/²³⁰Th), and its systematic decrease with magmatic evolution is considered to reflect aging, along with assimilation and fractional crystallization processes. Using a mass-balance model in which simultaneous fractional crystallization, crustal assimilation, and radioactive decay are taken into account, the timescale for the generation of icelandite magma from ferrobasalt was constrained to be <∼3 kyr which is largely dependent on Ra crystal-melt partition coefficients we used.     

Isotopic records in CM hibonites: Implications for timescales of mixing of isotope reservoirs in the solar nebula

The magnesium isotopic compositions of 26 hibonite-bearing inclusions from the CM chondrite Murchison, as well as isotopic measurements on a subset of these samples for oxygen, titanium, and lithium-beryllium-boron are reported along with oxygen isotopic data for an additional 13 hibonites that were previously investigated for other isotope systems (magnesium, potassium, calcium, and titanium) and rare earth element concentrations. Magnesium isotopic compositions divide CM hibonites into two distinct populations which correlate perfectly with their mineralogy and morphology, as previously discovered by Ireland [Ireland T. R. (1988) Correlated morphological, chemical, and isotopic characteristics of hibonites from the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta52, 2827-2839]: Spinel-HIBonite spherules (SHIBs) bear evidence of in situ²⁶Al decay, whereas PLAty-Crystals (PLACs) and Blue AGgregates (BAGs) either lack resolvable ²⁶Mg-excesses or exhibit ²⁶Mg deficits by up to ∼4‰. High precision, multiple collector SIMS analyses show that 6 of 7 SHIBs investigated fall on a single correlation line implying ²⁶Al/²⁷Al = (4.5 ± 0.2) × 10⁻⁵ at the time of isotopic closure, consistent with the “canonical” ²⁶Al abundance characteristic of internal isochrons in many calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs). One SHIB sample exhibits Δ²⁶Mg^∗ consistent with a “supracanonical” ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratio of (6.4 ± 0.5) × 10⁻⁵. The PLAC hibonites contain highly anomalous titanium isotopic compositions, with δ⁵⁰Ti values ranging from −80‰ to almost +200‰, whereas SHIBs generally lack large Ti isotopic anomalies.Eight out of 11 ²⁶Al-free PLAC hibonite grains record ¹⁰B/¹¹B excesses that correlate with Be/B; the inferred initial ¹⁰Be/⁹Be ratio of (5.1 ± 1.4) × 10⁻⁴ is lower than the best-constrained ¹⁰Be/⁹Be of (8.8 ± 0.6) × 10⁻⁴ in a CV CAI. The data demonstrate that ¹⁰Be cannot be used as a relative chronometer for these objects and that most of the ¹⁰Be observed in CAIs must be produced by irradiation of precursor solids in the early solar system. The lack of ²⁶Al in PLAC hibonites indicates that significant amounts of ²⁶Al were not formed in the same spallogenic processes that made ¹⁰Be in PLAC precursors. This is most easily understood as indicating very early formation of the PLAC hibonites, prior to the incorporation and mixing of ²⁶Al into the solar nebula, although an alternative scenario, which invokes irradiation under different solar flare conditions, cannot be ruled out. Lithium isotopes are normal within uncertainties, probably reflecting contamination and/or postcrystallization exchange.The oxygen isotopic compositions of SHIBs and PLACs are all highly ¹⁶O-enriched, but are not derived from a homogeneous reservoir: Δ¹⁷O values span a range of ∼−28‰ to −15‰. The ranges of ¹⁶O-enrichment in SHIBs and PLACs overlap and are less “anomalous” than the most ¹⁶O-enriched compositions found in meteorites [Kobayashi S., Imai H. and Yurimoto H. (2003) New extreme ¹⁶O-rich chondrule in the early solar system. Geochem. J.37, 663-669]. Both PLACs and SHIBs formed in ¹⁶O-enriched reservoirs characterized by small-scale heterogeneities in the gas phase. If such heterogeneities were generated by an admixture of relatively ¹⁶O-poor gas created by self-shielding during CO photolysis and transported to the hot inner regions of the accretion disk, then this process must have been initiated very early on, prior to the arrival of fresh radioactivity into the inner solar system. Oxygen isotope heterogeneities persisted throughout the formation interval of PLACs, CAI precursors, and SHIBs which could be as long as 3 × 10⁵ years based on ²⁶Al records.One SHIB and one BAG exhibit mass fractionated oxygen isotopic compositions similar to those seen in FUN inclusions and in several platy hibonite crystals [Lee T., Mayeda T. K. and Clayton R. N. (1980) Oxygen isotopic anomalies in Allende inclusion HAL. Geophys. Res. Lett.7, 493-496; Ireland T. R., Zinner E. K., Fahey A. J. and Esat T. M. (1992) Evidence for distillation in the formation of HAL and related hibonite inclusions. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta56, 2503-2520; Ushikubo T., Hiyagon H. and Sugiura N. (2007) A FUN-like hibonite inclusion with a large ²⁶Mg-excess. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.254, 115-126]. The suite of mass-fractionated hibonites exhibit a range of isotopic properties, including ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratios from below detection to a “canonical” level and oxygen and titanium anomalies that are not exceptional by PLAC standards. This suggests that F (fractionation) processes—evaporation under (oxidizing) conditions—are not necessarily associated with sampling a special isotopic reservoir.     

Petrology and geochemistry of prograde deserpentinized peridotites from Happo-O’ne, Japan: Evidence of element mobility during deserpentinization

The prograde deserpentinized peridotites from the talc zone in the Happo-O’ne complex, central Japan, show differences in their field relation and mineral assemblage with the high-P retrograde peridotites of the other part of the complex. They show a mineral assemblage, olivine + talc + antigorite ± prograde tremolite ± chlorite, formed by thermal metamorphism around the granitic intrusion at T, 500-650 °C and P < 7 kbar. The olivine has numerous opaque inclusions and high Fo (91.5-96.5) relative to the retrograde olivine, reflecting its formation by deserpentinization. The prograde tremolite, which is low in Al₂O₃ (<1.0 wt.%), Cr₂O₃ (<0.35 wt.%), and Na₂O (<0.6 wt.%) but high in Mg# (up to 0.98) and SiO₂ (up to 59.9 wt.%), is different in size, shape and chemistry from the retrograde tremolite. The prograde peridotites display a U-shaped REE pattern (0.02-0.5 times PM), similar to diopside-zone retrograde metaperidotites, possible protoliths. They are enriched in LILE (e.g., Cs, Pb, Sr, Rb) relative to HFSE (e.g., Ta, Hf, Zr, Nb), like their protoliths, because of their local re-equilibration with the fluid released during dehydration of the protoliths. They have high contents of REE and some trace elements (e.g., Cs, Th, U, Ta) relative to their protoliths because of an external-element addition from the granitic magma. In-situ analyses of peridotitic silicates confirmed that the prograde tremolite and talc display a spoon-shaped primitive mantle (PM)-normalized REE pattern (0.1-3 times PM) in which LREE are higher than HREE contents. The prograde tremolite is depleted in Al, Na, Cr, Sc, V, Ti, B, HREE and Li, but is enriched in Si, Cs, U, Th, HFSE (Hf, Zr, Nb, Ta), Rb and Ba relative to the retrograde tremolite; the immobile-element depletion in this tremolite is inherited from its source (antigorite + secondary diopside), whereas the depletion of mobile elements (e.g., Li, B, Na, Al) is ascribed to their mobility during the deserpentinization and/or the depleted character of the source of tremolite. The enrichment of HFSE and LILE in the prograde tremolite is related to an external addition of these elements from fluid/melt of the surrounding granitic magma and/or in situ equilibrium with LILE-bearing fluid released during dehydration of serpentinized retrograde metaperidotites and olivine-bearing serpentinites (protoliths). The prograde olivine is higher in REE and most trace-element contents than the retrograde one due to the external addition of these elements; it is enriched in B, Co and Ni, but depleted in Li that was liberated during deserpentinization by prograde metamorphism.     

13C Record of benthic foraminifera in the last interglacial ocean: Implications for the carbon cycle and the global deep water circulation

The ¹³C/¹²C ratios of Upper Holocene benthic foraminiferal tests (genera Cibicides and Uvigerina) of deep sea cores from the various world ocean basins have been compared with those of the modern total carbon dioxide (TCO₂) measured during the GEOSECS program. The δ¹³C difference between benthic foraminifera and TCO₂ is 0.07 ± 0.04‰ for Cibicides and ?0.83 ± 0.07‰ for Uvigerina at the 95% confidence level. δ¹³C analyses of the benthic foraminifera that lived during the last interglaciation (isotopic substage 5e, about 120,000 yr ago) show that the bulk of the TCO₂ in the world ocean had a δ¹³C value 0.15 ± 0.12‰ lower than the modern one at the 95% confidence level, reflecting a depletion, compared to the present value, of the global organic carbon reservoir. Regional differences in δ¹³C between the various oceanic basins are explained by a pattern of deep water circulation different from the modern one: the Antarctic Bottom Water production was higher than today during the last interglaciation, but the eastward transport in the Circumpolar Deep Water was lower.     

Ancient relative and absolute ages for a basaltic meteorite: Implications for timescales of planetesimal accretion and differentiation

Asuka 881394 is a unique basaltic meteorite that originated in the crust of a differentiated planetesimal in the early Solar System. We present high precision Pb, Mg, and Cr isotopic compositions of bulk samples and mineral separates from this achondrite. A ²⁰⁷Pb-²⁰⁶Pb internal isochron obtained from the radiogenic pyroxene and whole-rock fractions of Asuka 881394 yields an absolute age of 4566.5 ± 0.2 Ma, which we consider to be the best estimate for the crystallization age of this basaltic achondrite. The ²⁶Al-²⁶Mg systematics show some evidence of disturbance, but 5 of the 6 analyzed whole-rock and mineral fractions define an isochron corresponding to a ²⁷Al/²⁶Al ratio of (1.28 ± 0.07) × 10⁻⁶. Comparison with the ²⁶Al-²⁶Mg and Pb-Pb systematics in the D’Orbigny achondrite translates to a ²⁶Al-²⁶Mg age of 4565.4 ± 0.2 Ma for Asuka 881394. The ⁵³Mn-⁵³Cr systematics in whole-rock, silicate and chromite fractions correspond to a ⁵³Mn/⁵⁵Mn ratio of (3.85 ± 0.23) × 10⁻⁶. Compared to the most precise ⁵³Mn-⁵³Cr and Pb-Pb systematics available for the D’Orbigny angrite, this translates to a ⁵³Mn-⁵³Cr age of 4565.3 ± 0.4 Ma; similarly, a comparison with the NWA 4801 angrite yields a ⁵³Mn-⁵³Cr age of 4565.5 ± 0.4 Ma, in agreement with the age obtained relative to D’Orbigny. While the ²⁶Al-²⁶Mg and ⁵³Mn-⁵³Cr ages appear to be concordant in Asuka 881394, these ages are ∼1 Ma younger than its ²⁰⁷Pb-²⁰⁶Pb age. This discordance might have been caused by one or more of several reasons, including differences in the closure temperatures for Pb versus Cr and Mg diffusion in their host minerals combined with slow cooling of the parent body as well as differential resetting of isotopic systems by a process other than volume diffusion, e.g., shock metamorphism. The ancient age of Asuka 881394 suggests that basaltic volcanism on its parent planetesimal occurred within ∼3 Ma of the formation of earliest solids in the Solar System, essentially contemporaneously with chondrule formation. This requires that the Asuka 881394 parent body was fully accreted within ∼500,000 yrs of Solar System formation.     

华北北部中元古界洪水庄组页岩地球化学特征： 物源及其风化作用

华北北部洪水庄组黑色页岩是中元古代的富有机质沉积,它可能记录了当时重要的地球化学信息。通过对洪水庄组页岩中的常量和微量元素特征的分析,研究了洪水庄组的物源及其风化作用。高Th/Sc、Al2O3/TiO2、La/Sc、La/Cr、La/Co、Th/Cr和Th/Co值,低Cr/Zr和TiO2/Zr比值,Euan值、Co/Y Ti/Zr关系和La Th Sc组成表明洪水庄组页岩物源主要为上地壳中的长英质花岗闪长岩。洪水庄组页岩的Al、Ca、Na和K组成表明其具有较高的化学蚀变指数（CIA）,同时,元素组成的化学风化作用轨迹反映了洪水庄组页岩受到钾交代作用的影响,可能导致CIA值被低估,其原始CIA值应在90以上。高的原始CIA、化学风化指数（CIW）和斜长石蚀变指数（PIA）表明洪水庄组物源区经历了强烈的化学风化作用。化学风化作用强度以及微量元素组成特征揭示了中元古代洪水庄组沉积时期可能处于温暖潮湿的气候条件,这与中元古代时期大气高CO2浓度以及华北板块古大陆当时位于低纬度地区重建的结果不谋而合。     

Geochemistry of Palaeoproterozoic Metasedimentary Rocks from the Zhong-tiao Mountains, North China Craton: Implications for Weathering, Sorting, Diagenesis, Provenance and Tectonic Setting

The geochemical and Sm-Nd isotopic compositions of Palaeoproterozoie metasedimentary rocks from the Jiangxian and Zhongtiao Groups, distributed in the Zhongtiao Mountains in the North China Craton, have been carried out in order to evaluate the provenance, and tectonic setting of the sedimentary basin.     

Retreat rates of debris-covered and debris-free glaciers in the Koshi River Basin,central Himalayas,from 1975 to 2010

Debris-covered glaciers are common in the Himalayas and play a key role in understanding future regional water availability and management. Previous studies of regional glacial changes have often neglected debris-covered glaciers or have mixed them with debris-free glaciers. In this study, we generated a new glacier data set that includes debris-covered and debris-free glaciers to study the glacial surface area change in the Koshi River Basin in the central Himalayas. Long time-series Landsat data were used to extract the glacier boundaries using automatic and manual classification methods. The glacial area decreased by 10.4% from 1975 to 2010 at a rate of 0.30% a^?1, with accelerated melting since 2000 (0.47% a^?1). Small glaciers melted faster than large glaciers. In terms of distinctive glacier types, debris-free glaciers shrank at a rate of 0.45% a^?1, faster than debris-covered glaciers (0.18% a^?1), while debris-covered glaciers larger than 5.0 km² retreated at a rate faster than debris-free glaciers of the same-sized group. We also studied the potential interactions between 222 supraglacial lakes and debris-covered glaciers. Debris-covered glaciers with glacial lakes melt faster than glaciers without lakes. This study can improve our understanding of the differences in the changes between debris-covered and debris-free glaciers in the central Himalayas and help evaluate water resource changes in the Himalayas.     

大陆型冰川与海洋型冰川物质平衡对比研究——以天山和阿尔卑斯山典型冰川为例

物质平衡是冰川对气候变化最直接的响应,是冰川变化的重要参数.大陆型冰川与海洋型冰川发育在不同的水热环境下,它们对气候变化的响应程度、过程和机理存在很大差异,因此在全球变暖背景下对这两类不同性质冰川物质平衡变化特征及其机理做一全面的对比研究意义重大.以东、西天山的乌鲁木齐河源1号冰川和图尤克苏冰川以及阿尔卑斯山东、中、西部的欣特雷斯冰川、Caresèr冰川和Sarennes冰川为参照冰川,在对比分析这五条参照冰川近60 a来物质平衡变化幅度差异和阶段性差异基础上,对大陆型冰川与海洋型冰川物质平衡变化特征及其机理进行了对比研究.结果表明:在物质平衡阶段性变化上,阿尔卑斯山参照冰川物质平衡变化具有相似的阶段性,而天山和阿尔卑斯山参照冰川之间以及天山内部两条参照冰川之间物质平衡阶段性变化存在很大的差异,可见,无论不同性质冰川还是同一性质的不同冰川,其物质平衡的阶段性变化都可能存在差异,这与不同冰川所处环境水热变化的时间差异有关,而与冰川性质无关;在物质平衡变化幅度上,海洋型冰川变化幅度明显大于大陆型冰川,原因是不同性质冰川发育的水热环境及其对气候变化敏感性差异;在前人对冰川加速消融机理的研究基础上,本文也讨论了大陆型冰川与海洋型冰川物质平衡变化的机理及其异同.     

Anomalous phosphorus episodes during Callovian-Oxfordian times in the Kachchh Basin,western India: Implications for palaeoclimate,productivity, and weathering

The Upper Callovian-Oxfordian strata of the Kachchh Basin, western India, record three positive excursions of phosphorus. They have been documented in three sections of the Chari Formation from different parts of the basin. Corroboration of field and petrographic data with trends of major and trace elemental data and elemental ratios of the strata revealed that these excursions were coeval with reduced chemical weathering in the source area and significant reduction of siliciclastic influx to the depositional sites. The study also revealed the intrabasinal source of P, and minor sea-level fluctuations and resultant episodic sediment recycling as the causative factors. Considering the geographic locations of the three sections, the phosphorus anomalies seem to be controlled by a regional and/or basin-scale process, if not linked with global signals. Temporal resolution of these anomalies suggests that the processes were episodic and related to short term climate/relative sea-level cycles, the durations of which could be unraveled with high-resolution biostratigraphic data.     

Metasomatism and sulfide mobility in lithospheric mantle beneath eastern Australia: Implications for mantle Re–Os chronology

Spinel lherzolite xenoliths from Tertiary basaltic host magmas at Allyn River, eastern Australia reveal two distinct petrographic and geochemical types. One group is distinguished by xenoliths with undeformed, equilibrated microstructures and interstitial melt patches; The second group shows deformation and contains abundant fluid inclusions but no melt patches. Trace-element signatures of clinopyroxene in these xenoliths provide evidence for metasomatism by a silicate agent with hydrous component and by a carbonate-rich agent respectively.

Melt patches in the undeformed xenoliths contain secondary minerals including clinopyroxene, olivine, feldspar, Mg- and Ca-rich carbonate, apatite, ilmenite and spinel. They are interpreted to represent volatile-rich melt captured shortly prior to entrainment in the host basalt. Sulfide globules, now recrystallised to discrete sulfide phases but inferred to be molten at lithospheric mantle T and P, are closely associated with the melt patches. The close association between sulfide and highly mobile, volatile-bearing fluid has important implications for the mobility of Re and Os, the use of their isotopes in dating mantle events, and the possible effect of volatile-bearing metasomatic agents on their composition.     

Synthesis and phase transformations involving scorodite, ferric arsenate and arsenical ferrihydrite: Implications for arsenic mobility

Scorodite, ferric arsenate and arsenical ferrihydrite are important arsenic carriers occurring in a wide range of environments and are also common precipitates used by metallurgical industries to control arsenic in effluents. Solubility and stability of these compounds are controversial because of the complexities in their identification and characterization in heterogeneous media. To provide insights into the formation of scorodite, ferric arsenate and ferrihydrite, series of synthesis experiments were carried out at 70 °C and pH 1, 2, 3 and 4.5 from 0.2 M Fe(SO₄)_1.5 solutions also containing 0.02-0.2 M Na₂HAsO₄. The precipitates were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray absorption fine structure techniques. Ferric arsenate, characterized by two broad diffuse peaks on the XRD pattern and having the structural formula of FeAsO₄·4-7H₂O, is a precursor to scorodite formation. As defined by As XAFS and Fe XAFS, the local structure of ferric arsenate is profoundly different than that of scorodite. It is postulated that the ferric arsenate structure is made of single chains of corner-sharing Fe(O,OH)₆ octahedra with bridging arsenate tetrahedra alternating along the chains. Scorodite was precipitated from solutions with Fe/As molar ratios of 1 over the pH range of 1-4.5. The pH strongly controls the kinetics of scorodite formation and its transformation from ferric arsenate. The scorodite crystallite size increased from 7 to 33 nm by ripening and aggregation. Precipitates, resulting from continuous synthesis at pH 4.5 from solutions having Fe/As molar ratios ranging from 1 to 4 and resembling the compounds referred to as ferric arsenate, arsenical ferrihydrite and As-rich hydrous ferric oxide in the literature, represent variable mixtures of ferric arsenate and ferrihydrite. When the Fe/As ratio increases, the proportion of ferrihydrite increases at the expense of ferric arsenate. Arsenate adsorption appears to retard ferrihydrite growth in the precipitates with molar Fe/As ratios of 1-4, whereas increased reaction gradually transforms two-line ferrihydrite to six-line ferrihydrite at Fe/As ratios of 5 and greater.     

REE Geochemical Characteristics of Two Granite-Derived Weathering Profiles, Guangxi, South China: Implications for the Formation of the Ion Adsorption Type REE Deposit

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Hydrogeochemistry of River Water in the Upper Reaches of the Datong River Basin,China: Implications of Anthropogenic Inputs and Chemical Weathering

This research investigated anthropogenic inputs and chemical weathering in the upper reaches of the Datong River Basin,a tributary of the upper Yellow River,NW China.Multiple approaches were applied to data from 52 water and12 soil samples from the Muli,Jiangcang,and Mole basins to estimate the chemical component concentrations and to analyze hydrochemical characteristics,distribution patterns,and origins in this coal mining-affected river basin.Coal mining has enhanced the weathering of the lithosphere in the study region.The total dissolved solids in the river range from145.4 to 701.9 mg/L,which is higher than the global average for rivers.Ion concentration spatial distributions increase around mining areas.River geochemistry is mainly controlled by coal mining activity,carbonate weathering,and silicate weathering,with variances of 33.4%,26.2%,and 21.3%,respectively.Ca~(2+),Mg~(2+),and HCO_3~-are mainly due to the dissolution of carbonate minerals (calcitedolomite);Si and K~+are mainly from potassium (sodium) feldspar weathering;and Na~+and SO_4~(2-)mainly from coal mine production.A conceptual model of the river water ion origins from the study area is presented and management implications for improving the adverse effects of coal mining are proposed.These results provide an important standard reference for water resource and environmental management in the study region.     

Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Uraniferous Sandstones in Fault Zone,Wadi El Sahu Area,Southwestern Sinai,Egypt: Implications for Provenance,Weathering and Tectonic Setting

Paleozoic rocks in the Wadi El Sahu area are affected by many major faults in different directions. A reverse fault trending NE-SW is exposed for about 300 m of its length as it cuts through the Abu Hamata and Adedia formations on the south side of Wadi El Sahu. A secondary ascending hydrothermal solution carrying heavy metals and radioactive minerals passed through the fault plain and the surrounding fractures, forming mineralized and radioactive zone. The mineralized zone thickness ranges from 60 cm to 200 cm along the fault plain. These rocks were analyzed radiometrically using a portable gamma-ray spectrometer, chemically by employing ICP-ES and ICP-MS, as well as mineralogically by both binocular and Environmental Scanning Electron microscope. Gold content was also determined by fire assay. REE and U contents reached up to 2682 and 1216 ppm, respectively. Mineralogical investigations indicated the presence of uraninite, torbernite, autunite, sklodowskite, kasolite as uranium minerals, thorite as a thorium mineral, monazite, allanite and xenotime as REE-bearing minerals, zircon and columbite as accessory minerals, gold and nickel as precious and base metals, in addition to cassiterite, chalcopyrite, chalcocite and chrysocolla. High REE and U contents are attributed to the circulation of epigenetic U and REE-bearing hydrothermal solutions along the fault plain and its surrounding fractures. Hydrothermal alteration processes could then be confirmed by the presence of the M-type tetrad effect in the REE-patterns of the ferruginous sandstone. The non-chondritic ratio of Nb/Ta, Zr/Hf and Y/Ho in the studied sandstone may be attributed to the tetrad effect. The Ce and Eu anomaly with unusual REE-patterns was represented by the presence of conjugated M-W tetrad effects, indicating either the dual effect of hydrothermal solutions or groundwater with seawater. The results clarify that the tetrad-effects could be used as evidence for the environment of deposition and as an indication for gold mineralization.