Study on Summer Monsoon Transition Zone and Its Land-Air Interaction

The Summer Monsoon Transition Zone is a typical area, which is a transitional zone and has a fragile ecological environment. The area also has the most serious drought and soil erosion disaster. Its land-air interaction plays an important role on evolution of weather and climate, and research on land-air interaction in this zone is an important scientific problems. Therefore, a key project, “land-air interaction of the typical summer monsoon transition zone and its response to the summer monsoon”, by National Natural Science Foundation of China aims at this problem. This study summarized the advances about current summer monsoon transition zone and its land-air interaction. Then, based on the characteristics of summer monsoon activities, the formation of this typical area, its advances of climate and environment characteristics were concluded. Peculiarity of land-air interaction in the area was also analyzed comprehensively. Furthermore, the main problems and direction of scientific research in this field are brought forward. It will have scientific guiding significance for in-depth study of land-air interaction in summer monsoon transition zone in future.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112001478

REE composition of the carbonates of the auriferous quartz carbonate veins (QCVs) of the Neoarchean Ajjanahalli gold deposit, Chitradurga schist belt, Dharwar Craton, is characterized by U-shaped chondrite normalized REE patterns with both LREE and HREE enrichment and a distinct positive Eu anomaly. As positive Eu anomaly is associated with low oxygen fugacity, we propose that the auriferous fluids responsible for gold mineralization at Ajjanahalli could be from an oxygen depleted fluid. The observed positive Eu anomaly is interpreted to suggest the derivation of the auriferous fluids from a mantle reservoir. The location of Ajjanahalli gold deposit in a crustal scale shear zone is consistent with this interpretation.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000425

Na-metasomatism in the form of albitisation is regionally extensive in the Precambrian crust of southern Scandinavia and is particularly widespread in the Bamble Sector, the Kongsberg-Modum Sector and the Norwegian part of the Mylonite Zone. Sites of albitisation outside these belts are associated with hy- drothermal breccia pipes and fracture-bound alteration. The albitites are composed of near end-member sodic plagioclase （Ano 5Ab94-99） with minor carbonate （calcite and dolomite）, rutile, clinopyroxene （En30Fs21-23W047 49）, amphibole （edenite-pargasite）, quartz, titanite, tourmaline, epidote （Fe3＋ - 0.20 -0.85 a.p.f.u） and chlorite （Mg# = 0.81-0.89）. The albitites have been studied in detail in the region around the town of Kragem, and are described as albitisation along veins, as breccias, alhitic felsites, massive carbonate-bearing albitites and megascale clinopyroxene-titanite-bearing albitite. The strong fluid control on their formation is illustrated by the veining and mineral replacement reactions, showing fluid transport by a H20-CO2 fluid rich in Na, depleting Fe and Mg from the host rock, in accordance with calculated mass transfer. A study of the mineralogical replacement reactions in combination with a regional compilation has demonstrated the relationship between metasomatic processes and the for- mation of apatite, ruti｜e and Fe deposits. The albitites occur spatially associated with other metasomatic rocks such as scapolitised metagabbros. We document that metasomatism is an important mineral- and rock-forming process in the continental crust, which in the Bamble Sector is a part of the tectonome- tamorphic evolution of the Sveconorwegian orogen.     

东天山中段晚古生代面状剪切带形成机制与金成矿关系研究

东天山晚古生代康古尔塔格构造—金矿带的中段南带开展构造控矿研究,为区域金矿定位预测与勘探提供依据。采用区域构造分析和构造解析方法,在雅满苏北部厘定出一类已发生变形改造的大型面状脆韧性—韧性剪切带,构造恢复表明,其形成于晚古生代造山早期向北的分层剪切或低角度逆冲剪切（S1//S0）作用,并作为区域金矿的一级控矿构造而成为俯冲带深源成矿流体向上运移成矿的主通道。在造山过程中递进变形的分层剪切或低角度逆冲剪切晚期、向南北向横向缩短转换阶段,伴随区域抬升和断褶作用,拆离剪切带分支断裂开始成生并向上突破,导致封闭在拆离带内运移的深源含矿流体以断层阀方式分流排泄,成矿流体沿分支断裂向上运移,在断裂上盘或上盘背斜枢纽处的低序次的断裂、破裂中聚集卸载,形成充填石英脉和交代蚀变岩型（造山型）金矿,并有时限为276. 5±2. 9Ma的石英闪长斑岩侵入产出;晚期褶皱、断裂等叠加构造则对矿床（体）破坏、改造及保存起了重要作用。     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000449

We review petrologic observations of reaction textures from high-grade rocks that suggest the passage of fluids with variable alkali activities. Development of these reaction textures is accompanied by regular compositional variations in plagioclase, pyroxenes, biotite, amphibole and garnet. The textures are interpreted in terms of exchange and net-transfer reactions controlled by the K and Na activities in the fluids. On the regional scale, these reactions operate in granitized, charnockitized, syenitized etc. shear zones within high-grade complexes. Thermodynamic calculations in simple chemical systems show that changes in mineral assemblages, including the transition from the hydrous to the anhydrous ones, may occur at constant pressure and temperature due only to variations in the H2O and the alkali activities. A simple procedure for estimating the activity of the two major alkali oxides, K2O and Na2O, is imple- mented in the TWQ software. Examples of calculations are presented for well-documented dehydration zones from South Africa, southern India, and Sri Lanka. The calculations have revealed two end-member regimes of alkalis during specific metamorphic processes： rock buffered, which is characteristic for the precursor rocks containing two feldspars, and fluid-buffered for the precursor rocks without K-feldspar. The observed reaction textures and the results of thermodynamic modeling are compared with the results of available experimental studies on the interaction of the alkali chloride and carbonate-bearing fluids with metamorphic rocks at mid-crustal conditions. The experiments show the complex effect of alkali activities in the fluid phase on the mineral assemblages. Both thermodynamic calculations and experiments closely reproduce paragenetic relations theoretically predicted by D.S. Korzhinskii in the 1940s.     

东天山中段晚古生代面状剪切带形成机制与金成矿关系研究

东天山晚古生代康古尔塔格构造—金矿带的中段南带开展构造控矿研究,为区域金矿定位预测与勘探提供依据。采用区域构造分析和构造解析方法,在雅满苏北部厘定出一类已发生变形改造的大型面状脆韧性—韧性剪切带,构造恢复表明,其形成于晚古生代造山早期向北的分层剪切或低角度逆冲剪切(S₁//S₀)作用,并作为区域金矿的一级控矿构造而成为俯冲带深源成矿流体向上运移成矿的主通道。在造山过程中递进变形的分层剪切或低角度逆冲剪切晚期、向南北向横向缩短转换阶段,伴随区域抬升和断褶作用,拆离剪切带分支断裂开始成生并向上突破,导致封闭在拆离带内运移的深源含矿流体以断层阀方式分流排泄,成矿流体沿分支断裂向上运移,在断裂上盘或上盘背斜枢纽处的低序次的断裂、破裂中聚集卸载,形成充填石英脉和交代蚀变岩型(造山型)金矿,并有时限为276.5±2.9Ma的石英闪长斑岩侵入产出;晚期褶皱、断裂等叠加构造则对矿床(体)破坏、改造及保存起了重要作用。     

Occurrence of tephra / volcanic tuff in the tertiary sediments of Himachal Himalaya from Tileli area,Mandi district,H.P.: Implication for stratigraphy and uranium mineralization

Presence of Early Tertiary pyroclastic material (tephra) has been documented petrographically, for the first time, in the Mandi-Bilaspur Sector from Tileli area, Dharamsala basin of Himachal Pradesh. The tephra is reported from the red shale, identified as tuffaceous siltstone belonging to lower Dharamsala Formation that lies above the uraniferous sandstone body and occurs as thin layers of over 300m along the strike, close to the contact of lower and upper Dharamsala formations. The tuffaceous material shows crude but preferred orientation of minerals like biotite, muscovite, chlorite, clay, hematite and specularite. Various features indicating presence of tephra are, glass shards altered to clay but retaining ‘U’ shaped outline, spindle-shaped hematite with preferred orientation, spherical to sub-spherical clay and altered Feoxide rich balls, clay groundmass with flow pattern, flaky minerals in association with clast depicting asymmetrical ramp structure. A zone of approximately 300 m length containing tuffaceous material has been established at Tileli overlying the uraniferous sandstone body. Identification of tephra at Tileli has significant implications as it enabled in demarcating the boundary between the upper and lower Dharamsala formations in central part of the basin in Bilaspur-Mandi Sector of HP Himalaya and also in guiding the uranium exploration programme in the lower Dharamsala Formation.     

基于地下电性结构探讨中国东北活动火山形成机制

东北地区是我国现代火山活动最强烈的地区之一，也是许多学者十分关注的地区。本文回顾了前人提出的关于该地区火山成因的研究成果；通过分析在东北活动火山区大地电磁观测研究的地壳上地幔结构和采用大地电磁网观测研究的地幔1000km以上的电性结构成果，发现长白山天池火山区存在地壳岩浆囊，其它活动火山没有发现地壳岩浆囊，但都存在通往地幔的岩浆通道；东北地区在80～120km左右和200～250km可能存在与地幔岩浆囊相关的地幔高温流体。基于电性结构的研究成果，作者提出了一种东北地区可能的活动火山成因假说。认为东北火山的成因可能与西太平洋板块俯冲到中国东北地区的地幔过渡带后产生脱水有密切关系。这种水以矿物组分或流体方式向上运移，在地幔200-250km和80～120km左右聚集，80～120km的聚集区可能是火山喷发的物质来源。     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987114000565

During granulite-facies metamorphism of metasedimentary rocks by the infiltration of carbonic fluids, the disappearance of hydrated minerals leads to the liberation of aqueous fluids. These fluids are strongly enriched in F and C1, and a series of Large-lon-Lithophile （LIL） elements and rare metals, resulting in their depletion in granulites. To sum up the fate of these elements, we focus on three domains representing different crustal levels and showing distinct behaviours with respect to these elements. The Lapland metasedimentary granulites illustrate the behaviour of the LILE and rare metals during lower crustal metamorphism. There is no change in Ba, moderate loss in Rb, and extreme depletion in Cs, Li, and Sn. F and CI contents are also very low compared to the protoliths or average upper continental crust. Biotite and amphibole breakdown leads to the incorporation of their partitioning into a fluid or a melt. The Tranomaro metasomatized marbles recrystallizing under granulite-facies conditions represent a demonstrative example of fluid transfer from granulite-facies supracrustals to traps represented by regional scale skarns. Such fluids may be at the origin of the incompatible element enrichment detected in leucosomes of migmatites from St Malo in Brittany （France） and Black Hills in South Dakota, The northern French Massif Central provides us with an example of a potential association between incompatible element enrichment of granitic melts and granulite-facies metamorphism. U- and F- enriched fine-grained granites are emplaced along a crustal scale shear zone active during the emplacement within the St Sylvestre peraluminous leucogranitic complex, We propose that during granulite-facies metamorphism dominated by carbonic waves in a deep segment of the continental crust, these shear zones control： （i） the percolation of F-, LILE-, rare metal-rich fluids liberated primarily by the breakdown of biotite; （ii） the enhancement of partial melting by F-rich fluids at intermediate crustal lev     

俯冲带流体作用的地球化学示踪

俯冲带流体包括俯冲带岩石脱水形成的水流体和熔融作用产生的熔体。俯冲带流体循环及伴随的化学作用是壳幔演化和物质交换的重要机制。岛弧火山岩地球化学研究可以示踪流体的性质、成分。造山带变质岩内高压脉是俯冲带流体活动的直接记录。通过高压脉及其主岩地球化学研究 ,可以示踪流体成分和来源。俯冲带水流体成分与流体释放深度有关 ,俯冲带深处 ( >5 0km)形成的水流体内溶质相当可观。水流体流动方式有大规模沟道式和小规模弥散式 ,与其相应的流体来源分别为外来的和内部的。俯冲带流体组分、流动方式、物质交换机制与俯冲带深度、热状态、物质结构的定量关系 ,以及矿物 /水流体间元素分配系数的高压实验可能将是俯冲带流体今后研究的重要课题。中国西天山高压变质带榴辉岩及蓝片岩中广泛发育高压脉 ,根据脉的矿物组合 ,高压脉可分成 4种类型。高压脉氧同位素研究表明 ,脉体与流体间氧同位素交换宏观与局部平衡 ,流体活动为大规模的 ;流体活动方式既有沟道式 ,又有渗透式 ;流体的δ18O值为 + 10 .8‰左右 ,流体来源于主岩经过海水低温蚀变的大洋玄武岩。西天山广泛发育的高压脉 (尤其是蓝片岩中的高压脉的发现目前在世界范围尚属首例 ) ,是研究古俯冲带流体作用良好的野外天然实验室。     

Experimental and petrological constraints on local-scale interaction of biotite-amphibole gneiss with H2O-CO2-（K, Na）Cl fluids at middle-crustal conditions： Example from the Limpopo Complex, South Africa

Reaction textures and fluid inclusions in the～2.0 Ga pyroxene-bearing dehydration zones within the Sand River biotite-hornblende orthogneisses（Central Zone of the Limpopo Complex） suggest that the formation of these zones is a result of close interplay between dehydration process along ductile shear zones triggered by H₂O-CO₂-salt fluids at 750—800℃and 5.5—6.2 kbar.partial melting,and later exsolution of residual brine and H₂O-CO₂ fluids during melt crystallization at 650—700℃.These processes caused local variations of water and alkali activity in the fluids,resulting in various mineral assemblages within the dehydration zone.The petrological observations are substantiated by experiments on the interaction of the Sand River gneiss with the H₂O-CO-2-（K,Na）Cl fluids at 750 and 800℃and 5.5 kbar.It follows that the interaction of biotite-amphibole gneiss with H₂O-CO₂-（K.Na）Cl fluids is accompanied by partial melting at 750—800℃.Orthopyroxene-bearing assemblages are characteristic for temperature 800℃and are stable in equilibrium with fluids with low salt concentrations,while salt-rich fluids produce clinopyroxene-bearing assemblages.These observations arc in good agreement with the petrological data on the dehydration zones within the Sand River orthoeneisses.     

安徽东至查册桥金矿断裂构造型式、控岩控矿和区域构造意义

查册桥金矿是近年在安徽省东至县发现的具一定规模的金矿床,矿床的形成与燕山期强烈的构造岩浆活动有密切的时空和成因联系。我们通过金矿勘查及专题研究,对区内的主要断裂构造进行了划分,对可观测的主要断裂构造基本特征、形成与演化、相互关系及控岩控矿作用进行较系统的研究,初步认为,区内主要断裂构造在印支期前构造基础上经印支期和燕山期强烈的构造活动形成,记录了江南过渡带北缘中生代构造转换的过程;区内断裂构造具重要的控岩控矿作用,其中高坦断裂控制了东西向构造岩浆岩带,兰程畈断层带控制了北东向构造岩浆岩带,区内的矿体多受O/S界面逆冲推(滑)覆断裂、花山洋湖断层带和北东向断层带控制,并主要赋存于其断层破碎带及次级断裂构造破碎带内。同时对区内高坦断裂表现形式、形成机制、与其他构造的关系及本区和区域控岩控矿作用进行了探讨,建立了区内主要断裂的形成模型。     

甘肃北山南带韧性剪切带型金矿床构造控矿解析

通过研究不同层次的韧性剪切带与金矿化的关系及含金裂隙类型。结合地质地球化学和磁组构分析。探讨了韧性剪切带对金矿化的控制作用。认为韧性剪切带的控矿作用表现为在区域上控制金矿床（点）的分布，在矿床范围内，它既是唯一的赋（含）矿构造，也控制着矿化带和矿体的形态，产状，规模和分布，在矿床成因上决定了金矿化以蚀变糜棱岩型为主，同时韧性剪切变形及其形成的动力变质热液是金矿成矿流体的来源之一。     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987111000582

The Central India Tectonic Zone(CITZ) marks the trace of a major suture zone along which the south Indian and the north Indian continental blocks were assembled through subduction-accretioncollision tectonics in the Mesoproterozoic.The CITZ also witnessed the major,plume-related,late Cretaceous Deccan volcanic activity,covering substantial parts of the region with continental flood basalts and associated magmatic provinces.A number of major fault zones dissect the region,some of which are seismically active.Here we present results from gravity modeling along five regional profiles in the CITZ, and combine these results with magnetotelluric(MT) modeling results to explain the crustal architecture. The models show a resistive(more than 2000Ω·m) and a normal density(2.70 g/cm~3) upper crust suggesting\ dominant tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite(TTG) composition.There is a marked correlation between both high-density(2.95 g/cm~3) and low-density(2.65 g/cm~3) regions with high conductive zones (<80Ω·m) in the deep crust.We infer the presence of an interconnected grain boundary network of fluids or fluid-hosted structures,where the conductors are associated with gravity lows.Based on the conductive nature,we propose that the lower crustal rocks are fluid reservoirs,where the fluids occur as trapped phase within minerals,fluid-filled porosity,or as fluid-rich structural conduits.We envisage that substantial volume of fluids were transferred from mantle into the lower crust through the younger plume-related Deccan volcanism,as well as the reactivation,fracturing and expulsion of fluids transported to depth during the Mesoproterozoic subduction tectonics.Migration of the fluids into brittle fault zones such as the Narmada North Fault and the Narmada South Fault resulted in generating high pore pressures and weakening of the faults,as reflected in the seismicity.This inference is also supported by the presence of broad gravity lows near these faults,as well as the low velocity in the lower crust beneath regions of recent major earthquakes within the CITZ.     

Fault on–off versus coseismic fluids reaction

The fault activation （fault on） interrupts the enduring fault locking （fault off） and marks the end of a seismic cycle in which the brittle-ductile transition （BDT） acts as a sort of switch. We suggest that the fluid flow rates differ during the different periods of the seismic cycle （interseismic, pre-seismic, coseismic and post-seismic） and in particular as a function of the tectonic style. Regional examples indicate that tectonic-related fluids anomalies depend on the stage of the tectonic cycle and the tectonic style. Although it is difficult to model an increasing permeability with depth and several BDT transitions plus independent acquicludes may occur in the crust, we devised the simplest numerical model of a fault constantly shearing in the ductile deeper crust while being locked in the brittle shallow layer, with variable homogeneous permeabilities. The results indicate different behaviors in the three main tectonic settings. In tensional tectonics, a stretched band antithetic to the normal fault forms above the BDT during the interseismic period. Fractures close and fluids are expellecl during the coseismic stage. The mechanism reverses in compressional tectonics. During the interseismic stage, an over-compressed band forms above the BDT. The band dilates while rebounding in the coseismic stage and attracts fluids locally. At the tip lines along strike-slip faults, two couples of subvertical bancls show different behavior, one in dilationJcompression and one in compressionJdilation. This deformation pattern inverts during the coseismic stage. Sometimes a pre-seismic stage in which fluids start moving may be observed and could potentially become a precursor.     

Vertical fault systems in the tectonosphere geoelectrical section in petroliferous domains of Sakhalin Island (Russia) and Gulf of Tonkin (Vietnam): Evidence from magnetotelluric sounding

The transverse current anomalies evident from magnetotelluric sounding (MTS) data in the transition zone from the Asian continent to the Pacific Ocean and a geoelectrical model suitable for explaining these effects are discussed. Using simulation results and new MTS data on Sakhalin and northern Vietnam, ultra-deep fluid–fault system (UDFFS) models are constructed, comprising steeply dipping low-resistivity and high-resistivity linear bodies which penetrate through the whole section of the lithosphere, continuing deep into the asthenosphere. The structure of these systems reflects the development of deep and ultra-deep fault zones, along which mantle-originated fluids may migrate through sediments to reach the surface. This allows the anisotropic–conductive fractured structures adjacent to these faults to be considered as being most favorable for hydrocarbon accumulations.     

地幔转换带中的水及其地球动力学意义

综述了近20年国际上地幔转换带中水的研究进展。前人研究表明,地球深部的水主要以OH-(hy-droxyl)形式存储在名义上无水矿物(NAMs)中。高温高压实验研究表明,地幔转换带中的主要矿物均具有较高的储水能力,且在转换带的温压条件下,其储水能力随着温度的升高而降低,其中瓦兹利石(β-Ol)和林伍德石(γ-Ol)的储水能力为2%～3%,超硅石榴子石(Mj)的储水能力为0.1%左右,据此估算地幔转换带的储水能力约为1.2%～1.91%,是地表水总量的3.9～6.2倍;而转换带除外的上地幔和下地幔主要矿物的含水量或储水能力均小于0.1%,因此与上、下地幔相比,地幔转换带可能是地幔的主要储水库。尽管地幔转换带具有较强的储水能力,但对地幔转换带的实际含水量还存在干、湿两方面的地质和地球物理证据和争议。地幔转换带中的水会对转换带中一系列的过程产生重要影响,当水含量增加时,橄榄石(Ol)向β-Ol、γ-Ol分解以及超硅石榴石的分解反应分别向低压、高压和低压方向迁移,从而由橄榄石向β-Ol和γ-Ol分解两个相变反应界定的转换带宽度也会增加;水还会使地幔深部的部分熔融温度降低,熔体的密度降低;同时,水的加入可以很好地解释地幔岩"pyrolite"模型在410km不连续面处产生的与地震波测量不相符突变,也可以解决全地幔对流模式所不能解释的地幔成分分层问题。因此,深入研究和探讨转换带中的水对地球深部动力学过程的影响,包括中国东部地区受太平洋板块深俯冲作用的影响,均具有重要的约束和研究意义。     

新疆东准噶尔卡拉麦里造山型金成矿系统与区域构造演化

新疆东准噶尔卡拉麦里地区以金水泉、双泉、南明水、苏吉泉东等为代表的金矿床,构成了一套与晚古生代碰撞造山有关的金成矿系统。矿床夹持于区域性的卡拉麦里深大断裂和清水—苏吉泉大断裂之间,矿化受次级脆-韧性断层控制,以中等至陡倾斜的含金石英脉和破碎蚀变岩的形式产于晚古生代浅变质火山沉积岩中。流体包裹体、H-O-S-Pb同位素和热液锆石U-Pb年代学研究表明,成矿流体具中高温(集中于240~330 ℃)、低盐度(<6% NaCl_eq)、富CO₂的变质流体特征,成矿物质来自赋矿的火山沉积岩系,流体不混溶(相分离)和水-岩反应(围岩硫化作用)是导致金沉淀的主要机制,成矿深度变化于7~15 km之间,成矿时代约为314 Ma。晚石炭世至早二叠世,研究区的构造体制由挤压向走滑或走滑伸展转换,构造应力的释放导致深部变质脱水形成的低盐度CO₂-H₂O-NaCl±CH₄含金流体,沿走向NW至近EW向的走滑剪切断裂向地壳浅部流动,并在脆-韧性过渡带或脆性变形带的次级断裂中形成含金石英脉及蚀变岩型金矿石。     

Fault zone structure and fluid–rock interaction of a high angle normal fault in Carrara marble (NW Tuscany,Italy)

We studied the geometry, intensity of deformation and fluid–rock interaction of a high angle normal fault within Carrara marble in the Alpi Apuane NW Tuscany, Italy. The fault is comprised of a core bounded by two major, non-parallel slip surfaces. The fault core, marked by crush breccia and cataclasites, asymmetrically grades to the host protolith through a damage zone, which is well developed only in the footwall block. On the contrary, the transition from the fault core to the hangingwall protolith is sharply defined by the upper main slip surface. Faulting was associated with fluid–rock interaction, as evidenced by kinematically related veins observable in the damage zone and fluid channelling within the fault core, where an orange–brownish cataclasite matrix can be observed. A chemical and isotopic study of veins and different structural elements of the fault zone (protolith, damage zone and fault core), including a mathematical model, was performed to document type, role, and activity of fluid–rock interactions during deformation. The results of our studies suggested that deformation pattern was mainly controlled by processes associated with a linking-damage zone at a fault tip, development of a fault core, localization and channelling of fluids within the fault zone. Syn-kinematic microstructural modification of calcite microfabric possibly played a role in confining fluid percolation.     

Interaction of Tidal and Fluvial Processes in the Transition Zone of the Santee River, SC, USA

This study was conducted in the freshwater reach of the Santee River approximately 55?±?4?km from the mouth, a transition zone from a fluvial to an estuarine tidal regime. The dataset comprises bathymetric surveys, current profile and bottom pressure measurements at two locations, and time series of discharge. Our data indicate that the transition zone is characterized by strong tidal dissipation and distinctive channel geometry. Tidal dissipation is evident in the rapid decrease of the M₂ amplitude to the mean along-channel velocity ratio from 2.1 to 0.9 over a ??6-km distance. Channel cross-sectional area in the transition zone converges at a higher rate than both upstream and downstream while channel depth reveals threefold variations in the form of adjacent shoals and deeps. We hypothesize that the enhanced tidal dissipation is at the same time a cause and a result of strongly convergent bathymetry in the transition zone.