Linking Tarim Basin sea retreat (west China) and Asian aridification in the late Eocene

The Tarim Basin in western China formed the easternmost margin of a shallow epicontinental sea that extended across Eurasia and was well connected to the western Tethys during the Paleogene. Climate modelling studies suggest that the westward retreat of this sea from Central Asia may have been as important as the Tibetan Plateau uplift in forcing aridification and monsoon intensification in the Asian continental interior due to the redistribution of the land‐sea thermal contrast. However, testing of this hypothesis is hindered by poor constraints on the timing and precise palaeogeographic dynamics of the retreat. Here, we present an improved integrated bio‐ and magnetostratigraphic chronological framework of the previously studied marine to continental transition in the southwest Tarim Basin along the Pamir and West Kunlun Shan, allowing us to better constrain its timing, cause and palaeoenvironmental impact. The sea retreat is assigned a latest Lutetian–earliest Bartonian age (ca. 41 Ma; correlation of the last marine sediments to calcareous nannofossil Zone CP14 and correlation of the first continental red beds to the base of magnetochron C18r). Higher up in the continental deposits, a major hiatus includes the Eocene–Oligocene transition (ca. 34 Ma). This suggests the Tarim Basin was hydrologically connected to the Tethyan marine Realm until at least the earliest Oligocene and had not yet been closed by uplift of the Pamir–Kunlun orogenic system. The westward sea retreat at ca. 41 Ma and the disconformity at the Eocene–Oligocene transition are both time‐equivalent with reported Asian aridification steps, suggesting that, consistent with climate modelling results, the sea acted as an important moisture source for the Asian continental interior.     

Petrology of a portion of the Eastern Peninsular Ranges mylonite zone,Southern California

Peraluminous and metaluminous plutonic rocks of the Peninsular Ranges batholith near Borrego Springs in southern California were mylonitized in the large shear zone known as the eastern Peninsular Ranges mylonite zone (EPRMZ). Accompanying mylonitization in this portion of the EPRMZ was metamorphism at intermediate-low-pressure amphibolite-facies conditions. Deformation in the zone overlapped in time with Cretaceous intrusion of the batholith. In the San Ysidro Mountain — Pinyon Ridge area, four north-south trending zones of differing intensity of deformation have been defined; from east to west the degree and style of deformation gradually change from undeformed or weakly deformed rocks to strongly mylonitized rocks. Electron microprobe analysis shows that recrystallized hornblende, biotite, and plagioclase are variable in composition, probably reflecting a range of metamorphic conditions accompanying deformation. Comparison of mineral compositions with those from mafic schists of Vermont suggests conditions ranged from andalusite-staurolite through sillimanite-muscovite grades as defined for pelitic rocks. Stability of muscovite+quartz in mylonite assemblages and lack of remelting of granitic rocks indicate that temperature did not exceed about 650° C during mylonitization and lithostatic pressure did not exceed about 5 kbar. Over time, any given rock volume experienced a range of temperature, lithostatic pressure, and perhaps fluid pressure and differential stress. Mineral reactions in the zone involved hydration, requiring introduction of water. The possibility of large-scale migration of K and Fe is suggested by whole-rock chemical data. Brittle and ductile deformation features are closely associated in one part of the EPRMZ. The combined evidence suggests the presence of a pore fluid with fluid pressure close to lithostatic pressure. Short periods of low fluid pressure and possible high differential stress cannot be ruled out.     

Selenium concentration in food and blood of residents of Abeokuta Metropolis,Southwestern Nigeria

Selenium like any other element can both be essential and toxic depending upon the concentration at which it occurs in human diet. This paper assessed the level of this trace element in twenty different (20) types of locally produced food items around Abeokuta town and the blood obtained from the antecubital fossa vein of eighty-eight (88) healthy adults resident in Abeokuta.     

Age and source material of the Kingash ultramafic-mafic massif,East Sayan

The REE distribution patterns and Nd whole-rock and mineral isotope ratios of the Kingash ultramafic-mafic massif enabled us to propose a multistage history for its evolution at 1410 and 875 Ma. These stages reflect the magmatic evolution of the Siberian paleocontinent margin during the Late Precambrian. The age of metamorphism of the massif during collision and accretion in the Early Paleozoic (∼500 Ma) was obtained based on a Sm-Nd mineral isochron from rheomorphic veined albitite. The Nd and Sr isotopic compositions of rocks from the Kingash massif suggest mantle sources for picritic and basic magmas, which are thought to have originated by mixing of different proportions of depleted (PREMA or DM) and enriched (EM) melts. The initial isotope ratios of the parental melts transformed during interaction with Sr-rich material from the host metasedimentary complexes.     

Lead orthophosphates—III. Stabilities of fluoropyromorphite and bromopyromorphite at 25°C

The reactions of secondary lead orthophosphate with approximately 10^?1 M sodium fluoride and sodium bromide solutions have been investigated at 25°C. Interpretation of the solubility data resulted in solubility product constants for fluoropyromorphite and bromopyromorphite of 10^?71.6 and 10^?78.1, respectively. According to these constants, the stability sequence for lead pyromorphites is Pb₅(PO₄)₃Cl > Pb₅(PO₄)₃Br > Pb₅(PO₄)₃OH > Pb₅(PO₄)₃F. The derived free energy data have been used to evaluate the respective stabilities of fluoro-pyromorphite and bromopyromorphite within the systems PbF₂-PbO-P₂O₅-H₂O and PbBr₂-PbO-P₂O₅-H₂O and to predict the equilibrium behavior of the Pb₅(PO₄)₃F-Pb₅(PO₄)₃OH solid solution under aqueous conditions.     

Ontogeny ofHybocrinus punctatus (Miller and Gurley), an ordovician crinoid

Relative growth of the Ordovician crinoid Hybocrinus punctatus (Miller and Gurley)was studied using regression, correlation, and R-mode factor analysis. Systematic growth gradients of both initial intercepts and slopes existed throughout the calyx. Development of a single plate was best correlated with growth of the directly adjacent plates and was less well correlated with that of more distant plates. A total of 86 percent of the R-mode correlation matrix variance is associated with overall size increase of all dimensions and size-correlated shape changes. Most of the remaining variance is linked with divergent growth of small groups of specimens with respect to various shape parameters.     

Flood control failures in a Third World City: Benin City,Nigeria — some environmental factors and policy issues

GeoJournal - Inspite of step-up efforts at controlling flood hazards in Third World cities, the frequency and magnitude of the flood problem have more than doubled in recent years. A survey of the...     

Some Problems of Clastogenic Mica Transformation during Anchimetamorphism (Metagenesis)

The transformation of clastogenic muscovite and biotite from the Tyumen superdeep well was studied with the SEM and microprobe techniques. It was shown that under conditions of anchimetamorphism (metagenesis), the white mica becomes unstable and may be replaced by several newly formed minerals. In particular, the brammallite, a sodic analogue of illite, is formed at the expense of sodic component of muscovite. The chloritization of mica provokes the removal of excess silica, which is present in the anchizone as a readily soluble in water modification rather than quartz. The release of excess silica as a result of clastogenic mica destruction may be a source of rock silification. As follows from the review of experimental data on silica solubility, the replacement of many silicate minerals leads to the formation of excess silica. This process can be highly extensive during the breakdown of clastogenic minerals.     

Petrogenesis and tectonic setting of late Precambrian ensimatic volcanic rocks,central eastern desert of Egypt

Early stages in the geologic evolution of the central eastern desert of Egypt (CED) reflect an intense episode of ensimatic volcanic activity similar to modern magmatism of the ocean floors and island arcs. This paper reports results from studies of the petrology and petrogenesis, and interprets the significance of these Late Precambrian volcanic rocks.A three-fold stratigraphy is preserved in the basement of the CED. A basal section of oceanic crust includes ultramafics, gabbros and pillowed basalts. These older metavolcanics (OMV) are conformably succeeded by dominantly volcanogenic metasediments, which are in turn succeeded by a dominantly andesitic, calc-alkaline sequence of younger metavolcanics (YMV). The OMV and YMV are largely restricted to the CED in Egypt, but analogous terranes are found in northern Arabia. (40–400 ppm) and Ni (30–260 ppm). They are poor in K₂O (0.05–0.92%), Rb (0.3–5.0 ppm) and Ba (11–89 ppm). On Ti-Zr-Cr-V-Ni-P discriminant diagrams, the OMV plot in the field of modern abyssal tholeiites. High K/Rb (450–1800) and light REE depletions support this inference, although K/Ba (25–45) is lower than modern mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). The sum of OMV geochemical characteristics requires that these magmas were derived by the fractional fusion of the mantle. It is suggested that the OMV were generated by 20–25% fractional melting of previously depleted mantle at depths of less than 60 km. Relatively little fractionation accompanied ascent to the surface, where the OMV were erupted in a primitive crustal environment, either a small oceanic rift or a back-arc basin.Metamorphism of the YMV resulted in little elemental redistribution. These andesites have sub-alkaline clinopyroxenes and major-element geochemical characteristics indistinguishable from modern calc-alkaline andesites. YMV andesites in the central and western CED have K/Rb = 400–600, K/Ba = 20–40 and are light REE-enriched and heavy REE depleted. High concentrations of Cr (50–150 ppm) and Ni (20–100 ppm) and low initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.7028–0.7030) indicate that these magmas were generated by melting in the mantle. Modelling studies and consideration of experimental data indicate that these andesites were formed by 2–10% fractional fusion of hydrous, undepleted, garnet therzolite at depths of 65 km or more in the mantle.The data show that an intense episode of instability, convection, and widespread melting occurred in the mantle beneath Afro-Arabia at the end of the Precambrian.