Transient processes in Stromboli’s shallow basaltic system inferred from dolerite and magmatic breccia blocks erupted during the 5 April 2003 paroxysm

We describe the mineralogy, geochemistry, and mesomicrostructure of fresh subvolcanic blocks erupted during the 5 April 2003 paroxysm of Stromboli (Aeolian Islands, Italy). These blocks represent ∼50 vol.% of the total erupted ejecta and consist of fine- to medium-grained basaltic lithotypes ranging from relatively homogeneous dolerites to strongly or poorly welded magmatic breccias. The breccia components are represented by angular fragments of dolerites entrapped in a matrix of vesiculated (lava-like to scoriae) crystal-rich (CR) basalt. All of the studied blocks are cognates with the CR basalt of the normal Strombolian activity or lavas and they are often coated by a few-centimeter thick layer of crystal-poor (CP) basaltic pumice erupted during the paroxysm. We suggest that they result from the rapid increase of pressure and related subvolcanic rock failure that occurred shortly before the 5 April 2003 explosion, when the uppermost portion of the edifice inflated and suffered brecciation as the result of the sudden rise of the gas-rich CP basalt that triggered the eruption. Dolerites and magmatic matrix of the breccias show major and trace element compositions that match those of the CR basalts erupted during normal Strombolian activity and effusive events at Stromboli volcano. Dolerites consist of (a) phenocrysts normally found in the CR basalts and (b) late-stage magmatic minerals such as sanidine, An_60-28 plagioclase, Fe–Mn-rich olivines (Fo_68-48), phlogopite, apatite, and opaque mineral pairs (magnetite and ilmenite), most of which are never found both in lava flows and scoriae erupted during the persistent explosive activity that characterizes typical Strombolian behavior. Subvolcanic crystallization of the Stromboli CR magma, leading to slowly cooled equivalents of basalts, could result from transient drainage of the magma from the summit craters to lower levels. Fingering and engulfing of the material that collapsed from the summit crater floor into the shallow basaltic system during the late evening of 28 December 2002 coupled with the short break in the summit persistent explosions between December 2002 and March 2003 permitted the CR magma pockets to solidify as dolerites, which were confined to the uppermost portion of the system and thus not involved in the ongoing flank effusive activity. Crystal size distribution of the basaltic blocks and crystallization of the finer-grained (<0.1 mm) mafic minerals of the dolerites over a time interval of ∼100 days closely agrees with the above interpretation. Vesicle filling (miarolitic cavities) locally found in some dolerites, with minerals deposited as vapor-phase crystallization is a result of continuous gas percolation through the rocks of the uppermost portion of the volcanic system. Poorly welded magmatic breccias formed during syn-eruptive processes of 5 April 2003, when the paroxysm strongly shattered the shallow subvolcanic system and many dolerite fragments were entrapped in the CR magma. In contrast, the high degree of welding between the dolerite clasts and the CR basaltic matrix in the strongly welded magmatic breccias provides a snapshot of subvolcanic intrusions of the CR basalt into the dolerite when, after a 2-month break in activity, CR magmas started to rise again to the summit craters. Blocks similar to these subvolcanic ejecta of 5 April 2003 were also erupted during previous paroxysms (e.g., 1930) suggesting that changes in the usual Strombolian activity (e.g., short breaks in the persistent mild explosions and/or flank effusive activity) lead to transient crystallization of dolerites in the shallow plumbing system.     

Structural features of Panarea volcano in the frame of the Aeolian Arc (Italy): Implications for the 2002–2003 unrest

Panarea, characterized by gas unrest in 2002–2003, is the volcanic island with the least constrained structure in the eastern-central Aeolian Arc (Italy). Based on structural measurements, we define here its deformation pattern relative to the Arc. The main deformations are subvertical extension fractures (63% of data), normal faults (25%) and dikes (12%). The mean orientation of the extension fractures and faults is N38°E, with a mean opening direction of N135° ± 8°, implying extension with a moderate component of dextral shear. These data, matched with those available for Stromboli volcano (pure opening) and Vulcano, Lipari and Salina volcanoes (predominant dextral motions) along the eastern-central Arc, suggest a progressive westward rotation of the extension direction and an increase in the dextral shear. The dextral shear turns into compression in the western arc. The recent unrest at Panarea, coeval to that of nearby Stromboli, may also be explained by the structural context, as both volcanoes lie along the portion of the Arc subject to extension.     

Variability of the Fe K line relativistic component in a sample of Seyfert 1 galaxies

We present the analysis of X‐ray spectral variability made on a sample of 7 Seyfert 1 bright galaxies, using XMM‐Newton data. From the “XMM‐Newton Science Archive” we selected those bright Seyfert 1 showing one or more prominent flares in their 2–10 keV light curves. For each of them we extracted spectra in 3 different time intervals: before, during and after the flare. We fitted them with a simple power law and then shifted a narrow emission and absorption line template across the 2.5–10 keV data, in order to investigate the presence of line‐like features with a confidence level greater than 99%. Some highly significant features were detected in 3 out of 7 sources studied. In particular, the 3 sources, namely PG 1211+143, NGC 4051 and NGC 3783, showed the presence of a variable emission feature in the 4.5–5.8 keV band, characterized by an increase of its intensity after the flare peak. Because of the observed variability pattern, this feature seems to be ascribable to a reverbered redshifted relativistic component of the Fe K line. (© 2006 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Calibration of a chalcogenide glass membrane ion-selective electrode for the determination of free Fe in seawater: I. Measurements in UV photooxidised seawater

Calibration of a chalcogenide glass membrane, Fe(III)ISE [Fe_2.5(Ge₂₈Sb₁₂Se₆₀)_97.5], in buffered saline media has been undertaken in order to assess the suitability of this ISE for seawater analyses. The electrode slopes in saline citrate and salicylate buffers were 26.3 and 28.2 mV/decade, respectively, for Fe³⁺ concentrations ranging from 10⁻¹⁰ M to less than 10⁻²⁵ M Fe³⁺. The calibration lines in the citrate and salicylate buffers were essentially collinear with the response in unbuffered chloride-free standards containing >10⁻⁵ M Fe³⁺, demonstrating that the response of the FeISE is unaffected by chloride ions. A mechanism involving a combination of charge transfer and ion-exchange of Fe(III), at the electrode diffusion layer, can be used to explain the ≈30 mV/decade slope of the FeISE. The response of the FeISE in UV photooxidised seawater containing 8 nM total Fe was measured as the pH was changed from 8.27 to 3.51. The slope of the response was 24.2 mV/decade [Fe³⁺] calculated as a function of pH using Fe(III) hydrolysis constants for seawater. Moreover, the response was essentially collinear with that in citrate buffers and in unbuffered solutions containing >10⁻⁵ M Fe³⁺ and the slope for the combined data was 26.2 mV/decade. This study was restricted to organic-free seawater because the certainty in Fe(III)–ligand stability constants is insufficient to warrant the selection of an ideal calibration buffer system, and there is evidence that powerful chelating ligands (e.g., EDTA along with humic and fulvic acids) may alter the response of the Fe(III)ISE. The Fe dissolution rate of the FeISE in UV photooxidised seawater was found to be 1.6×10⁻² nmol Fe/min, as measured by cathodic stripping voltammetry (CSV). This would contaminate a 100-ml sample by 0.8–1.6 nM Fe over a typical measurement period of 5–10 min obtained using a stability criterion of 0.5 mV/min. Various methods are proposed for reducing the level of contamination in open ocean samples that contain sub-nanomolar concentrations of iron. The FeISE has the potential to detect free Fe³⁺ at concentrations typically found in natural seawater.     

矿物学文献中未定名矿物的编码系统:国际矿物学协会新矿物与命名和分类委员会“未定名矿物”小组报告

国际矿物学协会新矿物与命名和分类委员会(IMA-CNMMN)的未定名矿物小组(SUM),开发了一个编码系统,对已经发表但尚未定名的矿物进行编码。在文献中存在两类未定名矿物。一是"有效"未定名矿物,是指未定名矿物没有对应的已知矿物种,但如果它们有其他产地或能够在其他样品中被发现,那么已发表的相关矿物描述允许得到认可。二是"无效"未定名矿物,是指未定名矿物已经有对应的已知矿物种;或者相关矿物描述不足以获得认可。未定名矿物的名单是由IMA保管。该编码系统提供了一个永久的UM号码。中国的矿物学文献的数量和重要性有必要用中文阐述未定名矿物的编码系统。     

Differences in grain growth of calcite: a field-based modeling approach

Normal grain growth of calcite was investigated by combining grain size analysis of calcite across the contact aureole of the Adamello pluton, and grain growth modeling based on a thermal model of the surroundings of the pluton. In an unbiased model system, i.e., location dependent variations in temperature-time path, 2/3 and 1/3 of grain growth occurs during pro- and retrograde metamorphism at all locations, respectively. In contrast to this idealized situation, in the field example three groups can be distinguished, which are characterized by variations in their grain size versus temperature relationships: Group I occurs at low temperatures and the grain size remains constant because nano-scale second phase particles of organic origin inhibit grain growth in the calcite aggregates under these conditions. In the presence of an aqueous fluid, these second phases decay at a temperature of about 350 °C enabling the onset of grain growth in calcite. In the following growth period, fluid-enhanced group II and slower group III growth occurs. For group II a continuous and intense grain size increase with T is typical while the grain growth decreases with T for group III. None of the observed trends correlate with experimentally based grain growth kinetics, probably due to differences between nature and experiment which have not yet been investigated (e.g., porosity, second phases). Therefore, grain growth modeling was used to iteratively improve the correlation between measured and modeled grain sizes by optimizing activation energy (Q), pre-exponential factor (k₀) and grain size exponent (n). For n=2, Q of 350 kJ/mol, k₀ of 1.7×10²¹ mⁿs^–1 and Q of 35 kJ/mol, k₀ of 2.5×10^-5 mⁿs^–1 were obtained for group II and III, respectively. With respect to future work, field-data based grain growth modeling might be a promising tool for investigating the influences of secondary effects like porosity and second phases on grain growth in nature, and to unravel differences between nature and experiment.Editorial responsibility: J. Hoefs     

Impacts of Present and Future Climate Variability on Agriculture and Forestry in the Temperate Regions: Europe

Agriculture and forestry will be particularly sensitive to changes in mean climate and climate variability in the northern and southern regions of Europe. Agriculture may be positively affected by climate change in the northern areas through the introduction of new crop species and varieties, higher crop production and expansion of suitable areas for crop cultivation. The disadvantages may be determined by an increase in need for plant protection, risk of nutrient leaching and accelerated breakdown of soil organic matter. In the southern areas the benefits of the projected climate change will be limited, while the disadvantages will be predominant. The increased water use efficiency caused by increasing CO₂ will compensate for some of the negative effects of increasing water limitation and extreme weather events, but lower harvestable yields, higher yield variability and reduction in suitable areas of traditional crops are expected for these areas. Forestry in the Mediterranean region may be mainly affected by increases in drought and forest fires. In northern Europe, the increased precipitation is expected to be large enough to compensate for the increased evapotranspiration. On the other hand, however, increased precipitation, cloudiness and rain days and the reduced duration of snow cover and soil frost may negatively affect forest work and timber logging determining lower profitability of forest production and a decrease in recreational possibilities. Adaptation management strategies should be introduced, as effective tools, to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on agricultural and forestry sectors.     

S?o Francisco-Congo Craton break-up delimited by U-Pb-Hf isotopes and trace-elements of zircon from metasediments of the Ara?uaí Belt

Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology combined with Hf isotopic and trace element data from metasedimentary rocks of the Aracuai Belt in southeastern Brazil provide evidence for break-up of the Congo-Sao Francisco Craton. The U-Pb age spectra of detrital zircons from metasediments of the Rio Doce Group(RDG) range from 900-650 Ma and define a maximum depositional age of ca. 650 Ma. Zircon trace element and whole rock data constrain an oceanic island arc as source for the deposition setting of the protoliths to the metasediments. Zircon ε_(Hf)(t) values from these rocks are positive between +1 and +15, supporting previous evidence of a Neoproterozoic extensional phase and oceanic crust formation in a precursor basin to the Aracuai Belt. Recrystallization of detrital zircon at ca. 630 Ma is compatible with a regional metamorphic event associated with terrane accretion to the Paleoproterozoic basement after transition from an extensional to a convergent regime. The juvenile nature, age spectra and trace element composition recorded in detrital zircons of metasediments from the Aracuai Belt correspond with zircons from metasedimentary rocks and oceanic crust remnants of other orogenic belts to its south. This suggests that rifting and oceanic crust formation of the entire orogenic system, the so-called Mantiqueira Province, was contemporaneous, most likely related to the opening of a large ocean. It further indicates that the cratonic blocks involved in the orogenic evolution of the Mantiqueira Province were spatially connected as early as 900 Ma.     

Cretaceous tectonic evolution of the Neo-Tethys in Central Iran:Evidence from petrology and age of the Nain-Ashin ophiolitic basalts

The Nain and Ashin ophiolites consist of Mesozoic melange units that were emplaced in the Late Cretaceous onto the continental basement of the Central-East Iran microcontinent(CEIM).They largely consist of serpentinized peridotites slices;nonetheless,minor tectonic slices of sheeted dykes and pillow lavas-locally stratigraphically associated with radiolarian cherts-can be found in these ophiolitic melanges.Based on their whole rock geochemistry and mineral chemistry,these rocks can be divided into two geochemical groups.The sheeted dykes and most of the pillow lavas show island arc tholeiitic(IAT)affinity,whereas a few pillow lavas from the Nain ophiolites show calc-alkaline(CA)affinity.Petrogenetic modeling based on trace elements composition indicates that both IAT and CA rocks derived from partial melting of depleted mantle sources that underwent enrichment in subduction-derived components prior to melting.Petrogenetic modeling shows that these components were represented by pure aqueous fluids,or sediment melts,or a combination of both,suggesting that the studied rocks were formed in an arc-forearc tectonic setting.Our new biostratigraphic data indicate this arc-forearc setting was active in the Early Cretaceous.Previous tectonic interpretations suggested that the Nain ophiolites formed,in a Late Cretaceous backarc basin located in the south of the CEIM(the so-called Nain-Baft basin).However,recent studies showed that the CEIM underwent a counter-clockwise rotation in the Cenozoic,which displaced the Nain and Ashin ophiolites in their present day position from an original northeastward location.This evidence combined with our new data and a comparison of the chemical features of volcanic rocks from different ophiolites around the CEIM allow us to suggest that the Nain-Ashin volcanic rocks and dykes were formed in a volcanic arc that developed on the northern margin of the CEIM during the Early Cretaceous in association with the subduction,below the CEIM,of a Neo-Tethys oceanic branch that was existing between the CEIM and the southern margin of Eurasia.As a major conclusion of this paper,a new geodynamic model for the Cretaceous evolution of the CEIM and surrounding Neo-Tethyan oceanic basins is proposed.     

Mid‐Holocene vegetation dynamics in the Tejo River estuary based on palaeobotanical records from Ponta da Passadeira (Barreiro–Setúbal,Portugal)

This paper presents the results of pollen and charcoal analyses carried out in the sedimentary formation of Ponta da Passadeira, south of the Tejo River estuary, Portugal. The data provide information regarding the evolution of the coastline and ecosystem of the estuary during the mid and late Holocene. The study focuses on a group of upright woody fossilized tree remains that, together with those identified earlier by García‐Amorena et al. (2007), form part of the fossil forest of Ponta da Passadeira. Eight remains were identified as Pinus pinaster, four as Pinus pinea and one as Pinus sp. Two specimens of these species were dated to 6523 and 5805 cal. a BP. Pollen analysis was undertaken in a clay layer located at the same point as the fossil forest, which is currently below sea level; the base of the clay layer was dated to 4906 cal. a BP. The pollen spectra reflect the dynamics of the vegetation that grew on this deposit, whereas the sporopollinic input masks the contribution of the regional vegetation. Wood charcoal remains recovered at an adjacent Final Neolithic settlement were also analysed, and a Pinus sp. specimen was radiocarbon dated to 5050 cal. a BP. The correlation amongst the three records provides key ecological markers for the understanding of the evolution of coastline ecosystems, and helps to clarify and understand the Holocene sea rise on the Atlantic seaboard of Iberia. The geographical location of Ponta da Passadeira is strategic because it enables a more clear definition of the configuration of landscapes that show an inflection point in this area of central Portugal.