Metamorphic zircons from North Cameroon; implications for the Pan-African evolution of Central Africa

Morphoscopic studies of zircons, including optical microscopic and SEM (backscattered electron mode), from the Rôniers valley (West-Poli, Northern Cameroon) indicate an important crystallization of zircon during a medium-grade garnet-kyanite metamorphic event. This was associated with a deformation (D1) and with the emplacement of a basic and intermediate plutonic suite (BIP). U-Pb dating of these zircon gave almost concordant Pan-African ages (630 Ma) which contribute to a solution of a major regional uncertainty about the age of the regional D1 event, which, in the mobile belt of Central Africa, has been considered previously either as Pan-African or as Lower to Middle Proterozoic. A chronological framework is proposed for the evolution of northern Cameroon.

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Zusammenfassung Eine kristallmorphologische Bearbeitung von Zirkonen aus Glimmerschiefern des Rôniers-Tals (Westlich von Poli, Nord-Kamerun) wurde mit Durchlicht- und mit RasterElektronen-Mikroskopie (Rückstrahl Elektronen) ausgeführt. Verbunden mit einer Bearbeitung des strukturgeologischen und metamorphen Rahmens führt sie zu der Vorstellung einer massiven Auskristallisation der Zirkone anläßlich eines tektono-metamorphen Ereignisses mittlerer Stärke in der Granat-Disthen Fazies. Dieses Ereigniss ist von einer Deformationsphase (D1) und der Platznahme eines basischen bis intermediären Gesteinsverbandes (BIP) begleitet worden. Eine U/Pb Datierung dieser Zirkone ergibt praktisch konkordante pan-afrikanische Alter (630 M.J.) Diese Resultate klären eine Ungewissheit in Bezug auf das Alter des stärksten metamorphen Schieferung, die hier als Resultat des Ereignisses D1 gedeutet wird. Je nach der geographischen Stellung innerhalb der zentral-afrikanischen mobilen Zone wurde bis jetzt das Alter dieser Schieferung als pan-afrikanisch oder als unter- bis mittelproterozoisch gegeben. Ein chronologischer Ablauf kann somit für die Entwicklung des nordkamerunischen Gebietes vorgeschlagen werden.

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Résumé Une étude morphologique de zircons provenant des micaschistes de la vallée des Rôniers (ouest de Poli, Nord Cameroun) a été menée aussi bien en microscopie optique qu'en microscopie à balayage (électrons rétrodiffusés). Combinée à l'étude de l'environnement structural et métamorphique, elle conduit à l'idée d'une cristallisation massive du zircon pendant un événement tectono-métamorphique de degré moyen dans le faciès à grenat-disthène. Cet épisode s'accompagne d'une phase de déformation (D1) et de la mise en place d'une association basique à intermédiaire (BIP). Une datation U/Pb de ces zircons donne des âges panafricains (630 Ma) pratiquement concordants. Ces résultats permettent de lever une ambiguïté sur l'âge de la foliation métamorphique principale interprétée comme résultant de l'événement D1: elle est considérée selon les endroits de la zone mobile d'Afrique centrale soit d'âge panafricain soit d'âge protérozoïque inférieur à moyen. Une chronologie de l'évolution du domaine nord camerounais est proposée.

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Geochemistry of tholeiites from North-East American margin; correlation with Morocco

The chemical variations of the early mesozoic tholeiites from North-East American margin pointed out by the american authors are specified by means of multivariate statistical methods (Principal Component Analysis, Stepwise Discriminant Analysis, Multiple Regression). The highly significant correlation between chemical composition and latitude (R = 0.87) can be explained by an evolution of the initial magma from South to North. As in America, Moroccan High Atlas tholeiites are connected with the early opening of the North-Atlantic. By using these statistical methods, it appears that moroccan tholeiites are chemically related to New-Jersey — Connecticut tholeiites. This chemical positioning is compared to predrift reconstruction patterns.     

Forecasting the energy produced by a windmill on a yearly basis

The objective of this article is to study as extensively as possible the uncertainties affecting the annual energy produced by a windmill. In the literature, the general approach is to estimate the mean annual energy from a transformation of a Weibull distribution law. Then the issue is reduced to estimating the coefficients of this distribution. This is obtained by classical statistical methods. Therefore, the uncertainties are mostly limited to those resulting from the statistical procedures. But in fact, the real uncertainty of the random variable which represents the annual energy cannot been reduced to the uncertainty on its mean and to the uncertainties induced from the estimation procedure. We propose here a model, which takes advantage of the fact that the annual energy production is the sum of many random variables representing the 10?min energy production during the year. Under some assumptions, we make use of the central limit theorem and show that an intrinsic uncertainties of wind power, usually not considered, carries an important risk. We also explain an observation coming from practice that the forecasted annual production is always overestimated, which creates a risk of reducing the profitability of the operation.     

Effect of hot desert weathering on the bulk‐rock iron isotope composition of L6 and H5 ordinary chondrites

Abstract– Although iron isotopes are increasingly used for meteorites studies, no attempt has been made to evaluate the effect of terrestrial weathering on this isotopic tracer. We have thus conducted a petrographic, chemical, and iron isotopic study of equilibrated ordinary chondrites (OC) recovered from hot Moroccan and Algerian Saharan deserts environment. As previously noticed, we observe that terrestrial desertic weathering is characterized by the oxidation of Fe‐Ni metal (Fe⁰), sulfide and Fe²⁺ occurring in olivine and pyroxene. It produces Fe‐oxides and oxyhydroxides that partially replace metal, sulfide grains and also fill fractures. The bulk chemical compositions of the ordinary chondrites studied show a strong Sr and Ba enrichment and a S depletion during weathering. Bulk meteoritic iron isotope compositions are well correlated with the degree of weathering and S, Sr, and Ba contents. Most weathered chondrites display the heaviest isotopic composition, by up to 0.1‰, which is of similar magnitude to the isotopic variations resulting from meteorite parent bodies’ formation and evolution. This is probably due to the release of isotopically light Fe²⁺ to waters on the Earth’s surface. Hence, when subtle Fe isotopic effects have to be studied in chondrites, meteorites with weathering grade above W2 should be avoided.     

Occurrence of an exceptional carbonate dissolution episode during early glacial isotope stage 6 in the Southeastern Atlantic

Concentration and mass accumulation rate profiles from Southeastern Atlantic sediment cores located off Namibia show that an exceptional episode in benthic carbonate dissolution occurred during early glacial isotope stage 6 (substages 6.6 and 6.5) between about 186 000 and 170 000 yr BP. Although this episode is restricted to or is more pronounced in this region than in other areas of the Atlantic Ocean, its exceptional character with respect to older and younger climatic episodes at the same site cannot be fully explained by local factors alone, but requires a combination of local and global influences. The onset of the carbonate dissolution episode is related to a more efficient transfer of organic matter from surface eutrophic areas to the lower and is due to low sea level, while its termination relates to a change in either global ocean alkalinity or bottom water circulation. An evaluation of the magnitude of this local carbonate dissolution episode suggests that its contribution to a global alkalinity change may have been significant. Carbonate dissolution was probably amplified by stronger upwelling activity of the Benguela System linked to an exceptional northern excursion of the boreal summer ITCZ during early glacial isotope stage 6. This low latitude global linkage may explain how this carbonate dissolution event as well as other ‘anomalies’ observed for early stage 6, like an important Dole effect minimum or a ‘cold’ Mediterranean sapropel, are related.