Current-influenced depositional provinces, continental margin off Cape Hatteras, identified by petrologic method

Analyses of DSRV “Alvin” core samples on the Cape Hatteras margin indicate major textural and compositional changes at depths of about 1000 and well below 2500 m. The distribution patterns of petrologic parameters correlate well with water mass flow and suspended-sediment plumes measured on this margin by other workers. Our study also shows: (a) vigorous erosion and sediment transport at depths of less than 400 m resulting from the NE-trending Gulf Stream flow; (b) deposition, largely planktonic-rich sediment released from the Gulf Stream, on the upper- to mid-slope, to depths of about 800–1200 m; (c) winnowing, resuspension and deposition induced by periodically intensified slope currents on the mid-slope to uppermost rise, between about 1000 and 2500 m; and (d) prevailing deposition on the upper rise proper (below 2500 m), from transport by the SW-trending Western Boundary Undercurrent. Sediments moved by bottom currents have altered the composition and distribution patterns of material transported downslope by offshelf spillover; this mixing of gravity-emplaced and bottom-current-transported sediment obscures depositional boundaries. Moreover, reworking of the seafloor by benthic organisms alters physical properties and changes erodability of surficial sediments by bottom currents. Measurement of current flow above the seafloor and direct observation of the bottom are insufficient to delineate surficial sediment boundaries. Detailed petrologic analyses are needed to recognize the long-term signature of processes and define depositional provinces.     

Geological and SHRIMP II U-Pb constraints on the age and origin of the Breves Cu-Au-(W-Bi-Sn) deposit,Carajás,Brazil

The Breves deposit in the Carajás Copper-Gold Belt, Brazil, a member of the Cu-Au-(W-Bi-Sn) group of deposits, contains about 50 Mt of 1.22% Cu, 0.75 g/t Au, 2.4 g/t Ag, 1,200 g/t W, 70 g/t Sn, 175 g/t Mo and 75 g/t Bi. It is hosted by sandstones and siltstones of the Águas Claras Formation (minimum age of 2,681±5 Ma) in the roof zone of a complex, highly altered granite intrusion. The mineralisation is disseminated in a greisenized zone, resulting from alteration of probable monzogranites and syenogranites. The ore-bearing greisen contains abundant xenomorphic quartz in association with Fe-chlorite and muscovite. The gangue assemblage also includes fluorite, tourmaline, and minor amounts of monazite, xenotime, chlorapatite, thorite, zircon, calcite, siderite and bastnäesite. Copper mineralisation is dominated by chalcopyrite associated with pyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite and molybdenite. Gold particles, in equilibrium with native bismuth, are common as inclusions in chalcopyrite. The greisen contains sub-economic concentrations of tungsten and niobium that are related to the presence of ferberite, qitianlingite and Nb-rutile. SHRIMP II zircon dating of the host granites gives ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages of 1,878±8 and 1,880±9 Ma for two phases, and a combined age of 1,879±6 Ma. SHRIMP II dating of monazite and xenotime grains in late- to post-mineralisation veins gives a combined ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of 1,872±7 Ma, indistinguishable from the ages of the granites. This provides a genetic connection between the Breves deposit and the ca. 1.88 Ga A-type granite magmatism that typifies the Carajás Belt as part of a much larger, intracratonic magmatic province that extends over much of the Amazonian Craton. The recognition of this association has exploration implications, not only for the geophysical signature of the granite roof zones, but also for likely geochemical dispersion around the deposits of this type.Editorial handling: G. Beaudoin     

Patterns and processes in the California Current System

The California Current System (CCS) is forced by the distribution of atmospheric pressure and associated winds in relation to the west coast of North America. In this paper, we begin with a simplified case of winds and a linear coast, then consider variability characteristic of the CCS, and conclude by considering future change. The CCS extends from the North Pacific Current (～50°N) to off Baja California, Mexico (～15–25°N) with a major discontinuity at Point Conception (34.5°N). Variation in atmospheric pressure affects winds and thus upwelling. Coastal, wind-driven upwelling results in nutrification and biological production and a southward coastal jet. Offshore, curl-driven upwelling results in a spatially large, productive habitat. The California Current flows equatorward and derives from the North Pacific Current and the coastal jet. Dominant modes of spatial and temporal variability in physical processes and biological responses are discussed. High surface production results in deep and bottom waters depleted in oxygen and enriched in carbon dioxide. Fishing has depleted demersal stocks more than pelagic stocks, and marine mammals, including whales, are recovering. Krill, squid, and micronekton are poorly known and merit study. Future climate change will differ from past change and thus prediction of the CCS requires an understanding of its dynamics. Of particular concern are changes in winds, stratification, and ocean chemistry.     

Distribution and mode of occurrence of zinc and lead in glacial soils

The distribution and mode of occurrence of zinc and lead have been examined in glacial soils developed over a complex Precambrian marble-paragneiss terrain in the Adirondack Mountains of New York. Based on distribution within the soil profiles, zinc is enriched in the B₁ horizon of soils sampled over marble and lead is generally enriched in the A horizon, particularly in soils developed over paragneiss. Contrast is calculated using

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, where is the mean of n_A anomalous and n_B background samples, and S_p is the pooled standard deviation) for zinc, lead and cold-extractable heavy metals in soils sampled over marble and paragneiss. The t-values indicate that the B₁, soil horizon is the most suitable for sampling on a regular basis, even though lead is most concentrated in the A horizon.The distribution of zinc and lead among exchangeable, organic, iron-manganese oxide, clay, silt and sand fractions of B₁ horizons from two anomalous and one background soil indicates that both zinc and lead are tied up principally in iron and manganese oxides. The anomalous samples exhibit zinc enrichment in the Fe-oxide digestion and high Mn/Fe ratios for the Mn-oxide digestion (as well as the total analysis). In terms of total contribution to the sample, significant proportions of zinc in the clastic fraction can be attributed to zinc substitution into clays plus the ineffective removal of Fe-oxides by the ammonium oxalate extraction procedure. Lead, on the other hand, occurs in significant concentrations in clay, silt and sand as well as Fe- and Mn-oxides, probably as a trace constituent in feldspars or adsorbed onto clay surfaces.     

On the importance of soil moisture in calibration of rainfall–runoff models: two case studies

Streamflow modelling results from the GR4H and PDM hydrological models were evaluated in two Australian sub-catchments, using (1) calibration to streamflow and (2) joint-calibration to streamflow and soil moisture. Soil moisture storage in the models was evaluated against soil moisture observations from field measurements. The PDM had the best performance in terms of both streamflow and soil moisture estimations during the calibration period, but was outperformed by GR4H during validation. It was also shown that the soil moisture estimation was improved significantly by joint-calibration for the case where streamflow and soil moisture estimations were poor. In other cases, addition of the soil moisture constraint did not degrade the results. Consequently, it is recommended that GR4H be used, in preference to the PDM, in the foothills of the Murrumbidgee catchment or other Australian catchments with semi-arid to sub-humid climate, and that soil moisture data be used in the calibration process.     

Filtering vibroseis data in the precorrelation domain

Vibroseis data recorded at short source–receiver offsets can be swamped by direct waves from the source. The signal-to-noise ratio, where primary reflections are the signal and correlation side lobes are the noise, decreases with time and late reflection events are overwhelmed. This leads to low seismic resolution on the vibroseis correlogram. A new precorrelation filtering approach is proposed to suppress correlation noise. It is the ‘squeeze-filter-unsqueeze’ (SFU) process, a combination of ‘squeeze’ and ‘unsqueeze’ (S and U) transformations, together with the application of either an optimum least-squares filter or a linear recursive notch filter. SFU processing provides excellent direct wave removal if the onset time of the direct wave is known precisely, but when the correlation recognition method used to search for the first arrival fails, the SFU filtering will also fail. If the tapers of the source sweeps are badly distorted, a harmonic distortion will be introduced into the SFU-filtered trace. SFU appears to be more suitable for low-noise vibroseis data, and more effective when we know the sweep tapers exactly. SFU requires uncorrelated data, and is thus cpu intensive, but since it is automatic, it is not labour intensive. With non-linear sweeps, there are two approaches to the S,U transformations in SFU. The first requires the non-linear analytical sweep formula, and the second is to search and pick the zero nodes on the recorded pilot trace and then carry out the S,U transformations directly without requiring the algorithm or formula by which the sweep was generated. The latter method is also valid for vibroseis data with a linear sweep. SFU may be applied to the removal of any undesired signal, as long as the exact onset time of the unwanted signal in the precorrelation domain is known or determinable.     

An assessment of the effect of chemical scavenging within submarine hydrothermal plumes upon ocean geochemistry

Profiles of ²¹⁰Pb over the Endeavour and North Cleft Segments of the Juan de Fuca Ridge are used to model a time scale for the scavenging, by hydrothermal plumes, of reactive elements in seawater. The hydrothermal plumes above these ridge segments are sites of intense scavenging removal of ²¹⁰Pb. At Endeavour, the total ²¹⁰Pb activities within the plume are as low as 8 dpm/100 l and dissolved activities are as low as 3 dpm/100 l. At the North Cleft, which is characterized by higher particulate Fe concentrations, the total ²¹⁰Pb activities are 4.5 dpm/100 l, the dissolved activities are 1–2 dpm/100 l and the ²¹⁰Pb activities are deficient with respect to the activity of the ²¹⁰Po daughter. These are perhaps the lowest ²¹⁰Pb activities ever measured in the deep sea. The large gradient of ²¹⁰Pb between the plume and surrounding deep water suggests that scavenging is focused into the plumes through horizontal transport. The implication, therefore, is that this process might impact the ocean on a scale larger than that local to the ridge crest. By coupling published measurements of particle flux from Endeavour with ²¹⁰Pb activities on particles trapped at that site, the total volume of seawater stripped of ²¹⁰Pb per year for that site was calculated to be 7.4 × 10¹² l/y. Globally, the extrapolated volume flux of seawater stripped of reactive constituents is 5.7 × 10¹⁵ l/y, such that the entire ocean is processed in this manner in 2.4×10⁵ y. The geochemical cycle of elements with ocean residence times much shorter than this (e.g., Pb and Th) will not be greatly affected by hydrothermal scavenging. On the other hand, this process holds significance for the geochemistry of other elements scavenged by hydrothermal plumes, such as P and V, whose ocean residence times are > 10⁴ y.