The 20°C isotherm depth and sea level in the western equatorial pacific

A high correlation exists between the 20°C isotherm depth at the north equatorial countercurrent trough of dynamic topography and the monthly mean sea level at Truk Island. The meridional topography of the main thermocline depth can be used to monitor the strength of the equatorial currents, in the same manner as dynamic heights and sea levels at oceanic islands are used.     

European lake shores in danger — concepts for a sustainable development

In Europe, when small (> 0.01 km²) lakes are considered, approximately 500,000 natural lakes occur. This considerable number points to the fact that lakeshore habitats and ecosystems are of significant importance to the total biodiversity of European landscapes, not only because of their expanse, but also because they are ecotones between land and water, which attract many kinds of wildlife, economical, cultural and recreational uses and human settlement. These very considerable stretches of shore are not currently registered, mapped or evaluated anywhere.Apart from providing habitat, the littoral biocoenosis performs a string of additional functions in the ecosystem, of which several are also of great importance to people, such as self purification, buffer zone, erosion protection and recreation scenery. In particular, the recreational function provides a main economic base for many lake areas and even whole countries in Europe. However, human interests have resulted in lake shore deterioration, such that many European lakes are now bare natural shores or retain only relics of them. Apart from the loss of the ecological functions, this also leads to a substantial loss of economic benefits. This precipitates the need for a responsible management, which can be done only on the base of a sound assessment method and a continuous monitoring of the status of lake shore areas. On a European scale, the European Water Framework Directive (WFD, 2000/60/EC) and the Habitat Directive (92/43/EEC) provide the frame for the assessment and monitoring of the status of littoral habitats of lakes. The WFD focuses on entire surface water bodies, including their associated wetlands under influence of their natural water-level fluctuations. However, the provided set of quality elements has to be adapted for an approach specific to lake shores. Apart from quality elements indicating the natural spatial pre-requisites, biocoenotic diversity and integrity, and ecosystem function and dynamics, also quality elements representing the human pressure of land use and the social and economic value of the lake shore zone should be included in an integrated lakeshore assessment and monitoring concept.However, the application of such an integrated quality assessment scheme requires an integrated administrative counterpart, just as the WFD requires for water management aspects on a catchment scale. Only by overcoming the splitting of competence among a variety of authorities and planning corporations can an integrated approach to sustainable shore development be translated into action.     

A Tunnel Information System for the Management and Utilization of Geo-Engineering Data in Urban Tunnel Projects

The contribution presents the current state and latest capabilities of information technology (particularly tunnel information systems) used for urban tunnel projects. In detail, it informs on the system architecture and the latest data management, monitoring, alarming and reporting functions and services of the tunnel information system KRONOS of Geodata. To assess the systems’ benefits, installation examples and experiences from four currently running, urban European tunnelling projects are described. Finally, the most recent and promising R&D activities in this field are emphasized.     

Zur Gliederung der Unterkreide-Serien in der Provinz Atacama Chile

Zusammenfassung Die Sedimentfolge der marinen Unterkreide in der Provinz Atacama, Chile, wurde zwischen Copiapó (27° S) und Domeyko (29° S) untersucht. Ammonitenfunde erlaubten eine Gliederung der Folge in einen Hauterive- und einen Barrême-Anteil. Die lithologischen Einheiten der Chañarcillo-Gruppe verlieren südlich des 28°S weitgehend ihre Identität. Lediglich die Schichten der Totoralillo Formation, die eine Crioceratiten-Lucinen Fauna des Hauterive/Barrême enthalten, sind fast im gesamten Untersuchungsgebiet nachweisbar. Im Hauterive geht eine überwiegend vulkanodetritisch beeinflußte Flachwassersedimentation, verbunden mit submarinem Vulkanismus im Süden (29° bis 28°) in eine mächtige Stillwassersedimentation im Norden (28°–27° 30) über. Im Barrême werden sehr variabel zusammengesetzte biodetritisch-vulkanolithische Sedimente abgesetzt, die auf eine fortschreitende Verflachung des Beckens hindeuten. Während sich nördlich 27° 30 die marinen Serien mit terrigen-detritischen Schichten verzahnen und damit gegen eine unmittelbare Fortsetzung des marinen Beckens nach Norden sprechen, ist am Südrand des Untersuchungsgebietes keine derartige Einschränkung zu erkennen.

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Four marine formations (Abundancia, Nantoco, Totoralillo and Pabellón) composing the Chañarcillo-Group of lower Cretaceous age were studied between Copiapó (27° S) and Domeyko (29° S), Province Atacama, Chile. Ammonites allowed to distinguish a lower Hauterivian part from an upper Barremian part. The lithological defined formations of the Chañarcillo-Group lose their identity south of 28° S, except for the Totoralillo-Formation, which can be recognized all over the studied area. The volcanic-volcanolitic basic-series of Hauterivian age in the south (29°–28°) interfinger with potent stillwater carbonat-formations in the north (28°–27° 30). The sediments of Barremian age are very variably composed and illustrate the regression of the lower Cretaceous sea. There is no direct continuation of the marine sediments north of 27° 30, where they interfinger with terrestrial sediments of lower Cretaceous age. No comparable restrictions of marine sedimentary environments are obvious at the southern end of the studied area.

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Resumen Se ha estudiado la secuencia sedimentaria marina del Cretácico Inferior entre Copiapó (27° S) y Domeyko (29° S) en la provincia de Axacama, Chile. El hallazgo de amonites permite asignar ésta secuencia a un lapso Hauteriviano—Barremiano. Las unidades litológicas del Grupo Chañarcillo pierden su identidad hacia el sur de 28° S. Los estratos de la formatión Totoralillo, que contienen una fauna de Crioceratidos yLucina del Hauteriviano/Barremiano, son las únicas referencias que permiten demostrar su presencia en el área investigada. En el Hauteriviano, se presentan principalmente materiales volcánico-detriticos que sugieren una sedimentatión en aguas someras asociada con volcanismo submarino en el sur (29°–28°), cambiando a una potente secuencia depositada en aguas quietas en el norte (28°–27° 30). En el Barremiano se encuentra gran variedad de sedimentos biodetriticos y volcánicos que señalan una pérdida progressiva de profundidad en la cuenca. Más al norte del 27° 30 S, en cambio, los estratos marinos se transforman en series terrígeno-detríticas lo que habla en contra de una continuatión inmediata hacia el norte de la cuenca marina. En el borde sur de la zona estudiada ninguna restrictión similar es conocida.

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Geochemistry of blackwall sequences in the Habachtal emerald deposit,Hohe Tauern,Austria Part 1: Presentation of geochemical data

Summary The Habachtal emerald deposit, Hohe Tauern, is composed of blackwall sequences of the type: serpentinite — talc schist — ±chlorite schist or actinolite schist — biotite schist —albite gneiss and/or micaschist. 2 serpentinites, 33 blackwall rocks, 9 micaschists, 10 albite gneisses, and 5 aplitic gneisses were analyzed for major elements, and for Li, Be, Cr, Ni, Zn, Zr, Sn, in 36 samples also for Sc, Cu, Rb, Sr, Cs, Ba, W. The blackwall formation is due to a metasomatic exchange involving a transfer of Mg from the serpentinite to the silicic country rock, and of Si, Ca, K, and Al from the country rock to the serpentinite. Some of the trace elements were also mobile: Compared to serpentinite, Li and Be were enriched in all the blackwall rocks, and Sn and Cs in the actinolite, chlorite, and biotite schists; Sr was concentrated in the dolomite-bearing talc schists, and Zn, Rb, and Ba predominantly in the biotite schists.

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Geochemie der Blackwall-Folgen in der Smaragd-Lagerstätte Habachtal, Hohe Tauern, Österreich. Teil 1: Darstellung der geochemischen Daten

Zusammenfassung Die Smaragd-Lagerstätte Habachtal, Hohe Tauern, besteht aus Blackwall-Folgen vom Typ: Serpentinit — Talkschiefer — ±Chloritschiefer oder Aktinolithschiefer — Biotitschiefer — Albitgneis und/oder Glimmerschiefer. Von 2 Serpentiniten, 33 Blackwall-Gesteinen, 9 Glimmerschiefern, 10 Albitgneisen und 5 Aplitgneisen wurden chemische Analysen der Hauptelemente und von Li, Be, Cr, Ni, Zn, Zr, Sn vorgelegt; 36 Proben wurden auch auf Sc, Cu, Rb, Sr, Cs, Ba und W analysiert. Die Blackwall-Bildung geht auf einen metasomatischen Austausch zurück, bei dem Mg aus dem Serpentinit ins Nebengestein, Si, Ca, K und Al aus dem Nebengestein in den Serpentinit transportiert wurden. Daneben waren auch einige Spurenelemente mobil: Im Vergleich zum Serpentinit wurden Li und Be in allen Blackwall-Gesteinen, Sn und Cs in den Aktinolith-, Chlorit- und Biotitschiefern angereichert; Sr wurde(n) in den dolomitführenden Talkschiefern, Zn, Rb und Ba hauptsächlich in den Biotitschiefern konzentriert.

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With 5 Figures     

Highly depleted Hadean mantle reservoirs in the sources of early Archean arc-like rocks, Isua supracrustal belt, southern West Greenland

Growing evidence from the accessible geological record reveals that crust-mantle differentiation on Earth started as early as 4.4 Ga. In order to assess the extent of early Archean mantle depletion, we obtained ¹⁷⁶Lu-¹⁷⁶Hf, ¹⁴⁷Sm-¹⁴³Nd, and high field strength element (HFSE) concentration data for the least altered, well characterized boninite-like metabasalts and associated metasedimentary rocks from the Isua supracrustal belt (southern West Greenland). The metasediments exhibit initial εHf₍₃₇₂₀₎ values from −0.7 to +1.5 and initial εNd₍₃₇₂₀₎ values from +1.6 to +2.1. Initial εHf₍₃₇₂₀₎ values of the least altered boninite-like metabasalts span a range from +3.5 to +12.9 and initial εNd₍₃₇₂₀₎ values from −0.3 to +3.2. These initial Hf-isotope ratios display coherent trends with SiO₂, Al₂O₃/TiO₂ and other relatively immobile elements, indicating contamination via assimilation of enriched components, most likely sediments derived from the earliest crust in the region. This model is also consistent with previously reported initial γOs₍₃₇₂₀₎ values for some of the samples. In addition to the positive εHf₍₃₇₂₀₎ values, the least disturbed samples exhibit positive εNd₍₃₇₂₀₎ values and a co-variation of εHf₍₃₇₂₀₎ and εΝd₍₃₇₂₀₎ values. Based on these observations, it is argued, that the most depleted samples with initial εHf₍₃₇₂₀₎ values of up to +12.9 and high ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf of ∼0.05 to ∼0.09 tap a highly depleted mantle source with a long term depletion history in the garnet stability field. High precision high field strength element (HFSE) data obtained for the Isua samples confirm the contamination trend. Even the most primitive samples display negative Nb-Ta anomalies and elevated Nb/Ta, indicating a subduction zone setting and overprint of the depleted mantle sources by felsic melts generated by partial melting of eclogite. Collectively, the data for boninite-like metabasalts support the presence of strongly depleted mantle reservoirs as previously inferred from Hf isotope data for Hadean zircons and combined ¹⁴²Nd-¹⁴³Nd isotope data for early Archean rocks.     

Flow exchange between the deep and shallow groundwaters in the Sbeϊtla synclinal basin (Tunisia): an isotopic approach

Stable (¹⁸O, ² H) and radiogenic (³H, ¹⁴C) isotopes of water have been used to constrain the source, origin, age, migration pathway and mixing processes in the Sbeïtla (Tunisia) system. The system is composed of an upper unconfined Middle Miocene aquifer with a variable thickness from 10–300 m, an intermediate confined/unconfined Lower Miocene aquifer about 100 m thick and a deeper confined Lower Cretaceous aquifer about 150 m thick separated by a thin clay layer. A total of 53 groundwater samples from the three aquifers and spring samples were collected during February and March 2000 and isotopically analysed using conventional methods. The stable isotopes composition of waters establishes that the deep groundwater (depleted as compared to present corresponding local rainfall) is ancient water recharged probably during the late Pleistocene and the early Holocene periods. The relatively recent water in the superficial aquifer is composed of mixed waters resulting presumably from upward leakage from the deeper groundwater. The radiogenic (³H, ¹⁴C) isotopes data confirm that the recent water, with a tritium content between 6.5 and 19 TU, represents post-nuclear recharge and the ancient groundwater with low carbon-14 contents between 7 and 26 pmC infiltrated between 8,000 to 20,000 years ago. When used in conjunction with the stable isotopes data, the mixing process can be clearly identified, especially in the Sbeïtla sill area. Groundwater of the upper aquifer exhibits isotopic signatures of both the old and recent waters. By using isotopic mass balance, the computed contribution of the deep groundwater in recharging the upper aquifer is up to 94%.