Eclogite relics in the Variscan orogenic belt of Bulgaria (SE Europe)

Eclogitic rocks were sampled from two zones in the basement of the Sredna Gora terrane (central western Bulgaria): (1) partially retrogressed eclogites and amphibolites embedded in sillimanite-bearing garnet-micaschists with kyanite relics and migmatites and (2) banded amphibolites associated with muscovite-bearing metagranites within two-mica paragneisses. Rutile relics and oligoclase + green hornblende + epidote ± biotite pseudomorphs after garnet suggest an eclogite facies event. A tholeiitic, transitional affinity was determined for the protoliths, suggesting a continental rift environment, consistent with several eclogite-bearing complexes in the eastern segments of the Variscan belt that arose from the Cambro-Ordovician Gondwana break-up. Decreasing pressure after the eclogite overprint was demonstrated by (a) diopside-albite symplectite, and (b) plagioclase + red–brown to green amphibole kelyphite. The early static re-equilibration, dated to 398 ± 5.2 Ma by ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar technique, was followed by an amphibolite facies foliation, which was pervasive in amphibolites, gneisses and micaschists, and poorly developed in eclogites. The lithospheric PT paths corresponding to higher and lower metamorphic gradients reflect the juxtaposition of crustal and lithospheric mantle units, respectively. In the build-up of the basement of the Balkan orogen, the physical properties of the lithological complexes might have influenced the collisional pattern of involved microplates.     

Croatia as a Danube country

Among the three principal regional units of Croatia, i.e. the elongated and spacious Adriatic littoral (with numerous islands), the relatively small and narrow mountainous belt (the Croatian transit doorway) and the Pannonian/peri-Pannonian region, the latter is the largest and accounts for 54 percent of the surface area and 66 percent of the population of Croatia (1991 census). It is part of the Pannonian (or Carpathian) basin, or the central Danube basin, so that Croatia is simply by its position a Danube country. Its Danube character is also highlighted by the fact that the Pannonian/peri-Pannonian region of Croatia through the Sava and Drava Rivers is directly linked to the navigable Danube, which is the historical and ethnic eastern boundary of Croatia. Croatia is an old historical Danube nation and country, although it has nominally appeared as a state after the break-up of Yugoslavia, and its international recognition as an independent state (1992).     

Magma plumbing beneath Anak Krakatau volcano, Indonesia: evidence for multiple magma storage regions

Understanding magma plumbing is essential for predicting the behaviour of explosive volcanoes. We investigate magma plumbing at the highly active Anak Krakatau volcano (Indonesia), situated on the rim of the 1883 Krakatau caldera by employing a suite of thermobarometric models. These include clinopyroxene-melt thermobarometry, plagioclase-melt thermobarometry, clinopyroxene composition barometry and olivine-melt thermometry. Petrological studies have previously identified shallow magma storage in the region of 2–8 km beneath Krakatau, while existing seismic evidence points towards mid- to deep-crustal storage zone(s), at 9 and 22 km, respectively. Our results show that clinopyroxene in Anak Krakatau lavas crystallized at a depth of 7–12 km, while plagioclase records both shallow crustal (3–7 km) and sub-Moho (23–28 km) levels of crystallization. These magma storage regions coincide with well-constrained major lithological boundaries in the crust, implying that magma ascent and storage at Anak Krakatau is strongly controlled by crustal properties. A tandem seismic tomography survey independently identified a separate upper crustal (<7 km) and a lower to mid-crustal magma storage region (>7 km). Both petrological and seismic methods are sensitive in detecting magma bodies in the crust, but suffer from various limitations. Combined geophysical and petrological surveys, in turn, offer increased potential for a comprehensive characterization of magma plumbing at active volcanic complexes.     

Geochemistry and mineralogy of Platinum-group elements in the Ransko gabbro–peridotite massif,Bohemian Massif (Czech Republic)

The Ransko gabbro-peridotite massif in Eastern Bohemia is a strongly differentiated intrusive complex of Lower Cambrian age. The complex hosts low grade Ni-Cu ores mainly developed close to the contact of olivine-rich rocks with gabbros, in troctolites and, to a much lesser extent, in both pyroxene and olivine gabbros and plagioclase-rich peridotites. The ore zone is characterized by strong serpentinization and uralitization. The total Ni + Cu locally reaches up to 4 wt%. Anomalous concentrations of platinum-group elements (PGE's) (maximum 532 ppb Pd, 182 ppb Pt, 53 ppb Rh, 15 ppb Ru, 41 ppb Ir) were detected in samples of Cu-Ni and Ni-Cu ores (maximum 2.63 wt% Ni and 2.31 wt% Cu) from the Jezírka orebody. The main ore paragenesis includes pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite, cubanite, pyrite, magnetite, mackinawite, valleriite, ilmenite and sphalerite. During this work, michenerite, froodite, sperrylite, gold, native bismuth, altaite, tsumoite, hessite, an unnamed Bi-Ni telluride, cobaltite-gersdorffite and galena were newly identified. The host rocks originated through partial melting of a slightly depleted mantle source with noble metals scavenged from this primitive magma prior to the development of these rocks.     

Holocene environments and climate in the Mongolian Altai reconstructed from the Hoton-Nur pollen and diatom records: a step towards better understanding climate dynamics in Central Asia

This study presents the results of the palynological and diatom analyses of the sediment core recovered in Hoton-Nur Lake (48°37′18″N, 88°20′45″E, 2083 m) in 2004. Quantitative reconstruction of the Holocene vegetation and climate dynamics in the semiarid Mongolian Altai suggests that boreal woodland replaced the primarily open landscape of northwestern Mongolia at about 10 kyr BP (1 kyr = 1000 cal yr) in response to a noticeable increase in precipitation from 200–250 mm/yr to 450–550 mm/yr. A decline of the forest vegetation and a return to a predominance of open vegetation types occurred after 5 kyr BP when precipitation sums decreased to 250–300 mm/yr. Prior to 11.5 kyr BP diatom concentrations are relatively low and the lake is dominated by planktonic Cyclotella and small Fragilariaceae, suggesting the existence of a relatively deep and oligotrophic/mesotrophic lake. The great abundance of Staurosirella pinnata from the beginning of the record until 10.7 kyr BP might imply intensified erosion processes in the catchment and this is fully consistent with the presence of scarce and dry vegetation and the generally arid climate during this period. From about 10.7 kyr BP, more planktonic diatom taxa appeared and increased in abundance, indicating that the lake became more productive as diatom concentration increased. This change correlates well with the development of boreal woodland in the catchment. Decrease in precipitation and changes in the vegetation towards steppe are reflected by the rapid increase in Aulacoseira distans from about 5 kyr BP. The Holocene pollen and diatom records do not indicate soil and vegetation cover disturbances by the anthropogenic activities, implying that the main transformations of the regional vegetation occurred as a result of the natural climate change. Our reconstruction is in agreement with the paleomonsoon records from China, demonstrating an abrupt strengthening of the summer monsoon at 12 kyr BP and an associated increase in precipitation and in lake levels between 11 and 8 kyr BP, followed by the stepwise attenuation of the monsoon circulation and climate aridization towards the modern level. The records from the neighboring areas of Kazakhstan and Russia, situated west and north of Hoton-Nur, demonstrate spatially and temporally different Holocene vegetation and climate histories, indicating that the Altai Mountains as a climate boundary are of pivotal importance for the Holocene environmental and, possibly, habitation history of Central Asia.     

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis of NBS 1633a Fly Ash and 1632a Bituminous Coal Reference Samples With the Use of Short Irradiation

Instrumental neutron activation analysis has been applied to the analysis of recently issued NBS reference materials SRM 1633a Fly Ash and SRM 1632a Bituminous Coal. Only the nuclides with half-lives of less than 48 hours have been used. The results for the determination of 18 elements (Fly Ash) and 19 elements (Coal) are compared with the values given by NBS and with recent results obtained by other investigators.     

Coupling multipoint flux mixed finite element methodswith continuous Galerkin methods for poroelasticity

We study the numerical approximation on irregular domains with general grids of the system of poroelasticity, which describes fluid flow in deformable porous media. The flow equation is discretized by a multipoint flux mixed finite element method and the displacements are approximated by a continuous Galerkin finite element method. First-order convergence in space and time is established in appropriate norms for the pressure, velocity, and displacement. Numerical results are presented that illustrate the behavior of the method.     

Preliminary data on chemical changes in the Aral Sea during low-level periods from the last 9000 years

The withdrawal of the Aral Sea tributaries (Amu and Syr Daria) for cultures has led to significant falls of its level and an important increase in its salinity. During the Holocene, a succession of low and high water inputs occurred. Silty deposits correspond to the high levels and carbonates to the low levels. This study makes a distinction between the Syr Daria and the Amu Daria water inputs during low-level periods by using mineralogical and chemical compositions of the carbonates deposits. Waters from the Syr Daria are more sulphatic and have a low iron content in comparison with that of the Amu Daria. The Syr Daria was the major tributary around 7500, 4956 and 970 yr?BP, whereas around 6200 and 3610 yr?BP, inflow also from the Amu Daria is observed. To cite this article: L. Le Callonnec et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

The Study Internal Structure of the Annual Layers in Lake Sediments Using Synchrotron Radiation with X-ray Focusing Optics

正1 Introduction Annually laminated(varve)sedimentary deposits are considered as one of the most important archives,since they offer precise temporal information(years)in combination with high time resolutions.Bottom sediments of the lakes contain detailed geochemical information on     

Groundwater quality on the territory of Kikinda municipality (Vojvodina,Serbia)

This paper provides insight into the quality of groundwater used for public water supply on the territory of Kikinda municipality (Vojvodina, Serbia) and main processes which control it. The following parameters were measured: color, turbidity, pH, KMnO₄ consumption, TDS, EC, NH₄ ⁺, Cl^?, NO₂ ^?, NO₃ ^?, Fe, Mn, total hardness, Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, SO₄ ²⁺, HCO₃ ^?, K⁺, Na⁺, As. The correlations and ratios among parameters that define the chemical composition were determined aiming to identify main processes that control the formation of the chemical composition of the analyzed waters. Groundwater from 11 analyzed sources is Na–HCO₃ type. Intense color and elevated organic matter content of these waters originate from humic substances. The importance of organic matter decay is assumed by positive correlation between organic matter content and TDS, HCO₃ content. There is no evidence that groundwater chemistry is determined by the depth of captured aquifer interval. The main processes that control the chemistry of all analyzed water are cation exchange and feldspar weathering.