Record of enhanced late Pliocene tectono‐volcanic activity in the Lesser Antilles forearc basin: Insights into the long‐term behaviour of the Lesser Antilles subduction zone

In this study, we investigate the Lesser Antilles forearc basin, focusing on the late Pliocene to Pleistocene sedimentary archives in order to track the occurrence of extreme events triggered by enhanced subduction‐related tectono‐volcanic activity. We identify late Piacenzian deposits covering a major regional erosional surface, displaying sedimentary dykes and large marine boulders embedded in a mixed continental–marine matrix, characteristic of tsunamites. We interpret this episode of platform emersion and the successive cataclysmic deposits as resulting from enhanced tectonic activity at the interface of the subduction zone, synchronous with the initiation of the Lesser Antilles volcanic arc. We then discuss the implications in terms of the mechanical behaviour of the Lesser Antilles subduction zone.     

Ontogenetic Habitat Shifts of the Atlantic Tomcod (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Microgadus tomcod</Emphasis>) Across an Estuarine Transition Zone

Tomcod (Microgadus tomcod) in the St. Lawrence estuarine transition zone (ETZ) undergo an ontogenetic habitat shift. Older age classes, characterised by a male-dominated sex ratio, disperse downstream over the summer months to occupy the colder more saline waters of the estuary. Significant differences in length and mass along the salinity gradient were observed in September with upstream fish of any given age class generally exhibiting greater growth. These differences were not seen in early summer. Benthic amphipod δ ³⁴S signatures were strongly correlated with salinity and served to demonstrate that tomcod δ ³⁴S signatures were not in isotopic equilibrium in the more saline waters of the ETZ. Seasonal distributional patterns, growth dynamics and isotopic disequilibrium all indicate that the observed habitat shift may occur on an annual basis, following winter aggregation in warmer, less saline waters. Tomcod located in the downstream parts of the ETZ, predominantly males, were significantly more sexually developed than upstream tomcod for a given age. On the other hand, greater growth early in life is insured by occupying warmer, upstream waters during the summer months.     

Oxygen isotope constraints on the petrogenesis of the Sybille intrusion of the Proterozoic Laramie Anorthosite Complex

The origin of monzonitic intrusions that are associated with Proterozoic massif-type anorthosite complexes is controversial. A detailed oxygen isotope study of the Sybille intrusion, a monzonitic intrusion of the Laramie Anorthosite Complex (Wyoming), indicates that either derivation from a basaltic magma of mantle origin with a metasedimentary component (∼20%) incorporated early in its magmatic history, or a partial melt of lower crustal rocks is consistent with the data. The oxygen isotope compositions of plagioclase, pyroxene and zircon from the Sybille monzosyenite, the dominant rock type in the Sybille intrusion, were analyzed in order to establish the isotopic composition of the source of the magma. Plagioclase δ¹⁸O values range from 6.77 to 9.17‰. We interpret the higher plagioclase δ¹⁸O values (average 8.69 ± 0.30‰, n = 19) to be magmatic in origin, lower plagioclase δ¹⁸O values (average 7.51 ± 0.44‰, n = 22) to be the result of variable subsolidus alteration, and pyroxene δ¹⁸O values (average 6.34 ± 0.38‰, n = 19) to be the result of closed-system diffusional exchange during cooling. Low magnetic zircons, which have been shown to retain magmatic oxygen isotope values despite high grade metamorphism and extensive subsolidus hydrothermal alteration, have δ¹⁸O values (7.40 ± 0.24‰, n = 11) which are consistent with our interpretation of the plagioclase and pyroxene results. Oxygen isotope data from all three minerals indicate that the magmatic oxygen isotope composition of the Sybille intrusion is enriched in ¹⁸O relative to the composition of average or “normal” mantle-derived magmas. This enrichment is approximately twice the oxygen isotope enrichment that could result from closed-system fractionation, rendering a closed-system, comag- matic petrogenetic model between the Sybille intrusion and the mantle-derived anorthositic lithologies of the Laramie Anorthosite Complex improbable. Received: 7 April 1998 / Accepted: 19 January 1999     

Compression studies of gibbsite and its high-pressure polymorph

Various X-ray diffraction methods have been applied to study the compression behavior of gibbsite, Al(OH)₃, in diamond cells at room temperature. A phase transformation was found to take place above 3 GPa where gibbsite started to convert to its high-pressure polymorph. The high-pressure (HP) phase is quenchable and coexists with gibbsite at the ambient conditions after being unloaded. This HP phase was identified as nordstrandite based on the diffraction patterns obtained at room pressure by angle dispersive and energy dispersive methods. On the basis of this structural interpretation, the bulk modulus of the two polymorphs, i.e., gibbsite and nordstrandite, could be determined as 85 ± 5 and 70 ± 5 GPa, respectively, by fitting a Birch-Murnaghan equation to the compression data, assuming their K_o ^′ as 4. Molar volume cross-over occurs at 2 GPa, above which the molar volume of nordstrandite is smaller than that of gibbsite. The differences in the molar volume and structure between the two polymorphs are not significant, which accounts for the irreversibility of the phase transition. In gibbsite, the axial compressibility behaves as c/c _o > a/a _o > b/b _o. This is due to the fact that the dioctahedral sheets along the c-axis are held by the relatively weak hydrogen bonding, which results in the greater compressibility along this direction. In nord- strandite, the axial compressibility is b/b _o > c/c _o > a/a _o, which can also be interpreted as resulting from the the existence of hydrogen bonds along the b-axis. Received: 28 September 1998 / Revised, accepted: 22 December 1998     

The challenge of dating early pleistocene fossil teeth by the combined uranium series–electron spin resonance method: the Venta Micena palaeontological site (Orce,Spain)

The palaeontological site of Venta Micena (Orce, Andalusia, Spain) lies in the eastern sector of the Guadix–Baza basin, one of the best documented areas in Europe for Plio‐Pleistocene biostratigraphy. The combination of biochronological and palaeomagnetic results, combined with the radiometric data obtained for Atapuerca Sima del Elefante, indicated that the Venta Micena stratum was formed between the Jaramillo and Olduvai palaeomagnetic events, most likely between 1.22 and 1.77 Ma. Five fossil teeth from two outcrops (sites A and B) were selected to assess the potential of combined uranium series–electron spin resonance (US‐ESR) dating of Early Pleistocene sites. Although the US‐ESR results of the first outcrop showed a large scatter between the three teeth, the mean age of 1.37 ± 0.24 Ma can be considered a reasonable age estimate for Venta Micena. The mean ESR age of 0.62 ± 0.03 Ma obtained for site B seems to be a severe underestimation when compared with the independent age control. This underestimation is attributed to a relative recent U‐mobilization event that led to some U‐leaching. The results show that any ESR age calculations of old samples are extremely sensitive to variations in the measured ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U ratios in dental tissues. Although the results demonstrate that ESR can in principle be applied to Early Pleistocene sites, they also reveal the complexity of dating such old teeth. It is necessary to continue research in several directions, such as study of the behaviour of ESR signals in old teeth and understanding recent U‐mobilization processes, to improve the reliability of the combined US‐ESR dating method applied to Early Pleistocene times, a period for which the number of available numerical dating techniques is very limited. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Glassy orthopyroxene granodiorites of the Pannonian Basin: tracers of ultra-high-temperature deep-crustal anatexis triggered by Tertiary basaltic volcanism

Glassy orthopyroxene granodiorite-tonalite (named pincinite after type locality) was described from basaltic lapilli tuffs of the Pliocene maar near Pinciná village in the Slovakian part of the Pannonian Basin. Two pincinite types exhibit a qualitatively similar mineral composition (quartz, An_20–55 plagioclase, intergranular silicic glass with orthopyroxene and ilmenite, ±K-feldspar), but strongly different redox potential and formation PT conditions. Peraluminous pincinite is reduced (6–7% of total iron as Fe³⁺ in corundum-normative intergranular dacitic glass) and contains ilmenite with 8–10 mol% Fe₂O₃ and orthopyroxene dominated by ferrosilite. High-density (up to 0.85 g/cm³) primary CO₂ inclusions with minor H₂, CH₄, H₂S, CO and N₂ (<2 mol% total) are present in Qtz and Plg. Equilibrium PT conditions inferred from the intergranular Opx–Ilm–Glass assemblage and fluid density correspond to 1,170±50°C, 5.6±0.4 kbar, respectively. Metaluminous pincinite is more oxidised (25–27% of total iron as Fe³⁺ in diopside-normative intergranular glass of rhyolite–trachyte–dacite composition) and contains Fe₂O₃-rich ilmenite (17–29 mol%) associated with enstatite. Fluid inclusions are composed of CO₂–H₂O mixtures with up to 38 mol% H₂O. Raman spectroscopy revealed H₂S along with dominant CO₂ in the carbonic phase. Equilibrium PT parameters for the intergranular Opx–Ilm–Glass assemblage correspond to 740±15°C, 2.8±0.1 kbar, respectively. Reducing gas species (<2 mol% total) in the CO₂-inclusions of the peraluminous pincinite resulted from hydrogen diffusion due to fH₂ gradient imposed during decrease of redox potential from the log fO₂ values near QFM during Qtz + Plg growth, to QFM-2 incidental to the superimposed Opx + Ilm assemblage in the intergranular melt. The decrease in oxygen fugacity was recorded also in the metaluminous pincinite, where log fO₂ values changed from ~QFM + 2.6 to QFM + 0.4, but hydrogen diffusion did not occur. Absence of OH-bearing minerals, major and trace element abundances (e.g. REE 300–320, Nb 55–57, Th 4–31, Zr 240–300 ppm, FeO_tot/MgO up to 11), and Sr–O isotope ratios in the pincinites are diagnostic of high-temperature anorogenic magmas originated by dehydration melting of biotite in quartz-feldspathoid crust (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr>0.705–0.706, ¹⁸O>9 V-SMOW) around alkali basalt reservoir in depths between 17 and 20 km, and around late stage derivatives of the basalt fractionation, intruding the crust up to depths of 10–11 km. Low water activity in the pincinite parental melt was caused by CO₂-flux from the Tertiary basaltic reservoirs and intrusions. The anatexis leads to generation of a melt-depleted granulitic crust beneath the Pannonian Basin, and the pincinites are interpreted as equivalents of igneous charnockites and enderbites quenched at temperatures above solidus and unaffected by sub-solidus re-equilibration and metamorphic overprint.     

Neogene upper‐crustal cooling of the Olympus range (northern Aegean): major role of Hellenic back‐arc extension over propagation of the North Anatolia Fault Zone

The North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) is one of the most hazardous active faults on Earth, yet its Pliocene space‐time propagation across the north Aegean domain remains poorly constrained. We use low‐temperature multi‐thermochronology and inverse thermal modelling to quantify the cooling history of the upper crust across the Olympus range. This range is located in the footwall of a system of normal faults traditionally interpreted as resulting from superposed Middle–Late Miocene N–S stretching, related to the back‐arc extension of the Hellenic subduction zone, and a Pliocene‐Quaternary transtensional field, attributed to the south‐westward propagation of the NAFZ. We find that accelerated exhumational cooling occurred between 12 and 6 Ma at rates of 15–35 °C Ma^?1 and decreased to <3 °C Ma^?1 by 8–6 Ma. The absence of significant Plio‐Pleistocene cooling across Olympus suggests that crustal exhumation there is driven by late Miocene back‐arc extension, while the impact of the NAFZ remains limited.     

Difference in petrophysical properties between foliated and dilatant fault rocks in deeply buried clastics: The case of the Grès d'Annot Formation,SW French Alps

This study describes normal fault zones formed in foreland arkosic turbidites (the Grès d'Annot Formation, SW French Alps) under deep diagenesis conditions (~200 °C) and highlights the occurrence of two markedly different fault‐rock types: (1) the foliated fault rocks of the Moutière‐Restefond area; and (2) the dilatant fault rocks of the Estrop area. The deformation of (1) is dominated by intra‐ and transgranular fracturing, pressure solution of quartz and feldspar grains and syn‐kinematic phyllosilicate precipitation resulting from feldspar alteration. The combination of these mechanisms results in a strongly anisotropic strain with intense shortening normal to the foliation (pressure solution) and extension parallel to the foliation (quartz‐ and calcite‐sealed extension veins). This deformation implies local mass transfer that may be achieved without (or with limited) volume change. The deformation of (2) is expressed as dilatant quartz‐sealed veins and breccia textures in which the main mechanisms are transgranular fracturing and quartz precipitation. Type (2) implies fault volume increase, isotropy of deformation and mass transfer at distances larger than in type (1). This study discusses the origins of (1) and (2) and shows that the permeability of (1) is anisotropic, with higher values than the host rocks parallel to the Y main deformation axis (i.e. perpendicular to the slip vector), whereas the permeability of (2) is isotropic and equivalent to that of the host rocks.     

Magnesium isotope systematics of the lithologically varied Moselle river basin, France

Magnesium and strontium isotope signatures were determined during different seasons for the main rivers of the Moselle basin, northeastern France. This small basin is remarkable for its well-constrained and varied lithology on a small distance scale, and this is reflected in river water Sr isotope compositions. Upstream, where the Moselle River drains silicate rocks of the Vosges mountains, waters are characterized by relatively high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.7128-0.7174). In contrast, downstream of the city of Epinal where the Moselle River flows through carbonates and evaporites of the Lorraine plateau, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are lower, down to 0.70824.Magnesium in river waters draining silicates is systematically depleted in heavy isotopes (δ²⁶Mg values range from −1.2 to −0.7‰) relative to the value presently estimated for the continental crust and a local diorite (−0.5‰). In comparison, δ²⁶Mg values measured in soil samples are higher (∼0.0‰). This suggests that Mg isotope fractionation occurs during mineral leaching and/or formation of secondary clay minerals. On the Lorraine plateau, tributaries draining marls, carbonates and evaporites are characterized by low Ca/Mg (1.5-3.2) and low Ca/Sr (80-400) when compared to local carbonate rocks (Ca/Mg = 29-59; Ca/Sr = 370-2200), similar to other rivers draining carbonates. The most likely cause of the Mg and Sr excesses in these rivers is early thermodynamic saturation of groundwater with calcite relative to magnesite and strontianite as groundwater chemistry progressively evolves in the aquifer. δ²⁶Mg of the dissolved phases of tributaries draining mainly carbonates and evaporites are relatively low and constant throughout the year (from −1.4‰ to −1.6‰ and from −1.2‰ to −1.4‰, respectively), within the range defined for the underlying rocks. Downstream of Epinal, the compositions of the Moselle River samples in a δ²⁶Mg vs. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr diagram can be explained by mixing curves between silicate, carbonate and evaporite waters, with a significant contribution from the Vosgian silicate lithologies (>70%). Temporal co-variation between δ²⁶Mg and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr for the Moselle River throughout year is also observed, and is consistent with a higher contribution from the Vosges mountains in winter, in terms of runoff and dissolved element flux. Overall, this study shows that Mg isotopes measured in waters, rocks and soils, coupled with other tracers such as Sr isotopes, could be used to better constrain riverine Mg sources, particularly if analytical uncertainties in Mg isotope measurements can be improved in order to perform more precise quantifications.     

HP–UHP metamorphism as an indicator of slab dip variations in the Alpine arc

HP/UHP and LT metamorphic units that commonly occur in the inner parts of mountain belts result from the subduction of continental and oceanic material, most often exhumed prior to continental collision. The prograde pressure–temperature history of HP–UHP rocks strongly depends on the convergence rate and on the subduction zone geometry. The maximum pressure recorded provides a proxy for the depth of shearing off and stacking of HP metamorphic nappes. A 2-D thermal model of continental subduction at lithospheric scale is used to compute the length and pressure peak of detached HP metamorphic units as a function of the slab dip angle and the convergence rate. Model results are applied to the metamorphic nappe pile of the inner Alps. A mean convergence rate of 1 cm/year during the subduction of the Briançonnais terrane is indicated by the paleogeographic reconstructions between 46 and 38 Ma. On this basis, the available petrological data and lengths of metamorphic units are used to compute the variations of the slab dip angle. The slab dip angle is shown to increase, from the northeast to the southwest, along the Alpine arc with estimated values of 20° for Suretta, 30–45° for Monte Rosa and Gran Paradiso, and 60° for Dora Maira. From Eocene to Oligocene times, the increase in slab dip angle is controlled by changes of buoyancy, due to the spatial configuration of the Valaisan trough and the incoming of crustal material within the subduction zone.