A Mid Cretaceous origin for the Galápagos hotspot: volcanological, petrological and geochemical evidence from Costa Rican oceanic crustal segments

The Quepos, Nicoya and Herradura oceanic igneous terranes in Costa Rica are conspicuous features of a Mid to Late Cretaceous regional magmatic event that encompasses similar terranes in Central America, Colombia, Ecuador and the Caribbean. The Quepos terrane (66?Ma), which consists of ol-cpx phyric, tholeiitic pillow lavas overlain by highly vesicular hyaloclastites, breccias and conglomerates, is interpreted as an uplifted seamount/ocean island complex. The Nicoya (～90?Ma) and Herradura terranes consist of fault-bounded sequences of sediments, tholeiitic volcanics (pillow lavas and massive sheet flows) and plutonic rocks. The volcanic rocks were emplaced at relatively high eruption rates in moderate to deep water, possibly forming part of an oceanic plateau. Major and trace element data from Nicoya/Herradura tholeiites indicate higher melting temperatures than inferred for normal mid-ocean-ridge basalts (MORB) and/or a different source composition. Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic ratios from all three terranes are distinct from MORB but resemble those from the Galápagos hotspot. The volcanological, petrological and geochemical data from Costa Rican volcanic terranes, combined with published age data, paleomagnetic results and plate tectonic reconstructions of this region, provide strong evidence for a Mid Cretaceous (～90Ma) age for the Galápagos hotspot, making it one of the oldest known, active hotspots on Earth. Our results also support an origin of the Caribbean Plate through melting of the head of the Galápagos starting plume.     

基于稳态碎岩方式的PDC钻头设计分析研究

自从20世纪80年代PDC复合片研发成功以来,PDC钻头由于其钻进性能强和耐磨性能好,在世界许多国家的石油钻井和地质勘探中得到了广泛应用,取得了很好的效果。但是,如何进一步提高其在钻探工程中的技术经济指标是一个很迫切的问题。俄罗斯博士Скоромных В. В.教授等对此进行多年研究,提出了稳态破碎岩石方式的思想,即在轴载和扭矩切力形成的合力R与切削面成垂直角度条件下,切入深度h不变时形成的一种碎岩方式。并在此基础上提出了一些设计PDC钻头方面的建议。     

Authigenic carbonates from the eastern Black Sea as an archive for shallow gas hydrate dynamics – Results from the combination of CT imaging with mineralogical and stable isotope analyses

Authigenic carbonates associated with cold seeps provide valuable archives of changes in the long-term seepage activity. To investigate the role of shallow-buried hydrates on the seepage strength and fluid composition we analysed methane-derived carbonate precipitates from a high-flux hydrocarbon seepage area (“Batumi seep area”) located on the south-eastern Black Sea slope in ca. 850 m. In a novel approach, we combined computerized X-ray tomography (CT) with mineralogical and isotope geochemical methods to get additional insights into the three-dimensional internal structure of the carbonate build-ups.     

Crustal structure of the Alpine–Pannonian transition zone: a combined seismic and gravity study

 The crustal structure of the transition zone between the Eastern Alps and the western part of the Pannonian depression (Danube basin) is traditionally interpreted in terms of subvertical Tertiary strike-slip and normal faults separating different Alpine tectonic units. Reevaluation of approximately 4000-km-long hydrocarbon exploration reflection seismic sections and a few deep seismic profiles, together with data from approximately 300 wells, suggests a different structural model. It implies that extensional collapse of the Alpine orogene in the Middle Miocene was controlled by listric normal faults, which usually crosscut Alpine nappes at shallow levels, but at depth merge with overthrust planes separating the different Alpine units. The alternative structural model was tested along a transect across the Danube basin by gravity model calculations, and the results show that the model of low-angle extensional faulting is indeed viable. Regarding the whole lithosphere of the western Pannonian basin, gravity modelling indicates a remarkable asymmetry in the thickness minima of the attenuated crust and upper mantle. The approximately 160 km lateral offset between the two minima suggests that during the Miocene extension of the Pannonian basin detachment of the upper crust from the mantle lithosphere took place along a rheologically weak lower crust. Received: 13 July 1998 / Accepted: 18 March 1999     

The Central Bundelkhand Archaean greenstone complex,Bundelkhand craton,central India: geology,composition, and geochronology of supracrustal rocks

Analysis of 3.3 Ga tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) series granitoids and greenstone belt assemblages from the Bundelkhand craton in central India reveal that it is a typical Archaean craton. At least two greenstone complexes can be recognized in the Bundelkhand craton, namely the (i) Central Bundelkhand (Babina, Mauranipur belts) and (ii) Southern Bundelkhand (Girar, Madaura belts). The Central Bundelkhand greenstone complex contains three tectonostratigraphic assemblages: (1) metamorphosed basic or metabasic, high-Mg rocks; (2) banded iron formations (BIFs); and (3) felsic volcanics. The first two assemblages are regarded as representing an earlier sequence, which is in tectonic contact with the felsic volcanics. However, the contact between the BIFs and mafic volcanics is also evidently tectonic. Metabasic high-Mg rocks are represented by amphibolites and tremolite-actinolite schists in the Babina greenstone belt and are comparable in composition to tholeiitic basalts-basaltic andesites and komatiites. They are very similar to the metabasic high-Mg rocks of the Mauranipur greenstone belt. Felsic volcanics occur as fine-grained schists with phenocrysts of quartz, albite, and microcline. Felsic volcanics are classified as calc-alkaline dacites, less commonly rhyolites. The chondrite-normalized rare earth element distribution pattern is poorly fractionated (La_N/Lu_N = 11–16) with a small negative Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 0.68–0.85), being characteristic of volcanics formed in a subduction setting. On Rb – Y + Nb, Nb – Y, Rb – Ta + Yb and Ta – Yb discrimination diagrams, the compositions of the volcanics are also consistent with those of felsic rocks formed in subduction settings. SHRIMP-dating of zircon from the felsic volcanics of the Babina belt of the Central Bundelkhand greenstone complex, performed for the first time, has shown that they were erupted in Neoarchaean time (2542 ± 17 Ma). The early sequence of the Babina belt is correlatable with the rocks of the Mauranipur belt, whose age is tentatively estimated as Mesoarchaean. The Central Bundelkhand greenstone complex consists of two (Meso- and Neoarchaean) sequences, which were formed in subduction settings.     

Partial melting and P–T evolution of the Kodaikanal Metapelite Belt, southern India

The Kodaikanal region of the Madurai Block in southern India exposes a segment of high-grade metamorphic rocks dominated by an aluminous garnet–cordierite–spinel–sillimanite–quartz migmatite suite, designated herein as the Kodaikanal Metapelite Belt (KMB). These rocks were subjected to extreme crustal metamorphism during the Late Neoproterozoic despite the lack of diagnostic ultrahigh-temperature assemblages. The rocks preserve microstructural evidence demonstrating initial-heating, dehydration melting to generate the peak metamorphic assemblage and later retrogression of the residual assemblages with remaining melt. The peak metamorphic assemblage is interpreted to be garnet + sillimanite + K-feldspar + spinel + Fe–Ti oxide + quartz + melt, which indicates pressure–temperature (P–T) conditions around 950–1000 °C and 7–8 kbar based on calculated phase diagrams. A clockwise P–T path is proposed by integrating microstructural information with pseudosections. We show that evidence for extreme crustal metamorphism at ultrahigh-temperature conditions can be extracted even in the cases where the rocks lack diagnostic ultrahigh-temperature mineral assemblages. Our approach confirms the widespread regional occurrence of UHT metamorphism in the Madurai Block during Gondwana assembly and point out the need for similar studies on adjacent continental fragments.     

Adsorptive Removal of Acid Blue 15: Equilibrium and Kinetic Study

Activated carbons prepared from sunflower seed hull have been used as adsorbents for the removal of acid blue 15 (AB‐15) from aqueous solution. Batch adsorption techniques were performed to evaluate the influences of various experimental parameters, e. g., temperature, adsorbent dosage, pH, initial dye concentration and contact time on the adsorption process. The optimum conditions for AB‐15 removal were found to be pH = 3, adsorbent dosage = 3 g/L and equilibrium time = 4 h at 30°C. The adsorption of AB‐15 onto the adsorbent was found to increase with increasing dosage. It was found from experimental results that the Langmuir isotherm fits the data better than the Freundlich and Temkin isotherms. The maximum adsorption capacity, Q_m (at 30°C) was calculated for SF1, SF2, and SF3 as 75, 125 and 110 mg g^–1 of adsorbent, respectively. It was found that the adsorption follows pseudo‐second order kinetics. The thermodynamic parameters such as ΔG°, ΔH°, and ΔS° were also evaluated. The activated carbons prepared were characterized by FT‐IR, SEM and BET analysis.