Large-scale Mechanical Redistribution of Orthopyroxene and Plagioclase in the Basement Sill, Ferrar Dolerites, McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica: Petrological, Mineral-chemical and Field Evidence for Channelized Movement of Crystals and Melt

The Jurassic Ferrar dolerite sills of the McMurdo Dry Valleys,Antarctica represent the plumbing system for flood basalt eruptionsassociated with the breakup of Gondwana. Among the Ferrar sills,the 350–450 m thick cumulate-textured Basement Sill isdifferentiated into a Lower Marginal Zone (LMZ) gabbronorite,a thick Lower Zone (LZ) orthopyroxene–plagioclase orthocumulatepyroxenite, a strongly layered mela- to leuco-gabbronorite MiddleZone (MZ), a thick Upper Zone (UZ) gabbronorite with ferrogabbroicpods, and an Upper Marginal Zone (UMZ) gabbronorite. Texturesand mineral compositions in the LZ pyroxenite and MZ–UZgabbronorites are nearly identical, the main distinction beingthe greater relative proportion of plagioclase in the MZ–UZgabbronorites, and of pigeonite in the UZ. Most orthopyroxenein the LZ, MZ and UZ occurs as sub-euhedral, normally zonedprimocrysts, commonly with rounded plagioclase inclusions. Plagioclaseis usually sub-euhedral and normally zoned, but can containsodic cores interpreted to be xenocrystic. Orthopyroxene andfeldspar compositions thoughout the sill are generally fairlyuniform, and resemble the compositions of micro-phenocrystsin the chilled margins. We infer that the sill was filled bya c. 1250°C slurry of orthopyroxene + plagioclase phenocrystsor primocrysts that subsequently unmixed in response to buoyancyforces. The LZ websterite contains numerous anorthosite to gabbronoriteschlieren, veins and pipes (< 2 m diameter), which we interpretas fossil segregation channels. Textures and mineral compositionsin these felsic channels are very similar both to UZ and MZgabbronorites, and to the groundmass separating accumulatedorthopyroxene primocrysts in the LZ and MZ. We infer that plagioclase-charged,hydrous pore melt from the pyroxenite may have segregated, pooledand ascended through these conduits to feed growth of the UZgabbronorite. Detailed mapping shows that the pipes are separatedby about 15 m on average. Calculations suggest that this numberdensity of conduits could have drained the LZ cumulates of theirinterstitial melt + plagioclase in about 8 days. Sequences (eachc. 5–10 m thick) of layered leuco-gabbronorite in theMZ could represent intra-cumulate sills that formed from plagioclase-richslurries ascending in segregation channels. Fe–Ti-richpyroxenitic veins and pods (some pegmatitic) and an unusualcoarse-grained plagioclase facies occur at the contacts betweenmassive leuco-gabbronorite layers in the MZ. Discordant ferro-pegmatitepods and dykes occur throughout the UZ. We interpret these Fe-richpegmatoidal rocks as evolved residual melts expelled from thecompacting gabbronoritic cumulates of the MZ and UZ. KEY WORDS: Ferrar; cumulates; differentiation; Antarctica; layering     

Behavior of uranium under conditions of interaction of rocks and ores with subsurface water

The behavior of uranium during interaction of subsurface water with crystalline rocks and uranium ores is considered in connection with the problem of safe underground insulation of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Since subsurface water interacts with crystalline rocks formed at a high temperature, the mineral composition of these rocks and uranium species therein are thermodynamically unstable. Therefore, reactions directed toward the establishment of equilibrium proceed in the water-rock system. At great depths that are characterized by hindered water exchange, where subsurface water acquires near-neutral and reducing properties, the interaction is extremely sluggish and is expressed in the formation of micro- and nanoparticles of secondary minerals. Under such conditions, the slow diffusion redistribution of uranium with enrichment in absorbed forms relative to all other uranium species is realized as well. The products of secondary alteration of Fe- and Ti-bearing minerals serve as the main sorbents of uranium. The rate of alteration of minerals and conversion of uranium species into absorbed forms is slow, and the results of these processes are insignificant, so that the rocks and uranium species therein may be regarded as unaltered. Under reducing conditions, subsurface water is always saturated with uranium. Whether water interacts with rock or uranium ore, the equilibrium uranium concentration in water is only ≤10^?8 mol/l. Uraninite ore under such conditions always remains stable irrespective of its age. The stability conditions of uranium ore are quite suitable for safe insulation of SNF, which consists of 95% uraninite (UO₂) and is a confinement matrix for all other radionuclides. The disposal of SNF in massifs of crystalline rocks at depths below 500 m, where reducing conditions are predominant, is a reliable guarantee of high SNF stability. Under oxidizing conditions of the upper hydrodynamic zone, the rate of interaction of rocks with subsurface water increases by orders of magnitude and subsurface water is commonly undersaturated with uranium. Uranium absorbed by secondary minerals, particularly by iron hydroxides and leucoxene, is its single stable species under oxidizing conditions. The impact of oxygen-bearing water leads to destruction of uranium ore. This process is realized simultaneously at different hypsometric levels even if the permeability of the medium is variable in both the lateral and vertical directions. As a result, intervals containing uranyl minerals and relics of primary uranium ore are combined in ore-bearing zones with intervals of completely dissolved uranium minerals. A wide halo of elevated uranium contents caused by sorption is always retained at the location of uranium ore entirely destroyed by weathering. Uranium ore commonly finds itself in the aeration zone due to technogenic subsidence of the groundwater table caused by open-pit mining or pumping out of water from underground mines. The capillary and film waters that interact with rocks and ores in this zone are supplemented by free water filtering along fractures when rain falls or snow is thawing. The interaction of uranium ore with capillary water results in oxidation of uraninite, accompanied by loosening of the mineral surface, formation of microfractures, and an increase in solubility with enrichment of capillary water in uranium up to 10^?4 mol/l. Secondary U(VI) minerals, first of all, uranyl hydroxides and silicates, replace uraninite, and uranium undergoes local diffusion redistribution with its sorption by secondary minerals of host rocks. The influx of free water facilitates the complete dissolution of primary and secondary uranium minerals, the removal of uranium at the sites of groundwater discharge, and its redeposition under reducing conditions at a greater depth. It is evident that the conditions of the upper hydrodynamic zone and the aeration zone are unfit for long-term insulation of SNF and high-level wastes because, after the failure of containers, the leakage of radionuclides into the environment becomes inevitable.     

Post-seismic motions after the 2006–2007 Simushir earthquakes at different stages of the seismic cycle

Doklady Earth Sciences - We analyzed long-term satellite geodesic observations after the Simushir earthquakes of 2006–2007. Application of a key model of the structure of the island arc...     

Histopathology alterations and histochemistry measurements in mussel, Mytilus edulis collected offshore from an aluminium smelter industry (Norway)

Histopathological characteristics of specific organs express condition, and represent time-integrated impacts on the organism stemming from alterations at lower levels of biological organisation. As integrative parameters, histochemical investigations have proved to be sensitive tools to detect effects of chemical compounds. The objective of this study was to determine changes in the tissues of mussels collected at a PAH contaminated site compared to a reference site using histopathological and histochemical parameters: lipofuscin (LF) accumulation in mussel digestive gland, and lysosomal membrane stability (LMS), and using additional information provided by body burden analysis to compare the sensitivity of these parameters. The histochemical measurements for both LF and LMS gave a clear indication of a high level of stress in animals from the PAH contaminated site. This LF accumulation in lysosomes is the result of peroxidation of autophagocytosed proteins associated with protein aggregates and oxidatively damaged organelles. These measurements were able to detect the effects of PAHs, and showed a strong relationship with the body burden results.     

Modelling distribution of marine benthos from hydroacoustics and underwater video

Broad-scale mapping of marine benthos is required for marine resource management and conservation. This study combines textural derivatives based on bathymetry from multibeam hydroacoustics with underwater video observations to model and map sessile biota between 10- and 60-m water depth over 35 km² in Point Addis Marine National Park (MNP), Vic., Australia. Classification tree models and maps were developed for macroalgae (all types, mixed red algae, Ecklonia, and rhodoliths) and sessile invertebrates (all types, sponges, and ascidians). Model accuracy was tested on 25% of the video observation dataset reserved from modelling. Models fit well for most macroalgae categories (correct classification rates of 67–84%), but are not as good for sessile invertebrate classes (correct classification rates of 57–62%). The poor fit of the sessile invertebrate models may be the combined result of grouping organisms with different environmental requirements and the effect of false absences recorded during video interpretation due to poor image quality. Probability maps, binary single-class maps, and multi-class maps supply spatially explicit, detailed information on the distribution of sessile benthic biota within the MNP and provide information at a landscape-scale for ecological investigations and marine management.     

The last 40 ka tephrostratigraphic record of Lake Ohrid,Albania and Macedonia: a very distal archive for ash dispersal from Italian volcanoes

A 1075 cm long core (Lz1120) was recovered in the south-eastern part of the Lake Ohrid (Republics of Macedonia and Albania) and sampled for identification of tephra layers. Magnetic susceptibility investigations show rather high magnetic values throughout the core, with peaks unrelated to the occurrence of tephra layers but instead to the relative abundance of detrital magnetic minerals in the sediment. Naked-eye inspection of the core allowed us to identify of two tephra layers, at 896–897 cm and 1070–1075 cm. Laboratory inspection of the grain-size fraction > 125 μm allowed for the identification of a third cryptotephra at 310–315 cm. Major element analyses on glass shards of the tephra layers at 896–897 cm and 1070–1075 cm show a trachytic composition, and indicate a correlation with the regionally dispersed Y-3 and Y-5 tephra layers, dated at ca 30 and 39 cal ka BP. The cryptotephra at 310–315 cm has a mugearitic–benmoreitic composition, and was correlated with the FL eruption of Mt. Etna, dated at 3370 ± 70 cal yr BP. These ages are in agreement with five ¹⁴C AMS measurements carried out on plant remains and macrofossils from the lake sediments at different depths along the core.     

Reconstruction and analysis of sub-plinian tephra dispersal during the 1530 A.D. Soufrière (Guadeloupe) eruption: Implications for scenario definition and hazards assessment

The last magmatic eruption of Soufrière of Guadeloupe dated at 1530 A.D. (Soufrière eruption) is characterized by an onset with a partial flank-collapse and emplacement of a debris-avalanche that was followed by a sub-plinian VEI 2–3 explosive short-lived eruption (Phase-1) with a column that reached a height between 9 and 12 km producing about 3.9 × 10⁶ m³ DRE (16.3 × 10⁶ m³ bulk) of juvenile products. The column recurrently collapsed generating scoriaceous pyroclastic flows in radiating valleys up to a distance of 5–6 km with a maximum interpolated bulk deposit volume of 11.7 × 10⁶ m³ (5 × 10⁶ m³ DRE). We have used HAZMAP, a numerical simple first-order model of tephra dispersal [Macedonio, G., Costa, A., Longo, A., 2005. A computer model for volcanic ash fallout and assessment of subsequent hazard. Comput. Geosci. 31, 837–845] to reconstruct to a first approximation the potential dispersal of tephra and associated tephra mass loadings generated by the sub-plinian Phase 1 of the 1530 A.D. eruption. We have tested our model on a deterministic average dry season wind profile that best-fits the available data as well as on a set of randomly selected wind profiles over a 5 year interval that allows the elaboration of probabilistic maps for the exceedance of specific tephra mass load thresholds. Results show that in the hypothesis of a future 1530 A.D. scenario, populated areas to a distance of 3–4 km west–southwest of the vent could be subjected to a static load pressure between 2 and 10 kPa in case of wet tephra, susceptible to cause variable degrees of roof damage. Our results provide volcanological input parameters for scenario and event-tree definition, for assessing volcanic risks and evaluating their impact in case of a future sub-plinian eruption which could affect up to 70 000 people in southern Basse-Terre island and the region. They also provide a framework to aid decision-making concerning land management and development. A sub-plinian eruption is the most likely magmatic scenario in case of a future eruption of this volcano which has shown, since 1992, increasing signs of low-energy seismic, thermal, and acid degassing unrest without significant deformation.     

Histopathology alterations and histochemistry measurements in mussel, Mytilus edulis collected offshore from an aluminium smelter industry (Norway)

Histopathological characteristics of specific organs express condition, and represent time-integrated impacts on the organism stemming from alterations at lower levels of biological organisation. As integrative parameters, histochemical investigations have proved to be sensitive tools to detect effects of chemical compounds.The objective of this study was to determine changes in the tissues of mussels collected at a PAH contaminated site compared to a reference site using histopathological and histochemical parameters: lipofuscin (LF) accumulation in mussel digestive gland, and lysosomal membrane stability (LMS), and using additional information provided by body burden analysis to compare the sensitivity of these parameters.The histochemical measurements for both LF and LMS gave a clear indication of a high level of stress in animals from the PAH contaminated site. This LF accumulation in lysosomes is the result of peroxidation of autophagocytosed proteins associated with protein aggregates and oxidatively damaged organelles. These measurements were able to detect the effects of PAHs, and showed a strong relationship with the body burden results.     

High-precision geoid determination in small areas: A case study in Doñana National Park (Spain)

Doñana National Park is an area of approximately 500 km² located on the SW coast of Spain that shows one of the greatest geoid gradients on the entire Iberian Peninsula, due to its peculiar tectonic characteristics. So, it is necessary to elaborate an accurate geoid model that can be used with GPS for precise surveying, since the existing ones are insufficient, due to their poor resolution and their limited adaptation to a small area with such a strong gradient. The least squares prediction method was tested in order to obtain the undulation from GPS/orthometric points. The results obtained were unsatisfactory because of the strong geoid gradient. In order to improve accuracy the remove-restore technique was used. Global geopotential model EIGEN-CG01C and a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) with a 25 × 25 m resolution and an accuracy better than 3 m were used. Thus, the final geometrical geoid obtained reaches the precision required by other disciplines (3 cm in any point within the Park). Particularly, the geoid model has allowed for the acquisition of a precision DEM that is essential to formulate a hydrodynamic model for the Doñana marsh functions.     

Quantifying volcanic ash fall hazard to electricity infrastructure

Quantifying the potential ash fall hazards from re-awakening volcanoes is a topic of great interest. While methods for calculating the probability of eruptions, and for numerical simulation of tephra dispersal and fallout exist, event records at most volcanoes that re-awaken sporadically on decadal to millennial cycles are inadequate to develop rigorous forecasts of occurrence, much less eruptive volume. Here we demonstrate a method by which eruption records from radiocarbon-dated sediment cores can be used to derive forecasting models for ash fall impacts on electrical infrastructure. Our method is illustrated by an example from the Taranaki region of New Zealand. Radiocarbon dates, expressed as years before present (B.P.), are used to define an age-depth model, classifying eruption ages (with associated errors) for a circa 1500–10 500 year B.P. record at Mt. Taranaki (New Zealand). In addition, data describing the youngest 1500 years of eruption activity is obtained from directly dated proximal deposits. Absence of trend and apparent independence in eruption intervals is consistent with a renewal model using a mix of Weibulls distributions, which was used to generate probabilistic forecasts of eruption recurrence. After establishing that interval length and tephra thickness were independent in the record, a thickness–volume relationship (from [Rhoades, D.A., Dowrick, D.J., Wilson, C.J.N., 2002. Volcanic hazard in New Zealand: Scaling and attenuation relations for tephra fall deposits from Taupo volcano. Nat. Hazards, 26:147–174]) was inverted to provide a frequency–volume relationship for eruptions. Monte Carlo simulation of the thickness–volume relationship was then used to produce probable ash fall thicknesses at any chosen site. Several critical electrical infrastructure sites in the Taranaki Region were analysed. This region, being the only gas and condensate-producing area in New Zealand, is of national economic importance, with activities in and around the area depending on uninterrupted power supplies. Forecasts of critical ash thicknesses (1 mm wet and 2 mm dry) that may cause short-circuiting, surges or power shutdowns in substations show that the annual probabilities of serious impact are between ~ 0.5% and 27% over a 50 year period. It was also found that while large eruptions with high ash plumes tend to affect “expected” areas in relation to prevailing winds, the direction impacts of small ash falls are far less predictable. In the Taranaki case study, areas out of normal downwind directions, but close to the volcano, have probabilities of impact for critical thicknesses of 1–2 mm of around half to 60% of those in downwind directions and therefore should not be overlooked in hazard analysis. Through this method we are able to definitively show that the potential ash fall hazard to electrical infrastructure in this area is low in comparison to other natural threats, and provide a quantitative measure for use in risk analysis and budget prioritisation for hazard mitigation measures.