GPS network monitors the Western Alps' deformation over a five-year period: 1993–1998

  The Western Alps are among the best studied collisional belts with both detailed structural mapping and also crustal geophysical investigations such as the ECORS and EGT seismic profile. By contrast, the present-day kinematics of the belt is still largely unknown due to small relative motions and the insufficient accuracy of the triangulation data. As a consequence, several tectonic problems still remain to be solved, such as the amount of N–S convergence in the Occidental Alps, the repartition of the deformation between the Alpine tectonic units, and the relation between deformation and rotation across the Alpine arc. In order to address these problems, the GPS ALPES group, made up of French, Swiss and Italian research organizations, has achieved the first large-scale GPS surveys of the Western Alps. More than 60 sites were surveyed in 1993 and 1998 with a minimum observation of 3 days at each site. GPS data processing has been done by three independent teams using different software. The different solutions have horizontal repeatabilities (N–E) of 4–7 mm in 1993 and 2–3 mm in 1998 and compare at the 3–5-mm level in position and 2-mm/yr level in velocity. A comparison of 1993 and 1998 coordinates shows that residual velocities of the GPS marks are generally smaller than 2 mm/yr, precluding a detailed tectonic interpretation of the differential motions. However, these data seem to suggest that the N–S compression of the Western Alps is quite mild (less than 2 mm/yr) compared to the global convergence between the African and Eurasian plate (6 mm/yr). This implies that the shortening must be accomodated elsewhere by the deformation of the Maghrebids and/or by rotations of Mediterranean microplates. Also, E–W velocity components analysis supports the idea that E–W extension exists, as already suggested by recent structural and seismotectonic data interpretation. Received: 27 November 2000 / Accepted: 17 September 2001     

The Role of Pressure in Producing Compositional Diversity in Intraplate Basaltic Magmas

Basaltic magmas found in intraplate suites appear to followmore than one differentiation trend. Many ocean island suitesfollow the ocean island tholeiitic trend, with the basalts differentiatingfrom olivine tholeiite through basaltic andesite, andesite,and dacite to sodic rhyolite. Many continental intraplate magmaticregimes, such as those of the Snake River Plain and the plutonicsequences associated with massif anorthosites, follow the potassicsilica-saturated alkalic trend, in which basalt differentiatesfrom olivine tholeiite through ferrobasalt (jotunite or ferrodiorite),Fe-rich intermediate rocks (trachybasalt or monzonite), andtrachyte (syenite) to potassic rhyolites and granites. Crystallizationexperiments on an olivine tholeiite from the Snake River Plainshow that the basaltic portions of the ocean island tholeiitictrend and the potassic silica-saturated alkalic trend (whichleads to strong alkali, P, Ti, and Fe enrichment and silicadepletion) can arise from the same ‘dry’ tholeiiticparental magma. These compositional differences are inducedby changes in phase equilibria as a function of pressure, withthe ocean island tholeiitic series arising from crystal–liquiddifferentiation at low pressure and the potassic silica-saturatedalkalic series arising via differentiation at elevated pressures. KEY WORDS: tholeiite differentiation; experimental petrology; phase equilibria; ferrodiorite; ferrobasalt     

Nonlinear Coupled Motions for a Given Two-Point Tension Mooring System

—The nonlinear behaviors of plane coupled motions for a given two-point tension mooring sys-tem,are discussed in the present paper.For a cylinder moored by two taut lines under the action ofgravity,buoyance and forces due to wave-current and mooring lines,a mathematical model of motionswith three degrees of freedom is established.The steady solution and stability are analyzed.By integratingthe equations of motions,history,phase map and Poincare map are obtained.The Liapunov exponentsare also computed.The numerical results show that:the horizontal movement will increase,and stabilitywill also increase as the steady force increases.The amplitude of responses will decrease as time-dependentforces decrease.Because of the geometric nonlinearity,there exist many windows bifurcating to pseudo-pe-riodic or multi-periodic solution.The bifurcating patterns may be different.The behaviors are very com-plex.Under wave excitation alone,the motions are nonsymmetrical but still symmetrical statistically.     

Evaluation of toxicity in tributaries of the Mersey estuary using the isopod Asellus aquaticus (L.)

Increasing numbers of industrial, agricultural and natural chemicals are present in sewage effluent and are known to elicit toxic effects in laboratory exposures, but little is known of their combined sub-lethal effect in the field. In this study, a combination of esterase activity and ventilation rate assays was performed to determine the neurological and physiological function of the freshwater crustacean Asellus aquaticus (L.) at sites above and below a sewage treatment works (STW). Cholinesterase and carboxylesterase activities were significantly inhibited (n=8, P<0.05) and ventilation rates increased (n=8, P=0.0001) in A. aquaticus at STW sites compared to those from reference sites, indicating a decrease in neurological and physiological function. The ecological relevance of these findings for the population dynamics of the organisms in the field is discussed.     

Heat,volume and chemical fluxes from submarine venting: A synthesis of results from the Rainbow hydrothermal field, 36°N MAR

High-temperature hydrothermal activity occurs in all ocean basins and along ridge crests of all spreading rates. While it has long been recognized that the fluxes associated with such venting are large, precise quantification of their impact on ocean biogeochemistry has proved elusive. Here, we report a comprehensive study of heat, fluid and chemical fluxes from a single submarine hydrothermal field. To achieve this, we have exploited the integrating nature of the non-buoyant plume dispersing above the Rainbow hydrothermal field, a long-lived and tectonically hosted high-temperature vent site on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Our calculations yield heat and volume fluxes for high-temperature fluids exiting the seafloor of ～0.5 GW and 450 L s^?1, together with accompanying chemical fluxes, for Fe, Mn and CH₄ of ～10, ～1 and ～1 mol s^?1, respectively. Accompanying fluxes for 25 additional chemical species that are associated with Fe-rich plume particles have also been calculated as they are transported away from the Rainbow vent site before settling to the seabed. High-temperature venting has been found to recur at least once every ～100 km along all slow-spreading ridges investigated to-date, with half of all known sites on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge occurring as long-lived and tectonically hosted systems. If these patterns persist along all slow- and ultraslow-spreading ridges, high-temperature venting of the kind reported here could account for ～50% of the on-axis hydrothermal heat flux along ～30,000 km of the ～55,000 km global ridge crest.     

A suspended-particle rosette multi-sampler for discrete biogeochemical sampling in low-particle-density waters

To enable detailed investigations of early stage hydrothermal plume formation and abiotic and biotic plume processes we developed a new oceanographic tool. The Suspended Particulate Rosette sampling system has been designed to collect geochemical and microbial samples from the rising portion of deep-sea hydrothermal plumes. It can be deployed on a remotely operated vehicle for sampling rising plumes, on a wire-deployed water rosette for spatially discrete sampling of non-buoyant hydrothermal plumes, or on a fixed mooring in a hydrothermal vent field for time series sampling. It has performed successfully during both its first mooring deployment at the East Pacific Rise and its first remotely-operated vehicle deployments along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It is currently capable of rapidly filtering 24 discrete large-water-volume samples (30–100 L per sample) for suspended particles during a single deployment (e.g. >90 L per sample at 4–7 L per minute through 1 μm pore diameter polycarbonate filters). The Suspended Particulate Rosette sampler has been designed with a long-term goal of seafloor observatory deployments, where it can be used to collect samples in response to tectonic or other events. It is compatible with in situ optical sensors, such as laser Raman or visible reflectance spectroscopy systems, enabling in situ particle analysis immediately after sample collection and before the particles alter or degrade.     

New aromatic biomarkers and possible maturity indicators found in New Albany Shale extracts

Aromatic hydrocarbons from benzene extracts of New Albany Shale were characterized. A biomarker that has a molecular weight of 546 and a structural configuration consistent with that of an alkyl-aromatic hydrocarbon (C₄₀H₆₆) was tentatively identified. It was found that the relative concentrations of the biomarker are indicative of differing levels of thermal maturity of the shale organic matter. A 40-carbon bicyclic carotenoid (C₄₀H₄₈) is proposed as the geochemical precursor of this biomarker. Thermal maturity of the shale organic matter can also be differentiated by observing differences in “fingerprints” as obtained by field-ionization mass spectrometry on the aromatic hydrocarbon fraction. Using this technique, we found that the more mature shale samples from southeastern Illinois contain more low molecular weight extractable aromatic hydrocarbons and the less mature shale samples from northwestern Illinois contain more high molecular weight extractable aromatic hydrocarbons. It was demonstrated that field-ionization and tandem mass spectrometric techniques through fingerprint and individual compound identification, are useful for shale aromatic hydrocarbon fraction characterization and for thermal maturation interpretation.     

Decolorisation of exhausted reactive dye bath using ozonator for reuse

Exhausted Reactive dye bath samples of Turquoise Blue, Olive Green and Navy Blue shades were collected from cotton knit wear dyeing units in Tirupur. Ozonation was conducted in a column reactor system fed with ozone at the rate of 0.16 g/min to assess its efficiency in reducing the color, chemical oxygen demand and total organic carbon. Complete decolorization of the effluent was achieved in 10 min contact time and ozone consumption of 153 mg/ L for Turquoise Blue, 128 for Olive Green and 143 for Navy Blue shades effluents respectively. The corresponding COD removal was 43%, 44% and 43% for the three shades while TOC removal efficiency was 45%, 45% and 40% respectively. The results from the reusability studies indicate that the dyeing quality was not affected by the reuse of decolorized dye bath for two successive cycles. It is concluded that ozonation is efficient in decolorization of exhausted dye bath effluents containing conventional reactive dyes. However, the corresponding removal of COD from the textile effluent was not significant.     

A Mesocyclone over the Northern Sea of Japan in February 2013

Oceanology - The article considers a particular event in the influence of a mesoscale cyclone (MC) on the northern Sea of Japan on February 10–11, 2013. The passage of the MC was accompanied...     

The Structure of the Bazhenov Horizon in the Northeast Part of West Siberia

A new variant of the structural-facies zonation of the Bazhenov horizon (Tithonian–Lower Berriasian) in the northeastern part of West Siberia was considered using lithofacies and structural analysis. The low content of terrigenous sedimentary material in the high-carbon facies of the Bazhenov Formation is explained by the capturing of the material by the relatively deep Pur–Taz Paleobasin, where the fan of the Yenisei–Khatanga strait was formed. The Pur–Taz Paleobasin was filled by the sediments of the Yanovstanov Formation. In the northeast the basin borders the vast and relatively shallow Ob Paleobasin, where the black shales of the oil-source Bazhenov Formation were accumulated.