Interaction of tectonics, eustasy, climate and carbonate production on the sedimentary evolution of an early/middle Jurassic extensional basin (Southern Provence Sub-basin, SE France)

This paper describes the evolution of an extensional basin in regard to the nature and sequence stratigraphic arrangement of its carbonate deposits. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the respective effects of tectonism, eustasy, climate and oceanography on a carbonate sedimentary record. The case study is the early to mid‐Jurassic age carbonate succession of the Southern Provence Sub‐basin (SE France), located within the southern part of the extensional Western European Tethyan Margin. This work is based on sedimentologic, biostratigraphic (using ammonites and brachiopods) and sequence stratigraphic analysis of the carbonate facies of the Cherty Reddish Limestone Formation (late Sinemurian to earliest Bajocian). These strata were deposited in shoreface to lower offshore depositional environments. The succession of the various environments together with the recognition of key stratigraphic surfaces allow us to define four second‐order depositional sequences; of late Sinemurian to earliest Pliensbachian, early Pliensbachian to late Pliensbachian, earliest Toarcian to middle Aalenian and late Aalenian to early Bathonian ages. The architecture of the depositional sequences (thickness and facies variations within the systems tracts, wedge‐shaped geometries) reflects a strong tectonic control. The sub‐basin was structured by extensional faults (oriented approximately 070–090/250–270). Sea‐level variations, fluctuations in carbonate production and preservation, and environmental changes were also significant controlling factors of the carbonate deposition. The interplay of the tectonic control with the other factors resulted in five main phases in the sedimentary evolution of the sub‐basin: (1) dominant tectonic control during the initial rifting stage (late Sinemurian to early Pliensbachian); (2) increasing extensional tectonics (mid‐Pliensbachian); (3) global climato‐eustatic sea‐level fall (latest Pliensbachian) and global climato‐eustatic sea‐level rise plus hypoxia/anoxia (early Toarcian); (4) relative sea‐level fall linked to tectonic uplift related to the ‘Mid‐Cimmerian phase’ (mid‐Aalenian) and (5) oceanographic events (upwelling) and reduction in carbonate production (hypoxia/anoxia) plus tectonic downwarping (late Aalenian/earliest Bajocian).     

Remote sensing and GIS for mapping groundwater recharge and discharge areas in salinity prone catchments,southeastern Australia

Identifying groundwater recharge and discharge areas across catchments is critical for implementing effective strategies for salinity mitigation, surface-water and groundwater resource management, and ecosystem protection. In this study, a synergistic approach has been developed, which applies a combination of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) techniques to map groundwater recharge and discharge areas. This approach is applied to an unconfined basalt aquifer, in a salinity and drought prone region of southeastern Australia. The basalt aquifer covers ~11,500 km² in an agriculturally intensive region. A review of local hydrogeological processes allowed a series of surface and subsurface indicators of groundwater recharge and discharge areas to be established. Various remote sensing and GIS techniques were then used to map these surface indicators including: terrain analysis, monitoring of vegetation activity, and mapping of infiltration capacity. All regions where groundwater is not discharging to the surface were considered potential recharge areas. This approach, applied systematically across a catchment, provides a framework for mapping recharge and discharge areas. A key component in assigning surface and subsurface indicators is the relevance to the dominant recharge and discharge processes occurring and the use of appropriate remote sensing and GIS techniques with the capacity to identify these processes.

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Résumé Sur un bassin versant, l’identification des zones d’alimentation et des aires d’émergence des eaux souterraines est capitale pour mettre en œuvre des stratégies de réduction de la salinité, de gestion des eaux souterraines et superficielles, et de protection des écosystèmes. Une approche synergique a été développée, sur la base de recherches existantes pour cartographier de manière systématique les zones de recharge et d'émergence. Elle combine des techniques de télédétection et de Systèmes d’Information Géographique, dans le but de cartographier les zones d’alimentation et d’émergence. Ces techniques ont été appliquées à un aquifère basaltique libre, dans un secteur sujet à la sécheresse et à la salinité du Sud-Est australien. L’aquifère considéré couvre environ 11,500 km² d’une région essentiellement agricole. Un inventaire des processus hydrogéologiques locaux a conduit à l’établissement d’une série d’indicateurs superficiels et subsuperficiels des zones d’alimentation et d’émergence. Plusieurs méthodes de télédétection et de SIG furent alors utilisées pour cartographier ces indicateurs de surface, y compris les analyses de terrain, le suivi de l’activité de la végétation et la cartographie des capacités d’infiltration. Toutes les régions en dehors des zones d'émergence sont considérées commes des zones d'alimentation potentielles. Un des composants clés de l’attribution des indicateurs superficiels et subsuperficiels est la concordance avec les processus majeurs d’alimentation et de prélèvement entrant en jeu, et l’utilisation de méthodes de télédétection et SIG adaptées permettant d’identifier ces processus.

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Resumen La identificación de áreas de descarga y recarga de agua subterránea es crítica para la implementación de estrategias efectivas relacionadas con mitigación de salinidad, gestión de recursos de agua subterránea y agua superficial, y protección de ecosistemas. En este estudio se ha desarrollado un enfoque sinérgico apoyándose en investigación existente el cual aplica una combinación de técnicas de sistemas de información geográfico (SIG) y sensores remotos para cartografiar áreas de recarga y descarga de agua subterránea. Este enfoque se aplica a un acuífero de basalto no confinado en una región del sureste de Australia propensa a sequía y salinidad. El acuífero de basalto cubre aproximadamente 11,500 km² en una región con agricultura intensiva. Una revisión de los procesos hidrogeológicos locales permitió el establecimiento de una serie de indicadores superficiales y subterráneos de áreas de recarga y descarga de agua subterránea. Luego se utilizaron varias técnicas de SIG y sensores remotos para cartografiar estos indicadores superficiales incluyendo: análisis del terreno, monitoreo de la actividad de la vegetación, y cartografiado de la capacidad de infiltración. Todas las regiones donde el agua subterránea no descarga en la superficie fueron consideradas áreas potenciales de recarga. Este enfoque que se ha aplicado sistemáticamente a través de la cuenca aporta un marco para la cartografía de áreas de recarga y descarga. Un componente clave en la asignación de indicadores superficiales y subterráneos lo constituye la relevancia a los procesos dominantes de recarga y descarga que ocurren y el uso de técnicas apropiadas de SIG y sensores remotos con la capacidad para identificar esos procesos.

     

A modified iterative sandwich method for determination of near-solidus partial melt compositions. I. Theoretical considerations

The sandwich technique for determining the composition of partial melts in equilibrium with mantle lithologies may be a particularly powerful method for determining melt compositions at the onset of melting if the method is applied iteratively. However, conventional iterative sandwich experiments, in which the liquid from a preceding experiment is used as the “meat” of the sandwich in the following experiment, may require many iterations before the melts produced can be directly relatable to the melting relations of the target bulk rock composition. A modified iterative sandwich experimental (MISE) technique is proposed that may circumvent many of the problems of more conventional techniques. Consideration of experimental uncertainties, including both random and systematic errors in determination of partial melt compositions as well as the influence of errors in estimates of the solidus temperature of the rock of interest, suggests that the MISE technique may produce robust results even when melt composition errors are significant and that errors in estimation of the solidus location are detectable and therefore avoidable.     

Spatial analysis of tilt and gravity observations of Earth tides in western Europe

Summary. Tidal gravity and tilt data are available with a great density in western Europe, so that local and regional variability of Earth tides are well documented. O1 and M2 are the most reliable waves and the relevant ocean loads are deduced from some cotidal charts and from Green's functions given by Farrell. The reliability of the charts is proved a posteriori by the convergence of O1 and M2 with respect to body tides for tilt and gravity. It is shown that a spatial trend of the gravimetric factor exists but cannot be analysed because of scatter in the data. For tilt tides the importance of the load due to the Bay of Biscay is emphasized; by considering tilt and strain powers, it is shown in a global approach that the noise is in favour of a local tilt-strain coupling, and it is proved that in each station a quantitative estimate of this phenomenon can be obtained by a statistical analysis derived from a theoretical scheme (King et al. ) in as much as the ocean load is known with sufficient accuracy; an appraisal of the diminishing tilt factor is then deduced simultaneously.     

Joint Electrical and Time Domain Electromagnetism (TDEM) Data Inversion Applied to the Super Sauze Earthflow (France)

In order to evaluate the risk of an earthflow to evolve abruptly into torrential surge, knowledge of its internal structure is necessary. This study deals with the internal structure of the Super Sauze earthflow developed in black marls in the southern French Alps. Difficulties in this study area are a rough topography, surface heterogeneities and a large thickness variability of the earthflow mass. These conditions hamper the application of geotechnical methods as a preferred investigation mean. Moreover, they pose problems to geophysical investigations and their interpretation.This paper shows the advantage offered by the joint inversion of Time Domain ElectroMagne-tism data (TDEM) and data obtained from Direct Current soundings (DC). The results of the joint inversions are checked using geotechnical data. The internal structure of the earthflow interpreted on the basis of joint inversion data is comparable to that obtained from geotechnical results. Moreover, contrary to separate electrical and TDEM inversions, a satisfactory joint inversion model can be derived without supplying additional a priori information.     

Arsenic incorporation into FeS2 pyrite and its influence on dissolution: A DFT study

FeS₂ pyrite can incorporate large amounts of arsenic (up to ca. 10 wt%) and hence has a strong impact on the mobility of this toxic metalloid. Focussing on the lowest arsenic concentrations for which the incorporation occurs in solid solution, the substitution mechanisms involved have been investigated by assuming simple incorporation reactions in both oxidising and reducing conditions. The solution energies were calculated by Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations and we predict that the formation of AsS dianion groups is the most energetically favourable mechanism. The results also suggest that the presence of arsenic will accelerate the dissolution and thus the generation of acid drainage, when the crystal dissolves in oxidising conditions.     

Type C Ca, Al-rich inclusions from Allende: Evidence for multistage formation

The coarse-grained, igneous, anorthite-rich (Type C) CAIs from Allende studied (100, 160, 6-1-72, 3529-40, CG5, ABC, TS26, and 93) have diverse textures and mineralogies, suggesting complex nebular and asteroidal formation histories. CAIs 100, 160, 6-1-72, and 3529-40 consist of Al,Ti-diopside (fassaite; 13-23 wt% Al₂O₃, 2-14 wt% TiO₂), Na-bearing åkermanitic melilite (0.1-0.4 wt% Na₂O; Åk_30-75), spinel, and fine-grained (∼5-10 μm) anorthite groundmass. Most of the fassaite and melilite grains have “lacy” textures characterized by the presence of abundant rounded and prismatic inclusions of anorthite ∼5-10 μm in size. Lacy melilite is pseudomorphed to varying degrees by grossular, monticellite, and pure forsterite or wollastonite. CAI 6-1-72 contains a relict Type B CAI-like portion composed of polycrystalline gehlenitic melilite (Åk_10-40), fassaite, spinel, perovskite, and platinum-group element nuggets; the Type B-like material is overgrown by lacy melilite and fassaite. Some melilite and fassaite grains in CAIs 100 and 160 are texturally similar to those in the Type B portion of 6-1-72. CAIs ABC and TS26 contain relict chondrule fragments composed of forsteritic olivine and low-Ca pyroxene; CAI 93 is overgrown by a coarse-grained igneous rim of pigeonite, augite, and anorthitic plagioclase. These three CAIs contain very sodium-rich åkermanitic melilite (0.4-0.6 wt% Na₂O; Åk_63-74) and Cr-bearing Al,Ti-diopside (up to 1.6 wt% Cr₂O₃, 1-23 wt% Al₂O, 0.5-7 wt% TiO₂). Melilite and anorthite in the Allende Type C CAI peripheries are replaced by nepheline and sodalite, which are crosscut by andradite-bearing veins; spinel is enriched in FeO. The CAI fragment CG5 is texturally and mineralogically distinct from other Allende Type Cs. It is anorthite-poor and very rich in spinel poikilitically enclosed by Na-free gehlenitic melilite (Åk_20-30), fassaite, and anorthite; neither melilite nor pyroxene have lacy textures; secondary minerals are absent. The Al-rich chondrules 3655b-2 and 3510-7 contain aluminum-rich and ferromagnesian portions. The Al-rich portions consist of anorthitic plagioclase, Al-rich low-Ca pyroxene, and Cr-bearing spinel; the ferromagnesium portions consist of fosteritic olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, and opaque nodules.We conclude that Type C CAIs 100, 160, 6-1-72, and 3529-40 formed by melting of coarse-grained Type B-like CAIs which experienced either extensive replacement of melilite and spinel mainly by anorthite and diopside (traces of secondary Na-bearing minerals, e.g., nepheline or sodalite, might have formed as well), or addition of silica and sodium during the melting event. CG5 could have formed by melting of fine-grained spinel-melilite CAI with melilite and spinel partially replaced anorthite and diopside. CAIs ABC, 93, and TS-26 experienced melting in the chondrule-forming regions with addition of chondrule-like material, such as forsteritic olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, and high-Ca pyroxene. Anorthite-rich chondrules formed by melting of the Al-rich (Type C CAI-like) precursors mixed with ferromagnesian, Type I chondrule-like precursors. The Allende Type C CAIs and Al-rich chondrules experienced fluid-assisted thermal metamorphism, which resulted in pseudomorphic replacement of melilite and anorthite by grossular, monticellite, and forsterite (100, 160, 6-1-72, 3592-40) or by grossular, monticellite, and wollastonite (ABC, 93, TS-26). The pseudomorphic replacement was followed or accompanied by iron-alkali metasomatic alteration resulting in replacement of melilite and anorthite by nepheline and sodalite, enrichment of spinel in FeO, and precipitation of salite-hedenbergite pyroxenes, wollastonite, and andradite in fractures and pores in and around CAIs.     

Mercury transformations and fluxes in sediments of a riverine wetland

Porewater samples were obtained on five occasions during spring, summer and fall by in situ dialysis from three sites of a large freshwater wetland situated along the St. Lawrence River. These samples were analysed for total dissolved mercury ([Hg]_T) and methylmercury ([MeHg]) concentrations and for complementary variables including dissolved sulfate, sulfide and elemental sulfur concentrations. Sediment cores were obtained on three occasions from one of these sites for the determination of total mercury ({Hg}_T) and methylmercury ({MeHg}) concentration as well as mercury methyltransferase (HgMT) activity profiles. {MeHg} and HgMT activity varied with time and sediment depth. The porewater [Hg]_T and [MeHg] depth profiles varied with time and among sites. Modeling the porewater [MeHg] profiles with a one-dimensional reaction-transport equation allowed identification of the sediment depths where MeHg is produced or consumed, as well as an estimate of the net in situ MeHg production rates in the sediments. The model-predicted depths of MeHg production, as well as the sulfate concentration and the HgMT activity depth distributions are all consistent with the involvement of sulfate reducing bacteria in the production of MeHg.     

Timing of surficial process changes down a Mojave Desert piedmont

We measured ¹⁰Be and ²⁶Al in 29 sediment samples to infer the history and millennial-scale rates of change down a low-gradient piedmont, a common but enigmatic landform that dominates the Mojave Desert. Nuclide data suggest that a large volume of sediment was deposited on the proximal East Range Road piedmont in Fort Irwin, California, ∼ 75,500 yr ago. Since then, this material has been stable or eroding slowly. In contrast, on the distal piedmont (3.5 km from the upland source basins) soil stratigraphy suggests that there have been alternating periods of surface stability, erosion, and deposition over the last 70,000 yr. Nuclide data from samples amalgamated along cross-piedmont transects suggest that long-term average down-gradient sediment speeds range from 9 cm yr^− 1 near the uplands to 22 cm yr^− 1 6 km down-piedmont. These speeds are similar to ¹⁰Be-estimated sediment speeds down three other piedmonts in the Mojave Desert, suggesting that piedmont surface morphologies dominated by shallow migrating channels have similar sediment transport rates. The timing of surface process change down the East Range Road piedmont is determined by a combination of sediment available in the source basins, sediment transport rates, and the size of the piedmont.     

A diverse rodent fauna from the middle Bartonian (Eocene) of Les Alleveys,Switzerland: snapshot of the early theridomyid radiation

A fossiliferous fissure filling at Les Alleveys, Mormont (Canton de Vaud, Switzerland), sampled in 1986 and representing part of the same fissure system as that excavated by Chavannes and Morlot in 1852, contains an Eocene mammal fauna of 27 species-group taxa, dominated by micromammals. Unlike the 1852 collection, thanks to screenwashing techniques, there is an abundance of rodents, especially theridomyids, which provide new information on the early radiation of the family. The homogeneity of the new assemblage suggests that the Les Alleveys fauna is entirely Bartonian in age and not as previously thought mixed with Priabonian elements. Bartonian faunas rich in a diversity of micromammals are relatively uncommon in Europe outside the Quercy region of France and this is the first such fauna from Mormont and from Switzerland. The rodents are here treated systematically and a new species of Elfomys, E. engesseri sp. nov. is described. A few teeth of an undescribed species tentatively referred to ‘Protadelomys’ provide an archaic element, whereas a single milk premolar of Patriotheridomys? suggests a considerable range for the genus prior to the middle Priabonian. The Les Alleveys theridomyids, together with a range of other early family members are analysed cladistically. The analysis confirms both the distinctness of the subfamily Remyinae and that the genus Estellomys is a primitive theridomyine; it shows Paradelomys to be a primitive member of the Columbomyinae, but finds no dental synapomorphies to support the Issiodoromyinae as represented by Elfomys and Pseudoltinomys.