Pegmatite Emplacement in the Seridó Belt, Northeastern Brazil: Late Stage Kinematics of the Brasiliano Orogen

Geometric and kinematic analysis was performed in an area located in the central part of the Seridó Belt (NE Brazil), where supracrustal rocks affected by polyphase deformation are well exposed. The first event recognized in this area (and regionally known as the D₂ deformation) is characterized by top to the south thrust tectonics while a second one (D₃ deformation) is marked by upright folds, strike-slip or transpressive shear zones and the development of flower structures. Major pegmatite swarms were emplaced during and late as regards the second event (dated ca. 580 Ma), being part of the Brasiliano orogeny; similar dyke swarms are known from the Nigerian Shield. These pegmatite swarms provide reliable kinematic markers of the late evolutionary stage of the Neoproterozoic Trans-Sahara-Borborema collisional belt. Mineralogical, geometric and kinematic features support two stages of pegmatite emplacement during the strike-slip event: (i) older, syn-D₃ homogeneous pegmatites intruded mostly along lithological and structural discontinuities, such as foliation surfaces; (ii) late, D₃ heterogeneous pegmatites were emplaced along tension gashes and other dilation structures. The heterogeneous pegmatites are economically more important, being exploited for precious metals and stones, as well as industrial minerals.     

Fine sediment transport and accumulations at the mouth of the Seine estuary (France)

A comprehensive study of fine sediment transport in the macrotidal Seine estuary has been conducted, including observations of suspended particulate matter (SPM), surficial sediment, and bathymetric data, as well as use of a three dimensional mathematical model. Tide, river regime, wind, and wave forcings are accounted. The simulated turbidity maximum (TM) is described in terms of concentration and location according to tidal amplitude and the discharge of the Seine River. The TM is mainly generated by tidal pumping, but can be concentrated or stretched by the salinity front. The computed deposition patterns depend on the TM location and are seasonally dependent. The agreement with observations is reasonable, although resuspension by waves may be overestimated. Although wave resuspension is likely to increase the TM mass, it generally occurs simultaneously with westerly winds that induce a transverse circulation at the mouth of the estuary and then disperse the suspended material. The resulting effect is an output of material related to wind and wave events, more than to high river discharge. The mass of the computed TM remains stable over 6 months and independent of the river regime, depending mainly on the spring tide amplitude. Computed fluxes at different cross-sections of the lower estuary show the shift to the TM according to the river flow and point out the rapidity of the TM adjustment to any change of river discharge. The time for renewing the TM by riverine particles has been estimated to be one year.     

Late- to post-orogenic basins of the Pan-African – Brasiliano collision orogen in southern Africa and southern Brazil

Late- to post-orogenic basins formed on both sides of the Pan-African – Brasiliano orogen when the Congo and Kalahari Cratons collided with the Rio de la Plata Craton during the formation of western Gondwana. Trace fossil evidence and radiometric age dating indicate that deposits on both sides are coeval and span the Cambrian–Precambrian boundary. A peripheral foreland basin, the Nama Basin, developed on the subducting southern African plate. Lower, craton-derived fluviomarine clastics are overlain by marine platform carbonates and deltaic flysch derived in part from the rising subduction complex along the northern (Damara Belt) and western (Gariep Belt) orogenic margins. Rare, thin volcanic ash layers (tuffs and cherts) are present. Upper sediments consist of unconformable red molasse related to collisional orogenesis. Orogenic loading from the north and west led to crustal flexure and the formation of a remnant ocean that drained to the south and closed progressively from north to south. During final collision SE-, E- and NE-verging nappes overrode the active basin margins. Although younger than most of the post-orogenic magmatism, its setting on the cratonic edge of the subducting plate precluded marked volcanism or granitic intrusion, the only exception being the youngest intrusions of the Kuboos-Bremen Suite dated at 521±6 Ma to 491±8 Ma. Two foreland-type basins, perhaps faulted remnants of a much larger NE–SW elongated retroarc foreland basin, are found west of the Dom Feliciano Belt on the edge of the Rio de la Plata Craton in southern Brazil. In the southern Camaqua Basin, basal fluvial deposits are followed by cyclical marine and coarsening-up deltaic deposits with a notable volcanic and volcaniclastic component. This lower deformed succession, comprising mainly red beds, contain stratabound Cu and Pb–Zn deposits and is overlain unconformably by a fluviodeltaic to aeolian succession of sandstones and conglomerates (with minor andesitic volcanics), derived primarily from an eastern orogenic source and showing southerly longitudinal transport. In the northern Itajaí Basin, sediments range from basal fluvial and platform sediments to fining-up submarine fan and turbidite deposits with intercalated acid tuffs. The Brazilian basins had faulted margins off which alluvial fans were shed. They also overlie parts of the Ribeira Belt. Thrust deformation along the orogenic margin bordering the Dom Feliciano Belt was directed westward in the Camaqua and Itajaí basins, but reactivated strike-slip and normal faults are also present. Late- to post-orogenic granitoids and volcanics of the Dom Feliciano Belt, ranging in age from 568±6 Ma to 529±4 Ma, occur in the foreland basins and are geochemically related to some of the synsedimentary volcanics.     

Controls on Quaternary coastal evolution of the east-northeastern coast of Brazil: roles of sea-level history, trade winds and climate

East-northeastern Brazil has a wave-dominated, micro- to meso-tidal coast, lying entirely within the southern Atlantic trade wind belt. Integration of geologic mapping, radiocarbon dating and vibracoring data shows that the Quaternary coastal evolution of this area was controlled by three major factors: (1) sea-level history; (2) trade winds; and (3) climate change.

Sea-level history. Along the east-northeastern coast of Brazil, relative sea level has fallen approximately 5 m during the last 5000 y. Correlation of this sea-level history with the evolution of beach-ridge, lagoonal and coastal plain deposits shows that: (1) sea-level rise favours the formation of barrier island—lagoonal systems and the construction of intralagoonal deltas; (2) sea-level lowering is not conductive to barrier island formation. Rather, lagoons and bays become emergent and beach-ridge plains rapidly prograde.

Trade winds. Sediment dispersal systems along the coastal zone of east-northeastern Brazil have been highly persistent since Pleistocene time, as deduced from beach-ridge orientation. This persistence results from the fact that sediment dispersal in wave-dominated settings is ultimately controlled by atmospheric circulation which, for the east-northeastern coast of Brazil is associated with the South Atlantic high-pressure cell. The remarkable stability of this cell through time, has allowed the accumulation of extensive beach-ridge plains at the longshore drift sinks located along the coast.

Climate change. Effects of Quaternary climate changes on coastal sedimentation are twofold. Climate changes may affect rainfall patterns, thus exerting an important control on coastal dune development. Along the coast of northeastern Brazil, active coastal dunes are only present in those areas in which at least four consecutive dry months occur during the year. Mapping of these areas has shown that dune development during the Holocene has been episodic, these episodes being probably controlled by variations in rainfall patterns associated with climate changes. Secondly, despite its overall stability, the position of the high-pressure cell has experienced small shifts in position during the Holocene in response to climate changes. Changes in wind direction associated with these shifts have induced modifications in the coastal dispersion system, which are recorded in the strandplains as small truncations in the beach-ridge alignments.

These results have important implications in understanding accumulation of ancient sandstone shoreline sequences.     

Characterization of beryl (aquamarine variety) from pegmatites of Minas Gerais,Brazil

Eight samples of the beryl variety aquamarine were selected from four pegmatites in the Governador Valadares and Araçuaí regions in northeastern Minas Gerais State, Brazil. These samples were fully characterized by chemical analysis, infrared and UV-visible spectroscopy, thermal analyses, and high-temperature X-ray diffraction (from room temperature up to 800 °C). Several physical and chemical properties of beryl were found to depend on the amount of water and ions residing in the structural channels. The thermal expansion coefficients from room temperature to about 800 °C are temperature-independent, with αa ? ?3.2 × 10^?6 ° C^?1 and αc ? ?8.7 × 10^?6 ° C^?1. The contraction of both a and c unit-cell parameters with increasing temperature and the shift of the infrared band centered at about 1200 cm^?1 were tentatively ascribed to interactions between channel water and the silicate rings.The color of beryl seems to be dictated by the relative proportions of Fe³⁺ in the octahedralsites and of fe²⁺ in the channels. Thus, deep-blue samples have little Fe³⁺, whereas greener samples have more Fe³⁺ or less channel Fe²⁺.     

"三联式"资源定量预测与评价--数字找矿理论与实践探讨

随着信息技术的发展,矿产勘查已步入数字化,定量化研究的新阶段。“三联式”成矿预测及资源评价途径正是“数字找矿”的创新探索。“三联式”成矿预测以地质异常分析为基础,以成矿多样性分析与矿床谱系研究为指导,将地质异常,成矿多样性及矿床谱系三方面定量化研究紧密结合形成矿产预测及定量评价的有机切入点,是实现全面数字找矿的必由之路,也是矿产勘查评价领域应用信息技术的基础和前提。     

Observational study of the seasonality of the submonthly and intraseasonal signal over the tropics

Summary Atmospheric variability in outgoing long-wave radiation (OLR) and tropospheric relative vorticity (VOR) over the South American region was studied from 1979 to 1996 using the complex Morlet wavelet function. The analyses focus on spatial variation in intraseasonal and submonthly scales. Scalograms were used to measure submonthly intraseasonal oscillations in convection, which were found to be predominant in the tropical regions. However, 7-day and 15-day oscillations were observed at tropical and extratropical latitudes in spring and winter, indicating that transient disturbances play a more prominent role. Regarding VOR, tropical energy intensities were highest in the spring and summer, whereas subtropical and extratropical energy intensities were highest in the autumn and winter. The dynamics of the 25-day and 45-day VOR oscillations indicates a possible correlation with Rossby waves over the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, mainly during the summer. During winter, the 7-day and 15-day VOR oscillations are more frequent at higher latitudes and are enhanced along storm tracks. It was also observed that convection amplitudes in the regions of maximum intensity change appreciably from year to year and from season to season, showing that the behavior of the submonthly and intraseasonal oscillations is nonperiodic and correlates strongly with El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation years. These results confirm the efficiency of wavelet analysis for time-scale studies of atmospheric variability.     

Images of Gradual Millimeter Emission and Multi-Wavelength Observations of the 17 august 1994 Solar Flare

We present a comprehensive analysis of the 17 August 1994 flare, the first flare imaged at millimeter (86 GHz) wavelengths. The temporal evolution of this flare displays a prominent impulsive peak shortly after 01:02 UT, observed in hard X-rays and at microwave frequencies, followed by a gradual decay phase. The gradual phase was also detected at 86 GHz. Soft X-ray images show a compact emitting region (20), which is resolved into two sources: a footpoint and a loop top source. Nonthermal emissions at microwave and hard X-ray wavelengths are analyzed and the accelerated electron spectrum is calculated. This energy spectrum derived from the microwave and hard X-ray observations suggests that these emissions were created by the same electron population. The millimeter emission during the gradual phase is thermal bremsstrahlung originating mostly from the top of the flaring loop. The soft X-rays and the millimeter flux density from the footpoint source are only consistent with the presence of a multi-temperature plasma at the footpoint.     

A current ribbon model for energy storage and release with application to the flare of 7 January 1992

Observations of the flare on 7 January 1992 are interpreted using a topological model of the magnetic field. The model, developed here, applies a theory of three-dimensional reconnection to the inferred magnetic field configuration for 7 January. In the model field a new bipole ( 10²¹ Mx) emerges amidst pre-existing active region flux. This emergence gives rise to two current ribbons along the boundaries (separators) separating the distinct, new and old, flux systems. Sudden reconnection across these boundary curves transfers 3 ×10²⁰ Mx of flux from the bipole into the surrounding flux. The model also predicts the simultaneous (sympathetic) flaring of the two current ribbons. This explains the complex two-loop structure noted in previous observations of this flare. We subject the model predictions to comparisons with observations of the flare. The locations of current ribbons in the model correspond closely with those of observed soft X-ray loops. In addition the footpoints and apexes of the ribbons correspond with observed sources of microwave and hard X-ray emission. The magnitude of energy stored by the current ribbons compares favorably to the inferred energy content of accelerated electrons in the flare.     

Comparison of the SFI peculiar velocities with the IRAS 1.2-Jy gravity field

We present a comparison between the peculiar velocity fields measured from a recently completed l -band Tully–Fisher survey of field spirals (SFI) and that derived from the IRAS 1.2-Jy redshift survey galaxy distribution. The analysis is based on the expansion of these data in redshift space using smooth orthonormal functions, and is performed using low- and high-resolution expansions, with an effective smoothing scale which increases almost linearly with redshift. The effective smoothing scales at 3000 km s⁻¹ are 1500 and 1000 km s⁻¹ for the low- and high-resolution filters. The agreement between the high- and low-resolution SFI velocity maps is excellent. The general features in the filtered SFI and IRAS velocity fields agree remarkably well within 6000 km s⁻¹. This good agreement between the fields allows us to determine the parameter β = Ω^0.6 / b , where Ω is the cosmological density parameter, and b is the linear biasing factor. From a likelihood analysis on the SFI and IRAS modes we find that β = 0.6 ± 0.1, independently of the resolution of the modal expansion. For this value of β, the residual fields for the two filters show no systematic variations within 6000 km s⁻¹. Most remarkable is the lack of any coherent, redshift-dependent dipole flow in the residual field.