Die alpidischen Stockwerke der südlichen Ägäis

Zusammenfassung Im Bereich der südlichen Ägäis überlagern vier allochthone Stockwerke den autochthonen Plattenkalk (Perm-Oligozän). Die allochthonen Serien entstammen ursprünglich konzentrisch angeordneten mesozoisch-alttertiären Faziesräumen der zentralen Ägäis. Die tektonische Abfolge aus neritischen Karbonaten, pelagischen Karbonaten und einem vulkano-sedimentären Komplex, die durch inkompetente Zwischenmittel (Mélange) getrennt werden, besteht über den gesamten Bogen. Fazielle und stratigraphische Merkmale sowie die Art der Deformation ermöglichen die Korrelation der Teilprofile des südägäischen Deckenstapels und dessen Anknüpfung an die südwestliche Türkei. Die kinematische Analyse des Deckenbaus führt zu dem Bild eines sich ausbreitenden Mantel-Diapirs, an dessen geneigter Grenzfläche ein gravitativer Transport ausgelöst wurde.

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In the realm of the Southern Aegean Arc four allochthonous units are piled up above the autochthonous Cherty Limestone (Permian-Oligocene). The allochthonous units are derived from different Mesozoic to Paleogene facies zones which originally were arranged in concentric belts in the Central Aegean Sea. The nappe pile consists — from bottom to top — of neritic carbonates, pelagic carbonates and a volcano-sedimentary complex along the entire arc. These competent units are separated by incompetent members of mainly flyschoid sediments, acting as lubricants. The intercalated sediments were deformed to mélanges due to tectonic transport. Facies analysis, stratigraphy and the style of deformation lead to a correlation of type sections of the southern Aegean nappe pile and its relation to the southwestern part of Turkey. The nappe transport is caused by diapiric uplift and lateral shifting of a thermal dome. A radial gravity transport occurred on its inclined boundary plane.

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Résumé Dans la région de l'Egée méridionale le Calcaire en plaquettes, en position autochthone (Permian-Oligocène) repose sous quatre unités allochthones. Les séries allochthones proviennent de différentes zones de faciès mésozoique-paléogène qui à l'origine étaient disposées concentriquement dans l'Égée centrale. Les nappes sont constituées tout le long de l'arc entier pour des carbonates néritiques, des carbonates pélagiques et un complexe volcano-sédimentaire. Ces unités compétentes sont séparées par des formations incompétentes, notamment des sédiments flyschoides qui ont servi de lubrificant. Ces sédiments intercalés ont été déformés en mélanges par le transport tectonique. Des caractéristiques de faciès et d'ordre stratigraphique, et le style de la déformation rendent possible la corrélation entre les fractions des nappes sud-égéennes et leur rattachement au sud-ouest de la Turquie. Le transport des nappes est lié au déploiement latéral de l'enveloppe d'un dôme diapirique, qui a déclanché un transport radial, par gravité, le long de sa base inclinée.

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Diese Untersuchungen wurden im Rahmen des Schwerpunktprogrammes Geodynamik des mediterranen Raumes der Deutschen Forschungsgemeinschaft durchgeführt und gefördert. Ausgehend von einer Geländetätigkeit auf Kreta in den Jahren 1973–1975 erfolgten im Herbst 1975 Vergleichsbegehungen auf dem Peloponnes, auf Rhodos und den Kykladen. Von den Mitarbeitern des Institutes für Geologie und Paläontologie der TU Braunschweig übernahmen dankenswerterweise FrauBeddies und FrauBusch die Niederschrift des Manuskriptes sowie Übersetzungsarbeiten. HerrStosnach führte freundlicherweise die Reinzeichnung der Abbildungen und Fotoarbeiten aus.     

Setting nutrient thresholds to support an ecological assessment based on nutrient enrichment, potential primary production and undesirable disturbance

The EU Water Framework Directive recognises that ecological status is supported by the prevailing physico-chemical conditions in each water body. This paper describes an approach to providing guidance on setting thresholds for nutrients taking account of the biological response to nutrient enrichment evident in different types of water. Indices of pressure, state and impact are used to achieve a robust nutrient (nitrogen) threshold by considering each individual index relative to a defined standard, scale or threshold. These indices include winter nitrogen concentrations relative to a predetermined reference value; the potential of the waterbody to support phytoplankton growth (estimated as primary production); and detection of an undesirable disturbance (measured as dissolved oxygen). Proposed reference values are based on a combination of historical records, offshore (limited human influence) nutrient concentrations, literature values and modelled data. Statistical confidence is based on a number of attributes, including distance of confidence limits away from a reference threshold and how well the model is populated with real data. This evidence based approach ensures that nutrient thresholds are based on knowledge of real and measurable biological responses in transitional and coastal waters.     

Application of numerical modelling to a case of compaction-driven dolomitization: a Jurassic palaeohigh in the Po Plain, Italy

Dolomitization of a carbonate platform can occur at different times and in different diagenetic environments, from synsedimentary to deep burial settings. Numerical simulations are valuable tools to test and select the model that, among different hypotheses compatible with field and geochemical data, best honour mass balance, kinetic and thermodynamic constraints. Moreover, the simulation can predict the distribution of the dolomitized bodies in the subsurface and evaluate porosity changes; valuable information for the oil industry. This study is the first attempt to reproduce and investigate the compaction dolomitization model. The diagenetic study of the Jurassic carbonate basin and palaeohigh system of the Po Plain indicates that the carbonates of the palaeohighs were dolomitized by basin compaction fluids. The main goal of the simulations is to evaluate the origin and evolution of the dolomitizing fluids and to provide insights regarding the distribution of the potential reservoir‐dolomitized bodies in the Po Plain. The modelling process is subdivided into two steps: basin modelling and reactive transport modelling. The SEBE3 basin simulator (Eni proprietary) was used to create a three‐dimensional model of the compacting system. The results include compaction fluid flow rate from the basin to the palaeohigh, compaction duration and a determination of the total amount of fluid introduced into the palaeohigh. These data are then used to perform reactive transport modelling with the TOUGHREACT code. Sensitivities on dolomite kinetic parameters suggest that dolomitization was an efficient process even at low temperatures, with differences mainly related to the dynamics of the process. Fluid composition is one of the main constraints, the sea water derived compaction fluid is proven to be efficient for dolomitization due to its relatively high Mg content. Simulations also confirmed that permeability is the most important factor influencing fluid flow and, consequently, the dolomite distribution in the formation. Permeable fractured zones have a strong influence, diverting the dolomitizing fluids from their normal path towards overlying or lateral zones. Moreover, the simulations showed that, after dolomite replacement is complete, the dolomitizing fluids can precipitate dolomite cement, causing over‐dolomitization, with related localized plugging effects in the zone of influx. Mass balance calculations indicate that in the dolomitization compaction model, the amount of compaction water fluxed from the basin to the carbonate is the main constraint on dolomitization efficiency. This observation implies that the ratio between the volume of the basin undergoing compaction and the volume of the palaeohigh is a limiting factor on the final size of the dolomitized bodies. An isolated palaeohigh could be an ideal site for pervasive replacement dolomitization due to the large volume of compaction fluids available compared with the carbonate rock volume. In the case of large platforms, the more permeable margin lithofacies are the most likely sites for compaction model dolomitization. The combined use of a basin simulator and reactive transport modelling has proved to be a successful method to verify model reliability and it provides insights into the volumetric distribution of diagenetic products.     

Scales and causes of heterogeneity in bars in a large multi‐channel river: Río Paraná, Argentina

To date, published studies of alluvial bar architecture in large rivers have been restricted mostly to case studies of individual bars and single locations. Relatively little is known about how the depositional processes and sedimentary architecture of kilometre‐scale bars vary within a multi‐kilometre reach or over several hundreds of kilometres downstream. This study presents Ground Penetrating Radar and core data from 11, kilometre‐scale bars from the Río Paraná, Argentina. The investigated bars are located between 30 km upstream and 540 km downstream of the Río Paraná – Río Paraguay confluence, where a significant volume of fine‐grained suspended sediment is introduced into the network. Bar‐scale cross‐stratified sets, with lengths and widths up to 600 m and thicknesses up to 12 m, enable the distinction of large river deposits from stacked deposits of smaller rivers, but are only present in half the surface area of the bars. Up to 90% of bar‐scale sets are found on top of finer‐grained ripple‐laminated bar‐trough deposits. Bar‐scale sets make up as much as 58% of the volume of the deposits in small, incipient mid‐channel bars, but this proportion decreases significantly with increasing age and size of the bars. Contrary to what might be expected, a significant proportion of the sedimentary structures found in the Río Paraná is similar in scale to those found in much smaller rivers. In other words, large river deposits are not always characterized by big structures that allow a simple interpretation of river scale. However, the large scale of the depositional units in big rivers causes small‐scale structures, such as ripple sets, to be grouped into thicker cosets, which indicate river scale even when no obvious large‐scale sets are present. The results also show that the composition of bars differs between the studied reaches upstream and downstream of the confluence with the Río Paraguay. Relative to other controls on downstream fining, the tributary input of fine‐grained suspended material from the Río Paraguay causes a marked change in the composition of the bar deposits. Compared to the upstream reaches, the sedimentary architecture of the downstream reaches in the top ca 5 m of mid‐channel bars shows: (i) an increase in the abundance and thickness (up to metre‐scale) of laterally extensive (hundreds of metres) fine‐grained layers; (ii) an increase in the percentage of deposits comprised of ripple sets (to >40% in the upper bar deposits); and (iii) an increase in bar‐trough deposits and a corresponding decrease in bar‐scale cross‐strata (<10%). The thalweg deposits of the Río Paraná are composed of dune sets, even directly downstream from the Río Paraguay where the upper channel deposits are dominantly fine‐grained. Thus, the change in sedimentary facies due to a tributary point‐source of fine‐grained sediment is primarily expressed in the composition of the upper bar deposits.