Structure-from-motion,multi-view stereo photogrammetry applied to line-scan sediment core images

Journal of Paleolimnology - Images of sediment cores are often acquired to preserve primary color information, before such profiles are altered by subsequent sampling and destructive analyses. In...     

Tertiary remagnetization of normal polarity in Mesozoic marly limestones from SE France

The results of our new paleomagnetic investigations on 21 sites in the Cévennes and Lure regions as well as previous studies demonstrate that all Mesozoic marly limestones of SE France exhibit similar paleomagnetic behavior with remagnetization disputed in age. The studied areas have the particularity to have been folded before (Late Eocene), the Alpine folding (Oligo–Miocene). Samples (201 marly limestones) dated from Lower Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous have been demagnetized by thermal treatment. They all present a well-defined component with a normal polarity which was mostly obtained between 200 and 350 °C. Numerous arguments lead from pretectonic to syntectonic widespread remagnetization related to orogenic fluid circulation affecting the whole basin. An Eocene age (between 35 and 40 Ma) is obtained for this remagnetization thanks both to the comparison of the average inclination of all regional paleomagnetic studies (+54.9°/−1.5°) with the expected paleomagnetic inclination and the syntectonic character of remagnetization.     

Local erosion rates versus active tectonics: cosmic ray exposure modelling in Provence (south-east France)

Over the past decade, in situ-produced cosmogenic nuclides have revolutionised the study of landscape evolution. In particular, numerous studies have demonstrated that, in active tectonic settings, cosmic ray exposure dating of deformed or displaced geomorphic features makes it possible to quantify long-term deformation rates. In western European countries, erosion due to climatically driven processes and human activities is probably the factor that most limits the accuracy of exposure ages and landscape modification rates. In this study, we present the results of a depth-profiling technique applied to alluvial terraces located along the Rhône and the Moyenne Durance rivers. The expected decrease with depth of the measured ¹⁰Be concentrations has been modelled using a χ² inversion method in order to constrain the exposure history of the alluvial sediments. The results suggest that: (1) over the Quaternary, the local surface erosion rates including both regional uplift and climatically driven processes acting on landforms are on the order of 30 m/Myr in southeastern France, and (2) providing a fairly good bracketing of the exposure age, the modelled abandonment age of alluvial terraces affected by the Moyenne Durance Fault allows estimating incision rates, comparing the alluvial terrace elevations with topographic river profiles, and a minimum vertical slip rate value of roughly 0.02 mm/yr for the southern segment of the Moyenne Durance Fault.     

UPb and RbSr geochronology of the eastern part of the south Rogaland igneous complex,southern Norway

The successive intrusive events in the eastern part of the south Rogaland anorthosito-mangeritic complex have been dated by the UPb method applied to zircon, sphene, monazite, uraninite and accessorily by the RbSr whole rock isochron method. The whole magmatic activity in that part of the complex takes place in a short time interval: between 955 m.y., the intrusion age of the Bjerkrem-Sogndal layered norites, and 910 m.y., the emplacement age of a pergmatite in the Lyngdal granodiorite. The UPb geochronological data are consistent with field and petrological data on origin and mutual relations of the intrusives. The RbSr data give incoherent results probably due to open system behaviour in some cases.     

OBSERVATION OF THE UV SOLAR SPECTRAL IRRADIANCE BETWEEN 200 AND 350 nm DURING THE ATLAS I MISSION BY THE SOLSPEC SPECTROMETER

The SOLSPEC instrument has been built to carry out solar spectral irradiance measurements from space. It consists of three spectrometers designed to measure the solar spectral irradiance from 180 to 3000 nm. It flew for the first time in December 1983 with the SpaceLab 1 mission (SL1) and later with the ATLAS missions after significant improvement of the instrument optics and calibration procedures. For the ATLAS 1 mission in March 1992, the thermal conditions encountered during the measurements were better than those of SL1, leading to better data quality. Furthermore, other Sun spectrometers, two on the same platform and two others on board the Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite, have also carried out UV absolute spectral measurements at the same time. These opportunities allowed comparisons of solar irradiance determinations. The UV part of the measurements made during that mission is presented here as well as its calibration and accuracy analysis.     

Cementation of kerogen-rich marls by alkaline fluids released during weathering of thermally metamorphosed marly sediments. Part I: Isotopic (C,O) study of the Khushaym Matruk natural analogue (central Jordan)

The Khushaym Matruk site in central Jordan may represent a natural analogue depicting the interaction of alkaline solutions with a clayey sedimentary formation or with clay-rich confining barriers at the interface with concrete structures in waste disposal sites. In this locality, past spontaneous combustion of organic matter in a clayey biomicritic formation produced a ca. 60 m-thick layer of cement-marble containing some of the high-temperature phases usually found in industrial cements (e.g., spurrite, brucite, and Ca-aluminate). A vertical cross-section of the underlying sediments was used in order to study the interaction between cement-marbles and neighbouring clayey limestones under weathering conditions. A thermodynamic approach of the alteration parageneses (calcite–jennite–afwillite–brucite and CSH phases) in the cement-marbles constrains the interacting solutions to have had pH-values between 10.5 and 12. Over 3 m, the sediments located beneath the metamorphic unit were compacted and underwent carbonation. They display large C and O isotopic variations with respect to “pristine” sediments from the bottom of the section. Low δ¹³C-values down to −31.4‰/PDB show the contribution of CO₂ derived from the oxidization of organic matter and from the atmosphere to the intense carbonation process affecting that particular sedimentary level. The size of the C isotopic anomalies, their geometrical extent and their coincidence with the variations of other markers like the Zn content, the structure of organic matter, the mineralogical composition, all argue that the carbonation process was induced by the percolation of high pH solutions which derived from the alteration of cement-marbles. The temperature of the carbonation process remains conjectural and some post-formation O isotopic reequilibration likely affected the newly-formed carbonate. Carbonation induced a considerable porosity reduction, both in fractures and matrixes. The Khushaym Matruk site may have some bearing to the early life of a repository site, when water saturation of the geological formations hosting the concrete structures is incomplete, enabling simultaneous diffusion of alkaline waters and gaseous CO₂ in the near field.     

TOWARDS A BETTER FORECAST FOR RESERVOIR SLOPE SLIDING

The siltation of reservoir causes many problems of management and environmental disturbances that are important to minimize. Solving these problems requires in particular a good knowledge of mud bank instabilities. In partnership with the Laboratoire National d'Hydraulique (LNH), a subsidiary of Electricite de France (E.D.F.), authors realize a study of soft soils sliding entailed by reservoir emptying. Using a geotechnical flat sliding mechanism, the theoretical formulation of the safety factor can be established when the sediment mass is submerged and emergent. The measurement campaign carried out makes it possible to obtain bathymetric and topographic surveys and a geotechnical characterization of the soil for the whole reservoir of Grangent dam, located on the Loire (France). The proposed model appears to agree satisfactorily with the instability of the zones emerged because of the emptying and with the stability of the profile after emptying. The use of this model within the framework of forecasts     

Contribution of enclave studies to the understanding of origin and evolution of granitic magmas

Enclaves give important information on the origin and evolution of granitic magmas.The presence in a granite of surmicaceous enclaves (restites) is good evidence of continental crust contribution to magma genesis. The presence of dark microgranular enclaves is an indication of mantle contribution. The joint presence in the same granite of the two types of enclaves indicates that its magma has probably more than one source.Dark microgranular enclaves, and their host granites as well, are hybridized rocks resulting from incomplete mixing (or mingling) of more acidic and basic components. Enclave studies allow one to specify mixing conditions.When mixing occurs relatively early with respect to granite crystallization, only earlier-formed granitic minerals (zircon, apatite ...) may be incorporated in the basic magma. When mixing occurs later all granitic minerals may be involved.When all the dark microgranular enclaves of a granite are similar, the intervention of a single mixing event can be assumed. On the contrary, when several chemically and mineralogically contrasted varieties occur, several mixing events can be assumed. The order of these events may be deduced from the nature of the granitic minerals present in the enclaves (early of late minerals) or sometimes by observation of double enclaves.Enclave shapes bring information on the distance between the place of mixing and the place of observation. Enclaves with irregular or crenulated margins, or with chilled margins as well, always occur near mixing places. The enclave transport in the magma makes these characteristics disappear.In spite of hybridization processes, the primitive composition of the basic component of the mixture may sometimes be recognized. A systematic identification of this component in the different granites from the same orogen should allow to understand the space and time evolution of basic magmatism in an orogen.Magma mixing is a cause of heterogeneity in granites, but it is also an important factor of homogenization as the thermal contribution of the basic magma produces new mingling of the components and sometimes new intrusive processes.

---

Zusammenfassung Einschlüsse in Graniten geben wichtige Auskünfte über die Herkunft und Entwicklung der granitischen Magmen.Das Vorkommen restitischer glimmerreicher Einschlüsse (»enclaves surmicacées«) beweist die Teilnahme kontinentaler Kruste an der Magmenbildung. Die kleinkörnigen dunklen Einschlüsse dagegen sind Hinweise auf die Beteiligung von Mantelmaterial. Das Auftreten beider Arten von Einschlüssen ist ein starkes Argument für das Zusammenwirken beider Prozesse.Die kleinkörnigen dunklen Einschlüsse und der sie einschlie\ende Granit sind hybride Gesteine, sie entstehen durch unvollständige Mischung eines basischen und eines sauren Magmas. Durch genauere Untersuchung der Einschlüsse lassen sich die Vorgänge der Vermischung noch weiter erschlie\en.Wenn die Vermischung in einem Zustand eintritt, in welchem die Magmen noch wenig kristallisiert sind, dann werden nur die frühesten Mineralbildungen des Granits (Zirkon, Apatit) in die Einschlüsse aufgenommen. In späteren Stadien können alle jeweils schon kristallisierten Mineralphasen ausgetauscht werden. Tritt nur ein Typ basischer Einschlüsse in einem Granit auf, so ist dies ein Argument für nur einen Akt der Magmenmischung. Kommen dagegen mehrere Arten basischer Einschlüsse in einem Granit vor, die chemisch und mineralogisch deutlich verschieden sind, dann kann mit mehreren Vermischungsphasen gerechnet werden. Ihre Abfolge kann aus der Natur der ausgetauschten Minerale (Frühbis Spätausscheidungen) oder gegebenenfalls aus »doppelten« Einschlüssen abgeleitet werden.Die Gestalt der basischen Einschlüsse hängt von dem Abstand zwischen dem Ort der ersten Magmenvermischung und dem jetzt erreichten Ort im Granitkörper ab. Einschlüsse mit unregelmä\igen oder gekräuselten (crenulated) Rändern befinden sich stets noch in der Nähe des Ortes der Vermischung. Einschlüsse mit glatten Umrissen und ovoidaler Gestalt haben einen mehr oder weniger weiten Transport hinter sich.Gelegentlich kann noch die ursprüngliche Zusammensetzung des basischen Magmas ermittelt werden. Die Kenntnis dieser Magmenanteile in allen Graniten eines Orogens könnte die Entwicklung der basischen Magmen während der Orogenese erkennen lassen.Die Vermischung mit basischem Magma ist zwar eine Ursache der Heterogenität von Granitkörpern, auf der anderen Seite bewirkt aber die Wärmezufuhr durch den basischen Anteil und der damit verbundene »Rühreffekt« eine Homogenisierung und Belebung des Intrusionsvorganges.

---

Résumé Les enclaves donnent d'importantes informations sur l'origine et l'évolution des magmas granitiques.La présence dans un granite d'enclaves surmicacées (restites) est une preuve de participation de la croûte continentale à la genèse de son magma. Celle d'enclaves microgrenues sombres est une preuve de contribution mantellique. La présence des deux types d'enclaves dans le mÊme granite est un fort argument pour une origine double.Les enclaves microgrenues sombres et le granite qui les entoure sont des roches hybrides résultant du mélange incomplet de magmas plus acides et plus basiques. L'étude des enclaves permet de préciser les conditions de mélange.Quand le mélange intervient à un stade où les magmas sont encore peu cristallisés, seuls les minéraux précoces (zircon, apatite) du granite sont incorporés dans les enclaves. Quand il se produit plus tardivement, toutes les phases minérales peuvent Être échangées.La présence d'un seul type d'enclaves basiques dans un granite est un argument pour l'intervention d'un seul stade de mélange. Au contraire, l'existence de plusieurs familles d'enclaves basiques, chimiquement et minéralogiquement bien différentes, témoigne de l'existence de plusieurs stades. L'ordre de ces événements peut Être déduit de la nature des minéraux échangés (précoces ou tardifs) ou parfois grâce à l'existence d'enclaves doubles.La forme des enclaves basiques renseigne sur la distance entre lieu de mélange et lieu d'observation. Les enclaves à bords irréguliers ou crénelés, ou avec bordures figées sont toujours proches du lieu de mélange. Les enclaves ovoÏdes, aux formes régulières, ont subi un transport plus ou moins long.La composition originale des magmas basiques mélangés peut parfois Être identifiée. Cette identification dans tous les granites d'un mÊme orogène permettrait de connaÎtre la distribution et l'évolution du magmatisme basique au cours de l'orogenèse.Les mélanges de magmas sont assurément une cause d'hétérogénéité des granites, mais ils sont aussi un important facteur d'homogénéisation car l'apport thermique des magmas basiques favorise le brassage magmatique et la reprise du mécanisme intrusif.

---

. ( enclaves surmicacées) , . . , . . , , , ( , ). . , . , , , , . (, ), . pc- . , . , . . . ; , .