The Saxonian Granulites: a metamorphic core complex?

The brachyanticlinal structure of the Saxonian Granulite Complex was formed, or at least overprinted, by large-scale crustal extension, which is documented in an extreme reduction of the metamorphic profile and a pressure-temperature path with nearly isothermal decompression. the granulite is situated within a south-west-northeast trending belt characterized by basaltic volcanism and an intrabasinal, sediment-producing rise, both active in Frasnian times. These features are taken to reflect at least part of the extension which has exhumed the high grade rocks; however, Cambro-Ordovician rifting possibly initiated the process. The Frasnian palaeogeography and geophysical data suggest that the axis of the granulite dome extends at least 150 km towards the south-west. The overall setting strongly resembles the metamorphic core complexes of the western USA, but the exhumation of rocks preserving evidence of metamorphic pressures of 10–12 kbar requires much higher extensional strain, possibly due to the longer period of stretching. Early Carboniferous compression and minor post-collisional extension (Late Carboniferous to Permian) have not significantly modified the earlier geometry. U-Pb and Sm-Nd data ranging between 380 and 340 Ma are interpreted to record retrogression during uplift rather than peak metamorphism.     

The SOMS model and its application to Lake Neuchâtel

A three-dimensional numerical circulation model (SOMS) based on primitive equations is described. The algorithm, by which Coriolis and vertical diffusion terms are treated implicitly while mass is still conserved exactly (algebraically), is discussed in detail. The model is applied to Lake Neuchâtel (Switzerland), to determine the general circulation under influence of the most prevailing wind.     

Erosion rates in the southern oregon coast range: Evidence for an equilibrium between hillslope erosion and sediment yield

The relationship of hillslope erosion rates and sediment yield is often poorly defined because of short periods of measurement and inherent spatial and temporal variability in erosion processes. In landscapes containing hillslopes crenulated by alternating topographic noses and hollows, estimates of local hillslope erosion rates averaged over long time periods can be obtained by analysing colluvial deposits in the hollows. Hollows act as local traps for a portion of the colluvium transported down hillslopes, and erosion rates can be calculated using the age and size of the deposits and the size of the contributing source area. Analysis of colluvial deposits in nine Oregon Coast Range hollows has yielded average colluvial transport rates into the hollows of about 35cm³cm^?1yr^?1 and average bedrock lowering rates of about 0.07 mm yr^?1 for the last 4000 to 15000 yr. These rates are consistent with maximum bedrock exfoliation rates of about 0.09 mm yr^?1 calculated from six of the hollows, supporting the interpretation that exfoliation rates limit erosion rates on these slopes. Sediment yield measurements from nine Coast Range streams provide similar basin-wide denudation rates of between 0.05 and 0.08mm yr^?1, suggesting an approximate steady-state between sediment production on hillslopes and sediment yield. In addition, modern sediment yields are similar in basins varying in size from 1 to 1500 km², suggesting that erosion rates are spatially uniform and providing additional evidence for an approximate equilibrium in the landscape.     

Cathodoluminescence petrography of syntectonic quartz fibres

The cathodoluminescence of low grade metamorphic quartz is reported in the literature to be uniformly brown. This study describes an investigation of syntectonic quartz fibres from veins and pressure shadows contained in different carbonate units of the Helvetic Alps, Switzerland, and of Anglesey, U.K., with the Scanning Electron Microscope in the cathodoluminescence mode. The cathodoluminescence spectra measured show systematic variations between older and younger parts of the same fibre, and between fibres from different tectonic units. These variations can be related first to variations in the temperature of formation of the quartz fibres, and second to deformation-induced differences in the microstructure of the earlier formed parts of fibres during later imposed strains.     

Magmatism and metamorphism in the Ladakh Himalayas (the Indus-Tsangpo suture zone)

Ladakh (India) provides a complete geological section through the northwestern part of the Himalayas from Kashmir to Tibet. Within this section the magmatic, metamorphic and geotectonic evolution of the northern Himalayan orogeny has been studied using petrographic, geochemical and isotope analytical techniques.The beginning of the Himalayan cycle was marked by large basaltic extrusions (Panjal Trap) of Permian to Lower Triassic age at the “northern” margin of the Gondwana continent (Indian Shield). These continental type tholeiitic basalts were followed by a more alkaline volcanism within the Triassic to Jurassic Lamayuru unit of the Gondwana continental margin.Lower Jurassic to Cretaceous oceanic crust and sediments (ophiolitic mélange s.s.) accompany the Triassic to Cretaceous flysch deposits within the Indus-Tsangpo suture zone, the major structural divide between the Indian Shield (High Himalaya) and the Tibetan Platform. So far, no relic of Paleozoic oceanic crust has been found.Subduction of the Tethyan oceanic crust during Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous time produced an island arc represented by tholeiitic and calc-alkaline volcanic rock series (Dras volcanics) and related intrusives accompanied by volcaniclastic flysch deposits towards the Tibetan continental margin.Subsequent to the subduction of oceanic crust, large volumes of calc-alkaline plutons (Trans-Himalayan or Kangdese plutons) intruded the Tibetan continental margin over a distance of 2000 km and partly the Dras island arc in the Ladakh region.The collision of the Indian Shield and Tibetan Platform started during the middle to upper Eocene and caused large-scale, still active intracrustal thrusting as well as the piling up of the Himalayan nappes. The tectonically highest of these nappes is built up of oceanic crust and huge slices of peridotitic oceanic mantle (Spongtang klippe).In the High Himalayas the tectonic activity was accompanied and outlasted by a Barrovian-type metamorphism that affected Triassic sediments of the Kashmir-Nun-Kun synclinorium up to kyanite/staurolite grade and the deeper-seated units up to sillimanite grade. Cooling ages of micas are around 20 m.y. (muscovite) and 13 m.y. (biotite). Towards the Indus-Tsangpo suture zone metamorphism decreases with no obvious discontinuity through greenschist, prehnite-pumpellyite to zeolite grade. Remnants of possibly an Eo-Himalayan blueschist metamorphism have been found within thrust zones accompanying ophiolitic mélange in the suture zone.     

New data on the „Indosinian“ Orogeny from Central Thailand

The main aspects of the geosynclinal and orogenic evolution of the Petchabun foldbelt in Central Thailand are described. This area was previously thought to be deformed by the Indosinian (Triassic) orogeny. The new data show that the main orogenic event in Thailand can be dated: Post Lower Permian — Pre Uppermost Permian. Evidence is given that Paleotethys closed on Thai territory during this orogenic event. The known Upper Triassic deformations in Northern Thailand are supposed to be strictly intracontinental and therefore of minor importance.

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Zusammenfassung Die Grundzüge der geosynklinalen und orogenen Entwicklung des Faltengürtels von Petchabun werden beschrieben. Bisher wurde angenommen, daß dieses Gebiet während der Indosinischen Orogenese (Trias) deformiert wurde. Die neuen Daten belegen, daß die bedeutendste Orogenese in Thailand nach dem Unter Perm einsetzte (West-Thailand) und vor dem höchsten Perm abgeschlossen war (Petchabun). Die sog. Paleotethys wurde während dieser Orogenese hier geschlossen. Die bekannten obertriadischen Deformationen sind dagegen rein intrakontinental und somit von untergeordneter Bedeutung.

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Résumé Les traits principaux du développement géosynclinal et orogénique de la ceinture plissée du Petchabun (Thailande) sont décrits. Jusqu'à présent on pensait que cette région avait été déformée pendant l'orogenèse «Indosinienne» (Trias). Les données nouvelles indiquent que l'orogenèse la plus importante a commencée après le Permien inférieur (dans l'Ouest de la Thailande) et qu'elle s'est terminée avant le Permien supérieur (région de Petchabun). Ici, la soi-disant «Paléotéthys» s'est fermée au cours de cette orogenèse. Les déformations bien connues du Trias supérieur sont exclusivement intracontinentales et n'ont ainsi qu'une signification subordonnée.

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Efficiency of heavy liquid separation to concentrate magnetic particles

Low-temperature rock magnetic measurements have distinct diagnostic value. However, in most bulk marine sediments the concentration of ferrimagnetic and antiferromagnetic minerals is extremely low, so even sensitive instrumentation often responds to the paramagnetic contribution of the silicate matrix in the residual field of the magnetometer. Analysis of magnetic extracts is usually performed to solve the problems raised by low magnetic concentrations. Additionally magnetic extracts can be used for several other analyses, for example electron microscopy or X-ray diffraction. The magnetic extraction technique is generally sufficient for sediments dominated by magnetite. In this study however, we show that high-coercivity components are rather underrepresented in magnetic extracts of sediments with a more complex magnetic mineralogy. We test heavy liquid separation, using hydrophilic sodium polytungstenate solution Na₆[H₂W₁₂O₄₀], to demonstrate the efficiencies of both concentration techniques. Low-temperature cycling of zero-field-cooled, field-cooled and saturation isothermal remanent magnetization acquired at room temperature was performed on dry bulk sediments, magnetic extracts, and heavy liquid separates of clay-rich pelagic sediments originating from the Equatorial Atlantic. The results of the thermomagnetic measurements clarify that magnetic extraction favours components with high spontaneous magnetization, such as magnetite and titanomagnetite. The heavy liquid separation is unbiased with respect to high- and low-coercive minerals, thus it represents the entire magnetic assemblage.