Lithofacies succession of maar crater deposits in the Eifel area (Germany)

ABSTRACT Maar craters often contain exceptionally preserved fossils and maar sediments may reflect detailed environmental changes. Volcanosedimentary processes in a Middle Eocene maar crater lake are illustrated by the deposits of Eckfeld Maar in the Tertiary Hocheifel Volcanic Field (Rhenish Massif, Germany). The maar origin of the basin is evident from a circular negative gravity anomaly which indicates a low-density funnel-shaped basin filling. From the facies analysis of an Eocene (Eckfeld) and a Pleistocene (Döttingen) maar we develop a lithozone classification for the interpretation of maar sediments: syn-/post-eruptive breccias are followed by a fining-upwards sequence of lacustrine mud with coarse layers and final swamp deposits. From the facies analysis and regional geological data we reconstruct the pre- to post-eruptive history of a maar crater prior to post-Eocene uplift. These observations can be used for the interpretation of Tertiary and Quaternary maar craters that are ideal fossil and sediment traps.     

Cretaceous deformation history of the middle Tan-Lu fault zone in Shandong Province, eastern China

Based on field analysis of fault-slip data from different rock units of the Cretaceous basins along the middle part of the Tan-Lu fault zone (Shandong Province, eastern China), we document polyphase tectonic stress fields and address the changes in sense of motion of the Tan-Lu fault zone during the Cretaceous. The Cretaceous deformation history of the Tan-Lu fault zone can be divided into four main stages. The first stage, during the earliest Cretaceous, was dominated by N-S extension responsible for the formation of the Jiaolai basin. We interpret this extension to be related to dextral strike-slip pull-apart opening guided by the Tan-Lu fault zone. The second stage, during the middle Early Cretaceous, was overwhelmingly rift-dominated and characterized by widespread silicic to intermediate volcanism, normal faulting and basin subsidence. It was at this stage that the Tan-Lu-parallel Yi-Shu Rift was initiated by E-W to WNW-ESE extension. The tectonic regime then changed during the late Early Cretaceous to NW-SE-oriented transpression, causing inversion of the Early Cretaceous rift basin and sinistral slip along the Tan-Lu fault zone. During the Late Cretaceous, dextral activation of the Tan-Lu fault zone resulted in pull-apart opening of the Zhucheng basin, which was subsequently deformed by NE-SW compression. This deformation chronology of the Tan-Lu fault zone and the associated Cretaceous basins allow us to constrain the regional kinematic models as related to subduction along the eastern margin of Asia, or related to collision in the Tibet region.     

Estimation of causative fault parameters of the Rudbar earthquake of June 20, 1990 from near field SH-wave data

We analyze the strong motion accelerograms recorded for the large (M_S=7.7, M_W=7.3, m_b=6.4) Rudbar earthquake of June 20, 1990. The earthquake had a complex source process. We have identified the imprints of rupture of three localized asperities on the major causative fault on the accelerograms. These asperities are interpreted to correspond to (i) the main shock that initiated the rupture process and was located in the domino block between the Kabateh and Zard Goli faults, (ii) a foreshock that occurred about 10 s earlier in the Kabateh fault and (iii) a later shock, on the western end of the Baklor fault, which terminated the bilateral rupture process at the western end. We estimate the strike, dip and slip of these causative sub-event rupture planes using the SH spectral amplitudes, based on a point source representation of sub-events and a non-linear least square formulation for inversion of the amplitude data. The results of our inversion of the near field data are comparable to other studies based on teleseismic data.     

The early Caledonian (Finnmarkian) event reassessed in Finnmark: Ar/Ar cleavage age data from NW Varangerhalvøya, N. Norway

The relative significance of early (Finnmarkian) and late (Scandian) Caledonian deformation in N. Norway is uncertain. Early studies suggested pervasive Finnmarkian deformation whilst later results indicated a restricted Finnmarkian domain. The present work suggests it was more widespread than accepted and that inter Finnmarkian–Scandian deformation occurred. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of 2–6 and 6–11 μm pelitic fractions from the lower to mid-greenschist facies Tanahorn Nappe (five samples; base Middle Allochthon) and the epizone Løkvikfjellet and Barents Sea Groups (three samples; North Varanger Region) in the north Scandinavian Caledonides show slightly discordant spectra. Most spectra from the Tanahorn Nappe preserve possible evidence of an early Caledonian event in the high temperature steps, with recoil/excess Ar effects in the low temperature steps; no pre-Caledonian relict component has been recorded. The results indicate Finnmarkian deformation continued to 460 Ma, with Scandian reactivation at 425–415 Ma. From the North Varanger Region, a strongly crenulated sample yielded plateau ages (444–442 Ma); means of combined young steps from weakly to uncrenulated samples gave 470–450 Ma, suggesting penetrative strike-slip deformation occurred in the late Finnmarkian to inter-Finnmarkian–Scandian period. No Scandian ages were recorded in the North Varanger Region. Reassessment of published data from the Laksefjord Nappe and Gaissa Thrust Belt suggests they were affected by Finnmarkian deformation.     

Neoarchaean magmatism and metamorphism of the western granulites in the central domain of the Mozambique belt, Tanzania: U–Pb shrimp geochronology and PT estimates

U–Pb sensitive high resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) dating of zircons from charnockitic and garnet–biotite gneisses from the central portion of the Mozambique belt, central Tanzania indicate that the protolith granitoids were emplaced in a late Archaean, ca. 2.7 Ga, magmatic event. These ages are similar to other U–Pb and Pb–Pb ages obtained for other gneisses in this part of the belt. Zircon xenocrysts dated between 2.8 and 3.0 Ga indicate the presence of an older basement. Major and trace element geochemistry of these high-grade gneisses suggests that the granitoid protoliths may have formed in an active continental margin environment. Metamorphic zircon rims and multifaceted metamorphic zircons are dated at ca. 2.6 Ga indicating that these rocks were metamorphosed some 50–100 my after their emplacement. Pressure and temperature estimates on the charnockitic and garnet–biotite gneisses were obscured by post-peak metamorphic compositional homogenisation; however, these estimates combined with mineral textures suggest that these rocks underwent isobaric cooling to 800–850 °C at 12–14 kbar. It is considered likely that the granulite facies mineral assemblage developed during the ca. 2.6 Ga event, but it must be considered that it might instead represent a pervasive Neoproterozoic, Pan African, granulite facies overprint, similar to the ubiquitous eastern granulites further to the east.     

Raman scattering and X-ray diffraction study of the thermal decomposition of an ettringite-group crystal

 A Raman scattering and X-ray diffraction study of the thermal decomposition of a naturally occurring, ettringite-group crystal is presented. Raman spectra, recorded with increasing temperature, indicate that the thermal decomposition begins at ≈55 °C, accompanied by dehydration of water molecules from the mineral. This is in contrast to previous studies that reported higher temperature breakdown of ettringite. The dehydration is completed by 175 °C and this results in total collapse of the crystalline structure and the material becomes amorphous. The Raman scattering results are supported by X-ray diffraction results obtained at increasing temperatures. Received: 9 July 2001 / Accepted: 14 August 2002     

New observations on the relative sea level and deglacial history of Greenland from Innaarsuit, Disko Bugt

Relative sea level (RSL) data derived from isolation basins at Innaarsuit, a site on the south shores of the large marine embayment of Disko Bugt, West Greenland, record rapid RSL fall from the marine limit (ca. 108 m) at 10,300-9900 cal yr B.P. to reach the present sea level at 3500 cal yr B.P. Since 2000 cal yr B.P., RSL rose ca. 3 m to the present. When compared with data from elsewhere in Disko Bugt, our results suggest that the embayment was deglaciated later and more quickly than previously thought, at or slightly before 10,300 cal yr B.P. The northern part of Disko Bugt experienced less rebound (ca. 10 m at 6000 cal yr B.P.) compared with areas to the south. Submergence during the late Holocene supports a model of crustal down-warping as a result of renewed ice-sheet growth during the neoglacial. There is little evidence for west to east differences in crustal rebound across the southern shores of Disko Bugt.     

自然与农田状态下照度计测光的偏差分析

根据色度基本原理，推导并计算了不同天气类型下照度的换算因数，并在不同天气类型下，对自然光和小麦群体不同高度透光情况进行了测定，将照度计实测照度换算出的辐射强度与实测辐射强度进行对比。结果表明：①前两种照度计可以在1、2级日光状况下用于太阳辐射测定而在3、4级日光状况下误差较大。②在作物田中，实测照度换算为辐射光量子数时，内活动面偏差比在0.2左右，而外活动面因光斑阴影作用，偏差较大，实测时应增加重复。     

A bilinear approximation of the surface relief in terrain correction computations

A new method is presented for the computation of the gravitational attraction of topographic masses when their height information is given on a regular grid. It is shown that the representation of the terrain relief by means of a bilinear surface not only offers a serious alternative to the polyhedra modeling, but also approaches even more smoothly the continuous reality. Inserting a bilinear approximation into the known scheme of deriving closed analytical expressions for the potential and its first-order derivatives for an arbitrarily shaped polyhedron leads to a one-dimensional integration with – apparently – no analytical solution. However, due to the high degree of smoothness of the integrand function, the numerical computation of this integral is very efficient. Numerical tests using synthetic data and a densely sampled digital terrain model in the Bavarian Alps prove that the new method is comparable to or even faster than a terrain modeling using polyhedra.     

Geoid determination using adapted reference field, seismic Moho depths and variable density contrast

 The traditional remove-restore technique for geoid computation suffers from two main drawbacks. The first is the assumption of an isostatic hypothesis to compute the compensation masses. The second is the double consideration of the effect of the topographic–isostatic masses within the data window through removing the reference field and the terrain reduction process. To overcome the first disadvantage, the seismic Moho depths, representing, more or less, the actual compensating masses, have been used with variable density anomalies computed by employing the topographic–isostatic mass balance principle. In order to avoid the double consideration of the effect of the topographic–isostatic masses within the data window, the effect of these masses for the used fixed data window, in terms of potential coefficients, has been subtracted from the reference field, yielding an adapted reference field. This adapted reference field has been used for the remove–restore technique. The necessary harmonic analysis of the topographic–isostatic potential using seismic Moho depths with variable density anomalies is given. A wide comparison among geoids computed by the adapted reference field with both the Airy–Heiskanen isostatic model and seismic Moho depths with variable density anomaly and a geoid computed by the traditional remove–restore technique is made. The results show that using seismic Moho depths with variable density anomaly along with the adapted reference field gives the best relative geoid accuracy compared to the GPS/levelling geoid. Received: 3 October 2001 / Accepted: 20 September 2002 Correspondence to: H.A. Abd-Elmotaal