Till studies and neotectonics in northwest Skiine, south Sweden

A mosaic distribution of Pre-Quatcrnary rocks in Skåne constitutes good conditions for using gravel analysis in till-stratigraphical work. Recently discovered neotcctonic movements and their effect on the composition, distribution, and correlation of tills are discussed. With examples from the Kullen arm, it is shown that compositional variability in a till bed, as cvidenl from gt-avel analysis, can be deciphered and is of great stratigraphical value.     

High-resolution stratigraphy of the northernmost concentric raised bog in Europe: Sellevollmyra, Andøya, northern Norway

From the Sellevollmyra bog at Andøya, northern Norway, a 440‐cm long peat core covering the last c. 7000 calendar years was examined for humification, loss‐on‐ignition, microfossils, macrofossils and tephra. The age model was based on a Bayesian wiggle‐match of 35 ¹⁴C dates and two historically anchored tephra layers. Based on changes in lithology and biostratigraphical climate proxies, several climatic changes were identified (periods of the most fundamental changes in italics): 6410–6380, 6230–6050, 5730–5640, 5470–5430, 5340–5310, 5270–5100, 4790–4710, 4890–4820, 4380–4320, 4220–4120, 4000–3810, 3610–3580, 3370–3340 (regionally 2850–2750; in Sellevollmyra a hiatus between 2960–2520), 2330–2220, 1950, 1530–1450, 1150–840, 730? and c. 600? cal. yr BP. Most of these climate changes are known from other investigations of different palaeoclimate proxies in northern and middle Europe. Some volcanic eruptions seemingly coincide with vegetation changes recorded in the peat, e.g. about 5760 cal. yr BP; however, the known climatic deterioration at the time of the Hekla‐4 tephra layer started some decades before the eruption event.     

Mössbauer study of Meridiani Planum,the first iron‐nickel meteorite found on the surface of Mars by the MER Opportunity

Abstract— –Meridiani Planum is the first iron meteorite found on Mars. It was discovered in 2005 by the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity (MER‐B). Mössbauer spectra (MS) of the unbrushed and brushed meteorite species were acquired in 10 degrees temperature windows in the range of 210–260 K. Earlier examinations of these MS have led to the conclusion that the meteorite, which contains ～～7 wt% Ni, belongs to the IAB meteorite group. Here, making use of a recently developed calibration/folding procedure for MER MS, we report the results of the MS analyses for the single temperature windows m5 (210–220 K), m6 (220–230 K), m7 (230–240 K), and m89 (240–260 K). All spectra consist of a sextet and a ferric doublet. The hyperfine field of the sextet, extrapolated to room temperature, is ～～34.5 T, which is, based on Mössbauer studies of meteorites found on Earth, indeed consistent with the presence of kamacite. The fractional spectral area of the sextet is ～～0.96 of the total spectrum. The ferric doublet has an average quadrupole splitting of 0.70 mm/s and is not diagnostic of any specific Fe mineral.     

板块运动对中国近海新生代盆地沉降及充填的控制作用

太平洋板块、印度板块和欧亚板块的演化对中国近海沉积盆地的沉降及充填具有控制作用。根据地幔对流及地壳拉伸特征可将中国近海沉积盆地沉降类型划分为被动、主动和组合热沉降型3种。不同沉降类型分别具有不同的盆地结构,其中被动热沉降型以断陷为主,主动热沉降型以坳陷为主,组合热沉降型则是两种盆地结构的叠加或侧加。中国近海北部板内沉积盆地沉降类型以被动热沉降为主,远离海洋,受海侵影响较小,以陆相沉积体系为主;中部板缘沉积盆地沉降类型为被动侧加主动热沉降,水体整体较浅,坡折及三角洲发育规模小;南部板缘沉积盆地沉降类型也为被动侧加主动热沉降,水体整体较深,坡折及三角洲发育规模大。     

Controlling factors of volumetrically important marine carbonate cementation in deep slope settings

The controlling parameters of early marine carbonate cementation in shoal water and hemipelagic to pelagic domains are well‐studied. In contrast, the mechanisms driving the precipitation of early marine carbonate cements at deeper slope settings have received less attention, despite the fact that considerable volumes of early marine cement are present at recent and fossil carbonate slopes in water depths of several hundreds of metres. In order to better understand the controlling factors of pervasive early marine cementation at greater water depths, marine carbonate cements observed along time‐parallel platform to basin transects of two intact Pennsylvanian carbonate slopes are compared with those present in the slope deposits of the Permian Capitan Reef and Neogene Mururoa Atoll. In all four settings, significant amounts of marine cements occlude primary pore spaces downslope into thermoclinal water depths, i.e. in a bathymetric range between some tens and several hundreds of metres. Radial, radiaxial and fascicular optic fibrous calcites, and radiaxial prismatic calcites are associated with re‐deposited facies, boundstones and rudstones. Botryoidal (formerly) aragonitic precipitates are common in microbially induced limestones. From these case studies, it is tentatively concluded that sea water circulation in an extensive, near‐sea floor pore system is a first‐order control on carbonate ion supply and marine cementation. Coastal upwelling and internal or tidal currents are the most probable mechanisms driving pore water circulation at these depths. Carbonate cements precipitated under conditions of normal to elevated alkalinity, locally elevated nutrient levels and variable sea water temperatures. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future work are discussed.     

Diagenetic formation of gypsum and dolomite in a cold‐water coral mound in the Porcupine Seabight,off Ireland

Authigenic gypsum was found in a gravity core, retrieved from the top of Mound Perseverance, a giant cold‐water coral mound in the Porcupine Basin, off Ireland. The occurrence of gypsum in such an environment is intriguing, because gypsum, a classic evaporitic mineral, is undersaturated with respect to sea water. Sedimentological, petrographic and isotopic evidence point to diagenetic formation of the gypsum, tied to oxidation of sedimentary sulphide minerals (i.e. pyrite). This oxidation is attributed to a phase of increased bottom currents which caused erosion and enhanced inflow of oxidizing fluids into the mound sediments. The oxidation of pyrite produced acidity, causing carbonate dissolution and subsequently leading to pore‐water oversaturation with respect to gypsum and dolomite. Calculations based on the isotopic compositions of gypsum and pyrite reveal that between 21·6% and 28·6% of the sulphate incorporated into the gypsum derived from pyrite oxidation. The dissolution of carbonate increased the porosity in the affected sediment layer but promoted lithification of the sediments at the sediment‐water interface. Thus, authigenic gypsum can serve as a signature for diagenetic oxidation events in carbonate‐rich sediments. These observations demonstrate that fluid flow, steered by environmental factors, has an important effect on the diagenesis of coral mounds.     

锡铁山SEDEX铅锌矿床成矿物质来源研究——铅同位素地球化学证据

青海锡铁山超大型铅锌矿床产于柴达木盆地北缘早古生代造山带中,发育一套完整的喷流沉积系统,包括管道相、近喷口相与远喷口相以及喷流沉积岩等。对不同对象中硫化物系统的铅同位素测定研究表明,锡铁山矿床铅同位素组成总体较集中,可细分为两组,均呈线性分布:大部分的样品,包括非层状矿、网脉状石英钠长岩、代表供给系统的脉体、基性岩等,以及绝大部分的层状矿体,组成一组,线性回归方程为(207Pb/204Pb)=1.254(206Pb/204Pb)-7.296,相关系数0.997。分布于铅锌矿体及大理岩上盘的含浸染状黄铁矿化的炭质片岩、一个层状矿体样品组成一组,线性回归方程为(207Pb/204Pb)=0.123(206Pb/204Pb)+13.347,相关系数0.902。两条直线交点的同位素组成为206Pb/204Pb=18.253,207Pb/204Pb=15.590,208Pb/204Pb=38.370。结合成矿模型的研究认为,矿床的铅同位素具有造山带与上地壳混合来源的特点,显示喷流成矿过程中铅及成矿金属物质主要由喷流卤水提供,少量物质来自海水;在喷流系统的远端或喷流活动的间歇期,前寒武纪变质岩也可能提供了少量物质。而层状矿体与非层状矿体经历了相同的演化历史,均形成于喷流沉积过程中,非层状矿体属未喷出海底的热液矿体,而不是后期改造的结果。断层沟地区的矿化是后期改造重新定位的,铅同位素组成在改造过程中得到进一步的均一化。     

Subglacial bedforms and conditions associated with the 1991 surge of Skeiðarárjökull, Iceland

Much previous research at surge-type glaciers has sought to identify features diagnostic of surge-type behaviour. However, in comparatively little work have subglacial landform–sediment characteristics been used to reconstruct changing basal processes and conditions during surge events. Subglacial bedforms described in this article are associated with the 1991 surge of Skeiðarárjökull, Iceland, and include a series of drumlins with superimposed flutes and basal crevasse-fill ridges. The drumlins were formed by the subglacial erosion of ice-contact fans. Sedimentary evidence indicates a shift from rigid-bed to soft-bed conditions during the surge. The presence of eroded but undeformed fan sediments suggests that they acted as a rigid bed when initially overridden. Subsequent deposition of a layer of deformation till resulted in a change to soft-bed conditions and the generation of flutes and subglacial crevasse-fill ridges. The lack of mixing between this till and the underlying stratified sediments indicates that subglacial sediment deformation was restricted to a thin layer and that its deposition resulted in a cessation of subglacial erosion. The drumlin is therefore a composite of both rigid-bed and soft-bed processes that illustrates changes in basal conditions and processes during the course of the event. The limited time frame in which the drumlin formed and the presence of kettleholes across its surface are distinctive features that may warrant further investigation in the search for features diagnostic of past surge events.     

Infrared stimulated luminescence dating of an Eemian (MIS 5e) site in Denmark using K‐feldspar

Buylaert, J.‐P., Huot, S., Murray, A.S. & Van den haute, P.: Infrared stimulated luminescence dating of an Eemian (MIS 5e) site in Denmark using K‐feldspar. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2010.00156.x. ISSN 0300‐9483. Infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of K‐feldspars may be an alternative to quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating when the quartz OSL signal is too close to saturation or when the quartz luminescence characteristics are unsuitable. In this paper, Eemian (MIS 5e) coastal marine sands exposed in a cliff section on the coast of southern Jutland (Denmark) are used to test the accuracy and precision of IRSL dating using K‐feldspars. This material has been used previously to test quartz OSL dating ( Murray & Funder 2003 ): a small systematic underestimation of <10% compared to the expected age of ～130 ka was reported. In our study, a single‐aliquot regenerative‐dose (SAR) IRSL protocol is used to determine values of equivalent dose (D_e) and the corresponding fading rates (g values). A significant age underestimation (of up to ～35%) is observed; this is attributed to anomalous fading. Using a single site‐average fading rate of 3.66 ± 0.09%/decade to correct the IRSL ages for all samples provides good agreement between the average fading‐corrected K‐feldspar age (119 ± 6 ka) and the independent age control (132–125 ka). This is despite the reservations of Huntley & Lamothe (2001) that their fading correction method is not expected to work on samples older than ～20–50 ka. This fading‐corrected feldspar result is not significantly different from the overall revised quartz age (114 ± 7 ka) also presented here. We conclude that fading‐corrected IRSL ages measured using K‐feldspar may be both precise and accurate over a greater age range than might be otherwise expected.