Zur Geologie der Danakil-Senke

Geological and geophysical investigations in the Northern part of Afar-Region were carried out by a group of scientists in 1967 and 1968. The Afar-structure is framed by the Ethiopian Highland in the West, the Somali Plateau in the South and the Danakil horst in the E. Its northern part is occupied by the NNW trending Danakil Depression (Danakil Graben), a branch of the NW trending Red Sea-Graben. The block mosaic border land in the West as well as the Danakil Alps consist of basement overlain by unfolded Mesozoic strata. Within the Afar Depression the pre-Tertiary formations are covered by limnic-fluviatile — in upper portions marine — sediments, Miocene and Pliocene in age, thickening towards the centre of the Depression. These basin fillings indicate a major phase of rift faulting prior to and during their deposition. Marginal extensions of these “Danakil-Formation” on both flanks of the Depression accompany the structural borders of the Danakil Graben, coinciding with the “outer rift structural margin” (Mohr 1967). Evaporites occupy the deepest part of the structure, “the inner Danakil Graben”, downfaulted or opened by major rift movements during Pliocene. A NW trending fault zone cutting through the flat plain north of Dallol covered by gypsum beds, seems to form the Eastern margin of the inner Danakil Graben. In its southeastern prolongation the fault and fissure system of the Amarti Volcanic Range is situated. Still active rift faulting during Quaternary caused the present topographic form of the region. These movements were followed by a marine ingression. Its sediments (Zariga-Formation, 14 C Modell ages 25 000–34 000 y) ring the depression and pass into gypsum beds towards the centre of the basin. The deepest parts of the Depression are hidden beneath the Afrera-Formation (14 C Modell ages 5800 y) framing the Lake Assale/Bakili and the Lake Afrera (soft limestones, clay and gypsum beds). The rift-forming movements in the northern Afar were accompanied by strong volcanic activity. Besides different igneous rocks intruding the pre-Tertiary and Tertiary strata of the rift margin, extensive basaltic lava flows intercalate and locally underly the Danakil-Formation. Potassium-argon age determinations on these “Afar Basalts” yielded Miocene to Pliocene age. In the southern area of the Danakil Graben the Upper Tertiary sedimentary basin fillings are replaced by “Afar Basalts” (plateau-forming flood basalt) flows. They are succeeded by scoriaceous fissure alkali-olivine-basalts and their differentiated lavas forming huge volcanoes aligned parallel to the rift structures. The Central Volcanic Range (Erta Ale volcanic chain) marking the central part of the Danakil Graben, remains active today. Besides the basaltic activity, numerous huge volcanoes display rhyolitic rocks with strong alkaline affinity.     

Die lokale Beeinflussung eines stehenden Gewässers durch eine punktförmige Abwasserbelastung; ein direkter Nachweis der wachstumsbegrenzenden Wirkung des Phosphors im Vierwaldstättersee

Zusammenfassung Die Beeinflussung des Vierwaldst?ttersees (Horwer Bucht) durch den mit dem Abwasser von 10 000 Einwohnern belasteten Steinibach liess sich im Oberfl?chenwasser auf eine Distanz von mehr als 2 km verfolgen (Abb. 1a, 1b, 1c). Es zeigte sich, dass eine erh?hte Phosphorzufuhr eine verst?rkte biogene Nitratzehrung erm?glicht. Die Abh?ngigkeit der Pigmentkonzentration y von der Gesamtphosphorkonzentrationx liess sich durch die folgende Mitscherlich-Gleichung beschreiben: log(30-y)=log 30–0,012 (x−6) Damit wurde im Vierwaldst?ttersee erstmals unter v?llig natürlichen Bedingungen die Beeinflussung der Prim?rproduktion durch eine erh?hte Phosphorkonzentration nachgewiesen (Abb. 2). Die Erfolgsaussichten von Abwassersanierungsmassnahmen an Seen verschiedener Trophiegrade werden diskutiert.

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Summary The influence of the ‘Steinibach” tributary, into which the wastewater of 10,000 inhabitants is discharged, on the Lake of Lucerne (Horwer Bucht) is detectable in the surface water over a distance of more than 2 km (Picture 1a, 1b, 1c). It was revealed that the increased phosphorus supply enables more intensive biological nitrate consumption. The dependence of the pigment concentration,y, on the total phosphorus concentration,x can be expressed by the following Mitscherlich equation: log (30−y)=log 30–0.012 (x−6). This was the first time that the influence of an increased phosphorus concentration on primary production was proved in the Lake of Lucerne under completely natural conditions (Picture 2). The possibilities of implementing successful water pollution control measures in lakes with various trophic levels are discussed.

     

Rubidium-Strontium-Altersbestimmungen an Biotit-Muskowit-Granitgneisen (Typus Augen- und Flasergneise) aus dem nördlichen Großvenedigerbereich (Hohe Tauern)

Zusammenfassung An vier Proben aus dem Augen- und Flasergneiskomplex in Großvenedigergebiet (Hohe Tauern) wurden Rb–Sr-Altersbestimmungen durchgeführt. Die Biotit-Alterswerte lagen bei zirka 20 M. J. Sie sind der alpidischen Tauernkristallisation zuzuordnen. Eine Gesamtgesteinsisochrone von drei typischen Augen- und Flasergranitgneisen ergab 246 M. J. und wird als Bildungsalter eines magmatischen Granitkörpers interpretiert. Es muß daher zur Perm-Zeit in den westlichen Hohen Tauern ein ausgedehnter Granitmagmatismus angenommen werden. Auf die Schwierigkeiten, dieses Ereignis in das derzeitige geologische-Entstehungsbild einzuordnen, wurde hingewiesen.

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Rubidium-strontium age determinations on biotite-muscovite-gneisses (Augen-and Flaser-gneisses) from the Northern Grossvenediger region (Tauern, Austrian Alps)

Summary Rb–Sr ages were determined for 4 samples from the Augen- and Flaser-gneiss complex of the Grossvenediger region, Hohe Tauern, Austria. The biotite ages of 20 m. y. may be attributed to the Tauern-crystallization of Alpidic age. A total rock isochrone of 246 m. y. based on 3 typical Augen- and Flaser-granite gneisses is interpreted as the age of a granite body. Thus extensive granite magmatism is assumed to have prevailed in the western part of the Hohe Tauern during the Permian. There are, however, difficulties in correlating this event with the present picture of the geologic evolution in this region.

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Mit 2 Abbildungen