Redistribution of trace elements during prograde metamorphism from lawsonite blueschist to eclogite facies; implications for deep subduction-zone processes

The transfer of fluid and elements from subducting crust to the overlying mantle wedge is a fundamental process affecting arc magmatism and the chemical differentiation of the Earth. While the production of fluid by breakdown of hydrous minerals is well understood, the liberation of trace elements remains generally unconstrained. In this paper, we evaluate the behaviour of trace elements during prograde metamorphism and dehydration using samples of high-pressure, low-temperature metamorphic rocks from New Caledonia. Samples examined include mafic and pelitic rock-types that range in grade from lawsonite blueschist to eclogite facies, and represent typical lithologies of subducting crust. Under lawsonite blueschist facies conditions, the low temperatures of metamorphism inhibit equilibrium partitioning between metamorphic minerals and allow for the persistence of igneous and detrital minerals. Despite this, the most important hosts for trace-elements include lawsonite, (REE, Pb, Sr), titanite (REE, Nb, Ta), allanite (LREE, U, Th), phengite (LILE) and zircon (Zr, Hf). At epidote blueschist to eclogite facies conditions, trace-element equilibrium may be attained and epidote (REE, Sr, Th, U, Pb), garnet (HREE), rutile (Nb, Ta), phengite (LILE) and zircon (Zr, Hf) are the major trace-element hosts. Chlorite, albite, amphibole and omphacite contain very low concentrations of the investigated trace elements. The comparison of mineral trace-element data and bulk-rock data at different metamorphic grades indicates that trace elements are not liberated in significant quantities by prograde metamorphism up to eclogite facies. Combining our mineral trace-element data with established phase equilibria, we show that the trace elements considered are retained by newly-formed major and accessory minerals during mineral breakdown reactions to depths of up to 150 km. In contrast, significant volumes of fluid are released by dehydration reactions. Therefore, there is a decoupling of fluid release and trace element release in subducting slabs. We suggest that the flux of trace elements from the slab is not simply linked to mineral breakdown, but results from complex fluid-rock interactions and fluid-assisted partial melting in the slab.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00410-003-0495-5.Editorial responsibility: J. Hoefs     

Ethnic minorities and marginality in the Pamirian Knot: survival of Wakhi and Kirghiz in a harsh environment and global contexts

This paper challenges the thesis that mountain areas are regions of refuge. The refuge concept attributes irrelevant exchange and limited communication to isolated mountain habitats which mainly depend on production for home consumption. In contrast, it is shown that exchange relations in all walks of life have been affected not only recently but for nearly two centuries in Central Asia, although the continued importance of subsistence strategies in the agricultural sector can be observed. The Pamirian Knot provides the mountainous interface between South and Central Asia for case studies of two ethnic communities – Wakhi mountain farmers and Kirghiz pastoralists – in order to exemplify socio-political developments in similar mountain environments. Examples are presented from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, and the People's Republic of China. The territories have been separated since the late nineteenth century by international boundaries conceived as the result of the imperial 'Great Game'. Emphasis is placed on developments in the livestock sector and it is shown that adaptation to changing socio-political frameworks has affected the livelihood strategies of nomads and mountain farmers alike.     

Rb-Sr systematics on paragneiss series from the Bavarian Moldanubicum,Germany

The Nicolaysen-diagram is a means to present mineral or whole rock isochrons. The age values derived from mineral isochrons are normally interpreted as cooling ages, those given by whole rock isochrons as the age of an intrusion or a metamorphic event. Mineral isochrons reflect samples in the order of few mm to cm, whole rock isochrons those of a few decimeter to meter.The investigation presented here deals with samples representing regions of about 100 m to some kilometers in diameter. These regions we are going to name areals.Five areals of the Moldanubicum of Eastern Bavaria (West Germany) consisting of similar paragneisses are yielding mineral ages of about 315 Ma and whole rock ages of about 450 Ma. We calculated mean ⁸⁷Sr/ ⁸⁶Sr- and ⁸⁷Rb/⁸⁶Sr-values of these areals and displayed them in a Nicolaysen-diagram. The areal values define a straight line, yielding an age of 544±29 Ma with a ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr-intercept at 0.7048±0.0014.Discussion arises whether or not this line can be interpreted as an isochron. We favour the interpretation of it as an isochron reflecting the possible age of sedimentation or of a metamorphic event which the paragneiss series has undergone. At present it can not be unequivocally decided which of the two possibilities will prove right. The areal isochron, however, appears to indicate a petrogenetic event which is older than the last Sr-isotope equilibration in the whole rocks within an individual areal of this Moldanuvian polymetamorphic region.     

Glendonite — Indikatoren des polarmarinen Ablagerungsmilieus

Zusammenfassung Glendonite sind Pseudomorphosen von überwiegend Calcit (in mehreren Generationen) nach Thenardit (Na₂SO₄). Die meistens sternförmigen Kristallaggregate von Walnuß- bis Faustgröße bildeten sich im unterkühlten Meereswasser (cold salinity currents) in oder auf der oberen Lage des Meeresbodens. Sie sind an marine Tonsteine gebunden und kommen in ihrem Verbreitungsgebiet in großer Zahl vor. Rezente Glendonite treten nur im Arktischen Ozean und seinen Nebenmeeren (Weißes Meer) auf. Fossile gibt es in Perm und Kreide Australiens (permisches Vereisungsgebiet) und in den jeweils hohen Breiten der Nordhalbkugel im Domerium, mittleren Jura, Valangin, Ober-Apt/Unter-Alb, Oligozän/Miozän und Pleistozän/Holozän. Für diese Zeiten ist eine erhebliche Abkühlung zu postulieren.Beim Vergleich mit den entsprechenden Schichtenfolgen Mitteleuropas fällt auf, daß in den Zeiten der Glendonit-Vorkommen der arktischen Gebiete im borealen Europa dunkle Tonsteine abgelagert wurden. In Zeiten starker Kalksedimentation (Ober-Oxford, Kimmeridge, Ober-Kreide) und arider oder subtropischer Klimate in Mitteleuropa (Tithon: Münder Mergel-Fazies und Berrias: Wealden-Fazies) fehlen Glendonite auch im hohen Norden.Alle diese Befunde verweisen auf ausgeprägte, langfristige Klimaschwankungen vom Lias ab. Zur Zeit der kälteren Phasen müssen in den hohen Breiten mit den heutigen Verhältnissen vergleichbare polare Klimate geherrscht haben.

---

Glendonites are pseudomorphs of mainly calcite (in several generations) after Thenardit (Na₂SO₄). The crystal aggregates are preponderantly star shaped and range in size between walnut and fist dimensions. They were formed by cold salinity currents in the uppermost layer of the ocean floor. They are restricted to marine shales and mudstones and occur in great quantities in their area of distribution. Recent glendonites are known only from the Arctic Ocean and adjacent seas (e. g. the White Sea). Fossil glendonites occur in the Permian and Cretaceous of Australia (Permian area of glaciation) and in high latitudes of the Northern hemisphere in the Domerian, middle Jurassic, Valanginian, late Aptian — early Albian, Oligocene — Miocene, and Pleistocene — Holocene. For these periods a considerable cooling has to be postulated.If the sediments of these periods are compared with the corresponding ones of central Europe it is obvious that in those periods during which glendonites were formed in high latitudes dark shales were deposited in the boreal part of Europe. In periods of high lime accumulation (Upper Oxfordian, Kimmeridgian, Upper Cretaceous) and arid or subtropical climates in central Europe (e. g. the Münder Mergel facies of the Tithonian and the Purbeck and Wealden facies of the Berriasian) glendonites are absent from the high latitudes.All these observations point to intensive and long term variations of climate from the early Jurassic on. During the cold phases, comparable polar climates must have predominated in the high latitudes as exist today.

---

Résumé Les glendonites sont des pseudomorphoses, principalement de calcite (en plusieurs générations), de thénardite (Na₂SO₄). Les agrégats, le plus souvent de forme radiée, de la taille d'une noix à celle du poing, se sont formés dans de l'eau marine surrefroidie (»courants de salinité froide«) dans la couches supérieure des fonds marins ou à sa surface. Ils sont liés à des argiles marines et se présentent en grande quantité dans leur aire d'extension. Les glendonites récentes se rencontrent seulement dans l'Océan arctique et dans les mers annexes (Mer blanche). Elles existent à l'état fossile dans le Permien et le Crétacique de l'Australie (région de la glaciation permienne) et dans les hautes latitudes de l'époque de l'hémisphère nord dans le Domérien, le Jurassique moyen, le Valanginien, l'Aptien supérieur/inférieur, l'Oligocène/Miocène, et le Pleistocène/Holocène. Pour ces périodes il y a lieu de postuler un net refroidissement.Par comparaison avec les séries correspondantes de l'Europe centrale, il apparaît que des argiles foncées ont été déposées, lors des occurrences de Glendonites des régions arctique, dans l'Europe boréale. Lors de sédimentations calcaires intenses (Oxfordien supérieur, Kimméridgien, Crétacique supérieur) et dans les climats arides ou subtropicaux dans l'Europe centrale (Tithonique: facies marneux de Münder, et Berriasien: facies wealdien) les glendonites sont absentes également dans les hautes latitudes septentrionales.Toutes ces occurrences indiquent des modifications climatiques bien marquées, de longue durée à partir du Lias. Au moment des phases plus froides, il a dû régner dans les hautes latitudes un climat polaire comparable à celui de nos jours.

---

( ) . — cold salinity currents, . . — . — — , , , / , / / . . , . ( , , ) , (; : ) . . , .

     

Elektronenstrahlmikroanalyse der graphit-troilitphase des cañon diablo-eisenmeteorits

Zusammenfassung Der vom American Meteorite Laboratory, Denver (Colorado), erworbene Eisenmeteorit Cañon Diablo mit drei sphärischen Graphit-Troiliteinschlüssen wurde von uns mit einer Elektronenstrahlmikrosonde JEOL JXA-3 A untersucht. Dabei wurde in den Graphit-Troiliteinschlüssen eine bisher noch nicht festgestellte Phase der Zusammensetzung (C_0,250,Ni_0,321,Fe_0,429)S_1,013 und (Co_0,144,Ni_0,391,Fe_0,465)S_1,016 aufgefunden. Diese Phase ist in ihrer Zusammensetzung von den bereits bekannten Mineralen Pentlandit (Fe,Ni)₉S₈ und Kobaltpentlandit (Co,Fe,Ni)₉S₈ deutlich verschieden. Sie bildet in der Troilit-Graphitmatrix Einsprenglinge von 3–6 m Durchmesser. Aus diesem Grunde war es bisher nicht möglich, ihre Kristallstruktur zu ermitteln.

---

Electron-probe analysis of the graphite-troilite phase in the cañon diablo iron-meteorite

Summary The Cañon Diablo iron-meteorite, containing three spherical graphitetroilite inclusions has been investigated by means of an electronmicroprobe JEOL JXA-3 A. Within these graphite-troilite inclusions a phase, not known so far, has been noted, whose composition ranges from (Co_0.250,Ni_0.321,Fe_0.429)S_1.013 to (Co_0.144,Ni_0.391,Fe_0.465)S_1.016. This phase is decisively different from pentlandite (Fe,Ni)₉S₈ and Co-pentlandite (Co,Fe,Ni)₉S₈. It forms phenocrysts of 3–6 m in diameter. For this reason it was not possible so far to determine its crystal-structure.

---

---

Mit 5 Abbildungen

---

Herrn Prof. DDr.H. Wieseneder zum 65. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Different Behavior of Iron(III) and Aluminum(III) Salts To Coagulate Silica Particle Suspension

The different coagulation‐flocculation behavior of iron(III) and aluminum(III) to coagulate silica particle suspension with four coagulants — FeCl₃, Fe₂(SO₄)₃, AlCl₃, and in our laboratory produced polyaluminum chloride PACl‐2.0 — was investigated through studying particle property changes and coagulation efficiency, for example, variations in zeta potential of particles, particle number, average particle diameter, particle size distribution, and residual turbidity of the supernatant water. Influences of flocculation intensity and pH value on the coagulation‐flocculation process were also studied. The results suggest that, under the test conditions, among these four coagulants FeCl₃ possesses an obviously stronger ability to form larger flocs and to remove turbidity, on the other hand, PACl‐2.0 obviously showed a better charge neutralization ability.     

Nonlinearities, Feedbacks and Critical Thresholds within the Earth's Climate System

The Earth's climate system is highly nonlinear: inputs and outputs are not proportional, change is often episodic and abrupt, rather than slow and gradual, and multiple equilibria are the norm. While this is widely accepted, there is a relatively poor understanding of the different types of nonlinearities, how they manifest under various conditions, and whether they reflect a climate system driven by astronomical forcings, by internal feedbacks, or by a combination of both. In this paper, after a brief tutorial on the basics of climate nonlinearity, we provide a number of illustrative examples and highlight key mechanisms that give rise to nonlinear behavior, address scale and methodological issues, suggest a robust alternative to prediction that is based on using integrated assessments within the framework of vulnerability studies and, lastly, recommend a number of research priorities and the establishment of education programs in Earth Systems Science. It is imperative that the Earth's climate system research community embraces this nonlinear paradigm if we are to move forward in the assessment of the human influence on climate.     

Mineralogy, geochemistry, and palynology of modern and late Tertiary mangrove deposits in the Barreiras Formation of Mosqueiro Island, northeastern Pará state, eastern Amazonia

A coastal environment has been interpreted from 110 cm thick mudstone deposits found at the base of a 10 m immature laterite profile, which forms the modern coastal cliff on Mosqueiro Island in northeastern Pará state, northern Brazil. The late Tertiary sediment deposits of the Barreiras Formation are studied by multi-element geochemistry and pollen analyses. The mineralogical and geochemical results show that the gray, organic-rich deposits are composed of kaolinite, quartz, and illite/muscovite, as well as pyrite and anatase. They are rich in SiO₂, Al₂O₃, and some FeO. The composition is homogenous, indicating that the detritus source area is formed of lateritic soils derived from acid rock composition. Their chemical composition, including trace elements, is somewhat comparable to continental shale, and the values are below the upper continental Earth crust composition. The pollen analytical data document that the mudstone deposits were formed by an ancient mangrove ecosystem. Mineralogical, geochemical, and pollen analytical data obtained from late Tertiary mangrove deposits are compared with modern mangrove deposits from the Bragança Peninsula of the northeastern coast of Pará state. Although the pollen composition of the deposits is very similar to the modern one, the geochemical and mineralogical composition is different. Smectite was only found in the modern deposit; illite/mica occurs in the ancient deposit, along with Mg, K, and Na. The pollen signature and detrital minerals (kaolinite, quartz and anatase) found in both mangrove deposits show that during the Miocene, a humid tropical climate condition prevailed, similar to modern conditions.     

Detailed investigation of preserved maar structures by combined geophysical surveys

The detection of completely preserved maar structures is important not only for underground mapping but also for paleoclimate research because laminated maar lake sediments may contain a very detailed archive of climate history. Objective evidence for the existence of such structures can only be provided by geophysics and boreholes. The combination of gravity and magnetic ground surveys appears to be an excellent tool to detect and identify buried maar structures. Their prominent properties are an almost circular gravity minimum corresponding to a crater filled with limnic sediments of low density, and a magnetic anomaly caused by a pyroclastic or basaltic body in the diatreme which indicates the volcanic character. Seismic measurements provide the most detailed information about the internal structure of the maar sediments. Zones of low seismic reflectivity and very low density represent sediments of the late maar-lake period. The early lake period is indicated by debris flow deposits and turbidites represented by seismic reflectors. The seismic sections clearly reveal the bowl-like structure of the maar. Outside this bowl-like structure, there are only a few reflections, which represent the basement. Taking into account the shape of the gravity anomaly, seismic information allows geometrical modelling of the maar structure. Optimal drilling sites can be selected based on the results of geophysical surveying. Comparing the results of combined geophysical surveys above two maar structures of different ages yields a marked similarity in their geophysical pattern.Editorial responsibility: J McPhie