Isotopic age determinations on granitic rocks from Tasmania

Potassium‐argon and rubidium‐strontium isotopic age measurements show that emplacement of granitic rocks in Tasmania occurred during the Late Devonian and Early Carboniferous and in pre‐Devonian times, possibly in the Cambrian. In addition, a Precambrian granite, dated at about 750 m.y., has been recognized on the west coast of King Island.

The granitic bodies of pre‐Devonian age include the Murchison River Granite, the Dove River Granite and its correlatives, and the adamellite on the southwest coast of Tasmania at Elliott Bay. These rocks were deformed during the Devonian Tabberabberan Orogeny with the result that leakage of radiogenic daughter products has occurred from minerals. Hence the indicated ages are younger than the true ages. Possibly these granitic rocks were emplaced during the Jukesian Movement of the Tyennan Orogeny, in the Late Cambrian, although a Precambrian age cannot be excluded for some of the bodies.

As recognized by earlier workers the most important period of emplacement of granitic rocks in Tasmania was in the Middle Palaeozoic. The measured dates for this group of rocks range from 375 to 335 m.y., and indicate that intrusion occurred over an extended period from the Late Devonian to the Early or possibly Middle Carboniferous. There are distinct concentrations of measured ages at about 370 and 340 m.y. The granitic bodies of northeast Tasmania mainly yield the older age, whereas those of northwest Tasmania give the younger age. As the granites are post‐tectonic bodies the older age of about 375 m.y. provides a younger limit to the time of completion of the main folding in the Tabberabberan Orogeny, and this is consistent with the stratigraphic evidence.

The evidence suggests that generation of granitic magma was initiated during the main folding associated with the Tabberabberan Orogeny, but that emplacement of the granites into the upper crust continued over a long period subsequently to the main folding phase. Alternatively, the younger granitic bodies, dated at about 340 m.y., may indicate that these rocks are related to the Early Carboniferous Kanimblan Orogeny recognized in Victoria and New South Wales; however, there is no field evidence to support such a proposition.     

Potassium‐argon ages on the Cainozoic volcanic rocks of New South Wales

During the Cainozoic there was widespread volcanism, mainly basaltic, in eastern New South Wales. Numerous new K‐Ar ages, together with previously published results, provide information on the age of virtually all the main volcanic provinces, and indicate that the volcanism started about 70 m.y. ago in the Late Cretaceous, and was continuous from about 60 m.y. ago (Palaeocene) until about 10 m.y. ago (middle Miocene). There has been no volcanic activity since 10 m.y. ago.

The ages of uplift of the Eastern Highlands are estimated from the relationship of the dated basaltic flows to the topography. A major uplift is deduced some time between the mid‐Cretaceous and late Oligocene, followed by a quiescent period. A further uplift started some time after the middle Miocene, and it continues to the present day. The highland was uplifted differentially both along and transverse to the axis.     

The Pliocene‐Pleistocene boundary in Southeastern Australia

In southwest Victoria thin sequences of upper Cainozoic marine to non‐marine mainly calcareous sediments occur at Portland and in the Glenelg River valley near Dartmoor. At Portland the Whalers Bluff Formation is shown to lie wholly within foraminiferal zone N19 (early Pliocene) which has age limits of about 3.0 to 4.8 m.y. Basalts overlying this formation give consistent K‐Ar ages averaging 2.51 ± 0.04 m.y.

In the Glenelg River valley, subaerial basalts yielding K‐Ar ages of 2.24 to 2.46 m.y. are overlain by shallow neritic sands and littoral calcarenites which belong to the type Werrikooian of F. A. Singleton, here included in the Werrikoo Limestone. Some distance above the base of the Werrikoo Limestone, Globorotalia truncatulinoides appears, the incoming of which defines the base of planktonic foraminiferal zone N22. The base of zone N22 closely approximates the beginning of the Pleistocene defined as the base of the Calabrian stage in Italy, and has an age of about 1.7 m.y. Thus the Werrikoo Limestone was deposited during late N21 and N22 time, straddling the Pliocene‐Pleistocene boundary and providing a reference standard for southeastern Australia as a whole.

It is shown that the Whalers Bluff Formation and the Werrikoo Limestone are separated in both space and time, contrary to the conclusions of earlier workers.     

40Ar‐39Ar and K‐Ar age constraints on the Early Proterozoic Tennant Creek Block,northern Australia,and the age of its gold deposits∗

⁴⁰Ar‐³⁹Ar age spectra on minerals from granitic, metamorphic and hydrothermal rocks confirm that the Early Proterozoic Tennant Creek Block was affected by two thermal events during its evolution. Although extensive alteration of biotite and feldspar within the granites precludes the direct determination of their cooling history, ⁴⁰Ar‐³⁹Ar analyses for hydrothermal muscovite from several nearby gold‐copper deposits indicate that regional cooling to below ～ 300°C was not prolonged. Flat, uniform muscovite age spectra were obtained from gold deposits east of the Tennant Creek town site and indicate a minimum age of 1825–1830 Ma for their formation. These ages are within error of those for the felsic volcanism of the Flynn Subgroup, and a genetic relationship between the two may exist. Samples from gold deposits elsewhere in the area indicate disturbance of the K‐Ar isotope system. The second thermal event to affect the region occurred at around 1700 Ma, and is confirmed by the ⁴⁰Ar‐³⁹Ar muscovite ages for the ‘Warrego’ granite (1677 ± 4 Ma) and for the metamorphism of the Wundirgi Formation (1696 ± 4 Ma).     

On the development of a seismic source zonation model for seismic hazard assessment in western Saudi Arabia

A new seismic source model has been developed for the western part of the Arabian Peninsula, which has experienced considerable earthquake activity in the historical past and in recent times. The data used for the model include an up-to-date seismic catalog, results of recent studies of Cenozoic faulting in the area, aeromagnetic anomaly and gravity maps, geological maps, and miscellaneous information on volcanic activity. The model includes 18 zones ranging along the Red Sea and the Arabian Peninsula from the Gulf of Aqaba and the Dead Sea in the north to the Gulf of Aden in the south. The seismic source model developed in this study may be considered as one of the basic branches in a logic tree approach for seismic hazard assessment in Saudi Arabia and adjacent territories.     

Anthropogenic structures and the infiltration of natural benthos by invasive ascidians

Anthropogenic habitats such as marinas and docks are focal points for marine invasions, but relatively little is known about the infiltration of nearby natural habitats by these invaders. To address infiltration by four geographically widespread ascidian invaders, we used a two‐step approach: (i) a field survey with equitable sampling in adjacent artificial and natural habitats in British Columbia, Canada, and (ii) a literature review, to infer larger scale patterns across species’ introduced global ranges. Our field survey revealed differential distribution patterns among the four ascidians recorded, with infiltration of natural rocky habitats by two species, Botrylloides violaceus and Botryllus schlosseri. We did not record Didemnum vexillum or Styela clava in natural habitats, though they were both recorded on adjacent artificial structures. Globally, these ascidian species are predominantly found associated with anthropogenic habitats including floating docks, pilings and aquaculture installations, but they have infiltrated natural habitats in some areas of their introduced range. The factors contributing to infiltration of nearby natural benthic habitats remains unclear, but determining which mechanisms are important for encouraging or hindering the establishment and spread of nonindigenous species beyond artificial structures requires survey and experimental work beyond anthropogenic habitats. Such work will aid our understanding of marine introduction dynamics, invasiveness, and associated management implications.     

Diversion of Flooding Rivers to Residual Mining Open Pits

Massive flooding in East Germany in the summer of 2002 was first alleviated, and then exacerbated, by diversion of the river flood waters into residual open pits, the legacy of lignite mining. The pits at first contained the flood waters but, once filled to capacity, leaked precipitously, causing massive flooding in the flat lands around the pits. This article examines the problem of constructing quantitative models for assessments of fill, bypass, and leakage from such floodwater containing pits. Emergency management teams can then generate quickly not only many different scenarios to help with immediate flood control options and fall-back positions, but can also investigate long-term planning that can then be undertaken to estimate better the consequences of permitting such diversion. While the models developed are simple, and are numerically implemented in easy to use spreadsheet format, they have the advantage of guiding directions of flood assessment control and consequent results. The illustrative numerical examples show how one can quickly use such quantitative models to obtain patterns of flooding relevant to situations of sustained, torrential rainfall, and subsequent river overflow.     

Seasonal variability in velocity and ablation of Te Moeka o Tuawe/Fox Glacier, south Westland, New Zealand

Abstract:  Seasonal variations in ablation and surface velocity were investigated on the lower Fox Glacier. Variations occur between summer and winter ablation, with surface velocity also showing marked seasonality. Recent advance has resulted in the glacier gaining around 200 m length since late 2004. Longer term, Fox Glacier appears linked to the Southern Oscillation Index, with positive glacier mass balances associated with negative Southern Oscillation Index (El Niño). An estimated glacier response time of approximately 9–14 years suggests the current terminus advance was linked to mass gains in the mid-1990s. Recent collapses at the terminal face continue to prove a hazard at this busy tourist destination.     

Hydrogeomorphic control on tree growth responses in the Elton area of the Cheshire Saltfield, UK

Increment cores were sampled from oak (Quercus robur) and ash (Fraxinus excelsior) growing at Elton, an area of the Cheshire Saltfield that has experienced significant subsidence and damage to the natural and built environments in the latter part of the twentieth century. Ring-width measurements for Elton trees permitted the construction of one main site chronology (Elton) and four sub chronologies (Elton A, Elton B, Elton C, Elton ASH). Ring-width difference between these and a control chronology identified periods of sustained growth reduction in oak trees commencing in AD 1859/1861, 1886 and 1934. Growth reductions after 1934 are related to watertable draw down caused by brine pumping from a concentration of nine boreholes at Elton, up to 2 km from tree sampling locations. Growth reductions in 1859/1861 and 1886 are likely to be the result of earlier phases of brine pumping in the Wheelock Valley, up to 5 km to the east of Elton, and these reductions correlate well with historic records of subsidence and pumping activity. Cessation of pumping in 1977 led to a lagged growth recovery in oak trees between 1981 and 1986, indicating that an artificial drought had been imposed on the Elton area for a period in excess off 100-y. This research demonstrates a hydrological separation of surface water and groundwater in an area where salt beds are overlain by till and that ring-width records of Q. robur can be used to reconstruct watertable variability and also the spatial impact of solution mining.