From outwash to coastal systems in the Portneuf–Forestville deltaic complex (Québec North Shore): Anatomy of a forced regressive deglacial sequence

Deglacial sequences typically include backstepping grounding zone wedges and prevailing glaciomarine depositional facies. However, in coastal domains, deglacial sequences are dominated by depositional systems ranging from turbiditic to fluvial facies. Such deglacial sequences are strongly impacted by glacio‐isostatic rebound, the rate and amplitude of which commonly outpaces those of post‐glacial eustatic sea‐level rise. This results in a sustained relative sea‐level fall covering the entire depositional time interval. This paper examines a Late Quaternary, forced regressive, deglacial sequence located on the North Shore of the St. Lawrence Estuary (Portneuf Peninsula, Québec, Canada) and aims to decipher the main controls that governed its stratigraphic architecture. The forced regressive deglacial sequence forms a thick (>100 m) and extensive (>100 km²) multiphased deltaic complex emplaced after the retreat of the Laurentide Ice Sheet margin from the study area ca 12 500 years ago. The sedimentary succession is composed of ice‐contact, glaciomarine, turbiditic, deltaic, fluvial and coastal depositional units. A four‐stage development is recognized: (i) an early ice‐contact stage (esker, glaciomarine mud and outwash fan); (ii) an in‐valley progradational stage (fjord head or moraine‐dammed lacustrine deltas) fed by glacigenics; (iii) an open‐coast deltaic progradation, when proglacial depositional systems expanded beyond the valley outlets and merged together; and (iv) a final stage of river entrenchment and shallow marine reworking that affected the previously emplaced deltaic complex. Most of the sedimentary volume (10 to 15 km³) was emplaced during the three‐first stages over a ca 2 kyr interval. In spite of sustained high rates of relative sea‐level fall (50 to 30 mm·year^?1), delta plain accretion occurred up to the end of the proglacial open‐coast progradational stage. River entrenchment only occurred later, after a significant decrease in the relative sea‐level fall rates (<30 mm·year^?1), and was concurrent with the formation and preservation of extensive coastal deposits (raised beaches, spit platform and barrier sands). The turnaround from delta plain accretion to river entrenchment and coastal erosion is interpreted to be a consequence of the retreat of the ice margin from the river drainage basins that led to the drastic drop of sediment supply and the abrupt decrease in progradation rates. The main internal stratigraphic discontinuity within the forced regressive deglacial sequence does not reflect changes in relative sea‐level variations.     

CrystalMom: a new model for the evolution of crystal size distributions in magmas with the quadrature-based method of moments

Nucleation and growth of crystals, and the resulting crystal size distribution, play a fundamental role in controlling the physical properties of magmas and consequently the dynamics of the eruptions. In the past decades, laboratory experiments demonstrated that size and shape of crystals strongly control the physical properties of magma and lava. Additionally, natural and experimental samples are usually characterized in terms of their crystal size distribution to link it with physical processes that are not directly observable, such as cooling or decompression mechanisms. In this paper, we present CrystalMoM, a new predictive model, based on the quadrature-based method of moments, developed for studying the kinetic of crystallization in volcanic systems. The quadrature-based method of moments, well established in the field of chemical engineering, represents a mesoscale modelling approach that rigorously simulates the space–time evolution of a distribution of particles, by considering its moments. The method is applied here, for the first time, for studying the equilibrium/disequilibrium crystallization in magma, modelling the temporal evolution of the moments of a crystal size distribution. The model, verified against numerical and experimental data, represents a valuable tool to infer the cooling and decompression rates from the crystal size distribution observed in natural samples.     

The Varre-Sai chondrite,a Brazilian fall: petrology and geochemistry

The Varre-Sai meteorite fell along the border of the states of Espirito Santo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; on 19 June 2010 at 5:40 pm. Petrography and X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) indicate that the rock is an L5 S4 chondrite, with blastoporphyritic texture that has not been previously described. Geochemical data based on major and rare-earth elements (REEs) show that Varre-Sai is highly similar to the other L chondrites. In Harker diagrams, Varre-Sai, L, and LL chondrites form a single group, suggesting no significant chemical differences between them and contributing to the long-standing debate of whether LL chondrites form a distinct group or whether they are a subset of the L group. Harker diagrams also define a trend from E to H and L/LL chondrites, similar to the cosmochemical trends suggested by other authors. The behaviour of Fe₂O_3t and NiO indicates a relationship with Fe-Ni alloys, and their trend in the diagram suggests some chemical differentiation in the ordinary chondrite parental bodies. The REE content in Varre-Sai, normalized to C chondrites, falls in the field of L chondrites and others, but with slight REE enrichment. The chemical differences in chondrites, mainly in REEs, Fe₂O_3t and NiO could be alternatively interpreted as variations in the inherited agglutinated materials as chondrules, Ca–Al-rich inclusions and Fe–Ni nodules.     

Recognition of geochemical footprints of mineral systems in the regolith at regional to continental scales

Understanding the character of Australia's extensive regolith cover is crucial to the continuing success of mineral exploration. We hypothesise that the regolith contains geochemical fingerprints of processes related to the development and preservation of mineral systems at a range of scales. We test this hypothesis by analysing the composition of surface sediments within greenfield regional-scale (southern Thomson Orogen) and continental-scale (Australia) study areas. In the southern Thomson Orogen area, the first principal component (PC1) derived in our study [Ca, Sr, Cu, Mg, Au and Mo at one end; rare earth elements (REEs) and Th at the other] is very similar to the empirical vector used by a local company (enrichment in Sr, Ca and Au concomitant with depletion in REEs) to successfully site exploration drill holes for Cu–Au mineralisation. Mapping of the spatial distribution of PC1 in the region reveals several areas of elevated values and possible mineralisation potential. One of the strongest targets in the PC1 map is located between Brewarrina and Bourke in northern New South Wales. Here, exploration drilling has intersected porphyry Cu–Au mineralisation with up to 1 wt% Cu, 0.1 g/t Au, and 717 ppm Zn. The analysis of a comparable geochemical dataset at the continental scale yields a compositionally similar PC1 (Ca, Sr, Mg, Cu, Au and Mo at one end; REEs and Th at the other) to that of the regional study. Mapping PC1 at the continental scale shows patterns that (1) are spatially compatible with the regional study and (2) reveal several geological regions of elevated values, possibly suggesting an enhanced potential for porphyry Cu–Au mineralisation. These include well-endowed mineral provinces such as the Curnamona and Capricorn regions, but also some greenfield regions such as the Albany-Fraser/western Eucla, western Murray and Eromanga geological regions. We conclude that the geochemical composition of Australia's regolith may hold critical information pertaining to mineralisation within/beneath it.     

Multidisciplinary inferences on a newly recognized active east‐dipping extensional system in Central Italy

We use a multidisciplinary approach to gather preliminary evidence for a Quaternary east‐dipping extensional detachment in Central Italy. This structure crops out in the Sabini‐Eastern Simbruini (SES) and would be hidden at mid‐crustal depths beneath the L'Aquila 2009 (M_w6.3) epicentral area. The SES geometry is reconstructed through geological mapping, structural analysis and seismic line interpretation. The geometry of the mid‐crustal segment, referred to as the Ocre Segment (OS), is interpreted through seismological analyses of the largest aftershock (M_w5.4) of the L'Aquila 2009 sequence. The kinematic compatibility between the SES and the OS under a common SW–NE tensional field is tested through stress inversion of both geological and seismological data. The reliability of OS activation is tested through slip tendency analysis. Like other Italian cases, the SES and the OS are preliminarily interpreted as expressions at different depths of the same unknown east‐dipping extensional detachment, characterized by a ramp–flat–ramp geometry.     

Elasticity of antigorite,seismic detection of serpentinites,and anisotropy in subduction zones

Serpentinization of the mantle wedge is an important process that influences the seismic and mechanical properties in subduction zones. Seismic detection of serpentines relies on the knowledge of elastic properties of serpentinites, which thus far has not been possible in the absence of single-crystal elastic properties of antigorite. The elastic constants of antigorite, the dominant serpentine at high-pressure in subduction zones, were measured using Brillouin spectroscopy under ambient conditions. In addition, antigorite lattice preferred orientations (LPO) were determined using an electron back-scattering diffraction (EBSD) technique. Isotropic aggregate velocities are significantly lower than those of peridotites to allow seismic detection of serpentinites from tomography. The isotropic V_P/V_S ratio is 1.76 in the Voigt–Reuss–Hill average, not very different from that of 1.73 in peridotite, but may vary between 1.70 and 1.86 between the Voigt and Reuss bonds. Antigorite and deformed serpentinites have a very high seismic anisotropy and remarkably low velocities along particular directions. V_P varies between 8.9 km s^? 1 and 5.6 km s^? 1 (46% anisotropy), and 8.3 km s^? 1 and 5.8 km s^? 1 (37%), and V_S between 5.1 km s^? 1 and 2.5 km s^? 1 (66%), and 4.7 km s^? 1 and 2.9 km s^? 1 (50%) for the single-crystal and aggregate, respectively. The V_P/V_S ratio and shear wave splitting also vary with orientation between 1.2 and 3.4, and 1.3 and 2.8 for the single-crystal and aggregate, respectively. Thus deformed serpentinites can present seismic velocities similar to peridotites for wave propagation parallel to the foliation or lower than crustal rocks for wave propagation perpendicular to the foliation. These properties can be used to detect serpentinite, quantify the amount of serpentinization, and to discuss relationships between seismic anisotropy and deformation in the mantle wedge. Regions of high V_P/V_S ratios and extremely low velocities in the mantle wedge of subduction zones (down to about 6 and 3 km.s^?1 for V_P and V_S, respectively) are difficult to explain without strong preferred orientation of serpentine. Local variations of anisotropy may result from kilometer-scale folding of serpentinites. Shear wave splittings up to 1–1.5 s can be explained with moderately thick (10–20 km) serpentinite bodies.     

Comparison of LiDAR waveform processing methods for very shallow water bathymetry using Raman,near‐infrared and green signals

Airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) bathymetry appears to be a useful technology for bed topography mapping of non‐navigable areas, offering high data density and a high acquisition rate. However, few studies have focused on continental waters, in particular, on very shallow waters (<2 m) where it is difficult to extract the surface and bottom positions that are typically mixed in the green LiDAR signal. This paper proposes two new processing methods for depth extraction based on the use of different LiDAR signals [green, near‐infrared (NIR), Raman] of the SHOALS‐1000T sensor. They have been tested on a very shallow coastal area (Golfe du Morbihan, France) as an analogy to very shallow rivers. The first method is based on a combination of mathematical and heuristic methods using the green and the NIR LiDAR signals to cross validate the information delivered by each signal. The second method extracts water depths from the Raman signal using statistical methods such as principal components analysis (PCA) and classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. The obtained results are then compared to the reference depths, and the performances of the different methods, as well as their advantages/disadvantages are evaluated. The green/NIR method supplies 42% more points compared to the operator process, with an equivalent mean error (?4·2 cm verusu ?4·5 cm) and a smaller standard deviation (25·3 cm verusu 33·5 cm). The Raman processing method provides very scattered results (standard deviation of 40·3 cm) with the lowest mean error (?3·1 cm) and 40% more points. The minimum detectable depth is also improved by the two presented methods, being around 1 m for the green/NIR approach and 0·5 m for the statistical approach, compared to 1·5 m for the data processed by the operator. Despite its ability to measure other parameters like water temperature, the Raman method needed a large amount of reference data to provide reliable depth measurements, as opposed to the green/NIR method. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Daily morphological changes determined by high‐energy events on an embayed beach: a qualitative model

This paper examines the daily morphological responses of Sununga Beach, an embayed beach located on the south‐eastern Brazilian coast, to storms in the South Atlantic Ocean. The main mechanisms and timing of beach erosion and accretion, the relationship between wave height and direction, and beach volume changes are considered, to establish a qualitative model for short‐term embayed beach morphological changes. The methodology consisted of daily topographic surveys during the month of May in 2001, 2002, and 2003, using an RTK‐GPS (real‐time kinematics – global positioning system). Weather and wave model results were used to correlate hydrodynamics and beach morphology. The results indicate that the morphodynamics of Sununga Beach are characterized by a process of beach rotation, which occurred more or less clearly during all three surveys. Unlike what has been commonly described in the literature for longer time intervals and alternations of fair and stormy weather, the beach rotation processes on Sununga Beach occurred under conditions of moderate‐to‐high wave energy change (wave heights greater than 2 m). An integrated evaluation of the behaviour of the meteorological aspects, together with beach morphology, enabled us to recognize that extra‐tropical cyclones were the most important agent in remobilizing the beach planform, whether in beach rotation or in cross‐shore erosion. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Hydrothermal calderas

The standard model of caldera formation is related to the emptying of a magma chamber and ensuing roof collapse during large eruptions or subsurface withdrawal. Although this model works well for numerous volcanoes, it is inappropriate for many basaltic volcanoes (with the notable exception of Hawaii), as these have eruptions that involve volumes of magma that are small compared to the collapse. Many arc volcanoes also have similar oversized depressions, such as Poas (Costa Rica) and Aoba (Vanuatu). In this article, we propose an alternative caldera model based on deep hydrothermal alteration of volcanic rocks in the central part of the edifice. Under certain conditions, the clay-rich altered and pressurized core may flow under its own weight, spread laterally, and trigger very large caldera-like collapse. Several specific mechanisms can generate the formation of such hydrothermal calderas. Among them, we identify two principal modes: mode 1: ripening with summit loading and flank spreading and mode II: unbuttressing with flank subsidence and flank sliding. Processes such as summit loading or flank subsidence may act simultaneously in hybrid mechanisms. Natural examples are shown to illustrate the different modes of formation. For ripening, we give Aoba (Vanuatu) as an example of probable summit loading, while Casita (Nicaragua) is the type example of flank spreading. For unbuttressing, Nuku Hiva Island (Marquesas) is our example for flank subsidence and Piton de la Fournaise (La Réunion) is our example of flank sliding. The whole process is slow and probably needs (a) at least a few tens of thousands of years to deeply alter the edifice and reach conditions suitable for ductile flow and (b) a few hundred years to achieve the caldera collapse. The size and the shape of the caldera strictly mimic that of the underlying weak core. Thus, the size of the caldera is not controlled by the dimensions of the underlying magma reservoir. A collapsing hydrothermal caldera could generate significant phreatic activity and trigger major eruptions from a coexisting magmatic complex. As the buildup to collapse is slow, such caldera-forming events could be detected long before their onset.     

Accuracy assessment of the Mexican National Forest Inventory map: A study in four ecogeographical areas

The accuracy of the Mexican National Forest Inventory (NFI) map is derived in four distinct ecogeographical areas, using an assessment design tailored for the project. A main achievement of the design was to integrate the high diversity of classes encompassed at the most detailed subcommunity level of the classification scheme within a cost‐controlled statistically sound assessment. A hybrid double sampling strategy was applied to the 2.5 million‐ha study area. A total of 5955 reference sites were verified against their NFI map label. The availability of detailed quasi‐synchronous reference data for the 2000 Landsat‐derived NFI and the high diversity of mapped classes allowed a careful thematic analysis on the selected regions, relevant for national extrapolation. Global accuracy estimates of 64–78 per cent were registered among the four ecogeographical areas (two with mainly temperate climate and the other two with mainly tropical climate), with the lower accuracy levels found in areas more densely covered with forests. According to the estimates, the NFI map tends to underestimate the presence of temperate forest (especially oak) and overestimate the presence of tropical forest in the areas investigated. The analysis of confusions reveals difficulties in unambiguously interpreting or labelling forests with secondary vegetation, herbaceous and/or shrub‐like vegetation as well as distinguishing between aquatic vegetation types. The design proved useful from the perspective of accuracy assessments of regional maps in biodiverse regions.