Genetic implications of new lead isotope measurements on Schwarzwald vein and Upper Triassic sediment galenas

We report the results of a lead isotopic investigation of galena from vein deposits from the Southern Schwarzwald (33 samples) and from various localities (6) from the galena horizon of the South German Keuper. The total range of isotopic ratios for the veins and the Keuper leads is:18,29 <²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 18,97; 15,59 <²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 15,70; 38,42 <²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 38,90. The lead isotopic systems give anomalous ages when compared with lead evolution models ofHolmes (1946, 47)Houtermans (1946),Stacey &Kramers (1975) andCumming &Richards (1975). This indicates a more complex lead evolution than allowed for in these models.Small but significant variations in the isotopic ratios of lead were observed in galenas from within a number of veins and between veins. Also leads in galena from Hercynian veins within granitic host rocks in the Southern Schwarzwald were found to be more radiogenic than galena leads in veins found in gneisses in the Central Schwarzwald. These results strongly suggest a local influence on the lead isotopic compositions of the vein galenas and also place constraints on the age of the veins and models of vein formation.Galenas from Tertiary veins were found to have lower²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios in comparison with ratios observed in Hercynian vein leads, suggesting that the Tertiary veins contain a compound of older retarded lead from a source not identified in the present study.The Keuper sedimentary galenas were found to have relatively homogenous lead isotopic ratios which fall within the range of isotopic compositions of the Hercynian vein leads. The galenas from the Upper Triassic (Keuper) are slightly more radiogenic than the more isotopically variable galena leads from the uppermost Permian (Kupferschiefer;Wedepohl et al. 1978).

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Zusammenfassung An Bleiglanzen von Gängen des mittleren und südlichen Schwarzwaldes (33 Proben) und von verschiedenen Lokalitäten (6) der Bleiglanzbank des süddeutschen Keupers wurden massenspektrometrische Blei-Isotopen-Untersuchungen durchgeführt.Die Werte fallen in die Bereiche: 18,29 <²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 18,97; 15,59 <²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 15,70; 38,42 <²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 38,90. Aus den Blei-Isotopenverhältnissen erhält man anomale Blei-Entwicklungsalter, wenn man die Modellevon Holmes (1946, 47),Houtermans (1946),Stacey &Kramers (1975) undCumming &Richards (1975) zugrunde legt. Das zeigt, daß die Entwicklung dieses Bleis komplexer ablief, als die genannten Modelle annehmen.Kleine aber signifikante Unterschiede in der Blei-Isotopenzusammensetzung wurden für Proben eines Gangsystems und zwischen den verschiedenen Gängen beobachtet. Das Blei aus Bleiglanzen von variscischen Gängen des St. Blasien-Granits (Südostschwarzwald) ist radiogener als das der Gänge in den Gneisen des Zentral-Schwarzwaldes. Diese Beobachtung zeigt, daß die Blei-Isotopenwerte mit der lokalen geologischen Situation verknüpft sind und ist von Bedeutung für die Diskussion der Alter und Entstehungs-modelle der Bleiglanze.Bleiglanz aus den als Tertiär angesehenen Gängen zeigt niedere²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴-Verhältnisse als die variscischen Gang-Bleiglanze. Daraus kann man auf eine ältere zurückgebliebene Bleikomponente schließen, deren Quelle jedoch noch nicht gefunden wurde. Die Bleiglanze aus der Keuper-Bleiglanzbank ergaben relativ einheitliche Isotopenverhältnisse, welche in die Verteilung der Schwarzwälder Bleie fallen. Sie sind etwas radiogener als die isotopisch sehr variablen Bleiglanz-Isotopenwerte des Zechsteins (Kupferschiefer;Wedepohl et al. 1978).

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Résumé Une étude isotopique du plomb a été effectué sur des galènes provenant de filons de la Forêt Noire Centrale et du Sud (33 échantillons) et de différentes localités (6) de l'horizon à galène du Keuper du Sud de l'Allemagne.Les valeurs de plomb se situent dans les intervalles suivants: 18,29 <²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 18,97; 15,59 <²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 15,70; 38,42 <²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 38,90.Les rapports isotopiques du plomb indiquent des âges d'évolution de plomb anormaux, si l'on prend pour base les modèles d'évolution deHolmes (1946, 47),Houtermans (1946),Stacey &Kramers (1975) etCumming &Richards (1975). Cela montre que l'évolution du plomb s'est déroulée d'une façon plus complexe que ne le supposent les modèles mentionnés. Des différences minimes mais significatives ont été observées dans la composition isotopique du plomb, pour des échantillons d'un système filonien et entre différents filons. Le plomb des galènes des filons hercyniens du granite de St. Blasien (Forêt Noire du Sud Est) est plus radiogénique que celui des filons trouvés dans les gneiss de la Forêt Noire Centrale. Cette observation montre que la composition isotopique du plomb est liée à la situation géographique locale et est d'une grande importance pour la discussion des âges et des modèles de formation des galènes.Les rapports²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb des galènes des filons considérés comme d'âge tertiaire sont moins élevés que ceux des galènes d'âge hercynien, ce qui permet de supposer une composante de plomb plus âgée, «retardée» dont on n'a pu jusqu'ici déceler la source. Le plomb des galènes du Keuper a une composition isotopique relativement homogène, qui se trouve dans la gamme de celle observée pour le plomb des galènes de la Forêt Noire. Leur plomb est légèrement plus radiogénique que celui des galènes du Zechstein qui a une composition isotopique très variable (Kupferschiefer;Wedepohl et al., 1978).

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— (33 ) (6 ) - . : 18,29 <²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 18,97; 15,59 <²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 15,70; 38,42 <²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 38,90. , Holmes'a, 1946; Houterman'a, 1946, Stacey & Kramer'a, 1975 Cumming & Richard'a, 1975, . , , , ., , . St. Blasien (- ) , . , , . ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, . , . , . , , .

     

Towards an Open Information Infrastructure for Disaster Research and Management: Data Management and Information Systems Inside DFNK

The development of new and better methods for preventing and managing natural disasters requires a variety of different data sets, covering the range from referenced data, e.g. topographic data and digital elevation models, to various kinds of thematic data, e.g. data about soil, vegetation and land usage as well as monitoring data like precipitation and water levels. So a well-organised data and information management and the implementation of a modern processing environment to acquire, store, analyse and visualise data were decisive for the success of the German Research Network Natural Disasters (DFNK). An information infrastructure was established to support data management and information flows inside the network. A web-based portal offers general information to the public and internal documents, data and software tools to the project community. A catalog service allows the overview of existing but distributed data scombined with flexible data retrieval. Based on internet technology and global standards these concepts contribute to a superior information infrastructure and finally substantiate to the development of Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDI). SDIs aim is to improve availability and usability of spatial data for the manifold application areas. Disaster management is one field depending on a very high level on high-quality data equipment, and on a working SDI.     

Mass fraction spatiotemporal geostatistics and its application to map atmospheric polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons after 9/11

This work proposes a space/time estimation method for atmospheric PM_2.5 components by modelling the mass fraction at a selection of space/time locations where the component is measured and applying the model to the extensive PM_2.5 monitoring network. The method we developed utilizes the nonlinear Bayesian maximum entropy framework to perform the geostatistical estimation. We implemented this approach using data from nine carcinogenic, particle-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) measured from archived PM_2.5 samples collected at four locations around the World Trade Center (WTC) from September 22, 2001 to March 27, 2002. The mass fraction model developed at these four sites was used to estimate PAH concentrations at additional PM_2.5 monitors. Even with limited PAH data, a spatial validation showed the application of the mass fraction model reduced the mean squared error (MSE) by 7–22%, while in the temporal validation there was an exponential improvement in MSE positively associated with the number of days of PAH data removed. Our results include space/time maps of atmospheric PAH concentrations in the New York area after 9/11.     

The viscosity of hydrous dacitic liquids: implications for the rheology of evolving silicic magmas

The viscosity of a series of six synthetic dacitic liquids, containing up to 5.04 wt% dissolved water, was measured above the glass transition range by parallel-plate viscometry. The temperature of the 10¹¹ Pa s isokom decreases from 1065 K for the anhydrous liquid, to 864 K and 680 K for water contents of 0.97 and 5.04 wt% H₂O. Including additional measurements at high temperatures by concentric-cylinder and falling-sphere viscometry, the viscosity (η) can be expressed as a function of temperature and water content w according to: where η is in Pa s, T is temperature in K, and w is in weight percent. Within the conditions of measurement, this parameterization reproduces the 76 viscosity data with a root-mean square deviation (RMSD) of 0.16 log units in viscosity, or 7.8 K in temperature. The measurements show that water decreases the viscosity of the dacitic liquids more than for andesitic liquids, but less than for rhyolites. At low temperatures and high water contents, andesitic liquids are more viscous than the dacitic liquids, which are in turn more viscous than rhyolitic liquids, reversing the trend seen for high temperatures and low water contents. This suggests that the relative viscosity of different melts depends on temperature and water content as much as on bulk melt composition and structure. At magmatic temperatures, rhyolites are orders of magnitude more viscous than dacites, which are slightly more viscous than andesites. During degassing, all three liquids undergo a rapid viscosity increase at low water contents, and both dacitic and andesitic liquids will degas more efficiently than rhyolitic liquids. During cooling and differentiation, changing melt chemistry, decreasing temperature and increasing crystal content all lead to increases in the viscosity of magma (melt plus crystals). Under closed system conditions, where melt water content can increase during crystallization, viscosity increases may be small. Conversely, viscosity increases are very abrupt during ascent and degassing-induced crystallization.     

Assessment of Water Availability in a Central-European River Basin (Elbe) Under Climate Change

 The Elbe region is representative of humid to semi-humid landscapes in Central Europe, where water availability during the summer season is the limiting factor for plant growth and crop yields, especially in the loess areas with high crop productivity having annual precipitation lower than 500 mm. This paper summarizes the results of the first phase of the GLOWA (GLObal WAter)-Elbe project and tries to assess the reliability of water supply in the German part of the Elbe river basin for the next 50 years, a time scale relevant for the implementation of water and land use management plans. One focus of the study was developing scenarios which are consistent with climate and land use changes considering possible uncertainties. The concluding result of the study is that nature and communities in parts of Central Europe will have to deal with considerably lower water resources under scenario conditions.     

Continuous Hidden Markov Models: Application to automatic earthquake detection and classification at Las Canãdas caldera,Tenerife

A possible interaction of (volcano-) tectonic earthquakes with the continuous seismic noise recorded in the volcanic island of Tenerife was recently suggested. Also recently the zone close to Las Canadas caldera shows unusual high number of near (< 25 km), possibly volcano-tectonic, earthquakes indicating signs of reawakening of the volcano putting high pressure on the risk analyst. Certainly for both tasks consistent earthquake catalogues provide valuable information and thus there is a strong demand for automatic detection and classification methodologies generating such catalogues. Therefore we adopt methodologies of speech recognition where statistical models, called Hidden Markov Models (HMMs), are widely used for spotting words in continuous audio data. In this study HMMs are used to detect and classify volcano-tectonic and/or tectonic earthquakes in continuous seismic data. Further the HMM detection and classification is evaluated and discussed for a one month period of continuous seismic data at a single seismic station. Being a stochastic process, HMMs provide the possibility to add a confidence measure to each classification made, basically evaluating how “sure” the algorithm is when classifying a certain earthquake. Moreover, this provides helpful information for the seismological analyst when cataloguing earthquakes. Combined with the confidence measure the HMM detection and classification can provide precise enough earthquake statistics, both for further evidence on the interaction between seismic noise and (volcano-) tectonic earthquakes as well as for incorporation in an automatic early warning system.