A theory of concentric,kink, and sinusoidal folding and of monoclinal flexuring of compressible,elastic multilayers: III. Transition from sinusoidal to concentric-like to chevron folds

A basic, sinusoidal solution to the linearized equations of equilibrium for compressible, elastic materials provides solutions to several problems of folding of multilayers. Theoretical wavelengths are comparable to those predicted by Ramberg, using viscosity theory, and to those predicted by elementary folding theory. The linearized analysis of buckling of a single, stiff, elastic layer, either isolated or within a soft medium, suggests that wavelengths computed with elementary beam theory are remarkably similar to those computed with the linearized theory for wavelength-to-thickness ratios greater than about five. This is half the limit of ten normally assumed for use of the elementary theory.The theory and experiments with deep beams of rubber or gelatin indicate that thick, homogeneous layers folded with short wavelengths assume internal forms strikingly similar to those of the ideal concentric fold. Thus, mechanical layering clearly is not required to produce concentric-like forms.Further, the theory suggests that “arc and cusp” structure, or “pinches”, at edges of deep beams as well as chevron-like forms in single or multiple stiff layers are a result of a peculiar, plastic-like behavior of elastic materials subjected to high normal stresses parallel to layering. In a sense, the elastic material “yields” to form the hinge of the chevron fold, although the strain vanishes if the stresses are released. Accordingly, it may be impossible to distinguish chevron forms produced in elastic-plastic materials, such as cardboard or aluminum and perhaps some rock, from chevron forms produced in purely elastic materials, such as rubber.Analysis of the theory shows that, just as high axial stresses make straight, shortened multilayers the unstable form and sinusoidal waves the stable form, stresses induced by sinusoidal displacements of the multilayer make the sinusoidal waveform unstable and concentric-like waves the stable form. Thus, concentric-like folds appear to be typical of folded multilayers according to our analysis. Further, where the layers have short wavelengths in the cores of the concentric-like folds, the stiff layers “yield” elastically at hinges and straighten in limbs. Thus the concentric-like pattern is replaced by chevron folds as the multilayer is shortened. In this way we can understand the sequence of events from uniform shortening, to sinusoidal folding, to concentric-like folding, to chevron folding in multilayers composed of elastic materials.     

Radiolaria as paleoclimatic indicators: Pleistocene climatic fluctuations in the equatorial Pacific Ocean

Late Pleistocene radiolarian assemblages were examined in two cores (V24-58 and RC11-209) from the eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean, using Nigrini's 1970 method of recurrent group analysis. The radiolarian “climatic index” curves obtained by this analysis were in close agreement with fluctuations in carbonate levels established previously for the same cores. This correspondence suggests that equatorial radiolarian assemblages changed significantly in response to Pleistocene climatic oscillations. The radiolarian “climatic indices” of the two cores showed close agreement with each other. Our data indicate that equatorial radiolarian assemblages may prove useful for regional correlations between cores, and for paleoclimatic interpretations.     

Magnetic polarity stratigraphy of the middle Pleistocene (Ensenadan) Tarija Formation of southern Bolivia

The Tarija Formation of southern Bolivia, which is well known for its classic vertebrate faunas, is of prime importance in understanding of the chronology of the Ensenadan Land Mammal Age. This formation consists of well-exposed and relatively fossiliferous sections of clays, clayey silts, sands, gravels, and tuffs which were deposited in a predominately fluviatile regime in a Pleistocene structural basin. Four stratigraphic sections, each measuring 110 m or less, were studied to establish a magnetic polarity stratigraphy. Paleomagnetic samples were collected from the finer-grained sediments at 100 sites spaced at stratigraphic intervals of 5 m or less. All paleomagnetic specimens were demagnetized in alternating fields of least 250 oersteds (oe). Some specimens were also thermally demagnetized at 200°C or more. Of the 100 sites, 77 were ultimately used to determine the magnetic polarity zonation. Based on the four sections sampled, the Tarija Formation spans a time interval from about 1 my to about 0.7 my B.P. or perhaps younger. The lower half of the composite section is of reversed polarity punctuated by a short normal event. This sequence probably represents the late Matuyama chron with the Jaramillo subchron. The upper part of the section is of normal polarity and represents early Brunhes time. A tuffaceous unit 43 m above the Brunhes-Matuyama boundary yielded a fission track (zircon) age of 0.7 ± 0.2 by B.P. These data indicate that the classic Tarija fauna is middle Pleistocene Ensendan in age.     

Upscaling Permeability Measurements Within Complex Heterolithic Tidal Sandstones

We investigate numerically the effect of sample volume on the effective single-phase permeability of heterolithic tidal sandstones, using three-dimensional models reconstructed directly from large rock specimens measuring 45 × 30 × 15 cm. We find that both individual and averaged effective permeability values vary as a function of sample volume, which indicates that permeability data obtained from core-plugs will not be representative at the scale of a reservoir model grid-block regardless of the number of measurements taken. However, the error introduced by averaged data may be minimized using the appropriate averaging scheme for a given facies type and flow direction.     

Deep-sea fan pinch-out geometries and their relationship to fan architecture,Tanqua Karoo basin (South Africa)

Exceptional exposures of Permian basin floor fans (fans 3, 4) and a slope fan (fan 5) in the Tanqua Karoo foreland basin of South Africa have enabled an investigation of the relation between the pinch-out geometries and fan architecture. The pinch-out geometry of fan 3 is characterized by the down dip transition from thin to medium bedded sheet deposits to pinch-out fingers, which are overlain by younger prograding sheet deposits. This geometry reflects the progradational stacking pattern of the fan. In contrast, the fan 4 pinch-out fingers consist of stacked channel fills in the same conduit. This pinch-out configuration relates to the dominant aggradational style observed on the mid and distal parts of fan 4. Fan 5 represents a slope fan comprising an axial channel conduit, which branches down slope into three distributary channels. The distal fan is characterized by larger channel fills, which may represent bypass channels to other basin floor fans. The very thick-bedded nature of the youngest channel fill unit suggests early bypass followed by retrogradation as indicated by the presence of thinner bedded heterolithic channel fill deposits along the axial conduit. Although some of the massive pinch-out channels exhibit basal scour, their depositional morphology suggests that they mainly originated due to the infill of subtle topographic depressions by low concentration turbidity currents. Instead of describing these features as channel fills, the use of the term pinch-out fingers is preferred.     

Spinel–cordierite symplectites replacing andalusite: evidence for melt-assisted diapirism in the Bushveld Complex, South Africa

Spinel–cordierite symplectites partially replacing andalusite occur in metapelitic rocks within the cores of several country rock diapirs that have ascended into the upper levels of layered mafic/ultramafic rocks in the Bushveld Complex. We investigate the petrogenesis of these symplectites in one of these diapirs, the Phepane dome. Petrographic evidence indicates that at conditions immediately below the solidus the rocks were characterized by a cordierite‐, biotite‐ and K‐feldspar‐rich matrix and 5–10 mm long andalusite porphyroblasts surrounded by biotite‐rich fringes. Phase relations in the MnNCKFMASHT model system constrain the near‐solidus prograde path to around 3 kbar and imply that andalusite persisted metastably into the sillimanite + melt field, where the fringing relationship between biotite and andalusite provided spatially restricted equilibrium domains with silica‐deficient effective bulk compositions that focused suprasolidus reaction. MnNCKFMASHT pseudosections that model these compositional domains suggest that volatile phase‐absent melting reactions consuming andalusite and biotite initially produced a moat of cordierite surrounding andalusite; reaction progressed until all quartz was consumed. Spinel is predicted to grow with cordierite at around 720 °C. Formation of the aluminous solid products was strongly controlled by the receding edge of andalusite grains, with symplectites forming at the andalusite‐cordierite moat interface. Decompression due to melt‐assisted diapiric rise of the floor rocks into the overlying mafic/ultramafic rocks occurred close to the thermal peak. Re‐crossing of the solidus at P = 1.5–2 kbar, T > 700 °C resulted in preservation of the symplectites. Two features of the silica‐deficient domains inhibited resorption of spinel. First, the cordierite moat armoured the symplectites from reaction with crystallizing melt in the outer part of the pseudomorphs. Second, an up‐T step in the solidus at low‐P, which may be in excess of 100 °C higher than the quartz‐saturated solidus, resulted in high‐T crystallization of melt on decompression. Even in metapelitic rocks where melt is retained, preservation of spinel is favoured by decompression.     

Phytoplankton reference communities for Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries

Phytoplankton reference communities for Chesapeake Bay were quantified from least-impaired water quality conditions using commonly measured parameters and indicators derived from measured parameters. A binning approach was developed to classify water quality. Least-impaired conditions had relatively high water column transparency and low concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and orthophosphate. Reference communities in all seasons and salinity zones are characterized by consistently low values of chlorophylla and pheophytin coupled with relative stable proportions of the phytoplankton taxonomic groups and low biomasses of key bloom-forming species. Chlorophyll cell content was lower and less variable and average cell size and seasonal picophytoplankton biomass tended to be greater in the mesohaline and polyhaline reference communities as compared to the impaired communities. Biomass concentrations of the nano-micro phytoplankton size fractions (2–200 μm) in 12 of the 16 season-specific and salinity-specific reference communities were the same or higher than those in impaired habitat conditions, suggesting that nutrient reductions will not decrease the quantity of edible phytoplankton food available to large consumers. High (bloom) and low (bust) biomass events within the impaired phytoplankton communities showed strikingly different chlorophyll cell content and turnover rates. Freshwater flow had little effect on phytoplankton responses to water quality condition in most of the estuary. Improved water column transparency, or clarity, through the reduction of suspended sediments will be particularly important in attaining the reference communities. Significant nitrogen load reductions are also required.     

Variability in sediment supply,transfer and deposition in an upland torrent system: Iron Crag,northern England

Research into torrent erosion has focused on bedload transport dynamics, debris flow propagation during flood events, and fan sedimentation. Studies have frequently been biased towards specific events and have not considered sediment delivery in the catchment as a whole. The aim of this study is to examine spatial variations and process controls on sediment transfer in an upland torrent system (hillslopes, channel and fan). The study site is Iron Crag, a small torrent system (catchment area 2·4 ha) situated in the northern Lake District, UK. Particle size analysis of hillslope sediments trapped during transport suggests sediment calibre is controlled primarily by sediment source. Freeze–thaw and rainfall processes impart a weak but recognizable size sorting signature on the trapped sediments. However, these variations are less significant in determining sediment supply to the basal fan, than those operating in the channel system. Channel sediment movement is strongly influenced by storm events, the type of flow process (debris flow or fluvial flow), the sediment characteristics, and the local channel topography. The importance of the channel–fan coupling is clearly demonstrated in that more than 90 per cent of fan sedimentation is derived from channel sediment sources. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.