Sediment provenance of the Wilderness barrier dunes,southern Cape coast,South Africa

Trace‐element geochemistry has been used to discern the provenance of sediments derived from geologically distinct sources found in a range of depositional settings. This study investigates whether this approach can also identify provenance signatures in sediments derived from clastic sedimentary rocks of similar origins, within a complex coastal transport environment. The potential local sediment sources of a coastal barrier dune in South Africa were analysed to assess their relationships with the barrier and whether these have varied with time. Results indicate that the oldest part of the barrier, partly formed during MIS 6 when sea levels were lower than at present, has a closer affinity to fluvial sediment provided by local rivers than either younger samples from the barrier′s seaward flank or the Holocene dunes atop its crest, both formed during sea‐level highstands. Constraints on the timing of barrier formation provided by OSL dating proved helpful in discriminating between provenance and weathering signals. Terra Nova, 00, 000–000, 2010     

Deccan volcanism linked to the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary mass extinction: New evidence from ONGC wells in the Krishna-Godavari Basin

A scientific challenge is to assess the role of Deccan volcanism in the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary (KTB) mass extinction. Here we report on the stratigraphy and biologic effects of Deccan volcanism in eleven deep wells from the Krishna-Godavari (K-G) Basin, Andhra Pradesh, India. In these wells, two phases of Deccan volcanism record the world’s largest and longest lava mega-flows interbedded in marine sediments in the K-G Basin about 1500 km from the main Deccan volcanic province. The main phase-2 eruptions (∼80% of total Deccan Traps) began in C29r and ended at or near the KTB, an interval that spans planktic foraminiferal zones CF1–CF2 and most of the nannofossil Micula prinsii zone, and is correlative with the rapid global warming and subsequent cooling near the end of the Maastrichtian. The mass extinction began in phase-2 preceding the first of four mega-flows. Planktic foraminifera suffered a 50% drop in species richness. Survivors suffered another 50% drop after the first mega-flow, leaving just 7 to 8 survivor species. No recovery occurred between the next three mega-flows and the mass extinction was complete with the last phase-2 mega-flow at the KTB. The mass extinction was likely the consequence of rapid and massive volcanic CO₂ and SO₂ gas emissions, leading to high continental weathering rates, global warming, cooling, acid rains, ocean acidification and a carbon crisis in the marine environment.     

Dynamics of the main components of fluxes of sedimentary matter in the White Sea

Doklady Earth Sciences - The results of long-term investigations in a small sea of the Arctic Ocean served as a basis for revealing new regularities characteristic of the sedimentary process in the...     

河北张家口水泉沟岩体SHRIMP年代学研究及其意义

采用先进的 SHRIMP测年技术对河北水泉沟碱性杂岩体进行了年龄测定,获得东坪金矿区水泉沟岩体二长岩锆石 U- Pb年龄为 (390± 6)Ma,后沟金矿区水泉沟岩体正长岩年龄 (386± 6)Ma,比较可信地确定了水泉沟岩体的成岩时代为晚加里东期—早海西期。这表明北部温都尔庙-西拉木伦河加里东俯冲造山运动强烈地影响本区,水泉沟岩体是这次运动的产物。根据前人测得的东坪和后沟金矿床蚀变围岩钾长石的 Ar- Ar和 K- Ar年龄,金矿化的时代是中生代燕山期,与岩体的成岩年龄有 200 Ma的时差,成因上可能与碱性杂岩体关系不大,因此,东坪和后沟等金矿床可能不属于碱性岩型金矿床。     

新疆博格达南缘后碰撞期陆内裂谷和水下滑塌构造

本文较为系统地研究了哈密市七角井-车轱辘泉和乌鲁木齐市白杨沟地区晚古生代后碰撞期陆内裂谷和滑塌构造的几何学、岩石学和地球化学特征。研究表明,在博格达山南缘的七角井-车轱辘泉一带,玄武岩和流纹岩彼此互层产出,构成厚度较大的后碰撞期双峰式火山岩系,呈近东西方向平行造山带展布,堆积在早二叠世红色磨拉石之上;在白杨沟一带,后碰撞水下滑塌堆积岩与火山岩共存,构成一个厚1300m的滑塌构造剖面,由水下滑塌堆积岩夹双峰式火山岩带、枕状熔岩-气孔状玄武岩带和硅质、泥砂质岩带所组成。其底部以北东走向的拆离断层和晚石炭世灰岩、砂岩岩层接触。在岩石地球化学特征上,火山岩的SiO2含量在53%-67%之间出现间断,呈现双峰式火山岩的特点。其中,流纹岩SiO2平均71.65%,CaO2.15%,Na2O与K2O含量相近(3.2%-3.7%),含碱量>含钙量,ANKC值>1.1;轻稀土富集、稀土总量高,铕亏损,具明显Eu负异常。与之共生的玄武岩则以富硅贫碱为特征,SiO2平均51.05%,TiO2含量变化较大,轻稀土轻度富集,铕异常不明显,属拉斑系列玄武岩类。其特征和东非阿法尔裂谷的双峰式火山岩相近,反映陆内裂谷环境。对滑塌堆积岩带中的辉绿玢岩作锆石U-Pb测年,获289±5Ma年龄值,相当于二叠纪初期。从晚二迭叠世开始,全区处于相对稳定的剥蚀-堆积环境中,形成了厚度较大的磨拉石,并逐渐演化为三叠纪的准平原化环境。     

On the criteria to create a susceptibility map to debris flow at a regional scale using Flow-R

Studies on susceptibility to debris flows at regional scale(100-1000 km~2) are important for the protection and management of mountain areas. To reach this objective, routing models, mainly based on land topography, can be used to predict susceptible areas rapidly while necessitating few input data. In this research, Flow-R model is implemented to create the susceptibility map for the debris flow of the Vizze Valley(BZ, North-Eastern Italy; 134 km~2). The analysis considers the model application at local scale for three sub-catchments and then it explores the model upscaling at the regional scale by verifying two methods to generate the source areas of debris-flow initiation. Using data of an extreme event occurred in the Vizze Valley(4 August 2012) and historical information, the modeling verification highlights that the propagation parameters are relatively simple to set in order to obtain correct runout distances. A double DTM filtering-using a threshold for the upslope contributing area(0.1 km~2) and a threshold for the terrain-slope angle(15°)-provides a satisfactory prediction of source areas and susceptibility map within the geological conditions of the Vizze Valley.     

Hydrogeology of thermal waters in Viterbo area, central Italy

A conceptual hydrogeological model of the Viterbo thermal area (central Italy) has been developed. Though numerous studies have been conducted on its geological, geochemical and geothermal features, there is no generalized picture defining the origin and yield of the hydrothermal system. These latter aspects have therefore become the objectives of this research, which is based on new hydrogeological and geochemical investigations. The geological setting results in the coexistence of overlapped interacting aquifers. The shallow volcanic aquifer, characterized by fresh waters, is fed from the area around the Cimini Mountains and is limited at its base by the semiconfining marly-calcareous-arenaceous complex and low-permeability clays. To the west of Viterbo, vertical upflows of thermal waters of the sulphate-chloride-alkaline-earth type with higher gas contents, are due to the locally uplifted carbonate reservoir, the reduced thickness of the semiconfining layer and the high local geothermal gradient. The hot waters (30–60°C) are the result of deep circulation within the carbonate rocks (0.5–1.8 km) and have the same recharge area as the volcanic aquifer. The upward flow in the Viterbo thermal area is at least 0.1 m³/s. This flow feeds springs and deep wells, also recharging the volcanic aquifer from below.     

Assessment of a climate model to reproduce rainfall variability and extremes over Southern Africa

It is increasingly accepted that any possible climate change will not only have an influence on mean climate but may also significantly alter climatic variability. A change in the distribution and magnitude of extreme rainfall events (associated with changing variability), such as droughts or flooding, may have a far greater impact on human and natural systems than a changing mean. This issue is of particular importance for environmentally vulnerable regions such as southern Africa. The sub-continent is considered especially vulnerable to and ill-equipped (in terms of adaptation) for extreme events, due to a number of factors including extensive poverty, famine, disease and political instability. Rainfall variability and the identification of rainfall extremes is a function of scale, so high spatial and temporal resolution data are preferred to identify extreme events and accurately predict future variability. The majority of previous climate model verification studies have compared model output with observational data at monthly timescales. In this research, the assessment of ability of a state of the art climate model to simulate climate at daily timescales is carried out using satellite-derived rainfall data from the Microwave Infrared Rainfall Algorithm (MIRA). This dataset covers the period from 1993 to 2002 and the whole of southern Africa at a spatial resolution of 0.1° longitude/latitude. This paper concentrates primarily on the ability of the model to simulate the spatial and temporal patterns of present-day rainfall variability over southern Africa and is not intended to discuss possible future changes in climate as these have been documented elsewhere. Simulations of current climate from the UK Meteorological Office Hadley Centre’s climate model, in both regional and global mode, are firstly compared to the MIRA dataset at daily timescales. Secondly, the ability of the model to reproduce daily rainfall extremes is assessed, again by a comparison with extremes from the MIRA dataset. The results suggest that the model reproduces the number and spatial distribution of rainfall extremes with some accuracy, but that mean rainfall and rainfall variability is under-estimated (over-estimated) over wet (dry) regions of southern Africa.