Eclogite and garnet pyroxenite from Stor Jougdan,Seve Nappe Complex,Sweden: implications for UHP metamorphism of allochthons in the Scandinavian Caledonides

Ultrahigh‐pressure metamorphism (UHPM) has recently been discovered in far‐travelled allochthons of the Scandinavian Caledonides, including finding of diamond in the Seve Nappe Complex. This UHPM of Late Ordovician age is older and less recognized than that in the Western Gneiss Region of southwestern Norway, which was related to terminal collision between Baltica and Laurentia. Here we report new evidence of UHPM in the Lower Seve Nappe, recorded by eclogite and garnet pyroxenite from the area of Stor Jougdan in northern Jämtland, central Sweden. Peak‐metamorphic assemblage of eclogite, garnet + omphacite + phengite + rutile + coesite? yields P–T conditions of 2.8–4.0 GPa and 750–900 °C, constrained by conventional geothermobarometry and thermodynamic modelling in the NCKFMTASH system. The prograde metamorphic evolution of the eclogite is inferred from inclusions of zoisite and amphibole in garnet, which are stable at lower pressure, whereas the retrograde evolution is recorded by formation of diopsidic clinopyroxene + plagioclase symplectites after omphacite, growth of amphibole replacing these symplectites, and of titanite around rutile. In garnet pyroxenite the peak‐metamorphic assemblage consists of garnet + orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + olivine. P–T conditions of 2.3–3.8 GPa and 810–960 °C have been derived based on the conventional geothermobarometry and thermodynamic modelling in the CFMASH and CFMAS systems. Retrograde evolution has been recognized from replacement of pyroxene and garnet by amphibole. The results show that eclogite was metamorphosed during deep subduction of continental crust, most probably derived from the continental margin of Baltica, whereas the origin and tectonic setting of the garnet pyroxenite is ambiguous. The studied pyroxenite/peridotite of Baltican subcontinental affinity could have been metamorphosed as a part of the subducting plate and exhumed due to the downward extraction of a forearc lithospheric block.     

Multiple drivers of Holocene lake level changes at a lowland lake in northeastern Germany

Many German lakes experienced significant water level declines in recent decades that are not fully understood due to the short observation period. At a typical northeastern German groundwater‐fed lake with a complex basin morphology, an acoustic sub‐bottom profile was analysed together with a transect of five sediment cores, which were correlated using multiple proxies (sediment facies, μ‐XRF, macrofossils, subfossil Cladocera). Shifts in the boundary between sand and mud deposition were controlled by lake level changes, and hence, allowed the quantification of an absolute lake level amplitude of ~8 m for the Holocene. This clearly exceeded observed modern fluctuations of 1.3 m (AD 1973–2010). Past lake level changes were traced continuously using the calcium‐record. During high lake levels, massive organic muds were deposited in the deepest lake basin, whereas lower lake levels isolated the sub‐basins and allowed carbonate deposition. During the beginning of the Holocene (>9700 cal. a BP), lake levels were high, probably due to final melting of permafrost and dead‐ice remains. The establishment of water‐use intensive Pinus forests caused generally low (3–4 m below modern) but fluctuating lake levels (9700–6400 cal. a BP). Afterwards, the lake showed an increasing trend and reached a short‐term highstand at c. 5000 cal. a BP (4 m above modern). At the transition towards a cooler and wetter late Holocene, forests dominated by Quercus and Fagus and initial human impact probably contributed more positively to groundwater recharge. Lake levels remained high between 3800 and 800 cal. a BP, but the lake system was not sensitive enough to record short‐term fluctuations during this period. Lake level changes were recorded again when humans profoundly affected the drainage system, land cover and lake trophy. Hence, local Holocene water level changes reflect feedbacks between catchment and vegetation characteristics and human impact superimposed by climate change at multiple temporal scales.     

Energy Release During Slow Long-Duration Flares Observed by RHESSI

Slow long-duration events (SLDEs) are flares characterized by the long duration of their rising phase. In many such cases the impulsive phase is weak without typical short-lasting pulses. Instead, smooth, long-lasting hard X-ray (HXR) emission is observed. We analyzed hard X-ray emission and morphology of six selected SLDEs. In our analysis we utilized data from the RHESSI and GOES satellites. The physical parameters of HXR sources were obtained from imaging spectroscopy and were used for the energy balance analysis. The characteristic decay time of the heating rate, after reaching its maximum value, is very long, which explains the long rising phase of these flares.     

Non-integrability of the dumbbell and point mass problem

This paper discusses a constrained gravitational three-body problem with two of the point masses separated by a massless inflexible rod to form a dumbbell. This problem is a simplification of a problem of a symmetric rigid body and a point mass, and has numerous applications in Celestial Mechanics and Astrodynamics. The non-integrability of this system is proven. This was achieved thanks to an analysis of variational equations along a certain particular solution and an investigation of their differential Galois group. Nowadays this approach is the most effective tool for study integrability of Hamiltonian and non-Hamiltonian systems.     

Mortality of game mammals caused by an extreme flooding event in south-western Poland

We examine mortality in five terrestrial species of game animals resulting from an extreme flood event in Central Europe in July 1997. We present species-specific mortality rates and collate them with local abundances to show the susceptibilities of the different species to flood mortality. We also compare mortality rates in areas inundated by the main river and by its tributaries. Data were collected in the catchment area of the Odra River, south-western Poland. Mortality was estimated by surveying for drowned animals in flooded areas of 50 hunting districts (2,876 km²). Total mortality amounted to 3,613 individuals, mostly of roe deer Capreolus capreolus and brown hare Lepus europaeus. Relative to estimates of abundance, mortality was disproportionately high in hares. Drownings of roe deer and wild boar, Sus scrofa were proportional to local abundance. Young individuals were particularly affected. Mortality was low in foxes, Vulpes vulpes, and red deer, Cervus elaphus. The mortality rate increased with the proportion of area flooded and the duration of flooding and was four times higher along the Odra River than along its tributaries. Our data specify, for the first time, direct losses in wild, large animals in response to an extreme flood event. Despite high overall losses, negative long-term effects on populations seemed unlikely. Nevertheless, to lessen the impact, river management focused primarily on human safety should also integrate the needs of wildlife.     

SHRIMP zircon geochronology and geochemistry of the Orlica-Śnieżnik gneisses (Variscan belt of Central Europe) and their tectonic implications

Abstract

The Orlica-?nie?nik dome comprises large orthogneiss bodies interbedded with amphiblite-grade metasediments and minor metavolcanics. New U-Pb and Pb-Pb SHRIMP zircon ages for two major gneiss units of the dome, the ?nie?nik and Giera?tów gneiss, yielded similar ages of ca. 500 Ma. This is interpreted to reflect the magmatic crystallization age from the same or similar igneous precursors, in agreement with the geochemical characteristics of these rocks. Some zircon cores in both gneisses, interpreted to be inherited xenocrysts, have ages of ca. 530–540 Ma, and, additionally, of ca. 565 Ma and 2.6 Ga in the ?nie?nik gneiss. Igneous grains in both gneiss types have high-U rims, which are dark under cathodoluminescence. They are much better developed in the Giera?tow gneiss and they yield a well-defined weighted mean U-Pb age of 342 ± 6 Ma. These high-U rims are interpreted to have grown close to the peak of HT metamorphism which is responsible for the migmatitic texture of the Giera?tow gneiss. The Visean HT-LP metamorphism in the Orlica-?nie?nik dome is interpreted as a result of rapid uplift and decompression due to overthrusting of high grade rocks over the Moravo-Silesian nappe pile. Our data support geodynamic models that ascribe a predominant influence in the tectonic evolution of the West Sudetes to the Variscan oro- genic events. This is suggested by the inheritance of zircon xenocrysts from the Cadomian basement and by the Late Cambrian- Early Ordovician magmatic event, both typical of the Armorican terrane assemblage, as well as by the Early Carboniferous age of the metamorphism. © 2000 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS     

Groundwater supply of lakes: the case of Lake Raduńskie Górne (northern Poland,Kashubian Lake District)

ABSTRACT

The aim of the study was to locate and describe groundwater outflows in a selected lake basin and measure the spring output of water and the physical characteristics of the studied waters (temperature and conductivity). The final aim was to gauge the effects of the spring output on the lake hydrology. The time scope of the work included the period from January 2011 to September 2012. The spatial scope of the work included the area of Lake Raduńskie Górne and its direct catchment located in the Kashubian Lake District in northern Poland. Four groundwater outflows were located in the course of the study. Their total output was 4.6 L s^?1 and ranged between 0.5 and 2.5 L s^?1. This produces an annual yield of about 145 000 m³ year^?1. These results confirm that one of the forms of supply to the lakes are the under-lake springs. For lakes located in the area of young glacial accumulation this can be decisive.

Editor D. Koutsoyiannis Associate editor D. Gerten     

Compressible Ekman–Hartmann boundary layers

We consider the effect of compressibility on mixed Ekman–Hartmann boundary layers on an infinite plane (z = 0), in the presence of an external magnetic field oblique to the boundary. The aim is to investigate the influence of the magnetic pressure on the fluid density, and hence, via mass conservation, on the mass flow into or out of the boundary layer. We find that if the z-component of vorticity in the main flow, immediately above the boundary layer, is negative, then there is a competition between Ekman suction and the magnetic pressure effect. Indeed, as the magnetic field strength is increased, the magnetic pumping may overcome the Ekman suction produced by anti-cyclonic main flow vortices. Such a mechanism, based on the competition between these effects, may be of importance for understanding the dynamics of the magnetic field in stellar (or planetary) interiors. For the solar tachocline, we find that the analysed magnetic pressure effect is unlikely to play a significant role; however, we give examples of what changes in the assumed scalings would be necessary for the effect to become important.     

Hindcasting global temperature by evolutionary computation

Interpretation of changes of global temperature is important for our understanding of the climate system and for our confidence in projections for the future. Massive efforts have been devoted to improve the accuracy of reproducing the global temperature by the available climate models, but the hindcasts are still inaccurate. Notwithstanding the need to further advance climate models, one may consider data-driven approaches, providing practically useful results in a simpler and faster way. Without assuming any prior knowledge about physics and without imposing a model structure that encapsulates the existing knowledge about the underlying processes, we hindcast global temperature by automatically identified evolutionary computation models. We use 60 years of records of global temperature and climate drivers, with training and testing periods being 1950–1999 and 2000–2009, respectively. This paper demonstrates that the global temperature observed in the past is mimicked with reasonably good accuracy. Evolutionary computation holds promise for modeling the global climate system, which looks hopelessly complex in classical perspective.     

Application of one-dimensional model to calculate water velocity distributions over elastic elements simulating Canadian waterweed plants (Elodea Canadensis)

One-dimensional model for vertical profiles of longitudinal velocities in open-channel flows is verified against laboratory data obtained in an open channel with artificial plants. Those plants simulate Canadian waterweed which in nature usually forms dense stands that reach all the way to the water surface. The model works particularly well for densely spaced plants.