Hydrosedimentary records and Holocene environmental dynamics in the Yamé Valley (Mali,Sudano-Sahelian West Africa)

Research conducted in the Yamé Valley (Dogon Country, Mali) provides valuable information about the river systems and their Holocene evolution in Sudano-Sahelian West Africa. Past research in the region has relied primarily on marine and lacustrine records. The new results confirm correlation between palaeoclimatic fluctuations recorded in both the river system and in tropical African lakes. They offer a new continental milestone for understanding of the environmental repercussions of Holocene monsoon oscillations. These studies demonstrate the value of river systems as a palaeoenvironmental record and the role of palaeoclimatic and anthropogenic factors in the Holocene dynamics of Sudano-Sahelian hydrosystems.     

Evolution of a calcite marble shear zone complex on Thassos Island, Greece: microstructural and textural fabrics and their kinematic significance

The deformation history of a monophase calcite marble shear zone complex on Thassos Island, Northern Greece, is reconstructed by detailed geometric studies of the textural and microstructural patterns relative to a fixed reference system (shear zone boundary, SZB). Strain localization within the massive marble complex is linked to decreasing P–T conditions during the exhumation process of the metamorphic core complex. Solvus thermometry indicates that temperatures of 300–350°C prevailed during part of the shear zone deformation history. The coarse-grained marble protolith outside the shear zone is characterized by symmetrically oriented twin sets due to early coaxial deformation. A component of heterogeneous non-coaxial deformation is first recorded within the adjacent protomylonite. Enhanced strain weakening by dynamic recrystallization promoted strong localization of plastic deformation in the ultramylonite of the calcite shear zone, where high strain was accommodated by non-coaxial flow. This study demonstrates that both a pure shear and a simple shear strain path can result in similar crystallographic preferred orientations (single c-axis maximum perpendicular to the SZB) by different dominant deformation mechanisms. Separated a-axis pole figures (+a- and −a-axis) show different density distributions with orthorhombic texture symmetry in the protolith marble and monoclinic symmetry in the ultramylonite marble consistently with the observed grain fabric symmetry.     

Estimating the Depth of Stratigraphic Units from Marine Seismic Profiles Using Nonstationary Geostatistics

The object of this study is to build a three-dimensional (3D) geometric model of the stratigraphicunits of the margin of the Rhone River on the basis of geophysical investigations by a networkof seismic profiles at sea. The geometry of these units is described by depth charts of eachsurface identified by seismic profiling, which is done by geostatistics. The modeling starts bya statistical analysis by which we determine the parameters that enable us to calculate thevariograms of the identified surfaces. After having determined the statistical parameters, wecalculate the variograms of the variable Depth. By analyzing the behavior of the variogramwe then can deduce whether the situation is stationary and if the variable has an anisotropicbehavior. We tried the following two nonstationary methods to obtain our estimates: (a) Themethod of universal kriging if the underlying variogram was directly accessible. (b) Themethod of increments if the underlying variogram was not directly accessible. After havingmodeled the variograms of the increments and of the variable itself, we calculated the surfacesby kriging the variable Depth on a small-mesh estimation grid. The two methods then arecompared and their respective advantages and disadvantages are discussed, as well as theirfields of application. These methods are capable of being used widely in earthsciences forautomatic mapping of geometric surfaces or for variables such as a piezometricsurface or aconcentration, which are not stationary, that is, essentially, possess a gradient or a tendencyto develop systematically in space.     

L'érosion chimique et l'érosion mécanique à long terme du substrat granitique (Vendée,France)

We calculate the chemical depletion fraction of the granitic bedrock by analysing the rock-soil enrichment of zirconium. In Vendée (France), chemical weathering rates account for 26% of the denudation rates. Such a chemical depletion fraction characterizes temperate regimes. It is three times lower than that of humid tropical regimes. To cite this article: J.-C. Maurin et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

0-D-Modelling of Carbonaceous Aerosols over Greater Paris Focusing on the Organic Particle Formation

To improve our understanding of aerosol formation and ageing in urban atmospheres, we have tested the ORISAM 0-D aerosol module (ORganic and Inorganic Spectral Aerosol Model). This module accounts for both types of primary carbonaceous particles (black carbon BC and primary organic carbon OC_p) and also simulates the formation of secondary inorganic and organic particles (sulfates, nitrates, ammonium, water and secondary organic carbon particles OC_sec) by attachment of gas precursors to pre-existing carbonaceous particles. Simulations were performed for surface aerosols over Greater Paris area during the ESQUIF summer 1998 and winter 2000 experiments. Results show that OC_sec formation is highly dependent on temperature and insolation with more intense secondary formation in summer than in winter. Moreover in Summer, when atmospheric conditions shift from warm and humid to hot and dry, the model indicates a decreasing formation of secondary organic aerosols OC_sec as shown by an increase of the OC_p/(OC_p+OC_sec) ratio from 42 to 56%. These results satisfactorily compare with the few experimental available data for BC/(OC_p+OC_sec) ratios increasing from 24 to 37% against modelled values in the range 21–32%. ORISAM module sensitivity to initial size distributions, background concentrations and emissions of gases and primary carbonaceous particles was documented too. One main result is that the formation of secondary organic particles with ORISAM is very sensitive to the concentrations of gaseous precursors. At the present stage of ORISAM development, OC_sec build up appears to be however less sensitive to particulate background concentrations.     

Holocene circum-Mediterranean vegetation changes: Climate forcing and human impact

The Mediterranean climate and its variability depend on global-scale climate patterns. Close correlations appear when comparing Holocene palaeoenvironmental data (lake levels, fluvial activity, Mediterranean surface temperature and salinity, marine sedimentation) with the main stages of the history of the circum-Mediterranean vegetation. They indicate an evolution of the Mediterranean biome controlled by the climate and emphasize the teleconnections between the climate of the Mediterranean area and the global climatic system. In the circum-Mediterranean area, the Holocene can be divided into three periods: a lower humid Holocene (11 500–7000 cal BP) interrupted by dry episodes; a transition phase (7000–5500 cal BP) during which occurred a decrease in insolation as well as the installation of the present atmosphere circulation in the northern hemisphere; and an upper Holocene (5500 cal BP—present) characterized by an aridification process. Throughout the Holocene, humans used and modified more or less strongly the environment but the climatic changes were the determining factors of the evolution of the Mediterranean biome. Societies had to adapt to natural environmental variations, their impact on the environment increasing the ecological consequences of the global changes.     

北大别洪庙榴辉岩相岩石Sm-Nd年龄:峰期变质时代

前人工作认为北大别榴辉岩在榴辉岩相变质后,经历了麻粒岩相退变质作用,因此获得的Sm-Nd矿物等时线年龄代表了麻粒岩相变质时代.本文对北大别安徽洪庙百丈岩榴辉岩相岩石(辉石石榴石岩)的研究表明,该岩石经历了三叠纪超高压变质作用,经历了角闪岩相退变质.所研究样品在峰期变质之后是否经历了麻粒岩相退变质尚不能明确界定.结合矿物氧同位素体系平衡判据,辉石石榴石岩在峰期变质时达到了Sm-Nd同位素体系的均一化和平衡,并且在后期角闪岩相退变质中该同位素体系未出现明显的扰动,因此其Sm-Nd矿物等时线年龄[(225±14)Ma和(229±13)Ma]代表了榴辉岩相变质时代.同时,样品中矿物的同位素组成表明,在俯冲板块折返和退变质过程中,岩石受到外来和内部流体的不均匀作用,造成退变的单斜辉石在同位素组成上的不均一.