Textural evidence of magma decompression, devolatilization and disequilibrium quenching: an example from the Western Krušné hory/Erzgebirge granite pluton

We report new occurrences of “two-phase” granitic textures from the Western Krušné hory/Erzgebirge pluton (central Europe) and use crystal-size distribution data and thermodynamic modeling to interpret their crystallization conditions. The two-phase texture consists of (1) early phenocrysts of quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar and biotite, (2) medium-grained matrix of the same phases and (3) interstitial channels and patches of a late-stage, very fine-grained matrix. The porphyritic two-mica microgranites, which host two-phase textures, occur as minor intrusions in early low-F biotite granites or as marginal parts of evolved high-F Li-mica granites. Measurements of the crystal-size distribution of quartz revealed three grain populations: (1) early phenocrysts (0.5–3.0 mm) showing partial resorption by residual melt, (2) a medium-grained population of the equigranular rock matrix (0.05–0.50 mm) that experienced minor coarsening by subsolidus annealing and (3) a fine-grained population (<0.03 mm) in the interstitial channels and patches formed during rapid devolatilization; this quartz group shows no or poor grain coarsening. All samples exhibit similar fraction of the fine-grained population (44–52%) but proportions of phenocrysts to medium-grained matrix vary significantly. Thermodynamic modeling of liquidus equilibria and experimental data in the hydrous haplogranite system require: (1) ascent of a granitic suspension (15–25% phenocrysts) under H₂O-undersaturated conditions at 25–45 bar/°C and a cooling rate of 40 J/(g kbar) in order to produce partial resorption of quartz phenocrysts and continued growth of feldspar phenocrysts, followed by (2) emplacement as discrete intrusions or bodies along pluton roof accompanied by sudden devolatilization. At the onset of matrix nucleation, disequilibrium undercooling of 70–85°C was inferred from the presence of micrographic intergrowths of quartz and K-feldspar. The two-phase granites in the Western Krušné hory/Erzgebirge pluton and in the Southeast Asian batholith form compositionally narrow groups with high-silica and moderate volatile enrichments but they differ in peraluminosity and phosphorus concentrations. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Thermal structures associated with post-flare coronal arches

Shortly after the dynamic flare of 14 44 UT on 6 November, 1980, which initiated the second revival in the sequence of post-flare coronal arches of 6–7 November, a moving thermal disturbance was observed in the fine field of view of HXIS. From 15 40 UT until about 18 UT, when it left the field of view, the disturbance rose into the corona, as indicated by a projected velocity of 7.4 km s^-1 in the south-east direction. The feature was located above the reconnection region of the dynamic flare and was apparently related to the revived coronal arch. Observations in the coarse field of view after 18 UT revealed a temperature maximum in the revived arch, rising with a velocity of 7.0 km s^-1 directly in continuation of the thermal disturbance. The rise velocity of the disturbance was initially (at least until 17 20 UT) very similar to the rise velocities observed for the post-flare loop tops of the parent flare. This suggests that the rise of the reconnection point, in the Kopp and Pneuman (1976) mechanism responsible for the rise of the loop tops, also dictates the rise of the disturbance. From energy requirements it follows that in this phase the disturbed region is still a separate magnetic island, thermally isolated from the old arch structure and the post-flare loops. After 18 UT the rise of the post-flare loop tops slowed down to 2 km s^-1, which is significantly slower than the rise of the brightness and temperature maxima of the revived arch in the coarse field of view. Thus in this phase the Kopp and Pneuman mechanism is no longer directly responsible for the rise of the thermal structure and the rise possibly reflects the merging of the old and the new arch structures.A similar thermal disturbance was observed after the dynamic flare of 07: 53 UT on 4 June, 1980. On the other hand, the confined flare of 17 25 UT on 6 November, 1980, did not show this phenomenon. Apparently this type of disturbance occurs after dynamic flares only, in particular when the flare is associated with an arch revival.     

21 May 1980 flare review

A review is given of observations and theories relevant to the solar flare of 21 May, 1980, 20 ∶ 50 UT, the best studied flare on record. For more than 30 hr before the flare there was filament activation and plasma heating to above 10 MK. A flare precursor was present ≥6 min before the flare onset. The flare started with filament activation (20 ∶ 50 UT), followed by thick-target heating of two footpoints and subsequent ablation and convective evaporation involving energies of 1 to 2 × 10³¹ erg. Coronal explosions occurred at 20 ∶ 57 UT (possibly associated with a type-II burst) and at 21 ∶ 04 UT (associated with an Hα spray?). Post-flare loops were first seen at 20 ∶ 57 UT, and their upward motion is interpreted as a manifestation of successive field-line reconnections. A type-IV radio burst which later changed into a type-I noise storm was related to a giant coronal arch located just below the radio noise storm region. Some implications and difficulties these observations present to current flare theories are mentioned.     

Flaring arches

Flaring arches is a name assigned to a particular component of some flares. This component consists of X-ray and H emission which traverses a coronal arch from one to the other of its chromospheric footpoints. The primary footpoint is at the site of a flare. The secondary footpoint, tens of thousands of kilometers distant from the source flare, but in the same active region, brightens in H concurrent with the beginning of the hard X-ray burst at the primary site. From the inferred travel time of the initial exciting agent we deduce that high speed electron streams travelling through the arch must be the source of the initial excitation at the secondary footpoint. Subsequently, a more slowly moving agent gradually enhances the arch first in X-rays and subsequently in H, starting at the primary footpoint and propagating along the arch trajectory. The plasma flow in H shows clearly that material is injected into the arch from the site of the primary footpoint and later on, at least in some events, a part of it is also falling back.Thus a typical flaring arch has three, and perhaps four consecutive phases: (1) An early phase characterized by the onset of hard X-ray burst and brightening of the secondary footpoint in H. (2) The main X-ray phase, during which X-ray emission propagates through the arch. (3) The main H phase, during which H emitting material propagates through the arch. And (4) an aftermath phase when some parts of the ejected material seem to flow in the reverse direction towards the primary site of injection.An extensive series of flaring arches was observed from 6 to 13 November, 1980 at the Big Bear Solar Observatory and with the Hard X-Ray Imaging Spectrometer (HXIS) on board the SMM in a magnetically complex active region. The two most intense arches for which complete H and X-ray data are available and which occurred on 6 November at 17 21 UT (length 57000 km) and on 12 November at 16 57 UT (length 263 000 km) are discussed in this paper.     

SANDY FAN‐LIKE FORMS IN THE CENTRAL‐EASTERN MAZOVIAN LOWLAND (CENTRAL POLAND): TEXTURAL RECORD AND CHRONOLOGY

A unique, continuous, fan‐shaped belt of sandy landforms in the central‐eastern Mazovian Lowland, Central Poland has been investigated using a multiproxy dataset of sediment physical properties and chronological framework. Although there are several previous studies of similar fan‐like forms elsewhere in Central Poland, this central‐eastern part has not been investigated in detail. A combined methodological approach, using grain‐size distributions, the roundness, surface character and microtexture of quartz grains, and the mineral composition of the light and heavy fractions, indicate a predominantly aeolian origin for the fan‐like forms. Overlying them are dunes, the sediment within which is derived mainly from the fan‐like forms. Two main aeolian phases are distinguished based on luminescence ages: (1) between around 15 and 16 ka, possibly correlated with the Pomeranian Phase of the last (Vistulian) glaciation in Poland, and representing a phase with a poorly recorded deflation event; and (2) around 12 ka, associated with the Younger Dryas onset, when fresh, non‐aeolian material was delivered to the system. Overall, the palaeoenvironmental pattern of the fan‐like forms is controlled by the Upper Pleistocene aeolian trends.     

Large-Scale Active Coronal Phenomena in Yohkoh SXT Images – IV. Solar Wind Streams from Flaring Active Regions

We demonstrate limb events on the Sun in which growing flare loop systems are embedded in hot coronal structures looking in soft X-rays like fans of coronal rays. These structures are formed during the flare and extend high into the corona. We analyze one of these events, on 28–29 August 1992, which occurred in AR 7270 on the eastern limb, and interpret these fans of rays either as temporary multiple ministreamers or plume-like structures formed as a result of restructuring due to a CME. We suggest that this configuration reflects mass flow from the active region into interplanetary space. This suggestion is supported by synoptic maps of solar wind sources constructed from scintillation measurements which show a source of enhanced solar wind density at the position of AR 7270, which disappears when 5 days following the event are removed from the synoptic map data. We also check synoptic maps for two other active regions in which existence of these fan-like structures was indicated when the active regions crossed both the east and west limbs of the Sun, and both these regions appear to be sources of a density enhancement in the solar wind. Supplementary material to this paper is available in electronic form at http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1005033717284     

Waveform inversion of weak vrancea (Romania) earthquakes

Summary The inversion of high-frequency seismograms is performed to retrieve source mechanisms, hypocentral depths and source time functions of two weak Vrancea earthquakes (M_L=3.3), one that occurred in the crust, the other in the lithospheric part of the mantle. The digital waveforms recorded by the local Romanian network are used. Synthetic seismograms are computed by the modal summation method, using the point source approximation, for horizontally layered anelastic media. For each source-to-station path a different structural model is adopted which represents the best 1-D approximation of the medium in this azimuth. Thus, lateral inhomogeneities are taken into account in a simplified way. The source is described by the full moment tensor, allowing both deviatoric and volumetric components to be resolved.Although the structural models are simplified for the range of epicentral distances (15<<<170 km) considered, we find that the fit between the synthetic and observed seismograms is satisfactory for frequencies less than a few Hz. The few P-wave polarities available are not sufficient to determine a reliable source mechanism by standard methods, while the waveform inversion allows us to retrieve source mechanisms that are stable with respect to different boundary conditions and in good agreement with the observed polarities. The source time function is the less stable inverted parameter, being the most influenced by the simplification of the structural models.     

Smoothing the source time function – a tool to soften inadequate modelling of the medium during inversion of local waveforms?

The inconsistency of records of local earthquakes and synthetic seismograms due to noise contamination of the data and/or to improper Green function because of an inexact structural model often results in high frequency oscillations of the source time function, which prolongs it spuriously. A priori limit on the roughness of the source time function turned out to reduce the spurious oscillations but it keeps its spurious extension unchanged. Thus, it may yield a severe distortion of the seismic moment. However, it reduces the spurious volumetric component of the mechanism resulting from improper modelling of the structure and, thus, may help decide whether the retrieved volumetric component is real or false. The demand for the smoothness is incorporated as a penalty function in the minimization of the least square residuals, which allows us to decide about the degree of the smoothness. The minimization is performed with a simple genetic algorithm, which offers the advantage of a detailed exploration of the model space reducing the danger of being trapped in local minima.