Water–Rock interactions in the basement beneath Long Valley Caldera: an oxygen isotope study of the Long Valley Exploratory Well drill cores

The Long Valley Exploratory Well, at the center of the Resurgent Dome of Long Valley caldera, penetrated pre-caldera basement rocks at a depth of 2101.72–2313.0 m, beneath the caldera-forming Bishop Tuff and post-caldera Early Rhyolite. The basement rocks contain prominent quartzites, with ubiquitous milky white quartz veins (with minor calcite and pyrite) and fractures of varied orientation and geometry. The other members of the basement sequence are very fine-grained quartz-rich graphitic pelites with calcite veins, spotted hornfels, and shallow intrusive rocks. Previous studies established the presence of a post-caldera, paleohydrothermal system (500–100 ka) to a depth of 2000 m that affected the Bishop Tuff and a recent (40 ka to present) hydrothermal system at shallow depth (<1 km). The deeper extent of these hydrothermal activities is established in this paper by a detailed oxygen isotope analysis of the drill core samples. 238 analyses of δ¹⁸O in 50 quartz veins within the 163.57 m depth interval of basement rocks reveal extreme heterogeneity in δ¹⁸O values (8–19.5‰). Majorities of the 84 bulk analyses of quartzites show variation of δ¹⁸O within a narrow range of 14–16‰. However, certain samples of these quartzites near the contacts with veins and fractures exhibit sharp drops in δ¹⁸O. The interbedded pelitic rocks and spotted hornfels have whole-rock δ¹⁸O ranging from 2.2 to 11.8‰. Clear, euhedral vuggy quartz that partially fills earlier open fractures in both the quartzites and quartz veins, has distinctive δ¹⁸O, ranging between −3.2 and +8.4‰. Low values of δ¹⁸O are also found in the hydrothermal minerals and whole rocks adjacent to the thin veins, clearly indicating infiltration of meteoric water. Three distinct observed patterns of fractionation in δ¹⁸O between veins and host quartzites are analyzed with the principles of mass balance, equilibrium oxygen isotope fractionation in closed system, and kinetically controlled oxygen isotope exchange in an open system. This analysis suggests that the early quartz veins formed due to a magmatic-hydrothermal activity with no influx of external water once the system comprising the sedimentary envelope and a magmatic-hydrothermal fluid phase became closed. Two-stage isotopic exchange processes caused fractionation in the δ values that originally formed arrays with slope 1 in a δ_{vein quartz}–δ_{host quartzite} space. Another array in the same space, with near zero slope was also formed due to variation in temperature, initial isotopic compositions of the quartzite sequence and the fluid phase. Variation in temperature was mostly in the range of 300–400°C giving Δ (=δ_{vein quartz}–δ_{host quartzite})≈−2.8 to +2.8. The δ¹⁸O of the fluid could range from −5 to +10; however a narrower range of +5 to +10 can explain the data. This episode of hydrothermal activity could take place either as a single pulse or in multiple pulses but each as a closed system. A later, fracture-controlled, meteoric water (δ¹⁸O−0.46 to −12.13) flow and interaction (at 250°C) is interpreted from the analysis of δ¹⁸O values of the coexisting quartz and calcite pairs and existence of markedly ¹⁸O-depleted pelitic horizons interbedded with ¹⁸O-enriched quartzite layers. Thus, the interpreted earlier magmatic-hydrothermal activity was overprinted by a later meteoric-hydrothermal activity that resulted in steep arrays of δ¹⁸O values in the δ_{vein quartz}–δ_{host quartzite} space. Calculations show that the likely life span of the post-caldera, hydrothermal activity in the depth range of 2.1–2.3 km beneath Long Valley was 0.08–0.12 Ma. Diffusive ±advective transport of oxygen isotopes from fracture-channelized meteoric water to nearly impermeable wall rocks caused a lowering of δ¹⁸O values in the quartz over short distances and in calcites over greater distances. Thus, the hydrothermal activity appears pervasive even though the meteoric water flow was primarily controlled by fractures.     

The economics of mining seabed manganese nodules: A case study of the Indian Ocean nodule field

Abstract

Because of ever-growing demand for strategic metals, the focus of the international community has fallen on deep sea manganese nodules occurring at a water depth of more than 4500?m. We present an economic appraisal and strategy for mining of nodules from the Indian Ocean Nodule Field- one of the four economically potential areas in the world oceans. In contrast to the prevailing perception of non-viability of nodule mining, our analysis indicates a fair degree of economic feasibility and commercial sustainability to mine the deep-sea manganese nodules.     

Impact of nonlocal boundary-layer diffusion scheme on forecasts over Indian region

Summary The results of incorporating a nonlocal boundary-layer diffusion scheme in a forecast model over Indian region are discussed. The simple formulation of atmospheric boundary layer height in the nonlocal diffusion scheme is examined in detail to understand how far the model simulated boundary layer height is realistic. Analyses of the temporal and spatial variability of the boundary height for three cases representing premonsoon, active monsoon and post monsoon conditions over Indian region show that it is comparable with the observational evidence. Further, for a case of active monsoon condition over Indian region, comparison of precipitation forecasts with the nonlocal scheme and the control local boundary-layer scheme clearly indicated that the model run with the nonlocal scheme is significantly more accurate in forecasting the intense precipitation locations. Received November 16, 2001 Revised December 28, 2001     

Structural evolution of a gneiss dome in the axial zone of the proterozoic South Delhi Fold Belt in central Rajasthan

The structural geometry of the Anasagar gneiss dome in the axial zone of the South Delhi Fold Belt is controlled by polyphase folding. It is classified as a thrust-related gneiss dome and not as a metamorphic core complex. Four phases of deformation have affected both the gneiss and the enveloping supracrustal rocks. D₂ and D₃ deformations probably represent early and late stages of a progressive deformation episode in a simple shear regime combined with compression. The contact between the gneiss and the supracrustal rocks is a dislocation plane (thrust) with top-to-east sense of movement which is consistent with the vergence of the D₂ folds. The thrust had a ramp-and-flat geometry at depth. At the present level of exposure it is a footwall flat (that is, parallel to the gneissosity in the footwall), but it truncates the bedding of the hanging wall at some places and is parallel at others. The thrusting was probably broadly coeval with the D₂ folds and the thrust plane is locally folded by D₂. D₂ and D₃ folds have similar style and orientation as the first and second phases respectively of major folds in the Delhi Supergroup of the South Delhi Fold Belt and these are mutually correlatable. It is suggested that D1 may be Pre-Delhi in age. Available geochronological data indicate that the emplacement of the Anasagar gneiss predated the formation of volcanic rocks in the Delhi Supergroup and also predated the main crust forming event in the fold belt. The Anasagar gneiss and its enveloping supracrustal rocks are probably older than the Delhi Supergroup.     

Deformation and stresses in non-homogeneous earth models with a rigid core

Summary Small-strain theory has been applied to find out the deformation and stresses in the interior of the earth considered as a self-gravitating, non-homogeneous, isotropic sphere of heterogeneous density distribution. Stresses have been compared at different layers due to different density distributions.     

Simulation of Indian summer monsoon intraseasonal oscillations in a superparameterized coupled climate model: need to improve the embedded cloud resolving model

The characteristic features of Indian summer monsoon (ISM) and monsoon intraseasonal oscillations (MISO) are analyzed in the 25 year simulation by the superparameterized Community Climate System Model (SP-CCSM). The observations indicate the low frequency oscillation with a period of 30–60 day to have the highest power with a dominant northward propagation, while the faster mode of MISO with a period of 10–20 day shows a stationary pattern with no northward propagation. SP-CCSM simulates two dominant quasi-periodic oscillations with periods 15–30 day and 40–70 day indicating a systematic low frequency bias in simulating the observed modes. Further, contrary to the observation, the SP-CCSM 15–30 day mode has a significant northward propagation; while the 40–70 day mode does not show prominent northward propagation. The inability of the SP-CCSM to reproduce the observed modes correctly is shown to be linked with inability of the cloud resolving model (CRM) to reproduce the characteristic heating associated with the barotropic and baroclinic vertical structures of the high-frequency and the low-frequency modes. It appears that the superparameterization in the General Circulation Model (GCM) certainly improves seasonal mean model bias significantly. There is a need to improve the CRM through which the barotropic and baroclinic modes are simulated with proper space and time distribution.     

Assessment of the spatio-temporal distribution of soil properties in East Kolkata wetland ecosystem (A Ramsar site: 1208)

The present investigation was made to characterize spatial and temporal variations in soil properties and to evaluate possible differences that could be dependent on the tannery effluent discharges, municipal sewage discharges, vegetation cover, soil settlement rate, crop rotation, etc. Soil total organic matter (TOM), cations like, Sodium (Na), Ammonium (NH₄), Potassium (K), Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium (Mg) contents in the bank soils and bottom sediments were recorded from seven different characteristic sites in East Kolkata wetland ecosystem, a Ramsar site (Ramsar site No. 1208). The profile maps were constructed by geostatistical methods to describe the spatial distribution as well as temporal variations of all the factors to identify the influences of composite wastewaters. The work was initiated to identify causes and consequences of the waste dumping in the concerned region for the past hundred years and thereby to suggest necessary precautionary measures to prevent further loss of soil quality.     

Modelling the pore fluid diffusion process in aftershock initiation for 2004 Sumatra earthquake: implications for marine geohazard estimation in the Andaman region

The role of fluid injection on the occurrence and migration path for the aftershocks of 2004 Sumatra earthquake (Mw 9.3) and January 2005 Andaman earthquake swarm within the aftershock sequence is investigated here from the viewpoint of pore fluid diffusion process. The Sumatra earthquake created a regionally extensive crustal rupture plane exceeding 1,200 km length below the Andaman Sea. The r–t plots (Shapiro et al. 1997) are constructed for these aftershocks in order to examine the role of poroelastic effects as rupturing progressed with time. Their main results are as follows: the r–t plot corresponding to first 3 h of aftershock activity (when only 44 events of mb ≥ 4.5 originated) reveals that 95% of the data points occurred below the modelled parabola with relatively high D value of 20 m²/s, whereas a significantly low D value of 3.5 m²/s characterises the aftershock activity for the first 24 h (when 420 events of mb ≥ 4.0 occurred). Here, the Coulomb stress was transferred from the main shock with a rapid imposition of normal stress, thus inducing the pore-pressure change that started diminishing almost immediately by fluid diffusion, at a rate, defined by the diminishing D value. The modelling results for fault seismicity at far off distances from the main epicentre are interpreted here as potential indicators for large-scale sub-seabed rupturing—consequent to stress changes induced by bending of the Indian Ocean plate. Bathymetric slopes under the Andaman subduction zone are particularly amenable to sub-marine slides where crustal E–W hinge faults inferred seismically cut across the N–S trending regional thrust and strike-slip faults. Seabed rupturing appears to allow deep-slab hydration in these areas, producing pressure gradients along the normal faults. These features are important since they can herald marine geohazards in the Andaman region.