High-temperature cooling histories of migmatites from the High Himalayan Crystallines in Sikkim, India: rapid cooling unrelated to exhumation?

The High Himalayan Crystallines (HHCs) provide an excellent natural laboratory to study processes related to crustal melting, crustal differentiation, and the tectonic evolution of mountain belts because partial melting in these rocks occurred under well-defined tectonic boundary conditions (N–S collision of the Indian and the Eurasian plates) and the rocks have not been modified by subsequent metamorphic overprinting. We have used petrogenetic grids, kinetically constrained individual thermobarometry, pseudosection calculations, and reaction histories constrained by textural evidence to determine that the migmatites in the HHC of Sikkim attained peak P–T conditions of 750–800 °C, 9–12 kbar, followed by steep isothermal decompression to 3–5 kbar, and then isobaric cooling to ~600 °C. There may be a trend where rocks to the north [closer to the South Tibetan detachment system (STDS)] attained somewhat higher maximum pressures. The decompression may have been triggered by a reduction in density due to the production of melt (~20 vol%); minor amounts of additional melt may have been produced in individual packages of rock during decompression itself, depending on the exact geometry of the P–T path and the bulk composition of the rock. The stalling of rapid, isothermal exhumation at depths of 10–18 km (3–5 kbar) is related to metamorphic reactions that occur in these rocks. Geospeedometry indicates that at least a two-stage cooling history is required to describe the compositional zoning in all garnets. Both of these stages are rapid (several 100’s °C/my between 800 and 600 °C, followed by several 10’s °C/my between 600 and 500 °C), but there appears to be a spatial discontinuity in cooling history: Rocks to the south (closer to main central thrust) cooled more slowly than rocks to the north (closer to STDS). The boundary between these domains coincides with the discontinuity in age found in the same area by Rubatto et al. (Contrib Mineral Petrol 165:349–372, 2013). Combined with the information on petrologic phase relations, the data reveal the remarkable aspect that the rapid cooling and change of cooling rates all occurred after, rather than during, the rapid exhumation. This result underscores that high-temperature (e.g., >550 °C) cooling is a result of several processes in addition to exhumation and a one-to-one correlation of cooling and exhumation may sometimes be misplaced. Moreover, average cooling rates inferred from the closure temperatures of two isotopic systems should be interpreted judiciously in such nonlinearly cooling systems. While many aspects (e.g., isothermal decompression, isobaric cooling, duration of metamorphism, and cooling rates) of the pressure–temperature history inferred by us are consistent with the predictions of thermomechanical models that produce midcrustal channel flow, the occurrence of blocks with two different cooling histories within the HHC is not explained by currently available models. It is found that while exhumation may be initiated by surface processes such as erosion, the course of exhumation and its rate, at least below depths of ~15 km, is mostly controlled by a coupling between mechanical (density gain/loss) and chemical (metamorphic reactions) processes at depth.     

Neoproterozoic diamictite in the Eastern Desert of Egypt and Northern Saudi Arabia: evidence of ~750 Ma glaciation in the Arabian–Nubian Shield?

The Neoproterozoic Atud diamictite in Wadi Kareim and Wadi Mobarak in the Eastern Desert of Egypt and the Nuwaybah formation in NW Saudi Arabia consist of poorly sorted, polymictic breccia, with clasts up to 1 m of granitoid, quartz porphyry, quartzite, basalt, greywacke, marble, arkose, and microconglomerate in fine-grained matrix. Stratigraphic relations indicate that the diamictite was deposited in a marine environment. Integrated field investigation, petrographic study and U–Pb SHRIMP zircon ages demonstrate that the Atud and Nuwaybah are correlative. The distribution of zircon ages indicate that ~750 Ma ages are dominant with a significant component of older materials, characterized by minor Mesoproterozoic and more abundant Paleoproterozoic and Neoarchean ages. Some matrix and metasedimentary clast zircons yield ages that are a few 10s of Ma younger than the age of the youngest clast (754 ± 15 Ma), suggesting Atud/Nuwaybah diamictite deposition ~750 Ma or slightly later, broadly consistent with being deposited during the Sturtian glaciation (740–660 Ma). The Paleoproterozoic and Neoarchean clasts have no source within the ensimatic Arabian–Nubian Shield. The distribution of the pre-Neoproterozoic ages are similar to the distribution of the pre-Neoproterozoic ages in Yemen and Saharan Metacraton, suggesting that these clasts have been transported hundreds of kilometers, maybe by ice-rafting. The Atud diamictite may represent important evidence for Cryogenian “Snowball Earth” in the Arabian–Nubian Shield.     

Depositional environment and tectono-provenance of Upper Kaimur Group sandstones,Son Valley,Central India

The Mesoproterozoic Upper Kaimur Group consists of Bijaigarh Shale, Scarp Sandstone, and Dhandraul Sandstone. Based on the lithofacies data set, two major facies associations were identified, namely—tidal sand flat/sand bar facies association (TSFA) and tidally influenced fluvial channel facies/tidal channel facies association (TIFCFA). The Dhandraul Sandstone has been interpreted as a product of TIFCFA and the underlying Scarp Sandstone in TSFA which endorses a tidal dominated estuarine setting. Detrital modes of the Dhandraul and Scarp Sandstones fall in the quartz arenite to sub-litharenite types. Petrographical data suggest that the deposition of the Upper Kaimur Group sandstones took place in humid climate and was derived from mixed provenances. The sandstone composition suggests detritus from igneous rocks, metamorphic rocks, and recycled sedimentary rocks. The sandstone tectonic discrimination diagrams suggest that the provenances of the Upper Kaimur Group sandstones were continental block, recycled orogen, rifted continental margin to quartzose recycled tectonic regimes. It is envisaged that the Paleo- and Mesoproterozoic granite, granodiorite, gneiss, and metasedimentary rocks of Mahakoshal Group and Chotanagpur granite–gneiss present in the western and northwestern direction are the possible source rocks for the Upper Kaimur Group in the Son Valley.     

Fe–Mg diffusion in olivine I: experimental determination between 700 and 1,200<Emphasis Type="Bold">°</Emphasis>C as a function of composition,crystal orientation and oxygen fugacity

We have determined Fe–Mg diffusion coefficients in olivines from different sources (Nanga Parbat, Pakistan and San Carlos, Arizona, USA) at atmospheric pressure as a function of composition, oxygen fugacity (10⁻⁵–10⁻¹² Pa) and temperature (700–1200°C) using thin films produced by pulsed laser deposition and RBS to analyze the concentration profiles. We have characterized the nano-scale structure and composition of the thin films annealed at various conditions and shown that the nature of the film (e.g. crystallinity, wetting behavior) depends strongly on the annealing conditions. If these variations are not taken into account in the form of boundary conditions for modeling the diffusion profiles, artifacts would result in the diffusion data. The diffusion coefficients obtained from 75 experiments reveal that (i) between fO₂ of 10⁻⁵ and 10⁻¹⁰ Pa, diffusion along all three principal crystallographic directions in olivine, [100], [010] and [001], are described by a constant activation energy of ∼200 kJ/mol, precluding any temperature dependence of diffusion anisotropy and change of mechanism of diffusion at temperatures between 950 and 1200°C, (ii) diffusion coefficients increase with oxygen fugacity at fO₂ > 10⁻¹⁰ Pa, with an fO₂ exponent that lies between 1/4 and 1/7, and (iii) at fO₂ below 10⁻¹⁰ Pa, and consequently at temperatures below ∼900°C, diffusion becomes weakly dependent/independent of fO₂, indicating a change of diffusion mechanism. Activation energy of diffusion at these conditions is slightly higher, ∼220 kJ/mol. The data, including the change of mechanism, are analyzed in terms of point defect chemistry in Part II of this work to derive an equation that allows calculation of diffusivities in olivine over its entire field of stability. Availability of directly measured data at temperatures down to 700°C imply that for the first time diffusion coefficients can be interpolated, rather than extrapolated, for modeling most natural systems.     

Impact of slate quarrying on soil properties in semi-arid Mahendragarh in India

Slate quarrying in Mahendragarh district of Haryana state has resulted in changes in soil properties. Most of the mining area is devoid of vegetation. The soil in and around the mining area (0–1 km) is alkaline (pH 11.2–11.7) but non-saline (electrical conductivity < 4). The alkaline nature of the soil was attributed to the high concentrations of hydroxyl (OH⁻), carbonate (CO₃²⁻) and bicarbonate (HCO₃ ⁻) present in minerals of mined materials. Biotite, limonite, kaolinite, gibbsite, muscovite, geothite, dolomite and so on were the chief minerals added to soil through mining. The physical properties of soil, i.e. porosity, water-holding capacity (WHC), bulk density and particle density represented poor soil health in mining area (34.4, 29.8%, 1.636, 2.496 g/cc, respectively) and they improved with distance away from it (46.4, 38.3%, 1.070, 2.180 g/cc, respectively, at a distance of 1 km). Porosity and WHC were found to be a function of increased organic matter away from the mining area. CO₃²⁻, HCO₃⁻, phosphate (PO₄³⁻), lead (Pb) and iron (Fe) were more in mining area and decreased with distance. On the other hand, sodium (Na⁺), potassium (K⁺), chloride (Cl⁻), sulphate (SO₄²⁻), organic carbon, total Kjeldahl’s nitrogen, cation exchange capacity, chromium (Cr) and cadmium (Cd) increased with distance from mining area. High concentration of heavy metals in mining area was a cause of concern (0.93 μg/g Cd, 22.35 μg/g Cr, 26.25 μg/g Pb, 1,383.75 μg/g Fe). The change in physico-chemical properties could be because of the addition of chemical constituents that are a part of major minerals present in mined material. The soil away from mining area represented comparatively better properties.     

Power interplay between actors: using material and ideational resources to shape local adaptation plans of action (LAPAs) in Nepal

Deliberation over how to adapt to short or long-term impacts of climate change takes place in a complex political setting, where actors’ interests and priorities shape the temporal dimension of adaptation plans, policies and actions. As actors interact to pursue their individual or collective interests, these struggles turn into dynamic power interplay. In this article, we aim to show how power interplay shapes local adaptation plans of action (LAPAs) in Nepal to be short-term and reactive. We use an interactional framing approach through interaction analyses and observations to analyse how actors use material and ideational resources to pursue their interests. Material and ideational resources that an actor deploys include political authority, knowledge of adaptation science and national/local policy-making processes, financial resources and strong relations with international non-governmental organizations and donor agencies. We find that facilitators and local politicians have a very prominent role in meetings relating to LAPAs, resulting in short-termism of LAPAs. Findings suggest that there is also a lack of female participation contributing to short-term orientated plans. We conclude that such power interplay analysis can help to investigate how decision making on the temporal aspects of climate adaptation policy takes place at the local level.

Key policy insights

• Short-termism of LAPAs is attributed to the power interplay between actors during the policy design process.

• Improved participation of the most vulnerable, especially women, can lead to the preparation of adaptation plans and strategies focusing on both the short and long-term.

• It is pertinent to consider power interplay in the design and planning of adaptation policy in order to create a level-playing field between actors for inclusive decision-making.

• Analysis of dynamic power interplay can help in investigating climate change adaptation controversies that are marked by uncertainties and ambiguities.

     

A comprehensive and quantitative assessment of Raunthi Gad flash flood,Rishi Ganga catchment,central Himalaya,Uttarakhand, India

Natural Hazards - Drought severity is increasing in Southern Africa which is affecting rain-fed agriculture, the main source of livelihood in most countries in this region. The study assessed the...     

Fe–Mg diffusion in olivine II: point defect chemistry,change of diffusion mechanisms and a model for calculation of diffusion coefficients in natural olivine

Analysis of existing data and models on point defects in pure (Fe,Mg)-olivine (Phys Chem Miner 10:27–37,1983; Phys Chem Miner 29:680–694, 2002) shows that it is necessary to consider thermodynamic non-ideality of mixing to adequately describe the concentration of point defects over the range of measurement. In spite of different sources of uncertainties, the concentrations of vacancies in octahedral sites in (Fe,Mg)-olivine are on the order of 10⁻⁴ per atomic formula unit at 1,000–1,200 °C according to both the studies. We provide the first explicit plots of vacancy concentrations in olivine as a function of temperature and oxygen fugacity according to the two models. It is found that in contrast to absolute concentrations at ∼1,100 °C and dependence on fO₂, there is considerable uncertainty in our knowledge of temperature dependence of vacancy concentrations. This needs to be considered in discussing the transport properties such as diffusion coefficients. Moreover, these defect models in pure (Fe,Mg)-olivine need to be extended by considering aliovalent impurities such as Al, Cr to describe the behavior of natural olivine. We have developed such a formulation, and used it to analyze the considerable database of diffusion coefficients in olivine from Dohmen et al. (Phys Chem Miner this volume, 2007) (Part - I) and older data in the literature. The analysis documents unequivocally for the first time a change of diffusion mechanism in a silicate mineral—from the transition metal extrinsic (TaMED) to the purely extrinsic (PED) domain, at fO₂ below 10⁻¹⁰  Pa, and consequently, temperatures below 900 °C. The change of diffusion mechanism manifests itself in a change in fO₂ dependence of diffusivity and a slight change in activation energy of diffusion—the activation energy increases at lower temperatures. These are consistent with the predictions of Chakraborty (J Geophys Res 102(B6):12317–12331, 1997). Defect formation enthalpies in the TaMED regime (distinct from intrinsic defect formation) lie between −66 and + 15 kJ/mol and migration energies of octahedral cations in olivine are most likely ∼ 260 kJ/mol, consistent with previous inferences (Phys Chem 207:147–162, 1998). Plots are shown for diffusion at various constant fO₂ as well as along fO₂ buffers, to highlight the difference in behavior between the two. Considering all the diffusion data and constraints from the point defect models, (Fe–Mg) diffusion in olivine along [001] is best described by the Master equations: (1) At oxygen fugacities greater than 10⁻¹⁰ Pa:

Understanding plot‐scale hydrology of Lesser Himalayan watershed—A field study and HYDRUS‐2D modelling approach

Soil moisture dynamics have a significant effect on overland flow generation. Catchment aspect is one of the major controlling factors of overland flow and soil moisture behaviour. A few experimental studies have been carried out in the uneven topography of the Himalayas. This study presents plot‐scale experiments using portable rainfall simulator at an altitude of 1,230 m above mean sea level and modelling of overland flow using observed datasets. Two plots were selected in 2 different aspects of Aglar watershed of Lesser Himalaya; the agro‐forested (AF) plot was positioned at the north aspect whereas the degraded (DE) plot was located at the south aspect of the hillslope. HS flumes and rain gauges were installed to measure the runoff at the outlet of the plot and the rainfall depth during rainfall simulation experiments. Moreover, 10 soil moisture sensors were installed at upslope and downslope locations of both the plots at 5, 15, 25, 35, and 45 cm depth from ground level to capture the soil moisture dynamics. The tests were conducted at intensities of 79.8 and 75 mm/hr in AF plot and 82.2 and 72 mm/hr in the DE plot during Test 1 and Test 2, respectively. The observed data indicate the presence of reinfiltration process only in the AF plot. The high water holding capacity and the presence of reinfiltration process results in less runoff volume in the AF plot compared with the DE plot. The Hortonian overland flow mechanism was found to be the dominant overland flow mechanism as only a few layers of top soil get saturated during all of the rainfall–runoff experiments. The runoff, rainfall, and soil moisture data were subsequently used to calibrate the parameters of HYDRUS‐2D overland flow module to simulate the runoff hydrograph and soil moisture. The components of hydrograph were evaluated in terms of peak discharge, runoff volume and time of concentration, the results were found to be within the satisfactory range. The goodness of fit of simulated hydrographs were more than 0.85 and 0.95 for AF and DE plot, respectively. The model produced satisfactory simulation results of soil moisture for all of the rainfall–runoff experiments. The HYDRUS‐2D overland flow module was found promising to simulate the runoff hydrograph and soil moisture in plot‐scale research.