Thermal evolution of an ancient subduction interface revealed by Lu–Hf garnet geochronology,Halilbağı Complex (Anatolia)

The thermal structure of subduction zones exerts a major influence on deep-seated mechanical and chemical processes controlling arc magmatism, seismicity, and global element cycles. Accretionary complexes exposed inland may comprise tectonic blocks with contrasting pressure–temperature (P–T) histories, making it possible to investigate the dynamics and thermal evolution of former subduction interfaces. With this aim, we present new Lu–Hf geochronological results for mafic rocks of the Halilba?? Complex (Anatolia) that evolved along different thermal gradients. Samples include a lawsonite–epidote blueschist, a lawsonite–epidote eclogite, and an epidote eclogite (all with counter-clockwise P–T paths), a prograde lawsonite blueschist with a “hairpin”-type P–T path, and a garnet amphibolite from the overlying sub-ophiolitic metamorphic sole. Equilibrium phase diagrams suggest that the garnet amphibolite formed at ～0.6–0.7 GPa and 800–850 °C, whereas the prograde lawsonite blueschist records burial from 2.1 GPa and 420 °C to 2.6 GPa and 520 °C. Well-defined Lu–Hf isochrons were obtained for the epidote eclogite (92.38 ± 0.22 Ma) and the lawsonite–epidote blueschist (90.19 ± 0.54 Ma), suggesting rapid garnet growth. The lawsonite–epidote eclogite (87.30 ± 0.39 Ma) and the prograde lawsonite blueschist (ca. 86 Ma) are younger, whereas the garnet amphibolite (104.5 ± 3.5 Ma) is older. Our data reveal a consistent trend of progressively decreasing geothermal gradient from granulite-facies conditions at ～104 Ma to the epidote-eclogite facies around 92 Ma, and the lawsonite blueschist-facies between 90 Ma and 86 Ma. Three Lu–Hf garnet dates (between 92 Ma and 87 Ma) weighted toward the growth of post-peak rims (as indicated by Lu distribution in garnet) suggest that the HP/LT rocks were exhumed continuously and not episodically. We infer that HP/LT metamorphic rocks within the Halilba?? Complex were subjected to continuous return flow, with “warm” rocks being exhumed during the tectonic burial of “cold” ones. Our results, combined with regional geological constraints, allow us to speculate that subduction started at a transform fault near a mid-oceanic spreading centre. Following its formation, this ancient subduction interface evolved thermally over more than 15 Myr, most likely as a result of heat dissipation rather than crustal underplating.     

The Precambrian geology of the “Borborema”-Belt (States of Paraíba and Rio Grande do Norte; northeastern Brazil) and the origin of its mineral provinces

In the crystalline area of the “Borborema” in NE Brazil the final geologic event was a strong static recrystallization, which is manifest in regional granitization, hybride granite, or pegmatite veins. The manifestation varies within the mapped area, it depends on lithology, thickness and structure of the Precambrian metasediments. The age of this phase is between 550 and 450 M. years. Recrystallization is accompanied by weak folding of pre-existing anticlines as indicated by the structural control of the Borborema pegmatites. The principal phase of deformation and the accompanying regional metamorphism are considered to be older, approximately 850 M. years or more. This older regional metamorphism produced rocks of the almandine-staurolite subfacies of the amphibolite facies; locally higher (cordierite and sillimanite subfacies) or lower (greenschist facies) degree of metamorphism occurs. The pyroxene-hornfels facies, which is found in the contact aureoles of hybride granites, occurs exclusively in the tactites (metamorphic dolomitic marls). In clastic metasediments, high grade metamorphic facies is restricted to the contact aureole of a small hypersthene diorite stock. The structure is simple, and consists of synclines and anticlines the axial planes of which are vertical or, rarely, inclined. Faults are rare. The degree of lateral compression varies: low in the NW part of the area mapped, intermediate in die NE, and high in the southern part. The southern part belongs to the “Paraíba Transversal Zone”, an E-W striking fault zone along which the northern parts have been dislocated horizontally to the East. Stratigraphically the sequence is subdivided into three major groups by unconformities, which, however, are masked intensely by the principal tectonic events. These groups are: The oldest member occurs but locally in the cores of some anticlines; the youngest constitutes the cores of most synclines. The Caicó can be subdivided, in the most part, as follows: Florânia and Parelhas are essentially composed by unsorted clastic sediments (graywackes and arcoses). The Equador is a local lithofacies of the latter restricted to one anticline and a small part of another, and composed of well sorted clastics (muscovite quartzite). Another quartzite, locally developed at the top of the Florânia in the western part of the area, has been named “Member S. José do Seridó”. The Quixaba contains essentially carbonate rocks, but with intercalations of clastic sediments. The scheelite province of the area is generally connected with the Quixaba-Formation, the marbles of which served as transportation channels, whereas tactites were the receptors of the ore-bringing solutions, derived from some palingenetic granites and thus, indirectly, from the metasediments of the Parelhas. The deposition does not belong to the principal phase of contact metamorphism, but to a later-phase with hydrothermal paragenesis. Scheelite occurs also in common quartz-albite-veins. The famous pegmatite-province (Ta, Nb, Li, Be) cannot be considered as a product of magmatic differentiation, either. It must be the product of the statical recrystallization of the muscovite-rich Equador quartzite, by addition of thermal energy and K-rich solutions from the depth. Thus this province is only a special case of the general “granitization” with K-metasomatism: $$Quartz + Muscovite + K^ + \to Microclin + H^ + + Water.$$ The resulting fluids formed pegmatites in the rocks overlying the quartzite, i. e., generally in the micaschists of the Seridó-Group. Productive dykes always fill longitudinal or transversal tension cracks. The Borborema province of zoned pegmatites is thus an excellent example for the recent genetic hypothesis ofGresens, all requirements of it being fulfilled.     

Rise and Fall of an Egyptian Oasis: Artesian Flow,Irrigation Soils,and Historical Agricultural Development in El‐Deir,Kharga Depression,Western Desert of Egypt

The present study examines the geoarchaeological history of an oasis in Kharga Depression in central Egypt. El‐Deir is renowned for its Ptolemaic temple and Roman fortress on the road from former Hibis (Kharga) to the Nile Valley. During the survey, spring mounds and irrigation soils belonging to an ancient agricultural zone were discovered, and further documented by ceramics found on the site. Our methodology combines the geomorphological interpretation of landforms (especially yardangs) with ceramics and ¹⁴C‐dated charcoal to distinguish and date former agricultural areas in El‐Deir. The results show that the oasis experienced several phases of soil accretion and destruction through time. Playa sediments were deposited in the humid early Holocene and severely eroded by deflation before the onset of irrigated agriculture between Pharaonic and Persian times. Very fast vertical soil accretion occurred in the Ptolemaic period, but irrigation soils were later destroyed during the Roman period by a combination of wind deflation and flash floods (second to fourth century A.D.), suggesting a period of climate instability. The case of El‐Deir invites reevaluation of constructive agencies for the development of irrigated land and destructive agencies as limiting factors for the sustainability of agricultural practices in late antiquity.     

Localized shock-induced melting of sandstone at low shock pressures (<17.5 GPa): An experimental study

Shock-induced recovery experiments were performed to investigate melt formation in porous sandstones in the low shock pressure regime between 2.5 and 17.5 GPa. The sandstone shocked at 2.5 and 5 GPa is characterized by pore closure, fracturing of quartz (Qtz), and compression and deformation of phyllosilicates; no melting was observed. At higher pressures, five different types of melts were generated around pores and alongside fractures in the sandstone. Melting of kaolinite (Kln), illite (Ill), and muscovite (Ms) starts at 7.5, 12, and 15 GPa, respectively. The larger the amount of water in these minerals (Kln ~14 wt%, Ill ~6–10 wt%, and Ms ~4 wt% H₂O), the higher the shock compressibility and the lower the shock pressure required to induce melting. Vesicles in the almost dry silicate glasses attest to the loss of structural water during the short shock duration of the experiment. The compositions of the phyllosilicate-based glasses are identical to the composition of the parental minerals or their mixtures. Thus, this study has demonstrated that phyllosilicates in shocked sandstone undergo congruent melting during shock loading. In experiments at 10 GPa and higher, iron melt from the driver plate was injected into the phyllosilicate melts. During this process, Fe is partitioned from the metal droplets into the surrounding silicate melts, which induced unmixing of silicate melts with different chemical properties (liquid immiscibility). At pressures between 7.5 and 15 GPa, a pure SiO₂ glass was formed, which is located as short and thin bands within Qtz grains. These bands were shown to contain tiny crystals of experimentally generated stishovite.     

Accretion of differentiated achondritic and aqueously altered chondritic materials in the early solar system—Significance of an igneous fragment in the CM chondrite NWA 12651

One approach to decipher the dynamics of material transport and planetary accretion in the early solar system is to investigate xenolithic fragments in meteorites. In this work, we examined an igneous fragment from the NWA 12651 meteorite—the first igneous fragment found in any CM chondrite—by analyzing its mineralogy, rare earth elements (REEs), and O‐isotopes. The study shows that the exsolution lamellae of the igneous fragment consist of Fe‐rich and Ca‐rich pyroxene. Thus, the fragment was part of a progressive crystallization in a closed system, such as in a depleted magma reservoir or mantle. In this environment, the pyroxene co‐crystallized with plagioclase, resulting in a negative Eu anomaly and enrichment of the heavy REEs compared to the light REEs. The O‐isotopes of the fragment are more ¹⁶O‐enriched than the mafic minerals in the matrix or in other bulk CM chondrites; therefore, the fragment was formed in a different region than the NWA 12651 parent body. The iron meteorites Tucson and Deep Springs, the pallasite Milton, and the CB chondrites have similar O‐isotopes as the igneous fragment. However, no direct connection can be drawn and it is questionable if the fragment shares a same parent body with one of these meteorites. The close formation region to the CB chondrites may suggest a formation of the fragment in the carbonaceous chondrite region. Thus, a wide transport through the nebula of the early solar system may not have been necessary to move the fragment to the CM chondrite formation region.     

Quantifying Inputs of Pesticides to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park – A Case Study in the Herbert River Catchment of North-East Queensland

The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park (GBRMP) is an ecosystem whose ecological features are recognized internationally. There is a need to evaluate the impacts of historical and contemporary changes in land use on the GBRMP. This paper quantifies pesticide inputs in the Herbert River catchment of North Queensland in the context of changes in land use over the last 100 years. We show that three major phases of rural land use and land cover change have occurred, with large areas of native vegetation converted to agricultural production. The increase in agricultural land has seen a corresponding increase in the area receiving pesticides. We present data showing application histories for organochlorine, organophosphate, phenoxy, triazine, urea, mercurial and azole group pesticides. While the fate of these pesticides in aquatic and marine systems is largely unknown, these trends pose a significant challenge for agricultural industries in complying with the principles of ecologically sustainable development (ESD).     

Microscopic evidence of stishovite generated in low‐pressure shock experiments on porous sandstone: Constraints on its genesis

It has been almost exactly half a century since the first synthesis of stishovite in shock experiments on quartz was reported, but its formation conditions during shock is still under debate. Here, we present direct transmission electron microscopic observation of stishovite within material recovered from high‐explosive shock experiments on porous sandstone shocked at 7.5 and 12.5 GPa. Our observations allow for new conclusions on the genesis of stishovite in a close‐to‐nature environment. The formation of stishovite in short‐time shock experiments proves that its crystallization is ultrafast (<1 μs). Crystals were found only embedded in amorphous veins indicating homogeneous nucleation. Crystallization from melt rather than from glass can be concluded from the observation of roundish, defect‐free crystals up to 150 nm in diameter embedded in nondensified glass. The formation of stishovite at 7.5 GPa is in accordance with the phase diagram of silica, if rapid undercooling is present that becomes only possible by the existence of small hot spots in an otherwise cold material, which is supported by transient heat calculation. The absence of coesite at 7.5 GPa suggests kinetic hindrance of its crystallization from melt and, thus, smaller critical cooling rates compared to stishovite where critical cooling rates are estimated to be as large as 10¹¹ K s^?1. While the amorphous veins containing stishovite represent unambiguously hot spots, no associated pressure amplification could be verified within these veins. The rapid liquidus crystallization of stishovite only in hot spots generated in porous material is an alternative formation mechanism to the widely accepted theory of solid–solid transition from quartz to stishovite and might represent the more general mechanism occurring in nature for low shock pressure events.     

Fate of Pesticides and Their Transformation Products: First Flush Effects in a Semi‐Arid Catchment

Although it is known for many years, that transformation products (TPs) of pesticides are often more persistent, mobile, and sometimes more toxic than the parent compound, former catchment scale studies of substance release and flushing effects focused only on the parent compound. In this study, four river points were sampled in the Hula Valley, Israel, and samples were analyzed in the lab for chlorpyrifos (CP) and endosulfan residues (including transformation products; TPs). Sampling results of the first rainfall in autumn 2009 identified a strong release of most substances to the rivers. First flush effects of these substances were assessed regarding the risk for drinking water supply and ecology, like fresh water invertebrates and fish. Although, these substances were found in Jordan River water during the first significant rainfall the observed levels are below international drinking water guideline values with no adverse effects on human health in the region. However, the observed CP and chlorpyrifos oxon (CPO) levels are above the acute toxicity for fresh water invertebrates and fish. The study shows that the Hula Valley was an important source of pesticides and TPs at the Upper Jordan River basin and that substance flushing is extremely important for pesticides‐monitoring campaigns.