Climate change scenarios: Comparisons of paleoreconstructions with recent temperature changes

Paleoclimatic reconstructions for the Mid-Holocene, Eemian, Mid-Pliocene and the Last Glacial Maximum are used to test the paleoanalog hypothesis and develop a regional climate change scenario based on a linear scaling by one parameter - the mean Northern Hemispheric temperature change with respect to present, ΔT _NH. The empirical verification of the paleoanalog hypothesis is extended to a cold epoch for zonal means and to regional distributions of temperature in warm epochs. The best agreement among the scaled paleoanomalies from different epochs is obtained if the seasonal temperature anomalies are scaled with ΔT _NH of the corresponding season. Preferential areas are identified where the paleoanalog hypothesis works relatively well; these areas coincide with the areas of the most pronounced warming. It is shown that the geographical distributions of the winter temperature anomalies over land in the paleodata are similar to those in the 1980–1990 period. From the three warm epochs, a paleodata-based scenario is deduced for the spatial distribution of temperature in a future climate, on the scale of continents. The conditions under which scenarios based on paleodata can be applied are discussed.     

High resolution time series of lead and zinc in sediments of Lake Constance

Sediments in Lake Constance have been dated by radiometric methods and lamination counting. Investigations into the concentrations of lead and zinc in the sediments were carried out to get detailed information about environmental history. Maximum concentrations were found at the beginning of the 1960's. The lead maximum contamination occurred 3 years before the zinc maximum and has an unidentified source. The use of coal, leaded gasoline or the remobilization within the sediment could be excluded to result in the lead maximum. The fluctuations in zinc contamination could be explained with increasing and decreasing pollution (industry, coal burning, building of sewage plants). The greatest fluctuations of both metals occur during periods of great change in the economic history of Germany.     

Structural defects in microcrystalline silica

The structure of the microcrystalline silica varieties chalcedony, flint, moganite, opal-C and -CT is characterized by X-ray powder diffractometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The role of impurities is investigated by infrared spectroscopy and chemical analysis. Microcrystalline opal, chalcedony and flint have a disordered intergrowth structure composed of cristobalite and tridymite domains in opal, and quartz and moganite domains in chalcedony and flint. Each constituent phase has different cell dimensions and symmetry. The main impurity is water which is enriched at the intergrowth interfaces. Density and refractive indices of microcrystalline silica depend on the water content.     

Magmatism and metamorphism in the Ladakh Himalayas (the Indus-Tsangpo suture zone)

Ladakh (India) provides a complete geological section through the northwestern part of the Himalayas from Kashmir to Tibet. Within this section the magmatic, metamorphic and geotectonic evolution of the northern Himalayan orogeny has been studied using petrographic, geochemical and isotope analytical techniques.The beginning of the Himalayan cycle was marked by large basaltic extrusions (Panjal Trap) of Permian to Lower Triassic age at the “northern” margin of the Gondwana continent (Indian Shield). These continental type tholeiitic basalts were followed by a more alkaline volcanism within the Triassic to Jurassic Lamayuru unit of the Gondwana continental margin.Lower Jurassic to Cretaceous oceanic crust and sediments (ophiolitic mélange s.s.) accompany the Triassic to Cretaceous flysch deposits within the Indus-Tsangpo suture zone, the major structural divide between the Indian Shield (High Himalaya) and the Tibetan Platform. So far, no relic of Paleozoic oceanic crust has been found.Subduction of the Tethyan oceanic crust during Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous time produced an island arc represented by tholeiitic and calc-alkaline volcanic rock series (Dras volcanics) and related intrusives accompanied by volcaniclastic flysch deposits towards the Tibetan continental margin.Subsequent to the subduction of oceanic crust, large volumes of calc-alkaline plutons (Trans-Himalayan or Kangdese plutons) intruded the Tibetan continental margin over a distance of 2000 km and partly the Dras island arc in the Ladakh region.The collision of the Indian Shield and Tibetan Platform started during the middle to upper Eocene and caused large-scale, still active intracrustal thrusting as well as the piling up of the Himalayan nappes. The tectonically highest of these nappes is built up of oceanic crust and huge slices of peridotitic oceanic mantle (Spongtang klippe).In the High Himalayas the tectonic activity was accompanied and outlasted by a Barrovian-type metamorphism that affected Triassic sediments of the Kashmir-Nun-Kun synclinorium up to kyanite/staurolite grade and the deeper-seated units up to sillimanite grade. Cooling ages of micas are around 20 m.y. (muscovite) and 13 m.y. (biotite). Towards the Indus-Tsangpo suture zone metamorphism decreases with no obvious discontinuity through greenschist, prehnite-pumpellyite to zeolite grade. Remnants of possibly an Eo-Himalayan blueschist metamorphism have been found within thrust zones accompanying ophiolitic mélange in the suture zone.     

Metamorphic gradients in burial metamorphosed vesicular lavas: Comparison of basalt and spilite in Cretaceous basic flows from central Chile

Partial spilitization of a 9 km thick pile of flood basalts with highly vesicular flow tops gave rise to patterns of secondary mineralogy at different scales: (a) a local pattern of mineralogical variation from the almost unaltered bottom towards the altered top of each flow, and (b) an overall pattern, comparing flow tops throughout the pile, with changes in mineralogical composition within a sequence of metamorphic zones and facies. The local patterns mimic the trend of the overall pattern, but are of opposite direction and telescoped. Thus, a gradual ordering and Andepletion of the secondary albite and increases in the Fe^*/Al ratio of epidote and pumpellyite upwards within individual flows are comparable in range to corresponding overall changes downwards throughout several kilometres. The mineralogical changes within the flows diminish in range towards the more altered deeper part of the pile.The local and overall patterns cannot be interpreted in terms of grade. They represent trends from metastable towards stable equilibrium, this latter only approached in the flow tops of the lower part of the pile. The patterns of secondary mineralogy were formed by an interplay of metamorphic gradients at different scales at any given time, and as burial proceeded. The overall pattern was caused by depth-controlled gradients: increasing P _fluid, temperature and temperature-induced increase of reaction rates, and decreasing fO₂ (downwards in the pile). The local patterns resulted from permeability-controlled gradients: increasing reaction rates, fO₂ and contrast in chemical activity between different domains, and decreasing P _fluid (upwards in each flow). The mineralogical observations reported in this paper fall into line if the overall temperature-induced increase of reaction rates and the local permeability-controlled rate factors played the leading role during burial metamorphism of the pile.     

Eduard Suess' relations to the Pre-1950 schools of thought in global tectonics

Two main schools of thought in global tectonics are recognized during the first half of the XXth century on the basis of their proponents' attitude towards the principle of uniformitarianism and their belief in an inherent order and regularity vs. disorder and irregularity in tectonics. One group, here called the Wegener-Argand school, had a unifomitarian approach to global tectonics and believed in an inherently irregular Nature, in which probability rather than determinism was believed to be a realistic approach. The other, here called the Kober-Stille school, was largely non-uniformitarian (neocatastrophist) and believed in an orderly, regular Nature. These two schools correspond to Argand's mobilists and fixists respectively. In this paper I show that Eduard Suess was a convinced uniformitarian as far as his views on global tectonics are concerned and denied any inherent regularity in tectonic phenomena, temporal or spatial. In his interpretations of the causes and nature of orogeny, nature of geosynclines, and causes and nature of stabilisation, Suess appears to be the predecessor of the Wegener-Argandians, i. e. of the mobilists and not of the Kober-Stilleans as hitherto assumed. Although he remained a fixist and contractionist to the end Suess seems to have paved the way for the mobilists much as he did for the nappists during the last quarter of the XIX^th century.

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Zusammenfassung Während der ersten Hälfte des XX. Jahrhunderts kann man zwei globaltektonische Denkungsweisen oder Großschulen unterscheiden, die gekennzeichnet sind durch ihre Stellungnahme zum aktualistischen Prinzip in der Tektonik und ob sie an eine ordentliche und regelmäßige Natur glaubten oder nicht. Die erste, hier die Wegener-Argand-Schule genannt, hatte die Gültigkeit des aktualistischen Prinzips in der Tektonik anerkannt und die Natur, im Grunde genommen, als unordentlich und unregelmäßig betrachtet. Die Anhänger dieser Denkweise glaubten, daß probablistische Lösungen tektonischer Probleme realistischer seien als deterministische. Die andere Großschule, hier die Kober-Stille-Schule genannt, war im Grunde genommen anti-aktualistisch (Neo-Katastrophistisch) und glaubte, daß die Natur ordentlich und regelmäßig sei. Diese zwei Schulen entsprechen Argands' Einteilung in Mobilisten und Fixisten. In diesem Artikel zeige ich, daß E. Suess ein überzeugter Aktualist in bezug auf seine tektonischen Ansichten war, und daß er jede Regelmäßigkeit, zeitlicher oder räumlicher Art, der tektonischen Ereignisse ablehnte. In seinen Interpretationen der Ursachen und der Art der Orogenese, der Art der Geosynklinalen und der Ursache und der Art der Erstarrung, erscheint Suess als ein Vorgänger der Wegener-Argand-Schule, d. h. der Mobilisten, deren Gedankengänge er viel näher stand als dem der Kober-Stille-Schule. Obwohl Suess selbst bis zuletzt ein Fixist und Kontraktionist blieb, bereitete er eigentlich den Weg für die Mobilisten, wie er es früher auch für die Nappisten getan hatte.

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Résumé Durant la première moitié du XX^e siêcle, on peut distinguer deux principales écoles de pensée en tectonique globale, selon l'attitude de ses adhérents envers le principe de l'actualisme et selon leur croyance ou non à un ordre et une régularité intrinsèques en tectonique. Le premier groupe, ici appelé l'école de Wegener-Argand, suivit une voie actualiste et crût la Nature essentiellement irrégulière, de telle sorte qu'un traitement probabiliste fût considéré plus réaliste qu'un traitement déterministe. L'autre, appelé ici l'école de Kober-Stille, était essentiellement non-actualiste (néo-catastrophiste) et crût à une Nature ordonnée, régulière. Ces deux écoles correspondent aux mobilistes et aux fixistes d'Argand. Dans cet article, je montre que E. Suess, fût un actualiste convaincu, du moins en ce qui concerne ses opinions sur la tectonique globale, et qu'il rejetta toute notion de régularité dans les phénomènes tectoniques, autant spatiaux que temporaux. Dans ses interprétations des causes et de la nature de l'orogenèse, de la nature des géosynclinaux, et des causes et de la nature de la «stabilisation», Suess est un des précurseurs des «Wegener-Argandiens», c'est à dire des mobilistes. Bien qui'il fût demeuré, jusqu'à la fin de sa vie, fixiste et un avocat de la contraction, il semble que Suess ait préparé la voie aux mobilistes, de la mème façon qu'il l'avait fait pour les nappistes pendant le derier quart du XIX^e siècle.

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Correlation of the Quaternary terrace sequence in the Lower Rhine valley and northern Alpine foothills of central Europe

Thirteen glacial terraces are known from the western part of the northern Alpine foothills between the Lech and Iller Rivers. In the Lower Rhine region of West Germany, a similar number of terraces are capped by interglacial floodloams and soils. Whereas the environment during individual interglaciations did not differ substantially, the glaciations were progressively more severe. The Main Terrace system of the Rhine may be an exception. The duration of the Quaternary, starting at the base of Praetiglian, is estimated at approximately 2 million yr by paleomagnetic dating. The major cold-warm climatic cycles of the earliest Pleistocene lasted approximately 100,000 yr, the same as those of the Brunhes Chron. The intervening Main Terrace system has not yet been climatically subdivided. Correlation with the Netherlands is possible because of an abundance of paleobotanic and paleomagnetic evidence. In the Alpine foothills, stratigraphically useful indicators of warm climates are missing, but analogies in terrace development permit comparison with the Lower Rhine and Danube. The terrace sequence in the Alpine foothills is incomplete, as are those along most of the other rivers in Europe. Some of the older terraces may have been eroded.     

Post-Svecokarelian andinotype evolution in central Sweden

Granitoids and associated volcanics, postorogenic in relation to the Svecokarelian orogeny, constitute a belt in central Sweden. Evidence presented in this paper suggest that the belt originated in an Andinotype orogenic environment. The inferred development of the belt was characterized by fracture-controlled high-level emplacement of batholiths in an ensialic setting. Voluminous venting of ignimbrites and formation of grabens through cauldron subsidence accompanied the recurrent intrusive activity. Block movements and episodes of burial metamorphism appear to have been prominent features throughout the history of the post-Svecokarelian belt.

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Zusammenfassung Granitoide Plutonite und verwandte Vulkanite, post-orogen im Verhältnis zur Svekokarelischen Orogenese, bilden einen Gürtel in Mittelschweden. Es wird gezeigt, daß der Gürtel in einer andinotypen Orogenese gebildet wurde. Die vorgeschlagene Entwicklung des Gürtels ist geprägt durch spaltentektonisch kontrollierte Platznahme von Batholithen in einem seichten Niveau der Kruste in ensialischem Mileau. Umfangreiche Eruptionen von Ignimbriten sowie die Bildung von Grabenbrüchen durch Kalderen-Einstürzungen begleiten die erneute intrusive Tätigkeit. Blockbewegungen und episodische Versenkungsmetamorphosen sind charakteristisch während der gesamten Entwicklungsgeschichte des post-svekokarelischen Gürtels.

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Résumé Des granitoïdes et des volcanites associées, postorogéniques par rapport à l'orogénese svécokarélienne, forment une ceinture en Suède centrale. La présente étude suggère que la mise en place de ces roches s'est effectuée dans un environment orogénique Andinotype. L'évolution de la ceinture c'est caractérisée par la mise en place; contrée par des fractures, de batholites peu profonds, en milieu ensialique. Des volumineuses éruptions d'ignimbrites et la formation de grabens par «cauldron subsidence» ont accompagné la mise en place des batholites. Des mouvements verticaux de blocs, ainsi que des épisodes de métamorphisme d'enfouissement («burial metamorphism») semblent être des faits dominants du développement historique de la ceinture post-svécokarélienne.

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Lithification of gas-rich chondrite regolith breccias by grain boundary and localized shock melting

We studied the fine-grained matrices (< 150 μm) of 14 gas-rich ordinary chondrite regolith breccias in an attempt to decipher the nature of the lithification process that converted loose regolith material into consolidated breccias. We find that there is a continuous gradation in matrix textures from nearly completely clastic (class A) to highly cemented (class C) breccias in which the remaining clasts are completely surrounded by interstitial, shock-melted material. We conclude that this interstitial material formed by shock melting in the porous regolith. In general, the abundances of solar-wind-implanted ⁴He and ²⁰Ne are inversely correlated with the abundance of interstitial, shock-melted, feldspathic material. Chondrites with the highest abundance of interstitial, melted material (class C) experienced the highest shock pressures and temperatures and suffered the most extensive degassing. It is this interstitial, feldspathic melt that lithifies and cements the breccias together; those breccias with very little interstitial melt (class A) are the most porous and least consolidated.