First evidence for the Cenomanian–Turonian oceanic anoxic event (OAE2, ‘Bonarelli’ event) from the Ionian Zone,western continental Greece

Integrated biostratigraphic (planktonic foraminifera, calcareous nannofossils), chemostratigraphic (bulk C and O isotopes) and compound-specific organic geochemical studies of a mid-Cretaceous pelagic carbonate—black shale succession of the Ionian Zone (western Greece), provide the first evidence for the Cenomanian–Turonian oceanic anoxic event (OAE2, ‘Bonarelli’ event) in mainland Greece. The event is manifested by the occurrence of a relatively thin (35 cm), yet exceptionally organic carbon-rich (44.5 wt% TOC), carbonate-free black shale, near the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary within the Vigla limestone formation (Berriasian–Turonian). Compared to the ‘Bonarelli’ black-shale interval from the type locality of OAE2 in Marche–Umbria, Italy, this black shale exhibits greatly reduced stratigraphic thickness, coupled with a considerable relative enrichment in TOC. Isotopically, enriched δ¹³C values for both bulk organic matter (−22.2‰) and specific organic compounds are up to 5‰ higher than those of underlying organic-rich strata of the Aptian-lower Albian Vigla Shale member, and thus compare very well with similar values of Cenomanian–Turonian black shale occurrences elsewhere. The relative predominance of bacterial hopanoids in the saturated, apolar lipid fraction of the OAE2 black shale of the Ionian Zone supports recent findings suggesting the abundance of N₂-fixing cyanobacteria in Cretaceous oceans during the Cenomanian–Turonian and early Aptian oceanic anoxic events.     

Eocene cool-water carbonate and biosiliceous sedimentation dynamics, St Vincent Basin, South Australia

Middle and Upper Eocene biogenic sediments in the Willunga Embayment along the eastern margin of the St Vincent Basin are a series of warm‐temperate limestones, marls and spiculites. The Middle Eocene Tortachilla Limestone is a thin, coarse grained, quartzose, biofragmental, bryozoan–mollusc calcarenite of stacked metre‐scale depositional cycles with hardground caps. Lithification, aragonite dissolution and the filling of moulds by sediment and cement characterize early marine‐meteoric diagenesis. Further meteoric diagenesis at the end of Tortachilla deposition resulted in dissolution, Fe‐oxide precipitation and calcite cementation. The Upper Eocene Blanche Point Formation is composed of coccolith and spiculite marl and spiculite, all locally rich in glauconite, turritellid gastropods and sponges. Decimetre‐scale units, locally capped by firmgrounds, have fossiliferous lower parts and relatively barren upper parts. Carbonate diagenesis is minor, with much aragonite still present, but early silicification is extensive, except in the spiculite, which is still opal‐A. All depositional environments are interpreted as relatively shallow water: high energy during the Middle Eocene and low energy during the Upper Eocene, reflecting the variable importance of a basin‐entrance archipelago of carbonate highs. Marls and spiculites are interpreted to have formed under an overall estuarine circulation system in a humid climate. Basinal waters, although well mixed, were turbid and rich in land‐derived nutrients, yet subphotic near the sea floor. These low‐energy, inner‐shelf biosiliceous sediments occur in coeval environments across other parts of Australia and elsewhere in the rock record, suggesting that they are a recurring element of the cool‐water, carbonate shelf depositional system. Thus, spiculites and spiculitic carbonates in the rock record need be neither deep basinal nor polar in origin. The paradox of a shallow‐water carbonate–spiculite association may be more common in geological history than generally realized and may reflect a characteristic mid‐latitude, humid climate, temperate water, palaeoenvironmental association.     

A three-invariant smooth cap model with mixed hardening

A cap model is presented that uses a multiplicative formulation to define a smooth (continuous derivative) failure surface that includes the third stress invariant. This formulation offers several advantages over previous cap model formulations: elimination of ‘corner’ coding, resulting in a numerical algorithm suitable for vectorization; a three stress invariant implementation that is easily specialized to classical failure surfaces or generalized to represent observed material response; and a framework for easily implementing additional model features such as kinematic hardening as demonstrated.     

Pleistocene aeolianites at Cape Spencer,South Australia; record of a vanished inner neritic cool‐water carbonate factory

Aeolianites are integral components of many modern and ancient carbonate depositional systems. Southern Australia contains some of the most impressive and extensive late Cenozoic aeolianites in the modern world. Pleistocene aeolianites on Yorke Peninsula are sculpted into imposing seacliffs up to 60 m high and comprise two distinct imposing complexes of the Late Pleistocene Bridgewater Formation. The lower aeolianite complex, which forms the bulk of the cliffs, is a series of stacked palaeodunes and intervening palaeosols. The diagenetic low Mg‐calcite sediment particles are mostly bivalves, echinoids, bryozoans and small benthic foraminifera. This association is similar to sediments forming offshore today on the adjacent shelf in a warm‐temperate ocean. By contrast, the upper aeolianite complex is a series of mineralogically metastable biofragmental carbonates in a succession of stacked lenticular palaeodunes with impressive interbedded calcretes and palaeosols. Bivalves, geniculate coralline algae and benthic foraminifera, together with sparse peloids and ooids, dominate sediment grains. Fragments of large benthic foraminifera including Marginopora vertebralis, a photosymbiont‐bearing protist, are particularly conspicuous. Palaeocean temperatures are interpreted as having been sub‐tropical, somewhat warmer than offshore carbonate factories in the region today. The older aeolianite complex is tentatively correlated with Marine Isotope Stage 11, whereas the upper complex is equivalent to Marine Isotope Stage 5e. Marine Isotope Stage 5e deposits exposed elsewhere in southern Australia (Glanville Formation) are distinctive with a subtropical biota, including Marginopora vertebralis. Thus, in this example, palaeodune sediment faithfully records the nature of the adjacent inner neritic carbonate factory. By inference, aeolianites are potential repositories of information about the nature of long‐vanished marine systems that have been removed due to erosion, tectonic obliteration or are inaccessible in the subsurface. Such information includes not only the nature of marine environments themselves but also palaeoceanography.     

Database of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs)–IPL project No. 179

This article summarises activities and preliminary results of the International Programme on Landslides Project no. 179 “Database of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs)”. This project is planned for 3 years (2013–2015); the main objectives of the first year are (1) to create an online database and (2) to select collaborating partners. A survey of existing and relevant documents, information and organisations has been initiated along with the creation of a website (www.glofs-database.org) and the establishment of international collaboration. The first preliminary results show regional differences in various attributes of GLOF events (e.g. triggers, chronological distribution). These differences should be taken into consideration in regionally focused methods of hazard assessment, mitigation and consequently risk management.     

Probabilities of future VEI ≥ 2 eruptions at the Central American Volcanic Arc: a statistical perspective based on the past centuries’ eruption record

A probabilistic eruption forecast is provided for seven historically active volcanoes along the Central American Volcanic Arc (CAVA), as a pivotal empirical contribution to multi-disciplinary volcanic hazards assessment. The eruption probabilities are determined with a Kaplan–Meier estimator of survival functions, and parametric time series models are applied to describe the historical eruption records. Aside from the volcanoes that are currently in a state of eruptive activity (Santa María, Fuego, and Arenal), the highest probabilities for eruptions of VEI ≥ 2 occur at Concepción and Cerro Negro in Nicaragua, which are likely to erupt to 70–85 % within the next 10 years. Poás and Irazú in Costa Rica show a medium to high eruption probability, followed by San Miguel (El Salvador), Rincón de la Vieja (Costa Rica), and Izalco (El Salvador; 24 % within the next 10 years).     

Controls on the deep thermal field: implications from 3-D numerical simulations for the geothermal research site Groß Schönebeck

The deep thermal field in sedimentary basins can be affected by convection, conduction or both resulting from the structural inventory, physical properties of geological layers and physical processes taking place therein. For geothermal energy extraction, the controlling factors of the deep thermal field need to be understood to delineate favorable drill sites and exploitation compartments. We use geologically based 3-D finite element simulations to figure out the geologic controls on the thermal field of the geothermal research site Groß Schönebeck located in the E part of the North German Basin. Its target reservoir consists of Permian Rotliegend clastics that compose the lower part of a succession of Late Carboniferous to Cenozoic sediments, subdivided into several aquifers and aquicludes. The sedimentary succession includes a layer of mobilized Upper Permian Zechstein salt which plays a special role for the thermal field due to its high thermal conductivity. Furthermore, the salt is impermeable and due to its rheology decouples the fault systems in the suprasalt units from subsalt layers. Conductive and coupled fluid and heat transport simulations are carried out to assess the relative impact of different heat transfer mechanisms on the temperature distribution. The measured temperatures in 7 wells are used for model validation and show a better fit with models considering fluid and heat transport than with a purely conductive model. Our results suggest that advective and convective heat transport are important heat transfer processes in the suprasalt sediments. In contrast, thermal conduction mainly controls the subsalt layers. With a third simulation, we investigate the influence of a major permeable and of three impermeable faults dissecting the subsalt target reservoir and compare the results to the coupled model where no faults are integrated. The permeable fault may have a local, strong impact on the thermal, pressure and velocity fields whereas the impermeable faults only cause deviations of the pressure field.     

Scaling and multivariate analysis of medium to large landslide events: Haida Gwaii, British Columbia

Gimbarzevsky (1988) collected an exceptional landsliding inventory for Haida Gwaii, British Columbia that included over 8,000 landsliding vectors covering an area of approximately 10,000 km². This database was never published in the referred literature, despite its regional significance. It was collected prior to widespread application of GIS technologies in landsliding studies, limiting the analyses undertaken at the time. Gimbarzevsky identified landslides using 1:50,000 aerial photographs, and transferred the information to NTS map sheets. In our study, we digitized the landslide vectors from these original map sheets and connected each landslide to a digital elevation model. Lengths of landslide vectors are compared to the landsliding inventory for Haida Gwaii analyzed in Rood (1984), Martin Y et al. BC Can J Earth Sci 39:289–305 (2002); the latter inventory is based on larger-scale aerial photographs (~1:12,000). Rood’s database contains a more complete record of smaller landslides, while the inventory of Gimbarzevsky provides improved statistical representation of less frequent, medium to large landslides. It is suggested that combined landslide delineation at different scales could provide a more complete landslide record. Discriminant analysis was undertaken to assess which of nine predictor variables, chosen on the basis of mechanical theory, best predict failed versus unfailed locations. Seven of the nine variables were found to be statistically significant in discriminating amongst failed and unfailed locations. Results show that 81.7% of original grouped cases were correctly classified.     

Sedimentology and geochemistry of an exceptionally preserved last interglacial sapropel S5 in the Levantine Basin (Mediterranean Sea)

A combined study of lithological, geochemical and physical sediment properties is reported from a completely laminated S5 sapropel, recovered in three gravity cores (M40-4 SL67, M51-3 SL103, M51-3 SL104) from the Pliny Trench region of the eastern Mediterranean. The thickness of the studied sapropel S5 varies between 85 and 91 cm and tops most S5-sapropels in the Mediterranean. Based on optical features like color and thickness of laminae, the sapropels were subdivided into thirteen distinct lithostratigraphic zones. These zones, as well as the finer layering pattern within them, could be followed exactly among the three cores, indicating that the processes responsible for this variation acted at least on a regional scale. The sapropel sediment is characterized by exceptionally high porosity, which is strongly correlated with Si/Ca. This relationship implies that the sapropel is in essence an organic-matter rich diatomite and its exceptional thickness can be explained by preservation of diatoms forming a loosely packed sediment fabric. Compared to other S5 sapropels, the preservation of diatoms has apparently led to a twofold increase in the thickness of the sapropel layer. Relative abundances of 10 elements were determined at ultra-high resolution (0.2 mm) by XRF-scanner over the complete length of each sapropel including several cm of enclosing marl. An analysis of the chemical data indicates that the lowermost 13 cm of the sapropel is chemically more similar to the underlying marl and that the sediment chemistry shows different signals at different scales. The strongest pattern is the contrast between the sapropel and the surrounding marl, which is accentuated in elements indicative for redox conditions as well as terrigenous sediment input and productivity. Within the sapropel, a mm- to cm-scale layering is observed. The abundances of many elements are systematically linked to the pattern of these layers, indicating a common origin, related to productivity and/or terrigenous sediment and/or redox conditions. This pattern indicates a link to a regional climatic process, making the S5 sapropel horizon in M40-4 SL67, M51-3 SL103 and M51-3 SL104 a potential high-resolution archive of climatic variability during the last interglacial in the Mediterranean Sea and its adjacent landmasses.     

Modern and late Quaternary clay mineral distribution in the area of the SE Mediterranean Sea

The present-day clay mineral distribution in the southeastern Levantine Sea and its borderlands reveals a complex pattern of different sources and distribution paths. Smectite dominates the suspended load of the Nile River and of rivers in the Near East. Illite sources are dust-bearing winds from the Sahara and southwestern Europe. Kaolinite is prevalent in rivers of the Sinai, in Egyptian wadis, and in Saharan dust. A high-resolution sediment core from the southeastern Levantine Sea spanning the last 27 ka shows that all these sources contributed during the late Quaternary and that the Nile River played a very important role in the supply of clay. Nile influence was reduced during the glacial period but was higher during the African Humid Period. In contrast to the sharp beginning and end of the African Humid Period recorded in West African records (15 and 5.5 ka), our data show a more transitional pattern and slightly lower Nile River discharge rates not starting until 4 ka. The similarity of the smectite concentrations with fluctuations in sea-surface temperatures of the tropical western Indian Ocean indicates a close relationship between the Indian Ocean climate system and the discharge of the Nile River.