Unravelling the pre-Variscan evolution of the Habach terrane (Tauern Window, Austria) by U-Pb SHRIMP zircon data

The U-Pb SHRIMP age determinations of zircons from the Habach terrane (Tauern Window, Austria) reveal a complex evolution of this basement unit, which is exposed in the Penninic domain of the Alpine orogen. The oldest components are found in zircons of a metamorphosed granitoid clast, of a migmatitic leucosome, and of a meta-rhyolitic (Variscan) tuff which bear cores of Archean age. The U-Pb ages of discordant zircon cores of the same rocks range between 540 and 520 Ma. It is assumed that the latter zircons were originally also of Archean origin and suffered severe lead loss, whilst being incorporated into Early-Cambrian volcanic arc magmas. The provenance region of the Archean (2.64-2.06 Ga) zircons is assumed to be a terrane of Gondwana affinity: i.e., the West African craton (Hoggar Shield, Reguibat Shield). The Caledonian metamorphism left a pervasive structural imprint in amphibolite facies on rocks of the Habach terrane; it is postdated by discordant zircons of a migmatitic leucosome at <440 Ma (presumably ca. 420 Ma). Alpine and Variscan upper greenschist- to amphibolite-facies conditions caused partial lead loss in zircons of a muscovite gneiss ('white schist') only, where extensive fluid flow and brittle deformation due to its position near a nappe-sole thrust enhanced the grains' susceptibility to isotopic disturbance. The Habach terrane - an active continental margin with ensialic back-arc development - showed subduction-induced magmatic activity approx. between 550 and 507 Ma. Back-arc diorites and arc basalts were intruded by ultramafic sills and subsequently by small patches of mantle-dominated unaltered and (in the vicinity of a major tungsten deposit) altered granitoids. Fore-arc (shales) and back-arc (greywackes, cherts) basin sediments as well as arc and back-arc magmatites were not only nappe-stacked by the Caledonian compressional regime closing the presumably narrow oceanic back-arc basin and squeezing mafic to ultramafic cumulates out of high-level magma chambers (496-482 Ma). It also induced uplift and erosion of deeply rooted crystalline complexes and triggered the development of a successor basin filled with predominantly clastic greywacke-arkosic sediments. The study demonstrates that the basement rocks exposed in the Habach terrane might be the 'missing link' between similar units of the more westerly positioned External domain (i.e., Aar, Aiguilles Rouges, Mont Blanc) and the Austroalpine domain to the east (Oetztal, Silvretta).     

Impacts of afforestation on groundwater resources and quality

Plans to double the proportion of land under forest cover in Ireland by the year 2035 have been initiated. The plan, primarily financially driven, ignores potential environmental impacts of forestry, particularly impacts on groundwater resources and quality. Since groundwater supplies almost 25% of Ireland's total potable water, these impacts are important. Field investigations indicate that afforestation leads to a reduction in runoff by as much as 20%, mainly due to interception of rainfall by forest canopies. Clearfelling has the opposite impact. Implications are that uncoordinated forestry practices can potentially exacerbate flooding. Groundwater recharge is affected by forestry, largely due to greater uptake of soil water by trees and to increased water-holding capacity of forest soils, arising from higher organic contents. Recharge rates under forests can be reduced to one tenth that under grass or heathland. Groundwater quality may be affected by enhanced acidification and nitrification under forests, due partly to scavenging of atmospheric pollutants by forest canopies, and partly to greater deposition of highly acid leaf litter. The slower recharge rates of groundwater under forests lead to significant delays in manifestation of deterioration in groundwater quality. Electronic Publication     

Zooplankton dynamics in an intertidal salt-marsh basin

We determined tidal, diel (day-night), and diurnal (day to day) patterns of occurrence for the summer zooplankton assemblage in an intertidal salt marsh basin at North Inlet Estuary, South Carolina. In one time series, 153 μm pump and 365 μm net collections were made every 1–2 h during four consecutive tidal cycles. Taxonomic composition remained unchanged throughout most of the 48-h period, but densities and proportionalities of individual taxa were highly variable. Recurring patterns of abundance were observed and taxon-specific relationships with the tidal and diel cycles were indicated. Zooplankton were not uniformly distributed within flooding-ebbing water masses and distributions could not be explained by simple passive advection with the tides. Diel differences in densities of copepods and bivalves resulted from behavioral responses to changing light conditions. Large pulses of crab and shrimp larvae originating from nocturnal hatching events within the intertidal basin exited but did not return during the next flood tide. Higher densities of postlarval decapods on flood tides indicated settlement and recruitment to the shallow basin. In a second time series, replicated collections of the 153 μm and 365 μm assemblages were made during the daytime ebb tide every 1–3 d from May through October 1991 to determine relationships between diurnal changes in depth, salinity, and temperature and zooplankton composition and abundance. Diurnal variations in densities and proportionalities were less than those observed during the 48-h study and patterns were not regular. For most taxa, relationships between depth and abundance were the same in both time series. During periods of reduced salinity, densities of copepods,Uca zoeae, and barnacle nauplii decreased and densities ofUca megalopae andPenaeus postlarvae increased. However, zoeae emerged and postlarvae recruited throughout the 5-mo period, indicating that considerable flexibility in responses and tolerances existed within the populations. The diversity of life-history strategies and behavioral adaptations found among the zooplankton assures continuous occupation of flooded intertidal habitats. We suspect that the evolution and maintenance of temporally staggered recurring patterns of occurrence results in reductions in the competition for resources.     

Temporal trends in abundance of fish in the tidal Delaware River

Water quality in the tidal Delaware River has improved dramatically over the last several decades. Areas near Philadelphia that were once anoxic and formed a pollution block to migratory fish passage now rarely experience dissolved oxygen concentrations less than 3 ppm. To assess whether these improvements in water quality led to increased abundance of juvenile fishes, data from a beach seine survey conducted annually since 1980 were examined. The number of species captured increased throughout the tidal river, but the increase was greatest in the areas downstream of Philadelphia, wheare water quality has improved the most. Abundance of juvenile striped bass and American shad, two important game species in the river whose migratory patterns make them susceptible to water quality problems, both increased more than, 1,000-fold during the last decade. Correlatations between the temporal abundance patterns of these species in the tidal Delaware River and in other East Coast systems were poor, suggesting that increases in their numbers were related more closely to improving conditions within the Delaware than to factors affecting coastal stocks.     

A radiative-conductive model for the prediction of radiation fog

A conductive-radiative model is used to predict the formation and growth of radiation fog. This is accomplished by solving numerically the heat and mass transport equations in conjunction with an approximate form of the radiative transfer equation. The equations of motion in simplified form are included in the physical system to make use of Blackadar's (1962) formulation of the exchange coefficient of the boundary layer.It is found for a number of hypothetical test cases that the model gives results which appear to represent real physical conditions. One actual situation is tested. Results show that the model reproduces better than qualitatively those parameters which are obtained from routine observations.     

The geology of part of an orogenic belt in western Sierra Leone,West Africa

Zusammenfassung Die Sierra Leone unterteilt sich in zwei Haupteinheiten. Die östliche ist ein Teil des festen präkambrischen westafrikanischen Kratons und besteht aus hochgradig metamorphem Gestein und Granitgneisen. Die Strukturen verlaufen in vorherrschend NE-Richtung. Der westliche Teil enthält Elemente eines orogenen Gürtels, nämlich der Rokeliden, die entweder im späten Präkambrium oder frühen Paläozoikum entstanden sind und nach NNW streichen. Die Gesteinsserien, die den orogenen Gürtel bilden, setzen sich aus dem Kasila-System, einer unbenannten Gneisgruppe östlich davon, den Rokel River Series und den Marampa Schists zusammen. Die sich an das Kasila-System, umbenannt in Kasila-Gruppe, anschließenden Gneise und wahrscheinlich auch die Kasila-Gruppe selbst können mit dem Gestein des Kratons verglichen werden, sind jedoch während der Entstehung der Rokeliden neu überprägt worden. Sie bilden die Basis der Mulde, die Sedimente und vulkanisches Gestein aus den Rokel River Series und den Marampa Schists enthält. Die Rokel River Series sind neu benannt und unterteilen sich in die Rokel River Gruppe mit sechs Formationen und in die Taban Formation, die aus nach-orogener Molasse besteht. Die Marampa Schists sind neu benannt in Marampa Formation. Das Ausmaß der Metamorphose steigert sich über die Rokeliden nach WSW, und die Marampa Formation ist der am stärksten metamorphisierte Teil der geosynklinalen Ausfüllung.

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Sierra Leone is divisible into two major structural units. The eastern one is part of the stable Precambrian West African craton and consists of high grade metamorphic rocks and granitic gneisses. The foliation has a dominantly NE trend. The western unit contains the elements of an orogenic belt named the Rokelides, which formed in either late Precambrian or early Palaeozoic, and trends NNW. The rock groups which comprise the orogenic belt are the Kasila System, an unnamed group of gneisses on the east of it, the Rokel River Series and the Marampa Schists. The gneisses adjacent to the Kasila System, renamed Kasila Group, and also, probably, the Kasila Group can be correlated with rocks in the craton, but were refoliated during the Rokelide orogenesis. They constituted the basement to the geosyncline which contained sediments and volcanic rocks of the Rokel River Series and Marampa Schists. The Rokel River Series is renamed, and divided into Rokel River Group which contains six formations, and the Taban Formation which is post-orogenic molasse. The Marampa Schists are renamed the Marampa Formation. The intensity of metamorphism and deformation increases across the Rokelides towards the WSW and the Marampa Formation is the most highly metamorphosed part of the geosynclinal infilling.

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Résumé Le Sierra Leone peut se diviser en deux principales sections structurales. La section orientale fait partie du craton stable précambrien de l'Afrique occidentale, formé de roches métamorphiques de haute qualité et de gneiss de granit. La foliation a principalement une direction NE. La section occidentale contient les éléments d'une ceinture orogénique appelée les Rokelides qui ont été formées soit vers la fin de la période précambrienne, soit au début de la période paléozoique et en direction NNW. Les groupes rocheux qui comprennent la ceinture orogénique sont le Kasila System, un groupe de gneiss sans nom situé à son côté est, la Rokel River Series et les Marampa Schists. Les gneiss avoisinant le Kasila System, renommé Kasila Group et en toute probilité le Kasila Group également peuvent être rattachés aux roches du craton mais auraient été refoliés pendant l'orogenèse Rokelide. Ils ont formé la base du géosynclinal qui contient des sédiments et des roches volcaniques de la Rokel River Series et des Marampa Schists. La Rokel River Series a été renommée et divisée en Rokel River Group qui contient six formations et la Taban Formation qui est la mollasse post-orogénique. Les Marampa Schists ont été renommés la Marampa Formation. L'intensité du métamorphisme et de la déformation augmente vers WSW à travers les Rokelides, et la Marampa Formation est la partie la plus métamorphosée de l'accumulation géosynclinale.

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