Holocene environments and climate in the Mongolian Altai reconstructed from the Hoton-Nur pollen and diatom records: a step towards better understanding climate dynamics in Central Asia

This study presents the results of the palynological and diatom analyses of the sediment core recovered in Hoton-Nur Lake (48°37′18″N, 88°20′45″E, 2083 m) in 2004. Quantitative reconstruction of the Holocene vegetation and climate dynamics in the semiarid Mongolian Altai suggests that boreal woodland replaced the primarily open landscape of northwestern Mongolia at about 10 kyr BP (1 kyr = 1000 cal yr) in response to a noticeable increase in precipitation from 200–250 mm/yr to 450–550 mm/yr. A decline of the forest vegetation and a return to a predominance of open vegetation types occurred after 5 kyr BP when precipitation sums decreased to 250–300 mm/yr. Prior to 11.5 kyr BP diatom concentrations are relatively low and the lake is dominated by planktonic Cyclotella and small Fragilariaceae, suggesting the existence of a relatively deep and oligotrophic/mesotrophic lake. The great abundance of Staurosirella pinnata from the beginning of the record until 10.7 kyr BP might imply intensified erosion processes in the catchment and this is fully consistent with the presence of scarce and dry vegetation and the generally arid climate during this period. From about 10.7 kyr BP, more planktonic diatom taxa appeared and increased in abundance, indicating that the lake became more productive as diatom concentration increased. This change correlates well with the development of boreal woodland in the catchment. Decrease in precipitation and changes in the vegetation towards steppe are reflected by the rapid increase in Aulacoseira distans from about 5 kyr BP. The Holocene pollen and diatom records do not indicate soil and vegetation cover disturbances by the anthropogenic activities, implying that the main transformations of the regional vegetation occurred as a result of the natural climate change. Our reconstruction is in agreement with the paleomonsoon records from China, demonstrating an abrupt strengthening of the summer monsoon at 12 kyr BP and an associated increase in precipitation and in lake levels between 11 and 8 kyr BP, followed by the stepwise attenuation of the monsoon circulation and climate aridization towards the modern level. The records from the neighboring areas of Kazakhstan and Russia, situated west and north of Hoton-Nur, demonstrate spatially and temporally different Holocene vegetation and climate histories, indicating that the Altai Mountains as a climate boundary are of pivotal importance for the Holocene environmental and, possibly, habitation history of Central Asia.     

Mesozoic (Late Jurassic) palynomorphs and charcoal from a sandstone pebble from Quaternary glacial deposits of the North Sea

The palynological contents as well as macroscopic charcoal fragments from a calcareous sandstone pebble from Quaternary glacial deposits of the North Sea (80 km SW of the Dogger Bank) are described. The taxonomic composition of the palynoflora points to a Late Jurassic (or Late Jurassic/Early Cretaceous) age of the sandstone. The charcoal is interpreted as direct evidence of palaeo‐wildfire occurring during this period in the source area of the sediments of this particular sandstone. This finding, together with already published data on Mesozoic deposits, allows to conclude that wildfires were obviously widespread during this period in the area of the modern day North Sea and adjacent areas. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A New Equation Solver for Modeling Turbulent Flow in Coupled Matrix‐Conduit Flow Models

Karst aquifers represent dual flow systems consisting of a highly conductive conduit system embedded in a less permeable rock matrix. Hybrid models iteratively coupling both flow systems generally consume much time, especially because of the nonlinearity of turbulent conduit flow. To reduce calculation times compared to those of existing approaches, a new iterative equation solver for the conduit system is developed based on an approximated Newton–Raphson expression and a Gauß–Seidel or successive over‐relaxation scheme with a single iteration step at the innermost level. It is implemented and tested in the research code CAVE but should be easily adaptable to similar models such as the Conduit Flow Process for MODFLOW‐2005. It substantially reduces the computational effort as demonstrated by steady‐state benchmark scenarios as well as by transient karst genesis simulations. Water balance errors are found to be acceptable in most of the test cases. However, the performance and accuracy may deteriorate under unfavorable conditions such as sudden, strong changes of the flow field at some stages of the karst genesis simulations.     

Monazite CHIME/EPMA dating of Erinpura granitoid deformation: Implications for Neoproterozoic tectono-thermal evolution of NW India

The in-situ “chemical” Th–U–Pb dating of monazite with the electron microprobe is used to unravel the Neoproterozoic tectono-thermal history of the “Erinpura Granite” terrane in the foreland of the Delhi Fold Belt (DFB) in the NW Indian craton. These granitoids are variably deformed and show effects of shearing activity. Monazites from the Erinpura granitoids recorded two main events; (1) protolith crystallization at 863 ± 23 Ma and (2) recrystallization and formation of new Th-poor monazite at 775 ± 26 Ma during shear overprint. Some components of the Erinpura granitoids, such as the Siyawa Granite and granites exposed near Sirohi town, show evidence of migmatization. This migmatization event is documented by anatexis and associated monazite crystallization at 779 ± 16 Ma. The age data indicate an overlap in timing between anatectic event and ductile shear deformation. The end of the tectono-thermal event in the Sirohi area is constrained by a 736 ± 6 Ma Ar–Ar muscovite age data from the ductile shear zone.     

The Market Gate of Miletus: damages, material characteristics and the development of a compatible mortar for restoration

The indoor exhibit of the Market Gate of Miletus is unique for an archaeological monument. The reconstruction of the gate was done in such a way that most marble fragments were removed leaving cored marble columns 3–4 cm in thickness. These cored columns were mounted on a steel construction and filled with different mortars or filled with specially shaped blocks of brick combined with mortar. All the missing marble elements were replaced by copies made of a Portland cement based concrete, which is compositionally similar to the original building materials. During the Second World War the monument was heavily damaged by aerial bombardment. For 2 years the Market Gate of Miletus was exposed to weathering, because a brick wall protecting the gate was also destroyed. The deterioration phenomena observed are microcracks, macroscopic fractures, flaking, sugaring, greying, salt efflorescence, calcitic-sinter layers and iron oxide formation etc. The rapid deterioration seems to be due to indoor atmospheric effects, and also by a combination of incompatible materials (e.g. marble, steel, mortar, concrete, bricks etc.). Compatible building materials like mortars or stone replacing materials have to be developed for the planned restoration. The requirements for restoration mortars are chemical-mineralogical and physical-mechanical compatibilities with the existing building materials. In detail this means that the mortar should ensure good bonding properties, adapted strength development and not stain the marble when in direct contact. The favoured mortar was developed with a hydraulic binder based on iron-free white cement and pozzolana based on activated clay. A special limestone and quartz sand mixture was used as an aggregate. The cement was adjusted using chemical additives. Specially designed tests were applied extensively to prove whether the developed mortar is suitable for the restoration of this precious monument.     

Discovery of Ordovician–Silurian metamorphic monazite in garnet metapelites of the Alpine External Aiguilles Rouges Massif

The pre-Mesozoic, mainly Variscan metamorphic basement of the Col de Bérard area (Aiguilles Rouges Massif, External domain) consists of paragneisses and micaschists together with various orthogneisses and metabasites. Monazite in metapelites was analysed by the electron microprobe (EMPA-CHIME) age dating method. The monazites in garnet micaschists are dominantly of Variscan age (330–300 Ma). Garnet in these rocks displays well developed growth zonations in Fe–Mg–Ca–Mn and crystallized at maximal temperatures of 670°C/7 kbar to the west and 600°C/7–8 kbar to the east. In consequence the monazite is interpreted to date a slightly pressure-dominated Variscan amphibolite-facies evolution. In mylonitic garnet gneisses, large metamorphic monazite grains of Ordovician–Silurian (~440 Ma) age but also small monazite grains of Variscan (~300 Ma) age were discovered. Garnets in the mylonitic garnet gneisses display high-temperature homogenized Mg-rich profiles in their cores and crystallized near to ~800°C/6 kbar. The Ordovician–Silurian-age monazites can be assigned to a pre-Variscan high-temperature event recorded by the homogenised garnets. These monazite age data confirm Ordovician–Silurian and Devonian–Carboniferous metamorphic cycles which were already reported from other Alpine domains and further regions in the internal Variscides.     

The DAV and Periadriatic fault systems in the Eastern Alps south of the Tauern window

Alpine deformation of Austroalpine units south of the Tauern window is dominated by two kinematic regimes. Prior to intrusion of the main Periadriatic plutons at ~30 Ma, the shear sense was sinistral in the current orientation, with a minor north-side-up component. Sinistral shearing locally overprints contact metamorphic porphyroblasts and early Periadriatic dykes. Direct Rb-Sr dating of microsampled synkinematic muscovite gave ages in the range 33-30 Ma, whereas pseudotachylyte locally crosscutting the mylonitic foliation gave an interpreted ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar age of ~46 Ma. The transition from sinistral to dextral (transpressive) kinematics related to the Periadriatic fault occurred rapidly, between solidification of the earlier dykes and of the main plutons. Subsequent brittle-ductile to brittle faults are compatible with N-S to NNW-SSE shortening and orogen-parallel extension. Antithetic Riedel shears are distinguished from the previous sinistral fabric by their fine-grained quartz microstructures, with local pseudotachylyte formation. One such pseudotachylyte from Speikboden gave a ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar age of 20 Ma, consistent with pseudotachylyte ages related to the Periadriatic fault. The magnitude of dextral offset on the Periadriatic fault cannot be directly estimated. However, the jump in zircon and apatite fission-track ages establishes that the relative vertical displacement was ~4-5 km since 24 Ma, and that movement continued until at least 13 Ma.     

Anaerobic diagenesis of silica and carbon in continental margin sediments: Discrete zones of TCO2 production

Pore water profiles of dissolved Si, Ca²⁺, SO₄^2-, CH₄, and TCO₂ (Dissolved Inorganic Carbon; DIC) were determined from multicores and gravity cores collected at nine sites off Southern California, the west coast of Mexico, and within the Gulf of California. These sites were located within the eastern North Pacific oxygen minimum zone at depths of 400 to 900 m and in settings where bottom water oxygen concentrations were <3 μM and sediments were laminated. Pore water profiles were defined at a resolution of millimeters (whole core squeezing), centimeters (sectioning and squeezing) and meters (gravity core sectioning and squeezing), and diffusive fluxes were calculated for different zones within the sediment column. The flux of dissolved silica across the sediment-water interface (SWI) ranged from 0.3 to 3.4 mmol Si m^-2d^-1, and TCO₂ fluxes ranged from 0.8 to 4.6 mmol C m^-2d^-1. A positive correlation (r = 0.74) existed between these fluxes, yet these two constituents exhibited significantly different diagenetic behavior downcore; dissolved Si generally reached a constant concentration (between 450 and 900 μM) in the upper few cm, whereas TCO₂ concentrations increased monotonically with depth.Methane was detected at micromolar levels in sediment intervals between 0 and 60 cm and at five sites, increased to millimolar levels at depths of 80 to 170 cm. At the horizon marking the appearance of millimolar levels of methane, there was a distinct change in slope of the sulfate and TCO₂ gradients. A flux budget for this horizon was determined by using linear fits to pore water profiles; these budgets indicate that the upward TCO₂ flux away from this horizon is 40 to 50% greater than the downward sulfate flux to this horizon. Given that the TCO₂ flux to this horizon from below was quite small, this imbalance suggests that anaerobic oxidation of methane by sulfate is not the only process producing TCO₂ within this horizon. A budget for TCO₂ at this horizon is balanced when 40 to 80% of the sulfate flux is attributed to organic carbon remineralization. Of the DIC that diffuses across the SWI, 20 to 40% is generated by reactions occurring within or below this deep reaction horizon.     

Initiation and development of pull-apart basins with Riedel shear mechanism: insights from scaled clay experiments

Typical pull-apart structures were created in scaled clay experiments with a pure strike-slip geometry (Riedel type experiments). A clay slab represents the sedimentary cover above a strike-slip fault in the rigid basement. At an early stage of the development of the deformation zone, synthetic shear fractures (Riedel shears) within the clay slab display dilatational behaviour. With increasing basal displacement the Riedel shears rotate and open further, developing into long, narrow and deep troughs. The shear displacement and the low angle with the prescribed principal basal fault set them apart from tension gashes. At a more evolved stage, synthetic segments (Y-shears) parallel to the basal principal fault develop and accommodate progressive strike-slip deformation. The Y-shears connect the tips of adjacent troughs developed from the earlier Riedel shears, resulting in the typical rhomb-shaped structures characteristic for pull-apart basins. The Strait of Sicily rift zone, with major strike-slip systems being active from the Miocene to the Present, comprises pull-apart basins at different length scales, for which the structural record suggests development by a mechanism similar to that observed in our experiments.