Textural and fluid inclusion constraints on the origin of the banded-iron-formation-hosted gold deposits at Maevatanana,central Madagascar

The Maevatanana deposits consist of gold-bearing quartz–sulphide veins crosscutting banded iron formation (BIF) within a metamorphosed 2.5 Ga greenstone belt. The host rocks are dominated by a sequence of migmatites, gneisses, amphibolites, magnetite-rich quartzites and soapstones, intruded by large granitoid batholiths (e.g. the 0.8 Ga Beanana granodiorite). In the mineralised rocks, pyrite is the dominant sulphide, in addition to accessory chalcopyrite and galena. Outside the immediate ore zone, the BIF is dominated by quartz + magnetite ± hematite, accompanied by cummingtonite, albite and biotite. Gold occurs as globular grains (usually <500 μm) within quartz crystals close to the sulphides and as invisible inclusions within pyrite and chalcopyrite (up to 2,500 ppm Au content). Fluid inclusion textural and microthermometric studies indicate heterogeneous trapping of a low-salinity (∼3.6 wt.% eq. NaCl) aqueous fluid coexisting with a carbonic fluid. Evidence for fluid-phase immiscibility during ore formation includes variable L/V ratios in the inclusions and the fact that inclusions containing different phase proportions occur in the same area, growth zone, or plane. Laser Raman spectroscopy confirms that the vapour phase in these inclusions is dominated by CO₂ but shows that it may contain small amounts of CH₄ (<1 mol%), H₂S (<0.05 mol%) and traces of N₂. Fluid inclusion trapping conditions ranged from 220 to 380°C and averaged 250°C. Pressure was on the order of 1–2 kbar. The abundant CO₂ and low salinity of the inclusions suggest a metamorphic origin for the fluid. Likewise, the presence of H₂S in the fluid and pyritisation of the wall-rock indicate that gold was likely transported by sulphide complexing. Fluid immiscibility was probably triggered by the pressure released by fracturing of the quartzites during fault movements due to competence differences with the softer greenstones. Fracturing greatly enhanced fluid circulation through the BIF, allowing reaction of the sulphide-bearing fluids with the iron oxides. This caused pyrite deposition and concomitant Au precipitation, enhanced by fluid phase separation as H₂S partitioned preferentially into the carbonic phase.     

Mineralogical and isotopic properties of inorganic nanocrystalline magnetites

Inorganic magnetite nanocrystals were synthesized in an aqueous medium at 25°C, atmospheric pressure, ionic strength of 0.1 M, oxygen fugacity close to 0, and under controlled chemical affinity, which was maintained constant during an experiment and varied between different experiments. The total concentration of iron in the initial solutions, with Fe(III)/Fe(II) ratios of 2, was varied in order to measure the role of this parameter on the reaction rate, particle morphology, and oxygen isotopic composition. The reaction rates were followed by a pHstat apparatus. The nature and morphology of particles were studied by transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy. Fractionation factors of oxygen isotopes were determined by mass spectrometry after oxygen extraction from the solid on BrF₅ lines. At low total iron concentrations, goethite and poorly crystalline iron oxides were observed coexisting with magnetite. At higher concentrations, euhedral single crystals of pure magnetite with an average characteristic size of 10 nm were formed, based on a first-order rate law with respect to total iron concentration. These results confirm that, under high supersaturation conditions, low-temperature inorganic processes can lead to the formation of well-crystallized nanometric magnetite crystals with narrow size distribution. The observed oxygen isotope fractionation factor between magnetite crystals and water was of 0-1‰, similar to the fractionation factor associated with bacterially produced magnetite. We suggest that the solution chemistry used in this study for inorganic precipitation is relevant to better understanding of magnetite precipitation in bacterial magnetosomes, which might thus be characterized by high saturation states and pH.     

Intercomparison of Boron Isotope and Concentration Measurements. Part II: Evaluation of Results

The Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse (IGG), on behalf and with the support of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), prepared eight geological materials (three natural waters and five rocks and minerals), intended for a blind interlaboratory comparison of measurements of boron isotopic composition and concentration. The materials were distributed to twenty seven laboratories - virtually all those performing geochemical boron isotope analyses in the world -which agreed to participate in the intercomparison exercise. Only fifteen laboratories, however, ultimately submitted the isotopic and/or concentration results they obtained on the intercomparison materials. The results demonstrate that interlaboratory reproducibility is not well reflected by the precision values reported by the individual laboratories and this observation holds true for both boron concentration and isotopic composition. The reasons for the discrepancies include fractionations due to the chemical matrix of materials, relative shift of the zero position on the δ¹¹B scale and a lack of well characterized materials for calibrating absolute boron content measurements. The intercomparison materials are now available at the IAEA (solid materials) and IGG (waters) for future distribution.     

Subpixel fractional cloud cover and inhomogeneity effects on microwave beam-filling error

Using synthetic geometrical clouds and radiative microwave model, we examine the possibility to correct the estimations of liquid water path (LWP) or rain rate with cloud cover measurement. This information may be gotten by co-localized measurements of microwave and infrared/visible measurements on new satellites (TRMM, ADEOS 2, …). In a first step, the effects of fractional cloud cover on microwave brightness temperatures (TB) are investigated in three typical cases of nonprecipitating and precipitating (stratiform and convective) clouds. The beam-filling error (BFE) on brightness temperatures may be analyzed with the known spatial variability using 1D or 3D radiative transfer model. Relationships between BFE and subpixel cloud fraction (CF) are discussed according to the cloud type. We tested several parameters that characterize the horizontal cloud inhomogeneity within a radiometer field of view. BFE was found very sensitive to cloud type and inhomogeneity and is maximum for raining cloud with open spatial structure. In order to account for the uncertainty introduced by the spatial distribution, dependence of BFE on textural-based parameters is also discussed using homogeneity, entropy and an indicator of CF horizontal gradient.     

Mapping the functional dimension of vegetation series in the Mediterranean region using multitemporal MODIS data

ABSTRACT

Monitoring the structural and functional dimensions of natural vegetation is a critical issue to ensure effective management of biodiversity. While coarse-resolution satellite image time-series have been used extensively to monitor vegetation physiognomies, their potential to describe plant species composition remains understudied. The objective of this study is to assess the potential of annual time-series of MODIS images to discriminate combinations of plant communities, called “vegetation series,” and characterize their structural and functional dimensions at the landscape scale. Twelve vegetation series were mapped in a 16 574 ha study area in a Mediterranean context located in Corsica (France). First, the structural dimension of vegetation series was examined using a random forest (RF) model calibrated with a reference field map to (i) measure the importance of each MODIS image in discriminating vegetation series; (ii) quantify the influence of the number of dates on model accuracy; and (iii) map the vegetation series with the optimal subset of MODIS images. Second, the functional dimension of vegetation series was analyzed by ordinating three functional indices through principal component analysis. These indices were the annual sum of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the annual amplitude of NDVI, and the date of maximum NDVI, considered as a proxy for annual primary production, seasonality of carbon fluxes, and vegetation phenology, respectively. Results showed that (i) vegetation series were mapped accurately (median Kappa index 0.70, median overall accuracy 0.76), preferably using images acquired from February to August; (ii) at least 10 MODIS images were required to achieve sufficient accuracy; and (iii) a functional gradient was detected, ranging from high annual net primary production with low seasonality of carbon fluxes and early phenology in Mediterranean vegetation series to low annual net primary production with high seasonality of carbon fluxes and late phenology in alpine vegetation series.     

Salt karst and tectonics: sinkholes development along tension cracks between parallel strike‐slip faults,Dead Sea,Jordan

This work deals with the tectonic interpretation of an alignment of more than 300 sinkholes stretching along the Jordanian coast of the Dead Sea, Ghor Al Haditha area. Its dimensions are 6 km long with a width of 600 m. Sinkholes appeared during the last decades as a consequence of the very rapid lowering of the lake level. The linear shape was inferred from ground collapse inventories carried out between 1991 and 2008. The lineament is replaced and analyzed in its structural setting at regional and local scales. Its direction (N 24° E) is sub‐parallel to the ones displayed by many focal mechanisms, especially the one associated with the earthquake of the 23 April, 1979 (mb = 5·1; N 20° E ± 5°), which is representative of all focal mechanisms calculated on a fault plane compatible with the general direction of the Jordan‐Dead Sea Transform fault system for the east coast of the Dead Sea area. The alignment of sinkholes is constituted by 13 minor linear segments separated by as many empty spaces. Four minor linear units present an en‐echelon arrangement from which one can deduce the presence of a local extensional stress field. In this context, the sinkhole locations provide information of subsurface discontinuities interpreted as hidden fractures. In a close future, such results could support the work of decision‐makers and engineers in the projected development of the area. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interferometry basics in practice: Exercises

The following exercises aim to learn the link between the object intensity distribution and the corresponding visibility curves of a long-baseline optical interferometer. They are also intended to show the additional constraints on observability that an interferometer has.This practical session is meant to be carried out with the ASPRO software, from the Jean-Marie Mariotti Center, but can also be done using other observation preparation software, such as viscalc from ESO.There are two main parts with series of exercises and the exercises corrections. The first one aims at understanding the visibility and its properties by practicing with simple examples, and the second one is about UV coverage.     

Exploring the past through lynchet landscapes in the Vosges Mountains and the Lorraine Plateau (France)

Lynchets are ridges formed by erosion and sediment accumulation downstream of agricultural plots and offer valuable insights into past agricultural activity. These microtopographies cover vast areas and serve as indicators of historical changes in land use. As a result, their ubiquity across Europe makes them particularly interesting. In this study, we propose a geoarchaeological approach to analyze six lynchets, four in the Vosges Mountains and two on the Lorraine Plateau (France). The lynchets can be considered soil archives with no stratigraphic organization or chronological sequence from bottom to top, making it difficult to determine the age of the lynchets and identify changes in land use over time. To this end, we propose the analysis of historical and geo-historical archives combined with the “pedosedimentary” archives of lynchets through charcoal identification and dating combined with near-infrared spectroscopy to determine the age, vegetation, and past land use changes associated with lynchet landscapes. By combining these multiple data sources, we are better able to show the chronological development of these ancient agricultural systems and uncover valuable information on landscape history. Charcoal dating suggests a higher frequency of fires from the Middle Ages. The dating aligns with the regional dynamics of anthropogenic fires, indicating a potential use of fire for cultural purposes. We also demonstrate the difficulty of extrapolating the dating of a lynchet to the entire lynchet system. Our results highlight the difficulties of interpreting the formation and dating of lynchets and the lynchet system on the sole basis of charcoal analysis. However, we highlight the value of applying pedoanthracology to lynchets to determine the dynamics of land use change in former fields.