Geophysical constraints on deep weathering and water storage potential in the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory

The conversion of bedrock to regolith marks the inception of critical zone processes, but the factors that regulate it remain poorly understood. Although the thickness and degree of weathering of regolith are widely thought to be important regulators of the development of regolith and its water‐storage potential, the functional relationships between regolith properties and the processes that generate it remain poorly documented. This is due in part to the fact that regolith is difficult to characterize by direct observations over the broad scales needed for process‐based understanding of the critical zone. Here we use seismic refraction and resistivity imaging techniques to estimate variations in regolith thickness and porosity across a forested slope and swampy meadow in the Southern Sierra Critical Zone Observatory (SSCZO). Inferred seismic velocities and electrical resistivities image a weathering zone ranging in thickness from 10 to 35 m (average = 23 m) along one intensively studied transect. The inferred weathering zone consists of roughly equal thicknesses of saprolite (P‐velocity < 2 km s^?1) and moderately weathered bedrock (P‐velocity = 2–4 km s^?1). A minimum‐porosity model assuming dry pore space shows porosities as high as 50% near the surface, decreasing to near zero at the base of weathered rock. Physical properties of saprolite samples from hand augering and push cores are consistent with our rock physics model when variations in pore saturation are taken into account. Our results indicate that saprolite is a crucial reservoir of water, potentially storing an average of 3 m³ m^?2 of water along a forested slope in the headwaters of the SSCZO. When coupled with published erosion rates from cosmogenic nuclides, our geophysical estimates of weathering zone thickness imply regolith residence times on the order of 10⁵ years. Thus, soils at the surface today may integrate weathering over glacial–interglacial fluctuations in climate. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Short polarity intervals within the Matuyama: transitional field records from hydraulic piston cored sediments from the North Atlantic

Detailed sampling of two short magnetozones within the Matuyama Chronozone recorded at DSDP Site 609 (49.86°N, 335.77°E) confirms that one, the Cobb Mountain Subchronozone (1.12 Ma), is a very short, full normal polarity interval and that the other, the older interval, is a record of a geomagnetic excursion which occurred at approximately 1.55 Ma. The Cobb Mountain Subchron lasted approximately 25,000 years, one third the duration of the Jaramillo Subchron. The normal polarity interval is bounded by two transition zones which document an antisymmetry in the sequence of directions in the reverse to normal and normal to reverse polarity transitions. We interpret the antisymmetry as reflecting a dependence upon the sense of the reversal, without significant changes in the relative contributions of non-dipole terms. The polarity interval recorded at 1.55 Ma lasted only 8,800 years with what may be regarded as full polarity directions observed across only 3 cm of stratigraphic section. This feature is interpreted as an excursion of the geomagnetic field and appears to be correlative with the Gilsa Subchron. Similarities between the transition bounding these two magnetozones suggest that these features occur as the result of the same process or triggering mechanisms in the earth's outer core.     

Evolution of Pangea: paleomagnetic constraints from the Southern Alps, Italy

A new early Late Triassic paleopole for Adria has been obtained from the Val Sabbia Sandstone in the Southern Alps. As Early Permian and Jurassic-Cretaceous paleomagnetic data from para-autochthonous regions of Adria such as the Southern Alps are consistent with ‘African’ APWPs[1–2], paleomagnetic data from this region can be used to bolster the West Gondwana APWP in the poorly known Late Permian-Triassic time interval. The Southern Alpine paleopoles are integrated with the West Gondwana and Laurussia APWPs of Van der Voo [1] and used to generate a tectonic model for the evolution of Pangea. The Early Permian overall mean paleopole for West Gondwana and Adria, in conjunction with the coeval Laurussia paleopole, support Pangea B of Morel and Irving [3]. The Late Permian/Early Triassic and the Middle/Late Triassic paleopoles from Adria and Laurussia support Pangea A-2 of Van der Voo and French [4]. The phase of transcurrent motion between Laurasia and Gondwana[5] that caused the Pangea B to A-2 transition occurred essentially in the Permian (at the end of Variscan orogeny) with an average relative velocity of approximately 10 cm/yr. Finally, the Late Triassic/Early Jurassic paleopoles from West Gondwana and Laurussia agree with Pangea A-1 of Bullard et al. [6], the widely accepted Pangea configuration at the time of the Jurassic breakup.     

1998 Eruption at Volcán Cerro Azul, Galápagos Islands: I. Syn-Eruptive Petrogenesis

The 1998 eruption of Volcán Cerro Azul in the Galápagos Islands produced two intra-caldera vents and a flank vent that erupted more than 1.0×10⁸ m³ of lava. Lava compositions changed notably during the 5-week eruption, and contemporaneous eruptions in the caldera and on the flank produced different compositions. Lavas erupted from the flank vent range from 6.3 to 14.1% MgO, nearly the entire range of MgO contents previously reported from the volcano. On-site monitoring of eruptive activity is linked with petrogenetic processes such that geochemical variations are evaluated in a temporal context. Lavas from the 1998 eruption record two petrogenetic stages characterized by progressively more mafic lavas as the eruption proceeded. Crystal compositions, whole rock major and trace element compositions, and isotope ratios indicate that early lavas are the product of mixing between 1998 magma and remnant magma of the 1979 eruption. Intra-caldera lavas and later lavas have no 1979 signature, but were produced by the 1998 magma incorporating olivine and clinopyroxene xenocrysts. Thus, early magma petrogenesis is characterized by mixing with the 1979 magma, followed by the magma progressively entraining wehrlite cumulate mush.Editorial Responsibility: M.R. Carroll     

Economic development,urban expansion,and sustainable development in Shanghai

Studies of urbanization effects in Chinese cities from the aspect of the coupled development of economy and environment are rare due to data limitations. This paper studied Shanghai’s fast urban expansion and examined the dynamic relationship between economic growth and environment consequences at the district level. We extracted data on urban built-up area and land surface temperature from remote sensing images. We analyzed the patterns of urban expansion and land use change and explained the dynamic relationship between economic development and environment conditions. We attributed the uneven economic development and environmental change in districts of Shanghai to four main institutional factors: (1) the role of the government, (2) the multi-level urban planning system, (3) land market reform, and (4) the economic restructuring.     

Zur genetischen Unterscheidung von gemeinen Klüften und Verschiebungen

Zusammenfassung Oft wird zwischen Klüften und Verschiebungen ein genetischer Zusammenhang gesehen. Neuere Untersuchungen lassen einen grundsätzlichen Unterschied erkennen: Die gemeinen Klüfte entstehen durch spröden Bruch im Anschluß an eine elastische Deformation; Verschiebungen und ihnen zugeordnete Klüfte gehen zumeist aus einer plastischen Deformation hervor. Auch sind Verschiebungen an begrenzte Zonen gebunden und meist gefügefremd, obwohl sie sich bestehenden Kluftsystemen anpassen können. Die Systeme der gemeinen Klüfte sind dagegen fast gleichmäßig auf weite Bereiche verteilt und passen sich dem bestehenden Gesteinsgefüge an. Zur Deutung der Bruchtektonik sollten deshalb klufttektonische Analysen nur mit äußerster Vorsicht herangezogen werden.

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Joints and faults are commonly regarded as genetically related. Recent investigations, however, tend to bring out a fundamental genetic distinction: Common joints form by brittle fracture following elastic deformation; faults result from ductile fracture. Moreover, faults and related joints are restricted to narrow zones and rarely conform with preexisting fabric, while common joints are regionally pervasive and are fabric controlled. When evaluating fracture analyses, therefore, the genetic distinction between common joints and faults must be borne in mind.

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Résumé On croit souvent devoir mettre en relation génétique joints et failles. Des études récentes permettent d'y voir une distinction. Les joints banaux proviennent d'une rupture cassante, à la suite d'une déformation élastique. Les failles suivent une rupture plastique. En plus, les failles et les joints qui leur sont apparentés sont restreints à des zones plus ou moins étroites et se conforment rarement à la structure interne de la roche, trandis que les joints banaux ont une distribution régionale, et sont liés à la structure interne. L'analyse des ruptures géologiques doit, par conséquent, tenir compte d'une distinction fondamentale entre joints banaux, et joints apparentés aux failles.

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Biot dispersion for P‐ and S‐wave velocities in partially and fully saturated sandstones

Ultrasonic compressional‐ and shear‐wave velocities have been measured on 34 samples of sandstones from hydrocarbon reservoirs. The sandstones are all of low clay content, high porosity, and cover a wide range of permeabilities. They were measured dry and brine‐saturated under hydrostatic effective stresses of 10, 20 and 40 MPa. For eight of the sandstones, ultrasonic velocity measurements were made at different partial water saturations in the range from dry to fully saturated. The Gassmann–Biot theory is found to account for most of the changes in velocities at high effective stress levels when the dry sandstones are fully saturated with brine, provided the lower velocities resulting when the dry sandstone initially adsorbs small amounts of moisture are used to determine the elastic properties of the ‘dry’ sandstone. At lower effective stress levels, local flow phenomena due to the presence of open microcracks are assumed to be responsible for measured velocities higher than those predicted by the theory. The partial saturation results are modelled fairly closely by the Gassmann–Biot theory, assuming heterogeneous saturation for P‐waves.