Magnetic reconnection in plasmas

A review of the present status of the theory of magnetic reconnection is given. In strongly collisional plasmas reconnection proceeds via resistive current sheets, i.e. quasi-stationary macroscopic Sweet-Parker sheets at intermediate values of the magnetic Reynolds numberR _m , or mirco-current sheets in MHD turbulence, which develops at highR _m . In hot, dilute plasmas the reconnection dynamics is dominated by nondissipative effects, mainly the Hall term and electron inertia. Reconnection rates are found to depend only on the ion mass, being independent of the electron inertia and the residual dissipation coefficients. Small-scale whistler turbulence is readily excited giving rise to an anomalous electron viscosity. Hence reconnection may be much more rapid than predicted by conventional resistive theory.     

Comment on the BDT-Bianchi type-VI0 stiff matter solution

We wish to point out that the Brans-Dicke-Bianchi type-VI₀ stiff matter solution recently given by Ram and Singh is not the most general solution of the corresponding field equations. Moreover, this solution has no vacuum limit and the general relativistic limit is obtained only after making an asymptotic expansion. In this paper we rediscuss the entire problem in a different way. In the limit =const., , we obtain both the stiff matter and the vacuum relativistic limit first given by Ellis and MacCallum (1969) in analytic form.     

Genetic aspects of the Geita and Jubilee Reef Archean BIF-hosted gold deposits,Tanzania

The Sukumaland Greenstone Belt (new name), which is located in north-western Tanzania hosts a large number of gold deposits, prospects and occurrences. The Archean stratigraphy comprises an older basement of granitic gneisses (Dodoman System) overlain by mafic and ultramafic volcanics which are succeeded by felsic volcanic rocks and a banded iron formation (BIF), predominantly as oxide facies. The volcanics and BIF together make up the Nyanzian System. The uppermost part of the Archean stratigraphy (Kavirondian System) consists of conglomerates and quartzites which rest unconformably on the older units. The sequence has been intruded by both syn- and post-orogenic granitoids and by several generations of felsic and intermediate dykes and sills. Gold mineralisation is abundant in all stratigraphic units except for the granitic rocks. Six types of mineralisation can be distinguished. These are BIF-hosted, hear zone type, (quartz-) vein type, clastic sedimenthosted alluvial/eluvial, and massive sulphide type deposits. The last is represented by only one deposit in this area.The location of the BIF-hosted gold mineralisation is controlled by trachytic rocks of both dyke- and sill-like appearance and brecciated shear zones which follow the contacts between BIF and intercalations of tuff. The host rocks around these trachytes and shear zones have been pervasively mineralised with pyrite, auriferous pyrite and native gold, selectively replacing magnetite layers.The mineralisation grades from massively replaced layers at the trachyte/BIF- or tuff/BIF-contact into disseminated layers, rare specks of pyrite and eventually into barren BIF. Permeable features such as veins, fractures, breccia zones and shear zones may contain mineralisation even away from the main ore zones.Ore textures and fire assay results from Geita and Jubilee Reef indicate the introduction of ore fluids via epigenetic conduits into the adjacent wall rocks. Neither a depletion halo in the adjacent BIF (lateral secretion) nor a zone of footwall alteration or stringer ore, which might support a syngenetic/replacement concept for the mineralisation have been found.The main precipitating mechanism was probably a redox reaction of the ascending, reducing ore fluids with the magnetite of the BIF. This reaction resulted in the replacement of magnetite by pyrite, a rise in Eh, and the precipitation of gold together with the pyrite. The authors propose an epigenetic mineralisation process which produced ore-grade mineralisation of different styles in all stratigraphic units. The special physico-chemical trap of the magnetite layers led to the development of pyrite/gold mineralisation of generally stratabound appearance. The ore fluids originated probably from granitic intrusions and the underlying mafic volcanics are a possible gold source. For textural reasons the surrounding BIF is unlikely to have supplied a major portion of the gold.

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Zusammenfassung Der Sukumaland Greenstone Belt (neuer Name) im Nordwesten Tanzanias beherbergt eine große Zahl von Goldvorkommen unterschiedlicher wirtschaftlicher Bedeutung. Die Archaische Stratigraphie umfaßt ein aus granitischem Gneiss bestehendes Grundgebirge (Dodoman-System), auf dem mafische und ultramafische Vulkanite ruhen, die wiederum von felsischen Vulkaniten und hauptsächlich oxydischer banded iron formation (BIF) überlagert werden. Diese Vulkanit- und BIF-Serien stellen die stratigraphische Einheit des Nyanzian-Systems dar. Der Top der Archaischen Stratigraphie wird von Konglomeraten und Quarziten des Kavirondian gebildet, welches diskordant auf den älteren Einheiten liegen. Synund postorogene Granitoide sowie mehrere Generationen von felsischen und intermediären Gängen sind in die Archaische Abfolge intrudiert.Goldindikationen und -vorkommen sind relativ häufig und treten in allen stratigraphischen Einheiten mit Ausnahme der Granitoide auf. Dabei lassen sich sechs Typen von Goldmineralisationen unterscheiden; diese sind: Gold in BIF, in Scherzonen, in Goldquarzgängen, in klastischen Archaischen Sedimenten, in Alluvionen und in massiven Sulfiden. Vom letztgenannten Typ ist bisher lediglich ein Vorkommen im Untersuchungsgebiet bekannt. Die Position der Goldmineralisation in den BIFs wird von trachitischen Dykes und Sills sowie von Scherzonen im Kontaktbereich zwischen BIF und Tuffeinschaltungen kontrolliert. Die Kontaktbereiche zu den brekziierten Scherzonen und trachytischen Gesteinen sind stark mineralisiert, wobei Pyrit, goldhaltiger Pyrit und Freigold selektiv Magnetitlagen verdrängt und sulfidisiert haben.Der Verdrängungsprozeß Magnetit/Pyrit hat im direkten Kontaktbereich zwischen Trachit bzw. Tuffzwischenlagen und BIF zur Bildung von massiven Pyrit-Lagen geführt. Lateral gehen diese massiv sulfidisierten Bereiche in Lagen von Magnetit mit disseminierter Pyritmineralisation über, weiter distal in vereinzelte Pyritkörner und schließlich in sulphidfreie Oxydfazies-BIF. Außerhalb dieser mineralisierten Kon taktzonen, teilweise in erheblichem Abstand zur Hauptmineralisation, enthalten auch Bereiche erhöhter (tektonischer) Permeabilität, wie z. B. kleine Trümer, Klüfte, Brekzien- und Scherzonen, stellenweise reiche Pyrit/Gold-Mineralisationen.Untersuchungen von Erzverteilung und -texturen sowie Goldanalysen (fire assay) von Geita und Jubilee Reef belegen eine Wanderung der Erzlösungen durch epigenetische Strukturen in die Magnetitlagen des umgebenden Gesteins. Es konnten weder Zeichen für Lateralsekretion — vom umliegenden Gestein in Erzzonen oder Goldquarzgänge — noch eine Alterationszone im stratigraphisch Liegenden festgestellt werden; beide Phänomene wären deutliche Argumente für ein syngenetisches Konzept (mit teilweiser späterer Umverteilung der Mineralisation). Die Verteilungsmuster der Goldgehalte sprechen gegen eine intraformationelle Herkunft des Goldes.Der Hauptausfällungsmechanismus dürfte eine Redoxreaktion der aufsteigenden reduzierten Erzlösungen mit den Magnetitlagen der BIF gewesen sein. Diese Redoxreaktion hatte die Verdrängung des Magnetit durch Pyrit (Sulfidisierung) sowie eine drastische Erhöhung des Eh-Wertes zur Folge und bedingte so die Ausfällung des Goldes zusammen mit dem Pyrit.Ein epigenetischer Mineralisationsprozeß führte zur Bildung reicher Goldvererzungen unterschiedlicher Typen in sämtlichen stratigraphischen Einheiten. Innerhalb der BIF bedingte die spezielle physiko-chemische Falle der Magnetitlagen die Bildung schichtgebundener Pyrit/Goldmineralisation epigenetischen Ursprungs. Die Erzlösungen stammten vermutlich von granitischen Intrusionen wobei die mafischen Vulkanite des tieferen Nyanzian als naheliegende Lieferanten des Goldes in Betracht kommen.

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Résumé Le «Sukumaland Greenstone Belt» (nouveau nom), situé dans le nord-ouest de la Tanzanie, renferme un grand nombre de venues aurifères, d'importances économiques diverses. Au point de vue stratigraphique, l'Archéen comprend un socle ancien de gneiss granitiques (Système de Dodoman), surmonté de volcanites mafiques à ultramafiques auxquelles succèdent des volcanites felsitiques et une formation ferrugineuse rubanée (BIF = banded iron formation) de faciès essentiellement oxydé. L'ensemble des volcanites de la BIF constitue le Système Nyanzien. La partie supérieure de l'Archéen (Système Kavirondien) consiste en conglomérats et quartzites discordants sur les unités plus anciennes. Le tout a été intrudé par des granitoïdes syn- et post-orogéniques et par plusieurs générations de dykes et sills felsitiques et intermédiaires. La minéralisation en or est abondante dans toutes les unités stratigraphiques, à l'exception des roches granitiques. On peut distinguer six types de minéralisations: celles qui sont contenues dans la BIF, celles qui sont associées à des shear-zones, à des veines de quartz, des paléo-placers, des minéralisations alluviales et éluviales et un type à sulfures massifs, ce dernier représenté seulement par un seul exemplaire.L'emplacement des minéralisations contenues dans la BIF est en relation avec la présence de roches trachytiques en sills ou en dykes et avec des shear-zones bréchiées qui jalonnent le contact entre la BIF et des intercalations de tuf. Les rocheshôtes au voisinage de ces trachytes et de ces shear-zones ont été imprégnées de pyrite, de pyrite aurifère et d'or natif, qui ont remplacé sélectivement les lits de magnétite. Il existe tous les intermédiaires entre les lits remplacés massivement aux contacts trachyte/BIF ou tuf/BIF, les lits à pyrites éparses et les lits stériles. En dehors, et même assez loin de ces zones de contact favorables, des concentrations minéralisées se rencontrent en des endroits perméables, tels que veines, fractures, zones bréchiques et shear-zones.Les textures des minerais ainsi que les analyses (fire assay) du «Geita and Jubilee reef» montrent l'envahissement des roches adjacentes par des solutions minéralisantes circulant dans des conduits épigénétiques. On n'a observé ni halos appauvris dans les roches BIF adjacentes, ni zones d'altération dans les roches stratigraphiquement sous-jacentes, phénomènes susceptibles d'être invoqués à l'appui d'un modèle de remplacement syngénétique.Le mécanisme principal de la précipitation a probablement consisté en une réaction d'oxydo-réduction entre la magnétite de la BIF et les fluides minéralisés réducteurs ascendants. Cette réaction a entraîné le remplacement de la magnétite par la pyrite, une augmentation de Eh et la précipitation simultanée de l'or. Les auteurs proposent un processus de minéralisation épigénétique aboutissant à des dépôts de types divers dans chaque unité stratigraphique. Les pièges physico-chimiques que constituaient les niveaux à magnétite ont conduit à des corps minéralisés de pyrite aurifère d'allure généralement stratiforme. L'origine des fluides minéralisateurs aurifères doit probablement être trouvée dans les intrusions granitiques et les volcanites mafiques sous-jacentes. Des raisons structurales rendent peu probable qu'une fraction importante de l'or provienne de la BIF avoisinante.

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The structure of the lower crust at the Argentine continental margin, South Atlantic at 44°S

It is well established that the Argentine passive margin is of the rifted volcanic margin type. This classification is based primarily on the presence of a buried volcanic wedge beneath the continental slope, manifested by seismic data as a seaward dipping reflector sequence (SDRS). Here, we investigate the deep structure of the Argentine volcanic margin at 44°S over 200 km from the shelf to the deep oceanic Argentine Basin. We use wide-angle reflection/refraction seismic data to perform a joint travel time inversion for refracted and reflected travel times. The resulting P-wave velocity-depth model confirms the typical volcanic margin structure. An underplated body is resolved as distinctive high seismic velocity (v_p up to 7.5 km/s) feature in the lower crust in the prolongation of a seaward dipping reflector sequence. A remarkable result is that a second, isolated body of high seismic velocity (v_p up to 7.3 km/s) exists landward of the first high-velocity feature. The centres of both bodies are 60 km apart. The high-velocity lower-crustal bodies likely were emplaced during transient magmatic–volcanic events accompanying the late rifting and initial drifting stages. The lateral variability of the lower crust may be an expression of a multiple rifting process in the sense that the South Atlantic rift evolved by instantaneous breakup of longer continental margin segments. These segments are confined by transfer zones that acted as rift propagation barriers. A lower-crustal reflector was detected at 3 to 5 km above the modern Moho and probably represents the lower boundary of stretched continental crust. With this finding we suggest that the continent–ocean boundary is situated 70 km more seaward than in previous interpretations.     

THE ADVERSE IMPACT OF HUMAN ACTIVITIES ON FLOOD CONTROL IN THE HUAIHE BASIN

LIN~DUCnONTheHuaiheBasinislOCatedbetWeen31"-36"llorthemlahtudeand112"-121"easternlongitude,andcoversatotalareaofabout269,000sq.kin,OfwhichthemountainousandhillyareasocCUPyl/3,theplainsandlow-iringland2/3.ThebasinelicitSsalientphysicalgeographicalfeatllTesasfollowsf(l)Thereisnoobviousmountaindividebe~ntheWatershedoftheriVerandtheYellowforerBasinaswellastheYangtZeRadBasin.MostofthetributariesinthenoalbudoftheHuaiheforertakethesouthdikesOftheYellowherasthedivide.(2)TheriVerbedofthetr…     

Magmatic evolution of the Easter microplate-Crough Seamount region (South East Pacific)

The Easter microplate-Crough Seamount region located between 25° S–116° W and 25° S–122° W consists of a chain of seamounts forming isolated volcanoes and elongated (100–200 km in length) en echelon volcanic ridges oriented obliquely NE (N 065°), to the present day general spreading direction (N 100°) of the Pacific-Nazca plates. The extension of this seamount chain into the southwestern edge of the Easter microplate near 26°30 S–115° W was surveyed and sampled. The southern boundary including the Orongo fracture zone and other shallow ridges (< 2000 m high) bounding the Southwest Rift of the microplate consists of fault scarps where pillow lava, dolerite, and metabasalts are exposed. The degree of rock alternation inferred from palagonitization of glassy margins suggests that the volcanic ridges are as old as the shallow ridges bounding the Southwest Rift of the microplate. The volcanics found on the various structures west of the microplate consist of depleted (K/Ti < 0.1), transitional (K/Ti = 0.11–0.25) and enriched (K/Ti > 0.25) MORBs which are similar in composition to other more recent basalts from the Southwest and East Rifts spreading axes of the Easter microplate. Incompatible element ratios normalized to chondrite values [(Ce/Yb)_N = 1–2.5}, {(La/Sm)_N = 0.4–1.2} and {(Zr/Y)_N = 0.7–2.5} of the basalts are also similar to present day volcanism found in the Easter microplate. The volcanics from the Easter microplate-Crough region are unrelated to other known South Pacific intraplate magmatism (i.e. Society, Pitcairn, and Salas y Gomez Islands). Instead their range in incompatible element ratios is comparable to the submarine basalts from the recently investigated Ahu and Umu volcanic field (Easter hotspot) (Scientific Party SO80, 1993) and centered at about 80 km west of Easter Island. The oblique ridges and their associated seamounts are likely to represent ancient leaky transform faults created during the initial stage of the Easter microplate formation ( 5 Ma). It appears that volcanic activity on seamounts overlying the oblique volcanic ridges has continued during their westward drift from the microplate as shown by the presence of relatively fresh lava observed on one of these structures, namely the first Oblique Volcanic Ridge near 25° S–118° W at about 160 km west of the Easter microplate West Rift. Based on a reconstruction of the Easter microplate, it is suggested that the Crough seamount (< 800 m depth) was formed by earlier (7–10 Ma) hotspot magmatic activity which also created Easter Island.     

Exploring the link between climate change and migration

Previous research has postulated that climate change will lead to mass migration. However, the linkages postulated between the two have not been explicitly demonstrated but have rather been derived from ‘common sense’. In this paper, the connection between climate change and migration via two mechanisms, sea level rise and floods, is investigated and depicted in conceptual models. In both cases, a connection can be traced and the linkages are made explicit. However, the study also clearly shows that the connection is by no means deterministic but depends on numerous factors relating to the vulnerability of the people and the region in question.     

Structural evolution and strike-slip tectonics off north-western Sumatra

Based on new multi-channel seismic data, swath bathymetry, and sediment echosounder data we present a model for the interaction between strike-slip faulting and forearc basin evolution off north-western Sumatra between 2°N and 7°N. We examined seismic sequences and sea floor morphology of the Simeulue- and Aceh forearc basins and the adjacent outer arc high. We found that strike-slip faulting has controlled the forearc basin evolution since the Late Miocene. The Mentawai Fault Zone extends up to the north of Simeulue Island and was most probably connected farther northwards to the Sumatran Fault Zone until the end of the Miocene. Since then, this northern branch jumped westwards, initiating the West Andaman Fault in the Aceh area. The connection to the Mentawai Fault Zone is a left-hand step-over. In this transpressional setting the Tuba Ridge developed. We found a right-lateral strike-slip fault running from the conjunction of the West Andaman Fault and the Tuba Ridge in SSW-direction crossing the outer arc high. As a result, extrusion formed a marginal basin north of Simeulue Island which is tilted eastwards by uplift along a thrust fault in the west. The shift of strike-slip movement in the Aceh segment is accompanied by a relocation of the depocenter of the Aceh Basin to the northwest, forming one major Neogene unconformity. The Simeulue Basin bears two major Neogene unconformities, documenting that differences in subsidence evolution along the northern Sumatran margin are linked to both forearc-evolution related to subduction processes and to deformation along major strike-slip faults.     

Eckfeld Maar: Window into an Eocene Terrestrial Habitat in Central Europe

<正>To mark the occasion of the 175th anniversary of the Rheinische Naturforschende Gesellschaft in 2009 and of the centennial of the Mainz Natural History Museum in 2010,we present a short account of our present knowledge of the Eckfeld Maar after 20 years of continuous research.This paper does not attempt to include all of the detailed results on the geology of the Eckfeld site or its biota.To date,nearly 250 papers and books have been published since the start of our project.An up-to-date list of these publications can be found at www.eckfeldermaar. de.     

Mining lakes as groundwater‐dominated hydrological systems: assessment of the water balance of Mining Lake Plessa 117 (Lusatia,Germany) using stable isotopes

In the present study, the stable isotopes δ¹⁸O and δ²H were used for assessment of the water balance in a heterogeneously structured catchment area in the Lusatian Lignite Mining District, in particular, for estimation of the annual groundwater inflow and outflow (I_GW and O_GW) of Mining Lake Plessa 117. The application of stable isotopes was possible since the water exchange in the catchment area had reached steady‐state conditions after the abandonment of mining activities in 1968 and the filling of the voids and aquifers by re‐rising groundwater in the years thereafter. Diverging slopes of the Evaporation Line and the Global Meteoric Water Line manifested as evaporation from the lake catchment area. The calculated isotope water balance was compared with the commonly used surface water balance, which is unable to differentiate between I_GW and O_GW, and with a local groundwater model. The groundwater model calculated an I_GW of about 811 000 m³ yr^?1 and an O_GW close to zero, whereas the isotope water balance showed fluxes of about 914 000 and 140 000 m³ yr^?1, respectively. Considering the contribution of the groundwater inflow to the total annual input into the lake (ΔI_T) and the mean residence time (τ), where the groundwater model and the isotope water balance calculated 42 and 47% for ΔI_T and 4·3 and 3·9 years for τ, respectively, it was shown that both water balance calculation methods led to comparable results despite the differences in I_GW and O_GW. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.