Abrupt climate change and transient climates during the Paleogene: a marine perspective

Detailed investigations of high latitude sequences recently collected by the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) indicate that periods of rapid climate change often culminated in brief transient climates, with more extreme conditions than subsequent long term climates. Two examples of such events have been identified in the Paleogene; the first in latest Paleocene time in the middle of a warming trend that began several million years earlier: the second in earliest Oligocene time near the end of a Middle Eocene to Late Oligocene global cooling trend. Superimposed on the earlier event was a sudden and extreme warming of both high latitude sea surface and deep ocean waters. Imbedded in the latter transition was an abrupt decline in high latitude temperatures and the brief appearance of a full size continental ice-sheet on Antarctica. In both cases the climate extremes were not stable, lasting for less than a few hundred thousand years, indicating a temporary or transient climate state. Geochemical and sedimentological evidence suggest that both Paleogene climate events were accompanied by reorganizations in ocean circulation, and major perturbations in marine productivity and the global carbon cycle. The Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum was marked by reduced oceanic turnover and decreases in global delta 13C and in marine productivity, while the Early Oligocene glacial maximum was accompanied by intensification of deep ocean circulation and elevated delta 13C and productivity. It has been suggested that sudden changes in climate and/or ocean circulation might occur as a result of gradual forcing as certain physical thresholds are exceeded. We investigate the possibility that sudden reorganizations in ocean and/or atmosphere circulation during these abrupt transitions generated short-term positive feedbacks that briefly sustained these transient climatic states.     

Multiple Enrichment Processes and their Relationships in the Subcrustal Lithosphere Beneath the Eifel (Germany)

Three types of enrichment processes may be distinguished inspinel peridotite mantle xenoliths from the West Eifel (Germany):

1. Enrichmentof light rare earth elements (LREE) occurs in wholerocks andclinopyroxenes in conjunction with the formation ofTi-pooramphiboles (<0•5%) in a low-tempetature suite(900C).
2. Enrichment in high field strength elements (HFSE; Ti and Hf)is associated with strong zoning of TiO₂ in amphibole adjacentto mica hornblendite veins. A reheating from 900 to 1050C associatedwith this vein formation is reflected by the zoning profilesin orthopyroxenes with Ca, Al, and Cr increasing from core torim.
3. Moderate enrichment of LREE without amphibole formationin ahigh-temperature suite (1125C) is observed at the contactofperidotites to pyroxenite veins yielding the same temperature.
4. Based on geochemical and isotopic evidence, enrichment process(1) is inferred to be due to interaction of peridotites fromthe subcrustal lithosphere with low-density fluids. Process(2) represents a subsequent interaction of amphibole-bearingperidotites formed during the first process with basic meltsmoving through a system of cross-cutting dykes and veins. Processes(2) and (3) are linked to the Quaternary West Eifel volcanism.Geothermobarometry of the xenoliths shows that these processesare related to different depth regimes of the lower lithosphere.

     

Chemically Distinct Mafic Dike/Sill Sequences of Contrasting Age Ranges, Sawyers Bar Area, Central Klamath Mountains, Northern California

Mafic hypabyssal rocks in the western Triassic and Paleozoicbelt provide important clues to the nature of accretion andarc evolution along this sector of the North American margin.In the east-central part of the belt, near Sawyers Bar, somediabases have been metamorphosed before and accompanying emplacementof the mid-Jurassic English Peak and Russian Peak granitoidswithin the North Fork/Salmon River + Stuart Fork amalgamatedterrane. Certain other dikes/sills, chiefly mafic microdiorites,cut the calc-alkaline plutons but are themselves deutericallyaltered; at least two of these mafic microdiorites near theEnglish Peak body possess hornfelsic textures. Thus, althoughmost mafic microdioritic hypabyssals seem to have been injectedafter granitoid emplacement, a few must have preceded plutonicintrusion. Macroscopic appearances, phase assemblages, mineralcompositions, and textures of the mafic microdioritic and metadiabasicdikes/sills are sufficiently alike to preclude the ready fieldand petrographic distinction of the different magma series.Bulk-rock chemistries fall into two groups, however, with slightlymore porphyritic, altered, synplutonic mafic microdiorite samplesbeing distinctly richer in Si, K, P, Rb, Sr, Zr, and light rareearth elements (LREE) relative to the Mg + Cr + Ni-rich, preplutonicmetadiabases. Analyzed mafic microdiorites have bulk-rock chemicaland isotopic compositions similar to the more ferromagnesianportions of the mid-Jurassic English Peak and Russian Peak plutoniccomplexes, whereas the metadiabases are comparable with theearly Mesozoic Salmon River metabasalts. Although the two groupsof dikes/sills probably overlap in age of emplacement, the maficmicrodiorite group is predominantly younger and uniform in oxygenisotopic composition (bulk-rock ¹⁸O 11•37, 11•4 and11•46) compared with the older, more intensely metamorphosed,and variably metasomatized Salmon River metadiabases (bulk-rock5¹⁸ 9•4, 11•0, and 15•3). Both types of maficdike/sill locally intrude the more easterly Stuart Fork terrane.Therefore, suturing and regional metamorphism of the outboardNorth Fork/Salmon River oceanic-island arc and inboard StuartFork subduction complex must have occurred during terminal stagesof injection of the pregranitoid diabases into the North Fork(oceanic-island basalts)/Salmon River (island-arc tholeiites)arc + Stuart Fork terrane, but before invasion of the amalgamatedterrane assembly by the calc-alkaline plutons and most compositionallyrelated synplutonic mafic microdiorite dikes/sills. Becauseof their lateral continuation both north and south of the SawyersBar area, the North Fork/Salmon River igneous suite documentsthe construction of an oceanic arc of considerable lateral extentin the central Klamaths before terrane accretion. Suturing wasimmediately followed by the mid-Jurassic intrusion of calc-alkalineplutons + syngranitoid mafic microdioritic hypabyssals.     

Stratiform and vein U,Mo and Cu mineralization in the Novoveská Huta area,CSFR

U-Mo and Cu mineralization occurs in horizons as well as in veins in the Permian formations near Novoveská Huta. Ore mineralization is represented by uraninite, U-Ti oxides, coffinite, molybdenite, chalcopyrite, tennantite and pyrite. The isotopic composition of S and C displays a larger variability in the stratiform ores (³⁴S from –32.7 to +2.7 and ¹³C from –27.1 to — 0.5) These data suggest mixing of meteoric solutions with fluids of volcanic origin and a complex history. There is a narrower range of ³⁴S from –18.8 to –4.6 and ¹³C from –6.3 to –2.5% in quartz-carbonate veins with Cu mineralization suggesting a deep source of ore-bearing solutions. The Permian volcanics were a significant source of ore elements.Their contents of U, Mo, Cu and Y are from two to eight times higher than in sedimentary rocks. Accumulations of ore elements in the horizons were formed by the reduction and adsorption processes 240 ± 30 Ma ago according to U-Pb isotopic dating. Due to Alpine tectonism, these low-grade ores (U<0.1 wt%) were remobilized and higher-grade U-Mo ores (U>0.1 wt%) were formed 130 ± 20 Ma ago at temperatures ranging from 110 to 120° C, according to fluid inclusions. Younger veins with Cu mineralization were formed 115 ± 10 Ma according to the model age of Pb at temperatures ranging from 95 to 190°C.     

IGU Commission on the Organisation of Industrial Space

The International Geographical Union Reports

IGU Commission on the Organisation of Industrial Space     

Ethnicity as a cause of migration in Eastern Europe

Migration within and from Eastern Europe has recently risen as a topic of significance on the European political agenda. One aspect of this complex migration matrix relates to ethnic unrest. This paper examines the scale and spatial ramifications of this movement on a part of the continent recently freed from communist rule.An attempt is made to divide the ethnic quilt of Eastern Europe into those countries with few such problems and those with many. It is possible then to define areas of active migration (hot spots) from those of potential migration (inflammable spots) based on predictions from the current situation.Active ethnic migration results from the present political/military instability in the western Balkans, where refugees have left for other parts of Europe to escape the present Croat-Serb-Muslim conflict. War escalation could encourage potential ethnic migration from Kosovo, the Sandzak and Vojvodina regions,and Macedonia within the former Yugoslavia. Future disquiet elsewhere could stimulate ethnic groups such as the Turks in Bulgaria,and the Hungarian minorities in Slovakia and Romania to join this migration movement scenario.     

Effects of onshore and offshore topography on sea breeze circulation: An observational study at eastern Attica,Greece

Field measurements of wind, air temperature and humidity were taken at the eastern part of the Attika district in June 1991, to examine the topographic influences exerted on the local sea breezes. These influences are due either to the elongated Evia island, faced by the northern half of Attica coastline some tens of kilometers offshore, or to the coast-parallel range of Hymettos mountain, rising steeply 12 km onshore. The instrumentation consisted mainly of three tethered meteorological balloons released at characteristic sires (i.e., the coast, a location between shoreline and mountain foot and the mountain top) and three autographic ground-based anemometers operating at selected locations. Data from the ground-based and upper air stations of the Hellenic National Meteorological Service, as well as the diurnal weather maps were also obtained and analyzed. Observations were made under different synoptic wind and the latter was found to determine remarkably the significance of the topographic effects. A preliminary two-dimensional numerical approach was also made concerning the sea breeze capability to reach the Hymettos mountain top in the case of a weak opposing geostrophic flow.     

The “Zero-order Model” revisited: Paul Schindler's influence on the development of trace metal scavenging models

In 1975 Paul Schindler produced the first oceanic trace metal scavenging model to explicitly include the role of surface chemistry as a control on trace metal water column residence times. The eighteen years that have elapsed since the publication of Schindler's seminal paper have seen the development of a variety of oceanic scavenging models; yet, the fundamental insight of his Zero-order Model remains the benchmark. This paper describes the role of Paul Schindler's work on surface chemistry in providing a framework for the current generation of trace element scavenging models.     

Brønsted reactions on oxide mineral surfaces and the temperature-dependence of their dissolution rates

The pH-dependence of oxide dissolution rates is controlled by Brønsted acid-base reactions at the mineral surface. These reactions are rapid but depend explicitly on temperature, as do the subsequent slow rates of bond hydrolysis. The net result is that dissolution rates vary in a complicated fashion with temperature and solution pH. The enthalpy changes of acid-base reactions on oxide materials are sufficiently similar, however, that general statements can be made about their contribution. The enthalpy changes from proton adsorption to a hydroxyl functional group (SOH), or to a deprotonated functional group (SO ^–), are generally exothermic. The enthalpy changes become increasingly endothermic, however, as charge accumulates on the mineral surface and the charged species interact electrostatically. The result is that mineral dissolution rates are least sensitive to temperature, as measured with an Arrhenius-like rate law, at pH conditions near the Point of Zero Net Proton Charge.     

Alkaline and ultramafic carbonate lamprophyres in Central Bohemian carboniferous basins,Czech Republic

Summary Dykes of alkaline and ultramafic carbonate lamprophyres (monchiquite-ouachitite and aillikite) intrude the Carboniferous sediments of Central Bohemia. Their characteristic feature is the presence of substantial amounts of a sodalite group mineral (presumably haüyne), carbonate and barite. Isotopic compositions of ¹³C (–3.4 to –6.2) and ¹⁸O ( + 13.5 to + 15.9) indicate that the carbonate is of primary magmatic origin and that fluids were formed at temperatures of 500 to 350°C. High contents of CO₂ (3.6 to 17.6 wt.%) and incompatible elements, high LREE/HREE ratios (30.0 to 57.7), and low Rb/Sr (0.025 to 0.078) and⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7038 to 0.7042) ratios suggest the ultramafic lamprophyres are related to deep-seated carbonated magmas of mantle origin. Low degree of partial melting ( < 1%) of the mantle peridotite is envisaged, with additional transport of fluids rich in incompatible elements into the crustal chamber. Alkaline lamprophyres are fractionated derivatives which originated from the same source. Magma intrusion from different levels of a magma chamber into fracture zones under horizontal tension without a central intrusion could result in variability in lamprophyre composition (cumulates or evolved derivatives).

---

Alkalische und ultramafische Karbonat-Lamprophyre der zentralen böhmischen Karbonbecken, Tschische Republik

Zusammenfassung Alkalische und ultramafische Karbonat-Lamprophyrgänge (Monchiquit-Ouachitit und Aillikit) intrudieren in karbonische Sedimente Zentralböhmens. Sie sind charakterisiert durch das Auftreten von beträchtlichen Mengen an Mineralen der Sodalith-Gruppe (v.a. Haüyn), Karbonaten und Baryt. Ihre Isotopenzusammensetzung von ¹³C (–3.4 bis –6.2) und ¹⁸O (13.5 bis 15.9) zeigt, daß die Karbonate primär magmatischen Ursprungs sind und daß assoziierte Fluide in einem Temperaturbereich von 350 bis 500°C gebildet wurden. Hohe Gehalte an CO₂ (3.6 bis 17.6 Gew. %), inkompatiblen Elementen, hohe LREE/HREE-Verhältnisse (30.0 bis 57.7), sowie niedrige Rb/Sr—(0.025 bis 0.078) und⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr-(0.7038 bis 0.7042) Verhältnisse lassen vermuten, daß die ultramafischen Lamprophyre mit karbonatischen Magmen des Mantels in Beziehung stehen. Eine niedrige Aufschmelzungsrate ( < 1%) von Mantelperidotit mit zusätzlichem Transport von, an inkompatiblen Elementen angereicherten Fluiden, in die krustale Magmenkammer wird diskutiert. Alkalische Lamprophyre sind als stärker fraktionierte Magmen, die derselben Quelle entstammen, zu verstehen. Die Intrusion der aus verschiedenen Bereichen der Magmenkammer stammenden Magmen in durch horizontale Dehnung verursachte Störungszonen könnte das Fehlen eines zentralen Intrusionskörpers und die unterschiedliche Zusammensetzung der Lamprophyre (Kumulate oder entwickelte Derivate) erklären.

---

---

With 8 Figures