Proterozoic tectonic evolution and late Svecokarelian plate deformation of the Central Baltic Shield

The continental crust of the Central Baltic Shield evolved by accretion towards the west during the Svecokarelian orogeny 1700–2200 Ma ago. The following features are consistent with a plate tectonic mechanism involving subduction of oceanic crust below an Archean craton in the east: flysch-sediments with serpentinite masses and pillow lavas, linear high-grade metamorphic zones, island-arc type volcanic belts and late tectonic batholiths with porphyry type Cu-Mo deposits.Semi-consolidated new crust was affected by late Svecokarelian deformation (D_n) after 1850 Ma; NNE-trending folds with crenulation cleavage were overprinted on older structures together with associated NW trending ductile transcurrent shear zones that curve the F_n folds into gentle S and Z shapes. The late tectonic batholiths intruded partly at the same time as and partly after the D_n deformation.

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Zusammenfassung Die kontinentale Kruste des zentralen Baltischen Schildes entwickelte sich durch nach Westen gerichtetes Anwachsen während der Svecokarelischen Orogenese vor 1700 bis 2200 Ma. Die folgenden Erscheinungsformen lassen sich mit einem plattentektonischen Mechanismus in Einklang bringen, der Subduktion von ozeanischer Kruste unter einen Archaischen Kraton im Osten einschließt: Flysch-Sedimente mit Serpentinit-Massen und Kissenlaven, lineare hochmetamorphe Zonen, vulkanische Gürtel vom Inselbogen-Typ und spättektonische Batholithe mit porphyrischen Cu-Mo-Lagerstätten.Die halbkonsolidierte neue Kruste wurde durch späte Svecokarelische Deformation (D_n) nach 1850 Ma erfaßt; NNE-orientierte Falten mit Krenulationsschieferung wurden älteren Strukturen aufgeprägt in Verbindung mit NW-streichenden, plastischen Transcurrent-Scherzonen, die die F_n-Falten in sanfte S- und Z-Formen verbiegen. Die spättektonischen Batholithe intrudierten teils während, teils nach der D_n-Deformation.

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Résumé La croûte continentale du Boucher baltique central a évolué par voie d'accrétion vers l'ouest durant l'orogénie svécocarélienne 1700–2200 Ma. Les événements suivants sont en accord avec un mécanisme de tectonique de plaques impliquant la subduction d'une croûte océanique sous un craton archéen à l'est: sédiments flyschoïdes avec masses de serpentinite et de laves en coussins, zones linéaires à haut degré de métamorphisme, ceintures volcaniques du type guirlande d'îles et batholithes tectoniques tardifs avec gisements porphyriques de type Cu-Mo.La nouvelle croûte à semi-consolidée fut affectée par une déformation svécocarélienne tardive (D_n) postérieure à 1850 Ma. Des plis de direction NNE avec clivage de crénulation ont été superposés sur des structures plus anciennes, associés à des zones de cisaillement transcurrentes de direction NW qui ont incurvé les plis F_n suivant des formes en S et Z. Le batholithe tectonique tardif s'est mis en place en partie au même moment que, et en partie après, la déformation D_n.

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Introduction of the mining royalty system in Hungary

The new mining act that becarne effective in Hungary in 1993 instituted the payment of royalties for the minerals produced and sold annually. To arrive at the amount of mineral production, the Hungarian Geological Survey (HGS) conducts the National Inventory, which is used by the Mining Bureau of Hungary (MBH) to verify the mining royalty payment obligations. This paper explains the major legal requirements for the mining royalties and how the values of the minerals are calculated. It also describes the first experience with the declaration and payment of the mining royalties and provides the declared and paid 1995 royalties. The Mining Bureau of Hungary reports on the introduction of the mining royalty system that became effective with the Mining Act in 1993. This article is sponsored by the U.S. Hungarian Science and Technology Joint Fund under Project Joint Fund Number 539.     

Heterogeneity analysis of reservoir porosity and permeability in the Late Ordovician glacio-fluvial Sarah Formation paleovalleys,central Saudi Arabia

The Late Ordovician glacio-fluvial Sarah Formation is an important tight gas reservoir target in Saudi Arabia. This study uses statistical methods to characterize the petrophysical heterogeneity of the paleovalleys of the Sarah Formation that crop out in central Saudi Arabia. Four paleovalleys were studied: Bukayriyah, Hanadir, Sarah, and Khanasir Sarah. Several lithofacies were identified in each that vary in texture, porosity, permeability, and facies abundance that reflect periods of ice advance and retreat. The heterogeneity analysis is based on three statistical measures, namely, the coefficient of variation, the Dykstra-Parsons coefficient, and the Lorenz coefficient. The coefficient of variation values is in the 0.62–1.94 range, indicating an extremely heterogeneous distribution. The Dykstra-Parsons coefficient values are in the 0.56–0.88 range, suggesting very high to extremely high heterogeneity in the reservoirs. The Lorenz coefficient correlates well with the Dykstra-Parsons coefficient for paleovalleys of the Sarah Formation. The heterogeneity parameters studied here indicate that the outcrops of Sarah Formation paleovalleys represent heterogeneous to very heterogeneous reservoirs, which may be attributed to complex depositional and diagenetic variations that have affected the porosity and permeability distribution.     

Origin of X-ray emission from transient black hole candidates in quiescence

We report results from a systematic study of X-ray emission from black hole transients in quiescence. In this state, mass accretion is thought to follow the geometry of an outer optically thick, geometrically thin disc and an inner optically thin, geometrically thick radiatively inefficient accretion flow (RIAF). The inner flow is likely also coupled to the jets near the black hole that are often seen in such systems. The goal of the study is to see whether the X-ray emission in the quiescent state is mainly powered by the accretion flow or by the jets. Using data from deep XMM – Newton observations of selected black hole transients, we have found that the quiescent X-ray spectra are, to a high precision, of power-law shape in the cases of GRO J1655-40 and V404 Cyg. Such spectra deviate significantly from the expected X-ray spectrum of the RIAF at very low-accretion rates. On the other hand, they can naturally be explained by emission from the jets, if the emitting electrons follow a power-law spectral distribution (as is often assumed). The situation remains ambiguous in the case of XTE J1550-564, due to the relatively poorer quality of the data. We discuss the implication of the results.