Precise two chronometer dating of Pleistocene travertine: The Th/U and Raex/Ra(0) approach

In order to determine the geochemical evolution of a freshwater limestone cave system located in central Switzerland (Hell Grottoes at Baar/Zug,) young postglacial tufaceous limestone and travertine precipitates were investigated using the ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U ingrowth system. Additional analyses of further radionuclides within the ²³⁸U decay chain, i.e. ²²⁶Ra and ²¹⁰Pb, showed that the Th/U chronometer started with insignificant inherited ²³⁰Th over the entire formation period of the travertine setting (i.e. ²³⁰Th(0)=0). A contribution from detrital impurities with ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U in secular equilibrium could be precisely subtracted by applying isochron dating of cogenetic phases and recently formed travertine. The resulting precise ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U formation ages were found to be consistent with the geological stratigraphy and were furthermore used to demonstrate the applicability of the next geologically important chronometer in the ²³⁸U-decay series, based on decay of excess ²²⁶Ra normalized to the initial, i.e.²²⁶Ra_ex/²²⁶Ra(0). This system is suitable for dating phases younger than 7000 yr when the correction of a detritus component increasingly limits the precision of the ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U chronometer. Analytical solutions of the coupled ²³⁴U/²³⁰Th/²²⁶Ra radionuclide system predicted that the ²²⁶Ra_ex/²²⁶Ra(0) chronometer is independent of the actual ²³⁰Th activity build up from decay of ²³⁴U, if the systems starts with zero inherited ²³⁰Th(0). The data set confirmed this hypothesis and showed furthermore that the initially incorporated ²²⁶Ra excess must have remained almost uniform in all limestone over a period of at least 7000 yr, i.e. 4–5 half-lives of ²²⁶Ra. This is concluded because (i) the ²²⁶Ra_ex/²²⁶Ra(0) ages agreed well with those derived from ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U, (ii) all data plot within uncertainty on the ²²⁶Ra_ex/²²⁶Ra(0) decay curve and (iii) the atomic Ba/Ca ratio was found to be constant in the travertine material independent of the sample ages. Provided that such boundary conditions hold, ²²⁶Ra_ex/²²⁶Ra(0) should be applicable to materials which are suitable for ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U dating in sedimentology and oceanography, i.e. travertine, corals, phosphorites, etc., and should strongly support ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U for samples that have been formed a few thousand years ago.     

Single crystal Mössbauer spectroscopy on the three principal sections of a synthetic fayalite sample in the antiferromagnetic state

The present work reports Mössbauer investigations for several temperatures below T _N on fayalite single crystal sections cut perpendicularly to the crystallographic a and b-axis (Pnma). The previously detected correspondence between the c-component of the magnetic moment on M1 from neutron diffraction and our own Mössbauer measurements published elsewhere are confirmed for the other principal sections to a large extent. Small humps in the angular dependence of two components of the internal magnetic field H(0) on T below T=23 K are in good agreement with magnetometric and calorimetric data published elsewhere; a reinterpretation of single reflection neutron data has been possible by our results. Moreover, the axes of the electric field gradient (efg) are oriented within the crystallographic axes for the M1-site at low temperatures. The violation of symmetry on the M2 position as a result of our previous investigations could be confirmed for the section ⊥ a, but not with respect to b. A possible explanation in terms of saturation effects of large line intensities at the expense of the small ones is given in the context.     

Simulating the mobile barrier (MOSE) operation in the Venice Lagoon, Italy: global sea level rise and its implication for navigation

Three years of mobile barrier operations have been simulated with a hydrodynamic model to check the efficiency of the barriers in defending the city of Venice from flooding. The simulations have been carried out in the actual situation and with a sea-level rise of 30 and 50 cm. Moreover, the interference of the barrier operations with the ship traffic has been studied. It is found that without a security increment for the forecasted water levels, the mobile barriers cannot defend completely Venice from flooding due to the uncertainty in the forecast. With a security increment of 10 cm, the barriers work well in actual conditions but still cannot avoid flooding with a global sea-level rise. The interference with the ship traffic is acceptable under actual conditions but becomes prohibitive with a sea-level rise of 50 cm, when nearly two-thirds of the ship passages are blocked or delayed.     

The Mössbauer spectrum of 57Fe in titanium-bearing andradites

Mössbauer spectra of ⁵⁷Fe in 2 schorlomite garnets reveal 5 distinct quadrupole-split doublets: dodecahedral Fe²⁺, octahedral Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺, and tetrahedral Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺. The isomer shifts and nuclear quadrupole splittings of the 5 doublets were studied between 15 and 500 K. The site occupancies for iron were determined. Reference of the chemical analyses to a basis of 12 oxygens and the Mössbauer data show that in the 2 schorlomites titanium is exclusively quadruvalent within the experimental error. The isomer shift of tetrahedral Fe²⁺ between 15 and 295 K seems to be rather small. The shift is interpreted in terms of localized chemical bonding. Above 295 K the shift cannot be evaluated because of overlapping peaks. If electronic transfer processes (e.g. “electron hopping”) between cations are present their relaxation times must be longer than ～10^?7 s.     

Bruchtektonik und Schollenbau im Hohen Atlas südlich von Marrakech (Marokko)

Zusammenfassung Die Kartierung und tektonische Bearbeitung eines Ausschnittes des Westlichen Hohen Atlas südlich von Marrakech ergab detaillierte Vorstellungen über den herrschenden Schollenbau. Ein z. T. spätvariszisch angelegtes Störungsmuster von N 60° E, N 20° E und N 110° E streichenden Verwerfungen kontrollierte sowohl die Subsidenz in der Trias als auch die Heraushebung im Zuge der jungen Atlasgebirgsbildung im östlichen Teil der Axialzone des Gebirges. Die Vertikaltektonik erzeugte ein über den Raum des Arbeitsgebietes hinaus nachweisbares Kippschollenmuster. Das jüngere Deckgebirge wurde z. T. auf salinarem Untergrund abgeschert oder reagierte passiv auf die Bruchtektonik des Sockels. Damit verbundene Seitenverschiebungen werden diskutiert.

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Mapping and tectonic analysis of a part of the Western High Atlas near Marrakech reveals a predominating pattern of distinct fault bounded blocks. The consistent frame of N 60° E, N 20° E and N 110° E striking faults is partly herited from late hercynian or even older lineaments. The former controlled sedimentation processes during the Triassic as well as during Tertiary and Quaternary uplift of the central zone (massif ancien). Vertical motions of the rigid basement caused forced folding of the Mesozoic-Tertiary sedimentary layers. Implication of left lateral oblique-slip displacement is being discussed.

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Résumé L'étude structurale présentée ici se rapporte à une portion du Haut Atlas marocain située au sud de Marrakech. Elle est fondée sur un levé cartographique et sur l'analyse tectonique de la région qui s'étend entre l'Oued n'Fis et l'Oued Ourika (massif ancien). Cette étude a montré qu'il ne s'y est pas développé une déformation de style homogène mais que la région se compose de blocs isolés, séparés par des failles. Les blocs sont de dimensions diverses et diffèrent aussi bien par leur style de déformation que par les matériaux qui les constituent. Ce cadre structural est défini par des failles inverses de directions caractéristiques N 60 °E, N 20 °E et N 110 °E. Cette distribution se retrouve dans d'autres régions du Haut Atlas. Des changements brusques d'épaisseur aux environs des failles majeures montrent qu'elles ont contrôlé la subsidence pendant le Permo-Trias et en partie déjà pendant le Viséen. L'apparition d'une deformation cassante ou de plis isopaques dépend des matériaux concernés et non du »Stockwerk«. Une schistosité de fracture apparaît sporadiquement. L'intensité de l'orogenèse hercynienne paraît faible comparée à celle de la région située plus à l'Ouest. Des mouvements de décrochement senestres sont rattachés à la dernière activité des failles majeures. Leur signification dans le cadre structural est discutée.Des discordances cartographiques témoignent de la déformation atlasique et du soulèvement de la chaîne du Haut Atlas.Cette inversion est dominée par des mouvements surtout verticaux le long de failles inverses très inclinées ou de type »oblique-slip«.

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. , , N 60° , N 20° N 100° , , , . . , . .

     

Zoned CaAl-rich chondrule in Bali: New evidence against the primordial condensation model

One large (8.5 mm) chondrule in the Bali carbonaceous chondrite is strongly enriched in refractory elements similarily to the white objects in Allende which are widely believed to be “primitive” condensates. However, detailed investigations show the Bali chondrule to have an element distribution opposite to that predicted by the “primitive condensation” models. Refractory elements like Ti and Al are enriched at or near the surface of the chondrule. The contents of some volatile elements, e.g. Na, Si, and Cr, are higher in the central portion. It is suggested that this chondrule - and similar objects in other C-chondrites - originated in one, or more likely several, impact events and that the element distribution is the result of volatilization-condensation.     

On some measurements of the condensation of different vapors upon Aitken condensation nuclei

No final theory on the activity of Aitken nuclei has been established yet. In particular the supersaturation is not known for the Aitken nuclei to grow into droplets, f.e. according toF. Volz only nuclei of radius >0.1 can cause condensation under atmospheric conditions. On the other hand according toH. G. Müller condensation over the continents has to occur at the Aitken nuclei since precipitation washes out the other nuclei.This uncertainty becomes obvious in the interpretation of the experimental results.Chr. Junge found that the necessary activation supersaturation of a continental Aitken aerosol and of artificial aerosols of the same size of nuclei lies between 2 and 20%, 10% being sufficient for the main fraction of nuclei to grow.In contrastW. Wieland was able to activate in a mixing cloud chamber a big portion, if not all, of the nuclei of a continental aerosol at supersaturations below 1.5%. Some of our own results, obtained with the same technic, agree with this. At supersaturations below 0.8% at least half of the Aitken nuclei present are activated. To obtain the same result with benzene and acetone we found, that benzene required a slightly smaller, and acetone a somewhat bigger supersaturation.However later experiments revealed a considerable effect of the geometry of the mixing cloud chamber upon the results. Since the physics of the chamber has not been fully explored the method was abandoned. Instead the principle of cooling by adiabatic expansion was used. An expansion apparatus based on the principle of a fotoelectric nucleus counter was developed allowing us to measure with two cathode ray oscillographs the pressure and simultaneously the change of intensity of a lightbeam due to the scattering on the forming cloud as a function of time. The length of the lightbeam could be chosen between 60 and 200 cm. The overpressure before the expansion was always 180 mm of mercury. The ratio of expansion rates was 12.53060 at the beginning of the expansion. The slowest rate was about 6 seconds, corresponding to a rate of ascent of 210 m/s at the beginning of the expansion. Smaller rates could not be obtained because of heat transfer at the chamber walls.The present work has been performed for the Eidgenössische Kommission zum Studium der Hagelbildung und der Hagelabwehr (Switzerland) at the research station Osservatorio Ticinese Locarno-Monti della Centrale Meteorologica Svizzera