Retrograde formation of NaCl-scapolite in high pressure metaevaporites from the Cordilleras Béticas (Spain)

A Permo-Triassic pelite-carbonate rock series (with interacalated metabasitic rocks) in the Cordilleras Béticas, Spain, was metamorphosed during the Alpine metamorphism at high pressures (P _min near 18 kbar). The rocks show well preserved sedimentary features of evaporites such as pseudomorphs of talc, of kyanite-phengitetalc-biotite, and of quartz after sulfate minerals, and relicts of baryte, anhydrite, NaCl, and KCl, indicating a salt-clay mixture of illite, chlorite, talc, and halite as the original rock. The evaporitic metapelites have a whole rock composition characterized by high Mg/(Mg+Ca) ratios>0.7, variable alkaline and Sr, Ba, contents, but are mostly K₂O rich (<8.8 wt%). The F (<2600 ppm), Cl (<3600 ppm), and P₂O₅ (<0.24 wt%) contents are also high. The pelitic member of this series is a fine grained biotite rock. Kyanite-phengite-talc-biotite aggregates in pseudomorphs developed in the high pressure stage. Albite-rich plagioclase was formed when the rocks crossed the albite stability curve in the early stages of the uplift. Scapolite, rich in NaCl (Ca/(Ca+Na) mol% 24–40) and poor in SO₄, with Cl/(Cl+CO₃) ratios between 0.6 and 0.8, formed as porphyroblasts, sometimes replacing up to 60% of the rock in a late stage of metamorphism (between 10 and 5 kbar, near 600°C). No reaction with albite is observed, and the scapolite formed from biotite by: $$\begin{gathered} Al - biotite + CaCO_3 + NaCl + SiO_2 \hfill \\ = Al - poor biotite + scapolite + MgCO_3 + KCl \hfill \\ + MgCl_2 + H_2 O \hfill \\ \end{gathered}$$ Calculated fluid composition in equilibrium with scapolite indicates varying salt concentrations in the fluid. Distribution of Cl and F in biotite and apatite also indicates varying fluid compositions.     

A geomorphological seabed classification for the Weddell Sea,Antarctica

Sea floor morphology plays an important role in many scientific disciplines such as ecology, hydrology and sedimentology since geomorphic features can act as physical controls for e.g. species distribution, oceanographically flow-path estimations or sedimentation processes. In this study, we provide a terrain analysis of the Weddell Sea based on the 500 m × 500 m resolution bathymetry data provided by the mapping project IBCSO. Seventeen seabed classes are recognized at the sea floor based on a fine and broad scale Benthic Positioning Index calculation highlighting the diversity of the glacially carved shelf. Beside the morphology, slope, aspect, terrain rugosity and hillshade were calculated and supplied to the data archive PANGAEA. Applying zonal statistics to the geomorphic features identified unambiguously the shelf edge of the Weddell Sea with a width of 45–70 km and a mean depth of about 1200 m ranging from 270 m to 4300 m. A complex morphology of troughs, flat ridges, pinnacles, steep slopes, seamounts, outcrops, and narrow ridges, structures with approx. 5–7 km width, build an approx. 40–70 km long swath along the shelf edge. The study shows where scarps and depressions control the connection between shelf and abyssal and where high and low declination within the scarps e.g. occur. For evaluation purpose, 428 grain size samples were added to the seabed class map. The mean values of mud, sand and gravel of those samples falling into a single seabed class was calculated, respectively, and assigned to a sediment texture class according to a common sediment classification scheme.     

Petrographie und Mineralfazies einer konglomeratischen Tanner Grauwacke aus dem Unterharz

A very coarse grained graywacke from Strassberg in the Lower Harz Mountains (Germany) consists of rock-fragments, feldspars, quartz, chlorites, micas, accessories and ores. Low grade metamorphic mineral reactions are indicated by the formation of 2M-muscovite +chlorite+sphene+albite in the matrix of the graywacke, by prehnite+chlorite+ sphene+calcite+sericite+albite (±quartz) in volcanic rock-fragments, and by prehnite +calcite+quartz along fine fissures. The newly formed minerals in the coarse grained graywacke belong to the laumontite-prehnite-quartz-facies of the burial metmorphism. However, the formation of the low grade minerals is caused by thermal metamorphism in outer contact zones of the Ramberg granite intrusion in the Strassberg area.     

Central Andean magmatism can be constrained by three ubiquitous end‐members

The geochemical character of primary magmas and the nature of crustal melts remain poorly constrained at the active continental margin of the Central Andes, where the crustal thickness is >70 km. We identify three end‐members and constrain their full major and trace element compositions by polytopic vector analysis (PVA). The end‐members include two mafic parent magmas: (1) a slightly evolved calcalkaline basaltic andesite derived from the fluid‐fluxed mantle wedge that is typical of the Andes in general and (2) a strongly LREE‐enriched basalt akin in its trace element pattern to back‐arc shoshonites. (3) The third end‐member is a variably HREE‐depleted rhyodacite representing partial melts of lower to middle crustal lithologies. We propose that these end‐members are ubiquitous and typical of such thick‐crust settings, and can explain – in highly variable mixing proportions – the entire compositional range of Central Andean magmatism.     

Statistical Relational Learning of Grammar Rules for 3D Building Reconstruction

The automatic interpretation of 3D point clouds for building reconstruction is a challenging task. The interpretation process requires highly structured models representing semantics. Formal grammars can describe structures as well as the parameters of buildings and their parts. We propose a novel approach for the automatic learning of weighted attributed context‐free grammar rules for 3D building reconstruction, supporting the laborious manual design of rules. We separate structure from parameter learning. Specific Support Vector Machines (SVMs) are used to generate a weighted context‐free grammar and predict structured outputs such as parse trees. The grammar is extended by parameters and constraints, which are learned based on a statistical relational learning method using Markov Logic Networks (MLNs). MLNs enforce the topological and geometric constraints. MLNs address uncertainty explicitly and provide probabilistic inference. They are able to deal with partial observations caused by occlusions. Uncertain projective geometry is used to deal with the uncertainty of the observations. Learning is based on a large building database covering different building styles and façade structures. In particular, a treebank that has been derived from the database is employed for structure learning.