The magnetic anisotropy of hematite bearing rocks

Summary The high field torque curves of hematite bearing rocks are not caused by directional differences in the energy of magnetization to saturation, but rather by the couple between the ferromagnetic moment and the applied field. An expression, derived for the high field torque curve of a single crystal of hematite, whose basal plane makes an arbitrary angle with the plane of rotation of the applied field, is found to be in excellent agreement with experiment. Furthermore it is shown that the Fourier spectrum of hematite bearing rocks should in general contain significant higher harmonics and that therefore the high field method is not particularly suitable for determining the preferred crystalline alignment of hematite bearing rocks.     

Oolithische Strukturen in Pyriten des Ventersdorp-Contact-Reefs,Südafrika

Zusammenfassung Oolithische Strukturen in Pyriten des Ventersdorp-Contact-Reefs im Witwatersrand Gebiet, die bisher als radial pyrites beschrieben wurden, zeigen eine starke Ähnlichkeit zu Eisenoolithen der Pretoria Serie des Transvaal Systems. Letztere wurden bereits als primäre Strukturen gedeutet, an deren Bildung Algen wahrscheinlich wesentlich beteiligt waren. Die Verfasser sind der Ansicht, daß sowohl der authigene Kohlenstoff im Ventersdorp- und Witwatersrand System als auch die oolithischen Strukturen in Pyriten des Ventersdorp-Contact-Reefs wahrscheinlich Überbleibsel von primitiven Organismen darstellen, die vor rund 2750×10⁶ Jahren im Sedimentationsbecken des Witwatersrand Systems existierten.

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Oölitic textures present in pyrites of the Ventersdorp Contact Reef at Venterspost Gold Mine, South Africa, which have previously been described as radial pyrites strongly resemble iron oöliths of the Pretoria Series of the Transvaal System. The latter have been considered to be primary textures; a causative connection was believed to have existed between primitive organic life and the formation of these oöliths and related textures. It is suggested that both the authigenic carbonaceous material present in the Ventersdorp- and Witwatersrand Systems and the oölitic textures shown by the pyrite in the Ventersdorp Contact Reef probably represent relicts of an early form of life which existed in the sedimentary basin of the Witwatersrand System some 2,750 × 10⁶ years ago.

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Résumé Les textures oolitiques dans les pyrites du Ventersdorp-Contact-Reef dans la région du Witwatersrand, étant dénommées jusqu'ici «radial pyrites», nous montre une affinité très forte avec oolites ferriques de la série Prétoria du système Transvaal. On a déjà interprété les derniers comme textures primaires; probablement alginite. Suivant l'opinion des auteurs, non seulement le carbone authigène dans le système Ventersdorp et Witwatersrand mais encore les textures oolitiques dans les pyrites du Ventersdorp-Contact-Reef sont probablement des restes des organismes primitifs, ayant existés dans le bassin sédimentaire du système Witwatersrand il y a 2750×10⁶ années.

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Geology,petrography, and petrology of Pinzon Island,galapagos archipelago

Three stratigraphic units based on geologic relationships and paleomagnetic observations may be distinguished on Pinzon Island. The oldest unit is a broad shield which forms the main body of the island and was erupted during a period of reversed magnetic polarity from an area now occupied by a caldera. Subsequent activity was centered about 1.5 km to the north-northwest from vents later engulfed by the collapse of a younger caldera. The lower portion of this sequence was erupted during a period of transitional pole positions and is overlain by flows of normal polarity. Pinzon has the most diverse suite of differentiated tholeiitic rocks found in the Galapagos Archipelago. Products of eruptive cycles are preserved as sequences of tuffs and flows that have decreasing degrees of differentiation and increasing phenocryst abundance upsection. The sequences may be a consequence of tapping successively deeper levels of compositionally zoned magma chambers. Such a model is consistent with computer calculations utilizing major and trace element data for Pinzon rocks, which suggest that lavas of the island may be related by shallow-level crystal fractionation of observed phenocryst minerals.     

Über die Bildungsbereiche mediterraner Jurasedimente am Beispiel der Betischen Kordillere (Südost-Spanien)

Zusammenfassung In der Betischen Kordillere sind die Lagerungsbeziehungen der Faziestypen des mediterranen Juras sehr gut erschlossen. Aus Geländebeobachtungen und sedimentologischen Untersuchungen ergab sich die Hypothese, daß das Entstehen derartiger Faziestypen in erster Linie von den morphologischen Verhältnissen am Meeresboden abhängt; die Wassertiefe wirkt sich nur mittelbar aus. Veränderungen der submarinen Land schaft und damit auch Fazieswechsel wurden hauptsächlich durch bruchtektonische Vorgänge hervorgerufen. Eine verhältnismäßig klare paläogeographische Gliederung erhält man im Bereich der pelagischen Schwellen, deren Ablagerungen normalerweise sehr starke diagenetische Veränderungen erfahren haben. Hierbei fällt den roten Knollenkalken (Ammonitico rosso-Fazies) eine Schlüsselrolle zu.

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Due to large scale exposures in the Betic Cordilleras, it is possible there to study the interrelations of mediterranean Jurassic facies types. Field work and sedimentological investigations resulted in the hypothesis, that the origin of a facies type depends in the first place on submarine morphological settings; water depth bears only secondary influence. Changes in submarine morphology were controled by faulting. A detailed paleography can be obtained on the seamont areas, where sediments were normally affected by important diagenetic alterations. A key role, in this connection, must be attributed to red nodular limestones.

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Résumé Dans les Cordillères Bétiques, les relations entre les différents types de facies du Jurassique méditerranéen sont bien exposées. Des investigations sédimentologiques, complétées d'observations de terrain, conduisent à cette hypothèse que ces types de facies dépendent en premier lieu des relations morphologiques au sein du fond marin; la profondeur de l'eau n'a qu'une influence indirecte. Pendant le Jurassique, les changements morphologiques du fond marin, et avec eux les modifications de faciès ont été induits par une tectonique de failles radiales. Généralement, les sédiments des seuils pélagiques sont affectés par des altérations diagénétiques bien marquées, il est donc possible d'en déduire une paléogéographie bien détaillée. Dans ce contexte, on doit attribuer un rôle-clef aux calcaires noduleux rouges (faciès »Ammonitico rosso«).

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Gefügeregelung und elastische Anisotropie eines Marmors

Petrofabric analyses by means of the X-ray diffraotometer and ultrasonic measurements were made on a sample of marble from the Austrian Alps. The marble represents a B-tectonite with concentration of calcite crystallographic a axes subparallel to B-lineation and a girdle of c axes. The elastic longitutinal wave propagation is controlled to a large extent by the marble fabric. Parallel to the a axes maximum the longitudinal wave velovity propagation is high (v _p=6,82 km/sec). For propagation normal to the a axes maximum (parallel to c axes concentration) wave velocities are low (v _p min=6,17 km/sec). The results are qualitatively consistent with single crystal data (v _p‖ a=7,25 km/sec; v _p ‖ c=5,62 km/sec).     

Shock-induced mechanical deformations in biotites from crystalline rocks of the ries crater (Southern Germany)

Mechanical deformation features in shocked biotites from crystalline rocks of the Ries crater are: kink bands, planar elements, and plastic lattice deformations as determined by X-ray investigations.Kink bands can be observed in micas of various pressure histories (stages 0, I, II and less frequently stage III of shock metamorphism). Kink bands in shocked micas are less symmetrical than kinks of static origin. Asymmetry increases with increasing dynamic pressures. Moreover, kink band width is sensitive against changing peak pressures. Distribution of kinked and undistorted micas within a rock permits to fix the shock front direction. Shock-induced kinks in micas are produced by various gliding processes in the cleavage plane (001).Planar elements seldom occur in biotites of shock stages II and III and have never been described in endogenic rocks. Up to now orientations of planar elements parallel to (111), (1¯11), (112) and (11¯2) have been determined. Planar elements are interpreted as planes of plastic lattice gliding. {[110]} is supposed to be the main gliding direction. In the same pressure region other plastic lattice deformations have been determined. They are orientated parallel to (001), (100) and (¯132) or (201) which results from single crystal X-ray investigations and may represent planes of plastic lattice gliding. The dependency of formation of gliding planes and gliding directions on increasing dynamic pressures will be discussed.     

Radiated seismic energy and strain energy release in laboratory dynamic tensile fracture

Tensile dynamic fractures were propagated under two experimental congifurations for the purpose of assessing the relative amount of strain energy release that is consumed as fracture energy and radiated as seismic waves. The configurations used were (1) application of localized thermal stresses to 2.29 mm-thick plates of soda-lime glass and (2) double cantilever beam (DCB) experiments in 12.7 mm-thick glass plates, in which a fracture is propagated from a notch at one end of the specimen by application of a transverse load. Fracture propagation velocities of 0.35–2 mm/s were obtained for fractures in the first configuration. A capacitance transducer with a point-like probe was used for measuring the seismic displacement waveforms from propagating fracture sources. This transducer is capable of measuring absolute surface displacements with a resolution of 0.01 nm. It has a flat frequency response in the range 10 kHz to 6 MHz. Measured seismic efficiencies, or the ratio of radiated seismic energy to strain energy released, are in the range 10^–5 to 10^–3.     

A new ultrasonic interferometer for the determination of equation of state parameters of sub-millimeter single crystals

A new giga-Hertz ultrasonic interferometer has been developed, based on ultrasonic microscopy technology. The interferometer operates from 0.3 GHz to 1.5 GHz. The high frequency and associated small wavelengths together with the large bandwidth make it possible to measure travel times in samples with thicknesses of several microns and allow for unprecedented accuracy in bond corrections. An absolute accuracy of 1 part in 10⁵ in travel time measurements is achievable in single crystals (thickness of 200 microns) or glasses of interest to the earth sciences. The high precision travel time data, combining with sample length measurements using a laser interferometer built in our laboratory, yield very high precision ultrasonic velocities.The interferometer is intended for use in conjunction with a newly developed 4 GPa gas piston cylinder apparatus (Getting andSpetzler, 1993) for equation of state measurements under simultaneous pressure and temperature. A separate correction for the bond will be made for each datum at every point in temperature pressure space.     

Low mass stars

Low mass stars contribute an important fraction to the mass of our Galaxy. Due to the faintness of these stars a direct investigation of their space distribution and kinematics can be carried out only in the immediate solar neighbourhood. This fact emphasizes the importance of the Third Catalogue of Nearby Stars (CNS3) as a probe of the stellar content of our galaxy.A preliminary version (Gliese and Jahreiss, 1991) of the CNS3 was recently released. Based on this version the spatial distribution of the nearby red dwarf stars is discussed. An infrared and a bolometric luminosity function is presented and compared with independent determinations from photometric surveys. An outlook is given on the expectation for the next decade due to the various surveys presently carried out or planned for the near future.