Geological structure, recharge processes and underground drainage of a glacierised karst aquifer system, Tsanfleuron-Sanetsch, Swiss Alps

The relationships between stratigraphic and tectonic setting, recharge processes and underground drainage of the glacierised karst aquifer system ‘Tsanfleuron-Sanetsch’ in the Swiss Alps have been studied by means of various methods, particularly tracer tests (19 injections). The area belongs to the Helvetic nappes and consists of Jurassic to Palaeogene sedimentary rocks. Strata are folded and form a regional anticlinorium. Cretaceous Urgonian limestone constitutes the main karst aquifer, overlain by a retreating glacier in its upper part. Polished limestone surfaces are exposed between the glacier front and the end moraine of 1855/1860 (Little Ice Age); typical alpine karrenfields can be observed further below. Results show that (1) large parts of the area are drained by the Glarey spring, which is used as a drinking water source, while marginal parts belong to the catchments of other springs; (2) groundwater flow towards the Glarey spring occurs in the main aquifer, parallel to stratification, while flow towards another spring crosses the entire stratigraphic sequence, consisting of about 800 m of marl and limestone, along deep faults that were probably enlarged by mass movements; (3) the variability of glacial meltwater production influences the shape of the tracer breakthrough curves and, consequently, flow and transport in the aquifer.     

Single-zircon Pb-evaporation and 40Ar/39Ar dating of the metamorphic and granitic rocks in north-west Spitsbergen

North-west Spitsbergen consists of a complex of Caledonian and Grenvillian crystalline rocks, situated at the north-west corner of the Barents Shelf. The aim of this study is to understand the extent of pre-Caledonian basement rocks and their protoliths. Micas and zircon grains from six rocks from north-west Spitsbergen have been dated by the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and single-zircon Pb-evaporation methods. Two grey granites yielded Late Caledonian mica ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and zircon ages of ca. 420-430 My, with inherited zircon grains as old as 1725 My. Zircon grains from a gneissose granite xenolith in a grey granites gave crystallization ages of ca. 960 My; some grains from a migmatite neosome show similar ages. Zircon grains yielding Archean and late Palaeoproterozoic ages (1600-1800 My) are interpreted as xenocrysts of detrital origin. The youngest ages obtained from detrital zircon grains from a greenschist facies quartzite of the Signehamna unit are ca. 1800 My. Similar schists are included as xenoliths in the 960 My old gneissose granite; therefore, the sedimentary protoliths of the unit are Mesoproterozoic. The dating results suggest a significant tectonothermal event during Grenvillian time; subsequent Caledonian events had less extensive thermal effects. However, it is still a matter of debate whether Grenvillian or Caledonian metamorphism produced the majority of the migmatites. A large population of zircon grains with Late Palaeoproterozoic ages suggests a wide surface exposure of rocks of this age in the source area, with some Archean zircons.     

A note on the Goodman Jack

SummaryA Note on the Goodman Jack Reconnaissance experiments, performed to evaluate the practical utility of the hard-rock variety of the Goodman Jack, reveal that the Hustrulid-T^* correction adequately reconciles the discrepancy between the measured and true deformation modulus of the rock mass in the range of 30 to 50 gigapascals.With 3 Figures     

Where were the Pan-African mountains? No evidence of 500 m.y. detrital zircons

Evidence for or against the collision hypothesis for the origin of intracontinental mobile belts, such as the Pan-African, is difficult to devise in view of the complexities of collision sutures. We propose that the simple criterion of elevation, with subsequent deep erosion of crystalline rocks which shed isotopically dateable zircons into adjacent sediments, such as in the case of the Appalachians, may provide such evidence. Zircons from the Phanerozoic sedimentary deposits in northern Africa, collected in Tunisia, Morocco, Sicily and Egypt, have been found to contain radiogenic lead which in all cases lies along primary chords of about 1750 m.y. in a Concordia plot. Evidence in the data points to the absence of any significant contribution of Pan African zircons (about 500 m.y.) in any of the samples, which cover a range in time of deposition from Ordovician to the present. From this evidence we conclude that the extensive Pan-African mobile belts which should have developed great chains of mountains over a large proportion of Africa if they resulted from subduction or collision, were not of that origin.     

Dissolved organic matter in pore water of carbonate sediments from Bermuda

Pore water samples from seven nearshore areas in Bermuda were obtained under in situ conditions and analyzed for dissolved organic carbon, dissolved carbohydrates, dissolved free amino acids and dissolved humic substances. The concentration of dissolved organic carbon is higher than in the overlying nearshore waters indicating significant diagenetic remobilization of carbon in these recently deposited carbonate sediments. Dissolved carbohydrates decrease with depth due to microbial utilization.     

La mesure de l'anisotropie de susceptibilité magnétique dans les flyschs: Application à la recherche des directions des paléocourants

Studies made on the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility of artificial sediments have shown that there are correlations between the orientation of anisotropy axes and of transport directions. Thus, the analysis of parameters of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility can constitute a means to investigate transport directions in flysch. To test this method in a natural model, the authors have made some measurements on flysch beds belonging to the “grés d'Annot complex”. The sediments have been sampled in the Contes and Peira-Cava synclines where the directions of paleocurrents have been determinated by classical methods. Results obtained both in Contes and in Peira-Cava on fine-grained detrital beds show a good agreement between directions of paleo-transport deduced from orientation of anisotropy axes and those established by classical methods on the levels showing “sole-marks”. However, in some beds of the Peira-Cava syncline, which are characterized by coarser grain size and “sole-marks” of good quality, the scattering of the directions of the anisotropy axes is very great and in some cases the measurements are not reproducible in the same sample.It appears, therefore, that the measurement of the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility can constitute a good approach to analysing emplacement modes of fine-grained flysch deposits in which the use of classical methods is often difficult. This method of paleocurrent analysis complements the other techniques used in this field of research.     

Effet de la turbidité sur la dégradation des pigments phytoplanctoniques dans l'estuaire de la GirondeEffect of turbidity on phytoplanktonic pigments degradation in the Gironde Estuary

In the Gironde Estuary, most part of phytoplanktonic material carried by the rivers is mineralised in the maximum turbidity zone (MTZ). In order to follow the degradation of the phytoplanktonic material into the MTZ, we developed an in vitro approach based on the monitoring of phytoplanktonic pigments. Algal material from two chlorophytes (Scenedesmus suspicatus Chaudat and Chlamydomonas sp.) was incubated in the dark during 28 days into water samples from the Gironde estuary MTZ, at variable suspended solid concentrations (SPM) as well as in a sterilised turbid sample. First order decay constants of chlorophylls a and b and lutein increased by a factor 3 to 5 between SPM of 0 and $\text{3 }\text{g}\text{l}{}^{\mathrm{?1}}$. The production of pheophytin a in the presence of particles and the lack of degradation in the sterilised turbid sample confirmed the effect of attached bacteria on the particles. To cite this article: E. Lemaire et al., C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 251–258.