Monitoring of a methane-seeping pockmark by cabled benthic observatory (Patras Gulf, Greece)

A new seafloor observatory, the gas monitoring module (GMM), has been developed for continuous and long-term measurements of methane and hydrogen sulphide concentrations in seawater, integrated with temperature (T), pressure (P) and conductivity data at the seafloor. GMM was deployed in April 2004 within an active gas-bearing pockmark in the Gulf of Patras (Greece), at a water depth of 42 m. Through a submarine cable linked to an onshore station, it was possible to remotely check, via direct phone connection, GMM functioning and to receive data in near-real time. Recordings were carried out in two consecutive campaigns over the periods April–July 2004, and September 2004–January 2005, amounting to a combined dataset of ca. 6.5 months. This represents the first long-term monitoring ever done on gas leakage from pockmarks by means of CH₄+H₂S+T+P sensors. The results show frequent T and P drops associated with gas peaks, more than 60 events in 6.5 months, likely due to intermittent, pulsation-like seepage. Decreases in temperature in the order of 0.1–1°C (up to 1.7°C) below an ambient T of ca. 17°C (annual average) were associated with short-lived pulses (10–60 min) of increased CH₄+H₂S concentrations. This seepage “pulsation” can either be an active process driven by pressure build-up in the pockmark sediments, or a passive fluid release due to hydrostatic pressure drops induced by bottom currents cascading into the pockmark depression. Redundancy and comparison of data from different sensors were fundamental to interpret subtle proxy signals of temperature and pressure which would not be understood using only one sensor.     

Facies sequences in large-volume debris- and turbidity-flow deposits from the Pyrenees (Cretaceous; France,Spain)

Facies types and depositional models for thick gravity-flow deposits are inferred from Cretaceous Pyrenean examples occurring in different sedimentary settings: basin-plain during relative low sea level stand; slope-apron or deep valleys during relative sea level rise; and slope during relative sea level rise. The depositional units are interpreted as debrites, debrite-turbidite couplets, and megaturbidites. They are a function of transport distance and hydraulic jump by liquefaction and phase separation in large subaqueous flows.     

Fault patterns at outer trench walls

Profiles across subduction-related trenches commonly show normal faulting of the outer trench wall. Such faulting is generally parallel or sub-parallel to the trench and is ascribed to tension in the upper part of the oceanic plate as it is bent into the subduction zone. A number of authors have noted that outer trench wall faulting may involve re-activation of the oceanic spreading fabric of the subducting plate, even when the trend of this fabric is noticeably oblique to the extensional stress direction. However, one previous review of outer trench wall fault patterns questioned the occurrence of a consistent link between fault orientation and such controlling factors. This latter study predated the widespread availability of swath bathymetry and longrange sidescan sonar data over trenches. Based only on profile data, it was unable to analyse fault patterns with the accuracy now possible. This paper therefore re-examines the relationship between outer trench wall faulting and the structure of the subduction zone and subducting plate using GLORIA and Seabeam swath mapping data from several locations around the Pacific and Indian Oceans. The principal conclusions is that the trend of outer trench wall faults is almost always controlled by either the subducting slab strike or by the inherited oceanic spreading fabric in the subducting plate. The latter control operates when the spreading fabric is oblique to the subducting slab strike by less than 25–30°; in all other cases the faults are parallel to slab strike (and parallel or sub-parallel to the trench). Where the angle between spreading fabric and slab strike is close to 30°, two fault trends may coexist; evidence from the Aleutian Trench indicates a gradual change from spreading fabric to slab strike control of fault trend as the angle between the two increases from 25 to 30°. The only observed exception to the above rule of fault control comes from the western Aleutian Trench, where outer trench wall faults are oblique to the slab strike, almost perpendicular to the spreading fabric, and parallel to the convergence direction. Re-orientation of the extensional stress direction due to right-lateral shear at this highly oblique plate boundary is the best explanation of this apparently anomalous observation.     

Sedimentary record of redox-sensitive elements (U, Mn, Mo) in a transitory anoxic basin (the Thau lagoon, France)

In order to further document the relation between redox conditions and the sedimentary record of Mn, U and Mo in a transitory anoxic water basin, their distribution has been studied along two profiles in the Thau lagoon (France). Sediments and pore-water have been sampled at two contrasting sites located, respectively, in the shellfish-farming area and in the centre of the lagoon. In the shellfish-farming area, the particulate organic carbon (POC) data indicate a more rapid organic matter mineralisation compared to the centre of the lagoon. This results in a sharper redox gradient characterized by the appearance of H₂S in pore-water a few millimetres below the sediment–water interface. In the centre of the lagoon, H₂S appears at a depth of 35 cm.In both cores, sedimentary Mn is relatively depleted through out the whole sedimentary column and varies with the proportion of clay minerals. After an initial release into solution at the sediment–water interface in relation to Mn-oxide reductive dissolution, authigenic U is immobilized when sulphides appear. Despite the occurrence of anoxic conditions at the sediment–water interface at the site influenced by shellfish farming, the burial of U is reduced by bioturbation, which raises reducing sediments to the surface. In the centre of the lagoon, Mo profiles reflect continuous diffusion into pore water and immobilization at 15 cm probably in anoxic microenvironments. At shellfish farms, dissolved Mo undergoes removal with sulphides but contrary to U, sedimentary Mo does not appear to be strongly affected by bioturbation. The profile indicates an increase in the frequency of anoxia crises during the second half of the 20th century.     

Radiometric age constraints on mineral growth,metamorphism, and tectonism of the Gummfluh Klippe,Briançonnais domain of the Préalpes,Switzerland

A combined ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar, K/Ar, Rb/Sr and stable isotope study has been made of white micas from the Gummfluh klippe (Briançonnais domain of the Préalpes), Switzerland. The klippe consists mainly of Mesozoic to early Tertiary carbonate rocks metamorphosed from anchizonal to epizonal conditions. At the base of the klippe is a 10–50 m thick, ductilely deformed marble mylonite containing deformed authigenic quartz segregations. Stable isotope measurements of the coexisting calcite (¹⁸O_SMOW=24.5) and quartz (¹⁸O_SMOW=28.4) from the mylonite indicate relatively low temperatures (<300°C) during mylonitization. Analyses of white mica separates of varying size fractions from the mylonitic rocks by K/Ar and Rb/Sr techniques yield ages between 57 and 103 Ma. This variation is correlated with two parameters, the size of the mineral fraction, and the proportion of 2M₁ (more phengitic) to 1M (more muscovitic) polytype in the sample. The K/Ar and Rb/Sr ages are generally younger in the smaller size fractions, which also containless 2M₁ phengite. High precision ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age spectra from different size fractions of these micas record three distinct components, a small Hercynian component (ca. 200–300 Ma), a significant Eoalpine component (64–80 Ma) forming ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age plateaus, and a very minor Tertiary component (ca. 20–40 Ma). Characterization of the samples by SEM indicates the presence of two white mica populations, a coarser grained, deformed, detrital mica that probably corresponds to the 2M₁ phengite and a finer grained neoformed 1M mica. Collectively these observations suggest that the Gummfluh samples contain a mixture of detrital phengites of Hercynian age together with neocrystallized muscovites grown during the late Eoalpine metamorphic event followed by minor argon loss during the Tertiary. The main geologic episode recorded in the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age spectra of white micas in the mylonite is of Late Cretaceous/Early Tertiary age (64–80 Ma), representing the first reliable Eoalpine ages ever to be reported from the Préalpes. Contrary to tectonic models, the marble mylonite at the base of the Gummfluh klippe appears to be a Cretaceous thrust plane and not the thrust surface formed during transport of the klippe into its present position from the Penninic Alps during the Tertiary. The late Cretaceous thrust developed during marine sedimentation at a depth of 800 m below the seafloor at temperatures of 280°C, facilitated by warm fluids along the tectonic discontinuity.     

Carbon and suspended sediment transport in an impounded alpine river (Isère,France)

Carbon and total suspended sediment (TSS) loads were investigated from April 2006 to March 2008 in the mountainous watershed of the Isère River, French Alps (5570 km²). The river bed has been highly impounded for hydroelectricity production during the last century. Hydraulic flushes are managed every year to prevent TSS storage within upstream dams. The Isère River has been instrumented for high‐frequency monitoring of water, TSS by turbidity and carbon (organic, inorganic, dissolved and particulate) in order to evaluate the impact of natural floods and hydraulic flushes on annual loads. Annual TSS load which was estimated between 1.3 and 2.3 MT y^?1 (i.e. 233 to 413 T km^?2 y^?1) highlighted the high erodibility of the Isère watershed. Annual carbon load was estimated between 173 10³ T y^?1 and 199 10³ T y^?1 (i.e 31 to 36 T km^?2 y^?1). About 80% of the annual carbon loads were inorganic. The impact of hydraulic flushes on annual loads appeared limited (less than 3% for annual TSS load and about 1.5% for annual carbon load), whereas the most important natural flood event contributed to 20% of the annual TSS load and 10% of the annual carbon load. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Surface roughness and geological mapping at subhectometer scale from the High Resolution Stereo Camera onboard Mars Express

The quantitative measurement of surface roughness of planetary surfaces at all scales provides insights into geological processes. A characterization of roughness variations at the scale of a few tens of meters is proposed that complements the analysis of local topographic data of the martian surface at kilometer scale, as achieved from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) data, and at the subcentimeter scale using photometric properties derived from multi-angular observations. Relying on a Gabor filtering process, an algorithm developed in the context of image classification for the purpose of texture analysis has been adapted to handle data from the High Resolution Stereo Camera (HRSC). The derivation of roughness within a wavelength range of tens of meters, combined with analyses at even longer wavelengths, gives an original view of the martian surface. The potential of this approach is evaluated for different examples for which the geological processes are identified and the geological units are mapped and characterized in terms of roughness.     

Acceleration of Relativistic Protons During the 20 January 2005 Flare and CME

The origin of relativistic solar protons during large flare/CME events has not been uniquely identified so far. We perform a detailed comparative analysis of the time profiles of relativistic protons detected by the worldwide network of neutron monitors at Earth with electromagnetic signatures of particle acceleration in the solar corona during the large particle event of 20 January 2005. The intensity – time profile of the relativistic protons derived from the neutron monitor data indicates two successive peaks. We show that microwave, hard X-ray, and γ-ray emissions display several episodes of particle acceleration within the impulsive flare phase. The first relativistic protons detected at Earth are accelerated together with relativistic electrons and with protons that produce pion-decay γ rays during the second episode. The second peak in the relativistic proton profile at Earth is accompanied by new signatures of particle acceleration in the corona within ≈1R _⊙ above the photosphere, revealed by hard X-ray and microwave emissions of low intensity and by the renewed radio emission of electron beams and of a coronal shock wave. We discuss the observations in terms of different scenarios of particle acceleration in the corona.