Magmatism-related localized deformation in the mantle: a case study

A deformed composite peridotite-pyroxenite xenolith in Pliocene alkali basalts from the Pannonian Basin (Szentbékkálla, Bakony—Balaton Highland Volcanic Field) has been studied in detail. A narrow shear zone of intense deformation marked by porphyroclast elongation and recrystallization runs along the peridotite-pyroxenite contact. The xenolith contains a large volume of euhedral olivine neoblasts and tablet grains of olivine away from the shear zone interpreted as products of annealing and recrystallization in the presence of grain boundary fluid. Estimates of the time required for growth of recrystallized olivine grains suggest that the annealing took place in situ in the mantle and not during transport of the xenolith in the basalt magma. The grain boundary fluid present during recrystallization was a vapor rich silicate-melt different from the host basaltic melt that entrained the xenolith. This study demonstrates that high-stress deformation zones and associated fluid-assisted recrystallization, which are common features in kimberlite mantle xenoliths, also occur in some mantle xenoliths from alkali basalts. The suggested high-stress deformation zones in the mantle beneath the Pannonian Basin may be produced by paleoseismic events in the lithosphere associated with faulting related to the ascent of basalt magma.Editorial responsibility: J. Hoefs

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Die Grundlagen der Deckenhypothese im südlichen Hunsrück

Zusammenfassung Eine neue Kartierung der Mitteldevoninsel von Stromberg im südlichen Hunsrück ließ die Frage offen, ob sie ein Fenster in einer Decke sei oder das Ergebnis ortständiger Zusammenfaltung. Dagegen führte die Aufsuchung und Messung von Faltenachsen zu eindeutigen Ergebnissen. Die Achsen fallen allerseits gegen und unter das Gebiet jüngerer Gesteine und schließen also ein Fenster und einen Deckenbau an dieser Stelle aus. Andere Tatsachen, die eine solche Annahme notwendig machten, sind nicht bekannt. Der Bau des Gebietes läßt eine einfachere Deutung aus den örtlichen Verhältnissen zu.Beobachtungen und Folgerungen vonCloos undScholtz, Text vonCloos.     

Neue Hilfsmittel für den geologisch-paläontologischen Unterricht

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Tektonische Untersuchungen an Westerwälder Vulkanen

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Late-Pleistocene and mid-Holocene environmental changes in highland valley head areas of Santa Catarina state, Southern Brazil

Low resolution of the continental sedimentary record is a common source of skepticism about the application of geomorphology and sedimentology to Quaternary studies. In spite of this, when supported by independent proxy data, geomorphology and sedimentology may favor palaeo-hydrologic interpretation. This paper associates geomorphologic, stratigraphic, sedimentologic, isotopic, palynologic and geochronologic data. The research was conducted in valley head sites in southern Brazilian highlands, under mild subtropical climate. The results point to environmental changes, the ages of which coincide to Marine Isotopic Stages (MIS) 5b, 3, 2 and 1. Although late-Pleistocene temperatures and precipitation were lower than those of today, the study valley heads seem to have sustained locally wetter environments, which fed shallow soil–water saturated zones. These saturated zones are believed to have expanded during transitions between stadial and interstadial states, contributing to hillslope erosion and sedimentation regardless of the sign of the climatic change. The interior organization of holocenic slope-wash deposits suggests that the mid-Holocene climate was drier than today’s and was under the influence of seasonally contrasting precipitation regimes. The predominance of overland flow-related sedimentary records suggests that an excess of precipitation over evaporation influenced local palaeo-hydrology. This palaeo-hydrologic condition seems to have been recurrent and also explains the alternating periods of pedogenesis and sedimentation.     

Socotra Island,Yemen: field survey of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami

The tsunami of 26th December 2004 severely affected Yemen’s Socotra Island with a death at a distance of 4,600 km from the epicenter of the Magnitude 9.0 earthquake. Yemen allowed a detailed assessment of the far-field impact of a tsunami in the main propagation direction. The UNESCO mission surveyed 12 impacted towns on the north and south shores covering from the east to the west tip of Socotra. The international team members were on the ground in Yemen from 11 to 19 October 2006. The team measured tsunami run-up heights and inundation distances based on the location of watermarks on buildings and eyewitness accounts. Maximum run-up heights were typically on the order of 2–6 m. Each measurement was located by means of global positioning systems (GPS) and photographed. Numerous eyewitness interviews were recorded on video. The tsunami impact on Socotra is compared with other locations along the shores of the Indian Ocean.     

Food consumption,diet shifts and associated non-CO2 greenhouse gases from agricultural production

Today, the agricultural sector accounts for approximately 15% of total global anthropogenic emissions, mainly methane and nitrous oxide. Projecting the future development of agricultural non-CO₂ greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions is important to assess their impacts on the climate system but poses many problems as future demand of agricultural products is highly uncertain. We developed a global land use model (MAgPIE) that is suited to assess future anthropogenic agricultural non-CO₂ GHG emissions from various agricultural activities by combining socio-economic information on population, income, food demand, and production costs with spatially explicit environmental data on potential crop yields. In this article we describe how agricultural non-CO₂ GHG emissions are implemented within MAgPIE and compare our simulation results with other studies. Furthermore, we apply the model up to 2055 to assess the impact of future changes in food consumption and diet shifts, but also of technological mitigation options on agricultural non-CO₂ GHG emissions. As a result, we found that global agricultural non-CO₂ emissions increase significantly until 2055 if food energy consumption and diet preferences remain constant at the level of 1995. Non-CO₂ GHG emissions will rise even more if increasing food energy consumption and changing dietary preferences towards higher value foods, like meat and milk, with increasing income are taken into account. In contrast, under a scenario of reduced meat consumption, non-CO₂ GHG emissions would decrease even compared to 1995. Technological mitigation options in the agricultural sector have also the capability of decreasing non-CO₂ GHG emissions significantly. However, these technological mitigation options are not as effective as changes in food consumption. Highest reduction potentials will be achieved by a combination of both approaches.