Post-collisional Tertiary–Quaternary mafic alkalic magmatism in the Carpathian–Pannonian region: a review

Mafic alkalic volcanism was widespread in the Carpathian–Pannonian region (CPR) between 11 and 0.2 Ma. It followed the Miocene continental collision of the Alcapa and Tisia blocks with the European plate, as subduction-related calc-alkaline magmatism was waning. Several groups of mafic alkalic rocks from different regions within the CPR have been distinguished on the basis of ages and/or trace-element compositions. Their trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope systematics are consistent with derivation from complex mantle-source regions, which included both depleted asthenosphere and metasomatized lithosphere. The mixing of DMM-HIMU-EMII mantle components within asthenosphere-derived magmas indicates variable contamination of the shallow asthenosphere and/or thermal boundary layer of the lithosphere by a HIMU-like component prior to and following the introduction of subduction components.Various mantle sources have been identified: Lower lithospheric mantle modified by several ancient asthenospheric enrichments (source A); Young asthenospheric plumes with OIB-like trace element signatures that are either isotopically enriched (source B) or variably depleted (source C); Old upper asthenosphere heterogeneously contaminated by DM-HIMU-EMII-EMI components and slightly influenced by Miocene subduction-related enrichment (source D); Old upper asthenosphere heterogeneously contaminated by DM-HIMU-EMII components and significantly influenced by Miocene subduction-related enrichment (source E). Melt generation was initiated either by: (i) finger-like young asthenospheric plumes rising to and heating up the base of the lithosphere (below the Alcapa block), or (ii) decompressional melting of old asthenosphere upwelling to replace any lower lithosphere or heating and melting former subducted slabs (the Tisia block).     

Remarks on the photogravitational restricted three-body problem

The effects of the radiation pressure in the restricted three-body problem are considered and the existence of the out-of-plane equilibrium points is analyzed. It is found that within the framework of the stellar stability, the five Lagrangian points are the only equilibrium points, at least as far as the force of the radiation pressure is taken into account.     

Solid-liquid interfacial reaction of Zn ions on the surface of amorphous aluminosilicates with various Al/Si ratios

The adsorption behavior of Zn²⁺ ions onto the surface of amorphous aluminosilicates was studied using both potentiometric and spectroscopic methods (XANES: X-ray Absorption Near-Edge Structure). The aluminosilicates were prepared with different Al/Si ratios in order to compare the reactivities of surface aluminol and silanol groups toward Zn²⁺ ions. Potentiometric experiments were performed by maintaining the reacting suspensions at constant pH, ionic strength, and solid concentration, while Zn concentration was increased by stepwise addition. Our results showed that the surface aluminol and silanol groups possess significantly different reactivities toward Zn²⁺ ions. The reaction of Zn²⁺ ions with aluminol groups occurs through three processes: (i) surface complexation, (ii) dissolution, and (iii) re-sorption. A stoichiometric relationship was confirmed for the surface complexation between the aluminol groups and Zn²⁺ ions: two moles of H⁺ ions were released for one mole of Zn²⁺ ion adsorption. Following the surface complexation process, measurable amounts of zinc and aluminum ions were found to be mobilized from the surface of the solid to the liquid phase; subsequently, these ions precipitated on the solid surface, and possibly formed a co-precipitate with the hydrotalcite-type structure. On the other hand, a stoichiometric relationship was not obtained for the sorption of Zn²⁺ ions on silanol groups, and therefore, it was concluded that Zn²⁺ ions are retained on the surface of amorphous aluminosilicates by two different reactions. One reaction involves the surface complexation between Zn²⁺ ions and surface aluminol groups, which proceeds rapidly. The other reaction is the slow retention of Zn²⁺ ions onto silanol and/or aluminol groups, which could be the surface precipitation of Zn(OH)₂ or the co-precipitation of Zn²⁺-Al³⁺ hydroxides. It can be suggested that the total sorption behavior of Zn²⁺ ions on amorphous aluminosilicates with different Al/Si ratios can be represented as the sum of the individual reactions of Zn²⁺ ions toward the aluminol and silanol groups. The potentiometric results were confirmed by XANES data. It was clearly evident that only the aluminol groups were responsible for surface complexation of Zn²⁺ ions. An equilibrium constant was calculated for this reaction.     

Some geographical remarks on education and prints in the languages of ethnic groups in Romania

The network of undergraduate schools comprises 2,336 schools and sections in towns and the countryside, especially in Transylvania, Criana, Maramure and Banat. Preschool and primary education is given in Hungarian, German, Ukrainian, Russian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Slovak, Czech, Croat, Turkish, Polish and the Gypsy languages. Secondary and high-schools function only in Hungarian, German and Serbian. Instruction in Hungarian, German, Serbian, Slovak and the Ukrainian languages is given within some sections opened at certain secondary and high-schools. Publications, however, are far more numerous — newspapers and journals, magazines and reviews are issued in sixteen languages: Hungarian, German, Gypsy, Serbian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Russian, Slovak, Czech, Armenian, Yiddish, Greek, Polish, Italian and Albanian. Some of these publications are bilingual, articles being written in Romanian, too, and others only in Romanian.     

The photogravitational restricted three-body problem

The photogravitational restricted three-body problem is reviewed and the case of the out-of-plane equilibrium points is analysed. It is found that, when the motion of an infinitesimal body is determined only by the gravitational forces and effects of the radiation pressure, there are no out-of-plane stable equilibrium points.     

Numerical investigation of tsunami bore effects on structures,part II: effects of bed condition on loading onto circular structures

In this paper, a multiphase three-dimensional numerical reproduction of a large-scale laboratory experiment of tsunami-like bore interaction with a surface-piercing circular column is presented. The numerical simulation is conducted using OpenFOAM. A dam-break mechanism is implemented in order to generate tsunami-like bores. The numerical model is validated using the results of experiments performed at the Canadian Hydraulics Center of the National Research Council in Ottawa, Canada. Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes equations are used in order to treat the turbulence effects. The Shear Stress Transport k–ω turbulence model showed a high level of accuracy in replicating the bore–structure interactions. A scaled-up domain is used to investigate the influence of bed condition in terms of various downstream depths and roughnesses. Finally, a broad investigation on bore propagation characteristics is performed. The stream-wise forces exerted on the structural column as well as the bore velocity are compared and analyzed for smooth, rough, dry and wet beds with varying depths.

     

Fingerprinting the Late Pleistocene tephras of Ciomadul volcano,eastern–central Europe

Late Pleistocene tephras derived by large explosive volcanic eruptions are widespread in the Mediterranean and surrounding areas. They are important isochronous markers in stratigraphic sections and therefore it is important to constrain their sources. We report here tephrochronology results using multiple criteria to characterize the volcanic products of the Late Pleistocene Ciomadul volcano in eastern–central Europe. This dacitic volcano had an explosive eruption stage between 57 and 30 ka. The specific petrological character (ash texture, occurrence of plagioclase and amphibole phenocrysts and their compositions), the high-K calc-alkaline major element composition and particularly the distinct trace element characteristics provide a strong fingerprint of the Ciomadul volcano. This can be used for correlating tephra and cryptotephra occurrences within this timeframe. Remarkably, during this period several volcanic eruptions produced tephras with similar glass major element composition. However, they differ from Ciomadul tephras by glass trace element abundances, ratios of strongly incompatible trace elements and their mineral cargo that serve as discrimination tools. We used (U-Th)/He zircon dates combined with U-Th in situ rim dates along with luminescence and radiocarbon dating to constrain the age of the explosive eruptions of Ciomadul that yielded distal tephra layers but lack of identified proximal deposits.     

Neogene-Quaternary Volcanic forms in the Carpathian-Pannonian Region: a review

Neogene to Quaternary volcanic/magmatic activity in the Carpathian-Pannonian Region (CPR) occurred between 21 and 0.1 Ma with a distinct migration in time from west to east. It shows a diverse compositional variation in response to a complex interplay of subduction with rollback, back-arc extension, collision, slab break-off, delamination, strike-slip tectonics and microplate rotations, as well as in response to further evolution of magmas in the crustal environment by processes of differentiation, crustal contamination, anatexis and magma mixing. Since most of the primary volcanic forms have been affected by erosion, especially in areas of post-volcanic uplift, based on the level of erosion we distinguish: (1) areas eroded to the basement level, where paleovolcanic reconstruction is not possible; (2) deeply eroded volcanic forms with secondary morphology and possible paleovolcanic reconstruction; (3) eroded volcanic forms with remnants of original morphology preserved; and (4) the least eroded volcanic forms with original morphology quite well preserved. The large variety of volcanic forms present in the area can be grouped in a) monogenetic volcanoes and b) polygenetic volcanoes and their subsurface/intrusive counterparts that belong to various rock series found in the CPR such as calc-alkaline magmatic rock-types (felsic, intermediate and mafic varieties) and alkalic types including K-alkalic, shoshonitic, ultrapotassic and Na-alkalic. The following volcanic/subvolcanic forms have been identified: (i) domes, shield volcanoes, effusive cones, pyroclastic cones, stratovolcanoes and calderas with associated intrusive bodies for intermediate and basic calclkaline volcanism; (ii) domes, calderas and ignimbrite/ash-flow fields for felsic calc-alkaline volcanism and (iii) dome flows, shield volcanoes, maars, tuffcone/tuff-rings, scoria-cones with or without related lava flow/field and their erosional or subsurface forms (necks/ plugs, dykes, shallow intrusions, diatreme, lava lake) for various types of K- and Na-alkalic and ultra-potassic magmatism. Finally, we provide a summary of the eruptive history and distribution of volcanic forms in the CPR using several sub-region schemes.     

Magmatic and tectonic history of Jurassic ophiolites and associated granitoids from the South Apuseni Mountains (Romania)

The Jurassic ophiolites in the South Apuseni Mountains represent remnants of the Neotethys Ocean and belong to the East Vardar ophiolites that contain ophiolite fragments as well as granitoids and volcanics with island-arc affinity. New U–Pb zircon ages, and Sr and Nd isotope ratios give insights into their tectono-magmatic history. The ophiolite lithologies show tholeiitic MOR-type affinities, but are occasionally slightly enriched in Th and U, and depleted in Nb, which indicates that they probably formed in a marginal or back-arc basin. These ophiolites are associated with calc-alkaline granitoids and volcanics, which show trace element signatures characteristic for subduction-enrichment (high LILE, low HFSE). Low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.703836–0.704550) and high ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios (0.512599–0.512616) of the calc-alkaline series overlap with the ratios measured in the ophiolitic rocks (0.703863–0.704303 and 0.512496–0.512673), and hence show no contamination with continental crust. This excludes a collisional to post-collisional origin of the granitoids and is consistent with the previously proposed intra-oceanic island arc setting. The new U–Pb ages of the ophiolite lithologies (158.9–155.9 Ma, Oxfordian to Early Kimmeridgian) and granitoids (158.6–152.9 Ma, latest Oxfordian to Late Kimmeridgian) indicate that the two distinct magmatic series evolved within a narrow time range. It is proposed that the ophiolites and island arc granitoids formed above a long-lived NE-dipping subduction zone. A sudden flip in subduction polarity led to collision between island arc and continental margin, immediately followed by obduction of the ophiolites and granitoids on top of the continental margin of the Dacia Mega-Unit. Since the granitoids lack crustal input, they must have intruded the Apuseni ophiolites before both magmatic sequences were obducted onto the continental margin. The age of the youngest granitoid (~153 Ma, Late Kimmeridgian) yields an estimate for the maximum age of emplacement of the South Apuseni ophiolites and associated granitoids onto the Dacia Mega-Unit.