The Early Palaeozoic Break-up of Northern Gondwana: Sedimentology, Physical Volcanology and Geochemistry of a Submarine Volcanic Complex in the Bavarian Facies Association, Saxothuringian Basin, Germany

Ordovician volcano-sedimentary successions of the Bavarian facies association in the Saxothuringian basin record the continental rift phase of the separation of the Saxothuringian Terrane from Gondwana. An 80 m succession from the Vogtendorf beds and Randschiefer Series (Arenig-Middle Ordovician), exposed along the northern margin of the Münchberg Gneiss Massif in northeast Bavaria, were subjected to a study of their sedimentology, physical volcanology and geochemistry. The Randschiefer series previously has been interpreted as lavas, tuffs, sandstones and turbidites, but the studied Ordovician units include four main lithological associations: mature sandstones and slates, pillowed alkali-basalts and derivative mass flow deposits, trachyandesitic lavas and submarine pyroclastic flow deposits interbedded with turbidites. Eight lithofacies have been distinguished based on relict sedimentary structures and textures, which indicate deposition on a continental shelf below wave base. The explosive phase that generated the pyroclastic succession was associated with the intrusion of dykes and sills, and was succeeded by the eruption of pillowed basalts. Debris flow deposits overlie the basalts. Ordovician volcanism in this region, therefore, alternated between effusive and explosive phases of submarine intermediate to mafic volcanism.

Based on geochemical data, the volcanic and pyroclastic rocks are classified as basalts and trachyandesites. According to their geochemical characteristics, especially to their variable concentrations of incompatible elements such as the High Field Strength Elements (HFSE), they can be divided into three groups. Group I, which is formed by massive lavas at the base of the succession, has extraordinarily high contents of HFSE. The magmas of this group were probably derived from a mantle source in the garnet stability field by low (ca. 1%) degrees of partial melting and subsequent fractionation. Group II, which comprises the pillow lavas at the top of the sequence, displays moderate enrichment of HFSE. This can be explained by a slightly higher degree of melting (ca. 1.6%) for the primary magma. Group I and II melts fractionated from their parental magmas in different magma chambers. The eruption centres of Groups I and II, therefore, cannot be the same, and the volcanic rocks must have originated from different vents. The sills and pyroclastic flow deposits of Group III stem at least partly from the same source as Group I. Rocks of Group I most likely mixed together with Group II components during the formation of the Group III flows, which became hybridised during eruption, transportation and emplacement.

The sedimentological and geochemical data best support a rift as the tectonic setting of this volcanism, analogous to modern continental rift zones. Hence, the rift-associated volcanic activity preserved in the Vogtendorf beds and Randschiefer Series represents an early Ordovician stage of rift volcanism when the separation of the Saxothuringian Terrane from Gondwana had just commenced.     

Geodynamic evolution of the European Variscan fold belt: palaeomagnetic and geological constraints

The Variscan fold belt of Europe resulted from the collision of Africa, Baltica, Laurentia and the intervening microplates in early Paleozoic times. Over the past few years, many geological, palaeobiogeographic and palaeomagnetic studies have led to significant improvements in our understanding of this orogenic belt. Whereas it is now fairly well established that Avalonia drifted from the northern margin of Gondwana in Early Ordovician times and collided with Baltica in the late Ordovician/early Silurian, the nature of the Gondwana derived Armorican microplate is more enigmatic. Geological and new palaeomagnetic data suggest Armorica comprises an assemblage of terranes or microblocks. Palaeobiogeographic data indicate that these terranes had similar drift histories, and the Rheic Ocean separating Avalonia from the Armorican Terrane Assemblage closed in late Silurian/early Devonian times. An early to mid Devonian phase of extensional tectonics along this suture zone resulted in formation of the relatively narrow Rhenohercynian basin which closed progressively between the late Devonian and early Carboniferous. In this contribution, we review the constraints provided by palaeomagnetic data, compare these with geological and palaeobiogeographic evidence, and present a sequence of palaeogeographic reconstructions for these circum-Atlantic plates and microplates from Ordovician through to Devonian times.     

Palaeomagnetic results from the Early Permian Copacabana Group, southern Peru: Implication for Pangaea palaeogeography

Samples collected from folded carbonate rocks of the Early Permian Copacabana Group exposed in the Peruvian Subandean Zone have been subjected to detailed palaeomagnetic analysis. Thermal demagnetisation of most samples yield stable high unblocking temperature directions dominantly carried by titanomagnetite minerals. This remanence, identified in 32 samples (43 specimens), is exclusively of reverse polarity consistent with the Permian–Carboniferous Reversal Superchron (PCRS). The overall directions pass the fold test at the 99% confidence level and are considered as being a pre-folding remanence acquired in Early Permian times. The Copacabana Group yields an overall mean direction of D = 166°, I = +49° (α₉₅ = 4.5°, k = 131.5, N = 9 sites) in stratigraphic coordinates and a corresponding palaeosouth pole position situated at λ = 68°S,  = 321°E (A₉₅ = 5.2°, K = 100). Combining this pole with the coeval high quality data from South America, Africa and Australia results in a mean pole for Gondwana situated at λ = 34.4°S,  = 065.6°E (A₉₅ = 4.9°, K = 73.6, N = 13 studies) in African coordinates. This pole position supports a Pangaea B palaeogeography in Early Permian times. In contrast, the combined pole for Gondwana diverges from the coeval Laurasian mean pole when assuming the Pangaea A-type configuration. Poor quality of the Gondwana dataset and inclination shallowing in sediments seem to play no role in the misfit between the Permian–Triassic poles from Gondwana and Laurasia in Pangaea A reconstruction.     

Age and sources of late precambrian sedimentary sequences of the Southern Baikal Region: Results of the U-Pb LA-ICP-MS dating of detrital zircons

The first data on the age of detrital zircons are given for Late Precambrian terrigenous rocks of the Baikal Group and Ushakovka Formation of the southern flank of the Siberian Craton. The ages obtained for 348 zircons cover the Paleoarchean to Late Ediacaran period, demonstrate the dynamics of change of sources of the clastic material in the sedimentation basin, and mark the changes of the Late Precambrian tectonic regimes. The age of the youngest group of detrital zircons extracted from the rocks of the Kachergat Formation allows us to restrict the upper age limit of accumulation of the rocks of the Baikal Group to the Late Ediacaran (Late Vendian).     

Mobility of arsenic in a Bangladesh aquifer: Inferences from geochemical profiles, leaching data, and mineralogical characterization

Aquifer geochemistry was characterized at a field site in the Munshiganj district of Bangladesh where the groundwater is severely contaminated by As. Vertical profiles of aqueous and solid phase parameters were measured in a sandy deep aquifer (depth >150 m) below a thick confining clay (119 to 150 m), a sandy upper aquifer (3.5 to 119 m) above this confining layer, and a surficial clay layer (<3.5 m). In the deep aquifer and near the top of the upper aquifer, aqueous As levels are low (<10 μg/L), but aqueous As approaches a maximum of 640 μg/L at a depth of 30 to 40 m and falls to 58 μg/L near the base (107 m) of the upper aquifer. In contrast, solid phase As concentrations are uniformly low, rarely exceeding 2 μg/g in the two sandy aquifers and never exceeding 10 μg/g in the clay layers. Solid phase As is also similarly distributed among a variety of reservoirs in the deep and upper aquifer, including adsorbed As, As coprecipitated in solids leachable by mild acids and reductants, and As incorporated in silicates and other more recalcitrant phases. One notable difference among depths is that sorbed As loads, considered with respect to solid phase Fe extractable with 1 N HCl, 0.2 M oxalic acid, and a 0.5 M Ti(III)-citrate-EDTA solution, appear to be at capacity at depths where aqueous As is highest; this suggests that sorption limitations may, in part, explain the aqueous As depth profile at this site. Competition for sorption sites by silicate, phosphate, and carbonate oxyanions appear to sustain elevated aqueous As levels in the upper aquifer. Furthermore, geochemical profiles are consistent with the hypothesis that past or ongoing reductive dissolution of Fe(III) oxyhydroxides acts synergistically with competitive sorption to maintain elevated dissolved As levels in the upper aquifer. Microprobe data indicate substantial spatial comapping between As and Fe in both the upper and deep aquifer sediments, and microscopic observations reveal ubiquitous Fe coatings on most solid phases, including quartz, feldspars, and aluminosilicates. Extraction results and XRD analysis of density/magnetic separates suggest that these coatings may comprise predominantly Fe(II) and mixed valence Fe solids, although the presence of Fe(III) oxyhydroxides can not be ruled out. These data suggest As release may continue to be linked to dissolution processes targeting Fe, or Fe-rich, phases in these aquifers.     

Stratigraphic reconstruction of the Strzelecki Group outcrops in west Gippsland: new data on the present-day thickness and amount of erosion

The Lower Cretaceous Strzelecki Group forms the basement to the eastern part of the Gippsland Basin, but is exposed in the west and forms spectacular outcrops, especially along the coastal area between San Remo and Inverloch. The coastal area is highly faulted and lacks stratigraphic markers so matching sections in different fault blocks based only on lithology has not been possible. A combination of mapping, detailed logging, vitrinite reflectance measurements and palynology were used to determine the present-day thickness of the coastal sections and the amount of erosion that occurred during the Late Cretaceous. A total thickness of about 1500 m is inferred between Harmers Haven and Inverloch but because of the amount of faulting and probable repeated sections, the true thickness of Strzelecki Group exposed in the coastal outcrops is only about 300 m. Based on palynology and vitrinite reflectance results, the reconstructed Strzelecki Group stratigraphy has been subdivided into three distinct ‘bio-blocks’, with an eroded section estimated to range from 1.5 km (0.3–2.6 km at ±95% confidence limits) to 2.7 km (2.2–3.1 km at ±95% confidence limits).