Tectonostratigraphic relationships and coalification trends in the Narragansett and Norfolk Basins, New England

Carboniferous basins in southeastern New England provide insight into, and constraints on, models for Alleghanian orogenesis. In particular, the Narragansett and Norfolk basins represent Devonian- to Pennsylvanian-aged, non-marine basins in southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island that were variably deformed and metamorphosed during the Alleghanian orogeny, and intruded by Permian granites generated by crustal thickening. As such these basins provide an unusually complete documentation of the Alleghanian orogeny. We summarize their sedimentologic, structural and metamorphic features, with emphasis placed on the Narragansett basin, and provide a comprehensive bibliography of recent work. The Narragansett basin also contains complexly deformed and variably metamorphosed coals that are unlike coal describe from other orogenic terrains. Thus we describe these unusual, high rank coal deposits and their response to orogenesis.     

Agricultural Value of ENSO Information under Alternative Phase Definition

The El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) effect has been found to be associated with regional climate variations in many regions of the world, and, in turn, with variation in crop yields. Previous studies have found that early releases of ENSO phase information could permit agricultural producers to make adjustments in their decisions and in turn generate an increase in agricultural sector welfare. This study examines whether the value of the agricultural responses can be enhanced by releasing more detailed ENSO information. Namely we evaluate the implications for projected agricultural welfare under release and adaptation to the Stone and Auliciems five phase definition of ENSO states as opposed to the more standard three phase definition. This value is estimated using a stochastic, U.S./global agricultural model representing 22 climate years. The results indicate that the release and exploitation of the more detailed ENSO phase definition almost doubles the welfare impact. The results also indicate that there is room for up to another doubling of information value through further refinements.     

Structure of the larvikite-lardalite complex,Oslo-region,Norway, and its evolution

Structures not previously described from the southern part of the Permian rift-system in the Oslo-district, Norway, are presented. These indicate that the larvikite massif is a ring complex consisting of numerous individual sections which are roughly circular and repeatedly cut each other in a manner that suggests sequential shifting of centres of igneous activity towards the west. The compositions of these sections vary from quartzbearing varieties in the earliest parts through intermediate types to larvikite and lardalite with excess nepheline in the youngest parts.As this complex covers almost the total width of the Oslo rift-system, it forms an important profile across the graben structure. It suggests unilateral westward migration of centres of igneous activity in this region, viewed either as magma injection or cauldron subsidence and therefore provides additional information regarding the origin and evolution of the Oslo paleo-rift system.

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Zusammenfassung Die Arbeit behandelt bisher nicht beschriebene Strukturen im südlichen Teil des permischen Bruchsenkungsgebietes im Oslogebiet in Norwegen. Sie zeigen, daß das Larvikit-Massiv einen ringförmigen Komplex bildet aus zahlreichen, ungefähr zirkulären und untereinander diskordanten Teilbereichen. Die Lage der Diskordanzen erlaubt die Annahme, einer westlich gerichteten sukzessiven Verlagerung der Zentren magmatischer Aktivität. Mit abnehmendem Alter dieser Teilbereiche verändert sich deren Mineralbestand von quartzführend über intermediär hin zur larvikitischen und lardalitischen Zusammensetzung mit Nephelinüberschuß.Da dieser Komplex fast den gesamten Bereich des Osloer Bruchsenkungsgebietes deckt, stellt er ein wichtiges Profil durch die Grabenstruktur dar. Dieses läßt plausibel erscheinen, daß die Zentren der magmatischen Vorgänge der Gegend einem einheitlich westgerichteten Trend gefolgt sind gleichviel, ob man in ihnen großräumige Vorgänge ringförmiger Magmen-intrusion sieht oder zylindrische Kesselbrüche (Cauldrons). Die in der Arbeit dargelegten Ergebnisse sind somit geeignet, die Frage des Ursprungs und der Entwicklung des Osloer Bruchsenkungsgebietes weiter zu erhellen.

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Résumé Une nouvelle analyse structurale de massif de larvikite au sud du rift permien d'Oslo, Norvège, montre que ce massif forme un complexe annulaire comprenant de nombreuses composantes à peu pres circulaires et discordantes entre elles. Les segments se recoupent successivement indiquant un déplacement des centres d'activité magmatique vers l'ouest. Les larvikites passent de types à composition acide avec quartz dans les premiers segments, à des types intermédiaires puis a des compositions sousatourée avec néphéline en excess dans les segments les plus jeunes.Comme le massif occupe presque toute la largeur du rift d'Oslo il constitue une coupe importante de cette fosse paléozoique. Sa structure suggère une migration continue vers l'ouest des centres d'activité volcanique pour autant qu'on y voie des intrusions annulaires de magma, ou des effondrements successifs de la caldeira. Ce résultat apporte une information nouvelle sur l'origine et l'évolution du rift permien d'Oslo au sud de la Norvège.

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Earthquake swarms and local crustal spreading along major strike-slip faults in California

Earthquake swarms in California are often localized to areas within dextral offsets in the linear trend in active fault strands, suggesting a relation between earthquake swarms and local crustal spreading. Local crustal spereading is required by the geometry of dextral offsets when, as in the San Andreas system, faults have dominantly strike-slip motion with right-lateral displacement. Three clear examples of this relation occur in the Imperial Valley, Coso Hot Springs, and the Danville region, all in California. The first two of these areas are known for their Holocene volcanism and geothermal potential, which is consistent with crustal spreading and magmatic intrusion. The third example, however, shows no evidence for volcanism or geothermal activity at the surface.     

Coupled Sr-O isotope variations as an indicator of source heterogeneity for the Northern peninsular ranges batholith

Primary ¹⁸O values for tonalitic rocks from the San Jacinto Intrusive Complex range from +9.0 to +10.6; initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr for the same samples varies from 0.7058 to 0.7076. Rocks with low ¹⁸O tend to have higher initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. The majority of samples have a limited range of ¹⁸O values (+10.0–+10.4) that is anticorrelated with colour index; this variation is compatible with crystallization of rocks with varying mineral abundances from an homogeneous (for oxygen) reservoir. More mafic rocks show a large range of ¹⁸O values, reflecting original variations in source material compositions. The combined Sr-O isotope data demonstrate that three or more distinct components were involved in the genesis of these rocks; these three components are also seen in batholithic rocks from the Mojave Block and Sierra Nevada to the north. These data are interpreted as indicating a 0–35% (oxygen atom basis) contribution to the San Jacinto rocks from an old continental lithosphere source.Division Contribution No. 4064     

Soil erosion assessment tools from point to regional scales—the role of geomorphologists in land management research and implementation

Geomorphological research has played an important role in the development and implementation of soil erosion assessment tools. Because policy and management approaches include the use of soil erosion assessment tools, soil erosion research directly affects the public in terms of providing information on natural hazards and human impacts, and also as the basis for regulatory policy on land management. For example, soil loss calculations and geomorphological expertise are used to support soil conservation planning, both through agricultural legislation that defines maximum tolerable soil loss rates, and through federal and local legislation that requires soil erosion controls on many construction sites.To be useful for decision makers, soil erosion models must have simple data requirements, must consider spatial and temporal variability in hydrological and soil erosion processes, and must be applicable to a variety of regions with minimum calibration. The growing use of erosion models and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in local to regional scale soil and water conservation raises concerns about how models are used. This has prompted interest in methods to assess how models function at management scales and with the types of data that are commonly available to users. A case study of a GIS-based soil erosion assessment tool using the process-based Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) shows that using commonly available data rather than research grade data can have (predictably) a significant impact on model results. If model results are then used in management decisions, it is critical to assess whether the scale and direction of variation in results will affect management and policy decisions. Geomorphologists provide unique perspectives on soil erosion and can continue to affect policy through soil erosion research. This research should focus on fundamental processes, but equally important is continued development and evaluation of models that are matched to real world data availability, geomorphic settings, and information needs.     

Ascent-driven crystallisation of dacite magmas at Mount St Helens, 1980–1986

We introduce a novel scheme that enables natural silicic glasses to be projected into the synthetic system Qz-Ab-Or-H₂O in order to relate variations in volcanic glass chemistry to changing pressure (P) and temperature (T) conditions in the sub-volcanic magma system. By this means an important distinction can be made between ascent-driven and cooling-driven crystallisation under water-saturated or undersaturated conditions. In samples containing feldspar and a silica phase (quartz or tridymite), quantitative P-T estimates of the conditions of last equilibrium between crystals and melt can be made. Formation of highly silicic melts (i.e. >77 wt% SiO₂) is a simple consequence of the contraction of the silica phase volume with decreasing pressure, such that high silica glasses can only form by crystallisation at low pressure. Resorption of quartz crystals appears to be a further diagnostic feature of decompression crystallisation. Groundmass and inclusion glasses in dacites from the 1980-1986 eruption of Mount St Helens volcano (WA) span a wide range in SiO₂ (68-80 wt%, anhydrous). The compositions of the least evolved (SiO₂-poor) inclusions in amphibole phenocrysts record entrapment of silicic liquids with Е.4 wt% water, corresponding to a water saturation pressure of ~200 MPa at 900 °C. The compositions of more evolved (higher SiO₂) plagioclase-hosted inclusions and groundmass glasses are consistent with extensive ascent-driven fractional crystallisation of plagioclase, oxide and orthopyroxene phenocrysts and microlites to low pressures. During this polybaric crystallisation, plagioclase phenocrysts trapped melts with a wide range of dissolved water contents (3.5-5.7 wt%). Magmas erupted during the Plinian phase of the 18 May 1980 eruption were derived from a large reservoir at depths of ̈́ km. Subsequent magmas ascended to varying depths within the sub-volcanic system prior to extraction. From glass chemistry and groundmass texture two arrest levels have been identified, at depths of 0.5-1 and 2-4 km. A single dome sample from February 1983 contains groundmass plagioclase, tridymite and quartz, testifying to temperatures of at least 885 °C at 11 MPa. These shallow storage conditions are comparable to those in the cryptodome formed during spring 1980. The corresponding thermal gradient, А.2 °C MPa^-1, is consistent with near-adiabatic magma ascent from ~8 km. We argue that the crystallisation history of Mount St Helens dacite magma was largely a consequence of decompression crystallisation of hot magma beyond the point of water saturation. This challenges the conventional view that phenocryst crystallisation occurred by cooling in a large magma chamber prior to the 1980-1986 eruption. Because the crystallisation process is both polybaric and fractional, it cannot be simulated directly using isobaric equilibrium crystallisation experiments. However, calculation of the phase proportions in water-saturated 910ᆣ °C experiments by Rutherford et al. (1985) over the pressure range 220-125 MPa reproduces the crystallisation sequence and phenocryst modes of Mount St Helens dacites from 18 May 1980. By allowing for the effects of fractional versus equilibrium crystallisation, entrained residual source material, and small temperature differences between nature and experiment, phase compositions can also be matched to the natural samples. We conclude that decompression of water-saturated magma may be the dominant driving force for crystallisation at many other silicic volcanic centres.     

The thermal expansion of ScAlO3 — A silicate perovskite analogue

The crystal structure of ScAlO₃ has been refined at temperatures up to 1100° C on the basis of x-ray powder diffraction data. The thermal expansion is adequately described by a Grüneisen-Debye model with the elastic Debye temperature and an effective Grüneisen parameter of 1.6. The volumetric thermal expansion of 3.0% between 10 and 1100° C, corresponding to a mean thermal expansion coefficient of 2.7 × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹, is entirely attributable to the expansion of the AlO₆ octahedra. The interoctahedral angles, though not fixed by symmetry, do not vary significantly with temperature —indicating that the expansivities of the constituent AlO₆ and distorted ScO₈ polyhedra are well matched. Similar considerations of polyhedral expansivity suggest thermal expansion coefficients of ∼2 × 10⁻⁵K⁻¹ for cubic CaSiO₃ perovskite and a value between 2 × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹ and 4 × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹ for MgSiO₃ perovskite. The lower value is consistent with the reconnaissance measurements for Mg_0.9Fe_0.1SiO₃ (Knittle et al. 1986) below 350° C, with low-temperature measurements of single-crystal MgSiO₃ (Ross and Hazen 1989), and with the results of some recent calculations. The markedly greater expansivity ∼4 × 10⁻⁵ K⁻¹ measured at higher temperatures (350–570° C) by Knittle et al. is inconsistent with the simple Grüneisen-Debye quasiharmonic model and may reflect the marginal metastability of the orthorhombic perovskite phase. Under these circumstances, extrapolation of the measured expansivity is hazardous and may result in the under-estimation of lower mantle densities and the drawing of inappropriate inferences concerning the need for chemical stratification of the Earth's mantle.