Mineralogy and petrology of the Abee enstatite chondrite breccia and its dark inclusions

The Abee E4 enstatite chondrite breccia consists of clasts (many rimmed by metallic Fe, Ni), dark inclusions and matrix. The clasts and matrix were well equilibrated by thermal metamorphism, as evidenced by uniform mineral compositions, recrystallized chondrules, low MnO content of enstatite and high abundance of orthoenstatite. The clasts acquired their metal-rich rims prior to this metamorphic episode. The occurrence in Abee of relatively unmetamorphosed dark inclusions, clasts with nearly random magnetic orientations and a matrix with a uniform magnetic orientation [18,19] indicates that clast and matrix metamorphism occurred prior to the agglomeration of the breccia.The dark inclusions are an unusual kind of enstatite chondritic material, distinguished from the clasts and matrix by their relative enrichments in REE [21–23], low relative abundances of kamacite, total metallic Fe, Ni and silica, lower niningerite/(total sulfide) ratios, high relative abundances of oldhamite and martensite, smaller euhedral enstatite, more heterogeneous enstatite and metallic Fe, Ni, more calcic enstatite and more nickeliferous schreibersite.We propose the following model for the petrogenesis of the Abee breccia: The maximum metamorphic temperature of breccia parent material was?- 840°C (the minimum temperature of formation of Abee niningerite) and perhaps near 950–1000°C (the Fe-Ni-S eutectic temperature). Euhedral enstatite crystals in metallic Fe, Ni- and sulfide-rich areas grew at these metamorphic temperatures into pliable metal and sulfide. Breccia parent material was impact-excavated from depth, admixed with dark inclusions and rapidly cooled (700 to 200°C in about 2 hours) [15]. During this cooling, clast and matrix material acquired thermal remanent magnetization. Random conglomeration of clasts and unconsolidated matrix materials caused the clasts to have random magnetic orientations and the matrix areas to have net magnetic intensities of zero (due to the cancellation of numerous randomly oriented magnetic vectors of equal intensity in the matrix). A subsequent ambient magnetic field imparted a uniform net magnetic orientation to the matrix and caused the magnetic orientations of the clasts to be somewhat less random. The Abee breccia was later consolidated, possibly by shock or by shallow burial and very long-period/low-temperature (< 215°C) metamorphism.     

Spectra of the earthquake sequence February-March, 1981, in south-central Sweden

On February 13, 1981 a relatively strong earthquake occurred in the Lake Vänern region in south-central Sweden. The shock had a magnitude ofM_L = 3.3 and was followed within three weeks by three aftershocks, with magnitudes 0.5 ≤ M_L ≤ 1.0. The focal mechanism solution of the main shock indicates reverse faulting with a strike in the N-S or NE-SW direction and a nearly horizontal compressional stress. The aftershocks were too small to yield data for a full mechanism solution, but first motions of P-waves, recorded at two stations, are consistent for the aftershocks. Dynamic source parameters, derived from Pg- and Sg-wave spectra, show similar stress drops for the main shock (2 bar) and the aftershocks (1 bar), while the differences in seismic moment (1.5·10²⁰ resp. 4·10¹⁸dyne cm), fault length (0.7 resp. 0.2 km) and relative displacement (0.15 resp. 0.03 cm) are significant.     

The coalification pattern in the Northern Apennines and its palaeogeothermic and tectonic significance

The rocks of the Northern Apennines predominantly consist of non-metamorphic terrigeneous deposits (flysches and molasses) some of which are preorogenic, some synorogenic and others postorogenic with respect to the nappe tectonics (Miocene). As plant fragments frequently occur in these sediments, a study of coal rank based on reflectance measurements on vitrinites (% Rm = mean value of the random reflectance in non polarized light) contributes to the clarification of the relation between the orogenic and the palaeogeothermal development. The determination of the Rm values of more than 180 samples from outcrops and three deep drillings revealed some important features. Within the pile of Liguride and Tuscanide nappes, the coal rank increases from the uppermost nappe to the lower nappes until lowgrade metamorphism is reached in the Lower Tuscanides. In the single nappes the rank decreases from the Tyrrhenian coast (internal zone) towards the Po Plain (external zone). This regional trend is disturbed only locally by young post-coalification tectonics. In the uppermost Liguride nappe (M. Antola Unit) a pre-Oligocene (i. e. pre-Apenninic) thermal event was detected. Postorogenic heating is connected with the magmatic activity of Late Miocene to Pleistocene age in Tuscany. Except for these preorogenic and postorogenic thermal events, the main coalification is generally younger than the emplacement of the nappes in the nappe pile during the Apenninic orogeny in the Miocene, but it is older than the last thrust movements and the final tensional tectonics in the internal zones of the chain. For these reasons, the main regional thermal event has to be considered as synorogenic or, more precisely, as late-synorogenic.     

GPS network monitors the Western Alps' deformation over a five-year period: 1993–1998

  The Western Alps are among the best studied collisional belts with both detailed structural mapping and also crustal geophysical investigations such as the ECORS and EGT seismic profile. By contrast, the present-day kinematics of the belt is still largely unknown due to small relative motions and the insufficient accuracy of the triangulation data. As a consequence, several tectonic problems still remain to be solved, such as the amount of N–S convergence in the Occidental Alps, the repartition of the deformation between the Alpine tectonic units, and the relation between deformation and rotation across the Alpine arc. In order to address these problems, the GPS ALPES group, made up of French, Swiss and Italian research organizations, has achieved the first large-scale GPS surveys of the Western Alps. More than 60 sites were surveyed in 1993 and 1998 with a minimum observation of 3 days at each site. GPS data processing has been done by three independent teams using different software. The different solutions have horizontal repeatabilities (N–E) of 4–7 mm in 1993 and 2–3 mm in 1998 and compare at the 3–5-mm level in position and 2-mm/yr level in velocity. A comparison of 1993 and 1998 coordinates shows that residual velocities of the GPS marks are generally smaller than 2 mm/yr, precluding a detailed tectonic interpretation of the differential motions. However, these data seem to suggest that the N–S compression of the Western Alps is quite mild (less than 2 mm/yr) compared to the global convergence between the African and Eurasian plate (6 mm/yr). This implies that the shortening must be accomodated elsewhere by the deformation of the Maghrebids and/or by rotations of Mediterranean microplates. Also, E–W velocity components analysis supports the idea that E–W extension exists, as already suggested by recent structural and seismotectonic data interpretation. Received: 27 November 2000 / Accepted: 17 September 2001     

Auswirkungen des Ablassens von Hochwasserrückhaltebecken auf deren Limnochemie und Phytoplankton-Biozönose

Reservoirs have to be released when repairing of the dams is necessary. In 1995, two reservoirs in Baden-Württemberg (Germany) of similar age and volume (Lake Herrenbach near Göppingen, 1.0 Mio. m³ and Lake Breitenau near Heilbronn, 2.3 Mio. m³) were emptied. This allowed the singular possibility to investigate the effects of drainage and refilling on the limnochemistry and the phytoplankton biocoenosis of such artificial lakes.Before the drainage of the reservoirs, both lakes showed phosphorus release from the sediment during summer stagnation. Phosphorus values of Lake Herrenbach were regularly higher than those of Lake Breitenau (Lake Herrenbach 88 μg/l, Lake Breitenau 33 μg/l). During release, both lakes indicated higher phosphorus and chlorophyll concentrations as well as rising biomasses. Remarkable differences were observed during refilling of the reservoirs: while Lake Herrenbach showed higher transparency and lower phosphorus concentrations, Lake Breitenau progressed towards eutrophication (total phosphorus during summer 1996: Lake Herrenbach 30 μg/l, Lake Breitenau 55 μg/l). One reason for the reaction of Lake Breitenau was the reduced ground drainage during the refilling, which caused an accumulation of nutrients in the hypolimnion. Another reason was the mineralisation of vegetation which covered great parts of the dry lake sediment. The limnological change of Lake Herrenbach was not as clear but could be caused by the restauration of the pre-reservoir which was drainaged and dredged before the emptying of the main reservoir started as well as many other facts which differed Lake Herrenbach from Lake Breitenau.