Corundum-bearing Garnet Clinopyroxenites at Beni Bousera (Morocco): Original Plagioclase-rich Gabbros Recrystallized at Depth within the Mantle?

The Beni Bousera ultramafic massif, Morocco, is composed ofperidotite with subordinate garnet pyroxenitc units which belongto two different families: (1) the Type I pyroxenites, whichare characterized by an Fe-enrichment trend; and (2) the TypeII pyroxenites, which are characterized by high but nearly constantMg/Fe ratios and highly variable concentrations of Ca and Al;the latter family includes corundum-bearing garnet pyroxeniteswhich resemble the peraluminous eclogites and grospydites describedas xenoliths in kimberlite diatremes. The Type II pyroxenites appear as layered sheets in the peridotite,and have granuloblastic metamorphic texture. They contain aprimary association of a coarse-grained assemblage (cpx + gt;cpx + gt + sp; cpx + gt + co), and a variety of secondary andtertiary associations includ ng clinopyrox-ene, orthopyroxene,olivine, spinel, corundum, sapphirine, plagioclase, and amphibole.The primary assemblage in the corundum-bearing pyroxenite ischaracterized by clinopyroxene rich in A1₂O₃ (up to 20 wt%),and poor in Na₂O (generally less than 2 wt.%). The clinopyroxenephase is therefore richer in the Ca-Ts molecule than in thejadeite molecule. On the other hand, the composition of theprimary and secondary clinopyroxene and garnet phases showsstrong variation across the pyroxenite sheets. These variationsexpress compositional variations of the rock system across thesheets. The cpx-gt associations indicate high temperatures (1200–1350?C) in the central parts of the sheets. The crystallizationpressure may have reached at least 20 kb in the corundum-bearingassemblages. The bulk-rock composition and the compatible element's behaviourin the Type II pyroxenite sheets suggest that the modal andcryptic layering mainly resulted from igneous fractionationprocesses. The REE patterns of corundum-bearing Type II pyroxeniteare characterized by low concentrations of HREE and by significantEu anomalies. These, together with the high bulk-rock Sr/Ndratios, suggest that plagioclase segregation may have playeda significant part in the rock genesis. These geochemical featuresare similar to those described, in the literature, in some low-pressure,plagioclase-bearing adcumulates (e.g., in the crustal sequenceof the Oman ophiolite). They are quite different from thoseobserved in the Type I pyroxenite sheets in the Beni Bouseramassif, whose geochemistry suggests that plagioclase playedno part in the fractionation process, whereas garnet probablyfractionated as an early igneous phase. The Type II pyroxenitesheets have a primary isotopic signature similar to MORB, basedon the composition of leached clinopyroxene. It is concluded that the Mg-rich Type II pyroxenite sheets resultedultimately from the fractionation of a basaltic melt at lowpressure, and from the accumulation of olivine, clinopyroxene,and plagioclase along dykes cross-cutting the surrounding peridotite.The close similarities with the geochemical features in theOman ophiolite lead us to suggest that these processes may havebeen operative in an oceanic crustal environment. The high-pressureand high-temperature crystallization of the ‘primary’cpx+gt + co assemblage was achieved deep in the mantle, aftersubduction and/or dragging down in convection currents of thisparticular piece of the (oceanic?) lithosphere. Further ascentmay have resulted in partial melting of peridotite and/or pyroxenite,and in the emplacement of the Type I pyroxenite sheets.     

Origin of Mafic Enclaves in the Dinkey Creek Pluton, Central Sierra Nevada Batholith, California

Two types of mafic enclaves occur in the Dinkey Creek pluton:ubiquitous microgranular enclaves, and rare gabbroic enclaves.Common petrographic features of the microgranular enclaves are:(1) fine grain-size, (2) abundant acicular apatite, and (3)plagioclase zoned from bytownitic cores to andesine-labradoriterims, with sharp boundaries between these main zones. Subordinateoscillatory variations are commonly superimposed on both coresand rims. It has been found by secondary ion mass spectrometrythat the rims are identical in major and trace element compositionto plagioclase in the tonalite, which suggests crystallizationfrom the same or similar magmas. The gabbroic enclaves are composedpredominantly of hornblende (50–85%) and appear to bemagmatic segregations. The microgranular enclaves and host rocks display two convergingtrends on silica variation diagrams for Fe₂O₃, TiO₂, Al₂O₃,Zn, and Zr. The dominant trend is defined by small microgranularenclaves, by samples from a large (20 m?30 m) microgranularenclave, and by the Dinkey Creek tonalites and granodiorites.The subordinate trend covers tholeiltic dikes and tonalitich and converges with the Dinkey Creek host rocks at 61 wt.%SiO₂ Alkali and alkaline earth elements exhibit greater variabilitythan the above constituents and appear to be either enrichedor depleted as required for equilibrium with the host rocks.Low CaO and Sr concentrations in small enclaves (<30 cm)apparently reflect a lower modal abundance of calcic plagioclaseand more sericitization of this feldspar as compared with theplagioclase of the large microgranular enclave. The large enclaveis also richer in MgO than the small enclaves. With the exceptionof the alkali elements, the major element compositions of themicrogranular enclaves approach high-Al basaltic to andesiticcom positions. In one analyzed microgranular enclave, low La/Cerelative to chondrites and more abundant HREE than in othermicrogranular samples suggest that it may also contain minorcumulus hornblende. The petrographic and whole-rock geochemical relations, and theplagioclase compositions in the microgranular enclaves and theirhost rocks, indicate that the microgranular enclaves representmixtures of quenched basalts and Dinkey Creek tonalites. Itappears that dikes of high-alumina basalt were intruded intothe lower, tonalitic portions of the Dinkey Creek pluton, wherethey were partially quenched along an interface with overlyingtonalitic magma. Large portions of residual liquid in the partiallyquenched basalts permitted mixing with the overlying magma toform a hybrid zone. This zone was then disaggregated, yieldingthe enclaves, and they were dispersed throughout the upper partof the Dinkey Creek magma chamber. Subsequent crystallizationof tonalitic melt within the enclaves produced the zoned plagioclaseand re-equilibrated hornblende and biotite in the enclaves tothe Dinkey Creek magmatic conditions. Scouring disrupted hornblende-richmagmatic segregations and produced the gabbroic enclaves.     

The Petrogenetic Significance of Interstratified High- and Low-Ti Basalts in Central Nicaragua

Basalts erupted from recent volcanoes in central Nicaragua canbe divided into distinct high-and low-Ti suites. Low-Ti basaltshave higher concentrations of LILE and LREE than high-Ti basalts.In addition, low-Ti basalts have obviously higher Ba/La, La/Sm,and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, and lower Ti/Zr, than high-Ti basalts. In contrast,there are no mineralogical or petrographic differences betweenthe two suites. The differences between the high-and low-Ti basalts of centralNicaragua are inherited from their source regions. The primarymagmas of both are generated in the mantle wedge. However, low-Tiprimary magmas come from parts of the wedge which bear a strongsubduction zone signature, including that of subducted pelagicsediment. On the other hand, the primary magmas of the high-Tibasalts are generated in parts of the wedge relatively freeof subduction zone influence. Subducted pelagic sediment can therefore be a key source componentat active continental margins as well as at island arcs. Pelagicsediment could also be responsible for subtle high-field-strengthelement fractionations within subduction zone magmas. The mantlewedge beneath Nicaragua, which is variably modified by the subductingplate, is relatively enriched suboceanic mantle.     

The influence of fine‐scale topography on the impacts of Holocene fire in a Tasmanian montane landscape

Tasmania's montane temperate rainforests contain some of Australia's most ancient and endemic flora. Recent landscape‐scale fires have impacted a significant portion of these rainforest ecosystems. The complex and rugged topography of Tasmania results in a highly variable influence of fire across the landscape, rendering predictions of ecosystem response to fire difficult. We assess the role of topographic variation in buffering the influence of fire in these endemic rainforest communities. We developed a new 14 000‐year (14‐ka) palaeoecological dataset from Lake Perry, southern Tasmania, and compared it to neighbouring Lake Osborne (<250 m distant) to examine how topographic variations influence fire and vegetation dynamics through time. Repeated fire events during the Holocene cause a decline in montane rainforest taxa at both sites; however, in the absence of fire, rainforest taxa are able to recover. Montane temperate rainforest taxa persisted at Lake Perry until European settlement, whilst these taxa were driven locally extinct and replaced by Eucalyptus species at Lake Osborne after 2.5 ka. Contiguous topographic fire refugia within the Lake Perry catchment probably provided areas of favourable microclimates that discouraged fire spread and supported the recovery of these montane temperate rainforests. Copyright © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Crystal Size Distribution of Plagioclase and Amphibole from Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat: Evidence for Dynamic Crystallization-Textural Coarsening Cycles

The crystal size distributions (CSDs) of plagioclase and amphibolewere determined from andesites of the Soufrière Hillsvolcano, Montserrat. Plagioclase occurs as separate crystalsand as chadocrysts in large amphibole oikocrysts. The chadocrystsrepresent an earlier stage of textural development, preservedby growth of the oikocryst. Seventeen rock and eight chadocrystplagioclase CSDs are considered together as a series of samplesof textural development. All are curved, concave up, and coincident,differing only in their maximum crystal size. Three amphiboleCSDs have a similar shape and behaviour, but at a differentposition from the plagioclase CSDs. A dynamic model is proposedfor the origin of textures in these rocks. Crystallization ofplagioclase started following emplacement of andesite magmaat a depth of at least 5 km. A steep, straight CSD developedby nucleation and growth. This process was interrupted by theinjection of mafic magma into the chamber, or convective overturnof hotter magma. The magma temperature rose until it was buffered,initially by plagioclase solution and later by crystallization.During this period textural coarsening (Ostwald ripening) ofplagioclase and amphibole occurred: small crystals dissolvedsimultaneously with the growth of large crystals. The CSD becameless steep and extended to larger crystal sizes. Early stagesof this process are preserved in coarsened amphibole oikocrysts.Repetitions of this cycle generated the observed family of CSDs.Textural coarsening followed the ‘Communicating Neighbours’model. Hence, each crystal has its own, unique growth–solutionhistory, without appealing to mixing of magmas that crystallizedin different environments. KEY WORDS: Ostwald ripening; textural coarsening; oikocryst; CSD; texture     

Geochemistry, Petrogenesis and Metallogenesis of the Panzhihua Gabbroic Layered Intrusion and Associated Fe-Ti-V Oxide Deposits, Sichuan Province, SW China

The Panzhihua gabbroic layered intrusion is associated withthe 260 Ma Emeishan Large Igneous Province in SW China. Thissill-like body hosts a giant Fe–Ti–V oxide depositwith 1333 million ton ore reserves, which makes China a majorproducer of these metals. The intrusion has a Marginal zoneof fine-grained hornblende-bearing gabbro and olivine gabbro,followed upward by Lower, Middle, and Upper zones. The Lowerand Middle zones consist of layered melanogabbro and gabbrocomposed of cumulate clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and olivine.These zones also contain magnetite layers. The Upper zone consistschiefly of leucogabbro composed of plagioclase and clinopyroxenewith minor olivine. Most rocks in the body show variable-scalerhythmic modal layering in which dark minerals, primarily clinopyroxene,dominate in the lower parts of each layer, and lighter minerals,primarily plagioclase, dominate in the upper parts. The oxideores occur as layers and lenses within the gabbros and are concentratedin the lower parts of the intrusion. Ore textures and associatedmineral assemblages indicate that the ore bodies formed by verylate-stage crystallization of V-rich titanomagnetite from animmiscible oxide liquid in a fluid-rich environment. The rocksof the Panzhihua intrusion become more evolved in chemistryupward and follow a tholeiitic differentiation trend with enrichmentin Fe, Ti, and V. They are enriched in light rare earth elementsrelative to heavy rare earth elements, and exhibit positiveNb, Ta, and Ti anomalies and negative Zr and Hf anomalies. Thesilicate rocks and oxide ores of the Panzhihua intrusion formedfrom highly evolved Fe–Ti–V-rich ferrobasaltic orferropicritic magmas. The textures of the ores and the abundanceof minor hydrous phases indicate that addition of fluids fromupper crustal wall-rocks induced the separation of the immiscibleoxide melts from which the Fe–Ti–V oxide ore bodiesin the lower part of the intrusion crystallized. KEY WORDS: magnetite; Fe–Ti-rich gabbro; layered intrusion; Panzhihua; SW China     

Corona textures between kyanite, garnet and gedrite in gneisses from Errabiddy, Western Australia

Abstract Corona textures, which developed in alternating layers in rocks in a supracrustal belt at Errabiddy, Western Australia, involved:
(a) The production of staurolite, cordierite and quartz or sapphirine between Kyanite and/or sillimanite and gedrite; and
(b) The production of cordierite between garnet and gedrite.
These textures are inconsistent with development along the same pressure–temperature path in the system FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O, but can be accounted for if CaO, mainly in garnet, is taken into account. The sapphirine-bearing kyanite–gedrite textures are explained by lower a (SiO₂) during their development. The assemblages indicate a consistent pressure–temperature ( P–T ) trajectory involving substantial uplift with only a slight decrease in temperature. The history of these rocks includes reheating of originally high-grade rocks that had cooled to a stable conductive geotherm, followed by substantial, essentially isothermal uplift. The tectonic environment for this was presumably the one responsible for emplacement of the high-grade terrain in the upper crust.     

Late Quaternary glaciation and environmental change on St. Kilda, Scotland, and their palaeoclimatic significance

On Hirta, the largest island of the St. Kilda archipelago near the western edge of the Scottish continental shelf, evidence has been found for four cold periods and one intervening mild period. During the most recent cold period (the Loch Lomond Stadial), two protalus ramparts were formed. Prior to this there occurred two periods of valley glaciation separated by a mild interval during which the local vegetation was dominated by grasses and sedges. For the most recent valley glaciation (= Late Devensian glacial maximum) a mean July temperature of 4°C is inferred. At this time intensive periglacial processes were operative down to present sea level. At some earlier, pre-Dcvensian, time St. Kilda was invaded by the Scottish ice sheet.     

Sedimentary facies and geomorphic evolution of a blocked‐valley lake: Lake Futululu,northern Kwazulu‐Natal,South Africa

Blocked‐valley lakes are formed when tributaries are impounded by the relatively rapid aggradation of a large river and its floodplain. These features are common in the landscape, and have been identified in the floodplains of the Solimões‐Amazon (Brazil) and Fly‐Strickland Rivers (Papua New Guinea), for example, but their inaccessibility has resulted in studies being limited to remotely sensed image analysis. This paper documents the sedimentology and geomorphic evolution of a blocked‐valley lake, Lake Futululu on the Mfolozi River floodplain margin, in South Africa, while also offering a context for the formation of lakes and wetlands at tributary junctions. The study combines aerial photography, elevation data from orthophotographs and field survey, and longitudinal sedimentology determined from a series of cores, which were sub‐sampled for organic content and particle size analysis. Radiocarbon dating was used to gauge the rate and timing of peat accumulation. Results indicate that following the last glacial maximum, rising sea‐levels caused aggradation of the Mfolozi River floodplain. By 3980 years bp , aggradation on the floodplain had impounded the Futululu drainage line, creating conditions suitable for peat formation, which has since occurred at a constant average rate of 0·13 cm year^?1. Continued aggradation on the Mfolozi River floodplain has raised the base level of the Futululu drainage line, resulting in a series of back‐stepping sedimentary facies with fluvially derived sand and silt episodically prograding over lacustrine peat deposits. Blocked‐valley lakes form where the trunk river has a much larger sediment load and catchment than the tributary stream. Similarly, when the relative difference in sediment loads is less, palustrine wetlands, rather than lakes, may be the result. In contrast, where tributaries drain a steep, well‐connected catchment, they may impound much larger trunk rivers, creating lakes or wetlands upstream.     

Calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphic study of forearc basin sediments: Lower to Upper Cretaceous Budden Canyon Formation (Great Valley Group), northern California,USA

The results of a calcareous nannofossil biostratigraphic investigation of the North Fork Cottonwood Creek section of the Budden Canyon Formation (BCF; Hauterivian–Turonian) in northern California are summarized using the Boreal – cosmopolitan Boreal Nannofossil Biostratigraphy (BC) – Upper Cretaceous Nannofossil Biostratigraphy (UC) nannofossil zonal schemes of Bown et al. and Burnett et al. Sixteen intervals, ranging from the BC15 to UC8 zones, were established in the section. Combined biostratigraphic and magnetostratigraphic studies suggest a Hauterivian to mid‐Turonian age for the studied sequence. The Hauterivian–Barremian, Barremian–Aptian, Aptian–Albian, Albian–Cenomanian, and Cenomanian–Turonian stage boundaries were delineated near the top of the Ogo Member, below the Huling Sandstone Member, within the upper Chickabally Member, in the upper portion of the Bald Hills Member and within the Gas Point Member, respectively. Unconformities probably exist at the base of the Huling Sandstone Member and the upper part of the upper Chickabally Member. The nannofossil assemblage in the North Fork Cottonwood Creek suggests that the study area was under the influence of cold‐water conditions during the Barremian to Lower Aptian interval, shifting to tropical/warm‐water conditions during the Albian to Turonian interval as a result of the mid‐Cretaceous global warming. Although oceanic anoxic events have not yet been reported in the BCF, preliminary total organic carbon, along with nannofossil data, suggest the presence of the global Cenomanian–Turonian boundary oceanic anoxic event 2.