Partial melting processes above subducting plates: Constraints from Pa-U disequilibria

The processes involved in the formation and transport of partial melts above subducting plates remain poorly constrained relative to those at mid-ocean ridges. In particular, ²³⁸U-²³⁰Th-²²⁶Ra disequilibria, that might normally be used to constrain melting dynamics, tend to be swamped by the effects of fluid addition from the down-going plate. The ²³¹Pa-²³⁵U system provides an exciting exception to this because the highly incompatible nature of Pa means that fractionation and in-growth during partial melting overwrite the effects of fluid U addition. We present ²³¹Pa-²³⁵U data on 50 well-characterised lavas from seven subduction zones in order to examine partial melting processes. Measured (²³¹Pa/²³⁵U) ratios are all >1 and 15% are >2. Overall (²³¹Pa/²³⁵U) shows broad positive correlations with (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) and La/Yb and negative trends against Ba/Th and (²²⁶Ra/²³⁰Th). These systematics can differ from arc to arc but suggest that (²³¹Pa/²³⁵U) tends to be higher in sediment-rich arc lavas where the effects of fluid addition are muted and there is less of a ²³¹Pa deficit for melting to overprint. We have explored the effects of decompression melting, frictional drag dynamic melting with and without ageing subsequent to fluid U addition to the wedge as well as flux melting models. Globally, average (²³¹Pa/²³⁵U) appears to correlate negatively with convergence rate and so in the numerical models we use the local subduction rate for the rate of matrix flow through the melting zone. Using this assumption and reasonable values for other parameters, the melting models can simulate the overall range of (²³¹Pa/²³⁵U) and some of the data trends. However, it is clear that local variations in some parameters, especially source composition and extent of melting, exert a major influence on ²³¹Pa-²³⁵U disequilibria. Some data, which lie at a high angle to the modelled trends, may be explained by mixing between small degree hydrous melts formed near the slab and larger degree, decompression melts produced at shallow depth.     

Application du processus de Markov sur les occurrences des précipitations journalières au Congo-Brazzaville

This study deals with the daily precipitation occurrence during the rainy season in different locations in Congo-Brazzaville. The Markov-chain probability model has been used for defining probable dry and wet rainy sequences at each station, and transition probabilities between daily precipitations of two successive days. The main results are: in Congo, the dependence on the preceding day of the daily precipitations occurrence; the confirmation of two main climatic region (equatorial climate to the north and tropical wet to the south); the lack of coherence in the distribution of precipitations. To cite this article: G. Samba, M. Mpounza, C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Contribution de l'hydrogéomorphologie à l'évaluation du risque d'inondation : le cas du Midi méditerranéen français

The hydrogeomorphological method for delimiting flood risk zones in France was developed some twenty years ago. It is based on a simple principle: the outer limits of a stream's flood plain constitute the outer envelope of past floods. These limits are determined with the use of aerial photographs and field surveys of micro-topography as well as analyses of deposit granulometry and colour. Indications of present or past land use (fields, location and distribution of archaeological sites, houses and farm buildings, roads) are also useful. This field-based method long remained ignored, but being reliable, easy to use and inexpensive, it has now been incorporated into the package of methods recommended by French risk-prevention plans (PPRI). The many recent catastrophes that have occurred over the past fifteen years in the Mediterranean regions of southern France demonstrated both the inadequacy of the hydrological–hydraulic method and the reliability of the hydrogeomorphological method, which can, however, be improved by setting observations for the present period against information on the more ancient Holocene evolution of flood plains. To cite this article: J.-L. Ballais et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Ceilometer observations of aerosol layer structure above the Petit Lubéron during ESCOMPTE's IOP 2

A modified ceilometer has been used during the second Intensive Observation Period (IOP) of the “Expérience sur Site pour COntraindre les Modèles de Pollution atmosphériques et de Transport d'Émission” (ESCOMPTE) to perform continuous remote observations of aerosol accumulations in the first 3 km of the atmosphere. These observations encompassed an episode of intense particulate and photochemical pollution. The submicronic particles density, measured at an altitude of 600 m, went from a very low point of a few tens of particles per cubic centimeter (at the end of a Mistral episode in the free atmosphere) to a high point of more than 4500 particles per cubic centimeter (when pollutants were trapped by thermal inversions).The main result is that this instrument enables a fine documentation of the mixing layer height and of aerosol particles stratifications and circulation. Airborne aerosol measurements have been made above the mountainous region of Mérindol in order to validate in situ the remote sensing measurements. Ozone measurements near the summit of the mountains as well as in the valley were performed in order to correlate aerosol accumulation and ozone concentration. As a notable example, the two-layer aerosol stratification seen in the first 2 days of IOP 2b in that part of the ESCOMPTE domain confirms the results of another team which used backtrajectories. The low-altitude pollution for this timeframe had a local origin (the Fos industrial area), whereas above 500 m, the air masses had undergone regional-scale transport (from north-eastern Spain).The second major result is the highlighting of a pattern, in sea breeze conditions and in this part of the ESCOMPTE experiment zone, of nocturnal aerosol accumulation at an altitude of between 500 and 2000 m, followed by high ozone concentration the next day.     

Isolation and characterization of Aeromonas species from an eutrophic tropical estuary

Isolation and characterization of Aeromonas species were undertaken in the Ebrié lagoon (Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire) over a one year period. Overall 63% of 501 water samples were identified as positive for Aeromonas spp. A. sobria, A. hydrophila and A. caviae represent respectively 49.20%, 20.63% and 30.15% of the positive samples. Thirty nine of the positive samples were recovered from surface water samples; while 24 bottom water samples were positive for Aeromonas. Aeromonas species are most frequently (82.53) present in the Ebrié lagoon urban area during the rainy and flood seasons when the salinity is low and below 10‰. A lower isolation frequency is noticed during the dry season when water salinity is over 10‰. Finally, a higher isolation frequency occurred in samples with highest counts of Escherichia coli.     

Paleobiological Implications of the Isotopic Signatures (C,N) of Fossil Mammal Collagen in Scladina Cave (Sclayn, Belgium)

An isotopic investigation of upper Pleistocene mammal bones and teeth from Scladina cave (Sclayn, Belgium) demonstrated the very good quality of collagen preservation. A preliminary screening of the samples used the amount of nitrogen in whole bone and dentine in order to estimate the preserved amount of collagen before starting the extraction process. The isotopic abundances of fossil specimens from still-extant species are consistent with their trophic position. Moreover, the¹⁵N isotopic abundance is higher in dentine than in bone in bears and hyenas, a phenomenon already observed in modern specimens. These results demonstrate that the isotopic compositions of samples from Scladina cave can be interpreted in ecological terms. Mammoths exhibit a high¹⁵N isotopic abundance relative to other herbivores, as was the case in Siberian and Alaskan samples. These results suggest distinctive dietary adaptations in herbivores living in the mammoth steppe. Cave bears are clearly isotopically different from coeval brown bears, suggesting an ecological separation between species, with a pure vegetarian diet for cave bear and an omnivorous diet for brown bear.     

Biomarker transformations as constraints for the depositional environment and for maximum temperatures during burial of Opalinus Clay and Posidonia Shale in northern Switzerland

Samples from two argillaceous formations (Opalinus Clay and Posidonia Shale) of near-identical maturity from northern Switzerland were subjected to a geochemical characterisation of organic matter and to confined-system pyrolysis experiments. Throughout the study area, the characteristics of organic matter are similar, indicating a spatially homogeneous sedimentary facies. Posidonia Shale contains marine organic matter deposited in a reducing environment, while a predominantly terrigenous source and a more oxidising environment of deposition was identified for Opalinus Clay. In the western and central parts of the study area, organic maturity is close to the onset of oil generation. In the easternmost part, a higher maturity has been reached due to a deeper burial below thick Tertiary Molasse deposits.Isothermal pyrolysis experiments were conducted at temperatures between 250 and 390 °C over 24 h. Bitumen yields increase along similar pathways for both Opalinus Clay and Posidonia Shale, but the maximum values are displaced by 10–20 °C. Data pertaining to maturity were determined from GC–MS analyses of saturated hydrocarbons, and specific attention was given to C₂₉-sterane and C₃₂-hopane isomerisation ratios. The evolution of these parameters with rising temperature is slightly different in the two formations, which is attributed to the contrasting organic facies. The pyrolysis data, together with literature data from natural basins, were used to calculate kinetic parameters for C₂₉-sterane and C₃₂-hopane, assuming a single-step isomerisation scheme according to the Arrhenius law. The resulting values based on pyrolysis data alone are very similar to those based on the combination of pyrolysis and natural data. Activation energies are similar in both formations, while the frequency factors are up to one order of magnitude higher for Posidonia Shale when compared to Opalinus Clay. For the Benken site, maximum temperature during Cretaceous burial was calculated on the basis of the kinetic data, using the TTI approach. The resulting temperatures of 75–80 °C are 5–10 °C below those derived in the literature from apatite fission-track analysis, vitrinite reflectance and basin modelling.     

Isotope stratigraphy of Neoproterozoic cap carbonates in the Araras Group, Brazil

The Neoproterozoic carbonate sequence on the southeastern border of the Amazon Craton is divided into three lithostratigraphic units: a basal cap dolomite, an intermediate limestone, limestone-mudstone unit, and an upper dolarenite-dolorudite unit. Sections of the cap-carbonate were measured from the inner shelf to the outer shelf. Carbon isotope ratios (relative to PDB) vary between − 10.5 and − 1.7‰ in cap dolomite, and between − 5.4 and + 0.1‰ in laminated limestone and mud-limestone. Limestones and mud-limestones exhibit ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios ranging from 0.70740 to 0.70780. A comparative isotope stratigraphy between the inner-shelf and the middle-shelf basin shows differences in carbon isotope ratios: The cap dolomite and limestones have lower δ¹³C ratios on the border of the basin (inner shelf) than in the middle shelf of the basin. These lower values can be related to shallower environmental conditions and to a stronger influence of the continental border. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are the same in both areas, and are consistent with seawater composition at around 600 Ma.     

Unravelling the complex structure of a benthic community: A multiscale-multianalytical approach to an estuarine sandflat

We evaluated scale-dependent patterns of distribution of sandflat macroinfauna of a coastal lagoon, using different analytical approaches. The sampled area was divided into three sectors (outer, inner-north, inner-south) containing small promontories. At each side of the promontories we defined stations in a line transect across the sandflat. Thus, we evaluated sediment characteristics and macroinfaunal responses to sectors, orientations and intertidal levels; animal–sediment relationships were also studied. At a large scale, there was a clear pattern of sediment composition and macroinfaunal abundance. While the outer sector had medium to coarse sands, reflecting the high hydrodynamic conditions existing near the lagoon entrance, the inner sectors showed sandy and muddy sediments. Most species were in low abundances at the outer sector. At small scale, macroinfaunal abundance and species richness decreased sharply towards the upper sandflat level. Also at small scale, sediment composition limited the maximal densities reached by all species, with exception of the deposit-feeding polychaetes. Thus, the macroinfaunal community at muddy sediments was dominated by burrowing deposit-feeders, while all species peaked in sandy sediments. Our results suggest that physical factors shaping macroinfaunal communities operate at different scales and are better detected using several analytical approaches. Large scale patterns, associated with along-shore variations in disturbance by currents, were detected as changes in the mean abundance of macroinfauna. Small scale patterns, related to sediment characteristics, were observed as changes in maximal densities of macroinfauna. Small scale patterns, associated with the level of inundation of the sandflats, were detected through changes in the abundance and presence of macroinfauna. The evaluation of the role of the physical conditions on communities must involve the use of several sampling and analytical approaches.     

Effet de la composition des micas trioctaedriques sur les distributions de Rb et Cs a l'etat de traces

An experimental study is reported on the distributions of trace amounts of Rb and Cs between some trioctahedral micas and a hydrothermal solution at 600°C and 1000 bars. The equilibrium constant K_X^min = (X/K)_aq/(X/K)_min varies considerably with the composition of micas. K_Cs^min is equal to 4.2 for phlogopite of theoretical composition, whereas it becomes equal to 8 for a mica close to eastonite. It reaches up to 17 for a mica in which Mg is largely substituted by Al. In annite, Fe(II) analogue of phlogopite, K_Cs^min becomes equal to 1.8. With Rb, the variations of the equilibrium constant are smaller than with Cs. K_Rb^min is 0.65 for phlogopite and increases up to 1.9 for a more aluminous mica. It is 0.44 for annite.The distributions depend very much on the ratios Mg/Fe and Si/Al of the trioctahedral micas. Consequences in geothermometrical interpretation of alkali trace element distributions in natural rocks are considered.