A case study of impact‐induced hydrothermal activity: The Haughton impact structure,Devon Island,Canadian High Arctic

Abstract— The well‐preserved state and excellent exposure at the 39 Ma Haughton impact structure, 23 km in diameter, allows a clearer picture to be made of the nature and distribution of hydrothermal deposits within mid‐size complex impact craters. A moderate‐ to low‐temperature hydrothermal system was generated at Haughton by the interaction of groundwaters with the hot impact melt breccias that filled the interior of the crater. Four distinct settings and styles of hydrothermal mineralization are recognized at Haughton: a) vugs and veins within the impact melt breccias, with an increase in intensity of alteration towards the base; b) cementation of brecciated lithologies in the interior of the central uplift; c) intense veining around the heavily faulted and fractured outer margin of the central uplift; and d) hydrothermal pipe structures or gossans and mineralization along fault surfaces around the faulted crater rim. Each setting is associated with a different suite of hydrothermal minerals that were deposited at different stages in the development of the hydrothermal system. Minor, early quartz precipitation in the impact melt breccias was followed by the deposition of calcite and marcasite within cavities and fractures, plus minor celestite, barite, and fluorite. This occurred at temperatures of at least 200 °C and down to ?100–120 °C. Hydrothermal circulation through the faulted crater rim with the deposition of calcite, quartz, marcasite, and pyrite, occurred at similar temperatures. Quartz mineralization within breccias of the interior of the central uplift occurred in two distinct episodes (?250 down to ?90 °C, and <60 °C). With continued cooling (<90 °C), calcite and quartz were precipitated in vugs and veins within the impact melt breccias. Calcite veining around the outer margin of the central uplift occurred at temperatures of ?150 °C down to <60 °C. Mobilization of hydrocarbons from the country rocks occurred during formation of the higher temperature calcite veins (>80 °C). Appreciation of the structural features of impact craters has proven to be key to understanding the distribution of hydrothermal deposits at Haughton.     

Dynamics analysis of a system of hinge-connected flexible bodies

The subject of this work is the dynamics of flexible space vehicles modelled by a chain of rigid and elastic bodies with tree structure. The aim of this investigation is to obtained an impedance matrix giving in frequency domain the response of the structure to external forces. We show that it is possible to obtain an expansion of this impedance matrix in terms of an infinite set of modal frequencies termed constrained modes and an expansion of the inverse of this impedance matrix in terms of an other set of modes. The work is a generalization of the theory made by Hugues [3] and others for systems with star structure.     

Sur la recherche des mouvements stationnaires dans les systèmes ayant des variables cycliques

Résumé Ayant défini la notion de système lié associé à un système mécanique comportant des variables cycliques, on montre que l'ensemble des mouvements stationnaires du système coïncide avec l'ensemble des mouvements stationnaires du système lié. L'étude de la stabilité de ces mouvements montre que si le système lié est stable, il en est de même pour le système initial. La recherche des mouvements stationnaires des gyrostats fournit une application de cette étude.

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A constrained system is associated with a mechanical system having cyclic coordinates. We prove that the set of steady motions of this mechanical system and the set of steady motions of the constrained system are the same. Investigating the stability of these motions, we prove that, if the constrained system is stable, then the mechanical system is also stable. As an example, we consider the problem of the relative equilibrium of gyrostat satellites.

     

GeO2 vs SiO2: Glass transitions and thermodynamic properties of polymorphs

Relative-enthalpy measurements have been made on the hexagonal, tetragonal, glass and liquid phases of GeO₂. The glass transition is very sensitive to the impurity content, with a T _g ranging from 980 K for a pure product to 780 K for a Li-doped sample with 0.06 mol % Li. The relative C _p change at T _g of about 5% increases with the impurity content as a result of lower glass transition temperatures. Above 298 K the derived heat capacities are similar for all forms, with slightly higher values for the amorphous phases and two C _p cross-overs at 400 and 1000 K between the hexagonal and tetragonal modifications. For both GeO₂ and SiO₂ the coordination state markedly affects C _p and the entropy below 300 K, where the properties are much lower for the tetragonal than for the hexagonal modifications, i.e., S ₂₉₈ = 39.7 vs 55.3 J/mole K and 27.8 vs 41.4 J/ mole K for GeO₂ and SiO₂, respectively. The high-temperature C _p's of coesite and stishovite are likely similar to those of the low-pressure SiO₂ forms. Finally, these results, low-temperature C _p data and enthalpy-of-solution measurements have been used to derive a consistent set of thermodynamic properties for the GeO₂ modifications.     

Transient States in Diagenesis Following the Deposition of a Gravity Layer: Dynamics of O<Subscript>2</Subscript>, Mn,Fe and N-Species in Experimental Units

Biogeochemical processes induced by the deposition of gravity layer in marine sediment were studied in a 295-day experiment. Combining voltammetric microelectrode measurements and conventional analytical techniques, the concentrations of C, O₂, N-species, Mn and Fe have been determined in porewaters and sediments of experimental units. Dynamics of the major diagenetic species following the sudden sediment deposition of few cm-thick layer was explained by alternative diagenetic pathways whose relative importance in marine sediments is still a matter of debate. Time-series results indicated that the diffusion of O₂ from overlying waters to sediments was efficient after the deposition event: anoxic conditions prevailed during the sedimentation. After a few days, a permanent oxic horizon was formed in the top few millimetres. At the same time, the oxidation of Mn²⁺ and then Fe²⁺, which diffused from anoxic sediments, contributed to the surficial enrichment of fresh Mn(III/IV)- and Fe(III)-oxides. Vertical diffusive fluxes and mass balance calculations indicated that a steady-state model described the dynamic of Mn despite the transitory nature of the system. This model was not adequate to describe Fe dynamics because of the multiple sources and phases of Fe²⁺. No significant transfer of Mn and Fe was observed between the underlying sediment and the new deposit: Mn- and Fe-oxides buried at the original interface acted as an oxidative barrier to reduced species that diffused from below. Nitrification processes led to the formation of a NO₃⁻/NO₂⁻ rich horizon at the new oxic horizon. Over the experiment period, NO₃⁻ concentrations were also measured in the anoxic sediment suggesting anaerobic nitrate production.     

Tidal frequency dynamics of a Southern Brazil coastal lagoon: Choking and short period forced oscillations

The Patos Lagoon is a choked, microtidal coastal laggon situated in southern Brazil between 30°S and 32°S. The response of the lagoon to tidal oscillations is studied through data analysis and numerical modeling experiments. Two types of high frequency oscillations are observed in the tidal frequency band: mixed tides, predominantly diurnal; and forced oscillations having a period of 24 h occurring in the inner lagoon. In the southern portion of the lagoon, tides are selectively filtered by the entrance channel. The main diurnal constituent O₁ is linearly attenuated as it progresses landwards. In the inner parts of the lagoon, 24-h oscillations are mainly forced by the combined effect of diurnal tides and sea breeze action. They are tied with a natural period of oscillation of 24 h. Results also indicate that these are not inertial frequency oscillations, despite the lagoon being placed in a critical 30°S area. The interaction between astronomical tides and meteorological effects produces a complicated picture for tidal forecasting derived from data collected inside the lagoon.     

Teleseismic waveform modelling with a one-way wave equation

It is now widely accepted that elastic properties of the continental lithosphere and the underlying sublithospheric mantle are both anisotropic and laterally heterogeneous at a range of scales. To fully exploit modern three-component broad-band array data sets requires the use of comprehensive modelling tools. In this work, we investigate the use of a wide-angle, one-way wave equation to model variations in teleseismic 3-D waveforms due to 2-D elastic heterogeneity and anisotropy. The one-way operators are derived based on a high-frequency approximation of the square-root operator and include the effects of wave propagation as well as multiple scattering. Computational cost is reduced through a number of physically motivated approximations. We present synthetic results from simple 1-D (layer over a half-space) and 2-D (subduction zone) models that are compared with reference solutions. The algorithm is then used to model data from an array of broad-band seismograph stations deployed in northwestern Canada as part of the IRIS-PASSCAL/LITHOPROBE CANOE experiment. In this region radial-component receiver functions show a clear continental Moho and the presence of crustal material dipping into the mantle at the suture of two Palaeo-Proterozoic terranes. The geometry of the suture is better defined on the transverse component where subduction is associated with a ∼10 km thick layer exhibiting strong elastic anisotropy. The modelling reproduces the main features of the receiver functions, including the effects of anisotropy, heterogeneity and finite-frequency scattering.