The evolution of the archaean crust of northeast Botswana

Some 1800 km² of Archaean terrain have been mapped (the Eastern Geotraverse of the Botswana Geological Survey, Geodynamics Project) including a part of the schist belt/granitic terrain of the Rhodesian Craton, and part of the Limpopo Mobile Belt in the south. The cratonic area includes the whole or part of four schist belts (greenstone belts) now referred to as ‘schist relics’ as they are shown to be mega-xenoliths surviving regional deformation and granitisation.The schist relics display a typical greenstone belt composition with basal ultra-mafic schist, extrusive meta-basalts, serpentinites, and meta-dacites, -andesites, -rhyolites and volcanoclastic rocks appearing up the succession. These are termed the Volcanic Group. They also contain marble, graphitic phyllite, meta-greywacke, banded ironstone and aluminous schist.The schist relics overlie thick sequences of granitised clastic sediments with intercalated volcanic and sedimentary layers which are regarded as an integral, lower part of the succession. The total sequence, including the Volcanic Group and underlying rocks is at least 30 km thick.The schist relics originally formed a more continuous and lithostratigraphically equivalent succession, which may have included some of the Rhodesian schist belts. Such a succession would be of the order of size of an island arc system in length and width.An early stage of regional folding (F1) is recognized, from preserved fabrics and structural analysis, which is tentatively proposed as nappe folding on a regional scale. This was accompanied by low-grade metamorphism. This first stage of deformation determined the regional pattern as it is still seen.Tonalite/monzonite plutons were emplaced within the Volcanic Group and probably protected the relics during regional granitisation.Regional granitisation, which isolated the schist relics, was accompanied by pyroxene hornfels metamorphism. This was followed by a regional, penetrative deformation (F2) with amphibolite facies (Barrovian type) metamorphism. This is the most prominent style of deformation which, although most intensely developed in the Limpopo Mobile Belt, is imposed throughout the whole area. The Limpopo Belt cuts across the area in the south as a large ductile shear zone and affects rocks largely similar to those of the craton, although anorthosites are not known outside it.The Limpopo Belt has its own style of deformation — interference folds, and several stages of folding related to transcurrent movement, and intense cataclasis.Metamorphism is similar throughout Limpopo Mobile Belt and Craton, each event being recognized in both domains and being of similar grades.In many respects the Botswana Eastern Geotraverse area resembles other Archaean terrains and analogies can be drawn. In attempting to find a geotectonic model into which it can be placed there is a considerable range of choices, and not enough constraints existing either within the imperfectly preserved geological record, nor within the expanding and elastic framework of Global tectonic theory.No direct evidence for subduction zones or plate boundaries has been found, nor is this surprising considering the subsequent history. On the other hand we see nothing in the rather detailed body of evidence that has been accumulated by mapping to preclude a place within Plate theory as outlined for the Phanerozoic. It allows a moderately uniformitarian interpretation rather than one supposing unique conditions preculiar to the Archaean, such as the concept of isolated volcanic depositaries, or of unique and peculiar crustal conditions.     

Kanonaite, (Mn 0.76 3+ Al0.23Fe 0.02 3+ )[6]Al[5][O¦SiO4], a new mineral isotypic with andalusite

Kanonaite forms rare porphyroblasts up to 12mm long in a gahnite— Mg-chlorite — coronadite — quartz schist occurring near Kanona, Zambia. The composition is (microprobe analysis): SiO₂ 32.2, Al₂O₃ 33.9, Mn as Mn₂O₃ 32.2, Fe₂O₃ 0.66, ZnO 0.13, MgO 0.04, BaO 0.04, TiO₂ 0.01, CaO 0.01, PbO 0.01, CuO 0.01, total 99.21, corresponding to $$\left( {{\text{Mn}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.76}}}^{{\text{3 + }}} {\text{Al}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.23}}} {\text{Fe}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.015}}}^{{\text{3 + }}} } \right)_{1.005}^{\left[ 6 \right]} {\text{AL}}_{1.00}^{\left[ 5 \right]} \left[ {{\text{O}}_{{\text{1}}{\text{.00}}} |{\text{Si}}_{{\text{0}}{\text{.99}}} {\text{O}}_{{\text{4}}{\text{.00}}} } \right]$$ The mineral is greenish black, strongly pleochroic with X(∥a) yellow green, Y(∥b) bluish green, Z(∥c) deep golden yellow, biaxial positive, with 2V = 53°(3°), α = 1.702, β = 1.730, γ = 1.823. Vickers microhardness (100 gram load) ranges between 906 and 1017kp/mm². The structure is orthorhombic, isotypic with andalusite, space group Pnnm, a = 0.7953(2), b = 0.8038(2), c = 0.5619(2) nm, V = 0.3592(1) nm³, a/b = 0.9895(3), c/b = 0.6990(3), S.G.(_x) = 3.395 g/cm³, Z = 4. The strongest X-ray powder lines are (d in nm, I, hkl):0.5669, 100, 110; 0.4590, 75, 011 and 101; 0.3577, 90, 120 and 210; 0.2827, 94, 220; 0.2517, 90, 310 and 112; 0.2212, 83, 320, 122 and 212. Comparison of the intensities of 373 observed X-ray reflections with those calculated for several models of Mn³⁺-distribution indicates octahedral coordination of all or most of the manganese present. Interpretation of magnetic measurements (μ_eff = 3.15B.M. per Mn atom at 25 ° C) indirectly supports octahedral coordination of Mn³⁺. The name of the mineral is for Kanona, a town near the type locality. The name is proposed for the end member Mn^{3+ [6]}Al^[5][O¦SiO₄] and for members of the solid-solution series towards andalusite with octahedral Mn³⁺>Al. The presently described mineral may be referred to as aluminian kanonaite.     

Numerical solution of micro-physical equations in a model of a convective cloud

Summary The procedure for computation and the numerical results of the first testing of the so-called Mi-operation, which is a construction unit of the model of a convective cloud[1] and represents the formulation of microphysical phenomena occurring in a convective cloud, are described. In this paper the Mi-operation is applied to the case of the liquid stage, restricted to condensation and drop evaporation. The solution of the corresponding system of kinetic equations serves the purpose of an initial test of the applicability of the integration method to the type of equations mentioned.     

“Pandora box” — Matrix in the calculus of observations

Summary If the condition R(A)=k(n), whereA is the design matrix of the type n × k and k the number of parameters to be determined, is not satisfied, or if the covariance matrixH is singular, it is possible to determine the adjusted value of the unbiased estimable function of the parameters f(), its dispersion D( (x)) and ² as the unbiased estimate of the value of ² by means of an arbitrary g-inversion of the matrix . The matrix , because of its remarkable properties, is called the Pandora Box matrix. The paper gives the proofs of these properties and the manner in which they can be employed in the calculus of observations.     

Identity of the characteristics of electrodynamic seismographs with non-standard periods of seismometers and galvanometers

Summary The maximum changes of magnification were determined for electrodynamic seismographs with standard characteristics and for some experimental long-period seismographs, the constants of which are given in Tab. 1, when the period of the seismometer or galvanometer has a deviation of not more than 5% from the standard value. Under the assumption of control of the other constants of the seismograph, identical amplitude and phase responses with a small change of the absolute magnification of the seismograph may be achieved with characteristicsAII ( ² >0.2), AIV ( ² 0.4), B ( ² >0.3) Nos28, 32 and33. This deviation can also be compensated by adjusting the optical distance. The procedure of adjusting the identical characteristics is suitable for systems with which an accurate setting of the period is difficult and for systems with an uncontrollable period, provided their values are within the limits of allowed deviations from the standard constants.     

Time variation of earthquake activity in the Balkan region

Summary Three quantities M, E ^1/2 and E ^2/3 are used for studying the Balkan earthquake provinces. Most of them show a regular trend of activity, for some of them the observation period of 70 years is too short. Some graphs give evidence of the coincidence or migration of activity.     

Regional trends in European induction data

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Mechanism of solar-terrestrial relations and changes of atmospheric circulation

Summary As a result of investigating the relations between the variations of geomagnetic activity and meteorological factors [1, 2] a mechanism of solar-terrestrial relationships and a model of the changes of atmospheric circulation in the Northern Hemisphere are proposed; this provides an explanation of the causes of the fluctuation of the climate, of dry and cold periods and differing vegetation conditions in various years in dependence on the intensity of geomagnetic activity.     

On one generalization of trochoidal waves

Summary The concept of the generalized trochoidal waves discussed in[1] is revised and modified. A new formula defining the auxiliary function (b, c) was found with the aid of the results derived in[3] and some physical considerations.