Rôle du fluor dans la formation des gisements d'émeraude de Mananjary (Est de Madagascar)

The Mananjary emerald deposits are hosted in phlogopite-rich rocks formed through metasomatic alteration of meta-ultrabasites (hornblendites) at about 500 °C and 2 kbar due to infiltration of fluoride-rich fluids. A thermodynamic model explains the role of fluoride-complexation in the transport of Be and points to co-precipitation of F-phlogopite as the cause of beryl deposition. To cite this article: B. Moine et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Landscape evolution and geodynamic controls in the Gulf of Cadiz (Huelva coast, SW Spain) during the Late Quaternary

The coastal evolution of the El Abalario area (Huelva, southern Spain) during the Late Pleistocene and Holocene is reinterpreted after a refinement of the available geochronology by means of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating. New data come from the analysis of soft sediment deformation, palaeosols, geomorphological mapping, and published seismic surveys on the onshore and offshore Gulf of Cadiz.The present structure of El Abalario dome resulted from the complex interaction of littoral-catchment processes and sea-level changes upon an emergent coastal plain, conditioned by the upwarping of the underlying Pliocene–Pleistocene prograding deltaic sequence. Upwarping is probably related to escape of over-pressurized fluids, accompanied by dewatering, prior to (?) and during OIS (Oxygen Isotopic Stage) 5. Continued upwarping produced the large NW–SE gravitational fault of Torre del Loro (TLF) in the southwestern flank of the dome, roughly parallel to the present coastline during OIS 5–OIS 4. The resulting escarpment favoured the accumulation of aeolian sand dunes (units U1, U2, and U3) from OIS 5 to early OIS 1. Unit U1 (OIS 5) ends upwards in a supersurface with a thick weathering profile that suggests moist and temperate climatic conditions. Unit U2 accumulated mainly during OIS 4 and OIS 3 with prevailing W/E winds. The supersurface between U2 and U3 records a part of OIS 2, with relative low sea level. Sedimentation of unit U3 took place during the Last Deglaciation (radiocarbon and OSL ages) with prevailing W/SW winds, under a temperate moist climate, that became more arid towards the top (Holocene). A major supersurface with an iron crust-like layer (SsFe) developed during the Holocene Climatic Optimum (OIS 1) under wetter and more temperate conditions than before, fossilizing the TLF. The supersurface is covered by younger aeolian dunes (U4, U5, U6, and U7) transported by W–SW winds since the Late Neolithic–Chalcolithic cultural period (5.0 ky cal BP).     

Distortion of the geomagnetic field in volcanic terrains: an experimental study of the Mount Etna stratovolcano

The inclination (I), declination (D) and total intensity (F) of the geomagnetic field were measured on Mount Etna in 1989-1991 at a dozen sites previously sampled for archeomagnetic studies. The purpose of the work was to determine the variations of these parameters at 30 cm above ground level, and how the distortion from the main field can affect the archeomagnetic record of volcanic rocks. Ten measurements were usually performed at each site with a three-component flux-gate magnetometer, whose estimated precision is ±0.2° on direction and ±50 nT on intensity. This was considered sufficient on volcanic areas with highly magnetized rocks and where the geomagnetic gradient may be in excess of 1000 nT/m. Results averaged for each site generally show small variations in intensity (±3% of the total field) and direction (±1.5°). The averaged values of the 12 sites (I=52.6°, D=0.3°, F=44010 nT) are very close to those measured in sedimentary terrain away from the volcano (I=52.9°, D=0.35°, F=44110 nT), themselves consistent with the interpolated IGRF in eastern Sicily. The largest deviations of the geomagnetic direction have been observed on four sites, three of them located on the South flank between 1900 and 700 m elevation. It is suggested that these anomalies are mainly related to dyke swarms which are common within the South Rift Zone of Mount Etna. Our findings show that reliable archeomagnetic results can be obtained from volcanic rocks, provided that lavas of the same eruption are sampled on several sites distributed over the largest possible area.     

Petrogenesis of ultramafic rocks and associated chromitites in the Nan Uttaradit ophiolite, Northern Thailand

The ultramafic sequence and associated chromitites of the Nan-Uttaradit ophiolite in the northeastern part of Thailand have been studied in the field and by applying petrography and geochemistry to whole rock samples and minerals. The ultramafic rocks comprise irregulary shaped bodies of dunite, harzburgite, orthopyroxene-rich lherzolite and orthopyroxene-rich harzburgite, clinopyroxene-rich dunite and intrusive clinopyroxenite-websterite bodies. Three types of chromitite were distinguished. Type I chromitite lenses and type II layers which are hosted in orthopyroxenite in the northern part and in dunite in the central part of the ophiolite. Type III chromitite forms lenses or layers in clinopyroxenites in the central and southern parts of the belt. According to the modal and chemical composition the peridotites and orthopyroxenites are strongly refractory. They originated during different stages of interaction between percolating melts and peridotite. The chromitites of types I and II, which are very rich in Cr (up to 68 wt.% Cr₂0₃), crystallized from a boninitic parental magma under highly reducing conditions in the northern part and moderate oxygen fugacities (FMQ) in the central part of the ophiolite. The chromitite of type III which are characterized by the highest Fe³⁺/(Fe³⁺ + Cr + Al) -ratios, and hosted in intrusive clinopyroxenite-websterite-rocks, cumulated from a CaO-rich transitional boninitic melt under fO₂ conditions around FMQ.     

Insight into the upper mantle beneath an active extensional zone: the spinel-peridotite xenoliths from San Quintin (Baja California,Mexico)

Many of the peridotite xenoliths included in the San Quintin (Baja California Norte, Mexico) quaternary alkali-basalts have undergone a very intense shear deformation (deviatoric stresses up to 0.1 GPa), hence a first-order classification into coarse-grained lherzolites and deformed peridotites (porphyroclastic and mosaic textures) has been applied. All of these rocks show a very limited compositional variability in the Mg/(Mg+Fe²⁺) ratios (olivine: 0.894–0.905±0.005; orthopyroxene: 0.899–0.9105±0.005), and the observed trends in the Cr/(Cr+Al) spinel ratios (from 0.1 to 0.6) can be interpreted as resulting from gradual partial melting followed by homogenization of the bulk phases. A later and less accentuated melting event is also evidenced by internal core-rim variations in the spinels from a few samples and ascribed to the thermal effect of the host lava.Simultaneous application of exchange geothermometers which give the latest equilibrium temperatures (i.e. at the time of eruption: Fe-Mg exchange between olivine and spinel) and of pyroxene transfer thermobarometers yields two distinct behaviours: the porphyroclastic and mosaic peridotites record an event of deformation and recrystallization and were equilibrated at 800°–950° C and P-1 GPa at the time of eruption, but have also retained evidence of higher temperatures (1000°–1050° C) and pressures; the coarsegrained lherzolites, which yield conditions of 1000°–1050° C and P<-2 GPa at the time of eruption, were originally equilibrated at higher temperature and pressure conditions and were subsequently re-equilibrated to 1000°–1050° C by solid-state bulk diffusion, without exsolution.Clinopyroxenite veins provide evidence of magma injection into the host-peridotite, before deformation but after the major melting event.To explain the simultaneous sampling of both groups of peridotites by the San Quintin alkali basalts, we suggest that the ascending magma reached the critical limit for hydraulic fracturing in the coarse-grained lherzolites. At shallower depth, the magma cross-cut an active shear zone, sampling prophyroclastic and mosaic samples of the strained peridotites.Our model is consistent with the regional tectonic context: upwelling of the mantle by isostatic re-equilibration after the end of the subduction processes and subsequent opening of the California Gulf. The only questionable parameter of the model remains the geometry of the shearzone, high or low angle orientation.     

Structures in the Canyon Mountain Ophiolite indicate an island-arc intrusion

Lithosphere created in an interarc basin is expected to be characterized by features distinguishing it from “normal” oceanic lithosphere. Apart from island-arc geochemical affinities and from the occurrence of hydrous high-T parageneses in the mantle and deep crustal sequences, it is expected that due to a low rate of spreading, vertical transport prevails over lateral drifting.

The Canyon Mountain complex located in an island-arc environment of Permo-Triassic age offers a remarkable illustration of these expected geological characteristics. In particular, mantle diapirism is deduced from the structural study. Smaller diapirs are formed in crustal formations. The intrusions took place at variable temperatures (1300°–800°C) and were accompanied by multistage melting in hydrous conditions.     

The 1975–1977 crisis of la Soufriere de Guadeloupe (F.W.I): A still-born magmatic eruption

On July 8, 1976, eruptive activity broke out at la Soufrière de Guadeloupe (F.W.I) after about one year of increasing seismic activity. Seismic activity continued to increase until August 1976, reaching more than 1500 events (a 200-fold increase over the preceding quiet period of a few years) and an energy output of about 10¹⁷ ergs in a day. A total of 26 major phreatic eruptions similar to the July 8 outburst took place during an eight-months period. The steam blasts that characterized the eruptions gave rise to particle- and sometimes block-charged plumes that deposited an estimated 10⁶ m³ of solids. The H₂O-rich gases emitted during the blasts presumably contained other gases (H₂S, SO₂, CO₂...) that were partly adsorbed on solid particles. All material was erupted at temperatures of the order of 100° to 200°C.The observation of vertical migration of earthquake foci in less than a few hours and over about 6 km depth, and of abnormal variations of the geomagnetic field, indicate a deep energy source for the phreatic eruptions. A small proportion of the gases adsorbed on solid particles had a magmatic origin. However, most of the steam and the tephra seemed to originate from superficial levels of a hydrothermal system. Similar phreatic eruptions have occurred several times in recorded history. In the case of la Soufrière, the origin of the phreatic eruptions is best described by an abnormal energy input (versus steady-state) from a crustal magma chamber. The occurrence of truly magmatic eruptions is presumably inhibited by an extensive hydrothermal system. The abrupt release of more power from the magma chamber could have resulted in an explosive pyroclastic eruption.Substantial improvement of the Guadeloupe volcano observatory has followed the 1975–1977 crisis. Permanent telemetered geophysical networks and regular geochemical observations have provided a five year data base of the volcano behavior in its noneruptive state which can be compared to crisis situations.     

Organo-colloidal control on major- and trace-element partitioning in shallow groundwaters: Confronting ultrafiltration and modelling

Ultrafiltration experiments using new small ultracentifugal filter devices were performed at different pore size cut-offs to allow the study of organo-colloidal control on metal partitioning in water samples. Two shallow, circumneutral pH waters from the Mercy site wetland (western France) were sampled: one dissolved organic carbon (DOC)- and Fe-rich and a second DOC-rich and Fe-poor. Major- and trace-element cations and DOC concentrations were analysed and data treated using an ascendant hierarchical classification method. This reveals the presence of three groups: (i) a “truly” dissolved group (Na, K, Rb, Ca, Mg, Ba, Sr, Si and Ni); (ii) an inorganic colloidal group carrying Fe, Al and Th; and (iii) an organic colloidal group enriched in Cr, Mn, Co, Cu and U. However, REE and V have an ambivalent behaviour, being alternatively in the organic pool and in the inorganic pool depending on sample. Moreover, organic speciation calculation using Model VI were performed on both samples for elements for which binding constants were available (Ca, Mg, Ni, Fe, Al, Th, Cr, Cu, Dy, Eu). Calculation shows relatively the same partitioning of these elements as ultrafiltration does. However, some limitations appear such as (i) a direct use of ultrafiltration results which tends to overestimate the fraction of elements bound to humic material in the inorganic pool as regards to model calculations as well as, (ii) a direct use of speciation calculation results which tends to overestimate the fraction of elements bound to humic material in the organic pool with regard to ultrafiltration results. Beside these limitations, one can consider that both techniques, ultrafiltration and speciation calculation, give complementary information, especially for more complex samples where inorganic and organic colloids compete.