Pressures of Crystallization of Icelandic Magmas

Iceland lies astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and was createdby seafloor spreading that began about 55 Ma. The crust is anomalouslythick (20–40 km), indicating higher melt productivityin the underlying mantle compared with normal ridge segmentsas a result of the presence of a mantle plume or upwelling centeredbeneath the northwestern edge of the Vatnajökull ice sheet.Seismic and volcanic activity is concentrated in 50 km wideneovolcanic or rift zones, which mark the subaerial Mid-AtlanticRidge, and in three flank zones. Geodetic and geophysical studiesprovide evidence for magma chambers located over a range ofdepths (1·5–21 km) in the crust, with shallow magmachambers beneath some volcanic centers (Katla, Grimsvötn,Eyjafjallajökull), and both shallow and deep chambers beneathothers (e.g. Krafla and Askja). We have compiled analyses ofbasalt glass with geochemical characteristics indicating crystallizationof ol–plag–cpx from 28 volcanic centers in the Western,Northern and Eastern rift zones as well as from the SouthernFlank Zone. Pressures of crystallization were calculated forthese glasses, and confirm that Icelandic magmas crystallizeover a wide range of pressures (0·001 to 1 GPa), equivalentto depths of 0–35 km. This range partly reflects crystallizationof melts en route to the surface, probably in dikes and conduits,after they leave intracrustal chambers. We find no evidencefor a shallow chamber beneath Katla, which probably indicatesthat the shallow chamber identified in other studies containssilica-rich magma rather than basalt. There is reasonably goodcorrelation between the depths of deep chambers (> 17 km)and geophysical estimates of Moho depth, indicating that magmaponds at the crust–mantle boundary. Shallow chambers (<7·1 km) are located in the upper crust, and probablyform at a level of neutral buoyancy. There are also discretechambers at intermediate depths (11 km beneath the rift zones),and there is strong evidence for cooling and crystallizing magmabodies or pockets throughout the middle and lower crust thatmight resemble a crystal mush. The results suggest that themiddle and lower crust is relatively hot and porous. It is suggestedthat crustal accretion occurs over a range of depths similarto those in recent models for accretionary processes at mid-oceanridges. The presence of multiple stacked chambers and hot, porouscrust suggests that magma evolution is complex and involvespolybaric crystallization, magma mixing, and assimilation. KEY WORDS: Iceland rift zones; cotectic crystallization; pressure; depth; magma chamber; volcanic glass     

Large and giant hydrocarbon accumulations in the transitional continent-ocean zone

The petroleum resource potential is considered for the Atlantic, West Pacific, and East Pacific types of deepwater continental margins. The most considerable energy resources are concentrated at the Atlantic-type passive margins in the zone transitional to the ocean. The less studied continental slope of backarc seas of the generally active margins of the West Pacific type is currently not so rich in discoveries as the Atlantic-type margin, but is not devoid of certain expectations. In some of their parameters, the margins bounded by continental slopes may be regarded as analogs of classical passive margins. At the margins of the East Pacific type, the petroleum potential is solely confined to transform segments. In the shelf-continental-slope basins of the rift and pull-apart nature, petroleum fields occur largely in the upper fan complex, and to a lesser extent in the lower graben (rift) complex. In light of world experience, the shelf-continental-slope basins of the Arctic and Pacific margins of Russia are evaluated as highly promising.     

Oxygen Isotope Evidence for Chemical Interaction of Ki lauea Historical Magmas with Basement Rocks

Klauea historical summit lavas have a wide range in matrix ¹⁸O_VSMOWvalues (4·9–5·6) with lower values in rockserupted following a major summit collapse or eruptive hiatus.In contrast, ¹⁸O values for olivines in most of these lavasare nearly constant (5·1 ± 0·1). The disequilibriumbetween matrix and olivine ¹⁸O values in many samples indicatesthat the lower matrix values were acquired by the magma afterolivine growth, probably just before or during eruption. BothMauna Loa and Klauea basement rocks are the likely sources ofthe contamination, based on O, Pb and Sr isotope data. However,the extent of crustal contamination of Klauea historical magmasis probably minor (< 12%, depending on the assumed contaminant)and it is superimposed on a longer-term, cyclic geochemicalvariation that reflects source heterogeneity. Klauea's heterogeneoussource, which is well represented by the historical summit lavas,probably has magma ¹⁸O values within the normal mid-ocean ridgebasalt mantle range (5·4–5·8) based on thenew olivine ¹⁸O values. KEY WORDS: Hawaii; Klauea; basalt; oxygen isotopes; crustal contamination     

THE LAUSANNE CONGRESS

The International Society for Photogrammetry held the Xlth International Congress at Lausanne during July 1968. The authors review the activities of five of the seven I.S.P. Commissions.     

THE ANALYTICAL ORIENTATION OF A LUNAR MODEL

An analytical relative orientation of a stereo-pair of photographs was computed in an unusual system of co-ordinates. The disparity in the widely mismatched photographs, their tilts and narrow angles subtended resulted in a rather weak solution from which sections of the lunar surface have been plotted. The results were not good but were better than expected. The main outcome of the work is a, probably unique, demonstration of the versatility of analytical photogrammetry.     

Models of the Southern Oscillation in the 300–100 mb layer and the basis of seasonal forecasting

Summary The geometry of the principal Upper High (near the Indian Occean) in the 300–100 mb layer appears to account for the Southern Oscillation (S.O.), and models of its behaviour are presented. Significant features of these models include the equatorial points of upper convergence (C) and divergence (D), a pressure discontinuity (CNDS) forming «arcs» and an «enclosure» around the high, and, lastly, encircling «crescents» both outside and inside the enclosure. The geography of the seasonal sucession can thus—in a qualitative manner—be interpreted in the light of known wind and contour patterns near the tropopause. With a few general principles, the established empirical rules of long-range forecasting then follow by deduction. The models and the terminology are useful likewise in the interpretation of solar-terrestrial relations and of climatic fluctuations.     

A Lagrangian model for wind- and wave-induced near-surface currents

A theory is outlined for time-dependent currents induced near the sea surface in deep water, away from coastal boundaries, by a variable wind stress and deep-water wave field. It is based on the theory of Weber (1983) which uses a second-order perturbation expansion of the Navier-Stokes equations in Lagrangian coordinates and includes the Coriolis effect. It uses an eddy viscosity formulation for both wave dissipation and momentum transfer within the current field: the eddy viscosity ν may be allowed to vary with depth. The wind stress may be time-varying and the wave field may vary in both space and time.For the case of a constant ν, the results agree with those of Ursell (1950), Hasselmann (1970) and Pollard (1970) in the limit ν→0, and the steady-state results agree with those of Weber. For a particular case of depth-varying ν, results (obtained from numerical simulations) are in better general agreement with observations of wind-induced surface drift than when a constant ν is used.An outline is given of the application of the theory to the case of a random sea state. There are good prospects for using output data from numerical wave prediction models to drive the equations of this near-surface current model.     

Free vibration of semisubmersibles: A parametric study

Like any other engineering structure, the dynamic aspects of semisubmersible offshore platforms require serious consideration. The free vibrations of the semisubmersible structures have been investigated in the present work, in which the effect of the variation of the length, draft and hull spacings on the natural frequencies and mode shapes has been studied and the nature of the variations and their reasons have been discussed.