Tsunami backwash deposits with Chicxulub impact ejecta and dinosaur remains from the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary in the La Popa Basin,Mexico

The La Popa Basin in north‐eastern Mexico features outstanding, continuous three‐dimensional exposures of the Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary event deposit in shallow shelf environments pierced by salt stocks. In the area to the south‐east of the El Papalote diapir, the Cretaceous–Palaeogene deposit consists of two superimposed sedimentary units and erosively overlies upper Maastrichtian sand‐siltstones with soft‐sediment deformation and liquefaction structures. The basal unit 1 is an up to 8 m thick chaotic, carbonate‐rich bed that discontinuously fills incised gutters and channels. Besides abundant silicic and carbonate ejecta spherules from the Chicxulub impact, unit 1 includes large sandstone boulders and abundant shallow‐water debris (for example, mud clasts, algae, bivalve shells, gastropod shells and vertebrate remains). Unit 1 is conformably overlain by unit 2. Distal to the diapir, unit 2 consists of a centimetre to decimetre‐thick conglomeratic, coarse bioclast and spherule‐bearing sandstone bed. Closer to the diapir, unit 2 becomes a metre‐thick series of four to eight conglomeratic to fine‐grained graded sandstone beds rich in shell debris and ejecta spherules. Unit 2 is conformably overlain by structureless to parallel laminated sandstone beds that may mark the return to the pre‐event depositional regime. The sedimentary characteristics of the Cretaceous–Palaeogene deposit, including its erosive base, its sheet‐like geometry, the presence of multiple, graded beds, evidence for upper flow regime conditions and the absence of bioturbation, support an origin by a short‐term multiphase depositional event. The occurrence of soft‐sediment deformation structures (for example, liquefaction) below the Cretaceous–Palaeogene deposit suggests that earthquakes were the first to occur at La Popa. Then, shelf collapse and strong backflow from the first tsunami waves may have triggered erosion and deposition by violent ejecta‐rich hyperconcentrated density flows (unit 1). Subsequently, a series of concentrated density flows resulting from tsunami backwash surges may have deposited the multiple‐graded bedding structures of unit 2. The specific depositional sequence and the Fe‐Mg‐rich as well as Si‐K‐rich composition of the ejecta spherules both provide a critical link to the well‐known deep marine Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary sites in the adjacent Burgos basin in north‐eastern Mexico. Moreover, the pulse‐like input of Chicxulub ejecta material at the base of the event deposit allows for correlation with other Cretaceous–Palaeogene boundary sites in the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, as well as in Central and Northern America. The presence of diverse dinosaur and mosasur bones and teeth in the event deposit is the first observation of such remains together with Chicxulub ejecta material. These findings indicate that dinosaurs lived in the area during the latest Maastrichtian and suggest that the tsunami waves not only eroded deltas and estuaries but the coastal plain as well.     

The Generation of Oceanic Rhyolites by Crystal Fractionation: the Basalt-Rhyolite Association at Volcn Alcedo, Galpagos Archipelago

Alcedo volcano is one of six shield volcanoes on Isabela Islandin the western Galpagos Islands. Although Alcedo is dominantiybasaltic, it is unusual in that it also has erupted 1 km³ ofrhyolite. The rhyolitic phase marked a 10-fold decrease in themass-eruption rate of the volcano, and the volcano has returnedto erupting basalt. The basalts are tholeiitic and range fromstrongly to sparsely porphyritic. Olivine and plagiodase arethe liquidus phases in the most primitive basalts. The MgO andNi concentrations in the most primitive basalts indicate thatthey have undergone substantial differentiation since extractionfrom the mantle. The rhyolites contain the assemblage oligoclase-augite-titanomagnetite-fayalite-apatiteand sparse xenoliths of quenched basalt and cumulate gabbros.Intermediate rocks are very rare, but some are apparently basaltrhyolitehybrids, and others resulted from differentiation of tholeiiticmagma. Several modeling approaches and Sr-, Nd-, and O-isotopicdata indicate that the rhyolites resulted from 90% fractionation(by weight) of plagiodase, augite, titanomagnetite, olivine,and apatite from the most primitive olivine tholeiite. The dataare inconsistent with the rhyolites originating by crustal anatexis.The extreme Daly gap may be caused by the large increase inviscosity as the basaltic magma differentiates to intermediateand siliceous compositions; highly evolved magmas are eruptibleonly after they become saturated with volatiles by second boiling.The close association of the hybrid intermediate magmas andmagmatic inclusions with the climactic plinian eruption indicatesmixing between mafic and silicic magmas immediately before eruption.Rhyolite production was favored by the decrease in supply ofbasaltic magma as Alcedo was carried away from the focus ofthe Galpagos hotspot. A three-stage model for the magmaticevolution of a Galpagos volcano is proposed. In the first stage,the supply of basaltic magma is large. Basaltic magma continuallyintrudes the subcaldera magma chamber, buffering the magmas'compositional and thermal evolution. As the volcano is carriedaway from the basaltic source, the magma chamber is allowedto cool and differentiate, as exemplified by Alcedo's rhyoliticphase. Finally, the volcano receives even smaller influx ofbasalt, so a large magma chamber cannot be sustained, and thevolcano shifts to isolated basaltic eruptions. KEY WORDS: Galpagos; oceanic rhyolites; fractional crystallization; Isabela Island ^*Corresponding author, e-mail: Geist{at}IDUI1.csrv.uidaho.edu. Telephone: 208-885-6491. Fax: 208-885-5724     

Shallow erosion beneath turbidity currents and its impact on the architectural development of turbidite sheet systems

Erosion by turbidity currents changes the morphology of the sea floor. The relief of the scoured surface may affect the dynamics of the flow and thereby the pattern of deposition; this could, in turn, affect flow and deposition patterns in subsequent events. This study investigates shallow, centimetre to decimetre scale erosion beneath turbidite sheet sandstones of the Oligocene Macigno Formation of North‐west Italy, where erosion and deposition are variably coupled at the bed scale in a net‐aggradational setting. The research focus was on: (i) the recognition of scour edges and erosive surfaces; (ii) quantification of spatial differences in the amount of erosion; and (iii) an investigation of how this differential erosion can be compensated by the deposits directly overlying the erosional surfaces. Where they can be observed, scour edges commonly have sills of the overlying sandstone intruding beneath blocks and wings of the substrate that is being eroded. A consequence of this de‐laminating scouring style is that erosional surfaces are bedding parallel when followed away from the scour edges, giving the appearance of normal conformable bed bases. Despite their cryptic nature, such bedding‐parallel scour surfaces can be recognized by comparing serial detailed sedimentary logs (here, 16 bed‐parallel scour surfaces were identified in a succession comprising 95 beds). Different styles of compensation by the overlying turbidite beds are defined based on differential sedimentation inside and outside of the scour relief. It is found that differential erosion is on average under‐compensated by differential sedimentation. In some cases, the overlying deposits anti‐compensate, being thinner at the location where more erosion has occurred. Unequal spatial distribution of differential erosion in the study area combines with sedimentary under‐compensation to result in a trend of accumulating section thickness differences over multiple beds. In one ca 25 m thick package, the maximum cumulative change in lateral gradient during some 20 events reached 0·17°, before being reset by a single event. This process can be interpreted either as a lobe compensation effect, or as a scour enhancement effect, depending on the orientation of the palaeohorizontal datum. If allowed to proceed, the latter process could force the system past a channellization threshold, prompting a change from sheet to channelled architecture. This type of shallow substrate scouring and differential deposition is likely to be an important process in the build‐up of sheet turbidite sandstone units and could play a major role in autocyclic adjustment of local sea‐floor gradients.     

ASSESSMENT OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEMS OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS,USA AND CANADA

The Rocky Mountains in the USA and Canada encompass the interior cordillera of western North America, from the southern Yukon to northern New Mexico. Annual weather patterns are cold in winter and mild in summer. Precipitation has high seasonal and interannual variation and may differ by an order of magnitude between geographically close locales, depending on slope, aspect and local climatic and orographic conditions. The region's hydrology is characterized by the accumulation of winter snow, spring snowmelt and autumnal baseflows. During the 2–3-month ‘spring runoff’ period, rivers frequently discharge > 70% of their annual water budget and have instantaneous discharges 10–100 times mean low flow. Complex weather patterns characterized by high spatial and temporal variability make predictions of future conditions tenuous. However, general patterns are identifiable; northern and western portions of the region are dominated by maritime weather patterns from the North Pacific, central areas and eastern slopes are dominated by continental air masses and southern portions receive seasonally variable atmospheric circulation from the Pacific and the Gulf of Mexico. Significant interannual variations occur in these general patterns, possibly related to ENSO (El Niño–Southern Oscillation) forcing. Changes in precipitation and temperature regimes or patterns have significant potential effects on the distribution and abundance of plants and animals. For example, elevation of the timber-line is principally a function of temperature. Palaeolimnological investigations have shown significant shifts in phyto- and zoo-plankton populations as alpine lakes shift between being above or below the timber-line. Likewise, streamside vegetation has a significant effect on stream ecosystem structure and function. Changes in stream temperature regimes result in significant changes in community composition as a consequence of bioenergetic factors. Stenothermic species could be extirpated as appropriate thermal criteria disappear. Warming temperatures may geographically isolate cold water stream fishes in increasingly confined headwaters. The heat budgets of large lakes may be affected resulting in a change of state between dimictic and warm monomictic character. Uncertainties associated with prediction are increased by the planting of fish in historically fishless, high mountain lakes and the introduction of non-native species of fishes and invertebrates into often previously simple food-webs of large valley bottom lakes and streams. Many of the streams and rivers suffer from the anthropogenic effects of abstraction and regulation. Likewise, many of the large lakes receive nutrient loads from a growing human population. We concluded that: (1) regional climate models are required to resolve adequately the complexities of the high gradient landscapes; (2) extensive wilderness preserves and national park lands, so prevalent in the Rocky Mountain Region, provide sensitive areas for differentiation of anthropogenic effects from climate effects; and (3) future research should encompass both short-term intensive studies and long-term monitoring studies developed within comprehensive experimental arrays of streams and lakes specifically designed to address the issue of anthropogenic versus climatic effects. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Quantifying Three-Dimensional Silicate Fabrics in Cumulates Using Cumulative Distribution Functions

We present a new method for quantifying three-dimensional silicatefabrics and the associated uncertainties from grain orientationdata on three orthogonal sections. Our technique is appliedto the orientation of crystallographic features and, hence,yields a fabric related to the lattice-preferred orientation,although the method could be applied to shape-preferred orientationsor strain analysis based on passive linear markers. The orientationdata for each section are represented by their cumulative distributionfunction, and an iterative procedure is used to find the symmetricsecond-rank strain tensor that will simultaneously satisfy thecumulative distribution functions observed on each section.For samples with well-developed fabrics, this technique providesa much closer match to the sectional data than do previous techniquesbased on eigenparameter analysis of two-dimensional orientationdata. Robust uncertainty estimates are derived from a non-parametricbootstrap resampling scheme. The method is applied to two cumulates:one with a well-developed fabric and the other with a weak fabric,from the Stillwater complex, Montana. The silicate petrofabricorientations obtained for these samples compare favorably withindependent direct estimates of the volume fabric from electronbackscatter diffraction and magnetic techniques. KEY WORDS: cumulates; fabrics; quantitative; Stillwater complex; textural analysis     

FUZZY MULTIVARIATE RULE-BUILDING EXPERT SYSTEMS:MINIMAL NEURAL NETWORKS

A fuzzy multivariate rule-building expert system (FuRES) has been devised which also functions as aminimal neural network.This system builds rules from training sets of data that use featuretransformation in their antecedents.The rules are constructed using the ID3 algorithm with a fuzzyexpression of classification entropy.The rules are optimal with respect to fuzziness and can accommodateoverlapped and underlapped clusters of data.The FuRES algorithm combines the benefits obtained fromsimulated annealing and gradient optimization,which provide robustness and efficiency respectively.FARES classification trees support OR logic in their inference.The system automatically generatesmeaningful and consistent certainty factors during rule construction.Unlike other neural networks,FuRES uses local processing which furnishes qualitative information in the rule structure of itsclassification trees and variable loadings of the weight vectors.