Tidal influence in Cretaceous fluvial strata from Utah, USA: a key to sequence stratigraphic interpretation

Detailed models already exist that outline physical and temporal relationships in marine and marginal marine strata. Such models are still in their infancy in alluvial deposits. Recognition of tidal and estuarine influence in fluvial strata is critical to the development of high resolution sequence stratigraphic correlations between marine and non-marine strata. Strata that have previously been interpreted as low energy meandering river deposits contain sedimentary and biogenic structures that suggest a tidal influence. These structures include sigmoidal bedding, paired mud/silt drapes, wavy and lenticular bedding, shrinkage cracks, multiple reactivation surfaces, inclined heterolithic strata, complex compound cross-beds, bidirectional cross-beds, and trace fossils including Teredolites, Arenicolites and Skolithos. Although none of these structures is unique to tidal processes, the preponderance of data suggests that fluvial systems have been affected by tidal processes well inland of coeval shoreline deposits. These deposits rarely form a significant proportion of a depositional sequence; however, their occurrence allows time significant surfaces to be extended for tens or even hundreds of kilometres inland from coeval shoreline deposits. In Turonian through Campanian strata exposed in the Kaiparowits Plateau of southern Utah, tidally influenced facies are recognized within at least two distinct stratigraphic levels that were deposited during periods of relatively rapid base level rise. These strata form part of an alluvial transgressive systems tract. Landward of each of the marine transgressive maxima, tidal facies are present in fluvial channels that are completely encased in non-marine strata at distances up to 65 km inland from a coeval palaeoshoreline. Our work suggests that such deposits may have gone unrecognized in the past, but they form a significant component of alluvial strata in many depositional sequences. Although these tidally influenced fluvial deposits may be difficult to recognize, they are temporally equivalent to marine maximum flooding surfaces and provide a chronostratigraphic correlation between alluvial and nearshore marine deposits.     

GRADIENT ARRAY PROFILES OVER THIN RESISTIVE VEINS1

Furness , P. 1993. Gradient Array Profiles over thin resistive veins. Geophysical Prospecting 41 , 113–130. Gradient array geoelectric surveys are commonly used to explore for buried sheet-like targets. It is demonstrated that under certain circumstances the responses of such features can become practically equivalent for a range of models differing considerably in resistivity and thickness. This is the dual of the familiar equivalence phenomenon associated with thin beds in geoelectric sounding operations. Hence the geoelectric response profiles over thin dipping resistive veins are conveniently studied by considering equivalent forms with vanishing thickness and infinite resistivity but with the same resistivity-thickness product. The effects of varying the dip, depth of burial, depth extent and resistivity–thickness product of such features on the gradient array response profiles are investigated by means of a series of numerical experiments. These demonstrate several effects of significance to survey design and data interpretation. In particular it is found that while the resistivity–thickness product influences the amplitude of the response profiles it has little effect on their form. A similar behaviour is found to be exhibited by veins with extended depth extent when the dip is varied. A complete quantitative interpretation of gradient array profiles over thin dipping resistive veins is thus only possible for veins of limited depth extent. For veins with an extended depth dimension, the data is ambiguous (in a practical sense) in terms of the dip and the resistivity–thickness product. Here, the interpretation can only be expected to deduce the horizontal and vertical locations of the vein apex.     

A RECONCILIATION OF MATHEMATICAL MODELS FOR SPONTANEOUS MINERALIZATION POTENTIALS1

Two methods for computing spontaneous mineralization potentials in the region external to the source body are reviewed. The first of these is a long-established technique in which the causation is assumed to be a distribution of simple current source on the boundary of the mineralization. The second is a more recent technique which assumes a surface distribution of current dipole moment (double layer) along the boundary of the source body. The former technique is a special case of a more general spontaneous potential (SP) model in which the source is a density of current dipole moment (current polarization) distributed throughout the mineralization. As far as the potentials in the region external to the source body are concerned this current polarization can be simply related to an equivalent double layer source function, i.e. the potential discontinuity produced over the boundary of the mineralization by an equivalent double layer model. This simple relationship suggests an integral equation technique for the exact numerical solution of boundary value problems appropriate to the polarization model for spontaneous mineralization potentials. The technique is applied to exploring the justification of interpreting mineralization self-potentials by the traditional approach.     

Making a Difference on Jobs

While macroeconomic settings and the regulator environment matter, something more is needed to deal with unemployment. That involves infrastructure redevelopment, to boost private sector investment and productivity growth, industry policy to capture the full benefits of market conditions and a strategic partnership with Maori for full use of Iwi resources.     

Microbiological effects on slope stability: an experimental analysis

A natural, pure quartz sand has been seeded with the bacterium Pseudomonas atlantica and the fungus Penicillium chrysogenum, and angles of avalanche and repose have been measured under water using a laboratory clinometer. The lowest angles of avalanche occur in freshly packed clean sediment (control), with the seeded sediments having higher values. Among the latter, the lowest angles of repose occur in the bacterial seeded sediments, and the highest in the fungal seeded sediments. The largest differences between the angle of avalanche and angle of repose occur in the bacterial seeded and media control sediments. The smallest differences occur in the fungal seeded sediment. In most cases the second angle of avalanche is lower than the first angle of avalanche, whilst the second angle of repose is higher than the first angle of repose. The bacteria bind particles together with their extracellular polymeric material, while the fungus binds particles by holding them together with a network of hyphal filaments. In the bacterial seeded sediment growth is uniform over the sediment surface. In the fungal seeded sediment growth occurs as discrete colonies separated by bare sediment, and the fungal hyphae penetrate the sediment to a significant depth. On avalanching, the fungal colonies move down the slope with the hyphal filaments trailing behind them in the sediment. Overall, both the bacterium and the fungus increase slope stability. However, the fungal colonies maintain slope stability after avalanching more effectively than does the uniform bacterial growth. The results are discussed in relation to the wide range of biological effects that stabilize flat sediments and to laboratory and field studies on the stability of sediment slopes.     

Reaction Between Ultramafic Rock and Fractionating Basaltic Magma I. Phase Relations, the Origin of Calc-alkaline Magma Series, and the Formation of Discordant Dunite

This paper presents results of modelling reaction between peridotiteand fractionating tholeiitic basalt in simple and complex silicatesystems. Reactions are outlined in appropriate binary and ternarysilicate systems. In these simple systems, the result of reactionsbetween ‘basalt’ and ‘peridotite’ maybe treated as a combination of Fe-Mg exchange and mass transferreactions at constant Fe/Mg. Fe-Mg exchange in ternary and higher-ordersystems is nearly isenthalpic, and involves a slight decreasein magma mass at constant temperature. Mass transfer reactions,typically involving dissolution of orthopyroxene and consequentcrystallization of olivine, are also nearly isenthalpic in ternaryand higher-order silicate systems, and produce a slight increasein the magma mass at constant temperature. The combined reactionsare essentially isenthalpic and produce a slight increase inmagma mass under conditions of constant temperature or constantenthalpy. Initial liquids saturated in plagioclase+olivine will becomesaturated only in olivine as a result of near-constant-temperaturereaction with peridotite, and crystal products of such reactionswill be dunite. Liquids saturated in clinopyroxene+olivine willremain on the cpx-ol cotectic during reaction with peridotite,but will crystallize much more olivine than clinopyroxene asa result of reaction, i.e., crystal products will be clinopyroxene-bearingdunite and wehrlite rather than olivine clinopyroxenite, whichwould be produced by cotectic crystallization. The Mg/Fe ratioof crystal products is ‘buffered’ by reaction withmagnesian peridotite, and dunites so produced will have high,nearly constant Mg/Fe. Production of voluminous magnesian dunitein this manner does not require crystal fractionation of a highlymagnesian olivine tholeiite or picrite liquid. Combined reaction with ultramafic wall rock and crystal fractionationdue to falling temperature produces a calc-alkaline liquid lineof descent from tholeiitic parental liquids under conditionsof temperature, pressure, and initial liquid composition whichwould produce tholeiitic derivative liquids in a closed system.Specifically, closed-system differentiates show iron enrichmentat near-constant silica concentration with decreasing temperature,whereas the same initial liquid reacting with peridotite producessilica-enriched derivatives at virtually constant Mg/Fe. Reaction between fractionating basalt and mafic to ultramaficrock is likely to be important in subduction-related magmaticarcs, where tholeiitic primary liquids pass slowly upward throughhigh-temperature wall rock in the lower crust and upper mantle.Although other explanations can account for chemical variationin individual calc-alkaline series, none can account as wellfor the characteristics shared by all calc-alkaline series.This process, if it is volumetrically important on Earth, hasimportant implications for (Phanerozoic) crustal evolution:sub-arc mantle should be enriched in iron, and depleted in silicaand alumina, relative to sub-oceanic mantle, acting as a sourcefor sialic crust It is probable that inter-occanic magmaticarcs have basement similar to alpine peridotite, in which sub-oceanicmantle has been modified by interaction with slowly ascendingbasaltic liquids at nearly constant temperature. Discordantdunite bodies in alpine pendotite may record extraction of sialiccrust from the Earth's upper mantle. ^*Present address: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts 02543     

INVERSION OF POST-STACK SEISMIC DATA USING SIMULATED ANNEALING1

Model-based inversion of seismic reflection data is a global optimization problem when prior information is sparse. We investigate the use of an efficient, global, stochastic optimization method, that of simulated annealing, for determining the two-way traveltimes and the reflection coefficients. We exploit the advantage of an ensemble approach to the inversion of full-scale target zones on 2D seismic sections. In our ensemble approach, several copies of the model-algorithm system are run in parallel. In this way, estimation of true ensemble statistics for the process is made possible, and improved annealing schedules can be produced. It is shown that the method can produce reliable results efficiently in the 2D case, even when prior information is sparse.     

Anomalous geochemical signals from phosphatic Middle Cambrian rocks in the southern Georgina Basin, Australia

Middle Cambrian rocks of the Georgina Basin contain both phosphatic and organic-rich sediments, the former often occurring as commercially viable phosphate deposits, and the latter as minor oil shale occurrences. Both kinds of rocks occur in the Hay River Formation penetrated by Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) stratigraphic corehole Tobermory 14. Detailed sampling and analysis of this core has been undertaken to assess the chemostratigraphy of the Hay River Formation; to examine the possible use, as a palaeoceanographic tool, of changes in δ¹³C values of carbonates and kerogens; and to gain an understanding of phosphate deposition in this part of the basin. The Upper Hay River Formation was deposited in a normal marine environment characterized by oxic bottom conditions. It contains several episodes of significant trace metal enrichment which appear to indicate periodic replacement of the water body. The Lower Hay River Formation, however, was deposited in an abnormal marine environment low in sulphate and Mo and enriched in P. Its carbonate phase has positive δ¹³C values 1–1.5%₀ enriched over the accepted Cambrian marine carbonate value of -0.57 ± 0.17%₀. The very low sulphate concentration, Mo-depletion and spiking of carbonate δ¹⁸O values suggests there was an influx of deeper ocean water of sufficient volume to maintain prolonged stable anoxic bottom waters. These data support a previous suggestion that phosphogenesis in the Georgina Basin was related to ‘Oceanic Anoxic Events'.     

Cosmogenic radionuclide dating indicates ice‐sheet configuration during MIS 2 on Nordaustlandet,Svalbard

Hormes, A., Akçar, N. & Kubik, P. W. 2011: Cosmogenic radionuclide dating indicates ice‐sheet configuration during MIS 2 on Nordaustlandet, Svalbard. Boreas, 10.1111/j.1502‐3885.2011.00215.x. ISSN 0300‐9483.0300‐9843 Glacial geological field surveys, aerial image interpretation and cosmogenic radionuclide (CRN) dating allowed us to reconstruct the ice‐sheet configuration on Nordaustlandet, the northernmost island of the European sector on the margin of the Arctic Ocean. The timing of deglaciation was investigated by determining the ²⁶Al and ¹⁰Be ages of glacially scoured bedrock, weathered periglacial blockfields and glacial erratic boulders. Only ¹⁰Be ages were useful for our interpretations, because of unresolved analytical problems with ²⁶Al. Fjords and lowlands on Nordaustlandet yielded Late Weichselian ¹⁰Be ages, indicating that actively erosive ice streams scoured the coastal fjord bathymetry during marine isotope stage (MIS) 2. In Murchisonfjorden, ground‐truthed air‐photograph interpretation and ¹⁰Be ages of boulders indicated a cold‐based glacier ice cover during MIS 2 on higher plateaus. ¹⁰Be ages and lithological studies of erratic boulders on higher and interior plateaus of Prins Oscars Land (>200–230 m a.s.l.) suggest that the Mid‐Weichselian glaciation (MIS 4) might have been more extensive than that during MIS 2.