A subduction wedge origin for Paleoarchean peridotitic diamonds and harzburgites from the Panda kimberlite, Slave craton: evidence from Re–Os isotope systematics

An extensive study of peridotitic sulfide inclusion bearing diamonds and their prospective harzburgitic host rocks from the 53 Ma Panda kimberlite pipe, Ekati Mine, NWT Canada, has been undertaken with the Re–Os system to establish their age and petrogenesis. Diamonds with peridotitic sulfide inclusions have poorly aggregated nitrogen (<30% N as B centers) at N contents of 200–800 ppm which differs from that of chromite and silicate bearing diamonds and indicates residence in the cooler portion of the Slave craton lithospheric mantle. For most of the sulfide inclusions, relatively low Re contents (average 0.457 ppm) and high Os contents (average 339 ppm) lead to extremely low ¹⁸⁷Re/¹⁸⁸Os, typically << 0.05. An age of 3.52 ± 0.17 Ga (MSWD = 0.46) and a precise initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os of 0.1093 ± 0.0001 are given by a single regression of 11 inclusions from five diamonds that individually provide coincident internal isochrons. This initial Os isotopic composition is 6% enriched in ¹⁸⁷Os over 3.5 Ga chondritic or primitive mantle. Sulfide inclusions with less radiogenic initial Os isotopic compositions reflect isotopic heterogeneity in diamond forming fluids. The harzburgites have even lower initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os than the sulfide inclusions, some approaching the isotopic composition of 3.5 Ga chondritic mantle. In several cases isotopically distinct sulfides occur in different growth zones of the same diamond. This supports a model where C–O–H–S fluids carrying a radiogenic Os signature were introduced into depleted harzburgite and produced diamonds containing sulfides conforming to the 3.5 Ga isochron. Reaction of this fluid with harzburgite led to diamonds with less radiogenic inclusions while elevating the Os isotope ratios of some harzburgites. Subduction is a viable way of introducing such fluids. This implies a role for subduction in creating early continental nuclei at 3.5 Ga and generating peridotitic diamonds.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Radio and optical spectra of objects from three complete samples of radio sources

We present classifications, optical identifications, and radio spectra for 19 radio sources from three complete samples, with declinations 4°–6° (B1950, S _{3.9 GHz} > 200 mJy), 10°–12°30′ (J2000, S _{4.85 GHz} > 200 mJy), and 74°–75° (J2000, S _{4.85 GHz} > 100 mJy). We also present corresponding information for the radio source J0527+0331. The right ascensions are 0–24^h and the Galactic latitudes |b| > 15° for all the samples. Our observations were obtained with the 6 m telescope from the Special Astrophysical Observatory in the range 4000–9000 Å or 4000–7500 Å and the RATAN-600 radio telescope at frequencies in the range 0.97–21.7 GHz. We obtained flux densities for the radio sources and optical spectra for their optical counterparts. Nine objects were classified as quasars with redshifts from z = 1.029 to 3.212; nine objects are emission-line galaxies with redshifts from 0.172 to 0.546, and one is a galaxy with burstlike star formation at z = 0.156, and one is a BL Lac object with z = 0.509. The spectra of five radio sources were decomposed into extended and compact components. The radio source J0527+0331, identified with a BL Lac object, displays significant variations of time scales from several days to several years. Data on flux variations are presented for 11 radio sources, as well as their spectra at several epochs.     

Tackling social exclusion in European neighbourhoods: experiences and lessons from the NEHOM project

Disadvantaged urban neighbourhoods with their complex social, economic and physical situations have increasingly become the focus of governmental policies in the EU. The emphasis has shifted from improving physical qualities to building opportunities for social groups in these areas. While physical upgrade is easier to achieve, at least in the short run, initiatives often fail in outcomes on communities and local participation. This paper aims to improve understanding on how to tackle area-based social exclusion and create socially coherent communities. Building on the results of the NEHOM project, the focus is on examining how various interventions have impacted local communities and their opportunities for better inclusion. A comparison between neighbourhoods shows that mixing social groups to a certain degree is likely to be a necessary step towards opening long-term opportunities for a disadvantaged neighbourhood. The planned initiatives should at the same time directly benefit local communities, and the involvement of local groups in the planning and implementation process helps to guarantee that the overall changes are accepted by the local community. However, the proposed guidelines do not provide a universal recipe for a successful renewal suiting each neighbourhood—the contextual matters should always be a starting point when planning an initiative.     

Initiation and development of pull-apart basins with Riedel shear mechanism: insights from scaled clay experiments

Typical pull-apart structures were created in scaled clay experiments with a pure strike-slip geometry (Riedel type experiments). A clay slab represents the sedimentary cover above a strike-slip fault in the rigid basement. At an early stage of the development of the deformation zone, synthetic shear fractures (Riedel shears) within the clay slab display dilatational behaviour. With increasing basal displacement the Riedel shears rotate and open further, developing into long, narrow and deep troughs. The shear displacement and the low angle with the prescribed principal basal fault set them apart from tension gashes. At a more evolved stage, synthetic segments (Y-shears) parallel to the basal principal fault develop and accommodate progressive strike-slip deformation. The Y-shears connect the tips of adjacent troughs developed from the earlier Riedel shears, resulting in the typical rhomb-shaped structures characteristic for pull-apart basins. The Strait of Sicily rift zone, with major strike-slip systems being active from the Miocene to the Present, comprises pull-apart basins at different length scales, for which the structural record suggests development by a mechanism similar to that observed in our experiments.     

Groundwater flow and velocity in a 500 ka pre-Illinoian till, eastern Iowa

Few hydrology studies have investigated glacial till older than Illinoian time (> 300,000 BP) despite these older tills overlying a large portion of North America. An 8- and 6-well monitoring well nest installed into a 31 m thick pre-Illinoian till sequence near Cedar Rapids, Iowa was characterized using traditional hydrologic methods and chemical tracers. The aquitard system consists of about 9 m of fine-grained oxidized pre-Illinoian till overlying 22 m of unoxidized till and Devonian dolomite bedrock. Hydraulic conductivity ranged from 10⁻⁷ m/s in oxidized till and 10⁻¹⁰ m/s in unoxidized till. Hydraulic head relations indicated downward groundwater flow through the till profile with hydraulic gradients steepest near the unoxidized till/bedrock interface. Tritium and nitrate concentrations indicated recent (< 50 years old) recharge to a depth of 9–12 m below land surface. ¹⁸O and ²H results ranged between −6.2 to −7.9% and −38.0 to −50.9%, respectively, and plotted near the local Meteoric Water Line. A 1 per mil shift toward less negative ¹⁸O values with depth may suggest a climate change signal contained in the till water but more data are needed to verify this trend. Vertical groundwater velocity through the unoxidized till was estimated to range from 0.4 to 5.7 cm/year. The thickness of unoxidized pre-Illinoian till in Linn County was estimated from available records and contoured against vertical travel times to evaluate the effectiveness of pre-Illinoian till in preventing nitrate migration to underlying bedrock aquifers.     

Petrogenesis and tectonic setting of Cadomian felsic igneous rocks, Sandıklı area of the western Taurides, Turkey

In the Sandıklı (Afyon) region, western Taurides, the Late Proterozoic rocks of the Sandıklı basement complex are composed of low-grade meta-sedimentary rocks (Güvercinoluk Formation) intruded by felsic rocks (Kestel Cayı Porphyroid Suite, KCPS). The KCPS is a deformed and highly sheared, dome-shaped rhyolitic body with a granitic core. Quartz porphyry dikes intrude both the slightly metamorphic igneous and the sedimentary rocks of the basement complex. Both the quartz porphyries and rhyolites were converted into mylonites with relict igneous textures. Geochemical data show that these felsic igneous rocks are subalkaline and mainly granitic in composition with SiO₂ >72 wt% and Al₂O₃ >11.5 wt%. The chondrite-normalized incompatible trace element patterns are characterized by distinct negative Rb, Nb, Sr, P, Ti, and Eu with enrichment in Th, U, La, Ce, Nd, Sm, and Zr. The REE patterns of the felsic rocks indicate a strong enrichment in LREE but display slightly flat HREE patterns. According to geochemical characteristics and petrogenetic modeling, extrusive and intrusive rocks of the KCPS were probably derived from an upper continental crustal source (partial melting of granites/felsic rocks) by 18–20% fractional melting plus 18–20% Rayleigh fractional crystallization, which seems to be the most effective igneous process during the crystallization of the KCPS. Single zircon age data from the granitoids and fossils from the disconformably overlying sedimentary successions indicate that the metamorphism and the igneous event in the Taurides are related to the Cadomian orogeny. Based on the geological, geochemical and petrogenetic correlation of the post-collisional granitoids it is further suggested that the Tauride belt in western central Turkey was in a similar tectonic setting to the Gondwanan terranes in North Africa (Younger Granitoids) and southern Europe (Spain, France, Bohemia, Brno Massifs) during the Late Cadomian period.     

Formation of iron-containing colloids by the weathering of phyllite

The formation of colloids during the weathering of phyllite was investigated by exposing ground phyllite to Milli-Q water. Secondary mineral colloids of 10¹–10² nm were detected in significant concentrations. At pH of about 8.5, the solution concentration of these colloids reached up to 10 mg/L (however, acidification to pH 4.0 prevented the formation of the colloids). The mineralogical composition of the secondary mineral colloids is assumed to be a mixture of ferrihydrite, manganese oxyhydroxides, aluminosilicates, amorphous Al(OH)₃ and gibbsite with possible additions of iron silicates and␣iron-alumino silicates. The colloids were stable over longer periods of time (at least several weeks), even in the presence of suspended ground rock. Direct formation of iron-containing secondary mineral colloids at the rock–water interface by the weathering of rock material is an alternative to the well-known mechanism of iron colloid formation in the bulk of water bodies by mixing of different waters or by aeration of anoxic waters. This direct mechanism is of relevance for colloid production during the weathering of freshly crushed rock in the unsaturated zone as for instance crushed rock in mine waste rock piles. Colloids produced by this mechanism, too, can influence the transport of contaminants such as actinides because these colloids have a large specific surface area and a high sorption affinity.     

Influence of Cyclic Wetting Drying on Collapse Behaviour of Compacted Residual Soil

The climatic zones where residual soils occur are often characterized by alternate wet and dry seasons. Laboratory studies of earlier workers have established that the alternate wetting and drying process affects the swell-shrink potentials, water content, void ratio and particle cementation of expansive soils. The influence of cyclic wetting and drying on the collapse behaviour of residual soils has not been examined. This paper examines the influence of alternate wetting and drying on the collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil specimens from Bangalore District. Results of such a study are useful in anticipating changes in collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil fills. Experimental results indicated that the cyclic wetting and drying process increased the degree of expansiveness of the residual soils and reduced their collapse tendency. Changes in the swell/collapse behaviour of compacted residual soil specimens from wetting drying effects are attributed to reduction in water content, void ratio and possible growth of cementation bonds.