Magmato-sedimentary Carboniferous to Jurassic evolution of the western Tauern window,Eastern Alps (constraints from U-Pb zircon dating and geochemistry)

New geochronological U-Pb (LA-ICP-MS) zircon data and geochemical analyses from the Variscan orthogneisses and metavolcanic rocks in the western Tauern window are presented and used to reconstruct the pre-Alpine evolution of this area. The late- and post-Variscan stage in the Tauern window was characterised by distinct magmatic pulses accompanied by the formation of volcano-sedimentary basins. The magmatic activity started in the Visean (335.4 ± 1.5 Ma) with the intrusion of a K-rich, durbachitic biotite-granite (protolith of the Ahorn gneiss). Following a period of exhumation and erosion, Westfalian–Stefanian volcanics were deposited (Grierkar meta-rhyodacite: 309.8 ± 1.5 Ma; Venntal meta-rhyolite: 304.0 ± 3.0 Ma). A renewed magmatic pulse occurred in the Early Permian, producing large volumes of tonalites and granodiorites (Tux meta-granodiorite: 292.1 ± 1.9 Ma). The youngest magmatism is characterised by pyroclastic and tuffitic deposits (Pfitsch meta-rhyolite: 280.5 ± 2.6 Ma; Schönach valley meta-andesite: 279.0 ± 4.8 Ma). This volcanism was probably related to crustal extensional faulting within an intra-continental graben and horst setting, asthenospheric upwelling and heat flow increase due to the onset of the Permian rifting. The Permo-Triassic peneplanation and subsidence is documented by shallow marine and evaporitic deposits. Probably in the Middle Jurassic times, the area was flooded and in the Late Jurassic the whole area was covered by limestones, representing post-rift sediments on the southern European continental margin.     

Biorefining of Green Biomass – Technical and Energetic Considerations

The development of biorefineries is the key for access to an integrated production of food, feed, chemicals, materials, goods, fuels and energy of the future. This communication considers an integrated green biorefinery combined with today's production of feed in the green agriculture. Special attention is given to the combination of physical and biotechnological processes for the production of proteins as well as platform chemicals such as lactic acid and lysine. Mass and energy flows (steam and electricity) are given for the biorefining of green biomass to produce platform chemicals, proteins, feed and biogas from residues.     

Devensian Late-glacial and early Flandrian environmental history of the Vale of Pickering,Yorkshire, England

Pollen, sedimentological and charcoal particle analyses are presented from Devensian Late-glacial and early- to mid-Flandrian deposits from a former lake in the Vale of Pickering, Yorkshire. The combined analytical methods provide evidence for a short-lived climatic deterioration towards the end of the Late-glacial Interstadial, followed by a brief recovery prior to the Loch Lomond Stadial. This deterioration may be correlated with one of the ‘pre-Younger Dryas’ cooling periods identified not only in other pollen sequences from Britain and Europe, but from such diverse sources as Foraminifera from the Norwegian Sea and electrical conductivity measurements from the Greenland ice sheet. Loss-on-ignition and magnetic susceptibility data suggest that the Loch Lomond Stadial was characterised by an initial prolonged temperature decline, followed by a sudden more severe downturn resulting in particularly intense solifluction. Radiocarbon accelerator dating of the early Flandrian marl deposits illustrates the problem of age determination in calcareous lakes, and an estimate of the magnitude of ‘hard water error’ is obtained. The local population expansion of Alnus glutinosa is dated to 7640 ± 85 yr BP, but there is possible evidence for a Late-glacial presence of the tree, the significance of which is discussed in relation to other sites in east Yorkshire. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Sea level induced variations in clay mineral composition in the southwestern South China Sea over the past 17,000 yr

Variations in clay mineral composition of sediment cores from the margin and continental slope of the Sunda Shelf (southern South China Sea, SE Asia) covering the past 17,000 yr reflect changing influences of sediment sources together with clay mineral partitioning processes in shallow waters. We identify the deglacial sea level rise as the principal factor driving these changes. During the late glacial, high values of kaolinite are interpreted to reflect a higher contribution of clays from soils that have formed on the exposed Sunda Shelf and in the southern archipelagos of Indonesia. At this time core sites were located in close proximity to the mouths of the Sunda Shelf palaeo-drainage systems on the emerged shelf (“Sundaland”). The progressive landward displacement of the coastline and breakdown of these vast drainage systems during deglaciation led to a decrease in influence of the kaolinite-rich southern sources. When the coastline had retreated closely to its present-day position in mid-Holocene times, the former dominance of southern sources was replaced by a stronger influence of illite-rich sources (e.g. Borneo). The overriding control of sea level changes on the clay mineral distribution patterns precludes a definite climatic interpretation of clay mineral data in terms of climatic/monsoonal changes in such highly dynamic sedimentary environment.     

Durbachites–Vaugnerites – a geodynamic marker in the central European Variscan orogen

Durbachites–Vaugnerites are K–Mg‐rich magmatic rocks derived from an enriched mantle source. Observed throughout the European Variscan basement, their present‐day geographical distribution does not reveal any obvious plate‐tectonic context. Published geochronological data show that most durbachites–vaugnerites formed around 335–340 Ma. Plotted in a Visean plate‐tectonic reconstruction, the occurrences of durbachites–vaugnerites are concentrated in a hotspot like cluster in the Galatian superterrane, featuring a distinctive regional magmatic province. Reviewing the existing local studies on Variscan durbachite–vaugnerite rocks, we interpret their extensive appearance in the Visean in terms of two factors: (i) long‐term mantle enrichment above early Variscan subduction systems; and (ii) melting of this enriched subcontinental mantle source during the Variscan collision stage due to thermal anomalies below the Galatian superterrane, possibly created by slab windows and and/or the sinking of the subducted Rheic slab into the mantle. The tectonic reorganization of Europe in the Late Palaeozoic and during the Alpine orogeny has torn apart and blurred this marked domain of durbachites–vaugnerites.     

Fluid inclusions in granulite-facies metapelites of the Hercynian ancient lower crust of the Serre,Calabria, Southern Italy

Investigations of fluid inclusions in granulitefacies metapelites of southern Calabria enable characterization of the fluid composition of these lower crustal rocks, and constrain the petrologically deduced retrograde P-T path characterized by isothermal uplift prior to isobaric cooling in middle crustal levels. Fluid inclusions in cordierite, garnet and sillimanite have a CO₂-rich composition. Inclusions in cordierite rarely contain minor amounts of N₂ and H₂O, and in garnets some CO₂–CH₄–N₂ inclusions have been analyzed by Raman microprobe. Quartz reveals the most complex fluid melusion compositions (1) CO₂-rich, (2) CO₂–CH₄–N₂, (3) CH₄–N₂, (4) H₂O–MgCl₂–CaCl₂–NaCl, (5) H₂O–NaCl and (6) H₂O–CO₂. The earliest fluid inclusions after peak metamorphism are rich in CO₂ with minor amounts of N₂ and H₂O. An early CO₂–(H₂O–N₂) fluid composition has been confirmed by detection of CO₂, H₂O and N₂ in the channels of the cordierite structure. Most of the early CO₂-rich fluid inclusions were modified during the uplift from the lower to the middle crustal level, resulting in a density decrease with CO₂ still dominant. The subsequent isobaric cooling led to further modifications of the fluid inclusions. High-density inclusions around implosion textures or scattered amongst lower-density ones must have formed during this cooling episode. Aqueous inclusions in quartz are mostly formed late and are consistent with trapping during retrograde rehydration.This project has been supported by the DFG as contribution to the special program Continental Lower Crust     

New evidence for a glacioeustatic influence on deep water circulation, bottom water ventilation and primary productivity in the South China Sea

We provide new evidence for the development of a stable estuarine circulation characterized by stagnating water bodies, nutrient recycling and increased primary productivity in the South China Sea (SCS) during glacial intervals. This circulation was caused by the closure of the shallow and narrow straits connecting the SCS in the south and west. Our main evidence is derived from newly measured Mn concentrations and Mn/Al ratios in two sediment cores from the northern and southeastern SCS covering the last 500 ky. Concentrations and Mn/Al ratios of the redox sensitive element Mn show clear glacial–interglacial cycles with maxima during interglacial periods and minima during glacial periods. These cycles indicate ventilation cycles of the bottom water, and are connected to the glacial–interglacial changes in sea level. In contrast, total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations display an opposite pattern with pronounced maxima during glacial times, especially in the southern part of the basin. The variations in TOC can be ascribed to two factors. Firstly, variations in primary productivity are controlled by variations in the intensity of the winter monsoon. Secondly to the degree of preservation of TOC controlled by variations in ventilation, which in turn is ultimately controlled by sea level. Consequently, variations in TOC represent a superimposition of primarily sea level influenced preservation control and winter monsoon driven variations in primary productivity intensity. The decrease in Mn correspond to times when sea level dropped 40–60 m below the present level. The larger amplitude of the variations in TOC and Mn in the southern part of the basin compared to the northern site suggest that oxygen depletion and nutrient recycling was stronger in the parts of the basin situated the furthest away from the only remaining opening to the open Pacific, the Luzon Strait.     

Origin and contrasting succession pathways of the Western Carpathian calcareous fens revealed by plant and mollusc macrofossils

Calcareous fens are unique environments whose history is almost unexplored. The radiocarbon dates of the basal layers of 49 undisturbed calcareous fens showed that in the Western Carpathians (central Europe) many of the extant fen sites originated fairly recently, with two peaks in the High Middle and Roman Ages, the former corresponding to human‐induced changes of the landscape. Conspicuous number of fens also appeared in the Lateglacial and later in the Bronze Age owing to suitable environmental conditions. The Lateglacial calcareous fens were of semi‐open character with coniferous trees, a heliophilous understorey, and mollusc communities composed of several snail species typical of glacial landscapes. We found wood of Taxus baccata in six localities between 7390 and 600 cal. a BP, suggesting that calcareous fens could have represented a refugial habitat for this red‐listed species during the middle Holocene. Using plant macrofossil and mollusc analyses of three representative profiles we illustrate the most common developmental types: (i) fens originating in the Lateglacial, having an open or semi‐open character during the whole Holocene; (ii) open fens originating as wooded wetlands; and (iii) open fens starting their development de novo in the late Holocene. Human activities were responsible for the formation of a high number of calcareous fens, especially in the Outer Western Carpathians, and became important drivers of fen biodiversity development. Only a few recently existing calcareous fens contain old sequences of calcareous deposits. They represent unique natural archives and harbour highly endangered relic populations of fen specialists, making their strict protection urgent.     

Seasonality and time scales in the relationship between global SST and African rainfall

The main goal of this study is to determine the oceanic regions corresponding to variability in African rainfall and seasonal differences in the atmospheric teleconnections. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) has been applied in order to extract the dominant patterns of linear covariability. An ensemble of six simulations with the global atmospheric general circulation model ECHAM4, forced with observed sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and sea ice boundary variability, is used in order to focus on the SST-related part of African rainfall variability. Our main finding is that the boreal summer rainfall (June–September mean) over Africa is more affected by SST changes than in boreal winter (December–March mean). In winter, there is a highly significant link between tropical African rainfall and Indian Ocean and eastern tropical Pacific SST anomalies, which is closely related to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). However, long-term changes are found to be associated with SST changes in the Indian and tropical Atlantic Oceans, thus, showing that the tropical Atlantic plays a critical role in determining the position of the intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ). Since ENSO is less in summer, the tropical Pacific and the Indian Oceans are less important for African rainfall. The African summer monsoon is strongly influenced by SST variations in the Gulf of Guinea, with a response of opposite sign over the Sahelian zone and the Guinean coast region. SST changes in the subtropical and extratropical oceans mostly take place on decadal time scales and are responsible for low-frequency rainfall fluctuations over West Africa. The modelled teleconnections are highly consistent with the observations. The agreement for most of the teleconnection patterns is remarkable and suggests that the modelled rainfall anomalies serve as suitable predictors for the observed changes.