Very hot,very shallow hydrothermal dolomitization: An example from the Maritime Alps (north‐west Italy–south‐east France)

In the Maritime Alps (north‐west Italy – south‐east France), the Middle Triassic–lowermost Cretaceous platform carbonates of the Provençal Domain locally show an intense dolomitization. Dolomitized bodies, irregularly shaped and variable in size from some metres to hundreds of metres, are associated with tabular bodies of dolomite‐cemented breccias, cutting the bedding at a high angle, and networks of dolomite veins. Field and petrographic observations indicate that dolomitization was a polyphase process, in which episodes of hydrofracturing and host‐rock dissolution, related to episodic expulsion of overpressured fluids through faults and fracture systems, were associated with phases of host‐rock dolomitization and void cementation. Fluid inclusion analysis indicates that dolomitizing fluids were relatively hot (170 to 260°C). The case study represents an outstanding example of a fossil hydrothermal system, which significantly contributes to the knowledge of such dolomitization systems in continental margin settings. The unusually favourable stratigraphic framework allows precise constraint of the timing of dolomitization (earliest Cretaceous) and, consequently, direct evaluation of the burial setting of dolomitization which, for the upper part of the dolomitized succession, was very shallow or even close to the surface. The described large‐scale hydrothermal system was probably related to deep‐rooted faults, and provides indirect evidence of a significant earliest Cretaceous fault activity in this part of the Alpine Tethys European palaeomargin.     

The East African Rift System and the impact of orographic changes on regional climate and the resulting aridification

Several proxy data indicate an aridification of the East African climate during the Neogene, which might be influenced by the orographic changes of the East African Rift System (EARS) induced by tectonic forcing during the last 20 million years. To investigate the impact of the orography and especially of the rifts, the regional climate model CCLM is used, covering the EARS with Lake Victoria in the centre of the model domain. CCLM is driven by the ERA-Interim reanalysis and applied with a double-nesting method resulting in a very high spatial resolution of 7 km. The resolution clearly shows the shoulders and rifts of the western and eastern branch of the EARS and the Rwenzoris within the western branch. To analyse the orographic influence on climate, a new technique of modifying the orography is used in this sensitivity study. The shoulders of the branches are lowered and the rifts are elevated, resulting in a smoothed orography structure with less altitude difference between the shoulders and rifts. The changes in 2 m-temperature are very local and associated with the changes in the orography. The vertically integrated moisture transport is characterised by less vortices, and its zonal component is increased over the branches. The resulting amount of precipitation is mainly decreased west of the western branch and increased in the rift of the western branch. In the eastern branch, however, the changes in the amount of precipitation are not significant. The changes in the precipitation and temperature patterns lead to a shift of biomes towards a vegetation coverage characterised by more humid conditions in the northern part of the model domain and more arid conditions in the South. Thus, the aridification found in the proxy data can be attributed to the orographic changes of the rifts only in the northern model domain.     

Lateral dispersion of low-energy protons precipitated in the auroral zones

Through the use of a Monte Carlo type calculation, the lateral dispersion of a fine proton beam of given energy and pitch angle in an atmosphere of given exospheric temperature is investigated. It is found that this lateral dispersion may be estimated by using a simple analytical expression.     

Integration of a continuum damage model for shale with the cutting plane algorithm

The stability of integration is essential to numerical simulations especially when solving nonlinear problems. In this work, a continuum damage mechanics model proposed by the first author is implemented with an integration method named cutting plane algorithm (CPA) to improve the robustness of the simulation. This integration method is one type of return mapping algorithm that bypasses the need for computing the gradients. We compare the current integration method with the previous direct method, and the result shows that the cutting plane algorithm exhibits excellent performance under large loading rate conditions. To enhance accuracy of the new method, a control procedure is utilized in the implementation of the algorithm based on error analysis. Thereafter, the theory of poromechanics is utilized with the damage model to account for the effects of fluid diffusion. Laboratory tests simulated with finite element method illustrate distinct behaviors of shale with different loading rates and indicate the development of microcrack propagation under triaxial compression. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Modeling branched and intersecting faults in reservoir-geomechanics models with the extended finite element method

Faults are geological entities with thickness several orders of magnitude smaller than the grid blocks typically used to discretize geological formations. On using the extended finite element method (X-FEM), a structured mesh suffices and the faults can arbitrarily cut the elements in the mesh. Modeling branched and intersecting faults is a challenge, in particular when the faults work as internal fluid flow conduits that allow fluid flow in the faults as well as to enter/leave the faults. By appropriately selecting the enrichment function and the nodes to be enriched, we are able to capture the special characteristics of the solution in the vicinity of the fault. We compare different enrichment schemes for strong discontinuities and develop new continuous enrichment functions with discontinuous derivatives to model branched and intersecting weak discontinuities. Symmetric fluid flows within the regions embedded by branched, coplanar intersecting, and noncoplanar intersecting faults are considered to verify the effectiveness of the proposed enrichment scheme. For a complex fault consisting of branched and intersecting faults, the accuracy and efficiency of the X-FEM is compared with the FEM. We also demonstrate different slipping scenarios for branched and intersecting faults with the same friction coefficient. In addition, fault slipping triggered by an injection pressure and three-dimensional fluid flows are modeled to show the versatility of the proposed enrichment scheme for branched and intersecting weak discontinuities.     

A GIS-based approach to compare economic damages of fluvial flooding in the Neckar River basin under current conditions and future scenarios

Natural Hazards - Fluvial floods can cause significant damages and are expected to increase in magnitude and frequency throughout the twenty-first century due to global warming. Alongside hazard...     

Variation of the magnetic properties in a basaltic dyke with concentric cooling zones

The effects of the variation of magnetic grain size on the magnetic properties of rocks have been studied throughout a reversely magnetized basaltic dyke with concentric cooling zones.Except in a few tachylites in which the magnetic mineral is a Ti-rich titanomagnetite, in the bulk of the dyke the magnetization is carried by almost pure magnetite grains. Although the percentage p of these magnetic oxides varies slightly, the large changes in the various magnetic parameters observed across the dyke are essentially attributable to large variations in the grain size of the magnetic particles.From the outer scoria region, where the magnetic grains are a mixture of single-domain (SD) and superparamagnetic (SP) grains, to the tachylite zone with finely crystallized basaltic glass containing interacting elongated SD particles, one observes an increase of both the ratio of the saturation remanent magnetization and the saturation induced magnetization J_rs/J_is, the bulk coercive force H_c, the median destructive field MDF, the intensity of the remanent magnetization J_r, and the Koenigsberger ratio Q. In the tachylites these parameters reach unusually high values, for subaerial basalts:

$\text{〈}\text{J}{}_{\mathrm{rs}}\text{J}{}_{\mathrm{is}}\text{〉 = 0.3, 〈H}{}_{\mathrm{c}}\text{〉 = 460 O}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{, 〈MDF〉 = 620 O}{}_{\mathrm{e}}\text{r.m.s., 〈J}{}_{\mathrm{r}}\text{〉 = 2.7 · 10}{}^{\mathrm{?2}}\text{e.m.u. cm}{}^{\mathrm{?3}}\text{〈Q〉 = 24}$

These parameters decrease in the basalt toward the centre of the dyke where pseudo-single-domain (pseudo-SD) particles coexist together with multidomain (MD) grains. The susceptibility remains approximately constant from the inner basalt to the tachylite, but increases in the scoria up to values 10 times higher owing to the presence of SP particles. The magnetic viscosity increases also drastically toward the margin of the dyke due to an increase of the fraction of the SD particles just above the superparamagnetic threshold.     

Modified equations for the determination of odd zonal harmonics

The development of the analytical theory of the motion of an artificial satellite (Berger, 1972–1975) points out the great importance of the second, third order and coupling terms between zonal harmonics. These terms have been added to the equations established byKing-Hele andCook (1968–1973) for the determination of odd zonal harmonics. This solution is compared with theirs. It satisfies all the equations much better and especially the equations relating to near-critical inclination satellites.     

Die Existenz,Beschaffenheit und Bedeutung einer Zwischenschicht zwischen Gletschereis und Felsuntergrund

Zusammenfassung Fast unter allen Gletschern, einschließlich des Eisschildes auf Grönland, ist durch seismische Messungen eine Zwischenschicht zwischen Eis und Fels festgestellt worden. Sie ist auch in den Vorfeldern der Gletscher unter fluviatilen Ablagerungen vorhanden. Seismische Wiederholungsmessungen in Abständen von 25 bis 30 Jahren haben ergeben, daß sich die Morphologie der Oberkante der Zwischenschicht durch Sedimentation und Erosion beachtlich verändert. Es ist naheliegend, daß man sich die Zwischenschicht als gefrorene Grundmoräne vorstellt. Gegen diese Anschauung spricht aber die Existenz derselben in den Vorfeldern der Gletscher.Die beobachteten Geschwindigkeiten seismischer Wellen in der Zwischenschicht mit Werten zwischen 4000 und 5000 m/s können auch in verwitterten Gesteinen auftreten. Die erwähnten Veränderungen der Gestalt der Eisunterkante in relativ kurzer Zeit ist jedoch mit einer Deutung der Zwischenschicht als verwitterter Fels nicht in Einklang zu bringen.Die Verfasser nehmen an, daß die Zwischenschicht aus sehr dicht gepackten Sedimenten besteht. Mit dieser Annahme lassen sich alle Beobachtungsergebnisse erklären.

---

Seismic measurements have shown nearly under all glaciers, including the iceshields of Greenland, a band between ice and rockbasement. This band exists also under the fluviatil sediments in the forefield of the glaciers. Seismic remeasurements in an interval of about 25–30 years have shown, that the morphology of the surface of the band has been heavily changed by sedimentation and erosion.It is evident that one imagines the band to be a frozen ground moraine. But the existence of the band in the forefield of glaciers demonstrates that this opinion must be wrong.The measured velocities of seismic waves between 4000 and 5000 m/s are possible also in weathered rocks. The above mentioned changes of the contour of the bottom of the ice during a relatively short period however cannot be reconciled with the interpretation of the band as weathered rock.The authors assume that the band consists of very densely packed sediments. This assumption explains all results of the observations.

---

Résumé Presque sous tous les glaciers inclusivement l'Inlandeis du Groenland on a constaté par des mesurages séismiques une couche intermédiaire entre la glace et le roc. Cette couche existe aussi sous les sédiments fluviatils dans les glacis des glaciers. Pendant un intervalle de 25 à 30 ans des remesurements séismiques ont prouvé que la morphologie du bord supérieur de la couche intermédiaire a été considérablement changée par la sédimentation et l'érosion.On est bien tenté de croire, que la couche intermédiaire fût une moraine inférieure glacée. Mais l'existence de cette couche intermédiaire dans les glacis des glaciers démontre que cette opinion est incorrecte.Les vitesses des ondes séismiques mesurées de 4000 à 5000 m/s dans la couche intermédiaire se trouvent aussi dans des rocs décomposés. Mais les changements de la forme du bas de la glace pendant une période relativement courte ne peuvent pas être mis d'accord avec l'interprétation de la couche intermédiaire comme roc décomposé.Les auteurs supposent, que la couche intermédiaire se compose de sédiments très denses. Cette opinion prouve toutes les résultats d'observation.

---

, , , . . , . , .

     

Tracing the anthropogenic lead sources in coastal sediments of SE-pacific (36 degrees Lat. S) using stable lead isotopes

This study evaluates the main sources of antropogenic Pb in one of the most industrialized centers of the southern Chilean coast (36 degrees S). Stable lead isotopes ((206)Pb/(207)Pb, (208)Pb/(207)Pb) were used to trace main Pb sources to coastal sediments, considering the suspended particulate matter (SPM) from marine (traps), continental (rivers) and industrial effluents, sediments and leaded gasoline samples. The atmospheric input was evaluated through natural collectors; i.e. Raqui-Tubul salt marsh. Results show that marine samples lie on a trend between industrial effluents ( approximately 1.16, 2.44) and natural sources (1.20, 2.50), not related to gasoline consumption. Salt marsh sediments show comparable isotopic composition to marine samples, suggesting the importance of the atmospheric input in the coastal sediments, not related to the leaded gasoline composition either. The continental input (1.18, 2.48) is highly influenced by precipitation, being difficult to separate both sources (atmosphere and continental runoff), showing also similar isotopic ratio to marine sediments. The signal of industrial emissions is masked with the introduction of Pb with higher isotopic ratios, compared to the values observed in the material collected from traps (SPM approximately 1.19, 2.48). The contribution of more radiogenic Pb by the upwelling is suggested.