Geographic distribution of the diapycnal component of thermohaline circulations in coupled climate models

Data archives from four global coupled ocean–atmosphere models are used to construct maps of diapycnal mass flux through selected isopycnal surfaces in the model oceans. The maps illustrate location and strength of the up and downwelling limbs of thermohaline-forced overturning loops whose stability in the face of rising atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) concentrations is of major concern in century-scale climate prediction. The up and downwelling limbs simulated by the four models for present-day greenhouse gas concentrations are compared with observational estimates. Predicted changes in the overturning brought about by gradually rising atmospheric CO₂ content are compared model-to-model. While all four models predict some decline in the rate of Atlantic overturning during CO₂-induced global warming, the geographic layout of the overturning circulations in each model is found to be insensitive to the changing climate.     

Cretaceous synsedimentary tectonics in the Atlas system of Central Morocco

Cretaceous sediments in Central Morocco were deposited in various depositional environments and comprise an undetermined Lower Cretaceous base up to Maastrichtian. The sedimentary columns show a similar facies evolution. Basal unconformities, conglomeratic layers and significant differences in thicknesses reflect pre- and synsedimentary vertical tectonic movements. These tectonic movements took place along large NE/SW striking fault systems, one of the major features of the present tectonic framework. Permanent displacement of the subsidince maxima in time and space indicate the development of small tectonic blocks which were tilted and/or compressed between the fault zones. High sedimentation rates in areas of strong subsidence, however, prevented the evolution of intraplatformbasins. Although tectonic influence was important, eustatic sea level changes ruled the whole sedimentary regime.

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Zusammenfassung Im Mittleren Atlas und der Haute Moulouya reichen die Kreidesedimente von nicht genauer datierbarer Unterkreide bis ins Maastricht. Sie entstanden unter ständig wechselnden Ablagerungsbedingungen. Die einzelnen Sedimentsäulen weisen jeweils große Ähnlichkeiten in ihrer Faziesentwicklung auf, welche hauptsächlich den eustatischen Meeresspiegelschwankungen folgten. Basale Diskordanzen, Konglomeratlagen und signifikante Unterschiede in den Sedimentmächtigkeiten zeigen ständige synsedimentäre Vertikalbewegungen an. Diese erfolgten hauptsächlich an ausgedehnten, NE-SW streichenden Störungssystemen. Die ständigen, sowohl räumlichen als auch zeitlichen Verschiebungen der Subsidenzmaxima deuten auf die Entstehung von kleinräumigen tektonischen Blöcken hin, die zwischen den Störungszonen entweder gefaltet oder gekippt wurden. Dabei verhinderten die hohen Sedimentationsraten und die geringe räumliche Ausdehnung der Subsidenzzonen die Entstehung von tieferen Becken. Trotz der permanenten tektonischen Bewegungen waren eustatische Meeresspiegelschwankungen bestimmend für die Faziesentwicklung im gesamten Sedimentationsraum.

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Résumé Dans le Moyen Atlas et la Haute Moulouya, la sédimentation crétacée s'est effectuée dans des environnements variables depuis l'Eo-Crétacé jusqu'au Maastrichtien. Les colonnes sédimentaires dans les différentes localités sont caractérisées par une grande analogie d'évolution de faciès. Les discordances basales, les niveaux conglomératiques et la différence des épaisseurs d'une localité à une autre traduisent les mouvements verticaux pré- et synsédimentaires; ceci est surtout clair le long des failles de direction NE-SW qui ont constamment influencé la sédimentation. Les variations de la subsidence dans le temps et dans l'espace trouvent leur explication dans un modèle de basculement ou de plissement de petits blocs entre les zones de failles. Dans les zones à subsidence élevée, le taux de sédimentation était également élevé, ce qui a empêché la formation de bassins profonds. Ainsi, en dépit de l'action tectonique, les changements eustatiques du niveau de la mer ont déterminé tout le régime sédimentaire.

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The lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary beneath the western United States

S receiver functions from 67 broad-band seismic stations in the western United States clearly reveal the existence of a mantle discontinuity with velocity reduction downward, which we interpret as the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (LAB). The average depth of the LAB is ∼70 km. The boundary is relatively sharp with an overall sharpness of less than 20 km. The boundary is more prominent south of the Mendocino Triple Junction, where the Farallon Plate has completely subducted. This may indicate partial melts at the base of the lithosphere caused by the upwelling of the asthenospheric flow through the slab window. A double low velocity zone is observed at base of the lithosphere beneath southern Sierra Nevada, implying a second melting zone at a depth of ∼100 km, well correlated with previous studies of lithospheric delamination in the area.     

Aluminous granulites from the Pulur complex, NE Turkey: a case of partial melting, efficient melt extraction and crystallisation

In the Pulur complex, NE Turkey, a heterogeneous rock sequence ranging from quartz-rich mesocratic gneisses to silica- and alkali-deficient, Fe-, Mg- and Al-rich melanocratic rocks is characterized by granulite-facies assemblages involving garnet, cordierite, sillimanite, ilmenite, ±spinel, ±plagioclase, ±quartz, ±biotite, ±corundum, rutile and monazite. Textural evidence for partial melting in the aluminous granulites, particularly leucosomes, is largely absent or strongly obliterated by a late-stage hydrothermal overprint. However, inclusion relations, high peak P–T conditions, the refractory modes, bulk and biotite compositions of the melanocratic rocks strongly support a model of partial melting. The melt was almost completely removed from the melanocratic rocks and crystallised within the adjacent mesocratic gneisses which are silica-rich, bear evidence of former feldspar and show a large range in major element concentrations as well as a negative correlation of most elements with SiO₂. Peak conditions are estimated to be ≥800 °C and 0.7–0.8 GPa. Subsequent near-isothermal decompression to 0.4–0.5 GPa at 800–730 °C is suggested by the formation of cordierite coronas and cordierite–spinel symplectites around garnet and in the matrix. Sm–Nd, Rb–Sr and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar isotope data indicate peak conditions at 330 Ma and cooling below 300 °C at 310 Ma.     

Structural evidence for the sorption of Ni(II) atoms on the edges of montmorillonite clay minerals: a polarized X-ray absorption fine structure study

The nature of surface complexes formed on Ni uptake onto montmorillonite (a dioctahedral smectite) has been investigated over an extended time period by polarized extended X-ray absorption fine structure (P-EXAFS) spectroscopy. Self-supporting films of Ni-sorbed montmorillonite were prepared by contacting Ni and montmorillonite at pH 7.2, high ionic strength (0.3 M NaClO₄), and low Ni concentration ([Ni]_initial = 19.9 μM) for 14- and 360-d reaction time. The resulting Ni concentration on the clay varied from 4 to 7 μmol/g. Quantitative texture analysis indicates that the montmorillonite particles were well orientated with respect to the plane of the film. The full width at half maximum of the orientation distribution of the c* axes of individual clay platelets about the normal to the film plane was 44.3° (14-d reaction time) and 47.1° (360-d reaction time). These values were used to correct the coordination numbers determined by P-EXAFS for texture effects. Ni K-edge P-EXAFS spectra were recorded at angles between the incident beam and the film normal equal to 10, 35, 55, and 80°. Spectral analysis led to the identification of three nearest cationic subshells containing 2.0 ± 0.5 Al at 3.0 Å and 2.0 ± 0.5 Si at 3.12 Å and 4.0 ± 0.5 Si at 3.26 Å. These distances are characteristic of edge-sharing linkages between Al and Ni octahedra and of corner-sharing linkages between Ni octahedra and Si tetrahedra, as in clay structures. The angular dependence of the Ni-Al and Ni-Si contributions indicates that Ni-Al pairs are oriented parallel to the film plane, whereas Ni-Si pairs are not. The study reveals the formation of Ni inner-sphere mononuclear surface complexes located at the edges of montmorillonite platelets and thus that heavy metals binding to edge sites is a possible sorption mechanism for dioctahedral smectites. Data analysis further suggests that either the number of neighboring Al atoms slightly increases from 1.6 to 2 or that the structural order of the observed surface complexes increases from 0.01 Ų to 0.005 Ų with increasing reaction time. On the basis of the low Ni-Al coordination numbers, it appears that over an extended reaction time period of 1 yr the diffusion of Ni atoms in the octahedral layer is not the major uptake mechanism of Ni onto montmorillonite.     

Comparison of Five Eulerian Air Pollution Forecasting Systems for the Summer of 1999 Using the German Ozone Monitoring Data

Eulerian state-of-the-art air pollution forecasting systems on the European scale are operated routinely by several countries in Europe. DWD and FUB, both Germany, NERI, Denmark, NILU, Norway, and SMHI, Sweden, operate some of these systems. To apply such modeling systems, e.g. for regulatory purposes according to new EU directives, an evaluation and comparison of the model systems is fundamental in order to assess their reliability. One step in this direction is presented in this study: The model forecasts from all five systems have been compared to measurements of ground level ozone in Germany. The outstanding point in this investigation is the availability of a huge amount of data – from forecasts by the different model systems and from observations. This allows for a thorough interpretation of the findings and assures the significance of the observed features. Data from more than 300 measurement stations for a 5-month period (May–September 1999) of the German monitoring networks have been used in this comparison. Different spatial and temporal statistical parameters were applied in the evaluation. Generally, it was found that the most comprehensive models gave the best results. However, the less comprehensive and computational cheaper models also produced good results. The extensive comparison made it possible to point out weak points in the different models and to describe the individual model behavior for a full summer period in a climatological sense. The comparison also gave valuable information for an assessment of individual measurement stations and complete monitoring networks in terms of the representativeness of the observation data.     

Li abundances in eclogite minerals: a clue to a crustal or mantle origin?

The mineral phases of 33 eclogite and garnet clinopyroxenite samples from various tectonic settings were analysed for Li by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). In all samples, Li is preferentially incorporated into clinopyroxene (0.4 to 80 µg/g), whereas co-existing garnet contains only minor amounts of Li (0.01 to 3.7 µg/g). When present, glaucophane shows Li abundances which are similar to those of clinopyroxene, but phengite contains significantly less Li than clinopyroxene. Additional phases, such as amphibole, quartz, clinozoisite and kyanite, have low Li concentrations (<1 µg/g). No correlation is apparent between the Li contents and major-element compositions of clinopyroxene or garnet. On the basis of both measured Li concentrations in clinopyroxene and estimated Li abundances in the whole rocks, the investigated samples can be subdivided into high-Li and low-Li groups. These groups coincide with the mode of origin of the rocks. Metabasaltic (metagabbroic) eclogites from high-pressure terranes belong to the high-Li group whereas, except for one eclogite, all kimberlite- and basanite-hosted xenoliths have low Li contents. Samples from eclogites and garnet clinopyroxenites associated with orogenic peridotites fall into both groups. It is suggested that the high-Li eclogites originated from basaltic oceanic crust whereby the notable Li enrichment of some samples was probably caused by low-temperature hydrothermal alteration prior to subduction. Furthermore, the low-Li eclogites and garnet clinopyroxenites may represent high-pressure cumulates from mafic melts percolating through the mantle.     

An experimental study of B-, P- and F-rich synthetic granite pegmatite at 0.1 and 0.2 GPa

Extreme enrichment in H₂O, B, P and F is characteristic of many evolved granites and pegmatites. We report experimental phase relations of a synthetic peraluminous pegmatite spiked with P₂O₅, B₂O₃ and F (5 wt% of each), Rb₂O, Cs₂O (1 wt% of each) and Li₂O (0.5 wt%). Experiments were carried out in H₂O-saturated conditions in cold-seal rapid-quench pressure vessels at 0.1-0.2 GPa. Crystallisation starts at about 820 °C with berlinite and topaz. Quartz appears at 700-750 °C. Topaz is replaced by muscovite at about 600 °C. At near-solidus temperatures (450-500 °C) amblygonite, lacroixite and a Cs-bearing aluminosilicate crystallise. In all charges aluminosilicate melt coexists with low-density hydrous fluid and hydrosaline melt. The latter is strongly enriched in Na₃AlF₆ and H₃BO₃ components. Experimental evidence of the liquid immiscibility and mineral reactions documented in our study offers new explanations of many enigmatic features of natural pegmatites.