Petrogenesis of basalts from the project FAMOUS area: experimental study from 0 to 15 kbars

Tholeiitic basalt glasses from the FAMOUS area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are among the most primitive basaltic liquids reported from the ocean basins. One of the more primitive of these[Mg/(Mg+Fe²⁺) = 0.68;Ni= 232ppm;TiO₂ = 0.61] glasses (572-1-1) was selected for an experimental investigation. This study found olivine to be the liquidus phase from 1 atm to 10.5 kbar where it is replaced by clinopyroxene. The sequence of appearance of phases at 1 atm pressure is olivine (1268°C), plagioclase (1235°C) and clinopyroxene (1135°C). The sample is multiply saturated at 10.5 kbar with olivine (Fo₈₈), clinopyroxene (Wo₃₂En₆₀Fs₉), and orthopyroxene (Wo₅En₈₃Fs₁₂). From the 1-atm data we have measured (FeO/MgO) olivine/(FeO*/MgO) liquid (K′_D) for olivine-melt pairs equilibrated at 12 temperatures in the range 1268–1205°C.K′_D varies from 0.30 at 1205°C to 0.27 at 1268°C. Analysis of high-pressure olivine melt pairs indicates a systematic increase inK′_D with pressure.Evaluation of the 1-atm experiments reveals that fractionation of olivine followed by olivine + plagioclase can generate much of the variation in major element chemistry observed in the FAMOUS basalt glasses. However, it cannot account for the entire spectrum of glass compositions — particularly with respect to TiO₂ and Na₂O. The variations in these components are such as to require different primary liquids.Comparison of clinopyroxene microphenocrysts/xenocrysts found in oceanic tholeiites with experimental clinopyroxenes reveal that the majority of those in the tholeiites may have crystallized from the magma at pressures greater than ～ 10 kbar and are not accidental xenocrysts. Clinopyroxene fractionation at high pressures may be a viable mechanism for fractionating basaltic magmas.The major and minor element mineral/meltK′_d's from our experiments have been used to model the source region residual mineralogy for given percentages of partial melting. These data suggest that ～20% partial melting of a lherzolite source containing 0–10% clinopyroxene can generate the major and minor element concentrations in the parental magmas of the Project FAMOUS basalt glasses.     

The hydrological effects of fire in South African mountain catchments

Streamflow and its storm-flow elements in four catchments were analyzed by the paired catchment method for a response to fire. Prior to burning two of the catchments were vegetated with over-mature fynbos (the indigenous scrub vegetation of the southwestern Cape, South Africa), one was afforested with Pinus radiata and the fourth with Eucalyptus fastigata. One of the fynbos catchments was burned in a prescribed fire in the late dry season. The other catchments burned in wildfires.

Neither of the fynbos catchments showed a change in storm-flow. Annual total flow increases of around 16% were in agreement with model predictions, being related to the reductions in transpiration and interception. The manner of streamflow generation appeared to have remained unaltered despite the presence of some water repellency in the soils and consequent overland flow on some steep midslope sites.

The two timber plantation catchments experienced large and significant increases in storm-flows and soil losses, while total flow increased by 12% in the pine catchment and decreased marginally in the eucalypt catchment. The pattern of the storm-flow increases was similar in both cases. After fire, storm hydrographs were higher and steeper though their duration was little changed. The respective first year increases in the pine and eucalypt catchments were 290% and 1110% for peak discharge, 201% and 92% for quick-flow volume, and 242% and 319% for storm response ratio. These fire effects are considered to be due to changes in storm-flow generation consistent with an increased delivery of overland flow (surface runoff) to the stream channel. This was caused, in part, by reduced infiltration resulting from water repellency in the soils of the burned catchments. Overall the hydrological effects of fire are related to numerous interactive factors, including the degree of soil heating, the vegetation type and soil properties.     

Automatic equipment to monitor groundwater radon

Prototype instrumentation, able to automatically measure groundwater radon content variations, is presented. The equipment is made of stainless steel and has spherical valves with automatic and pneumatic control. The deemanation of the gases from the water is obtained by evacuating a suitable expansion chamber. The instrumentation can make discrete sampling ranging from 1 per hour to 1 per 99 hours. The equipment was tested in the laboratory: the efficiency was measured by means of a²⁶⁶Ra solution. A mean value of (0.65±0.07) count/s/Bq was obtained. A calibration test was carried out by comparing countings from the automatic equipment with those obtained by the standard laboratory cell. Results of an operational check over a period of approximately one year indicate that variations in radon at the calibration site are attributable more to meteorological than to tectonic causes.     

Helium isotopes in some historical lavas from Mount Vesuvius

³He/⁴He ratios in lavas erupted during the last 360 years at Mt. Vesuvius are between 2.2 and 2.7 R_A (R_A = atmospheric ratio of 1.39 × 10⁻⁶), and are among the lowest values measured in young volcanic rocks. They are also identical to values measured in summit crater fumaroles sampled during 1987–1991. This agreement indicates that the ³He/⁴He ratio in the crater fumaroles faithfully tracks the magmatic value. The relatively low and uniform ³He/⁴He ratio in the lavas reflects either a mantle source enriched in (U + Th)/³He, or a mixture of magmatic and crustal components.     

Anwendung einer enzymatischen Methode zur Charakterisierung von Huminstoffen Enzymatic Characterization of Humic Substances

A method is described for the specific hydrolysis of amino acids from humic substances by using the proteolytic enzyme “Pronase E”. The amino acids are analyzed by a fluorescence detector after precolumn derivatization and HPLC-separation. The pattern and the concentration of amino acids after the enzymatic hydrolysis are set up for humic substances of different origin. Due to the results the enzymatic hydrolysis is suitable for the characterization of humic substances with a nitrogen content higher than 3%. As shown in a kinetic study of the hydrolysis of a fulvic acid the influence of humic substances on the enzyme activity increases in case of lower nitrogen content. Due to the specificity of the proteolytic enzyme the operationally defined method is limited as shown by a protein of a known amino acid content. The amino acids leucine, valine, tyrosine and histidine are released to the highest extent. The determined total extent for the hydrolysis of Insulin B is 26.34% and for Casein 38.37%. By comparison of the enzymatic hydrolysis with the classic acid hydrolysis the advantages of the biochemical method are the simple experimental handling and the mild reaction conditions. Amino acids which are very unstable like glutamine and asparagine can only be analyzed by the enzymatic hydrolysis.     

Maximum response of asymmetric structures subject to A multicomponent earthquake

A simple and general technique to obtain a six-component earthquake input motion of a rigid foundation using three-linear-components earthquake record is presented. Using the multicomponent input, the maximum structural response to an arbitrarily oriented earthquake is derived. The method is applied to determine the response spectrum for a two-d.o.f. laterally and torsionally coupled linear system. The effects of foundation geometry, structural properties and apparent wave velocity on the structural response are investigated. It is found that increasing the foundation size reduces the peak values of the input motion; this reduction is more pronounced for a square foundation than for a circular one.     

Recherches complémentaires sur le bases du calculateur météorologique «Temp»

Résumé La formule de base, traduisant une propriété analytique d'une classe très générale de fonctions, est un corollaire du théorème fondamental démontré dans un mémoire précédent, d'après lequel, étant donnés une fonction continue,p(, ,t) des points (, ) d'une surface régulière fermée et du temps et le champ d'un vecteur vitesse de transfert ou d'advection tangent à et ayant des lignes de flux fermées et régulières, il existe un opérateur spatial, linéaire, non singulierA tel que la fonctionA(p+Const.) soit purement advective par rapport a (sans creusement ni comblement). Ce théorème peut être exprimé par l'équation , où est un opérateur spatial, linéaire et non singulier, fonction deA.La détermination de peut être faite, soit en comparant deux formes différentes de la solution générale de l'équation en , soit en utilisant un raisonnement a priori très simple. On arrive ainsi au résultat pour un certain scalaireu(, ).Dans le cas oùp(, ,t) est la perturbation de la pression sur la surface du géoïde l'équation résulte aussi, comme nous l'avons montré dans le mémoire précédent, de notre théorie hydrodynamique des perturbations. On montre ici que la même équation peut encore être déduite de l'équation de continuité associée à la condition d'équilibre quasi statique selon la verticale.Comme applications de la formule de base (solution générale de l'équation enM), on étudie les problèmes suivants: 1^o creusement et comblement en général; 2^o creusement et comblement des centres et des cols; 3^o mouvement des centres et des cols; 4^o instabilité d'un champ moyen; 5^o propriétés spatiales des champsp(, ,t) et des vecteurs d'advection analytiques.Après une discussion des erreurs de la prévision d'un champp(, ,t) par la formule de base, du fait des erreurs des observations et du fonctionnement du calculateur, on examine quelques particularités du transfert ou advection d'un champf ₀(, ) par le vecteur . Enfin, le dernier chapitre du mémoire donne des éclaircissements complémentaires sur la structure du calculateur électronique «Temp» (qui effectue automatiquement les opérations mathématiques de la formule de base) et expose l'état actuel de sa construction.

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Summary The basic formula, expressing an analytical property of a very general class of functions, is a corollary of the fundamental theorem, proved in a previous paper, according to which, given a functionp(, ,t) of the points (, ) of a closed regular surface and of the time, and a transfer or advection velocity vector tangent to and having regular closed streamlines, there is a spatial, linear, non singular operatorA such thatA(p+const.) is a purely advective function in respect to (no deepening). This theorem can be expressed by the equation where is a spatial, linear, non singular operator depending onA.The determination of can be attained, either by the comparison of two different forms of the general solution of the -equation, or by a simple a priori reasonning. The conclusion is thus reached that for a certain scalaru(, ).Whenp(, ,t) is the pressure perturbation at sea level, it was shown, in the preceding paper, that the equation can also be derived from our hydrodynamical perturbation theory. We now show that for this particular case, the same equation is also a consequence of the equation of continuity together with the condition of quasi statical vertical equilibrium.The following problems are then analysed by means of the basic formula: 1^o deepening and filling in general; 2^o deepening and filling of the centres and cols; 3^o motion of the centres and cols; 4^o instability of a mean field; 5^o spatial properties of the analytical fields and advection vectors .The errors in the forecast of a field,p(, ,t) by means of the basic formula, due to the observational and computational errors, are discussed, and some peculiarities of the transfer or advection of a fieldf ₀(, ) by are examined. Finally, complementary points are disclosed on the structure of the electronic computer «Temp» which performs automatically the mathematical operations of the basic formula, and a brief report is given of the present state of its construction.

     

A paleomagnetic study of the Bilecik Limestone (Jurassic), northwestern Anatolia

Paleomagnetic analyses of samples collected from a 500 m thick Jurassic section in the Pontides reveal the presence of two components of remanent magnetization: an unstable, low-temperature component which is removed during thermal demagnetization through 220°C and a dominant component which displays consistent directions through 650°. Curie point and IRM studies indicate that goethite is responsible for the low-temperature component whereas both magnetite and hematite contribute to the more stable component. The pole position determined from the stable magnetization is located at 18.8°N, 91.8°E (α₉₅=7.7°, N=134) indicating that the section has undergone more than 90° clockwise rotation since the Late Jurassic. Ancillary geologic evidence, particularly the orientation of Jurassic facies belts is also consistent with a 90° clockwise rotation in this region of northwest Anatolia. The pole suggests that the section may also have migrated slightly northward. Although the age of these movements is currently unknow, it is proposed that they are principally related to the closure of the Neo-Tethys during the Late Cretaceous/Early Tertiary. Some of the rotation may be related to the right lateral movement along the North Anatolian Transform Fault which was initiated in the Miocene.     

Dissolved copper,zinc and cadmium in the Southern Bight of the North Sea

Concentrations of dissolved copper, zinc and cadmium have been measured in the Dutch and Belgian coastal and offshore regions of the Southern Bight (North Sea), with the aim to compare levels in the central, most saline part of the Bight with those in the coastal region that is under the influence of the rivers Rhine and Scheldt, as well as with those in open ocean surface waters.