The dynamics of xenolith assimilation

Xenolith assimilation has been simulated with experiments involving melting wax spheres into hot water and aqueous solutions and characterised by a theoretical analysis. Both the cases of neutrally buoyant stationary spheres and spheres sinking through the hot host fluid are examined. Melt generated on a sphere's surface flows (compositional convection) in two regimes; as a sheet over one hemisphere and then detaching as finger plumes from the other. Positional variations in the melting rate are dominantly controlled by differences in the melt layer thickness which influence the thermal gradient and heat flux across the layer. The theoretical model predicts melt layer thicknesses and the heat flux from the surrounding fluid. Calculated melting rates agree well with experimental measurements. Partial melting of non-eutectic compositions produces a layer of crystal-melt mush at the xenolith's surface. The theoretical analysis is extended to account for variation in rheological properties across the mush layer. When stoped into typical magmas, xenoliths of common continental crust lithologies are predicted to melt at rates in the order of 2 mm/hour. Thicknesses of the mobile mush layer around xenoliths are predicted to be typically a few centimetres. Relatively mafic lithologies can melt quicker than silicic compositions because, although they are typically more refractory, their lower melt viscosities result in thinner mush layers and so higher heat fluxes. Especially quick melting of water-saturated lithologies occurs as a consequence of both the reduction in melting temperatures and melt viscosities. Due to hot ambient conditions in the lower continental crust the assimilation of xenoliths into underplated basaltic magma can be very rapid. For granulites and mafic-granulites the predicted melting rates are up to 17 mm/hour. Fast rates of melting and efficient mixing of melt into the host magma indicate that assimilation of xenoliths will have a significant influence on the compositional and thermal evolution of magmas. Received: 7 November 1996 / Accepted: 5 January 1998     

Rifts,evaporites and the origin of certain alkaline rocks

The assimilation of evaporites and brines by basaltic magma in continental rifts may be responsible for alkaline magmatism and metasomatism. Spilites may be the oceanic counterpart of alkaline syenites. Remobilisation of alkaline material from evaporites and brines may also lead to feldspathisation and, moreover, it may be an essential factor in the production of glaucophane-bearing rocks. It is particularly significant that the oldest known occurrences of evaporites, nepheline syenites, and glaucophane schists are all of late Precambrian (-Eocambrian) age. These rocks appear to have become increasingly abundant with decreasing age, and this may reflect an evolution in the alkali (especially sodium) content of sea water, which in turn may correspond to progressive alkalinisation of the Earth's crust.

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Zusammenfassung Die Assimilation von Evaporiten und Solen durch basaltisches Magma in Zonen von kontinentalen Rifts dürfte für alkalischen Magmatismus und Metasomatismus verantwortlich sein. Die Spilite könnten das ozeanische Äquivalent der Alkalisyenite darstellen. Die Remobilisierung von alkalischem Material, ausgehend von Evaporiten und Solen, wäre auch für die Feldspatisation (z. B. die alpine Albitisierung) verantwortlich. Außerdem könnte dieser Vorgang eine wichtige Rolle bei der Bildung von Glaukophangesteinen spielen. Es ist von besonderer Bedeutung, daß die ältesten heute bekannten Lagerstätten von Evaporiten, Nephelinsyeniten und Glaukophanschiefern dem oberen Präkambrium (bzw. dem Eokambrium) angehören. Diese Gesteine scheinen mit abnehmendem Alter in ihrer Häufigkeit zuzunehmen. Dies könnte eine Evolution im Alkaligehalt des Meerwassers widerspiegeln, eine Erscheinung, welche ihrerseits einer zunehmenden Alkalisierung der Erdkruste entsprechen könnte.

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Résumé L'assimilation d'évaporites et de saumures par le magma basaltique montant dans des zones à rifts continentaux conduirait à des phénomènes de magmatisme et métasomatisme alcalins. Les spilites représenteraient le pendant océanique des syénites alcalines. La remobilisation de matériel alcalin à partir d'évaporites et de saumures serait également responsable de la feldspathisation (l'albitisation alpine, par exemple). De plus, elle pourrait jouer un rôle important dans la production de roches à glaucophane. Il est particulièrement significatif que les gisements les plus anciens, connus à ce jour, d'évaporites, de syénites néphéliniques, et de « schistes » à glaucophane, datent tous du Précambrien supérieur (ou de l'Eocambrien). Ces roches semblent augmenter de fréquence avec la diminution d'âge, ce qui pourrait refléter une évolution dans la teneur en alcalis (sodium surtout) de l'eau de mer, correspondant, à son tour, à l'alcalinisation croissante de la croûte terrestre.

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The European coastal zone: characterization and first assessment of ecosystem metabolism

The geomorphic, oceanographic, terrestrial and anthropogenic attributes of the European coastal zone are described and published data on ecosystem function (primary production and respiration) are reviewed. Four regions are considered: the Baltic Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea and the European Atlantic coast including the North Sea. The metabolic database (194 papers) suffers from a non-homogeneous geographical coverage with no usable data for the Black Sea which was therefore excluded from this part of our study. Pelagic gross primary production in European open shelves is, by far, the most documented parameter with an estimated mean of 41 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹, the lowest value is reported in the Mediterranean Sea (21 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹) and the highest one in the Atlantic/North Sea area (51 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹). Microphytobenthic primary production, mostly measured in shallow areas, is extrapolated to the entire 0–200 m depth range. Its contribution to total primary production is low in all regions (mean: 1.5 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹). Although macrophyte beds are very productive, a regional production estimate is not provided in this study because their geographical distribution along the European coastline remains unknown. Measurements of pelagic community respiration are clearly too sparse, especially below the euphotic zone, to yield an accurate picture of the fate of organic matter produced in the water column. With a mean value of 17 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹, benthic community respiration consumes approximately 40% of the pelagic organic matter production. Estuaries generally exhibit high metabolic rates and a large range of variation in all parameters, except microphytobenthic primary production. Finally, the problem of eutrophication in Europe is discussed and the metabolic data obtained in the framework of the Land–Ocean Interactions in the Coastal Zone (LOICZ) project are compared with available direct measurements of net ecosystem production.     

Adjacent catchments with similar patterns of land use and climate have markedly different dissolved organic carbon concentration and runoff dynamics

Temporal patterns in specific runoff, dissolved organic carbon concentrations [DOC] and fluxes were examined during two periods: 1994–1997 (period 1) and 2007–2009 (period 2) in five adjacent tributary catchments of Lake Simcoe, the largest lake in southern Ontario, Canada. The catchments displayed similar patterns of land use change with increases in urbanization (5–16%) and forest cover (0.2–4%) and declines in agriculture (4–8%) between 1994 and 2008. Climate in the catchments was similar; temperature increased slightly, but no significant change in precipitation was observed. Despite similar pattern of climate and land use, runoff responses and tributary [DOC] were different across the catchments. Following a very dry year (i.e. 1999), runoff increased steadily until the end of record. We observed increased variability in tributary [DOC] and higher DOC exports in period 2. This led to ~10% increase in [DOC] and a 13% increase in flux between the two study periods. Between the two periods, [DOC] increased by 15% in spring and 25% in summer, whereas flux increased by 17% in spring and 48% in summer. [DOC] was consistently higher in the growing (summer + autumn) than the dormant (winter + spring, minus spring melt months) seasons, but no unique pattern or simple linear flow/concentrations relationships existed. This suggests complex spatial and temporal pattern to runoff controls on DOC and flow dynamics in adjacent catchments. We therefore caution against extrapolating from monitored to unmonitored catchments. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Late Bronze Age paleogeography along the ancient Ways of Horus in Northwest Sinai,Egypt

The northwest Sinai contained the eastern frontier of New Kingdom Egypt during the Late Bronze Age. The ancient Pelusaic branch of the Nile Delta influenced the environmental setting of this region at that time. Fortresses were built along the coastal byway through the study area known as the Ways of Horus to protect Egyptian‐held territory from immigrants and intruders from Canaan and the Mediterranean Sea. Building on previous geomorphic studies in the region, this paper presents the results of field investigations of Holocene sedimentary deposits, aided by satellite photography, used to create a paleogeographic map that places archaeological sites in their proper environmental context. CORONA satellite photographs from the late 1960s reveal surface features that have been obscured by more recent agricultural development in the region. Canals dug for an agricultural project provided easy access to the shallow subsurface for mapping the extent of Holocene sediments representing barrier coast, lagoon, estuarine, fluvial, and marsh depositional environments. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

The reserves of extracted resources: Historical data

The available data on known reserves of extracted resources have not previously been tabulated and graphed. In this article we compile the reserves data in one place for the first time. This serves to (1) show the trends in the reserves series, (2) make the series available to others, and (3) place the reserves data in the context of price data for which longer series have been available, and with which they can now be seen to be consistent in both showing increasing availability rather than increasing scarcity.     

Application of airborne LiDAR data and airborne multispectral imagery to structural mapping of the upper section of the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus

Structural maps are traditionally produced by mapping features such as faults, folds, fabrics, fractures and joints in the field. However, large map areas and the spatially limited ground perspective of the field geologist can potentially increase the likelihood that not all structural features will be identified within a given area. The ability to recognise and map both local and regional structural features using high-resolution remote sensing data provides an opportunity to complement field-based mapping to help generate more comprehensive structural maps. Nonetheless, vegetation cover can adversely affect the extraction of structural information from remotely sensed data as it can mask the appearance of subtle spectral and geomorphological features that correspond to geological structures. This study investigates the utility of airborne Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) data and airborne multispectral imagery for detailed structural mapping in vegetated ophiolitic rocks and sedimentary cover of a section of the northern Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus. Visual enhancement techniques were applied to a 4-m airborne LiDAR digital terrain model and 4-m airborne multispectral imagery to assist the generation of structural lineament maps. Despite widespread vegetation cover, dykes and faults were recognisable as lineaments in both data sets, and the predominant strike trends of lineaments in all resulting maps were found to be in agreement with field-based structural data. Interestingly, prior to fieldwork, most lineaments were assumed to be faults, but were ground-verified as dykes instead, emphasising the importance of ground-truthing. Dyke and fault trends documented in this study define a pervasive structural fabric in the upper Troodos ophiolite that reflects the original sea-floor spreading history in the Larnaca graben. This structural fabric has not previously been observed in such detail and is likely to be continuous in adjacent regions under sedimentary cover. This information may be useful to future exploration efforts in the region focused on identification of structurally controlled mineral and groundwater resources. Overall, our case study highlights the efficacy of airborne LiDAR data and airborne multispectral imagery for extracting detailed and accurate structural information in hard-rock terrain to help complement field-based mapping.     

Left out? Observations on the RGS-IBG conference on social exclusion and the city

Summary On 29 October 1998, the RGS-IBG invited delegates to a conference entitled 'Social exclusion and the city', with Geoff Mulgan (founder of the think-tank Demos and a policy advisor to Prime Minister Blair) as the keynote speaker. The event was well attended, providing much useful insight into the government policies of the 'Social Exclusion Unit' and ongoing academic research into the processes and problems of 'social exclusion'. Here we provide some general observations on the conference and some suggestions regarding the possible directions of the debate on social exclusion and inclusion.     

The study of the undiscovered mineral resources of the Tongass National Forest and adjacent lands,Southeastern Alaska

The quantitative probabilistic assessment of the undiscovered mineral resources of the 17.1-million-acre Tongass National Forest (the largest in the United States) and its adjacent lands is a nonaggregated, mineral-resource-tract-oriented assessment designed for land-planning purposes. As such, it includes the renewed use of gross-in-place values (GIPV's) in dollars of the estimated amounts of metal contained in the undiscovered resources as a measure for land-use planning.Southeastern Alaska is geologically complex and contains a wide variety of known mineral deposits, some of which have produced important amounts of metals during the past 100 years. Regional geological, economic geological, geochemical, geophysical, and mineral exploration history information for the region was integrated to define 124 tracts likely to contain undiscovered mineral resources. Some tracts were judged to contain more than one type of mineral deposit. Each type of deposit may contain one or more metallic elements of economic interest. For tracts where information was sufficient, the minimum number of as-yet-undiscovered deposits of each type was estimated at probability levels of 0.95, 0.90, 0.50, 0.10, and 0.05.The undiscovered mineral resources of the individual tracts were estimated using the U.S. Geological Survey's MARK3 mineral-resource endowment simulator; those estimates were used to calculate GIPV's for the individual tracts. Those GIPV's were aggregated to estimate the value of the undiscovered mineral resources of southeastern Alaska. The aggregated GIPV of the estimates is $40.9 billion.Analysis of this study indicates that (1) there is only a crude positive correlation between the size of individual tracts and their mean GIPV's: and (2) the number of mineral-deposit types in a tract does not dominate the GIPV's of the tracts, but the inferred presence of synorogenic-synvolcanic nickel-copper, porphyry copper skarn-related, iron skarn, and porphyry copper-molybdenum deposits does. The influence of this study on the U.S. Forest Service planning process is yet to be determined.