Pb/Pb and U/Pb zircon dating of subvolcanic rhyolite as a time marker for Hercynian granite magmatism and Sn mineralisation in the Eibenstock granite, Erzgebirge, Germany: Considering effects of zircon alteration

Tin mineralisation is closely related to rhyolite stocks and dykes which occur in the endo- and exocontact of the Eibenstock granite, Erzgebirge, Germany. The same structures which cut the granite control the rhyolite emplacement and the location of ore-bearing greisen bodies. Albitisation and greisenisation related to tin mineralisation as well as sericitisation and argillic alteration may be traced by changes in chemical and mineralogical composition of both rhyolite and granite wall rock. Comprehensive zircon studies by scanning electron microscopy (secondary and backscattered electron as well as cathodoluminescence imaging; EDX measurements) reveal that zircon from rhyolite and from the enclosing granite shows significant changes in chemical composition and crystallinity, including distortion of the U-Pb isotope system when affected by greisenisation. Single evaporation analysis of zircon from rhyolite with little or no greisenisation gave a ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of 290±5 Ma, whereas zircon from little altered granite gave a ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of 320±8 Ma. The single evaporation age of zircon from rhyolite is confirmed by ²³⁸U/²⁰⁶Pb SHRIMP ages of 297±8 Ma. The significant time gap of at least 20 Ma between granite intrusion and rhyolite formation suggests that the late magmatic evolution of the Eibenstock granite cannot be regarded as a source for tin-ore forming fluids as previously assumed.     

Salt movements in the Northeast German Basin and its relation to major post-Permian tectonic phases—results from 3D structural modelling, backstripping and reflection seismic data

The NW–SE-striking Northeast German Basin (NEGB) forms part of the Southern Permian Basin and contains up to 8 km of Permian to Cenozoic deposits. During its polyphase evolution, mobilization of the Zechstein salt layer resulted in a complex structural configuration with thin-skinned deformation in the basin and thick-skinned deformation at the basin margins. We investigated the role of salt as a decoupling horizon between its substratum and its cover during the Mesozoic deformation by integration of 3D structural modelling, backstripping and seismic interpretation. Our results suggest that periods of Mesozoic salt movement correlate temporally with changes of the regional stress field structures. Post-depositional salt mobilisation was weakest in the area of highest initial salt thickness and thickest overburden. This also indicates that regional tectonics is responsible for the initiation of salt movements rather than stratigraphic density inversion.Salt movement mainly took place in post-Muschelkalk times. The onset of salt diapirism with the formation of N–S-oriented rim synclines in Late Triassic was synchronous with the development of the NNE–SSW-striking Rheinsberg Trough due to regional E–W extension. In the Middle and Late Jurassic, uplift affected the northern part of the basin and may have induced south-directed gravity gliding in the salt layer. In the southern part, deposition continued in the Early Cretaceous. However, rotation of salt rim synclines axes to NW–SE as well as accelerated rim syncline subsidence near the NW–SE-striking Gardelegen Fault at the southern basin margin indicates a change from E–W extension to a tectonic regime favoring the activation of NW–SE-oriented structural elements. During the Late Cretaceous–Earliest Cenozoic, diapirism was associated with regional N–S compression and progressed further north and west. The Mesozoic interval was folded with the formation of WNW-trending salt-cored anticlines parallel to inversion structures and to differentially uplifted blocks. Late Cretaceous–Early Cenozoic compression caused partial inversion of older rim synclines and reverse reactivation of some Late Triassic to Jurassic normal faults in the salt cover. Subsequent uplift and erosion affected the pre-Cenozoic layers in the entire basin. In the Cenozoic, a last phase of salt tectonic deformation was associated with regional subsidence of the basin. Diapirism of the maturest pre-Cenozoic salt structures continued with some Cenozoic rim synclines overstepping older structures. The difference between the structural wavelength of the tighter folded Mesozoic interval and the wider Cenozoic structures indicates different tectonic regimes in Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic.We suggest that horizontal strain propagation in the brittle salt cover was accommodated by viscous flow in the decoupling salt layer and thus salt motion passively balanced Late Triassic extension as well as parts of Late Cretaceous–Early Tertiary compression.     

Magnetic torques between accretion discs and stars

I show in this paper that two types of magnetic torques can appear in the interaction between an accretion disc and a magnetic accretor. There is the well-known torque resulting from the difference in angular velocity between the accretion disc and the star, but in addition there is a torque coming from the interaction between the stellar magnetic field and the disc's own magnetic field. The latter form of magnetic torque decreases in strength more slowly with increasing radius, and will therefore dominate at large radii. The direction of the disc field is not determined by the difference in angular velocity between the star and the disc as in the Ghosh &38; Lamb model, but rather is a free parameter. The magnetic torque may therefore either spin up or spin down the star, and the torque changes sign if the magnetic field in the disc reverses. I suggest that this mechanism can explain the torque reversals that have been observed in some disc-fed X-ray pulsars.     

The Elbe Fault System in North Central Europe—a basement controlled zone of crustal weakness

The Elbe Fault System (EFS) is a WNW-striking zone extending from the southeastern North Sea to southwestern Poland along the present southern margin of the North German Basin and the northern margin of the Sudetes Mountains. Although details are still under debate, geological and geophysical data reveal that upper crustal deformation along the Elbe Fault System has taken place repeatedly since Late Carboniferous times with changing kinematic activity in response to variation in the stress regime. In Late Carboniferous to early Permian times, the Elbe Fault System was part of a post-Variscan wrench fault system and acted as the southern boundary fault during the formation of the Permian Basins along the Trans-European Suture Zone (sensu [Geol. Mag. 134 (5) (1997) 585]). The Teisseyre–Tornquist Zone (TTZ) most probably provided the northern counterpart in a pull-apart scenario at that time. Further strain localisation took place during late Mesozoic transtension, when local shear within the Elbe Fault System caused subsidence and basin formation along and parallel to the fault system. The most intense deformation took place along the system during late Cretaceous–early Cenozoic time, when the Elbe Fault System responded to regional compression with up to 4 km of uplift and formation of internal flexural highs. Compressional deformation continued during early Cenozoic time and actually may be ongoing. The upper crust of the Elbe Fault System, which itself reacted in a more or less ductile fashion, is underlain by a lower crust characterised by low P-wave velocities, low densities and a weak rheology. Structural, seismic and gravimetric data as well as rheology models support the assumption that a weak, stress-sensitive zone in the lower crust is the reason for the high mobility of the area and repeated strain localisation along the Elbe Fault System.     

Über Bergzerreißung und Talzuschub

Zusammenfassung Die Begriffe Bergzerreißung und Talzuschub kennzeichnen die morphologischen Auswirkungen großzügiger Hangbewegungen und zwar des Abriß- beziehungsweise des Fußbereiches.Die strukturellen Besonderheiten der Sackungen werden an besonders günstigen Beispielen deutlich: Dort bildet sich die Bewegung in einem mehrere hundert Meter mächtigen Hakenwerfen der ursprünglich steil talwärts fallenden Schichten ab, das nach oben noch in einen kaum verformten Bereich übergeht.Aus diesen Angaben läßt sich ein allgemein für Böschungen gültiger Deformationsplan ableiten, der bei Annahme einer linearen Verteilung der Scherbeanspruchung in der Vertikalen die Formulierung der festigkeitstheoretischen Eigenschaften des Materials Fels gestattet: Danach müssen wir dem Gebirge unter Oberflächenbedingungen erstens eine mit der Einspannung zunehmende Scherfestigkeit, die außerdem noch von der betrachteten Größenordnung abhängig ist, und zweitens ein Fließverhalten zuschreiben, das durch eine Potenzfunktion dargestellt wird.Auf Grund des Vergleiches mit Eis sind wir zu der Annahme berechtigt, daß dieses Fließgesetz auch für tiefere Krustenteile gültig ist.

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The terms Bergzerreißung (mountain splitting) and Talzuschub (closing-up of the valleys) describe the morphological features of large down-hill movements. Their structural peculiarities are determined by a zone of internal rotation beneath a zone of only small internal deformation.From these data we can deduce a general plan of deformation of slopes. When assuming a linear distribution of shear stress they also allow the determination of the mechanical properties of rock masses.Comparing rock and ice in general we may conclude that these mechanical properties, mainly the flow law expressed by a power function, are valid also in deep parts of the earth's crust.

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Résumé Les termes « Bergzerreißung » et « Talzuschub » désignent les effets morphologiques de forts mouvements de versants. Les particularités structurelles des affaisements de rochers se manifestent dans une zone de « rotation interne » sous une zone de faible déformation interne.De ces faits on peut déduire un plan général de déformation. L'hypothèse d'une répartition linéaire de la contrainte de cisaillement dans le sens vertical rend possible une détermination des propriétés méchaniques des rochers.D'une comparaison avec la glace nous pouvons tirer la conclusion que ces propriétés méchaniques, surtout la loi de fluage exprimée dans l'équation = a^b ( = vitesse de déformation, = contrainte de cisaillement; a, b = paramètres), sont également valables dans les parties profondes de la croûte terrestre.

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The electronic structure and absorption spectrum of MnO 6 9− octahedra in manganian andalusite

The energy levels of MnO ₆ ^9? clusters, with D _4h approximated and C _2v actual symmetry of the M ₁ site of Mn³⁺-bearing andalusite, are calculated using the multiple scattering method. The energies of the electronic d-d transition of Mn³⁺ in the clusters with D _4h symmetry are calculated to be 6,000–7,000 cm^?1 (⁵ B _1g → ⁵ A _1g ), ～18,000 cm^?1 (⁵ B _1g → ⁵ B _2g ) and ～19,000 cm^?1 (⁵ B _1g → ⁵ E _g ). Apart from a splitting of the ⁵ E _g -level into two levels separated by 300–350 cm^?1, no significant changes of these transition energies are noted for the corresponding cluster with C _2v symmetry. The calculated transition energies give a good fit to the structure of the optical absorption spectra of Mn³⁺-bearing andalusites and support recent assignments of the major absorption bands observed in these spectra.     

Microscope-photometric methods for non-destructive Fe2+ – Fe3+ determination in chloritoids (Fe2+, Mn2+, Mg)2 (Al,Fe3+)4 Si2O10(OH)4

Six natural chloritoid crystals with Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ contents ranging from 4.15 to 12.81 and from 0.411 to 0.849g-atoms/l, respectively, as determined by means of microprobe and Mössbauer techniques, served as reference material to develop non-destructive microscope-spectrophotometric methods for quantitative Fe²⁺ – Fe³⁺ determinations in chloritoids from unpolarized spectra of (001) platelets. Fe²⁺ concentrations in g-atom/l can be obtained from [ [Fe³⁺]=C₁xD₁/t where D₁ = log₁₀(I_0/I at 28,000 cm^-1 and t=crystal thickness in cm; C₁ is a conttant that may be influenced somewhat by experimental conditions and is found to be 0.002289 with the experimental set-up used in this study. Fe²⁺ concentrations in g-atom/l can be obtained from [Fe²⁺]=C₁xD₁/D₁-C₃ with D₂=log₁₀(I₀/I) at 16,300 cm^?1 and constants C₄ = 45.36 and C₅ = 3.540. Due to the uncertainties in absorbance measurements, D₁ and D₂ and the thickness measurements, the accuracies are ±0.05 and ±0.15 g-atom/l for [Fe³⁺] and [Fe²⁺], respectively. The determinations may be carried out on chloritoid grains in normal thin sections with an areal resolution of ～10 μm.     

Turbulence mechanisms at an agricultural site

An extensive set of turbulence data from the 3- and 12-m heights taken over an agricultural site (Marsta, Sweden) are analyzed and compared with data from ideal sites.In unstable air, Monin-Obukhov similarity is found to be valid for the non-dimensional gradients of wind, _m , temperature, _h , and humidity, _e , for (only a few data), for _T /|T _*|,/ _E /|E _*| and for the non-dimensionalized inertial subrange spectra of temperature and humidity. Where comparison is possible, the unstable data also agree with those found in the Kansas study, with one remarkable exception, the inertial subrange constant of the temperature spectrum, ₁, being only 0.39, compared to the value 0.80 found at the Kansas site.On the stable side, most similarity predictions break down, with most of the data differing systematically from the corresponding Kansas results, the only exception being . The inertial subrange constants for temperature, ₁, and for humidity, ₁ are found to have the same values, 0.39 and 0.30, respectively, as they do on the unstable side. Remarkable similarity is found for the shape of the stable u- and - and e-spectra. In addition, this shape is found to be identical with that found in Kansas. The peak wavelength of the stable u-, and -spectra is found to be about four times larger than it is for the corresponding Kansas spectra. This is interpreted to be a result of the increased macro-roughness at the Marsta site as compared with that at the Kansas site. A possible explanation for the low ₁-value is discussed, suggesting that ₁ is not a universal constant, but instead dependent on the turbulent structure.