The Jakucs CO2 microanalyser—problems and remedies

This note describes simple procedural changes and corrections to gas pressure calculations for use with the Jakucs CO₂ microanalyser.     

Deep-sea carbonates: Reading the carbon-isotope signal

The carbon isotope signal in deep-sea sediments reflects a mix of (1) global changes in the rates of exchange of the ocean's carbon reservoir with biosphere, soil, and sediments, (2) global and regional changes in surface water productivity, (3) internal shifts in water-mass structure and circulation (basin-basin fractionation, oxygen minimum development), and (4) organism-specific fractionation effects due to changes in micro-habitat and/or ontogenic fractionation (»vital effects«). Additional complications arise from differential preservation. It is impossible to entirely isolate these various factors. As a rule of thumb, long period signals that are parallel for planktonic and benthic data reflect external (global) fractionation patterns, whilst short-period signals are more likely tied to internal patterns (water-mass fractionation). The various approaches to interpretation are illustrated with three case studies: the Glacial-Holocene transition, the Messinian Carbon Shift, and the Miocene Monterey Excursion.

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Zusammenfassung Das Kohlenstoff-Isotopensignal in den Tiefseesedimenten spiegelt ein Zusammenspiel wider, das (1) von den globalen Austauschraten des ozeanischen Kohlenstoffreservoirs mit der Biosphäre, den Böden und den Sedimenten gesteuert wird, (2) in dem ein globaler und regionaler Wechsel in der Produktivität des Oberflächenwassers und (3) interne Veränderungen in der Wassermassen-Struktur und -Zirkulation (Becken-zu-Becken-Fraktionierung, Sauerstoffminimumentwicklung) zum Ausdruck kommen, und (4) in dem eine spezifische Fraktionierung hervorgerufen durch die Milieuänderung im Lebensraum der Organismen und/oder ontogenetische Fraktionierung (»Vitaleffekte«) erscheint. Zusätzliche Komplikationen entstehen aus unterschiedlichen Erhaltungsmöglichkeiten. Es ist unmöglich, alle diese verschiedenen Faktoren vollständig zu isolieren. Als Faustregel kann man annehmen, daß langpenodische Signale, die parallel mit Plankton- und Benthosentwicklungen verlaufen, externe globale Fraktionierungstrends widerspiegeln, während kurzzeitige Signale eher an interne Muster gebunden sind (Fraktionierung innerhalb der Wassermassen). Die verschiedenen Möglichkeiten der Interpretation werden an speziellen Fällen diskutiert: am Übergang Pleistozän zu Holozän, an der Veränderung des Kohlenstoffverhältnisses im Messinium und an dem Monerey-Maximum im Miozän.

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Résumé Le signal isotopique du carbone enregistré dans les sédiments océaniques résulte d'un ensemble de mécanismes qui reflètent: 1) les variations globales dans l'intensité des échanges entre le réservoir du carbone de l'océan et la biosphère, les sols et les sédiments, 2) les variations globales et régionales de productivité des eaux de surface, 3) les changements dans la structure et la circulation des masses d'eaux (fractionnement de bassin à bassin, développement d'un niveau à minimum d'oxygène), et 4) les effets de fractionnement propres aux organismes, dûs à des changements de micro-habitat et/ou à un fractionnement au cours de l'ontogénie (»effet vital«). La préservation différentielle ajoute certaines difficultés d'interprétation. Il n'est pas possible d'isoler entièrement chacun de ces différents facteurs. D'une manière générale les signaux à longue période dont les variations sont parallèles pour les données planctoniques et benthiques correspondent à un fractionnement dû à des facteurs externes (globaux), alors que les signaux à courte période sont plus vraisemblablement liés à des facteurs internes (fractionnement des masses d'eaux). Trois cas étudiés permettent d'illustrer ces différents types d'interprétation: la transition Glaciaire/Holocène, le »décrochement Messinien« et l'»enrichissement de Monterey« au Miocène.

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Oblique and near collision subduction, Sagami and Suruga Troughs —preliminary results of the French-Japanese 1984 Kaiko cruise, Leg 2

Leg 2 of the French-Japanese 1984 Kaiko cruise has surveyed the Suruga and the Sagami Troughs, which lie on both sides of the northwestward moving and colliding Izu-Bonin Ridge, the northernmost part of the Philippine Sea plate. The transition from the Nankai Trough to the Suruga Trough is characterized by northward decrease in width of the accretionary prism, in good agreement with the increasing obliquity between the through axis and the direction of the convergence, as the strike of the convergent boundary changes from ENE-NNE to south-north. South of the area, the southern margin of the Zenisu Ridge shows contractional deformations. This supports the interpretation made by the team of Leg 1 who studied the western extension of the area we studied, that it is an intra-oceanic thrusting of the ridge over the Shikoku Basin. In the Sagami Trough, where the relative motion is highly oblique to the plate boundary, active subduction is mostly confined in the east-west trending portions of the trough located south of the Boso Peninsula and along the lower Boso Canyon, near the TTT triple junction. In between, the present motion is mainly right-lateral along the northwest trending Boso escarpment. However, an inactive but recent (Pliocene to lower Pleistocene) accretionary prism exists south of the Boso escarpment, which suggests that the relative motion was more northerly than at present before about 1 Ma ago.     

Fission-track dating of glass inclusions in volcanic quartz

We have extended fission-track dating techniques to volcanic pyroclastic rocks, using quartz-bearing uranium-rich glass inclusions. We use both the glass itself and the surrounding quartz as track detectors, the latter having a much higher resetting temperature. We can thus derive the age of the last low-temperature thermal event, as well as that of the most recent deposition of quartz on the walls of the inclusions. This method has been applied to a Sardinian sample and to a Moroccan Precambrian sample.     

Velocity model estimation for depth imaging: Comparison of three tomography methods on a 2D real data set

The estimation of velocity models is still crucial in seismic reflection imaging as it controls the quality of the depth‐migrated image, which is the basis of geological interpretation. Among the numerous existing methods for velocity determination, tomographic methods are very attractive for their efficiency and ability to retrieve heterogeneities of the medium. We present three tomographic methods in order to estimate heterogeneous velocity models from 2D prestack PP reflection data: a traveltime tomography in the time‐migrated domain, a traveltime and slope tomography in the non‐migrated time domain, and a slope tomography in the depth‐migrated domain. The first method (traveltime tomography in the time domain) is based on continuous picked events, whereas the two slope tomographic methods, one in the time domain and the other in the depth domain, are based on locally coherent events, with no assumptions about reflector geometry or the unknown velocity field. The purpose of this paper is not to describe in detail the theoretical basis and implementation of the methods, but to apply and compare their output using the same marine real data set. Based on the estimated velocity models, the migrated images and the common‐image gathers from the three processing routes, the relative strengths and weaknesses of the methods are discussed. Finally, similarities are indicated and potential alternative approaches are proposed.     

Combining geophysical methods to estimate the spatial distribution of soils affected by water saturation

Geophysical methods have already shown their interest for the continuous characterisation of soils over landscapes, rapidly and, non-intrusively. But in bottomland areas, difficulties are encountered in relating geophysical properties to soil spatial distribution due to large variations in the depth, texture and/or water content of soils. Indeed, respective variations of these parameters can result in ambiguous geophysical responses. For example, a decrease in soil water content, which causes an increase in electrical resistivity, may be offset by an increase in soil clay content, inducing a decrease in resistivity. The objective of this study was to improve the continuous characterisation of soils affected by an excess of water by using a combination of geophysical techniques. Three techniques, the radio-magnetotelluric (RMT), the ground penetrating radar (GPR) and the electrostatic quadrupole (ESQP) were implemented along eight representative transects where soils were extensively described. The soil cover shows a succession from downslope to upslope consisting in fibric Fluvisols, gleyic Fluvisols, and Albefluvisols. None of the geophysical methods allows us to distinguish all soil limits and to estimate the geometry of soil horizons. The ESQP discriminates Fluvisols from Albefluvisols, whereas the RMT above all reveals differences in soil material thickness, which do not permit to discriminate between these soils. In complement, the GPR allows the estimation of the geometry of organic horizons and anthropic structures, such as ditches. Finally, the combination of these three techniques allows us to assess the main features of soil spatial distribution in bottomlands. To cite this article: V. Chaplot et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).     

Milieux coralliens du Dogger près de Betioky (Madagascar) : la fin d'une exceptionCorallian meadows in the Dogger near Betioky (Madagascar): the end of an exception

Corallian outcrops of the Dogger in the Betioky area (Madagascar) have been previously interpreted as barrier reefs or atolls involved in a large carbonate platform. This statement appeared exceptional for these times. A field study demonstrates that, in fact, they are only sparse solitary or colonial corals, whose growth occurred with some difficulty. They developed in meadows strongly marked by terrigenous inputs, in a subsiding context, and during brief episodes favourable to the genesis of ooids. To cite this article: B. Lathuilière et al., C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 1169–1176.     

Large wood potential,piece characteristics,and flood effects in Swiss mountain streams

We present results of two studies on the (1) potential wood load in steep headwater streams and (2) properties of large wood (LW) transported in mountain rivers during the large August 2005 flood event in Switzerland. Ten headwater reaches of 1000 m length were surveyed in different regions of Switzerland. The potential wood load was estimated for in-channel deadwood, and possible driving factors were explored. Correlations were found with dead wood volume on hillslopes and mean channel width. We established size distributions of LW pieces and identified probable recruitment processes. Four reaches were resurveyed after an exceptionally severe flood in August 2005, showing limited LW transport in channels but considerable wood input by mass wasting processes. In addition, characteristics of deposits of LW along mountain rivers affected by the 2005 flood were investigated. Diameter and length distribution of transported and deposited pieces were comparable to those of LW from steep headwater streams, yet with considerably fewer long pieces in the deposits of mountain rivers. Most LW pieces were fresh wood, indicating that the portion of in-channel deadwood transported during the 2005 flood was limited. Findings of the study contribute to a better understanding of LW dynamics in Alpine mountain streams.