Elemental fingerprints of isotopic contamination of hebridean Palaeocene mantle-derived magmas by archaean sial

One of the major puzzles presented by the geochemistry of the Palaeocene plateau lavas of Skye and Mull (N.W. Scotland) is that, although a very strong case can be made that the magmas are variably isotopically contaminated by Archaean Lewisian continental crust, little evidence has been gleaned to date from their major- and trace-element compositions to illuminate this hypothetical process. The combined results of published Sr-, Nd- and Pb-isotope studies of these lavas allow the basalts and hawaiites to be divided into three broad groups: essentially uncontaminated; contaminated with granulite-facies Archaean crust; contaminated with amphibolite-facies Archaean crust. Members of each group show distinctive chondrite-normalised incompatible-element patterns. The processes which gave rise to isotopic contamination of these lavas also affected the abundances and ratios of Ba, Rb, Th, K, Sr and light REE in the magmas, whilst having negligible effects on their abundances and ratios of Nb, Ta, P, Zr, Hf, Ti, Y and middle-heavy REE. Because such a wide range of elements were affected by the contamination process, it is postulated that the contaminant was a silicate melt of one or more distinctive crustal rock types, rather than an aqueous or similar fluid causing selective elemental movements from wall rocks into the magmas. As previous experimental and isotopic studies have shown that the Skye and Mull basic magmas were not constrained by cotectic equilibria at the time when they interacted with sial, the compositions of the contaminated lavas have been modelled in terms of simple magma-crust mixtures. Very close approximations to both the abundances and ratios of incompatible elements in the two groups of contaminated basalts may be obtained by adding 15% to 20% of Lewisian leucogneisses to uncontaminated Palaeocene basalt. Nevertheless, major-element constraints suggest that the maximum amount of granitic contaminant which has been added to these magmas lies between 5% and 10%. These estimates may be reconciled by postulating that the contaminants were large-fraction cotectic partial melts of Lewisian leucogneisses, leaving plagioclase residua. A corollary of this hypothesis is that it is necessary to postulate that the magma chambers where the sialic contamination occurred were, in fact, dykes or (more probably) sills. The very large surface-to-volume ratios of such magmas bodies would permit the systematic stripping, by partial melting, of the most-easily-fusible leucogneisses and pegmatites from the Lewisian crust, whilst failing to melt its major rock types. A present-day analogue to this situation may be the extensive sill-like magma bodies detected by geophysical methods within the continental crust beneath the Rio Grande Rift, southwestern U.S.A.     

Biogeochemistry, a prospecting tool in the search for mercury mineralization

Summary of biogeochemical prospecting for mercury mineralization in the Pinchi Fault is given. One thousand two hundred and eight plant samples were collected and analyzed for mercury. In mineralized areas the typical mercury content of dried plants was not less than 0.2 and 0.4 μg/g and even concentrations between 0.6 and 1.6 μg/g were observed. In nonmineralized zones at least 90% of the plants contained no more than 0.15 μg/g of mercury. Analytical and sampling procedures are described.     

Selective concentration of cesium in analcime during hydrothermal alteration,Yellowstone National Park,Wyoming

Chemical and mineralogical studies of fresh and hydrothermally altered rhyolitic material in Upper and Lower Geyser Basins, Yellowstone National Park, show that all the altered rocks are enriched in Cs and that Cs is selectively concentrated in analcime. The Cs content of unaltered rhyolite lava flows, including those from which the altered sediments are derived, ranges from 2.5 to 7.6 ppm. The Cs content of analcime-bearing altered sedimentary rocks is as high as 3000 ppm, and in clinoptilolite-bearing altered sedimentary rocks Cs content is as high as 180 ppm. Altered rhyolite lava flows which were initially vitrophyres, now contain up to 250 ppm Cs, and those which were crystallized prior to hydrothermal alteration contain up to 14 ppm. Mineral concentrates of analcime contain as much as 4700 ppm Cs. The Cs must have been incorporated into the analcime structure during crystallization, rather than by later cation substitution, because analcime does not readily exchange Cs. The $\text{Cs}\text{Cl}$ of the fluids circulating through the hydrothermal system varies, suggesting that Cs is not always a conservative ion and that Cs is lost from upflowing thermal waters due to water-rock interaction resulting in crystallization of Cs-bearing analcime.The source of Cs for Cs enrichment of the altered rocks is from leaching of rhyolitic rocks underlying the geyser basins, and from the top of the silicic magma chamber that underlies the area.Analcime is an important natural Cs sink, and the high Cs concentrations reported here may prove to be an important indicator of the environment of analcime crystallization.     

Solute and isotope constraint of groundwater recharge simulation in an arid environment,Abu Dhabi Emirate,United Arab Emirates

A simple, well-constrained simulation of solute increases in a downgradient direction was used in the shallow unconfined aquifer of eastern Abu Dhabi Emirate (United Arab Emirates). The simulation indicates that the observed exponential increase in solute concentrations results from a combination of upward transport of solutes from underlying mudstones and evaporites, and groundwater losses by evaporation. Groundwater recharge and discharge flux in unconfined regional aquifers in arid regions commonly are difficult to estimate because there are few constraints on the flux of water lost or gained from the system. Total dissolved solids (TDS) and deuterium isotopes (δ²H) in groundwater are used to constrain estimated fluxes to the shallow aquifer of eastern Abu Dhabi Emirate. Vertical upward transport of solutes from underlying mudstones and evaporites accounts for solute increases along approximately the first 80 km of the simulated flow path, but a combination of upward solute transport and evaporation is necessary to explain observed solute concentrations beyond 80 km. Mobilization and transport of solutes in the unsaturated zone by recharging precipitation is not a significant factor.

---

Résumé Une simulation simple et bien contrainte de l’augmentation des solutés dans la direction de l’écoulement a été réalisée sur l’aquifère phréatique et libre de l’Est de l’émirat d’Abu Dhabi (émirats Arabes Unis). La simulation indique que l’augmentation observée de solutés, de forme exponentielle, est le produit de la combinaison du transport ascendant de solutés provenant des mudstones et des évaporites sous-jacents, et de l’évaporation des eaux souterraines. La recharge des eaux souterraines et les flux de vidange dans les aquifères régionaux libres des régions arides sont habituellement difficiles à estimer du fait du peu de contraintes agissant sur la perte ou le gain d’eau dans le système. La charge dissoute totale (TDS, en anglais) et les isotopes deutérium (δ²H) des eaux souterraines sont utilisés pour contraindre l’estimation des flux en direction de l’aquifère phréatique de l’Est de l’émirat d’Abu Dhabi. Le transport vertical ascendant des solutés à partir des mudstones et des évaporites fait parti des processus qui concentrent les solutés approximativement le long des 80 premiers kilomètres du trajet des écoulements simulés, mais une combinaison du transport ascendant des solutés et de l’évaporation est nécessaire pour expliquer les concentrations observées en soluté au delà des 80 km. La mobilisation et le transport des solutés par les précipitations efficaces dans la zone non saturée ne représentent pas des facteurs significatifs.

---

Resumen Se utilizó una simulación simple y muy restringida, de incrementos de soluto en la dirección del flujo, en el acuífero libre poco profundo del Emirato oriental de Abu Dhabi, (Emiratos árabes Unidos). La simulación indica que el aumento exponencial observado en las concentraciones del soluto, resulta de una combinación de transporte ascendente de solutos desde las evaporitas y lodolitas subyacentes, y por pérdidas del agua subterránea por evaporación. Los flujos de recarga y descarga de agua subterránea, en los acuíferos libres regionales en regiones áridas, normalmente son difíciles estimar, porque hay algunas restricciones en el flujo de agua perdido o ganado por el sistema. Los sólidos disueltos totales (TDS) y los isótopos de deuterio (δ²H) en el agua subterránea, se usan para forzar los flujos estimados hacia el acuífero poco profundo del Emirato oriental de Abu Dhabi. El transporte ascendente vertical de solutos desde las lodolitas y evaporitas subyacentes, involucra los aumentos del soluto a lo largo de aproximadamente los primeros 80 Km. de la dirección de flujo simulada, pero es necesaria una combinación de transporte ascendente del soluto y la evaporación para explicar las concentraciones del soluto observadas más allá de 80 Km. La movilización y transporte de solutos en la zona no saturada, por recarga debida a precipitación, no es un factor significante.

     

Identification of buried sinkholes using refraction tomography at Ft. Campbell Army Airfield,Kentucky

Karst aquifers are highly susceptible to contamination, with numerous points of entry for contaminants through recharge features such as sinkholes, swallow holes and solutionally enlarged fractures. These recharge features may be filled or obscured at the surface, requiring the use of geophysical or remote sensing techniques for their identification. This study uses seismic refraction data collected at the Ft. Campbell Army Airfield (CAAF), Kentucky, USA, to test the hypothesis that refraction tomography is a useful tool for imaging bedrock depressions beneath thick overburden (greater than 20 m of unconsolidated sediment). Southeast of the main taxiway of CAAF seismic velocity tomograms imaged a bedrock low, possibly a closed depression, at a depth of 25 m that had been earlier identified through delay-time analysis of the same refraction data. Tomography suggests the bedrock low is about 250-m wide by 10-m deep at its widest point. High rates of contaminant vapor extraction over the western extension of this feature suggest a high concentration of contaminants above, and within, this filled bedrock low, the base of which may contain solutionally enlarged fractures (i.e. karst conduits) that could funnel these contaminants to the upper or lower bedrock aquifers. This study thus demonstrates the viability of seismic refraction tomography as a tool for identification of filled sinkholes and bedrock depressions in karst areas.     

Additive versus multiplicative models in ecologic regression

Much research in environmental epidemiology relies on aggregate-level information on exposure to potentially toxic substances and on relevant covariates. We compare the use of additive (linear) and multiplicative (log-linear) regression models for the analysis of such data. We illustrate how both additive and multiplicative models can be fit to aggregate-level data sets in which disease incidence is the dependent variable, and contrast these results with similar models fitted to individual-level data. We find (1) that for aggregate-level data, multiplicative models are more likely than additive models to introduce bias into the estimation of rates, an effect not found with individual-level data; and (2) that under many circumstances multiplicative models reduce the precision of the estimates, an effect also not found in individual-level models. For both additive and multiplicative models of aggregate-level data, we find that, in the presence of covariates, narrow confidence interval are obtained only when two or more antecedent factors are strongly related to the measured covariate and/or the exposure of primary substantive interest. We conclude that the equivalency of fitting additive versus multiplicative models in studies with individual-level binary data does not carry over to studies that analyze aggregate-level information. For aggregate data, we strongly recommend use of additive models. Supported by Grant #1 U19 EH000102 from the National Center for Environmental Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.     

Rheology and geodynamic modelling: the next step forward

The application of continuum mechanics and microstructural analysis to geological studies over the past 30 years has spurred earth scientists to reassess fundamental tectonic processes such as subduction, collision and rifting in terms of dynamics. Armed with new analytical methods, geologists have returned to the field to look at rock structures with more mechanistic eyes. The advent of sophisticated computers, programs, and laboratory deformation equipment has facilitated the simulation of geodynamic processes that range in scale from the grain to the lithosphere. The result has been specialization, with the concomitant opening of communication gaps between geodynamicists, field geologists and rock mechanicists. Partly, these gaps reflect differences of perception and approach. In order to bridge these gaps, a workshop was organized after the DRM conference to debate how field and laboratory studies of deformed rocks can improve our understanding of lithospheric rheology, and in turn, how this understanding can be used to refine dynamic models of orogenesis. The workshop hosted participants with backgrounds in structural geology, experimental rock mechanics, metamorphic petrology and both numerical and analogue modelling. This paper summarizes the main controversies and conclusions reached during the workshop. For the sake of brevity, referencing in this summary is restricted to literature referred to during the oral presentations and to comments made by speakers themselves (names italicized).