A sediment trap intercomparison study in the Santa Barbara Basin

Four sediment traps of radically different design were deployed in the Santa Barbara Basin for approximately 45 days. The measured fluxes ranged from 370 to 774 g m^?2 yr^?1 for the different designs. These values lie within flux measurements previously determined for the basin. Compared to the 25-year record (920 g m^?2 yr^?1), however, all fluxes determined in this experiment are somewhat low. Because this experiment was conducted during a general period of high storm activity and runoff, measurement of greater than average flux was expected. It is probable that the higher flux recorded by the sediments results from a significant input of detritus into the basin by near bottom transport.The chemical composition of trapped material was nearly identical in all four trap designs. The deep cone design, however, had a significantly lower Mn content. Since this trap was the only one in which reducing conditions were produced in the sample container, reduction and mobilization of manganese after collection is believed to have occurred.In spite of the very different designs tested, the factor of two agreement in flux determination and the compositional similarity of the material collected is encouraging for future attempts to directly measure the flux of particulates in the ocean.     

Benthonische Schelf-Foraminiferen aus dem Valanginium-Hauterivium (Unterkreide) des Indischen Ozeans südwestlich Madagaskar (Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 25, Site 249).

Zusammenfassung Aus 12 Radiolarien-reichen Tonstein-Proben aus Site 249, DSDP-Leg 25, im westlichen Indischen Ozean südwestlich Madagaskar werden 4 Arten agglutinierter und 38 Arten benthonischer Foraminiferen beschrieben, davon 13 in offener Nomenklatur. Durch das Vorkommen zahlreicher Valanginium-Arten und vonGavelinella barremiana werden die Faunen hier als Valanginium-Hauterivium datiert. Sie enthalten Leitformen der norddeutschen Unterkreide und ebenso Arten aus dem benachbarten Madagaskar. Die Nodosariiden dominieren mit 36 Arten, vor allem die GattungenAstacolus, Citharina, Lenticulina, Lingulina, Marginulinopsis, Nodosaria, Saracenaria undVaginulina. Wichtige Neokomium-Arten, die in anderen DSDP-Sites vorkommen, namentlichPraedorothia ouachensis (Sigal) und planktonische Foraminiferen, fehlen. Die Faunen aus Site 249 werden dem Schelfbereich zugeordnet.

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From 12 radiolarian-rich claystone samples of the DSDP-Leg 25, Site 249, situated in the western Indian Ocean southwest of Madagascar 4 species of agglutinated and 38 species of calcareous benthonic foraminifera are described, 13 of them in open nomenclature. As a lot of Valanginian species andGavelinella barremiana occur in the foraminiferal faunas described here a Valanginian-Hauterivian age is assigned to them. These microfaunas investigated here yield some index species characteristic in the Lower Cretaceous deposits of Northern Germany and also from the near-by Madagascar. Nodosariids dominate in a striking way with 36 species, especially ofAstacolus, Citharina, Lenticulina, Lingulina, Marginulinopsis, Nodosaria, Saracenaria, andVaginulina. Important Neocomian species well-known from other DSDP sites, namelyPraedorothia ouachensis (Sigal) and planktonic foraminifers, are missing. The microfaunas of Site 249 have to be derived from shelf areas.

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Résumé Cette note décrit des foraminifères contenus dans douze échantillons d'argilites riches en radiolaires, provenant du Leg DSDP 25, site 249 (partie ouest de l'Océan Indien, au sudouest de Madagascar): il s'agit de 4 espèces agglutinées et 38 espèces calcaires benthoniques, dont 13 en nomenclature ouverte. La présence de nombreuses espèces valanginiennes et deGavelinella barremiana permet d'assigner à la faune décrite un âge valanginien-hauterivien. Cette microfaune comporte des espèces types caractéristiques du Crétacé inférieur du nord de l'Allemagne et de l'île voisine de Madagascar. Les foraminifères dominants sont des nodosariides, avec 36 espèces, dont:Astacolus, Citharina, Lenticulina, Lingulina, Marginulinopsis, Nodosaria, Saracenaria et Vaginulina. D'importantes espèces néocomiennes, bien connues dans d'autres sites DSDP, [notammentPraedorothia ouachensis (Sigal)], ne sont pas représentées, de même que les foraminifères planctoniques. Les microfaunes du site 249 sont dérivées d'une région de shelf.

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12- , , 249 25 DSDP - , 4 38 , 13 . .. , , Gavelinella barremiana, - . , , , , - . 36 ( ) : Astacolus, Citharina, Lenticulina, Lingulina, Marginulinopsis, Nodosaria, Saracenaria, Vaginulina. : Praedorothia ouachensis (sigal) a . 249 .

     

A new method for computation of seismicity

Summary Seismicity of a region is defined as a surface integral of the local seismicity in that region divided by its area. Local seismicity results from the assumed scattering of each epicentre according to normal distribution as continuous point function It is represented by the sum of the products of all seismic energies taken into consideration and the distribution functions of the concerned epicentres. For a plane rectangular region a practicable formula for computation of seismicity is given by means of the error integral.Publication No 25 of the Institut für Geodynamik, 69 Jena (GDR), Burgweg 11. Forschungsgemeinschaft der Deutschen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin.     

Anticorrelated Rb−Sr and K−Ar age discordances,Leuchtenberg granite,NE Bavaria,Germany

The Leuchtenberg granite (Oberpfalz, NE Bavaria) displays a continuous differentiation trend ranging from mildy peraluminous, coarse-grained, porphyritic biotite granites (BG) to strongly peraluminous, medium- to fine-grained, garnet-bearing muscovite granites (GMG). The Rb–Sr and K–Ar age determinations of whole-rock and mineral samples from the granite and associated intermediate rocks (redwitzites) have revealed two divergent age gradients: Rb–Sr wholerock dates decrease and initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios increase for successively more evolved subsets of the granite. All BG samples (⁸⁷Rb/⁸⁶Sr=2–16) yield a date of 326±2 Ma with a low initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.70778±0.00013 (1), while all GMG samples (⁸⁷Rb/⁸⁶Sr=70 to 1000) yield a younger date of 317±2 Ma with an enhanced initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.7146±0.0039. The K–Ar measurements on biotites and muscovites give closely concordant dates for the GMG (326–323 Ma) and the southern lobe of the BG (324–320 Ma). The northern lobe of the BG, including the redwitzites, shows a well-defined trend of decreasing K–Ar dates from 320 Ma to 300 Ma towards the northwest. Critical consideration of both isotope systems leads to the conclusion that the Rb–Sr system of the GMG was disturbed by a later hydrothermal event. The ca. 326 Ma whole-rock Rb–Sr date for the BG is not in conflict with any of the K–Ar mineral dates and is taken as approaching the crystallization age of the Leuchtenberg granite. The K–Ar age progression within the northern lobe of the BG indicates that this part either cooled down over a protracted period of some 20 Ma or experienced reheating at ca. 300 Ma. The study highlights the potential of combined Rb–Sr and K–Ar dating in deciphering detailed chronology on the scale of a single igneous intrusion.     

Tracing sediment pathways by zircon fission track analysis: Oligocene marine connections in Central Europe

In this study, we use contrasting zircon fission track age signatures of Alpine detritus and detritus derived from the Variscan realm to trace sediment pathways in Central Europe. Our data show that the Molasse Basin was connected with the Rhine Graben Sea during the Mid-Oligocene, thus joining the North Sea to the Paratethys. Within the Rhine Graben Sea, fairly strong south–north directed currents existed, transporting sand-sized Alpine detritus nearly 300 km towards the north. A connection between the Rhône-Bresse Graben and the Rhine Graben and/or the French Molasse Basin and the Swiss Molasse Basin, by contrast, is not supported by the fission track data. This may be explained by the existence of submarine rises that hampered the transport of sand-sized sediment towards the north/northeast.     

Bio- and chronostratigraphy of the Middle Triassic Reifling Formation of the westernmost Northern Calcareous Alps

New finds of fossils including bivalves, ammonoids, brachiopods and palynomorphs from the Middle Triassic Reifling Formation significantly improve the age assignment for this unit in Liechtenstein and Vorarlberg. The lower part of the Reifling Formation is tentatively referred to the Late Anisian Paraceratites trinodosus Zone and somewhat older levels, whereas the uppermost part reaches the Ladinian Protrachyceras archelaus Zone (ammonoid zonation). The Middle Triassic successions of the study area are correlated with the coeval South Alpine reference section at Bagolino (Brescian Prealps), which also bears the Ladinian GSSP. The comparison shows that the Reifling Formation in the study area is age-equivalent with the South Alpine Prezzo Limestone and the Buchenstein Formation. A volcanoclastic layer in the upper part of the Reifling Formation at Flexenpass yields a U-Pb zircon age of 239.3 +/- 0.2 Ma. This value is slightly older than previously published minimum ages from equivalent horizons in the Southern Alps; the difference is thought to be mainly due to improved pre-treatment of zircons (annealing/chemical abrasion), which significantly reduces the effects of Pb loss. The new radio-isotope age further constrains the stratigraphical age of the Reifling Formation and supports the proposed biostratigraphy-based correlation of Middle Triassic successions in the Eastern and Southern Alps. Editorial handling: E. Erba & J.-P. Billon-Bruyat     

A Simplified, Accurate and Fast Method for Lithium Isotope Analysis of Rocks and Fluids, and δ7Li Values of Seawater and Rock Reference Materials

We report a new approach to conduct fast and accurate lithium isotope ratio measurements by MC-ICP mass spectrometry after wet chemical sample preparation. In contrast to most previously published methods our MC-ICP-MS set-up did not use a desolvating system to achieve appropriate ion beam intensities and, therefore, was less affected by matrix-induced shifts of the instrumental mass bias. As the total lithium background and build-up in the sample introduction system was low, previous sample residues could be washed out by an extended uptake of the new sample. Elimination of a nitric acid rinse step increased the sample throughput by a factor of two and allowed the instrumental mass bias drift to be tracked more precisely. δ⁷Li values of powdered silicate rock reference materials and seawater obtained in this study revealed good accuracy and an overall analytical uncertainty of typically 0.5‰ (2s). On the basis of a comparison between our lithium isotope data and compiled literature data, we recommend preliminary average δ⁷Li values for seawater (+30.8‰) and several silicate rock reference materials (BHVO-1: +5.0‰; JA-1: +5.6‰; JB-2: +4.8‰). The compilation of published δ⁷Li values for seawater suggests that the observed large lithium isotope differences are due to inter-method and/or interlaboratory bias. Most recently published δ⁷Li values for seawater show little variation and confirm a constant lithium isotope composition (at the sub ‰ level) of seawater in well mixed ocean basins.