Salt kinematics and regional tectonics across a Permian gas field: a case study from East Frisia, NW Germany

This study presents a reconstruction of the tectonic history of an Upper Rotliegend tight gas field in Northern Germany. Tectonism of the greater study area was influenced by multiple phases of salt movement, which produced a variety of salt-related structural features such as salt walls, salt diapirs as well as salt glaciers (namakiers). A sequential 2D retro-deformation and stratal backstripping methodology was used to differentiate mechanisms inducing salt movement and to discuss their relation to regional tectonics. The quantitative geometric restoration included sedimentary balancing, decompaction, fault-related deformation, salt movement, thermal subsidence, and isostasy to unravel the post-depositional tectonic overprint of the Rotliegend reservoir rock. The results of this study indicate that reactive salt diapirism started during an Early Triassic interval of thin-skinned extensional tectonics, followed by an active diapirism stage with an overburden salt piercement in the Late Triassic, and finally a period of intensive salt surface extrusion and the formation of salt glaciers (namakiers) in Late Triassic and Jurassic times. Since the Early Cretaceous, salt in the study area has been rising by passive diapirism.     

Numerical Modeling of Atoll Island Hydrogeology

We implemented Ayers and Vachers' (1986) inclusive conceptual model for atoll island aquifers in a comprehensive numerical modeling study to evaluate the response of the fresh water lens to selected controlling climatic and geologic variables. Climatic factors include both constant and time-varying recharge rates, with particular attention paid to the effects of El Niño and the associated drought it brings to the western Pacific. Geologic factors include island width; hydraulic conductivity of the uppermost Holocene-age aquifer, which contains the fresh water lens; the depth to the contact with the underlying, and much more conductive, Pleistocene karst aquifer, which transmits tidal signals to the base of the lens; and the presence or absence of a semiconfining reef flat plate on the ocean side. Sensitivity analyses of steady-steady simulations show that lens thickness is most strongly sensitive to the depth to the Holocene-Pleistocene contact and to the hydraulic conductivity of the Holocene aquifer, respectively. Comparisons between modeling results and published observations of atoll island lens thicknesses suggest a hydraulic conductivity of approximately 50 m/d for leeward islands and approximately 400 m/d for windward islands. Results of transient simulations show that lens thickness fluctuations during average seasonal conditions and El Niño events are quite sensitive to island width, recharge rate, and hydraulic conductivity of the Holocene aquifer. In general, the depletion of the lens during drought conditions is most drastic for small, windward islands. Simulation results suggest that recovery from a 6-month drought requires about 1.5 years.     

Resting Stages of Plankton in Recent North Adriatic Sediments

Abstract. Plankton-derived resting stages were found in 26 sediment cores collected in the North Adriatic Sea; 46 morphotypes were identified, 38 were attributed to taxa according to their morphology and, in some hatching cases, also according to the morphology of the derived active forms. Six species of Dinophyta were recorded for the first time from the North Adriatic Sea. Each morphotype was described in detail. Twenty-nine resting stages were Dinophyta; one was a Chrysophyta; two were Tintinnina; and six were metazoans. At every site Dinophyta cysts were more abundant than Metazoa cysts. Cyst bank densities were variable, with empty forms generally more abundant than full ones; cyst concentrations were highest at the mouth of the Po River delta.     

Mitigation of lunar dust adhesion by surface modification

Dust has been recognized as one of the greatest hazards in continued lunar exploration due to its tenacious adhesion to everything with which it comes into contact. Unfortunately, there is little known about the mechanisms of adhesion on widely varying surface types: van der Waals and electrostatic forces are the dominant forces under consideration here. Surface energy, roughness, mechanical properties and electronic properties are all known to contribute to the adhesion characteristics. An optimal solution to mitigate dust adhesion would be to identify the dominant components of the adhesive force and to reduce that force by surface modification. In this study, an ion beam process was used to modify (treat) the surfaces of three dramatically different materials spanning the range of conductor (black Kapton), semiconductor (silicon), and insulator (quartz). Adhesive forces between less than JSC-1 lunar simulants and these virgin/treated surfaces were measured in vacuum using a centrifugal force detachment method. We found that JSC-1 particles adhered less to treated silicon and quartz surfaces, correlated with a reduction in van der Waals force due to a reduced surface energy. The large reduction in adhesion for treated black Kapton is mainly due to the large decrease in the electrostatic (image) force that results from reduced contact charging. Materials in space and on the lunar surface will be directly exposed to high-energy ultraviolet radiation prior to being covered by dust, so the UV irradiation effects on surface adhesion were also examined. Both virgin and treated quartz surfaces are most affected by the UV-irradiation, showing dramatically increased adhesion.     

Zircon U-Pb geochronology and geochemistry of Late Devonian–Carboniferous granitoids in NW Iran: implications for the opening of Paleo-Tethys

ABSTRACT

We present zircon U-Pb crystallization ages combined with bulk rock major and trace element geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Pb and zircon in-situ Hf isotopic compositions of the Amand and Moro granitoid intrusions in northwest Iran. The Amand and Moro plutons include granite and syeno-diorite with LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon ages of 367 ± 6.8 Ma and 351 ± 1.3 Ma, respectively, representative of Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous magmatic activity in NW Iran. Geochemical characteristics such as typical enrichments in alkalis, Nb, Zr, Ga and Y, depletion in P and Sr and fractionated REE patterns with high Ga/Al ratios and Eu negative anomalies are consistent with A-type magmatic signatures. The granitoids are classified as A₂-type and within-plate granitoids. The bulk rock geochemistry (enrichments in Th, Nb and, high Th/Yb, Zr/Y ratios) along with low variation of ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd_(i) and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_(i) ratios and positive zircon εHf_(t) support the role of a mantle plume component for the evolution of the Amand and Moro A-type granitoids in an extensional tectonic environment. In fitting with wider regional knowledge, this magmatism occurred during Paleo-Tethys opening in northern Gondwana.     

Fragmentation during Rock Falls: Two Italian Case Studies of Hard and Soft Rocks

In recent years, rock fall phenomena in Italy have received considerable attention for risk mitigation through in situ observations and experimental data. This paper reports the study conducted at Camaldoli Hill, in the urban area of Naples, and at Monte Pellegrino, Palermo, Italy. The rocks involved are volcanic Neapolitan yellow tuff (NYT) in the former area and dolomitic limestone in the latter. Both rocks, even though with different strength characteristics, have shown a significant tendency towards rock fragmentation during run out. This behavior was first investigated by comparing the volumes of removable blocks on the cliff faces (V ₀) and fallen blocks on the slopes (V _f). It was assumed that the ratio V _f/V ₀ decreases with the distance (x _f) from the detachment area by an empirical law, which depends on a coefficient α, correlated with the geotechnical properties of the materials involved in the rock fall. Finally, this law was validated by observation of well-documented natural rock falls (Palermo) and by in situ full-scale tests (Naples). From the engineering perspective, consideration of fragmentation processes in rock fall modeling provides a means for designing low-cost mitigation measures.     

Restudy of pyroxene-pyroxene equilibration temperatures for ordinary chrondrite meteorites

Electron microprobe analyses of orthopyroxene and Ca-clinopyroxene in 21 ordinary petrographic type 6 chondrites (7 H-, 8 L-, and 6 LL-group chondrites) result in differentK _D (distribution coefficient) values for H-, L-, and LL-group chondrites, which suggest different equilibration temperatures for each group. If we consider the Blander model (Blander 1972), the differences in Fe-Mg distributions for these groups reflect only their different Wo (CaSiO₃) contents, and are not due to differences in equalibration temperature. Ca-clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in contact with each other give a lower analytical spread and more meaningful results than those analyzed at random. Olivine and orthopyroxene in nearly all analyzed chondrites are homogenous within and between grains; Ca-clinopyroxene shows heterogenous compositions in petrographic types 4 and 5, but is homogenous in type 6. Ca-clinopyroxene in disequilibrated chondrites contains unusual amounts of minor elements Al, Ti, and Cr, a feature that can be used to denote meteorites of this type. Equilibration temperatures for ordinary chondrites, based on the pyroxene-pyroxene geothermometer are not known, although a range of 750–950° C appears to be a fair estimate. The exact equilibration temperatures can be determined only after this geothermometer is carefully calibrated experimentally or empirically, with due consideration given to Wo content.     

Distribution and source apportionments of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in mariculture sediments from the Pearl River Delta, South China

Surface and core sediments collected from six mariculture farms in the Pearl River Delta (PRD) were analyzed to evaluate contamination levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The ∑PCBs (37 congeners) concentrations ranged from 5.10 to 11.0 ng g(-1) (mean 7.96 ng g(-1)) in surface and 3.19 to 22.1 ng g(-1) (mean 7.75 ng g(-1)) in core sediments, respectively. The concentrations were significantly higher than that measured in the sediments of their corresponding reference sites, whereby the average enrichment percentages were 62.0% and 42.7% in surface and core sediments, respectively. Significant correlations (R2=0.77, p<0.05) of PCB homologue group proportions between fish feeds and surface mariculture sediments suggested that fish feed input was probably the main source for the enrichment of PCBs. Due to the fact that PCBs could be transferred along food chains, PCB contamination in fish feeds and mariculture sediments should not be overlooked.