The Triangle Shearzone, Zimbabwe, revisited: new data document an important event at 2.0 Ga in the Limpopo Belt

The Limpopo Belt in Southern Africa has been used to demonstrate that modern-style continent-continent collision operated during the Late Archaean (2.6–2.7 Ga). We have studied the age and PT conditions of strike-slip tectonism along the important right-lateral Triangle Shearzone. Our results substantiate existing Proterozoic metamorphic mineral age data of prior uncertain significance. Using the PbPb and SmNd garnet chronometers and the ArAr step heating technique for amphibole, we have dated pre- and syn-tectonic metamorphic minerals at 2.2 and 2.0 Ga. Thus the Triangle Shearzone can now be regarded as an important Proterozoic suture. Examination of corresponding high-grade PT conditions, reaching 800°C at 9 kbar, indicates a clockwise metamorphic evolution with pronounced isothermal uplift. Although the evidence that thrusting of the Marginal Zones of the Limpopo Belt over the adjoining cratons occurred during the Late Archaean clearly remains, it is now very uncertain to which event the various PT paths obtained in the Limpopo Belt may be assigned. Therefore the question of whether the 2.6–2.7 Ga tectonism fits on its own a modern-style continental collision model remains open and has to be reassessed.     

Functional,Phylogenetic and Host-Geographic Signatures of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Labyrinthula</Emphasis> spp. Provide for Putative Species Delimitation and a Global-Scale View of Seagrass Wasting Disease

Seagrass meadows form ecologically and economically valuable coastal habitat on every continental margin except the Antarctic, but their areal extent is declining by approximately 2–5 % per year. Seagrass wasting disease is a contributing factor in these declines, with the protist Labyrinthula identified as the etiologic agent. To help elucidate the role of Labyrinthula spp. in global seagrass declines, we surveyed roughly one fourth of all seagrass species to identify Labyrinthula diversity at the strain and/or species level, combining results from culturing methods and two common nuclear DNA markers: the ITS and 18S regions of the ribosomal RNA gene complex. After assaying a subset of the resulting isolates (of which 170 were newly sequenced), we produced a cladogenic context for putative seagrass-pathogenic versus non-pathogenic Labyrinthula while also defining host and geographic ranges. Assays also suggest that pathogenicity is consistently high (when present; and, even when comparing susceptibility of US East- versus West Coast Zostera marina hosts) while virulence is variable, that some isolate-host combinations have the potential for host cross-infection, and that several modes of transmission can be effective. Taken together, these data provide additional means for delimiting putative species of Labyrinthula, suggesting at least five seagrass-pathogenic and perhaps ten or more non-pathogenic marine “species”, yielding a working definition for ecologists and epidemiologists attempting to reconcile the sundry data related to seagrass wasting disease.     

Ecological assessment to detect imminent change in coral reefs of Admiral Cockburn Land and Sea National Park,Turks and Caicos Islands

Coral reefs of the Turks and Caicos Islands (TCIs) (Caribbean Sea) constitute some of the few pristine coral reef systems in the world and play a crucial role in the islands’ economy because they support rich fisheries catches and tourism development. Ambitious development plans involving increase in fishing and tourism pressures are about to bring changes in coastal zone resources of the TCIs associated with increased sediments and nutrients and reduced predation by herbivorous fish on coral reefs. Understanding change is critical when attempting to protect the resources that these coral reefs support and to adopt proper management strategies. Yet, an environmental assessment program to detect imminent human‐induced changes on the surrounding reefs of the TCIs is lacking. Thus, (i) we obtained baseline data on benthic composition and coral community structure at seven reef sites of representative reefs of the TCIs within the Admiral Cockburn Land and Sea National Park (ACLSNP) of South Caicos Island and (ii) performed a priori statistical power analysis to calculate replication requirements for safely and confidently detecting small (δ = 0.1), medium (δ = 0.3), and large (δ = 0.5) effect sizes for a number of relevant to anticipated changes, univariate, benthic indices and for power β = 0.95. The platforms of the margin reefs studied (9–12 m depth) appeared rather variable regarding benthic composition but quite homogeneous regarding hard coral community structure. Mean percent cover of algal functional groups was 0.1 ± 0.3 (mean ± sd) percent for coralline algae and Halimeda, 0.1 ± 0.6 (mean ± sd) percent for macroalgae, 21.7 ± 33 (mean ± sd) percent for turf algae and 4.8 ± 4.0 (mean ± sd) percent for hard coral cover. The dominant benthic component, however, was carbonate substrate (mean ± sd = 30.4 ± 34.3), thus indicating an accreting reef framework. Mean hard coral density, colony size and recruit density were 5.5 ± 1.8 (mean ± sd) corals per 20‐m line transect, 13.0 ± 2.3 (mean ± sd) cm maximum colony diameter, and 1.3 ± 1.4 (mean ± sd) recruits per square foot, respectively. Due to high natural variance, hard coral colony size and density were practically the most sensitive indices in detecting even small size changes on benthos. Also, the geometric mean of log‐transformed colony size‐frequency distributions of the most abundant hard coral taxa, i.e. Montastrea annularis, Agaricia spp., Siderastrea spp. and Porites asteroides were practically sensitive for the same purpose. We hope that the study will optimize the spatial component of a necessary environmental impact assessment program on coral reefs of the TCIs once the natural spatial variability of the system has been assessed and sensitive, benthic, univariate indices have been identified for representative reference coral reef sites of the TCIs.     

Dissolution of orthopyroxene in basanitic magma between 0.4 and 2 GPa: further implications for the origin of Si-rich alkaline glass inclusions in mantle xenoliths

A large body of recent work has linked the origin of Si-Al-rich alkaline glass inclusions to metasomatic processes in the upper mantle. This study examines one possible origin for these glass inclusions, i.e., the dissolution of orthopyroxene in Si-poor alkaline (basanitic) melt. Equilibrium dissolution experiments between 0.4 and 2 GPa show that secondary glass compositions are only slightly Si enriched and are alkali poor relative to natural glass inclusions. However, disequilibrium experiments designed to examine dissolution of orthopyroxene by a basanitic melt under anhydrous, hydrous and CO₂-bearing conditions show complex reaction zones consisting of olivine, ± clinopyroxene and Si-rich alkaline glass similar in composition to that seen in mantle xenoliths. Dissolution rates are rapid and dependent on volatile content. Experiments using an anhydrous solvent show time dependent dissolution rates that are related to variable diffusion rates caused by the saturation of clinopyroxene in experiments longer than 10 minutes. The reaction zone glass shows a close compositional correspondence with natural Si-rich alkaline glass in mantle-derived xenoliths. The most Si-and alkali-rich melts are restricted to pressures of 1 GPa and below under anhydrous and CO₂-bearing conditions. At 2 GPa glass in hydrous experiments is still Si-␣and alkali-rich whereas glass in the anhydrous and CO₂-bearing experiments is only slightly enriched in SiO₂ and alkalis compared with the original solvent. In the low pressure region, anhydrous and hydrous solvent melts yield glass of similar composition whereas the glass from CO₂-bearing experiments is less SiO₂ rich. The mechanism of dissolution of orthopyroxene is complex involving rapid incongruent breakdown of the orthopyroxene, combined with olivine saturation in the reaction zone forming up to 60% olivine. Inward diffusion of CaO causes clinopyroxene saturation and uphill diffusion of Na and K give the glasses their strongly alkaline characteristics. Addition of Na and K also causes minor SiO₂ enrichment of the reaction glass by increasing the phase volume of olivine. Olivine and clinopyroxene are transiently stable phases within the reaction zone. Clinopyroxene is precipitated from the reaction zone melt near the orthopyroxene crystal and redissolved in the outer part of the reaction zone. Olivine defines the thickness of the reaction zone and is progressively dissolved in the solvent as the orthopyroxene continues to dissolve. Although there are compelling reasons for supporting the hypothesis that Si-rich alkaline melts are produced in the mantle by orthopyroxene – melt reaction in the mantle, there are several complications particularly regarding quenching in of disequilibrium reaction zone compositions and the mobility of highly polymerized melts in the upper mantle. It is considered likely that formation of veins and pools of Si-rich alkaline glass by orthopyroxene – melt reaction is a common process during the ascent of xenoliths. However, reaction in situ within the mantle will lead to equilibration and therefore secondary melts will be only moderately siliceous and alkali poor. Received: 24 August 1998 / Accepted: 2 December 1998     

The geometry and timing of orogenic extension: an example from the Western Italian Alps

Contacts between rocks recording large differences in metamorphic grade are indicative of major tectonic displacements. Low-P upon high-P contacts are commonly interpreted as extensional (i.e. material points on either side of the contact moved apart relative to the palaeo-horizontal), but dating of deformation and metamorphism is essential in testing such models. In the Western Alps, the Piemonte Ophiolite consists of eclogites (T ≈550–600 °C and P≈18–20 kbar) structurally beneath greenschist facies rocks (T ≈400 °C and P≈9 kbar). Mapping shows that the latter form a kilometre-wide shear zone (the Gressoney Shear Zone, GSZ) dominated by top-SE movement related to crustal extension. Rb–Sr data from micas within different GSZ fabrics, which dynamically recrystallized below their blocking temperature, are interpreted as deformation ages. Ages from different samples within the same fabric are reproducible and are consistent with the relative chronology derived from mapping. They show that the GSZ had an extensional deformation history over a period of c. 9 Myr between c. 45–36 Ma. This overlaps in time with the eclogite facies metamorphism. The GSZ operated over the entire period during which the footwall evolved from eclogite to greenschist facies and was therefore responsible for eclogite exhumation. The discrete contact zone between eclogite and greenschist facies rocks is the last active part of the GSZ and truncates greenschist facies folds in the footwall. These final movements were therefore not a major component of eclogite exhumation. Pressure estimates associated with old and young fabrics within the GSZ are comparable, indicating that during extensional deformation there was no significant unroofing of the hangingwall. Since there are no known extensional structures younger than 36 Ma at higher levels in this part of the Alps, exhumation since the final juxtaposition of the two units (at 36 Ma) seems to have been dominated by erosion. Key words: deformation age, eclogite, exhumation, Rb–Sr dating, tectonic.     

The effect of experiment geometry on the mechanism and rate of dissolution of quartz in basanite at 0.5 GPa and 1350 °C

Mineral dissolution is an important factor in many magmatic processes such as melting, assimilation and magma mixing. Since it is not possible to determine dissolution rates or mechanisms from natural samples, experimental measurements are very useful. However, the geometry of the crystal–melt system can have a large effect on the measured rate, depending on whether the contaminated melt formed during dissolution is gravitationally stable or unstable. This study examines the effects of the crystal–melt geometry on the dissolution rate and mechanism. The experiments were performed using basanite melt and cylinders and spheres prepared from a single crystal of natural quartz. All of the experiments were performed in the piston cylinder apparatus at 0.5 GPa and 1350 °C. Four crystal–melt geometries were used: (1) quartz cylinders on top of a column of melt; (2) quartz cylinders beneath a column of basanite melt; (3) quartz cylinders in the middle of column of melt; (4) quartz spheres on top of a column of basanite melt. These geometries allow an examination of non-convective, convective and mixed non-convective/convective dissolution. Sphere experiments were included, as this has been the most commonly used geometry in previous experimental studies. In all of the experiments quartz dissolves directly into the basanite without formation of cristobalite or tridymite. Quartz on top of a column of melt dissolves at a rate almost proportional to the square root of time and forms a silica-rich compositional boundary layer that is gravitationally stable. All of the samples show well-defined compositional gradients in the boundary layer; however, the melt at the interface varies in composition with time and plots of concentration as a function of distance normalized to time show that the diffusion rate of SiO₂ increases with time. These data suggest that the rate-controlling step during quartz dissolution is interface reaction rather than cation diffusion. Quartz on the bottom of a column of basanite dissolves much more quickly than in the quartz-on-top experiments and the dissolution rate is linear, due to the periodic gravitational instability and resultant convection of the boundary layer. Even though interface kinetics are the rate-controlling step in quartz dissolution, convection causes an increase in dissolution rate because it replenishes the boundary layer with new, silica-undersaturated melt, which dissolves the quartz more quickly than the contaminated melt. These data suggest that the interface reaction rate is controlled by the degree of undersaturation of the solvent melt in the dissolving component. Both quartz-in-middle and quartz sphere experiments dissolve at a rate intermediate between the two extremes and both show a power law rate. Both dissolve by a combination of convective and non-convective dissolution but the sphere experiments are affected by an additional factor. During the experiment the sphere can sink through the capsule causing forced convection which adds another complication to the interpretation of the dissolution rate data. The results of this study indicate that the choice of experiment geometry plays a major role in determining the observed dissolution rate. Mineral spheres, which have been widely used in the past, are not ideal for dissolution studies. Instead, dissolution rates and mechanisms are best determined in the absence of convection. These experiments have an additional advantage in that for diffusion-controlled dissolution, they allow determination of cation diffusivity. Received: 2 March 2000 / Accepted: 11 April 2000     

A Sm-Nd isotopic study of the South Harris Igneous Complex,the Outer Hebrides

Sm-Nd geochronology may be used to bracket the age of metamorphism in rocks which are difficult to date by other methods. By coupling whole rock Sm-Nd analyses of the principal members of the South Harris Igneous Complex, with Sm-Nd mineral isochrons on two anothositic gabbros, the age of granulite facios metamorphism has been defined. Whole rock analyses of three pairs of closely spaced samples of the anorthosite give consistent ages averaging 2.18±0.06 Gyr, but in general the data from the anorthosite do not define an isochron as a result of variable contamination of the evolving magma chamber. Whole rock data on the tonalite indicate that it is younger than 2.06 Gyr; its mean T_CHUR age is 1.86±0.05 Gyr. Garnet-pyroxene-amphibole-plagioclase mineral isochrons on two anorthosite samples give identical 1.87±0.04 Gyr ages which date cooling after the high pressure granulite facies metamorphism. Together with the tonalite whole rock data this defines the age of that metamorphism and confirms Dearnley's original assignment of an early Laxfordian age.     

Pore water fluoride in Peru continental margin sediments: Uptake from seawater

Fluoride analyses display downward decreasing pore water gradients in Peru shelf phosphatic muds that require diffusion from the overlying seawater into the sediment column and removal by reaction within the upper few tens of centimeters, presumably by incorporation into carbonate fluorapatite. The profiles can be modeled as first-order F-removal with rate constants of ~3 yr^?1 and asymptotic F-concentrations deep in the cores of 35–45 μM, almost one-half the seawater value. The integrated flux of fluoride from seawater into organic-rich shelf sediments in coastal-upwelling zones (phosphatic muds) yields a contemporaneous global F-burial of 0.54 × 10¹⁰ mol-F yr^?1, about one-fifth the burial in other sinks (mostly carbonates and opal). The associated burial flux of phosphorus in shelf phosphorites is about 1.6 × 10¹⁰ mol-P yr^?1, comparable to P-burial in the deep sea with organic matter (~1.4 × 10¹⁰ mol yr^?1) and biogenic carbonates (~1.4 × 10¹⁰ mol yr^?1). Thus phosphorite formation on the Peru shelf is a significant contemporaneous process.     

Rb---Sr isotopic equilibrium during Sveconorwegian (= Grenville) deformation and metamorphism of the Orust dykes, S.W. Sweden

The Orust dykes and their regional correlatives are an important time marker in the polymetamorphic Östfold-Marstrand belt of S.E. Norway and S.W. Sweden. They were deformed and metamorphosed in the amphibolite facies during the Sveconorwegian (= Grenville) orogeny. Three narrow strongly deformed dykes yield Rb---Sr whole-rock ages (1106 ± 52 m.y., 1062 ± 90 m.y., 1000 ± 153 m.y.). The weighted mean age (1087 m.y.) is interpreted as the age of the first post-dyke deformation and the accompanying amphibolite facies metamorphism. High initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.7074 ± 9, 0.710 ± 2, 0.713 ± 3, respectively) and other geochemical evidence point to considerable exchange of mobile elements between the dykes and the country rocks. The emplacement age is not known precisely. However, the dykes may be correlated with widespread mafic magnatism which accompanied crustal instability in the N. Atlantic region early in the Sveconorwegian (= Grenville) orogeny about 1200 m.y. ago.