U-Pb systematics of an Upper Carboniferous black shale from South Yorkshire, UK

Open-system behaviour of uraniferous shales, which has been known for many years, has discouraged attempts to use U-Pb geochronology to date sedimentary systems. Techniques now available can facilitate better understanding of their geochemical evolution and their possible use in geochronometry. For the U-rich Alton (G. listeri) Marine Band, a combined fission track mapping, electron optical and sequential chemical extraction study confirms that uranium is incorporated into francolite, an early diagenetic precipitate. U-Pb analyses of uranium-rich (>1000 ppm) francolite nodules are discordant and imply ages ∼50-150 Ma younger than the date of sedimentation. Pb isotopic analysis suggests that uranium daughters continually leaked from the francolite, ²³⁸U daughters being released more efficiently than those of ²³⁵U. Extrapolation of the U-Pb data to concordia produces an age consistent with the time of sedimentation. These features are also displayed by other uranium-rich shales such as the Swedish Kolm Measures, despite uranium being incorporated into different phases. Preferential loss of ²³⁸U daughters from fine-grained particles due to alpha recoil could explain the unusual U-Pb isotopic composition, in both examples. Further work would be justified to investigate the application of U-Pb isotopic analysis of such material to date sedimentary sequences.     

Kinematic reworking and exhumation within the convergent Alpine Orogen

Kinematic data from the internal zones of the Western Alps indicate both top-to-SE and top-to-NW shearing during synkinematic greenschist facies recrystallisation. Rb/Sr data from white micas from different kinematic domains record a range of ages that does not represent closure through a single thermal event but reflects the variable timing of synkinematic mica recrystallisation at temperatures between 300 and 450 °C. The data indicate an initial phase of accretion and foreland-directed thrusting at ca. 60 Ma followed by almost complete reworking of thrust-related deformation by SE-directed shearing. This deformation is localised within oceanic units of the Combin Zone and the base of the overlying Austroalpine basement, and forms a regional scale shear zone that can be traced for almost 50 km perpendicular to strike. The timing of deformation in this shear zone spans 9 Ma from 45 to 36 Ma. The SE-directed shear leads to local structures that cut upwards in the transport direction with respect to tectonic stratigraphy, and such structures have been interpreted in the past as backthrusts in response to ongoing Alpine convergence. However, on a regional scale, the top-to-SE deformation is related to crustal extension, not shortening, and is coincident with exhumation of eclogites in its footwall. During this extension phase, deformation within the shear zone migrated both spatially and temporally giving rise to domains of older shear zone fabrics intercalated with zones of localised reworking. Top-NW kinematics preserved within the Combin Zone show a range of ages. The oldest (48 Ma) may reflect the final stages of emplacement of Austroalpine Units above Piemonte oceanic rocks prior to the onset of extension. However, much of the top-to-NW deformation took place over the period of extension and may reflect either continuing or episodic convergence or tectonic thinning of the shear zone.⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data from the region are complicated due to the widespread occurrence of excess ⁴⁰Ar in eclogite facies micas and partial Ar loss during Alpine heating. Reliable ages from both eclogite and greenschist facies micas indicate cooling ages in different tectonic units of between 32 and 40 Ma. These ages are slightly younger than Rb/Sr deformation ages and suggest that cooling below ca. 350 °C occurred after juxtaposition of the units by SE-directed extensional deformation.Our data indicate a complex kinematic history involving both crustal shortening and extension within the internal zones of the Alpine Orogen. To constrain the palaeogeographic and geodynamic evolution of the Alps requires that these data be integrated with data from the more external zones of the orogen. Complexity such as that described is unlikely to be restricted to the Western Alps and spatially and temporally variable kinematic data are probably the norm in convergent orogens. Recognising such features is fundamental to the correct tectonic interpretation of both modern and ancient orogens.     

Uranium-lead isotope systematics in a regionally metamorphosed tonalite from the eastern Alps

U-Pb isotopic analyses were made on sphene, three epidote fractions, apatite, K-feldspar and plagioclase from a 314-m.y.-old tonalite member of the Zentralgneis plutonic suite in the southeast Tauern Window. The tonalite reached temperatures in excess of 550°C during the Tertiary Alpine metamorphism.Apatite, fine-grained clinozoisite and feldspars equilibrated during the metamorphism, and the apatite yields an age of 22 m.y. which is 6 m.y. older than the Rb-Sr age of coexisting biotite.Sphene and coarse-grained iron-rich epidote did not reach equilibrium during Alpine metamorphism and the sphene data indicate crystallisation before 215 m.y. These minerals contain a large proportion of the uranium and thorium in the rock and the data thus imply that the present distribution of heat-producing elements in the tonalite was established long before the Alpine metamorphism.The very high closure temperatures for sphene and epidote implied by the data suggest they may be of value in dating metamorphism.     

Thermal history of the Sonnblick Dome,south-east Tauern Window,Austria: Implications for heterogeneous uplift within the Pennine basement

The Sonnblick Dome is one of several domal structures affecting the interface between basement and cover within the Pennine Zone of the Tauern Window in the eastern Alps. Rb-Sr isotopic data, comprising 19 biotite and 22 white mica ages from variably deformed granitic gneisses, provide new evidence of the thermal and tectonic history of the dome and its relationships with other parts of the south-east Tauern Window. White mica ages generally cluster between 26 and 30 Ma although there are values up to 82 Ma, which appear to reflect incomplete equilibration during Tertiary metamorphism under low amphibolite facies conditions; six closely spaced samples from an intensely sheared gneiss lamella are more tightly grouped between 26 and 27.6 Ma and provide the best estimate of the age of syntectonic crystallization. Biotite ages are systematically younger, ranging from 19 to 23.5 Ma, reflecting closure during post-metamorphic cooling. Sonnblick Dome and the Hochalm Dome approximately 20 km further east, where closure of Rb-Sr in biotite did not occur until 16.5 Ma; the metamorphic peak here is also probably younger, possibly as late as 22 Ma. The Sonnblick Dome was formed before 27 Ma and the deformation style had changed to extension before biotite closure by 19 Ma. In contrast, rapid updoming in the Hochalm Dome was previously dated at 16.5 Ma and the differences in thermal history can be linked to differences in deformation history. Overall the geochronological data from the south-east Tauern Window demonstrate the heterogeneity of thermal history on a geographical scale of 10 km and emphasize the importance of tectonic displacements in controlling temperature within orogenic belts.     

Speleothems from the earliest Quaternary: Snapshots of paleoclimate and landscape evolution at the northern rim of the Alps

Ancient cave systems in the Northern Calcareous Alps, today located well above the timberline at altitudes of 2400–2500 m, host U-rich speleothems that preserved growth layers on the microscopic scale of presumably annual origin. Two flowstone samples were dated to 2.019 + 0.037/?0.069 Ma and 1.730 + 0.032/?0.068 Ma, respectively, using U–Pb isochron techniques. These ages are corroborated by the Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene pollen spectrum extracted from one of the samples. We use a multiproxy approach and exploit laminated speleothem sequences to tie high-resolution stable isotope data to a floating lamina-counted chronology. O isotope values of growth intervals when calcite deposition was close to isotopic equilibrium are low compared to modern and Holocene speleothems from other alpine caves and are inconsistent with the current altitudinal setting of the caves. A vegetated but geomorphologically stable alpine catchment (i.e. ～2000 m asl., no (peri)glacial processes) combined with a deep-seated cave (the thickness of the vadose zone might have exceeded 1000 m) is required in order to reconcile the isotopic data with the pollen record and the petrographic evidence. Furthermore, the data can be used to constrain the rate for Quaternary rock-uplift to ≤0.8 mm/annum for this frontal part of the European Alps. Collectively, the data suggest that these speleothems formed both during interglacials (MIS 59 or 61) and interglacial–glacial transitions (MIS 75/74 or 77/76), but the seasonal precipitation pattern was arguably markedly different from today's. Provided that the highly regular microscopic laminae are indeed annual, lamina counts suggest a minimum length of ca 6 ka for interglacials during the earliest Pleistocene.     

Structure and evolution of the Rockeskyllerkopf Volcanic Complex, West Eifel Volcanic Field, Germany

The Rockeskyllerkopf Volcanic Complex (RVC) comprises three overlapping monogenetic volcanic centers: Southeast Lammersdorf (SEL), Mäuseberg (M) and Rockeskyllerkopf (RKK). Each volcanic center comprises proximal wall deposits with a well defined crater wall unconformity and crater fill deposits that partially to completely cover the outer crater wall. The SEL Center is a phreatomagmatic tuff ring composed of lithic rich tephra deposited by pyroclastic falls and surges. The second center, Mäuseberg, with its crater to the northwest of the SEL Center is predominantly magmatic. Topographic and outcrop patterns suggest that this center may have formed a series of overlapping scoria cones along a N–S trending fissure. The youngest center, RKK, which lies on a poorly developed palaeosol within the earlier Mäuseberg deposits, comprises a well developed proximal crater wall sequence. This sequence of magmatic, likely Strombolian, fall and grain avalanche deposits passes upward into a crater fill sequence that comprises variably welded bombs. The final eruptions in the center were massive lava flows that were ponded within the RKK crater. Ar–Ar age dating of reequilibrated fragments of phlogopite megacrysts in the SEL lavas indicates volcanic activity began at 474?±?39 ka. Literature K–Ar dates for the youngest lava flows in the RKK Center give ages of 360?±?60 to 470 ka. Our interpretation of the age data and the presence of the poorly developed palaeosol between the Mäuseberg and RKK centers indicates that volcanism in the RVC began around 470 ka with the eruption of the SEL and Mäuseberg centers followed a few thousand years later by the eruption of the RKK Center.     

The role of soil processes in determining mechanisms of slope failure and hillslope development in a humid-tropical forest eastern Puerto Rico

Translational failures, with associated downslope earthflow components and shallow slides, appear to be the primary mechanism of hillslope denudation in the humid tropical forests of the mountains of eastern Puerto Rico. In-situ weathering of quartz diorite and marine-deposited volcaniclastics produces residual soil (saprolite; up to 21 m deep) / weathered rock profiles. Discontinuous zones of contrasting density and permeability particularly in quartz-diorite slopes at 0.5 m, and between 3 and 7 m, create both pathways and impedances for water that can result in excess pore pressures and, ultimately, aid in determining the location of failure planes and magnitudes of slope failures. In combination with relict fractures which create planes of weakness within the saprolite, and the potential significance of tensile stresses in the upper zone of saprolite (hypothesized to be caused by subsurface soil creep), shear failure can then occur during or after periods of heavy rainfall.Results of in-situ shear-strength testing show negative y-intercepts on the derived Mohr-Coulomb failure envelopes (approximately 50% of all tests) that are interpreted as apparent tensile stresses. Observation of tension cracks 1–2 m deep support the test data. Subsurface soil creep can cause extension of the soil and the development of tensile stresses along upper-slope segments. Shear-strength data support this hypothesis for both geologic types. Apparent values of maximum and mean tensile stress are greatest along upper slopes (16.5 and 6.29 kPa). Previously documented maximum rates of downslope movement coincided with local minima of shear strength, and the shear-strength minimum for all tests was located near 0.5 m below land surface, the shallow zone of contrasting permeabilities. These results indicate that subsurface soil creep, a slow semi-continuous process, may exert a profound influence on rapid, shallow slope failures in saprolitic soils.Data indicate that cove slopes in quartz diorite tend to be the most unstable when saturation levels reach 75%. Deep failures (7 m deep) appear the most critical but not the most frequent because pore pressure build-up will occur more rapidly in the upper perched zone of translocated clays before reaching the lower zone between 3 and 7 m. Frequent shallow failures could reduce the probability of deeper failures by removing overburden and reducing shear stress at depth. Deep failures are more likely to result from storm events of great duration and intensity.Sixty-six ‘naturally occurring’ and more than 100 ‘road-related’ landslides were mapped. Forest elevations exceed 1000 m, but the majority of these failures were found between 600 and 800 m in elevation. This appears to be the area where there is sufficient concentration of subsurface water to result in excess pore pressures. The high percentage of slope failures in the 600–800-m range, relative to the percentage at higher elevations, suggests that differences in soil-water processes are responsible for the form of these mountain slopes. Steep linear segments are maintained at higher elevations. Slope angles are reduced in the 600–800-m range by frequent shallow slides, creating a largely concave surface. In combination, slope segments above 800 m, and those between 600 and 800 m, produce the characteristic form of the mountains of eastern Puerto Rico.     

Mass Change Calculations as Applied to the Search for Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide Deposits: An Example from Malusok, Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte, Mindanao, Philippines

Abstract. The Malusok volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits comprise two adjacent ore bodies, the Main Malusok and the Malusok Southeast ore bodies, hosted within Cretaceous metamorphic rocks. Owing to the structural and metamor-phic overprinting combined with intense hydrothermal alteration, primary textures of the Malusok volcanic rocks have been obliterated. The stratigraphic correlation of the Main Malusok and the Malusok Southeast ore bodies show that both deposits are essentially confined within a single stratigraphic interval. The lithogeochemical analysis of the Malusok samples shows that constituent lithologies have precursor compositions ranging from sub-alkaline basalts to rhyodacites. Field and mass flux data suggest that the Main Malusok VMS deposits were derived as a consequence of axial hydrothermal activity. The Malusok Southeast ore bodies represent satellite deposits generated by off-axis hydrothermal activities from vents aligned along a NW-SE trend with the Main Malusok zone. This alignment represents an ancient fissure that served as a pathway for the upwelling metalliferous hydrothermal fluids. In searching for lateral extensions of these VMS deposits, this NW-SE alignment should serve as a possible exploration guide.     

Constraints and deception in the isotopic record; the crustal evolution of the west Musgrave Province,central Australia

The Hf and Nd isotopic evolution of the Musgrave Province, central Australia, is used to constrain the timing of crust formation and lithospheric organisation of Proterozoic Australia. The dataset from this region challenges two widely held tenets of Hf and Nd isotope systematics, namely; that crust formation events can only be identified as periods when crystallisation ages correspond to model ages, and that linear Hf evolution arrays away from depleted mantle (along crustal Lu/Hf or Sm/Nd slopes) reflect reworking of the same source.Hf isotopes in Musgrave Province zircon crystals indicate two major crust formation events at c. 1900 Ma and at 1600–1550 Ma. Although no juvenile rocks or crystals are known from c. 1900 Ma, radiogenic addition into the crust at this time is required to account for consistent Nd and Hf evolution patterns, which show no indication of an initially heterogeneous source. Oxygen isotopes in zircon grains confirm that much of the c. 1900 Ma Hf isotopic signal is not compromised by mixtures. Furthermore, the correspondence between mantle extraction and the commencement of reworking of Archean material supports new crust generation at c. 1900 Ma and a coupling between lower and upper crustal processes. The c. 1900 Ma timing of juvenile addition is dissimilar to that in the Albany–Fraser and Arunta Orogens and may reflect continental arc development on the margin of a southern continent.The general Hf isotopic evolution trend of the Musgrave Province apparently reflects reworking from a dominant c. 1900 Ma source with some additional unradiogenic and radiogenic input through time. However, in the 1220–1050 Ma interval this apparent isotopic evolution contrasts with geological observations that indicate input of voluminous mantle-derived material. Intracontinental rifts and other regions with sustained very-high temperature crustal recycling processes generate magmatic provinces with extreme HFSE-enrichment. This can have a profound influence on isotopic evolution trends, suppressing typical juvenile addition patterns. Isotopic mixture modelling indicates that a significant volume of mantle derived material can be accommodated within HFSE enriched magmas without diverging isotopic signatures from apparent reworking trends. In the Musgrave Province, the crust had become so HFSE enriched during the prolonged Musgrave Orogeny (1220–1150 Ma) that it was insensitive to mantle input, which is estimated to have been as much as 85% during this event.     

The effects of potassium addition on the rate of quartz dissolution in the CMAS and CAS systems

Quartz dissolution in melts in the KCAS and KCMAS systems results in the formation of a silica- and potassium-enriched boundary layer next to the dissolving crystals. The presence of potassium in CAS melts has no discernible effect on dissolution rate compared with that in K-free melts with otherwise similar composition despite a small decrease in the diffusivity of silica in the potassium-bearing melts. The decrease in silica diffusivity is offset by an increase in the solubility of silica in the K-bearing melts. Addition of potassium to CMAS melts results in a large decrease in the dissolution rate of quartz. Even though the solubility of silica is enhanced, the addition of potassium leads to large changes in the structure of the melt in the boundary layer (as measured by NBO/T), which results in a large decrease in the diffusivity of silica and thus slower dissolution. There is significant diffusive coupling of Al₂O₃, CaO and MgO during dissolution, which leads to local uphill diffusion of these components. K₂O is decoupled from the other components, as shown by its much thicker diffusion zone. Potassium moves through the boundary layer as a result of two homogeneous reactions: uphill diffusion in which potassium diffuses into the silica-enriched melt adjacent to the dissolving quartz crystal and downhill diffusion in the region furthest from the crystal–melt interface where SiO₂ and K₂O diffuse away from the interface together.