Temporal and tectonic evolution of the granulite-eclogite association from the Bergen Arcs, western Norway

The U-Pb and Sm-Nd dating of deep crustal rocks from the Bergen Arcs system helps resolve enigmatic aspects of the tectonic evolution of the Caledonian Orogen in western Norway and yields insights into the arrested stages of eclogite development within the granulites of the area. The U-Pb dating of zircon from one of the eclogite facies shear zones yields an upper intercept age of 945 ± 5 Ma [all errors two standard deviations (2σ)], which is similar to other zircon ages from the granulite facies protolith. The age is interpreted to represent the time of late Proterozoic (Sveconorwegian) granulite metamorphism. The U-Pb ages of sphene and epidote show that the eclogites formed early in the evolution of the Caledonian Orogen (pre-Scandian phase) at about 460 Ma. An eclogite facies quartz vein yields a Sm-Nd whole rock-garnet isochron of 440 ± 12 Ma that may reflect the onset of cooling immediately after peak eclogite facies conditions, although the Sm-Nd systematics reveal some isotopic disequilibrium within the sample. In tandem with previous ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age determinations from, an adjacent eclogite of 450 Ma for hornblende and 430 Ma for muscovite, these data indicate that < 30 Ma elapsed between formation of the eclogites and the initial stages of cooling and exhumation to at least mid-crustal levels. This corresponds to minimum cooling rates of 14 °C/m.y. The timing relations suggest that the formation and exhumation of these eclogites from the overlying Caledonian Nappe wedge in western Norway are related to an early phase of crustal subduction during or somewhat before the major phase of continent-continent collision.

The short period of time between the formation of the eclogites and the initial stages of exhumation and rapid cooling is consistent with the only partial and localized transformation of the granulite to eclogite. Isolated occurrences of eclogite within the granulite, the formation of eclogite along metasomatic fronts and the formation of hydrous eclogite facies minerals within the “dry” granulite all point to the importance of fluids in the transformation and re-equilibration of the granulite to eclogite. Together, field and isotopic data demonstrate that both the localized and limited access of fluids and the rapid cycling of continental crust through the deepest portions of the orogen to upper crustal levels resulted in the preservation of the arrested stages of eclogite formation and survival of the granulites metastably through eclogite facies conditions.     

Changes in Global Monsoon Circulations Since 1950

We examined changes in several independent intensity indices of four majortropical monsoonal circulations for the period 1950–1998. Theseintensity indices included observed land surface precipitation andobserved ocean surface pressure in the monsoon regions aswell as upper-level divergence calculated at severalstandard levels from the NCAR/NCEP reanalysis. These values wereaveraged seasonally over appropriate regions of southeastern Asian, western Africa, eastern Africa and the Australia/Maritime continent and adjacent ocean areas. Asa consistency check we also examined two secondary indices: mean sea level pressure trends and low level convergence both from theNCEP reanalysis.We find that in each of the four regions examined, a consistentpicture emerges indicating significantly diminished monsoonalcirculations over the period of record, evidence of diminished spatialmaxima in the global hydrological cycle since 1950. Trends since 1979,the period of strongest reported surface warming, do not indicate any change inmonsoon circulations. When strong ENSO years are removed from each of the time series the trends still show a general, significant reduction of monsoon intensity indicating that ENSO variability is not the direct cause for the observed weakening.Most previously reported model simulations of theeffects of rising CO₂ show an increase in monsoonal activity withrising global surface temperature. We find no support in these datafor an increasing hydrological cycle or increasing extremes as hypothesized bygreenhouse warming scenarios.     

Heat capacity and phase equilibria of wadeite-type K2Si4O9

The low-temperature heat capacity (C _p) of Si-wadeite (K₂Si₄O₉) synthesized with a piston cylinder device was measured over the range of 5–303 K using the heat capacity option of a physical properties measurement system. The entropy of Si-wadeite at standard temperature and pressure calculated from the measured heat capacity data is 253.8 ± 0.6 J mol⁻¹ K⁻¹, which is considerably larger than some of the previous estimated values. The calculated phase transition boundaries in the system K₂O–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ are generally consistent with previous experimental results. Together with our calculated phase boundaries, seven multi-anvil experiments at 1,400 K and 6.0–7.7 GPa suggest that no equilibrium stability field of kalsilite + coesite intervenes between the stability field of sanidine and that of coesite + kyanite + Si-wadeite, in contrast to previous predictions. First-order approximations were undertaken to calculate the phase diagram in the system K₂Si₄O₉ at lower pressure and temperature. Large discrepancies were shown between the calculated diagram compared with previously published versions, suggesting that further experimental or/and calorimetric work is needed to better constrain the low-pressure phase relations of the K₂Si₄O₉ polymorphs. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Scheelite skarn granitoids: An evaluation of the roles of magmatic source and process

The compositions, mineralogies, textures, and isotopic characteristics of granitoids associated with scheelite skarns indicate these plutonic rocks cannot be uniquely described in terms of source materials, although most show distinguishing features of I-type granites^*. Scheelite skarn granitoids exhibit variable evidence for crustal contamination (primarily in their Sr isotopic ratios), but there is no correlation between degree of contamination (as measured by compositiona, mineralogical, and isotopic data) and size or abundance of associated scheelite skarns. Scheelite and Cu skarn-associated granitoids are generally similar, which implies similar sources for these granitic rocks. Textural and bulk compositional data, however, suggest that scheelite skarn granitoids are different from Cu skarn granitoids by virtue of greater degree of differentiation and by crystallization in a comparatively deep plutonic environment. Consideration of relevant phase equilibria indicates that magmatic water does not exsolve until very late in the crystallization of a scheelite skarn granitoid. Through this means, tungsten is concentrated in exsolved magmatic fluids by a combination of large degree of fractional cystallization and magmatic equilibration with a very Cl-rich exsolved aqueous phase. In consequence, the search for scheelite skarns should be based not on the search for plutons with appropriate chemical compositions (major, trace, or isotopic), but rather for plutons displaying mineralogical, textural, and general geologic features which point to crystallization in a highly fractionated, relatively deep environment. Large-scale tectonic features which might give rise to crystallization in this environment include crustal overthickening, which could be caused by collisional (accretionary) events.     

Anemobaric low-frequency waves in the Chukchi Sea

The characteristics of currents and sea level wave perturbations of synoptic scale in the Chukchi Sea are compared with well-known dispersion relations of low-frequency waves of different types. This comparison allowed identifying the currents and sea level wave perturbations as internal Kelvin waves and barotropic and baroclinic topographic waves. Assessments of statistical relations between wave perturbations of currents and different meteorological characteristics showed that the energy supply of low-frequency waves is provided sporadically by various components of anemobaric (wind-induced) forces in the local areas of the Chukchi Sea and the Bering Strait.     

The Removal of Dissolved Metals by Hydroxysulphate Precipitates during Oxidation and Neutralization of Acid Mine Waters, Iberian Pyrite Belt

This study examines the removal of dissolved metals during the oxidation and neutralization of five acid mine drainage (AMD) waters from La Zarza, Lomero, Esperanza, Corta Atalaya and Poderosa mines (Iberian Pyrite Belt, Huelva, Spain). These waters were selected to cover the spectrum of pH (2.2–3.5) and chemical composition (e.g., 319–2,103 mg/L Fe; 2.85–33.3 g/L SO₄⁼) of the IPB mine waters. The experiments were conducted in the laboratory to simulate the geochemical evolution previously recognized in the field. This evolution includes two stages: (1) oxidation of dissolved Fe(II) followed by hydrolysis and precipitation of Fe(III), and (2) progressive pH increase during mixing with fresh waters. Fe(III) precipitates at pH < 3.5 (stages 1 and 2) in the form of schwertmannite, whereas Al precipitates during stage 2 at pH 5.0 in the form of several hydroxysulphates of variable composition (hydrobasaluminite, basaluminite, aluminite). During these stages, trace elements are totally or partially sorbed and/or coprecipitated at different rates depending basically on pH, as well as on the activity of the SO₄⁼ anion (which determines the speciation of metals). The general trend for the metals which are chiefly present as aqueous free cations (Pb²⁺, Zn²⁺, Cu²⁺, Cd²⁺, Mn²⁺, Co²⁺, Ni²⁺) is a progressive sorption at increasing pH. On the other hand, As and V (mainly present as anionic species) are completely scavenged during the oxidation stage at pH < 3.5. In waters with high activities (> 10⁻¹) of the SO ₄⁼ ion, some elements like Al, Zn, Cd, Pb and U can also form anionic bisulphate complexes and be significantly sorbed at pH < 5. The removal rates at pH 7.0 range from around 100% for As, V, Cu and U, and 60–80% for Pb, to less than 20% for Zn, Co, Ni and Mn. These processes of metal removal represent a significant mechanism of natural attenuation in the IPB.     

Micro- and nano-textural evidence of Ti(–Ca–Fe) mobility during fluid–rock interactions in carbonaceous lawsonite-bearing rocks from New Zealand

Understanding the mobility of chemical elements during fluid–rock interactions is critical to assess the geochemical evolution of a rock undergoing burial and metamorphism and, more generally, to constrain the geochemical budget of the subduction factory. In particular, determining the behavior and mobility of Ti in aqueous fluids constitutes a great challenge that is still under scrutiny. Here, we study plant fossils preserved in blueschist metasedimentary rocks from the Marybank Formation (New Zealand). Using scanning and transmission electron microscopies (SEM and TEM), we show that the carbonaceous material (CM) composing the fossils contains abundant nano-inclusions of Ti- and Fe-oxides. These nanocrystals are mainly anatase, rutile, and Fe–Ti oxides. The mineral composition observed within the fossils is significantly different from that detected in the surrounding rock matrix. We propose that Ti and Fe might have been mobilized by the alteration of a detrital Ti–Fe-rich protolith during an early diagenetic event under acidic and reducing conditions. Aqueous fluids rich in organic ligands released by the degradation of organic matter may have been involved. Moreover, using mass balance and petrological observations, we show that the contrasted mineralogy between the rock matrix and the fossil CM might be the consequence of the chemical isolation of fossil CM during the prograde path of the rock. Such an isolation results from the early formation of quartz and Fe-rich phyllosilicate layers enclosing the fossil as characterized by SEM and TEM investigations. Overall, this study shows that investigating minerals associated with CM down to the nanometer scale in metamorphic rocks can provide a precious record of early prograde geochemical conditions.     

Metasomatism and the crystallization of zircon megacrysts in Archaean peridotites from the Lewisian complex,NW Scotland

Zircon megacrysts are locally abundant in 1–40 cm-thick orthopyroxenite veins within peridotite host rocks in the Archaean Lewisian gneiss complex from NW Scotland. The veins formed by metasomatic interaction between the ultramafic host and Si-rich melts are derived from partial melting of the adjacent granulite-facies orthogneisses. The interaction produced abundant orthopyroxene and, within the thicker veins, phlogopite, pargasite and feldspathic bearing assemblages. Two generations of zircon are present with up to 1 cm megacrystic zircon and a later smaller equant population located around the megacryst margins. Patterns of zoning, rare earth element abundance and oxygen isotopic compositions indicate that the megacrysts crystallized from crustal melts, whereas the equant zircon represents new neocryst growth and partial replacement of the megacryst zircon within the ultramafic host. Both zircon types have U–Pb ages of ca. 2464 Ma, broadly contemporaneous with granulite-facies events in the adjacent gneisses. Zircon megacrysts locally form?>?10% of the assemblage and may be associated to zones of localized nucleation or physically concentrated during movement of the siliceous melts. Their unusual size is linked to the suppression of zircon nucleation and increased Zr solubility in the Si-undersaturated melts. The metasomatism between crustal melts and peridotite may represent an analog for processes in the mantle wedge above subducting slabs. As such, the crystallization of abundant zircon in ultramafic host rocks has implications for geochemistry of melts generated in the mantle and the widely reported depletion of high field strength elements in arc magmas.     

Analytical perspective on trace element species of interest in exploration

Analysis of soil and sediment samples, using selective extraction methods to distinguish different phases, is of particular interest in exploration geochemistry to locate deeply buried mineral deposits. There are various mechanisms of binding labile elements in the secondary environment, including physical and chemical sorption, precipitation, chelation and complexation. Phases present in soils and sediments which are likely to scavenge ‘free' elements include amorphous Mn and Fe oxides, the humic and fulvic components of humus, and clays. This paper reviews these forms of trace elements and the methods in current use to quantify them. Examples of precision data, both for control and survey samples, are given with respect to trace elements dissolved from the ‘soluble organic' component of humus, Mn oxides and amorphous Fe oxides. The high sensitivity of inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) is required to measure accurately and precisely a large suite of trace elements, especially where only small fractions of elements are dissolved by such leaches as the commercially available Enzyme and MMI (Mobile Metal Ion) extractions. The relative standard deviations (RSD) obtained for 33 elements (e.g. Ag, Cd, In, I) in the standard reference sample (SRM), TILL-2, are in the range 0.5–8% for the hydroxylamine hydrochloride (NH₂OH·HCl) leach designed to extract hydrous Fe and Mn oxides. The corresponding RSDs for elements in the reactive Mn oxide phase extracted by the Enzyme leach are in the range 3–19% except for some trace elements at levels close to detection limit (e.g. Cd, Bi). The RSDs obtained for field duplicates are inferior to those for analytical replicates (i.e. sample splits), probably a reflection of different concentrations of the host phase. In one soil survey, the Fe extracted by a 0.25 M NH₂OH·HCl leach ranged conservatively from 0.2 to 1.7% whereas the Mn extracted by the Enzyme leach varied extensively, from 0.3 to >999 ppm. In contrast, precision, at 1–7% RSD, for field duplicates was found to be comparable with that for both analytical duplicates and the SRM, LKSD-4, for elements associated with the humic and fulvic component of humus samples sieved to <177 μm.     

Groundwater Resources In Hard Rock; Experiences from The Hvaler Study,Southeastern Norway

Investigations in a newly constructed subsea road tunnel in the Iddefjord granite at Hvaler and test-pumping of boreholes on land indicate that a topographic or geophysical anomaly is no guarantee of a substantially transmissive fracture zone. Many prominent fracture zones appear to have depressed transmissivity due to secondary swelling-clay mineral infillings. No current geophysical technique can adequately distinguish these zones from transmissive ones. Given that siting of boreholes on the basis of geology alone can be unreliable, hydrogeologists should concentrate on quantifying the chances of a successful boring, and optimizing those chances by sensible location, favourable borehole orientation and use of artificial enhancement techniques.