Mapping the Miocene Farallon Ridge jump on the Pacific plate: a seismic line of weakness

Bathymetric and magnetic data are used to obtain estimates, on the Pacific and Nazca plates, of the boundaries separating lithosphere generated at the old Farallon Ridge from the more recent one created at the present-day East Pacific Rise. An excellent correlation is found with the sites of known teleseismically recorded intraplate seismicity, suggesting that these boundaries, which are lines of age discontinuity in the plate, must be zones of weakness of the lithospheric plate. In particular, the so-called Region C, identified by Okal et al. as a major site of seismic release, sits on a small piece of Farallon plate, in the immediate vicinity of the northern extension of the fossil Roggeveen Rise, cut across by the East Pacific Rise during the ridge jump.     

40Ar/39Ar ages for the alkaline volcanism and the basement of Gorringe Bank,North Atlantic ocean

Gorringe Bank is situated on the Europe-Africa plate boundary at the eastern end of the Azores-Gibraltar fracture zone. It has two summits, Gettysburg Bank to the Southwest and Ormonde Bank to the northeast.We applied the⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar stepwise heating method to date six samples of the alkaline volcanic rocks, two gabbros from the Ormonde Bank and a dolerite from the Gettysburg Bank. The results that the alkaline volcanism lasted probably for less than 6 Ma(66-60 Ma).Although the nature of this volcanism precludes any subduction feature during its setting, the alkaline volcanism of Ormonde is probably linked to Upper Cretaceous/Eocene compressive tectonic events.The basement rocks of Gorringe Bank reveal distrubed⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age spectra. One plagioclase and one biotite from a gabbro give evidence for a thermic event whose age is tentatively estimated at about 75 Ma, and related to a variation in the direction of the relative movement between Europe and Africa. The more probable age given by a plagioclase of another gabbro and by a dolerite (110 Ma) corresponds to tilting northeastward of the Gorringe massif.     

Analyses of insoluble residues of altered organic matter by C CP/MAS nuclear magnetic resonance

Alteration phenomena affecting organic matter during diagenesis frequently lead to the formation of residues almost insoluble. Data from ¹³C CP/MAS nuclear magnetic resonance analyses (NMR) of these residues have been compared to those obtained by other techniques such as elemental analysis, infrared spectroscopy, Rock-Eval pyrolysis or gas chromatography. Three examples of alteration phenomena have been chosen: the artificial and natural oxidation of coals, the biodegradation of oils and solid bitumens, and the radiolytic degradation of organic matter. NMR results and those obtained by other techniques converge on similar general conclusions. Additional information can be extracted from ¹³C NMR data: e.g. definition of the phenol/carbonyl ratio, transformation of the aromatic network and aromatic ring substitution. These comparisons are good evidence for the reliability of non-destructive analysis of the insoluble fraction of altered organic material by ¹³C CP/MAS NMR.     

Effect of decompression and suction on macroscopic and microscopic behavior of a clay rock

The goal in this research was to analyze the effects of decompression and suction on the formation of cracks in a clay rock from the Andra (French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency) site at Bure (Meuse–Haute-Marne, France). The article investigates the relationship between the changes in the hydromechanical properties and the changes in microstructure and porosity. Concerning the effect of decompression, at the macroscopic scale, the study highlighted an important effect on the elastic modulus and permeability, but little effect at the microscopic scale except an evolution of mineralogy related to the oxidation of pyrite often present in layers where cracks develop. Concerning the effect of suction, at the macroscopic level, the results showed that, on drying path, the change in the properties of the material was very small, whereas, on wetting path, a large decrease in tensile strength and gas permeability was observed. At the microscopic level, observations with SEM and ESEM, and measurements with MIP, highlighted the evolution of microstructural organization as a function of suction, and the propagation and enlargement of cracks on wetting path, rather than on drying path.     

Rotation of the Semail ophiolite (Oman): Additional Paleomagnetic data from the volcanic sequence

Thirty-two flows (247 cores) were sampled in the V1 (Geotimes) and V2 (Lasail) volcanic units of the Semail ophiolite, Oman (Aswad, Fizh, Hilti, Sarami, Wuqbah, and Tayin massifs). Paleomagnetic analysis of the samples was complicated by a large overlap of the two components of magnetization carried by the rocks: a crystalline remanent magnetization (CRM) acquired in the present day field, probably during weathering, and an older CRM probably produced by oxidation of the original titanomagnetites during hydrothermal event(s). If the magnetization carried by the V1 samples was acquired during the hydrothermal event related to the emplacement of these lava, e.g., during and/or shortly after cooling, the tectonic unity of the northern domain has to be questioned and a differential rotation considered between the Aswad and Hilti-Sarami massifs but, by the time of emplacement of the V2 series, this northern area seems to behave as one large unit. As only one set of data is available for the southern Tayin-Sumail massif, it is premature but a possible relative rotation on the order of 90° can be suspected between the Hilti-Sarami and Tayin-Sumail massifs, rotation which would have occurred after emplacement of the V2 series.     

Causes and consequences of bimodal grain-size distribution of tephra fall deposited during the August 2006 Tungurahua eruption (Ecuador)

The violent August 16–17, 2006 Tungurahua eruption in Ecuador witnessed the emplacement of numerous scoria flows and the deposition of a widespread tephra layer west of the volcano. We assess the size of the eruption by determining a bulk tephra volume in the range 42–57 × 10⁶ m³, which supports a Volcanic Explosivity Index 3 event, consistent with calculated column height of 16–18 km above the vent and making it the strongest eruptive phase since the volcano’s magmatic reactivation in 1999. Isopachs west of the volcano are sub-bilobate in shape, while sieve and laser diffraction grain-size analyses of tephra samples reveal strongly bimodal distributions. Based on a new grain-size deconvolution algorithm and extended sampling area, we propose here a mechanism to account for the bimodal grain-size distribution. The deconvolution procedure allows us to identify two particle subpopulations in the deposit with distinct characteristics that indicate dissimilar transport-depositional processes. The log-normal coarse-grained subpopulation is typical of particles transported downwind by the main volcanic plume. The positively skewed, fine-grained subpopulation in the tephra fall layer shares close similarities with the elutriated co-pyroclastic flow ash cloud layers preserved on top of the scoria flow deposits. The area with the higher fine particle content in the tephra layer coincides with the downwind prolongation of the pyroclastic flow deposits. These results indicate that the bimodal distribution of grain size in the Tungurahua fall deposit results from synchronous deposition of lapilli from the main plume and fine ash elutriated from scoria flows emplaced on the western flank of the volcano. Our study also reveals that inappropriate grain-size data processing may produce misleading determination of eruptive type.     

Control of the repeatability of high frequency multibeam echosounder backscatter by using natural reference areas

The increased use of backscatter measurements in time series for environmental monitoring necessitates the comparability of individual results. With the current lack of pre-calibrated multibeam echosounder systems for absolute backscatter measurement, a pragmatic solution is the use of natural reference areas for ensuring regular assessment of the backscatter measurement repeatability. This method mainly relies on the assumption of a sufficiently stable reference area regarding its backscatter signature. The aptitude of a natural area to provide a stable and uniform backscatter response must be carefully considered and demonstrated by a sufficiently long time-series of measurements. Furthermore, this approach requires a strict control of the acquisition and processing parameters. If all these conditions are met, stability check and relative calibration of a system are possible by comparison with the averaged backscatter values for the area. Based on a common multibeam echosounder and sampling campaign completed by available bathymetric and backscatter time series, the suitability as a backscatter reference area of three different candidates was evaluated. Two among them, Carré Renard and Kwinte, prove to be excellent choices, while the third one, Western Solent, lacks sufficient data over time, but remains a valuable candidate. The case studies and the available backscatter data on these areas prove the applicability of this method. The expansion of the number of commonly used reference areas and the growth of the number of multibeam echosounder controlled thereon could greatly contribute to the further development of quantitative applications based on multibeam echosounder backscatter measurements.     

The end of the Messinian Salinity Crisis in the western Mediterranean: Insights from the carbonate platforms of south-eastern Spain

How the Messinian Salinity Crisis (MSC) ended is still a matter of intense debate. The Terminal Carbonate Complex (TCC) is a late Messinian carbonate platform system that recorded western Mediterranean hydrological changes from the final stages of evaporite deposition till the advent of Lago-Mare fresh- to brackish water conditions at the very end of Messinian times. A multidisciplinary study has been carried out in three localities in south-eastern Spain to reconstruct the history of TCC platforms and elucidate their significance in the MSC. Overall, this study provides evidence that the TCC formed following a regional 4th order water level rise and fall concomitant with an opening-restriction trend. It can be subdivided into four 5th order depositional sequences (DS1 to DS4) recording two phases: (1) from DS1 to DS3, a tide-dominated ooidic to oobioclastic system with stenohaline faunas developed as a result of a 70 m water level rise. During this period, the TCC developed in a shallow sea with close to normal marine salinity; (2) in depositional sequence 4, a microbialite-dominated platform system developed. This is indicative of a significant environmental change and is attributed to a 30 to 40 m water level fall in the basins under study. These restricted conditions were coeval with intense evaporite deformation and brine recycling. The syn-sedimentary deformation of evaporites had a major impact on platform architecture and carbonate production, affecting the Messinian series throughout south-eastern Spain at the end of the TCC history. At that time, the TCC developed in a lake with fluctuating, brackish- to hypersaline water. These findings suggest a temporary restoration of marine conditions in the western Mediterranean marginal basins due to Atlantic water influxes prompted by a global sea level rise around 5.6 Ma. Whether marine conditions extended to the entire western Mediterranean still needs to be investigated.     

Multi-objective fitting of concentration-discharge relationships

Concentration–discharge ($C–Q$) relationships are widely used to assess the link between hydrological and biogeochemical processes at the catchment scale. $C–Q$ relationships are mainly calibrated using mono-objective methods to represent, either concentrations or discharge-weighted concentrations (i.e., load). Based on its wide use in hydrological modelling, we test a multi-objective calibration for the $C–Q$ relationship parameters, using both concentration and load, and compare it to a mono-objective calibration applied on either concentrations or load. This work is carried out on a high-frequency dataset (ORACLE-Orgeval Observatory, France). Our findings show that the multi-objective calibration yield a better representation of $C–Q$ relationships parameters during the high and low-flow events. The multi-objective calibration can be used for all forms of $C–Q$ relationships and avoids issues of under-representation of dilution processes characterized by high-discharge, low-concentration periods.