Soil management in pre‐Hispanic raised field systems: Micromorphological evidence from Hacienda Zuleta,Ecuador

Soils‐based evidence derived from thin section micromorphology is used to explore contrasts in pre‐Hispanic and Hispanic arable land management practices associated with raised fields in an inter‐Andean valley of Ecuador. Differences in textural pedofeature characteristics suggest that, where they are found in the same locality, camellón systems were more intensively manured and cultivated than wachu systems. Both, however, were more intensively managed than traditional Hispanic arable fields. The importance of the camellón in pre‐Hispanic agriculture is emphasized by soils‐based evidence that highlights the efforts made to clear these fields of volcanic ash after the Quilotoa eruption of ca. A.D. 1280. This research suggests that, in an andosol context, pre‐Hispanic and Hispanic arable land management practices leave relict and fossil soil micromorphology features that can be used to interpret land use intensities. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

HST BVI photometry of Triton and Proteus

BVI photometry of Triton and Proteus was derived from HST images taken in 1997. The VEGAMAG photometric technique was used. Triton was found to be brighter by a few percent than observations of the 1970's and 1980's, as expected due to the increasingly greater exposure of the bright south polar region. The leading side was also found to be brighter than the trailing side by 0.09 mag in all filters—50% larger than reported by Franz [Franz, O.G., 1981. Icarus 45, 602-606]. Contrary to our previous results [Pascu, D., et al., 1998. Bull. Am. Astron. Soc. 30, 1101], we found no episodic reddening. Our previous conclusions were based on an inaccurate early version of the Charge Transfer Efficiency (CTE) correction. The present result limits the start of the reddening event reported by Hicks and Buratti [Hicks, M.D., Buratti, B.J., 2004. Icarus 171, 210-218]. Our (B-V) result of 0.70±0.01 supports the global blueing described by Buratti et al. [Buratti, B.J., Goguen, J.D., Gibson, J., Mosher, J., 1994. Icarus 110, 303-314]. Our observations of July 1997 agree with the Voyager results and are among the bluest colors seen. We found Proteus somewhat brighter than earlier studies, but in good agreement with the recent value given by Karkoschka [Karkoschka, E., 2003. Icarus 162, 400-407]. A leading/trailing brightness asymmetry was detected for Proteus, with the leading side 0.1 mag brighter. The unique differences in action of the endogenic and exogenic processes on Triton and Proteus provides an opportunity to separate the endogenic and exogenic effects on Triton.     

Oceanographic controls on shallow‐water temperate carbonate sedimentation: Spencer Gulf,South Australia

Spencer Gulf is a large (ca 22 000 km²), shallow (<60 m water depth) embayment with active heterozoan carbonate sedimentation. Gulf waters are metahaline (salinities 39 to 47‰) and warm‐temperate (ca 12 to ?28°C) with inverse estuarine circulation. The integrated approach of facies analysis paired with high‐resolution, monthly oceanographic data sets is used to pinpoint controls on sedimentation patterns with more confidence than heretofore possible for temperate systems. Biofragments – mainly bivalves, benthic foraminifera, bryozoans, coralline algae and echinoids – accumulate in five benthic environments: luxuriant seagrass meadows, patchy seagrass sand flats, rhodolith pavements, open gravel/sand plains and muddy seafloors. The biotic diversity of Spencer Gulf is remarkably high, considering the elevated seawater salinities. Echinoids and coralline algae (traditionally considered stenohaline organisms) are ubiquitous. Euphotic zone depth is interpreted as the primary control on environmental distribution, whereas seawater salinity, temperature, hydrodynamics and nutrient availability are viewed as secondary controls. Luxuriant seagrass meadows with carbonate muddy sands dominate brightly lit seafloors where waters have relatively low nutrient concentrations (ca 0 to 1 mg Chl‐a m^?3). Low‐diversity bivalve‐dominated deposits occur in meadows with highest seawater salinities and temperatures (43 to 47‰, up to 28°C). Patchy seagrass sand flats cover less‐illuminated seafloors. Open gravel/sand plains contain coarse bivalve–bryozoan sediments, interpreted as subphotic deposits, in waters with near normal marine salinities and moderate trophic resources (0·5 to 1·6 mg Chl‐a m^?3) to support diverse suspension feeders. Rhodolith pavements (coralline algal gravels) form where seagrass growth is arrested, either because of decreased water clarity due to elevated nutrients and associated phytoplankton growth (0·6 to 2 mg Chl‐a m^?3), or bottom waters that are too energetic for seagrasses (currents up to 2 m sec^?1). Muddy seafloors occur in low‐energy areas below the euphotic zone. The relationships between oceanographic influences and depositional patterns outlined in Spencer Gulf are valuable for environmental interpretations of other recent and ancient (particularly Neogene) high‐salinity and temperate carbonate systems worldwide.     

Geochemical evolution of peraluminous plutons in southern Nova Scotia, Canada—a pegmatite-poor suite

Three southern Nova Scotia plutons crystallized rapidly at 375 Ma from magma containing both mantle and crustal components. Isotopic and chemical data suggest that the crustal contribution included both lower crustal material and Cambro-Ordovician turbidites of the host Meguma Group. Despite local evidence of mixing and mingling of magmas, the bulk of the plutons evolved by assimilation and fractional crystallisation. Evolved portions of the plutons have compositions appropriate for development of rare-metal pegmatite fields, but pegmatites are relatively rare and little differentiated. Like parental plutons, pegmatites fall into biotite+plagioclase and muscovite+potassium feldspar assemblages. The latter locally contain Mn-rich garnet+biotite, giving calculated P–T conditions of pegmatite crystallisation of 620°C, 0.44 GPa under water-saturated conditions. Host rocks at the time of emplacement experienced P–T conditions varying from <500° to 620°C at 0.44 GPa. Beryl-bearing pegmatites occur only where host rocks were below sillimanite-grade, and pegmatites of any kind are scarce in sillimanite-grade host rocks. Rarity of pegmatites can be ascribed to a combination of insufficient amounts of F, Li, and B in the magma with rapid cooling which prevented extensive fractionation and undercooling. Our data suggest rather that peraluminous suites, produced by rapid heating due to incursions of lithospheric mantle into supracrustal rocks, and typified by biotite-rich, cordierite-bearing plutons, are not favorable locales for major rare-metal-enriched pegmatite fields. Such fields appear to require relatively prolonged anatexis resulting from crustal thickening, or an areally extensive mafic underplate,     

A note on the calibration of the garnet-cordierite geothermometer and geobarometer

Experimental and theoretical considerations indicate that the distribution coefficient for iron and magnesium between coexisting garnet and cordierite increases with temperature in the assemblage cordierite-garnet-sillimanite-quartz. This conclusion is confirmed by distribution coefficients from natural garnet and cordierite from geologically well defined settings. The only published calibration which incorporates this feature is that of Currie (1971), and this is the only calibration which can be qualitatively correct although it may be wrong in detail. Other calibrations encounter catastrophes, particularly in andalusite-bearing assemblages.     

The Mud Tank carbonatite complex,central Australia —an example of metasomatism at mid-crustal levels

The Mud Tank carbonatite complex comprises a series of lenses emplaced about 730 Ma ago along a 5 km segment of a ductile shear zone. Each lens consists of a carbonate core surrounded by mica-rich zones, emplaced into granitoid cataclasites, mafic granulites and rare lenses of aluminous rocks. Xenoliths of all sizes abound in the complex. Inclusions of unfoliated mafic granulites lack hypersthene, contain albitic plagioclase and Na-rich taramite to hastingsite amphiboles, and are enriched in Si, Na and Ba and depleted in Fe, Zr and Pb relative to similar granulites in the country rocks. Alkali-syenite inclusions contain riebeckite and aegirine. The complex contains magnesio-katophorite to magnesio-arfvedsonite amphibole, with late riebeckite and ferri-winchite, abundant phlogopitic mica and sparse acmitic pyroxene. Mineral thermobarometry suggests original emplacement at>650°C, 0.5 Gpa under high water and fluorine fugacities. Present configuration of the and entrainment of parts of the metasomatic aureole along shear zones. of abundant detrital magnetite, apatite and zircon drew attention to these bodies more than 40 years ago. A carbonatitic origin, first proposed by Crohn and Gellatly (1969), has been supported by aeromagnetic interpretation (Tipper 1966), preliminary geochemistry (Gellatly 1969), geochronology (Black and Gulson 1978) and stable isotope studies (Wilson 1979). Crohn and Moore (1984) reviewed earlier work, and concluded that alkali metasomatism typical of carbonatite complexes did not occur around the Mud Tank complex. We demonstrate that such metasomatism is present, but of unusual character.     

Temperature control of continental lithosphere elastic thickness,Te vs Vs

The elastic thickness of the continental lithosphere is closely related to its total strength and therefore to its susceptibility to tectonic deformation and earthquakes. Recently it has been questioned whether the lithosphere thickness and strength are dependent on crustal and upper mantle temperatures and compositions as predicted by laboratory data. We test this dependence regionally by comparison in northwestern North America of the effective elastic thickness Te, from topography–gravity coherence, with upper mantle temperatures mapped by shear wave tomography velocities Vs and other temperature indicators. The Te values are strongly bimodal as found globally, less than 20 km for the hot Cordillera backarc and over 60 km for the cold stable Craton. These Te correspond to low Vs beneath the Cordillera and high Vs beneath the Craton. Model temperature-depth profiles are used to estimate model Te for comparison with those observed. Only limited areas of intermediate thermal regimes, i.e., thermotectonic ages of ~ 300 Ma, have intermediate Te that suggest a weak lower crust over a stronger upper mantle. There are large uncertainties in model Te associated with composition, water content, strain rate, and decoupling stress threshold. However, with reasonable parameters, model yield stress envelopes correspond to observed Te for thermal regimes with 800–900 °C at the Cordillera Moho and 400–500 °C for the Shield, in agreement with temperatures from Vs and other estimators. Our study supports the conclusion that lithosphere elastic thickness and strength are controlled primarily by temperature, and that laboratory-based rheology generally provides a good estimate of the deformation behaviour of the crust and upper mantle on geological time scales.