Mineralogical evidence for the derivation of metaluminous,potassic rocks from peralkaline precursors: The Cordon Syenite Complex (Philippines)

Summary Rocks from the Cordon Syenite Complex, located in the Philippine island arc, correspond to miaskitic (metaluminous) potassic lavas from the Roman Region and the Indonesian arc in terms of bulk rock chemistry. However, the mineral chemistry indicates a complex history of multiple equilibrations with liquids of different nature. T-site (Si + Al) occupancy in some clinopyroxenes and Ca contents of alkali feldspar phenocrysts indicate that these phases crystallized under the temperature-pressure subvolcanic regime from host liquids with progressively decreasing (Na + K)/Al ratio. In contrast to current views on the genesis of potassic rocks, it is suggested that differentiated leucite tephrite suites may be derived from peralkaline liquids by alkali loss. Magmas with affinities to lamproites may occur in the Philippine island arc, but a direct genetic relationship between subduction and alkaline/peralkaline magmatism remains questionable.

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Mineralogische Hinweise auf die Entstehung subalkalischer, K-reicher gesteine aus, peralkalischen Vorläufern: Der Syenit Komplex von Cordon (Philippinen)

Zusammenfassung Die Magmatite des im philippinischen Inselbogen gelegenen Syenitkomplexes von Cordon entsprechen in ihrem Gesamtgesteinschemismus den miaskitischen, K-reichen Vul kaniten der Romanischen Provinz und des indonesischen Inselbogens. Die chemische Zusammensetzung einzelner Mineralphasen deutet auf eine komplexere Genese unter Beteiligung von Magmen unterschiedlicher Alkalinität hin. Die Variation in der Besetzung der T-Position (Si + Al) in Klinopyroxenen und der Ca-Gehalte in Alkalifeldspäten wird dahingehend interpretiert, daß diese Phasen unter subvulkanischen Bedingungen aus Schmelzen mit abnehmenden (Na + K)/Al-Verhältnissen kristallisierten. Im Gegensatz zu gängigen Auffassungen wird daher angenommen, daß differenzierte Leucit-Tephrite aus mild-peralkalischen Magman hervorgehen können. Obwohl die K-reichen Magmatite des Syenitkomplexes von Cordon in einem Inselbogen gebildet wurden, ist ein direkter Zusammenhang mit Anreicherungsvorgängen im Bereich der Subduktionszone fraglich.

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Paper presented at the General Assembly of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth Interior, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1989.

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With 6 Figures     

Geotechnical,Geological, and Hydrologic Characterization of a 52 km Electrical Power Transmission Line Alignment Route in Southeastern Nigeria

A 132 kVA electrical transmission line has been proposed to connect the towns of Eket and Ikot Abasi in the eastern Niger delta in Nigeria. A geotechnical and hydrological study was performed to geotechnically characterize the route alignment and to provide data for design of the foundations for the transmission towers. In this paper, we introduce the study location and its geological, topographical and physiological characteristics, present the hydrological and geotechnical investigations and their results, and make recomendations for the design of the transmission tower foundations. Hydrological inspection of the power line alignment revealed that the route is traversed by numerous tributaries of the Qua-Iboe and Imo Rivers, the two major rivers that control the drainage of the study area. In-situ geotechnical tests consisted of cone penetration tests (CPTs), vane shear tests, test pit sampling (0–2.0 m depth) and lithologic boreholes (20 and 50 m deep). Laboratory tests included grain size analysis, pH determination and Atterberg Limits. Based on the CPT log pattern, no of stratum, and refusal depths, the soils along the transmission alignment were classified into twelve structural domains having common geotechnical properties. Because of the elevated water levels, and the nature of the soils, deep pile foundations were recommended for the towers. Software from the Louisiana Transportation Research Center, was employed to estimate skin friction, end bearing, and ultimate bearing capacities for assumed 225 mm square shaped reinforced concrete pile in each of the different zones of the alignment.     

Deciphering an Archean mantle plume: Abitibi greenstone belt,Canada

The 2724–2722 Ma Stoughton-Roquemaure Group (SRG) of the Abitibi greenstone belt (the Archean Superior Province, Canada) is a ≤ 2 km thick komatiite–basalt succession intermittently exposed for about 50 km along strike. The ultramafic and mafic rocks occur mainly as pillowed, brecciated, and massive flows with well preserved spinifex textures in the komatiites. Volcanological, comparative stratigraphic and geochemical studies of the group along a volcanic marker horizon at the base of the succession allow the assessment of magma emplacement processes and mantle source rocks. Major feeder channels, secondary distributary tubes surrounded by pillowed flows with minor breccias and hyaloclastites display facies architecture of small volume flow fields (1–2 km³). Within the SRG, Al-depleted (ADK; Barberton-type) and Al-undepleted (AUK; Munro-type) komatiitic lavas are intercalated with tholeiitic basalt flows at a m- to 10s of m scale. Basalts and komatiites are inferred to be mantle plume-related; both rock types form two groups with characteristics of ADK and AUK including Al₂O₃/TiO₂ ~ 9–12 for ADK versus 17–22 for AUK, as well as (Gd/Yb)_n with > 1.3 versus ~ 1, respectively. The interdigitation of compositionally different flow units, limited extent of SRG volcanic rocks and facies architecture with the prevalence of small volume flows argue for a relatively small, heterogeneous mantle plume during the incipient stage of the evolution of the Archean Abitibi belt. Assuming that the scale of heterogeneities is comparable to the field expression of compositional changes and stratigraphy, it can be suggested that geochemical plume ‘layering’ is on 10s to 100s of m-scale. The evolution of this Archean mantle plume from inception to demise compares favorably with the Yellowstone hotspot which is assumed to have developed over 17 m.y. and had a diameter of about 300 km.     

The Berchtesgaden National Park (Bavaria, Germany): a platform for interdisciplinary catchment research

The Berchtesgaden National Park (Bavaria, Germany), a study site of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere program in the catchment of Berchtesgadener Ache, is introduced as a platform for interdisciplinary research. As the investigation of how human activities affect the natural resources in the park area, which has been defined a main aim of the program, naturally requires expertise from different scientific fields, interdisciplinary research has been fostered in the national park plan since the very beginning of the Man and the Biosphere program in 1981. To analyze the complex interactions and mutual dependencies between socio-economic and natural systems, a variety of monitoring programs have been initialized in different disciplines (e.g. climate sciences, zoology, botany) that are addressed in this paper. As a result of these research efforts, the park offers a profound data basis to be used in future studies (e.g. land cover classifications, maps of geological and soil conditions). Detailed information is provided on a climate monitoring network that has been installed in the park starting in the year 1993. The network has been continuously extended over the years and now provides extraordinary comprehensive information on meteorological conditions in the park, setting the basis for current as well as for potential future climate-related studies. A special characteristic of the station network is the fact that it covers a large range of elevations from 600 m a.s.l in the valleys to 2,600 m a.s.l in the summit regions and is therefore able to capture altitudinal gradients in meteorological variables as typical for Alpine regions. Due to the large number of stations in high elevations (15 stations are in elevations higher than 1,500 m a.s.l) the network provides information on the complex hydrometeorological conditions in summit regions which are often insufficiently represented in observation networks due to the increased costs for maintenance of climate stations in these locations. Beside the various monitoring programs, a variety of numerical models have been (further) developed for application in the park area that make extensive use of the different data collected and therefore largely benefit from the comprehensive data pool. The potential and necessity of the climate monitoring network for modelling studies is demonstrated by utilizing the meteorological recordings in the framework of a hydrometeorological simulation experiment. Further examples of environmental modelling efforts are shortly described together with preliminary model results.     

Composition and pre-metamorphic geodynamic setting of the ultrahigh-pressure metabasic rocks from Dabie Shan,E-China

As part of the Yangtze plate, segments of the Dabie Shan terrane of Central China underwent ultra-high pressure metamorphism during Triassic subduction. We studied the geochemistry of the abundant eclogites to evaluate the nature of the protoliths and their geodynamic setting. Although some previous geochemical work exists, the analyses and interpretation herein are based on a new subdivision of the ultra-high pressure sequence into basement and cover units (Changpu and Ganghe Unit), revealing new and important results. In addition, eclogites of the so-called HP Unit south of the UHP units were studied. Whereas the large ion lithophile elements indicate postmagmatic, metasomatic changes of some samples, the high-field strength elements and the rare earth elements display original magmatic trends. The geochemical characteristics of the eclogites of the ultra-high pressure areas display a strong dependence on their “structural” and geographic position. The eclogites of the basement and the Changpu Unit indicate melt intrusion and extrusion in a continental rift system, i.e. during extensional tectonics. In contrast, the Ganghe Unit is characterized by a pronounced chemical homogeneity. The composition of the eclogites indicates generation from a mantle source highly influenced by slab-derived fluids. Those of the HP Unit show similar characteristics. Magmatism of the Ganghe and HP Unit probably occurred in a continental arc setting. A similar age for both units, geographically and/or tectonically separated, is possible. The geodynamic interpretation based on the geochemistry of the four units points to a Neoproterozoic scenario in which the protoliths of the HP and the cover units could have been of similar age and deposited in one evolving geological system. A rift-related larger-scale basin might have formed, e.g. a continental back-arc basin behind a magmatic arc after or simultaneous to sedimentation and magmatism in the magmatic arc. Alternatively, magmatism occurred in independent geodynamic settings, distinct in time and space. The units were juxtaposed during exhumation, after subduction to varying depths.     

Petrographische und Kalium-Argon-Untersuchungen an basischen tertiären Vulkaniten zwischen Westerwald und Vogelsberg

Between the upper tertiary volcanic areas of Westerwald and Vogelsberg (central Western Germany) occur more than 40 isolated tertiary volcanic dikes, eroded necks, plugs and domes. Twelve of these volcanic rocks have been investigated petrographically and chemically and classified by means of their modal and chemical composition. Additional modal analyses have been performed on seven other volcanics. On seventeen volcanic occurences K-Ar-whole rock age determinations have been made. The K-Ar age determinations yield- with the exception of an olivine-nephelinite — values between 27 and 15 Ma. Regarding the known intervals of volcanic activities of the Westerwald- and Voge1sberg-areas, most of the examined volcanics can be related genetically with one of the adjacent volcanic areas. There seems to be no geographical overlapping of volcanics showing Westerwaldages and Vogelsberg-ages. A possible influence of excess-Ar-bearing phases (e. g. mantle xenoliths) and an Ar-loss of constituent matter of the groundmass have been estimated by additional age determinations of enriched samples. These influences — partially compensating each other — may shift the K-Ar whole rock age to a maximum of 5 % and thus do not exceed the dimension of the standard deviations. A distinct NNE-SSW-striking fault in the region between Marburg and Gießen is situated parallel with the eastern border of the “Rheinisches Schiefergebirge”. Volcanics showing Westerwald-age and Vogelsberg-age respectively reach this fault, but obviously do not overlap it. Relations between rock-type an rock age, as it has been observed for the volcanics of the northern Hessian Depression (Kreuzer et al. 1973;Wedepohl 1982) cannot be proved certainly. On the other hand, similar to the basaltic rocks of the northern Hessian Depression, the youngest volcanic product is an olivine-nephelinite (9 Ma).     

A Comparison of Tools and Methods for Estimating Groundwater-Surface Water Exchange

A comparison of tools for measuring discharge rates in a sandy streambed was conducted along a transect near the north bank of the Grindsted Å (stream), Denmark. Four tools were evaluated at six locations spaced 3 m apart in the stream: mini-piezometers, streambed point velocity probes (SBPVPs), temperature profilers, and seepage meters. Comparison of the methods showed that all identified a similar trend of low to high groundwater discharges moving westward along the transect. Furthermore, it was found that the differences between discharges estimated from Darcy calculations (using the mini-pizometers), and SBPVPs were not statistically different from zero, at the 90% confidence level. Seepage meter estimates were consistently lower than those of the other two methods, but compared more reasonably with the application of a correction factor of 1.7, taken from the literature. In contrast, discharges estimated from temperature profiling (to a depth of 40 cm) were found to be about an order of magnitude less than those determined with the other methods, possibly due to interferences from horizontal hyporheic flow. Where the various methods produced statistically different discharge estimations at the same location, it is hypothesized that the differences arose from method-specific sources of bias, including installation depths. On the basis of this work, practitioners interested in measuring flow across the groundwater-surface water interface achieve the least variability with seepage meters and the SBPVP. However the accuracy of the seepage meter depended on a calibrated correction factor while that of the SBPVP did not.     

Geochemical fractionation and ecological risks assessment of benthic sediment-bound heavy metals from coastal ecosystems off the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean

This study determines the pollution, fractionation, and ecological risks of sediment-bound heavy metals from coastal ecosystems off the Equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Contamination Factor(CF), pollution load index(PLI), and geoaccumulation index(Igeo) were used to assess the extent of the heavy metal pollution, while the potential ecological risk was evaluated using the risks assessment code(RAC) and Hkanson potential ecological risk. The analysis revealed concentrations(mg/g, dw) of the cadmium(Cd),chromium(Cr), copper(Cu), nickel(Ni), and lead(Pb) in sediments for wet and dry seasons vary from 4.40-5.08, 14.80-21.09. 35.03-44.8, 2.14-2.28, and 172.24-196.39, respectively. The results also showed that the metal fractionation percentages in the residual, oxidizable, and reducible fractions are the most significant, while the exchangeable and carbonate bound trace metals are relatively low. The RAC values indicate no risk for Cd and Ni and low risk for other metals at all the studied sites during both seasons.Potential ecological risk analysis of the heavy metal concentrations indicates that Cd had high individual potential ecological risk, while the other metals have low risk at all investigated sites. The multi-elemental potential ecological risk indices(R_1) indicate high ecological risk in all the ecosystems.     

Petrology of clinopyroxene-amphibole inclusions from the roque nublo volcanics,gran canaria,canary islands

Inclusions consisting of clinopyroxene, amphibole, Fe-Ti oxides and apatitc are abundant in the Roque Nublo volcanics, a unit of Late Tertiary age that is widespread on Gran Canaria Island. The unit includes alkalic basalts and breccias. Mafic minerals in several inclusions and in one basalt host have been analysed with the electron microprobe. Although the inclusions vary in size, texture and mineralogy, they show certain common teatures. The pyroxenes analyzed are all salites-augites and their position in the Ca-Fe Mg quadrilateral suggests that they are early formed representatives of the pyroxene crystallization trend characteristic of alkaliolivine basalt. The amphibole is invariably kaersutite. A common variety of inclusion is composed largely of kaersutite and titaniferous clinopyroxene. The kaersutite (TiO₂ 5.27%, K₂O 1.58%) is homogeneous, except for slight iron enrichment in the margins of crystals. The clinopyroxene is an hourglass-zoned, brownish titansalite, Ca 50 Mg 35 Fe 15, TiO₂ 3.08%, with a green core of Ca 49 Mg 38 Fe 13, TiO₂ 2.15%. Compositions of coexisting titanilerous magnetite and ilmenite, Usp 44 Mt 56 and Ilm 85 Hem 15, respectively, indicate they formed at approximately 975°C and pO, 10^?10.5 atm. In another type of inclusion and its host basalt, pyroxene relations are more complex. Inclusion pyroxene is markedly but diffusely zoned. Predominant is a green salite, Ca 47 Mg 38 Fe 15, TiO₂ 1.11%, which has small, patchy core zones of brownish. Ti-rich salite. Ca 48 Mg 35 Fe 17, TiO₂ 1.94%. Cores of crystals in the host basalt are Ca 47 Mg 41 Fe 12, TiO₂ 2.23%; rims are pale green, Cr-rich diopsidic augite, Ca 44 Mg 45 Fe 11, TiO₂ 1.32%, Cr₂O₃ 0.48%. This «reverse» Fe-Mg zoning is attributed to increasing partial pressure of oxygen as crystallization proceeded. Kaersutite similar to that mentioned above occurs in both the inclusion and its host, in which it is highly resorbed. The available field and analytical evidence strongly suggests that the inclusions and the associated basalts are genetically related. Resorption of the kaersutite at depth may have given rise to the alkalic basalts of the Roque Nublo series.