The transition from subduction to continental collision: crustal structure in the North Canterbury region, New Zealand

The North Canterbury region marks the transition from Pacific plate subduction to continental collision in the South Island of New Zealand. Details of the seismicity, structure and tectonics of this region have been revealed by an 11-week microearthquake survey using 24 portable digital seismographs. Arrival time data from a well-recorded subset of microearthquakes have been combined with those from three explosions at the corners of the microearthquake network in a simultaneous inversion for both hypocentres and velocity structure. The velocity structure is consistent with the crust in North Canterbury being an extension of the converging Chatham Rise. The crust is about 27 km thick, and consists of an 11 km thick seismic upper crust and 7 km thick seismic lower crust, with the middle part of the crust being relatively aseismic. Seismic velocities are consistent with the upper and middle crust being composed of greywacke and schist respectively, while several lines of evidence suggest that the lower crust is the lower part of the old oceanic crust on which the overlying rocks were originally deposited.
The distribution of relocated earthquakes deeper than 15 km indicates that the seismic lower crust changes dip markedly near 43S. To the south-west it is subhorizontal, while to the north-east it dips north-west at about 10. Fault-plane solutions for these earthquakes also change near 43S. For events to the south, P -axes trend approximately normal to the plate boundary (reflecting continental collision), while for events to the north, T -axes are aligned down the dip of the subducted plate (reflecting slab pull). While lithospheric subduction is continuous across the transition, it is not clear whether the lower crust near 43S is flexed or torn.     

A computer simulation study of Al/Si ordering in gehlenite and the paradox of the low transition temperature

The ordering of Al and Si in gehlenite is considered using computer simulation. The enthalpy of ordering ΔH per 2Al+2Si atoms is found to be 0.52 eV. It is dominated by the nearest neighbour interaction, but the analysis is carried out to fifth neighbours. The nearest neighbour interaction differs significantly from that for other materials. The structure does not have a connected network of ordering sites, which mainly accounts for the unobservably low transition temperature for Al/Si ordering. Two alternatives are given for the likely ordering pattern.     

The need for international co-operation in the management of coastal environments

The coastal zones are areas of high biological productivity and intense human pressure. Environmental challenges arise from pollution and from urban and industrial development. Administrative, social and legal challenges centre upon the need for sound management of coastal zone resources, as an important component of national strategies for sustainability. A number of specific actions have been set out in Agenda 21, the principal product of the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. But these need to be carried forward within cross-sectoral, integrated coastal area management procedures. International action is also needed because marine ecosystems rarely coincide with national boundaries, and are affected by international economic, social and legal decisions.

International scientific co-operation on marine issues is already well established, and many regional action plans and Conventions have been adopted. Technological co-operation is less advanced. Such efforts need to be intensified, and continuously adapted. Sound plans for the future must be based on good science, critical economic evaluation of resources, sensitive evaluation of social and cultural factors and of the needs of local communities, evaluation of the risks of climate change, sea-level rise and other changes, and monitoring as a basis for continuing adaptation.     

The fish community of a shallow tropical lagoon in Belize,Central America

Trawl collections indicate that the fish community of the Belize barrier reef lagoon is dominated numerically and in biomass by grunts (Haemulidae), especiallyHaemulon sciurus andHaemulon flavolineatum. Although the gear selected for small sizes, length frequency analysis indicated seasonality in recruitment of the dominant species of grunts. Apogonids and tetraodontiform fishes were also dominant components of the community. Most fishes collected were juveniles of species that occur as adults on the main reef, or were small species that are resident in the lagoon. Of three habitats sampled, the mangrove creek had the greatest relative abundance and biomass of fishes, followed by the seagrass bed and the sand-rubble zone. There were no significant seasonal differences in fish relative abundance or biomass. Community structure analysis indicated a uniqueness in the mangrove fish community. Diversity (H′) was high, and was due to high species richness and evenness of distribution of individuals among species. The Belize barrier reef lagoon serves as an important nursery habitat for juvenile fishes.     

Distribution of attached algae in estuaries

Preliminary studies on distributions of attached algae in British estuaries suggest that the estuaries might be classified on the basis of the flora in the upper reaches. This could contribute to biological assessment of water quality in estuaries.     

Overwash processes along a gravel beach in south-east Ireland

Recent overwashing, and to a more limited extent overtopping, has occurred on a gravel-dominated beach just west of Carnsore Point in south-east Ireland. At relatively low points swash excursions have breached the duneline and extensive gravel fans have formed on landward-facing slopes. Also, at interbreach positions, swash ramps have been built-up in front of previously eroding dune cliffs, allowing overtopping at heights of up to 5 m above MHWOST, spreading a veneer of sediment over the adjacent dune ridge. In both cases events appear to be preceded by erosion and backbeach sand and gravel deposition. Stratigraphic, textural and fabric analyses assist in identifying environmental conditions that prevailed during overwash throat and fan, and overtopping ramp, sedimentation.     

The late Palaeozoic Gondwana glaciation

The glacial deposits of Gondwana are today spread over one whole hemisphere. On the re-assembled Gondwana continents they still occupy an area exceeding that of the Pleistocene glaciation. The onset of the glaciation in the different areas has not yet been dated satisfactorily. The earliest lower and middle Carboniferous glacial beds occur in the Andean belt and in eastern Australia, where high mountains may have existed at that time. During Stephanian-Sakmarian time, when the pole wandered over Antarctica, large ice sheets reached sealevel in all the major depositories. Palaeotopographical reconstructions allow the conclusion that some of the ice centres were supported by uplands which reached altitudes of up to 1,500 m above sealevel. Depending on their palaeotopographical positions the glacigenic sediments exhibit the full facies range to be expected between glaciated uplands and glaciomarine environments. There are indications that ice may have flowed from Africa into the Paraná Basin, and from Antarctica into the Great Karoo-Basin and into Australia. At least 12 advances and retreats have been recognized in the Paraná Basin. Closer to the ice centres the record is less complete. The retreats were probably more of an interstadial than an interglacial nature. There is some evidence that the final deglaciation proceeded in stages from South America over Africa to Antarctica. The ice centres were fed by moist air from the Pacific Ocean and the Tethys.

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Zusammenfassung Die glazialen Ablagerungen von Gondwana sind heute über eine ganze Hemisphäre verteilt. Auch auf dem rekonstruierten Gondwana nehmen sie noch ein Gebiet ein, welches das der pleistozänen Vereisung übertrifft. Die frühesten, unter- und mittelkarbonen Vereisungsspuren finden sich im Anden-Gürtel und im Tasman-Belt in Ostaustralien, wo zu dieser Zeit hohe Gebirgsketten existiert haben können. Während des Stephan und Sakmar, als der Pol sich auf der Antarktis befand, erreichten große Inlandeis-Decken den Seespiegel in allen größeren Ablagerungsbecken. Paläotopographische Rekonstruktionen erlauben die Schlußfolgerung, daß einige der Eiszentren sich auf Hochländern mit Höhen von bis zu 1500 m befanden. Die glazialen Sedimente zeigen, abhängig von ihrer paläotopographischen Position, alle zu erwartenden Faziestypen. Es gibt Hinweise, daß Eis von Afrika in das Paraná-Becken und von Antarktika in das Große Karoo-Becken und nach Australien geflossen sein könnte, Wenigstens 12 Vorstöße und Rückzüge sind im Paraná-Becken erkannt worden. In der Nähe der Eiszentren ist die Zahl geringer. Die Rückzüge hatten wahrscheinlich mehr die Natur von Interstadialen als von Interglazialen. Es gibt Hinweise, daß das finale Abschmelzen im unteren Perm in mehreren Phasen von Südamerika über Afrika nach Antarktika fortgeschritten sein könnte. Die Eiszentren wurden durch feuchte Luftmassen vom Pazifischen Ozean und der Tethys genährt.

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Résumé Les dépôts glaciaires de Gondwana sont répartis actuellement sur une hémisphère entière. Même sur le Gondwana reconstitué, ils occupent encore une surface qui dépasse celle de la glaciation pleistocène. Les traces de glaciation les plus précoces, èo- et mésocarbonifères se trouvent dans la ceinture andine et dans la ceinture tasmanienne d'Australie orientale, où des chaînes de montagnes élevées ont pu exister à cette époque. Pendant le Stéphanien et le Sakmarien, lorsque le pôle s'est trouvé dans l'Antarctique, de grandes nappes continentales de glace ont atteint le niveau de la mer dans tous les grands bassins sédimentaires. Des reconstitutions paléotopographiques permettent de conclure que quelques-uns des centres de glaciation se trouvaient dans des zones de montagnes ayant des altitudes atteignant 1500 m. Les sédiments glaciaires montrent, en fonction de leur position paléotopographique, tous les types de faciès que l'on peut attendre. D'après certaines indications, la glace aurait pu couler d'Afrique dans le bassin du Paraná et de l'Antarctique dans le grand bassin du Karoo et vers l'Australie. Au moins douze avancées et retraits ont été reconnus dans le bassins du Paraná. A proximité des centres de glaciation leur nombre est moindre. Les retraits avaient sans doute un caractère plus interstadiaire qu'interglaciaire. Certaines indications permettent de penser que la fusion finale pouvrait avoir progressé, au cours du Permien inférieur, d'Amérique du Sud vers l'Afrique puis vers l'Antarctique, en plusieurs phases. Les centres de glaciation ont été nourris par des masses d'air humides venant de l'Ocean Pacifique et de la Téthys.

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The hydrogen and carbon isotopic composition of methane from natural gases of various origins

The deuterium concentrations (δD vs SMOW) of biogenic methanes from world-wide occurrences range from ?180 to ?280%. and were found to be depleted in deuterium by approx. 160%. compared to the deuterium concentration of their associated waters. Theoretical considerations support this relationship to be the result of bacterial transformation of CO₂ to methane and is therefore indicative of the biogenic origin of methane.Thermogenic gases with high C₂₊ concentrations (wet gases associated with crude oil) have D/H ratios from ?260 to ?150%. with deuterium contents tending to increase with decreasing wetness. Dry gases which are not associated with petroleum are more enriched in deuterium (?180 to ?130%.) and show an increase in deuterium with increasing rank of the source beds as it is similarly known for carbon-13.Many dry gases in young sedimentary basins were found to contain significant amounts of C₂₊ hydrocarbons. These gases cannot be grouped with either the biogenic or thermogenic gases and their methane is concluded to be of mixed biogenic and thermochemical origin.Using a $\text{δ}{}^{13}\text{C}\text{δD}$ diagrammatic display of the isotope data of methanes the various genetic groups of natural gases can be defined more clearly.