A chlorite solid solution geothermometer the Los Azufres (Mexico) geothermal system

Chlorite constitutes a major hydrothermal alteration product of metamorphism of andesites, in the active geothermal system of Los Azufres (Mexico). Electron microprobe analyses performed on a set of crystals from each sample show wide variations in composition. Correlation coefficients among chemical constituents were calculated. It is shown that the tetrahedral charge is positively correlated with the octahedral vacancy and negatively with the iron content, and there is almost no correlation with the octahedral aluminium and magnesium content. A procedure is proposed to select end-members and substitution vectors, and to give a general formula for these chlorites.Their formation temperatures are estimated with great accuracy, combining results of microthermometric data on fluid inclusions from gangue minerals of chlorites (quartz, calcite), direct measurements in wells (Kuster equipment), and chemical geothermometers. Correlations between chlorite compositions, range and nature of site occupancy, and temperature are good. Formation temperatures of chlorites range from 130° C to 300° C. As no other thermodynamic parameter varies significantly in the studied field (composition of the host rocks, nature of the geothermal fluids, pressure, ...), these variations of site occupancy (mainly Al(IV) and the octahedral occupancy (6-Al(VI)-(Mg+Fe(2+)) = VAC) are considered mainly as temperature dependent.Molar fractions of each end-member show very different variations with increasing temperature: X-kaolinite decreases, and X-chamosite increases, while X-talc-3 brucite does not show significant change. From these data, activity coefficients and standard state chemical potential of major components, and molar free energy formation of chlorite have been calculated for each temperature of crystallisation.     

Amplification of the storm surges in shallow waters of the Pertuis Charentais (Bay of Biscay,France)

The Pertuis Charentais are shallow coastal embayments formed by the islands of Oleron and Re in the north-eastern Bay of Biscay. The low-lying coasts of the Pertuis Charentais are susceptible to extensive flooding caused by the storm surges generated in the North Atlantic. Numerical modelling of the 24 October 1999 surge event is performed in the present study in order to elucidate the impact of the wind-wave-tide-surge interactions on the surge propagation in the Pertuis Charentais. A 2D numerical model is constructed to simulate the wave and tide-surge propagation on a high-resolution finite-element grid by using the TELEMAC and TOMAWAC software. The effect of the wave-induced enhancement on the sea surface drag and on the bottom friction is evaluated by using the models of Janssen (1991) and Christoffersen and Jonsson (1985), respectively. The radiation stress is estimated by employing the approach of Longuet-Higgins and Stewart (1964). It is demonstrated that the peak surge in the night on 23–24 October has been amplified inside the Pertuis Charentais by about 20 cm due to the wind-wave interactions with the tide-surge currents. These interactions are strongest at the entrance to the Pertuis Charentais where the sea surface drag coefficient is significantly increased by the wind-wave coupling. The effect of the wave-tide-surge interactions is large enough to be included in the flood forecasting systems of this region.     

Surface Matching and Change Detection Using a Modified Hough Transformation for Robust Parameter Estimation

Many photogrammetric and GIS applications, such as city modelling, change detection and object recognition, deal with surfaces. Change detection involves looking for differences between two surface models that are obtained from different sensors, for example an optical sensor and a laser scanner, or by the same sensor at different epochs. Surfaces obtained through a sampling process may also have to be compared for future processing (for example transformation parameter estimation and change detection). Surface matching is therefore an essential task in these applications. The matching of surfaces involves two steps. The first step deals with finding the correspondences between two surface points and/or patches. The second step requires the determination of transformation parameters between the two surfaces. However, since most surfaces consist of randomly distributed discrete points and may have different reference systems, finding the correspondences cannot be achieved without knowing the transformation parameters between the two surfaces. Conversely, deriving the transformation parameters requires the knowledge of the correspondence between the two point sets. The suggested approach for surface matching deals with randomly distributed data sets without the need for error prone interpolation and requires no point-to-point correspondence between the two surfaces under consideration. This research simultaneously solves for the correspondence and the transformation parameters using a Modified Iterated Hough Transform for robust parameter estimation. Several experiments are conducted to prove the feasibility and the robustness of the suggested approach, even when a high percentage of change exists.     

地震环境噪声成像中的地形影响校正

以传统地震环境噪声面波成像方法研究地壳速度结构时,在一些极端的地形条件下,结果与真实结构会存在较大偏差.我们以地震波场三维正演模拟为基础,提出了一种地形校正方法.我们保留了传统噪声面波成像简单的两步反演法,在面波层析成像和一维速度结构反演的基础上,通过地震波场三维模拟近似估计地形和散射波场的影响,并据此校正瑞利波频散曲线,最终反演得到校正地形影响的S波速度结构.理论测试与在实际观测数据上的应用都证明了校正方法的有效性,同时也显示了地形校正的必要性.

     

Geochemical and petrological constraints on rear-arc magma genesis processes in Ecuador: The Puyo cones and Mera lavas volcanic formations

The Puyo scoria cones and the Mera lava flows, two newly recognized volcanic formations dated between Late Pliocene to Middle Pleistocene, extend the limits of the Ecuadorian rear-arc volcanic province some 100 km to the south. The Puyo scoria cones have erupted K-rich absarokites containing olivine, diopside and phlogopite, whereas the Mera lava flows display a basic andesite composition, with olivine and minor augite phenocrysts. In addition to high contents in LILE, LREE and HFSE, the Puyo absarokites exhibit many characteristics of primitive melts, namely high Cr (590–310 ppm) and Ni (330–154 ppm) contents, high Mg# (64–70) and they contain forsteritic olivine (Fo_82–89). The composition of the most primary Puyo absarokite was used in petrogenetic models, in order to constrain the genesis of these high-K magmas. Major and trace elements models, as well as isotopic data, indicate that the source of Puyo magmas is a hydrated phlogopite- and garnet-bearing lherzolite. Phlogopite crystallization in the mantle wedge is triggered by the metasomatism by 3–5% of a SiO₂-, H₂O-rich liquid generated by slab melting. Partial melting of the subducted oceanic crust beneath Ecuador is allowed by the subduction of the young and warm Carnegie Ridge, which modifies the thermal regime of the Benioff zone. A low degree (1–4%) of partial melting of the metasomatized mantle wedge, leaving a variable garnet (4–7%) ± phlogopite (0–4%) lherzolitic residual assemblage, leads to the compositions of the entire Puyo absarokite series and is consistent with previous petrogenetic models developed for the Ecuadorian volcanic arc. Indeed, the homogeneity of isotopic data across the arc suggests a similar source for the whole Ecuadorian magmas.     

30 and 43 months period cycles found in air temperature time series using the Morlet wavelet method

A wavelet-based methodology is applied to relevant climatic indices and air temperature records and allow to detect the existence of unexpected cycles. The scale spectrum shows the presence of two cycles of about 30 and 43 months, respectively, in the air–temperature time series, in addition to the well-known cycles of 1 day and 1 year. The two cycles do not affect the globe uniformly: some regions seem to be more influenced by the period of 30 months (e.g. Europe), while other areas are affected by the period of 43 months (e.g. North-West of the USA). Similar cycles are found in the indices and the regions influenced by these indices: the NAO index and the Western Europe display a cycle of 30 months, while the cycle of 43 months can be found in the ENSO index and in regions where it is known to have an impact.     

Révision stratigraphique de l’Ile de Timor (Indonésie orientale)

Resume. De nombreuses échelles stratigraphiques de l’?le de Timor ont vu le jour car les corrélations stratigraphiques étaient rendues difficiles par la complexité tectonique de l’?le et par la variété des faciès. Dès les premiers travaux, plusieurs séries ont été distinguées, regroupées en trois unités litho-structurales principales: unité allochtone, sub-autochtone et autochtone. Les données stratigraphiques et géodynamiques récentes montrent que l’?le de Timor est en fait constituée par six unités litho-structurales, chacune témoignant d’un épisode majeur de l’histoire géologique de l’Ile. Cette histoire consiste d’abord à la séparation, au Jurassique, d’un bloc issu du continent de Gondwana (unité para-allochtone) qui est entré en collision avec l’arc volcanique asiatique à l’Oligo-Miocène (unités allochtone et sub-allochtone). Cet ensemble a ensuite été séparé de l’Asie lors de l’ouverture de la mer de Banda sud, au Miocène supérieur (unité sub-autochtone) pour finalement entrer en collision avec la marge nord australienne au cours du Pliocène moyen (plateforme australienne et groupe de Kolbano). Timor est depuis incorporée à la marge nord australienne (unité autochtone). Ce travail présente les différentes échelles stratigraphiques de chaque nouvelle unité, des propositions de corrélations et une comparaison avec les ?les voisines de Sumba et de Sulawesi pour aboutir à une proposition d’évolution géodynamique. Manuscrit re?u le 13 février 2004 Révision acceptée le 14 février 2005     

Expanding the frequency spectrum in marine CSEM applications

In this paper we show how marine controlled source electromagnetic data interpretation can be improved if the data are acquired with an expanded frequency spectrum. Especially in the case of targets located at a wide range of depths, both high- and low-frequency data can provide useful information for improving the risk analysis associated with different prospects with variable size and depth. We discuss an application to a real data set acquired in deep water offshore Nigeria using two values of fundamental frequency: 0.05 Hz and 0.25 Hz. Both frequencies, together with higher frequency harmonics, have been used for multi-frequency and multi-dimensional modelling and inversion with excellent results.
At the end of the interpretation work, areas with different electric and magnetic anomalies were mapped and quantitatively interpreted in terms of resistivity distribution in the 3D space. Relatively high-frequency data (0.25 Hz and the first two harmonics) were useful for constraining the shallowest part of the resistivity models, including the presence of thin resistive layers, such as the gas sand recognized in correspondence of the well previously drilled in the NW portion of the block.
Low-frequency data (0.05 Hz) were useful for constraining the deepest portion of the models (from 2 km to 4 km below sea floor) and for characterizing the resistivity of the background.
From an exploration point of view, the whole workflow based on multi-frequency data analysis of this electromagnetic data set was very useful for further de-risking the different prospects previously individuated in the area using seismic information.     

Les formations burdigaliennes de Corse orientale dans leur cadre géodynamique

The earliest marine sediments of eastern Corsica, linked to the birth of the Corsica Basin, are represented by granitic breccia of the Saint-Antoine Formation and pelagic marls of the Alzelle Formation. They are dated as Mid-Burdigalian by nannoplankton and planktonic foraminifera (relative age and grade datings between 18.7 and 18.3 Ma). The Aghione Formation (Latest Burdigalian–Langhian) lies upon the Alzelle Formation. A component of the major East-Corsican faults, the Saint-Antoine Fault, underwent extensional activity during the Burdigalian and until the Late Miocene, when occurred the uplift of the Castagniccia antiform. To cite this article: M.-D. Loÿe-Pilot et al., C. R. Geoscience 336 (2004).