Mesozoic rotation of Iberia: Subduction in the Pyrenees?

Following on paleomagnetic studies in the sixties showing ~ 35° counterclockwise rotation of Iberia during the Mesozoic, two classes of scenarios have been proposed for the motion history of Iberia which are currently competing. One class infers convergence in the Pyrenees in response to a scissor-type opening of the Bay of Biscay, described by a pole of rotation for Iberia with respect to Europe located within the Bay. The other class of scenarios assumes extensional or transtensional motions in the Pyrenees, compatible with opening of the Bay of Biscay described by a pole of rotation located in northern France. Although plate-kinematic studies over the last decade increasingly support the scissor-type model, geological studies in the Pyrenees have accumulated arguments in favour of an extensional or transtensional regime in the Pyrenean realm.We perform a detailed plate-kinematic analysis of the Late Jurassic and Cretaceous motion history of Iberia and surrounding plates with respect to Europe. A total of six sea-floor reconstructions in combination with paleomagnetic studies onland allow to recognize four distinct stages. (1) Early rifting and ultraslow spreading since the Kimmeridgean led to the development of an oceanic Neotethys domain north of Iberia. (2) This was followed by ~ 35° CCW rotation of Iberia during the Aptian, kinematically linked to progressive opening of the Bay of Biscay. (3) Motions in the Bay became stagnant during the Albian till Santonian, followed by the latest stages of spreading in the Bay, and (4) onset of largely Tertiary continental collision between Iberia and Europe eventually leading to the present day structure of the belt.Our analysis confirms the results of previous studies indicating that extensional or transtensional motions in the Pyrenean realm during opening of the Bay of Biscay and concurrent rotation of Iberia are incompatible with plate-kinematic reconstructions based on sea-floor anomalies. This invites a reappraisal of the geological data. Convergence in the Pyrenean realm during opening of the Bay and rotation of Iberia was accommodated by up to 300 km of subduction of mantle-dominated ocean floor exhumed during the late Jurassic and early Cretaceous. The stagnant stage in the progressive opening of the Bay indicates that convergence in the Pyrenean realm virtually came to a halt during the Albian. We hypothesize that the lithosphere previously subducted during Aptian convergence became gravitationally unstable, leading to asthenospheric upwelling and consequent magmatism and high temperature metamorphism in the overlying European margin now exposed in the North Pyrenean Zone. Aside from these magmatic and thermal effects, an enhanced gravitational potential energy of the remaining lithosphere column underlain by shallow asthenosphere may have led to a stress state allowing belt-parallel extensional deformation. Such a detachment scenario, inspired by plate-kinematic results, may provide an alternative to explain many of the geological data commonly quoted to infer a transtensional or extensional tectonic regime in the Pyrenees during the rotation of Iberia.     

Integrated study of the thermoluminescence,noble gases,tracks, and radionuclides in the fresh-fallen Ash Creek L6 and Tamdakht H5 chondrites

Thermoluminescence, noble gases, and the tracks of iron-group elements and cosmogenic radionuclides of various half-lives were examined in the fresh-fallen Ash Creek (L6) and Tamdakht (H5) chondrites. The experimental information thus obtained and theoretical simulations were used to study the shock-thermal and exposure histories of the chondrites, to evaluate their preatmospheric sizes and masses, values of ablation, the sizes of their orbits, and to monitor the distribution and variations in cosmic radiation in the heliosphere during the transitional period of minimum between solar cycles 23 and 24.     

Magnetic Characterization of Amphibolites from the Fomopéa Pluton (West Cameroon): Their Implication in the Pan-African Deformation of the Central African Fold Belt

The Fomopea granitic pluton is emplaced in gnessic and amphibolitic basement.These gneissic and amphibolitic basement rocks are represented in the pluton's body as sub-rounded,elongated or stretched xe...     

Preface: Proceedings of the 5th International Symposium on Lithographic Limestone and Plattenkalk

Magmatic rocks from the pre-Mesozoic basements of the Sambuco and Maggia nappes have been dated by U–Pb zircon ages with the LA-ICPMS technique. Several magmatic events have been identified in the Sambuco nappe. The mafic banded calc-alkaline suite of Scheggia is dated at 540 Ma, an age comparable to that of mafic rocks in the Austroalpine Silvretta nappe. The Sasso Nero peraluminous augengneiss has an age of 480–470 Ma, like many other “older orthogneisses” in Alpine basement units. It hosts a large proportion of inherited zircons, which were dated around 630 Ma, a Panafrican age indicating the Gondwanan affiliation of the Sambuco basement. The calc-alkaline Matorello pluton yielded ages around 300 Ma, similar to numerous Late Carboniferous intrusions in other basement units of the Lower Penninic (Monte Leone, Antigorio, Verampio) and Helvetic domains (Gotthard and other External Crystalline Massifs). Associated lamprophyric dykes are slightly younger (300–290 Ma), like similar dykes sampled in gneiss blocks included in the sedimentary cover of the underlying Antigorio nappe (290–285 Ma). The Cocco granodiorite and Rüscada leucogranite, both intruding the basement of the neighbouring Maggia nappe, yielded ages of ca. 300–310 Ma, identical within errors to the age of the Matorello pluton. They are significantly older than former age determinations. This age coincidence, coupled with remarkable petrologic similarities between the Cocco and Matorello granodiorites, strongly suggests paleogeographic proximity of the Sambuco and Maggia nappes in Late Carboniferous times. In recent publications these two nappes have been interpreted as belonging to distinct Mesozoic paleogeographic domains: “European” for Sambuco and “Briançonnais” for Maggia, separated by the “Valais” oceanic basin. In this case, the similarity of the Matorello and Cocco intrusions would demonstrate the absence of any significant transcurrent movement between these two continental domains. Alternatively, according to a more traditional view, Sambuco and Maggia might belong to a single large Alpine tectonic unit.     

Shear banding in geomaterials under extensional plane strain conditions: Physical and analytical model

The shear band (SB) spacing phenomenon in geomaterials is addressed in this paper under plane strain extensional conditions. On the basis of sand box observations, a method is proposed for the prediction of the spacing between shear bands based on the so-called “bookshelf” deformation mechanism. The proposed method is based on the assumption that the material is softening inside the shear bands whereas outside the SB it undergoes elastic unloading. The underlying assumption for the prediction of SB spacing is that the material reaches the lowest possible energy rate. An analytical expression for the determination of the shear band spacing is presented taking into account the plane strain extensional deformation of the specimen. The friction due to the normal off-plane shear acting on the boundaries is then taken into account.     

A note on the M w 6.3 earthquake in Iceland on 29 May 2008 at 15:45 UTC

This preliminary study aims to investigate a M _w 6.3 earthquake that occurred in South Iceland on Thursday 29 May 2008 at 15:45 UTC. The epicentre was in the Olfus District between the towns of Selfoss and Hveragerdi. This study examines the data recorded and the damage observed immediately after the event. Horizontal accelerations of up to 80%g were recorded in the epicentral region and there is visual evidence that the vertical acceleration exceeded 1 g. The PGA data is compared to a ground motion estimation model developed for the South Iceland earthquakes in June 2000. In general the basic properties of this event are found to be similar to the characteristics of the South Iceland earthquakes in June 2000. The duration of strong-motion is short and the intensity attenuates rapidly with increasing distance. The earthquake action resisted by buildings in the near fault area is inspected through evaluation of elastic as well as inelastic response spectra. The vast majority of structures seemed to withstand the strong-motion fairly competently and without significant visual damage due firstly to the low-rise, predominantly reinforced concrete or timber, style of buildings. Secondly, the short duration of strong-motion contributed to the endurance of structures.     

Electrical resistivity and 57Fe Mössbauer spectra of Fe-bearing calcic amphiboles

Electrical resistivity and ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectra are reported for three calcic amphiboles with different Fe concentrations. AC measurements (20?Hz–1?MHz) were performed, applying impedance spectroscopy between 100 and 785?°C in an N₂ gas atmosphere. It was found that up to three semiconducting charge transport processes can be distinguished, which in part changed slightly when several runs were carried out to higher temperatures. The extrapolated DC resistivity is much smaller for an amphibole with high Fe content than for the two with lower Fe concentrations. The derived activation energies are between ～0.48 and ～1.06?eV. For temperatures ≤600?°C the results are compatible with a charge transport mechanism due to electron hopping between Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺. Above 600?°C, dehydrogenation and/or beginning amphibole decomposition obviously alter the conduction mechanism. From Mössbauer spectra it was established that in all amphibole samples Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺ are simultaneously present. Mössbauer parameters were derived by fitting the observed spectra to models taking the occupation of various M sites into account.     

Short timescale variability of the mesospheric sodium layer

In this article we investigate the short-term characteristics of the sodium layer and their implications for laser guide star systems. We report measurements of sodium density andcentroid-height variations on timescales of 100 ms upwards. Significant centroid-height variations on short timescales may necessitate frequent refocussing of the beam and wavefront sensor system.We present results from observations of the mesospheric sodium layer taken at the Max Planck observatory in Calar Alto, Spain in September 1997 and August 1998. We describe our experiment which uses the resonant optical backscatter of 589.2 nm laser light from the upper atmosphere as a measure of sodium abundance.Short-term variations are dominated by the formation of dense sporadic layers in the normal sodium layer. Measurements were made on 3 nights in 1997 and on 2 nights in 1998. Somewhat unexpectedly for a mid-latitude site, sporadic sodium layers were seen on 4 of these 5 nights. One of the sporadic layers was observed for its duration. The 2 km wide layer reached a maximum intensity of approximately two and a half times that of the background layer and could be distinguished from the background for over five hours. Centroid height variations of up to 400 m were observed on timescales of 1–2 min. In 1998 we were sensitive to variations of 5% or more in total sodium abundance on timescales of 100 ms upwards. We found no evidencefor variations of this level on these short timescales.