Rekonstruktion der Abkühlungsgeschichte des Damara-Orogens in Südwest-Afrika mit Hilfe von Spaltspuren-Altern

Zusammenfassung Mit Hilfe der Spuren der spontanen Kernspaltung des Urans wurden 23 andraditreiche Granate, 10 Epidote, 4 Vesuviane und 61 Apatite datiert. Die Kombination dieser Daten mit denen klassischer radiometrischer Verfahren erlaubte es, die Abkühlungsgeschichte des jungpräkambrischen Damara-Orogens in Südwestafrika recht detailliert nachzuzeichnen. Dadurch, daß die effektiven Schließungstemperaturen der benutzten Minerale für Spaltspuren wesentlich unter derjenigen für Ar in Biotit liegen, konnte erstmals der Tieftemperaturbereich genauer erfaßt werden. Während im genannten Untersuchungsgebiet von ca. 80 000 km² die K/Ar-Biotit-Alter (Schließungstemperatur 300° C) recht einheitlich nahe 485 m. a. liegen, trifft dies auf die Spaltspurenalter überhaupt nicht zu. Bezüglich Granat (Schließungstemperatur 260 bis 280° C) kann man vielmehr einen Bereich niedriger Alter mit 300–350 m. a. von einem Bereich hoher Alter mit 490 m. a. (Konkordanz mit Biotit) unterscheiden. Ganz analog verteilen sich die Apatitalter (Schließungstemperatur 70–80° C): sie betragen 80–120 m. a. und 200–300 m. a. Die Bereiche hoher und niedriger Alter grenzen mit äußerst schmalen Übergangszonen von zum Teil weniger als 10 km Breite aneinander. Die niedrigen Alter finden sich dort, wo während der Metamorphose mit > 660° C die höchsten Temperaturen erreicht wurden. Es handelt sich um eine Art 300 km breites Plateau bei dem relativ niedrigen Druck von 3 kb. Der Sprung von niedrigen zu hohen Altern vollzieht sich dort, wo dieses Plateau zu Ende ist, wo also während der Metamorphose die Isothermen steil abtauchten und im heutigen Oberflächenausschnitt die Drucke wesentlich höher, die erreichten Temperaturen aber viel niedriger waren. Diese Übereinstimmung von Zonen hoher Temperatur mit niedrigen Spaltspurenaltern und umgekehrt wird noch dadurch akzentuiert, daß die absolut niedrigsten Alter (auch K/Ar) dort auftreten, wo auch beginnende Anatexis zu beobachten ist.Aus all diesen Befunden und den P-T-Daten wird gefolgert, daß das Gebirge zunächst durch relativ rasche Hebung und Abtragung auf einheitlich ca. 300° C abkühlte. Als dann diese Abtragung nahezu zum Stillstand kam, betrug die Abkühlungsgeschwindigkeit im Bereich der niedrigen Spaltspurenalter, der sich mit dem der höchsten Temperauren während der Metamorphose deckt, nur noch 2°/10 m. a. Dort nahmen die geothermischen Gradienten von ca. 60°/km auf 30–40°/km ab, außerhalb dieser Zone auf 15–20°/km. Die ursprüngliche Wärmequelle muß also noch aktiv gewesen sein, oder ein anderer Mechanismus zur Aufrechterhaltung der Gradienten muß diese Wärmequelle abgelöst haben. Denkbar ist, daß die riesigen Volumina intrusiver Granite und Pegmatite in diesem Gebiet eine Konzentrierung der radioaktiven Elemente bewirkten; diese könnten dann zu der beobachteten postorogenen Wärmeverteilung geführt haben, die der ursprünglichen sehr ähnelt.

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The fission track ages of 23 andradite rich garnets, 10 epidotes, 4 vesuvianites and 61 apatites were determined. The combination of these data with those from classical radiometric techniques permitted to reconstruct in great detail the cooling history of the young-Precambrian Damara-Orogen in South West Africa. By this method the low temperature region below 300° C (closing temperature for Ar in biotite) became accessible because the minerals used begin to retain tracks only at considerably lower temperatures.Whereas the K/Ar ages of biotite lie rather uniformly close to 485 m. y. in the whole area studied (approximately 80 000 km²) the contrary is true for the fission track ages: Low garnet ages (closing temperature -, 260–280° C) of 300–350 m. y. in one zone and high ages of 490 m. y. and concordance with K/Ar biotite ages in the other. The distribution of the apatite ages (closing temperature 70–80° C) is analogous: Low ages of 80–120 m. y. where garnet is young and ages of 200–300 m. y. where garnet is old. The two areas are separated from each other by a narrow transition zone which sometimes is less than 10 km wide. The low ages are found where the highest temperatures of > 660° C at 3 kb were reached during the peak of metamorphism. The high temperature plateau was about 300 km wide. The jump from low to high fission track ages occurs at the margin of the plateau, where the isotherms become steep during metamorphism and where — at the now exposed surface — the pressures were higher but the temperatures lower. This congruence of the high temperature zone with the region of low fission track ages is further accentuated by the observation that the absolutely lowest ages (track and K/Ar) are found only where incipient anatexis occurred.From the observations and from the P-T data it is concluded that the orogen in the beginning underwent relatively rapid uplift and erosion and had cooled down to uniformly 300° C about 485 m. y. ago. Erosion then ceased more or less for about 200 m. y. and further cooling proceeded very slowly by only 2°/10 m. y. in the area where the highest temperatures were reached during metamorphism and where the low ages are found. There the geothermal gradient of 60°/km which prevailed already during the peak of metamorphism decreased to 30–40°/km, outside this zone to 15–20°/km. Either the original heat source was still active then or another mechanism must be found which can maintain this gradient for such a long time. It is possible that the enormous volumes of granites and pegmatites which are confined to the area in question concentrated the radioactive elements in the upper crust. This could have caused a postorogenic heat distribution very similar to the original heat source.

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Résumé A l'aide des traces de fission spontanée de l'uranium on a pu déterminer l'âge de 23 grenats riches en andradite, 10 epidotes, 4 vésuvianites et 61 apatites. La combinaison de ces âges avec ceux des méthodes classiques de la radiométrie a permis de tracer d'une façon assez détaillée l'histoire du refroidissement de l'orogène du Damara du Précambrien supérieur de l'Afrique Sud-Ouest. Comme les températures effectives de fermeture des minéraux utilisés restent considérablement inférieures à celles concernant l'Ar dans la biotite, on pouvait pour la première fois saisir plus exactement la région des températures basses. Tandis que dans le territoire étudié d'environ 80.000 km² les âges K/Ar-biotite (température de fermeture 300° C) sont proches assez uniformement de 485 m. a., on constate que cela ne vaut plus du tout pour les âges des traces de fission. En ce qui concerne le grenat (température de fermeture 260–280° C), on peut distinguer une région à âges de 300–350 m. a. d'une autre région à âges plus élevés avec 490 m. a. (concordance avec biotite). Les âges de l'apatite (température de fermeture 70–80 °C) se répartissent de façon analogue: ils s'élèvent à 80–120 et 200–300 m. a. La zone de transition entre les deux régions est très étroite (parfois moins de 10 km de largeur). Les âges de faible valeur se trouvent là où, pendant le métamorphisme, les plus hautes températures > 660° C furent atteintes. Il s'agit d'une sorte de plateau de 300 km de largeur avec une pression relativement faible de 3 kb. Le saut des valeurs d'âge faibles aux valeurs fortes s'effectue là où ce plateau se termine, s'est-à-dire où, pendant le métamorphisme, les isothermes tombaient abruptement et où, dans la section actuellement exposée en surface, tes pressions étaient considérablement plus élevées, mais les températures atteintes beaucoup plus basses. Cette coïncidence de zones de haute température avec les âges faibles des traces de fission et inversement est encore accentuée par le fait que les âges absolus les plus faibles (aussi K/Ar) se trouvent exclusivement là où l'anatexis commençait.De tous ces rapports et des données P-T on peut conclure que le massif s'est refroidi d'abord uniformément jusqu'à 300° C environ à la suite d'un soulèvement et d'une érosion relativement rapides. Lorsque cette érosion fut à peu près arrêté, la vitesse de refroidissement dans la région des âges faibles des traces de fission, qui coïncide avec celle des plus hautes températures pendant le métamorphisme, s'élevait seulement à 2°/10 m. a. Là, les gradients géothermiques d'environ 60°/km ont diminué à 30–40°/km et dans la zone des âges élevés à 15–20°/km. Il faut donc que la source de chaleur originelle ait encore été active, ou qu'un autre mécanisme pour le maintien des gradients ait remplacé cette source de chaleur. On peut s'imaginer que les énormes volumes de granites et pegmatites dans cette région ont effectué une concentration des éléments radioactifs; il est ainsi possible que ceux-ci aient conduit à la distribution de chaleur postorogène que nous avons observée et qui ressemble beaucoup à la distribution de chaleur originelle.

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Teil einer von der Universität Göttingen angenommenen Habilitationsschrift.     

Effects of the Herbicide Metazachlor on Phytoplankton and Periphyton Communities in Outdoor Mesocosms

The effects of the chloroacetanilide herbicide metazachlor have been investigated in outdoor artificial mesocosms. Decreasing phytoplankton densities were caused by the application, however, the communities recovered after 30 to 35 days. Periphyton growth was found to be affected not only by the herbicide application but by the presence of species with different ability to grow on artificial substrates. Zooplankton diversity was small due to low density of ingestible algae species. Oxygen saturation was found to be correlated with the dosage levels of the herbicide in the second half of the study.     

Evolution of the European Cenozoic Rift System: interaction of the Alpine and Pyrenean orogens with their foreland lithosphere

The evolution of the European Cenozoic Rift System (ECRIS) and the Alpine orogen is discussed on the base of a set of palaeotectonic maps and two retro-deformed lithospheric transects which extend across the Western and Central Alps and the Massif Central and the Rhenish Massif, respectively.During the Paleocene, compressional stresses exerted on continental Europe by the evolving Alps and Pyrenees caused lithospheric buckling and basin inversion up to 1700 km to the north of the Alpine and Pyrenean deformation fronts. This deformation was accompanied by the injection of melilite dykes, reflecting a plume-related increase in the temperature of the asthenosphere beneath the European foreland. At the Paleocene–Eocene transition, compressional stresses relaxed in the Alpine foreland, whereas collisional interaction of the Pyrenees with their foreland persisted. In the Alps, major Eocene north-directed lithospheric shortening was followed by mid-Eocene slab- and thrust-loaded subsidence of the Dauphinois and Helvetic shelves. During the late Eocene, north-directed compressional intraplate stresses originating in the Alpine and Pyrenean collision zones built up and activated ECRIS.At the Eocene–Oligocene transition, the subducted Central Alpine slab was detached, whereas the West-Alpine slab remained attached to the lithosphere. Subsequently, the Alpine orogenic wedge converged northwestward with its foreland. The Oligocene main rifting phase of ECRIS was controlled by north-directed compressional stresses originating in the Pyrenean and Alpine collision zones.Following early Miocene termination of crustal shortening in the Pyrenees and opening of the oceanic Provençal Basin, the evolution of ECRIS was exclusively controlled by west- and northwest-directed compressional stresses emanating from the Alps during imbrication of their external massifs. Whereas the grabens of the Massif Central and the Rhône Valley became inactive during the early Miocene, the Rhine Rift System remained active until the present. Lithospheric folding controlled mid-Miocene and Pliocene uplift of the Vosges-Black Forest Arch. Progressive uplift of the Rhenish Massif and Massif Central is mainly attributed to plume-related thermal thinning of the mantle-lithosphere.ECRIS evolved by passive rifting in response to the build-up of Pyrenean and Alpine collision-related compressional intraplate stresses. Mantle-plume-type upwelling of the asthenosphere caused thermal weakening of the foreland lithosphere, rendering it prone to deformation.     

The relationship of the Cocos and Carnegie ridges: age constraints from paleogeographic reconstructions

Paleogeographic restorations for the oceanic crust formed by the Cocos-Nacza spreading center and its precursors were performed to reconstruct the history and ages of the submarine aseismic ridges in the Eastern Pacific Basin, the Carnegie, Coiba, Cocos, and Malpelo ridges. The bipartition of the Carnegie ridge reflects the shift from a precursor to the presently active Cocos-Nazca spreading center. The Cocos ridge is partly composed of products from the Galápagos hotspot but may also contain material from a second center of volcanic activity which is located approximately 600 km NE of Galápagos. The Malpelo ridge is a product of this second hotspot center, whereas the Coiba ridge probably formed at the Galápagos hotspot. The geometric relationship of the Cocos and Carnegie ridges indicates symmetric spreading and a constant northward shift of the presently active Cocos-Nazca spreading center.     

North German Zechstein facies patterns in relation to their substrate

An attempt was made to relate the early Zechstein facies distribution to the Zechstein substrate. Comparable developments in the Hessian Trough and along the Lower Rhine Embayment allow for the assumption that the creation of depocenters in the Weser/Ems area are governed by interrelated, late Saalic tectonic pulses. Due to differences in the architecture and mobility of the substrate, variations in the depositional model must be assumed.The area of interest is located approximately 50 km south of Bremen, near Sulingen. During the first cycle evaporite phase (A1) this area is characterized by a primary sabkha/ playa accumulation over a complexly faulted Lower Permian horst-graben structure. In the course of the second cycle carbonate phase (Ca2) sediment accumulation shifts generally basinwards within limits of well defined fault zones. These linear troughs are presumed to relate to splays of active strike-slip faults. The strongly tectonically overprinted morphology organizes the Stassfurt paleorelief into a platform to the south, and a complex internal sag/embayment as a transition to outer shoals further basinwards. Further to the north in continuation to the Rotliegend Basin a gradually subsiding basin is envisaged.It is suggested that the foundering areas are directly related to major Hercynian trending strike-slip lineaments.

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Zusammenfassung Ein Versuch wurde unternommen, die Zechstein Faziesverteilung mit dem Zechstein Unterbau in Zusammenhang zu bringen. Vergleichbare strukturelle Entwicklungen in der Hessischen Senke wie am Niederrhein lassen vermuten, daß die Ausbildung von Ablagerungströgen im Weser/Emsgebiet durch dieselben, spät saalischen tektonischen Impulse gesteuert wurden. Durch eine differenzierte Architektur und Mobilität des Unterbaus dürfen unterschiedliche, jedoch prinzipiell verwandte, Ablagerungsmodelle in Betracht gezogen werden. Das hier besprochene Beispiel aus dem Scholengebiet bei Sulingen, welches ungefähr 50 km südlich von Bremen gelegen ist, zeigt während des Z1-Zyklus die Entwicklung von Sabkha-Playaablagerungen über einer vielfach gestörten frühpermischen Horst-Graben-Struktur. Während der Ca2 Ablagerung wird ein hauptsächlich beckenwärts angrenzendes Nachbargebiet entlang vorgezeichneten Schwächezonen destabilisiert, mit dem Resultat, daß eine deutlich begrenzte interne Senkung entsteht. Die hauptsächlich tektonisch geprägte Morphologie gliedert das Ca2 Paleorelief in einen Plattformgürtel im Süden. Als Übergang zum Becken hin darf eine interne Senke betrachtet werden, welche sich damals wohl als komplexes Buchtensystem zwischen der Plattform und den beckenwärtigen Untiefen und Inselketten entwickelt hatte. Beckenwärts von diesen Untiefen wird ein sich langsam absenkendes Großbecken postuliert, welches schon seit dem frühen Perm bekannt ist.Es wird vorgeschlagen, daß die untertauchenden Schollen einem vorwiegend herzynisch streichenden Blattverschiebungssystem zuzuordnen sind.

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Résumé Cette note propose de relier la distribution des facies du Zechstein au substratum du Zechstein. Une évolution comparable dans la dépression de Hesse et le long du Bas-Rhin permet de présumer que l'apparition de centres de sédimentation dans la région Weser-Ems a été déterminée par des impulsions tectoniques saaliennes tardives. En raison des différences dans l'architecture et la mobilité du substratum on doit s'attendre à des variations du modèle de dépôt.La région étudiée se trouve dans les environs de Scholen, près de la ville de Sulingen, située à quelque 50 km au sud de Brème. L'étude a montré que pour le premier cycle du Zechstein une accumulation primaire des évaporites (A1) de type sabkha-playa repose directement sur un substratum cassé par un système de failles formant des horsts et des grabens d'âge permien inférieur. Pendant la sédimentation des calcaires du second cycle (Ca2), des déformations tectoniques se sont localisées le long des zones de faiblesse, généralement en position plus interne (vers le nord) au bassin. Le paléorelief des calcaires de Stassfurt (Ca2) a été fortement influencé par le tectonique; il comporte une série de plate-formes au sud, séparées d'un bassin peu profond par des flexures complexes. La délineation de ce bassin interne est marquée par un système de baies et d'îlots. Plus au nord, dans les eaux plus profondes, s'est formé un bassin régional qui s'est affaisé lentement; cela c'est l'ancien bassin Permien méridional du Rotliegend.L'auteur propose de considérer les zones d'effondrement comme directement reliées aux blocs hercyniens.

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On the content and vertical distribution of K,Th and U in the continental crust

The content of K, Th and U in the continental crust is estimated based on the assumption that the concentration of these elements decreases with depth asA_x = A₀e^?x/D [11], withA_x andA₀ the heat production rates at depthx and at the surface, respectively. Taking the weighted mean heat production rate of the intrusive rocks of the upper crust asA₀ = 2.33 μWm^?3, that of the granulites representing the lower crust asA_x = 0.72 μWm^?3, and the mean scale heightD= 9.5km [1] the average vertical distancex = b between these intrusives and granulites is 11.2 km. Withb known and the average concentrations of K, Th and U in granulites and intrusive rocks of the upper crust the scale heights of the vertical distribution of these elements areD_K = 71km,D_Th = 9.5km,D_U = 5.8km. The knowledge of these parameters permits to calculate the average concentrations of these elements in a 33.3 km thick crust:K= 2.19%,Th= 4.43ppm,U= 0.66ppm; Th/U = 6.7 and K/U = 3.3 × 10⁴. The resulting heat flow is 23.0 mW m^?2 which is practically identical with the value deduced from heat flow measurements. Assuming that the Th/U ratio of the entire crust—including the sediments—is 3.9, the high ratio of 6.7 in the crystalline crust indicates that about 7.2 × 10¹² t U were extracted from it. All rocks with Th/U ratios <3.9 are possible sinks of this U. About half that amount is deposited in sedimentary rocks, mainly in black shales. The second important sink are the volcanic rocks of the continental margins.     

Effectiveness of coir-based rolled erosion control systems in reducing sediment transport from hillslopes

Accelerated soil erosion is ubiquitous on human-modified hillslopes. A variety of erosion control products have been developed to reduce on-site soil resource degradation, and off-site transport of sediment and sediment-associated contaminants to receiving water bodies. However, limited quantitative data are available to assess erosion reduction effectiveness, and to establish the salient properties of the erosion control products. A replicated field-based rainfall simulation study was conducted to compare the runoff and erosion effectiveness of three coir (coconut) fiber rolled erosion control systems (RECSs) with a bare (control) treatment. Detailed temporal measurements of runoff and sediment transport were made during two phases of each experiment: (1) a 110-min application of rainfall via a rainfall simulator at 35 mm h⁻¹ after runoff initiation and (2) a 30-min period, at 3 times the flow rate of phase 1, applied via an overland flow generator. All coir treatments enhanced infiltration, delayed time to runoff generation, reduced intensity of rill incision, and reduced sediment output compared to bare treatments. More importantly, statistically significant differences were observed between coir RECSs of different architecture. For the two open weave coir systems tested, the most effective design had a higher mass per area, and less open space between the regularly aligned grid of fibers. The random fiber coir architecture was the most effective, having significantly lower runoff sediment concentrations, lower sediment yields, and a lower frequency of rill initiation. The differences in system architecture are examined in light of fundamental controls on runoff and erosion processes.     

Persistence of road runoff generation in a logged catchment in Peninsular Malaysia

Measurements of saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) and diagnostic model simulations show that all types of logging road/trail in the 14·4 ha Bukit Tarek Experimental Catchment 3 (BTEC3) generate substantial Horton overland flow (HOF) during most storms, regardless of design and level of trafficking. Near‐surface K_s(0–0·05 m) on the main logging road, skid trails and newly constructed logging terraces was less than 1, 2 and 34 mm h^?1, respectively. Near‐surface K_s on an abandoned skid trail in an adjacent basin was higher (62 mm h^?1), owing to the development of a thin organic‐rich layer on the running surface over the past 40 years. Saturated hydraulic conductivity measured at 0·25 m below the surface of all roads was not different (all <6 mm h^?1) and corresponded to the K_s of the adjacent hillslope subsoil, as most roads were excavated into the regolith more than 0·5–1 m. After 40 years, only limited recovery in near‐surface K_s occurred on the abandoned skid trail. This road generated HOF after the storage capacity of the upper near‐surface layer was exceeded during events larger than about 20 mm. Thus, excavation into low‐K_s substrate had a greater influence on the persistence of surface runoff production than did surface compaction by machinery during construction and subsequent use during logging operations. Overland flow on BTEC3 roads was also augmented by the interception of shallow subsurface flow traveling along the soil–saprolite/bedrock interface and return flow emerging from the cutbank through shallow biogenic pipes. The most feasible strategy for reducing long‐term road‐related impacts in BTEC3 is limiting the depth of excavation and designing a more efficient road network, including minimizing the length and connectivity of roads and skid trails. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Low-temperature anisotropic diffusion of helium in zircon: Implications for zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronometry

In the last decade the zircon (U-Th)/He (ZHe) thermochronometer has been applied to a variety of geologic problems. Although bulk diffusion coefficients for He in zircon are available from laboratory step-heating experiments, little is known about the diffusion mechanism(s) and their dependence on the crystallographic structure of zircon. Here, we investigate the diffusion of He in perfectly crystalline zircon using atomistic simulation methods that provide insights into the structural pathways of He migration in zircon. Empirical force fields and quantum-mechanical calculations reveal that the energy barriers for He diffusion are strongly dependent on structure. The most favorable pathway for He diffusion is the [0 0 1] direction through the open channels parallel to the c-axis (, activation energy for tracer diffusion of a He atom along [0 0 1]). In contrast, energy barriers are higher in other directions where narrower channels for He diffusion are identified, such as [1 0 0], [1 0 1], and [1 1 0] (ΔE^∗ of 44.8, 101.7, and 421.3 kJ mol⁻¹, respectively). Molecular dynamics simulations are in agreement with these results and provide additional insight in the diffusion mechanisms along different crystallographic directions, as well as the temperature dependence. Below the closure temperature of He in zircon [T_c ∼ 180 °C, Reiners P. W., Spell T. L., Nicolescu S., and Zanetti K. A. (2004) Zircon (U-Th)/He thermochronometry: He diffusion and comparisons with Ar-40/Ar-39 dating. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta68, 1857-1887], diffusion is anisotropic as He moves preferentially along the [0 0 1] direction, and calculated tracer diffusivities along the two most favorable directions differ by approximately five orders of magnitude (D_[001]/D_[100] ∼ 10⁵, at T = 25 °C). Above this temperature, He atoms start to hop between adjacent [0 0 1] channels, along [1 0 0] and [0 1 0] directions (perpendicular to the c-axis). The diffusion along [1 0 0] and [0 1 0] is thermally activated, such that at higher temperatures, He diffusion in zircon becomes nearly isotropic (D_[001]/D_[100] ∼ 10, at T = 580 °C). These results suggest that the anisotropic nature of He diffusion at temperatures near the closure temperature should be considered in future diffusivity experiments. Furthermore, care should be taken when making geologic interpretations (e.g., exhumation rates, timing of cooling, etc.) from this thermochronometer until the effects of anisotropic diffusion on bulk ages and closure temperature estimates are better quantified.