Emission of nitrous oxide from temperate forest soils into the atmosphere

N₂O emission rates were measured during a 13-month period from July 1981 till August 1982 with a frequency of once every two weeks at six different forest sites in the vicinity of Mainz, Germany. The sites were selected on the basis of soil types typical for many of the Central European forest ecosystems. The individual N₂O emission rates showed a high degree of temporal and spatial variabilities which, however, were not significantly correlated to variabilities in soil moisture content or soil temperatures. However, the N₂O emission rates followed a general seasonal trend with relatively high values during spring and fall. These maxima coincided with relatively high soil moisture contents, but may also have been influenced by the leaf fall in autumn. In addition, there was a brief episode of relatively high N₂O emission rates immediately after thawing of the winter snow. The individual N₂O emission rates measured during the whole season ranged between 1 and 92 g N₂O-N m^–2 h^–1. The average values were in the range of 3–11 g N₂O-N m^–2 h^–1 and those with a 50% probability were in the range of 2–8 g N₂O-N m^–2 h^–1. The total source strength of temperate forest soils for atmospheric N₂O may be in the range of 0.7–1.5 Tg N yr^–1.     

Study of metal aerosol systems as a sink for atmospheric SO2

The chemical removal of SO₂ in the presence of different aerosol systems has been investigated in laboratory experiments using a dynamic flow reactor. The aerosols consisted of wetted particles containing one of the following substances: MnCl₂, Mn(NO₃)₂, MnSO₄, CuCl₂, Cu(NO₃)₂, CuSO₄, FeCl₃, NaCl. The SO₂ removal rate R was measured as a function of the SO₂ gas phase concentration (SO₂)_g, the spatial metal concentration C_Me, and the relative humidity rH in the reactor. A first-order dependence with regard to (SO₂)_g was observed for each type of aerosol. For the Mn(II) and Cu(II) aerosols R was found to be a non-linear function of C_Me except for MnSO₄ and Cu(NO₃)₂ particles. The removal rate showed a significant increase with the relative humidity particularly when rH was close to the deliquescence point of the wetted particles. Among the Mn(II) and Cu(II) aerosols investigated Mn(NO₃)₂ was found to be most efficient for the chemical removal of SO₂ at atmospheric background conditions, especially in haze and fog droplets. The results further indicate that the catalytic oxidation of S(IV) in such aerosol systems may be as efficient as its oxidation by H₂O₂ in cloud water.     

Contribution to the genesis of the SEDEX-type mineralizations of the Rhenish Massif (Germany) — implications for future Pb-Zn exploration

The Meggen orebody and the number of subeconomic sediment-hosted mineralizations at Plettenberg-Affeln, Oberhundem, and Günterod (eastern Rhenish Massif) are considered to be typical members of the large SEDEX family, i.e., submarine-hydrothermal Zn-Pb orebodies. Examples such as Howards Pass (Canada), McArthur River and Broken Hill (Australia), and Navan (Ireland) formed between the Middle Proterozoic and Carboniferous as a consequence of slow continental extension, long-term elevated heat flow and basin dewatering, enhanced and focused along deeply penetrating synsedimentary fault zones. Volcanic activity bound to these fractures has no direct genetic relationship to SEDEX mineralization. Based on structural and detailed stratigraphic correlation and facies analysis it can be shown that all SEDEX-type mineralizations of the Rhenish Massif are bound to one and the same synsedimentary fault zone, named here the Balve-Oberscheld fault zone, which was reactivated during Variscan compressional and extensional movements. The trend of this tectonic lineament (termed »Menden-Oberscheld lineament«) can be even recognized on maps depicting crustal gravity patterns and the configuration of the Moho. Illite crystallinity measurements in Devonian shales along profiles crosscutting the lineament evidence increased Variscan to early post-Variscan metamorphism in the fault system, which already had promoted the synsedimentary heat flow. Indications were found that the metalliferous brines escaping into the Meggen basin were bound to a synsedimentary fault situated at the western margin of the Meggen basin. The widespread Zn-Pb-Ba mineralizations and anomalies in the middle to upper Givetian shales in the Plettenberg-Affeln area are likewise bound to horst-and-graben tectonism along the Balve-Oberscheld fault zone. Based on data from economic and scientific research in the Rhenish Massif, the application of paleostructural methods for future basemetal exploration is discussed.

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Zusammenfassung Der Meggener Zn-Pb-Ba Erzkörper und die stratiformen Pyrit-Baryt- und Buntmetallvorkommen der Gebiete Plettenberg-Affeln, Oberhundem und Günterod (rechtsrheinisches Schiefergebirge) gehören wie die berühmten Vererzungen von Howards Pass (Kanada), McArthur River und Broken Hill (Australien) und Navan (Irland) zur bedeutsamen Gruppe der SEDEX-Mineralisationen. Diese submarin-hydrothermalen Vererzungen sind an epikontinentale klastische Sedimente des Mittelproterozoikums bis Karbons gebunden. Die Hydrothermentätigkeit erfolgte während langanhaltender, moderater Dehnungstektonik, die durch beckenweite Blocktektonik und erhöhten Wärmefluß gekennzeichnet war. Der Entwässerungsstrom der Becken wurde durch tiefreichende synsedimentäre Störungssysteme örtlich fokussiert. Der an diese Bruchstrukturen gebundene Vulkanismus steht nicht in unmittelbarer genetischer Beziehung zur Vererzung. Es kann für das Rheinische Schiefergebirge gezeigt werden, daß alle SEDEX-Mineralisationen sowie zwei Eisenerzdistrikte vom Lahn-DillTypus auf der NNW-SSE-verlaufenden synsedimentären Balve-Oberscheld-Störungszone liegen. Diese wurde im Zuge variszischer und saxonischer Tektonik zu einem Lineament umgeformt, das seinen Ausdruck auch auf Karten der Erdschwere und der Mohokonfiguration hat. Die Untersuchung der Illitkristallinität devonischer Tonschiefer konnte zeigen, daß der permokarbone Wärmefluß — wie zuvor der synsedimentäre Wärmefluß — auf diesem »Menden-Oberscheld-Lineament« erhöht war. Geochemische und paläogeographische Untersuchungen machen wahrscheinlich, daß der Aufstieg der metallhaltigen Hydrothermen im Ober-Givetmm im Bereich der westlichen Beckenrandstörung des Meggener Beckens erfolgte. In einem ca. 1,5 km breiten NNW-SSE-gerichteten synsedimentären Graben, der im Gebiet Plettenberg-Affeln rekonstruiert werden konnte, kam es während des Mittel- bis Ober-Givetiums ebenfalls zur stratiformen Zn-Pb-Ba-Mineralisation. Anhand der Ergebnisse aus dem Rheinischen Schiefergebirge wird der Einsatz paläostruktureller Arbeitsmethoden für künftige Explorationsprogramme diskutiert.

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Résumé L'association minéralogique Zn-Ba-Pb de Meggen ainsi que les gisements de pyrite-barite stratiformes de Plettenberg-Affeln, Oberhundem et Günterod sont interprétés comme appartenant au large groupe des minéralisations de type SEDEX parmi lesquelles figurent les célèbres gisements de Howards Pass (Canada), McArthur River, Broken Hill (Australie) et Navan (Irlande). Les minéralisations hydrothermales sous-marines de type SEDEX sont liées aux sédiments clastiques épicontinentaux datant du Protérozoïque moyen jusqu'au Carbonifère. Leur formation s'est effectuée durant une longue période de tectonique de distension modérée, caractérisée par des systèmes de blocs à l'échelle du bassin rhénan et un flux de chaleur élevé. L'élimination de l'eau interstitielle des sédiments a été favorisée et localement focalisée par des systèmes synsédimentaires de failles profondes. L'activité volcanique accompagnant ces systèmes n'est cependant pas à relier directement à la genèse des minéralisations SEDEX. Dans le cas du Massif Schisteux Rhénan, on peut démontrer que toutes les minéralisations de type SEDEX, ainsi que deux districts à gisement de fer de type Lahn-Dill, s'alignent le long de la zone failleuse synsédimentaire NNW-SSE de Balve-Oberscheld. Celle-ci fut réactivée durant les phases tectoniques varisque et saxonne, donnant naissance à un linéament, visible sur la carte gravimétrique et sur celle de la profondeur du Moho. L'analyse de la cristallinité de l'illite montre que le flux de chaleur permo-carbonifère — ainsi qu'auparavant le flux de chaleur synsédimentaire — était relativement élevé à l'endroit de ce »Menden-Oberscheld lineament«. Les résultats des recherches géochimiques et paléogéographiques suggèrent que l'ascension de l'hydrotherme métallifère s'est effectuée durant le Givetien supérieur dans la zone de la faille située en bordure ouest du bassin de Meggen. D'autre part, dans un fossé d'effondrement long d'environ 1,5 km et d'orientation NNW-SSE, qui a pu être reconstitué dans la région Plettenberg-Affeln, on observe également des minéralisations Zn-Pb-Ba stratiformes datant du Givetien moyen à supérieur. Etant donné que les méthodes conventionnelles de prospection ont échoué dans la recherche de nouveaux gisements de type Meggen-Rammelsberg et comme toutes les minéralisations SEDEX connues au Canada, en Australie et en Europe sont liées à des zones de failles synsédimentaires, on propose, dans le cadre de programmes de recherches ultérieurs, l'application de méthodes de travail basées sur la paléotectonique.

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Shock effects in melilite

Shock recovery experiments on melilite samples in the pressure range from 11 to 50.5 GPa have been performed in order to examine the effects of shock waves on this material. The shocked samples were subsequently studied in the transmission electron microscope. All samples displayed the shock-induced amorphous areas, known as diaplectic glass. The amount of diaplectic melilite glass increased from a few percent at 11 GPa to about 85 percent at 50.5 GPa shock pressure. The shock waves also caused deformational effects as planar faults parallel to (001) and dislocations with a density in the order of 10¹⁰ cm^?2. Regarding the present discussion on the origin and nature of diaplectic glass, diaplectic melilite glass is assumed to be the reversion product of a high-density phase produced in the shock front. Deformed melilites in Ca-Al-rich inclusions from chondritic meteorites studied so far do not contain diaplectic glass. It is assumed that the meteoritic melilites were hot (>1,000° C) and thus plastically deformable by shock waves of rather low amplitudes.     

Lateral variations in sediment composition and bedding in Middle Triassic interplatform basins (Buchenstein Formation, southern Alps, Italy)

ABSTRACT Hemipelagic deposits are widespread in Triassic sequences of the Alpine belt and provide important data for stratigraphy and the study of bedding rhythms. The area of the western and central Dolomites of northern Italy escaped strong alpidic deformation and preserves such deposits in their original palaeogeographic setting. The Buchenstein Formation, the object of this study, was deposited in up to 1000 m deep, Middle Triassic interplatform basins, which extend over an area of 500 km² within the Dolomites. Excellent outcrops and volcaniclastic markers allow a detailed correlation of the formation in both laminated (anoxic) and bioturbated facies down to a bed scale, and show its relationship to coeval carbonate platforms. Correlation of lithostratigraphically well‐constrained intervals in the bioturbated facies reveal that lateral thickening and thinning of the deposits depends on the amount of shallow‐water debris in the succession and is a function of the distance to coeval carbonate platform sources. In the laminated background deposit, thickness variations in limestones and marls parallel the thickness variations in ash layers, and were caused by local redeposition of sediment on the basin floor. Lateral persistence of laminae indicates that bottom currents were weak in the Buchenstein basin, but were able to redeposit mud in a significant way. In the area around Seceda and Geisler (western Dolomites), a lateral transition from dark‐grey laminated to grey bioturbated to red bioturbated facies is observed, which is probably linked to local relief with different oxygenation conditions on the sea floor. A comparison shows that decimetre‐scale bedding is preserved in all facies types and that the bedding rhythm is partly the result of different cementation of the sediment during early diagenesis. Correlation of individual layers in the bioturbated facies reveals that beds are thicker and enriched in lime mud in the western part of the basin, and decrease in thickness and contain less micrite towards the east, further away from the main shallow‐water areas. Nearslope calciturbidites change gradually from distinct layers into lateral arrays of micrite nodules and bands further out in the basin. These observations point to a platform source of lime mud in the Buchenstein basin.     

Coupled evolution of back-arc and island arc-like mafic crust in the late-Neoproterozoic Agardagh Tes-Chem ophiolite, Central Asia: evidence from trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data

. We report major-element, trace-element and isotopic data of volcanic rocks from the late-Neoproterozoic (570 Ma) Agardagh Tes-Chem ophiolite in Central Asia, south-west of Lake Baikal (50.5°N, 95°E). The majority of samples are high-alumina basalts and basaltic andesites having island-arc affinities. They were derived from an evolved parental magma (Mg#̾.60, Cr~180 ppm, Ni~95 ppm) by predominantly clinopyroxene fractionation. The parental magma developed from a primary mantle melt by fractionation of about 12% of an olivine+spinel assemblage. The island-arc rocks have high abundances of incompatible trace elements (light rare-earth element abundances up to 100 times chondritic, chondrite-normalised (La/Yb)_n=14.6-5.1) and negative Nb anomalies (Nb/La=0.37-0.62), but low Zr/Nb ratios (7-14). Initial )_Nd values are around +5.5, initial Pb isotopic compositions are ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb=17.39-18.45, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb=15.49-15.61, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb=37.06-38.05. Enrichment of large-ion lithophile elements within this group is significant (Ba/La=11-130). Another group of samples consists of back-arc basin-related volcanic rocks. They are most likely derived from the same depleted mantle source as the island-arc rocks, but underwent higher degrees of melting (8-15%) and are not influenced by slab components. They have lower abundances of incompatible trace elements, flat rare-earth element patterns [(La/Yb)_n=0.6-2.4] and higher )_Nd values (+7.8 to +8.5). Negative Nb anomalies are absent (Nb/La=0.81-1.30), but Zr/Nb is high (21-48). At least three components are necessary to explain the geochemical evolution of the volcanic rocks: (1) an enriched (ocean island-like) component characterised by a high Nb concentration (up to 30 ppm), an absent negative Nb anomaly, a low Zr/Nb ratio (~6.5), a low )_Nd value (around 0), and radiogenic ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb; (2) a back-arc basin component similar to N-MORB with a flat rare-earth element pattern and a high )_Nd value (around +8.5); and (3) an island-arc component from a mantle source which was modified by the downgoing slab. Crystal fractionation superimposed on mixing and source contamination by subducted sediments is suitable to explain the observed geochemical data. The most likely geodynamic environment to produce these characteristics is a young, intra-oceanic island-arc system and an associated back-arc basin.     

Tectonometamorphic evolution of the Koralm Complex (Eastern Alps): constraints from microstructures and textures of the ‘Plattengneis’ shear zone

Lattice preferred orientations (LPO) of quartz have been investigated along a south–north oriented section across the Plattengneis of the Koralm Complex (Eastern Alps). The Plattengneis forms an important shear zone within the Austroalpine nappe complex of the Eastern Alps, which has developed during the Cretaceous evolution of the Alpine orogen. The quartz c-axes form small circle distributions in the southernmost parts of the Koralm Complex, which represent the uppermost structural level of the Plattengneis. Further to the North two maxima between the Y and Z directions of the finite strain can be interpreted in terms of preferred slip on the rhomb planes. These fabrics continuously grade into (type I and type II crossed) girdle distributions in a northward direction. A strong maximum near the Y-axis with the tendency to be distributed along a single girdle, with three corresponding maxima of a-axes near the margin of the pole figure, can be observed in the central and northern parts. Such LPO are characteristic for both high grade metamorphic conditions and high finite strain. The microstructures display that the deformation within the Plattengneis shear zone was synmetamorphic. A continuous increase of peak temperatures (and pressure) from approximately 550 °C to approximately 750 °C from the South to the central parts can be inferred from geothermometric calculations. The temperatures then decrease to approximately 650 °C from the central parts to the North. The related pressures increase from 8 to 16 kbar, and then decrease to 10 kbar. The LPO changes that have been observed in the study area are best interpreted in terms of temperature dependence of the activation of glide systems within quartz aggregates. The temperature and pressure evolution may indicate that the central parts of the Koralm Complex have been exhumed by larger amounts than the northern and southern parts. This is also documented by the LPO evolution. Therefore, we assume that the Plattengneis shear zone formed during the exhumation of the Koralm Complex, and is related to the exhumation of high-pressure units in the footwall of this shear zone. Accordingly, the kinematics of the Plattengneis shear zone is rather extensional than thrust-related. The implications for the structural evolution of the Eastern Alps are shortly discussed.     

Cation ordering in omphacite and effect on deformation mechanism and lattice preferred orientation (LPO)

We present microstructural data and lattice preferred orientations (LPOs) of omphacites from a suite of eclogites, from the Adula/Cima Lunga nappe (Central Alps). Our work shows a surprisingly strong correlation between the measured LPO and the ordering state of cations in omphacite. Estimates of deformation temperature from metamorphic petrology, together with measured omphacite compositions and LPOs, determine the field (ordering state), on the omphacite phase diagram, into which each sample falls. LPOs dominated by L-type and S-type signatures are developed in samples that fall in the P2/n field (ordered structure) and C2/c field (disordered structure), respectively.Dislocations with b=1/2−110 or b=[001] are observed in the transmission electron microscope (TEM) in all samples. The former change from a perfect dislocation in the C2/c structure to a partial in P2/n. Any movement of a partial dislocation requires the formation or growth of a stacking fault. Furthermore, in order to pass an obstacle a partial dislocation has to constrict to a unit dislocation. The energy to form a constriction is high in omphacite due to the large separation width. Thus, the activity of the b=1/2−110 dislocation is hindered in the P2/n structure relative to the C2/c structure, which change the balance between the two and might give rise to the different LPOs.