Stable Sulfur Isotopic Evidence for Historical Changes of Sulfur Cycling in Estuarine Sediments from Northern Florida

Data on abundance and isotopic composition of porewater and sedimentary sulfur species are reported for relatively uncontaminated and highly contaminated fine-grained anoxic sediments of St. Andrew Bay, Florida. A strong contrast in amount and composition of sedimentary organic matter at the two sites allows a comparative study of the historical effects of increased organic loading on sulfur cycling and sulfur isotopic fractionation. In the contaminated sediments, an increase in organic loading caused increased sedimentary carbon/sulfur ratios and resulted in higher rates of bacterial sulfate reduction, but a lower efficiency of sulfide oxidation. These differences are well reflected in the isotopic composition of dissolved sulfate, sulfide, and sedimentary pyrite. Concentration and isotopic profiles of dissolved sulfate, organic carbon, and total sulfur suggest that the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter is most active in the upper 8cm but proceeds at very slow rates below this depth. The rapid formation of more than 90% of pyrite in the uppermost 2 cm which corresponds to about 3 years of sediment deposition allows the use of pyrite isotopic composition for tracing changing diagenetic conditions. Sediment profiles of the sulfur isotopic composition of pyrite reflect present-day higher rates of bacterial sulfate reduction and lower rates of sulfide oxidation, and record a profound change in the diagenetic cycling of sulfur in the contaminated sediments coincident with urban and industrial development of the St. Andrew Bay area.     

Results from regional vibroseis profiling: Appalachian ultra-deep core hole site study

Summary. In 1985, 180 km of regional vibroseis profiles were acquired in the Carolinas and Georgia, southeastern United States, as part of the Appalachian Ultra-Deep Core Hole (ADCOH) Site Study. The data quality is excellent, with large-amplitude reflections from faults and crystalline rocks, lower Palaeozoic shelf strata and from within autochthonous Grenville basement. The profiles image the subsurface more clearly than other available data and allow the possibility of alternative interpretations of important elements of the tectonic framework of the southern Appalachians.
The major points in the interpretation are: 1) The Blue Ridge master decollement is at a depth of 2-3 km beneath the Blue Ridge. This thrust increases in dip just NW of the Brevard fault zone. 2) The Brevard fault zone appears to splay from the master decollement at 6 km (2.2 s) near Westminster, S.C., and defines the base of the crystalline Inner Piedmont allochthon. 3) Below the Blue Ridge thrust sheet are images of duplex and imbricate structures ("duplex tuning wedges") connected by other thrust faults that duplicate shelf strata to a thickness of 4–5 km. 4) Subhorizontal reflections from depths of 6 to 9 km may be from relatively undisturbed lower Palaeozoic strata as suggested by others. 5) Eocambrian-Cambrian(?) rift basins in the Grenville basement are also imaged.
The ADCOH data were originally recorded with 14–56 Hz bandwidth and 8 s length, but an extended Vibroseis correlation was used to produce 17 s data length revealing reflections from within the upper crust. Below 8 s, reflections from within the Grenville basement become weak, but are observable as late as 13 s; however, these Moho (?) reflections are generally short segments.     

Anisotropy of solar hard X-radiation during flares

The angular distribution of solar flare associated hard X-rays ( 10 keV) is calculated on the assumption that they originate as bremsstrahlung emission of energetic electrons with a power law spectrum. For the cross section the relativistic Sauter formula was used. Supposing the electrons to move in a fixed direction, the X-radiation is considerably anisotropic, especially at high photon energies. Taking into account a magnetic field, the anisotropy decreases with increasing pitch angles of the electrons. The anisotropic angular distribution of solar X-radiation seems to be connected with the centre-to-limb variation of hard X-ray bursts and with the correlation of shortwave fadeouts and geomagnetic crochets to H flares.     

Petrochemical evidence on the probable origin of ferriferous metasediments in western Bushmanland

The mineralized Proterozoic metasediments of Bushmanland are characterized by the presence of ferriferous rocks. This includes banded and unbanded iron formations and various types of gossans. These units are not laterally extensive and occur in different stratigraphic levels. The prevalent minerals in the ferriferous rocks are hematite, magnetite, quartz, garnet, muscovite, biotite and sillimanite, but less common occurrences of graphite, alunite, plumbojarosite, gahnite and dufrenite have been noted. The chemical variation (wt%) is extensive: total Fe₂O₃ (1.3–93.5), SiO₂ (4–93), Al₂O₃ (0.2–14.0), CaO (0.02–20.7), MnO (0.0–14.3), MgO (0.0–5.7), TiO₂ (0.0–4.4), Na₂O (0.0–2.0), K₂O (0.0–1.5) and P₂O₅ (0.1–7.0). The preliminary nature of the data set precludes, however, firm conclusions regarding stratigraphic control of the chemical composition. The trace-element contents (ppm) extend over several orders of magnitude: Zn (0–7,000), Ba (0–5,200), Cu (0–1,400), Pb (0–1,070) and Ni (6–540). Collectively, the data indicate that most of the ferriferous rocks represent highly metamorphosed sediments.     

Ansprache des Präsidenten und Professors des Deutschen Hydrographischen Instituts

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Aubrites and diogenites: Trace element clues to their origin

We have analyzed by RNAA 25 aubrite and 9 diogenite samples for 13 to 29 siderophile, volatile, and lithophile trace elements. Both meteorite classes show a typically igneous siderophile element pattern, with Ir, Os, Re, Ge more depleted than Au, Ni, Pd, Sb. But aubrites tend to have about 10 × higher abundances (10^?3 ? 10 ^{? 4} × Cl for the first 4 and 10^?2?10^?3 × Cl for the last 4 siderophiles), apparently reflecting smaller metal/silicate distribution coefficients at lowerf(O₂), or less complete segregation of metal. Se is surprisingly abundant in aubrites (up to 0.4 × Cl), but Te is less so ($\text{Se}\text{Te}\text{? 5 × Cl}$), apparently due to its stronger siderophile character. Other volatiles (Ag, Zn, In, Cd, Bi, T1) show depletions intermediate between lunar dunite and the Earth's mantle.Of 7 aubrites analyzed for REE (Ce, Nd, Eu, Tb, Yb, Lu), 6 are depleted in REE (0.08?0.5 × Cl) and 5 show negative Eu anomalies (the exceptions are Bishopville and Mt. Egerton silicate). This supports an igneous origin, as already noted by Boynton and Schmitt (1972). No samples of the complementary, basaltic and feldspathic rocks have been found thus far, but one of our samples of Khor Temiki dark is a candidate for the basalt. It is 5?7 × enriched in REE and only slightly less so in Rb, Cs, and U. Though shocked and enriched in siderophiles to ~0.05 × Cl, it apparently represents a new meteorite class.Three diogenites analyzed for REE show very diverse patterns, from strongly depleted in light REE for Tatahouine (Ce = 0.01 × Cl) to flat for Garland (~2.5 × Cl). The data confirm the trends found by Fukuokaet al. (1977) as well as their interpretations.Factor analysis shows several parallel groupings for aubrites and diogenites: siderophiles (Re, Ir, Os, Pd, Ge), chalcophiles (Se, Te), volatiles (Ag, In, Tl) and incompatibles (U, REE, and Cs or Rb). But there are some differences for elements such as Ni, Sb, Cd, Bi, Au, and Zn, most of which behave more sensibly in aubrites than in diogenites.Several element pairs that differ greatly in volatility (Cs-U, Ge-Ir) correlate closely in aubrites, in approximately Cl-chondrite proportions. These correlations, and other lines of evidence, suggest strongly that aubrites originated by igneous processes in their parent body, not by direct nebular condensation. The source material may have resembled EL chondrites in oxidation state and depletion of refractories, metal, and volatiles.     

Beziehungen zwischen Gesteinsdeformation und Schallgeschwindigkeiten

Zusammenfassung Im Rheinischen Schiefergebirge verlaufen die höchsten Schallgeschwindigkeiten normalerweise parallel b. Taucht bei starker Verformung eine Faser in Richtung a auf, liegen die schnellsten Schallimpulse in a. Die Anordnung der Phyllosilikate ist Ursache dieser Anisotropie.

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In the Rheinisches Schiefergebirge the seismic velocities in most cases are parallel b. In regions with a strong deformation and a linear element in a, the highest velocities correspond with the same direction. This anisotropy is caused by the position of the phyllosilicates.

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Résumé Dans le Massif schisteux rhénan, les ondes sonores ont normalement leur plus grande vitesse de propagation dans la direction parallèle à « b ». Dans les roches tectoniquement déformées et caractérisées par une linéation selon « a », la plus grande vitesse se retrouve dans cette direction. Cette anisotropie est causée par la disposition des phyllosilicates.

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Geological investigations in West Nepal and their significance for the geology of the Himalayas

In the sedimentary sequence of the Lower Himalayas monotonous geosynclinal deposits are overlain by various shallow-water deposits and a carbonate rock complex at the top. The age of this nonfossiliferous sequence is discussed. Transgressive Jurassic-Tertiary beds are evidence for a minimum thrust distance of 90 km of the Chail Nappes. The facies distribution points to the importance of an axis parallel to the Himalayan strike direction since Lower Paleozoic at least. The metamorphism of the overthrust units is described and the relation to the evolution of the orogen is discussed. An outline of the structure is given. The type of deformation and other features characteristic of the different tectonic units, as well as the relationship to the geology of the whole Himalayas are discussed. It is emphasized that structural development during the Himalayan orogenesis was largely determined by the earlier paleogeographic history. The picture of the structural development in successive stages is given.

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Zusammenfassung In der Sedimentfolge des Niederen Himalaya folgen über einförmigen Geosynklinalsedimenten wechselhafte Scichtwassersedimente mit einem abschließenden Karbonatgesteinskomplex. Das Alter dieser fossilleeren Schichtfolge ist noch nicht endgültig gesichert und wird diskutiert. Darüber liegen transgressiv Jura-Tertiär, deren Vorkommen bis 90 km unter die überschobenen Einheiten nach N reichen. Aus der Faziesanordnung ergibt sich eine Anlage der Himalaya-streichrichtung schon mindestens seit dem Altpaläozoikum. Die Metamorphose der überschobenen Decken wird beschrieben und die Möglichkeiten des Zusammenhanges mit der Orogenentwicklung diskutiert. Es werden die Grundzüge des tektonischen Baues, der charakteristische tektonische Stil der einzelnen Einheiten und deren Beziehungen zur Geologie des gesamten Himalayas beschrieben. Die Entwicklung während der Himalayaorogenese ist stark von der paläogeographischen Ausgangssituation bestimmt. Ein Bild der tektonischen Entwicklung in aufeinanderfolgenden Stadien wird gegeben.

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Résumé Dans la séquence sédimentaire du Bas Himalaya les sédiments géosynclinaux monotones sont couverts par des dépôts variables de faciès peu profond qui se terminent avec un ensemble de roches carbonatées. L'âge de cette séquence de couches non fossilifères n'est pas encore fixé et sera discuté. Audessus se trouvent des couches transgressives du Jurassique au Tertiaire qui s'étendent vers le N jusqu'à 90 km au-dessous des nappes chevauchantes. La position des faciès montre que la direction axiale du Himalaya existe au moins depuis le Paléozoique inférieur. Le metamorphisme des nappes charriées est décrit et les possibilités d'une connection avec l'évolution orogénique sont discutées. Les principaux traits de la structure et le style téctonique caractéristique des différentes unités ainsi que leur position dans l'ensemble géologique du Himalaya sont décrits. L'orogénèse du Himalaya est déterminée notamment par la situation paléogéographique. Enfin les différentes phases de l'évolution tectonique sont décrites.

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