Chemical alteration of the oceanic crust

The alteration of the upper oceanic crust through sea water-basement rock interaction produces different and distinct alteration zones with increasing depth. The zonation generally shows a consistent worldwide pattern.The uppermost basement is influenced by oxidative sea water-basalt alteration at low temperatures and high water/rock ratios. With increasing crustal depth or even in a single pillow the temperatures rise, the water/rock ratios become lower, the redox and pH values normally decrease, and the oxidative zone is followed by a non-oxidative one. Below these zones the basement has suffered high-temperature alteration under reducing and acidic conditions.This results in chemical modifications of the rocks by the addition or leaching of certain elements, and has also consequences for the composition of sea water.From our own data and data presently available in the literature I summarize the mineralogical and geochemical characteristica of sea water alteration processes affecting the oceanic crust.

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Zusammenfassung Die chemische Veränderung der oberen ozeanischen Kruste durch Gestein/Meerwasser-Interaktionen produziert verschiedene und unterscheidbare Alterationszonen die von der Krustentiefe abhängig sind. Diese Zonierung zeigt weltweit vergleichbare Muster.Das oberste Basement wird von einer niedrig temperierten oxidativen Meerwasseralteration beeinflußt. Mit zunehmender Krustentiefe steigen die Reaktionstemperaturen an, die Redox- und pH-Werte werden kleiner, d.h. nichtoxidative Alterationsvorgänge dominieren. Unterhalb dieser Zonen wird die ozeanische Kruste überwiegend von reduzierenden und sauren Hydrothermallösungen alteriert.Im Verlauf der Seewasser/Basalt-Reaktionen werden die Gesteine mineralogisch und chemisch verändert, indem verschiedene Elemente aus den Basalten herausgelöst und wiederum andere aufgenommen werden. Diese Vorgänge haben auch für die Zusammensetzung des Meerwassers drastische Konsequenzen.Mit Hilfe publizierter aber vor allem mit eigenen Daten werden die mineralogischen und geochemischen Charakteristika der unterschiedlichen Alterationsprozesse zusammengefaßt dargestellt.

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Résumé L'altération de la partie supérieure de la croûte océanique sous l'action de l'eau de mer engendre plusieurs zones distinctes qui se succèdent de haut en bas. Ce zonage présente d'ordinaire une extension mondiale.La partie supérieure de la croûte est affectée d'une altération oxydante de basse température du basalte. Vers le bas, parfois même au sein d'un même pillow, la température s'élève, la quantité d'eau décroît, le potentiel redox et le pH diminuent, de sorte que la zone d'oxydation est suivie d'une zone non oxydante. En-dessous de ces deux zones, les roches ont subi une altération de haute température dans des conditions acides et réductrices.Il en résulte des changements de la composition chimique des roches par apport ou par lessivage de certains élements, ainsi qu'une modification de la composition de l'eau de mer.A partir des données de la littérature et surtout de mes propres observations, je présente une synthèse des caractères minéralogiques et géochimiques des divers processus de l'altération sous-marine.

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Gratkorn: A benchmark locality for the continental Sarmatian s.str. of the Central Paratethys

This paper presents one of the richest and most complete vertebrate faunas of the late Middle Miocene (~12 Ma) of Central Europe. Up to now, sixty-two vertebrate taxa, comprising all major groups (fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals), have been recorded. Based on sedimentological and palaeobiological evidences, this Fossillagerstätte is assumed to originate from a floodplain paleosol formed on top of a braided river sequence. The fauna points to a highly structured, somewhat vegetated landscape with a wide array of habitats (e.g., fluvial channels, sporadically moist floodplains, short-lived ponds, savannah-like open areas and screes). It was preserved due to a rapid drowning and the switch to a freshwater lake environment. Palaeoclimatological data, derived from pedogenic features as well as from biota, indicate an overall semi-arid, subtropical climate with distinct seasonality (mean annual precipitation 486 ± 252 mm, mean annual temperature ~15°C). This underlines the late Middle/early Late Miocene dry-spell in Central Europe. From taphonomical point of view, the irregularly distributed but roughly associated larger vertebrate remains refer to an in situ accumulation of the bone bed. Splintered bones, gnawing marks as well as rhizoconcretions and root corrosion structures record some pre- and post-burial modification of the taphocoenose. However, the findings of pellet remains argue for a very fast burial and thus to a low degree of time-averaging. For this reason, the fossil fauna reflects the original vertebrate community rather well and is a cornerstone for the understanding of late Middle Miocene terrestrial ecosystems in this region. Certainly, Gratkorn will be one of the key faunas for a high-resolution continental biostratigraphy and the comprehension of Europe’s faunal interchanges near the Middle/Late Miocene transition.     

Simulating the global transport of nitrogen oxides emissions from aircraft

With the atmosphere general circulation model ECHAM the passive transport of NO_x emitted from global subsonic air traffic and the NO_x concentration change due to these emissions are investigated. The source of NO_x is prescribed according to an aircraft emission data base. The sink of NO_x is parameterized as an exponential decay process with globally constant lifetime. Simulations in perpetual January and July modes are performed. Both the resulting mean and the standard deviation of the NO_x mass mixing ratio are analysed. In January horizontal dispersion is more pronounced and vertical mixing is smaller than in July. In both cases the resulting quasi-stationary fields of the mass mixing ratio display a pronounced zonal asymmetry. The variability accounts up to 30% of the mean field.     

Wind tunnel modeling of small-scale meteorological processes

After introductory remarks on similarity laws to be satisfied in wind tunnel experiments simulating small-scale meteorological processes, mean and turbulence characteristics of wind tunnel boundary layers are presented and compared with the characteristics of the atmospheric boundary layer. The results are used to evaluate the possibilities and limitations of physical modeling of pollutant dispersion in general. In the second part of the paper, the potential of wind tunnels to solve micro-meteorological problems of real practical interest will be demonstrated. The example involves the investigation of the effects of building downwash on ground-level concentrations for flue gases discharged from natural draft wet cooling towers.     

Late Pleistocene fluvial dynamics in the Hochrhein Valley and in the Upper Rhine Graben: chronological frame

During the Pleistocene, the Rhine glacier system acted as a major south–north erosion and transport medium from the Swiss Alps into the Upper Rhine Graben, which has been the main sediment sink forming low angle debris fans. Only some aggradation resulted in the formation of terraces. Optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) and radiocarbon dating have been applied to set up a more reliable chronological frame of Late Pleistocene and Holocene fluvial activity in the western Hochrhein Valley and in the southern part of the Upper Rhine Graben. The stratigraphically oldest deposits exposed, a braided-river facies, yielded OSL age estimates ranging from 59.6 ± 6.2 to 33.1 ± 3.0 ka. The data set does not enable to distinguish between a linear age increase triggered by a continuous autocyclical aggradation or two (or more) age clusters, for example around 35 ka and around 55 ka, triggered by climate change, including stadial and interstadial periods (sensu Dansgaard–Oeschger cycles). The braided river facies is discontinuously (hiatus) covered by coarse-grained gravel-rich sediments deposited most likely during a single event or short-time period of major melt water discharge postdating the Last Glacial Maximum. OSL age estimates of fluvial and aeolian sediments from the above coarse-grained sediment layer are between 16.4 ± 0.8 and 10.6 ± 0.5 ka, and make a correlation with the Late Glacial period very likely. The youngest fluvial aggradation period correlates to the beginning of the Little Ice Age, as confirmed by OSL and radiocarbon ages.     

Identifying low-temperature hydrothermal karst and palaeowaters using stable isotopes: a case study from an alpine cave,Entrische Kirche,Austria

The area south of the prominent east–west trending Salzach Valley at the northern rim of the Central Alps of Austria has long been known to host anomalously warm springs emerging from a highly deformed calcite marble (Klammkalk). This unit also hosts cavities whose shapes suggest a hydrothermal karst origin and which are lined by calcite spar. We report here petrographic and isotopic evidence suggesting that dissolution by ascending low-temperature thermal waters also played an important role in the origin of a large cave in this region, Entrische Kirche. A paleo cave wall, preserved behind a thick flowstone in the interior of this cave, revealed a brownish bleaching zone which contrasts to the medium grey colour of the unaltered marble beneath. Across this zone the C and O isotope values gradually decrease by 3 and 11‰, respectively. These compositions are very different from those of the speleothem above but are similar to phreatic calcite spar from hydrothermal karst cavities in other outcrops in the area, where the absence of two-phase fluid inclusions suggests a low-temperature (less than ca. 50°C) hydrothermal origin. U/Th dating of the flowstone capping the alteration zone yielded a minimum age of the thermal water invasion in Entrische Kirche of ca. 240 kyr. There is no evidence in Entrische Kirche that these palaeowaters reached the point of calcite precipitation, but it is physically conceivable that higher and as yet unexplored parts of this deep (ca. 900 m) cave contain cavities lined by phreatic cave spar.     

Magma mixing,the petrogenetic link between anorthositic suites and rapakivi granites, Åland,SW Finland

Summary The Åland, rapakivi batholith consists of several granites that differ texturally and mineralogically from quartz-porphyritic varieties to rapakivi varieties with K-feldspar ovoids (wiborgites and pyterlites) and aplitic granites. Closely associated with the batholith there is a mafc magmatic series of dolerite dykes, norites, anorthosites and monzodiorites.The earliest major intrusive phase of the Åland, rapakivi batholith consists of quartzporphyritic hornblende rapakivi. This rock contains small amoeboidal mafc enclaves, labradorite megacrysts, quartz ocelli, amphibole-mantled xenoliths and irregular clots of granophyric granite. These disequilibrium features are products of mixing between basaltic and granitic magmas. Geochemical modelling indicates that the quartzporphyritic hornblende rapakivi is a mixture of 15% hi-Fe monzodiorite (mafic endmember) and 85% quartz-feldspar porphyry (felsic end-member). The monzodiorite is derived from a norite-anorthosite-monzodiorite series. The quartz-feldspar porphyry is produced by partial melting of the country rock caused by intrusions of hot basic magma.Structural, textural and geochemical features suggest that magma mixing was an important petrogenetic process in the formation of the earliest rapakivi granite intrusions in the Åland, rapakivi batholith. Petrographic evidence of magma mixing can also be found in the major intrusion of the batholith, the wiborgite rapakivi granites. Chemically the mixing is difficult to specify in these rocks because of a high proportion of felsic component. Zircon and apatite fractionation trends, however, indicate that the wiborgite rapakivis also contain components from a mixed source.

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Magmamixing, die petrogenetische Verbindung zwischen Anorthositen und RapakiviGraniten, Åland, SW Finnland

Zusammenfassung Der Rapakivi Batholit von Åland besteht aus verschiedenen Graniten, die in ihrer Textur und Zusammensetzung das Feld von quarzporphyritischen über Rapakivigranite mit K-Feldspat-Ovoiden (Wiborgite und Pyterlite) und aplitischen Graniten abdecken. Eine mafische magmatische Serie von Dolerit-Gängen, Noriten, Anorthositen und Monzodioriten ist mit diesen Batholiten eng verbunden.Die erste größere Intrusivphase des Åland, Rapakivi Batholiten besteht aus quarzporphyritischem Hornblende Rapakivi. Dieses Gestein enhält kleine Amöboide, mafische Enklaven, Labradorit Megakristalle, Quarzocelli, Xenolithe mit Amphibolrändern und unregelmäßige Aggregate von granophyrischem Granit. Diese Produkte von Ungleichgewichts-Bedingungen gehen auf die Mischung zwischen basaltischen und granitischen Magmen zurück. Geochemische Modelle zeigen, daß der quarzporphyritische Hornblende-Rapakivi eine Mischung von 15%. eisenreichen Monzodiorit (mafisches Endglied) und 85% Quarz-Feldspatporphyr (felsisches Endglied) ist. Der Monzodiorit stammt von einer Norit-Anorthosit-Monzodiorit Serie. Der QuarzFeldspat-Porphyr entstand durch teilweise Aufschmelzung des Nebengesteines, die durch Intrusionen heißen basischen Magmas verursacht wurden.Strukturelle, texturelle und geochemische Daten zeigen, daß Magmamischung ein wichtiger petrogenetischer Prozeß der Bildung der frühesten Rapakivi-Granit-Intrusionen im Åland, Batholith waren. Petrographische Hinweise auf Magmamischung können auch in der größten Intrusion des Batholiths, dem Wiborg Rapakivi Granit, gefunden werden. Wegen des hohen Anteils felsischer Komponenten ist es schwierig, das Magmamixing in diesen Gesteinen chemisch zu quantifizieren. Zirkon- und Apatitfraktionierungs-Trends weisen jedoch darauf hin, daß auch die WiborgitRapakivis Komponenten aus einer gemischten Quelle enthalten.

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With 5 figures     

Meridional Motions of Stable Recurrent Sunspot Groups

Stable recurrent sunspot groups from the Greenwich data set which were identified in at least two subsequent solar rotations were traced and meridional motions were determined from the two central meridian passages. In total, 327 meridional velocities were calculated and the results for the northern and the southern solar hemisphere were compared. A dependence of the solar meridional velocity vectors on the development status, latitude and position respectively to the activity belt of sunspots is investigated. The results indicate that sunspot groups are moving on the average away from the center of activity. This was found for sunspot groups growing and decreasing in area.