Trace-element heterogeneity in rutile linked to dislocation structures: Implications for Zr-in-rutile geothermometry

The trace-element composition of rutile is commonly used to constrain P–T–t conditions for a wide range of metamorphic systems. However, recent studies have demonstrated the redistribution of trace elements in rutile via high-diffusivity pathways and dislocation-impurity associations related to the formation and evolution of microstructures. Here, we investigate trace-element migration in low-angle boundaries formed by dislocation creep in rutile within an omphacite vein of the Lago di Cignana unit (Western Alps, Italy). Zr-in-rutile thermometry and inclusions of quartz in rutile and of coesite in omphacite constrain the conditions of rutile deformation to around the prograde boundary from high pressure to ultra-high pressure (~2.7 GPa) at temperatures of 500–565°C. Crystal-plastic deformation of a large rutile grain results in low-angle boundaries that generate a total misorientation of ~25°. Dislocations constituting one of these low-angle boundaries are enriched in common and uncommon trace elements, including Fe and Ca, providing evidence for the diffusion and trapping of trace elements along the dislocation cores. The role of dislocation microstructures as fast-diffusion pathways must be evaluated when applying high-resolution analytical procedures as compositional disturbances might lead to erroneous interpretations for Ca and Fe. In contrast, our results indicate a trapping mechanism for Zr.     

Two new species of Pseudostomella (Gastrotricha: Macrodasyida) with scaled triancres from the east coast of Australia

Two new species of Pseudostomella from North Stradbroke Island, Australia, P. klauserae n. sp. and P. megapalpator n. sp., are characterised by scaled triancres, cuticular structures that until now were known only from one other member of the genus. The structure of the scaled triancres in both species is new: the triancre base is diamond‐ or triangular‐shaped with three shafts that arise to form feather‐like scales. P. klauserae n. sp. is characterised by scales arising from a diamond‐shaped triancre base, the distribution of cephalic papillae, and the abundance and distribution of anterior and lateral adhesive tubes. P. megapalpator n. sp. is distinguished by scales arising from a rounded‐triangular triancre base, large dorsal, digitiform papillae, and ventral adhesive tubes. The presence of two new species with scaled triancres allows for the formation of a novel species complex within the genus. An amended key to the species is included.     

Marine radiocarbon reservoir corrections (∆R) for Chesapeake Bay and the Middle Atlantic Coast of North America

Radiocarbon dates from known age, pre-bomb eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) shells provide local marine reservoir corrections (?R) for Chesapeake Bay and the Middle Atlantic coastal area of eastern North America. These data suggest subregional variability in ?R, ranging from 148 ± 46 ¹⁴C yr on the Potomac River to ? 109 ± 38 ¹⁴C yr at Swan Point, Maryland. The ?R weighted mean for the Chesapeake's Western Shore (129 ± 22 ¹⁴C yr) is substantially higher than the Eastern Shore (? 88 ± 23 ¹⁴C yr), with outer Atlantic Coast samples falling between these values (106 ± 46 and 2 ± 46 ¹⁴C yr). These differences may result from a combination of factors, including ¹⁴C-depleted freshwater that enters the bay from some if its drainages, ¹⁴C-depleted seawater that enters the bay at its mouth, and/or biological carbon recycling. We advocate using different subregional ?R corrections when calibrating ¹⁴C dates on aquatic specimens from the Chesapeake Bay and coastal Middle Atlantic region of North America.     

Information systems playground—the target infrastructure

The Target infrastructure has been specially built as a storage and compute infrastructure for the information systems derived from Astro-WISE. This infrastructure will be used by several applications that collaborate in the area of information systems within the Target project. It currently consists of 10 PB of storage and thousands of computational cores. The infrastructure has been constructed based on the requirements of the applications. The storage is controlled by the Global Parallel File System of IBM. This file system takes care of the required flexibility by combining storage hardware with different characteristics into a single file system. It is also very scalable, which allows the system to be extended into the future, while replacing old hardware with new technology.     

Quantifying subaqueous slope stability during seismic shaking: Lake Lucerne as model for ocean margins

Lakes can be used as model basins to investigate subaqueous slope stability under static and dynamic loading conditions. This study combines geophysical, sedimentological and in situ geotechnical methods with limit equilibrium calculations in order to discuss (i) the geological and sedimentological processes acting on submerged non-deltaic lateral slopes in perialpine, fjord-type Lake Lucerne (Central Switzerland); (ii) their control on physical and geotechnical properties that eventually affect the subaqueous stability conditions and slope failure initiation, and (iii) the quantitative assessment of subaqueous slope stability. Three detailed case studies are presented to describe and quantitatively reconstruct stability conditions of slopes that failed during a well-documented historic earthquake in 1601 A.D. and during a prehistoric Late Holocene earthquake around 2220 cal yr BP (both M_w > 6).

Glacio-lacustrine sedimentation dominated by suspension settling from meltwater plumes and slight overconsolidation from ice-grounding during small readvances of a generally retreating glacier lead to a peculiar glacial-to-postglacial lithologic slope succession that eventually was buried by the Holocene sediment drape. During past earthquake shaking, the slopes that were stable under static loading conditions (factor of safety of 1.5–2) failed along planar sliding surfaces that developed at the lithological boundary between fine-grained, thinly-laminated, slightly underconsolidated cyclic plume deposits with low undrained shear strength values above and overconsolidated, glacially-deformed, glacio-lacustrine deposits with excessive formation pore pressure below. Measured in situ shear strength characteristics and sediment geometries were implemented into limit equilibrium models that allow for quantitative reconstruction of critical ground accelerations of past earthquakes in Central Switzerland. Results reveal seismic peak ground acceleration (PGA) of  0.08 g and  0.14 g for the historic 1601 A.D. M_w  6.2 earthquake and the prehistoric,  2220 cal yr B.P. earthquake, respectively. Additionally, results reveal that stability conditions change over relative short geological time scales because the postglacial sedimentation rate, which mainly controls the static weight of the slope sediment acting on the critical lithological boundary, turns out to be a key parameter in “charging” slopes susceptible to sliding.     

The Cornubian Batholith: an Example of Magmatic Fractionation on a Crustal Scale

Abstract. The Cornubian Batholith comprises six major and several smaller bodies of S‐type granite in southwestern England. These late‐Variscan granites comprise two‐mica granites, and much less abundant Li‐mica granites that are restricted to one of the major bodies (St Austell) and smaller bodies. Some of these intrusive rocks are associated with major Sn mineralization. This paper is concerned with the geochemistry of the two‐mica granites, which are felsic, strongly peraluminous, and have a high total alkali content and low Na:K. Rocks with very similar compositions to these granites occur elsewhere, including the Variscan granites of continental Europe, and in southeastern Australia. In detail all of the major plutons of this batholith have distinctive compositions, except for Bodmin Moor and Carnmenellis which cannot be discriminated from each other compositionally. A comparison with experimental data shows that the granites attained their major element composition under conditions of crystal‐liquid equilibrium, with the final melt being saturated in H₂O, at temperatures close to 770d?C and pressures about 50 MPa. That temperature estimate is in good agreement with values obtained from zircon saturation thermometry. The specific minimum‐temperature composition excludes the possibility of widespread transfer of elements during hydrothermal alteration. Minor elements that are relatively very abundant are Li, B, Cs and U, while F, Ga, Ge, Rb, Sn, Ta, W and Tl are quite abundant and P is high for felsic rocks. Sr, Ba, and the trace transition metals Sc to Zn, are low, but not as low as they commonly are in very felsic granites. These trace element abundances, and the EL₂O‐saturation, resulted from the fractional crystallization of a melt derived by the partial melting of feldspathic greywackes in the crust. The Cornubian granites have compositions very similar to the more felsic rocks of the Koetong Suite of southeastern Australia, where a full range of granites formed at the various stages of magmatic fractionation postulated for the Cornubian granites, can be observed. The operation of fractional crystallization in the Cornubian granites is confirmed by the high P abundances in the feldspars, with P contents of the plagioclase crystals correlating with Ab‐con‐tent Most of the granites represent solidified melt compositions but within the Dartmoor pluton there is a significant component of granites that are cumulative, shown by their higher Ca contents. The Cornubian plutons define areas of high heat flow, of a magnitude which requires that fractionated magmas were transported laterally from their sources and concentrated in the exposed plutons. The generation of these granite plutons therefore involved magmatic fractionation during the stages of partial melting, removal of unmelted material from that melt, and fractional crystallization. During the later stages of those processes, movement of those magmas occurred on a crustal scale.     

A geophysical survey of the De Gerlache Seamounts: preliminary results

 The De Gerlache Seamounts actually consist of two medium-sized guyots, with summits at depths of 350–600 m. Acoustic profiler data show no significant sediment on these guyots. Alkaline basalts dredged from the summit of the eastern guyot yield K/Ar ages between 20.1±1.0 and 23.2±1.2 Ma. Basement ridges and sediment-filled troughs between the guyots are associated with the prominent gravity anomaly extending north from the Antarctic margin. This structure possibly played a role in the guyot formation, however, the question of how the De Gerlache Seamounts are related to this gravity anomaly remains uncertain. Received: 13 February 1997 / Revision received: 30 September 1997     

Strontium isotopic geochemistry of the volcanic rocks and associated megacrysts and inclusions from Ross Island and vicinity,Antarctica

Twelve whole-rock samples of volcanic rocks and a composite of 11 basanitoid samples from Ross Island and vicinity, Antarctica show a narrow range of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios from 0.7030₅ to 0.7033₉. This range is consistent with a model of differentiation from a single parent magma, but the data allow a 30% variation in the ⁸⁷Rb/⁸⁶Sr ratio in the source region if the average ratio is less than 0.057 and if the source region has existed as a closed system for 1.5 b.y. Megacrysts of titaniferous augite, kaersutite, and anorthoclase are isotopically indistinguishable from the host volcanic rocks and therefore are probably cogenetic with the volcanic sequence. A single trachyte sample is isotopically distinct from the rest of the volcanic rocks and probably was contaminated with crustal strontium.Ultramafic and mafic nodules found in association with basanitoids and trachybasalts have ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios ranging from 0.7027₅ to 0.7057₅. Several of these nodules exhibit evidence of reaction with the melt and are isotopically indistinguishable from their hosts, but data for seven granulite-facies nodules show an apparent isochronal relationship. Although this isochron may be fortuitous, the resulting age of 158±22 m.y. is similar to ages reported for the voluminous Ferrar Dolerites, and suggests isotopic re-equilibration within the lower crust and upper mantle. These nodules are not genetically related to the Ferrar Dolerites, as evidenced by their lower initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios.Three ultramafic nodules are texturally and isotopically distinct from the rest of the analyzed nodules. These are friable, have larger ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, and may represent a deeper sampling of mantle rock than the granulite-facies nodules. They were, however, derived at a shallower depth than the alkalic magma. Thus they are not genetically related to either the magma or the granulite-facies nodules.