Report on the 4th International Meeting of the IUGS Lower Cretaceous Ammonite Working Group, the “Kilian Group” (Dijon, France, 30th August 2010)

The 4th Kilian Group meeting (Dijon, France, 30th August 2010) focused on the Aptian and Albian Stages. For the Aptian, a two-fold division of the stage was adopted for the Mediterranean area with a boundary between the Dufrenoyia furcata and Epicheloniceras martini Zones. The main changes to the zonal scheme concern the Lower Aptian with: the introduction of a Deshayesites luppovi Subzone in the upper part of the Deshayesites oglanlensis Zone; the replacement of Deshayesites weissi by Deshayesites forbesi as new index-species of the second interval zone; the introduction of a Roloboceras hambrovi Subzone in the upper part of the D. forbesi Zone; and the subdivision of the D. furcata Zone into the D. furcata and Dufrenoyia dufrenoyi Subzones. For the Albian, the upper part of the Douvilleiceras mammillatum Zone (Lower Albian) is now characterized by a Lyelliceras pseudolyelli Subzone. The main amendments concern the Upper Albian. The base of this substage is defined by the base of the Dipoloceras cristatum Zone. Above it, the Upper Albian zonal scheme comprises in stratigraphic order the Mortoniceras pricei, Mortoniceras inflatum, Mortoniceras fallax, Mortoniceras rostratum, Mortoniceras perinflatum and Arrhaphoceras briacensis Zones.     

Magnetostratigraphy and paleomagnetism of early and middle Miocene synorogenic strata: basement partitioning and minor block rotation in Argentine broken foreland

Magnetostratigraphic and paleomagnetic studies on early Andean synorogenic strata (Del Crestón Fm.), in the Famatina Belt (28.7°S, 67.5°W) clarify details of chronology that permit calculation of sedimentation rates within the broken foreland of west Argentina. The Del Crestón Fm represents the first record of broken foreland sedimentation within the southern Central Andean belt and the earliest retroarc volcanic rocks exposed several hundred kilometers from the trench. Twenty-five out of 49 sites collected along the succession presented a primary remanence, as determined through positive fold and reversal tests. Correlation of the local magnetic polarity section with the global polarity time scale indicates that the sedimentation of Del Crestón Fm started at ~16.7 Ma and continued until ~14.5 Ma. The youngest strata are represented by conglomerates bearing abundant Lower Paleozoic granite boulders indicating unroofing of the crystalline basement within the NW Sierras Pampeanas. This result supports the hypothesis of an early broken foreland stage at these latitudes of the Andes, with involvement of the basement in deformation and coeval retroarc volcanism, common attributes of flat-subduction regimes. A mean site paleomagnetic direction of Dec: 6.3°, Inc: ?43.6° (α95: 8.0°, N = 24) confirm our earlier intrepretation that the central part of the Famatina Belt within the Sierras Pampeanas did not undergo large vertical axes rotations since the Middle Miocene.     

Development of a methodological approach for the accurate measurement of slope changes due to landslides,using digital photogrammetry

This paper presents a method for studying recent landscape evolution due to mass movements. The method presented employs digital photogrammetric techniques, combined with global positioning system (GPS) measurements, to analyse landslide features depicted in aerial images taken by ad hoc and historical flights. The method was applied and validated in a 7 -km² area, located on a south-facing slope of a tributary of the Pas River (Cantabrian Range, Spain). In this area many landslide deposits and features are present, dated from 120,000  years BP to the present. The method starts with the design and carrying out of an ad hoc flight to take 1:5,000 photographs to be used as a reference, using different aircraft devices to control the position and geometry of the photograms. Different ground control points (GCPs) were measured using GPS techniques to support the geomorphological and photogrammetric work. Reference and historical photograms were digitised in a photogrammetric scanner and the digital images and GCPs were incorporated into a digital photogrammetric workstation to generate the reference digital stereo models by aerotriangulation. The models generated have a precision of 21 cm for the reference images and 33 cm for the historical images. The obtained landslide maps were compared with traditional geomorphological maps and an increased precision in the volume and area measurements was confirmed. Backward crown displacements show rates for the last 15 years of 15 mm year^?1. Mass involved in landslide mobility rates in recent landslides are 440  tons.     

Overheated, Cu-bearing magmas in the Zaldívar porphyry-Cu deposit, Northern Chile. Geodynamic consequences

The Zaldívar porphyry copper deposit, Northern Chile, consists of two major intrusions, the 290 Ma Zaldívar, and the more recent Miocene (38.7 Ma) Llamo porphyry. Five types of inclusions have been identified in quartz phenocrysts from Llamo porphyry, including melt inclusions (M), and four types of fluid inclusions, called MS (multi solids), B (brines), G (vapor-rich) and W (aqueous), respectively.Melt remnants, well preserved as M-inclusions, homogenize around 1000 °C. They show a rhyolitic composition, comparable to the most evolved acidic rhyolitic end member found elsewhere in the regional magmatism and to worldwide volcanic rhyolitic glass. High silica content in some inclusions can, however, be due to partial remelting of the quartz host during the heating run. Copper content in the same inclusions ranges between 0.03 and 0.57 wt.%, with an average concentration of 0.10 wt.%, suggesting a major magmatic source for the copper (orthomagmatic model).MS inclusions, which contain a number of solids at room temperature, mostly H₂O-bearing phases (system NaCl–KCl–((Fe, Mg, Cu)Cl)–H₂O, average salinity 70 wt.% NaCl equiv.), homogenize at magmatic temperatures (around 1000 °C). They represent the first fluids to have exsolved from the magma at depth, at a pressure of about 2 kbar. Their high homogenization temperature, comparable to values measured for melt inclusions (1000 to 1050 °C), may indicate trapping of MS and M inclusions in host phenocrysts from an immiscible mixture of silicate melt and highly saline fluids expelled from the magma during the early stage of quartz crystallization.The data indicate a magmatic origin for copper, as well as extremely high melt temperatures. These features are interpreted by magmatic differentiation of mantle-derived primitive melts, corresponding to major changes in the tectonic regime of the Andean margin, which occurred in Miocene times.     

The Influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation on Rainfall Triggering of Landslides near Lisbon

The majority of landsliding episodes in the area north of Lisbon are associated with rainfall events of short (less than 5 days) medium (5–20 days) or long duration (more than 20 days). The precipitation regime in Portugal is highly irregular, with large differences between wet and dry years. We have assessed the impact of the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) on both the winter precipitation and the timing and magnitude of associated landslide events. Results show that the large inter-annual variability of winter precipitation is largely modulated by the NAO mode. The precipitation composite corresponding to high NAO index presents a considerable lower median value (47 mm/month) than the corresponding low NAO index class (134 mm/month). The entire precipitation distribution associated with the low NAO index composite encompasses a wider range of values than the corresponding high NAO index composite. This non-linear behavior is reflected in the probability of occurrence of a very wet month (precipitation above the 90% percentile) that is just 1% for the positive NAO class and 23% for low NAO index months. Results for the low NAO class are crucial because these months are more likely associated with long-lasting rainfall episodes responsible for large landslide events. This is confirmed by the application of a 3-month moving average to both NAO index and precipitation time series. This procedure allowed the identification of many months with landslide activity as being characterized by negative average values of the NAO index and high values of average precipitation (above 100 mm/month). Finally, using daily data we have computed the return periods associated with the entire set of landslide episodes and, based on these results, obtained a strong linear relationship between critical cumulative rainfall and the corresponding critical rainfall event duration.     

Declustering of Clustered Preferential Sampling for Histogram and Semivariogram Inference

Measurements of attributes obtained more as a consequence of business ventures than sampling design frequently result in samplings that are preferential both in location and value, typically in the form of clusters along the pay. Preferential sampling requires preprocessing for the purpose of properly inferring characteristics of the parent population, such as the cumulative distribution and the semivariogram. Consideration of the distance to the nearest neighbor allows preparation of resampled sets that produce comparable results to those from previously proposed methods. A clustered sampling of size 140, taken from an exhaustive sampling, is employed to illustrate this approach.     

Apparent propagation velocity of body waves

The apparent horizontal propagation velocity, that is the propagation velocity of seismic waves with respect to the ground surface, is discussed in this paper. This parameter is needed to determine the effects of earthquakes on long structures such as bridges and buried pipelines as well as the torsional rotation of foundations of multi-storey buildings. A time window intensity tensor introduced by Penzien and Kubo is used herein to determine the predominant directions of ground motion during an earthquake. Considering the reflection of waves at a free surface, an approximate relationship between the predominant direction and the angle of incidence of body waves with respect to the ground surface is presented. Knowing the material properties of the top layer and the angle of incidence, the desired propagation velocity with respect to the ground surface is readily calculated. The median value of the apparent propagation velocity of shear waves for near field sites which recorded the 1971 San Fernando earthquake was determined to be about 2-1 km/s using the above method. A similar value for the 1979 Imperial Valley earthquake is 3·7 km/s. These values are consistent with the range of values for the apparent propagation velocity determined by other researchers.     

Structure of the Padul-Nigüelas Basin (S Spain) from H/V Ratios of Ambient Noise: Application of the Method to Study Peat and Coarse Sediments

—?This paper presents the results of the application of a technique of geophysical surveying based on resonance frequency of materials, in a small basin within the Internal Zones of the Betic Cordillera (southern Spain). The frequencies determined have enabled the main features of the basin's structure to be delineated, clearly identifying its asymmetry due to variations in the position of the rigid basement in different sectors. The results show that this method does not guarantee a perfect identification of coarse sediments, unless these overlie substantial more rigid materials. On the other hand, the same method was very effective for studying very soft sediments (peat), and it was possible to establish a quantitative relationship for determining the thickness of these sediments based on their resonance frequency. This relationship was then used to map peat thickness in the basin. The results have been compared with gravity studies and mechanical drillings undertaken in the region.     

The effect of the "Prestige" oil spill on the plankton of the N-NW Spanish coast

Chlorophyll, primary production, zooplankton biomass and the species composition of phytoplankton and zooplankton were studied in 2003, after the Prestige shipwreck. The information obtained was compared to previous data series available for the area affected by the spill. A large data series on plankton variables for the N-NW Spanish coast existed, and therefore a realistic evaluation of the effects by comparison with the range of natural variability could be carried out. We emphasized the evaluation of impact during the spring bloom, the first important biological event after the spill. Some minor changes were observed occasionally, but they did not show any clear pattern and were more related to the natural variability of the ecosystem than to effect of the spill. Plankton community structure did not undergo any changes. Only a few species were more abundant during spring 2003 than in previous years. No significant changes were detected in the planktonic community during productive periods, such as the spring bloom and the summer blooms related to intrusions of East North Atlantic Central Waters. The lack of evidence of the effects of the spill on planktonic communities is discussed in terms of the characteristics of the fuel, the high dynamics of the water masses, the biological mechanisms through which the fuel from the surface waters is transferred to the sea floor and, particularly, the influence of the natural variability by means of large and meso-scale hydrographic processes in the area under study. At the present time it is not possible to determine any minor effects the spill may have had on the plankton owing to the great variability of the planktonic cycles and the short-term impact of the oil from the Prestige on the pelagic system.