La branche orientale de l'arc de Chypre. Morphostructure d'une frontière de plaques d'après les résultats de la campagne BLAC (2003)

The eastern bend of the Cyprus Arc, at the transition between the submerged Mediterranean subduction and the onshore fault zones that underline the Eurasian, African and Arabic plates boundaries is a submarine feature undergoing a complex tectonic deformation. The BLAC marine geophysical survey helps to better assess the type of the deformation that affects the Messinian to Quaternary sediments along this plate boundary. The deformation, focussed between two tectonic corridors, displays compressive and transpressive features in the central part, becoming thrusting when moving westward in connection with the Cyprus accretionnary wedge. The northeastern end of this submarine range connects with the Latakia Ridge, which is, together with its continental extension, under a tensional tectonic regime. To cite this article: J. Benkhelil et al., C. R. Geoscience 337 (2005).     

Subsidence and strike-slip tectonism of the upper continental slope off Manzanillo, Mexico

The direction of convergence between the Rivera and North American plates becomes progressively more oblique (in a counter-clockwise sense as measured relative to the trench-normal direction) northwestward along the Jalisco subduction zone. By analogy to other subduction zones, the forces resulting from this distribution of convergence directions are expected to produce a NW moving, fore-arc sliver and a NW–SE stretching of the fore-arc area. Also, a series of roughly arc parallel strike-slip faults may form in the fore-arc area, both onshore and offshore, as is observed in the Aleutian arc.In the Jalisco subduction zone, the Jalisco block has been proposed to represent such a fore-arc sliver. However, this proposal has encountered one major problem. Namely, right-lateral strike-slip faulting within the fore-arc sliver, and between the fore-arc sliver and the North American plate, should be observed. However, evidence for the expected right-lateral strike-slip faulting is sparse. Some evidence for right-lateral strike-slip faulting along the Jalisco block–North American plate boundary (the Tepic–Zacoalco rift system) has been reported, although some disagreement exists. Right-lateral strike-slip faulting has also been reported within the interior of the Jalisco block and in the southern Colima rift, which forms the SE boundary of the Jalisco block.Threefold, multi-channel seismic reflection data were collected in the offshore area of the Jalisco subduction zone off Manzanillo in April 2002 during the FAMEX campaign of the N/O L'Atalante. These data provide additional evidence for recent strike-slip motion within the fore-arc region of the Jalisco subduction zone. This faulting offsets right-laterally a prominent horst block within the southern Colima rift, from which we conclude that the sense of motion along the faulting is dextral. These data also provide additional evidence for recent subsidence within the area offshore of Manzanillo, as has been proposed.     

A Pliocene–Quaternary compressional basin in the Interandean Depression, Central Ecuador

The segment of the Interandean Depression of Ecuador between Ambato and Quito is characterized by an uppermost Pliocene–Quaternary basin, which is located between two N-S trending reverse basement faults: the Victoria Fault to the west, and the Pisayambo Fault to the east. The clear evidence of E-W shortening for the early Pleistocene (between 1.85 and 1.21 Ma) favours a compressional basin interpretation. The morphology (river deviations, landslides, folded and flexure structures) demonstrates continuous shortening during the late Quaternary. The late Pliocene-Quaternary shortening reached 3400 ± 600 m with a rate of 1.4 ± 0.3 mm yr⁻¹. The E-W shortening is kinematically consistent with the current right-lateral reverse motion along the NE-SW trending Pallatanga Fault. The Quito-Ambato zone appears to act as a N-S restraining bend in a system of large right-lateral strike-slip faults. The compressive deformation which affects the Interandean Depression during the Pliocene is apparently coeval to the beginning subduction of very young oceanic lithosphere north of the Gulf of Guayaquil. The relatively buoyant new crust may have significantly increased the mechanical coupling in the subduction zone from Pliocene to Present.     

African Easterly Waves and convective activity in wet and dry sequences of the West African Monsoon

Janicot and Sultan (Geophys Res Lett 28(3):523–526, 2001) and Sultan et al. (J Clim 16(21):3389–3406, 2003) showed evidence of an intraseasonal signal of Sahelian rainfall corresponding to wet and dry sequences of the West African Monsoon. Using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, NOAA outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and observed daily rainfall over West Africa from 1968 to 1990, this paper investigates the variability of 3 to 5-day African Easterly Waves (AEWs), convection and their relationship with rainfall in these wet and dry sequences. The mean daily value rainfall during wet sequences is twice the mean value during dry sequences but the number of dry or wet sequences per year is not correlated with the annual rainfall. Wet sequences account for 39% of the annual accumulated rainfall while dry sequences account for 22%. The number of 3 to 5-day AEWs increases during wet years in wet sequences and the activity tends to be larger during wet years in both wet and dry sequences. These AEWs explain 40% of the accumulated rainfall during wet sequences whereas they contribute to 26% of the accumulated rainfall observed during dry sequences. Generally, they contribute to the increase of rainfall during these sequences. Mean convection is stronger and there are twice as many low OLR days (<225W/m²) during wet than dry sequences. The mean rainfall for days with high convective activity (convective days) is also twice as great during wet sequences. Rainfall that occurs during days without low OLR (weak convection with warm cloud tops or isolated deep convection) contributes to 69% of the total rainfall during dry sequences and 45% during wet sequences. A composite study was performed from day D ₀−10 to day D ₀+10 in each sequence. Wet (dry) sequences of the African monsoon start with a decrease (slight increase) of the negative meridional Ertel Potential Vorticity (PV) gradient at 700 hPa, associated with an increase (decrease) of the spectral density of AEWs. During the wet sequence, the African Easterly Jet (AEJ), detected by 700 hPa zonal wind, decreases and moves northward, whereas the Tropical Easterly Jet (TEJ), detected at 200 hPa, increases and shifts southward. Convective activity increases from D ₀−6 to D ₀−3 and remains high for 4 days in wet sequences. The daily rainfall increases (decreases) between D ₀−6 and D ₀ and returns to the mean value at D ₀+4 for wet (dry) sequences.     

Monitoring of terrestrial input by massive corals

Human-induced pollution in coastal areas can significantly increase the concentration of some trace elements in the marine environment. In the tropics, scleractinian corals incorporate these trace elements in their living parts and skeleton. The potential of corals to monitor pollution through time is reviewed in this contribution. The strength and weakness of corals as pollution indicators are discussed, and a few examples are shown. Although some progress should be made in the understanding of the processes ruling the incorporation of trace elements in coralline aragonite, it is concluded that large environmental changes are well recorded by coral skeletons.