Geochemical characteristics of a pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic crust fragment from the Central Pontides in northern Turkey: Geodynamic implications on intra-oceanic subduction initiation

The Central Pontides (northern Turkey) is one of the key localities to understand the geodynamic evolution of the Palaeo- and Neotethyan oceans. It consists of the pre-Jurassic basement units, the Early Jurassic and the Early Cretaceous accretionary complexes, the widespread Middle Jurassic continental arc magmatics and the Late Jurassic to Tertiary cover units. The Early Cretaceous accretionary complex is represented by the Central Pontide Structural Complex and includes the Middle Jurassic oceanic units, which were metamorphosed during the Early Cretaceous. Apart from these oceanic units, a few metaophiolite and serpentinite fragments have been recognized within the basement units, which may represent the remnants of an older ocean. The pre-Middle Jurassic Devrekani Metaophiolite is the largest oceanic fragment and tectonically intercalated within/between the Devrekani Metamorphics and the Çangaldağ Metamorphic Complex. It is mainly composed of harzburgites, dunites with chromite veins and metagabbros, and cut by metabasaltic andesites and metadacites. Petrographically, the gabbro consists mainly of plagioclase and clinopyroxene, and displays phaneritic/porphyritic texture. In contrast, the metabasaltic andesite includes plagioclase and mica phenocrysts within a fine-grained groundmass. Also, the metadacite is composed predominantly of quartz, plagioclase, and mica minerals. Two different magmatic groups belonging to completely different tectono-magmatic settings have been geochemically determined based on the immobile trace element systematics. The metadacites and metabasaltic andesites are akin to continental arc magmatics and characterized by negative Nb and Ta anomalies and depleted HFSE relative to Th and La contents. However, the metagabbro samples display the geochemical signatures of boninitic rocks and characterized by highly depletion in HFSEs and REEs relative to N-MORB. The Devrekani Metaophiolite in the Central Pontides may represent another remnant of pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic crust generation and can be north-eastward continuation of the Permian-aged Almacık complex and the Boğazköy Metaophiolite fragment in the western Sakarya Composite Terrane. It may have been cut by intrusions of the extensive Middle Jurassic continental arc magmatism after its imbrication within the basement unit. The presence of pre-Middle Jurassic oceanic units may indicate that the Paleozoic ocean may have survived as the Jurassic Intra-Pontide Ocean between the Scythian Platform and Sakarya Composite Terrane during the Mesozoic time. Thus, the Intra-Pontide Suture may normally include the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic remnants of the long-lived northward subducting Tethyan ocean.     

Runoff-generated debris flows: Observation of initiation conditions and erosion–deposition dynamics along the channel at Cancia (eastern Italian Alps)

In the Dolomitic region, abundant coarse hillslope sediment is commonly found at the toe of rocky cliffs. Ephemeral channels originate where lower permeability bedrock surfaces concentrate surface runoff. Debris flows initiate along such channels following intense rainfall and determine the progressive erosion and deepening of the channels. Sediment recharge mechanisms include rock fall, dry ravel processes and channel-bank failures. Here we document debris flow activity that took place in an active debris flow basin during the year 2015. The Cancia basin is located on the southwestern slope of Mount Antelao (3264 m a.s.l.) in the dolomitic region of the eastern Italian Alps. The 2.5 km² basin is incised in dolomitic limestone rocks. The data consist of repeated topographic surveys, distributed rainfall measurements, time-lapse (2 s) videos of two events and pore pressure measurements in the channel bed. During July and August 2015, two debris flow events occurred, following similarly intense rainstorms. We compared rainfall data to existing rainfall triggering thresholds and simulated the hydrological response of the headwater catchment with a distributed model in order to estimate the total and peak water discharge. Our data clearly illustrate how debris entrainment along the channel is the main contributor to the overall mobilized volume and that erosion is dominant when the channel slope exceeds 16°. Further downstream, sediment accumulation and depletion occurred alternately for the two successive events, indicating that sediment availability along the channel also influences the flow behaviour along the prevailing-transport reach. The comparison between monitoring data, topographical analysis and hydrological simulation allows the estimation of the average solid concentration of the two events and suggests that debris availability has a significant influence on the debris flow volume. © 2020 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tidal effects on intra-continental earthquake initiation in the Tibetan Plateau and its adjacent areas*

To investigate the tidal effects on intra-continental earthquake initiation in the Tibetan Plateau and its surrounding areas, we selected over 1,500 focal mechanism solutions of inland earthquakes (epicenter locates at least 100 km to the coastlines) from Global Centroid Moment Tensor (GCMT) project and analyzed the p-values of tidal normal and shear stress as well as tidal Coulomb failure stress. For Coulomb failure stress calculation, we used Coulomb 3.40 software. We find that: (1) p-values of tidal stress change suggests a high tidal correlation of earthquake imitations with tidal normal stress change; (2) when tidal normal stress reached the local maximum values of compression and when tidal shear stress were closed to the positive peaks, earthquakes generated more frequently; (3) particular seismogenic environments such as strong continental plate interactions and the existence of fluids or rheologic substance possibly raise the tidal correlations and (4) higher sensitivity of earthquake initiation to earth tide presents along with higher seismicity, suggesting the rate of rain energy accumulation somehow has a dominating effect on the tidal correlation of earthquake initiation.     

含交叉裂隙节理岩体单轴压缩破坏机制研究

对含交叉裂隙相似材料试件进行单轴压缩试验,用Abaqus对含交叉裂隙节理岩体进行应力分析,研究了含交叉裂隙节理岩体单轴压缩下的破坏机制。结果表明：交叉裂隙的主裂隙与加载方向呈30°、45°时,主裂隙是裂隙扩展及破坏的控制裂隙,此时含交叉裂隙岩体强度高于含单向裂隙岩体,是由于主裂隙裂尖最大环向应力σθmax低于单向裂隙;主裂隙与加载方向呈0°或90°时,次裂隙是控制裂隙;主裂隙与加载方向呈0°时,大部分次裂隙裂尖σθmax及裂尖最大应力强度因子KⅡmax高于单向裂隙,因此,此时大部分含交叉裂隙岩体强度低于含单向裂隙岩体;在主裂隙与加载方向呈90°工况组中,主、次裂隙夹角为45°时,次裂隙裂尖KⅡmax最大,所以此工况组中此时强度最低。     

Identification of geologic contrasts from landscape dissection pattern: An application to the Cascade Range, Oregon, USA

This paper demonstrates the plausibility of inferring the spatial variability of geology from topographically derived landscape dissection patterns. This enables surveying large regions for spatial variability in geology, for which direct remote sensing is not feasible, by studying variability in dissection pattern, a feature extracted straight off from digital elevation model data. Dissection pattern is obtained automatically by a novel algorithm, especially designed to delineate the valleys with high accuracy in order to reflect spatial variability in dissection density. The dissection pattern is encapsulated by a continuous map of drainage density, a raster variable best suited for showing spatial variability of dissection. Such a map, constructed for the study area in the Cascade Range, Oregon, USA, shows a sharp discontinuity in the dissection pattern, indicating change in underlying geology. Possible factors controlling the dissection pattern such as climate, local and regional slopes, vegetation, and geology are examined, and geology has been found to be the dominant controlling factor. The dissection contrast coincides with the boundary between the Western and High Cascades, two geologic provinces with different rock ages and types. The older and less permeable Western Cascades are associated with denser dissection pattern, whereas the younger and more permeable High Cascades correspond to less dissected pattern. This new mapping method can be applied to locations where topography is the only readily available data, and the generated map could be used to extract previously unknown geologic or environmental information.     

A Case Study of the Initiation of Parallel Convective Lines Back-Building from the South Side of a Mei-yu Front over Complex Terrain

Parallel back-building convective lines are often observed extending to the southwest of some mesoscale convective systems(MCSs)embedded in the mei-yu front in China.The convective lines with echo training behavior can quickly develop into a stronger convective group of echoes,resulting in locally heavy rainfall within the mei-yu front rainband.The initiation mechanism of the back-building convective lines is still unclear and is studied based on high-resolution numerical simulation of a case that occurred during 27?28 June 2013.In the present case,the new convection along the convective lines was found to be forced by nonuniform interaction between the cold outflow associated with the mei-yu front MCSs and the warm southerly airflow on the south side of the mei-yu front,which both are modified by local terrain.The mei-yu front MCSs evolved from the western to the eastern side of a basin surrounded by several mesoscale mountains and induced cold outflow centered over the eastern part of the basin.The strong southwest airflow ahead of the mei-yu front passed the Nanling Mountains and impacted the cold outflow within the basin.The nonuniform interaction led to the first stage of parallel convective line formation,in which the low mountains along the boundary of the two airflows enhanced the heterogeneity of their interaction.Subsequently,the convective group quickly developed from the first stage convective lines resulted in apparent precipitation cooling that enhanced the cold outflow and made the cold outflow a sharp southward windshift.The enhanced cold outflow pushed the warm southerly airflow southward and impacted the mountains on the southeast side of the basin,where the roughly parallel mountain valleys or gaps play a controlling role in a second stage formation of parallel convective lines.     

汶川震区暴雨泥石流激发雨量特征

利用搜集的汶川震区典型泥石流暴发前后的降雨过程资料,分析了泥石流的激发雨量过程,获得了汶川震区的泥石流激发雨量特征,以期为泥石流的预测预报提供依据。结果表明,汶川地震区的泥石流激发雨型可分为快速激发型、中速激发型和慢速激发型3类,其差异主要体现在降雨的持续时间和强度方面。不同激发雨型下的泥石流形成过程的差别主要体现在松散土体饱和过程。雨型的差异(降雨的持续时间和强度)使得土体饱和产生超渗产流的时间出现差异,进而使得泥石流暴发的时间存在差异。激发雨强跟激发雨型存在一定的关系,激发雨强最大者为中速激发雨型,其次是慢速激发雨型,最小者为快速激发雨型。与地震之前相比,地震后的泥石流暴发时的累积雨量和临界雨量都有所降低。     

“坎儿井”式排(截)水盲沟在滑坡治理中的应用

地下水影响滑坡稳定性。采用竖井分段开挖的"坎儿井"式排(截)水工程治理,取得较好效果,值得推广。     

The Eastern Makran Ophiolite (SE Iran): evidence for a Late Cretaceous fore-arc oceanic crust

ABSTRACT

The nature, magmatic evolution, and geodynamic setting of both inner and outer Makran ophiolites, in SE Iran, are enigmatic. Here, we report mineral chemistry, whole-rock geochemistry, and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope composition of mantle peridotites and igneous rocks from the Eastern Makran Ophiolite (EMO) to assess the origin and tectono-magmatic evolution of the Makran oceanic realm. The EMO includes mantle peridotites (both harzburgites and impregnated lherzolites), isotropic gabbros, diabase dikes, and basaltic to andesitic pillow and massive lava flows. The Late Cretaceous pelagic limestones are found as covers of lava flows and/or interlayers between them. All ophiolite components are somehow sheared and fragmented, probably in Cenozoic time, during the emplacement of ophiolite. This event has produced a considerable extent of tectonic melange. Tectonic slices of trachy-basaltic lavas with oceanic island basalt (OIB)-like signature seal the tectonic melange. Our new geochemical data indicate a magmatic evolution from fore-arc basalt (FAB) to island-arc tholeiite (IAT)-like signatures for the Late Cretaceous EMO lavas. EMO extrusive rocks have high εNd(t) (+8 to +8.9) and isotopically are similar to the Oman lavas. This isotopic signature indicates a depleted mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle source for the genesis of these rocks, except isotopic gabbros containing lower εNd(t) (+5.1 to +5.7) and thus show higher contribution of subducted slab components in their mantle source. High ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb isotopic ratios for the EMO igneous rocks also suggest considerable involvement of slab-derived components into the mantle source of these rocks. The variable geochemical signatures of the EMO lavas are mostly similar to Zagros and Oman ophiolite magmatic rocks, although the Pb isotopic composition shows similarity to the isotopic characteristic of inner Zagros ophiolite belt. This study postulates that the EMO formed during the early stages of Neo-Tethyan subduction initiation beneath the Lut block in a proto-forearc basin. We suggest subduction initiation caused asthenospheric upwelling and thereafter melting to generate the MORB-like melts. This event left the harzburgitic residues and the MORB-like melts interacted with the surrounding peridotites to generate the impregnated lherzolites, which are quite abundant in the EMO. Therefore, these lherzolites formed due to the refertilization of mantle rocks through porous flows of MORB-like melts. The inception of subduction caused mantle wedge to be enriched slightly by the slab components. Melting of these metasomatized mantle generated isotropic gabbros and basaltic to andesitic lavas with FAB-like signature. At the later stage, higher contribution of the slab-derived components into the overlying mantle wedge causes formation of diabase dikes with supra-subduction zone – or IAT-like signatures. Trachy-basalts were probably the result of late-stage magmatism fed by the melts originated from an OIB source asthenospheric mantle due to slab break-off. This occurred after emplacement of EMO and the formation of tectonic melange.     

Challenges for integrated water resources management

During the past century, while world population tripled, the use of water increased sixfold. Irrigation accounts for 70% of global water withdrawals, industry for 20%, and municipal use for 10%. To meet the water resources challenges, a series of transitions is under way, with major implications for water management. The present paper underlines the major issues and the new role of engineers in charge of development and project management.