The Pushtashan juvenile suprasubduction zone assemblage of Kurdistan (northeastern Iraq): A Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Neo-Tethys missing link

The Pushtashan suprasubduction zone assemblage of volcanic rocks, gabbros, norites and peridotites occurs in the Zagros suture zone, Kurdistan region, northeastern Iraq. Volcanic rocks are dominant in the assemblage and consist mainly of basalt and basaltic andesite flows with interlayered red shale and limestone horizons. Earlier lavas tend to be MORB-like, whereas later lavas display island arc tholeiite to boninitic geochemical characteristics. Tholeiitic gabbros intrude the norites and display fractionation trends typical of crystallisation under low-pressure conditions, whereas the norites display calc-alkaline traits, suggesting their source included mantle metasomatised by fluids released from subducted oceanic crust. Enrichment of Rb, Ba, Sr, Th and the presence of negative Nb anomalies indicate generation in a suprasubduction zone setting. Trondhjemite and granodiorite intrusions are present in the volcanic rocks, gabbros and norites. SHRIMP U-Pb dating of magmatic zircons from a granodiorite yields a mean~(206)Pb/~(238)U age of 96.0 ±2.0 Ma(Cenomanian). The initial ε_(Hf) value for the zircons show a narrow range from +12.8 to+15.6, with a weighted mean of + 13.90±0.96. This initial value is within error of model depleted mantle at 96 Ma or slightly below that, in the field of arc rocks with minimal contamination by older continental crust. The compositional bimodality of the Pushtashan suprasubduction sequence suggests seafloor spreading during the initiation of subduction, with a lava stratigraphy from earlyerupted MORB transitioning into calc-alkaline lavas and finally by 96 Ma intrusion of granodioritic and trondhjemitic bodies with juvenile crustal isotopic signatures. The results confirm another Cretaceous arc remnant preserved as an allochthon within the Iraqi segment of the Cenozoic Zagros suture zone. Implications for the closure of Neo-Tethys are discussed.     

柴北缘胜利口东地区白云母二长花岗岩锆石U-Pb年代学、地球化学及Hf同位素

[研究目的]柴北缘地区分布着大量早古生代花岗岩,是否存在与大陆深俯冲和早期碰撞阶段的岩浆活动,截至目前研究资料较少,制约了对柴北缘地区大地构造背景演化的认识.[研究方法]本文对胜利口东地区白云母二长花岗岩进行锆石U-Pb年代学、岩石地球化学及Hf同位素研究.[研究结果]通过LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb同位素测年,获得...     

World Soil Day and earth surface processes

To celebrate World Soil Day 2014, this editorial summary and Special Issue draws together a number of the most significant contributions that have appeared in Earth Surface Processes and Landforms since 2010. As a group they show the increasing importance of interdisciplinary work in this area of overlap, and point to significant opportunities for future research development, particularly with respect to integrated modelling and interactions with climate change. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Schmidt‐hammer exposure‐age dating (SHD) of snow‐avalanche impact ramparts in southern Norway: approaches,results and implications for landform age,dynamics and development

Schmidt‐hammer exposure‐age dating (SHD) was applied to the problem of dating the diachronous surfaces of five distal river‐bank boulder ramparts deposited by snow avalanches plunging into the Jostedøla and Sprongdøla rivers in the Jostedalsbreen region of southern Norway. Approaches to local high‐precision linear age calibration, which controlled in different ways for boulder roundness, were developed. The mean age (SHD_mean) and the maximum age (SHD_max) of surface boulders were estimated for whole ramparts, crests and distal fringes. Interpretation was further assisted by reference to R‐value distributions. SHD_mean ages (with 95% confidence intervals) ranged from 520 ± 270 years to 5375 ± 965 years, whereas SHD_max ages (expected to be exceeded by <5% of surface boulders) ranged from 675 to 9065 years. SHD ages from the Jostedøla ramparts tended to be older than those associated with the Sprongdøla, rampart crests were younger than the respective distal fringes, and use of relatively rounded boulders yielded more consistent SHD ages than angular boulders. The SHD_mean ages indicate differences in recent levels of snow‐avalanche activity between ramparts and provide insights into rampart dynamics as boulders are deposited on rampart crests and, in smaller numbers, on the distal fringes. SHD_max ages provide minimum age estimates of rampart age (i.e. the time elapsed since the ramparts began to form) and suggest that at least some of the ramparts have been developing since the early Holocene. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

阿尔金南缘新元古代盖里克片麻岩年代学、地球化学特征及其构造意义

盖里克片麻岩分布于阿中地块亚干布阳-帕夏拉依档一带,岩体主要岩性由眼球状黑云斜长片麻岩、二云二长片麻岩组成。LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年得到²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U加权平均年龄值为(886.5±5)Ma,说明盖里克片麻岩原岩形成于新元古代早期青白口纪;地球化学结果显示：主量元素具有高SiO₂、Al₂O₃、K₂O+Na₂O含量,低Na₂O、MgO、CaO和TiO₂含量的特征,A/CNK值介于1.03~1.17之间,属于高钾钙碱性系列的过铝质花岗岩。岩石富集Rb、Th、K等大离子亲石元素,亏损Nb、Ta、Sr、P、Hf、Ti等高场强元素,具有典型的大陆碰撞型花岗岩相应的元素丰度特征;岩石轻稀土富集而重稀土亏损,具有明显的负Eu异常,总体呈右倾的“V”型稀土分配模式,显示了典型的地壳重熔型花岗岩特征。盖里克片麻岩的源岩为地壳中角闪岩相基性岩类(变玄武岩),形成于同碰撞构造环境。综上说明本区存在新元古代早期的构造岩浆事件,可能对应于新元古代的罗迪尼亚(Rodinia)超大陆汇聚事件,说明塔里木和柴达木板块之间在新元古代早期曾经存在板块的汇聚碰撞。     

Formation of elongated granite–migmatite domes as isostatic accommodation structures in collisional orogens

The mid-Carboniferous Pelhřimov core complex, Bohemian Massif, is a crustal-scale elongated granite–migmatite dome interpreted to have formed by gravity-driven diapiric upwelling of the metapelitic middle crust. The vertical diapiric flow is evidenced by outward-dipping foliation and lineation patterns, deformation coeval with the widespread presence of melt, rapid exhumation of the dome center from depths corresponding to pressure of about 0.6 GPa to shallow levels (pressure less than 0.2 GPa) within 2 M.y., and kinematic indicators of downward return flow of the mantling rocks. As compared to common diapirs, however, the Pelhřimov complex exhibits a more complicated inferred strain pattern with two perpendicular, irregularly alternating directions of horizontal extension in what is interpreted as the diapir head. Comparison of structural data from migmatites with anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) data in granites also reveals that only final increments of strain are recorded in the granites. The map dimensions and gravity image of the complex suggest that the diapiric upwelling affected a large portion of the orogen's interior between two microplates brought together during continental collision. The northwesterly microplate (the upper-crustal Teplá–Barrandian unit) collapsed vertically as an ‘elevator’ at around 346–337 Ma whereas the easterly microplate (Brunia) was underthrust beneath the Moldanubian rocks during ∼346–330 Ma (the indentor). It is suggested that these microplates then acted as cold and rigid margins localizing mid-crustal diapirism and associated voluminous S-type granite plutons inbetween, parallel to the edge of the Brunia indentor.We conclude that bringing together soft metapelitic middle crust with two rigid lithospheric blocks during collision resulted in significant lateral temperature and strength variations across the orogen's interior. A general conclusion from these inferences is that granite–migmatite domes delineating margins of collided microplates may form as crustal-scale structures accommodating late-orogenic isostatic reequilibration.     

Assessment of environmental flows under limited data availability: case study of the Acheloos River,Greece

Abstract

The lower course of the Acheloos River is an important hydrosystem in Greece, heavily modified by a cascade of four hydropower dams upstream, which is now being extended by two more dams in the upper course. The design of the dams and hydropower facilities that are in operation has not considered any environmental criteria. However, in the last 50 years, numerous methodologies have been proposed to assess the negative impacts of such projects to both the abiotic and biotic environment, and to provide decision support towards establishing appropriate constraints on their operation, typically in terms of minimum flow requirements. In this study, seeking a more environmentally-friendly operation of the hydrosystem, we investigate the outflow policy from the most downstream dam, examining alternative environmental flow approaches. Accounting for data limitations, we recommend the basic flow method, which is parsimonious and suitable for Mediterranean rivers, whose flows exhibit strong variability across seasons. We also show that the wetted perimeter–discharge method, which is an elementary hydraulic approach, provides consistent results, even without using any flow data. Finally, we examine the adaptation of the proposed flow policy (including artificial flooding) to the real-time hydropower generation schedule, and the management of the resulting conflicts.

Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz; Guest editor M. Acreman

Citation Efstratiadis, A., Tegos, A., Varveris, A., and Koutsoyiannis, D., 2014. Assessment of environmental flows under limited data availability: case study of the Acheloos River, Greece. Hydrological Sciences Journal, 59 (3–4), 731–750.     

Geotechnical design with apparent seismic safety factors well-bellow 1

The paper demonstrates that whereas often in seismic geotechnical design it is not realistically feasible to design with ample factor of safety against failure as is done in static design, an “engineering” apparent seismic factor of safety less than 1 does not imply failure. Examples from slope stability and foundation rocking illustrate the concept. It is also shown that in many cases it may be beneficial to under-design the foundation by accepting substantial uplifting and/or full mobilization of bearing capacity failure mechanisms.     

Simplified discrete systems for dynamic analysis of structures on footings and piles

A simplified discrete system in the form of a simple oscillator is developed to simulate the dynamic behavior of a structure founded through footings or piles on compliant ground, under harmonic excitation. Exact analytical expressions for the fundamental natural period and the corresponding damping coefficients of the above system are derived, as function of geometry and the frequency-dependent foundation impedances. In an effort to quantify the coupling between swaying and rocking oscillations in embedded foundations such as piles, the reference system is translated from the footing–soil interface to the depth where the resultant soil reaction is applied, to ensure a diagonal impedance matrix. The resulting eccentricity is a measure of the coupling effect between the two oscillation modes. The amounts of radiation damping generated from a single pile and a surface footing are evaluated. In order to compare the damping of a structure on a surface footing and a pile, the notion of static and geometric equivalence is introduced. It is shown that a pile may generate significantly higher radiation damping than an equivalent footing, thus acting as an elementary protective system against seismic action.