Kimberlite-like Metasomatism and 'Garnet Signature' in Spinel-peridotite Xenoliths from Sal, Cape Verde Archipelago: Relics of a Subcontinental Mantle Domain within the Atlantic Oceanic Lithosphere?

A mantle xenolith suite from two Late Tertiary necks on SalIsland (Cape Verde Archipelago) consists of nearly equivalentamounts of anhydrous spinel-bearing lherzolites and harzburgites,in which secondary metasomatic textural domains are superimposedon the original protogranular textures. Detailed petrographicstudies, coupled with in situ major and trace element analysesof the constituent minerals and interstitial glasses, revealthe complex evolutionary history of the Cape Verde lithosphericmantle, from depletion in the garnet facies to re-equilibrationand re-enrichment in the spinel stability field. Low CaO (16·4–18·0wt %) and heavy rare earth element (HREE; Yb_n = 2·4–4·8),and high Cr₂O₃ (1·06–1·84 wt %) contentsin the clinopyroxenes of the lherzolites can be quantitativelyaccounted for by (1) low-degree (4%) partial melting of a PrimitiveMantle-like garnet lherzolite followed by (2) partial re-equilibrationof the melting residuum from the garnet to the spinel stabilityfield. This model is further supported by thermobarometric estimates(T = 975–1210°C; P = 1·3–2·1 GPa),which cluster around the spinel–garnet boundary in theperidotite system. Secondary parageneses, regardless of theprimary lithologies, are characterized by (1) two clinopyroxenes,cpx2-O and cpx2-C, respectively related to orthopyroxene andclinopyroxene destabilization after reaction with metasomaticfluids, and (2) glasses with anomalously high, even for continentalsettings, K₂O contents (up to 8·78 wt %), together withK-feldspar. Major and trace element mass balance calculationsbetween the primary and secondary parageneses suggest infiltrationof a kimberlite-like metasomatizing agent (on volatile-freebasis, MgO 17–27 wt %; K₂O/Na₂O 1·6–3·2molar; (K₂O + Na₂O)/Al₂O₃ 1·1–3·0 molar;Rb 91–165 ppm; Zr 194–238 ppm). The kimberlite-likemetasomatism in the Cape Verde lithospheric mantle, togetherwith the presence of lherzolitic domains, partially re-equilibratedfrom the garnet to the spinel stability field, may suggest thepresence of subcontinental mantle lithosphere relicts left behindby drifting of the African Plate during the opening of the CentralAtlantic Ocean. KEY WORDS: Cape Verde; mantle metasomatism; garnet signatures; clinopyroxenes; kimberlites     

The interpretation of baseline atmospheric turbidity measurements at Cape Grim,Tasmania

Five years of turbidity data at Cape Grim have been analysed. The turbidity at 500 nm in clean maritime airmasses from the South to the West shows a seasonal variation, with a minimum in winter. There is also a variation in turbidity with wind speed. The winter minimum can be explained partially by a minimum in wind strength in that season. On the assumption, based on observations at Cape Grim and at other locations, that the boundary layer turbidity is caused by seasalt haze, an attempt is made to interpret the observed turbidity values and their seasonal changes. Optical extinction coefficients at the surface deduced from the measured values of optical depth are compared with extinction coefficients calculated from Mie theory using particle size distributions measured at Cape Grim. Reasonable agreement is obtained when the growth of salt particles in the high maritime humidity is considered, using both theoretical models and previous experimental results together with the rapid increase in salt concentration with wind speed.     

The 2014 volcanic eruption in Fogo and the reterritorialization process: from risk to geographic resilience

The population of Fogo Island, in Cape Verde, shows a peculiar relationship with the living territory, given that the eminence of volcanic risk is a reality they face every day. The 1951 and 1995 eruptions were particularly scarring in this insular geography, leaving in several generations of Cape Verdeans, the mark of a creation‐destruction‐restart cycle, as well as an attitude of symbiosis with nature. This article is intended to present and discuss results from a scientific research paper based on a study conducted on Fogo Island, in Cape Verde, in February 2016, where researchers sought to understand the local population's response to the last volcanic eruption (from November 2014 to February 2015), in a logic of deterritorialization‐reterritorialization, namely in terms of community and territorial resilience. The analysis method was based on direct observation, with record of the views in a field journal, as well as the biographic narratives of all those who were affected, through questionnaires and interviews.     

Space use by Rhabdosargus holubi in a southern African estuary,with emphasis on fish movements and ecosystem connectivity

Twenty-one juvenile Cape stumpnose Rhabdosargus holubi (140–190 mm fork length) were tagged with internal acoustic transmitters in the lower, middle and upper reaches of the Kowie Estuary, South Africa. The movements of each fish were continually monitored from October 2014 to February 2015 using 22 stationary data-logging acoustic receivers situated at approximately equidistant intervals along the length of the estuary (21 km). Juvenile R. holubi spent the greatest proportion of time within the estuarine environment (83%), with the sea (16%) and riverine (1%) environments used to a much lesser extent. Within the estuarine environment, tagged individuals showed high levels of residency and fidelity to their capture and release sites; however, the degree of residency was dependent on the position of the release site, with batches in the upper and lower reaches exhibiting different space-use patterns. When larger juvenile R. holubi migrated back to the sea for the next phase of their life cycle, they generally did not return to the estuarine environment, thus indicating a permanent ontogenetic shift in habitat use with the onset of sexual maturity. This contribution to our understanding of the ecology of a ubiquitous estuarine fish further highlights the importance of estuarine habitats as nursery areas that require effective management.     

高温高压改色处理Ⅰa型褐色钻石的光谱鉴定特征

Ⅱa型钻石的高温高压改色及褪色研究已开展了大量工作,然而对Ⅰa型Cape系列褐色钻石在高温高压处理条件下的行为尚不明确。为解析实验室钻石鉴定工作中遇到的黄色钻石颜色成因问题,本文选取了Ⅰa型Cape系列褐色钻石作为研究对象,进行高温高压改色处理实验,并对处理前后的样品的紫外可见吸收光谱、红外吸收光谱以及光致发光光谱等谱学特征进行对比分析。结果表明:经高温高压改色处理后,钻石颜色由灰褐色变为褐黄色,钻石的紫外可见吸收光谱、红外吸收光谱和光致发光光谱也发生了很大改变。经处理的褐色钻石,其紫外可见吸收光谱中除原有的415nm和477nm吸收外,还产生503.2nm吸收,同时550nm至短波的吸收增强,钻石因此由原来的灰褐色变为褐黄色;红外吸收光谱中,1498、1520、1547cm~(-1)三个峰变为一个以1498cm~(-1)为中心的吸收宽峰;光致发光光谱中,产生了明显的H3(503.2nm)以及H2(986.2nm)缺陷。本研究获得的光谱变化特征为准确鉴定高温高压改色处理的Cape型钻石提供了依据,也为更好地理解晶格中氮、氢等相关的格子缺陷在高温高压条件下的变化机理提供了实验数据和分析。