NOUVELLE METHODE DE RESTITUTION D'UN HORIZON REFRAGTEUR PAR SISMIQUE REFRACTION*

The purpose of this report is to show a method of determining the top of a refractor departing from the times and slopes of the direct and inverse dromocrones. The method does not need topographical correction and can be applied without knowledge of the distance between the geophone and the shot point. These results having been obtained, the commonly accepted point of view is upset: instead of looking for two points on the surface corresponding to one point of the refractor, we try to etablish, starting with only one point from the surface, the two corresponding points from the top of the refractor. This method can be applied to isolated points and does not demand interpretative hypotheses of any kind, excluding the velocity evaluation of the overburden and of the refractor. The necessary calculations can be easily executed by means of a digital computer to which the dromocrone times and the distances between the geophones must be given. These calculations can also be executed by a person having no knowledge of refraction seismology. This report also examines the validity of the approximations involved in the method proposed.     

Deformation in the Neoproterozoic Smalfjord Formation,northern Norway: an indicator of glacial depositional conditions?

Recent studies on Neoproterozoic climate change have prompted renewed interest in Neoproterozoic glacial deposits and renewed debate over the criteria used to identify the nature of glacial influence on sedimentation. Analyses of soft sediment deformation structures have provided important clues to distinguish between competing palaeoenvironmental interpretations of Quaternary glacial deposits; a similar approach is presented here in the analysis of Neoproterozoic glacial deposits of the Smalfjord Formation, northern Norway. A detailed sedimentological and structural analysis at several sites in the Varangerfjorden area reveals complex soft sediment deformation at various scales in conglomerate, sandstone and diamictite. Deformation is predominantly ductile and includes anticlinal and synclinal folding, flow noses, flame structures, recumbent folding and shear structures. The deformed sediments are associated predominantly with conglomerate and sandstone, which record glaciofluvial and deltaic depositional conditions. Some deformations can be attributed to rapid deposition and slumping, whereas others appear to record shear stress associated with overriding ice. The scale, style and range of deformation, together with the coarse-grained nature of the deformed sediments and facies associations, suggest that these were unfrozen outwash sediments that were overridden by ice and resedimented in a dynamic ice-proximal setting. Whereas recent studies of diamictite-bearing strata of the Smalfjord Formation had revealed no clear evidence of glacial influence on deposition, deformation structures documented here suggest that glacial conditions prevailed on the basin margin during deposition of Smalfjord Formation sediments, with sedimentary facies and deformation structures typical of temperate ice-proximal settings.     

Structure and evolution of a Messinian mixed carbonate‐siliciclastic platform: the role of evaporites (Sorbas Basin,South‐east Spain)

The Sorbas Member is a late Messinian complex sedimentary system that formed immediately following deposition of the Messinian evaporites in the Sorbas Basin (South‐east Spain). This work describes the sequence architecture and facies organization of a continuous kilometre long, alluvial fan to open platform transect near the village of Cariatiz in the north‐east of the basin. The post‐evaporitic Cariatiz platform was a mixed carbonate‐siliciclastic system composed of four intermediate‐frequency, fifth‐order depositional sequences (Depositional Sequences 1 to 4) arranged in an overall prograding trend. The intense fracturing and brecciation of these deposits is attributed to the deformation and dissolution of an evaporite body measuring several tens of metres in thickness. The four sequences display significant spatial–temporal variability in both architecture and facies distribution, with two main phases: (i) Depositional Sequences 1 and 2 are ooid and oobioclastic dominated, and show normal marine faunas; and (ii) Depositional Sequences 3 and 4 show a higher siliciclastic contribution and are microbialite dominated. These important changes are interpreted as modifications of the primary controlling factors. Following an initial 70 m drowning, possibly linked to increased oceanic input, Depositional Sequences 1 to 3 were controlled mainly by eustatic variations and inherited topography; their progradation destabilized the evaporite body near the end of the Depositional Sequence 2 period. During the second phase, Depositional Sequences 3 and 4 recorded a progressive restriction of the Sorbas Basin related to a 30 to 40 m fall in water level that was driven mainly by regional factors. These regional factors were dissolution and gravity‐induced deformation of the evaporites and correlative evaporative fluid circulation associated with the contrasted arid/humid regional climate that, respectively, controlled sequence geometry and fluctuating water salinity which caused a microbialite bloom.     

喀喇昆仑断裂带走滑过程中伴随的快速隆升作用:热年代学证据

喀喇昆仑断裂带是青藏高原西部的一条大型右旋走滑断裂带,它是喜马拉雅山脉西段北侧重要的地质边界.本文在岩石学、变形构造的研究基础上,对喀喇昆仑断裂带东南段阿伊拉日居山-噶尔盆地地区的喀喇昆仑韧性剪切带中变质岩石的同构造矿物进行了40Ar/39Ar热年代学研究.显微构造研究表明,剪切带中的矿物记录了从高温(>600℃)到低温(<250℃)条件下的连续变形,表现为近水平的右旋剪切运动转变成斜向的右旋正滑,使绿片岩相的变形作用叠加在中-高温变形之上.暗示出走滑过程中存在隆升作用,热年代学结果显示其连续剪切变形作用从早中新世以来至少持续到4Ma,并且出现三个快速冷却阶段:第一个快速冷却阶段为从25～22Ma到21～18Ma期间,可能代表的是浅部高温剪切过程中变形局部停止或减慢的过程;第二个快速冷却时期为从15Ma到12～10Ma,是喀喇昆仑断裂带走滑过程中,阿伊拉日居山的快速隆升、噶尔盆地开始形成以及主要河流深切过程阶段;9Ma以来是第三个快速冷却过程,使阿伊拉日居山脉进一步快速隆升、噶尔盆地定形过程.根据不同年代地表地貌特征的右旋错位距离以及不同层次变形特征,估算出喀喇昆仑断裂带长期滑移速率为8～10mm/a,伴随的隆升速率为1mm/a.从显微构造和热年代学证据表明,晚第四纪以来该断裂经历了强烈的右旋走滑运动的同时伴随强烈的隆升作用.     

Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological change on the northern Tethyan carbonate platform during the Late Barremian to earliest Aptian

A major shift from Urgonian oligotrophic carbonate accumulation to orbitolinid‐rich mixed siliciclastic–carbonate deposition is observed near the Barremian–Aptian boundary in many sections both within and outside the shallow‐marine Tethyan Realm. This important facies change in the Swiss Helvetic Alps is documented here and interpreted in the context of general palaeoenvironmental change. To achieve this, a detailed micropalaeontological, sedimentological, mineralogical and geochemical study has been carried out on six sections across the upper part of the lower Schrattenkalk Member (Late Barremian), the Rawil Member (formerly ‘Lower Orbitolina Beds’, earliest Aptian) and the lowermost part of the upper Schrattenkalk Member (Early Aptian). The sediments of the Rawil Member exhibit inner‐platform facies with rudists, miliolids, orbitolinids and dasycladals to outer‐platform facies characterized by small benthic foraminifera, orbitolinids, crinoids and bryozoans. Stratigraphic trends in microfacies environments and the composition of microfossil assemblages, indicate that the Rawil Member includes a transgressive systems tract and the base of a highstand systems tract which are composed of an increasing number of parasequences in distal directions (five to nine in the sections studied here). The sea‐level rise discerned in the Rawil Member is coeval with increased detrital input and phosphorus burial, with maximum values up to 80 times and 21 times the background values in the subjacent part of the lower Schrattenkalk Member, respectively. Furthermore, the Rawil Member records the appearance of kaolinite, indicating a change towards tropical and more humid climate conditions. This change may have led to an increase in continental weathering rates and an associated increase in detrital and nutrient fluxes towards the ocean. The phase of climate change observed near the Barremian–Aptian boundary may have been triggered by a phase of intensified volcanic activity linked with the onset of the Ontong Java large igneous province and the Rawil Member may be the expression of a precursor episode to Oceanic Anoxic Event 1a in the shallow‐marine environment.     

Evolution of the Nile deep‐sea turbidite system during the Late Quaternary: influence of climate change on fan sedimentation

This paper presents an overview of the evolution of the Nile deep‐sea turbidite system during the last 200 kyr, over a series of glacial to interglacial cycles. Six individual deep‐sea fans were identified from an extensive field data set. Each fan comprises a canyon, channel system and terminal lobes. Two of these fan systems were possibly active at the same time, at least during some periods. Large‐scale slope failures destroyed channel segments and caused the formation of new submarine fan systems. These slope failures thus played an important role in the overall evolution of the turbidite system. During the last glacial maximum (ca 25 to 14·8 ka) the central and eastern parts of the Nile deep‐sea turbidite system were relatively inactive. This inactivity corresponds to a lowstand in sea‐level, and a period of arid climate and relatively low sediment discharge from the Nile fluvial system. Rapid accumulation of fluvial flood‐derived deposits occurred across the shallower part of the submarine delta during sea‐level rise between ca 14·8 and 5 ka. The most recent deep‐sea channel–lobe system was very active during this period of rising sea‐level, which is also associated with a wetter continental climate and increased sediment and water discharge from the Nile. Increased sediment deposition in shallower water areas led to occasional large‐scale slope failure. The Nile deep‐sea turbidite system was largely inactive after ca 5 ka. This widespread inactivity is due to retreat of the coastline away from the continental shelf break, and to a more arid continental climate and reduced discharge of sediment from the Nile. The Nile deep‐sea turbidite system may be more active during periods of rising and high sea‐level associated with wetter climates, than during lowstands, and may rapidly become largely inactive during highstands in sea‐level coupled with arid periods. These acute responses to climate change have produced sedimentary/stratigraphic features that diverge from traditional sequence models in their nature and timing. This large‐scale sedimentary system responded to monsoon‐driven climate change and sea‐level change in a system‐wide and contemporaneous manner.     

THERMAL INFRA-RED TECHNIQUE APPLIED TO MODERN INVESTIGATION*

During the last few years a substantial improvement has been made in the development of the thermal infra-red scanner so that 1.5 milli-radian resolution is now commonly obtained. Direct transfer of information on 70 mm film through fiber glass transcoder allows immediate and refined interpretation. Although the collected data represent the image of thermal anomalies within a pellicular section of the earth's crust, it is proved that because of “per ascensum” phenomena, deep buried sources induce surface thermal changes. The difficulty lies in showing an absolute relationship between these deep phenomena and thermal surface occurrences. A careful examination of several cases related to hydrology, karstic geology, civil engineering, pollution, hot springs should help the geophysicist by providing him a new tool for shallow investigations. Thermographics with interpretation are shown to support this statement.     

Flood and Shield Basalts from Ethiopia: Magmas from the African Superswell

The Ethiopian plateau is made up of several distinct volcaniccentres of different ages and magmatic affinities. In the NE,a thick sequence of 30 Ma flood basalts is overlain by the 30Ma Simien shield volcano. The flood basalts and most of thisshield volcano, except for a thin veneer of alkali basalt, aretholeiitic. In the centre of the province, a far thinner sequenceof flood basalt is overlain by the 22 Ma Choke and Guguftu shieldvolcanoes. Like the underlying flood basalts, these shieldsare composed of alkaline lavas. A third type of magma, whichalso erupted at 30 Ma, is more magnesian, alkaline and stronglyenriched in incompatible trace elements. Eruption of this magmawas confined to the NE of the province, a region where the lavaflows are steeply tilted as a result of deformation contemporaneouswith their emplacement. Younger shields (e.g. Mt Guna, 10·7Ma) are composed of Si-undersaturated lavas. The three maintypes of magma have very different major and trace element characteristicsranging from compositions low in incompatible elements in thetholeiites [e.g. 10 ppm La at 7 wt % MgO (=La₇), La/Yb = 4·2],moderate in the alkali basalts (La₇ = 24, La/Yb = 9·2),and very high in the magnesian alkaline magmas (La₇ = 43, La/Yb= 17). Although their Nd and Sr isotope compositions are similar,Pb isotopic compositions vary considerably; ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb variesin the range of