Syros Metasomatic Tourmaline: Evidence for Very High-{delta}11B Fluids in Subduction Zones

High-pressure (HP) metamorphic blocks enclosed in a mafic toultramafic matrix from a mélange on the island of Syrosare rimmed by tourmaline-bearing reaction zones (blackwalls).The B isotopic composition of dravitic tourmaline within theseblackwalls was investigated in situ by secondary ion mass spectrometry.Boron in these tourmalines is unusually heavy, with ¹¹B valuesexceeding +18 in all investigated samples and reaching an extremevalue of +28·4 in one sample. Blackwalls formed duringexhumation of the HP mélange at a depth of 20–25km at temperatures of 400–430°C, by influx of externalhydrous fluids. The compositions of the fluids are estimatedto be in the range of 100–300 µg/g B with ¹¹B valuesof +18 to +28. The high ¹¹B values cannot be explained by tourmalineformation from unmodified slab-derived fluids. However, suchfluids could interact with the material in the exhumation channelon their way from the dehydrating slab to the site of tourmalineformation in the blackwalls. This could produce exceptionallyhigh ¹¹B values in the fluids, a case that is modelled in thisstudy. The model demonstrates that subduction fluids may beeffectively modified in both trace element and isotopic compositionduring their migration through the material overlying the subductingslab. Blackwall tourmaline from Syros has a large grain size(several centimetres), high abundance, and an exceptionallyhigh ¹¹B value. The formation of tourmaline at the contact betweenmafic or felsic HP blocks and their ultramafic matrix involvedfluids released during dehydration reactions in the subductingslab. It forms a heavy-boron reservoir in hybrid rocks overlyingthe subducting slab, and may, thus, have a significant impacton the geochemical cycle of B and its isotopes in subductionzones. KEY WORDS: boron isotopes; tourmaline; subduction zone; fluid, high pressure     

P-T Evolution of a Variscan Lower-Crustal Segment: a Study of Granulites from the Schwarzwald, Germany

Pressure–temperature–time (P–T–t) pathsof orogenic granulites provide important information on thethermal and chemical structure of the lower continental crustthrough time, and constraints on tectonic processes. We presentthe first detailed petrological investigation of granulitesfrom the Variscan Schwarzwald. Pelitic granulites from the CentralSchwarzwald Gneiss Complex (CSGC) are characterized by the peakassemblage garnet + rutile + kyanite + antiperthite ±quartz. Felsic to intermediate granulites from the SouthernSchwarzwald Gneiss Complex (SSGC) exhibit different peak assemblageswith clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, ternary feldspar, garnet,quartz and sillimanite, and manifold retrograde reaction textures.Peak P–T conditions were calculated by two-feldspar thermometry,garnet–orthopyroxene thermometry and various geobarometers.Minimum estimates for peak conditions are 950–1010°Cand 1·4–1·8 GPa for the granulites of theCSGC, which followed a clockwiseP–T path. The retrogradepath is characterized by initial isothermal decompression, associatedwith partial melting, followed by isobaric cooling. Peak conditionsfor the SSGC are 1015°C and 1·5 GPa (minimum temperature,maximum pressure). No prograde relics are preserved, and isothermaldecompression was less pronounced than in the CSGC. Other VariscanHP–HT granulites from Central Europe show similar lithologies,equilibration temperatures and ages (340–335 Ma). Theheat for widespread high-temperature metamorphism in the Variscanlower crust could have been supplied by repeated intrusion ofsubduction-related basic magmas. Rapid, near-isothermal decompressionof the granulites may have been facilitated by considerablevolumes of partial melt and by orogenic extension. KEY WORDS: granulites; near-isothermal decompression; two-feldspar thermometry; HT metamorphism; Variscan Schwarzwald     

NEW POSSIBILITIES FOR REFLECTION SEISMICS BY UNDERSHOOTING BODIES WITH COMPLICATED TECTONICS *

In modern oil exploration layers of prospective interest with rather simple structural features are often overlain by very complicated bodies as e.g. saltdomes or other kinds of diapirs, olistostromes, or front zones of overthrusted blankets. In all these cases normal reflection seismic investigations, where downgoing and upgoing rays are rather close to each other, mostly fail, either because no reflections from underneath the complicated bodies are obtained, or because a reliable migrated depth presentation becomes practically impossible due to the inhomogeneity of the overlying bodies. The undershooting technique avoids these difficulties by using ray paths which do not traverse the complicated bodies e.g. by shooting on one side of a saltdome and recording on the other side. On account of the large shot-geophone distances in this method special considerations and computer processes were developed concerning moveout corrections for common depth point stacking and migrated depth presentation. In many cases the location of the disturbing complicated bodies is known in advance. The shooting and recording program can then be adjusted to this knowledge and thereby kept to a minimum. If the location of the complicated bodies is unknown a more extended seismic program has to be carried out encompassing a great variety of shot-geophone distances. But in this case the approximate location of the complicated bodies can be deduced from the survey too. Results are presented in order to give an idea of the efficiency of the new seismic tool.     

PARAMETER OPTIMIZATION OF VELOCITY DEPTH FUNCTIONS OF GIVEN FORM BY USE OF ROOT-MEAN-SQUARE VELOCITIES*

From seismic surveys zero offset reflection times and root-mean-square velocities are obtained. By use of Dix-Krey's formula, the interval velocities can be calculated. If no well velocity survey exists, the interval velocities and T(o) times are the only available information. The suggested way to get a regionally valid velocity distribution is to select N“leading horizons”, where a major change in the velocity parameters occurs and to compute the parameters of the selected velocity depth function (in most cases linear increase with depth) by a special approximation for the interval between two adjacent “leading horizons”. Herewith all reflection horizons within the interval are taken into account.     

SIGNAL ADJUSTMENT OF VIBROSEIS AND IMPULSIVE SOURCE DATA*

In certain areas continuous Vibroseis profiling is not possible due to varying terrain conditions. Impulsive sources can be used to maintain continuous coverage. While this technique keeps the coverage at the desired level, for the processing of the actual data there is the problem of using different sources resulting in different source wavelets. In addition, the effect of the free surface is different for these two energy sources. The approach to these problems consists of a minimum-phase transformation of the two-sided Vibroseis data by removal of the anticipation component of the autocorrelation of the filtered sweep and a minimum-phase transformation of the impulsive source data by replacement of the recording filter operator with its minimum-phase correspondent. Therefore, after this transformation, both datasets show causal wavelets and a conventional deconvolution (spike or predictive) may be used. After stacking, a zero-phase transformation can be performed resulting in traces well suited for computing pseudo-acoustic impedance logs or for application of complex seismic trace analysis. The solution is also applicable to pure Vibroseis data, thereby eliminating the need for a special Vibroseis deconvolution. The processing steps described above are demonstrated on synthetic and actual data. The transformation operators used are two-sided recursive (TSR) shaping filters. After application of the above adjustment procedure, remaining signal distortions can be removed by modifying only the phase spectrum or both the amplitude and phase spectra. It can be shown that an arbitrary distortion defined in the frequency domain, i.e., a distortion of the amplitude and phase spectrum, is noticeable in the time section as a two-sided signal.     

MOVING SOURCE PROFILING (MSP)1

Moving source profiling is a modification of walk-away vertical seismic profiling in which the source is moved along a line across a well while the signal is recorded in the well at a certain depth. The method was designed to better predict the target horizon below the drill bit and away from the well location. The method has several advantages in areas of complicated overburden. In overthrust regions, the receiver is placed below much of the complicated structure to minimize distortion of the reflected signal. The final seismic image is a depth presentation of the subsurface structure and stratigraphy based on wavefront calculations. This depth estimation is obtained without extensive processing of the recorded data. The final result is available within a few days and can help interpreters to decide if and where to sidetrack the well. The method is demonstrated using an example from the overthrust zone of the Lower Saxonian Basin and the Pompeckj's well in Northern Germany.