Mantle resistance against Gibraltar slab dragging as a key cause of the Messinian Salinity Crisis

The Messinian Salinity Crisis (5.97–5.33 Ma) was caused by the closure of the Atlantic‐Mediterranean gateways that cut through the Gibraltar orogenic system. The geodynamic drivers underlying gateway closure and re‐opening are still debated. Here, we interrogate the gateway successions to find the imprints of surface deformation, infer the timing and nature of associated geodynamic drivers, and test such inferences against numerical simulations of slab dynamics. We find that since the latest Miocene, a tectonic framework was established in the gateway region dominated simultaneously by (a) relative plate convergence, (b) slab tearing under the eastern Betic Cordillera and (c) mantle resistance against north‐northeastward dragging of the Gibraltar slab by the African plate's absolute motion. We propose that mantle‐resisted slab dragging and slab tearing operated in concert closing the gateways that caused the Messinian Salinity Crisis, whereas sinking of heavy oceanic lithosphere located between buoyant continental plates re‐opened the Strait of Gibraltar at 5.33 Ma.     

Authigenic rhodochrosite from a gas hydrate-bearing structure in Lake Baikal

International Journal of Earth Sciences - Early diagenetic carbonates are rare in Lake Baikal. Siderite (Fe carbonate) concretions in the sediments were discovered only recently. Here, we discuss...     

On a more precise stokes' series

Summary A relation is established between coefficients of an expansion of the gravitational potential into a series of Legendre's function of the second kind and coefficients of an expansion of gravity anomalies on the surface of the reference ellipsoid into a series of the same functions. This connection can be useful in geodetic computations which take into account the Earth's flattening.     

Effect of oxygen fugacity on the H2O storage capacity of forsterite in the carbon-saturated systems

High pressure experiments have been performed in the systems Mg₂SiO₄-C-O-H and Mg₂SiO₄-K₂CO₃-C at 6.3 GPa and 1200 to 1600 °C using a split-sphere multi-anvil apparatus. In the Mg₂SiO₄-C-O-H system the composition of fluid was modeled by adding different amounts of water and stearic acid. The fO₂ was controlled by the Mo-MoO₂ or Fe-FeO oxygen buffers. Several experiments in the Mg₂SiO₄-C-O-H system and all experiments in the Mg₂SiO₄-K₂CO₃-C system have been conducted without buffering the fO₂. Forsterite in the system Mg₂SiO₄-K₂CO₃-C does not reveal OH absorption bands in the IR spectra, while forsterite coexisting with carbon-bearing fluid and silicate melt at logfO₂ from FMQ-2 to FMQ-5 (from 2 to 5 log units below fayalite-magnetite-quartz oxygen buffer) contains 800-1850 wt. ppm H₂O. The maximum concentrations were detected at 1400 °C and FMQ-3.5. We observed an increase in the solidus temperature in the system Mg₂SiO₄-C-O-H from 1200 to above 1600 °C with log fO₂ decreasing from FMQ-2 to FMQ-5. The increase of the solidus temperature and the broadening of the stability field of the H₂O-H₂-CH₄ subsolidus fluid phase at 1400-1600 °C explain the high H₂O storage capacity of forsterite relative to that crystallized from carbon-free, oxidized, hydrous, silicic melt. At temperatures above 1400 °C liquidus forsterite precipitated along with diamond from oxidized (FMQ-1) carbonate-silicate melt and from silicate melt dissolving the moderately reduced C-O-H fluid (from FMQ-2 to FMQ-3.5). Formation of diamond was not detected under ultra-reduced conditions (FMQ-5) at 1200-1600 °C. Olivine co-precipitating with diamond from dry carbonate-silicate or hydrous-silicic fluid/melt can provide information on the H₂O contents and speciation of the diamond-forming media in the mantle. The conditions for minimum post-crystallization alteration of olivine and its hydrogen content are discussed.     

Origin of V. Grib pipe eclogites (Arkhangelsk region,NW Russia): geochemistry,Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotopes and relation to regional Precambrian tectonics

Mineralogy and Petrology - In this paper, new main and trace elements and isotopic data are presented for 14 coarse-grained eclogite xenoliths from the V. Grib kimberlite pipe in the central part...     

Gravity potential at the Major Vertical Datum as primary geodetic constant

Summary On the basis of the fundamental relations of the Molodensky's Earth's figure theory (1945), admitting the inequality of the gravity potentials at the Major Vertical Datum W₀ and on the surface of the reference level ellipsoid U₀, and taken into account that potential W₀ enters into equations directly, it is recomended, W₀ should be adopted as a primary geodetic constant. Parameters of the best fitting ellipsoid are not needed for the solution of geodetic problems and for the investigation of the Earth's gravity field. The reason for requiring the reference and actual fields be close is only that the boundary-value problem can be solved in the linear approximation. Dedicated to the Memory of M.S. Molodensky Contribution to the I.A.G. Special Commission SC3 Fundamental Constants (SCFC).     

Specific features of temporal and spatial distributions of light hydrocarbons in the Sea of Azov

New data from recent surveys investigating the geochemistry of light hydrocarbons over a 4-year period in the Chernomorneftegaz petroleum license area in the central Sea of Azov are presented in this paper. The distributions of light hydrocarbons in both marine sediments and seawater were studied, and stable anomalies of hydrocarbons detected. Based on complex interpretations of geochemical and geophysical data, it has been shown that migration from the deep part of the sediment cover to the surface (seabed) is the main factor which determines the spatial distribution of hydrocarbons in the modern seabed sediments and seawater. The contribution of microbial and anthropogenic processes is insignificant.     

On a certain doubt L. Euler had with respect to determining the rotation of the earth and of celestial bodies

Summary The application of Euler's postulate , which determines rotation (here denotes the derivative of the angular momentum with respect to time, L the resultant torque of exterior forces relative to the centre of inertia), to a celestial body, which is not spherically symmetric, had aroused doubts in Euler himself because of the displacement of the resultant attractive force of other celestial bodies from the said centre. As Minding had noted, it is more logical to compute the resultant torque relative to a point at which the torque has a minimum. This point should be named the attrahentis centrum after Euler. Newton was aware of this displacement of the resultant force and had mentioned it in the Principia. A review of Euler's works connected with this subject is given.     

Determination of Stokes' constants respecting zero -frequency tidal term due to the Moon and the Sun

Summary A principle of determining the Earth's gravitational field through the Stokes' constants is presented. The problem is properly posed according to Hadamard. The zero-frequency tidal terms due to the Moon and the Sun are introduced analytically into the absolute terms of equations. The ellipsoidal coordinates are used. The reference field should be so close to the actual one, that the problem can be solved in a linear approximation. The proximity of the fields mentioned does not need to be of the highest possible degree.Contribution to the I.A.G. Special Commission SC3 Fundamental Constants (SCFC)     

Gypsum karst intensification as a consequence of sulphur mining activity (Jaziv field,Western Ukraine)

The scope of this study is to evaluate the parameters of the gypsum–anhydrite strata karstification under the influence of the quarry exploitation of Jaziv sulphur field (West Ukraine) accompanying by drainage. The quarry drainage provoked the enormous depression cone forming with 100 km² in area and the corresponding intensification of chemical denudation of the gypsum–anhydrite strata. The gypsum karstification rate for the 29-year period of the quarry drainage was 0.06% with the dissolved rock volume of 1,328,507 m³ that is about 80 times higher than in natural conditions. For the drainage period (29 years) the karst denudation rate was 17,952 m³/km² against the natural background of 231.3 m³/km². The absolute value of artificial denudation for the studied massif area is 1.79 cm for 29 years or 0.062 mm/year while the denudation rate under natural conditions would be 0.231 cm for 29 years or 0.0008 mm/year. The forecasted volumes of the surface-evident collapses are evaluated using the relationship between the calculated amount of dissolved sulphate rocks and volumes of the current surface-evident collapses. According to this evaluation, the current collapses correspond to about 34% only from the dissolved rocks volume calculated for the drainage period.