Crustal Melting in the Cordilleran Interior: The Mid-Cretaceous White Creek Batholith in the Southern Canadian Cordillera

The mid-Cretaceous White Creek batholith in southeast BritishColumbia is a zoned pluton ranging from quartz monzodioriteon the margin, to hornblende-and biotite-bearing granodioritetowards the interior of the batholith, which are in turn crosscutby two-mica granite. This range in rock type is similar to therange displayed by Mesozoic granitoid suites found in the Cordilleraninterior of western North America. The lithological zones inthe White Creek batholith correlate with distinet jumps in majorelement, trace element, and isotopic compositions, and indicatethat several pulses of magma were emplaced within the WhiteCreek magma chamber. The hornblende-and biotite-bearing granitoidsare metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, have strong light rareearth element (LREE) enrichment, and small negative Eu anomalies.These granitoids have initial _Sr ranging from +32 to +84 (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶SrTfrom 0.7069 to 0.7106), initial _Nd ranging from –5 to–10, and initial ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pbranging from 18.3 to 18.7, 15.58 to 15.65, and 38.3 to 39.0,respectively. The two-mica granites and associated aplites arestrongly peraluminous, and show only moderate LREE enrichmentand strong negative Eu anomalies. These granites have _Sr rangingfrom +174 to + 436 (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_T from 0.7169 to 0.7354), _Nd rangingfrom –12 to –16, and more radiogenic initial Pbisotope ratios than the hornblende-and biotite-bearing granitoids. Oxygen, Sr, Pb, and Nd isotopes, REE modelling, and phase equilibriumconstraints are consistent with crustal anatexis of Precambrianbasement gneisses and Proterozoic metapelites exposed in southeastBritish Columbia, the product being the hornblende-biotite granitoidsand two-mica granites, respectively. The sequence of intrusionin the White Creek batholith constrains the melting sequence.A zone of anatexis proceeded upwards through the crust, firstmelting basement gneisses then melting overlying metapelites.A model for basaltic magmatic underplating as a primary causeof anatexis of the crust during the mid-Cretaceous magmaticepisode is difficult to reconcile with the absence of earlyCretaceous basalt in the southern Canadian Cordillera. A muchmore likely petrogenetic model is that crustal anatexis wasprobably a response to crustal thickening in association withterrane accretion and collision along the western margin ofthe North American continent.     

Osmium Isotopic Evidence for Crust-Mantle Interaction in the Genesis of Continental Intraplate Basalts from the Newer Volcanics Province, Southeastern Australia

Basalts from the Quaternary Newer Volcanics Province in southeasternAustralia have a large diversity in their chemical and Nd, Srand Os isotopic compositions. Plains series olivine tholeiitesand Cones series nepheline hawaiites have distinctive isotopiccompositions and are clearly not related to each other by asimple genetic process. The Cones series nepheline hawaiiteshave trace element abundances and Nd (     

Measurements of density underflows from Walensee,Switzerland*

Speed and direction of bottom currents induced by density underflow of two sediment-laden rivers were measured by oceanographic current meters in the Walensee (= Lake of Walenstadt), Switzerland. The apparently shooting flow of currents (up to 30 cm/s in this study) is suggested as an explanation for laminations in turbidite sequences. The current speed apparently stabilizes on slopes around 2°; this angle seems to correspond to the critical slope where the flow of the measured currents becomes steady. Current direction is controlled by bottom topography and direction of river inflow. Reversal of current direction observed at two sites is probably due to the underflow-induced backward motion of the overlying lake water. Underflow activity in Walensee is correlative with density peaks of the river water input. The currents are compared to Lake Mead (Southwestern U.S.) underflows and sporadic currents in some submarine canyons.     

A Rhaetian 40Ar/39Ar age for the Rochechouart impact structure (France) and implications for the latest Triassic sedimentary record

Abstract– ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of potassium feldspar (primary spherulitic‐blocky and secondary idiomorphic K‐feldspar) separated from impact‐metamorphosed gneiss found near Videix in the western central part of the Rochechouart impact structure (NW Massif Central, France) yielded a Rhaetian combined age of 201 ± 2 Ma (2σ), indistinguishable within uncertainty from the age of the Triassic/Jurassic boundary. Ballen quartz intergrown with the primary K‐feldspar indicates post‐shock temperatures exceeding approximately 1000 °C that affected the precursor gneiss. Geochemically, both feldspar types represent essentially pure potassium end‐members. Apart from the approximately 15 km diameter impact deposit area, the youngest crystallization age known for basement rocks in this part of the Massif Central is approximately 300 Ma. No endogenic magmatic‐thermal events are known to have occurred later in this region. The K‐feldspar recrystallized from local feldspar melts and superimposed post‐shock hydrothermal crystallization, probably within some thousands of years after the impact. It is, therefore, suggested that the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age for the Videix gneiss (as a potassic “impact metasomatite”) dates the Rochechouart impact, in consistence with evidence for K‐metasomatism in the Rochechouart impactites. The new age value is distinctly younger than the previously obtained Karnian–Norian age for Rochechouart and, thus, contradicts the Late Triassic multiple impact theory postulated some years ago. In agreement with the paleogeographic conditions in the western Tethys domain around the Triassic/Jurassic boundary, the near‐coastal to shallow marine Rochechouart impact is compatible with the formation of seismites and tsunami deposits in the latest Triassic of the British Isles and possible related deposits in other parts of Europe.     

围栏引起的有蹄类动物死亡及其对未来祁连山国家公园管理的启示

围栏是牧区畜牧业的重要组成部分。但是,这些围栏也给野生动物带来了很多负面影响,会制约它们的活动范围,妨碍其种群扩散甚至会直接导致死亡。甘肃盐池湾国家级自然保护区未来将成为祁连山国家公园的重要组成部分,本文对该区内围栏的现状及其所产生的影响进行了评估。我们通过70份调查问卷,了解了当地牧民对围栏的看法、围栏对野生有蹄类动物的威胁以及观察到的被围栏缠绕的野生动物的数量。我们发现,如果当地居民发现用于管理牲畜的围栏会伤害到野生动物,他们更可能意识到围栏带来的负面影响,那些认为围栏对野生动物有害的人更有可能支持拆除围栏。然而,对于需要雇用他人来照看家畜的牧民,支持围栏拆除的可能性较小。最佳模型只解释了部分数据差异,这表明虽然对围栏威胁的认识很重要,但其他因素可能也会影响牧民对围栏拆除的支持度。因此,为了能在新的国家公园内成功开展围栏拆除工作,有必要强化社区服务和社区合作,以减少围栏拆除对牲畜管理的影响。调查发现,当地牧民在围栏上发现过死亡的藏野驴、盘羊和藏原羚,其中发现藏野驴的次数明显多于其他两个物种。这一结果表明,前述三个物种可能更容易被围栏缠绕,未来需要加强相关研究,这将有助于推动围栏拆除计划的实施。     

The Effects of Plateau Pika (Ochotona curzoniae) Presence and Population Control on the Structure of an Alpine Grassland Bird Community

China’s Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) is an important area for bird conservation, with many endemic and Threatened species. Colonial burrowing mammals play an important role in structuring bird communities in arid grasslands around the world. On the QTP, the plateau pika Ocho tona curzoniae builds colonies which provide a dense source of resources for many bird species. However, pikas are regarded as a pest by local pastoralists, and they are the target of a population reduction campaign which could have a significant impact on the bird communities. We surveyed bird communities at Gansu Yanchiwan National Nature Reserve to investigate the differences in community structure between sites with pika colonies (on colony) and sites without them (off colony), and between pika colonies which had been poisoned and those which had not. Using non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) combined with permutational multivariate analysis of variance (PERMANOVA) and Wilcoxon rank-sum tests, we found that there was no significant difference in bird community composition or abundance between the poisoned and untreated colonies. However, there was a very large and statistically significant difference in bird community structures between on- and off-colony sites. Only horned lark Eremophila alpestris was consistently observed at sites without pika colonies, while ten bird species were observed on colonies. Six species were significantly more abundant on colony than off. While we could not claim that the poisoning campaign at Yanchiwan is altering bird communities, the presence of pika colonies seems to be an indispensable resource for the resident birds.     

珠峰农牧社区山地景观下的雪豹栖息地利用特征（英文）

雪豹(Panthera uncia)是青藏高原南缘喜马拉雅山地的顶级捕食者,其中段的珠峰国家级自然保护区是雪豹的重要栖息地之一。随着保护区内外几十年来快速的经济发展和人口增长,雪豹面临许多人为干扰和栖息环境改变所带来的压力。为了更好地了解该区域雪豹的栖息地利用情况,以及人类活动对雪豹栖息地利用的影响,我们采用景观生态学动态视角,基于多尺度和占域模型开展了本研究。首先,我们在面积 825 km²的样地系统布设 118 台红外相机开展野外调查。进而依据雪豹生态学特性和当地环境特征,选取若干自然环境与人为干扰因子,并利用各因子间的组合构建栖息地利用模型,基于红外相机数据,分别对雪豹栖息地利用进行了冬夏两个不同季节(共计 180 天)的比较研究。结果表明,冬夏两季的最佳模型分别是栖息地(HABITAT)模型和人为影响(ANTHROPOGENIC INFLUENCE)模型(AICc_w≤2)。就模型总体表现而言,冬季优于夏季,表明夏季雪豹栖息地利用存在有未被探测到的变量的可能性;单变量模型表明雪豹在冬季倾向于利用较高崎岖度和更大尺度的栖息地(多尺度焦点...     

Lake circulation induced by density currents: an experimental approach*

This short note reports a series of density current experiments designed to model turbidity underflows caused by flood-stage discharge of lake-tributaries. In a 5.8 m long tank filled with freshwater, saltwater was fed in continuously, flowing down a 15°‘delta’ slope onto a horizontal floor. These density currents maintained steady state characteristics. The main objectives of this investigation were to determine (1) the flow regime of the density currents and (2) the underflow-induced movements in the freshwater. Reynolds numbers for thirty-five runs ranged from 70 to 4100. Experiments with laminar flow reproduced kinematic (Froudian) models of underflows measured in the Walensee (Switzerland). Flow was rapid on the slope (Froude number, Fr > 1) and tranquil (Fr<1) on the floor. Turbulent flow experiments yielded velocity profiles (with a maximum at the flow interface) which approximate natural conditions. Movements in formerly stagnant water body are induced by interfacial shear stress: a layer of freshwater is dragged along by the density current and replaced by the backward flow of an equal amount of overlying water (mass conservation). Extrapolated to a natural setting, circulation induced by underflows is probably an important mechanism for oxygenating deep lacustrine basins.