The stable isotope signature of kilometre-scale fracturedominated metamorphic fluid pathways, Mary Kathleen, Australia

Abstract Large calcite veins and pods in the Proterozoic Corella Formation of the Mount Isa Inlier provide evidence for kilometre-scale fluid transport during amphibolite facies metamorphism. These 10- to 100-m-scale podiform veins and their surrounding alteration zones have similar oxygen and carbon isotopic ratios throughout the 200 × 10-km Mary Kathleen Fold Belt, despite the isotopic heterogeneity of the surrounding wallrocks. The fluids that formed the pods and veins were not in isotopic equilibrium with the immediately adjacent rocks. The pods have δ¹³C_calcite values of –2 to –7% and δ¹⁸O_calcite values of 10.5 to 12.5%. Away from the pods, metadolerite wallrocks have δ¹⁸O_whole-rock values of 3.5 to 7%. and unaltered banded calc-silicate and marble wallrocks have δ¹³C_calcite of –1.6 to –0.6%, and δ¹⁸O_calcite of 18 to 21%. In the alteration zones adjacent to the pods, the δ¹⁸O values of both metadolerite and calc-silicate rocks approach those of the pods. Large calcite pods hosted entirely in calc-silicates show little difference in isotopic composition from pods hosted entirely in metadolerite. Thus, 100- to 500-m-scale isotopic exchange with the surrounding metadolerites and calc-silicates does not explain the observation that the δ¹⁸O values of the pods are intermediate between these two rock types. Pods hosted in felsic metavolcanics and metasiltstones are also isotopically indistinguishable from those hosted in the dominant metadolerites and calc-silicates. These data suggest the veins are the product of infiltration of isotopically homogeneous fluids that were not derived from within the Corella Formation at the presently exposed crustal level, although some of the spread in the data may be due to a relatively small contribution from devolatilization reactions in the calc-silicates, or thermal fluctuations attending deformation and metamorphism. The overall L-shaped trend of the data on plots of δ¹³C vs. δ¹⁸O is most consistent with mixing of large volumes of externally derived fluids with small volumes of locally derived fluid produced by devolatilization of calc-silicate rocks. Localization of the vein systems in dilatant sites around metadolerite/calc-silicate boundaries indicates a strong structural control on fluid flow, and the stable isotope data suggest fluid migration must have occurred at scales greater than at least 1 km. The ultimate source for the external fluid is uncertain, but is probably fluid released from crystallizing melts derived from the lower crust or upper mantle. Intrusion of magmas below the exposed crustal level would also explain the high geothermal gradient calculated for the regional metamorphism.     

Palaeoenvironmental significance of Late Permian palaeosols in the South‐Eastern Iberian Ranges,Spain

The Late Permian (Wuchiapingian) Alcotas Formation in the SE Iberian Ranges consists of one red alluvial succession where abundant soil profiles developed. Detailed petrographical and sedimentological studies in seven sections of the Alcotas Formation allow six different types of palaeosols, with distinctive characteristics and different palaeogeographical distribution, to be distinguished throughout the South‐eastern Iberian Basin. These characteristics are, in turn, related to topographic, climatic and tectonic controls. The vertical distribution of the palaeosols is used to differentiate the formation in three parts from bottom to top showing both drastic and gradual vertical upwards palaeoenvironmental changes in the sections. Reconstruction of palaeoenvironmental conditions based on palaeosols provides evidence for understanding the events that occurred during the Late Permian, some few millions of years before the well‐known Permian‐Triassic global crisis.     

Spatter-rich pyroclastic flow deposits on Santorini,Greece

Pyroclastic deposits exposed in the caldera walls of Santorini Volcano (Greece), contain several prominent horizons of coarse-grained andesitic spatter and cauliform volcanic bombs. These deposits can be traced around most of the caldera wall. They thicken in depressions and are intimately associated with ignimbrite and co-ignimbrite lithic lag breccias. They are interpreted as a proximal facies of pyroclastic flow deposits. Evidence for a flow origin includes the presence of a fine-grained pumiceous matrix, flow deformation of ductile spatter clasts, exceedingly coarse grain sizes several kilometres from any plausible vent, imbrication of flattened spatter clasts, intimate interbedding with normal pyroclastic flow deposits and the presence of inversely graded basal layers. The deposits contain hydrothermally altered, rounded lithic ejecta including gabbro nodules. The andesitic ejecta and the fine matrix are typically moderately to poorly vesicular indicating that magmatic gas had a subordinate role in the eruptive process. The andesitic clasts contain abundant angular lithic inclusions and some clasts are themselves formed of pre-existing agglutinate. We propose that these eruptions occurred when external water gained access to the vents, causing large-scale explosions which formed pyroclastic flows rich in coarse, semifluid but poorly vesicular ejecta. We postulate that large volumes of coarse pyroclastic ejecta and degassed lava accumulated in a deep crater prior to being disrupted by these large explosions to form pyroclastic flows.     

The lacustrine sediment record of Oberwinkler Maar (Eifel, Germany): Chironomid and macro-remain-based inferences of environmental changes during Oxygen Isotope Stage 3

The lacustrine record of Oberwinkler Maar (Eifel, Germany) is the northernmost continuous record documenting the Weichselian Pleniglacial in central Europe – a period characterized by multiple abrupt climate oscillations known as the Dansgaard/Oeschger cycles. Here, the results of a high-resolution study of chironomid remains are presented, with a focus on the earlier part of Oxygen Isotope Stage (OIS) 3 (60–50 kyr BP) covering four stadial/interstadial cycles. During the stadials, the chironomid fauna of the former lake was dominated by many cold-stenothermic chironomid taxa, indicating a cold, oligotrophic lake. The concentrations of chironomid remains were lower during the interstadials, and featured a higher number of warm-indicating taxa. This could have been the result of a higher summer temperature at the study site, but also of bottom-water anoxia, an increase in trophic state or a combination of all these factors. During the stadial intervals, a taxon that is restricted to (sub-)arctic environments is present in our record, suggesting a change in the temperature regime rather than in-lake processes as the driving mechanism for the changes in the chironomid record. Although, consistently, there was a response of the lake ecosystem to climate changes, the amplitude of this response was not constant. This study provides unique and independent evidence of the impact of Dansgaard/Oeschger climate variability on the European continent during the earlier part of OIS-3.     

The effect of heterogeneous stress and strain on metamorphic fluid flow,Mary Kathleen,Australia, and a model for large-scale fluid circulation *

In the Proterozoic Mary Kathleen Fold Belt, northern Australia, infiltration of large volumes of externally derived fluid occurred synchronously with regional amphibolite-facies metamorphism and deformation. This paper develops a model of structurally controlled fluid migration by comparing the distribution of fossil fluid pathways with the inferred stress and strain patterns during the deformation. Intense fluid flow was localized within strong, relatively brittle meta-intrusive bodies, and in discrete, veined, brecciated and altered zones around their margins. In metasediments folded in a ductile manner outside these areas, fluid infiltration was negligible. The direct correlation between structural styles and the magnitude of veining and metasomatism suggests control of permeability enhancement, and hence fluid flow, by deformation. Finite difference modelling of a strong body in a weaker matrix has been used to evaluate the variation of stresses during the deformation, from which it is clear that stress and strain heterogeneities have systematically influenced the development and maintenance of metamorphic fluid pathways. Particular regions in which mean stress may be significantly lower than the average lithostatic pressures include the ‘strain shadow’zones adjacent to the strong bodies, other dilatant zones around the bodies, and the bodies themselves. This geometry is favourable not only for localized brittle deformation under amphilobite facies conditions, but also for focused fluid flow in the low mean stress regions, as evidenced by the abundance of veins. Fluid access through these metamorphic aquifers occurred during tensile failure episodes, with particularly large dilations and decimetre-scale veining in areas of strain incompatibility. It appears likely that fluid circulated many times through the Fold Belt, with flow concentrated in the metamorphic aquifers. A model is developed that explains both the structurally focused fluid flow and the postulated multi-pass recirculation by dilatancy pumping, the ‘pump engines’comprising the low mean stress zones.     

A review of the assessments of the major fisheries resources in South Africa

The waters off South Africa's coastline boast a rich mix of commercially fished species. Quantitative assessments of these marine resources have developed from simple methods first applied in the 1970s, to models that encompass a wide range of methodologies. The more valuable resources have undergone regular assessments in recent decades, with frequencies closely related to the management approach employed for each fishery. Many of these assessments form the operating models used to simulation-test candidate management procedures. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the assessments of 11 of the most important fisheries resources in South Africa. Some assessments use simple biomass dynamics models, whereas others are a hybrid of age- and length-based models, each designed to model the specific characteristics of the resource and fishery concerned. Many of the assessments have been disaggregated by species/stock and/or area as related multispecies/stock/ distribution hypotheses have arisen. This paper explores the similarities and differences in the data available and the methods applied. The review indicates that, whereas the status of three of these resources cannot be estimated reliably at present, the status of six resources is considered to be reasonable to good, whereas that of abalone Haliotis midae and West Coast rock lobster Jasus lalandii remains poor.     

Holocene and Lateglacial summer temperature reconstruction in the Swiss Alps based on fossil assemblages of aquatic organisms: a review

The taxonomic composition of chironomid, cladoceran and diatom assemblages in small lakes in the Alpine region shows a strong relationship with summer temperature. Since fossils of all three organism groups preserve well and remain identifiable in lake sediments, summer temperature transfer-functions can be developed based on the modern distribution of these organisms and applied to fossil records to reconstruct past summer temperature variability. We provide a summary of the chironomid-, cladoceran- and diatom-based transfer functions available from the Swiss Alps and discuss the potential problem of co-variation between summer temperature and lake nutrient conditions for transfer-function development. Whereas the diatom-based summer temperature transfer function remains to be evaluated in down-core reconstructions, the cladoceran- and chironomid-based transfer functions have been used successfully to produce summer temperature records on Lateglacial and Holocene time scales that are in good agreement with other temperature reconstructions in the Alps. Major problems that can be encountered when using fossil assemblages of aquatic organisms for temperature reconstruction in the Alpine region are biases in the inferred temperatures associated with human impact on lakes and parameters other than temperature affecting the fossil assemblages. A multi-proxy approach to palaeoenvironmental reconstruction is recommended to keep a close control on past catchment and within-lake processes during the time interval of interest.     

Structurally controlled fluid flow associated with breccia vein formation

A breccia vein sampled from a shear zone in greenschist facies metapelites at Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia, shows a systematic variation in vein geometry that is related to the geometry of folding and faulting within the sample. Calcite vein-fill is coarse grained and equigranular, suggesting precipitation in a fluid-filled space. Partially folded veins suggest that veining occurred during folding and faulting. The breccia vein contains a central zone in which dilation has occurred simultaneously in all directions in the plane of section, implying that this was a zone of high fluid pressure and nearly isostatic differential stress during folding and faulting. From these observations, it can be inferred that the breccia vein was a zone of high permeability and a likely fluid channel during deformation. This hypothesis was tested by stable isotope analysis of veins and host rocks. The calcite veins have δ¹³C values of -11.1 ± 0.1% and δ¹⁸O values of 6-10%_o, whereas the host metapelite has δ¹³C values of -10.62 and -10.11% and δ¹⁸O values of 14-15%_o. These values are consistent with an igneous-derived, H₂O-dominated fluid that exchanged little oxygen with the host rocks, but derived much of its carbon from the wall rock. The isotopic disequilibrium between the veins and the wall rock confirms that the fluid was externally derived, and that the breccia vein acted as a channel for large-volume fluid flow within the shear zone.