Zircon and whole-rock Nd-Pb isotopic provenance of Middle and Upper Ordovician siliciclastic rocks, Argentine Precordillera

Graptolite‐bearing Middle and Upper Ordovician siliciclastic facies of the Argentine Precordillera fold‐thrust belt record the disintegration of a long‐lived Cambro‐Mid Ordovician carbonate platform into a series of tectonically partitioned basins. A combination of stratigraphic, petrographic, U‐Pb detrital zircon, and Nd‐Pb whole‐rock isotopic data provide evidence for a variety of clastic sediment sources. Four Upper Ordovician quartzo‐lithic sandstones collected in the eastern and central Precordillera yield complex U‐Pb zircon age spectra dominated by 1·05–1·10 Ga zircons, secondary populations of 1·22, 1·30, and 1·46 Ga, rare 2·2 and 1·8 Ga zircons, and a minor population (<2%) of concordant zircons in the 600–700 Ma range. Archaean‐age grains comprise <1% of all zircons analysed from these rocks. In contrast, a feldspathic arenite from the Middle Ordovician Estancia San Isidro Formation of the central Precordillera has two well‐defined peaks at 1·41 and 1·43 Ga, with no grains in the 600–1200 Ma range and none older than 1·70 Ga. The zircon age spectrum in this unit is similar to that of a Middle Cambrian quartz arenite from the La Laja Formation, suggesting that local basement rocks were a regional source of ca 1·4 Ga detrital zircons in the Precordillera Terrane from the Cambrian onwards. The lack of grains younger than 600 Ma in Upper Ordovician units reinforces petrographic data indicating that Ordovician volcanic arc sources did not supply significant material directly to these sedimentary basins. Nd isotopic data (n = 32) for Middle and Upper Ordovician graptolitic shales from six localities define a poorly mixed signal [ɛ_Nd(450 Ma) = −9·6 to −4·5] that becomes more regionally homogenized in Upper Ordovician rocks (−6·2 ± 1·0; T_DM = 1·51 ± 0·15 Ga; n = 17), a trend reinforced by the U‐Pb detrital zircon data. It is concluded that proximal, recycled orogenic sources dominated the siliciclastic sediment supply for these basins, consistent with rapid unroofing of the Precordillera Terrane platform succession and basement starting in Mid Ordovician time. Common Pb data for Middle and Upper Ordovician shales from the western and eastern Precordillera (n = 15) provide evidence for a minor (<30%) component that was likely derived from a high‐μ (U/Pb) terrane.     

APPLICATION OF A HILBERT TRANSFORM METHOD TO THE INTERPRETATION OF SURFACE-VEHICLE MAGNETIC DATA*

The development of an alkali vapour vehicle borne magnetometer providing very high resolution and a high sampling rate has called for reconsideration of interpretation procedures. With continuous profiling at ground level, the close proximity to near surface structures requires that the precise interpretation of geological boundaries be of paramount importance. Rapid digital recording also demands efficient data processing. Both these requirements can be met by the method described. Essentially the method reduces to a simple Hilbert transform of the magnetic profile. The calculation provides an extremely well defined position of the contact and accurate specification of the dip, strike, depth of overburden, and magnetic susceptibility parameters. Particular advantages are tolerance to high frequency noise, independence from a predetermined origin and baseline, and freedom from subjective judgements.     

SMALL STATES AND CYBERBOOSTERISM

ABSTRACT. The introduction and rapid diffusion of the World Wide Web for commercial purposes provides states with opportunities to present themselves to millions of other governmental, business, and individual consumers. In the world of expanding electronic commerce, images and symbols are key elements in the messages that states use to promote themselves and to seek a competitive advantage. Content analyses of the official Web homepages of four small states—Singapore, Slovenia, Western Samoa, and Costa Rica—attest to the colorful, playful, and creative images designed to attract investors and tourists.     

THE GEOMETRY OF MULTIVARIATE OBJECT PREPROCESSING

The geometric properties of three common object-preprocessing transformations(constant sum,orclosure;constant length,or normalization;and maximum value,or ratioing)are investigated.Anargument is made for using absolute values in the constant sum and maximum value transformations.In general,each transformation distorts the shape and dimensionality of patterns in the data:transformed data lie on(C-l)-dimensional surfaces in the original C-dimensional space.A data set thathas been closed by one of these transformations can be reopened if a vector containing the constant sums,constant lengths or maximum values of the original objects was retained.Transformed data sets may befreely interconverted among these three transformations without the loss of information.     

STAMPS AS MESSENGERS OF POLITICAL TRANSITION*

Previous studies of postage stamps noted their importance in promoting national identity and the objectives of the state. Neglected in this literature by geographers and others is a discussion of stamp themes and issues during political and economic transitions. A content analysis of issues during the Soviet Union's last three years and Russia's first three years revealed some significant changes. The Soviet Union issued many stamps and sets on a wide variety of topics, including nature, folk items and legends, international ties, and ideology. Russia issued fewer stamps: Nature was important, but religion and issues that promoted Russia's heritage replaced ideology and international themes. Early Russian stamps evoked an “inward” worldview that promoted a nascent nationalism. In its final years the Soviet Union noted evidence of these changes in priorities and themes with issues that depicted Soviet environmental disasters or honored the individuals killed in the failed Russian coup attempt in August 1991.     

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN IN CHEMOMETRICS

Chemometrics is defined as the application of mathematical and statistical methods to chemical systems.Systems theory is seen to be useful for organizing and categorizing the inputs to and outputs fromchemical systems.Advances in measurement science in the 1950s and 1960s,particularly in analyticalchemistry,created a need for a multivariate approach to data analysis.Early chemometrics emphasizedthe use of structure-finding methods for existing data sets.In many instances,data sets can be obtainedfrom designed experiments.Such data sets are more likely to contain the desired information and the datacan usually be acquired at less cost.Renewed interest in statistical process control will provide many new,more robust data sets in the future.     

Geochemical Constraints from Zoned Hydrothermal Tourmalines on Fluid Evolution and Sn Mineralization: an Example from Fault Breccias at Roche, SW England

Hydrothermal fluid evolution north of the St Austell granite,southwest England, has been studied through geochemical analysisof tourmaline from a fault breccia of <2 cm width withinmassive quartz–tourmaline rocks at Roche. Brecciated tourmalinegrains have overgrowths of <400 µm width [Fe/(Fe +Mg) = 0·31–0·99] with four chemically distinctzones (1–4, towards the margins). Variations in overgrowthcomposition were caused by episodic mixing between Mg-, Al-richmagmatic hydrothermal fluids (dominant in zone 1), with an increasingcomponent of more oxidizing, Fe-rich formation waters (zones2 and 4). More oxidizing conditions are supported by high Sncontents in zone 2 (<0·35 wt %), with Sn probablypresent as Sn⁴⁺ rather than Sn²⁺, the usual form in hydrothermalfluids. From X-ray maps, zones 1 and 3 occur exclusively asovergrowths on pre-existing grains, indicating that overgrowthformation was kinetically favoured over tourmaline nucleation.In zones 2 and 4, nucleation and growth occurred, possibly asa result of supersaturation with respect to tourmaline duringincreased mixing with formation waters. Tourmaline is associatedwith the main episode of mineralization in many important mineraldeposits, often unaffected by alteration. This method of studyinghydrothermal fluid evolution may therefore have uses in exploration,particularly for tourmaline-breccia-hosted ores in Cu-porphyrydeposits. KEY WORDS: breccia; Cornwall; hydrothermal; tin; tourmaline     

Clay mineral distribution patterns as influenced by depositional processes in the Southeastern Levantine Sea

Analysis of the clay minerals in stratigraphically defined cores (23,000 years BP to the present) in the southeastern Levantine-Nile Cone sector of the eastern Mediterranean indicates that depositional processes are very significant in determining the distribution of clay assemblages. The interplay of long-distance transport by water mass circulation, downslope mass gravity transport and wind dispersal is recorded by the clay assemblages in each of the stratigraphic layers. The temporal variations and spatial distribution of smectite, the dominant clay mineral of the River Nile, can be related closely to downslope gravity-related processes and to deposition from water mass flow. Increased kaolinite, in part of wind-blown origin from North Africa, correlates with areas receiving low terrigenous input but influenced by enhanced suspended sediment transport. Illite and chlorite distributions are most closely associated with a northern Levantine provenance and dispersal by the circulation of eastern Mediterranean water masses. Climatically induced changes may have altered the clay minerals in the region and minor diagenetic changes may have occurred, but these factors do not fully explain observed vertical clay mineral changes in the Late Quaternary. We conclude that palaeoclimatic interpretations based on vertical clay mineralogical changes at single core localities should be approached cautiously in small ocean basins such as the Mediterranean.     

Depositional models for fine-grained sediment in the western Hellenic Trench, Eastern Mediterranean

Sediment in tectonically active, topographically restricted settings of the western Hellenic Arc, eastern Mediterranean, consists primarily of clayey silt and silty clay. Failure of metastable sediment temporarily stored on relatively steep slopes is triggered by earthquake tremors and eustatic oscillations. Redeposition of these materials by gravitative transport has resulted in markedly different lithofacies from site to site. Most piston cores include three Late Quaternary stratigraphic units that can be correlated with sections in other parts of the eastern Mediterranean; numerous radiocarbon-age determinations enhance the correlation. Seven fine-grained sediment types are identified in cores from eight distinct depositional environments. Some muds are closely related to specific environments (slump and debris flow deposits on slope and high-relief environments), or to time (well laminated mud during the latest Pleistocene-mid-Holocene), or to both (uniform and faintly laminated muds restricted to trench basins). Turbiditic and hemipelagic muds are common throughout the study area. Mud distribution patterns correlate closely with calculated sedimentation rates. We propose two depositional models for these sediments. The first emphasizes downslope transformations resulting in progressively reduced flow concentration during transport: from slump and debris flow–>turbidity current–>low density turbidity current or turbid layer mechanisms. The distal end-member deposits settling from low concentration flows are thick, rapidly emplaced, fine-grained uniform muds closely associated with faintly laminated muds. These were ponded in flat trench basin-plains. Planktonic and terrigenous fractions in the turbiditic, finely laminated and uniform muds record mixing of materials of gravitative and suspension origin during redeposition. This sequence prevails under conditions of minimal stratification of water masses, as characterized by the present Mediterranean. In the second model developed for conditions of well-developed water mass stratification, well laminated rather than uniform mud prevails as the end product of low concentration flows. These very finely laminated and graded muds record particle-by-particle settling from detached turbid layers concentrated along density interfaces; they include material from turbid layers complemented by the normal ‘rain’ of pelagic material. Stratification barriers resulted in region-wide distribution of such deposits, in both slope and trench environments.