Search results for "Geophysics"

Garnet as a monitor for melt–rock interaction: Textural, mineralogical, and compositional evidence of partial melting and melt‐driven metasomatism

2021

International audience; In this study, we focus on a partially melted garnet-bearing granulite from the Salvador–Esplanade Belt (Salvador da Bahia, Brazil), and examine the behaviour of major and trace elements during partial melting and melt-driven metasomatism. Phase equilibria modelling and U–Th– Pb geochronology show that the sample underwent partial melting during the heating segment of the decompression path from ~1.2 GPa and 675–700° C to ~0.8 GPa and 790°C at c. 2.06 Ga. During the final stage of decompression, from 0.8 to ~0.5 GPa, physical segregation of melt resulted in the establishment of chemical potential gradients and mass transfer between the host granulite and the leucosom…

U-Pb zircon geochronology and phase equilibria modelling of a mafi c eclogite from the Sumdo complex of south-east Tibet: insights into prograde zirc…

2017

Abstract The Sumdo complex is a Permian–Triassic eclogitic metamorphic belt in south-east Tibet, which marks the location of a suture zone that separates the northern and southern Lhasa terranes. An integrated geochronological and petrological study of a mafic eclogite from the complex has constrained its tectonometamorphic history and provides a case study of zircon growth in eclogite as a product of prograde dissolution–precipitation. In situ U–Pb geochronology indicates that the eclogite contains a single population of zircon with a crystallisation age of 273.6 ± 2.8 Ma. The morphology and chemistry of the zircon grains are consistent with growth by dissolution–precipitation of protolith…

Ba/Ca ratios in shells of Arctica islandica —Potential environmental proxy and crossdating tool

2017

Abstract Ba/Ca shell time-series of marine bivalves typically show flat background levels which are interrupted by erratic sharp peaks. Evidence from the literature indicates that background Ba/Ca shell ratios broadly reflect salinity conditions. However, the causes for the Ba/Ca shell peaks are still controversial and widely debated although many researchers link these changes to primary productivity, freshwater input or spawning events. The most striking feature is that the Ba/Ca shell peaks are highly synchronous in contemporaneous specimens from the same population. For the first time, we studied Ba/Ca shell in mature and ontogenetically old (up to 251 year-old) specimens of the long-li…

Ancient xenocrystic zircon in young volcanic rocks of the southern Lesser Antilles island arc

2017

Abstract The Lesser Antilles arc is one of the best global examples in which to examine the effects of the involvement of subducted sediment and crustal assimilation in the generation of arc crust. Most of the zircon recovered in our study of igneous and volcaniclastic rocks from Grenada and Carriacou (part of the Grenadines chain) is younger than 2 Ma. Within some late Paleogene to Neogene (~ 34–0.2 Ma) lavas and volcaniclastic sediments however, there are Paleozoic to Paleoarchean (~ 250–3469 Ma) xenocrysts, and Late Jurassic to Precambrian zircon (~ 158–2667 Ma) are found in beach and river sands. The trace element characteristics of zircon clearly differentiate between different types o…

The use of shallow dripwater as an isotopic marker of seepage in karst areas: A comparison between Western Sicily (Italy) and the Harz Mountains (Ger…

2013

Abstract The isotopic signature of slow-flowing dripwater collected in caves located in Western Sicily (Italy) was determined for evaluating its possible use as an isotopic tracer of the local groundwater recharge. These spot measures were compared with a longer series of local rain and spring compositions and with other samples taken, under different hydrogeological conditions, in caves of the Harz Mountains (Northern Germany). The slow flowing dripwater from Sicily showed δ 18 O/δD ratios similar to those of local rain and groundwater, demonstrating that these three are all parent waters. A parallel similarity was found in the vertical isotopic gradient (Δδ 18 O) of the three groups of wa…

Benchmark study of undrained triaxial testing of Opalinus Clay shale: Results and implications for robust testing

2021

Triaxial testing of argillaceous rocks and shales is significantly more challenging than conventional rock mechanical testing. The challenges are mainly related to the very low permeability of these geomaterials, and their sensitivity to exposure of atmosphere and brines, which induces variations of water content, suction and effective stress. There are currently no international standards to guide service laboratories for robust testing procedures for shales. A benchmark study of undrained triaxial testing was therefore initiated with three leading service laboratories in shale testing, performing 13 tests and using two different methods of establishing sample saturation prior to deformati…

Supporting information for the article: Elastic geobarometry for anisotropic inclusions in anisotropic host minerals: quartz-in-zircon.

2021

This dataset contains the supporting information for the article: Gonzalez et al. Elastic geobarometry for anisotropic inclusions in anisotropic host minerals: quartz-in-zircon. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth.These supplementary materials provide further details about the elastic properties, axial conventions, and relative orientation of the host zircon and the quartz inclusion. The datasets provide all the results of the quartz-in-zircon calculations in table format. The datasets include the unrelaxed and relaxed strains, and the relaxation tensors.

Cluster analysis for cavity detection using seismic refraction and electrical resistivity tomography

2017

Geophysical methods (in particular ERT technique) constitute an excellent tool for the detection of buried cavities. However the integration approach of e different geophysical methods could minimize the ambiguity of geophysical interpretation of the buried cavity. The technique of electrical tomography has been joined to the technique of seismic refraction tomography in order to obtain more robust interpretations. Many tests have been carried out using synthetic data and experimental ones. It was finally used a statistical approach based on cluster analysis of the P-wave velocity, the density of the seismic rays and the electrical resistivity of the synthetic and experimental models. Distr…

Fracture Shape and Orientation Contributions to P-Wave Velocity and Anisotropy of Alpine Fault Mylonites

2021

P-wave anisotropy is significant in the mylonitic Alpine Fault shear zone. Mineral- and texture-induced anisotropy are dominant in these rocks but further complicated by the presence of fractures. Electron back-scattered diffraction and synchrotron X-ray microtomography (micro-CT) data are acquired on exhumed schist, protomylonite, mylonite and ultramylonite samples to quantify mineral phases, crystal preferred orientations, microfractures and porosity. The samples are composed of quartz, plagioclase, mica and accessory garnet, and contain 3-5% porosity. Based on the micro-CT data, the representative pore shape has an aspect ratio of 5:2:1. Two numerical models are compared to calculate the…

2017

Abstract. Remote sensing of the gaseous composition of non-eruptive, passively degassing volcanic plumes can be a tool to gain insight into volcano interior processes. Here, we report on a field study in September 2015 that demonstrates the feasibility of remotely measuring the volcanic enhancements of carbon dioxide (CO2), hydrogen fluoride (HF), hydrogen chloride (HCl), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and bromine monoxide (BrO) in the downwind plume of Mt. Etna using portable and rugged spectroscopic instrumentation. To this end, we operated the Fourier transform spectrometer EM27/SUN for the shortwave-infrared (SWIR) spectral range together with a co-mounted UV spectrometer on a mobile platform in…