Eifel Region Research Articles

Geologie zu den Talsperren der Eifel mit Besuch der Dreilägerbach- und Kalltalsperre und des Kraftwerks Heimbach (Exkursion M am 2. April 2016)

Geologie zu den Talsperren der Eifel mit Besuch der Dreilägerbach- und Kalltalsperre und des Kraftwerks Heimbach (Exkursion M am 2. April 2016)

The ELSA-Flood-Stack: A reconstruction from the laminated sediments of Eifel maar structures during the last 60 000 years

This study reconstructs the main flood phases in central Europe from event layers in sediment cores from Holocene Eifel maar lakes and Pleistocene dry maar structures. These reconstructions are combined with recent gauge time-series to cover the entire precipitation extremes of the last 60000years. In general, Eifel maar sediments are perfectly suited for the preservation of event layers since the deep water in the maar lakes is seasonal anoxic and therefore, bioturbation is low. However, the preservation of annual lamination is only preserved in Holzmaar and Ulmener Maar; the other cores are dated by 14C, magnetostratigraphy, tephra markers and ice core tuning. The cores were drilled in the Eifel region of central western Germany, which represents a climatic homogenous region from Belgium to Poland and all across Central Europe.A total of 233 flood layers over 7.5mm were detected in all analysed cores. The stratigraphic classification of the flood events follows the newly defined Landscape Evolution Zones (LEZ). The strongest events in the Holocene have occurred during LEZ 1 (0–6000b2k) in the years 658, 2800 and 4100b2k. Flood layers in the LEZ 2 (6000–10500b2k) are not as frequent as during the LEZ 1, nevertheless, the floods cluster between 6000 and 6500b2k. Twenty flood layers are found in the LEZ 3 (10500–14700b2k); 11 in LEZ 4 (14700–21000b2k); 15 in LEZ 5 (21000–28500b2k); 34 in LEZ 6 (28500–36500b2k); 8 in LEZ 7 (36500–49000b2k); zero in LEZ 8 (49000–55000b2k) and LEZ 9 (55000–60000b2k). The maximum flood phases during the Pleistocene are at 11500–17500 (late glacial and Younger Dryas), 23000–24000 (before Greenland Interstadial (GI) 2), 29000–35000 (especially between GI 5 and 4) and 44000–44500b2k (transition from GI 12 to 11).The variations in flood dynamics are climatically driven and mainly associated with climate transitions and colder periods, combined with light vegetation. It turns out that low vegetation coverage related to both Greenland Stadial phases and anthropogenic impacts since late Holocene is the main cause for the development of flood layers in maar sediments. The precipitation itself, plays only a secondary role. This interpretation is based on the current climate understanding of cold phases and several studies of fluvial erosion related to vegetation coverage.

Engelhauptite, KCu3(V2O7)(OH)2Cl, a new mineral species from Eifel, Germany

A new mineral engelhauptite, KCu3(V2O7)(OH)2Cl, was found within cavities in nepheline basalts at the Auf’m Kopp quarry (“Schlackenkegel der Hohe 636 sudostlich Neroth”), Daun, Eifel region, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Associated minerals are volborthite, allophane, malachite, tangeite and chrysocolla; earlier minerals belonging to the primary, high-temperature parageneses are augite, mica of the phlogopite–oxyphlogopite series, sanidine, nepheline, leucite, fluorapatite and magnetite. Engelhauptite occurs as spherulites (up to 0.2 mm in diameter) and bunches consisting of rough spindle-shaped crystals elongated parallel to [0001]. The crystals are up to 0.12 mm long and up to 0.04 mm thick. Individual grains of engelhauptite are transparent, whereas their aggregates are translucent. The mineral is yellow-brown to brown, typically with an olive green hue. The luster is vitreous. Engelhauptite is brittle, cleavage is not observed, fracture is uneven. Dcalc = 3.86 g cm−3. Engelhauptite is optically uniaxial (+), ω = 1.978(4), e = 2.021(4). Chemical data (wt.%, electron-microprobe, H2O by difference) are as following: K2O 9.63, FeO 0.05, NiO 0.29, CuO 46.11, Al2O3 0.24, V2O5 34.92, SO3 0.79, Cl 5.94, H2Ocalc 3.37, O = Cl2 -1.34, total 100.00. The empirical formula, based on 10 (O + OH + Cl) apfu, is K1.05(Cu2.97Al0.02Ni0.02)Σ3.01(V1.97S0.05)Σ2.02O7.23(OH)1.91Cl0.86. Engelhauptite is hexagonal, P63/mmc, a = 5.922(2), c = 14.513(5) A, V = 440.78(3) A3 and Z = 2. The eight strongest reflections of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [d,A(I) (hkl)] are: 7.32(98) (002), 4.224(17) (102), 2.979(100) (104, 110), 2.759(19) (112), 2.565(18) (200), 2.424(18) (202), 1.765(16) (206) and 1.481(14) (208, 220). The crystal structure of engelhauptite has been solved from the single-crystal X-ray diffraction data and refined to R = 0.090 on the basis of 135 unique observed reflections. The structure is based upon the [Cu2+3(V2O7)(OH)2]0 framework formed by the linkage of deficient brucite-like layers of Jahn-Teller distorted Cuφ6 octahedra (φ = O, OH) via divanadate V2O7 groups. The framework contains large channels occupied by K+ cations and Cl− anions. Engelhauptite is closely related to volborthite, Cu3(V2O7) (OH)2∙2H2O, and can be considered as its analogue resulting from the replacement of H2O molecules by the equal amounts of K+ and Cl− ions. The mineral is named in honour of the German amateur mineralogist and mineral collector Bernd Engelhaupt (born 1946).

Exploration for deep geothermal reservoirs in Luxembourg and the surroundings - perspectives of geothermal energy use

The aim of this paper is to combine different types of information necessary for a first rather qualitative assessment of deep geothermal reservoirs in the region of Luxembourg. Within the geological framework, the study area encompasses Luxembourg and the surrounding areas of Belgium, Germany, and France. On the one hand, the focus is laid on low-enthalpy hydrothermal reservoirs in Mesozoic aquifers in the Trier-Luxembourg Embayment. On the other hand, petrothermal reservoirs in the Devonian basement of the Ardennes and Eifel regions are considered for exploitation by Enhanced/Engineered Geothermal Systems (EGS). For geothermal exploration and exploitation purposes, geological, thermal, hydrogeological and structural data are necessary. Among the Mesozoic aquifers, the Buntsandstein aquifer characterized by temperatures of up to 50°C is a suitable hydrothermal reservoir that could be exploited by means of heat pumps or provide direct heat for various applications. The most promising area is the zone of the SE-Luxembourg Graben. The aquifer is the warmest underneath the upper Alzette valley and the limestone plateau in Lorraine, where the Buntsandstein aquifer lies below a thick Mesozoic cover. At the base of an inferred Rotliegend graben in the same area, temperatures of up to 75°C are expected. However, geological and hydraulic conditions are uncertain. In the Lower Devonian basement, thick sandstone-/quartzite-rich formations with temperatures >90°C are expected at depths >3.5 km and likely offer the possibility of direct heat use. The setting of the Sudeifel (South Eifel) region, including the Mullerthal region near Echternach, as a tectonically active zone may offer the possibility of deep hydrothermal reservoirs in the fractured Lower Devonian basement. Based on recent data on the structure of the Trier-Luxembourg Basin, the new concept presents the Mullerthal-Sudeifel Depression as a Cenozoic tectonic structure that is still mobile and relevant for geothermal exploration. Beyond direct use of geothermal heat, the expected modest temperatures at 5 km depth (about 120°C) and increased permeability by EGS in the quartzite-rich Lochkovian could prospectively enable combined geothermal heat production and power generation in Luxembourg and the western realm of the Eifel region.

The Late Quaternary tephrostratigraphy of annually laminated sediments from Meerfelder Maar, Germany

The record of Late Quaternary environmental change within the sediments of Meerfelder Maar in the Eifel region of Germany is renowned for its high precision chronology, which is annually laminated throughout the Last Glacial to Interglacial transition (LGIT) and most of the Holocene. Two visible tephra layers are prominent within the floating varve chronology of Meerfelder Maar. An Early Holocene tephra layer, the Ulmener Maar Tephra (∼11,000 varve years BP), provides a tie-line of the Meerfelder Maar record to the varved Holocene record of nearby Lake Holzmaar. The Laacher See Tephra provides another prominent time marker for the late Allerød, ∼200 varve years before the transition into the Younger Dryas at 12,680 varve years BP. Further investigation has now shown that there are also 15 cryptotephra layers within the Meerfelder Maar LGIT-Holocene stratigraphy and these layers hold the potential to make direct comparisons between the Meerfelder Maar record and other palaeoenvironmental archives from across Europe and the North Atlantic. Most notable is the presence of the Vedde Ash, the most widespread Icelandic eruption known from the Late Quaternary, which occurred midway through the Younger Dryas. The Vedde Ash has also been found in the Greenland ice cores and can be used as an isochron around which the GICC05 and Meerfelder Maar annual chronologies can be compared. Near the base of the annual laminations in Meerfelder Maar a cryptotephra is found that correlates to the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff, erupted from Campi Flegrei in southern Italy, 1200 km away. This is the furthest north that the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff has been found, highlighting its importance in the construction of a European-wide tephrostratigraphic framework. The co-location of cryptotephra layers from Italian, Icelandic and Eifel volcanic sources, within such a precise chronological record, makes Meerfelder Maar one of the most important tephrostratotype records for continental Europe during the Last Glacial to Interglacial transition.

Surface heat flow and lithosphere thermal structure of the Rhenohercynian Zone in the greater Luxembourg region

Comprehensive knowledge of surface heat flow and subsurface temperature distribution is indispensable for the interpretation and quantification of crustal/mantle processes as well as for the evaluation of the geothermal potential of an area. In cases where subsurface temperature data are sparse, thermal modeling may be used as a tool for inferring the geothermal resource at depth but requires profound structural, geological, and petrophysical input data. The study area encompasses the Trier–Luxembourg Basin and the western realm of the Rhenish Massif, itself subdivided into the Ardennes region in the west as well as the Eifel and Hunsrück regions in the east. For the study area, 2-D steady-state and conductive thermal models were established based on geological models of lithosphere-scale which were parameterized using thermal rock properties including thermal conductivity, radiogenic heat production, and density. The thermal models are constrained by surface heat flow (qs) and the geophysically-estimated depth of the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (LAB). A qs of 75±7 (2σ)mWm−2 was determined in the area. A LAB depth of 100km, as seismically derived for the Ardennes, provides the best fit with the measured qs. Modeled temperatures are in the range of 120–125°C at 5km depth and of 600–650°C at the Moho, respectively. The mantle heat flow amounts to ∼40mWm−2. Possible thermal consequences of the 10–20Ma old Eifel plume, which caused elevation of the LAB to 50–60km depth, were modeled in a steady-state thermal scenario resulting in a qs of 91mWm−2 in the Eifel region. Available qs values (65–80mWm−2) are significantly lower and do indicate that the plume-related heating has not yet reached the surface in its entirety.

Calcinaksite, KNaCa(Si4O10) H2O, a new mineral from the Eifel volcanic area, Germany

The new mineral calcinaksite, ideally KNaCa(Si4O10) · H2O, the first hydrous and Ca-dominant member of the litidionite group, is found in a xenolith of metamorphosed carbonate-rich rock from the southern lava flow of the Bellerberg volcano, Eastern Eifel region, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. It is associated with wollastonite, gehlenite, brownmillerite, Ca2SiO4 (larnite or calcio-olivine), quartz, aragonite, calcite, jennite, tobermorite and ettringite. Calcinaksite occurs as clusters of colourless to light-grey subhedral prismatic crystals. The mineral is brittle, with Mohs’ hardness of 5; Dmeas is 2.62(2) g/cm3 and Dcalc is 2.623 g/cm3. The IR spectrum shows the presence of H2O molecules forming three different H-bonds. Calcinaksite is optically biaxial (+), α = 1.542(2), β = 1.550(2), γ = 1.565(3), 2V meas = 75(10). The chemical composition (electron-microprobe data, H2O determined by the Alimarin method, wt%) is: Na2O 6.69, K2O 12.01, CaO 15.04, FeO 0.59, SiO2 61.46, H2O 4.9, total 100.69. The empirical formula is H2.11 K0.99Na0.84Ca1.04Fe0.03Si3.98O11. The crystal structure was solved and refined to R 1 = 0.053, wR 2 = 0.075 based upon 3057 reflections having I > 3σ(I). Calcinaksite is triclinic, space group P \( \overline{1} \) , a = 7.021(2), b = 8.250(3), c = 10.145(2) Å. α = 102.23(2)°, β = 100.34(2)°, γ = 115.09(3)°, V = 495.4(3) Å3, Z = 2. The strongest reflections of the X-ray powder pattern [d, Å (I,%) (hkl)] are: 3.431 (70) (−121, −211, −210, 012, 0–22), 3.300 (67) (−031), 3.173 (95) (−103, −201, −220, 003, 111), 3.060 (100) (−212, 2–11, −221, 200, −1-13, 021, −202), 2.851 (83) (0–23, −122, 1–13, 1–31), 2.664 (62) (1–23, −222, 201).

Pedigree Structure and Kinship Measurements of a Mid-Michigan Community: A New North American Population Isolate Identified

Previous studies identified a cluster of individuals with an autosomal recessive form of deafness that reside in a small region of mid-Michigan. We hypothesized that affected members from this community descend from a defined founder population. Using public records and personal interviews, we constructed a genealogical database that includes the affected individuals and their extended families as descendants of 461 settlers who emigrated from the Eifel region of Germany between 1836 and 1875. The genealogical database represents a 13-generation pedigree that includes 27,747 descendants of these settlers. Among these descendants, 13,784 are presumed living. Many of the extant descendants reside in a 90-square-mile area, and 52% were born to parents who share at least one common ancestor. Among those born to related parents, the median kinship coefficient is 3.7 × 10–3. While the pedigree contains 2,510 founders, 344 of the 461 settlers accounted for 67% of the genome in the extant population. These data suggest that we identified a new population isolate in North America and that, as demonstrated for congenital hearing loss, this rural mid-Michigan community is a new resource to discover heritable factors that contribute to common health-related conditions.

Eifel maars: Quantitative shape characterization of juvenile ash particles (Eifel Volcanic Field, Germany)

The Eifel region in western central Germany is the type locality for maar volcanism, which is classically interpreted to be the result of explosive eruptions due to shallow interaction between magma and external water (i.e. phreatomagmatic eruptions). Sedimentary structures, deposit features and particle morphology found in many maar deposits of the West Eifel Volcanic Field (WEVF), in contrast to deposits in the East Eifel Volcanic Field (EEVF), lack the diagnostic criteria of typical phreatomagmatic deposits.The aim of this study was to determine quantitatively the shape of WEVF and EEVF maar ash particles in order to infer the governing eruption style in Eifel maar volcanoes. The quantitative shape characterization was done by analyzing fractal dimensions of particle contours (125–250μm sieve fraction) obtained from Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and SEM micro-computed tomography (SEM micro-CT) images.The fractal analysis (dilation method) and the fractal spectrum technique confirmed that the WEVF and EEVF maar particles have contrasting multifractal shapes. Whereas the low small-scale dimensions of EEVF particles (Eppelsberg Green Unit) coincide with previously published values for phreatomagmatic particles, the WEVF particles (Meerfelder Maar, Pulvermaar and Ulmener Maar) have larger values indicating more complex small-scale features, which are characteristic for magmatic particles. These quantitative results are strengthening the qualitative microscopic observations, that the studied WEVF maar eruptions are rather dominated by magmatic processes. The different eruption styles in the two volcanic fields can be explained by the different geological and hydrological settings found in both regions and the different chemical compositions of the magmas.

Charles Lyell and the loess deposits of the Rhine valley

The study of loess began in the Rhine valley, and Charles Lyell played a major role in this development. He included a section on loess in the ‘Principles of Geology’ (in 1833) and with the widespread distribution of this important book loess became known. His views on loess changed as successive editions were produced and his first proposal, that loess was produced by a sudden flood changed, after discussion with H.G. Bronn, to a concept of gradual deposition. He had some interaction with Samuel Hibbert and this helped to shape his views on loess. The first published reference to loess in English was probably in Hibbert's 1832 book on the Neuwied volcanoes. By the time of the 5th edition of the Principles in 1837 Lyell was acknowledging eleven fellow scholars who had influenced his loessic endeavours, they were: Bronn, Leonhard, Boue, Voltz, Noeggerath, Steininger, Merian, Rozet, Von Meyer, Hibbert and Horner. The most influential of his associates were probably Bronn, Leonhard, Hibbert and Horner, although Horner only joined the list in 1837. Lyell may have observed loess on a brief visit to the Eifel region in July 1831; talking with Hibbert later that year there was certainly discussion of the ‘Loess from Kruft to Andernach’.

D/H ratios of methoxyl groups of the sedimentary organic matter of Lake Holzmaar (Eifel, Germany): A potential palaeoclimate/-hydrology proxy

Stable hydrogen isotope ratios (δD values) of methoxyl groups in lignin and pectin from a variety of plant types from different locations have been shown to mirror δD values of precipitation, with a mean uniform isotopic fractionation. Since δD in precipitation is mainly influenced by climatic conditions, including temperature, evaporation and precipitation amount, methoxyl groups of organic matter have been proposed as a potential palaeoclimate proxy. Here, we measured the δD values of the methoxyl groups of sedimentary organic matter derived from sediment core segments of Lake Holzmaar (Eifel, Germany). The sediment core covers the entire Holocene and part of the Late Glacial (until 13,650years BP). Since the sedimentary organic matter was indicated by organic source proxies of predominantly phytoplanktonic origin, we considered the δD values of the methoxyl groups as a proxy for the δD value of the lake water. Presently and probably during most of the Holocene, the δD value of precipitation was primarily controlled by temperature (2–4.5‰/°C) as well as in isotopic equilibrium with the δD value of the lake water. We used these modern temperature sensitivities of the Eifel region together with the measured δD values of the methoxyl groups of the sedimentary organic matter to evaluate temperature changes recorded for the Holocene. The resulting mean temperature variance was found to be consistently less than 1.8–4°C and is broadly in line with that reported from the NGRIP ice core for the same period. The transition from the Holocene to the Late Glacial period was accompanied with more negative δD values of the methoxyl groups (∼13‰ for the Younger Dryas). Besides the association with temperature we assumed a higher susceptibility of the δD value of Lake Holzmaar to evaporative enrichment during the Younger Dryas which could serve as an explanation for discrepancies reported for existing palaeoclimate/-hydrology records of the Eifel region. Our findings indicate that the δD values of methoxyl groups have great potential for assisting with palaeoclimate and palaeohydrology, particularly when the organic matter is well characterized and of uniform origin.

New Minerals from the Classic Eifel Region

In the recent four years, the authors have jointly organized and conducted several excursions into the classical volcanic field in the Eifel area, Germany. The original goal was to compare its geochemistry and mineralogy with those of the hyperalkaline intrusions of Khibiny and Lovozero on Kola peninsula, Russia. Since none of us had previous experience with the Eifel area, local amateur mineral collectors were contacted and asked for support. These collectors often have been active in their region for decades and, hence, know the various deposits and minerals by heart. Our request was met with great enthusiasm and invaluable support was given to us not only with respect to the organization of the excursions, but the collectors also shared their experience with getting access to the quarries and often offered samples from their own, very well organized and documented, collections. It soon turned out, that – a bit to our surprise - even in such a classical area as the Eifel with its long tradition of geological and mineralogical research new minerals can be found. As a result, 16 new minerals from the Eifel could be described, accepted by IMA, and the results published. Others are still under study. Some of these minerals were found in the field, others were donated by local mineral collectors. In acknowledgement of their invaluable contribution, several minerals now bear names of those or other local collectors. Several of the new minerals belong to well-known mineral groups, but a few represent quite new structures. For example, in the mineral hielscherite, the pyramidal sulfite anion substitutes for planar carbonate in thaumasite, and günterblassite is the first phyllosilicate with a triple tetrahedral layer, thus indicating somehow a structural transition into a tectosilicate.

Structure of calcinaksite KNa[Ca(H₂O)][Si₄O₁₀], the first hydrous member of the litidionite group of silicates with [Si₈O₂₀]⁸⁻ tubes.

Calcinaksite, KNa[Ca(H2O)][Si4Ol0], a new natural member of the litidionite group, was found in a calcic xenolith from alkaline basalt of the Bellerberg volcano, Eastern Eifel region, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. The crystal structure has been studied based on single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Triclinic unit-cell parameters are: a = 7.021 (2), b = 8.250 (3), c = 10.145 (2) Å, α = 102.23 (2), β = 100.34 (2), γ = 115.09 (3)°, space group P1. The structure model was determined by the `charge-flipping' method and refined to R = 0.0527 in anisotropic approximation using 3057 I > 3σ(I). Calcinaksite is a hydrous calcium-dominant litidionite-group mineral. The crystal structure of calcinaksite (like other litidionite-group minerals and related compounds) is based on a heteropolyhedral framework and is characterized by the presence of several types of channels. Calcium forms distorted CaO5Ø (Ø = H2O) octahedra while Na forms NaO5 square pyramids. Nine-coordinated K atoms are located in a channel extending along [010]. Water molecules occupy a channel running along the [100] direction and are characterized by a rather high equivalent isotropic displacement parameter of 0.053 (2) Å(2). In calcinaksite, there are three short distances between the water molecule and oxygen atoms, Ow...O3 [2.844 (5) Å], Ow...O9 [2.736 (4) Å] and Ow...Ow [2.843 (7) Å]. These distances correspond to three hydrogen bonds detected by IR data (the bands at 3340, 3170 and 3540 cm(-1)).

Elevated temperature IRSL dating of loess sections in the East Eifel region of Germany

It has been shown that the infrared stimulated luminescence signals measured at elevated temperature after an IR stimulation at 50 °C (post-IR IRSL) are significantly more stable than the conventional IRSL at 50 °C (IR50). In this study a post-IR IRSL protocol using a second IR stimulation temperature of 290 °C (pIRIR290) was applied to 17 polymineral fine grain (4–11 μm) samples from various loess sections in the Eifel region (Wannenköpfe, Dachsbusch, Kärlich and Ariendorf) with independent age control to test the reliability of ages using the pIRIR290 signal. The laboratory-measured fading rates are below 1%/decade on average for the pIRIR290. Both IR50 and pIRIR290 signals of 9 samples were found to be in field saturation. The average ratio of the sensitivity-corrected natural signal to the laboratory saturation level for the pIRIR290 is 0.98 ± 0.02 (n = 9), showing that field saturation is equal to laboratory saturation for the pIRIR290 signal from polymineral fine grains from the Eifel region. Minimum equivalent dose estimates were calculated from the characteristic saturation dose of the dose response curves, giving minimum ages estimates of ∼230–420 ka, and suggesting that the pIRIR290 signal can be used to date loess to ∼300 ka. The pIRIR290 ages estimates of the samples from the Wannenköpfe and Dachsbusch sites are in good agreement with independent age control showing that the IRSL dating using pIRIR290 signal without fading correction is apparently reliable. Our data suggest that the loess units E, F, G and the lower part of H at the Kärlich site were accumulated >270 ka and that the palaeosol of the Kärlich Interglacial I most likely developed during marine isotope stage (MIS 9) or earlier. The pedocomplex on the top of Loess bed II at the Ariendorf section can be correlated with MIS 7.

Laachite, (Ca,Mn)2Zr2Nb2TiFeO14, a new zirconolite-related mineral from the Eifel volcanic region, Germany

The new mineral laachite was discovered in a sanidinite specimen from the Laach Lake (Laacher See) volcano, Eifel region, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany. Associated minerals are sanidine, allanite-(Ce), baddeleyite, hauyne, hedenbergite, intermediate members of the jacobsite-magnetite series, phlogopite, rhodonite, spessartine, tephroite, thorite, zircon, and a pyrochlore-group mineral. Laachite is deep brownish-red, has an adamantine lustre, and is translucent; the streak is brownish red. It forms long-prismatic crystals up to 0.02 × 0.04 × 0.5 mm, which are present as random intergrowths and twins in cavities within sanidinite. The density calculated from the empirical formula is 5.417 g/cm 3 . The mean refractive index calculated from the Gladstone-Dale relationship is 2.26. The Raman spectrum shows the absence of hydrogen-bearing groups. The chemical composition is (electron microprobe, mean of 5 analyses, wt. %): CaO 4.29, MnO 9.42, FeO 5.73, Y 2 O 3 2.56, La 2 O 3 2.00, Ce 2 O 3 6.37, Nd 2 O 3 2.22, Al 2 O 3 0.99, ThO 2 7.75, TiO 2 10.98, ZrO 2 19.39, Nb 2 O 5 27.82, total 99.52. The empirical formula based on 14 O atoms is: (Ca 0.66 Mn 0.37 Th 0.25 Y 0.20 La 0.11 Ce 0.34 Nd 0.11 )(Zr 1.36 Mn 0.64 )(Nb 1.81 Ti 1.19 )(Fe 0.69 Al 0.17 Mn 0.14 )O 14.00 . The simplified formula, taking into account the structural data, is: (Ca,Mn) 2 (Zr,Mn) 2 Nb 2 TiFeO 14 . Laachite is monoclinic, space group C 2/ c , a = 7.3119(5), b = 14.1790(10), c = 10.1700(7) A, β = 90.072(2)°, V = 1054.38(1) A 3 , Z = 4. The crystal structure was solved using single-crystal X-ray diffraction data. Laachite is a monoclinic analogue of zirconolite-3 O , CaZrTi 2 O 7 , with Nb dominant over Ti in the octahedral sites Nb 1 and Nb 2 and Fe dominant in a site with four-fold coordination. The strongest lines of the powder X-ray diffraction pattern [ d , A ( I , %) ( hkl )] are: 4.298 (22) (022), 2.967 (100) (20–2, 202), 2.901 (59) (042), 2.551 (32) (15–1, 151, 240, 004), 1.800 (34) (24–4, 244), 1.541 (24) (37–1, 371), 1.535 (23) (20–6, 206), 1.529 (23) (046).

Pedigree structure and kinship measurements of a mid-Michigan community: a new North American population isolate identified.

Previous studies identified a cluster of individuals with an autosomal recessive form of deafness that reside in a small region of mid-Michigan. We hypothesized that affected members from this community descend from a defined founder population. Using public records and personal interviews, we constructed a genealogical database that includes the affected individuals and their extended families as descendants of 461 settlers who emigrated from the Eifel region of Germany between 1836 and 1875. The genealogical database represents a 13-generation pedigree that includes 27,747 descendants of these settlers. Among these descendants, 13,784 are presumed living. Many of the extant descendants reside in a 90-square-mile area, and 52% were born to parents who share at least one common ancestor. Among those born to related parents, the median kinship coefficient is 3.7 × 10(-3). While the pedigree contains 2,510 founders, 344 of the 461 settlers accounted for 67% of the genome in the extant population. These data suggest that we identified a new population isolate in North America and that, as demonstrated for congenital hearing loss, this rural mid-Michigan community is a new resource to discover heritable factors that contribute to common health-related conditions.

Steinmann Medal of the Geologische Vereinigung to Prof. Dr. Hans-Ulrich Schmincke (Ascheberg)

after his dissertation there in the late 1960s, he had brought a modern view and style to teaching. He had understood— unlike the other university professors—the revolution that plate tectonics had brought to our science. The way he worked with students in class and in the field was a new way of teaching. Early on, he recognized the importance of pyroclastic rocks and processes in volcanic eruptions, and in his research, he emphasized the important role of external (meteoric) water on explosive processes. “HU”, as we came to call him, organized a field trip to the Eifel region early 1973 that he allowed me to participate after just one semester of studies. This was a new experience: as young and inexperienced as I was, this “teacher” took us serious in our opinions and observations, something that normally did not happen. He taught us to observe meticulously, register every detail and put observations into a proper context. Also, we were told to question our own and even his observations and interpretations until we reached a satisfactory interpretation, keeping data, observations apart from interpretation! Different from my expectation, I learned that professors would provide us with questions rather than answers. He would make volcanoes and volcanic processes alive in the field, simply based on detailed observations. I was fascinated and motivated, this was what and how I wanted to learn. Hans-Ulrich Schmincke brought us his new vision of teaching and combined authority with personal warmth. He has taught all of us to better understand volcanoes as a system of interacting components, and he studies volcanoes with scientific means, considers their cultural impact and contemplates their aesthetic beauty. Even in his breadth of scientific fields and topics, one can easily find the common thread and a consequent analytical approach. Hans-Ulrich Schmincke begins with the sources of magmas in the mantle. Here, he combines the Dear Hans-Ulrich, dear members and friends of the Geologische Vereinigung. The Gustav Steinmann Medal is the highest honour that our society, the GV, and the geosciences in Germany in general bestow for its most prominent scientists that have made a lasting mark and shaped our research in the Earth Sciences. For me, presenting you Hans-Ulrich Schmincke as the 2012 recipient cannot be a simple list of achievements, publications and other honours that he has received before. I can only give you my personal account as one of his first PhD students of how Hans-Ulrich Schmincke has shaped and influenced us and the field of Volcanology as a researcher, teacher and author. I started to study Earth Sciences in Bochum in 1972 where Hans-Ulrich had just been appointed as a professor to teach igneous petrology. Returning earlier from the USA

Molecular tracing of classical swine fever viruses isolated from wild boars and pigs in France from 2002 to 2011

There were three outbreaks of classical swine fever (CSF) in north-eastern France between 2002 and 2011. The first two occurred in April 2002 in the Moselle department, in a wild boar and pig herd, respectively, while the third occurred in April 2003, in the Bas-Rhin department, in a wild boar. A survey was subsequently implemented in wild boar and domestic pig populations, during which 43 CSF viruses (CSFVs) were genetically characterized to provide information on virus sources, trace virus evolution and help in the monitoring of effective control measures. Phylogenetic analyses, based on fragments of the 5'NTR, E2 and NS5B genes, showed that all French CSFVs could be assigned to genotype 2, subgenotype 2.3. CSFVs isolated in Moselle were classified in the "Rostock" lineage, a strain first described in 2001 in wild boar populations in the Eifel region of north-western Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany, and in Luxemburg. In contrast, the CSFVs isolated in Bas-Rhin were homologous to strains from the "Uelzen" lineage, a strain previously isolated from wild boars in south-eastern Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany, as well as in Vosges du Nord, France, during a previous outbreak that had occurred in wild boars between 1992 and 2001. The outbreak in Moselle domestic pigs was quickly resolved as it concerned only one herd. The infection in wild boars from Moselle was extinguished after a few months whereas wild boars from Bas-Rhin remained infected until 2007. Molecular tracing showed that the Bas-Rhin index virus strain evolved slightly during the period but that no strain from a novel lineage was introduced until this outbreak ended after application of a vaccination scheme for six years.

Topography of the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary below the Upper Rhine Graben Rift and the volcanic Eifel region, Central Europe

We study the crust–mantle and lithosphere–asthenosphere boundaries (Moho and LAB) in Central Europe, specifically below the Upper Rhine Graben (URG) rift, the Eifel volcanic region and their surrounding areas. Teleseismic recordings at permanent and mobile stations are analysed to search for shear ( S ) wave to compressional ( P ) wave converted phases. After a special processing these phases are identified in shear wave receiver functions ( S -RFs). Conversions from the Moho at 2.9–3.3 s arrival time are the clearest signals in the S -RFs and indicate a relatively flat Moho at 27–30 km depth. A negative polarity conversion signal at 7–9 s arrival time can be explained with a low shear wave velocity zone (LVsZ) in the upper mantle. We use forward S -RF waveform modelling and Monte-Carlo techniques to determine shear wave velocity ( vs )–depth ( z ) profiles which explain the observed S -RF and which outline variations of the lithospheric thickness in the study region. Across the URG rift and its surrounding mountain ranges (Black Forest, Odenwald etc.) the LAB is at a depth of about 60 ± 5 km. This depth is found for the rift itself as well as for the rift shoulders. Southeast and southwest of the URG, in the regions of the Swabian Alb and Vosges Mountains, the LAB dips to about 78 ± 5 km depth. In the volcanic Eifel region the LAB is at a much shallower depth of just 41 ± 5 km. There an upwelling mantle plume thermally eroded the lower lithosphere. The reduction of vs is about 2%–4% in the upper asthenosphere compared to the lower lithosphere. This vs contrast may be explained with a low portion of partial melt or hydrous minerals in the asthenosphere. • Densely spaced S -wave receiver functions are determined. • Waveform modelling provides constraints of a low velocity mantle layer (LAB). • LAB topography varies significantly in the study region. • Lithosphere thickness is only about 41 km above the Eifel plume. • Lithosphere thickness is about 60 km in the Upper Rhine Graben and at its flanks.

Palaeobotanical evidence for agricultural activities in the Eifel region during the Holocene: plant macro-remain and pollen analyses from sediments of three maar lakes in the Quaternary Westeifel Volcanic Field (Germany, Rheinland-Pfalz)

As a part of the ELSA-project (Eifel Laminated Sediment Archive) new pollen and plant macro-remain analyses have been carried out on a series of Holocene lacustrine sediments from three open maar lakes of the Quaternary Westeifel Volcanic Field. In combination with already existing pollen analyses, the archaeological record and written sources, the present study casts new light on settlement activities and henceforth the development of agriculture from the prehistoric to historic times in this region. While there are clues that wood pasturing was practised in the Eifel region from the Michelsberg Culture onwards (c. 4300 cal. b.c.), the Vulkaneifel is a remote area with relatively poor soils and a humid climate and was not constantly settled until the Late Neolithic/Early Bronze Age, when cereal pollen was found regularly in the deposits. Plant macro-remains (chaff), which give us direct evidence for arable agriculture in the surroundings of the maars, were also found in layers belonging to the Early Bronze Age (c. 1900 cal. b.c.). At the same time we can observe the massive spread of Fagus sylvatica (beech) in all pollen diagrams, which was most probably caused by a combination of climatic, anthropogenic and competitive factors. Later impacts of agriculture were an abundance of crop weeds and pollen in the following Middle Bronze Age. Nevertheless human impact remained discontinuous until the Urnfield Culture (1200–800 cal. b.c.). A layer of weeds dating at the end of the Urnfield Culture was found and also flax (Linum usitatissimum) cultivation first becomes apparent. However, the subsequent Iron Age and Roman Period reveal only crop weeds and cereal pollen in slightly higher concentrations, but the abundance of Poaceae pollen at this time is most probably consistent with grazing activities. There follows compelling evidence of the importance of flax cultivation and processing at the maars from the Merovingian Period (5th century a.d.) onwards. A detailed insight into the agriculture of the High Medieval comes from flash flood layers of the 14th century a.d., where remains of Secale cereale (rye) and crop weeds reflect winter-sown cultivation of rye. Cannabis sativa (hemp) was also cultivated and processed during the medieval. Finally we can trace the Prussian reforestation in the 19th century a.d., with an increase in Pinus sylvestris (pine) and Picea abies (fir), by both pollen and plant macro-remains.