Upward Increase Research Articles

How intermittency affects the rate at which rainfall extremes respond to changes in temperature

Abstract. A detailed analysis of how intermittency (i.e., the alternation of dry and rainy periods) modulates the rate at which sub-daily rainfall extremes depend on temperature is presented. Results show that hourly extremes tend to be predominantly controlled by peak intensity, increasing at a rate of approximately 7 % per degree in agreement with the Clausius–Clapeyron equation. However, a rapid increase in intermittency upward of 20–25 °C is shown to produce local deviations from this theoretical scaling, resulting in lower scaling rates. On the other hand, rapidly decreasing intermittency with temperature between 10 and 20° can result in higher net scaling rates than expected, potentially exceeding Clausius–Clapeyron. In general, the importance of intermittency in controlling the scaling rates of precipitation with temperature grows as we progress from hourly to daily aggregation timescales and beyond. Thermodynamic effects still play an important role in controlling the maximum water-holding capacity of the atmosphere and therefore peak rainfall intensity, but the observational evidence shows that, beyond a few hours, storm totals become increasingly dominated by dynamical factors. The conclusion is that Clausius–Clapeyron scaling alone cannot be used to reliably predict the net effective changes in rainfall extremes with temperature beyond a few hours. A more general scaling model that takes into account simultaneous changes in intermittency and peak intensity with temperature is proposed to help better disentangle these two phenomena (e.g., peak intensity and intermittency). The new model is applied to a large number of high-resolution rain gauge time series in the United States, and results show that it greatly improves the representation of rainfall extremes with temperature, producing a much more consistent and reliable picture of extremes across scales than using Clausius–Clapeyron only.

Age and gravitational separation of the stratospheric air over Indonesia

Abstract. The gravitational separation of major atmospheric components, in addition to the age of air, would provide additional useful information about stratospheric circulation. However, observations of the age of air and gravitational separation are still geographically sparse, especially in the tropics. In order to address this issue, air samples were collected over Biak, Indonesia in February 2015 using four large plastic balloons, each loaded with two compact cryogenic samplers. With a vertical resolution of better than 2 km, air samples from seven different altitudes were analyzed for CO2 and SF6 mole fractions, δ15N of N2, δ18O of O2, and δ(Ar∕N2) to examine the vertically dependent age and gravitational separation of air in the tropical tropopause layer (TTL) and the equatorial stratosphere. By comparing their measured mole fractions with aircraft observations in the upper tropical troposphere, we have found that CO2 and SF6 ages increase gradually with increasing altitude from the TTL to 22 km, and then rapidly from there up to 29 km. The CO2 and SF6 ages agree well with each other in the TTL and in the lower stratosphere, but show a significant difference above 24 km. The average values of δ15N of N2, δ18O of O2, and δ(Ar∕N2) all show a small but distinct upward decrease due to the gravitational separation effect. Simulations with a two-dimensional atmospheric transport model indicate that the gravitational separation effect decreases as tropical upwelling is enhanced. From the model calculations with enhanced eddy mixing, it is also found that the upward increase in air age is magnified by horizontal mixing. These model simulations also show that the gravitational separation effect remains relatively constant in the lower stratosphere. The results of this study strongly suggest that the gravitational separation, combined with the age of air, can be used to diagnose air transport processes in the stratosphere.

Lithofacies and stratigraphy of a complete Woodford Shale outcrop section in South Central Oklahoma: Geologic considerations for the evaluation of unconventional shale reservoirs

We have developed a detailed rock-based documentation of a previously undescribed Woodford Shale outcrop in South Central Oklahoma. The complete exposed section provided the opportunity to investigate lithologic attributes across the complete Woodford Shale thickness, as well as on its under- and overlying formational contacts. Within the Woodford Shale strata, seven lithofacies were recognized honoring textural and compositional attributes, and they were grouped based on their weathering response into soft (incompetent) and hard (competent) beds. Internally, across the Woodford interval, there is an overall upward increase in quartz content, represented by higher proportions of siliceous shales and chert around the middle and upper members, whereas the lower member is mostly dominated by organic and clay-rich shales interbedded with minor proportions of cherty beds. However, most notable was the rhythmic cyclicity between hard (brittle) and soft (ductile) lithofacies throughout the Woodford, from which systematic measurements of bed thickness and soft-to-hard ratios are examined to illustrate multiple scenarios of stratigraphic anisotropy. The geologic assessment of reservoir quality was assessed using the vertical arrangement of lithofacies, from which we hypothesized that potential target zones are interpreted to be composed by high-frequency interbeddings of organic-rich “soft” beds (acting as a local source) and “hard” brittle beds (acting as more frackable or fractured rocks). According to this model and the vertical stratigraphy, a potential target zone is interpreted to lie in between the upper half of the middle Woodford and lower half of the upper Woodford member, where the soft-to-hard ratio is approximately 50/50 and the beds are thinner.

Evaluation of Biosynthesis, Accumulation and Antioxidant Activityof Vitamin E in Sweet Corn (Zea mays L.) during Kernel Development.

Sweet corn kernels were used in this research to study the dynamics of vitamin E, by evaluatingthe expression levels of genes involved in vitamin E synthesis, the accumulation of vitamin E, and the antioxidant activity during the different stage of kernel development. Results showed that expression levels of ZmHPT and ZmTC genes increased, whereas ZmTMT gene dramatically decreased during kernel development. The contents of all the types of vitamin E in sweet corn had a significant upward increase during kernel development, and reached the highest level at 30 days after pollination (DAP). Amongst the eight isomers of vitamin E, the content of γ-tocotrienol was the highest, and increased by 14.9 folds, followed by α-tocopherolwith an increase of 22 folds, and thecontents of isomers γ-tocopherol, α-tocotrienol, δ-tocopherol,δ-tocotrienol, and β-tocopherol were also followed during kernel development. The antioxidant activity of sweet corn during kernel development was increased, and was up to 101.8 ± 22.3 μmol of α-tocopherol equivlent/100 g in fresh weight (FW) at 30 DAP. There was a positive correlation between vitamin E contents and antioxidant activity in sweet corn during the kernel development, and a negative correlation between the expressions of ZmTMT gene and vitamin E contents. These results revealed the relations amongst the content of vitamin E isomers and the gene expression, vitamin E accumulation, and antioxidant activity. The study can provide a harvesting strategy for vitamin E bio-fortification in sweet corn.

From carbonate platform to euxinic sea – the collapse of an Early/Middle Devonian reef, Cantabrian Mountains (Spain)

Abstract The Santa Lucía Formation represents the major phase in Devonian reef development of the Cantabrian Zone (Cantabrian Mountains, northwest Spain). In the present study the transition from the carbonate platform deposits of the Santa Lucía Formation to the overlying euxinic basinal deposits of the Huergas Formation is described. These transitional strata are connected to the Basal Choteč Event and represent a condensed sedimentation of micritic dark-grey and black limestones with an upward increase of dark shale intercalations with iron mineralisation surfaces and storm-induced brachiopod coquinas. The transitional beds are grouped into a new unit, the Cabornera Bed, which consists of limestone, limestone-shale and shale facies associations, representing a sediment-starved euxinic offshore area just below the storm wave base. Four stages in reef decline can be recognised: a reef stage, an oxygen-depleted, nutrient-rich stage, a siliciclastic-influx stage and a pelagic-siliciclastic stage. Additional geochemical and geophysical investigations are needed to verify the results presented herein.

Lithostratigraphy of the Kookfontein Formation (Ecca Group, Karoo Supergroup), South Africa

AbstractThe Permian Kookfontein Formation forms part of the upper Ecca Group in the southwestern part of the main Karoo Basin of South Africa. It occupies a stratigraphic position between the underlying Skoorsteenberg Formation and the overlying Waterford Formation, with its regional extent limited to the cut-off boundaries of the Skoorsteenberg Formation. The Kookfontein Formation has an average thickness of 200 m, coarsens upwards, and predominantly comprises dark grey shale, siltstone and thin- to thick-bedded, fine- to very fine-grained, feldspathic litharenite. Characteristic upward-coarsening and thickening successions and syn-sedimentary deformation features reflect rapid deposition and progradation of a predominantly fluvially-dominated prodelta and delta front slope environment. The upward increase in the abundance of wave–ripple marks further indicates a gradual shallowing of the depositional environment through time. The upper contact with the Waterford Formation is gradational, which indicates a transition from deposition in an unstable upper slope/shelf margin environment to a more stable shelf setting.

Differences in radiocarbon ages among molluscan shells, plant materials, and total organic carbon: An example from the paleo-Changjiang incised-valley fill, China

Radiocarbon dating of samples from the CM97 cores of Late Pleistocene to Holocene sediments in the paleo-Changjiang incised valley, China, was performed, and age differences among molluscan shells, wood and other plant materials, and bulk total organic carbon (TOC) were evaluated. The incised-valley fill consists of fluvial, estuarine, and deltaic deposits in ascending order. In the dating results, samples of wood and other plant materials yielded similar ages to molluscan shell samples. In contrast, in samples from estuarine and deltaic sediments, radiocarbon ages of TOC were systematically older, by up to 6500 calibrated years, than those of molluscan shells. This result suggests that the paleo-Changjiang River transported aged terrigenous organic matter to its mouth. The magnitude of the age offset increased upward within the transgressive estuarine sediments, and the largest offset, ∼4500 calibrated years on average, was observed in the prodelta sediments deposited after the maximum transgression. Grain size, the C/N ratio, δ13C values, and the sediment accumulation rate of the incised-valley-fill sediments and the paleo-water depth indicated a weak terrestrial influence and a strong marine influence in the prodelta sediments. Therefore, the large age offsets in the prodelta sediments likely reflect reworking and resuspension in a strongly tide-dominated setting of sediments deposited earlier on the inner shelf, resulting in the supply of both fine-grained resuspended sediments and old organic carbon to the prodelta in addition to the supply of terrigenous organic carbon from the paleo-Changjiang River. The upward (deepening) increase of the age offset in the estuarine sediments supports this interpretation. The magnitude of the age offset in the past prodelta sediments was comparable to the old radiocarbon ages of the surface sediments in the present prodelta to inner shelf area. This result suggests that the supply, dispersal, recycling, and burial of terrestrial organic carbon on the inner shelf has been mostly stable during the past 8000 years.

An integrative ichnological and taphonomic approach in a transgressive–regressive cycle: a case study from Devonian of Paraná Basin, Brazil

The palaeoenvironmental context of a section of the Devonian Ponta Grossa Formation (Parana Basin) was examined using an integrated ichnological and taphonomic approach. Three taphofacies (T-A, T-B and T-C) and six ichnofabrics are recognized. T-A is mainly composed of disarticulated organisms and is associated with Chondrites, Planolites-Palaeophycus, Asterosoma-Zoophycos and Asterosoma-Chondrites ichnofabrics, representing the Cruziana ichnofacies. The upward increase in diversity and abundance of body fossils for Taphofacies A can be explained by changes in sedimentation rates during aggradational to progradational phases. T-B beds, represented by articulated brachiopods, occur in distal tempestites associated with the Skolithos ichnofabric (Skolithos ichnofacies) and represent higher hydrodynamic energy and oxygenation than in T-A. Taphofacies C, characterized by a mix of articulated and disarticulated organisms, generally lacks bioturbation except for Chondrites ichnofabrics occurring only at the bed tops, suggesting low substrate oxygenation and low-energy conditions. T-C indicates the maximum transgression in the T-R cycle, characterizing it as a good indicator of maximum flooding surfaces. The composite Asterosoma-Teichichnus ichnofabric (bioturbation degree 5) occurs in layers without body fossils and represents suites of the Cruziana ichnofacies. This likely reflects intense intrastratal activity at all substrate levels, which facilitated the oxygenation of the substrate disallowing the preservation of organism remains. This observation indicates that the bioturbation is an important factor controlling the loss of taphonomic information within the TAZ, mainly when associated with detritus-feeding trace fossils.

Geology, mineralogy, and geochemistry of late Miocene paleosol and calcrete in the western part of the Central Anatolian Volcanic Province (CAVP), Turkey

The late Miocene was characterized by high global temperatures and partly to nearly complete desiccation of the Mediterranean Sea throughout the latter part of the Messinian age (the Messinian salinity crisis). The non-marine paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic records from the Mediterranean area are highly limited in their spatial range. Late Miocene river flood-plain sediments in the Central Anatolian Volcanic Province (CAVP) of central Turkey consist of siliciclastic and pyroclastic sediments with paleosols and calcrete. Five lithofacies were identified as (A) massive conglomerate, (B) trough-cross-bedded sandstone, (C) massive mudstone, (D) disrupted mud, (E) and disrupted matrix-supported conglomerate. The paleosols were composed predominantly of smectite and illite with smaller amounts of feldspar, quartz, opal-A, pyroxene and amphibole, and the calcretes were composed mainly of calcite, with smaller amounts of feldspar, quartz and opal-A, and minor amounts of smectite, chlorite and illite. Authigenic clay minerals and micritic calcite coating on the detrital grains and soil peds and pendant cement in the calcrete and paleosol horizons were evidence of a vadose zone. In contrast, the large equant spar drusy mosaics were formed in phreatic environments. The weathering of ignimbrite and marble led to the depletion of SiO2, CaO, Al2O3, Fe2O3, TiO2, and K2O through the precipitation of smectite and illite in the paleosols, and CaO in the form of micrite and calcite in the calcrete horizons. Field observations, mineralogy, geochemistry and the results of δ18O and δ13C isotopic analysis reveal that alternating wet and dry periods resulted in an upward increase in precipitation of authigenic smectite and illite within the late Miocene sections, under the influence of geochemical and pH fluctuations in phreatic or vadose water within the river flood-plain paleoenvironment.

Multiple reinjections and crystal mush compaction in the solidification evolution of the Karaj Dam basement Sill, Northern Iran

The Karaj Dam basement Sill is a 460m–thick saucer shaped sill, situated in the Alborz Magmatic Belt, Northern Iran. The results of geochemical, textural and field relations reveal characteristics of a sill with a well-developed S-shaped compositional profile which could be subdivided into distinct parts and suggest that the sill was repeatedly split and reinjected with fresh magma in the upper half of the previous emplacements (over- to partly intra-accretion). Whole rock and mineral compositional profiles have recorded five to six discrete injections of magma, each of which individually show an upward increase in terms of primitivity which represents partial crystallization in feeder conduits. The first three small successive pulses of magma, emplaced in the basal 150m of the floor sequence, were followed by voluminous fourth and fifth pulses in the upper portion of the sill. During final two pulses the system acts as a closed system for each independently, and evolves through compositional convection or compaction aided in-situ crystallization. Theoretical models for convection and compaction shows the significance of both processes. Considering the final porosity of 0.1<φ<0.45, calculated convective velocities (0.2<Vc<227m/year) are higher than the calculated crystal accumulation rate of the basal 150m and upper portion of the sill (Va=1 and 0.1m/year), when the crystal mush varies between 1 to 0.01m with the liquid viscosity ranging from 85 to 15Pa·s. Our calculations further indicate that compaction driven velocity of liquid expulsion (ω−w) hardly exceeds the Va in the basal 150m of the floor sequence. The highest velocity is reached (ω−w=~1m/year) only if the crystal mush thickness is no less than 240m with the porosity of 0.6 and the liquid viscosity of no more than 15Pa·s. On the other hand, compaction is highly effective in the upper portion of the sill. Transfer of residual liquid from the compacting lower solidification front to the dilating upper solidification front resulted in characteristic chemical and mineralogical effects, such as the depletion of the lower half of the sill and the enrichment of the sandwich zone in incompatible elements and modal granophyre. Crystallization of the fourth pulse of magma produced a peak in incompatible clement concentrations at a sandwich horizon located at the 410m level, where the floor and roof of the sill appeared to converge at this stage. Subsequent to the time of this enriched zone crystallizing, the fifth pulse of magma was emplaced near this level and inflated the chamber vertically for ~200m. Cumulus material containing interstitial melt and subsequent buoyancy driven upward transport of interstitial melt in this pulse concentrated incompatible elements at ~47m below the main peak, at the stratigraphic height of 360–370m. The boundaries between the successive pulses were cryptic and represent a gradational contact in terms of grain size, chemical composition and crystallization sequence. This implies a short time interval between the emplacements of the magma. This sill is comparable with Antarctica Beacon Sill and Hudson River Palisades Sill, and the recognition of evidence for reinjection and compaction in these macroscopically uniform sills, as well as the Karaj Dam basement Sill, suggests that these processes may be common in the construction of sills with a thickness of more than 100m.

Holocene environmental changes as recorded in sediments of a paleodelta, southwest coast of India

Sedimentary record of a 40 m deep borehole drilled in a paleodelta region of southwest coast of India has been studied for sedimentary proxies - texture, clay minerals, geotechnical parameters, and pollens. The sedimentary record, spanning from 12 ka to Recent in age, exhibits two different sedimentary environments of deposition. Sediments record high values of moisture content, organic carbon and plasticity index. Sediment texture and geotechnical properties indicate a distinct change in depositional environment from marine to fluvial during the sea level fall i.e., after ∼7 ka. It also suggests that major rise of sea level from ∼11 to ∼7 ka and regression from ∼7 ka to ∼5 ka contributed to the changes in the environment of deposition. The downcore increase of illite and decrease of kaolinite at 12 m depth (∼6 ka), and an upward increase of smectite and kaolinite, and decrease of illite concentration support the major fall in sea level in the region that accounted for the change of depositional environment. The pollen records reveal the abundant occurrence of semi-evergreen type of mangroves during early-to mid- Holocene. Thus, the multi proxy record provides an evidence of change in the environment of deposition from marine to fluvial, which might have been influenced by neotectonics, sea level variations, and monsoonal intensity in the region.

Large-scale magmatic layering in the Main Zone of the Bushveld Complex and episodic downward magma infiltration

The Bellevue drillcore intersects ~3 km of Main and Upper Zone cumulates in the Northern Limb of the Bushveld Complex. Main Zone cumulates are predominately gabbronorites, with localized layers of pyroxenite and anorthosite. Some previous workers, using bulk rock major, trace and isotopic compositions, have suggested that the Main Zone crystallized predominantly from a single pulse of magma. However, density measurements throughout the Bellevue drillcore reveal intervals that show up-section increases in bulk rock density, which are difficult to explain by crystallization from a single batch of magma. Wavelet analysis of the density data suggests that these intervals occur on length-scales of ~40 to ~170 m, thus defining a scale of layering not previously described in the Bushveld Complex. Upward increases in density in the Main Zone correspond to upward increases in modal pyroxene, producing intervals that grade from a basal anorthosite (with 5% pyroxene) to gabbronorite (with 30–40% pyroxene). We examined the textures and mineral compositions of a ~40 m thick interval showing upwardly increasing density to establish how this type of layering formed. Plagioclase generally forms euhedral laths, while orthopyroxene is interstitial in texture and commonly envelops finer-grained and embayed plagioclase grains. Minor interstitial clinopyroxene was the final phase to crystallize from the magma. Plagioclase compositions show negligible change up-section (average An62), with local reverse zoning at the rims of cumulus laths (average increase of 2 mol%). In contrast, interstitial orthopyroxene compositions become more primitive up-section, from Mg# 57 to Mg# 63. Clinopyroxene similarly shows an up-section increase in Mg#. Pyroxene compositions record the primary magmatic signature of the melt at the time of crystallization and are not an artefact of the trapped liquid shift effect. Combined, the textures and decoupled mineral compositions indicate that the upward density increase is produced by the downward infiltration of noritic magma into a previously emplaced plagioclase-rich crystal mush. Fresh noritic magma soaked down into the crystallizing anorthositic mush, partially dissolving plagioclase laths and assimilating Fe-enriched pore melt. The presence of multiple cycles showing upward increases in density in the Bellevue drillcore suggests that downward magma infiltration occurred episodically during crystallization of the Main Zone.

Phenomenology of high-ozone episodes in NE Spain

Abstract. Ground-level and vertical measurements (performed using tethered and non-tethered balloons), coupled with modelling, of ozone (O3), other gaseous pollutants (NO, NO2, CO, SO2) and aerosols were carried out in the plains (Vic Plain) and valleys of the northern region of the Barcelona metropolitan area (BMA) in July 2015, an area typically recording the highest O3 episodes in Spain. Our results suggest that these very high O3 episodes were originated by three main contributions: (i) the surface fumigation from high O3 reservoir layers located at 1500–3000 m a.g.l. (according to modelling and non-tethered balloon measurements), and originated during the previous day(s) injections of polluted air masses at high altitude; (ii) local/regional photochemical production and transport (at lower heights) from the BMA and the surrounding coastal settlements, into the inland valleys; and (iii) external (to the study area) contributions of both O3 and precursors. These processes gave rise to maximal O3 levels in the inland plains and valleys northwards from the BMA when compared to the higher mountain sites. Thus, a maximum O3 concentration was observed within the lower tropospheric layer, characterised by an upward increase of O3 and black carbon (BC) up to around 100–200 m a.g.l. (reaching up to 300 µg m−3 of O3 as a 10 s average), followed by a decrease of both pollutants at higher altitudes, where BC and O3 concentrations alternate in layers with parallel variations, probably as a consequence of the atmospheric transport from the BMA and the return flows (to the sea) of strata injected at certain heights the previous day(s). At the highest altitudes reached in this study with the tethered balloons (900–1000 m a.g.l.) during the campaign, BC and O3 were often anti-correlated or unrelated, possibly due to a prevailing regional or even hemispheric contribution of O3 at those altitudes. In the central hours of the days a homogeneous O3 distribution was evidenced for the lowest 1 km of the atmosphere, although probably important variations could be expected at higher levels, where the high O3 return strata are injected according to the modelling results and non-tethered balloon data. Relatively low concentrations of ultrafine particles (UFPs) were found during the study, and nucleation episodes were only detected in the boundary layer. Two types of O3 episodes were identified: type A with major exceedances of the O3 information threshold (180 µg m−3 on an hourly basis) caused by a clear daily concatenation of local/regional production with accumulation (at upper levels), fumigation and direct transport from the BMA (closed circulation); and type B with regional O3 production without major recirculation (or fumigation) of the polluted BMA/regional air masses (open circulation), and relatively lower O3 levels, but still exceeding the 8 h averaged health target. To implement potential O3 control and abatement strategies two major key tasks are proposed: (i) meteorological forecasting, from June to August, to predict recirculation episodes so that NOx and VOC abatement measures can be applied before these episodes start; (ii) sensitivity analysis with high-resolution modelling to evaluate the effectiveness of these potential abatement measures of precursors for O3 reduction.

The Loppio Oolitic Limestone (Early Jurassic, Southern Alps): A prograding oolitic body with high original porosity originated by a carbonate platform crisis and recovery

The Loppio Oolitic Limestone is a lithostratigraphic unit of the Early Jurassic Trento Platform in the Southern Alps, Northern Italy, which deposited over an area of ca. 3500 km2. It appears as a roughly tabular or wedge-shaped sedimentary body with thickness gradually increasing from 0 to ca. 100 m toward the western platform margin. We investigated the sedimentology, petrography and bulk carbonate carbon isotope geochemistry of the Loppio Oolitic Limestone in order to shed light on its depositional setting and origin. The Loppio Oolitic Limestone is made almost exclusively of oolitic grainstone, and can be subdivided in two parts. In the lower part, ooids are poorly sorted and sedimentary structures are scarce or absent. In the upper part, sorting becomes good and sedimentary structures are common. The vertical succession of sedimentary structures and the upward increase in sorting suggest a shallowing upward trend within the oolite. A reddened surface, meteoric cements and dinosaur footprints occur at the top of the unit, testifying for a subaerial exposure which is also confirmed by carbon and oxygen stable isotopic data. In terms of sequence stratigraphy, the Loppio Oolitic Limestone represents a Highstand Systems Tract, bounded at the top by a subaerial exposure surface. Bulk carbonate stable carbon isotope curves across the Loppio Oolitic Limestone from 7 stratigraphic sections could be correlated over distances of tens of km on the whole Trento Platform. This correlation suggests that the deposition of ooids was nearly synchronous across the platform. A negative excursion of carbon isotopes with magnitude of ca. 1‰ VPDB was identified within a lime mudstone unit (“Nodular lithozone” of the Monte Zugna Formation) immediately below the Loppio Oolitic Limestone, which can be correlated to a global perturbation of the carbon cycle in the mid-Sinemurian. The flooding of a wide area of formerly peritidal carbonate platform below the wave base was interpreted as due to an ecological crisis that caused a drop of carbonate production. We suggest that the subsequent recovery of carbonate production is marked by the shallowing upward succession of the Loppio Oolitic Limestone, which quickly occupied the accommodation space formed in consequence of the crisis, thus preventing the platform drowning. The Loppio Oolitic Limestone deposited as an initially highly porous oolitic sand that was then topped by a clayey interval (base of the Rotzo Formation), giving origin to a structural and stratigraphic configuration that could be favourable for the accumulation of hydrocarbons in the subsurface. The recurrence of similar facies superpositions, formed in consequence of perturbations of the carbon cycle with documented climatic effects, is discussed with regard to the Tethysian record of Mesozoic carbonate platforms.

The Paleocene Chance Member of the Fort Union Formation, northern Bighorn Basin, Montana and Wyoming: aperiodic cyclothems in a tectonically dominated lake basin

A 400 m-thick sequence characterized by prominent tabular sandstone beds and a significant amount of marl and limestone occurs in Paleocene strata of the northern part of the Bighorn Basin (Clarks Fork Basin) of Wyoming and Montana. These strata, currently designated as the Belfry Member of the Fort Union Formation, actually consist of two separate but related lithogenetic units. The lower unit, which includes the Belfry Member stratotype, shows a gradual upward increase in tabular sandstone and marl or limestone and is inferred to have been deposited on a drowning flood plain under paralacustrine conditions. The upper unit, here proposed as the Chance Member, is characterized by the presence of six asymmetrical, basin-wide cyclothems. Each cycle begins abruptly with a transgressive surface overlain by laterally extensive tabular sandstone, followed by a micrite-dominated interval that together represent the lacustrine phase of the cycle. These are succeeded by lenticular interbeds of mudstone and sandstone inferred to have been deposited as a prograding fluvio-deltaic and flood plain sequence. The cyclothems are of variable thickness, ranging from ∼30m in the lowest cycle to ∼10 m in the uppermost cycles. Detailed stratigraphic mapping and correlation with the paleomagnetic and vertebrate biostratigraphic framework for the Bighorn Basin places the entire Chance Member within a portion of one vertebrate zone, Ti4, of the middle Tiffanian Provincial Age (59.2 to 58.5 Ma). The variable thickness of the cycles points toward deposition during unequal time intervals and suggests a tectonic origin most likely related to episodic movement of faults bounding the Bighorn Basin.

THE PERMIAN -TRIASSIC BOUNDARY, DEAD SEA, JORDAN: TRANSITIONAL ALLUVIAL TO MARINE DEPOSITIONAL SEQUENCES AND BIOSTRATIGRAPHY

The Permian to Triassic transition in Jordan is characterised by a sequence boundary underlain by red-bed, alluvial lithofacies deposited in a humid-tropical climate by low-sinuosity rivers, and overlain by shallow marine siliciclastics with thin carbonates. The low-gradient alluvial floodplain was repeatedly subjected to the development of ferralitic and pisolitic paleosols on the interfluves. In contrast, dysaerobic environments in the fluvial channels and abandoned lakes resulted in the preservation of a prolific flora of macro-plants and palynomorphs that indicate a probable range from Mid- to Late Permian age, though the abundant presence of the distinctive pollen Pretricolpipollenites bharadwajii indicates the youngest part of that range. Above the sequence boundary, reddened shallow-marine beds characterised by ripple cross-laminated, siltstones/sandstone with desiccation cracks and sparse surface burrows mark the initial Triassic marine transgression in the region (Arabian Plate Tr 10). These are followed by two thin limestone (packstone) beds with shallow scours and bivalve shell lags, that have yielded a low diversity assemblage of conodonts (e.g. Hadrodontina aequabilis ) and foraminifera (“ Cornuspira ” mahajeri ) that are interpreted as euryhaline taxa characterising the early Induan (Early Triassic). Thus the absence of body fossils and vertical infaunal burrows in the lowest marine beds may reflect low-diversity ecosystems following the Permian-Triassic extinction event, or be a result of stressed shallow marine environments. A gradational upward increase in grey, green and yellow siltstones beds accompanied by a concomitant increase in bioturbation (and infaunal vertical burrows) and thin-shelled bivalves about 15 m above the boundary indicates colonisation of the substrate under more normal shallow marine conditions perhaps indicating recovery phase following the extinction event.

Overprint of neotectonism along the course of River Chel, North Bengal, India

This paper aims to unveil neotectonic imprints in topography, drainage and sediments in the 46.25 km long course of the River Chel from its source down to its alluvial fan at the base of the Himalayan Mountain Front in the Darjeeling–Jalpaiguri districts of India. A semi-circular ridge delimits its primary catchment. Within confinement of this watershed basin the drainage pattern is composite being convergent along the periphery and divergent on a butte inside. All these geomorphic neotectonic imprints are accompanied by ramp and flat structures and spectacular mylonitization of rocks.High hypsometric index and convex shape of the hypsometric curve derived from the central near-straight course of the river between the primary catchment and the Main Frontal Thrust (MFT) also reflects tectonic youthfulness of the river course. It is well manifested also in widely variable stream index and stream gradient index ratios (SL/K) often exceeding 2. In response to neotectonism, this river course as a whole shifted westward between 1962 and 2007. Maximum reduction of the stream gradient on top of the MFT is eloquent enough about recent uplift of the thrust ridge. The high average slope gradient of canyon wall about 45.68° is well consistent with this uplift. Very low channel-width/valley-height ratio along the river further corroborates the uplift.The alluvial fan system of the River Chel is comprised of five morphogenetic fans stacked one above another with a tendency to shrink and shift progressively upslope. They differ from each other in terms of tilt, axial orientation, primary depositional surface gradient and convexity in transverse section and thus present a writ of ongoing tectonism. Progressive upward increase in the share of distal crystalline rocks in clast composition within alluvial fan package is a clear proxy for southerly advancement of the MFT. Concomitant increase in maximum clast size is in good agreement with sediment source uplift. All the five fans are, however, dormant now. Present-day River Chel deeply incises through all of them and suggests further basement uplift in the context of frequent evidences of neotectonism all around, although the role of climate remains uncertain in absence of adequate data.

Spatial and Temporal Variation of Fluvial Architecture In A Prograding Clastic Wedge of the Late Cretaceous Western Interior Basin (Kaiparowits Plateau), U.S.A.

Abstract Patterns and distribution of fluvial architectural elements in the John Henry Member (Upper Cretaceous, Straight Cliffs Formation) are documented in the southwestern Kaiparowits Plateau, Utah through detailed, outcrop-based facies characterization and mapping across ∼ 20 km down depositional dip. Observed facies associations and fluvial architectures define seven distinct depositional units (DUs), from stratigraphic base to top: DU-0, braided-river channel belts and tide-influenced channels; DU-1, highly amalgamated meandering-river channel belts with local braided and tide-influenced interdistributary channels; DU-2, laterally extensive, highly sinuous meandering-river channel belts; DU-3, straight channels in thick floodplain deposits; DU-4, laterally restricted, moderately amalgamated meandering-river channel belts; DU-5, laterally extensive, moderately amalgamated braided-river channel belts; and DU-6, highly amalgamated braided-river channel belts. The John Henry Member is characterized by two trends: from DU-1 to DU-3, an upward decrease in grain size, channel-belt frequency and lateral extent, and a shift from braided to meandering channel geometries with episodic tidal influence; and from DU-4 to DU-6, an upward increase in grain size, channel-belt frequency and lateral extent, and a shift from meandering to braided channel geometries. Overall, these trends represent a hybrid of previous models for the formation of nonmarine depositional sequences. To the west, the lower trend was bounded at the base by an erosional surface that may represent a local valley-fill succession. Incision is potentially linked to a tectonically induced relative base-level fall, although other factors such as eustasy and autogenic processes cannot be discounted. A subsequent period of high accommodation is reflected in DUs 2, 3, and 4, and correlates to transgressive marginal marine strata located ∼ 60 km down depositional dip. The upper trend in the John Henry Member fluvial strata can be explained by up-dip, mainly tectonic controls on subsidence and sediment supply, and autogenic progradation of a large, distributive fluvial fan system in DUs 4, 5, and 6.

The Upper Ordovician black shales of southern Quebec (Canada) and their significance for naturally occurring hydrocarbons in shallow groundwater

Shale gas exploration in the St. Lawrence Platform of southern Quebec (eastern Canada) focussed on the Upper Ordovician Utica Shale from 2006 to 2010 during which 28 wells were drilled, 18 of which were fracked. The St. Lawrence Platform is thus considered as a pristine geological domain where potential environmental effects of fracking can be evaluated relative to the natural baseline conditions of the shallow aquifers. In the Saint-Édouard area southwest of Quebec City, it has been shown that groundwater carries variable and locally high levels of naturally occurring dissolved hydrocarbons in which thermogenic ethane and propane can be found. Fifteen shallow (30–147m) wells were drilled into bedrock and sampled (cores and cuttings) with the purpose of characterizing the shallow bedrock in a shale gas pre-development context.The shallow bedrock geology is made of three Upper Ordovician clastic formations. The Lotbinière and Les Fonds formations are time- and facies-correlative with the Utica Shale present at a depth of 1.5 to 2km in this area. They are dominated by calcareous black shales with minor siltstone and micrite beds. The Nicolet Formation is the youngest unit of the area and consists of gray to dark gray shales with locally abundant thick siltstone and fine-grained sandstone beds.The organic matter in the Lotbinière and Les Fonds formations is represented by solid bitumen with subordinate liptinite algae, graptolites and chitinozoans representing normal marine Type II kerogen. Both formations are at the post-peak hydrocarbon generation as indicated by the equivalent random vitrinite reflectance of 0.94 to 1.04%. Rock Eval data support the Type II nature of the kerogen and the late oil window maturation level.Hydrocarbon extracts from the three formations have yielded high to low concentrations of C1 to C6. For all units, an upward decrease in total volatiles (C1+C2+C3) together with an increase in the gas dryness ratio (C1/C2+C3) is recorded, the transitions occurring at depths shallower than 50m where the shales are more fractured. The upward increase in the gas dryness ratio results from the more significant reduction of ethane and propane concentrations compared to that of methane. Consistent with the dryness ratio trend, the δ13CVPDB values of methane change from thermogenic values (≈−50‰) for deeper samples, to more biogenic (negative) values (<−60‰) at shallow depths. A similar δ2HVSMOW trend of more negative values at shallower depths is noted. The δ13CVPDB and δ2HVSMOW values of rock-hosted methane indicate that samples at shallow depth recorded a microbial influence. It is proposed that diffusion and some microbial degradation of hydrocarbons are responsible for the decrease of rock volatiles and the in situ generation of biogenic methane in the shales at shallow depths to mix with the in situ thermogenic methane.The Utica Shale is a very good source rock with high generation potential. However, thermogenic volatiles can also originate from shallower units with much shorter migration pathways. The mixed thermogenic and biogenic methane in the groundwater results from fracture-enhanced diffusion and biodegradation of volatiles at shallow depths.

Recognition of strong seasonality and climatic cyclicity in an ancient, fluvially dominated, tidally influenced point bar: Middle McMurray Formation, Lower Steepbank River, north‐eastern Alberta, Canada

AbstractInclined heterolithic stratification in the Lower Cretaceous McMurray Formation, exposed along the Steepbank River in north‐eastern Alberta, Canada, accumulated on point bars of a 30 to 40 m deep continental‐scale river in the fluvial–marine transition. This inclined heterolithic stratification consists of two alternating lithologies, sand and fine‐grained beds. Sand beds were deposited rapidly by unidirectional currents and contain little or no bioturbation. Fine‐grained beds contain rare tidal structures, and are intensely bioturbated by low‐diversity ichnofossil assemblages. The alternations between the sand and fine‐grained beds are probably caused by strong variations in fluvial discharge; that are believed to be seasonal (probably annual) in duration. The sand beds accumulated during river floods, under fluvially dominated conditions when the water was fresh, whereas the fine‐grained beds accumulated during the late stages of the river flood and deposition continued under tidally influenced brackish‐water conditions during times of low‐river flow (i.e. the interflood periods). These changes reflect the annual migration in the positions of the tidal and salinity limits within the fluvial–marine transition that result from changes in river discharge. Sand and fine‐grained beds are cyclically organized in the studied outcrops forming metre‐scale cycles. A single metre‐scale cycle is defined by a sharp base, an upward decrease in sand‐bed thickness and upward increases in the preservation of fine‐grained beds and the intensity of bioturbation. Metre‐scale cycles are interpreted to be the product of a longer term (decadal) cyclicity in fluvial discharge, probably caused by fluctuations in ocean or solar dynamics. The volumetric dominance of river‐flood deposits within the succession suggests that accumulation occurred in a relatively landward position within the fluvial–marine transition. This study shows that careful observation can reveal much about the interplay of processes within the fluvial–marine transition, which in turn provides a powerful tool for determining the palaeo‐environmental location of a deposit within the fluvial–marine transition.