Petrology, Age and Geodynamic Implication of the Panafrican Granitoids Associated with the Glito-Kpatala Shear Zone (South-East Togo)

The granitic plutons associated with the Glito-Kpatala shear zone are composed of biotite and amphibole granodiorites, biotite granites, two-mica granites and aplitic granites, which are very poorly represented. The chemical and mineralogical compositions of these facies indicate that they are I type and belong to high-K calc-alkaline series, with a chemical metaluminous character displayed by the granodiorites relative to the biotite and two-mica facies whose chemical compositions vary between metaluminous and peraluminous caracter. The Th/Ta (14.04 - 43.82 ppm, mean = 26.05), Th/U (2.58 to 15.05 ppm, mean = 5.85 ppm), Zr/Hf (25.27 to 37.21, mean = 30.67 ppm) and Rb/Sr (0.16 to 4.32;mean = 1.67 ppm) ratios of these granitoids reveal a strong crustal involvement in their magmatogenesis. Variations in CaO/Na2O (0.47 - 1.44 ppm), Rb/Sr (0.14 - 0.27 ppm), Rb/Ba (0.07 - 0.14 ppm) and Sr/Y (38.21 - 174.42 ppm) ratios indicate that biotite and amphibole granodiorites with their excessive Ni (135.37 - 139.51 ppm) and Cr (395.73 - 447.74 ppm) were derived from a mafic to intermediate lower continental crust where garnet and/or amphibole were stable residual assemblage minerals. The moderate Sr/Y ratios (1.81 - 9.47 ppm) and low transition elements Ni (1 - 6.44 ppm) and Cr (7.89 - 13.47 ppm) contents in both the two-mica and biotite granites are consistent with their emplacement at relatively shallow depths in the upper to mean continental crust, at pressures below 10 Kbar. In the two-mica granites, moderate CaO/Na2O (0.20 - 0.57 ppm, mean = 0.38 ppm) and Rb/Ba (0.39 - 1.37, mean = 0.84 ppm) ratios and quite varied Rb/Sr (1.53 - 4.23 ppm, mean = 2.85 ppm) ratios indicate a predominant derivation from psammitic and pelitic metasediments rather than metagreywackes. These low ratios (0.25 ≤ CaO/Na2O ≤ 0.32, mean = 0.28 ppm;0.31 ≤ Rb/Ba ≤ 0.44, mean = 0.39 ppm;1.11 ≤ Rb/Sr ≤ 1.78, mean = 0.39 ppm) in biotite granites are more consistent with melting from a metagreywacke-derived source. Evidence for the contribution of mantle-derived mafic magma with granitic magma in the plutons studied is materialized by the presence of magmatic enclaves in both granodiorites and two-mica granites, the volcanic arc geochemical signatures displayed by the plutons in geotectonic diagrams and Nb/Ta ratios (14.14 - 34.61 ppm) closer to mantle estimates. Geochemical data and radiometric dating elements suggest that the granitoids studied can be integrated into the pan-African late magmatic episode, which corresponds between 606 and 583 Ma, to the activity of transcurrent ductile strike-slips and to the synchronous emplacement of high K calc-alkaline plutons in a post-collisional context.

Discrete Element Modeling of a Subduction Zone with a Seafloor Irregularity and its Impact on the Seismic Cycle

Seafloor irregularities influence rupture behavior along the subducting slab and in the overriding plate,thus affecting earthquake cycles.Whether seafloor irregularities increase the likelihood of large earthquakes in a subduction zone remains contested,partially due to focus put either on fault development or on rupture pattern.Here,we simulate a subducting slab with a seafloor irregularity and the resulting deformation pattern of the overriding plate using the discrete element method.Our simulations illustrate the rupture along three major fault systems:megathrust,splay and backthrust faults.Our results show different rupture dimensions of earthquake events varying from tens to ca.140 km.Our results suggest that the recurrence interval of megathrust events with rupture length of ca.100 km is ca.140 years,which is overall comparable to the paleoseismic records at the Mentawai area of the Sumatran zone.We further propose the coseismic slip amounts decrease and interseismic slip amounts increase from the surface downwards gradually.We conclude that the presence of seafloor irregularities significantly affects rupture events along the slab as well as fault patterns in the overriding plate.

High pressure geochemistry:Preface

The origin and history of the Earth are manifested as the evolutionary processes of chemistry and physics of its interiors,which can be recognized by deciphering the geochemical signals recorded in minerals and rocks.Deep interiors of the Earth and other rocky planets are under both extreme pressure and temperature,i.e.,approximately 360 gigapascals(GPa)and as high as 7000 K at the center of the Earth.

Anomalous elasticity of talc at high pressures:Implications for subduction systems

Talc is a layered hydrous silicate mineral that plays a vital role in transporting water into Earth’s interior and is crucial for explaining geophysical observations in subduction zone settings.In this study,we explored the structure,equation of state,and elasticity of both triclinic and monoclinic talc under high pressures up to 18 GPa using first principles simulations based on density functional theory corrected for dispersive forces.Our results indicate that principal components of the full elastic constant tensor C_(11) and C_(22),shear components C_(66),and several off-diagonal components show anomalous pressure dependence.This non-monotonic pressure dependence of elastic constant components is likely related to the structural changes and is often manifested in a polytypic transition from a low-pressure polytype talc-I to a high-pressure polytype talc-Ⅱ.The polytypic transition of talc occurs at pressures within its thermodynamic stability.However,the bulk and shear elastic moduli show no anomalous softening.Our study also shows that talc has low velocity,extremely high anisotropy,and anomalously high V_(P)/V_(S) ratio,thus making it a potential candidate mineral phase that could readily explain unusually high V_(P)/V_(S) ratio and large shear wave splitting delays as observed from seismological studies in many subduction systems.

Mesorif Gabbros(External Rif, North Morocco): Ophiolitic Suture Witness or a “Newly Discovered” Manifestation of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province?

The Rif Mountain located in Northern Morocco represents the westernmost extremity of the Peri-Mediterranean Alpine orogenic system.This belt is classically subdivided into:1)Internal zones(or Internal Rif which is an allochthonous metamorphic domain known worldwide thanks to the presence of large peridotite outcrops);2)flysch zones(sediments corresponding to the original cover of the Maghrebian Tethys);and 3)External zones(or External Rif representing the North African margin remnants).The External Rif is itself subdivided into Prerif,Mesorif and Intrarif domains from the South to the North and is composed by Upper Triassic to Cenozoic sediments structured in a nappe stack.Mafic rock intrusions were reported in this External Rif since the preliminary geological studies even if they were wrongly mapped as"granites".Later careful fieldwork and mapping studies specified nevertheless their gabbroic nature.A more recent petrological and geochemical study of a few outcrops of those gabbroic intrusions conducted the corresponding authors,encouraged by the presence of ultramafic rocks(Beni Malek serpentines)in the eastern part of the External Rif to consider those gabbros as oceanic and so,associated to"an ophiolitic suture".Nevertheless,a recent and extended survey on the architecture and the rifting history of the Mesozoic margin of the Maghrebian Tethys focusing mainly on the Mesorif domain favor another interpretation.The detailed petrography of those mafic intrusions(mainly gabbros+dolerites and rarely extrusive rocks);their geochemical fingerprints and mainly their geochronological data(ages around 200 Ma based on U-Pb zircon LA-ICP dating)all together indicate clearly that those mafic intrusions are rather a"newly discovered"manifestation of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province activity"CAMP"in the External Rif belt.The CAMP magmatism has been largely well described and characterized in all the other geological domains of Morocco(Anti-Atlas,High Atlas,Middle Atlas and Meseta)but never described until the date in the Rif belt which highlights the importance of the results reported here.

On the cratonization of the Arabian-Nubian Shield: Constraints from gneissic granitoids in south Eastern Desert, Egypt

The Shaitian granite complex(SGC)spans more than 80 Ma of crustal growth in the Arabian–Nubian Shield in southeast Egypt.It is a voluminous composite intrusion(60 km2)comprising a host tonalite massif intruded by subordinate dyke-like masses of trondhjemite,granodiorite and monzogranite.The host tonalite,in turn,encloses several,fine-grained amphibolite enclaves.U-Pb zircon dating indicates a wide range of crystallization ages within the SGC(800±18Ma for tonalites;754±3.9 Ma for trondhjemite;738±3.8 Ma for granodiorite;and 717±3.2 Ma for monzogranite),suggesting crystallization of independent magma pulses.The high positiveεNdi(+6–+8)indicate that the melting sources were dominated by juvenile material without any significant input from older crust.Application of zircon saturation geothermometry indicates increasing temperatures during the generation of melts from 745±31℃ for tonalite to 810±25℃ for trondhjemite;840±10℃ for granodiorite;and 868±10℃ for monzogranite.The pressure of partial melting is loosely constrained to be below the stability of residual garnet(<10 kbar)as inferred fromthe almost flat HREE pattern((Gd/Lu)N=0.9–1.1),but>3 kbar for the stability of residual amphibole as inferred from the significantly lower NbN and TaN compared with LREEN and the sub-chondrite Nb/Ta ratios exhibited by the granitic phases.The inverse relation between the generation temperatures and the ages estimates of the granitoid lithologies argue against a significant role of fractional crystallization.The major and trace element contents indicate the emplacement of the SGC within a subduction zone setting.It lacks distinctive features for melt derived from a subducted slab(e.g.high Sr/Y and high(La/Yb)N ratios),and the relatively low MgO and Ni contents in all granite phases within the SGC suggest melting within the lower crust of an island arc overlying a mantlewedge.Comparisonwith melts produced during melting experiments indicates an amphibolite of basaltic composition is the best candidate as source for the tonalite,trondhjemite and granodiorite magmas whereas the monzogranite magma is most consistent with fusion of a tonalite protolith.Given the overlapping Sm-Nd isotope ratios as well as several trace element ratios between monzogranite and tonalite samples,it is reasonable to suggest that the renewed basaltic underplating may have caused partialmelting of tonalite and the emplacement ofmonzogranite melt within the SGC.The emplacement of potassic granite(monzogranite)melts subsequent to the emplacement of Na-rich granites(tonalitetrondhjemite-granodiorite)most likely suggests major crustal thickening prior arc collision and amalgamation into the over thickened proto-crust of the Arabian-Nubian shield.Eventually,after complete consolidation,the whole SGC was subjected to regional deformation,most probably during accretion to the Saharan Metacraton(arc–continent collisions)in the late Cryogenian-Ediacaran times(650–542 Ma).

Seismic electric signals in seismic prone areas

The Varotsos-Alexopoulos-Nomicos （VAN） method of short-term earthquake prediction was introduced in the 1980s. The VAN method enables estimation of the epicenter, magnitude and occurrence time of an impending earthquake by observing transient changes of the electric field of the Earth termed seismic electric signals （SES）. Here, we present a few examples of SES observed in various earthquake prone areas worldwide.

Swarm Theory, Hydraulic Fracturing, and the Emergence of Natural Spacing within Dyke Swarms

Like all swarming behavior in Nature,the selforganization expressed by the emergence of a natural spacing among a swarm’s members should be considered its most fundamental characteristic,and grasping the

A Comment on “A major Change in the Stratigraphy of the Santorini Volcano in Greece”

Friedrich and coauthors [1] propose that two prominent eruption deposits of Santorini Volcano are in fact the same unit, resulting in a major reinterpretation of the volcanic history of this caldera. Here I summarize published field and petrological evidence showing that their proposal is not correct.

Fe-Ti Oxide Mineralization in the XV Intrusion,Bafq Mining District,Central Iran:Insights from Mineralogy,Mineral Chemistry and S Isotopic Data

The mafic-ultramafic intrusion in the XV anomaly area,contains magmatic Fe-Ti oxides±(p)ore,is located in the Bafq mining district in the Central Iran.It consists of cumulate and layered Fe-Ti-bearing gabbros and pyroxenites.The mineral assemblages include clinopyroxene,Fe-Ti oxides,plagioclase,amphibole,apatite and sulfides(pyrite and chalcopyrite).The Fe-Ti oxides mainly consist of magnetite-titanomagnetite and ilmenite,which occurred as disseminated,intergrowth,lamellae(trellis and sandwich textures)and inclusions.Magnetite in the gabbroic rocks is from the near end-member of Fe_(3)O_(4)(<1 wt.%TiO_(2))to titanomagnetite containing up to 8 wt.%TiO_(2)(about3.73 wt.%to 26.84 wt.%Ulvospinel(X_(Usp))).Magnetite in pyroxenite rocks is characterized with TiO_(2)range from 0.46 wt.%to 3.14 wt.%(X_(Usp)varied from 1.76 wt.%to 10.46 wt.%).The abundances of V_(2)O_(3)range from 0.03 wt.%to 1.29 wt.%and 0.24 wt.%to 1.00 wt.%for gabbro and pyroxenite,respectively.X_(Usp)contents of magnetite show insignificant correlations with Al_(2)O_(3)and MgO.The average XIlmin the ilmenite of gabbro is 92%,whereas it is 90.37%in the pyroxenite rocks.The MgO and V_(2)O_(3)contents show a slightly positive correlation with TiO_(2)in ilmenite.The composition of clinopyroxenes in gabbro and pyroxenite rocks fall in the diopside to augite field with Mg#ranging from 67 to 98 and 74 to 96,respectively.In both rock types,amphiboles are mainly pargasite and rarely actinolite.Plagioclase in pyroxenite rocks is clustered in the labradorite to andesine fields with a compositional ranges of An46-69and in gabboic rocks fall in two fields with compositional ranges of albite with An0.65-5.95and labradorite with An50-63.Theδ34S isotopic values cover a limited range from+3.15‰to+4.10‰V-CDT consistent with magmatic origin.Fe-Ti mineralization is formed in two stages,minor inclusions of Fe-Ti oxide minerals in the pyroxene and plagioclase crystallized in the early magmatic stage,whereas interstitial oxides formed by fractional crystallization processes that accumulated by gravitational settling in the later stage as intercumulus phase.Gravitational settling process is supported by the observation of decreasing the amount of Fe-Ti oxides from Fe-Ti oxide-rich pyroxenite to weak mineralized gabbro(base to top).The high contents of H2O,phosphorate and high initial Ti-Fe in parental magma are the crucial factors controlling the Fe-Ti oxides enrichment and mineralization.

Ductile deformation within Upper Himalaya Crystalline Sequence and geological implications,in Nyalam area,Southern Tibet

The South Tibet Detachment System(STDS) is a flat normal fault that separates the Upper Himalaya Crystalline Sequence(UHCS) below from the Tethyan Sedimentary Sequence(TSS) above.Timing of deformations related to the STDS is critical to understand the mechanism and evolution of the Himalaya collision zone.The Nyalam detachment(ND)(～86°E) locates in the middle portion of STDS(81°-89°E).Dating of deformed leucocratic dykes that are most probably syntectonic at different depth beneath the ND,allow us to constrain the timing of deformation.(1) Dyke T11N37 located ～3500 m structurally below the ND emplaced at 27.4± 0.2 Ma;(2) Dyke T11N32 located ～1400 m structurally below the ND emplaced at 22.0±0.3 Ma;(3) T11N25 located within the top to the north STD shear zone,～150 m structurally below the ND,emplaced at 17.1±0.2 Ma.Combining ND footwall cooling history and T11N25 deformation temperature,we indicate a probable onset of top to the north deformation at ～16 Ma at this location.These results show an upward younging of the probable timing of onset of the deformation at different structural distance below the ND.We then propose a new model for deformation migration below the ND with deformation starting by pure shear deformation at depth prior to ～27.5 Ma that migrates upward at a rate of ～ 0.3 mm/a until ～18 Ma when deformation switches to top to the north shearing in the South Tibet Detachment shear zone(STDsz).As deformation on the ND stops at 14-13 Ma this would imply that significant top to the North motion would be limited to less than 5 Ma and would jeopardize the importance of lower channel flow.

藏南聂拉木高喜马拉雅结晶岩系上部韧性变形年代学及地质意义

藏南拆离断层系(STDS)为低角度正断层,其上盘为特提斯喜马拉雅沉积岩系,下盘为高喜马拉雅结晶岩系.厘定与STDS有关的变形时限,对深入理解喜马拉雅造山带的变形机制与构造演化具重要意义.聂拉木拆离断层(ND)(86°E)位于STDS中段(81°～89°E),ND下盘不同构造位置(即采样点位与ND的构造距离)的变形花岗质岩脉具有一定程度的同构造特征,锆石-独居石U-Th/Pb年龄可以不同程度地厘定变形时间:(1)样品T11N37(ND下盘约3500m构造位置)的侵位年龄为27.4±0.2Ma;(2)样品T11N32(ND下盘约1400m构造位置)的侵位年龄为22.0±0.3Ma;(3)样品T11N25(ND下盘约150m构造位置)的侵位年龄为17.1±0.2Ma,结合ND下盘冷却历史和T11N25变形温度,认为其变形最晚开始时间约为16Ma.年代学结果表明,变形作用的最晚开始时间由下盘往拆离面逐渐变年轻.因此提出ND下盘变形迁移的新模式,即ND下盘在约27.5Ma之前开始纯剪切为主的变形作用,随后变形以约0.3mm/a的速率向拆离面移动,并于约18Ma在藏南拆离断层剪切带(STDsz)底部转化为简单剪切变形为主.由于ND变形结束于14～13Ma,这意味着北向剪切作用的持续时限小于约5Ma,对下地壳流动模型提出新的挑战.