On the perturbation of the anomalistic period of a highly eccentric orbit satellite due to the zonal harmonics

In this note a simple formula is given for the perturbation of the anomalistic period of a highly eccentric orbit due to the zonal harmonics. This perturbation depends essentially only on the semi-major axisa, the eccentricitye (or pericentre radius r =a(1-e)) and the latitude of the pericentre.     

Preservation/exhumation of ultrahigh-pressure subduction complexes

Ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) metamorphic terranes reflect subduction of continental crust to depths of 90–140 km in Phanerozoic contractional orogens. Rocks are intensely overprinted by lower pressure mineral assemblages; traces of relict UHP phases are preserved only under kinetically inhibiting circumstances. Most UHP complexes present in the upper crust are thin, imbricate sheets consisting chiefly of felsic units ± serpentinites; dense mafic and peridotitic rocks make up less than  10% of each exhumed subduction complex. Roundtrip prograde–retrograde P–T paths are completed in 10–20 Myr, and rates of ascent to mid-crustal levels approximate descent velocities. Late-stage domical uplifts typify many UHP complexes.

Sialic crust may be deeply subducted, reflecting profound underflow of an oceanic plate prior to collisional suturing. Exhumation involves decompression through the P–T stability fields of lower pressure metamorphic facies. Scattered UHP relics are retained in strong, refractory, watertight host minerals (e.g., zircon, pyroxene, garnet) typified by low rates of intracrystalline diffusion. Isolation of such inclusions from the recrystallizing rock matrix impedes back reaction. Thin-aspect ratio, ductile-deformed nappes are formed in the subduction zone; heat is conducted away from UHP complexes as they rise along the subduction channel. The low aggregate density of continental crust is much less than that of the mantle it displaces during underflow; its rapid ascent to mid-crustal levels is driven by buoyancy. Return to shallow levels does not require removal of the overlying mantle wedge. Late-stage underplating, structural contraction, tectonic aneurysms and/or plate shallowing convey mid-crustal UHP décollements surfaceward in domical uplifts where they are exposed by erosion. Unless these situations are mutually satisfied, UHP complexes are completely transformed to low-pressure assemblages, obliterating all evidence of profound subduction.     

Presolar spinel grains from the Murray and Murchison carbonaceous chondrites

With a new type of ion microprobe, the NanoSIMS, we determined the oxygen isotopic compositions of small (<1μm) oxide grains in chemical separates from two CM2 carbonaceous meteorites, Murray and Murchison. Among 628 grains from Murray separate CF (mean diameter 0.15 μm) we discovered 15 presolar spinel and 3 presolar corundum grains, among 753 grains from Murray separate CG (mean diameter 0.45 μm) 9 presolar spinel grains, and among 473 grains from Murchison separate KIE (mean diameter 0.5 μm) 2 presolar spinel and 4 presolar corundum grains. The abundance of presolar spinel is highest (2.4%) in the smallest size fraction. The total abundance in the whole meteorite is at least 1 ppm, which makes spinel the third-most abundant presolar grain species after nanodiamonds (if indeed a significant fraction of them are presolar) and silicon carbide. The O-isotopic distribution of the spinel grains is very similar to that of presolar corundum, the only statistically significant difference being that there is a larger fraction of corundum grains with large ¹⁷O excesses (¹⁷O/¹⁶O > 1.5 × 10⁻³), which indicates parent stars with masses between 1.8 and 4.5 M_⊙.     

Metamorphism of mafic dikes from the central White-Inyo Range, eastern California

Thin mafic dikes, possibly correlative with the Independence dike swarm of SE California, transect uppermost Proterozoic–Cambrian metasedimentary strata in the White-Inyo Range. Textures and bulk-rock chemistry indicate that the protoliths were diabases and microdiorites, accompanied by Ca + Mg + Fe +Ni + Cr-rich hornblende (± minor augite) cumulates. Analytical data suggest crystal settling and fractionation at shallow depths. Most of the dikes lie in the mapped aureoles of – and were metamorphosed by – voluminous Late Jurassic granitoid plutons; however, a few metadikes cut these plutons and must have been recrystallized during the emplacement of Cretaceous granitic stocks. The mafic metadikes thus include members of two or more temporally distinct suites, pre-Late Jurassic, and latest Jurassic–Cretaceous. Neoblastic mineral assemblages and element partitioning within these nonfoliated mafic metadikes reflect lower-to-upper greenschist facies overprints; metamorphic parageneses, coincident with those developed in the metasedimentary wallrocks, are defined by the production of chlorite, biotite, white mica, epidote, and actinolite, and by albitization of the igneous plagioclase. Based on analytical and mineralogic data obtained in this study, the following conclusions regarding subsolidus recrystallization of the mafic metadikes are advanced: (1) Newly grown minerals and phase assemblages are systematic in their areal distributions. (2) Metamorphic grade increases chiefly toward the north and east, toward the Late Jurassic granitoids. (3) Element fractionation among coexisting neoblastic phases is regular, and compatible with a close approach to chemical equilibrium. (4) Assemblages 3–5 km from the granitic intrusive contacts reflect lowermost greenschist facies physical conditions. (5) Investigated mafic dikes exhibit mineral parageneses isofacial with the regional/contact metamorphic assemblages previously documented for the enclosing pre-Mesozoic clastic country rocks. Clearly, mafic dikes of several ages of injection and recrystallization are present in the central White-Inyo Range, making correlation with the Independence dike swarm problematic. In any case, the dikes record localized contact metamorphism that took place sporadically over portions of an approximately 100 million year interval. Received: 13 March 1996 / Accepted: 24 December 1996     

Geologic evolution of the westernmost part of the internal Betic zone (Betic Cordilleras,Southern Spain)

The Serranía de Ronda (western Betic Cordilleras, S-Spain) is formed by different tectonic units of the Betic internal domain. Stratigraphic correlations of the Permo-Triassic and Triassic sedimentary sequences imply that one part of the Mesozoic carbonates of the Rondaides (Dorsale bétique), namely the Cabrilla unit (Dorsale interne), is shearedoff from the frontal part of the Malaguides, and another part (Nieves unit, Dorsale externe) forms the Mesozoic cover of the alpujarride Casares unit. The first alpine compressional phases took place in the Paleogene; post-metamorphic movements followed in the time between the Upper Aquitanian and the Upper Tortonian. From geometrical considerations it can be concluded that the Malaguides originated paleogeographically from a more internal region than the Alpujarrides.

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Zusammenfassung Am Aufbau der Serranía de Ronda (westliche Betische Kordilleren, S-Spanien) nehmen verschiedene Einheiten der betischen Intemzonen teil. Stratigraphische Vergleiche der permotriadischen und triadischen Sedimentserien erlauben den Schluß, daß die mesozoischen Karbonate der Rondaiden (Dorsale bétique) zu einem Teil (Cabrilla-Einheit, Dorsale interne) von der frontalen Partie der Malagiden abglitten und zum anderen Teil (Nieves-Einheit, Dorsale externe) das abgescherte Mesozoikum der alpujarriden Casares-Einheit bilden. Die ersten alpinen Kompressionsphasen sind im Paleogen anzusetzen, da für mesozoische Deckenbewegungen beweiskräftige Argumente fehlen. Zwischen Oberaquitanian und Obertortonian fanden post-metamorphe Überschiebungen statt. Aus geometrischen Gründen wird angenommen, daß die Malagiden paläogeographisch internerer Herkunft sein müssen als die benachbarten Alpujarriden.

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Resumen La Serranía de Ronda (Cordilleras béticas occidentales, Prov. Málaga) está formado por diferentes unidades del conjunto bético interno. Correlaciones estratigráficas del Permo-Triásico y del Triásico de los diferentes unidades permiten la conclusión que los Rondáides (Dorsal bética) está por una parte (unidad de Cabrilla, Dorsal interna) el revestimiento mesozóico de la parte frontal de los mantos maláguides, y por otra parte (unidad de las Nievas, Dorsal externa) la parte mesozóica de la unidad alpujárride de Casares. Las primeras fases alpinas de compresión deben ser situadas en el Paleógeno. Las traslaciones post-metamórficas de mantos son de edad aquitaniense superior hasta pre-tortoniense superior. Con argumentación geométrica se puede concluir que los Maláguides son de un orígen paleográfico más interno que los Alpujárrides.

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Die Bodenstruktur des Indischen Ozeans und dessen Geschichte

Zusammenfassung Grundzüge des Bodenreliefs und geophysikalisch-geotektonische Kenntnisse im Bereiche des Indischen Ozeans ermöglichen es, Art und Reihenfolge seiner Entwicklung zu skizzieren. Eine erste, parallel den Breitengraden während der Alttrias-Zeit aufgerissene Tiefspaltenzone unter dem Riesenkontinent Gondwanaland trennte die Antarktis von Südamerika-Afrika-Indien-Australien. Durch Querdehnung der Spalten drangen gewaltige basaltische Magmamassen empor. Sie erweiterten wie in Island die aufklaffenden Brüche und drängten die Kontinente auseinander, so daß die vier genannten Großschollen bis über die heutige Lage des 50.° Süd nordwärts verlagert wurden. Hinter ihnen blieb ihre alte, basische und vulkanisch tätige Unterlage zurück als erster Südteil des Indischen Neu-Ozeans. Unregelmäßige Hemmungen bei der Norddrift der Teilschollen dürften zwischen diesen méridionale Blattspalten erzwungen haben.Deren östlichste trennte zunächst jungtriassisch Australien ab von Indien und den anderen westlichen Kontinentalschollen. Diese méridionale Blattspalte wurde zu einer mittelozeanischen Schwelle und drängte einerseits Australien an seinen Platz gegen Osten, andererseits Indien zusammen mit Lemurien gegen Westen. Dann riß die Carlsberg-Mittelindische Schwelle auf und rückte Lemurien westwärts, Indien ostwärts bis zum 90.° Ost. Von der Mittelkreidezeit an wurde die Indische Scholle gegen Norden bis vor den Himalaya verlagert. Sie kam in der Oberkreidezeit an.Dies bewirkte keine neue Mittelozeanische Spaltenschwelle mehr. Vielmehr hatte sich eine regional das gesamte Untergrundsgebiet des Indischen Ozeans erfassende Unterströmung gegen Norden entwickelt. Sie floß unter Himalaya und Tibet noch weiter gegen N und E, wo sie das bekannte Dach der Erde im Tertiär emporstemmte.Die möglichen Begründungen enthält der nachfolgende Text.

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It is possible to reconstruct the nature and sequence of development of the Indian Ocean through knowledge of the topology and through geophysical-geotectonic research.The first deep fault zone situated under the great continent Gondwanaland, went parallel to the latitude during the lower Triassic Period and separated the Antarctic from South America, Africa, India and Australia. The basaltic magma was pushed up through the transverse expansion of the crevices. The opened cracks were widened like in Iceland and presed the continents apart. In this way the 4 great continents mentioned above, were pushed northwards farther than the 50° lat. S of today. Behind them remained the old, basic, and volcanicaly active foundation as the first southern floor of the Indian Ocean. Irregular retardations during the northern drift of parts of the continents probably had caused meridial fissures (Blatt-Spalten).The eastern most part of the fissures first divided in the Upper Triassic Period Australia from India and the other western continental blocks. These meridial fissures grew to a middle ocean rise and pushed on one side Australia to the east, and on the other side India together with Lemur to the west.The Carlsberg-Middle-Ocean Rise then shoved Lemur westward and India eastward to 90° E. Beginning in the Middle Cretaceous Period, the Indian block moved to the north and reached the Himalayas in the Upper Cretaceous Period. This did not cause any new middle ocean Spaltenschwelle. On the contrary, in the underground region of the Indian Ocean an underflow to the north had developed. It flowed under the Himalaya and Tibet and even more to the north and east where the famous roof of the Earth originated.The possible reasons are given in the following text.

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Résumé Le relief du fond de la mer et des faits géophysicaux et géotectoniques dans la région de l'Océan Indien rendent possible d'esquisser la façon de laquelle cet Océan s'est formé. Une zone primaire de fissures profondes formée pendant le Trias inférieur et située parallèle aux degrés de latitude au-dessous du continent gigantesque Gondwanaland séparait la région antarctique d'une part et l'Amérique du Sud, l'Afrique, les Indes et l'Australie d'autre part. A la suite d'une expansion de fissures d'énormes masses basaltiques se levèrent. Celles-ci élargirent les fentes, comme en Islande, et renforcèrent la séparation des continents. C'est pourquoi les quatre boucliers cités furent poussés au-delà de 50° degré de latitude vers le Nord. Leur soubassement basique et volcanique restait à sa place et formait la première partie méridionale du nouvel Océan Indien. Des obstacles irréguliers freinèrent le mouvement vers le Nord des divers boucliers, ce qui peut avoir causé les décrochements parallèles aux méridians.Le décrochement le plus oriental séparait d'abord, au Trias supérieur, l'Australie des Indes et des autres boucliers continentaux à l'Ouest. Le linéament décroché se transforma en un seuil au milieu de l'Océan et poussa d'une part l'Australie vers sa place orientale, d'autre part les Indes avec la Lémurie vers l'Ouest. Puis le linéament Carlsberg au milieu de l'Océan Indien s'ouvrit et transporta la Lémurie vers l'Ouest, les Indes vers l'Est. Dès le Crétacé moyen le bouclier indien a été transporté vers le Nord jusqu'au Himalaya. Il y arriva pendant le Crétacé supérieur.Ceci ne causa plus une nouvelle élévation au milieu de l'Océan. Plutôt il s'était produit une subfluence générale dirigée vers le Nord et emportant le soussol entier de l'Océan Indien. Cette subfluence se prolongea au-dessous de l'Himalaya et du Tibet vers le NE, soulevant au Tertiaire le célèbre Toit de la Terre.Dans la suite les raisons de cette opinion seront exposées.

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Geologische Forschungen in Ostafrika

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Über nachtertiäre Faltenbewegungen in Albanien

Ohne Zusammenfassung