Helium transfer from water into quartz crystals: A new approach for porewater dating

Several important fundamental and applied problems require a quantification of slow rates of groundwater flow. To resolve these problems helium appears to be a promising tracer. In this contribution we discuss a new approach, which gives the helium inventory in a rock – pore water system by using the relevant mineral record, i.e., without extraction and investigation of the porewater samples. Some U- and Th-poor minerals such as quartz (quartz separates from Permo-Carboniferous Formation, sandstone–shale interlayering, Molasses Basin, Northern Switzerland, hereafter PCF, are used in this study) contain excessive helium having migrated into their internal helium-accessible volume (HAV) from the surrounding porewater [I.N. Tolstikhin, B.E. Lehmann, H.H. Loosli, A. Gautschi, Helium and argon isotopes in rocks, minerals and related groundwaters: a case study in Northern Switzerland, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 60 (1996) 1497–1514]. These volumes are estimated by using helium as a nano-size penetrating tool, i.e., by saturation of the minerals with helium under controlled pressure–temperature conditions and subsequent measurements of the helium-saturated concentrations. In the quartz separates HAV/total volume ratios vary from 0.017% to 0.16%; along with the measured initial (unsaturated) He concentration the HAV gives the internal helium pressure, the mean value obtained for 7 samples (25 sample aliquots) is P=0.45F0.15 atm (1 r). The product of helium pressure and solubility (7.35_10_3 cc STP He/cc H2O for the temperature and salinity of PCF aquifers reported in [F.J. Pearson, W. Balderer, H.H. Loosli, B.E. Lehmann, A. Matter, T. Peters, H. Schmassmann, A. Gautschi, Applied Isotope Hydrogeology–A Case Study in Northern Switzerland, Elsevier Amsterdam, 1991, 439 pp.]) is the mineral-derived He concentration in the respective porewater, CPW=0.0035F0.0017 cc He/cc H2O. This value is in full accord with measured He concentrations in PCF aquifers, CPCF, varying from 0.0045 to 0.0016 cc He/cc H2O. This agreement validates the proposed approach and also shows that the mineral–porewater helium–concentration equilibrium has been established. Indeed, estimates of the He-migration rates through our quartz samples show that in ~6000 years the internal pressure should equilibrate with He-concentration in related porewater of PCF, and this time interval is short compared to independent estimates [I.N. Tolstikhin, B.E. Lehmann, H.H. Loosli, A. Gautschi, Helium and argon isotopes in rocks, minerals and related groundwaters: a case study in Northern Switzerland, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 60 (1996) 1497–1514]. The helium inventory in the rock–porewater assemblage shows that helium abundance in pore waters is indeed important. In shale samples (with ~15% porosity) porewaters contain more helium than the host minerals altogether. Porewater heliumconcentration profiles, available from the mineral record, along with helium production rates are input parameters allowing model(s) of helium migration through a hydrological structure to be developed. Quite high helium concentrations in PCF porewaters imply slow removal mechanisms, which will be discussed elsewhere.

Low-temperature evolution of the Morondava rift basin shoulder in western Madagascar: An apatite fission track study

[1] The evolution of the rift shoulder and the sedimentary sequence of the Morondava basin in western Madagascar was mainly influenced by a Permo-Triassic continental failed rift (Karroo rift), and the early Jurassic separation of Madagascar from Africa. Karroo deposits are restricted to a narrow corridor along the basement-basin contact and parts of this contact feature a steep escarpment. Here, apatite fission track (AFT) analysis of a series of both basement and sediment samples across the escarpment reveals the low-temperature evolution of the exhuming Precambrian basement in the rift basin shoulder and the associated thermal evolution of the sedimentary succession. Seven basement and four Karroo sediment samples yield apparent AFT ages between ∼330 and ∼215 Ma and ∼260 and ∼95 Ma, respectively. Partially annealed fission tracks and thermal modeling indicate post-depositional thermal overprinting of both basement and Karroo sediment. Rocks presently exposed in the rift shoulder indicate temperatures of >60°C associated with this reheating whereby the westernmost sample in the sedimentary plain experienced almost complete resetting of the detrital apatite grains at temperatures of about ∼90–100°C. The younging of AFT ages westward indicates activity of faults, re-activating inherited Precambrian structures during Karroo sedimentation. Furthermore, our data suggest onset of final cooling/exhumation linked to (1) the end of Madagascar's drift southward relative to Africa during the Early Cretaceous, (2) activity of the Marion hot spot and associated Late Cretaceous break-up between Madagascar and India, and (3) the collision of India with Eurasia and subsequent re-organization of spreading systems in the Indian Ocean.

Noble gas, CFC and other geochemical evidence for the age and origin of the Bath thermal waters, UK

The city of Bath is a World Heritage site and its thermal waters, the Roman Baths and new spa development rely on undisturbed flow of the springs (45 °C). The current investigations provide an improved understanding of the residence times and flow regime as basis for the source protection. Trace gas indicators including the noble gases (helium, neon, argon, krypton and xenon) and chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), together with a more comprehensive examination of chemical and stable isotope tracers are used to characterise the sources of the thermal water and any modern components. It is shown conclusively by the use of 39Ar that the bulk of the thermal water has been in circulation within the Carboniferous Limestone for at least 1000 years. Other stable isotope and noble gas measurements confirm previous findings and strongly suggest recharge within the Holocene time period (i.e. the last 12 kyr). Measurements of dissolved 85Kr and chlorofluorocarbons constrain previous indications from tritium that a small proportion (<5%) of the thermal water originates from modern leakage into the spring pipe passing through Mesozoic valley fill underlying Bath. This introduces small amounts of O2 into the system, resulting in the Fe precipitation seen in the King’s Spring. Silica geothermometry indicates that the water is likely to have reached a maximum temperature of between 69–99 °C, indicating a most probable maximum circulation depth of ∼3 km, which is in line with recent geological models. The rise to the surface of the water is sufficiently indirect that a temperature loss of >20 °C is incurred. There is overwhelming evidence that the water has evolved within the Carboniferous Limestone formation, although the chemistry alone cannot pinpoint the geometry of the recharge area or circulation route. For a likely residence time of 1–12 kyr, volumetric calculations imply a large storage volume and circulation pathway if typical porosities of the limestone at depth are used, indicating that much of the Bath-Bristol basin must be involved in the water storage.

Upper crustal deformation in continent-continent collision: A case study from the Bernard nappe complex (Valais, Switzerland)

The Penninic nappes in the Swiss Alps formed during continental collision between the Adriatic and European plates in Cenozoic times. Although intensely studied, the finite geometry of the basement-bearing Penninic nappes in western Switzerland has remained a matter of debate for decades (e.g., “Siviez-Mischabel dilemma”) and the paleogeographic origin of various nappes has been disputed. Here, we present new structural data for the central part of the Penninic Bernard nappe complex, which contains pre-Permian basement and Permo-Mesozoic metasedimentary units. Our lithological and structural observations indicate that the discrepancy between the different structural models proposed for the Bernard nappe complex can be explained by a lateral discontinuity. In the west, the presence of a Permian graben caused complex isoclinal folding, whereas in the east, the absence of such a graben resulted mainly in imbricate thrusting. The overall geometry of the Bernard nappe complex is the result of three main deformation phases: (1) detachment of Mesozoic cover sediments along Triassic evaporites (Evolène phase) during the early stages of collision, (2) Eocene top-to-the-N(NW) nappe stacking (Anniviers phase), and (3) subsequent backfolding and backshearing (Mischabel phase). The southward localized backshearing is key to understand the structural position and paleogeographic origin of units, such as the Frilihorn and Cimes Blanches “nappes” and the Antrona ophiolites. Based on these observations, we present a new tectonic model for the entire Penninic region of western Switzerland and discuss this model in terms of continental collision zone processes.

Geometry and kinematics of the Roisan-Cignana Shear Zone, and the orogenic evolution of the Dent Blanche Tectonic System (Western Alps)

The Dent Blanche Tectonic System (DBTS) is a composite thrust sheet derived from the previously thinned passive Adriatic continental margin. A kilometric high-strain zone, the Roisan-Cignana Shear Zone (RCSZ) defines the major tectonic boundary within the DBTS and separates it into two subunits, the Dent Blanche s.s. nappe to the northwest and the Mont Mary nappe to the southeast. Within this shear zone, tectonic slices of Mesozoic and pre-Alpine meta-sediments became amalgamated with continental basement rocks of the Adriatic margin. The occurrence of high pressure assemblages along the contact between these tectonic slices indicates that the amalgamation occurred prior to or during the subduction process, at an early stage of the Alpine orogenic cycle. Detailed mapping, petrographic and structural analysis show that the Roisan-Cignana Shear Zone results from several superimposed Alpine structural and metamorphic stages. Subduction of the continental fragments is recorded by blueschist-facies deformation, whereas the Alpine collision is reflected by a greenschist facies overprint associated with the development of large-scale open folds. The postnappe evolution comprises the development of low-angle brittle faults, followed by large-scale folding (Vanzone phase) and finally brittle extensional faults. The RCSZ shows that fragments of continental crust had been torn off the passive continental margin prior to continental collision, thus recording the entire history of the orogenic cycle. The role of preceding Permo-Triassic lithospheric thinning, Jurassic rifting, and ablative subduction processes in controlling the removal of crustal fragments from the reactivated passive continental margin is discussed. Results of this study constrain the temporal sequence of the tectono-metamorphic processes involved in the assembly of the DBTS, but they also show limits on the interpretation. In particular it remains difficult to judge to what extent precollisional rifting at the Adriatic continental margin preconditioned the efficiency of convergent processes, i.e. accretion, subduction, and orogenic exhumation.