In Switzerland, the Opalinus Clay (OPA) formation is favored to host a repository for nuclear waste. Thus, we must know its deformation behavior. In this study, we focused on the microstructure of gouge, a thin (< 2 cm), drastically strained clay layer at the so-called Main Fault in the Mont Terri rock laboratory. We suggest that in situ gouge deforms in a more viscous manner than undeformed OPA in laboratory conditions. Moreover, we speculate about the origin and evolution of the gouge layer. Hide

In this paper, we present a combined structural interpretation of multichannel reflection seismic profiles from offshore of northern Mozambique (East Africa) and the conjugate Riiser-Larsen Sea (Antarctica). At certain positions at the foot of the continental slope at both basins, the basement is intensely deformed and fractured. We propose this unique deformation zone as a tie point for Gondwana reconstructions. Hide

Andic soils have unique morphological, physical and chemical properties that induce both considerable soil fertility and great vulnerability to land degradation. Here we attempt to show that soils rich in poorly crystalline clay minerals have an utmost ecological importance. Our results are hoped to be a starting point for better understanding the ecological importance of andic soils and also possibly to better consider pedological information in carbon balance calculations. Hide

The severity of land degradation was assessed by analysing the physico-chemical parameters and correlating with satellite data in the Bathinda district, Punjab. Most of the soil samples were slightly or moderately saline, while a few were calcareous and alkaline. Comparing the satellite datasets of 2000 and 2014 revealed an increase in settlements and a decrease in barren area. The study can be useful for soil and environmental scientists and planning agencies for restoration of degraded lands. Hide

The marbles of the migmatitic dome on the island Naxos contain deformed layers of amphibolite with multiple phases of boudinage. The boudins formed by E–W shortening normal to the layers and layer parallel extension in various directions. We identified five different generations of boudins that show that E–W shortening is the prevalent deformation in these rocks during the peak metamorphosis and the following cooling, different from other parts of the island dominated by top-to-north shearing. Hide

We examined the thermal gradient as an index of the thermal field in the Atlantic. While the thermal anomaly in the South Atlantic should be equilibrated, the thermal disturbance in the North Atlantic causes thermal effects in the present day. Characteristics of the lithosphere ultimately determine the thermal field. The thermal gradient nonlinearly decreases with depth and varies significantly both laterally and with time, which has implications for methods of thermal history reconstruction. Hide

The soil texture representation with the standard textural fraction triplet sand–silt–clay is commonly used to estimate soil properties. The objective of this work was to test the hypothesis that other fraction sizes in the triplets may provide a better representation of soil texture for the reconstruction of the particle size distribution and for estimating some soil properties with soil texture as a predictor. The results supported the hypothesis. Hide

Continental high-pressure terranes in orogens offer insight into deep recycling and transformation processes that occur in subduction zones. These remain poorly understood, and currently debated ideas need testing. We document complex garnet zoning in eclogitic mica schists from the Sesia Zone (western Italian Alps). These retain evidence of two orogenic cycles and provide detailed insight into resorption, growth, and diffusion processes induced by fluid pulses under high-pressure conditions. Hide

Subducted continental terranes commonly comprise an assembly of subunits that reflect the different tectono-metamorphic histories they experienced in the subduction zone. Our challenge is to unravel how, when, and in which part of the subduction zone these subunits were juxtaposed. Our study documents when and in what conditions re-equilibration took place. Results constrain the main stages of mineral growth and deformation, associated with fluid influx that occurred in the subduction channel. Hide

Graphite crystallinity “irreversibly” increases with temperature and it has been calibrated as a thermometer recording peak temperatures experienced by a rock. To examine the possibility of mechanical modifications of graphite structure and the impacts on graphite thermometry we performed deformation experiments. Raman spectroscopy demonstrates a reduction in crystallinity due to mechanical reworking in the brittle field. This finding clearly compromises the validity of the graphite thermometry. Hide