Geology, geochemistry, and geochronology of the Lems Ridge olistostrome, Klamath Mountains, California

The Lems Ridge olistostrome (LRO), located within the western Jurassic belt of the Klamath Mountains geologic province, is a melange unit showing a distinct block-in-matrix fabric. The conformable relationship to both an igneous basement and the overlying flysch of the Late Jurassic Galice Formation points to a sedimentary origin. The lack of pervasive deformation and the internal stratification also support a predominantly olistostromal origin of the LRO. The matrix of the LRO consists of pebbly mudstone which interfingers with tuffaceous greenstone and tuff-breccias. Subordinate beds of chert, argillite, and sandstone are also present. The matrix contains abundant ophiolitic clasts, fragments of porphyritic and vesicular volcanics, as well as a variety of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. A block supported talus deposit is locally dominant and consists of serpentinized ultramafics, diabase, and sparse gabbroic rocks. The LRO has been previously interpreted as a remnant of an ancient fracture zone within the Josephine ophiolite (JO). Basement and clasts were thought as locally derived from the JO which is of Late Jurassic age and has a distinct supra-subduction zone chemistry. Geochemical and geochronological data were obtained to test this hypothesis. The major and trace element geochemistry of the tuffaceous matrix and the ophiolitic lithologies indicates the presence of several petro-tectonic regimes in the source areas of the LRO: the tuffaceous rocks are transitional between island-arc tholeiitic and calc-alkaline; the basal pillow lavas range from within-plate basalts to enriched MORB compositions; olistoliths of pillow basalt range from depleted to enriched MORB; clasts of sparse mafic scorias are alkaline within-plate basalts. Diabase talus blocks are transitional between N-MORB and island-arc tholeiites, but also include very primitive arc-related rocks. 40Ar/39Ar hornblende ages of large gabbro blocks cluster consistently around 190 Ma; a basement gabbro yields the same age within error limits. The metamorphic age of a mica-schist clast is found to be 280 Ma; the total gas age for an andesitic boulder is 173 +/- 6 Ma. Calc-alkaline dikes that cross-cut block-matrix boundaries show ages of 148 Ma and 149 Ma, respectively, and constrain a minimum age for the assembly of the LRO. It is concluded that the LRO overlies an older basement than previously assumed and contains ophiolitic lithologies, the age and chemistry of which is not compatible with a derivation from the JO. On the other hand, the chemistry of diabase blocks as well as the lithologic assemblage in a talus breccia suggests an affinity to the JO. The conformable contact to the Galice Formation implies the same genetic link. A model that integrates this diversity is suggested: the JO formed in a transform dominated marginal basin; its spreading geometry requires the presence of fracture zones parallel to, and projecting into the passive margin of the Hayfork-Rattlesnake Creek remnant arc. The ensuing boundary tranform fault is floored by older rocks of the margin, whereas the infill into the transform trough comprises three sources: the passive margin, an active arc that rifted off the older arc, and the incipient JO. The LRO and its basement are thus interpreted as a preserved rift-edge sequence of the Josephine ophiolite

COVID-19 Personal Reflection

Personal reflection submitted by University of Maine Alumna Judy Ohr during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The submission came via the University of Maine Alumni Association

Purchasing healthy food in Germany: an empirical analysis of its attitudinal and socio-economic antecedents

"In diesem Beitrag wird der Kauf gesunder Nahrungsmittel untersucht und geprüft, welchen Einfluss dabei ernährungsbezogene Einstellungen einerseits, sozioökonomische Merkmale andererseits auf das Kaufverhalten ausüben. Datengrundlage der empirischen Analysen sind zwei Stichproben deutscher Haushalte (n1=4426, n2=4638). Es zeigt sich, dass Haushalte, in denen gesunde Ernährung auf der Einstellungsebene bedeutsam ist, auch tatsächlich signifikant mehr gesunde Nahrungsmittel kaufen. Neben dem Einfluss ernährungsbezogener Einstellungen lassen sich auch einige interessante sozioökonomische Differenzierungen nachweisen. So werden mehr gesunde Nahrungsmittel konsumiert bei höherer Bildung, niedrigerem Lebensalter, wenn kleine Kinder im Haushalt leben und in westdeutschen Haushalten, vergleicht man diese mit ostdeutschen Haushalten." (Autorenreferat)"This paper examines the purchase of healthy food in Germany, in particular the influence which two classes of determinants may exert, that is attitudes concerning nutrition and socio-economic characteristics. The empirical analyses are based on two samples of German households (n1=4426, n2=4638). It is shown that attitudes regarding the health aspect of nutrition do in fact exert a significant influence on the purchase of healthy food. Households where beliefs and preferences favoring a healthy nutrition predominate are also more likely to purchase healthy food products. In addition to nutritional attitudes, socio-economic differences play also a role in explaining the decision to buy healthy food. Its purchase is more likely with higher education, lower age, when small children are living in the household, and, for households in West-Germany in comparison to East- Germany." (author's abstract

Political meetings of the National Socialists and the increase of the NSDAP vote: analyzing conditions of propaganda effects with aggregate data

This article seeks to explore the link between the campaign propaganda of the National Socialists and the electoral gains of the NSDAP. Two conditions are analyzed which might modify an effect of NSDAP propaganda on the party's electoral scores. First, it is examined whether the impact of NSDAP meetings depends on the percentage of 'nationalistic' voters. Second, it is tested whether the public meetings of the NSDAP's right-wing competitors could restrain the effect of National Socialist campaign propaganda. The multivariate analysis of a sample of 226 communities demonstrates that the NSDAP's campaign intensity significantly advanced the rise of the party. This influence of NSDAP propaganda is indeed the larger, the higher the percentage of 'nationalistic' voters in a community. Moreover, the analysis reveals the effect of NSDAP propaganda to be greater in communities where the public activities of the party's right-wing rivals were above the average. Overall, the findings presented in the article strongly suggest that NSDAP propaganda is an important predictor of the party's increase

Der Niedergang des Euro - Euroschwäche - Wasser auf die Mühlen der Euro-Kritiker?

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Monetäre Integration in der Europäischen Gemeinschaft: Vom Werner-Plan zum Euro

Die Europäische Währungsunion besteht mittlerweile seit acht Jahren, und der Euro erweist sich derzeit als stabile Währung. Ist die Währungsunion ein Musterbeispiel erfolgreicher europäischer Integrationspolitik? Haben sich die Erwartungen, die mit diesem lange geplanten Integrationsprojekt verbunden waren, erfüllt? Welche Risiken bestehen für die gemeinsame Währung? Wird der Euro zur Konkurrenz für den Dollar? --