TY - JOUR A1 - Weidinger, Johannes T. A1 - Korup, Oliver A1 - Munack, Henry A1 - Altenberger, Uwe A1 - Dunning, Stuart A. A1 - Tippelt, Gerold A1 - Lottermoser, Werner T1 - Giant rockslides from the inside JF - Earth & planetary science letters N2 - The growing body of research on large-scale mass wasting events so far has only scarcely investigated the sedimentology of chaotic deposits from non-volcanic terrestrial landslides such that any overarching and systematic terminological framework remains elusive. Yet recent work has emphasized the need for better understanding the internal structure and composition of rockslide deposits as a means to characterise the mechanics during the final stages of runout and emplacement. We offer a comprehensive overview on the occurrence of rock fragmentation and frictional melt both at different geographic locations, and different sections within large (>10(6) m(3)) rockslide masses. We argue that exposures of pervasively fragmented and interlocked jigsaw-cracked rock masses; basal melange containing rip-up clasts and phantom blocks; micro-breccia; and thin bands of basal frictionite are indispensable clues for identifying deposits from giant rockslides that may remain morphologically inconspicuous otherwise. These sedimentary assemblages are diagnostic tools for distinguishing large rockslide debris from macro and microscopically similar glacial deposits, tectonic fault-zone breccias, and impact breccias, and thus help avoid palaeoclimatic and tectonic misinterpretations, let alone misestimates of the hazard from giant rockslides. Moreover, experimental results from Mossbauer spectroscopy of frictionite samples support visual interpretations of thin sections, and demonstrate that short-lived (<10 s) friction-induced partial melting at temperatures >1500 degrees C in the absence of water occurred at the base of several giant moving rockslides. This finding supports previous theories of dry excess runout accompanied by comminution of rock masses down to gm-scale, and indicates that catastrophic motion of large fragmenting rock masses does not require water as a potential lubricant. KW - landslide KW - petrography KW - frictional melt KW - pseudotachylyte KW - breccia KW - Mossbauer spectroscopy Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2013.12.017 SN - 0012-821X SN - 1385-013X VL - 389 SP - 62 EP - 73 PB - Elsevier CY - Amsterdam ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Zobir, Soraya Hadj A1 - Altenberger, Uwe A1 - Günter, Christina T1 - Geochemistry and petrology of metamorphosed submarine basic ashes in the Edough Massif (Cap de Garde, Annaba, northeastern Algeria) JF - Comptes rendus geoscience N2 - The study presents the first evidence of metamorphosed submarine ashes in the Edough Massif, in northeastern Algeria. It occurs below the greenschist-facies Tellian units that represent the thrusted Mesozoic to Eocene passive paleomargin of northern Africa deposited on thinned continental crust. The metamorphic complex consists of tectonically superposed units composed of gneisses (lower unit) and micaschists (upper unit). At the Cap de Garde, these units enclose an "intermediate unit" composed of micaschists and meter-thick layers of marbles, which are sometimes intercalated with amphibolites. The latter occur as discontinuous small lenses and layers. The amphibolites are parallel to the primary bedding of the marbles and the main foliation. Chemical markers and field observations indicate that they are metamorphic equivalents of basic igneous rocks. The lenticular character, low thickness and multiple intercalations with marine sediments and the unusual high lithium concentrations suggest subaqueous near-source basaltic ash-fall deposits in a marine environment. (C) 2014 Academie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved. KW - Amphibolites KW - Submarine sediments KW - Basaltic ash-fall deposits KW - Edough KW - Algeria Y1 - 2014 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crte.2014.09.002 SN - 1631-0713 SN - 1778-7025 VL - 346 IS - 9-10 SP - 244 EP - 254 PB - Elsevier CY - Paris ER -