Earth Planet Sci Research Articles

A height-dependent climatological model of the equatorial ionospheric zonal plasma drifts (EZDrifts): Description and application to an analysis of the longitudinal variations of the zonal drifts

We introduce the implementation of a global climatological model of the equatorial ionospheric F-region zonal drifts (EZDrifts) that is made available to the public. The model uses the analytic description of the zonal plasma drifts presented by Haerendel et al. (1992) [J Geophys Res 97(A2): 1209–1223] and is driven by climatological models of the ionosphere and thermosphere under a realistic geomagnetic field configuration. EZDrifts is an expansion of the model of the zonal drifts first presented by Shidler & Rodrigues (2021) [Prog Earth Planet Sci 8: 26] which was only valid for the Jicamarca longitude sector and two specific solar flux conditions. EZDrifts now uses vertical equatorial plasma drifts from Scherliess & Fejer (1999) [J Geophys Res 104(A4): 6829–6842] model which allows it to provide zonal drifts for any day of the year, longitude, and solar flux condition. We show that the model can reproduce the main results of the Shidler & Rodrigues (2021) [Prog Earth Planet Sci 8: 26] model for the Peruvian sector. We also illustrate an application of EZDrifts by presenting and discussing longitudinal variabilities produced by the model. We show that the model predicts longitudinal variations in the reversal times of the drifts that are in good agreement with observations made by C/NOFS. EZDrifts also predicts longitudinal variations in the magnitude of the drifts that can be identified in the June solstice observations made by C/NOFS. We also point out data-model differences observed during Equinox and December solstice. Finally, we explain that the longitudinal variations in the zonal plasma drifts are caused by longitudinal variations in the latitude of the magnetic equator and, consequently, in the wind dynamo contributing to the resulting drifts. EZDrifts is distributed to the community through a public repository and can be used in applications requiring an estimate of the overall behavior of the equatorial zonal drifts.

A new model for zircon saturation in silicate melts

A new model describing zircon saturation in silicate melts is presented that combines the results of 196 data from new experiments with data from previous experimental studies. In the new experiments, the concentration of Zr in melts coexisting with zircon was determined at temperatures between 800 and 1500 °C for 21 compositions (with alumina saturation index, ASI, from 0.20 to 1.15), containing ~ 1 to 16 wt % FeOT and, for a subset of these conditions, at variable pressure (0.0001 to 4.0 GPa) and water content (0 to 15 wt %). The collated dataset contains 626 data, with 430 from 26 literature studies, and covers conditions from 750 to 1620 °C, (including 45 new data and 106 literature data for temperatures < 1000 °C), ASI 0.20 to 2.00, 0.0001 to 4.0 GPa and 0 to 17 wt % H2O. A limitation of previous models of zircon saturation is the choice of parameter used to describe the silicate melt, which may not be appropriate for all compositions and can result in differences in predicted temperatures of over 200 °C for granitic systems. Here we use optical basicity (Λ), which can be easily calculated from the major oxide components of a melt, to parameterise the composition. Using a non-linear least-squares multiple regression, the new zircon saturation model is:logZr=0.96(5)-5790(95)/T-1.28(8)P+12.39(35)Λ+0.83(9)x.H2O+2.06(16)PΛ\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\log{\\mathrm{Zr}} = 0.96(5) - 5790(95)/T - 1.28(8)P + 12.39(35){\\varLambda} + 0.83(9)x.\ ext{H}{_2}\ ext{O} + 2.06(16)P{\\varLambda} $$\\end{document}where Zr is in ppm, T is temperature in K, P is pressure in GPa, Λ is the optical basicity of the melt, x.H2O is the mole fraction of water in the melt, and the errors are 1σ. This model confirms that temperature and melt composition are the dominant controls on zircon solubility. In addition, pressure and melt water content exert small but resolvable effects on the solubility and are included, for the first time, in a model. Using this new calibration, 92% of the predicted temperatures are within 10% of the experimental temperatures for the collated dataset (with an average temperature difference of 57 °C), while predicted temperatures for only 78 and 62% of the collated dataset are within 10% of the experimental temperature (with average temperature differences > 80 °C) using the widely cited Watson and Harrison (Earth Planet Sci Lett 64:295–304, 1983) and Boehnke et al. (Chem Geol 351:324–334, 2013) models, respectively. This new model can be extrapolated to temperatures below those included in the calibration with greater accuracy and when applied to melt inclusions from the Bishop Tuff, gives temperatures that are in excellent agreement with independent estimates.

Zircon saturation model in silicate melts: a review and update

Zircon stability in silicate melts—which can be quantitatively constrained by laboratory measurements of zircon saturation—is important for understanding the evolution of magma. Although the original zircon saturation model proposed by Watson and Harrison (Earth Planet Sci Lett 64(2):295–304, 1983) is widely cited and has been updated recently, the three main models currently in use may generate large uncertainties due to extrapolation beyond their respective calibrated ranges. This paper reviews and updates zircon saturation models developed with temperature and compositional parameters. All available data on zircon saturation ranging in composition from mafic to silicic (and/or peralkaline to peraluminous) at temperatures from 750 to 1400 °C were collected to develop two refined models (1 and 2) that may be applied to the wider range of compositions. Model 1 is given by lnCZr(melt) = (14.297 ± 0.308) + (0.964 ± 0.066)·M − (11113 ± 374)/T, and model 2 given by lnCZr(melt) = (18.99 ± 0.423) − (1.069 ± 0.102)·lnG − (12288 ± 593)/T, where CZr(melt) is the Zr concentration of the melt in ppm and parameters M [= (Na + K + 2Ca)/(Al·Si)] (cation ratios) and G [= (3·Al2O3 + SiO2)/(Na2O + K2O + CaO + MgO + FeO)] (molar proportions) represent the melt composition. The errors are at one sigma, and T is the temperature in Kelvin. Before applying these models to natural rocks, it is necessary to ensure that the zircon used to date is crystallized from the host magmatic rock. Assessment of the application of both new and old models to natural rocks suggests that model 1 may be the best for magmatic temperature estimates of metaluminous to peraluminous rocks and that model 2 may be the best for estimating magmatic temperatures of alkaline to peralkaline rocks.

The importance of pore throats in controlling the permeability of magmatic foams

Vesiculation of hydrous melts at 1 atm was studied in situ by synchrotron X-ray tomographic microscopy at the TOMCAT beamline of the Swiss Light Source (Villigen, Switzerland). Water-undersaturated basaltic, andesitic, trachyandesitic, and dacitic glasses were synthesized at high pressures and then laser heated at 1 atm. on the beamline, causing vesiculation. The porosity, bubble number density, size distributions of bubbles, and pore throats, as well as their tortuosity and connectivity, were measured in three-dimensional tomographic reconstructions of sample volumes, which were also used for lattice Boltzmann simulations of viscous permeabilities. Connectivity of bubbles by pore throats varied from ~ 100 to 105 mm−3, and for each sample correlated with porosity and permeability. Consideration of the results of this and previous studies of the viscous permeabilities of aphyric and crystal-poor magmatic samples demonstrated that at similar porosities permeability can vary by orders of magnitude, even for similar compositions. Comparison of the permeability relationships from this study with previous models (Degruyter et al., Bull Vulcanol 72:63–74, 2010; Burgisser et al., Earth Planet Sci Lett 470:37–47, 2017) relating porosity, characteristic pore-throat diameters, and tortuosity demonstrated good agreement. Modifying the Burgisser et al. model by using the maximum pore-throat diameter, instead of the average diameter, as the characteristic diameter reproduced the lattice Boltzmann permeabilities to within 1 order of magnitude. Correlations between average bubble diameters and maximum pore-throat diameters, and between porosity and tortuosity, in our experiments produced relationships that allow application of the modified Burgisser et al. model to predict permeability based only upon the average bubble diameter and porosity. These experimental results are consistent with previous studies suggesting that increasing bubble growth rates result in decreasing permeability of equivalent porosity foams. This effect of growth rate substantially contributes to the multiple orders of magnitude variations in the permeabilities of vesicular magmas at similar porosities.

Differences in chemical thickness of grain and phase boundaries: an atom probe tomography study of experimentally deformed wehrlite

The chemical widths of grain and phase boundaries in deformed wehrlite (olivine–clinopyroxene; Ol–Cpx) aggregates are characterized by atom probe tomography (APT), a (laser-assisted) field evaporation technique employing time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The wehrlite was deformed to high finite strain in diffusion creep: The effective viscosity measured for the wehrlite is approximately an order of magnitude lower than that of either end-member aggregate; further, phase ordering, in which the spatial density of Ol–Cpx phase boundaries increases with accumulated strain, characterizes the deformation (Zhao et al. in Earth Planet Sci Lett 517:83–94, 2019). The mechanical results imply that the transport properties of the phase boundaries—dictated by their structure and composition—differ from those of grain boundaries. Our APT data show that, indeed, the chemical widths of crystalline Ol–Cpx phase boundaries—3.1–6.6 nm, depending on the element used for their characterization—are up to a factor of two greater than the chemical widths of crystalline Ol–Ol and Cpx–Cpx grain boundaries. Careful statistical analyses of the APT data reveal that the near-boundary compositional profiles of the presented Ol–Cpx phase boundary are consistent with—indeed, evidence for—the rheological model in which diffusion creep is rate-limited by the (mechanism-required) interfacial reactions at the Ol–Cpx phase boundaries. Such an analysis is unavailable by current electron beam/X-ray spectrometry approaches, which have not the requisite spatial precision. APT application to nanometer-scale problems in silicate petrology is challenging, particularly because signal overlap is caused by the evaporation of polyion species. We carefully outline the procedures used to acquire and discriminate the data in order to address the challenges of signal overlap.

Unseasonal development of post-sunset F-region irregularities over Southeast Asia on 28 July 2014: 2. Forcing from below?

An unseasonal development of Equatorial Plasma Bubble (EPB)/Equatorial Spread-F (ESF) activity in a wide longitudinal sector over India and Southeast Asia during the post-sunset hours of 28 July 2014 has been investigated in detail using the multiple independent observations in this paper and a companion paper by (Prog Earth Planet Sci 5:10, 2018). This post-sunset ESF/EPB event was preceded by a substantial elevation of the equatorial F-layer due to strong pre-reversal enhancement (PRE) during the season which is climatologically unfavorable for strong PRE and post-sunset EPBs. In this paper, it is found that a strong equatorward meridional neutral wind at off-equatorial E-region and enhanced longitudinal gradient of equatorial electrojet appear to be the responsible candidates for the enhanced PRE and EPB development on 28 July 2014. These changes in the local wind system and PRE are found to have an apparent connection with the planetary wave forces of lower atmospheric origin. Both the post-sunset height rise (PSSR) and lower thermospheric meridional neutral wind consistently exhibit quasi-2-day planetary wave-like oscillations during 20–31 July 2014 with maximum amplitudes on 28 July 2014. This study emphasizes the role of planetary wave forces from the lower atmosphere that can alter the local neutral wind system and E-region conductivities that may lead to the development of strong PRE and EPB activity which were otherwise climatologically unfavorable for post-sunset EPB/ESF development.

Near-solidus melts of MORB + 4 wt% H2O at 0.8–2.8 GPa applied to issues of subduction magmatism and continent formation

Experiments on MORB + 4 wt% H2O at 0.8–2.8 GPa and 700–950 °C (Liu in High pressure phase equilibria involving the amphibolite–eclogite transformation. PhD dissertation, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 1997; Liu et al. in Earth Planet Sci Lett 143:161–171, 1996) were reexamined for their major and trace element melt compositions and melting relations. Degree of melting diminishes at greater pressures, with corresponding evolution of melt from andesitic at the lowest pressures and hottest temperatures to high-silica rhyolitic at the greatest pressure and coolest temperature. Quartz contributes greatly to the production of near-solidus melts of basaltic eclogite, with the result that melt productivity falls markedly following quartz exhaustion. This limits the extent of melting attainable in the basaltic eclogite portions of sub-arc subducting plates to no more than ~ 2 × the modal wt% quartz in the mafic eclogite protolith. Synthesized residual mineral assemblages lack an epidote-series mineral at temperatures > 750 °C, and as a result, melts from the rutile eclogite and rutile-amphibole eclogite facies have elevated concentrations of light rare earth elements, U, Th, have elevated Ba, K, and Sr, high Sr/Y, and are strongly depleted in Nb, Y, and the heavy rare earth elements. Models of eclogite partial melt reacting with peridotite of the mantle wedge reproduce major and trace element characteristics of parental arc magmas so long as the proportions of infiltrating melt to peridotite are relatively high, consistent with channelized ascent. Melt mass is estimated to increase roughly three- to ten-fold, consistent with H2O concentrations of 3–7 wt% in the magmas produced by reaction. Partial melts of subducting basaltic eclogite are predicted to have positive Sr concentration anomalies, relative to Ce and Nd, that persist through melt-peridotite reactions. Primitive arc magmas commonly have positive Sr anomalies, whereas such anomalies are smaller in estimates of the bulk continental crust. Overall, Sr anomalies diminish passing from primitive to more evolved arc volcanic rocks, consistent with extensive mineral-melt differentiation (crystallization, partial remelting) involving plagioclase. On the order of 50 wt% differentiation would be necessary to eliminate Sr positive anomalies, based on geochemical variations in the Cascade and western Aleutian magmatic arcs. Loss to the mantle of cumulates and restites with high Sr anomalies, in abundances broadly equal to the mass of the preserved crust, would be required to form the continents via processes similar to present-day subduction magmatism.

Water near its Supercritical Point and at Alkaline pH for the Production of Ferric Oxides and Silicates in Anoxic Conditions. A New Hypothesis for the Synthesis of Minerals Observed in Banded Iron Formations and for the Related Geobiotropic Chemistry inside Fluid Inclusions

An alternative hypothesis for the origin of the banded iron formations and the synthesis of prebiotic molecules is presented here. I show the importance of considering water near its supercritical point and at alkaline pH. It is based on the chemical equation for the anoxic oxidation of ferrous iron into ferric iron at high-subcritical conditions of water and high pH, that I extract from E-pH diagrams drawn for corrosion purposes (Geophysical Research s Vol 15, EGU2013–22 Bassez 2013, Orig Life Evol Biosph 45(1):5-13, Bassez 2015, Procedia Earth Planet Sci 17, 492-495, Bassez 2017a, Orig Life Evol Biosph 47:453-480, Bassez 2017b). The sudden change in solubility of silica, SiO2, at the critical point of water is also considered. It is shown that under these temperatures and pressures, ferric oxides and ferric silicates can form in anoxic terrains. No FeII oxidation by UV light, neither by oxygen is needed to explain the minerals of the Banded Iron Formations. The intervention of any kind of microorganisms, either sulfate-reducing, or FeII-oxidizing or O2-producing, is not required. The chemical equation for the anoxic oxidation of ferrous iron is applied to the hydrolyses of fayalite, Fe2SiO4 and ferrosilite, FeSiO3. It is shown that the BIF minerals of the Hamersley Group, Western Australia, and the Transvaal Supergroup, South Africa, are those of fayalite and ferrosilite hydrolyses and carbonations. The dissolution of crustal fayalite and ferrosilite during water-rock interaction needs to occur at T&P just below the critical point of water and in a rising water which is undersaturated in SiO2. Minerals of BIFs which can then be ejected at the surface from venting arcs are ferric oxide hydroxides, hematite, FeIII-greenalite, siderite. The greenalite dehydrated product minnesotaite forms when rising water becomes supersaturated in SiO2, as also riebeckite and stilpnomelane. Long lengths of siderite without ferric oxides neither ferric silicates can occur since the exothermic siderite formation is not so much dependent in T&P. It is also shown that the H2 which is released during hydrolysis/oxidation of fayalite/ferrosilite can lead to components of life, such as macromolecules of amino acids which are synthesized from mixtures of (CO, N2, H2O) in Sabatier-Senderens/Fischer-Tropsch & Haber-Bosch reactions or microwave or gamma-ray excitation reactions. I propose that such geobiotropic synthesis may occur inside fluid inclusions of BIFs, in the silica chert, hematite, FeIII-greenalite or siderite. Therefore, the combination of high-subcritical conditions of water, high solubility of SiO2 at these T&P values, formation of CO also at these T&P, high pH and anoxic water, leads to the formation of ferric minerals and prebiotic molecules in the process of geobiotropy.

Rayleigh–Taylor instabilities in high-energy density settings on the National Ignition Facility

The Rayleigh-Taylor (RT) instability occurs at an interface between two fluids of differing density during an acceleration. These instabilities can occur in very diverse settings, from inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions over spatial scales of [Formula: see text] cm (10-1,000 μm) to supernova explosions at spatial scales of [Formula: see text] cm and larger. We describe experiments and techniques for reducing ("stabilizing") RT growth in high-energy density (HED) settings on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. Three unique regimes of stabilization are described: (i) at an ablation front, (ii) behind a radiative shock, and (iii) due to material strength. For comparison, we also show results from nonstabilized "classical" RT instability evolution in HED regimes on the NIF. Examples from experiments on the NIF in each regime are given. These phenomena also occur in several astrophysical scenarios and planetary science [Drake R (2005) Plasma Phys Controlled Fusion 47:B419-B440; Dahl TW, Stevenson DJ (2010) Earth Planet Sci Lett 295:177-186].

Petrology, geochemistry, and Sr, Nd isotopes of mantle xenolith in Nghia Dan alkaline basalt (West Nghe An): implications for lithospheric mantle characteristics beneath the region

Petrology, geochemistry, and Sr, Nd isotopes of mantle xenolith in Nghia Dan alkaline basalt (West Nghe An): implications for lithospheric mantle characteristics beneath the region

On the Claim of Modulations in 36Cl Beta Decay and Their Association with Solar Rotation

Recently, claims were made by Sturrock et al. (Astropart. Phys.42, 62, 2013), Sturrock, Fischbach, and Scargle (Solar Phys.291, 3467, 2016; arXiv, 2017) that beta decay can be induced by interaction of the nucleus with solar neutrinos and that cyclic modulations in decay rates are indicative of the dynamics of the solar interior. Transient modulations in residuals from a purely exponential decay curve were observed at frequencies near 11~mbox{a}^{-1} and 12.7~mbox{a}^{-1} in repeated activity measurements of a 36Cl source by Alburger, Harbottle, and Norton (Earth Planet Sci. Lett.78, 168, 1986) at Brookhaven National Laboratory in a period from 1984 to 1985. Sturrock et al. have speculatively associated them with rotational influence on the solar neutrino flux. In this work, more accurate 36Cl decay-rate measurements – performed at the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt Braunschweig in the period 2010 – 2013 by means of the triple-to-double coincidence ratio measurement technique – are scrutinised. The residuals from an exponential decay curve were analysed by a weighted Lomb–Scargle periodogram. The existence of modulations in the frequency range between 0.2~mbox{a}^{-1} and 20~mbox{a}^{-1} could be excluded down to an amplitude of about 0.0016%. The invariability of the 36Cl decay constant contradicts the speculations made about the deep solar interior on the basis of instabilities in former activity measurements.

Influence of Tidal Forces on the Triggering of Seismic Events

Tidal stresses are generated in any three-dimensional body influenced by an external inhomogeneous gravity field of rotating planets or moons. In this paper, as a special case, stresses caused within the solid Earth by the body tides are discussed from viewpoint of their influence on seismic activity. The earthquake triggering effects of the Moon and Sun are usually investigated by statistical comparison of tidal variations and temporal distribution of earthquake activity, or with the use of mathematical or experimental modelling of physical processes in earthquake prone structures. In this study, the magnitude of the lunisolar stress tensor in terms of its components along the latitude of the spherical surface of the Earth as well as inside the Earth (up to the core-mantle boundary) were calculated for the PREM (Dziewonski and Anderson in Phys Earth Planet Inter 25(4):297–356, 1981). Results of calculations prove that stress increases as a function of depth reaching a value around some kPa at the depth of 900–1500 km, well below the zone of deep earthquakes. At the depth of the overwhelming part of seismic energy accumulation (around 50 km) the stresses of lunisolar origin are only (0.0–1.0).103 Pa. Despite the fact that these values are much smaller than the earthquake stress drops (1–30 MPa) (Kanamori in Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 22:207–237, 1994) this does not exclude the possibility of an impact of tidal forces on outbreak of seismic events. Since the tidal potential and its derivatives are coordinate dependent and the zonal, tesseral and sectorial tides have different distributions from the surface down to the CMB, the lunisolar stress cannot influence the break-out of every seismological event in the same degree. The influencing lunisolar effect of the solid earth tides on earthquake occurrences is connected first of all with stress components acting parallel to the surface of the Earth. The influence of load tides is limited to the loaded area and its immediate vicinity.

Effect of water on the fluorine and chlorine partitioning behavior between olivine and silicate melt

Halogens show a range from moderate (F) to highly (Cl, Br, I) volatile and incompatible behavior, which makes them excellent tracers for volatile transport processes in the Earth’s mantle. Experimentally determined fluorine and chlorine partitioning data between mantle minerals and silicate melt enable us to estimate Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Ocean Island Basalt (OIB) source region concentrations for these elements. This study investigates the effect of varying small amounts of water on the fluorine and chlorine partitioning behavior at 1280 °C and 0.3 GPa between olivine and silicate melt in the Fe-free CMAS+F–Cl–Br–I–H2O model system. Results show that, within the uncertainty of the analyses, water has no effect on the chlorine partitioning behavior for bulk water contents ranging from 0.03 (2) wt% H2O (DClol/melt = 1.6 ± 0.9 × 10−4) to 0.33 (6) wt% H2O (DClol/melt = 2.2 ± 1.1 × 10−4). Consequently, with the effect of pressure being negligible in the uppermost mantle (Joachim et al. Chem Geol 416:65–78, 2015), temperature is the only parameter that needs to be considered for the determination of chlorine partition coefficients between olivine and melt at least in the simplified iron-free CMAS+F–Cl–Br–I–H2O system. In contrast, the fluorine partition coefficient increases linearly in this range and may be described at 1280 °C and 0.3 GPa with (R2 = 0.99): D_{F}^{text{ol/melt}} = 3.6pm 0.4 times {{10}^{-3}} times {{X}_{{{text{H}}_{text{2}}}text{O}}}left( text{wt }!!%!!text{ } right) + 6 pm 0.4times ,{{10}^{-4}}. The observed fluorine partitioning behavior supports the theory suggested by Crépisson et al. (Earth Planet Sci Lett 390:287–295, 2014) that fluorine and water are incorporated as clumped OH/F defects in the olivine structure. Results of this study further suggest that fluorine concentration estimates in OIB source regions are at least 10% lower than previously expected (Joachim et al. Chem Geol 416:65–78, 2015), implying that consideration of the effect of water on the fluorine partitioning behavior between Earth’s mantle minerals and silicate melt is vital for a correct estimation of fluorine abundances in OIB source regions. Estimates for MORB source fluorine concentrations as well as chlorine abundances in both mantle source regions are within uncertainty not affected by the presence of water.

Melting relations in the MgO–MgSiO3 system up to 70 GPa

Melting experiments in a binary system MgO–MgSiO3 were performed up to 70 GPa using a CO2 laser heated diamond anvil cell. The quenched samples were polished and analyzed by a dualbeam focused ion beam (FIB) and a field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), respectively. The liquidus phase and the eutectic composition were determined on the basis of textual and chemical analyses of sample cross sections. Our experimental results show that the eutectic composition is the Si/Mg molar ratio of ~0.76 at 35 GPa and it decreases with increasing pressure. Above 45 GPa, it becomes relatively constant at about 0.64–0.65 Si/Mg molar ratio. Using our experimental data collected at a wide pressure range up to 70 GPa together with previous experimental data, we have constructed a thermodynamic model of the eutectic composition of the MgO–MgSiO3 system. The eutectic composition extrapolated to the pressure and temperature conditions at the base of the mantle is about 0.64 Si/Mg molar ratio. The modeled eutectic composition is quite consistent with a previous prediction from ab initio calculations (de Koker et al. in Earth Planet Sci Lett 361:58–63, 2013), suggesting that the simple assumption of a non-ideal regular solution model can well describe the melting relation of the MgO–MgSiO3 system at high pressure. Our results show that the liquidus phase changes from MgO-periclase to MgSiO3-bridgmanite at 35 GPa for the simplified pyrolite composition (~0.7 Si/Mg molar ratio), while MgSiO3-bridgmanite is the liquidus phase at the entire lower mantle conditions for the chondritic composition (~0.84 Si/Mg molar ratio).

Gas-driven lava lake fluctuations at Erta ’Ale volcano (Ethiopia) revealed by MODIS measurements

The long-lived lava lake of Erta ’Ale volcano (Ethiopia) is remotely monitored by moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometers (MODIS) installed on satellites. The Normalised Thermal Index (NTI) (Wright et al. Remote Sens Environ 82:135–155 2002) is shown to be proportional to the volume of the lava lake based on visual observations. The lava lake’s variable level can be plausibly related to a stable foam, i.e. a mixture composed of densely packed non-coalescing bubbles in suspension within a liquid. This foam is trapped at the top of the magma reservoir, and its thickness changes in response to the gas flux feeding the foam being successively turned on and off. The temporal evolution of the foam thickness, and the resulting variation of the volume of the lava lake, is calculated numerically by assuming that the gas flux feeding the foam, initially constant and homogeneous since December 9, 2002, is suddenly stopped on December 13, 2002 and not restarted before May 2003. The best fit between the theoretical foam thickness and the level of the lava lake deduced from the NTI provides an estimate of both the reservoir radius, 155–170 m, and the gas flux feeding the foam, 5.5×10−3–7.2×10−3 m 3 s −1 when existing. This is in agreement with previous estimates from acoustic measurements (Bouche et al. Earth Planet Sci Lett 295:37–48 2010). The very good agreement between the theoretical foam thickness and that deduced from MODIS data shows for the first time the existence of a regime based on the behaviour of a stable foam, whose spreading towards the conduit (“wide” conduit condition), can explain the long-lived activity. Our predictive model, which links the gas flux at the vent to the foam spreading, could potentially be used on any volcano with a long-lived activity. The underlying gas flux and the horizontal surface area of the magma reservoir can then be deduced by combining modelling to continuous measurements of gas flux. The lava lake, when high, often shows regular rise and fall of its level. We have recognised a minimum of 26 very well marked cycles between January 2001 and December 13, 2002, corresponding to a typical return time of 10.8 ± 2.3 days and a gas volume of 8.3×105 ± 2.0×105 m 3. This corresponds to a gas volume fraction in the reservoir equal to 0.023–0.063 %. The yearly gas flux, estimated between December 13, 2002 and September 27, 2004, varies between 2.3×10−6 and 5.9×10−6 m 3 s −1 at the depth of the reservoir. The long-time series provided by infra-red sensors mounted on satellites could be used on any persistent volcano to detect potential periodic variations in the level of lava lakes or lava columns, providing that the vent has a funnel shape, as often, and is sufficiently large.

Saturation of electrical resistivity of solid iron at Earth's core conditions.

We report on the temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of solid iron at high pressure, up to and including conditions likely to be found at the centre of the Earth. We have extended some of the calculations of the resistivities of pure solid iron we recently performed at Earth’s core conditions (Pozzo et al. in Earth Planet Sci Lett 393:159–164, 2014) to lower temperature. We show that at low temperature the resistivity increases linearly with temperature, and saturates at high temperature. This saturation effect is well known as the Mott-Ioffe-Regel limit in metals, but has been largely ignored to estimate the resistivity of iron at Earth’s core conditions. Recent experiments (Gomi et al. in Phys Earth Planet Int 224:88–103, 2013) coupled new high pressure data and saturation to predict the resitivity of iron and iron alloys at Earth’s core conditions, and reported values up to three times lower than previous estimates, confirming recent first principles calculations (de Koker et al. in Proc Natl Acad Sci 109:4070–4073, 2012; Pozzo et al. in Nature 485:355–358, 2012, Phys Rev B 87:014110-10, 2013, Earth Planet Sci Lett 393:159–164, 2014; Davies et al. in Nat Geosci 8:678–685, 2015). The present results support the saturation effect idea.

Zircon saturation in silicate melts: a new and improved model for aluminous and alkaline melts

The importance of zircon in geochemical and geochronological studies, and its presence not only in aluminous but also in alkaline rocks, prompted us to think about a new zircon saturation model that can be applied in a wide range of compositions. Therefore, we performed zircon crystallization experiments in a range of compositions and at high temperatures, extending the original zircon saturation model proposed by Watson and Harrison (Earth Planet Sci Lett 64:295–304, 1983) and Boehnke et al. (Chem Geol 351:324–334, 2013). We used our new data and the data from previous studies in peraluminous melts, to describe the solubility of zircon in alkaline and aluminous melts. To this effect, we devised a new compositional parameter called G $$ \left[ {\left( {3 \cdot {\text{Al}}_{2} {\text{O}}_{3} + {\text{SiO}}_{2} )/({\text{Na}}_{2} {\text{O}} + {\text{K}}_{2} {\text{O}} + {\text{CaO}} + {\text{MgO}} + {\text{FeO}}} \right)} \right] $$ (molar proportions), which enables to describe the zircon saturation behaviour in a wide range of rock compositions. Furthermore, we propose a new zircon saturation model, which depends basically on temperature and melt composition, given by (with 1σ errors): $$ \ln \left[ {\text{Zr}} \right] = \left( {4.29 \pm 0.34} \right) - \left( {1.35 \pm 0.10} \right) \cdot \ln G + \left( {0.0056 \pm 0.0002} \right) \cdot T\left( {^\circ C} \right) $$ where [Zr] is the Zr concentration of the melt in µg/g, G is the new parameter representing melt composition and T is the temperature in degrees Celsius. The advantages of the new model are its straightforward use, with the G parameter being calculated directly from the molar proportions converted from electron microprobe measurements, the temperature calculated given in degrees Celsius and its applicability in a wider range of rocks compositions. Our results confirm the high zircon solubility in peralkaline rocks and its dependence on composition and temperature. Our new model may be applied in all intermediate to felsic melts from peraluminous to peralkaline compositions.

Kashmir Basin Fault and its tectonic significance in NW Himalaya, Jammu and Kashmir, India

The Kashmir Basin Fault is located in the Jammu and Kashmir region of Kashmir Basin in NW Himalaya, India. It is a classic example of an out-of-sequence thrust faulting and is tectonically active as observed from multiple geological evidences. Its geomorphology, structure and lateral extent indicate significant accommodation of stress since long, which is further supported by the absence of a large earthquake in this region. It seems this fault is actively accommodating some portion of the total India–Eurasia convergence, apart from two well-recognised active structures the Medlicott–Wadia Thrust and the Main Frontal Thrust, which are referred in Vassallo et al. (Earth Planet Sci Lett 411:241–252, 2015). This requires its quantification and inclusion into slip distribution scheme of NW Himalaya. Therefore, it should be explored extensively because this internal out-of-sequence thrust could serve major seismic hazard in KB, repeating a situation similar to Muzaffarabad earthquake of Northern Pakistan in 2005.

Element signatures of subduction-zone fluids. An experimental study of the element partitioning (Dfluid/rock) of natural partly altered igneous rocks from the ODP drilling site 1,256

The trace element signatures of fluids were investigated by leaching experiments on natural samples of partly altered mafic igneous rocks recovered from the drilling site 1,256 of ODP Leg 206 on the Cocos plate (Central America). Experiments with ultrapure water were performed at 400 °C/0.4 GPa and 500 °C/0.7 GPa. Both fluids and residual solids were examined to obtain the partition coefficients (Dfluid/rock) of various trace elements. Element partition coefficients (Dfluid/rock) obtained at 500 °C/0.7 GPa are significantly lower compared to results obtained at 400 °C/0.4 GPa, which is in contrast to observations at higher pressures (2.2–6 GPa) and temperatures between 700 and 1,400 °C (Kessel et al. in Earth Planet Sci Lett 237: 873–892, 2005a; Spandler et al. in Chem Geol 239: 228–249, 2007). This finding may indicate a considerable pressure effect on the leaching processes and strongly divergent fluid–rock interactions in the upper part of a subduction zone at 0.4–0.7 GPa compared to deeper subduction areas with higher pressures. Furthermore, this may be interpreted as one of the earliest fractionation processes during the subduction of crustal material.

Determining P–T paths from garnet zoning using a brute-force computational method

Reconstructing metamorphic pressure–temperature (P–T) paths through petrographic textures, mineral assemblages, and compositions is fundamental to the understanding of orogenesis. We present a new method to derive the P–T path of a rock from mineral zoning. Using Perple_X (Connolly in Earth Planet Sci Lett 236(1–2):524–541, 2005) and a Matlab script, we forward model garnet zoning, parageneses, and mineral modes for an arbitrary set of possible P–T paths, and then compare the calculated results to mineral modes, textures, and zoning preserved in rocks. The best-fit P–T path is determined by comparing the calculated zoning to the measured zoning using the sum of squares. The results indicate that combining Mg#, Ca, and Mn zoning in garnet with mineral modes can yield precise constraints on the P–T path of a rock.