Planet Sci Research Articles

Contrasting Aerodynamic Morphology and Geochemistry of Impact Spherules from Lonar Crater, India: Some Insights into Their Cooling History

The ~50 or 570 ka old Lonar crater, India, was excavated in the Deccan Trap flood basalt of Cretaceous age by the impact of a chondritic asteroid. The impact-spherules known from within the ejecta around this crater are of three types namely aerodynamically shaped sub-mm and mm size spherules, and a sub-mm sized variety of spherule, described as mantled lapilli, having a core consisting of ash-sized grains, shocked basalt and solidified melts surrounded by a rim of ash-sized materials. Although, information is now available on the bulk composition of the sub-mm sized spherules (Misra et al. in Meteorit Planet Sci 7:1001–1018, 2009), almost no idea exists on the latter two varieties. Here, we presented the microprobe data on major oxides and a few trace elements (e.g. Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn) of mm-sized impact spherules in unravelling their petrogenetic evolution. The mm-sized spherules are characterised by homogeneous glassy interior with vesicular margin in contrast to an overall smooth and glassy-texture of the sub-mm sized spherules. Undigested micro-xenocrysts of mainly plagioclase, magnetite and rare clinopyroxene of the target basalt are present only at the marginal parts of the mm-sized spherules. The minor relative enrichment of SiO2 (~3.5 wt% in average) and absence of schlieren structure in these spherules suggest relatively high viscosity of the parent melt droplets of these spherules in comparison to their sub-mm sized counterpart. Chemically homogeneous mm-sized spherule and impact-melt bomb share similar bulk chemical and trace element compositions and show no enrichment in impactor components. The general depletion of Na2O within all the Lonar impactites was resulted due to impact-induced volatilisation effect, and it indicates the solidification temperature of the Lonar impactites close to 1,100 °C. The systematic geochemical variation within the mm-sized spherules (Mg# ~0.38–0.43) could be attributed to various level of mixing between plagioclase-dominated impact melts and ultrafine pyroxene and/or titanomagnetite produced from the target basalt due to impact. Predominance of schlieren and impactor components (mainly Cr, Ni), and nearly absence of vesicles in the sub-mm sized spherules plausibly suggest that these quenched liquid droplets could have produced from the impactor-rich, hotter (~1,100 °C or more) central part of the plume, whereas the morpho-chemistry of the mm-sized spherules induces their formation from the relatively cool outer part of the same impact plume.

Exogenic olivine on Vesta from Dawn Framing Camera color data

In this paper we present the results of a global survey of olivine-rich lithologies on (4) Vesta. We investigated Dawn Framing Camera (FC) High Altitude Mapping Orbit (HAMO) color cubes (∼60m/pixel resolution) by using a method described in Thangjam et al. (Thangjam, G., Nathues, A., Mengel, K., Hoffmann, M., Schäfer, M., Reddy, V., Cloutis, E.A., Christensen, U., Sierks, H., Le Corre, L., Vincent, J.-B, Russell, C.T. [2014b]. Meteorit. Planet. Sci. arXiv:1408.4687 [astro-ph.EP]). In total we identified 15 impact craters exhibiting olivine-rich (>40wt.% ol) outcrops on their inner walls, some showing olivine-rich material also in their ejecta and floors. Olivine-rich sites are concentrated in the Bellicia, Arruntia and Pomponia region on Vesta’s northern hemisphere. From our multi-color and stratigraphic analysis, we conclude that most, if not all, of the olivine-rich material identified is of exogenic origin, i.e. remnants of A- or/and S-type projectiles. The olivine-rich lithologies in the north are possibly ejecta of the ∼90km diameter Albana crater. We cannot draw a final conclusion on their relative stratigraphic succession, but it seems that the dark material (Nathues, A., Hoffmann, M., Cloutis, E.A., Schäfer, M., Reddy, V., Christensen, U., Sierks, H., Thangjam, G.S., Le Corre, L., Mengel, K., Vincent, J.-B., Russell, C.T., Prettyman, T., Schmedemann, N., Kneissl, T., Raymond, C., Gutierrez-Marques, P., Hall, I. Büttner, I. [2014b]. Icarus (239, 222--237)) and the olivine-rich lithologies are of a similar age. The origin of some potential olivine-rich sites in the Rheasilvia basin and at crater Portia are ambiguous, i.e. these are either of endogenic or exogenic origin. However, the small number and size of these sites led us to conclude that olivine-rich mantle material, containing more than 40wt.% of olivine, is basically absent on the present surface of Vesta. In combination with recent impact models of Veneneia and Rheasilvia (Clenet, H., Jutzi, M., Barrat, J.-A., Gillet, Ph. [2014]. Lunar Planet Sci. 45, #1349; Jutzi, M., Asphaug, E., Gillet, P., Barrat, J.-A., Benz, W. [2013]. Nature 494, 207–210), which predict an excavation depth of up to 80km, we are confident that the crust–mantle depth is significantly deeper than predicted by most evolution models (30km; Mittlefehldt, D.W. [2014]. Asteroid 4 Vesta: A Fully Differentiated Dwarf Planet. NASA Technical Reports Server (20140004857.pdf)) or, alternatively, the olivine-content of the (upper) mantle is lower than our detection limit, which would lead to the conclusion that Vesta’s parent material was already depleted in olivine compared to CI meteorites.

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.

A post-Tohoku earthquake review of earthquake probabilities in the Southern Kanto District, Japan

The 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku earthquake generated an aftershock sequence that affected a large part of northern Honshu, and has given rise to widely divergent forecasts of changes in earthquake occurrence probabilities in northern Honshu. The objective of this review is to assess these forecasts as they relate to potential changes in the occurrence probabilities of damaging earthquakes in the Kanto Region. It is generally agreed that the 2011 Mw 9.0 Tohoku earthquake increased the stress on faults in the southern Kanto district. Toda and Stein (Geophys Res Lett 686, 40: doi:10.1002, 2013) further conclude that the probability of earthquakes in the Kanto Corridor has increased by a factor of 2.5 for the time period 11 March 2013 to 10 March 2018 in the Kanto Corridor. Estimates of earthquake probabilities in a wider region of the Southern Kanto District by Nanjo et al. (Geophys J Int, doi:10.1093, 2013) indicate that any increase in the probability of earthquakes is insignificant in this larger region. Uchida et al. (Earth Planet Sci Lett 374: 81–91, 2013) conclude that the Philippine Sea plate the extends well north of the northern margin of Tokyo Bay, inconsistent with the Kanto Fragment hypothesis of Toda et al. (Nat Geosci, 1:1–6,2008), which attributes deep earthquakes in this region, which they term the Kanto Corridor, to a broken fragment of the Pacific plate. The results of Uchida and Matsuzawa (J Geophys Res 115:B07309, 2013)support the conclusion that fault creep in southern Kanto may be slowly relaxing the stress increase caused by the Tohoku earthquake without causing more large earthquakes. Stress transfer calculations indicate a large stress transfer to the Off Boso Segment as a result of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake. However, Ozawa et al. (J Geophys Res 117:B07404, 2012) used onshore GPS measurements to infer large post-Tohoku creep on the plate interface in the Off-Boso region, and Uchida and Matsuzawa (ibid.) measured similar large creep off the Boso Peninsula. Thus some of the large stress transfer may be undergoing aseismic release, consistent with pre-Tohoku geodetic data, so a large earthquake on the Off Boso segment may have a low probability.

Impact of anthropogenic CO 2 on the next glacial cycle

The model of Paillard and Parrenin (Earth Planet Sci Lett 227(3–4):263–271, 2004) has been recently optimized for the last eight glacial cycles, leading to two different relaxation models with model-data correlations between 0.8 and 0.9 (Garcia-Olivares and Herrero (Clim Dyn 1–25, 2012b)). These two models are here used to predict the effect of an anthropogenic CO 2 pulse on the evolution of atmospheric CO 2, global ice volume and Antarctic ice cover during the next 300 kyr. The initial atmospheric CO 2 condition is obtained after a critical data analysis that sets 1300 Gt as the most realistic carbon Ultimate Recoverable Resources (URR), with the help of a global compartmental model to determine the carbon transfer function to the atmosphere. The next 20 kyr will have an abnormally high greenhouse effect which, according to the CO 2 values, will lengthen the present interglacial by some 25 to 33 kyr. This is because the perturbation of the current interglacial will lead to a delay in the future advance of the ice sheet on the Antarctic shelf, causing that the relative maximum of boreal insolation found 65 kyr after present (AP) will not affect the developing glaciation. Instead, it will be the following insolation peak, about 110 kyr AP, which will find an appropriate climatic state to trigger the next deglaciation.

Ultra-high precision 40Ar/39Ar ages for Fish Canyon Tuff and Alder Creek Rhyolite sanidine: New dating standards required?

The 40Ar/39Ar dating technique is a high precision (<0.1%) method with wide application to geological samples. However, the method is predicated on the availability of natural mineral standards of known age. Widely used 40Ar/39Ar standards include sanidine from the (ca. 28Ma) Fish Canyon Tuff (FCT) and the (ca. 1.2Ma) Alder Creek Rhyolite (ACR). Despite common usage, the ages of FCT and ACR sanidine have proven contentious, with reported values varying by >2%; well outside the ±0.1% aspiration of EARTHTIME (www.earth-time.org). The current study presents ultra-high precision, multi-collector 40Ar/39Ar results for FCT and ACR sanidine, using a new generation ARGUSVI mass spectrometer. These analyses demonstrate the significantly higher (by a factor of ∼10) level of precision achievable using the ARGUSVI system, compared to most previous studies. Significantly, 40Ar/39Ar step-heating analyses resolve distinct age gradients for both FCT and ACR sanidine. Possible explanations for these gradients include combinations of recoil loss of 39Ar, instrumental bias, isotopic fractionation during step-heating, thermally induced argon loss and/or extraneous argon contamination. Minor recoil loss of 39Ar and partial retention of inherited argon during extended magma residence, are deemed the most plausible causes of the age discordance. Given this assumption, we calculate revised (maximum?) eruption ages of 28.01±0.04Ma (2σ) for FCT and 1.178±0.002Ma (2σ) for ACR, relative to the astronomically calibrated age of A1 Tephra sanidine, Crete [Rivera et al. (2011)Earth Planet Sci. Lett.311, 420–426]. Nonetheless, the ARGUSVI data demonstrate that FCT and ACR sanidine are non-ideal as high precision 40Ar/39Ar standards, with different heating protocols likely to induce inter-laboratory bias. The current findings account for at least some of the scatter in inter-calibration ages reported previously for various 40Ar/39Ar standards. In broader terms, the results mandate a re-evaluation of the astronomically calibrated ages for these and other sanidine samples, while the new generation of multi-collector mass spectrometers provides the means to further evaluate 40Ar/39Ar ages used to define new decay constants and standard ages.

The Nd of the Innocence

Geochemistry There are few remaining geologic clues about the structure and geodynamics operating on Earth from its initial differentiation around 4.5 billion years ago until modern plate tectonics began. Debaille et al. analyzed the geochemistry of an ancient layered lava flow from Ontario, Canada, that serves as a window into a partially melted mantle plume from around 2.7 billion years ago. Excess 142Nd contents, which are daughter products of now extinct radiogenic 146Sm, imply that the mantle contained heterogeneities generated by relatively sluggish mixing—especially when considering that the temperatures and convection rates at that time would have been much higher than they are in the modern mantle. Using numerical models, the authors show that the preservation of this signature could occur in a stagnant regime of plate tectonics independently of high convection rates, meaning that early subduction events occurred only in brief and sporadic episodes. Combined with other geochemical data, the ancient lava flow data are consistent with the onset of modern (i.e. continuous) plate tectonics around 2.7 to 3.0 billion years ago. Earth Planet Sci. Lett. 10.1016/j.epsl.2013.04.016 (2013).

Thermal metamorphism of the Arunachal Himalaya, India: Raman thermometry and thermochronological constraints on the tectono-thermal evolution

Determination of the peak thermal condition is vital in order to understand tectono-thermal evolution of the Himalayan belt. The Lesser Himalayan Sequence (LHS) in the Western Arunachal Pradesh, being rich in carbonaceous material (CM), facilitates the determination of peak metamorphic temperature based on Raman spectroscopy of carbonaceous material (RSCM). In this study, we have used RSCM method of Beyssac et al. (J Metamorph Geol 20:859–871, 2002a) and Rahl et al. (Earth Planet Sci Lett 240:339–354, 2005) to estimate the thermal history of LHS and Siwalik foreland from the western Arunachal Pradesh. The study indicates that the temperature of 700–800 °C in the Greater Himalayan Sequence (GHS) decreases to 650–700 °C in the main central thrust zone (MCTZ) and decreases further to 600 and 12 km) than the upper Siwalik sediments to its south at depths <8 km before they were exhumed. The 40Ar/39Ar ages suggest that the upper zones of Se La evolved ~13–15 Ma. The middle zone exhumed at ~11 Ma and lower zone close to ~8 Ma indicating erosional unroofing of the MCT sheet. The footwall of MCTZ cooled between 6 and 8 Ma. Analyses of P–T path imply that LHS between MCT and U.MBT zone falls within the kyanite stability field with near isobaric condition. At higher structural level, the temperatures increase gradually with P–T conditions in the sillimanite stability field. The near isothermal (700–800 °C) condition in the GHS, isobaric condition in the MCTZ together with T–t path evidence of GHS that experienced relatively longer duration of near peak temperatures and rapid cooling towards MCTZ, compares the evolution of GHS and inverted metamorphic gradient closely to channel flow predictions.

U/Th dating of carbonate deposits from Chafarinas Islands, Spain

The Chafarinas Islands are a group of volcanic outcrops off the north coast of the African continent. Quaternary deposits and calcrete formations cover most of the islands’ planed surface, mainly on Rey Francisco I Island. Uranium-series ages are presented for a geological section with 18 m of detrital deposits and calcrete layers. Calcretes consist of impure carbonate; the leach/leach (L/L) method was therefore used to obtain 234U/238U and 230Th/234U activity ratios in the pure authigenic carbonate fraction to obtain ages of the samples. Resulting ages range from 14 to 80 ka. Except for one sample at the bottom of the age sequence, with the youngest age, all others have ages that agree with their stratigraphic location. Ages obtained using the L/L method were also compared with the method of Allegre and Condomines (Earth Planet Sci Lett 28:395–406, 1976) and with a more recent method (Ludwig and Paces Geochim Cosmochim Acta 66:487–506, 2002, Sharp et al. Quat Res 59:139–150, 2003, Haase-Schramm et al. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 68:985–1005, 2004). The latter two methods were also used to estimate isotopic composition of the detrital component in the impure carbonate and model a more realistic age for the anomalous sample. Minimal uranium isotope activity ratio differences imply that environmental conditions between 25 and 60 ka remained relatively uniform and that a major change may have occurred ~80 ka ago.

Controls on crustal accretion along the back-arc East Scotia Ridge: constraints from bathymetry and gravity data

This study investigates crustal accretion processes along the East Scotia Ridge (ESR), an intermediate-rate back-arc spreading center with ten segments (E1–E10) that strike north–south. Mantle Bouguer anomaly (MBA) was calculated for the ESR region using satellite-derived and shipboard data sources. De-trended MBA (MBAdet) was determined by removing a residual plane from the MBA map, and ΔMBAdet was defined as the along-segment change in MBAdet. ΔMBAdet, as well as segment-averaged values of Na8, Fe8, and 87Sr/86Sr obtained from the published literature, generally appear to be better correlated with distsst (the distance from each segment center to the nearest point on the South Sandwich Trench) than with spreading rate. For each of the northern segments E2 through E6, MBAdet has a central low. MBAdet values also form a broad, longer-wavelength low from segments E2 through E6. Generally speaking, these findings are consistent with earlier studies such as Livermore et al. (Earth Planet Sci Lett 150:261–275, 1997) in suggesting that the region around segment E2 is a center for focused accretion along the ESR. On the other hand, southern segments E7 and E8 have central MBAdet highs, and MBAdet decreases somewhat linearly from segment E7 to E9, notwithstanding intrasegment variations. The quasi-linear MBAdet trend along these ESR segments is similar to that observed for the southernmost Lau spreading centers (e.g., Martinez and Taylor in Nature 416:417–420, 2002). Overall, plate boundary geometry and three-dimensional mantle flow may play a significant role in melting processes along the ESR, especially if the spreading center is processing geochemically heterogeneous South Atlantic mantle.

Earthquake geology of Kashmir Basin and its implications for future large earthquakes

Two major traces of active thrust faults were identified in the Kashmir Basin (KB) using satellite images and by mapping active geomorphic features. The ~N130°E strike of the mapped thrust faults is consistent with the regional ~NE–SW convergence along the Indian–Eurasian collision zone. The ~NE dipping thrust faults have uplifted the young alluvial fan surfaces at the SW side of the KB. This created a major tectono-geomorphic boundary along the entire strike length of the KB that is characterised by (1) a low relief with sediment-filled sluggish streams to the SE and (2) an uplifted region, with actively flowing streams to the SW. The overall tectono-geomorphic expression suggests that recent activity along these faults has tilted the entire Kashmir valley towards NE. Further, the Mw 7.6 earthquake, which struck Northern Pakistan and Kashmir on 8 October 2005, also suggests a similar strike and NE dipping fault plane, which could indicate that the KB fault is continuous over a distance of ~210 km and connects on the west with the Balakot Bagh fault. However, the geomorphic and the structural evidences of such a structure are not very apparent on the north-west, which thus suggest that it is not a contiguous structure with the Balakot Bagh fault. Therefore, it is more likely that the KB fault is an independent thrust, a possible ramp on the Main Himalayan Thrust, which has uplifting the SW portion of the KB and drowning everything to the NE (e.g. Madden et al. 2011). Furthermore, it seems very likely that the KB fault could be a right stepping segment of the Balakot Bagh fault, similar to Riasi Thrust, as proposed by Thakur et al. (2010). The earthquake magnitude is measured by estimating the fault rupture parameters (e.g. Wells and Coppersmith in Bull Seismol Soc Am 84:974–1002, 1994). Therefore, the total strike length of the mapped KB fault is ~120 km and by assuming a dip of 29° (Avouac et al. in Earth Planet Sci Lett 249:514–528, 2006) and a down-dip limit of 20 km, a Mw of 7.6 is possible on this fault.

Simulation of glacial-interglacial cycles by simple relaxation models: consistency with observational results

The model of Paillard and Parrenin (Earth Planet Sci Lett 227:263–271, 2004) was modified to obtain a closer fit to δ18O and CO2 time series for the last 800 kyr. The model performance can be improved if its CO2 sensitivity to I65 insolation is eliminated and if different response times are assumed for ablation/accumulation of ice. Correlations between simulated and experimental time series for CO2 and ice volume V increase from 0.59 and 0.63 to 0.79 and 0.88, respectively. According to these models, terminations are produced by I65 amplification through CO2-T and T-CO2 feedbacks, in synergy with an extra CO2 contribution from the deep ocean. This contribution is strongly dependent on ice-sheet extent and ice volume (or alternatively, CO2 concentration, which is a good proxy of Antarctic temperature) but is insensitive to Southern Ocean (SO) insolation on 21 February (I60). Change of deep SO state may be the “order parameter” for nonlinear deglacial changes. According to these models, 100 kyr periodicity of glacial cycles arises from the characteristic time of Antarctic ice sheet advance to the continental slope.

Hydrogen and methane in Titan’s atmosphere: chemistry, diffusion, escape, and the Hunten limiting flux principle 1This article is part of a Special Issue that honours the work of Dr. Donald M. Hunten FRSC who passed away in December 2010 after a very illustrious career.

One of Professor Donald M. Hunten’s lasting contributions to the field of planetary atmospheres was the principle of the (Hunten) limiting flux, where the escape of light species is limited by the rate at which they can diffuse through the atmosphere. While his limiting flux expression has been well tested for hydrogen’s escape from the Earth’s atmosphere (e.g., Hunten and Strobel (J. Atmos. Sci. 31, 305 (1974)); Hunten and Donahue (Ann. Rev. Earth Planet Sci. 4, 265 (1976))), it has not been tested for Titan’s atmosphere, which was the original motivation for the principle. The Cassini–Huygens mission has provided sufficient data on the variation of the H2 mole fraction with altitude to test its applicability and validity. Only in the vicinity of the homopause does the limiting flux expression yield the actual H2 escape flux, because the mole fraction varies with altitude. This paper deals also with our current understanding of the three major constituents of Titan’s atmosphere (N2, CH4, and H2) from the various measurements by instruments on the Cassini orbiter and the Huygens probe. Specific problems addressed are additional required sources of H2, the CH4 escape rate, and the possible role of energetic electron and ion precipitation from Saturn’s magnetosphere.

Osmium isotope systematics of historical lavas from Piton de la Fournaise (Réunion Island, Indian Ocean)

Re–Os isotope and elemental data have been obtained for 20 historical picrites and basalts (1931–2006) from the Piton de la Fournaise volcano on Reunion Island and two old (>0.78 Ma) cumulates from a drill hole in the eastern part of the volcano. The 187Os/188Os ratios of the historical lava samples, selected to cover the MgO concentration and Pb isotopic ranges of Piton de la Fournaise lavas, range from 0.1311 to 0.1374. This result, together with previous results on 66-Ma-old lavas from the Deccan Traps (Allegre et al. in. Earth Planet Sci Lett, 170:197–204, 1999), supports the idea that the Os isotopic signature of the Reunion plume is relatively uniform and is at the less radiogenic end of the ocean island basalt spectrum. In detail, lavas erupted before 1992 seem to have higher 187Os/188Os than the lavas erupted after the 1992–1998 period of quiescence. Comparison of 187Os/188Os ratios with Pb, Sr and Nd isotopic data on the same set of samples shows no correlation between Os and Sr–Nd isotopes, whereas a broad positive relationship with Pb isotopes is observed, which is interpreted to reflect coupled fractionation of Re/Os and U–Th/Pb in the mantle due to the partitioning of Pb and Os into sulphides. Lavas inferred to be recording the Os isotopic signature of the Reunion plume source have higher 187Os/188Os ratios than the primitive mantle values. While this might be ascribed to melting of a lithologically heterogeneous source comprising recycled oceanic crust and/or continental sediment, the expected coupled Os–Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic variations are not observed. It is thus proposed that the mantle source for Piton de la Fournaise has inherently slightly radiogenic 187Os/188Os values that could reflect a mantle domain almost isolated from recycling processes.

Oxygen isotope heterogeneity of the mantle beneath the Canary Islands: a discussion of the paper of Gurenko et al.

Gurenko et al. (Contrib Mineral Petrol 162:349–363, 2011) report laser-assisted fluorination (LF) and secondary ionization mass spectrometry (SIMS) 18O/16O datasets for olivine grains from the Canary Islands of Gran Canaria, Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma and El Hierro. As with prior studies of oxygen isotopes in Canary Island lavas (e.g. Thirlwall et al. Chem Geol 135:233–262, 1997; Day et al. Geology 37:555–558, 2009, Geochim Cosmochim Acta 74:6565–6589, 2010), these authors find variations in δ18Ool (~4.6–6.0 ‰) beyond that measured for mantle peridotite olivine (Mattey et al. Earth Planet Sci Lett 128:231–241, 1994) and interpret this variation to reflect contributions from pyroxenite-peridotite mantle sources. Furthermore, Gurenko et al. (Contrib Mineral Petrol 162:349–363, 2011) speculate that δ18Ool values for La Palma olivine grains measured by LF (Day et al. Geology 37:555–558, 2009, Geochim Cosmochim Acta 74:6565–6589, 2010) may be biased to low values due to the presence of altered silicate, possibly serpentine. The range in δ18Ool values for Canary Island lavas are of importance for constraining their origin. Gurenko et al. (Contrib Mineral Petrol 162:349–363, 2011) took a subset (39 SIMS analyses from 13 grains from a single El Hierro lava; EH4) of a more extensive dataset (321 SIMS analyses from 110 grains from 16 Canary Island lavas) to suggest that δ18Ool is weakly correlated (R2 = 0.291) with the parameter used by Gurenko et al. (Earth Planet Sci Lett 277:514–524, 2009) to describe the estimated weight fraction of pyroxenite-derived melt (Xpx). With this relationship, end-member δ18O values for HIMU-peridotite (δ18O = 5.3 ± 0.3 ‰) and depleted pyroxenite (δ18O = 5.9 ± 0.3 ‰) were defined. Although the model proposed by Gurenko et al. (Contrib Mineral Petrol 162:349–363, 2011) implicates similar pyroxenite-peridotite mantle sources to those proposed by Day et al. (Geology 37:555–558, 2009, Geochim Cosmochim Acta 74:6565–6589, 2010) and Day and Hilton (Earth Planet Sci Lett 305:226–234, 2011), there are significant differences in the predicted δ18O values of end member components in the two models. In particular, Day et al. (Geochim Cosmochim Acta 74:6565–6589, 2010) proposed a mantle source for La Palma lavas with low-δ18O (<5 ‰), rather than higher-δ18O (c.f. the HIMU-peridotite composition of Gurenko et al. in Contrib Mineral Petrol 162:349–363, 2011). Here we question the approach of using weakly correlated variations in δ18Ool and the Xpx parameter to define mantle source oxygen isotope compositions, and provide examples of why this approach appears flawed. We also provide reasons why the LF datasets previously published for Canary Island lavas remain robust and discuss why LF and SIMS data may provide complementary information on oxygen isotope variations in ocean island basalts (OIB), despite unresolved small-scale uncertainties associated with both techniques.

Heat capacity, entropy and phase equilibria of stishovite

The low-temperature heat capacity (CP) of stishovite (SiO2) synthesized with a multi-anvil device was measured over the range of 5–303 K using the heat capacity option of a physical properties measurement system (PPMS) and around ambient temperature using a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). The entropy of stishovite at standard temperature and pressure calculated from DSC-corrected PPMS data is 24.94 J mol−1 K−1, which is considerably smaller (by 2.86 J mol−1 K−1) than that determined from adiabatic calorimetry (Holm et al. in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 31:2289–2307, 1967) and about 4% larger than the recently reported value (Akaogi et al. in Am Mineral 96:1325–1330, 2011). The coesite–stishovite phase transition boundary calculated using the newly determined entropy value of stishovite agrees reasonably well with the previous experimental results by Zhang et al. (Phys Chem Miner 23:1–10, 1996). The calculated phase boundary of kyanite decomposition reaction is most comparable with the experimental study by Irifune et al. (Earth Planet Sci Lett 77:245–256, 1995) at low temperatures around 1,400 K, and the calculated slope in this temperature range is mostly consistent with that determined by in situ X-ray diffraction experiments (Ono et al. in Am Mineral 92:1624–1629, 2007).

New host for carbon in the deep Earth

The global geochemical carbon cycle involves exchanges between the Earth's interior and the surface. Carbon is recycled into the mantle via subduction mainly as carbonates and is released to the atmosphere via volcanism mostly as CO(2). The stability of carbonates versus decarbonation and melting is therefore of great interest for understanding the global carbon cycle. For all these reasons, the thermodynamic properties and phase diagrams of these minerals are needed up to core mantle boundary conditions. However, the nature of C-bearing minerals at these conditions remains unclear. Here we show the existence of a new Mg-Fe carbon-bearing compound at depths greater than 1,800 km. Its structure, based on three-membered rings of corner-sharing (CO(4))(4-) tetrahedra, is in close agreement with predictions by first principles quantum calculations [Oganov AR, et al. (2008) Novel high-pressure structures of MgCO(3), CaCO(3) and CO(2) and their role in Earth's lower mantle. Earth Planet Sci Lett 273:38-47]. This high-pressure polymorph of carbonates concentrates a large amount of Fe((III)) as a result of intracrystalline reaction between Fe((II)) and (CO(3))(2-) groups schematically written as 4FeO + CO(2) → 2Fe(2)O(3) + C. This results in an assemblage of the new high-pressure phase, magnetite and nanodiamonds.

Sedimentological and geomorphological effects of the Sumatra–Andaman Tsunami in the area of Khao Lak, southern Thailand

The Sumatra–Andaman Tsunami left distinctive sedimentological and geomorphological signatures in the area of Khao Lak. Fine-grained sediments, predominantly layers of cohesive, carbonate-rich, fine-sandy silt with thicknesses of 1–10 cm, erosionally overlying pre-tsunami sandy soils and sediments, represent the most common tsunami deposits in the study area. Petrographically, they differ significantly from other coastal sediments and affiliated soils. Due to their grain size and corresponding clay mineral content, muddy shelf sediments (sub-wave base) are indicated as a main source. The present results suggest that indications of shelf influence, although varying regionally, might contribute to the identification of fine-grained tsunami sediments and their differentiation from storm sediments. However, the observed differences of tsunami sediments to soils and other coastal sediments, especially with respect to carbonate mineralogy, might disappear in short geological time under conditions of intensive weathering and bioturbation. At Cape Pakarang, hundreds of boulders with up to 24 tons were deposited on the foreshore and upper shoreface. Applying Nott’s (Earth Planet Sci Lett 210:269–276, 2003) formulas, minimum flow velocities of 3.9 m/s are required to transport the largest boulders. The devastating tsunami effect of both, onshore flow and backflow, is documented by damaged human constructions. Geomorphological effects include intensive widening of estuary mouths and the development of erosional channels. Now, estuary mouths are reduced, and erosional channels cut off from the sea due to the formation of a post-tsunami beach ridge.

Fe Isotope Fractionation during Equilibration of Fe−Organic Complexes

Despite the importance of Fe-organic complexes in the environment, few studies have investigated Fe isotope effects driven by changes in Fe coordination that involve organic ligands. Previous experimental (Dideriksen et al., 2008, Earth Planet Sci. Lett. 269:280-290) and theoretical (Domagal-Goldman et al., 2009, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 73:1-12) studies disagreed on the sense of fractionation between Fe-desferrioxamine B (Fe-DFOB) and Fe(H(2)O)(6)(3+). Using a new experimental technique that employs a dialysis membrane to separate equilibrated Fe-ligand pools, we measured the equilibrium isotope fractionations between Fe-DFOB and (1) Fe bound to ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and (2) Fe bound to oxalate. We observed no significant isotope fractionation between Fe-DFOB and Fe-EDTA (Delta(56/54)Fe(Fe-DFOB/Fe-EDTA) approximately 0.02 +/- 0.11 per thousand) and a small but significant fractionation between Fe-DFOB and Fe-oxalate (Delta(56/54)Fe(Fe-DFOB/Fe-Ox(3)) = 0.20 +/- 0.11 per thousand). Taken together, our results and those of Dideriksen et al. (2008) reveal a strong positive correlation between measured fractionation factors and the Fe-binding affinity of the ligands. This correlation supports the experimental results of Dideriksen et al. (2008). Further, it provides a simple empirical tool that may be used to predict fractionation factors for Fe-ligand complexes not yet studied experimentally.