S, C, O, H Isotope Data and Noble Gas Studies of the Maoniuping LREE Deposit, Sichuan Province, China： A Mantle Connection for Mineralization

The Maoniuping REE deposit, located about 22 km to the southwest of Mianning, Sichuan Province, is the second largest light REE deposit in China, subsequent to the Bayan Obo Fe-Nb-REE deposit in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Tectonically, it is located in the transitional zone between the Panxi rift and the Longmenshan-Jinpingshan orogenic zone. It is a carbonatite vein-type deposit hosted in alkaline complex rocks. The bastnaesite-barite, bastnaesite-calcite, and bastnaesite-microcline lodes are the main three types of REE ore lodes. Among these, the first lode is distributed most extensively and its REE mineralization is the strongest. Theδ34Sv-CDT values of the barites in the ore of the deposit vary in a narrow range of +5.0 to +5.1‰in the bastnaesite-calcite lode and +3.3 to +5.9‰in the bastnaesite-barite lode, showing the isotopic characteristics of magma-derived sulfur. Theδ13Cv-PDB values and theδ518OV-SMOW values in the bastnaesite-calcite lode range from -3.9 to -6.9‰and from +7.3 to +9.7‰, respectively, which fall into the range of "primary carbonatites", showing that carbon and oxygen in the ores of the Maoniuping deposit were derived mainly from a deep source. Theδ13Cv-PDB values of fluid inclusions vary from -3.0 to -5.6‰, with -3.0 to -4.0‰in the bastnaesite-calcite lode and -3.0 to -5.6‰in the bastnaesite-barite lode, which show characteristics of mantle-derived carbon. TheδDv-SMOW values of fluid inclusions range from -57 to -88‰, with -63 to -86‰in the bastnaesite-calcite lode and -57 to -88‰in the bastnaesite-barite lode, which show characteristics of mantle-derived hydrogen. Theδ18OH2OV-SMOW values vary from +7.4 to +8.6‰in the bastnaesite calcite lode, and +6.7 to +7.8‰in the bastnaesite-barite lode, almost overlapping the range of +5.5 to +9.5‰for magmatic water. The 4He content, R/Ra ratios are (13.95 to 119.58×10-6 (cm3/g)STP and 0.02 to 0.11, respectively, and 40Ar/36Ar is 313±1 to 437±2. Considering the 4He increase caused by high contents of radioactive elements, a mantle-derived fluid probably exists in the inclusions in the fluorite, calcite and bastnaesite samples. The Maoniuping deposit and its associated carbonatite-alkaline complex were formed in 40.3 to 12.2 Ma according to K-Ar and U-Pb data. All these data suggest that large quantities of mantle fluids were involved in the metallogenic process of the Maoniuping REE deposit through a fault system.     

Amino acid composition of suspended particles,sediment-trap material,and benthic sediment in the Potomac Estuary

Sediment trap deployments in estuaries provide a method for estimating the amount of organic material transported to the sediments from the euphotic zone. The amino acid composition of suspended particles, benthic sediment, and sediment-trap material collected at 2.4 m, 5.8 m, and 7.9 m depths in the Potomac Estuary was determined in stratified summer waters, and in well-mixed oxygenated waters (DO) in late fall. The total vertical flow, or flux, of material into the top traps ranged from 3 g m^?2 d^?1 in August to 4.9 g m^?2 d^?1 in October. The carbon and nitrogen fluxes increased in the deepest traps relative to the surface traps during both sampling periods, along with that of the total material flux (up to 47.3 g m^?2 d^?1 in the deepest trap), although the actual weight percent of organic carbon and organic nitrogen decreased with depth. Amino acid concentrations ranged from 129 mg g^?1 in surface water particulate material to 22 mg g^?1 in particulate material in 9-m-deep waters and in the benthic sediment. Amino acid concentrations from 2.4-mg-depth sediment traps averaged 104±29 mg g^?1 in stratified waters and 164±81 mg g^?1 in well-mixed waters. The deep trap samples averaed, 77.3±4.8 mg g^?1 amino acids in summer waters and 37±16 mg g^?1 in oxygenated fall waters. Amino acids comprised 13% to 39% of the organic carbon and 12% to 89% of the orgnaic nitrogen in these samples. Analysis of the flux results suggest that resuspension combined with lateral advection from adjacent slopes can account for up to 27% of the material in the deep traps when the estuary was well-mixed and unstratified. When the estuary was stratified in late summer, the amino acid carbon produced by primary productivity in the euphotic zone decreased by 85% (86% for total organic carbon) at the pycnocline at 6 m depth, leaving up to 15% of the vertical organic flux available for benthic sediment deposition.     

Fluid Inclusions of Calcite and Sources of Ore-forming Fluids in the Huize Zn-Pb-(Ag-Ge) District, Yunnan, China

The Huize Zn-Pb- (Ag-Ge) district is a typical representative of the well-known medium-to large-sized carbonate-hosted Zn-Pb- (Ag-Ge) deposits, occurring in the Sichuan-Yunnan-Guizhou Pb-Zn Ore-forming Zone. Generally, fluid inclusions within calcite, one of the major gangue minerals, are dominated by two kinds of small (1-10 um) inclusions including pure-liquid and liquid. The inclusions exist in concentrated groups along the crystal planes of the calcite. The ore-forming fluids containing Pb and Zn, which belong to the Na+-K+-Ca2+-Cl--F--SO42- type, are characterized by temperatures of 164-221℃, medium salinity in 5-10.8 wt% NaCl, and medium pressure at 410×105 to 661×105 Pa. The contents of Na+-K+ and C1--F-, and ratios of Na+/K+-Cl-/F- in fluid inclusions present good linearity. The ratios of Na+/K+ (4.66-6.71) and Cl-/F- (18.21-31.04) in the fluid inclusions of calcite are relatively high, while those of Na+/K+ (0.29-5.69) and Cl-/F- (5.00-26.0) in the inclusions of sphalerite and pyrite are rela     

RMJG Rutile: A New Natural Reference Material for Microbeam U‐Pb Dating and Hf Isotopic Analysis

Matrix‐matched reference materials are necessary for accurate microbeam U‐Pb dating and Hf isotopic determination. This study introduces the RMJG rutile as a new potential reference material, which was separated from Palaeoproterozoic pelitic granulites collected in Hebei Province, China. LA‐ICP‐MS measurements indicate the RMJG rutile has extremely low Th (< 0.003 ± 0.01 µg g^?1) and common Pb contents, but high Hf (102 ± 34 µg g^?1), U (61 ± 11 µg g^?1), and radiogenic Pb (~ 20 µg g^?1) contents. Moreover, the rutile yields relatively constant U‐Pb ages and Hf isotopic data. The LA‐ICP‐MS analyses suggest that this rutile has a concordant U‐Pb age with a statistical mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U and ²⁰⁷Pb/²³⁵U ages of 1749.9 ± 32.1 Ma and 1750.0 ± 26.4 Ma, respectively (2s), which are statistically indistinguishable from its ID‐TIMS ages (1750.6 ± 8.4 and 1750.1 ± 4.7 Ma). Precise determination of the ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf ratio by MC‐ICP‐MS in solution mode (0.281652 ± 0.000006) is in good agreement with the statistical mean of the LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS measurements (0.28166 ± 0.00018). Therefore, the limited variations of RMJG U‐Pb age and Hf isotopic composition together with its extremely low common Pb and high Hf, U and Pb contents make it an ideal calibration and monitor reference material for LA‐ICP‐MS measurements.     

Rapid in situ silicification of microbes at Loburu hot springs, Lake Bogoria, Kenya Rift Valley

Microbial mats, located along the margins of hot-spring pools and outflow channels at Lake Bogoria, Kenya, are commonly silicified forming friable laminated crusts. Columnar microstromatolites composed of silica and calcite are also forming at several springs in sites of oscillating water level or spray. Silicification of the microbes involves impregnation of organic tissue by very fine amorphous silica particles and encrustation by small (< 2 μm) silica spheroids. Rapid silicification of the microbes, which may begin while some are still alive, can preserve sheaths and in some examples, the filaments, capsules and cells. Although this provides evidence of their general morphology, the biological features that are required for taxonomic identifications are commonly poorly preserved.
The silica precipitation results mainly from evaporative concentration and rapid cooling of spring waters that have been drawn upward through the mats and microstromatolites by capillary processes. Almost all the silica at the Loburu springs nucleates on microbial substrates. This affinity of silica for functional groups on microbial surfaces contributes to the rapid silicification of the microbes and their preservation in modern and ancient cherts.     

Induced degradation of crude oil mediated by microbial augmentation and bulking agents

Different bacterial and fungal strains, isolated from petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil, were tested, in isolation as well as in combination, for their ability to degrade total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in soil samples spiked with crude oil (2, 5 or 10 %, w/w) for 30 days. The selected combination of bacterial and fungal isolates, i.e., Pseudomonas stutzeri BP10 and Aspergillus niger PS9, exhibited the highest efficiency of TPH degradation (46.7 %) in soil spiked with 2 % crude oil under control condition. Further, when this combination was applied under natural condition in soil spiked with 2 % (w/w) crude oil along with inorganic fertilizers (NPK) and different bulking agents such as rice husk, sugarcane, vermicompost or coconut coir, the percent degradation of TPH was found to be maximum (82.3 %) due to the presence of inorganic fertilizers and rice husk as bulking agent. Further, results showed that the presence of NPK and bulking agents induced the activity of degradative enzymes, such as catalase (0.718 m mol H₂O₂ g^?1), laccase (0.77 µmol g^?1), dehydrogenase (37.5 µg g^?1 h^?1), catechol 1, 2 dioxygenase (276.11 µ mol g^?1) and catechol 2, 3 dioxygenase (15.15 µ mol g^?1) as compared to control (without bioaugmentation). It was inferred that the selected combination microbes along with biostimulants could accentuate the crude oil degradation as evident from the biostimulant-induced enhanced activity of degradative enzymes.     

The F,Cl, Br and I Contents of Reference Glasses BHVO‐2G,BIR‐1G,BCR‐2G,GSD‐1G,GSE‐1G,NIST SRM 610 and NIST SRM 612

Halogen contents for the widely distributed reference glasses BHVO‐2G, BIR‐1G, BCR‐2G, GSD‐1G, GSE‐1G, NIST SRM 610 and NIST SRM 612 were investigated by pyrohydrolysis combined with ion chromatography, total reflection X‐ray fluorescence analysis, instrumental neutron activation analysis, the noble gas method, electron probe microanalysis and laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry. Glasses BHVO‐2G, GSD‐1G and GSE‐1G have halogen contents that can be reproduced at the 15% level by all bulk techniques and cover a significant range in halogen mass fractions for F (~ 20–300 μg g^?1), Cl (~ 70–1220 μg g^?1) and Br (~ 0.2–285 μg g^?1) and I (~ 9–3560 ng g^?1). The BIR‐1G glass has low F (< 15 μg g^?1), Cl (~ 20 μg g^?1), Br (15 ng g^?1) and I (3 ng g^?1). The halogen contents for the silica‐rich NIST SRM 610 and 612 glasses were poorly reproduced by the different techniques. The relatively high Cl, Br and I abundances in glasses GSD‐1G and GSE‐1G mean that these glasses are well suited for calibrating spatially resolved micro‐analytical studies on silicate glasses, melt and fluid inclusions. Combined EPMA and laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry data for glass GSE‐1G demonstrate homogeneity at the 10% level for Cl and Br.     

Determination of atrazine isotherms on agricultural soils

For determination of atrazine isotherms in agricultural soils of Fars Province, composite soil samples from 0 to 5 cm depth with textures of silty clay loam, clay loam and loam were collected. In order to form the atrazine isotherms, 10, 50 and 100 µg atrazine g^?1 soil was added to the soil samples. Soluble atrazine in water:soil ratios of 10:1, 50:1 and 200:1 was measured after 3-h shaking. Finally, for each cases of applied atrazine, water extractable atrazine was determined and quantified using gas chromatography instrument. The results indicated that there was a linear relationship between the logarithms of water extractable atrazine and added atrazine for different water:soil ratios. A general equation of WEA = K(WS) ^α (AA) ^β is obtained experimentally between water extractable atrazine, µg g^?1(WEA), and added atrazine, µg g^?1 (AA), where K, α and β are absorption constants; WS is the water:soil ratio, g g^?1. For the loam, silty clay loam and clay loam soil textures, the α were 0.49, 0.23 and 0.13, respectively, the β were 0.55, 0.806 and 0.21, respectively, and the K were 1.44, 0.78 and 25.38, respectively.     

Chemical equilibria in the thermal spring waters of Virginia

The composition of waters from 10 thermal springs located in western Virginia near the 38th parallel lineament have been analysed for major dissolved components and for Sr, Fe, Cu, Zn and Cd; from these analyses, free ion activities have been calculated. The temperatures of the springs range from 17° to 39°C, the heat apparently being derived simply from deep circulation along synclinal, Middle Ordovician limestones. More than 95 per cent of the dissolved solids consist of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺ HCO₃^?, and SO₄^2?. The concentrations of these components, as well as the spring temperatures, have not changed appreciably in 140 yr in some springs. The waters that have temperatures below 25° are all undersaturated with respect to calcite and dolomite, possibly because they have been contaminated by shallow ground waters. The waters with temperatures above 25° are in equilibrium with calcite and dolomite. Furthermore, in this latter group, the calcium-sulfate activity product and the sulfate-carbonate activity ratio are nearly constant, even though the waters are under saturated with respect to gypsum, anhydrite, celestite and strontianite. This can be explained if CaSO⁴ is coprecipitated in a mineral such as aragonite. The waters have absorbed some dissolved oxygen near the surface, but at depth they may be anoxic with Eh controlled by the oxidation of pyrite to goethite. The extremely low chloride concentrations of these waters clearly distinguish them from the brines which deposited Mississippi Valley and Appalachian type epithermal ore deposits.     

Geochemistry of groundwater from a rhyolite aquifer,Northwest Iran

Chemical data on groundwater composition in rhyolitic hard rock aquifers with limited global occurrence are rarely found. In this research geochemistry of Mahabad Rhyolite Aquifer, NW Iran, was studied considering major ions, silica and trace elements measured in wet and dry seasons. Based on the results, the mean silica content was 18 mg l^?1, less than the average of the rhyolitic waters. However, the relatively higher electrical conductivity (EC) of 418 µS cm^?1 was measured. Based on a PHREEQCI model, the weathering of the silicate minerals and dissolution of carbonated intercalations turns groundwater dominantly into Ca–HCO₃ type, enhancing EC, pH and silica concentration along the flow path. Trace elements of Sr, Ba and Pb were measured at highest concentrations, the later with an average value of 83 ppb exceeds the drinking guidelines. Cluster analysis confirms biotite weathering and barite dissolution as the main sources of the trace elements in the groundwater. The results signify geochemical features of rhyolitic groundwater which can be a useful tracer of mixing in flow systems containing variety of aquifers including rhyolites.     

Characterisation of a Natural Quartz Crystal as a Reference Material for Microanalytical Determination of Ti,Al, Li,Fe, Mn,Ga and Ge

A natural smoky quartz crystal from Shandong province, China, was characterised by laser ablation ICP‐MS, electron probe microanalysis (EPMA) and solution ICP‐MS to determine the concentration of twenty‐four trace and ultra trace elements. Our main focus was on Ti quantification because of the increased use of this element for titanium‐in‐quartz (TitaniQ) thermobarometry. Pieces of a uniform growth zone of 9 mm thickness within the quartz crystal were analysed in four different LA‐ICP‐MS laboratories, three EPMA laboratories and one solution‐ICP‐MS laboratory. The results reveal reproducible concentrations of Ti (57 ± 4 μg g^?1), Al (154 ± 15 μg g^?1), Li (30 ± 2 μg g^?1), Fe (2.2 ± 0.3 μg g^?1), Mn (0.34 ± 0.04 μg g^?1), Ge (1.7 ± 0.2 μg g^?1) and Ga (0.020 ± 0.002 μg g^?1) and detectable, but less reproducible, concentrations of Be, B, Na, Cu, Zr, Sn and Pb. Concentrations of K, Ca, Sr, Mo, Ag, Sb, Ba and Au were below the limits of detection of all three techniques. The uncertainties on the average concentration determinations by multiple techniques and laboratories for Ti, Al, Li, Fe, Mn, Ga and Ge are low; hence, this quartz can serve as a reference material or a secondary reference material for microanalytical applications involving the quantification of trace elements in quartz.     

Morphology and growth of aragonite crystals in hot-spring travertines at Lake Bogoria, Kenya Rift Valley

Pseudohexagonal aragonite crystals are common components in some hot-spring travertines at Chemurkeu on the western shore of Lake Bogoria, Kenya. Beds, lenses and pods of aragonite crystals are intercalated with beds of white non-crystallographic calcite dendrites. The pseudohexagonal aragonite crystals, which are up to 4 cm long and 4 mm wide, are formed of nested skeletal crystals. Each skeletal crystal is formed of cyclical twinned crystals that are constructed of stacked subcrystals. The latter are inclined at a consistent angle of 40° to the long axis of the pseudohexagonal aragonite crystal. Intense competition for space during growth modified the crystal morphology with the result that many of the pseudohexagonal crystals are distorted. Intercrystalline and intracrystalline pores are filled or partly filled by epitaxial aragonite overgrowths and/or reticulate microbial coatings that have a high concentration of Si and Mg. In places, this extracellular mucus induced etching of the underlying aragonite crystal. Today the hot (T>95 °C) Na-HCO₃-Cl spring waters at Chemurkeu have a salinity of 5–6 g L^?1 TDS, a pH of 8·1–9·1, Ca²⁺ concentrations of <2 mg L^?1 and Mg²⁺ concentrations of <0·7 mg L^?1, The springs of the Lake Bogoria Geothermal Field are fed by a shallow aquifer (T～100 °C) and a deeper aquifer (T～170 °C). Springs at Chemurkeu derive from meteoric groundwater, lake water and condensed steam, and are fed mainly from the shallow thermal aquifer. Much of the aragonite may have formed when the spring waters contained more dissolved Ca²⁺ than today, possibly under more humid conditions during the Holocene.     

Recent environmental changes in Laguna Mar Chiquita (central Argentina): a sedimentary model for a highly variable saline lake

Abstract Laguna Mar Chiquita, a highly variable closed saline lake located in the Pampean plains of central Argentina, is presently the largest saline lake in South America (≈ 6000 km²). Recent variations in its hydrological budget have produced dry and wet intervals that resulted in distinctive lake level fluctuations. Results of a multiproxy study of a set of sedimentary cores indicate that the system has clearly recorded these hydrological variations from the end of the Little Ice Age (≈ ad 1770) to the present. Sedimentological and geochemical data combined with a robust chronology based on ²¹⁰Pb profiles and historical data provide the framework for a sedimentary model of a lacustrine basin with highly variable water depth and salinity. Lake level drops and concurrent increases in salinity promoted the development of gypsum–calcite–halite layers and a marked decrease in primary productivity. The deposits of these dry stages are evaporite‐bearing sediments with a low organic matter content. Conversely, highstands are recorded as diatomaceous organic matter‐rich muds. Average bulk sediment accumulation rose from 0·22 g cm^?2 year^?1 in lowstands to 0·32 g cm^?2 year^?1 during highstands. These results show that Laguna Mar Chiquita is a good sensor of high‐ and low‐frequency changes in the recent hydrological budget and, therefore, document climatic changes at middle latitudes in south‐eastern South America. Dry conditions were mostly dominant until the last quarter of the twentieth century, when a humid interval without precedent during the last 240 years of the lake's recorded history started. Thus, it is an ideal system to model sedimentary and geochemical response to environmental changes in a saline lacustrine basin.     

A New Single Vacuum Furnace Design for Cosmogenic 3He Dating

Helium‐3 is a stable cosmogenic isotope that can be used to determine the time interval during which a rock sample has been at or close to the Earth’s surface. As a result of the high production rate of ‘cosmogenic’³He (≈ 130 at g^?1 year^?1) and the low detection limit of modern mass spectrometers, it is possible to date exceptionally young surfaces (≈ 1000 years). The precision and accuracy of cosmogenic ³He measurements depend critically on the passive helium blank (produced by the metalwork of the extraction furnace) which can be significant relative to the sample signals. We have developed and constructed, at the CRPG (Nancy, France), a new high temperature furnace (< 1500 °C) to extract helium in minerals such as apatite, pyroxene and olivine at 1050, 1350 and 1450 °C, respectively. The furnace demonstrated an excellent helium extraction yield (> 99% for olivine and pyroxene for heating times of 20–30 min and temperatures in the range 1050–1450 °C) and low residual helium contributions (the blank, obtained under the same analytical conditions as for sample extraction: 1 × 10^?15 mole ⁴He and < 4 × 10^?21 mole ³He). This is approximately an order of magnitude lower than those reported by other laboratories using conventional furnaces.     

Electron Microprobe/SIMS Determinations of Al in Olivine: Applications to Solar Wind,Pallasites and Trace Element Measurements

Electron probe microanalyser measurements of trace elements with high accuracy are challenging. Accurate Al measurements in olivine are required to calibrate SIMS implant reference materials for measurement of Al in the solar wind. We adopt a combined EPMA/SIMS approach that is useful for producing SIMS reference materials as well as for EPMA at the ~ 100 µg g^?1 level. Even for mounts not polished with alumina photoelectron spectroscopy shows high levels of Al surface contamination. In order to minimise electron beam current density, a rastered 50 × 100 µm electron beam was adequate and minimised sensitivity to small Al‐rich contaminants. Reproducible analyses of eleven SIMS‐cleaned spots on San Carlos olivine agreed at 69.3 ± 1.0 µg g^?1. The known Al mass fraction was used to calibrate an Al implant into San Carlos. Accurate measurements of Al were made for olivines in the pallasites: Imilac, Eagle Station and Springwater. Our focus was on Al in olivine, but our technique could be refined to give accurate electron probe measurements for other contamination‐sensitive trace elements. For solar wind, it is projected that the Al/Mg abundance ratio can be determined to 6%, a factor of 2 more precise than the solar spectroscopic ratio.     

Re–Os Geochronology of Molybdenite from Yinyan Porphyry Sn Deposit in South China

The Yinyan Sn deposit, one of the three typical porphyry Sn deposits in China, is located in the western Guangdong province of the Cathaysia Block. Rhenium and osmium isotopes of molybdenites from the Yinyan deposit were first used to constrain the age of mineralization. Rhenium concentrations in molybdenite samples range from 0.13 to 1.3 µg g^?1, indicating a crustal source for the ore‐forming materials. The Re–Os dating yield model ages ranging from 78.1 to 79.52 Ma, with an average of 78.65 ± 0.98 Ma, and give an isochron age of 78.8 ± 2.6 Ma. Evidently, isochron age is consistent with model ages in the error within the allowable range, so we can constrain the precise age of Yinyan Sn deposit at the Late Cretaceous. Based on the geological history and spatial‐temporal distribution of the Sn deposits, it is proposed that the formation of Sn deposits in the Cathaysia Block were related to lithospheric extension that are associated with a change in the polarity of the subduction of the Paleo‐Pacific Plate from oblique subduction to parallel the eastern margin of the Eurasian Plate after 135 Ma.     

Macro‐and Microstructural,Textural Fabrics and Deformation Mechanism of Calcite Mylonites from Xar Moron‐Changchun Dextral Shear Zone,Northeast China

The calcite mylonites in the Xar Moron-Changchun shear zone show a significance dextral shearing characteristics. The asymmetric(σ-structure) calcite/quartz grains or aggregates, asymmetry of calcite c-axes fabric diagrams and the oblique foliation of recrystallized calcite grains correspond to a top-to-E shearing. Mineral deformation behaviors, twin morphology, C-axis EBSD fabrics, and quartz grain size-frequency diagrams demonstrate that the ductile shear zone was developed under conditions of greenschist facies, with the range of deformation temperatures from 200 to 300°C. These subgrains of host grains and surrounding recrystallized grains, strong undulose extinction, and slightly curved grain boundaries are probably results of intracrystalline deformation and dynamic recrystallization implying that the deformation took place within the dislocation-creep regime at shallow crustal levels. The calculated paleo-strain rates are between 10~(–7.87)s~(–1) and 10~(–11.49)s~(–1) with differential stresses of 32.63–63.94 MPa lying at the higher bound of typical strain rates in shear zones at crustal levels, and may indicate a relatively rapid deformation. The S-L-calcite tectonites have undergone a component of uplift which led to subhorizontal lifting in an already non-coaxial compressional deformation regime with a bulk pure shear-dominated general shear. This E-W large-scale dextral strike-slip movement is a consequence of the eastward extrusion of the Xing'an-Mongolian Orogenic Belt, and results from far-field forces associated with Late Triassic convergence domains after the final closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean.     

NanoSr – A New Carbonate Microanalytical Reference Material for In Situ Strontium Isotope Analysis

The in situ measurement of Sr isotopes in carbonates by MC‐ICP‐MS is limited by the availability of suitable microanalytical reference materials (RMs), which match the samples of interest. Whereas several well‐characterised carbonate reference materials for Sr mass fractions > 1000 µg g^?1 are available, there is a lack of well‐characterised carbonate microanalytical RMs with lower Sr mass fractions. Here, we present a new synthetic carbonate nanopowder RM with a Sr mass fraction of ca. 500 µg g^?1 suitable for microanalytical Sr isotope research (‘NanoSr’). NanoSr was analysed by both solution‐based and in situ techniques. Element mass fractions were determined using EPMA (Ca mass fraction), as well as laser ablation and solution ICP‐MS in different laboratories. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio was determined by well‐established bulk methods for Sr isotope measurements and is 0.70756 ± 0.00003 (2s). The Sr isotope microhomogeneity of the material was determined by LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS, which resulted in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of 0.70753 ± 0.00007 (2s) and 0.70757 ± 0.00006 (2s), respectively, in agreement with the solution data within uncertainties. Thus, this new reference material is well suited to monitor and correct microanalytical Sr isotope measurements of low‐Sr, low‐REE carbonate samples. NanoSr is available from the corresponding author.     

Impact of lake‐level changes on the formation of thermogene travertine in continental rifts: Evidence from Lake Bogoria,Kenya Rift Valley

Travertine is present at 20% of the ca 60 hot springs that discharge on Loburu delta plain on the western margin of saline, alkaline Lake Bogoria in the Kenya Rift. Much of the travertine, which forms mounds, low terraces and pool‐rim dams, is sub‐fossil (relict) and undergoing erosion, but calcite‐encrusted artefacts show that carbonate is actively precipitating at several springs. Most of the springs discharge alkaline (pH: 8·3 to 8·9), Na‐HCO₃ waters containing little Ca (<2 mg l^?1) at temperatures of 94 to 97·5°C. These travertines are unusual because most probably precipitated at temperatures of >80°C. The travertines are composed mainly of dendritic and platy calcite, with minor Mg‐silicates, aragonite, fluorite and opaline silica. Calcite precipitation is attributed mainly to rapid CO₂ degassing, which led to high‐disequilibrium crystal morphologies. Stratigraphic evidence shows that the travertine formed during several stages separated by intervals of non‐deposition. Radiometric ages imply that the main phase of travertine formation occurred during the late Pleistocene (ca 32 to 35 ka). Periods of precipitation were influenced strongly by fluctuations in lake level, mostly under climate control, and by related changes in the depth of boiling. During relatively arid phases, meteoric recharge of ground water declines, the lake is low and becomes hypersaline, and the reduced hydrostatic pressure lowers the level of boiling in the plumbing system of the hot springs. Any carbonate precipitation then occurs below the land surface. During humid phases, the dilute meteoric recharge increases, enhancing geothermal circulation, but the rising lake waters, which become relatively dilute, flood most spring vents. Much of the aqueous Ca²⁺ then precipitates as lacustrine stromatolites on shallow firm substrates, including submerged older travertines. Optimal conditions for subaerial travertine precipitation at Loburu occur when the lake is at intermediate levels, and may be favoured during transitions from humid to drier conditions.     

Records of organochlorine pesticides in soils and sediments on the southwest of Buenos Aires Province,Argentina

The present study fills a gap in the knowledge in regards to the occurrence of banned pesticides at both coastal and inland locations at the Southwest Buenos Aires region, Argentina. Superficial sediment and soil samples were collected from different sites along the Bahia Blanca Estuary and surrounding sites to assess the concentration levels and spatial distribution of 12 selected organochlorine pesticides (OCs); 13 spatial locations including inland and shore-coast were sampled to evaluate occurrence and concentration levels of hexachlorocyclohexanes α-HCH, β-HCH, δ-HCH, γ-HCH, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its degradation products (DDXs: p,p′-DDT, o,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDE, o,p′-DDE, p,p′-DDD, o,p′-DDD) and the polychlorobenzenes PeCB (pentachlorobenzene) and HCB (hexachlorobenzene). After cleaning and extractions steps, samples were analyzed by means of gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. ∑OCs (sum of all studied compounds) ranged between 0.206 and 1040 ng g^?1 dw (mean?=?82.4 and SD?=?277 ng g^?1 dw). Total HCHs (sum of α-HCH, β-HCH, γ-HCH and δ-HCH) ranged from 0.0858 to 0.876 ng g^?1 dw (mean?=?0.43 and SD?=?0.23 ng g^?1 dw), DDXs (sum of p,p′and o,p′ isomers) from 0.080 to 1040 ng g^?1 dw (mean?=?81.3 and SD?=?277 ng g^?1 dw). Lower concentrations were found for PeCB (mean?=?0.095 and SD 0.17 ng g^?1 dw) and HCB (mean?=?0.56 and SD 1.7 ng g^?1 dw). Principal component analysis (PCA) permitted the extraction of underlying information about common factors, providing an overview of the distribution of pesticides and allowing the characterization of sites in regards to the major pesticide signature.