The ilmenite/titano-magnetite assemblage: kinetics of re-equilibration

Compositions of coexisting ilmenite and titano-magnetite commonly have been used to establish the conditions of formation for igneous and metamorphic rocks (Buddington-Lindsley geothermometer/oxybarometer). Temperatures so determined for some rocks are lower than might be expected for magmatic crystallization. These low temperatures are the result of re-equilibration of the Fe-Ti oxides during slow cooling. This process is one in which titano-magnetites are oxidized and ilmenites are reduced upon cooling along a buffer curve or in the presence of a fluid of constant composition. Textural studies indicate that the reduction of the ilmenite-hematite phase may be the slower reaction consequently, the rate-controlling step of the re-equilibration.The kinetics of the reduction reactions in the two-phase region between the joins for the ilmenite-hematite and magnetite-ulvöspinel solid solution series were studied by thermogravimetric analysis at controlledf_O2. With experiments conducted near the Ni/NiO and QFM buffers, annealed ilmenite(ss) synthetic charges were reduced isothermally. The temperature range for the experiments was 900–1250°C, with total gas-flow rates of 0.35 and 1.0 cm/s. Kinetic data were collected by measuring the weight change during each experiment as a function of time. Additionally, a cooling-rate (0.5°C/hr) experiment was conducted near the QFM buffer from 1150 to 985°C starting with an ilmenite-saturated spinel phase.At 1200°C and 0.35 cm/s flow rate, the reaction mechanism is an interfacial process where mass transport of the reacting gases is the rate-controlling step. In isothermal experiments at 1100°C and lower, diffusion of reactants through a solid product layer was the controlling mechanism. The activation energy for this diffusion process is 59±6 kcal/mole. Significant enhancement of diffusion occurs along grain boundaries.Although the individual phases may re-equilibrate internally upon cooling, the Fe-Ti contents must remain unchanged for proper use of this mineral indicator-i.e. no external re-equilibration. It is imperative that the kinetics of the situation be appreciated. These preliminary kinetic experiments indicate that extreme caution must be exercised when applying this ilmenite/titano-magnetite geothermometer/oxybarometer. These phases may only truly “quench” in the parameters of formation in the case of certain hypabyssal and extrusive occurrences     

The response of the ‘green revolution’ to climatic variability

The purpose of this research is to assess the climatic sensitivity of high yielding variety (‘HYV’) ‘green revolution’ wheat. Improved multiple regression models were constructed for yields in India and Sonora, Mexico — the two most intensively planted regions in the world. After isolating the most important climatic predictors (which, not surprisingly, are total rainfall over the irrigation basins), the models were reduced to the pre-HYV period, and then re-run with successively more years of HYV input. This test indicated that increased adoption of the HYV package is associated with a significant increase in yield sensitivity to the most important climatic determinants of yield. To serve as a control, the U.S. Winter Wheat region was also modelled with a similar method. Overall, there is no significant increase in yield sensitivity to climate during the same period that HYV's were adopted in Mexico and India. Assuming that there is no change in overall climatic variability, this study indicates that production will nonetheless become more variable, particularly as HYV culture is expanded. Ironically, countries with rapidly expanding populations, that rely increasingly on HYV's, will experience the most significant fluctuations.     

Sulphur uptake by salt grasses,mangroves, and seagrasses in anaerobic sediments

Stable sulfur isotope analyses show that rooted estuarine plants growing in anoxic sediments incorporate substantial amounts of ³⁴S-depleted sulfides, or oxidation products thereof. In roots, this incorporation predominates over sulfate uptake from interstitial porewater. Either the plants incorporate normally toxic sulfides, or they are creating and using a specialized nutrient pool of oxidized sulfides at the root-sediment interface.     

Organic geochemistry and pore water chemistry of sediments from Mangrove Lake,Bermuda

Mangrove Lake, Bermuda, is a small coastal, brackish-water lake that has accumulated 14 m of banded, gelatinous, sapropelic sediments in less than 10⁴ yr. Stratigraphic evidence indicates that Mangrove Lake's sedimentary environment has undergone three major depositional changes (peat, freshwater gel, brackish-water gel) as a result of sea level changes. The deposits were examined geochemically in an effort to delineate sedimentological and diagenetic changes. Gas and pore water studies include measurements of sulfides, ammonia, methane, nitrogen gas, calcium, magnesium, chloride, alkalinity, and pH. Results indicate that sulfate reduction is complete, and some evidence is presented for bacterial denitrification and metal sulfide precipitation. The organic-rich sapropel is predominantly algal in origin, composed mostly of carbohydrates and insoluble macromolecular organic matter called humin with minor amounts of proteins, lipids, and humic acids. Carbohydrates and proteins undergo hydrolysis with depth in the marine sapropel but tend to be preserved in the freshwater sapropel. The humin, which has a predominantly aliphatic structure, increases linearly with depth and composes the greatest fraction of the organic matter. Humic acids are minor components and are more like polysaccharides than typical marine humic acids. Fatty acid distributions reveal that the lipids are of an algal and/or terrestrial plant source. Normal alkanes with a total concentration of 75 ppm exhibit two distribution maxima. One is centered about n-C₂₂ with no odd/even predominance, suggestive of a degraded algal source. The other is centered at n-C₃₁ with a distinct odd/even predominance indicative of a vascular plant origin. Stratigraphic changes in the sediment correlate to observed changes in the gas and pore water chemistry and the organic geochemistry.     

Long-term erosion on granitic roadcuts based on exposed tree roots

Exposed roots were used to estimate soil and bedrock erosion on the cut slopes of a 45-year-old road constructed in granitic soils of the Idaho Batholith. The original roadcut surface was defined by projecting a straight line from the toe of the cut past the end of the exposed root to the intersection of a straight line projected along the surface of the hillslope. A cross-sectioning technique was then used to determine erosion to the present roadcut surface. A total of 41 exposed root sites were used to estimate erosion on a 1350 m-long section of road. Average erosion was 1·0 and 1·1 cm/year for soil and bedrock respectively. Buttressing by tree roots caused lower erosion rates for soil as compared to bedrock. Both soil and bedrock erosion rates showed statistically significant correlations with the gradients of the original cut slope. The bedrock erosion data provide a reasonable estimate of the disintegration rate of exposed granitic bedrock exhibiting the weathering and fracturing properties common to this area. The road is located in a study watershed where long-term sediment yield data are available. Sediment data from adjacent study watersheds with no roads were compared to sediment data from the roaded watershed to estimate the long-term increase in sediment yield caused by the road. The increase amounts to about 2·4 m³/year. This figure, compared to the average annual on-site road erosion, provides an erosion to sediment delivery ratio of less than 10 per cent. Based on study results, road construction and maintenance practices are suggested for helping reduce roadcut erosion.     

Genesis and diagnostic value of soft-sediment deformation structures—A review

Soft-sediment deformation structures are recognized as important diagnostic features in the rock record for determination of depositional environments and slope processes. The diagnostic value of these structures is reevaluated by analysis of the parameters controlling sediment deformation. Soft-sediment deformation is contemporaneous with deposition and occurs dominantly in course silt to fine sand. The high depositional rate, low permeability and low shear strength of grains within this sediment range maximize the occurrence of deformation. The dominant mechanisms responsible for sediment deformation include: (1) liquefaction or fluidization; (2) reverse density gradation; (3) slumping or slope failure; and (4) shear stress. In most cases a combination of these mechanisms occurs. The processes function in a continuum, producing features that are microscopic to megascopic in scale. It is shown that the processes, and thus the structures, are not environment specific. The true diagnostic value of the structures may be in defining hydrodynamic conditions, and in interpreting paleocurrents and paleoclimatic and paleoseismic events. Ultimately, for the best diagnostic results, soft-sediment deformation structures should be studied in association with all other available lithologic, structural and paleontological information.     

Run-up from impact tsunami

We report on calculations of the on-shore run-up of waves that might be generated by the impact of subkilometre asteroids into the deep ocean. The calculations were done with the COULWAVE code, which models the propagation and shore-interaction of non-linear moderate- to long-wavelength waves  ( kh < π)  using the extended Boussinesq approximation. We carried out run-up calculations for several different situations: (1) laboratory-scale monochromatic wave trains onto simple slopes; (2) 10–100 m monochromatic wave trains onto simple slopes; (3) 10–100 m monochromatic wave trains onto a compound slope representing a typical bathymetric profile of the Pacific coast of North America; (4) time-variable scaled trains generated by the collapse of an impact cavity in deep water onto simple slopes and (5) full-amplitude trains onto the Pacific coast profile. For the last case, we also investigated the effects of bottom friction on the run-up. For all cases, we compare our results with the so-called 'Irribaren scaling': The relative run-up   R / H ₀=ξ= s ( H ₀/ L ₀)^−1/2  , where the run-up is   R , H ₀  is the deep-water waveheight, L ₀ is the deep-water wavelength, s is the slope and ξ is a dimensionless quantity known as the Irribaren number. Our results suggest that Irribaren scaling breaks down for shallow slopes   s ≤ 0.01  when  ξ < 0.1 − 0.2  , below which   R / H ₀  is approximately constant. This regime corresponds to steep waves and very shallow slopes, which are the most relevant for impact tsunami, but also the most difficult to access experimentally.     

Improved magnetic anomalies of the Antarctic lithosphere from satellite and near-surface data

The Antarctic magnetic anomaly map compiled marine and airborne surveys collected south of 60°S through 1999 and used Magsat data to help fill in the regional gaps between the surveys. Ørsted and CHAMP satellite magnetic observations with greatly improved measurement accuracies and temporal and spatial coverage of the Antarctic, have now supplanted the Magsat data. We combined the new satellite observations with the near-surface survey data for an improved magnetic anomaly map of the Antarctic lithosphere. Specifically, we separated the crustal from the core and external field components in the satellite data using crustal thickness variations estimated from the terrain and the satellite-derived free-air gravity observations. Regional gaps in the near-surface surveys were then filled with predictions from crustal magnetization models that jointly satisfied the near-surface and satellite crustal anomalies. Comparisons in some of the regional gaps that also considered newly acquired aeromagnetic data demonstrated the enhanced anomaly estimation capabilities of the predictions over those from conventional minimum curvature and spherical harmonic geomagnetic field models. We also noted that the growing number of regional and world magnetic survey compilations involve coverage gaps where these procedures can contribute effective near-surface crustal anomaly estimates.     

Geochemical modeling of magma mixing and magma reservoir volumes during early episodes of Kīlauea Volcano’s Pu‘u ‘Ō‘ō eruption

Geochemical modeling of magma mixing allows for evaluation of volumes of magma storage reservoirs and magma plumbing configurations. A new analytical expression is derived for a simple two-component box-mixing model describing the proportions of mixing components in erupted lavas as a function of time. Four versions of this model are applied to a mixing trend spanning episodes 3–31 of Kilauea Volcano’s Puu Oo eruption, each testing different constraints on magma reservoir input and output fluxes. Unknown parameters (e.g., magma reservoir influx rate, initial reservoir volume) are optimized for each model using a non-linear least squares technique to fit model trends to geochemical time-series data. The modeled mixing trend closely reproduces the observed compositional trend. The two models that match measured lava effusion rates have constant magma input and output fluxes and suggest a large pre-mixing magma reservoir (46±2 and 49±1 million m³), with little or no volume change over time. This volume is much larger than a previous estimate for the shallow, dike-shaped magma reservoir under the Puu Oo vent, which grew from ∼3 to ∼10–12 million m³. These volumetric differences are interpreted as indicating that mixing occurred first in a larger, deeper reservoir before the magma was injected into the overlying smaller reservoir. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available at and is accessible for authorized users.