Multiple impacts in the Earth's cratering history

Post-bombardment periods of increased impact flux on Earth are probably due to the decay of captured Apollo object group orbits. The origin of the Messier binary impact structure on the Moon implies the breakup of a single impactor as the origin of a Cretaceous/Tertiary multiple impact.     

Experimental and geochemical evidence for derivation of the El Capitan Granite,California, by partial melting of hydrous gabbroic lower crust

Partial melting of mafic intrusions recently emplaced into the lower crust can produce voluminous silicic magmas with isotopic ratios similar to their mafic sources. Low-temperature (825 and 850°C) partial melts synthesized at 700 MPa in biotite-hornblende gabbros from the central Sierra Nevada batholith (Sisson et al. in Contrib Mineral Petrol 148:635–661, 2005) have major-element and modeled trace-element (REE, Rb, Ba, Sr, Th, U) compositions matching those of the Cretaceous El Capitan Granite, a prominent granite and silicic granodiorite pluton in the central part of the Sierra Nevada batholith (Yosemite, CA, USA) locally mingled with coeval, isotopically similar quartz diorite through gabbro intrusions (Ratajeski et al. in Geol Soc Am Bull 113:1486–1502, 2001). These results are evidence that the El Capitan Granite, and perhaps similar intrusions in the Sierra Nevada batholith with lithospheric-mantle-like isotopic values, were extracted from LILE-enriched, hydrous (hornblende-bearing) gabbroic rocks in the Sierran lower crust. Granitic partial melts derived by this process may also be silicic end members for mixing events leading to large-volume intermediate composition Sierran plutons such as the Cretaceous Lamarck Granodiorite. Voluminous gabbroic residues of partial melting may be lost to the mantle by their conversion to garnet-pyroxene assemblages during batholithic magmatic crustal thickening.     

Partitioning of semi-soluble organic compounds between the water phase and oil droplets in produced water

When selecting produced water treatment technologies, one should focus on reducing the major contributors to the total environmental impact. These are dispersed oil and semi-soluble hydrocarbons, alkylated phenols, and added chemicals. Experiments with produced water have been performed offshore on the Statoil operated platforms Gullfaks C and Statfjord B. These experiments were designed to find how much of the environmentally relevant compounds were dissolved in the water phase and not associated to the dispersed oil in the produced water. Results show that the distribution between the dispersed oil and the water phase varies highly for the different components groups. For example the concentration of PAHs and the C6-C9 alkylated phenols is strongly correlated to the content of dispersed oil. Therefore, the technologies enhancing the removal of dispersed oil have a higher potential for reducing the environmental impact of the produced water than previously considered.     

Gridded Croatian climatology for 1961–1990

In climatology, one of the most important pieces of information about the climate of a place or a region is information about the Climatological Normals (CLINO)—the average values of meteorological elements for a 30-year period. This kind of information usually comes in tables and is available for different observation sites from national meteorological services or from World Meteorological Organisation publications. The key issue, then, becomes how to interpolate these values over the entire area of interest to get reliable and accurate estimates (maps) of climatic elements. Here, the regression kriging framework has been applied for mapping of 20 climatological parameters for the 1961–1990 period for the 56,594 km² of Croatian territory, with a resolution of 1 km. In total, 152 main and climatological and 567 precipitation-measuring stations have been used in the analysis. Extensive pre-processing of metadata on station co-ordinates has been done, as well as completion of missing monthly averages. The final results are 20 climatological maps available in high resolution together with error maps and accuracy assessment measures.     

Subduction Influence on Oxygen Fugacity and Trace and Volatile Elements in Basalts Across the Cascade Volcanic Arc

Fluids or melts derived from a subducting plate are often citedas a mechanism for the oxidation of arc magmas. What remainsunclear is the link between the fluid, oxygen fugacity, andother major and trace components, as well as the spatial distributionof the impact of those fluids. To test the potential effectsof addition of a subduction-derived fluid or melt to the sub-arcmantle, olivine-hosted melt inclusions from primitive basalticlavas sampled from across the central Oregon Cascades (43°–45°N)have been analyzed for major, trace and volatile elements andfO₂. Oxygen fugacity was determined in melt inclusions fromsulfur speciation determined by electron microprobe and fromolivine–chromite oxygen geobarometry. The overall rangein fO₂ based on sulfur speciation measurements is from <–0·25log units to + 1·9 log units (FMQ, where FMQ is fayalite–magnetite–quartzbuffer). Oxygen fugacity is positively correlated with fluid-mobiletrace element and light rare earth element contents in basaltsgenerated by relatively low-degree partial melting. Establishinga further correlation between fO₂ and fluid-mobile trace elementabundances with position along the arc requires the basaltsto be subdivided into shoshonitic, calc-alkaline, low-K tholeiiteand enriched intraplate basalt groups. Melt inclusions fromenriched intraplate and shoshonitic lavas show increasing fO₂and trace element abundances closer to the trench, whereas calc-alkalinemelt inclusions exhibit no significant across-arc variations.Low-K tholeiitic melt inclusions record an increase in incompatibletrace elements closer to the trench; however, there is no correlatedincrease in fO₂. The correlation observed in enriched intraplateand shoshonitic melt inclusions is interpreted to reflect aprogressively greater proportion of a fluid-rich, oxidized subductioncomponent in magmas generated nearer the subduction zone. Significantly,calc-alkaline melt inclusions with high ratios of large ionlithophile elements to high field strength elements, characteristicof ‘typical’ arc magmas, have oxidation states indistinguishablefrom low-K tholeiite and enriched intraplate basalt melt inclusions.The lack of across-arc geochemical variation in calc-alkalinemelt inclusions may suggest that these basalts are not necessarilythe most appropriate magmas for examining recent addition ofa subduction component to the sub-arc mantle. Flux and batchmelt model results produce a wide range of predicted amountsof melting and subduction component added to the mantle source;however, general trends characterized by increased melting andproportion of the subduction component from enriched intraplate,to low-K tholeiite, to calc-alkaline are robust. The model resultsdo not require enriched intraplate, low-K tholeiite and calc-alkalinemagmas to be produced from the same more fertile mantle source.However, enriched intraplate magmas, in contrast to calc-alkalineand low-K tholeiite magmas, cannot be generated from a depletedmantle source. Flux or batch melting of either the more fertileor depleted mantle sources used to generate the low-K tholeiite,calc-alkaline, and enriched intraplate magmas cannot reproduceshoshonitic compositions, which require a significantly depletedmantle source strongly metasomatized by a subduction component.The potential mantle source for shoshonitic basalts has a predictedfO₂ (after oxidation) from + 0·3 to + 2·4 logunits (FMQ) whereas the mantle source for low-K tholeiite, calc-alkaline,and enriched intraplate magmas may range from –1·1to + 0·7 log units (FMQ). KEY WORDS: basalt; Cascades; melt inclusions; oxidation state; volatiles     

APEX and ATCA observations of the southern hot core G327.3-0.6 and its environs

There is no generally accepted evolutionary scheme for high mass star formation yet. A simple approach to address this problem is to cover several of the known stages during the formation of massive stars in the same cloud and then investigate their properties trying to construct an evolutionary sequence. Here we present such a project conducted with complementary APEX and ATCA observations. These observations show a compact and bright single hot core in the G327.3-0.6 region on a 0.03 pc scale with a mass of 500 M_⊙ and 0.5–1.5 10⁵ L_⊙. Additionally a clumpy filament is seen in N₂H⁺. Together with cm continuum observations, the data reveal like pearls on a string several stages of massive star formation, with likely the youngest stages hiding in the cold N₂H⁺ cores analysed with a multilevel study of the APEX and ATCA observations.     

Time series analysis of mantle cycles Part I: Periodicities and correlations among seven global isotopic databases

In this study, seven isotopic databases are presented and analyzed to identify mantle and crustal episodes on a global scale by focusing on periodicity ranging from 70 to 200 million years (Myr). The databases are the largest, or among the largest, compiled for each type of data – with an objective of finding some samples from every region of every continent, to make each database as global as conceivably possible. The databases contain zircon Lu/Hf isotopic data, whole-rock Sm/Nd isotopic data, U/Pb detrital zircon ages, U/Pb igneous zircon ages, U/Pb non-zircon ages, whole-rock Re/Os isotopic data, and large igneous province ages. Part I of this study focuses on the periodicities of age histograms and geochemical averages developed from the seven databases, via spectral and cross-correlation analyses. Natural physical cycles often propagate in exact integer multiples of a fundamental cycle, referred to as harmonics. The tests show that harmonic geological cycles of ～93.5 and ～187 Myr have persisted throughout terrestrial history, and the cyclicities are statistically significant for U/Pb igneous zircon ages, U/Pb detrital zircon ages, U/Pb zircon-rim ages, large igneous province ages, mean ε_Hf(t) for all samples, mean ε_Hf(t) values for igneous-only samples, and relative abundance of mafic rocks. Equally important, cross-correlation analyses show these seven time-series are nearly synchronous (±7 Myr) with a model consisting of periodicities of 93.5 and 187 Myr. Additionally, the similarities between peaks in the 93.5 and 187 Myr mantle cycles and terminal ages of established and suspected superchrons provide a framework for predicting and testing superchron periodicity.     

High‐resolution bathymetric mapping reveals subaqueous glacial landforms in the Arctic alpine lake Tarfala,Sweden

In Arctic alpine regions, glacio‐lacustrine environments respond sensitively to variations in climate conditions, impacting, for example,glacier extent and rendering former ice‐contact lakes into ice distal lakes and vice versa. Lakefloors may hold morphological records of past glacier extent, but remoteness and long periods of ice cover on such lakes make acquisition of high‐resolution bathymetric datasets challenging. Lake Tarfala and Kebnepakte Glacier, located in the Kebnekaise mountains, northern Sweden, comprise a small, dynamic glacio‐lacustrine system holding a climate archive that is not well studied. Using an autonomous surface vessel, a high‐resolution bathymetric dataset for Lake Tarfala was acquired in 2016, from which previously undiscovered end moraines and a potential grounding line feature were identified. For Kebnepakte Glacier, structure‐from‐motion photogrammetry was used to reconstruct its shape from photographs taken in 1910 and 1945. Combining these methods connects the glacial landform record identified at the lakefloor with the centennial‐scale dynamic behaviour of Kebnepakte Glacier. During its maximum 20^th century extent, attained c. 1910, Kebnepakte Glacier reached far into Lake Tarfala, but had retreated onto land by 1945, at an average of 7.9 m year^–1. Copyright © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Zeolite zones in East Greenland: use of native copper by pre‐contact Inuit?

Zeolites are a diverse group of calcium and sodium aluminosilicate minerals. They are tectosilicates (3‐D arrays of SiO₄ tetrahedra), but vary in chemistry and crystal symmetry. Some readily exchange sodium for calcium and are used as water softeners. They also find applications as molecular sieves in petroleum refining, although the bulk of zeolites used industrially today are synthetic. These minerals form at low temperatures under well‐defined conditions and can be used as indicators of palaeotemperatures. In the same environment, but at higher temperatures, other minerals form including quartz, calcite, prehnite and even native copper. The Inuit of East Greenland, a Stone Age people, may have utilized native copper from this environment as did the Copper Inuit of the central Canadian Arctic.