Vanadium in peridotites as a proxy for paleo-fO2 during partial melting : prospects, limitations, and implications

The compatibility of vanadium (V) during mantle melting is a function of oxygen fugacity (fO₂): at high fO₂’s, V becomes more incompatible. The prospects and limitations of using the V content of peridotites as a proxy for paleo-fO₂ at the time of melt extraction were investigated here by assessing the uncertainties in V measurements and the sensitivity of V as a function of degree of melt extracted and fO₂. V-MgO and V-Al₂O₃ systematics were found to be sensitive to fO₂ variations, but consideration of the uncertainties in measurements and model parameters indicates that V is sensitive only to relative fO₂ differences greater than ∼2 log units. Post-Archean oceanic mantle peridotites, as represented by abyssal peridotites and obducted massif peridotites, have V-MgO and -Al₂O₃ systematics that can be modeled by 1.5 GPa melting between FMQ − 3 and FMQ − 1. This is consistent with fO₂’s of the mantle source for mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) as determined by the Fe³⁺ activity of peridotitic minerals and basaltic glasses. Some arc-related peridotites have slightly lower V for a given degree of melting than oceanic mantle peridotites, and can be modeled by 1.5 GPa melting at fO₂’s as high as FMQ. However, the majority of arc-related peridotites have V-MgO systematics overlapping that of oceanic mantle peridotites, suggesting that although some arc mantle may melt under slightly oxidizing conditions, most arc mantle does not. The fact that thermobarometrically determined fO₂’s in arc peridotites and lavas can be significantly higher than that inferred from V systematics, suggests that V retains a record of the fO₂ during partial melting, whereas the activity of Fe³⁺ in arc peridotitic minerals and lavas reflect subsequent metasomatic overprints and magmatic differentiation/emplacement processes, respectively.Peridotites associated with middle to late Archean cratonic mantle are characterized by highly variable V-MgO systematics. Tanzanian cratonic peridotites have V systematics indistinguishable from post-Archean oceanic mantle and can be modeled by 3 GPa partial melting at ∼FMQ − 3. In contrast, many South African and Siberian cratonic peridotites have much lower V contents for a given degree of melting, suggesting at first glance that partial melting occurred at high fO₂’s. More likely, however, their unusually low V contents for a given degree of melting may be artifacts of excess orthopyroxene, a feature that pervades many South African and Siberian peridotites but not the Tanzanian peridotites. This is indicated by the fact that the V contents of South African and Siberian peridotites are correlated with increases in SiO₂ content, generating data arrays that cannot be modeled by partial melting but can instead be generated by the addition of orthopyroxene through processes unrelated to primary melt depletion. Correction for orthopyroxene addition suggests that the South African and Siberian peridotites have V-MgO systematics similar to those of Tanzanian peridotites. Thus, if the Tanzanian peridotites represent the original partial melting residues, and if the South African and Siberian peridotites have been modified by orthopyroxene addition, then there is no indication that Archean cratonic mantle formed under fO₂’s significantly greater than that of modern oceanic mantle. Instead, the fO₂’s inferred from the V systematics in these three cratonic peridotite suites are within range of modern oceanic mantle. This also suggests that the transition from a highly reducing mantle in equilibrium with a metallic core to the present oxidized state must have occurred by late Archean times.     

A revised evolutionary history of armadillos (Dasypus) in North America based on ancient mitochondrial DNA

The large, beautiful armadillo, Dasypus bellus, first appeared in North America about 2.5 million years ago, and was extinct across its southeastern US range by 11 thousand years ago (ka). Within the last 150 years, the much smaller nine‐banded armadillo, D. novemcinctus, has expanded rapidly out of Mexico and colonized much of the former range of the beautiful armadillo. The high degree of morphological similarity between these two species has led to speculation that they might be a single, highly adaptable species with phenotypical responses and geographical range fluctuations resulting from environmental changes. If this is correct, then the biology and tolerance limits for D. novemcinctus could be directly applied to the Pleistocene species, D. bellus. To investigate this, we isolated ancient mitochondrial DNA from late Pleistocene‐age specimens of Dasypus from Missouri and Florida. We identified two genetically distinct mitochondrial lineages, which most likely correspond to D. bellus (Missouri) and D. novemcinctus (Florida). Surprisingly, both lineages were isolated from large specimens that were identified previously as D. bellus. Our results suggest that D. novemcinctus, which is currently classified as an invasive species, was already present in central Florida around 10 ka, significantly earlier than previously believed.     

Sources of Zircons from Cretaceous and Lower Paleogene Terrigenous Sequences of the Southern Koryak Upland and Western Kamchatka

The mineral composition of sandstones from Cretaceous–Lower Paleocene terrigenous sequences of the western Kamchatka–Ukelayat zone (southern Koryak Upland, western Kamchatka) suggests that the Okhotsk–Chukot volcanogenic belt and fragments of the Uda–Murgal island arc served as the most probable provenance. Fission-track dating of zircon showed that sandstones from this zone contain detrital zircon of several different-age populations. Fission tracks in zircon grains were nor subjected to secondary ignition. The age of young zircon population coincides with the biostratigraphic age of host sequences. Thus, results of dating of detrital zircon grains from sandstones, which did not experience heating above 215–240°C, indicate that this method is appropriate for dating fossil-free terrigenous sequences. The young zircon population in the sandstones is related to erosion of plagiogranite and diorite intrusions of the Uda–Murgal arc and outer zone of the Okhotsk–Chukot volcanic belt exposed at the day surface owing to differential vertical movements and rapid exhumation of blocks.     

Nd isotopic evidence for the position of southernmost Indian terranes within East Gondwana

Sm-Nd model ages of orthopyroxene-bearing massif charnockites from the Cardamom Hills Massif and adjoining supracrustal rocks from the Kerala Khondalite Belt in southernmost India are used to infer some of the relationships within these rocks and between them and neighboring areas. Most of these rocks have model ages of 2.1–2.8 Ga with most charnockites in the range 2.2–2.6 Ga. Thus, 3.0–3.4 Ga Archean rocks to their north did not contribute material to either suite and the two suites may have been juxtaposed after formation of the supracrustal rocks. The similarity of Sm-Nd isotope systems in the two units studied here supports an argument that the massif charnockites were the primary sole source of the detritus incorporated into the supracrustal rocks. A cordierite gneiss, representative of a relatively minor lithology in the supracrustal belt, has a model age of 1.3 Ga. The protolith of this gneiss not only formed from much younger material than the rest of the belt but also formed significantly after the other metasedimentary rocks. The source material of the gneiss protolith may have been located in the Wanni and Vijayan Complexes of Sri Lanka. The overlap of the model ages of rocks in this area and those in the Highland Complex of Sri Lanka supports the notion that these two sets of rocks were joined to each other in Gondwana. They belong to a belt that ran from Antarctica through Sri Lanka and India into Madagascar. This belt was involved in Pan-African tectono-metamorphism, as reflected in the 550 Ma age of the last, granulite-forming, event throughout the belt.     

Mineralogy and petrogenesis of lunar magnesian granulitic meteorite Northwest Africa 5744

Lunar meteorite Northwest Africa (NWA) 5744 is a granulitic breccia with an anorthositic troctolite composition that may represent a distinct crustal lithology not previously described. This meteorite is the namesake and first‐discovered stone of its pairing group. Bulk rock major element abundances show the greatest affinity to Mg‐suite rocks, yet trace element abundances are more consistent with those of ferroan anorthosites. The relatively low abundances of incompatible trace elements (including K, P, Th, U, and rare earth elements) in NWA 5744 could indicate derivation from a highlands crustal lithology or mixture of lithologies that are distinct from the Procellarum KREEP terrane on the lunar nearside. Impact‐related thermal and shock metamorphism of NWA 5744 was intense enough to recrystallize mafic minerals in the matrix, but not intense enough to chemically equilibrate the constituent minerals. Thus, we infer that NWA 5744 was likely metamorphosed near the lunar surface, either as a lithic component within an impact melt sheet or from impact‐induced shock.     

In search of a hidden long-term isolated sub-chondritic Nd/Nd reservoir in the deep mantle: Implications for the Nd isotope systematics of the Earth

Here we search for evidence of the existence of a sub-chondritic ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd reservoir that balances the Nd isotope chemistry of the Earth relative to chondrites. If present, it may reside in the source region of deeply sourced mantle plume material. We suggest that lavas from Hawai’i with coupled elevations in ¹⁸⁶Os/¹⁸⁸Os and ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os, from Iceland that represent mixing of upper mantle and lower mantle components, and from Gough with sub-chondritic ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and high ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb, are favorable samples that could reflect mantle sources that have interacted with an Early-Enriched Reservoir (EER) with sub-chondritic ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd.High-precision Nd isotope analyses of basalts from Hawai’i, Iceland and Gough demonstrate no discernable ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd deviation from terrestrial standards. These data are consistent with previous high-precision Nd isotope analysis of recent mantle-derived samples and demonstrate that no mantle-derived material to date provides evidence for the existence of an EER in the mantle.We then evaluate mass balance in the Earth with respect to both ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd. The Nd isotope systematics of EERs are modeled for different sizes and timing of formation relative to ε¹⁴³Nd estimates of the reservoirs in the μ¹⁴²Nd = 0 Earth, where μ¹⁴²Nd is ((measured ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd/terrestrial standard ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd)−1 * 10⁻⁶) and the μ¹⁴²Nd = 0 Earth is the proportion of the silicate Earth with ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd indistinguishable from the terrestrial standard. The models indicate that it is not possible to balance the Earth with respect to both ¹⁴²Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd unless the μ¹⁴²Nd = 0 Earth has a ε¹⁴³Nd within error of the present-day Depleted Mid-ocean ridge basalt Mantle source (DMM). The 4567 Myr age ¹⁴²Nd-¹⁴³Nd isochron for the Earth intersects μ¹⁴²Nd = 0 at ε¹⁴³Nd of +8 ± 2 providing a minimum ε¹⁴³Nd for the μ¹⁴²Nd = 0 Earth. The high ε¹⁴³Nd of the μ¹⁴²Nd = 0 Earth is confirmed by the Nd isotope systematics of Archean mantle-derived rocks that consistently have positive ε¹⁴³Nd.If the EER formed early after solar system formation (0-70 Ma) continental crust and DMM can be complementary reservoirs with respect to Nd isotopes, with no requirement for significant additional reservoirs. If the EER formed after 70 Ma then the μ¹⁴²Nd = 0 Earth must have a bulk ε¹⁴³Nd more radiogenic than DMM and additional high ε¹⁴³Nd material is required to balance the Nd isotope systematics of the Earth.     

An assessment of geologic sequestration potential in the panhandle of Florida USA

One alternative to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions is to store the emissions in underground geologic sequestration repositories. The efficacy of this approach has been favorably evaluated by numerous authors over the last 15 years. This paper discusses an assessment of the overall feasibility of storing emissions in three different repositories in the Florida panhandle located in the Southeastern United States. The feasibility assessment evaluates both saline aquifers and oil reservoirs located in the panhandle region. The overall feasibility is driven by the available geologic sequestration capacity, the transportation cost to deliver emissions to a respective repository, and other engineering and regulatory issues. The geologic sequestration capacity is generally controlled by the so-called storage efficiency, a variable dependent on the site-specific geology, reservoir conditions, and the injected fluid characteristics. For this paper, storage efficiency for saline repositories was assessed in more detail using numerical modeling. Based on the work completed, the 3 repositories studied have at least 4.55 gigatonnes of capacity to sequester CO₂.     

Spatial interpolation of snow water equivalency using surface observations and remotely sensed images of snow‐covered area

As demand for water continues to escalate in the western Unites States, so does the need for accurate monitoring of the snowpack in mountainous areas. In this study, we describe a simple methodology for generating gridded‐estimates of snow water equivalency (SWE) using both surface observations of SWE and remotely sensed estimates of snow‐covered area (SCA). Multiple regression was used to quantify the relationship between physiographic variables (elevation, slope, aspect, clear‐sky solar radiation, etc.) and SWE as measured at a number of sites in a mountainous basin in south‐central Idaho (Big Wood River Basin). The elevation of the snowline, obtained from the SCA estimates, was used to constrain the predicted SWE values. The results from the analysis are encouraging and compare well to those found in previous studies, which often utilized more sophisticated spatial interpolation techniques. Cross‐validation results indicate that the spatial interpolation method produces accurate SWE estimates [mean R² = 0·82, mean mean absolute error (MAE) = 4·34 cm, mean root mean squared error (RMSE) = 5·29 cm]. The basin examined in this study is typical of many mid‐elevation mountainous basins throughout the western United States, in terms of the distribution of topographic variables, as well as the number and characteristics of sites at which the necessary ground data are available. Thus, there is high potential for this methodology to be successfully applied to other mountainous basins. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A GIS-based method for defining snow zones: application to the western United States

This study maps the geographic extent of intermittent and seasonal snow cover in the western United States using thresholds of 2000–2010 average snow persistence derived from moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer snow cover area data from 1 January to 3 July. Results show seasonal snow covers 13% of the region, and intermittent snow covers 25%. The lower elevation boundaries of intermittent and seasonal snow zones increase from north-west to south-east. Intermittent snow is primarily found where average winter land surface temperatures are above freezing, whereas seasonal snow is primarily where winter temperatures are below freezing. However, temperatures at the boundary between intermittent and seasonal snow exhibit high regional variability, with average winter seasonal snow zone temperatures above freezing in west coast mountain ranges. Snow cover extent at peak accumulation is most variable at the upper elevations of the intermittent snow zone, highlighting the sensitivity of this snow zone boundary to climate conditions.