U–Th radioactive disequilibrium and ESR dating of a barite-containing sulfide crust from South Mariana Trough

A block of sulfide crust collected from an active hydrothermal mound in an Archaean site (12°56.4′N, 143°37.9′E; depth ca. 3000 m) of the South Mariana Trough was dated using both ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U disequilibrium and electron spin resonance (ESR) methods to establish the growth duration. Eight subsamples from the sulfide crust were separated further into magnetic and non-magnetic fractions using a Franz isodynamic separator. Thirteen sulfide samples, soluble in nitric acid, yielded ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U ages of 0.3–2.2 ka. The magnetic fractions had significantly lower Th/U ratios, which enabled age determinations as precise as ±2% (2σ). The age distribution obtained for the section of sulfide crust analyzed is consistent with deposition of sulfide minerals from the upper surface of the crust to the inner side. The ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U ages of the sulfide minerals were compared with ESR ages of barites separated from 12 subsamples of the same sulfide crust. ESR ages of 0.27–1.3 ka show a spatial pattern broadly resembling that observed in ²³⁰Th/²³⁴U dating method. While there are some significant offsets, these results illustrate the potential of the two methods for use in investigation of the evolutional history of a hydrothermal system.     

Testing a new combined (U,Th)–He and U/Th dating approach on Plio-Pleistocene calcite speleothems

The geochronology of cave deposits in the Cradle of Humankind UNESCO World Heritage Site in South Africa provides a timeframe essential for the interpretation of its fossils. The uranium-lead (U–Pb) and uranium-thorium disequilibrium (U/Th) dating of speleothems, mostly flowstones that underlie and blanket the fossil-bearing sediments, have been effective in this sense, but U–Pb is limited by the requirement of ∼1 ppm U concentrations and low common Pb contents, and U/Th has a c. 500 ka limit of applicability. Here we report age results for calcite-aragonite speleothems obtained using a new combined uranium-thorium-helium ((U,Th)–He) and U/Th dating routine. We reproduced within analytical uncertainty, the published U–Pb or U/Th ages for (a) flowstone in three drill core samples in the range 2000–3000 ka, (b) a flowstone hand sample taken at surface with an age of 1800 ka, and (c) five underground flowstone samples in the range 100–800 ka. Calcite retentivity for He under cave conditions is thus demonstrated. In the few cases where helium loss was observed in speleothems, only some of the subsamples were affected, and to varying degrees, suggesting loss by lattice damage not related to diagenetic processes, rather than volume diffusion. In the 100 to 800 ka range, the combined U/Th disequilibrium and (U,Th)–He method also yielded reliable values for initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) and (²³⁴U/²³⁸U) activity ratios. Importantly, most subsamples had high initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) values, ranging from 1.0 to 19.7, although having low Th/U ratios. This is probably due to incorporation of Fe–Mn oxides-hydroxides dust, on which ²³⁰Th was previously adsorbed. Such samples are mostly not dateable by U/Th without the additional input from the He analysis. If not detected and corrected for, such high initial (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) values can lead to inaccurate U/Th and U–Pb ages. Our study shows that the incorporation of He analysis in U/Th dating has broad potential application, with four methods for calculating the ages, in carbonates from different environments where U-Pb or U/Th dating would not work.     

On the generation,propagation and radiation of magneto–acoustic–gravity waves with application to stars

Abstract

The study of the mechanisms controlling the stratification in closed fluid regions is an important branch of geophysical fluid dynamics. Part of this subject can be handled with a simple linear model, consisting of a buoyancy layer at the non-horizontal boundaries of a container and an advective-diffusive interior coupled by volume continuity. The model is valid under the following conditions: firstly, the buoyancy-frequency characterizing the solution must be sufficiently large to give rise to a flow pattern of boundary layer type and, secondly, the non-horizontal walls must not have too large thermal conductivity.

The main purpose of the present paper is to summarise previous work done by the authors in this field and to present some consequences of their theory not previously discussed.

Three important cases are discussed; certain stationary solutions, the decay of a given stratification and the build up of a stratification in a homogeneous fluid. The experimental results concerning the afore-mentioned cases are presented.     

A method to anchor floating chronologies in annually laminated speleothems with U–Th dates

Stalagmites occasionally present laminae which, when demonstrated to be annual, may be used to construct an annually resolved chronology. Such annually laminated records provide an opportunity to improve the precision of age models based on other dating techniques. Since annually laminated stalagmites sometimes present a complex stratigraphy with lateral variations in lamina thickness associated with changing macroscopic growth shapes, a procedure for lamina counting is developed here, which complements other methods of speleothem lamina counting. Regardless of the complexity of laminae, when the exact date of a laminated section is unknown, lamina counting provides a floating chronology. This paper describes a method to anchor floating chronologies in speleothems using the least-squares fit of the lamina counting to the radiometric dates (typically U–Th). The estimation of uncertainties in the age model is also considered, which accounts for uncertainties in the lamina counting as well as the fit of the lamina count to the radiometric dates. The uncertainty of this fit does not depend on the analytical uncertainty of the radiometric dates or the precision in the lamina counting, and simply considers all the available dates and their distance to the proposed age model. As an example, the method was applied to a stalagmite from Northern Spain and its accuracy was compared with the annually resolved and cross-dated Greenland chronology during the 8.2 ka event. Although this method has been described for stalagmites, it could be applied to other records in which cross-dating techniques would not be suitable.     

U–Pb dating of speleothems from Spannagel Cave,Austrian Alps: A high resolution comparison with U–series ages

U–Pb dating is increasingly used to date speleothems that are too old for precise U–Th disequilibrium dating; however there is little data that can independently validate its application to such material. This study presents U–Pb ages for speleothems from the Spannagel Cave in the Austrian Alps including a detailed comparison with U–Th ages from an unusually U–rich sample that yields precise ages by both methods. Sample SPA4 is a flowstone with three growth phases separated by distinct hiatuses. For the youngest growth phase the U–Pb and U–Th ages are 267 ± 1 ka and 267 ± 5 ka respectively; the middle growth phase is 291 ± 1 versus 295 ± 11 ka while for the oldest growth phase a single sub-sample, assuming the same initial Pb composition as for the younger phases, yields an age of 340 ± 2 ka compared to 353 ± 9 ka by U–Th. Correlation of these ages with the marine isotope stages confirms that these speleothems grew during glacial stages as suggested by previous work on the same sample. Sample SPA 15 has U–Th isotopic compositions indistinguishable from secular equilibrium; the U–Pb data on the main growth phase of this sample give an age of 551 ± 10 ka, whereas a single analysis from the oldest phase suggests it may be on the order of 40 ka older. This detailed comparison of U–Pb and U–Th ages provides important support for the potential validity of the U–Pb method in older samples beyond the range of U–Th.     

Assessing the use of U–Th methods to determine the age of cold-water calcareous algae

Calcitic crusts of calcareous red algae could be suitable material for age determination of raised marine deposits and palaeothermometry at annual to sub-annual resolution. We examined the potential of U–Th dating of cold-water calcareous algae by analysing fossil specimens (n=10) from Kapp Ekholm (Svalbard) and recent specimens from Norway (n=3) and Scotland (n=1). After initial measurements using α-spectrometry, thermal ionisation mass spectrometry (TIMS) was used to study the material in more detail. Recent specimens contain 0.19–1.55 μg g⁻¹ U, and the measured (²³⁴U/²³⁸U) activity ratios vary between 1.12 and 1.30. Fossil specimens contain 1–168 μg g⁻¹ U, and display variable and highly elevated initial (²³⁴U/²³⁸U) activity ratios. In general, the TIMS results show increasing (²³⁴U/²³⁸U) activity ratios and concentrations of U and Th with increasing stratigraphic age. From this it is evident that marine calcareous red algae contain U in-vivo and they experience substantial post-mortem uptake of U. We conclude that direct U–Th dating of fossil calcareous algae from raised marine deposits is not viable without further geochemical understanding of the in-vivo uptake and post-depositional pathways of U and Th in such deposits. Despite the convincing open-system behaviour of the material, comparison with previously published chronostratigraphy from the site shows that the calcareous algae generally yield ages that are too old. This is in contrast to the expected result based on simple continuous post-mortem U accumulation and calls for a complex model comprising migration of U and multi-component addition of Th (detrital/colloidal) to explain the observed trends.     

A geochemical perspective on Parisian urban history based on U–Th dating,laminae counting and yttrium and REE concentrations of recent carbonates in underground aqueducts

Two laminated carbonate deposits from the wall of an underground aqueduct, built between the 13th and 15th century, in Paris, France, were studied to provide historical information about nearby human occupation and urban development. To obtain a robust chronology for these small (29 and 45 mm thick) and very young deposits (< 800 a based on the probable date of aqueduct construction), we adopted two methods: laminae counting and U–Th analysis. For laminae, we tested the hypothesis that their deposition is bi-annual. Concerning U–Th dating, the influence of inherited ²³⁰Th on calculated ages is discussed and detrital ²³⁰Th/²³²Th values for each speleothem was determined using stratigraphic constraints and found to be significantly different despite their close proximity. In these speleothems, that precipitated over approximately 300 a according to U–Th dating, the number of laminae is similar, and two laminae were deposited each year. The lamina-counting chronology was used to interpret the rare earth elements and yttrium content (REE + Y) variations measured by ICP-QMS as historical variations in water quality in relation with the anthropogenic use of these elements. There is a marked increase of the REE + Y concentrations since the second half of the twentieth century. A marked negative Ce anomaly in the NASC-normalized REE trend is evidenced, and is more pronounced for post 1850s. This anomaly could be due to prior precipitation of Ce⁴⁺ before the water reached the aqueduct, related to a high organic matter content of the water in oxidizing conditions. The increase in the Ce anomaly could indicate a second source of water, from a wastewater collection system or a modern water conveyance system. We thus demonstrate the interest of using these annual carbonate deposits in urban areas as a proxy for the history of urbanization or human activities.     

Combined unspiked K–Ar and 40Ar/39Ar dating applied to the dating of 80–260 ka old Icelandic sub-glacial rhyolites

We have used two techniques (i.e. K–Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar) on Icelandic obsidian samples to produce and more specially to estimate the quality and accuracy of the ages that can be obtained. Following a meticulous protocol, we were able to date six rhyolitic eruptions with an accuracy 7 to 40 times better than those obtained previously. Among these six rhyolites are the first published K–Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages of Krafla.The combined K–Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar approach produces not only highly precise but also accurate ages. Such high precision makes it possible to produce accurate reconstructions of ice thickness at a given location and time, to test whether there was a possible link between deglaciation and rhyolitic volcanism onset in Iceland, and to explore other possible applications of the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating method to paleo-environmental and paleo-climatic reconstruction at Iceland's latitude.Then, we investigate, by combining geochemistry (i.e. determination of major and trace element composition) and geochronology (i.e. dating of rhyolitic eruptions via K–Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating) for a number of Icelandic rhyolitic volcanoes whose activity could be recorded in North Atlantic sedimentary cores as well as in Arctic ice. The aim of this approach is to provide new independent anchors and correlations between climate records. Of the six dated eruptions, we propose that one is record in North Atlantic sediments, the Loðmundur eruption that constitutes one of the Kerlingarfjöll tuyas, which we date at 189.9 ± 1.1 ka and assume to be the source of the tephra recognized in core MD04-2822 at a depth of 3630–3631 cm.     

Early diagenetic imprints and U–Th isotope systematics of fossil land snail shells from the Chinese Loess Plateau

The loess-paleosol sequence on the Chinese Loess Plateau provides a unique archive that records climate change in East Asia in the Quaternary, yet absolute dating of the loess deposits is challenging due to the lack of directly datable materials. Fossil land snail shells, which are made from aragonite, are widely preserved in the loess deposits and have long been used to reconstruct past environmental changes. U-series dating of fossil land snail shells has the potential to provide a route for absolute dating of the loess deposits but remains largely unexplored. In this study, we present the first systematic investigation on the U-series isotope geochemistry as well as the early diagenetic imprints of fossil land snail shells (Cathaica sp.) from the Mangshan loess-paleosol sequence in Henan province, central China. Several geochemical techniques, including Raman microscopy, SEM, LA-ICPMS, LA-MC-ICPMS, solution-MC-ICPMS, and AMS ¹⁴C dating, were employed to investigate the mineralogy, chemical and isotopic compositions of both modern and fossil snail shells to micrometer level. Our results show that the fossil Cathaica sp. shells are overall characterized by a higher degree of porosity and elevated contents of organic matter compared to live-collected shells of the same species. The layers with higher porosity and organic matter content in the fossil Cathaica sp. shell are also found to be enriched in Na, Mg, Mn, Ba, and U, indicating diffusion and adsorption of these elements by specific surface binding sites of either aragonitic lattice or organic compounds of the fossil shell. Combining in-situ measurements using LA-MC-ICPMS with solution U-series determination, we further demonstrate that fossil Cathaica sp. shell is relatively homogeneous regrading both [²³⁴U/²³⁸U] and [²³⁰Th/²³⁸U] values although the distribution of U in the fossil shell is sample-specific. The comparison of different dating results suggests that the calculated apparent closed system U–Th ages are all systematically younger (∼6000 to 13,000 years) than the corresponding shell ¹⁴C ages and quartz SAR (single-aliquot regenerative-dose) ages from the Mangshan section. We suggest that the underestimation of U–Th ages of fossil Cathaica sp. shells is very likely caused by diagenetic uptake of U that started immediately after the burial of the shell and effectively ceased when the fossil shell was isolated from the pore waters due to persistent deposition of eolian dust at the Mangshan section. Our work on both modern and fossil Cathaica sp. shells thus provides detailed morphological and geochemical characterization for the diagenetic alteration of fossil snail shells and suggests that U-series dating of fossil land snail shells may provide age constraints for dust deposits in the semi-arid region although the timing of early diagenetic U-uptake by the fossil shells need to be better quantified for reliable age determination.     

Zircon U–Pb dating of Pubei granite and strontium isotope from sphalerite of the Xinhua Pb–Zn–(Ag) deposit,Yunkai Area of Guangxi Province,South China

The Yunkai Area is located at the southern South China Block and is part of the Qinzhou Bay-Hangzhou Bay Metallogenic Belt, which is a famous polymetallic mineralization belt. The Xinhua Pb–Zn–(Ag)deposit is located in the western part of Yunkai Area, with an abundance of Pubei batholiths. Zircon U–Pb geochronology of Pubei batholiths shows that crystallization age ranges from 251.9 ± 2.2 to 244.3 ± 1.8 Ma, thus belonging to Indosinian orogeny. Geochemistry and Sr isotopic compositions of the Pubei batholiths show that it is derived from the partial melting of large scale crustal melting during the stage of exhumation and uplifting of the lower-middle crust. In addition, strontium isotope of sphalerite from the Xinhua Pb–Zn–(Ag) deposit, has limited ranges in ~(87)Rb/~(86)Sr and ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr, ranging from 0.4077 to 1.0449, and 0.718720 to 0.725245, respectively. The initial ~(87)Sr/~(86)Sr ratios of sphalerite ranges between 0.718720 and 0.725245, which is higher than that of upper continental crust and lower than that of the Pubei batholiths, illustrating the fluid might be derived from the mixing of Pubei pluton and upper continental crust.     

Zircon U–Pb dating and whole-rock elemental geochemistry of the Shazi anatase deposit in Qinglong,Western Guizhou,SW China

The Shazi deposit is a large-scale anatase deposit in Qinglong, Guizhou Province. Zircon grains from this deposit yielded a zircon U–Pb age of *259 Ma, representing the formation age of the deposit's parent rocks.This age is identical to the eruption age of the Emeishan large igneous province, indicating a synchronous magmatic event. The rare-earth-element patterns of laterite samples were similar to those of the weathered basalt sample, and sub-parallel to those of the Emeishan high-Ti basalts,implying a genetic relationship between the laterite and the basalt. The Chemical Index of Alteration values of laterite ranged from 96 to 98, suggesting a high degree of weathering. SiO_2, MgO, and alkaline metal elements decreased with increasing degree of weathering, while Al_2O_3, Fe_2O_3,and TiO_2 increased. We found the highest TiO_2 in laterite and the lowest in pillow basalts, indicating that Ti migrated from basalt to laterite.Our U–Pb dating and whole-rock elemental geochemistry analyses suggest that the Emeishan basalt is the parent rock of the Shazi anatase ore deposit.Based on our analysis, we propose a metallogenic model to explain the ore-forming process, in which the karst terrain formed by the Emeishan mantle plume and the subsequent basaltic magma eruption were the key factors in the formation the Shazi anatase ore deposit.     

Genesis and metallogenic characteristic of Dongnan Cu–Mo deposit associated granitoids: LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating and isotope constraint from Zijinshan ore field in southeastern China

The Dongnan Cu–Mo deposit, located in the southeast of the Zijinshan ore field(the largest porphyry–epithermal system in Southeast China), represents the complex magmatic and metallogenesis events in the region. The petrogenesis and metallogenesis of granitoids from the deposit are not determined, especially the interactions between ore-bearing(granodiorite porphyry) and barren samples(granodiorite and diorite). In the paper, the whole rock geochemical features shared a similar affinity to the m...     

U–Pb dating of zircon in hydrothermally altered rocks as a correlation tool: Application to the Mangakino geothermal field,New Zealand

Recognition and correlation of rock units within geothermal fields is often hampered by high degrees of alteration that obscure primary mineralogies and lithological boundaries, and preclude direct dating by radiometric techniques. Magmatic zircons are commonly present in silicic volcanic rocks, where zircon saturation was achieved and zircons crystallized up to the point of eruption. Young zircons are highly resistant to hydrothermal alteration and can yield a record of their crystallization ages in otherwise heavily altered rocks. Zircon crystallization-age spectra have been obtained by SIMS techniques (SHRIMP-RG) from three samples of cuttings and a core sample from ignimbrite penetrated in 3 drillholes up to ~ 3.2 km deep at the Mangakino geothermal field in New Zealand. The crystallization ages are similar between the drillcore and cutting samples, indicating that downhole mixing of cuttings has not been important, and showing collectively that volcanic units of closely similar ages are represented between ~ 1.4 and ~ 3.2 km depth. This is despite apparent changes in the inferred primary volcanic lithology that had led to earlier inferences that multiple ignimbrites of contrasting age were present in this depth interval. Comparisons of zircon crystallization-age spectra and inferred primary mineralogical characteristics from the drillhole samples with surficial ignimbrites that crop out west of Mangakino suggest that the boreholes have entered a > 1.8-km-thick intracaldera fill of ignimbrite generated in the closely-spaced Kidnappers and Rocky Hill eruptions at ~ 1 Ma.     

U–Pb dating and geochemistry of granite porphyry dykes in the Xicha gold–(silver) deposit,southern Jilin Province,China,and their metallogenic significance

We report U–Pb dating of zircon,as well as geochemical and Hf isotope data,in order to constrain the formation time,magma source,and tectonic setting of granite porphyry dykes in the Xicha gold–(silver) district in southern Jilin Province,Northeast China.The zircon grains are euhedral–subhedral,display oscillatory growth zoning and have Th/U ratios varying between 0.11 and 0.78,which together imply a magmatic origin.The dating results indicate the porphyry formed in the Early Cretaceous (122±1 Ma)and it contains SiO_2=70.64–72.31 wt%,Al_2O_(3-)=13.99–14.64 wt%,K_2O+Na_2O=6.96–7.81 wt%K_2O/Na_2O=1.24–2.10,and A/CNK=1.11–1.41.Chemically,the porphyry belongs to a high-K calc-alkaline S-type granite.Chondrite-normalized rare earth elements (REE)patterns show LREE enrichment,light rare earth elements(LREE)/heavy rare earth elements (HREE)=9.93–11.97(La/Yb)_N=11.08–15.16,and d Eu=0.69–0.95.On the trace element spider diagram,large ion lithophile elements such as Rb,Ba,K,Th,and U are enriched,whereas the high field strength elements Ti and P are depleted.The e Hf(t) values of zircon from the granite porphyry vary between-17.1 and-13.2,and their Hf two-stage model ages vary from 2.01 to 2.26 Ga,implying that the magma was derived from partial melting of old lower crust.The granite porphyry dykes and many A-type granites in the region formed at the same time,suggesting an extensiona environment.The combination of the occurrence of strong magmatism,large-scale mineralization,and extensiona tectonics throughout much of Eastern China indicate that the Early Cretaceous was a period of significant lithospheric thinning.The southern Jilin Province,therefore,experienced lithospheric thinning during the Early Cretaceous.     

Th–U–total Pb geochronology of authigenic monazite in the Adelaide rift complex,South Australia,and implications for the age of the type Sturtian and Marinoan glacial deposits

The Adelaide rift complex in South Australia contains the type sections for Sturtian and Marinoan glacial deposits. The litho- and chemo-stratigraphy of these deposits play a central role in evaluating global Neoproterozoic ice age hypotheses and Rodinia supercontinent reconstructions, but reliable depositional age constraints have been extremely limited. We report results of in situ Th–U–total Pb (electron microprobe) dating of detrital and authigenic monazite in two samples from the Umberatana Group (Sturtian Holowilena Ironstone and pre-Marinoan Enorama Shale) in the Central Flinders Ranges. Several texturally and chemically distinct detrital and authigenic populations are recognized. Detrital dates range from 1600 Ma to 760 Ma and most relate to well-known orogenic or igneous events in surrounding cratonic regions. Authigenic monazite grew in three or more pulses ranging from 680 Ma to 500 Ma. The date of 680 ± 23 Ma (2σ) for the earliest generation of authigenic monazite in sandstone from the Enorama Shale (1) provides an estimate for the age of the base of the Trezona carbon isotopic anomaly just beneath the Marinoan glacial deposits, (2) provides an absolute minimum age constraint on the underlying Sturtian glacial deposits, and (3) supports proposed correlations between type Marinoan deposits and precisely dated glacial deposits in Namibia and China, which bracket the presumed Marinoan equivalents between 655 and 635 Ma. This age is inconsistent with a Re–Os isochron age of 643 ± 2.4 Ma (2σ) on shales near the bottom of the Sturtian–Marinoan interglacial succession, stratigraphically > 3000 m below the Enorama Shale sample, and militate against the hypothesis that the type Marinoan is correlative with the 580 Ma Gaskiers glaciation. Monazite growth near 600 Ma and again at about 500 Ma probably represent hydrothermal fluid-flow events, the latter of which also corresponds to the well-known Delamerian Orogeny during which the Adelaide sediments were folded into their present structural pattern.     

1D system identification of buildings during earthquakes by seismic interferometry with waveform inversion of impulse responses—method and application to Millikan library

Two new algorithms have been introduced as a further development of a robust interferometric method for structural health monitoring (SHM) of buildings during earthquakes using data from seismic sensors. The SHM method is intended to be used in an automatic seismic alert system, to issue a warning of significant damage during or immediately after the earthquake, and facilitate decision making on evacuation, to avoid loss of life and injury from possible collapse of the weekend structure during aftershock shaking. The method identifies a wave velocity profile of the building by fitting an equivalent layered shear beam model in impulse response functions (virtual source at roof) of the recorded earthquake response. The structural health is monitored by detecting changes in the identified velocities in moving time windows, the initial window being used as reference. Because the fit involves essentially matching phase difference between motion at different floors, the identified velocity profile is not affected by rigid body rocking, and soil-structure interaction in general, as demonstrated in this paper. Consequently, detected changes in wave velocity during an earthquake are not affected by changes in the soil-foundation system, which is a major advantage over SHM by detecting changes in the observed modal frequencies. Further, the method is robust when applied to real buildings and large amplitude earthquake response, as demonstrated in previous work. The new fitting algorithms introduced are the nonlinear least squares (LSQ) fit and the time shift matching (TSM) algorithms. The former involves waveform inversion of the impulse responses, and the latter - iterative matching of the pulse time shifts, both markedly reducing the identification error as compared to the previously used direct ray algorithm, especially for more detailed models, i.e., with fewer floors per layer. Results are presented of identification of the NS, EW and torsional responses of the densely instrumented Millikan Library (9-story reinforced concrete building in Pasadena, California) during a small earthquake.     

Estimation and propagation of volcanic source parameter uncertainty in an ash transport and dispersal model: application to the Eyjafjallajokull plume of 14–16 April 2010

Data on source conditions for the 14 April 2010 paroxysmal phase of the Eyjafjallaj?kull eruption, Iceland, have been used as inputs to a trajectory-based eruption column model, bent. This model has in turn been adapted to generate output suitable as input to the volcanic ash transport and dispersal model, puff, which was used to propagate the paroxysmal ash cloud toward and over Europe over the following days. Some of the source parameters, specifically vent radius, vent source velocity, mean grain size of ejecta, and standard deviation of ejecta grain size have been assigned probability distributions based on our lack of knowledge of exact conditions at the source. These probability distributions for the input variables have been sampled in a Monte Carlo fashion using a technique that yields what we herein call the polynomial chaos quadrature weighted estimate (PCQWE) of output parameters from the ash transport and dispersal model. The advantage of PCQWE over Monte Carlo is that since it intelligently samples the input parameter space, fewer model runs are needed to yield estimates of moments and probabilities for the output variables. At each of these sample points for the input variables, a model run is performed. Output moments and probabilities are then computed by properly summing the weighted values of the output parameters of interest. Use of a computational eruption column model coupled with known weather conditions as given by radiosonde data gathered near the vent allows us to estimate that initial mass eruption rate on 14 April 2010 may have been as high as 10⁸?kg/s and was almost certainly above 10⁷?kg/s. This estimate is consistent with the probabilistic envelope computed by PCQWE for the downwind plume. The results furthermore show that statistical moments and probabilities can be computed in a reasonable time by using 9⁴?=?6,561 PCQWE model runs as opposed to millions of model runs that might be required by standard Monte Carlo techniques. The output mean ash cloud height plus three standard deviations??encompassing c. 99.7?% of the probability mass??compares well with four-dimensional ash cloud position as retrieved from Meteosat-9 SEVIRI data for 16 April 2010 as the ash cloud drifted over north-central Europe. Finally, the ability to compute statistical moments and probabilities may allow for the better separation of science and decision-making, by making it possible for scientists to better focus on error reduction and decision makers to focus on ??drawing the line?? for risk assessment.     

Homogenization of titanomagnetites with magnetite–ulvospinel exsolution structures according to the thermomagnetic data: Modeling and experiment

A three-dimensional model describing the homogenization of titanomagnetites with magnetite–ulvospinel exsolution structures in the course of thermomagnetic analysis is presented. The implications of the size and shape of the exsolution structures and the initial titanomagnetite composition for the temperature dependence of saturation magnetization during repeated heating is analyzed. It is found that the dimension of the exsolution structures has the strongest effect, whereas the shape and composition only have an effect in the case of the small exsolution structures. A method is suggested for estimating the dimensions of the exsolution structures from the thermomagnetic curve. A close consistency of the results is revealed by comparing the distributions of the dimensions of the exsolution structures estimated by the electron microscopy and by the analysis of the thermomagnetic curve for the same sample.     

Zircon U–Pb ages of granitic and mafic dikes associated with granitoids and metamorphic rocks of the Ryoke Belt in the eastern Kii Peninsula,southwest Japan

Zircon U–Pb dates for felsic and intermediate to mafic dikes intruding into the Ryoke granitoids and metamorphic rocks at selected outcrops in the Takamiyama area of the eastern Kii Peninsula, southwest Japan, were determined along with their geology and petrography to reveal the history of Cretaceous magmatism. At each outcrop, the felsic and intermediate to mafic dikes exhibit specific structures that are indicative of magma intermingling and have coeval intrusion ages of ca. 81–77 Ma. Our zircon U–Pb data complement previously published data, suggesting that the mafic magmatism continued intermittently from 83 to 76 Ma in the Takamiyama area and that magmatism migrated eastward within the Ryoke Belt. A comparison of intrusion ages between a dike and a host Ryoke granitoid at one outcrop indicates that the host rock experienced ductile deformation at ~88 to ~83 Ma. Judging from the small number of zircons and the concordant date distributions, we didn't recognize the evidence suggesting the partial melting of the host rocks, as Nakajima et al. (Journal of the Geological Society of Japan, 2021, 127, 69–78) reported.