40Ar-39Ar chronology of isolated phases from Bununu and Malvern howardites

High resolution⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar age spectra have been measured on plagioclase and glass from two howardites. Both the plagioclase and glass from the gas-rich Bununu howardite show well-defined age plateaux, yielding distinct ages of 4.42 ± 0.04 and 4.24 ± 0.05 AE, respectively. These age patterns are rather well behaved and are interpreted as representing the distinct times of formation of plagioclase from igneous processes and of glass fragments produced by impact on the meteorite body. The release pattern for the glass from the heavily shocked Malvern howardite is undulating at low and intermediate temperatures but does have a high-temperature plateau. Its age spectrum indicates little apparent diffusion loss, but rather an extensive redistribution of either⁴⁰Ar during the shock event or of³⁹Ar during the neutron irradiation or both. The total K-Ar age of Malvern glass is 3.64 ± 0.04 AE and the high-temperature plateau is 3.73 ± 0.05 AE. The age spectrum of the Malvern plagioclase has an intermediate temperature “plateau” at 3.80 AE that represents 20% of the total⁴⁰Ar content and increases towards a high-temperature plateau at 4.29 ± 0.04 AE containing 26% of the total gas release. It seems likely that the event which formed the Malvern glass also reset part of the plagioclase. The distinct histories observed for the different phases of these howardites are consistent with their formation from a regolith. The present results along with similar young ages for igneous clasts from Kapoeta clearly show that the regoliths were extant on the parent bodies of howardites and that they were subjected to violent impact events at least as recently as 3.7 AE ago.     

Early lunar differentiation: 4.42-AE-old plagioclase clasts in Apollo 16 breccia 67435

We report on a⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar study of the Apollo 16 breccia 67435 and present ages of five samples representing matrix, lithic clasts and plagioclase clasts. While the matrix age spectrum does not have a well-defined plateau, the two lithic clasts gave plateau ages of 3.96 and 4.04 AE. Since all samples had apparent ages of ～1 AE in the fractions ≤600°C extraction temperature, the breccia might have been assembled in a rather mild process at about that time or even more recently out of material with different metamorphic ages. The two plagioclase samples, of which one was a single 9-mg mineral clast and the other a 15-mg composite of several clasts, also have ages of ～1 AE in the low-temperature release fractions, but are apparently undisturbed by any ～4-AE events since they both have well-defined plateaux at 4.42 AE. The age of these strongly calcic plagioclase clasts, believed to be remnants of the anorthositic lunar crust, establishes a lower age limit to the end of the early lunar differentiation and thus places a strong constraint to the lunar evolution.     

Archaeological age constraints from extrusion ages of obsidian: Examples from the Middle Awash,Ethiopia

Extrusion ages of archaeological obsidian, especially as determined by the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method, can provide reliable maximum ages for tool manufacture. In at least one case in the Middle Awash of Ethiopia, freshly extruded obsidian was used for tool making, resulting in useful maximum ages for site occupation. Hydration resulting in mobility of K and/or Ar in glass, and recoil artifacts produced by neutron irradiation, fatally affect most glass shards from volcanic ashes. The much lower surface area to volume ratio of most archaeological obsidian, however, indicates that the affected areas can be manually removed prior to analysis and the recoil and hydration problems can be easily overcome. A more important issue in dating obsidian is that of possible mass-dependent kinetic isotope fractionation during or subsequent to quenching of volcanic glasses. This is evidenced in some cases by sub-atmospheric initial ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios, and more generally in sub-atmospheric ³⁸Ar/³⁶Ar. Resulting bias can be avoided through the use of isochron ages, which do not entail the assumption of an initial value of ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar as is required for plateau ages. Since step heating of glasses often yields limited variability in ⁴⁰Ar:³⁹Ar:³⁶Ar (and therefore little spread on isochrons), another approach is to use an average value for initial ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar, with concomitantly larger uncertainty than is associated with atmospheric ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar, when calculating a plateau age. The ³⁸Ar/³⁶Ar of an un-irradiated subset of our samples validates the inference of kinetic fractionation, and potentially provides a basis for determining initial ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar in samples that fail to yield isochrons, but only in samples lacking magmatic excess ⁴⁰Ar. These approaches allow us to reliably apply the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar method to volcanic glasses, which has resulted in maximum ages for archaeological sites that are not amenable to traditional geochronological methods. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology can also provide information on the geological provenance of the raw material used for tool making, especially when combined with geochemical data.     

39Ar-40Ar systematics of two millimeter-sized rock fragments from Mare Crisium

Two small fragments, L24B, a glass-rich agglutinate (1.9 mg) and L24A, a fine-grained lithic fragment (9.4 mg), from the Luna 24 landing site have been neutron irradiated for the purpose of³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar dating. A fairly well-defined³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar plateau age of 3.65 ± 0.12 AE was found for the larger fragment. After appropriate corrections the composition of the trapped and spallogenic Ar could be deciphered. The evolution of³⁸Ar_sp/³⁷Ar showed that 660 m.y. and 500 m.y. were the most reliable exposure ages for L24A and L24B, respectively. The Ti contents of ≤0.6% determined by gamma-counting prior to the Ar analysis indicate both fragments being associated with the group of low-Ti or even very low-Ti basalts.     

39Ar recoil losses and presolar ages in Allende inclusions

Ar analyses are reported for five coarse-grained, Ca-Al-rich inclusions from the Allende meteorite. The samples were neutron-irradiated in individual evacuated ampoules, and the Ar gas in the ampoules as well as the samples was analyzed. A large fraction (up to 60%) of the³⁹Ar from³⁹K (n, p) reactions was lost out of the inclusions into the ampoules. The³⁹Ar losses resulted in substantial increases in the apparent⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar ages of the samples.³⁹Ar recoil loss during neutron-irradiation is a major effect and must be accounted for in⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar dating. All of the Allende inclusions studied contained substantial trapped³⁶Ar. The origin of the trapped³⁶Ar is unknown, and the possible presence of trapped⁴⁰Ar cannot be excluded. Ar measurements on Allende inclusions which have yielded anomalously old ages must be re-examined in the context of³⁹Ar recoil loss and possible contributions of trapped⁴⁰Ar. Allende inclusions appear on both accounts to be poor candidates to search for relicts of presolar materials with well-defined K/Ar ages.     

39Ar-40Ar ages of samples from the Apollo 17 station 7 boulder and implications for its formation

³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar ages and³⁷Ar-³⁸Ar exposure ages of samples representing four different lithologies of the Apollo 17 station 7 boulder were measured. The age of the dark veinlet material77015of3.98 ± 0.04AE is interpreted as representing the time of intrusion of this veinlet into the 77215 clast. The data obtained so far indicate that the vesicular basalt 77135 formed 100–200 m.y. later. However, this has to be confirmed by³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar investigations on separated mineral and/or grain-size fractions. A small clast enclosed in the 77135 basalt gives a well-defined high temperature age of3.99 ± 0.02AE. A sample of the noritic clast 77215 gave4.04 ± 0.03AE, the highest age found so far in this boulder. The³⁹Ar-⁴⁰Ar ages obtained are in agreement with the age relationships deduced from the stratigraphic evidence.Taking into account the shielding by the boulder itself, an average³⁷Ar-³⁸Ar exposure age of(27.5 ± 2.5)m.y. is obtained for the samples collected from the boulder.     

40Ar-39Ar and Rb-Sr age determinations on Quaternary volcanic rocks

⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar and Rb-Sr ages have been measured on separated minerals from the potassic volcanics of the Roman Comagmatic Region to test the ability of these methods to accurately data Quaternary geological events. The very high K and Rb contents of the Roman magmas present particularly favorable situations in which the very high concentrations of the radioactive nuclides⁴⁰K and⁸⁷Rb result in well resolved in situ enrichments of the daughter isotopes despite the very young ages. Six leucite separates contained Ar with very high bulk40/36 ratios (above 1000) and in which the⁴⁰Ar and the³⁹Ar were very well correlated, yielding well-defined ages averaging3.38±0.08×10⁵ years. Two leucites contained Ar with lower bulk40/36 ratios (～400), and in at least two release steps from these leucites the⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio was significantly lower than atmospheric. Despite the uncertainty in the composition of the trapped component, these two leucites have ages that do not differ significantly from the ages of the other leucites. For the biotites, it was not possible to obtain through stepwise degassing a good separation of in situ radiogenic⁴⁰Ar from trapped⁴⁰Ar and therefore the calculated ages are not as precise as those of the leucites. In three cases the biotite age agrees with the age of the cogenetic leucite, but in the remaining two cases discordant ages are obtained, suggesting caution when using biotites as Quaternary age indicators.Rb-Sr measurements on leucite, biotite, and pyroxene separates hand-picked from each of three tuff samples yielded a dispersion in⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr as large as 16 parts in 10⁴ and⁸⁷Rb/⁸⁶Sr as high as 218 for leucites, and permitted the determination of internal isochron ages. The ages obtained range from3.8±0.2×10⁵to3.3±0.2×10⁵ years and are in good agreement with the⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar ages on the leucites. The data for each tuff sample yield a well-defined uniform initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. However, different tuffs show small differences in initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr pointing to distinct sources or to assimilation of different materials during the extrusion of the tuffs. These measurements demonstrate the possibility of dating Quaternary materials by both the⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar method and the Rb-Sr method. The observation of concordant ages with a precision of a few percent represents a powerful tool in Quaternary stratigraphy.     

40Ar/39Ar incremental-release ages of biotite from a progressively remetamorphosed Archean basement terrane in southwestern Labrador

Gneisses within an Archean basement terrane adjacent to the southwestern portion of the Labrador Trough were variably retrograded during a regional metamorphism of Grenville age (ca. 1000 Ma). Biotites from non-retrograded segments of the gneiss terrane record⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau and isochron ages which date times of cooling following an episode of the Kenoran orogeny (2376–2391 Ma). A suite of gneiss samples displaying varying degrees of retrograde alteration was collected across the Grenville metamorphic gradient. Biotites in these samples show no petrographic evidence of retrograde alteration, however they do record internally discordant⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age spectra. Although the extent of internal discordance is variable, the overall character of the release patterns is similar with younger apparent ages recorded in intermediate-temperature gas fractions. The total-gas dates range from 2257±27 Ma (northwest) to 1751±23 Ma (southeast), suggesting that variable quantities of radiogenic argon were lost from the Archean biotites during Grenville metamorphism. The “saddle-shaped” nature of the discordant spectra indicates that argon loss was not accomplished through single-stage, volume diffusion processes.Biotites in portions of the gneiss terrane which were completely recrystallized during Grenville metamorphism are petrographically and texturally distinct. A representative of this phase records a⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau age of 2674±28 Ma. This date is markedly inconsistent with regional constraints on the timing of Grenville metamorphism, and indicates the presence of extraneous argon components. Both the extraneous and radiogenic argon components must have been liberated in constant proportions during experimental heating because the argon isotopic data yield a well-defined⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar vs.³⁹Ar/³⁶Ar isochron corresponding to an age (2658±23 Ma) similar to that defined by the plateau portion of the spectrum.The⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar biotite dates suggest that the effects of Grenville metamorphism extent 15–20 km northward into the Superior Province. The limit of this overprint is approximately coincident with the northernmost development of Grenville age thrust faults in the Archean terrane. Therefore, it is proposed that the northern margin of the Grenville Province in southwestern Labrador should be located along the northernmost Grenville thrust fault because this represents both a structural and a thermal discontinuity.     

The evolution of excess argon in alpine biotites — A40Ar-39Ar analysis

Alpine biotites containing excess⁴⁰Ar have been analysed by step-heating argon analysis of both neutron irradiated and unirradiated samples. In addition to age spectra the data are discussed in terms of the thermal release of⁴⁰Ar,³⁹Ar,³⁷Ar and³⁶Ar and also displayed on a correlation plot of³⁶Ar/⁴⁰Ar vs.³⁹Ar/⁴⁰Ar which is used to interpret the data and present a model of isotopic evolution during metamorphic cooling. This diagram overcomes misleading complications of isochron plots. The samples exhibit the following argon systematics: (1) flat age spectra for 80–90%³⁹Ar release with anomalously old ages but early gas fractions that approximate the accepted cooling ages; (2) each sample shows decreasing³⁶Ar/⁴⁰Ar with increasing temperature of heating step with three samples having a negative correlation of³⁶Ar/⁴⁰Ar vs.³⁹Ar/⁴⁰Ar and one a positive correlation; (3) there appear to be two³⁶Ar components, one released at high temperatures and correlated with radiogenic⁴⁰Ar and one released at low temperatures which is not correlated with radiogenic⁴⁰Ar; and (4) there is no significant effect of neutron irradiation on the release of⁴⁰Ar and³⁶Ar.Interpretation suggests that these biotites contain a record of the evolution and isotopic composition of ambient argon retained within the metamorphic host rocks during cooling. After incorporation of argon of high⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar another argon component, of atmospheric composition, was retained at lower temperature and argon partial pressures.     

The isotopic composition of atmospheric argon and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology: Time for a change?

A redetermination of the isotopic composition of atmospheric argon by Lee, J.-Y., Marti, K., Severinghaus, J.P., Kawamura, K., Yoo, H.-S., Lee, J.B., Kim, J.S. [2006. A redetermination of the isotopic abundances of atmospheric Ar. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 70, 4507–4512] represents the first refinement since the work of Nier [1950. A redetermination of the relative abundances of the isotopes of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and potassium. Physical Reviews 77, 789–793]. The new ⁴⁰Ar:³⁸Ar:³⁶Ar proportions imply <1% adjustments to ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages in all but exceptional cases of very young and/or K-poor and/or Ca-rich samples, or cases in which samples are grossly under- or over-irradiated. Analytical protocols employing atmospheric argon to determine mass discrimination corrections are insensitive to the effects of revision on the air correction, but are subject to non-negligible adjustments arising from expanded heavy to light isotope ratios attending the increased mass discrimination correction. The competing effects of increased ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and ⁴⁰Ar/³⁷Ar ratios render the adjustments a function of sample chemistry and neutron irradiation parameters. The improved precision of atmospheric ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar and ³⁸Ar/³⁶Ar permits increasingly sensitive detection of departures from atmospheric values. Non-atmospheric initial ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar values are increasingly well-documented in volcanic materials, including subatmospheric values correlated with ³⁸Ar/³⁶Ar in a trend consistent with kinetic mass fractionation whereby incomplete equilibration between magma and atmosphere favors light isotope enrichment in the magma. The detailed mechanism(s) of such fractionation are unclear and must be clarified by further study. A detectable increase in atmospheric ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar in the past 800 ka [Bender, M.L., Barnett, B., Dreyfus, G., Jouzel, J., Porcelli, D., 2008. The contemporary degassing rate of ⁴⁰Ar from the Earth. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105, 8232–8237] suggests that ages of late Quaternary (e.g., <100 ka) materials incorporating large amounts of atmospheric argon such as biotite may be underestimated by as much as 100% if a modern atmospheric ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar value is erroneously assumed, unless air argon is used to determine mass discrimination. Further evaluation of the evolution of paleoatmospheric ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar, and the fidelity with which argon trapped in igneous materials reflects this, would be very productive. The use of isochrons rather than model (e.g., plateau) ages mitigates the vagaries associated with uncertain trapped argon isotope ratios, and the importance of strategies to derive statistically valid isochrons is underscored.     

Temperature and pressure effects on40Ar39Ar systematics

The effects of thermal and compressional treatment on⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar systematics have been investigated on three artificially heated biotite samples (heated for 1 hour at 700°C and 860°C in air and 700°C in vacuum respectively) and uniaxially compressed granite (p = 1400bar) and basalt samples (p = 1650bar). The⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar results for the disturbed samples are compared with those for undisturbed samples. Except for the vacuum-heating case, the effects of the disturbances may be interpreted as the combined effect of a partial loss of radiogenic⁴⁰Ar from the sample and an incorporation of air Ar into the sample. Common diagnostic effects are (1) reduction of the total fusion age, (2) distortion of the age spectrum and, if the degree of the partial Ar loss is small, (3) approximate preservation of the isochron age, and (4) reduction of the intercept value (⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar) in the isochron plot.The features observed in the age spectra of artificially disturbed samples are rather common in geologically disturbed samples, suggesting that the artificial disturbances simulate the effects of geological disturbances on⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar systematics.     

K-Ar datability of altered rocks: variability of excess Ar in hydrothermal minerals

⁴⁰Ar/³⁹ Ar stepwise heating on one hydrothermal anhydrite and two partly hydrothermalized feldspars from a borehole in Vulcano volcano show that the initial trapped Ar does not have a constant isotopic composition. The constant ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio of the anhydrite, 306±3, is not a well-defined endmember for the two feldspars, which record a variety of fluid compositions. As the system is young (<100 ka), radiogenic Ar is much less than excess Ar.     

The interpretation of inverse isochron diagrams in Ar/Ar geochronology

The concepts involved in the construction and interpretation of inverse isochron diagrams used in ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology are reviewed. The diagrams can be useful as a means of recognising atmospheric argon and excess ⁴⁰Ar, incorporated in the mineral lattice, which cannot be recognised from ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar spectra. The age established using an inverse isochron plot, unlike that yielded by a spectrum, is not affected by trapped argon ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios that are different from the atmospheric argon ratio (e.g. due to excess ⁴⁰Ar), and may contribute to a better age interpretation. However, a heterogeneous distribution of excess ⁴⁰Ar or heterogeneous argon loss can cause ‘false’ isochrons, with axial intercepts indicating an incorrect age and an incorrect trapped argon composition. Inconsistency between the ages from a spectrum and from the associated inverse isochron plot may indicate the degree of inaccuracy of isochrons. However, it is possible that both the spectrum and inverse isochron yield the same incorrect age. The importance of considering all possible interpretations before assigning an age to a specimen is stressed.     

Geochemistry and chronology of large-superlarge nonmetal deposits in eastern Zhejiang Province: A case study

From geology and geochemistry studies on four typical large-superlarge nonmetal deposits in eastern Zhejiang Province, it is concluded that nonmetal mineralization is an in situ reduction process in which SiO₂ and Fe₂O₃ are lost, and Al₂O₃ and K₂O are enriched. Moreover, incompatible elements are depleted in zeolite but enriched in alunite. Rb-Sr isotopic age of zeolite and K-Ar isotopic age or micro-area⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar isochron age of alunite are coincident with their geological data. respectively. Comparison studies of various chronology methods indicate that K-Ar and Rb-Sr methods are effective for zeolite and alunite, but should be carefully used for pyrophyllite, dekite and illite. From isotopic ages of ore and wall rocks of zeolite and alunite, it could be deduced that the age difference of metallogenism and volcanism is about 10–20 Ma.     

The age of the Mistastin Lake crater,Labrador, Canada

⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar age determinations have been carried out on eight samples of melt rocks and one of the maskelynite from Mistastin Lake impact crater, Labrador. The observed⁴⁰Ar^* evolution spectra of the impact melts fall into distinct groups which correlate with petrographic variations. The release patterns of six of the melt rock samples define an age plateau in the range 34–41 m.y.; the other two have complex spectra which indicate incomplete equilibration of inclusions. Four of the samples with well-defined plateaux exhibit a high-temperature sag in their⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ratio similar to that observed in some lunar samples. Maskelynite gives a partially overprinted spectrum which rises monotonically to a final age near 700 m.y., approximately half the age of the country rocks. The data from the melt samples are interpreted as indicating an age of 38 ± 4 m.y. for the Mistastin Lake impact event. Previously, it had been considered that this crater was 202 ± 25 m.y. old.     

Episodic mesozoic volcanism in Namibia and Brazil: A K—Ar Isochron study bearing on the opening of the south atlantic

An attempt is made to find a more objective and precise basis for the correlation of volcanics from southwestern Africa and South America than is possible by frequency diagrams of individual K—Ar ages. This leads to a critical appraisal of conventionally calculated K—Ar ages with the conclusion thata priori assumption regarding the isotopic composition of non-radiogenic argon and, hence, the standard atmospheric correction, are no longer tenable.K—Ar isotoopic data on Mesozoic basalts and dolerites from Namibia and Brazil are presented in terms of an isochron model. Plots for cogenetic rocks are unacceptably scattered on a “radiogenic”⁴⁰Ar vs. K diagram, but show a high degree of collinearity on⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar diagrams0K/³⁶Ar diagrams. Using the latter plots, a number of isochrons are generated which indicate that Mesozoic volcanism in these regions occured as several discrete episodes of fairly short duration. Effusion of the extensive Serra Geral basalts of Brazil and the Kaoko basalts of Namibia is shown to have occured simultaneeously at 121 m.y.B.P. Basalts from a series of boreholes along the central Parana Basin, as well as a group of dykes from Sao Paulo, yield isochrons of 128 m.y., which coincides with the postulated onset of separation of Africa and South America based on marine magnetic anomalies. Linear dyke swarms along the Namibian seaboard, interpreted as an expression of the earliest rift phase, have an isochron age of 134 m.y. Sills and dykes, mainly from southern Namibia, with isochron ages of 183 m.y. are considered to be the westernmost manifestation of Stormberg volcanism, not necessarily related to rifting. Most of the igneous suites examined have initial⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios significantly different from the modern atmospheric value.     

40Ar/39Ar and U-Th-Pb dating of separated clasts from the Abee E4 chondrite

Determinations of⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and U-Th-Pb are reported for three clasts from the Abee (E4) enstatite chondrite, which has been the object of extensive consortium investigations. The clasts give⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages and/or maximum ages of 4.5 Gy, whereas two of the clasts give average ages of 4.4 Gy. Within the range of 4.4–4.5 Gy these data do not resolve any possible age differences among the three clasts.²⁰⁶Pb measured in these clasts is only ～1.5–2.5% radiogenic, which leads to relatively large uncertainties in the Pb isochron age and in the²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb model ages. The Pb data indicate that the initial²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb was no more than 0.08±0.07% higher than this ratio in Can?on Diablo troilite. The U-Th-Pb data are consistent with the interpretation that initial formation of these clasts occurred 4.58 Gy ago and that the clasts have since remained closed systems, but are contaminated with terrestrial Pb. The⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages could be gas retention ages after clast formation or impact degassing ages. The thermal history of Abee deduced from Ar data appears consistent with that deduced from magnetic data, and suggests that various Abee components experienced separate histories until brecciation no later than 4.4 Gy ago, and experienced no appreciable subsequent heating.     

Studies on40Ar/39Ar thermochronology of strike-slip time of the Tan-Lu fault zone and their tectonic implications

Samples of mylonite, ultramylonite and phyllonite were collected from 5 localities in the Anhui part of the Tan-Lu fault zone for⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar chronological studies. Among them 4 samples from 3 localities on the eastern margin of the Dabie orogenic belt yielded⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages of 128 —132 Ma; and 2 samples from the western margin of the Zhangbalin uplift and eastern margin of the Bengbu uplift gave the same⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar plateau ages of 120 Ma. Isochron analyses and other lines of evidence suggest that the data are reliable. The data are interpreted as cooling ages of sinistral strike-slip deformation of the Tan-Lu fault zone. The younger ages from the north might be related to slower strike-slip rising. These results indicate that the large-scale left-lateral displacement in the Tan-Lu fault zone took place in the Early Cretaceous, rather than in Late Triassic (Indosinian) as proposed by some geologists. Therefore, this fault zone is an intracontinental wrench fault rather than a transform fault or suture line developed during formation of the Dabie orogenic belt.     

Geodynamic settings of Mesozoic large-scale mineralization in North China and adjacent areas

Based on the summary of the highly precise datings of the metal deposits and related granitic rocks in North China craton and adjacent areas, such as the molybdenite Re-Os datings,⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar datings of mica, K-feldspar and quartz, some Rb-Sr isochrons, and the SHRIMP zircon U-Pb dating and single grain zircon U-Pb dating, we suggest that the large-scale mineralization in North China craton and adjacent areas take place in three periods of 200-160Ma, 140Ma±, and 130-110Ma. Their corresponding geodynamic settings are proposed to be the collision orogenic process, transformation of the tectonic regime, and delamination of the lithosphere, respectively, in light of analyzing the Mesozoic geodynamic evolution in the North China craton.     

40Ar-39Ar age determinations on the Owyhee basalt of the Columbia Plateau

⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar step-heating analyses have been performed on 11 samples of basalt from sites near Owyhee Reservoir of southeastern Oregon, U.S.A. These rocks were extruded during the great flood basalt episode of the Pacific Northwest. The whole-rock points are highly correlated on a plot of⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar versus³⁹Ar/³⁶Ar, corresponding to a common age of the samples of 14.3 ± 0.3 m.y. Inspite of this, individual “plateau” plots of the age versus fraction of³⁹Ar released do not give good plateaux. These age spectra exhibit to varying degrees a common structure in which lower age values are found at higher temperatures. This pattern may result from a closed-system redistribution of the argon isotopes. The usefulness of grinding the basalts in removing a loosely held atmospheric argon component is confirmed.