Evolution and global correlation for strontium isotopic composition of marine Triassic from Huaying Mountains,eastern Sichuan,China

Strontium isotope stratigraphy (SIS) has progressively become an efficient chemostratigraphic tool in the research and correlation of global geological events, such as global sea level fluctuations, orogeny, and paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental changes. In this paper, 87Sr/86Sr ratios of the Triassic marine carbonate rock samples from Huaying Mountains, eastern Sichuan are measured, and the corre-sponding Sr-isotopic curve is constructed, based on the fundamental principle of strontium isotope stratigraphy, analysis of rock fabric, luminescent intensity, chemical composition and representative evaluation for the coeval seawater information. The 87Sr/86Sr ratios show a rapid rise from 0.70721 near the Permian-Triassic transition to 0.70830 at the end of Early Triassic, and then they decline rapidly to 0.70787 in the early Middle Triassic. These data are generally coincident with 87Sr/86Sr ratios of coeval seawater from previous papers, and the curve is also similar to other previous curves. This indicates that the global geological events are the most important controlling factors to the strontium isotope evolution of the global seawater in the Early and Middle Triassic.     

87Sr enrichment of ophiolitic sulphide deposits in Cyprus confirms ore formation by circulating seawater

The hypothesis that seawater was the source of the hydrothermal fluid which formed the Upper Cretaceous ophiolitic cupriferous pyrite ore desposits of the Troodos Massif (Cyprus) has been tested by analysing the strontium isotopic composition of thirteen mineralized samples from four mines. Initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios range from 0.7052 ± 0.0001 to 0.7075 ± 0.0002, the latter value being indistinguishable from that of Upper Cretaceous seawater at 0.7076 ± 0.0006 (2σ). Hence, the mineralized metabasalt samples have been contaminated with⁸⁷Sr, relative to initial magmatic strontium isotope ratios of the Troodos ophiolitic complex (0.70338 ± 0.00010 to 0.70365 ± 0.00005).Since seawater was the only source of strontium available during formation of the Troodos Complex which was isotopically relatively enriched in⁸⁷Sr, the data confirm that seawater was the source of the hydrothermal oreforming fluid.     

Lead and strontium isotopes in Cretaceous kimberlites and mantle-derived xenoliths from Southern Africa

Concentrations of lead, uranium and thorium and isotopic compositions of lead are reported for twelve Cretaceous kimberlites and five Cretaceous nucleated autoliths. The samples are from Lesotho and from the area around Kimberley (Cape Province, South Africa). In the case of the autoliths potassium, rubidium and strontium concentrations and⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios were also measured.Work reported on clinopyroxenes from mantle-derived xenoliths in kimberlites includes lead isotopes for twelve samples and strontium isotopes for nine of these.The autoliths have initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios between 0.7035 and 0.7095. A large spread in initial lead isotope ratios (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb: 17.6–20;²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb: 37.7–39.5) was found in the matrix kimberlites and autoliths. In the²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb vs.²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb plot, the initial lead isotope ratios of the kimberlite and autolith samples roughly define a slope of 0.10, corresponding to an age of 1575 m.y. With respect to the spread of initial ratios as well as with respect to this slope, the kimberlite and autolith lead isotopic pattern is comparable to patterns obtained from carbonatites and ocean island volcanics.The xenoliths studied include coarse-granular and porphyroclastic material from the Kimberley area and coarse-granular samples from Lesotho. Their⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are generally between 0.704 and 0.706 but a value of 0.713 was found in one sample. They show a surprisingly large spread in lead isotope ratios (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb: 17.5–20;²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb: 37.3–39.4).The isotopic patterns of the xenolithic material and of the kimberlites and autoliths are considered to provide a strong indication that the upper mantle beneath Southern Africa is isotopically heterogeneous on a regional scale.     

The strontium isotopic composition of seawater,and seawater-oceanic crust interaction

The⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of seawater strontium (0.7091) is less than the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of dissolved strontium delivered to the oceans by continental run-off (～0.716). Isotope exchange with strontium isotopically lighter oceanic crust during hydrothermal convection within spreading oceanic ridges can explain this observation. In quantitative terms, the current⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of seawater (0.7091) may be maintained by balancing the continental run-off flux of strontium (0.59 × 10¹² g/yr) against a hydrothermal recirculation flux of 3.6 × 10¹² g/yr, during which the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of seawater drops by 0.0011. A concomitant mean increase in the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of the upper 4.5 km of oceanic crust of 0.0010 (0.7029–0.7039) should be produced. This required⁸⁷Sr enrichment has been observed in hydrothermally metamorphosed ophiolitic rocks from the Troodos Massif, Cyprus.The post-Upper Cretaceous increase in the strontium isotopic composition of seawater(～0.7075–0.7091) covaries smoothly with inferred increase in land area. This suggests that during this period the main factor which has caused variability in the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of seawater strontium could have been variation in the magnitude of the continental run-off flux caused by variation in land area. Variations in land area may themselves have been partly a consequence of variations in global mean sea-floor spreading rate.     

Effect of sea water interaction on strontium isotope composition of deep-sea basalts

Analyses of rim-to-interior samples of fresh tholeiitic pillow basalts, deuterically altered holocrystalline basalts, and older, weathered tholeiitic basalts from the deep sea indicate that ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the older basalts are raised by low temperature interaction with strontium dissolved in sea water. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr correlates positively with H₂O in these basalts; however, there is little detectable modification of the strontium isotope composition in rocks with H₂O contents less than 1%. The isotope changes appear to be a function of relatively long-term, low-temperature weathering, rather than high-temperature or deuteric alteration. Strontium abundance and isotopic data for these rocks suggest that strontium content is only slightly modified by interaction with sea water, and it is a relatively insensitive indicator of marine alteration. Average Rb-Sr parameters for samples of apparently unaltered basalt are: Rb= 1.11ppm; Sr= 132ppm; ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr= 0.70247.     

The marineOs/Os record of the past 80 million years

We report new¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁶Os data and Re and Os concentrations in metalliferous sediments from the Pacific to construct a composite Os isotope seawater evolution curve over the past 80 m.y. Analyses of four samples of upper Cretaceous age yield¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁶Os values of between 3 and 6.5 and¹⁸⁷Re/¹⁸⁶Os values below 55. Mass balance calculations indicate that the pronounced minimum of about 2 in the Os isotope ratio of seawater at the K-T boundary probably reflects the enormous input of cosmogenic material into the oceans by the K-T impactor(s). Following a rapid recovery to¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁶Os of 3.5 at 63 Ma, data for the early and middle part of the Cenozoic show an increase in¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁶Os to about 6 at 15 Ma. Variations in the isotopic composition of leachable Os from slowly accumulating metalliferous sediments show large fluctuations over short time spans. In contrast, analyses of rapidly accumulating metalliferous carbonates do not exhibit the large oscillations observed in the pelagic clay leach data. These results together with sediment leaching experiments indicate that dissolution of non-hydrogenous Os can occur during the hydrogen peroxide leach and demonstrate that Os data from pelagic clay leachates do not always reflect the Os isotopic composition of seawater.

New data for the late Cenozoic further substantiate the rapid increase in the¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁶Os of seawater during the past 15 Ma. We interpret the correlation between the marine Sr and Os isotope records during this time period as evidence that weathering within the drainage basin of the Ganges-Brahmaputra river system is responsible for driving seawater Sr and Os toward more radiogenic isotopic compositions. The positive correlation between⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and U concentration, the covariation of U and Re concentrations, and the high dissolved Re, U and Sr concentrations found in the Ganges-Brahmaputra river waters supports this interpretation. Accelerating uplift of many orogens worldwide over the past 15 Ma, especially during the last 5 Ma, could have contributed to the rapid increase in¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁶Os from 6 to 8.5 over the past 15 Ma. Prior to 15 Ma the marine Sr and Os record are not tightly coupled. The heterogeneous distribution of different lithologies within eroding terrains may play an important role in decoupling the supplies of radiogenic Os and Sr to the oceans and account for the periods of decoupling of the marine Sr and Os isotope records.     

The early Paleozoic carbon cycle

A review of O, C, Sr and S isotope trends for the entire Phanerozoic shows that the present-day values of isotope signals are similar to those at the Proterozoic termination. The sharp rise in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr since 65 Ma has been attributed to an uplift and subsequent metamorphism and erosion associated with the Himalayas and Tibet. This orogenic evolution has been postulated to have influenced the global organic and inorganic carbon cycles and climate as well. A similar large-scale orogeny, the Pan-African event, also dominated the Neoproterozoic (Vendian) times, and the similarity of modern and Neoproterozoic isotope values for seawater may therefore have had a comparable tectonic cause. In this contribution, we present the results of a numerical model of the coupled C–alkalinity–S–Sr cycles suggesting that the early Paleozoic (from early Cambrian to late Devonian) evolution of Sr, O, C and S seawater isotope signals could have been the consequence of progressive oxidation of a large reduced carbon reservoir exhumed during the Pan-African orogeny. The δ¹⁸O measured in brachiopod shells is used as a forcing of the model, postulating that any change in the oxygen isotopic composition of seawater is the result of a disequilibrium in the organic carbon subcycle through the coupling of the oxygen isotopic and carbon cycles. The calculated δ¹³C, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ³⁴S are in good agreement with the data, as is the reasonable calculated history for atmospheric pCO₂ and its relation to global climate.     

Strontium isotopic identification of water-rock interaction and ground water mixing

87Sr/86Sr ratios of ground waters in the Bighorn and Laramie basins' carbonate and carbonate-cemented aquifer systems, Wyoming, United States, reflect the distinctive strontium isotope signatures of the minerals in their respective aquifers. Well water samples from the Madison Aquifer (Bighorn Basin) have strontium isotopic ratios that match their carbonate host rocks. Casper Aquifer ground waters (Laramie Basin) have strontium isotopic ratios that differ from the bulk host rock; however, stepwise leaching of Casper Sandstone indicates that most of the strontium in Casper Aquifer ground waters is acquired from preferential dissolution of carbonate cement. Strontium isotope data from both Bighorn and Laramie basins, along with dye tracing experiments in the Bighorn Basin and tritium data from the Laramie Basin, suggest that waters in carbonate or carbonate-cemented aquifers acquire their strontium isotope composition very quickly--on the order of decades. Strontium isotopes were also used successfully to verify previously identified mixed Redbeds-Casper ground waters in the Laramie Basin. The strontium isotopic compositions of ground waters near Precambrian outcrops also suggest previously unrecognized mixing between Casper and Precambrian aquifers. These results demonstrate the utility of strontium isotopic ratio data in identifying ground water sources and aquifer interactions.     

Strontium and oxygen isotopic composition of some basalts from Hole 504B,Costa Rica Rift,DSDP Legs 69 and 70

Seventeen whole-rock samples, generally taken at 25–50 m intervals from 5 to 560 m sub-basement in Hole 504B, drilled in 6.2 m.y. old crust, were analysed for⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, Sr and Rb concentrations, and¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios. Sr isotope ratios for 8 samples from the upper 260 m of the hole range from 0.70287 to 0.70377, with a mean of 0.70320. In the 330–560 m interval, 5 samples have a restricted range of 0.70255–0.70279, with a mean of 0.70266, the average value for fresh mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). In the 260–330 m interval, approximately intermediate Sr isotopic ratios are found.δ¹⁸O values (‰) range from 6.4 to 7.8 in the upper 260 m, 6.2–6.4 in the 270–320 m interval, and 5.8–6.2 in the 320–560 m interval. The values in the upper 260 m are typical for basalts which have undergone low-temperature seawater alteration, whereas the values for the 320–560 m interval correspond to MORB which have experienced essentially no oxygen isotopic alteration.The higher⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and¹⁸O/¹⁶O ratios in the upper part of the hole can be interpreted as the result of a greater overall water/rock ratio in the upper part of the Hole 504B crust than in the lower part. Interaction of basalt with seawater(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.7091) increased basalt⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios and produced smectitic alteration products which raised whole-rock δ¹⁸O values. Seawater circulation in the lower basalts may have been partly restricted by the greater number of relatively impermeable massive lava flows below about 230 m sub-basement. These flows may have helped to seal off lower basalts from through-flowing seawater.     

Multi-approach characterization of shallow-water carbonates off Minamitorishima and their depositional settings/history

Sedimentological, geochemical, and chronological analyses were carried out on 18 carbonate rock samples collected at depths of 938, 1085, and 3354 m on the western slope of Minamitorishima (Marcus Island), which is located near the western margin of the Pacific Plate. Four groups of carbonate rocks were distinguished: a mollusk-rich limestone, a coral-rich dolomite, a foraminiferal-nannofossil packstone, and a phosphatized mudstone/wackestone. The mollusk-rich limestone is characterized by the dominance of bivalves (including rudists) and gastropod shells. Strontium isotope ratios (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) and Mesorbitolina ex gr. texana (a large benthic foraminifer) indicate that the shallow-water carbonates were deposited during the late Aptian–early Albian (ca. 123–111 Ma). The coral-rich dolomite is characterized by abundant scleractinian corals and nongeniculate coralline algae associated with encrusting acervulinid foraminifers. The biotic composition is similar to that of the Oligocene–Pleistocene carbonates reported from other seamounts in the northwestern Pacific. Geochemical data show that the coral-rich carbonates were dolomitized at 9.5–6.8 Ma (Tortonian–Messinian) and that normal seawater was the most likely parent fluid. The foraminiferal-nannofossil packstone is a semi-consolidated foraminiferal-nannofossil ooze and was deposited during the Pleistocene (0.99–0.45 Ma). The phosphatized mudstone/wackestone is marked by the absence of macrofossils and the presence of traces of planktic foraminifers. Although its depositional age is not constrained, the Sr isotope ratios indicate that the phosphatization occurred at 33.2–28.9 Ma. After the deposition of the Cretaceous shallow-water carbonates, including the mollusk-rich limestone, Minamitorishima was drowned and its top was covered with a pelagic cap, represented by the mudstone/wackestone. The late Eocene–early Oligocene volcanism (40.2–33.2 Ma) caused episodic uplift and returned the top of Minamitorishima to a shallow-water environment. After the early Oligocene phosphatization of the pelagic cap, coral reefs flourished on the top of this island. The reef limestone was dolomitized during the Tortonian–Messinian.     

Rare earth and strontium isotope evidence concerning the petrogenesis of North Chilean ignimbrites

New rare earth element (REE) data, Rb and Sr analyses and Sr isotope measurements are presented for pumice clasts collected from some North Chilean ignimbrites of dacite and rhyolite composition. The samples are light-REE enriched with chondrite-normalised Ce (Ce_N) of 17–98, Yb_N of 4–14 and Ce_N/Yb_N of 2.6–15. While some samples have no Eu anomalies, others do have anomalies with inferred Eu/Eu^* values of down to ca. 0.4. Eleven samples have present-day⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios between 0.7053 and 0.7100, and noting that some samples are up to 12 Ma old, initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are below ca. 0.709. These trace element and Sr isotope characteristics resemble those of contemporaneous andesite and dacite lavas, suggesting a common origin for all these rock types. The higher Rb/Sr ratios and larger Eu anomalies in most of the dacitic and rhyolitic ignimbrites are consistent with an origin by plagioclase-dominated fractional crystallization of mantle-derived andesite magma.     

Strontium isotope ratios in volcanic rocks from the South Sandwich Islands

⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios in the island-arc tholeiite series from the South Sandwich Islands cluster about a value of 0.7040. There is no apparent correlation of strontium isotope values with any major chemical component or with Rb/Sr ratios. The uniformity of the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values is consistent with the fractional crystallization relationship previously proposed for this suite. Though higher than values reported for ocean-floor tholeiites they are not significantly different from ratios reported for calc-alkaline island-arcs.     

Marine87Sr/86Sr ratios from the Jurassic to Pleistocene: evidence from groundwaters in Israel

Oceanic⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios during Jurassic to Pleistocene have been determined by analysing fresh waters from marine limestone and dolomite aquifers. The results are in good agreement with published data from well preserved fossil material. The⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios obtained are 0.7070 for Lower to Middle Jurassic, 0.7075 for Late Cretaceous, 0.7080 for Lower to Middle Eocene and 0.7087 for Pleistocene aquifer waters. The value of⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr for the Eimer and Amend isotopic standard was 0.7082.     

Sr fluxes and isotopic compositions of the eleven rivers originating from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and their contributions to <Superscript>87</Superscript>Sr/<Superscript>86</Superscript>Sr evolution of seawater

To evaluate influence of chemical weathering of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) on seawater ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr variation, river water and sediment samples were collected, and their Sr concentrations and isotopic compositions analyzed, from the seven large rivers that originated from the QTP. By combining these with the data of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus and Irrawaddy originated in the southern QTP, the total Sr flux of the eleven rivers reaches 3.47×10⁹ mol·a⁻¹, which accounts for 10.2% of the total Sr flux transported by the global rivers. The weighted mean ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr is 0.71694, higher than the average value of the global rivers. The ⁸⁷Sr_ex (⁸⁷Sr flux in excess of the seawater ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio) of the Chinese seven rivers is 1.55×10⁶ mol·a⁻¹, only accounting for about 6% of the value of the eleven rivers originated from QTP, and the Ganges-Brahmaputra system accounts for 86%. We assume that the QTP rivers have no strontium contributions to the oceans before ∼40 Ma and the Sr fluxes of the global rivers, except the QTP eleven rivers, are constant, then a maximum linear increase in Sr fluxes of the QTP rivers from zero to the modern value in response to tectonic uplift can explain ∼69% increase of seawater ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr over the past ∼40 Ma and the remainder of 31% is perhaps provided from other factors. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40473009, 40331001, 40873001)     

Strontium and neodymium isotopic evidence for the heterogeneous nature and development of the mantle beneath Afar (Ethiopia)

Neodymium isotope and REE analyses of recent volcanic rocks and spinel lherzolite nodules from the Afar area are reported. The¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios of the volcanic rocks range from 0.51286 to 0.51304, similar to the range recorded from Iceland. However, the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios display a distinctly greater range (0.70328–0.70410) than those reported from the primitive rocks of Iceland. Whole rock samples and mineral separates from the spinel lherzolite nodules exhibit uniform¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios (ca. 0.5129) but varied⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios in the range 0.70427–0.70528.The SrNd isotope variations suggest that the volcanic rocks may have been produced by mixing between two reservoirs with distinct isotopic compositions. Two possible magma reservoirs in this area are the source which produced the “MORB-type” volcanics in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and the anomalous source represented by the nodule suite. The isotopic composition of the volcanics is compatible with mixing between these two reservoirs.It is shown that the anomalous source with a high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio cannot have been produced by simple processes of partial melting and mixing within normal mantle. Instead the high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr is equated with a fluid phase. A primitive cognate fluid, subducted seawater or altered oceanic lithosphere may have been responsible for the generation of the source with a high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio.     

Sr–Nd isotope ratios of gabbroic and dioritic rocks in a Cretaceous-Paleogene granite terrain, Southwest Japan

Abstract Whole‐rock chemical and Sr and Nd isotope data are presented for gabbroic and dioritic rocks from a Cretaceous‐Paleogene granitic terrain in Southwest Japan. Age data indicate that they were emplaced in the late Cretaceous during the early stages of a voluminous intermediate‐felsic magmatic episode in Southwest Japan. Although these gabbroic and dioritic rocks have similar major and trace element chemistry, they show regional variations in terms of initial Sr and Nd isotope ratios. Samples from the South Zone have high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7063–0.7076) and low initial Nd isotope ratios (?_Nd, ?2.5 to ?5.3); whereas those from the North Zone have lower initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (usually less than 0.7060) and higher Nd isotope ratios (?_Nd, ?0.8 to + 3.3). Regional variations in Sr and Nd isotope ratios are similar to those observed in granitic rocks, although gabbroic and dioritic rocks tend to have slightly lower Sr and higher Nd isotope ratios than granitic rocks in the respective zones. Limited variations in Sr and Nd isotope ratios among samples from individual zones may be attributed partly to a combination of upper crustal contamination and heterogeneity of the magma source. Contamination of magmas by upper crustal material cannot, however, explain the observed Sr and Nd isotope variations between samples from the North and South Zones. Between‐zone variations would reflect geochemical difference in magma sources. The gabbroic and dioritic rocks are enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and depleted in high field strength elements (HFSE), showing similar normal‐type mid‐ocean ridge basalt (N‐MORB) normalized patterns to arc magmas. Geochronological and isotopic data may suggest that some gabbroic and dioritic rocks are genetically related to high magnesian andesite. Alternatively, mantle‐derived mafic or intermediate rocks which were underplated beneath the crust may be also plausible sources for gabbroic and dioritic rocks. The magma sources (the mantle wedge and lower crust) were isotopically more enriched beneath the South Zone than the North Zone during the Cretaceous‐Paleogene. Sr and Nd isotope ratios of the lower crustal source of the granitic rocks was isotopically affected by mantle‐derived magmas, resulting in similar initial Sr and Nd isotope ratios for gabbroic, dioritic and granitic rocks in each zone.     

87Sr/86Sr ratios in hydrothermal waters and deposits from the East Pacific Rise at 21°N

⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of three hydrothermal waters collected on the East Pacific Rise at 21°N define a mixing line between seawater and a hydrothermal end-member at 0.7030 which is derived by seawater-basalt interaction at ca. 350°C and water/rock ratio of about 1.5. Sr concentrations are not affected in the process while Mg uptake from seawater is almost complete. Up to2/3 of this hydrothermal component is involved in anhydrite precipitation while the Sr isotopic ratio in sulfides (chalcopyrite + sphalerite) cannot be distinguished from that of sulfate. It is estimated that ca. 1 × 10¹⁰ moles of strontium are yearly cycled in the hydrothermal systems of mid-oceanic ridges, thereby affecting the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr budget of seawater. Mass balance between river runoff, limestone precipitation and ridge basalt alteration suggests that the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the river runoff are in the range 0.7097–0.7113, and are largely dominated by limestone alteration.     

Strontium isotope evidence for crustal contamination of calc-alkaline volcanic rocks from Cerro Galan,northwest Argentina

The Pampean Ranges of northwest Argentina are a basin-and-range tectonic province with a late Precambrian to Paleozoic basement and extensive Miocene-Recent calc-alkaline volcanism. The volcanoes include the large resurgent Cerro Galan caldera, and Recent scoria cones and lava flows. Miocene-Recent volcanic rocks of basalt to dacite composition from the Cerro Galan area exhibit a range of Rb/Sr ratios of 0.043–1.092 and initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of 0.7057–0.7115 with a clear positive correlation between⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and⁸⁷Rb/⁸⁶Sr, indicating an apparent age of ca. 130 Ma. This relationship is interpreted to indicate that the Sr isotope variation in the Cerro Galan volcanic rocks results from mixing of a mantle-derived component with low⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (<0.7057) and high Sr (>700 ppm) with a crustal component characterized by higher⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (>0.7115) and lower Sr (<240 ppm). It is concluded that the mixing is best explained as a result of a small degree of selective crustal Sr contamination (ca. 10%) of a range of subsequently erupted magmas produced largely by fractional crystallization within the continental crust. We propose that the mantle-derived end-member is derived by partial melting of sub-Andean mantle with an⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of ca. 0.704, and that such an Sr isotope ratio characterizes the source region for calc-alkaline volcanic rocks throughout the Andes.     

The geological significance of Rb-Sr whole-rock isochrons of polymetamorphic Archaean gneisses,Fiskenaesset area,southern West Greenland

Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron ages of gneisses from the Fiskenaesset area are considerably lower (2600–2800 m.y.) than U-Pb zircon ages for the same rocks (2880–2950 m.y.). There is a significant correlation between the isochron ages and the range in Rb/Sr ratios of the samples involved. Higher ages (and lower initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios) are obtained for sample collections with a wide range in Rb/Sr ratios. Lower ages (and higher initial ratios) are obtained for sample collections with a narrow range in Rb/Sr ratios. This relationship is explained by a model of local metamorphic Sr isotope homogenisation in restricted rock volumes. This model implies that the individual isochron ages do not date specific geological events. There is a significant inverse correlation between the isochron ages and the corresponding initial ratios. It is probable that the igneous precursors of the gneisses intruded with initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios well below 0.701.     

The evolution of volcanism in the Tugnui-Khilok sector of the western Transbaikalia rift area in the Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic

The Late Mesozoic-Cenozoic volcanism of the Tugnui-Khilok sector in the western Transbaikalia rift area is related to the development of the Tugnui, Tsolgin, Margentui, and Khilok grabens and is characterized by a north-south migration of magmatic centers. In these grabens, the igneous associations are composed of high-alkaline rocks: alkaline and subalkaline basalts, tephrites, phonolites, trachytes, trachyrhyolites, comendites and pantellerites, alkaline syenites and alkaline gabbroids. These associations are known to have formed during 10 stages: Late Jurassic (150–158 Ma), Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous (139–147 Ma), the beginning of the Early Cretaceous (133–145 Ma), mid-Early Cretaceous (115–134Ma), the end of the Early Cretaceous (104–114 Ma), the end of the Early-beginning of Late Cretaceous (99–102 Ma), Late Cretaceous (72–90 Ma), Eocene (38–48 Ma), Early Oligocene (30–35 Ma), and Late Oligocene (25–27 Ma). The composition of igneous associations was changing in such a way that the relative amount of salic rocks gradually decreased (occasionally even disappeared completely) in the later developmental stages. As well, the content of SiO₂ in basic rocks also decreased with increasing Nb and Ta contents, and depletion occurred in the lithophylic elements Rb, K, Ba, Sr, and in light rare-earths relative to heavy ones. The geochemical and isotope-geochemical parameters of basaltoids change through time, probably due to successive changes in the mantle sources of magmatism. During Mesozoic time, the source composition was consistent, with OIB-EM-II sources enriched in radiogenic strontium, but since the second half of the Cretaceous, the isotope composition began to be modified toward moderately depleted sources of the OIB-PREMA type.