P, T-dependence of the thermoelectric power of minerals; relations to chemical differentiation,hydration, oxidation and reduction

The thermoelectric power (T.E.P.) or Seebeck effect of minerals is best characterized by the fact that a great many of the Earth's important minerals are semiconducting oxides. Outside the very active research area concerned with oxide semiconductors there have been few determinations of the T.E.P. of minerals, let alone their P, T-dependence. Most minerals have low electrical conductivities and relatively high thermal conductivities, and despite very high Seebeck voltages, are thus generally rather inefficient T.E.P. generators. Measurements of the T.E.P. tie in well with studies of the electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, optical absorption, and diffusion. They provide significant information on the charge carrier concentrations, type of conduction mechanism, band structure, and phonon scattering.Junctions capable of generating T.E.P. include those between materials of different chemical composition, different content and concentration of impurities and defects, different crystal structure or orientation, different states of stress and strain, and reactive junctions or chains of junctions. Considering the local balance of flux of heat and other forms of energy through any of the conduction channels we may visualize as traversing the minerals in the mantle, surely, the conduction channels must involve all of the different types of heterogeneous junctions between minerals. We are, therefore, interested to investigate to what extent, in channels or media subjected to gradients of temperature, electric potential, concentration of chemical constituents and stress or strain, the heat flux density is not identical with the total energy flux density. Measurements of the Seebeck coefficient (S = dE/dT) and preliminary interpretations are discussed with reference to: (1) a simple oxide relative to Pt (corundum); (2) a complex oxide relative to Pt (garnet, almandite); (3) a couple formed of two oxides (corundum-almandite); (4) a couple formed of two minerals with different orientations (quartz_a-quartz_c), and two minerals of different impurity and defect concentrations (quartz-amethyst); and (5) a chain of reactive junctions analogous to oxidation potentials (iron-magnetite, hematite, iron).     

Thermal conductivity of NaCl,MgO, coesite and stishovite up to 40 kbar

The thermal conductivity of NaCl, MgO, coesite and stishovite have been measured as a function of pressures up to 40 kbar (4 Gpa) at room temperature. Polycrystalline coesite and stishovite were synthesized under high pressures and temperatures at our laboratory. An improved version of the comparative method suitable for the thermal conductivity measurement of small samples under high pressures was designed. The zero-pressure values are 0.0189 and 0.0412 cal. cm^?1 s^?1 °C^?1 for coesite and stishovite, respectively. The thermal conductivities were found to increase linearly with pressure, and the increase rates relative to their zero-pressure values were 3.1, 0.68, 0.39 and 0.90% per kbar for NaCl, MgO, coesite and stishovite, respectively. On the thermal conductivity of coesite, the pressure dependence is small and the zero-pressure value is almost the same as that of polycrystalline quartz. On the other hand, the zero-pressure value of stishovite is 2.2 times as large as that of coesite.     

Methods for estimating Curie temperatures of titanomaghemites from experimentalJs-T data

Methods for determining the Curie temperature (T_c) of titanomaghemites from experimental saturation magnetization-temperature (J_s-T) data are reviewed.J_s-T curves for many submarine basalts and synthetic titanomaghemites are irreversible and determining Curie temperatures from these curves is not a straightforward procedure. Subsequently, differences of sometimes over 100°C in the values ofT_c may result just from the method of calculation. Two methods for determiningT_c will be discussed: (1) the graphical method, and (2) the extrapolation method. The graphical method is the most common method employed for determining Curie temperatures of submarine basalts and synthetic titanomaghemites. The extrapolation method based on the quantum mechanical and thermodynamic aspects of the temperature variation of saturation magnetization nearT_c, although not new to solid state physics, has not been used for estimating Curie temperatures of submarine basalts. The extrapolation method is more objective than the graphical method and uses the actual magnetization data in estimatingT_c.     

Thermal expansion of a few Indian granitic rocks

The study of thermal expansion by a dilatometer technique on a few granitic rocks from the Peninsular shield and Himalayan regions of India confirms that the linear coefficient of thermal expansion (α) is a function of heating rate, crack porosity, thermal cycling, mineral composition and grain orientation. Permanent set in the samples occurs at the limiting temperature (T_p) and restricts the validity of the apparent thermal-expansion coefficient with rise in temperature. Values of α are determined for a heating rate of ?2°C min^?1 in order to calculate the volume coefficient of expansion (α_v) and the temperature dependence of density (ρ_T).     

Are anharmonicity corrections needed for temperature-profile calculations of interiors of terrestrial planets?

It is shown that there is linearity between the thermal pressure P_TH and T between the Debye temperature θ and some high temperature $\text{T}{}^1$. $\text{T}{}^1$ has been measured at 1 atm and is reported for several minerals including, for example, MgO (1300 K) and forsterite (1200 K). The change in thermal pressure from room temperature for five solids, so far measured, indicate striking linearity with T at high temperatures.It is further shown that the value of $\text{T}{}^1$ increases greatly as the pressure increases. It is therefore concluded that P_TH is probably linear with T for mantle minerals under mantle conditions. The proportionality constant is derived from the measurements of thermal expansivity and bulk modulus at high temperature and zero pressure.The argument is then reversed. Assuming that the thermal pressure is in fact linear with T for the various shells in a planet, the resulting density and temperature profile of the planet is derived. The resulting density profile of the Earth compares favorably with corresponding values of recent seismic profiles.     

Effects of solar and geomagnetic activities in variations of power spectra of electrical and meteorological parameters in the near-Earth atmosphere in Kamchatka during October 2003 solar events

We perform spectral analysis of records of meteorological (temperature, humidity, pressure of the atmosphere) and electrical (strength of quasi-static electric field and electric conductivity of air) parameters observed simultaneously at the Paratunka observatory during the solar events of October 21–31, 2003. Also, we use simultaneous records of X-ray fluxes of solar radiation, galactic cosmic rays, and the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field. We show that the power spectra of the meteorological parameters under fine weather conditions involve oscillations with a period of thermal tidal waves (T ～ 12 and 24 h) caused by the influx of thermal radiation of the Sun. During strong solar flares and geomagnetic storm of October 29–31 with a prevailing component of T ～ 24 h, their spectra involve an additional component of T ～ 48 h (the period of planetary-scale waves). With the development of solar and geomagnetic activities, the power spectra of atmospheric electric conductivity and electric field stress involve components of both thermal tidal and planetary-scale waves, which vary highly by intensity. In the power spectra of galactic cosmic rays accompanying the strong solar flares, components with T ～ 48 h were dominant with the appearance of additional (weaker by intensity) components with T ～ 24 h. The simultaneous amplification of components with T ～ 48 h in the power spectra of electric conductivity and electric field strength provides evidence of the fact that the lower troposphere is mainly ionized by galactic cosmic rays during strong solar flares and geomagnetic storms. The specified oscillation period with T ～ 48 h in their spectra, as well as in the spectra of X-ray radiation of the sun, is apparently caused by the dynamics of solar and geomagnetic activities with this time scale.     

Quality of pTRM acquisition in pyrrhotite bearing contact-metamorphic limestones: possibility of a continuous record of Earth magnetic field variations

The rockmagnetic and palaeomagnetic signal in pyrrhotite bearing limestones of different contact-metamorphic settings were investigated related to intrusions ranging from small sills to large magmatic complexes. Magnetic susceptibility, the pyrrhotite/magnetite ratio and thermal modelling serve as an investigative tool to define three metamorphic zonations: a contact zone of a mixed magnetic assemblage and low susceptibilities, a pyrrhotite bearing transitional zone, where full thermoremanent magnetisations (TRMs) are acquired due to temperatures above the Curie temperature of pyrrhotite (T_c,po), and a marginal zone containing pyrrhotite and magnetite generated at temperatures below T_c,po. The fact that TRMs can consist of independent pTRMs is successfully tested by modified Thellier experiments. It is shown that a metamorphic environment with low fluid circulation provides a scenario for the recording of independent pTRMs. Multicomponent behaviour of the NRM residing in samples from the transitional zone can therefore be interpreted as a continuous record of Earth magnetic field variations.     

High-temperature behaviour of the elastic moduli of LiF and NaF: Comparison with MgO and CaO

The elastic moduli of single-crystal LiF and NaF have been determined by the ultrasonic pulse superposition technique as a function of temperature from T = 298–650° K. These new data are consistent with low-temperature (T < 298° K) data obtained by other ultrasonic pulse techniques and are superior to previous high-temperature data from resonance experiments. The elastic moduli (c) are represented by quadratic functions in T over the experimental temperature range although the curvature is not in the same sense for all modes. For LiF, NaF, MgO and CaO, evaluation of the temperature derivatives of the elastic moduli at constant volume (V) indicates that the elastic moduli are only weakly dependent on T at constant volume. The fluoride—oxide analogue pair LiFMgO both exhibit high-temperature elastic behaviour at approximately the same absolute temperature. Mitskevich's theory and observed K_S-V systematics imply that (?c/?T)_P should be a function of the nearest neighbour distance for rocksalt fluorides and oxides; this result lends further support to a fluorideoxide modelling scheme based on similar ionic radii.     

Thermal equation of state of magnesiowüstite (Mg0.6Fe0.4)O

Volume measurements for magnesiowüstite (Mg_0.6Fe_0.4)O, were carried out up to pressures of 10.1 GPa in the temperature range 300–1273 K, using energy-dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction. These data allow reliable determination of the temperature dependence of the bulk modulus and good constraint on the thermal expansitivity at ambient pressure which was previously not known for magnesiowüstite. From these data, thermal and elastic parameters were derived from various approaches based on the Birch–Murnaghan equation of state (EOS) and on the relevant thermodynamic relations. The results from three different equations of state are remarkably consistent. With (∂K_T/∂P)_T fixed at 4, we obtained K₀=158(2) GPa, (∂K_T/∂T)_P=−0.029(3) GPa K⁻¹, (∂K_T/∂T)_V=−3.9(±2.3)×10⁻³ GPa K⁻¹, and α_T=3.45(18)×10⁻⁵+1.14(28)×10⁻⁸T. The K₀, (∂K_T/∂T)_P, and (∂K_T/∂T)_V values are in agreement with those of Fei et al. (1992) and are similar to previously determined values for MgO. The zero pressure thermal expansitivity of (Mg_0.6Fe_0.4)O is found to be similar to that for MgO (Suzuki, 1975). These results indicate that, for the compositional range x=0–0.4 in (Mg_1−xFe_x)O, the thermal and elastic properties of magnesiowüstite exhibit a dependence on the iron content that is negligibly small, within uncertainties of the experiments. They are consequently insensitive to the Fe–Mg partitioning between (Mg, Fe)SiO₃ perovskite and magnesiowüstite when applied to compositional models of the lower mantle. With the assumption that (Mg_0.6Fe_0.4)O is a Debye-like solid, a modified equation of heat capacity at constant pressure is proposed and thermodynamic properties of geophysically importance are calculated and tabulated at high temperatures.     

Critical phenomena in thermal conductivity: Implications for lower mantle dynamics

Microscopic mechanisms for heat transport in dense minerals (phonon scattering and photon attenuation) exhibit aspects of threshold behavior, discussed qualitatively here. For all minerals examined so-far using laser-flash analysis, the lattice component of the thermal conductivity of the mantle asymptotes to a constant above a critical temperature of ∼1500 K. Radiative transfer calculated from absorption spectra has thresholds in both grain-size and Fe content, and a rather complex dependence on temperature. These critical phenomena impact convection of the lower mantle, because the lattice contribution tends to destabilize the cold boundary layers, whereas radiative transfer mostly promotes stability in the lower mantle, unless the grains are large and Fe-rich, which makes convection chaotic and time-dependent. The specific behavior suggests that flow in the lower mantle is sluggish, whereas flow in the upper mantle-transition zone is time-dependent. The decrease in k_rad as Fe/(Fe + Mg) increases beyond ∼0.1 may be connected with formation of lower mantle, thermo-chemical plumes through positive feedback.     

Thermal diffusivity of rhyolitic glasses and melts: effects of temperature, crystals and dissolved water

Thermal diffusivity (D) was measured using laser-flash analysis on pristine and remelted obsidian samples from Mono Craters, California. These high-silica rhyolites contain between 0.013 and 1.10?wt% H₂O and 0 to 2?vol% crystallites. At room temperature, D _glass varies from 0.63 to 0.68?mm²?s^?1, with more crystalline samples having higher D. As T increases, D _glass decreases, approaching a constant value of ??0.55?mm²?s^?1 near 700?K. The glass data are fit with a simple model as an exponential function of temperature and a linear function of crystallinity. Dissolved water contents up to 1.1?wt% have no statistically significant effect on the thermal diffusivity of the glass. Upon crossing the glass transition, D decreases rapidly near ??1,000?K for the hydrous melts and ??1,200?K for anhydrous melts. Rhyolitic melts have a D _melt of ??0.51?mm²?s^?1. Thermal conductivity (k?=?D·??·C _P) of rhyolitic glass and melt increases slightly with T because heat capacity (C _P) increases with T more strongly than density (??) and D decrease. The thermal conductivity of rhyolitic melts is ??1.5?W?m^?1?K^?1, and should vary little over the likely range of magmatic temperatures and water contents. These values of D and k are similar to those of major crustal rock types and granitic protoliths at magmatic temperatures, suggesting that changes in thermal properties accompanying partial melting of the crust should be relatively minor. Numerical models of shallow rhyolite intrusions indicate that the key difference in thermal history between bodies that quench to obsidian, and those that crystallize, results from the release of latent heat of crystallization. Latent heat release enables bodies that crystallize to remain at high temperatures for much longer times and cool more slowly than glassy bodies. The time to solidification is similar in both cases, however, because solidification requires cooling through the glass transition in the first case, and cooling only to the solidus in the second.     

Temperature and Pressure Dependencies of Thermal Transport Properties of Rocks: Implications for Uncertainties in Thermal Lithosphere Models and new Laboratory Measurements of High-Grade Rocks in the Central Fennoscandian Shield

Measurements on thermal conductivity and diffusivity as functions of temperature (up to 1150 K) and pressure (up to 1000 MPa) are presented for Archaean and Proterozoic mafic high-grade rocks metamorphosed in middle and lower crustal pressures, and situated in eastern Finland, central Fennoscandian Shield. Decrease of 12–20% in conductivity and 40–55% in diffusivity was recorded between room temperature and 1150 K, which can be considered as typical of phonon conductivity. Radiative heat transfer effects were not detected in these samples. Pressure dependencies of the samples are weak if compared to crystalline rocks in general, but relatively typical for mafic rocks.The temperature and pressure dependencies of thermal transport properties (data from literature and the present study) were applied in an uncertainty analysis of lithospheric conductive thermal modellings with random (Monte Carlo) simulations using a 4-layer model representative of shield lithosphere. Model parameters were varied according to predetermined probability functions and standard deviations were calculated for lithospheric temperature and heat flow density after 1500 independent simulations. The results suggest that the variations (uncertainties) in calculated temperature and heat flow density values due to variations in the temperature and pressure dependencies of conductivity are minor in comparison to the effects produced by typical variations in the room temperature value of conductivity, heat production rate or lower boundary condition values.     

Magnetic stratigraphy and magnetic-petrologic properties of Precambrian Gardar lavas,South Greenland

We present major and trace element data for olivines and rapidly quenched groundmass material separated from eight samples of basaltic rock. From these data apparent olivine/liquid distribution coefficients (D) for the elements Mg, Mn, Ni, Co, Cr, Sc, Na, Sm, and Ca have been calculated. Petrographic and electron microprobe studies indicate that olivines in most of these samples are but slightly zoned and groundmass glasses are essentially uniform in composition; these data suggest that the co-existing olivine-groundmass pairs are in equilibrium. In addition, olivine crystallization temperatures were calculated using experimental calibrations of lnD vs.1/T for the elements Mg, Fe, Mn, Ni, and Co. A high degree of concordancy for the resulting temperatures, based on five different elements for most samples, also suggests that olivine-groundmass equilibrium was obtained. We conclude that the apparent olivine/liquidD's derived from this study are representative of equilibriumD's, but emphasize that variations in temperature, and possibly bulk composition, strongly affect suchD's in natural magmas.     

High-temperature elasticity of the fluorite-structure compounds CaF2, SrF2 and BaF2

The elastic moduli of single-crystal CaF₂, SrF₂ and BaF₂ have been determined by the ultrasonic pulse superposition technique as a function of temperature from T = 298 to T = 650°K. These new data are consistent with other data obtained by ultrasonic pulse techniques in the region of room temperature and are superior to previous high-temperature data from resonance experiments. The elastic moduli (c) are represented by quadratic functions in T over the experimental temperature range with the curvature in the same sense for all the moduli. Evaluation of the temperature derivatives of the elastic moduli at constant volume indicates that the dominant temperature effect is extrinsic for (?K_S/?T)_P and intrinsic for (?μ/?T)_P, where K_S and μ are the isotropic bulk and shear moduli, respectively. For the series CaF₂SrF₂BaF₂, |(?c/?T)_p| decreases with increasing molar volume for all moduli; however there are no theoretical or empirical grounds on which to derive a simple relationship between (?c/?T)_P and crystallographic parameters.     

Influence of (FeO+TiO2) abundance on the microwave thermal emissions of lunar regolith

One of the essential controls on the microwave thermal emissions (MTE) of the lunar regolith is the abundance of FeO and TiO₂, known as the (FeO+TiO₂) abundance (FTA). In this paper, a radiative transfer simulation is employed first to study the change in the brightness temperature (T_B) with FTA under a range of frequencies and surface temperatures. Then, we analyze the influence of FTA on the MTE of the lunar regolith using microwave sounder (CELMS) data from the Chang’E-2 lunar orbiter, Clementine UV-VIS data, and lunar samples recovered from the Apollo and Surveyor projects. We conclude that: (1) FTA strongly influences the MTE of the lunar regolith, but it is not the decisive control, and (2) FTA decreases slightly with depth. This research plays an essential role in appropriately inverting CELMS data to obtain lunar regolith parameters.     

Thermal structure and thickness of the lithospheric mantle underlying the Siberian Craton from the kraton and kimberlit superlong seismic profiles

A self-consistent approach is proposed for the investigation of the thermal conditions, chemical composition, and internal structure of the upper mantle of the Earth. Using this approach, the thermal state of the lithospheric mantle beneath the Siberian Craton (SC) is reconstructed from P velocities, taking into account the phase transitions, anharmonicity, and the effects of anelasticity. The velocities of seismic waves are more sensitive to temperature than to the composition of the mantle rocks, which allows the velocity models to be effectively used for reconstruction of the thermal regime of the mantle. The temperature at depths 100–300 km is reconstructed by inversion of the Kraton and Kimberlit superlong seismic profiles for compositions of the garnet harzburgite, lherzolite, and intermediate composition of garnet peridotite. The averaged temperature in the normal continental mantle is reconstructed by inversion of the IASP91 reference model for depleted and fertile substance. One-dimensional models and two-dimensional thermal fields undergo a substantial fall in temperature (～300–600°C) beneath the Siberian Craton as compared to the temperatures of the continental mantle and paleotemperatures inferred from the thermobarometry of xenoliths. Temperature profiles of the Siberian Craton deduced from seismic data lie between the conductive geotherms of 32.5–40.0 mW/m² and below the P(H)-T values obtained for low- and high-temperature xenoliths from the Mir, Udachnaya, and Obnazhennaya kimberlite pipes. The thickness of the thermal lithosphere estimated from the intersection with the potential adiabat is 300–320 km, which is consistent with the data on heat flows and seismotomographic observations. This provides grounds for the assumption that the low-temperature anomalies (thermal roots of continents) penetrate down to a depth of 300 km. The analysis of the sensitivity of seismic velocity and density to the variations in temperature, pressure, and chemical and phase composition of petrological models shows that recognition of fine differences in chemical composition of the lithospheric rocks by seismic methods is impossible.     

Correlation between δ~(18)O,Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca of coral Acropora and seawater temperature from coral culture experiments

To be used as proxies of seawater surface temperature(SST), the δ 18Oc values and Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios of scleractinian coral skeletons must be verified by coral culture experiments in the laboratory. This paper describes a coral culture experiment that was conducted at several seawater temperatures T(21–28°C) using a tandem aquarium system and the new method for depositing coral skeletons grown under controlled conditions. The δ 18Oc values and the Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios of the cultured coral were measured. We concluded that the δ 18Oc values and Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca ratios of the cultured coral are clearly correlated with T. The linear regression curve is δ18Oc(‰)=δ0.1427δT(°C)δ0.1495(n=18, r=0.955, p0.0001), and the slope of δ0.1427‰/°C is at the low end of the range of published values(δ0.13–δ0.29‰/°C). The Sr/Ca ratio decreases with increasing T, whereas the Mg/Ca ratio increases with increasing T, indicating a negative correlation between Sr/Ca and Mg/Ca. Their linear regression curves are Sr/Ca(mmol/mol)=δ0.04156δT+10.59(n=15, r=0.789, p0.005) and Mg/Ca(mmol/mol)= 0.04974δT+2.339(n=17, r=0.457, p0.05), respectively, which demonstrate that when Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca are increased by one unit, T increases by 5.19°C and decreases by 15.62°C, respectively. These variations are significantly lower than published values.     

Flat-Slab Thermal Structure and Evolution Beneath Central Mexico

Recent seismic and magnetotelluric experiments, aimed at better characterizing the shape and state of the subducting slab and continental crust beneath Central Mexico, exposed significant differences with conclusions of previous studies. A new slab geometry is revealed in which the subducting Cocos slab is perfectly flat between 120 to 290?km from the trench, after which it plunges into the asthenosphere at a dip angle of ~65°, in sharp contrast with the previously proposed ~20° dip angle. Seismic tomography studies show negative P-wave velocity anomalies (?2 to ?4%) in the mantle wedge beneath the Mexican Volcanic Belt, and positive anomalies (+2 to +3%) for the subducted Cocos slab. Magnetotelluric experiments exposed a very low-resistivity area (1?C10? ??m) located within the continental crust just below the Mexican Volcanic Arc. Finally, several spots of non-volcanic tremors (NVTs) have been recorded inside the continental crust above the flat-slab segment. While all these experiments provide a better picture of the subduction system beneath Central Mexico, several key processes need further investigation. In this study, we take advantage of these new observations to better constrain the thermal structure beneath Central Mexico. Two different thermal models are computed for a mantle potential temperature (T _p) of 1,350 and 1,450°C, respectively. The new thermal structures are then converted into P-wave velocity anomalies and compared with the observed V _p anomalies. We found that a T _p of 1,450°C produced larger V _p anomalies that do not fit the observations. However, using a T _p of only 1,350°C, our predicted V _p anomalies are positive (+2 to +3%) for the cold slab and negative (?2 to ?4%) in the mantle wedge. These V _p estimates are consistent with the observed seismic tomography from P-wave arrivals, and therefore we conclude that a T _p of 1,350°C is a better estimate for the mantle potential temperature beneath Central Mexico. The new thermal model, in conjunction with phase diagrams for sediments, hydrated basalt and lithospheric mantle, have been used to estimate the amount and location of fluids released from the subducting Cocos slab. Several dehydration pulses have been identified along the slab interface where most of the fluids stored in sediments and oceanic crust are released into the overlying continental crust above the flat-slab. We found a good correlation between the pattern of these dehydration pulses and the location of NVTs, suggesting that slab dehydration is responsible for triggering the tremors. We suggest that NVT bursts localized above the flat slab segment represent the manifestation of ongoing continental crust hydration and weakening, a process that has been going on since 15?Ma ago when the Cocos slab entered into a flat-slab regime. Such continuous weakening would have reduced the suction forces that kept the slab in a flat regime in the last 15?Ma, allowing the slab to easily roll back. The continuous low-resistivity region recorded beneath the volcanic front in Central Mexico might represent the evidence of slab dehydration and crust weakening over time.     

Oxygen isotope measurements of phosphate from fish teeth and bones

In situ measurements of lunar surface brightness temperatures made as a part of the Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package at the Apollo 15 Hadley Rille landing site are reported. Data derived from 5 thermocouples of the Heat Flow Experiment, which are lying on or just above the surface, are used to examine the thermal properties of the upper 15 cm of the lunar regolith using eclipse and nighttime cool-down temperatures. Application of finite-difference techniques in modeling the lunar soil shows the thermocouple data are best fit by a model consisting of a low-density and low-thermal conductivity surface layer approximately 2 cm thick overlying a region increasing in conductivity and density with depth. Conductivities on the order of 1 × 10^?5 W/cm-°K are postulated for the upper layer, with conductivity increasing to the order of 1 × 10^?4 W/cm-°K at depths exceeding 20 cm. An increase in mean temperature with depth indicates that the ratio of radiative to conductive transfer at 350°K is 2.7 for at least the upper few centimeters of lunar soil; this value is nearly twice that measured for returned lunar fines. The thermal properties model deduced from Apollo 15 surface temperatures is consistent with earth-based microwave observations if electrical properties measured on returned lunar fines are assumed.     

Nickel partitioning between olivine and silicate melt

Partitioning of Ni between olivine and silicate melt has been determined for compositions in the system Fo-Ab-An (1 atm) for temperatures ranging from 1250°C to 1450°C. Nickel concentrations were determined by electron microprobe; concentration levels in the liquids ranged from 0.1% to 0.5%. Platinum capsules or Pt wire loops were used as containers. Equilibrium was evaluated from kinetic considerations and by variation of run parameters; it was documented in one case by a bracketed reversal. No evidence was found for a dependence of the partition coefficient D (Ni in olivine/Ni in liquid) on Ni concentration. D is strongly dependent on melt composition, varying linearly with (1/MgO) at constant temperature. The intrinsic temperature dependence of D is small; the apparent temperature dependence reported in previous studies is largely related to the variation of melt composition with temperature. Our D values determined in the simple system Fo-An-Ab agree well with those reported by Leeman for natural (Fe-bearing) basalt systems. Overall variation of D in our system (and in natural basalts) can be expressed by the regression: D = (124/MgO) ? 0.9Our data are used to evaluate published Ni-MgO relationships in natural basalt series from Kilauea, Crozet, Cape Verde and Baffin Bay. A combination of olivine accumulation and fractional crystallization processes are sufficient to model these series. Using our data, unique “parental” liquids can be specified for each of these series; the MgO content of these liquids varies from 6% to 13%. Basalts with MgO contents greater than these “parental” liquids must be accumulative. The linear Ni-MgO trends, high absolute Ni concentrations, and large spread of Ni contents for the high-MgO basalts argue convincingly against their being “primary” liquids. Models such as those of O'Hara [6,13] and Clarke [24], based on the assertion of primary high-MgO liquids, must therefore be re-evaluated.Because of the high Si/O ratio and low MgO content of island arc andesites, the Ni partition coefficient D may be quite high. Therefore, the relatively low Ni content of such andesites may not be an argument against their derivation as direct partial melts of the mantle.