Transantarctic Mountain microtektites: Geochemical affinity with Australasian microtektites

We extended the petrographic and geochemical dataset for the recently discovered Transantarctic Mountain microtektites in order to check our previous claim that they are related to the Australasian strewn field. Based on color and composition, the 465 microtektites so far identified include two groups of transparent glass spheres less than ca. 800 μm in diameter: the most abundant pale-yellow, or normal, microtektites, and the rare pale-green, or high-Mg, microtektites. The major element composition of normal microtektites determined through electron microprobe analysis is characterized by high contents of silica (SiO₂ = 71.5 ± 3.6 (1σ) wt%) and alumina (Al₂O₃ = 15.5 ± 2.2 (1σ) wt%), low total alkali element contents (0.50-1.85 wt%), and MgO abundances <6 wt%. The high-Mg microtektites have a distinctly higher MgO content >10 wt%. Transantarctic Mountain microtektites contain rare silica-rich (up to 93 wt% SiO₂) glassy inclusions similar to those found in two Australasian microtektites analyzed here for comparison. These inclusions are interpreted as partially digested, lechatelierite-like inclusions typically found in tektites and microtektites. The major and trace element (by laser ablation - inductively coupled plasma - mass spectrometry) abundance pattern of the Transantarctic Mountain microtektites matches the average upper continental crust composition for most elements. Major deviations include a strong to moderate depletion in volatile elements including Pb, Zn, Na, K, Rb, Sr and Cs, as a likely result of severe volatile loss during the high temperature melting and vaporization of crustal target rocks. The normal and high-Mg Transantarctic Mountain microtektites have compositions similar to the most volatile-poor normal and high-Mg Australasian microtektites reported in the literature. Their very low H₂O and B contents (by secondary ion mass spectrometry) of 85 ± 58 (1σ) μg/g and 0.53 ± 0.21 μg/g, respectively, evidence the extreme volatile loss characteristically observed in tektites. The Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of multigrain samples of Transantarctic Mountain microtektites are ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ≈ 0.71629 and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ≈ 0.51209, and fall into the Australasian tektite compositional field. The Nd model age calculated with respect to the chondritic uniform reservoir (CHUR) is T^Nd_CHUR ≈ 1.1 Ga, indicating a Meso-Proterozoic crustal source rock, as was derived for Australasian tektites as well.Coupled with the Quaternary age from the literature, the extended dataset presented in this work strengthens our previous conclusion that Transantarctic Mountain microtektites represent a major southward extension of the Australasian tektite/microtektite strewn field. Furthermore, the significant depletion in volatile elements (i.e., Pb, B, Na, K, Zn, Rb, Sr and Cs) of both normal and high-Mg Transantarctic Mountain microtektites relative to the Australasian ones provide us with further confirmation of a possible relationship between high temperature-time regimes in the microtektite-forming process and ejection distance.     

ODP 1144站钻孔沉积物中微玻璃陨石的元素地球化学特征

利用电子探针和激光探针等离子体质谱方法分析了取自南海北部的ODP1144钻孔沉积物中的微玻璃陨石和取自邻近的广东省湛江和吴川玻璃陨石的主元素和微量元素组成。结果显示，这些微玻璃陨石属于亚洲-澳大利亚散落区的普通微玻璃陨石。从成分上看，这些微玻璃陨石存在两种不同的类型，其中的绝大部分Al2O3含量在19.0%以上，属于高Al类型，相应的难熔微量元素含量也比较高；个别微玻璃陨石Al2O3含量（13.0%)和难熔微量元素含量较低，微量元素含量和特征比值都与邻近的广东省湛江和吴川的玻璃陨石相近。元素地球化学特征意味着，这些微玻璃陨石来源于同一靶源区，但靶区的物质组成并不均一。     

北方前寒武纪长城系常州沟组的宇宙尘

河北滦县、蓟县、北京十三陵三个地方的常州沟组宇宙尘是在人工重砂的重矿物中发现的,产在古老沉积岩地层中的砾岩和砂岩里,大部分是铁质宇宙尘,形态各异,表面构造多种多样,内部构造各有不同,具Fe—Ni金属,核与壳的化学元素分布不匀匀,化学成分与深海宇宙尘相似。     

Anthropogenic and impact spherules: Morphological similarity and chemical distinction – A case study from India and its implications

This paper provides first report of silica-rich anthropogenic spherules of varying colour, shape, size, surface texture and chemical composition found in road-deposited sediments (RDS) of Allahabad city, Uttar Pradesh, India. Morphological details and lithophile elemental composition of the silica-rich spherules are compared to microtektites and impact spherules from India to demonstrate their striking morphological similarities and chemical variability. This study suggests the need to use spherule data carefully while assigning an impact origin to spherule-finds or spherule-bearing lithological horizons.     

Trace element concentrations in silicate spherules from oceanic sediments

The possible existence of meteoritic spherules was investigated among several silicate spherules separated from oceanic sediments and analyzed by means of INAA (instrumental neutron activation analysis).A 0.72 mg glassy spherule was found to have uniform enrichment of 4 ~ 5 for the refractory REE (rare earth elements) and Sc with substantial depletion of Ce relative to chondritic abundances. This implies that this spherule is meteoritic in origin and that the enrichment of refractory elements was established by high temperature heating in a high O/H environment, possibly at the time of entering the Earth's atmosphere.The other three analyzed spherules showed major and trace element abundances that are consistent with an origin in the oceanic environment.     

On the track of the elusive Sudbury impact: geochemical evidence for a chondrite or comet bolide

Siderophile and lithophile trace element data for 69 samples from the Sudbury impact crater fill (Onaping Formation) and quartz diorite offset dikes help constrain the sources of the established moderately elevated platinum group element signature associated with the impact structure. The siderophile element distribution of the crater fill requires contributions from bulk continental crust, mafic rocks and a chondritic component. A mantle component is absent, but the involvement of mid to lower crust is implied. After considering post‐impact hydrothermal alteration, melt heterogeneity and mafic target admixture, the projectile elemental ratios were determined on a more robust data subset. Chondrite discrimination diagrams of these ratios identify an ordinary or enstatite chondrite as the most probable source of meteoritic material in the Sudbury crater fill. However, the relative and absolute siderophile element distributions within the impact structure as well as bolide size models are congruent with the bolide being a comet that had a chondritic refractory component.     

The relative role of lower and upper crustal processes in the formation of trace element compositions of oils

This study presents the analysis of correlation between trace element compositions of caustobioliths (oils, coals, oil and black shales), upper and lower continental crust, and living matter. It was shown that trace element concentrations in coals and oil shales have the better correlation with the upper crustal values, whereas trace elements in oils correlate well with the lower crustal values. The statistically significant, yet poorer correlation was observed for trace element compositions of oils and living matter as compared to correlations between oils and lower crust. The results suggest that oils are compositionally more homogeneous on a basin scale and possibly have more heterogeneous composition in different petroleum basins. A suite of characteristic trace elements (Cs, Rb, K, U, V, Cr, and Ni) that was used for analysis allowed a consistent interpretation of the relative upper and lower crustal contributions to the trace element composition of oils.     

Electron microprobe analysis and ore microscopic study of magnetic spherules and grains collected from the Greenland ice

Numerous magnetic spherules and grains collected from the Greenland ice and suspected of being of cosmic origin were studied microscopically and with the microprobe. Seven types of spherules and grams were recognized.Several magnetite spherules contain metallic cores. The metallic cores of three spherules are composed of nearly pure Fe with traces of Ni. The metallic nuclei of two other spherules contain appreciable amounts of Ni; the nucleus of one of these is composed of a Ni-rich NiFe alloy (96.9% Ni), and that of the other contains 3% Ni. This latter spherule is probably of cosmic origin, perhaps formed in the fusion crust of an iron meteorite. Its magnetic shell contains no detectable Ni.The majority of the spherules consist of magnetite, which is more or less transected by martite lamellae [parallel to {111} planes of the magnetite]. One composite grain of titanomagnetite, ilmenite, hematite, and pyroxene was also found. This grain is of terrestrial origin, probably derived from the metamorphic crystalline complex of Greenland. The mineralogy and chemistry of the observed magnetite spherules and grains are discussed in detail.This work was begun at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory, Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it was supported in part by Grant GA-855 from the National Science Foundation, and completed at Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, Heidelberg.     

Discovery of Cosmic Spherules from the Mesoproterozoic Strata and its Significance—in Case of the Ming Tombs Area, Beijing

This study covers cosmic spherules derived from the Mesoproterozoic Dahongyu Formation in the Ming Tombs area, Beijing. The cosmic spherules include iron oxide cosmic spherules, carbonaceous chondrites, and atomic iron “steely bead”-shaped cosmic spherules. The mineral assemblage of silicon carbide, forsterite, zircon, and glass spherules and fragments were picked from melt-silicified carbonate of the Mesoproterozoic Dahongyu Formation (ca. 1625 Ma). Cosmic spherule assemblages are solely discovered from sedimentary rocks in China. Platinum group elements (PGE) were determined for the first time in cosmic spherules and associated minerals. PGE comparative observation between meteorite and cosmic spherules is presented in this study. It is recognized that an extraterrestrial meteorite impact event might have occurred in the Dahongyu Stage. The main evidence is a large number of iron cosmic spherules in silicified oncolitic limestone, and associated cosmic silicon carbide, glass spherules, and fragments, as well as the presence of forsterite. The impact-volcanic crater is characteristic of a big black shale block dropped into the bended silicified limestone.     

鲁西中生代高镁闪长岩的地球化学特征及其成因探讨

鲁西中生代侵入岩包括辉长岩,闪长岩,花岗闪长岩和花岗岩,以闪长岩最为常见。莱芜和沂南等地的闪长岩具有高Mg#(0.45～0.69),Cr(<278μg/g)的特点,并富集大离子亲石元素(LILE)和亏损高场强元素(HFSE),其总体成分特点类似于北美苏必利尔省的太古代高镁闪长岩和产于现代俯冲带的高镁安山岩。不过鲁西高镁闪长岩的HREE含量相对较高(Yb=1.1～1.9μg/g),La/Yb比值相对较低(6.7～20),其成分更接近于Piip型高镁安山岩。鲁西高镁闪长岩代表了华北地台早期拉张环境下的岩浆活动,可能是受深俯冲扬子大陆下地壳释放的埃达克质熔体交代的岩石圈地幔直接熔融的产物。     

Trace element geochemistry in topsoil from East China

The concentrations of 23 trace elements in 50 topsoil samples collected from sites ranging between 18°19′N and 49°13′N in East China were analyzed. Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, and Ta have mean contents more than two times higher than in the continental upper crust. Three elements, Rb, Sr, and Ba, are present at lower concentrations than in the continental upper crust. Finally, a group of elements consisting of Ge, Y, Zr, Nb, Sc, Hf, Pb, Th, and U are present at concentrations 1–2 times higher than in the continental upper crust. However, concentrations of trace elements are mainly affected by parent rock. The contents of Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, and Cu for 29 soils from basalt were found to increase from north to south, whereas Rb, Sr, and Ba contents were found to decrease. In addition, element concentration shows a close relationship with annual average temperature (AAT) as well as annual average precipitation (AAP). Since the 29 soils are all from basalt, the trends of the elemental contents should reflect the influence of climate, which determines the intensity of weathering. These elemental trends suggest that the content of certain elements may indicate the intensity of basalt weathering. Ba/Nb and Sr/Nb ratios were both found to have good correlations with AAT and AAP in this study, which means that these ratios can also indicate the intensity of chemical weathering of basalt.     

麻粒岩相金红石微量元素体系

麻粒岩是研究地壳演化最重要的变质岩类,金红石作为麻粒岩中常见的副矿物之一,深入探究其微量元素体系特点,可为大陆地壳演化研究提供新的视角.根据麻粒岩金红石的基础数据（显微结构、微量元素、离子替换方式）以及地壳常见造岩矿物的微量元素特点,初步探讨了麻粒岩变质过程中微量元素行为和扩散效应.麻粒岩金红石Zr含量可记录不同阶段的变质温度,但次生锆石和钛铁矿可对其Zr含量有较大影响,作为孤立体系（不与锆石和石英平衡）的金红石不能用于温度计算;金红石Nb、Ta、Cr和V不仅受全岩成分控制,还与变质过程中黑云母、钛铁矿、蓝晶石等矿物的形成和分解紧密相关;金红石与富Fe矿物之间有强烈的Fe扩散效应.深入理解麻粒岩变质过程中金红石微量元素行为,可为限定大陆地壳变质演化和动力学过程提供重要的矿物学信息.      

冀东-辽西中-晚三叠世柏杖子花岗质侵入岩地球化学、Sr-Nd-Hf同位素特征及岩石成因

关于冀东-辽西中-晚三叠世具有埃达克质岩石特征的花岗质岩石的源区性质,存在较大争议,且以往对位于其北东向隆起区内的柏杖子岩体的成因研究程度低.对柏杖子花岗质侵入岩进行了系统的年代学、地球化学、Sr-Nd-Hf同位素研究,结果显示:柏杖子岩体结晶年龄为233±3 Ma,岩石具有低MgO、Mg#和Co、Ni、Cr含量;富集大离子亲石元素,亏损高场强元素,显示明显的Pb、Th正异常和Nb、Ta、Ti、P负异常;轻、重稀土元素分馏明显;87Sr/86Sr (t) 为0.704 45~0.705 24,ε_Nd(t) 值为-7.3~-1.7;锆石ε_Hf(t) 为-13.4~-5.9.综合分析认为,高Sr/Y比值和低Y含量的柏杖子岩体属于华北克拉通正常厚度镁铁质下地壳熔融的产物,岩石高Sr/Y比值、低Y含量和Nb-Ta负异常特征为继承的华北克拉通下地壳内在性质,并具有与太古宙-古元古代TTG岩石系列相一致的Nb-Ta解耦特征,表明柏杖子岩体源区物质有TTG岩石的贡献;岩石Sr-Nd-Hf同位素组成和低相容元素含量特征同样表明岩浆来源于受改造的下地壳熔融.早中生代玄武岩底侵过程中幔源组分的加入对华北克拉通下地壳形成改造,同时提供热源诱发下地壳物质熔融,形成的熔体向浅表侵位,经历一定程度的斜长石分离结晶,并最终形成柏杖子岩体.      

广东湛江陨击混杂堆积层的发现及其意义

通过野外地质调查和取样分析,首次在广东湛江地区中更新统早期的北海组地层中发现了一层罕见的陨击混杂堆积层,它是陨击作用下的特殊产物,是北海组含砾砂、粘土质砂在陨击高温作用下烧结、抛射堆积而形成的。陨击混杂堆积层主要分布在湛江坡头的部分地区,有的出露地表,有的为第四系所覆盖,厚度大约为0·1~4m。陨击混杂堆积层中共生玻璃陨石(雷公墨)。陨击混杂堆积层中的击变岩砾石与原岩相比较,Si O2的含量明显减少,Fe2O3的含量明显增加,其他化学成分及含量与原岩近于一致。陨击混杂堆积层的发现可能对澳大利亚—东南亚微玻璃陨石场陨击源坑的寻找和探讨该期玻璃陨石和微玻璃陨石与靶岩之间的关系有重要意义。     

Nd and Sr isotopic compositions of tektite material from Barbados and their relationship to North American tektites

Isotopic analyses of Nd and Sr on individual microtektites and a bulk microtektite sample from Barbados show them to have a very well defined isotopic composition. These data plot on an ε_Srε_Nd diagram precisely within the narrow field determined by North American tektites (ε_Sr ≈ 111; ε_Nd ≈ ?6.2). They yield an Nd model age of 0.6 AE. These results show that the microtektites from the Oceanic beds of late Eocene age are derived from the same target as the North American tektites and should be associated with the same event. Samples of the deep sea sediments in which the Barbados microtektites occur are found to have isotopic signatures which appear to reflect ambient sea water and detrital sediments. They cannot be the source of Sr or Nd in the tektites. Following the arguments of Shaw and Wasserburg (1982) we conclude that the target area which produced the North American tektite field was composed of sediments (Eocambrian or younger) derived from very late Precambrian crust. Glass beads from Lake Wanapitei Crater are isotopically different from all other tektites (ε_Sr ≈ 960; ε_Nd ≈ ?31.4) and cannot be related to the North American tektites.     

内蒙古苏宏图地区黏土岩矿物组成与地球化学特征

为探究内蒙古苏宏图地区黏土岩的地球化学特征、沉积物质来源和构造环境,利用多晶X射线衍射（XRD）和ICP-AES/MS分析法对苏宏图地区SZK-2井20件黏土岩岩芯样品进行分析测试。结果表明：XRD分析显示苏宏图地区黏土岩中黏土矿物组成以伊利石为主,伊利石质量分数平均值为37.64%;与大陆上地壳相比,黏土岩相对富集SiO2、Al2O3、Zr、As,贫P2O5、MgO、MnO、Cr、Ni,两者的K2O、TiO2、Sr、Ba含量接近。黏土岩中稀土元素特征为轻稀土元素富集,重稀土元素相对亏损,表现为明显的右倾,出现明显的Eu（平均值=0.60）负异常和Ce（平均值=1.01）轻微负异常,与大陆上地壳稀土元素的配分模式较为相似;K2O/Na2O-SiO2和微量元素构造背景判别图解中,样品多数落在大陆岛弧区,少量落在活动大陆边缘,反映了苏宏图地区沉积时期的物源来自于上地壳长英质物源且形成于大陆岛弧的构造背景中。     

The role of amphibole in the evolution of arc magmas and crust: the case from the Jurassic Bonanza arc section, Vancouver Island, Canada

The Jurassic Bonanza arc, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, represents an exhumed island arc crustal section of broadly diorite composition. We studied bodies of mafic and ultramafic cumulates within deeper levels of the arc to constrain the conditions and fractionation pathways leading from high-Mg basalt to andesite and dacite. Major element trends coupled with textural information show the intercumulus crystallization of amphibole, as large oikocrysts enclosing olivine in primitive cumulates controls the compositions of liquids until the onset of plagioclase crystallization. This process is cryptic, occurring only in the plutonic section, and explains the paucity of amphibole in mafic arc volcanics and the change in the Dy/Yb ratios in many arc suites with differentiation. The correlation of octahedral Al in hornblende with pressure in liquidus experiments on high-Mg basalts is applied as an empirical barometer to hornblendes from the Bonanza arc. It shows that crystallization took place at 470–880 MPa in H₂O-saturated primitive basaltic magmas. There are no magmatic equivalents to bulk continental crust in the Bonanza arc; no amount of delamination of ultramafic cumulates will shift the bulk arc composition to the high-Mg# andesite composition of bulk continental crust. Garnet removal from wet magmas appears to be the key factor in producing continental crust, requiring high pressures and thick crust. Because oceanic island arcs are built on thinner crust, the long-term process generating the bulk continental crust is the accretion of island arcs to continental margins with attendant tectonic thickening.     

柴北缘从大洋俯冲到陆陆碰撞:来自开屏沟造山带M型橄榄岩的证据

造山带幔源（M型）橄榄岩虽然在高压/超高压变质带分布不多,但由于其来自俯冲板块上覆的岩石圈地幔,因此是研究俯冲隧道内俯冲板片与地幔楔之间相互作用的重要对象,对于还原超高压变质带的演化有重要意义.柴北缘鱼卡榴辉岩-片麻岩区边部附近的开屏沟存在一套橄榄岩,其岩石类型、成因、时代等都缺乏研究.对开屏沟橄榄岩全岩的主量和微量元素及铂族元素、橄榄石主量元素、锆石U-Pb年龄和Hf同位素进行了研究.结果显示,其全岩具有高的Mg#、Mg/Si和Ni值,同时表现出亏损难溶的HFSE和HREE,轻微富集LILE和LREE中与流体活动性相关的元素;橄榄石具有较高的Fo值（90.11~92.77）与NiO含量（0.32%~0.45%）、低的CaO含量（< 0.02%）;PGEs的球粒陨石标准化配分模式与交代橄榄岩和残留橄榄岩近似;两组变质锆石年龄为459.5±3.6 Ma和417.5±2.7 Ma,对应的ε_Hf（t）值为-0.71~9.45和-11.96~-1.20,分别反映了洋壳流体（或早期大陆俯冲板片流体）和陆壳流体交代的性质和时限.开屏沟橄榄岩来源于俯冲带上覆地幔楔,遭受了不同来源流体不同程度的交代作用而获得地壳特征,同时为柴北缘大洋俯冲到陆陆碰撞的构造演化提供了新证据.      

新疆塔县达布达尔地区二叠系神仙湾组杂砂岩沉积构造背景分析

新疆塔县达布达尔地区二叠系神仙湾组位于塔阿西构造混杂岩带南侧,总体为一套深海复理石建造,主要以杂砂岩为主。源区岩石没有经过充分的搬运、分选,成熟度比较低。杂砂岩的稀土元素特征表现为轻稀土元素富集和Eu亏损明显的特征,与典型的后太古宙页岩和上地壳非常相似。微量元素含量也接近于大陆上地壳值,说明杂砂岩中的物源来自上地壳。沉积环境分析表明,杂砂岩母岩原岩为大量长英质火成物质和少量沉积物,其形成于深海厌氧环境。大地构造背景分析表明,杂砂岩物源区的构造背景以大陆岛弧为主,兼具活动大陆边缘的性质。结合区域地质构造背景,认为下-中二叠统神仙湾组为裂陷盆地沉积。     

Trace element distribution between orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene in peridotites from the Gakkel Ridge: a SIMS and NanoSIMS study

Clinopyroxenes (cpx) in abyssal and ophiolitic peridotites are commonly analyzed for lithophile trace element abundances in order to estimate degrees of melting and porosity conditions during melt extraction, assuming that these data reflect near-solidus conditions. During cooling, however, cpxs always exsolve into parallel lamellae of low-Ca enstatite and high-Ca diopside. This may potentially lead to redistribution of the initial trace element budget. Since orthopyroxene (opx) cannot significantly host most incompatible trace elements, exsolution will lead to an enrichment in the cpx lamellae. In order to address a possibly exsolution-controlled partitioning between cpx and opx, we have obtained major and trace element mineral compositions on 14 plagioclase-free ocean floor mantle rocks. They cover the entire abyssal peridotite compositional spectrum from very fertile to highly depleted compositions. The mean volume proportion of opx lamellae in cpx porphyroclasts lies around 15% of the original cpx. For the light to middle rare earth elements, the enrichment in the measured cpx exsolution is exclusively controlled by these phase proportions. Relative to these highly incompatible trace elements, solely Ti and Yb partition significantly into opx. Lamellar interpyroxene partition coefficients, estimated from NanoSIMS analyses, are around three times as high as the ones for near-solidus bulk pyroxene. The equilibration temperatures for the exsolution lamella are slightly higher than 800°C. The bulk cpx can be reconstructed using the lamellar proportions and their relative partitioning. The implication of such a reconstruction is that the cpx rare earth element patterns shift almost in parallel to lower values. These shifts, however, do not affect mantle melting models proposed thus far for mid-ocean ridges. Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.