Beryllium-10 concentrations of tektites from the Ivory Coast and from Central Europe: Evidence for near-surface residence of precursor materials

By using accelerator mass spectrometry, we measured ¹⁰Be (T_1/2 = 1.5 Ma) concentrations in nine Ivory Coast (IVC) tektites, in six soil samples collected near the Bosumtwi impact crater, the likely source region, and in a depth profile taken through a 23 g moldavite. In the core of the moldavite sample we also measured an upper limit on the ³⁶Cl (T_1/2 = 0.3 My) concentration. The average ¹⁰Be concentration in IVC tektites of (22 ± 11) × 10⁶ atom/g exceeds reasonable limits for a meteoritic component or cosmic-ray production in situ after tektite formation. The ¹⁰Be must be meteoric, which implies that IVC tektites formed from soils or sediments. Corrected to the time of formation (ToF) 1.07 Ma ago and for a small in situ component, the average ¹⁰Be concentration of (35 ± 7) × 10⁶ atom/g (1 − σ mean) is considerably lower than those of contemporary Bosumtwi soils, ∼250 × 10⁶ atom/g, or of Australasian tektites at their ToF, 0.8 Ma B.P. near Lake Bosumtwi today the soil column is only ∼1 m thick. If the landscape was similar 1.07 Ma ago, then the total thickness of the tektite formation zone probably did not exceed 10 m. With increasing depth below the surface of the moldavite, the ¹⁰Be concentrations decrease rapidly owing to the presence of a surface component, probably of recent origin. The main interior mass of the sample contains ∼0.8 × 10⁶ atom ¹⁰Be/g and fewer than 0.1 × 10⁶ atom ³⁶Cl/g, little of which can be meteoritic. Although not definitive, consideration of several possible cosmic-ray exposure histories suggests that about half the interior ¹⁰Be has a meteoric origin, which if corrected to the time of formation yields a concentration compatible with those measured in typical contemporary soils. The observations are consistent with the formation of three of the four main tektite groups from surface soils or sediments.     

Atmospheric deposition of Be and Be in New Zealand rain (1996-98)

Beryllium isotope concentrations were determined in monthly rainfall collections at three sites across New Zealand (36 to 45° S), from October 1996 to November 1998. At the northern sites of Leigh (near Auckland) and Gracefield (near Wellington), ⁷Be and ¹⁰Be concentrations are relatively constant at 1.2 to 1.4 × 10⁷ atoms kg⁻¹ rain and 2.1 to 2.6 × 10⁷ atoms kg⁻¹ rain, respectively. These concentrations correspond to annual flux rates of ∼15 and ∼27 × 10⁹ atoms m⁻² y⁻¹, respectively. At the southern site of Dunedin, concentrations are similar to those at the northern sites, but flux rates are significantly lower at ∼ 9 and ∼19 × 10⁹ atoms m⁻² y⁻¹, respectively, because of lower average rainfall east of the Southern Alps mountain range. These results are broadly similar to those reported by Brown et al. (1989) and Knies et al. (1994) for rain from midlatitude sites in the USA sampled from 1986 to 1994. Mean ⁷Be/¹⁰Be ratios for New Zealand (0.47 to 0.61) are, however, significantly lower than for the USA (0.69 to 0.78), due in part to the addition of ¹⁰Be from re-suspended dust. Subtraction of the dust component increases the New Zealand ⁷Be/¹⁰Be ratios to 0.70 (Leigh), 0.65 (Gracefield) and 0.50 (Dunedin). The adjusted results provide evidence for transfer of older stratospheric air to the troposphere in late-spring-summer, an effect which is strongest in the north. The overall reduction of ⁷Be/¹⁰Be from north to south implies an increase in residence time from ∼ 80 to ∼100 d for Be isotopes in the atmosphere above New Zealand.     

Ar-Ar laser dating of tektites from the Cheb Basin (Czech Republic): Evidence for coevality with moldavites and influence of the dating standard on the age of the Ries impact

Moldavites (Central European tektites) are genetically related to the impact event that produced the ∼24-km diameter Ries crater in Germany, representing one of the youngest large impact structures on Earth. Although several geochronological studies have been completed, there is still no agreement among ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar ages on both moldavites and glasses from Ries suevites. Even recently published data yielded within-sample mean ages with a nominal spread of more than 0.6 Ma (14.24-14.88 Ma). This age spread, which significantly exceeds current internal errors, must be in part ascribed to geological and/or analytical causes.This study reports the results of a detailed geochronological investigation of moldavites from the Cheb area (Czech Republic), which have never been dated before, and, for comparison, of two samples from type localities, one in southern Bohemia and the other in western Moravia. We used ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar laser step-heating and total fusion techniques in conjunction with microscale petrographic and chemical characterization. In addition, with the purpose of ascertaining the influence of the dating standards on the age of the Ries impact and making data from this study and literature consistent with the now widely used Fish Canyon sanidine (FCs) standard, we performed a direct calibration of multi-grain splits of the Fish Canyon biotite (FCT-3) with FCs. The intercalibration factors (), determined for eight stack positions in one of the three performed irradiations, were indistinguishable within errors and gave an arithmetic mean and a standard deviation of 1.0086 ± 0.0031 (±2σ), in agreement with previous works suggesting that biotite from the Fish Canyon Tuff is somewhat older (∼0.8%) than the coexisting sanidine.Laser total fusion analysis of milligram to sub-milligram splits of five tektite samples from the Cheb area yielded mostly concordant intrasample ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar ages, and within-sample weighted mean ages of 14.66 ± 0.08-14.75 ± 0.12 Ma (±2σ internal errors, ages relative to FCs) that overlap within errors. These ages match those obtained for samples from western Moravia (14.66 ± 0.08 Ma) and southern Bohemia (14.68 ± 0.11 Ma), supporting the genetic link between Cheb Basin tektites and moldavites, and, consequently, between Cheb Basin tektites and the Ries impact. In contrast to samples from the Cheb area and Moravia, ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar ages from total fusion experiments on the Bohemian specimen ranged widely from ∼14.6 to ∼17.0 Ma. Older apparent ages, however, were systematically obtained from fragments characterized by visible surface alteration. Laser step-heating experiments, although displaying slightly disturbed age profiles, were in line with total fusion analyses and yielded well-defined plateau ages of 14.64 ± 0.11-14.71 ± 0.11 Ma (±2σ internal errors, ages relative to FCs).A thorough comparison of our and previous ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar ages on both moldavites and Ries suevite glasses, recalculated relative to the ⁴⁰Ar^∗/⁴⁰K ratio recently determined for FCs using intercalibration factors available in or derivable from the literature, reveals some inconsistencies which may be ascribed to either geological or analytical causes. Based on our data, decay constants in current use in geochronology, and ages calculated relative to FCs, we infer that the age of moldavites is 14.68 ± 0.11 Ma (±2σ, neglecting uncertainties in the ⁴⁰K decay constants).     

Volcanic and solar activity, and atmospheric circulation influences on cosmogenic Be fallout at Vostok and Concordia (Antarctica) over the last 60 years

The cosmogenic nuclide beryllium-10 (¹⁰Be), recovered from ice cores, is often used to study solar activity on long timescales. However, the ¹⁰Be signal is also influenced by factors other than the Sun. To identify and quantify various contributions to the ¹⁰Be signal, two Antarctic snow records from the Vostok and Concordia sites spanning the last 60 years were studied at a sub-annual resolution. Three factors that contribute to the ¹⁰Be signal were identified. First, a significant period of approximately 11 yr that can be associated with the modulation of ¹⁰Be production by solar activity was detected in both records. The solar imprint constitutes 20-35% of the variance within the total signal. The 11-yr ¹⁰Be snow component was attenuated by a factor of ∼0.5 and was delayed by ∼1.4 yr compared to the ¹⁰Be production expected within the polar atmosphere. The result could be interpreted as the composite response of a stratospheric ¹⁰Be reservoir with an 11-yr modulation that was attenuated and delayed (with respect to ¹⁰Be polar production) and to a tropospheric ¹⁰Be reservoir with an 11-yr modulation that was not attenuated or delayed. Then, peaks in ¹⁰Be concentrations that were ∼66% and ∼35% higher than the average concentration were observed during the stratospheric volcanic eruptions of Agung (in 1963) and Pinatubo (in 1991), respectively. In light of these new results, published ¹⁰Be ice core records could be reinterpreted because spikes in ¹⁰Be concentration appear at the time of several stratospheric events. The data indicate that stratospheric volcanic eruptions can impact ¹⁰Be transport and deposition as a result of the roles played by the sedimentation of sulfate aerosols and the formation and rapid settling of polar stratospheric clouds (PSC). Also, an interannual variability of ∼4 yr was determined in both ¹⁰Be records, corresponding to ∼26% of the variance within the signal at Vostok. As with species of marine origin (sodium), this 4-yr variability is interpreted as a tropospheric modulation. The 4-yr variability could be associated with atmospheric circulation associated with the coupled Southern Ocean ocean-atmosphere system. The results presented here, from sites within the high Antarctic plateau, open new possibilities for ice core dating over the last few centuries and for the reconstruction of past solar activity in relation to climate.     

Mass spectrometric evidence for organic constituents in tektites

Since the physical and chemical events leading to the formation of organic molecules in numerous carbon-containing meteorites (e.g. paraffins, alcohols and aromatics have been identified) have been studied in considerable detail, it becomes important to compare and relate similar studies with tektites. For this purpose, various tektite specimens were heated to temperatures up to 1500°C and the vaporizing molecular species identified with a mass spectrometer. In this technique, volatile constituents are selectively vaporized from the sample, ionized to electrically charged positive particles by bombardment with high energy electrons, and separated in an electric and magnetic field according to their respective molecular weights. Mass spectra for the direct volatilization of individual tektites from the Philippine Islands, Viet Nam, Thailand, Australia, Czechoslovakia and Texas were compared with those obtained from the carbonaceous Pueblito de Allende chondrite and terrestrial obsidian.     

Seasonal variability in the input of lead, barium and indium to Law Dome, Antarctica

Lead (Pb) isotopic compositions and concentrations, and barium (Ba) and indium (In) concentrations have been determined at monthly resolution in five Law Dome (coastal Eastern Antarctica) ice core sections dated from ∼1757 AD to ∼1898 AD. ‘Natural’ background Pb concentrations in ∼1757 AD average ∼0.2 pg g⁻¹ and can be attributed to mineral dust and volcanic emissions, with ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios reaching up to 1.266 ± 0.002. From ∼1887 AD to ∼1898 AD, Pb concentrations reached ∼5 pg g⁻¹ and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁷Pb ratios decreased to 1.058 ± 0.001 as a result of additional inputs of Pb from anthropogenic sources. Seasonal variability in the late 1880s has been investigated by decoupling volcanic Pb from the total measured Pb concentrations, revealing spring and autumn maxima, and consistent winter minima, in anthropogenic Pb and mineral dust (Ba) concentrations. We link this variability to the annual cycle in the position and strength of the Antarctic Circumpolar Trough and, the Southern Ocean westerly winds to the north of the trough region. During the autumn and spring seasons, these systems increase in strength, transporting more impurity laden air from the Southern Hemisphere continental regions to Eastern Antarctica and Law Dome. As this Pb is isotopically identical to that emitted from south-eastern Australia (Broken Hill, Port Pirie) this implies a relatively direct air trajectory pathway from southern Australia to Law Dome (Eastern Antarctica).     

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.     

The dissolved Beryllium isotope composition of the Arctic Ocean

We present the first comprehensive set of dissolved ¹⁰Be and ⁹Be concentrations in surface waters and vertical profiles of all major sub-basins of the Arctic Ocean, which are complemented by data from the major Arctic rivers Mackenzie, Lena, Yenisey and Ob. The results show that ¹⁰Be and ⁹Be concentrations in waters below 150 m depth are low and only vary within a factor of 2 throughout the Arctic Basin (350-750 atoms/g and 9-15 pmol/kg, respectively). In marked contrast, Be isotope compositions in the upper 150 m are highly variable and show systematic variations. Cosmogenic ¹⁰Be concentrations range from 150 to 1000 atoms/g and concentrations of terrigenous ⁹Be range from 7 to 65 pmol/kg, resulting in ¹⁰Be/⁹Be ratios (atom/atom) between 0.5 and 14 × 10⁻⁸. Inflowing Atlantic water masses in the Eurasian Basin are characterized by a ¹⁰Be/⁹Be signature of 7 × 10⁻⁸. The inflow of Pacific water masses across the Bering Strait is characterized by lower ratios of 2-3 × 10⁻⁸, which can be traced into the central Arctic Ocean, possibly as far as the Fram Strait. A comparison of the high dissolved surface ¹⁰Be and ⁹Be concentrations (corresponding to low ¹⁰Be/⁹Be signatures of ∼2 × 10⁻⁸) in the Eurasian Basin with hydrographic parameters and river data documents efficient and rapid transport of Be with Siberian river waters across the Siberian Arctic shelves into the central Arctic Basin, although significant loss and exchange of Be on the shelves occurs. In contrast, fresh surface waters from the Canada Basin also show high cosmogenic ¹⁰Be contents, but are not enriched in terrigenous ⁹Be (resulting in high ¹⁰Be/⁹Be signatures of up to 14 × 10⁻⁸). This is explained by a combination of efficient scavenging of Be in the Mackenzie River estuary and the shelves and additional supply of cosmogenic ¹⁰Be via atmospheric fallout and melting of old sea ice. The residence time of Be in the deep Arctic Ocean estimated from our data is 800 years and thus similar to the average Be residence time in the global ocean.     

Li and B isotopic variations in an Allende CAI: Evidence for the in situ decay of short-lived Be and for the possible presence of the short-lived nuclide Be in the early solar system

The concentrations and isotopic compositions of lithium, beryllium, and boron, analyzed in situ by ion microprobe in 66 spots of a type B1 Ca-Al-rich inclusion (CAI 3529-41) from the Allende meteorite, are reported. Large variations are observed for both the Li and the B isotopic ratios with ⁷Li/⁶Li ranging from 9.2 ± 0.22 to 12.22 ± 0.43 (a ≈250‰ range in δ⁷Li values) and ¹⁰B/¹¹B ranging from 0.2468 ± 0.0057 to 0.4189 ± 0.0493 (a 410‰ range in δ¹¹B values). The very low Li concentrations (<1 ppb) observed in several anorthite and fassaite grains require that a correction for the contribution of spallogenic Li produced during irradiation of the Allende meteoroid by galactic cosmic rays (GCR) be made (after this correction ⁷Li/⁶Li ranges from 9.2 ± 0.22 to 13.44 ± 0.56, i.e., a ≈350‰ range in δ⁷Li values). In 3529-41, the ¹⁰B/¹¹B ratios are positively correlated with ⁹Be/¹¹B in a manner indicating the in situ decay of short-lived ¹⁰Be (half-life = 1.5 Ma) with a ¹⁰Be/⁹Be ratio at the time of formation of the CAI of 8.8 ± 0.6 × 10⁻⁴, which is in agreement with previous findings [McKeegan, K.D., Chaussidon, M., Robert, F., 2000. Incorporation of short-lived ¹⁰Be in a calcium-aluminum-rich inclusion from the Allende meteorite. Science289, 1334-1337]. The present detailed investigation demonstrates that only minor perturbations of the ¹⁰Be-¹⁰B system are present in 3529-41, contrary to the ²⁶Al/²⁶Mg system for which numerous examples of isotopic redistribution following crystallization were observed [Podosek, F.A., Zinner, E.K., MacPherson, G.J., Lundberg, L.L., Brannon, J.C., Fahey, A.J., 1991. Correlated study of initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and Al-Mg systematics and petrologic properties in a suite of refractory inclusions from the Allende meteorite. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta55, 1083-1110]. Petrographically based criteria were developed to identify within the 66 analyzed spots in 3529-41, those where post-magmatic perturbation of the Li and Be distributions occurred. Li and Be concentrations measured in different analytical spots are compared with those predicted by using experimentally determined partition coefficients according to a model of closed-system crystallization of the CAI melt. These criteria show that 56% of the spots in melilite, 38% in anorthite, and 8% in fassaite suffered post-crystallization perturbations of Li and/or Be distributions. In the remaining spots, which do not show obvious indication of redistribution of Li or Be, the ⁷Li/⁶Li isotopic variations (corrected for GCR exposure) are positively correlated with⁹Be/⁶Li suggesting the in situ decay of now-extinct ⁷Be. The derived isochron implies that at the time of its formation, the CAI melt had a ⁷Be/⁹Be ratio of 0.0061 ± 0.0013 and a ⁷Li/⁶Li ratio of 11.49 ± 0.13. In contrast, all the spots in 3529-41, which do show evidence for post-magmatic redistribution of Li and Be, have relatively constant ⁷Li/⁶Li, averaging 11.72 ± 0.56, which is consistent with mass balance calculations for Li isotopic homogenization in the CAI after the decay of ⁷Be. The incorporation of live ⁷Be in 3529-41 requires, because of the very short half-life of this nuclide (53 days), that it be produced essentially contemporaneously with the formation of the CAI. Therefore, the irradiation processes responsible for production of ⁷Be must have occurred within the solar accretion disk. Calculations developed in the framework of the x-wind model [Gounelle, M., Shu, F.H., Shang, H., Glassgold, A.E., Rehm, E.K., Lee, T., 2004. The origin of short-lived radionuclides and early Solar System irradiation (abstract). Lunar Planet. Sci.35, 1829] reproduce the ⁷Be and ¹⁰Be abundances observed in 3529-41. The correlated presence of ⁷Be and ¹⁰Be in 3529-41 is thus a strong argument that ¹⁰Be, which is observed rather ubiquitously in CAIs, is also a product of irradiation in the early solar system, as might be a significant fraction of other short-lived radionuclides observed in early solar system materials.     

Iron local structure in tektites and impact glasses by extended X-ray absorption fine structure and high-resolution X-ray absorption near-edge structure spectroscopy

The local structure of iron in three tektites has been studied by means of Fe K-edge extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) and high-resolution X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) spectroscopy in order to provide quantitative data on <Fe-O> distance and Fe coordination number. The samples studied are a moldavite and two australasian tektites. Fe model compounds with known Fe oxidation state and coordination number were used as standards in order to extract structural information from the XANES pre-edge peak. EXAFS-derived grand mean <Fe-O> distances and Fe coordination numbers for the three tektite samples are constant within the estimated error (<Fe-O > =2.00 Å ± 0.02 Å, CN = 4.0 ± 0.4). In contrast to other data from the literature on Fe-bearing silicate glasses, the tektites spectra could not be fitted with a single Fe-O distance, but rather were fit with two independent distances (2 × 1.92 Å and 2 × 2.08 Å). High-resolution XANES spectra of the three tektites display a pre-edge peak whose intensity is intermediate between those of staurolite and grandidierite, thus suggesting a mean coordination number intermediate between 4 and 5. Combining the EXAFS and XANES data for Fe, we infer the mean coordination number to be close to 4.5.Comparison of the tektites XANES spectra with those of a suite of different impact glasses clearly shows that tektites display a relatively narrow range of Fe oxidation state and coordination numbers, whereas impact glasses data span a much wider range of Fe oxidation states (from divalent to trivalent) and coordination numbers (from tetra-coordinated to esa-coordinated). These data suggest that the tektite production process is very similar for all the known strewn fields, whereas impact glasses can experience a wide variety of different temperature-pressure-oxygen fugacity conditions, leading to different Fe local structure in the resulting glasses. These data could be of aid in discriminating between tektite-like impact glasses and impact glasses sensu strictu.     

Isotopic fractionation of Cu in tektites

Tektites are terrestrial natural glasses of up to a few centimeters in size that were produced during hypervelocity impacts on the Earth’s surface. It is well established that the chemical and isotopic composition of tektites is generally identical to that of the upper terrestrial continental crust. Tektites typically have very low water content, which has generally been explained by volatilization at high temperature; however, the exact mechanism is still debated. Because volatilization can fractionate isotopes, comparing the isotopic composition of volatile elements in tektites with those of their source rocks may help to understand the physical conditions during tektite formation.Interestingly, volatile chalcophile elements (e.g., Cd and Zn) seem to be the only elements for which isotopic fractionation is known so far in tektites. Here, we extend this study to Cu, another volatile chalcophile element. We have measured the Cu isotopic composition for 20 tektite samples from the four known different strewn fields. All of the tektites (except the Muong Nong-types) are enriched in the heavy isotopes of Cu (1.98 < δ⁶⁵Cu < 6.99) in comparison to the terrestrial crust (δ⁶⁵Cu ≈ 0) with no clear distinction between the different groups. The Muong Nong-type tektites and a Libyan Desert Glass sample are not fractionated (δ⁶⁵Cu ≈ 0) in comparison to the terrestrial crust. To refine the Cu isotopic composition of the terrestrial crust, we also present data for three geological reference materials (δ⁶⁵Cu ≈ 0).An increase of δ⁶⁵Cu with decreasing Cu abundance probably reflects that the isotopic fractionation occurred by evaporation during heating. A simple Rayleigh distillation cannot explain the Cu isotopic data and we suggest that the isotopic fractionation is governed by a diffusion-limited regime. Copper is isotopically more fractionated than the more volatile element Zn (δ^66/64Zn up to 2.49‰). This difference of behavior between Cu and Zn is predicted in a diffusion-limited regime, where the magnitude of the isotopic fractionation is regulated by the competition between the evaporative flux and the diffusive flux at the diffusion boundary layer. Due to the difference of ionic charge in silicates (Zn²⁺ vs. Cu⁺), Cu has a diffusion coefficient that is larger than that of Zn by at least two orders of magnitude. Therefore, the larger isotopic fractionation in Cu than in Zn in tektites is due to the significant difference in their respective chemical diffusivity.     

Iron and other transition metals in Patagonian riverborne and windborne materials: geochemical control and transport to the southern South Atlantic Ocean

The bulk of particulate transition metals transported by Patagonian rivers shows an upper crustal composition. Riverine particulate 0.5 N HCl leachable trace metal concentrations are mainly controlled by Fe-oxides. Complexation of Fe by dissolved organic carbon (DOC) appears to be an important determinant of the phases transporting trace metals in Patagonian rivers. In contrast, aeolian trace elements have a combined crustal and anthropogenic origin. Aeolian materials have Fe, Mn, and Al contents similar to that found in regional topsoils. However, seasonal concentrations of some metals (e.g., Co, Pb, Cu, and Zn) are much higher than expected from normal crustal weathering and are likely pollutant derived.We estimate that Patagonian sediments are supplied to the South Atlantic shelf in approximately equivalent amounts from the atmosphere (∼30 × 10⁶ T yr⁻¹) and coastal erosion (∼40 × 10⁶ T yr⁻¹) with much less coming from the rivers (∼2.0 × 10⁶ T yr⁻¹). Low trace metal riverine fluxes are linked to the low suspended particulate load of Patagonian rivers, inasmuch most of it is retained in pro-glacial lakes as well as in downstream reservoirs. Based on our estimation of aeolian dust fluxes at the Patagonian coastline, the high nutrient-low chlorophyll sub Antarctic South Atlantic could receive 1.0 to 4.0 mg m⁻² yr⁻¹ of leachable (0.5 N HCl) Fe. Past and present volcanic activity in the southern Andes—through the ejection of tephra—must be highlighted as another important source of Fe to the South Atlantic Ocean. Based on the 1991 Hudson volcano eruption, it appears that volcanic events can contribute several thousand-fold the mass of “leachable” Fe to the ocean as is introduced by annual Patagonian dust fallout.     

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.     

Use of in situ-produced Be in carbonate-rich environments: A first attempt

We have determined the production rate of in situ-produced ¹⁰Be in calcite through measurements of ¹⁰Be and ³⁶Cl concentrations in the same calcite samples and of ¹⁰Be concentrations in depth profiles of flint from the same erosional surface. This yields a ¹⁰Be production rate in calcite of 37.9 ± 6.0 at/g/yr at sea level and high latitude, approximately sixfold higher than production in the coexisting flint. We propose that this higher rate of production may be due to high production cross sections for C spallation by cosmic rays with energies below 50 MeV. These results also open the possibility of dating burial events in carbonate-rich environments by differential radioactive decay of ¹⁰Be and ³⁶Cl.     

Isotopic records in CM hibonites: Implications for timescales of mixing of isotope reservoirs in the solar nebula

The magnesium isotopic compositions of 26 hibonite-bearing inclusions from the CM chondrite Murchison, as well as isotopic measurements on a subset of these samples for oxygen, titanium, and lithium-beryllium-boron are reported along with oxygen isotopic data for an additional 13 hibonites that were previously investigated for other isotope systems (magnesium, potassium, calcium, and titanium) and rare earth element concentrations. Magnesium isotopic compositions divide CM hibonites into two distinct populations which correlate perfectly with their mineralogy and morphology, as previously discovered by Ireland [Ireland T. R. (1988) Correlated morphological, chemical, and isotopic characteristics of hibonites from the Murchison carbonaceous chondrite. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta52, 2827-2839]: Spinel-HIBonite spherules (SHIBs) bear evidence of in situ²⁶Al decay, whereas PLAty-Crystals (PLACs) and Blue AGgregates (BAGs) either lack resolvable ²⁶Mg-excesses or exhibit ²⁶Mg deficits by up to ∼4‰. High precision, multiple collector SIMS analyses show that 6 of 7 SHIBs investigated fall on a single correlation line implying ²⁶Al/²⁷Al = (4.5 ± 0.2) × 10⁻⁵ at the time of isotopic closure, consistent with the “canonical” ²⁶Al abundance characteristic of internal isochrons in many calcium-aluminum-rich inclusions (CAIs). One SHIB sample exhibits Δ²⁶Mg^∗ consistent with a “supracanonical” ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratio of (6.4 ± 0.5) × 10⁻⁵. The PLAC hibonites contain highly anomalous titanium isotopic compositions, with δ⁵⁰Ti values ranging from −80‰ to almost +200‰, whereas SHIBs generally lack large Ti isotopic anomalies.Eight out of 11 ²⁶Al-free PLAC hibonite grains record ¹⁰B/¹¹B excesses that correlate with Be/B; the inferred initial ¹⁰Be/⁹Be ratio of (5.1 ± 1.4) × 10⁻⁴ is lower than the best-constrained ¹⁰Be/⁹Be of (8.8 ± 0.6) × 10⁻⁴ in a CV CAI. The data demonstrate that ¹⁰Be cannot be used as a relative chronometer for these objects and that most of the ¹⁰Be observed in CAIs must be produced by irradiation of precursor solids in the early solar system. The lack of ²⁶Al in PLAC hibonites indicates that significant amounts of ²⁶Al were not formed in the same spallogenic processes that made ¹⁰Be in PLAC precursors. This is most easily understood as indicating very early formation of the PLAC hibonites, prior to the incorporation and mixing of ²⁶Al into the solar nebula, although an alternative scenario, which invokes irradiation under different solar flare conditions, cannot be ruled out. Lithium isotopes are normal within uncertainties, probably reflecting contamination and/or postcrystallization exchange.The oxygen isotopic compositions of SHIBs and PLACs are all highly ¹⁶O-enriched, but are not derived from a homogeneous reservoir: Δ¹⁷O values span a range of ∼−28‰ to −15‰. The ranges of ¹⁶O-enrichment in SHIBs and PLACs overlap and are less “anomalous” than the most ¹⁶O-enriched compositions found in meteorites [Kobayashi S., Imai H. and Yurimoto H. (2003) New extreme ¹⁶O-rich chondrule in the early solar system. Geochem. J.37, 663-669]. Both PLACs and SHIBs formed in ¹⁶O-enriched reservoirs characterized by small-scale heterogeneities in the gas phase. If such heterogeneities were generated by an admixture of relatively ¹⁶O-poor gas created by self-shielding during CO photolysis and transported to the hot inner regions of the accretion disk, then this process must have been initiated very early on, prior to the arrival of fresh radioactivity into the inner solar system. Oxygen isotope heterogeneities persisted throughout the formation interval of PLACs, CAI precursors, and SHIBs which could be as long as 3 × 10⁵ years based on ²⁶Al records.One SHIB and one BAG exhibit mass fractionated oxygen isotopic compositions similar to those seen in FUN inclusions and in several platy hibonite crystals [Lee T., Mayeda T. K. and Clayton R. N. (1980) Oxygen isotopic anomalies in Allende inclusion HAL. Geophys. Res. Lett.7, 493-496; Ireland T. R., Zinner E. K., Fahey A. J. and Esat T. M. (1992) Evidence for distillation in the formation of HAL and related hibonite inclusions. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta56, 2503-2520; Ushikubo T., Hiyagon H. and Sugiura N. (2007) A FUN-like hibonite inclusion with a large ²⁶Mg-excess. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.254, 115-126]. The suite of mass-fractionated hibonites exhibit a range of isotopic properties, including ²⁶Al/²⁷Al ratios from below detection to a “canonical” level and oxygen and titanium anomalies that are not exceptional by PLAC standards. This suggests that F (fractionation) processes—evaporation under (oxidizing) conditions—are not necessarily associated with sampling a special isotopic reservoir.     

泰国东北部猜也奔府Noen Sa-nga地区Yasothon土壤剖面中的澳大拉西亚玻陨石

A sedimentary profile exposed in soil quarries a few kilometers north of Noen Sa-nga district, Chaiyaphum province, NE Thailand, reveals a Quaternary geological history. The lower part of the soil profile is a gravel deposit characterized by sub-angular to well-rounded pebbles representing an abandoned river sedimentary deposit. The gravel bed in some places is coated by iron oxide as a thin layer of ferricrete at the uppermost part. The upper part of the soil profile is a bright reddish brown structureless sand deposit with fining upward sedimentary structure at the basal portion, the Yasothon soil series. A piece of tektite was discovered at the contact boundary between the two sedimentary units. It is characterized by an irregular shape with a smooth concaved surface regarding as an external mold of a piece of well-rounded pebble. This piece of tektite indicates that a solidified tektite had fallen from high sky then was remelted into a plastic form prior to reach and partly cover a piece of well-rounded pebble. These evidences suggest that there was a meteoritic or cometary impact on our earth surface somewhere in the region then catapulted numbers of melted silica ejecta with vast volume of dust into the sky. The melted silica ejecta were solidified into splash-form tektites with various shapes while they were in the high sky. After that the tektites had fallen down and remelted into a plastic form prior to reach the ground surface and then solidified as a tektite deposit followed by larger-sized sediments and angular quartz fragments forming a fining upward sedimentary structure. The finer sediments were gradually settled down forming a bright reddish brown structureless sand deposit, the Yasothon soil series. This meteoritic impact event occurred at about 0.77 Ma ago as the evidence of the previous tektite radiometric dating.     

Isotopic insights into smoothening of abandoned fan surfaces, Southern California

Cosmogenic nuclide concentrations measured on abandoned fan surfaces along the Mojave section of the San Andreas Fault suggest that sediment is generated, transported, and removed from the fans on the order of 30-40 kyr. We measured in situ produced cosmogenic ¹⁰Be, and in some cases ²⁶Al, in boulders (n = 15), surface sediment (n = 15), and one depth profile (n = 9). Nuclide concentrations in surface sediments and boulders underestimate fan ages, suggesting that ¹⁰Be accumulation is largely controlled by the geomorphic processes that operate on the surfaces of the fans and not by their ages.Field observations, grain-size distribution, and cosmogenic nuclide data suggest that over time, boulders weather into grus and the bar sediments diffuse into the adjacent swales. As fans grow older the relief between bars and swales decreases, the sediment transport rate from bars to swales decreases, and the surface processes that erode the fan become uniform over the entire fan surface. The nuclide data therefore suggest that, over time, the difference in ¹⁰Be concentration between bars and swales increases to a maximum until the topographic relief between bars and swales is minimized, resulting in a common surface lowering rate and common ¹⁰Be concentrations across the fan. During this phase, the entire fan is lowered homogeneously at a rate of 10-15 mm kyr⁻¹.     

Unraveling rift margin evolution and escarpment development ages along the Dead Sea fault using cosmogenic burial ages

The Dead Sea fault (DSF) is one of the most active plate boundaries in the world. Understanding the Quaternary history and sediments of the DSF requires investigation into the Neogene development of this plate boundary. DSF lateral motion preceded significant extension and rift morphology by ~ 10 Ma. Sediments of the Sedom Formation, dated here between 5.0 ± 0.5 Ma and 6.2_− 2.1^+ inf Ma, yielded extremely low ¹⁰Be concentrations and ²⁶Al is absent. These reflect the antiquity of the sediments, deposited in the Sedom Lagoon, which evolved in a subdued landscape and was connected to the Mediterranean Sea. The base of the overlying Amora Formation, deposited in the terminal Amora Lake which developed under increasing relief that promoted escarpment incision, was dated at 3.3_− 0.8^+ 0.9 Ma. Burial ages of fluvial sediments within caves (3.4 ± 0.2 Ma and 3.6 ± 0.4 Ma) represent the timing of initial incision. Initial DSF topography coincides with the earliest Red Sea MORB's and the East Anatolian fault initiation. These suggest a change in the relative Arabian–African plate motion. This change introduced the rifting component to the DSF followed by a significant subsidence, margin uplift, and a reorganization of relief and drainage pattern in the region resulting in the topographic framework observed today.     

黄土和红粘土中宇宙成因核素定年的潜力: 10 Be浓度与化学成分的关系*

宇宙成因核素¹⁰ Be(半衰期1.5Ma)不但是古环境变化的示踪剂,而且具有确定地质年龄的能力。80个全岩样品的¹⁰ Be和化学分析数据表明,黄土高原约6Ma以来的红粘土和黄土序列中年龄校正的¹⁰ Be浓度与沉积物粒度和风化程度的化学指标具有显著的关系。根据这种关系建立的¹⁰ Be浓度与化学指标的经验回归线性模型,可以估计红粘土和黄土形成时的¹⁰ Be浓度,确定红粘土和黄土形成的¹⁰ Be放射性年龄。     

Diagenetic Ge-Si fractionation in continental margin environments: further evidence for a nonopal Ge sink

We present data for dissolved germanic and silicic acids from several settings: sediment pore water profiles collected from the Peru-Chile continental margin, fluxes measured with in situ benthic flux chambers and shipboard whole-core incubations, and water column profiles from the California continental margin. Collectively, these data show that Ge and Si are fractionated in these continental margin sedimentary environments during diagenesis with ∼50% of the Ge released by opal dissolution being sequestered within the sediments. The areal extent of this diagenetic fractionation covers station depths from ∼100 m to >1000 m. Sediments from these sites typically have high pore water Fe²⁺ present in the upper ∼2 cm. At sites with low Fe²⁺ concentrations in the upper pore waters, the Ge:Si benthic regeneration ratio indicates little or no fractionation during diatom dissolution. Consistent with the sedimentary fractionation, water column dissolved Ge:Si ratios along the continental margin are on average lower (0.66 μmol/mol) than the global average ratio (0.72 μmol/mol, Mortlock and Froelich, 1996). This lower “average” ratio is driven by two distinct ΔGe:ΔSi data trends having similar slopes but different intercepts. Data from the upper ∼150 m has a Ge:Si slope of 0.74 ± 0.04 μmol/mol (2σ) and an intercept of 0.5 ± 0.4; whereas below ∼550 m the slope is 0.70 ± 0.06 μmol/mol, but the intercept is −5.0 ± 8.0. Assuming that the sediments sampled here are representative of all reducing marine environments, an assumption requiring further testing, our calculations indicate that sequestration of Ge into a nonopal phase throughout the global ocean in the depth range 0.2-1 km is sufficient to balance the Ge budget. Thus, we tentatively conclude that sequestering of Ge in reducing continental margin sediments is the “missing” Ge sink.