Source and movement of helium in the eastern Morongo groundwater Basin: The influence of regional tectonics on crustal and mantle helium fluxes

We assess the role of fracturing and seismicity on fluid-driven mass transport of helium using groundwaters from the eastern Morongo Basin (EMB), California, USA. The EMB, located ∼200 km east of Los Angeles, lies within a tectonically active region known as the Eastern California Shear Zone that exhibits both strike-slip and extensional deformation. Helium concentrations from 27 groundwaters range from 0.97 to 253.7 × 10⁻⁷ cm³ STP g⁻¹H₂O, with corresponding ³He/⁴He ratios falling between 1.0 and 0.26 R_A (where R_A is the ³He/⁴He ratio of air). All groundwaters had helium isotope ratios significantly higher than the crustal production value of ∼0.02 R_A. Dissolved helium concentrations were resolved into components associated with solubility equilibration, air entrainment, in situ production within the aquifer, and extraneous fluxes (both crustal and mantle derived). All samples contained a mantle helium-3 (³He_m) flux in the range of 4.5 to 1351 × 10⁻¹⁴ cm³ STP ³He cm⁻² yr⁻¹ and a crustal flux (J₀) between 0.03 and 300 × 10⁻⁷ cm³ STP ⁴He cm⁻² yr⁻¹. Groundwaters from the eastern part of the basin contained significantly higher ³He_m and deep crustal helium-4 (⁴He_dc) concentrations than other areas, suggesting a localized source for these components. ⁴He_dc and ³He_m are strongly correlated, and are associated with faults in the basin. A shallow thermal anomaly in a >3,000 m deep graben in the eastern basin suggests upflow of fluids through active faults associated with extensional tectonics. Regional tectonics appears to drive large scale crustal fluid transport, whereas episodic hydrofracturing provides an effective mechanism for mantle-crust volatile transport identified by variability in the magnitude of degassing fluxes (³He_m and J₀) across the basin.     

Evaluation of heterogeneity and field-scale groundwater flow regime in a leaky till aquitard

Recent work in southern Ontario, Canada, demonstrates anomalously high vertical groundwater flow velocities (>1 m/year) through a thick (as much as 60 m), sandy silt till aquitard (Northern till), previously assumed to be of very low permeability (hydraulic conductivity <10^–10 m/s). Rapid recharge is attributed to the presence of fractures and sedimentary heterogeneities within the till, but the field-scale flow regime is poorly understood. This study identifies the nature of physical groundwater pathways through the till and provides estimates of the associated groundwater fluxes. The aquitard groundwater flow system is characterized by integrating details of the outcrop and subsurface sedimentary characteristics of the till with field-based hydrogeologic investigation and numerical modeling. Outcrop and subsurface data identify a composite internal aquitard stratigraphy consisting of tabular till beds (till elements) separated by laterally continuous sheet-like sands and gravels (interbeds) and boulder pavements. Individual till elements contain sedimentary heterogeneities, including discontinuous sand and gravel lenses, vertical sand dikes, and zones of horizontal and vertical fractures. Hydrogeologic field investigations indicate a three-layer aquitard flow system, consisting of upper and lower zones of more hydraulically active and heterogeneous till separated by a middle unit of relatively lower hydraulic conductivity. Groundwater pathways and fluxes in the till were evaluated using a two-dimensional aquitard/aquifer flow model which indicates a step-wise flow mechanism whereby groundwater moves alternately downward along vertical pathways (fractures, sedimentary dikes) and laterally along horizontal sand interbeds within the till. This model is consistent with observed hydraulic-head and isotope profiles, and the presence of tritiated pore waters at various depths throughout the till. Simulations suggest that a bulk aquitard vertical hydraulic conductivity on the order of 1×10^–9 m/s is required to reproduce observed hydraulic-head and tritium profiles. Electronic Publication     

Vertical variability of PCE sorption in the lacustrine clays of Mexico City

 A surficial clay aquitard extends through the urban area where Mexico City is located. It has been assumed to function as a protective layer to the underlying aquifer that provides 42 m³/s out of 63 m³/s of water used by 18 million inhabitants. To provide such protection, the aquitard must be impermeable to water flow and, ideally, have a significant capacity to sorb contaminants. The latter aspect was addressed, studying the vertical variability of sorption of perchloroethylene (PCE), a widely used organic compound considered to pose health risks in groundwater. Batch sorption tests were used and the clay-rich strata in the depth interval from 8 to 75 m were studied. The results suggest that sorption depends mainly on the fraction of organic carbon (f_oc) present in the clayey materials. The sorption data were fit to the linear and Freundlich models; many strata could be fit well by either model, while some strata were distinctly non-linear. The linear isotherms showed a mean value of 32.8 ml/g, and the Freundlich isotherm 96.6 ml/g, confirming that the clay-rich media have significant sorption capacity for PCE. From the environmental perspective the clay-rich materials are serving as protection to the groundwater system. Received: 2 November 1998 · Accepted: 15 February 1999     

Carbon and oxygen stable isotope compositions of late Pleistocene mammal teeth from dolines of Ajoie (Northwestern Switzerland)

Fossils of megaherbivores from eight late Pleistocene ¹⁴C- and OSL-dated doline infillings of Ajoie (NW Switzerland) were discovered along the Transjurane highway in the Swiss Jura. Carbon and oxygen analyses of enamel were performed on forty-six teeth of large mammals (Equus germanicus, Mammuthus primigenius, Coelodonta antiquitatis, and Bison priscus), coming from one doline in Boncourt (~ 80 ka, marine oxygen isotope stage MIS5a) and seven in Courtedoux (51–27 ka, late MIS3), in order to reconstruct the paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental conditions of the region. Similar enamel δ¹³C values for both periods, ranging from − 14.5 to − 9.2‰, indicate that the megaherbivores lived in a C₃ plant-dominated environment. Enamel δ¹⁸O_PO4 values range from 10.9 to 16.3‰ with a mean of 13.5 ± 1.0‰ (n = 46). Mean air temperatures (MATs) were inferred using species-specific δ¹⁸O_PO4–δ¹⁸O_H2O-calibrations for modern mammals and a present-day precipitation δ¹⁸O_H2O-MAT relation for Switzerland. Similar average MATs of 6.6 ± 3.6°C for the deposits dated to ~ 80 ka and 6.5 ± 3.3°C for those dated to the interval 51–27 ka were estimated. This suggests that these mammals in the Ajoie area lived in mild periods of the late Pleistocene with MATs only about 2.5°C lower than modern-day temperatures.     

天津市西青区辛口镇郑庄子C6(C7)钻孔3.5 Ma以来的地层年代及沉积环境演化

对位于天津市西青区的C6(C7)钻孔进行了磁性地层学、14C测年、沉积旋回、孢粉地层学和有孔虫、介形类研究,研究结果表明:①第三系与第四系界限(N/Q)埋深323.90 m,早更新世与中更新世界限(Qp1/Qp2)埋深98.0 m,中更新世与晚更新世界限(Qp2/Qp3)埋深61.59 m,更新世与全新世界限(Qp/Q...     

Groundwater flow and velocity in a 500 ka pre-Illinoian till, eastern Iowa

Few hydrology studies have investigated glacial till older than Illinoian time (> 300,000 BP) despite these older tills overlying a large portion of North America. An 8- and 6-well monitoring well nest installed into a 31 m thick pre-Illinoian till sequence near Cedar Rapids, Iowa was characterized using traditional hydrologic methods and chemical tracers. The aquitard system consists of about 9 m of fine-grained oxidized pre-Illinoian till overlying 22 m of unoxidized till and Devonian dolomite bedrock. Hydraulic conductivity ranged from 10⁻⁷ m/s in oxidized till and 10⁻¹⁰ m/s in unoxidized till. Hydraulic head relations indicated downward groundwater flow through the till profile with hydraulic gradients steepest near the unoxidized till/bedrock interface. Tritium and nitrate concentrations indicated recent (< 50 years old) recharge to a depth of 9–12 m below land surface. ¹⁸O and ²H results ranged between −6.2 to −7.9% and −38.0 to −50.9%, respectively, and plotted near the local Meteoric Water Line. A 1 per mil shift toward less negative ¹⁸O values with depth may suggest a climate change signal contained in the till water but more data are needed to verify this trend. Vertical groundwater velocity through the unoxidized till was estimated to range from 0.4 to 5.7 cm/year. The thickness of unoxidized pre-Illinoian till in Linn County was estimated from available records and contoured against vertical travel times to evaluate the effectiveness of pre-Illinoian till in preventing nitrate migration to underlying bedrock aquifers.     

Progressive glacial retreat in the Southern Altiplano (Uturuncu volcano, 22°S) between 65 and 14 ka constrained by cosmogenic He dating

This work presents the first reconstruction of late Pleistocene glacier fluctuations on Uturuncu volcano, in the Southern Tropical Andes. Cosmogenic ³He dating of glacial landforms provides constraints on ancient glacier position between 65 and 14 ka. Despite important scatter in the exposure ages on the oldest moraines, probably resulting from pre-exposure, these ³He data constrain the timing of the moraine deposits and subsequent glacier recessions: the Uturuncu glacier may have reached its maximum extent much before the global LGM, maybe as early as 65 ka, with an equilibrium line altitude (ELA) at 5280 m. Then, the glacier remained close to its maximum position, with a main stillstand identified around 40 ka, and another one between 35 and 17 ka, followed by a limited recession at 17 ka. Then, another glacial stillstand is identified upstream during the late glacial period, probably between 16 and 14 ka, with an ELA standing at 5350 m. This stillstand is synchronous with the paleolake Tauca highstand. This result indicates that this regionally wet and cold episode, during the Heinrich 1 event, also impacted the Southern Altiplano. The ELA rose above 5450 m after 14 ka, synchronously with the Bolling–Allerod.     

Granite is an Effective Helium Source Rock: Insights from the Helium Generation and Release Characteristics in Granites from the North Qinling Orogen,China

Global helium(He) shortage is a challenging problem; however, the types of helium source rock and the mechanisms of He generation and release therein remain still poorly understood. In this study, in order to evaluate the potential of granite as an effective helium source rock, we collected granitic samples from the North Qinling Orogen, Central China, in the south of the helium-rich Weihe Basin. The helium generation and release behaviors in granite were studied through analysis of U and Th concentrations, EMPA images, and He and Ar concentrations and isotopic ratios extracted by crushing and stepwise heating. The results indicate that Ar has a better retention and a lower mobility than He. 3 He/4 He ratios released by crushing and stepwise heating are 0.016–0.056 RA and 0.003–0.572 RA, respectively, where RA is the atmospheric 3 He/4 He of 1.4×10-6, reflecting a crustal and radiogenic source. Helium concentrations extracted by the two ways are 0.13–0.95 ucm3 STP/g and 7.82–115.62 ucm3 STP/g, respectively, suggesting that matrix-sited He accounts for more than 98% of total helium preserved in granite. In addition, the total generated He amounts in granites are calculated based on the measured U and Th concentrations in granitic samples. Dividing the preserved He quantities by the generated He amounts, it turned out that less than 10% of He produced since the formation of the granite is preserved in the rock over geological time, suggesting that more than 90% generated He can be transferred to the Weihe Basin. Temperature and fracture are the two critical factors controlling He release. Based on the relationship between He diffusivity of granites and temperature and the He closure temperatures of a variety of U-and Th-rich minerals(27–250°C), we estimate that He can be partially released out of granite at the depths 400 m and totally released at the depths 7800 m. Fractures provide effective transfer of free He from deep source rocks to shallow reservoirs. Finally, a model on granite as an effective helium source rock is established. We suggest exploring He resources in hydrocarbon basins with granitic basement(or adjacent to granite bodies), high geothermal field, and young active fractures.     

The influence of tortuosity on molecular diffusion in freshwater sediments of high porosity

In sediments, diffusive transport of ions and molecules is basically influenced by two sediment characteristics: tortuosity and porosity. For the first time, the formation factor F, which combines the effect of tortuosity and porosity on diffusion, was quantified in freshwater sediments at submillimeter resolution. Sediment cores were treated with KCl and F was determined using a resistivity sensor and K⁺ selective electrodes.F was determined in sediments from different water depths of the eutrophic Lake Zug (Switzerland): In sandy sediments from a shallow site (12 m depth), F increased by approximately 50% within a few millimeters below the sediment surface. In clayey and silty sediments from the oxic (<80 m depth) and seasonally anoxic (80-120 m depth) zones of the lake, the initial increase in F was only 20%. In the permanent anoxic zone (>160 m depth), F increased by only 10% just below the sediment surface. Values of F were correlated with the porosity at each depth. We found close correlations of F = 1.02 · φ^−1.81 for clay-silt sediments, and F = 1.04 · φ^−1.21 for sandy sediments. The exponents are considerably smaller in Lake Zug than found for marine sediments, thus, diffusive transport seems to be less affected by tortuosity in this freshwater system.     

Origin and evolution of geothermal fluids from Las Tres Vírgenes and Cerro Prieto fields,Mexico – Co-genetic volcanic activity and paleoclimatic constraints

Major and trace elements, noble gases, and stable (δD, δ¹⁸O) and cosmogenic (³H, ¹⁴C) isotopes were measured from geothermal fluids in two adjacent geothermal areas in NW-Mexico, Las Tres Vírgenes (LTV) and Cerro Prieto (CP). The goal is to trace the origin of reservoir fluids and to place paleoclimate and structural-volcanic constraints in the region. Measured ³He/⁴He (R) ratios normalized to the atmospheric value (R_a = 1.386 × 10⁻⁶) vary between 2.73 and 4.77 and are compatible with mixing between a mantle component varying between 42 and 77% of mantle helium and a crustal, radiogenic He component with contributions varying between 23% and 58%. Apparent U–Th/⁴He ages for CP fluids (0.7–7 Ma) suggest the presence of a sustained ⁴He flux from a granitic basement or from mixing with connate brines, deposited during the Colorado River delta formation (1.5–3 Ma). Radiogenic in situ ⁴He production age modeling at LTV, combined with the presence of radiogenic carbon (1.89 ± 0.11 pmC – 35.61 ± 0.28 pmC) and the absence of tritium strongly suggest the Quaternary infiltration of meteoric water into the LTV geothermal reservoir, ranging between 4 and 31 ka BP. The present geochemical heterogeneity of LTV fluids can be reconstructed by mixing Late Pleistocene – Early Holocene meteoric water (58–75%) with a fossil seawater component (25–42%), as evidenced by Br/Cl and stable isotope trends. CP geothermal water is composed of infiltrated Colorado River water with a minor impact by halite dissolution, whereas a vapor-dominated sample is composed of Colorado River water and vapor from deeper levels. δD values for the LTV meteoric end-member, which are 20‰–44‰ depleted with respect to present-day precipitation, as well as calculated annual paleotemperatures 6.9–13.6 °C lower than present average temperatures in Baja California point to the presence of humid and cooler climatic conditions in the Baja California peninsula during the final stage of the Last Glacial Pluvial period. Quaternary recharge of the LTV geothermal reservoir is related to elevated precipitation rates during cooler-humid climate intervals in the Late Pleistocene and Early Holocene. The probable replacement of connate water or pore fluids by infiltrating surface water might have been triggered by enhanced fracture and fault permeability through contemporaneous tectonic–volcanic activity in the Las Tres Vírgenes region. Fast hydrothermal alteration processes caused a secondary, positive δ¹⁸O-shift from 4‰ to 6‰ for LTV and from 2‰ to 4‰ for CP geothermal fluids since the Late Glacial infiltration.     

Importance of mantle derived fluids during granite associated hydrothermal circulation: He and Ar isotopes of ore minerals from Panasqueira

Helium trapped in arsenopyrite and wolframite from the Panasqueira hydrothermal deposit in central Portugal is overwhelmingly—≈ 75%—derived from the mantle. This is surprising as the W-Cu(Ag)-Sn vein deposits are spatially and temporally associated with an S-type granite. It is difficult to reconcile ³He/⁴He ratios > 5Ra (where Ra is the atmospheric ³He/⁴He ratio) with a granite produced by crustal anatexis, therefore it seems likely that mantle derived fluids unrelated to the granite were the source of the magmatic component in the ore fluids.The mantle appears to transport ³He and heat to the surface in relatively constant proportions (³He/Q = 0.1-1 x10⁻¹² cm³ STP J⁻¹). However, the ³He/heat ratios in the Panasqueira fluids (1-10 x10⁻¹² cm³ STP J⁻¹, calculated using the ³He/³⁶Ar ratio) are considerably higher. Therefore, it does not seem likely that gradual cooling of the pluton supplied heat to the hydrothermal system (as this would result in low ³He/Q ratios). Therefore, both He and heat in this collision related, granite-associated hydrothermal deposit were supplied from the mantle.     

Sedimentary evolution of a late Pleistocene wetland indicating extreme coastal uplift in southern Tanzania

Facies analyses of Pleistocene deposits from southern coastal Tanzania (Lindi District) document that sediments formed in a wetland evolving on a coastal terrace in the Lindi Fracture Zone foreland. The exposed succession shows a marked sedimentary change from tidal to terrestrial facies. ¹⁴C analyses on gastropod shells indicate the emergence of the Lindi coast at ∼ 44 ¹⁴C ka BP. Emergence and subsequent elevation of terraces to 21 m above present-day sea level was linked to the falling eustatic sea level prior to the last glacial maximum, and to a periodic elevation due to extensional tectonic episodes in the eastern branch of the East African Rift System (EARS). Since ∼ 44 ¹⁴C ka BP tectonic uplift at the coast was 80-110 m, comparable to that in the extreme uplift areas of the EARS.     

Timing of glaciation and last glacial maximum paleoclimate estimates from the Fish Lake Plateau, Utah

The High Plateaus of Utah include seven separate mountain ranges that supported glaciers during the Pleistocene. The Fish Lake Plateau, located on the eastern edge of the High Plateaus, preserves evidence of at least two glacial advances. Four cosmogenic ³He exposure ages of boulders in an older moraine range from 79 to 159 ka with a mean age of 129 ± 39 ka and oldest ages of 152 ± 3 and 159 ± 5 ka. These ages suggest deposition during the type Bull Lake glaciation and Marine Oxygen Isotope Stage (MIS) 6. Twenty boulder exposure ages from four different younger moraines indicate a local last glacial maximum (LGM) of ~ 21.1 ka, coincident with the type Pinedale glaciation and MIS 2. Reconstructed Pinedale-age glaciers from the Fish Lake Plateau have equilibrium-line altitudes ranging from 2950 to 3190 m. LGM summer temperature depressions for the Fish Lake Plateau range from −10.7 to −8.2°C, assuming no change in precipitation. Comparison of the Fish Lake summer temperature depressions to a regional dataset suggests that the Fish Lake Plateau may have had a slight increase (~ 1.5× modern) in precipitation during the LGM. A series of submerged ridges in Fish Lake were identified during a bathymetric survey and are likely Bull Lake age moraines.     

河北省唐山地区丰台—野鸡坨断裂第四纪活动性——来自14C和磁性地层年代学的证据

丰台—野鸡坨断裂为唐山地区主要断裂之一，西侧为鸦鸿桥凹陷，东侧为唐山凸起，断裂两侧第四系厚度之差巨大。本文依据该断层两侧钻孔对其第四纪以来活动性进行初步的探讨。通过对丰台—野鸡坨断裂上下两盘PZK14和PZK20孔磁性地层学研究，并结合钻孔岩石地层，及浅部光释光和¹⁴C测年结果，建立第四纪地层格架。结果表明：两孔底部“泥包砾”为新近纪沉积；PZK14孔下更新统底界埋深为387 m，中更新统底界埋深为114 m，上更新统底界埋深为71 m，全新统底界埋深为6 m；PZK20孔下更新统底界埋深为155 m，中更新统底界埋深为73 m，上更新统底界为36 m，无全新世地层。丰台—野鸡坨断裂活动在早更新世时表现为逐渐增强的特点，活动速率由早期的5.4 cm/ka增加到13.9 cm/ka。中更新世断裂活动基本处于停滞状态，活动速率为1.0 cm/ka。晚更新世以后，断裂重新活动，且更加剧烈，活动速率达到了54.5 cm/ka。     

Chlorine stable isotope studies of old groundwater,southwestern Great Artesian Basin,Australia

Stable Cl isotope ratios (³⁷Cl/³⁵Cl) were measured in groundwater samples from the southwestern flow system of the Great Artesian Basin, Australia to gain a better understanding of the Cl⁻ sources and transport mechanisms. δ³⁷Cl values range from 0‰ to −2.5‰ (SMOC), and are inversely correlated with Cl⁻ concentration along the inferred flow direction. The Cl isotopic compositions, in conjunction with other geochemical parameters, suggest that Cl⁻ in groundwaters is not derived from salt dissolution. Mixing of the recharge water with saline groundwater cannot explain the relationship between δ³⁷Cl and Cl⁻ concentration measured. Marine aerosols deposited via rainfall and subsequent evapotranspiration appear to be responsible for the Cl⁻ concentrations observed in wells that are close to the recharge area, and in groundwaters sampled along the southern transect. δ³⁷Cl values measured in the leachate of the Bulldog shale suggest that the aquitard is the subsurface source of Cl⁻ for the majority of groundwater samples studied. Diffusion is likely the mechanism through which Cl⁻ is transported from the pore water of the Bulldog shale to the aquifer. However, a more detailed study of the aquitard rocks is required to verify this hypothesis.     

Noble gas isotope sites and mobility in mafic rocks and olivine

Important He and Ar isotope studies on rocks and minerals, relevant to the geochemical and degassing history of the Earth, are often hampered by insufficient knowledge of the retentivity of different types of sites in minerals (inclusions, matrix) for these species, and of the relative importance of radiogenic and trapped components and possible differences in their behavior.To identify sites of noble gas isotopes, shed some light on their origin and estimate their residence times in olivine, which is a mineral considered as a good natural sampler, we investigated 2.5 Ga old ultramafic rocks from the Monche Pluton (Kola Peninsula, north-east part of the Baltic shield) using several extraction methods: crushing, fusion, slow step-wise and rapid incremental heating. Previous studies indicated that these rocks contain mainly trapped noble gases; however, to constrain the possible contribution of in-situ generated radiogenic helium, U and Th concentrations were also measured in the samples.The helium release pattern obtained by relatively fast (∼1.5 h long) incremental heating of olivine includes three distinct release peaks for helium: a low-temperature (600 °C) l-peak, a middle (800-1100 °C) m-peak and a high-temperature (∼1400 °C) h-peak. However, helium extraction from a powdered aliquot of the same olivine yields mainly the middle m-peak indicating that gases released in the l- and h-peaks occupy gas-liquid inclusions opened in the course of crushing and grinding. Moreover, slow step-wise heating (14 h) also results in a broad He release peak but in two well-separated l- and h-peaks of non-atmospheric ⁴⁰Ar∗. This feature implies helium migration from l- and h-vesicles into the matrix m during long step-wise heating experiments, whereas less movable Ar remains in inclusions at even relatively high almost-magmatic temperatures.Using a simple phenomenological model envisaging the three different residence sites for noble gases, both fast- and slow-heating release patterns for ⁴⁰Ar∗ and He, including those for the crushed sample, could be reproduced. The diffusion parameters inferred from the modeling of olivine (D₀ = 2.4 × 10⁻² cm² s⁻¹ and Ea = 133 kJ mol⁻¹) are similar to those published by Shuster et al. (2003) and Blard et al. (2008). The high matrix/fluid solubility coefficient for helium, H_He ∼ 0.01, exceeds estimates reported by Trull and Kurz (1993); however, the product D_He(T) × H_He, the “permeability” (that governs He migration in vesicles + matrix composed materials), is very similar to their value. Extrapolation to the ambient temperature (0 °C) gives long and similar helium residence times in l- and h-vesicles, exceeding 10¹⁰ yrs, and even longer time scales ∼10¹⁶ yrs are obtained for the helium residence in the matrix. Therefore, at low temperatures our samples may be considered as excellent samplers of trapped volatile species, including helium.     

Late Pleistocene baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) forest deposit on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico

Approximately 13 km south of Gulf Shores, Alabama (United States), divers found in situ baldcypress (Taxodium distichum) stumps 18 m below the ocean surface. These trees could have only lived when sea level fell during the Pleistocene subaerially exposing the tectonically stable continental shelf. Here we investigate the geophysical properties along with microfossil and stratigraphical analyses of sediment cores to understand the factors that lead to this wood’s preservation. The stumps are exposed in an elongated depression (~100 m long, ~1 m deep) nested in a trough of the northwest–southeast trending Holocene sand ridges and troughs with 2–5 m vertical relief and ~0.5 km wavelength. Radiocarbon ages of the wood were infinite thus optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating was used to constrain the site’s age. Below the Holocene sands (~0.1–4 m thick), separated by a regional erosional unconformity, are Late Pleistocene mud-peat (72±8 ka OSL), mud-sand (63±5, 73±6 ka OSL), and palaeosol (56±5 ka OSL) facies that grade laterally from west to east, respectively. Foraminiferal analysis reveals the location of the terrestrial-marine transitional layer above the Pleistocene facies in an interbedded sand and mud facies (3940±30 (1σ) ¹⁴C a BP), which is part of a lower shoreface or marine-dominated estuarine environment. The occurrence of palaeosol and swamp facies of broadly similar ages and elevation suggests the glacial landscape possessed topographic relief that allowed wood, mud and peats to be preserved for ~50 ka of subaerial exposure before transitioning to the modern marine environment. We hypothesize that rapid sea-level rise occurring ~60 or ~40 ka ago provided opportunities for local flood-plain aggradation to bury the swamp thus preserving the stumps and that other sites may exist in the northern Gulf of Mexico shelf.     

Constraints on the loss of matrix-sited helium during vacuum crushing of mafic phenocrysts

Vacuum crushing is an efficient technique to selectively release the mantle-derived helium component trapped within olivine and pyroxene phenocrysts. However, contrary to previous assumptions, recent studies have shown that this method may liberate significant matrix-sited cosmogenic ³He (³He_c) or radiogenic ⁴He (⁴He^∗). Because this loss may bias both the determination of magmatic ³He/⁴He ratios and the accuracy of ³He_c measurements, it is essential to understand what mechanism is responsible and under what conditions matrix helium loss is manifest. To address this question, olivines and pyroxenes with various amounts of matrix-sited ³He (from 10⁷ to 10¹¹ at. g⁻¹) were crushed in air or in vacuum using several crushing devices. Sample temperature was controlled during each crushing experiment, and ranged from 25 to 325 °C. The resulting powders were then sieved to obtain several homogeneous grain fractions ranging between <10 and >300 μm. The ³He_c concentrations measured in each fraction clearly show that significant ³He_c loss (>20%) affects only the finest fraction (<10 μm) and, importantly, only under hot conditions (here T ?300 °C). Even the smallest fractions (<10 μm) quantitatively retain matrix-sited ³He_c when crushed under cold conditions (T ?25 °C), regardless of the duration and energy of crushing. These results invalidate the model previously proposed by (Yokochi R., Marty B., Pik R. and Burnard P. (2005) High ³He/⁴He ratios in peridotite xenoliths from SW Japan revisited: evidence for cosmogenic ³He released by vacuum crushing. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst.6, doi:10.1029/2004GC000836) that involved spallation tracks and implied that the magnitude of loss was mainly controlled by the grain size. Moreover, new diffusion experiments were carried out to constrain the diffusivity of matrix-sited helium in crushed olivines. When used to model diffusive ³He_c loss as a function of grain size during crushing, these new data predict the observed release fairly well. Therefore, we conclude that temperature-enhanced volume diffusion is one of the main mechanisms controlling the release of ³He_c during crushing. For future applications, special attention should thus be paid to control the grain size, the crushing duration, and the temperature of the sample.     

Helium isotopic fingerprints of the heavy land subsidence left in groundwater of the Saga Plain,near Beppu–Shimabara graben,Kyushu, Japan

The Saga Plain is near Beppu–Shimabara graben, a region of potential active volcanism. In the graben, mantle He, which has a high ³He/⁴He ratio of 1.1 × 10⁻⁵, escapes easily from the underlying subduction zone. In groundwater of the Saga Plain, except in the Shiroishi district, this ratio gradually increased as the dissolved He content increased, to a maximum of 5 × 10⁻⁶. In central Shiroishi, however, the ratio reached a minimum of 8.7 × 10⁻⁷ with increasing dissolved He content, suggesting that groundwater in central Shiroishi has selectively accumulated radiogenic He, which has a very low ratio of 1 × 10⁻⁸, rather than reflecting the regional He, which is rich in mantle He. This can be explained if groundwater in Shiroishi has become mixed with fossil pore water drawn from impermeable marine clay aquitard layers. The withdrawal of pore water has also caused severe land subsidence in central Shiroishi.     

Solute transport in formations of very low permeability: profiles of stable isotope and dissolved noble gas contents of pore water in the Opalinus Clay, Mont Terri, Switzerland

Pore water profiles of water, stable isotope, and dissolved noble gas content have been determined across the Opalinus Clay and adjacent formations at the rock laboratory at Mont Terri. We have found enhanced helium contents (up to [⁴He] = 1 × 10⁻⁴ cubic centimeters at standard pressure and temperature per gram of pore water) and argon isotope ratios (⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratios up to 334) due to accumulation of ⁴He and ⁴⁰Ar produced in situ. The helium profile was found to be in steady state with respect to in situ production and diffusive loss into the adjacent limestones where groundwater circulates. From this profile a representative mean value of the apparent diffusion coefficient for helium in the pore water of the whole formation was derived for the first time to be D_a = 3.5 × 10⁻¹¹ m² · s⁻¹, which is more than two orders of magnitude lower than the diffusion coefficient D₀ in free water. The stable isotope profile, however, indicates a component of fossil marine pore water, which has not yet been replaced by molecular diffusion of meteoric water from the adjacent limestone and shale formations over the past 10 million years.