The Sr isotope composition of the world ocean, marginal and inland seas: Implications for the Sr isotope stratigraphy

We studied the Sr isotope composition of shells of modern shallow-water mollusks and coral fragments. Twenty five of the studied samples were collected in beach zones of open oceans and marginal seas; twelve and eight additional samples are from saline and freshened inland seas respectively. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio in samples from the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceans and their marginal seas corresponds on average to 0.709202 ± 0.000003 and coincides with the average ratio in the standard USGS EN-1 sample. The average ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio in inner parts of evaporite subbasins of the Mediterranean and Red seas is identical to that of the oceanic water. In shells of shallow-water mollusks from the Black Sea and Sea of Azov, where the degree of seawater dilution by riverine runoff is as high as 50 to 70%, the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio is lower than that in the oceans by only a value of 0.00002 on average. As oceanic waters penetrated into these freshwater basins no earlier than in the Holocene, we conclude that the Sr isotopic equilibration with the oceanic water is realized very rapidly in the epicontinental seas even under conditions of restricted water exchange with the World Ocean. The established uniformity of the Sr isotope composition in all geographic types of currently existing sea basins open to the World Ocean proves the efficiency of the Sr isotope stratigraphy in correlation of contemporaneous chemogenic sediments.     

87Sr/86Sr isotope composition of bottled British mineral waters for environmental and forensic purposes

Mineral waters in Britain show a wide range of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope compositions ranging between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7059 from Carboniferous volcanic rock sources in Dunbartonshire, Scotland to ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7207 in the Dalradian aquifer of Aberdeenshire, Scotland. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr composition of the waters shows a general correlation with the aquifer rocks, resulting in the waters from older rocks having a more radiogenic signature than those from younger rocks. This wide range of values means that the Sr isotope composition of mineral water has applications in a number of types of studies. In the modern commercial context, it provides a way of fingerprinting the various mineral waters and hence provides a method for recognising and reducing fraud. From an environmental perspective, it provides the first spatial distribution of bio-available ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr in Britain that can be used in modern, historical and archaeological studies.     

Comparison of the Sr isotopic signatures in brines of the Canadian and Fennoscandian shields

A synthesis of Sr isotope data from shallow and deep groundwaters, and brines from the Fennoscandian and Canadian Shields is presented. A salinity gradient is evident in the water with concentrations varying from approximately 1–75 g L⁻¹ below 1500 m depth in the Fennoscandian Shield and from 10 up to 300 g L⁻¹ below 650 m depth in the Canadian Shield. Strontium isotope ratios were measured to assess the origin of the salinity and evaluate the degree of water–rock interaction in the systems. In both shields, the Sr concentrations are enriched relative to Cl, defining a positive trend parallel to the seawater dilution line and indicative of Sr addition through weathering processes. The depth distribution for Sr concentration increases strongly with increasing depth in both shields although the variation in Sr-isotope composition does not mirror that of Sr concentrations. Strontium-isotope compositions are presented for surface waters, and groundwaters in several sites in the Fennoscandian and Canadian Shields. Numerous mixing lines can be drawn reflecting water–rock interaction. A series of calculated lines links the surface end-members (surface water and shallow groundwater) and the deep brines; these mixing lines define a range of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios for the deep brines in different selected sites. All sites show a specific ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr signature and the occurrence of large ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr variations is site specific in both shields. In Canadian Shield brines, the Sr isotope ratios clearly highlight large water rock interaction that increases the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio from water that could have been of marine origin. In contrast to the Canadian Shield, groundwater does not occur in closed pockets in the Fennoscandian, and the well-constrained ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr signatures in deep brines should correspond to a large, well-mixed and homogeneous water reservoir, whose Sr isotope signature results from water–rock interaction.     

Determination of Sr/Sr mass-dependent isotopic fractionation and radiogenic isotope variation of Sr/Sr in the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation

We measured both mass-dependent isotope fractionation of δ⁸⁸Sr (⁸⁸Sr/⁸⁶Sr) and radiogenic isotopic variation of Sr (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) for the Neoproterozoic Doushantuo Formation that deposited as a cap carbonate immediately above the Marinoan-related Nantuo Tillite. The δ⁸⁸Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr compositions showed three remarkable characteristics: (1) high radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values and gradual decrease in the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, (2) anomalously low δ⁸⁸Sr values at the lower part cap carbonate, and (3) a clear correlation between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ⁸⁸Sr values. These isotopic signatures can be explained by assuming an extreme greenhouse condition after the Marinoan glaciation. Surface seawater, mixed with a large amount of freshwater from continental crusts with high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and lighter δ⁸⁸Sr ratios, was formed during the extreme global warming after the glacial event. High atmospheric CO₂ content caused sudden precipitation of cap carbonate from the surface seawater with high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and lighter δ⁸⁸Sr ratios. Subsequently, the mixing of the underlying seawater, with unradiogenic Sr isotope compositions and normal δ⁸⁸Sr ratios, probably caused gradual decrease of the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the seawater and deposition of carbonate with normal δ⁸⁸Sr ratios. The combination of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ⁸⁸Sr isotope systematics gives us new insights on the surface evolution after the Snowball Earth.     

Input of Sr/Sr ratios and Sr geochemical signatures to update knowledge on thermal and mineral waters flow paths in fractured rocks (N-Portugal)

Strontium isotopes and other geochemical signatures are used to determine the relationships between CO₂-rich thermal (Chaves: 76 °C) and mineral (Vilarelho da Raia, Vidago and Pedras Salgadas: 17 °C) waters discharging along one of the major NNE–SSW trending faults in the northern part of mainland Portugal. The regional geology consists of Hercynian granites (syn-tectonic-310 Ma and post-tectonic-290 Ma) intruding Silurian metasediments (quartzites, phyllites and carbonaceous slates). Thermal and mineral waters have ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotopic ratios between 0.716713 and 0.728035. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr vs. 1/Sr define three end-members (Vilarelho da Raia/Chaves, Vidago and Pedras Salgadas thermal and mineral waters) trending from rainfall composition towards that of the CO₂-rich thermal and mineral waters, indicating different underground flow paths. Local granitic rocks have ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of 0.735697–0.789683. There is no indication that equilibrium was reached between the CO₂-rich thermal and mineral waters and the granitic rocks. The mean ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of the thermal and mineral waters (0.722419) is similar to the Sr isotopic ratios of the plagioclases of the granitic rocks (0.71261–0.72087). The spatial distribution of Sr isotope and geochemical signatures of waters and the host rocks suggests that the thermal and mineral waters circulate in similar but not the same hydrogeological system. Results from this study could be used to evaluate the applicability of this isotope approach in other hydrogeologic investigations.     

Magma genesis in the New Britain island-arc: Constraints from Nd and Sr isotopes and trace-element patterns

A selected suite of fresh volcanic rocks from the New Britain island arc has been analyzed for ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, major and trace elements to investigate relationships between isotopes, trace elements and petrology, and depth to the underlying Benioff zone. From these relationships inferences about magma generation are made utilizing Nd and Sr isotope systematics in possible source materials. Lavas ranging in composition from basalt to rhyolite show minimal variation of ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd. Small variations in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr do not correlate with depth to the Benioff zone, but are related to magma type. Nd-Sr isotopes suggest that island arc lavas in general are derived from a mixture of suboceanic mantle and hydrothermally altered mid-ocean ridge-type basalt, but the New Britain magma source appears homogeneous with little indication of either the involvement of oceanic crust or mantle inhomogeneity. Trace element patterns in New Britain lavas are not consistent with Nd isotope data for currently accepted petrologic and trace element models of magma genesis. Mafic lavas from New Britain and other island arcs have anomalously high Sr/Nd, possibly due to components derived from subducted oceanic crust.     

Silicate and carbonate weathering in the drainage basins of the Ganga-Ghaghara-Indus head waters: Contributions to major ion and Sr isotope geochemistry

The role of silicate and carbonate weathering in contributing to the major cation and Sr isotope geochemistry of the headwaters of the Ganga-Ghaghara-Indus system is investigated from the available data. The contributions from silicate weathering are determined from the composition of granites/ gneisses, soil profiles developed from them and from the chemistry of rivers flowing predominantly through silicate terrains. The chemistry of Precambrian carbonate outcrops of the Lesser Himalaya provided the data base to assess the supply from carbonate weathering. Mass balance calculations indicate that on an average ∼ 77% (Na + K) and ∼ 17% (Ca + Mg) in these rivers is of silicate origin. The silicate Sr component in these waters average ∼40% and in most cases it exceeds the carbonate Sr. The observations that (i) the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and Sr/Ca in the granites/gneisses bracket the values measured in the head waters; (ii) there is a strong positive correlation between⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of the rivers and the silicate derived cations in them, suggest that silicate weathering is a major source for the highly radiogenic Sr isotope composition of these source waters. The generally low⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (< 0.720) and Sr/Ca (∼ 0.2 nM/ μM) in the Precambrian carbonate outcrops rules them out as a major source of Sr and⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr in the headwaters on a basin-wide scale, however, the high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (∼ 0.85) in a few of these carbonates suggests that they can be important for particular streams. The analysis of⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and Ca/Sr data of the source waters show that they diverge from a low⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and low Ca/Sr end member. The high Ca/Sr of the Precambrian carbonates precludes them from being this end member, other possible candidates being Tethyan carbonates and Sr rich evaporite phases such as gypsum and celestite. The results of this study should find application in estimating the present-day silicate and carbonate weathering rates in the Himalaya and associated CO₂ consumption rates and their global significance.     

Non-uniqueness and interpretation of the seawater Sr/Sr curve

Variations in the seawater ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr curve through time can be caused by fluctuations in the strontium flux or variations in the isotopic ratio from at least six different sources and sinks. Thus, 12 or more parameters control each single measurement although widely accepted assumptions allow this to be reduced to typically six unknowns. Interpreting the causes of time-variation in the seawater ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr curve is therefore hampered by inherent non-uniqueness. However, this problem is under-constrained rather than unconstrained. As a result, whilst there are an infinite number of possible interpretations, these all come from a few families of very similar solutions. Using this insight, it is possible to find solutions having the smallest possible variations in source flux or source ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio. Thus, lower-bounds can be placed upon the source variations responsible for the observed fluctuations in the seawater ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr curve. When applied to the evolution of the Early Jurassic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr seawater curve, this approach demonstrates that a short-lived Toarcian event is genuine since it is present in all models, regardless of the values chosen for the unknown source fluxes and unknown source isotope ratios. However, the variations in strontium flux or isotopic ratio necessary to explain the Toarcian event may be significantly smaller than would be predicted assuming modern values for the unknown parameters.     

Relationships between O isotope equilibrium,mineral alteration and Rb–Sr chronometric validity in granitoids: implications for determination of cooling rate

A combined study of mineral O and Rb–Sr isotopes was carried out for a number of Mesozoic granitoids in China in order to compare the degree of O isotope equilibrium between coexisting minerals, with the validity of mineral Rb–Sr isochrons for granitoids. A scrutiny of both O isotope geothermometry and Rb–Sr internal isochron dating for corresponding minerals indicates that equilibrium O isotope fractionation between Rb–Sr isochron minerals corresponds to geologically meaningful isochron ages if the variation in ⁸⁷Rb/⁸⁶Sr ratio is big enough to provide reasonably small uncertainties in age. Significant deviation of the Rb–Sr isochron age from the actual age appears to depend on the difference in Sr isotopic composition between an external fluid and the igneous minerals. As a result, O isotope disequilibrium is often caused by interaction between the rock and the external fluid that results in mineral alteration. Post-magmatic alteration can cause isotope exchange between the minerals and an internally buffered fluid that is isotopically identical to the host rock. The O isotope composition of coexisting minerals in studied samples changed principally due to a decrease in temperature. Both Rb and Sr concentrations and the Sr isotope ratios of isochron minerals also changed due to the mixing of different Sr reservoirs. Nevertheless, the isochron age can remain unchanged if the mixing took place along the isochron chord between the internal fluid and the minerals from that newly altered minerals formed. This provides an insight into the effect of internal and external fluids on the validity of mineral Rb–Sr chronometry. In addition, an alternative approach is proposed to construct the cooling curve by a combined use of O isotope temperature and mineral isotope age for the granitoids of interest. Comparing with the traditional method using the empirical closure temperature for Rb–Sr chronometry, the proposed approach utilizes fewer variables with smaller uncertainties than the traditional way.     

Eustasy and sea water Sr composition: application to high-resolution Sr-isotope stratigraphy of Miocene shallow-water carbonates

Oceanic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr‐isotope ratios are strongly influenced by rates of silicate weathering and therefore linked not only to glaciation but also to sea‐level change. The present study combines analysis of sequence stratigraphy and basin architecture with Sr‐isotope stratigraphy in Miocene shallow‐water sediments in southern Portugal and Crete (Greece). The common method is to use smoothed global sea water Sr‐isotope reference curves but here a different approach is chosen. Instead, measured Sr‐isotope curves are correlated with unsmoothed reference curves by identification of similar fluctuations in the order of several 100 kyr. Transgressive intervals are characterized by increasing Sr‐isotope ratios interpreted as corresponding to intensified silicate weathering as a consequence of deglaciation, while lowstand deposits have low Sr‐isotope ratios. Comparison of Sr‐isotope curves and sedimentary sequences in the studied basins with independent global δ¹⁸O data and data on global sea‐level might suggest a general relationship, supporting a connection to global climate change. Because of these relationships, the method presented herein has a high potential for use in high‐resolution age dating and is also applicable in shallow‐water sediments.     

Using Sr isotopes to trace the geographic origins of Chinese mitten crabs

Identifying the geographic origins of Chinese mitten crabs is important for food safety and fair market competition. In this study, we used strontium (Sr) isotopes as a tool to trace the geographic origins of Chinese mitten crabs. Chinese mitten crabs, water, and different types of crab feed were collected from four different lakes for Sr isotope analyses. The results showed that the Sr isotope compositions of the different parts from one single crab were consistent within error, indicating that any piece of a crab could be used to represent the Sr isotope characteristics of the whole crab. The Sr isotope compositions of Chinese mitten crabs from the same lake were consistent within the analytical error, and the values were similar to the Sr isotope composition of the water from the same lake. However, the Sr isotope compositions of water and crabs from different lakes are significantly different. Therefore, the Sr isotope compositions of Chinese mitten crabs are mainly controlled by lake water composition, while the impact of feed is limited. This study provides an effective method for tracing the geographic origins of Chinese mitten crabs.

     

Young Alpine dykes south of the Tauern Window (Austria): a K-Ar and Sr isotope study

Fortyfive new K-Ar ages and Sr isotope data on amphiboles, biotites, clinopyroxenes and whole rock samples from subvolcanic dykes south of the Tauern Window establish, that alkalibasaltic dykes were intruded 30 m.y. ago and shoshonitic volcanism occured between 30 and 24 m.y. ago. Two calc-alkaline rocks of high-potassium composition yielded ages of 40 and 26 m.y. resp., a spread which may or may not be real. Calc-alkaline dykes with medium and low potassium contain excess argon and are hence undatable. Alkalibasaltic dykes have ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of 0.7056–0.7070, shoshonitic rocks 0.7075–0.7133, potassium rich calc-alkaline dykes 0.7077–0.7100. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of all other calc-alkaline rocks scatter between 0.7074 and 0.7150. Sr data indicate that dykes studied do not represent closed Sr systems, but that Sr characteristics result from selective strontium assimilation en route to surface. Primary Sr isotopic ratios of alkalibasaltic dykes point to an origin of these rocks in enriched sub-continental upper mantle. The source region of shoshonitic and high-potassium calcalkaline rocks could have ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr around 0.707, which is assigned to the input of a component rich in alkalies, LREE and LIL elements. Genetic relationships with other Tertiary magmatites of similar geotectonic position are explained in terms of plate tectonic models of the Eastern Alps.     

Calcium Carbonate and Phosphate Reference Materials for Monitoring Bulk and Microanalytical Determination of Sr Isotopes

In situ laser ablation analyses rely on the microanalytical homogeneity of reference materials (RMs) and a similar matrix and mass fraction between unknown samples and RMs to obtain reliable results. Suitable carbonate and phosphate RMs for determination of Sr isotope ratios in such materials are limited. Thus, we determined ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of several carbonate (JCt‐1, JCp‐1, MACS‐1, MACS‐3) and phosphate (MAPS‐4, MAPS‐5, NIST SRM 1400, NIST SRM 1486) international RMs using dissolved samples and two different multi‐collector inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometers (MC‐ICP‐MS). Our Sr isotope data are in agreement with published data and have an improved measurement precision for some RMs. For MACS‐1, we present the first ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr value. We tested the suitability of these materials for microanalytical analyses by LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS, with two different laser ablation systems: a conventional nanosecond laser and a state‐of‐the‐art femtosecond laser. We investigated the RMs micro‐homogeneity and compared the data with our solution data. Both laser ablation systems yielded identical ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios within uncertainty to the solution data for RMs with low interferences of REEs. Therefore, these carbonate and phosphate RMs can be used to achieve accurate and precise results for in situ Sr isotope investigations by LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS of similar materials.     

Reconciling the elemental and Sr isotope composition of Himalayan weathering fluxes: insights from the carbonate geochemistry of stream waters

Determining the relative proportions of silicate vs. carbonate weathering in the Himalaya is important for understanding atmospheric CO₂ consumption rates and the temporal evolution of seawater Sr. However, recent studies have shown that major element mass-balance equations attribute less CO₂ consumption to silicate weathering than methods utilizing Ca/Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr mixing equations. To investigate this problem, we compiled literature data providing elemental and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr analyses for stream waters and bedrock from tributary watersheds throughout the Himalaya Mountains. In addition, carbonate system parameters (P_CO2, mineral saturation states) were evaluated for a selected suite of stream waters. The apparent discrepancy between the dominant weathering source of dissolved major elements vs. Sr can be reconciled in terms of carbonate mineral equilibria. Himalayan streams are predominantly Ca²⁺-Mg²⁺-HCO₃⁻ waters derived from calcite and dolomite dissolution, and mass-balance calculations demonstrate that carbonate weathering contributes ∼87% and ∼76% of the dissolved Ca²⁺ and Sr²⁺, respectively. However, calculated Ca/Sr ratios for the carbonate weathering flux are much lower than values observed in carbonate bedrock, suggesting that these divalent cations do not behave conservatively during stream mixing over large temperature and P_CO2 gradients in the Himalaya.The state of calcite and dolomite saturation was evaluated across these gradients, and the data show that upon descending through the Himalaya, ∼50% of the streams evaluated become highly supersaturated with respect to calcite as waters warm and degas CO₂. Stream water Ca/Mg and Ca/Sr ratios decrease as the degree of supersaturation with respect to calcite increases, and Mg²⁺, Ca²⁺, and HCO₃⁻ mass balances support interpretations of preferential Ca²⁺ removal by calcite precipitation. On the basis of patterns of saturation state and P_CO2 changes, calcite precipitation was estimated to remove up to ∼70% of the Ca²⁺ originally derived from carbonate weathering. Accounting for the nonconservative behavior of Ca²⁺ during riverine transport brings the Ca/Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr composition of the carbonate weathering flux into agreement with the composition of carbonate bedrock, thereby permitting consistency between elemental and Sr isotope approaches to partitioning stream water solute sources. These results resolve the dissolved Sr²⁺ budget and suggest that the conventional application of two-component Ca/Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr mixing equations has overestimated silicate-derived Sr²⁺ and HCO₃⁻ fluxes from the Himalaya. In addition, these findings demonstrate that integrating stream water carbonate mineral equilibria, divalent cation compositional trends, and Sr isotope inventories provides a powerful approach for examining weathering fluxes.     

Combined Sr isotope and trace element analysis of melt inclusions at sub-ng levels using micro-milling, TIMS and ICPMS

This paper describes a technique, which allows precise and accurate Sr isotope measurement combined with trace element analysis of individual melt inclusions, of sample sizes  1 ng of Sr. The technique involves sampling by micro-milling, chemical dissolution, micro Sr column chemistry, TIMS, and ICPMS analyses. A 10% aliquot of each sample solution is used for trace element analysis by double focusing magnetic sector field ICPMS, while Sr is chemically separated from the remaining 90% and used for ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr determinations by TIMS.During the development of the technique outlined above, we documented in detail the potential sources of blank contributions and their magnitude. The average size and Sr isotope composition of our laboratory total procedural blank during this study was 5.4 pg ± 0.3 pg Sr (n = 21) with an ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of 0.7111 ± 0.0002 (2SE, n = 3). The total procedural Rb blank was 1.9 ± 0.7 pg (n = 21). The total procedural blank was found to have minimal effect (< 150 ppm shift) on the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of sample material containing down to  250 pg Sr. Applying a blank correction allows ‘in house’ standards of this size to be corrected back to within 175 ppm of their accepted values. By applying blank corrections we can confidently measure the Sr isotope composition on sample sizes down to  25 pg Sr to an accuracy better than 400 ppm.The utility of the technique is illustrated by application to a suite of melt inclusions from NW Iceland and their host olivines. It is shown that the effect of a small amount of entrainment of the host olivine during sampling of 50 μm melt inclusions has a negligible effect on the measured Sr isotope and trace element composition. Furthermore, where melt inclusions are < 50 μm it is possible to obtain Sr isotope and trace element data on multiple melt inclusions hosted in a single olivine. This provides similar information to that of the single melt inclusions.     

Sr and Sr/Sr in the Yamuna River System in the Himalaya: sources, fluxes, and controls on sr isotope composition

Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr have been measured in the Yamuna river headwaters and many of its tributaries (YRS) in the Himalaya. These results, with those available for major ions in YRS rivers and in various lithologies of their basin, have been used to determine their contributions to riverine Sr and its isotopic budget. Sr in the YRS ranges from 120 to 13,400 nM, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr from 0.7142 to 0.7932. Streams in the upper reaches, draining predominantly silicates, have low Sr and high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr whereas those draining the lower reaches exhibit the opposite resulting from differences in drainage lithology. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr shows significant co-variation with SiO₂/TDS and (Na^* + K)/TZ⁺ (indices of silicate weathering) in YRS waters, suggesting the dominant role of silicate weathering in contributing to high radiogenic Sr. This is also consistent with the observation that streams draining largely silicate terrains have the highest ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, analogous to that reported for the Ganga headwaters. Evaluation of the significance of other sources such as calc-silicates and trace calcites in regulating Sr budget of these rivers and their high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr needs detailed work on their Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. Preliminary calculations, however, indicate that they can be a significant source to some of the rivers.It is estimated that on an average, ∼25% of Sr in the YRS is derived from silicate weathering. In the lower reaches, the streams receive ∼15% of their Sr from carbonate weathering whereas in the upper reaches, calc-silicates can contribute significantly (∼50%) to the Sr budget of rivers. These calculations reveal the need for additional sources for rivers in the lower reaches to balance their Sr budget. Evaporites and phosphorites are potential candidates as judged from their occurrence in the drainage basin. In general, Precambrian carbonates, evaporites, and phosphorites “dilute” the high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr supplied by silicates, thus making Sr isotope distribution in YRS an overall two end member mixing. Major constraints in quantifying contributions of Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr from different sources to YRS rivers are the wide range in Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of major lithologies, limited data on Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr in minor phases and on the behavior of Sr, Na, and Ca during weathering and transport.The Ganga and the Yamuna together transport ∼0.1% of the global Sr flux at the foothills of the Himalaya which is in the same proportion as their contribution to global water discharge. Dissolved Sr flux from the Yamuna and its mobilization rate in the YRS basin is higher than those in the Ganga basin in the Himalaya, a result consistent with higher physical and chemical erosion rates in the YRS.     

云南含罗平生物群层位锶同位素组成与演化

现有公布的数据显示,海水87Sr/86Sr值在中三叠世安尼期较为平稳,有别于早三叠世因环境导致的动荡变化,为二叠纪末生物大灭绝之后生物复苏的加速期,而罗平生物群就是该加速期的标志性生物群。本文研究了含罗平生物群层位标准剖面-大凹子剖面上连续沉积的26件碳酸盐岩样品的锶同位素组成与演化,用于了解含罗平生物群层位沉积海水锶同位素的变化趋势。结果显示:(1)碳酸盐岩中Sr平均值大于2000×10-6,主要来自于文石和海洋成岩作用;(2)低Mn和Mn/Sr0.4说明:87Sr/86Sr数据在很大程度上能代表同时期海水中的87Sr/86Sr比值;(3)这些样品的87Sr/86Sr值变化在0.707969～0.708253,平均值为0.708025,锶同位素比值变化曲线呈小幅度的起伏波动,其值明显大于同时期欧洲等地公布的数据,但同华南其他地区公布的数据具有相似性,推测含罗平生物群层位锶同位素组成仅代表区域事件,受印支运动影响。     

Metal sources of the Navan carbonate-hosted base metal deposit, Ireland: Nd and Sr isotope evidence for deep hydrothermal convection

Nd and Sr isotope analyses are presented for gangue mineral samples from the giant carbonate-hosted Navan Zn–Pb deposit, Ireland, and for rocks from which Navan metals may have been derived. Analysis of gangue minerals spanning the Navan paragenetic sequence reveals systematic evolution in the composition of the mineralising fluid. Early fluid represented by replacive dolomite exhibits the lowest initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio (0.7083–0.7086), closest to that of the host limestone and to Lower Carboniferous seawater, and the highest ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratio (0.51161–0.51176). Later generations of dolomite, barite and calcite, which encompass sulphide precipitation, have higher initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (maximum 0.7105) and lower initial ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios (minimum 0.51157). All samples have initial Nd isotope ratios that are too low to have been acquired only from the host limestone. Drill core samples of presumed Ordovician volcanic and sedimentary rocks from beneath the Navan orebody have ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios at the time of mineralisation of 0.51184–0.51217 and 0.7086–0.7138, respectively. The data are interpreted to indicate mixing of sulphide-rich, limestone-buffered brine, with a metal-bearing hydrothermal fluid, which had passed through sub-Carboniferous rocks, consistent with published fluid inclusion and S isotope data. The ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratio of this basement-derived fluid is too low to have been imparted by flow through the Devonian Old Red Sandstone, as required in models of regional fluid flow in response to Hercynian uplift. Irrespective of whether such regional fluid flow occurred, the hydrothermal Nd must have been derived from sub-Devonian rocks. These conclusions broadly support the hydrothermal convection cell model in which brines, ultimately of surface origin, penetrated to a depth of several kilometres, leaching metals from the rocks through which they passed. The data also support increasing depth of penetration of convection cells with time. Metals were subsequently precipitated in carbonate rocks at sites of mixing with cooler, sulphide-rich fluids. However, comparison of the Navan hydrothermal gangue Nd–Sr isotope data with data from Lower Palaeozoic rocks strongly suggests that the latter cannot alone account for the “basement” signature. As the Navan deposit lies immediately north of the Iapetus Suture, this suggests that the Laurentian margin includes Precambrian basement.     

C and Sr isotope chemostratigraphy of Vendian-Lower Cambrian carbonate sequences in the central Siberian Platform

We propose a detailed δ¹³C curve for the Vendian and Lower Cambrian (Tommotian) strata of the central Siberian Platform. Two positive carbon isotope excursions identified near the base of the Yuryakh Formation (up to 5.5‰) and in the lower Bilir Formation (up to 5‰) are assigned to the lowermost and middle Tommotian, respectively. This correlation is supported by paleontological data, specific ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values (0.70845-0.70856), and similar C isotope record in coeval Early Cambrian basins. The documented minor vertical oscillations (a few meters) of these isotope excursions relative to the formation boundaries in remote boreholes is presumably caused by the spatiotemporal migration of facies. A high-amplitude negative δ¹³C excursion (-8 to -11‰) in the upper Nepa Regional Stage putatively corresponds to the global Shuram-Wonoka negative carbon isotope excursion (Middle Ediacaran). Carbonates of the lower Nepa Regional Stage (Besyuryakh Formation) demonstrate positive δ¹³C values (up to 5‰) and minimum ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of 0.70796-0.70832. The C and Sr isotope record of the Nepa Regional Stage provides its robust correlation with the Dal’nyaya Taiga and Zhuya Groups of the Patom Foredeep. Micropaleontological data herein reported and glacial diamictites documented at the base of the Vendian sedimentary cover both in the central Patom Foredeep and on its periphery suggest a full stratigraphic volume of the Ediacaran System in the most stratigraphically complete sections of the central Siberian Platform.     

Use of the Sr/Sr isotopic ratio as an environmental tracer: an example of the application to the Fossil Forest of the Dunarobba (FFD) sedimentary system near Aviglano Umbro (Terni—Central Italy)

A recent discovery of Pliocene tree trunks (Taxodium, Glyptostrobus or Sequoia) perfectly preserved in the fluvial lacustrine sediments deposited in the old Tiberin Lake (near the town of Dunarobba, Central Italy) has led to the study of the conditions responsible for the trunks preservation. The present work has applied Sr isotope techniques to examine and confirm fluid migration in the different sediment types which cross the entire fluvial-lacustrine sequence. Based on the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios measured in carbonate and in silicate fractions of samples collected from a bore hole (from 0 to 120 m) it is concluded that each sedimentary level has limited communication between zones and is characterised by different isotope values. This suggests that the intrinsic properties of these clays make them a good material for isolating waste, both for direct use and for a better buffer in other formations, possibly less secure, such as salt or granite. The results obtained in the present work have demonstrated some of the potential uses of the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotopic ratio as an environmental tracer for confirming results from some of the geotechnical (such as permeability) and geochemical parameters of these host sediments.