URANIUM DISTRIBUTION and “EXCESSIVE” U-He AGES IN IRON METEORITIC TROILITE

Uranium was measured by fission track analysis in meteoritic troilite and graphite. The distribution is extremely heterogeneous, with a few high-U grains dominating the total abundances. U/He ages cannot be estimated from such a distribution pattern, and therefore previously reported excessive ages are not valid.     

λ 5303 Fe XIV density models of the inner solar corona

The Sacramento Peak Observatory's 40 cm coronagraph was used with an emission line photometer to observe the distribution of 5303 Fe XIV brightness as a function of position angle, height above the limb, and time. These data were used to construct models of the volume emissivity as a function of solar latitude and longitude. These models in turn yield estimates of the distribution of electron density in the lower solar corona as a function of latitude and longitude for several specific periods in 1973 and 1975. Three observational results are obtained. An upper limit for the inferred electron density in coronal hole regions is set at log N _e = 7.4 for an altitude of 1.15R . Density models from late 1973 demonstrate an evolutionary trend toward a rather regular four-lobed appearance of coronal material; models from 1975 suggest that this characterization persisted for at least 27 solar rotations. A decrease in the total integrated 5303 intensity of a factor of 2.9 is inferred to have taken place between 1973 and 1975.The National Center for Atmospheric Research is sponsored by the National Science Foundation.     

Column Amounts of ClONO2, HCl, HNO3, and HF from Ground-Based FTIR Measurements Made Near Kiruna, Sweden, in Late Winter 1994

During SESAME phase I ground-based FTIR measurements were performed atEsrange near Kiruna, Sweden, from 28 January to 26 March 1994. Zenith columnamounts of ClONO₂, HCl, HF, HNO₃,O₃, N₂O, CH₄, and CFC-12 werederived from solar absorption spectra. Time series of ClONO₂and HCl indicate a chlorine activation at the end of January and around 1March. On 1 March a very low amount of HCl of 2.09times; 10¹⁵molec. cm^-2 was detected, probably caused by a second chlorineactivation phase starting from an already decreased amount of HCl. The ratioof column amounts of HCl to ClONO₂ decreased inside the vortexfrom about 1 in January to 0.4 in late March compared to values of about 2outside the vortex. Although the Arctic stratosphere was rather warm in winter1993/94 and PSCs occurred seldom, chlorine partitioning into its reservoirspecies HCl and ClONO₂ changed during that winter andClONO₂ is the major chlorine reservoir at the end of thewinter as in cold winters like 1991/92 and 1994/95.     

Population structure of two deep sea tubeworms,Lamellibrachia luymesi and Seepiophila jonesi,from the hydrocarbon seeps of the Gulf of Mexico

Vestimentiferan tubeworms are a group of large sessile marine polychaete annelids (family Siboglinidae) found in the regions of hydrothermal venting or seepage of the reduced chemical hydrogen sulfide. Hydrocarbon seeps on the Louisiana Slope of the Gulf of Mexico support large communities of the co-occurring vestimentiferan species Lamellibrachia luymesi and Seepiophila jonesi. These sessile species have the opportunity to disperse between the patchy sites of active seepage on the seafloor during a planktonic larval stage. However, it is unclear whether dispersal occurs at a local or global scale. Four (L. luymesi) and seven (S. jonesi) microsatellite loci were used to test for population substructure among ten hydrocarbon seep sites on the Louisiana Slope. Both species showed high levels of allelic diversity, averaging 18.5 (L. luymesi) and 22 (S. jonesi) alleles/locus, respectively, and high observed heterozygosity at all microsatellite loci (0.71–0.9 in L. luymesi, 0.27–0.84 in S. jonesi). The two species showed a significant deficiency in heterozygotes compared to that predicted under the Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. L. luymesi showed a small but significant amount of population structure, with a positive correlation between genetic and geographic distance among the sample sites spanning 540 km. S. jonesi, in contrast, showed no evidence for isolation by distance, but did show a significant genetic difference between aggregations of different ages. These results suggest that these two species differ in how larvae are able to colonize new seep sites through space (L. luymesi) and though time (S. jonesi).     

Reynolds stress and TKE production in an estuary with a tidal bore

We report new measurements of the turbulent properties of the flow in a tidally energetic estuarine channel of almost uniform cross-section. A high-frequency (1.2 MHz), bottom-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) has been used to observe the velocity field at a sampling rate of 10 Hz in parallel with measurements of the surface elevation by tide gauges. Our data have been analysed using the Variance Method to determine turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), shear stress and TKE production over the tidal cycle with a time resolution of 60 s. During the highly energetic but brief flood period, when the surface axial velocity reaches 2 m s⁻¹, we observed large values of stress (>2 Pa) and shear production (5 W m⁻³). TKE is also input through the release of energy in the bore itself which results in a brief but intense injection of energy at the bore front with large transient TKE levels (100 J m⁻³). Subsequent input by shear production maintains TKE levels which are generally lower (20 J m⁻³) than the strong peak associated with the bore for the rest of the flood. On the ebb, the flow is relatively tranquil with maximum speeds 0.5 m s⁻¹ and peak TKE production rates of 0.1 W m⁻³.The flow and elevation data have also been used to estimate the energy fluxes into and out of the estuary. Short (1 h), intense energy inputs (8 MW at springs) on the flood flow are largely balanced by longer, less intense seaward energy flow on the ebb. The net energy input is found to be 0.1 MW at springs which is consistent with estimates of upstream dissipation. Peak dissipation in the bore itself may exceed the mean energy input but it is active only for a small fraction of the tidal cycle and its average contribution does not exceed 12% of total dissipation.     

Puu Hou littoral cones,Hawaii

The Puu Hou littoral cones, on the south shoreline of Hawaii, were built in 5 days by steam explosions from two narrow lava streams of the 1868 Mauna Loa lava flows as they entered the sea. Explosions occurred in localized areas of both streams, from foci that migrated seaward as the flow built jetties into the sea. Debris, radially ejected from the migrating explosion centers, fell partly on land and partly at sea, and thus formed crescent shaped rims (half-cones) on land which overlap one another. The half-cones are breached through their centers by debris-free basalt corridors, because fragments that fell onto the flowing lava were carried seaward beyond the accumulating rims.Gray and red clastic layers are draped smoothly over the rim areas; thus the rims resemble anticlinal arches in cross section. Some beds can be traced from clastic layers on the ridges into irregular agglomeratic masses interbedded with basalt units of the source lava near the foci. The lower layers in the clastic sequence contain less olivine than those high in the sequence, which corresponds in time to an increasing olivine content during the 5 day flow, as recognized in the source lava.Fragments are angular to subangular blocks, lapilli and ash of crystalline basalt mixed with more abundant quickly chilled cognate material of similar sizes. The ash is mostly sideromelane in angular particles and rounded droplets (5–95%), tachylite (2–70%), crystalline basalt (1–40%), and broken olivine phenocrysts (1–9%). In some samples, the sideromelane droplets are partly oxidized on their surfaces, and internally are dark brown (R. I.=1.610–1.616), possibly due to dehydration and/or oxidation during the explosions. Samples with externally oxidized glass also contain etched olivine crystals and some iddingsite. Unaltered sideromelane droplets are pale yellowish-brown with R. I.=1.592–1.600, and are associated with unaltered, angular to subangular olivine crystals. The refractive index of the unaltered sideromelane droplets is the same as sideromelane crusts of pahoehoe on the lava flow farther inland, suggesting that the droplets are not hydrated or highly oxidized. None of the sideromelane fragments are palagonitized, presumably because little or no hydration has taken place since 1868.

---

Zusammenfassung Die littoralen Spratzkegel von Puu Hou an der Südküste von Hawaii sind innerhalb von 5 Tagen durch Dampfexplosionen in zwei naheliegenden Lavaströmen des Mauna Loa-Ausbruches im Jahre 1868 entstanden, als diese das Meer erreichten. Die Explosionen traten in eng begrenzten Bereichen beider Ströme auf; die Explosionsherde wanderten mit den Lavaströmen seewärts, wobei sich Landzungen in den Ozean bauten. Aus den seewärts wandernden Explosionsherden wurden Fragmente ausgeworfen, die teilweise auf das Land und in den Ozean fielen; es formten sich dabei halbkreisartige Ränder (Halbkegel), die sich am Land überlappen. Die Halbkegel sind in der Mitte von Basaltkorridoren durchbrochen, die frei von Explosionsfragmenten sind, da diese in die strömende Lava fielen und seewärts abtransportiert wurden.Graue und rote pyro-klastische Sedimentlagen legen sich über die Randzonen der Halbkegel, so daß sie im Querschnitt wie Antiklinalstrukturen aussehen. Einige dieser Schichten können mit klastischen Lagen vom randlichen Saum bis zu irregulären Agglomeratmassen verfolgt werden, die zwischen die Basalte nahe der Explosionsherde eingeschaltet sind. Die tieferen Lagen der klastischen Sedimente enthalten weniger Olivin als die höher liegenden. Dieses entspricht einem sich zeitlich vermehrenden Olivingehalt während der fünftägigen Ausbruchszeit, wie er auch in der Originallava erkannt werden kann.Die Bruchstücke bestehen aus angularen bis subangularen Blöcken, Lapilli und Kristallaschen, die mit rasch erkalteten Lavafetzen ähnlicher Korngröße vermischt sind. Die Asche enthält hauptsächlich Sideromelan in eckigen Bruchstücken und gefundeten Tröpfchen (5–95%), Tachylyt (2–70%), Kristallbasalt (1–40%) und zerbrochene Olivineinsprenglinge (1-9%).In einigen Proben sind die Sideromelantröpfchen teilweise auf ihren Oberflächen oxydiert und im Inneren möglicherweise durch Dehydrierung und/oder Oxydation während der Explosionen dunkelbraun gefärbt (R. I.=1.610-1.616).Proben mit äußerlich oxydiertem Glas enthalten auch angeätzte Olivinkristalle und einigen Iddingsit. Unveränderte Sideromelantröpfchen sind blaß gelblichbraun gefärbt (R. I.=1.592–1.600) und mit unveränderten, eckigen bis subangolaren Olivinkristallen vergesellschaftet. Der Brechungsindex der unveränderten Sideromelantröpfchen ist derselbe wie von Sideromelankrusten auf den Lavaströmen Pahoehoes. Daraus kann gefolgert werden, daß die Tröpfchen nicht hydratisiert oder stark oxydiert sind. Die Sideromelanbruchstücke enthalten keinen Palagonit, weil seit 1868 wahrscheinlich wenig oder gar keine Hydratisierung mehr stattgefunden hat.

---

Résumé Les cônes littoraux Puu Hou, sur la côte sud d'Hawai' ont été créés en cinq jours par les explosions de vapeur de deux branches étroites de la coulée de lave de Mauna Loa en 1868 lorsqu'elle entrait en contact avec la mer. Les explosions se sont produites dans des points localisés des deux branches de la coulée à partir du centre avançant en direction de la mer à mesure que la lave y construisait des jetées. Les débris projetés à la ronde depuis les centres d'explosion mobiles tombèrement en partie sur terre et en partie en mer formant ainsi sur le sol des bourrelets en forme de croissants (demi-cônes) qui s'entrecoupent. Les demi-cônes sont traversés dans leur centre par des couloirs de basalte dépourvus de débris, les fragments tombés dans la coulée de lave ayant été entraînés vers la mer au delà des bourrelets d'accumulation.Les couches élastiques grises et rouges sont drapées d'une manière égale au-dessus de la zone des bourrelets. Elle ressemble ainsi à des arches anticlinales en coupe. Certains lits peuvent être retracés à partir des couches élastiques sur les crêtes jusqu'à des masses agglomérées irrégulières mélangées à des éléments de basalte de la lave mère. Les couches inférieures de la séquence élastique contiennent moins d'olivine que les couches supérieures ce qui correspond à un accroissement de la proportion d'olivine pendant les 5 jours ue coulée, comme le lit de lave indique.Les fragments sont des blocs angulaires à sous-angulaires, des lapilli et de la cendre de basalte cristallin, mêlés à des matériaux apparentés de taille semblable, plus abondants et rapidement refroidis. La cendre est composée principalement de sidéromélane en particules anguleuses ou en gouttelettes rondes (5–95%), de tachylite (2–70%), de basalte cristallin (1–40%) et d'olivine phénocristale brisée (1–9%). Dans quelques échantillons, les gouttelettes de sidéromélane sont en partie oxydées à la surface et brun-foncé à l'intérieur (R. I.=1.610–1.616), peut-être par suite de déshydratation e/ou oxydation pendant l'explosion. Les échantillons comportant extérieurement du verre oxydé contiennent des cristaux d'olivine attaqués et une certaine proportion d'iddingsite. Les gouttelettes de sidéromélane intactes, sont d'un jaune-brun pâle, R. I.=1.592-1.600, et sont associées à des cristaux d'olivine non-attaquées, angulaires à sous-angulaires. L'indice de réfraction des gouttelettes intactes de sidéromélane est le même que celui de la croûte de sidéromélane du pahoehoe dans la coulée de lave plus à l'intérieur de l'île, suggérant que les gouttelettes ne sont pas hydratées ou très oxydées. Aucun des fragments de sidéromélane n'est palagonisé, sans doute parce que depuis 1868 il n'y a eu que peu ou pas d'hydratation.

---

, 1868 Puu Hou . Ha , .

---

---

Dedicated to Professor Dr. A.Rittmann on the occasion of his 75. birthday     

Spatial variation in fluid flow and geochemical fluxes across the sediment-seawater interface at the Carlos Ribeiro mud volcano (Gulf of Cadiz)

Submarine mud volcanism is an important pathway for transfer of deep-sourced fluids enriched in hydrocarbons and other elements into the ocean. Numerous mud volcanoes (MVs) have been discovered along oceanic plate margins, and integrated elemental fluxes are potentially significant for oceanic chemical budgets. Here, we present the first detailed study of the spatial variation in fluid and chemical fluxes at the Carlos Ribeiro MV in the Gulf of Cadiz. To this end, we combine analyses of the chemical composition of pore fluids with a 1-D transport-reaction model to quantify fluid fluxes, and fluxes of boron, lithium and methane, across the sediment-seawater interface. The pore fluids are significantly depleted in chloride, but enriched in lithium, boron and hydrocarbons, relative to seawater. Pore water profiles of sulphate, hydrogen sulphide and total alkalinity indicate that anaerobic oxidation of methane occurs at 34-180 cm depth below seafloor. Clay mineral dehydration, and in particular the transformation of smectite to illite, produces pore fluids that are depleted in chloride and potassium. Profiles of boron, lithium and potassium are closely related, which suggests that lithium and boron are released from the sediments during this transformation. Pore fluids are expelled into the water column by advection; fluid flow velocities are 4 cm yr⁻¹ at the apex of the MV but they rapidly decrease to 0.4 cm yr⁻¹ at the periphery. The associated fluxes of boron, lithium and methane vary between 7-301, 0.5-6 and 0-806 mmol m⁻² yr⁻¹, respectively. We demonstrate that fluxes of Li and B due to mud volcanism may be important on a global scale, however, release of methane into the overlying water column is suppressed by microbial methanotrophy.     

Chalcophile and platinum-group element (PGE) concentrations in the sulfide minerals from the McCreedy East deposit,Sudbury, Canada,and the origin of PGE in pyrite

Magmatic sulfide deposits consist of pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite (± pyrite), and platinum-group minerals (PGM). Understanding the distribution of the chalcophile and platinum-group element (PGE) concentrations among the base metal sulfide phases and PGM is important both for the petrogenetic models of the ores and for the efficient extraction of the PGE. Typically, pyrrhotite and pentlandite host much of the PGE, except Pt which forms Pt minerals. Chalcopyrite does not host PGE and the role of pyrite has not been closely investigated. The Ni–Cu–PGE ores from the South Range of Sudbury are unusual in that sulfarsenide PGM, rather than pyrrhotite and pentlandite, are the main carrier of PGE, probably as the result of arsenic contribution to the sulfide liquid by the As-bearing metasedimentary footwall rocks. In comparison, the North Range deposits of Sudbury, such as the McCreedy East deposit, have As-poor granites in the footwall, and the ores commonly contain pyrite. Our results show that in the pyrrhotite-rich ores of the McCreedy East deposit Os, Ir, Ru, Rh (IPGE), and Re are concentrated in pyrrhotite, pentlandite, and surprisingly in pyrite. This indicates that sulfarsenides, which are not present in the ores, were not important in concentrating PGE in the North Range of Sudbury. Palladium is present in pentlandite and, together with Pt, form PGM such as (PtPd)(TeBi)₂. Platinum is also found in pyrite. Two generations of pyrite are present. One pyrite is primary and locally exsolved from monosulfide solid solution (MSS) in small amounts (<2 wt.%) together with pyrrhotite and pentlandite. This pyrite is unexpectedly enriched in IPGE, As (± Pt) and the concentrations of these elements are oscillatory zoned. The other pyrite is secondary and formed by alteration of the MSS cumulates by late magmatic/hydrothermal fluids. This pyrite is unzoned and has inherited the low concentrations of IPGE and Re from the pyrrhotite and pentlandite that it has replaced.