Luna 24 ferrobasalt as a low-Mg primary melt

Luna 24 very-low titanium (VLT) ferrobasalts, metabasalts, brown glasses and impact melts form a tight compositional cluster with no gradation to other groupings postulated for the Luna 24 core components. This suggests that the Luna 24 VLT ferrobasalt was extruded as a liquid of its own composition and was not derived by fractional crystallization from a more magnesian parent in a surface flow. Furthermore, the characteristics of the core lithologies are not easily visualized as components of such a differentiated flow, e.g. brown glasses. Gravitative settling models purporting to demonstrate the validity of the flow differentiation model are merely permissive.Subsurface fractionation requires that plagioclase, not olivine, be the liquidus phase.The high-Mg component in the Luna 24 core can be constrained, though not identified, chemically, and it has neither the major element, trace element, isotopic, nor mineralogical characteristics required of a possible parent to the Luna 24 VLT ferrobasalt. Thus models of fractionation lack a physical expression of the less differentiated compositions, contrary to the belief that the high-Mg component in the core is the parent material.The Luna 24 VLT ferrobasalt is probably a primary low-Mg melt from a plagioclase-bearing source region, and may have undergone little or no fractionation prior to eruption. Such a model is compatible with, and suggested by, chemical and experimental data. Caution against postulating that all Mg-poor melts are fractionated products, based on terrestrial models, is advised. The terrestrial oceanic situation of primary melts with similar Mg/Fe is probably not valid for the Moon.     

Echelle observations of C iii λ1909 and Si iii λ1892

Profiles of C iii 1909 and Si iii 1892 obtained on and near the limb during the 1976 flight of the University of Hawaii echelle rocket spectrograph were reduced and analyzed to determine electron densities and mass motions. The electron pressure derived (N _eT_e 4 × 10¹⁵ cm^–3) agrees well with that determined by Cook and Nicolas (1979) from ATM data. Nonthermal velocities in the region of formation of Si iii 1892 on the disk were found to be 10–12 km s^–1, somewhat lower than the values obtained by Doschek et al. (1976), also from ATM spectra. However, velocities derived at and above the limb were in closer agreement, about 17 km s^–1.Geosciences Systems Department, Computer Sciences Corporation, 8728 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, Md. 20910, U.S.A.     

A Survey of the Southwest Indian Ridge Axis Between Atlantis II Fracture Zone and the Indian Ocean Triple Junction: Regional Setting and Large Scale Segmentation

The study of very low-spreading ridges has become essential to ourunderstanding of the mid-oceanic ridge processes. The Southwest Indian Ridge(SWIR) , a major plate boundary of the world oceans, separating Africa fromAntarctica for more than 100 Ma, has such an ultra slow-spreadingrate. Its other characteristic is the fast lengthening of its axis at bothBouvet and Rodrigues triple junctions. A survey was carried out in thespring of 1993 to complete a multibeam bathymetric coverage of the axisbetween Atlantis II Fracture Zone (57° E) and the Rodrigues triplejunction (70° E). After a review of what is known about the geometry,structure and evolution of the SWIR, we present an analysis of the newalong-axis bathymetric data together with previously acquiredacross-axis profiles. Only three transform faults, represented byAtlantis II FZ, Novara FZ, and Melville FZ, offset this more than 1000 kmlong section of the SWIR, showing that the offsets are more generallyaccommodated by ridge obliquity and non-transform discontinuities. From comparison of the axial geometry, bathymetry, mantle Bouguer anomaly and central magnetic anomaly, three large sections (east of Melville FZ, between Melville FZ and about 65°30 E, and from there to the Rodrigues triple junction) can be distinguished. The central member, east of Melville FZ, does not resemble any other known mid-oceanic ridge section: the classical signs of the accretion (mantle Bouguer anomaly, central magnetic anomaly) are only observed over three very narrow and shallow axis sections. We also apply image processing techniques to the satellite gravity anomaly map of Smith and Sandwell (1995) to determine the off-axis characteristics of the Southwest Indian Ridge domain, more especially the location of the triple junction and discontinuities traces. We conclude that the large-scale segmentation of the axis has been inherited from the evolution of the Rodrigues triple junction.     

Atypical heat-flow near gas hydrate irregularities and cold seeps in the Baikal Rift Zone

In this paper, we address the irregular behaviour and geometry of the gas hydrate stability zone (HSZ) inferred from reflection seismic data in relation to heat-flow measurements. The study area lies in the hanging wall of the Posolsky fault in the Southern Baikal Basin (SBB). Side-scan sonar imagery already revealed an undulating antithetic active fault structure and several isolated active vent structures. Remarkably, these fluid discharge structures occur only where the base of the hydrate stability zone (BHSZ), as inferred from seismic reflection profiles, is fluctuating and discontinuous, independent of lake floor morphology. The correlation between the interpreted BHSZ and heat-flow data across the Malenki seep is reasonable. On a seismic profile south of the fluid escape features, the BHSZ is expressed as an oscillatory, but continuous reflection, and shows poor correlation with heat-flow measurements. In nearly all cases, measured heat-flow exceeds inferred heat-flow. Additionally, the local inferred minima are anomalously low compared to the expected background values in the SBB. These observations suggest that the present-day hydrate accumulation and its (meta-)stability are more complicated than originally suspected. The limited area of these anomalies, their amplitudes and their occurrence in the immediate vicinity of faults and fluid escape features suggest that fluid convection cells disturb local gas hydrate stability conditions.     

From oblique subduction to intra-continental transpression: Structures of the southern Kermadec-Hikurangi margin from multibeam bathymetry,side-scan sonar and seismic reflection

The southern Kermadec-Hikurangi convergent margin, east of New Zealand, accommodates the oblique subduction of the oceanic Hikurangi Plateau at rates of 4–5 cm/yr. Swath bathymetry and sidescan data, together with seismic reflection and geopotential data obtained during the GEODYNZ-SUD cruise, showed major changes in tectonic style along the margin. The changes reflect the size and abundance of seamounts on the subducting plateau, the presence and thickness of trench-fill turbidites, and the change to increasing obliquity and intracontinental transpression towards the south. In this paper, we provide evidence that faulting with a significant strike-slip component is widespread along the entire 1000 km margin. Subduction of the northeastern scrap of the Hikurangi Plateau is marked by an offset in the Kermadec Trench and adjacent margin, and by a major NW-trending tear fault in the scarp. To the south, the southern Kermadec Trench is devoid of turbidite fill and the adjacent margin is characterized by an up to 1200 m high scarp that locally separates apparent clockwise rotated blocks on the upper slope from strike-slip faults and mass wasting on the lower slope. The northern Hikurangi Trough has at least 1 km of trench-fill but its adjacent margin is characterized by tectonic erosion. The toe of the margin is indented by 10–25 km for more than 200 km, and this is inferred to be the result of repeated impacts of the large seamounts that are abundant on the northern Hikurangi Plateau. The two most recent impacts have left major indentations in the margin. The central Hikurangi margin is characterized by development of a wide accretionary wedge on the lower slope, and by transpression of presubduction passive margin sediments on the upper slope. Shortening across the wedge together with a component of strike-slip motion on the upper slope supports an interpretation of some strain partitioning. The southern Hikurangi margin is a narrow, mainly compressive belt along a very oblique, apparently locked subduction zone.     

A multiscale electrical survey of a lateritic soil system in the rain forest of Cameroon

Resistivity investigations were carried out on an elementary watershed in SW Cameroon, firstly to assess the applicability of direct-current (DC) resistivity methods to solve various pedological problems in intertropical regions, and subsequently to determine the relationships between electrical resistivities and pedological properties of lateritic soil systems. The survey included measurements in pits with a small Wenner fixed-spacing array (SWA), vertical electrical soundings (VES) and vertical electrical “quick soundings” (VEQS) both using the Schlumberger configuration. The VES data were interpreted using a conventional multilayer inversion program to obtain best-fit models. Constraints to the interpretation of these data were provided by SWA and pedological information from existing observation pits. The results of the interpretation reveal five distinct geoelectrical layers overlying a resistive bedrock. The first is a thin organo-mineral upper layer with low resistivities in the range 250–450 Ωm. The second layer corresponds to micro-aggregated clayey materials and is more resistive (1300–1800 Ωm). The third represents the main part of ferruginous materials and is even more resistive (2000–4500 Ωm). The fourth corresponds to unsaturated saprolite and the last to saturated saprolite (ground water) with resistivities ranging from 800 to 1500 Ωm and from 150 to 250 Ωm, respectively. Estimates of soil volumes for the entire study area were obtained from VEQS interpretations. Most of the soil cover corresponds to saprolite (74%, being saturated by ground water), while topsoil and ferruginous materials represent 14 and 12%, respectively. Finally, geophysical results based upon 1-D inversion provide a satisfactory approximation of the various lateritic components' 3-D geometry over the watershed. The study provides original quantitative results concerning the behaviour of intertropical soil systems as well as some geomorphological keys for soil mapping at a regional scale.     

Carbonaceous cherts of the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa: Isotopic, chemical and structural characteristics of individual microstructures

Carbonaceous matter occurring in chert deposits of the 3.4-3.2 Ga old Barberton Greenstone Belt (BGB), South Africa, has experienced low grade regional metamorphism and variable degrees of local hydrothermal alteration. Here a detailed study is presented of in situ analysis of carbonaceous particles by LRS (laser Raman spectroscopy) and SIMS (secondary ion mass spectrometry), reporting degree of structural disorder, carbon isotope ratio and nitrogen-to-carbon ratio. This combination of in situ analytical tools is used to interpret the δ¹³C values of only the best preserved carbonaceous remains, enabling the rejection of non-indigenous (unmetamorphosed) material as well as the exclusion of strongly hydrothermally altered carbonaceous particles. Raman spectroscopy confirmed that all carbonaceous cherts studied here have experienced a regional sub- to lower-greenschist facies metamorphic event. Although this identifies these organics as indigenous to the cherts, it is inferred from petrographic observations that hydrothermal alteration has caused small scale migration and re-deposition of organics. This suggest that morphological interpretation of these carbonaceous particles, and in general of putative microfossils or microlaminae in hydrothermally altered early Archean cherts, should be made with caution. A chert in the Hooggenoeg Formation, which is older than and has been hydrothermally altered by a volcanic event 3445 Ma ago, contains strongly altered carbonaceous particles with a uniform N/C-ratio of 0.001 and a range of δ¹³C that is shifted from its original value. Cherts of the Kromberg Formation post-date this volcanic event, and contain carbonaceous particles with a N/C-ratio between 0.002 and 0.006. Both the Buck Reef Chert and the Footbridge Chert of the Kromberg Formation have retained fairly well-preserved δ¹³C values, with ranges from −34‰ to −24‰ and −40‰ to −32 ‰, respectively. Abiologic reactions associated with hydrothermal serpentinization of ultramafic crust (such as Fischer-Tropsch synthesis) were an unlikely source for carbonaceous material in these cherts. The carbonaceous matter in these cherts has all the characteristics of metamorphosed biologic material.     

Experimental study of D/H isotopic fractionation factor of water adsorbed on porous silica tubes

This paper presents D/H isotopic fractionation factor measurements of water adsorbed on porous silica tubes in isotopic equilibrium with water vapor. The fractionation factor is measured as a function of vapor pressure ranging from 10% to 80% RH (relative humidity) at room temperature. It is shown that the fractionation factor between the adsorption film or nanometrically confined water and vapor is smaller than that between bulk liquid water and vapor. A qualitative analysis relates this deuterium depletion to a modification of the zero-point energy of the water isomers in the adsorbed/confined state. Furthermore, the behavior of the fractionation factor with RH shows two different linear trends. The transition between the two (at 60% RH) may indicate the transition from a two-dimensional adsorbed water to a three-dimensional water network.