Fall,classification, and exposure history of the Mifflin L5 chondrite

The Mifflin meteorite fell on the night of April 14, 2010, in southwestern Wisconsin. A bright fireball was observed throughout a wide area of the midwestern United States. The petrography, mineral compositions, and oxygen isotope ratios indicate that the meteorite is a L5 chondrite fragmental breccia with light/dark structure. The meteorite shows a low shock stage of S2, although some shock‐melted veins are present. The U,Th‐He age is 0.7 Ga, and the K‐Ar age is 1.8 Ga, indicating that Mifflin might have been heated at the time of the 470 Ma L‐chondrite parent body breakup and that U, Th‐He, and K‐Ar ages were partially reset. The cosmogenic radionuclide data indicate that Mifflin was exposed to cosmic rays while its radius was 30–65 cm. Assuming this exposure geometry, a cosmic‐ray exposure age of 25 ± 3 Ma is calculated from cosmogenic noble gas concentrations. The low ²²Ne/²¹Ne ratio may, however, indicate a two‐stage exposure with a longer first‐stage exposure at high shielding. Mifflin is unusual in having a low radiogenic gas content combined with a low shock stage and no evidence of late stage annealing; this inconsistency remains unexplained.     

Kinematic dynamo action in spherical Couette flow

We investigate numerically kinematic dynamos driven by flow of electrically conducting fluid in the shell between two concentric differentially rotating spheres, a configuration normally referred to as spherical Couette flow. We compare between axisymmetric (2D) and fully 3D flows, between low and high global rotation rates, between prograde and retrograde differential rotations, between weak and strong nonlinear inertial forces, between insulating and conducting boundaries and between two aspect ratios. The main results are as follows. Azimuthally drifting Rossby waves arising from the destabilisation of the Stewartson shear layer are crucial to dynamo action. Differential rotation and helical Rossby waves combine to contribute to the spherical Couette dynamo. At a slow global rotation rate, the direction of differential rotation plays an important role in the dynamo because of different patterns of Rossby waves in prograde and retrograde flows. At a rapid global rotation rate, stronger flow supercriticality (namely the difference between the differential rotation rate of the flow and its critical value for the onset of nonaxisymmetric instability) facilitates the onset of dynamo action. A conducting magnetic boundary condition and a larger aspect ratio both favour dynamo action.     

Majoritic garnet grains within shock-induced melt veins in amphibolites from the Ries impact crater suggest ultrahigh crystallization pressures between 18 and 9 GPa

Shock-induced melt veins in amphibolites from the Nördlinger Ries often have chemical compositions that are similar to bulk rock (i.e., basaltic), but there are other veins that are confined to chlorite-rich cracks that formed before the impact and these are poor in Ca and Na. Majoritic garnets within the shock veins show a broad chemical variation between three endmembers: (1) \({}^{\text{VIII}}{{\text{M}^{2+}}_3} {}^{\text{VI}}{\text{Al}}_{2} ({}^{\text{IV}}{\text{SiO}}_{4} )_{3}\) (normal garnet, Grt), (2) \({}^{\text{VIII}}{{\text{M}^{2+}}_3} {}^{\text{VI}}[{\text{M}}^{2 + } ({\text{Si,Ti}})]({}^{\text{IV}}{\text{SiO}}_{4} )_{3}\)  (majorite, Maj), and (3) \({}^{\text{VIII}}({{\text {Na} {\text M}^{2+}}_2}) {}^{\text{VI}}[ ({\text{Si,Ti}}){\text {Al}}]({}^{\text{IV}}{\text{SiO}}_{4} )_{3}\) (Na-majorite₅₀Grt₅₀), whereby M²⁺ = Mg²⁺, Fe²⁺, Mn²⁺, Ca²⁺. In particular, we observed a broad variation in ^VI(Si,Ti) which ranges from 0.12 to 0.58 cations per formula unit (cpfu). All these majoritic garnets crystallized during shock pressure release at different ultrahigh pressures. Those with high ^VI(Si,Ti) (0.36–0.58 cpfu) formed at high pressures and temperatures from amphibole-rich melts, while majoritic garnets with lower ^VI(Si,Ti) of 0.12–0.27 cpfu formed at lower pressures and temperatures from chlorite-rich melts. Furthermore, majoritic garnets with intermediate values of ^VI(Si,Ti) (0.24–0.39) crystallized from melts with intermediate contents of Ca and Na. To the best of our knowledge the ‘MORB-type’ Ca–Na-rich majoritic garnets with maximum contents of 2.99 wt% Na₂O and calculated crystallisation pressures of 16–18 GPa are the most extreme representatives ever found in terrestrial shocked materials. At the Ries, the duration of the initial contact and compression stage at the central location of impact is estimated to only ~ 0.1 s. We used a ~ 200-µm-thick shock-induced vein in a moderately shocked amphibolite to model its pressure–temperature–time (P–T–t) path. The graphic model manifests a peak temperature of ~ 2600 °C for the vein, continuum pressure lasting for ~ 0.02 s, a quench duration of ~ 0.02 s and a shock pulse of ~ 0.038 s. The small difference between the continuum pressure and the pressure of majoritic garnet crystallization underlines the usefulness of applying crystallisation pressures of majoritic garnets from metabasites for calculation of dynamic shock pressures of host rocks. Majoritic garnets of chlorite provenance, however, are not suitable for the determination of continuum pressure since they crystallized relatively late during shock release. An extraordinary glass- and majorite-bearing amphibole fragment in a shock-vein of one amphibolite documents the whole unloading path.     

Correction to: The enhanced element enrichment in the supercritical states of granite–pegmatite systems

Acta Geochimica - In the original publication, there are some missing data in Table 1 and incorrect data in Table 2.     

An essay on terminology,myths,- and known facts: Solar transient-flare-CME-driver gas-piston-BDE-magnetic cloud-shock wave-geomagnetic storm

In the field of solar-terrestrial relations a clear and unique terminology is needed in order to abolish and avoid unnecessary confusion between the scientists from several involved disciplines. For example, the widely used abbreviationCME (for coronal mass ejection) has turned out to be somewhat misleading. Early on it had been known that other than coronal material is often involved in such events. The discoverers observed transient events of mass ejections from the sun, which could be observed in the corona owing to the newly available coronagraphs. This article is meant to clarify the terminology, with emphasis on giving credit to the original discoverers and the terms they introduced. With this aim in mind I suggest some minor modifications of the terminology.     

Facies interfingering and synsedimentary tectonics on late Ladinian–early Carnian carbonate platforms (Dolomites, Italy)

A stratigraphic model for carbonate platform evolution in the Dolomites during the late Ladinian-early Carnian is presented. New light on pre-Raibl growth of individual carbonate platforms of the western Dolomites was shed by biostratigraphic data combined with a revised lithostratigraphy. At the Schlern, Langkofel and Sella, the carbonate factory (Upper Schlern Dolomite) remained productive into the lowermost Carnian (Cordevolian = Aon Zone), and caused a levelling-out of the former steep platform-to-basin relief. In the eastern Dolomites, platforms were producing till basal Julian 2 (Austriacum Zone). At the Sella and Langkofel, the sedimentation pattern after deposition of the Upper Schlern Dolomite was strongly influenced by synsedimentary tectonics. A first phase of extensional tectonics led to local fissures, block-tilting, graben structures and breccia deposits. Composition and fabric of the reworked clasts argue for local-source sediments and short transport distances. The extensional structures are sealed by sediments of Lower Carnian age. Two facies belts (Schlernplateau beds and Dürrenstein Dolomite), which interfinger at the western side of the Sella, reflect the shallow marine environment with terrigenous-volcanoclastic input in the western Dolomites. A second generation of breccias at the Sella documents local fracturing of the Dürrenstein and Upper Schlern Dolomite. Depositional environments across the western and eastern Dolomites were largely dependent on differential subsidence. The sediments of early Carnian age on top of the Schlern platform are a few metres thick only, whereas, in the eastern Dolomite, up to 400-m-thick carbonate sediments ('Richthofen reef' and Settsass platform) were deposited. The most incomplete stratigraphic record is present at the Mendel platform in the west, where Ladinian volcanics are unconformably overlain by late Carnian 'Raibl beds'. The increase in sediment thickness towards the eastern Dolomites becomes partly visible at the eastern flank of the Sella platform. Differential subsidence across western and eastern Dolomites caused local fracturing of platform sediments. Synsedimentary extensional tectonics was a significant controlling factor to the lithofacies and thickness variations of early Carnian platform sediments in the Dolomites.