The possible formation of massive tori in white-dwarf binary systems

Mass exchange in white-dwarf binary systems with mass ratios 0.35–0.55 and total masses exceeding the Chandrasekhar limit could lead to the disruption of the less massive component of the system and the formation of a torus around the more massive component.     

ENSO impacts on salinity in Tampa Bay, Florida

Estuarine salinity distributions reflect a dynamic balance between the processes that control estuarine circulation. At seasonal and longer time scales, freshwater inputs into estuaries represent the primary control on salinity distribution and estuarine circulation. El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions influence seasonal rainfall and stream discharge patterns in the Tampa Bay, Florida region. The resulting variability in freshwater input to Tampa Bay influences its seasonal salinity distribution. During El Niño events, ENSO sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTAs) are significantly and inversely correlated with salinity in the bay during winter and spring. These patterns reflect the elevated rainfall over the drainage basin and the resulting elevated stream discharge and runoff, which depress salinity levels. Spatially, the correlations are strongest at the head of the bay, especially in bay sections with long residence times. During La Niña conditions, significant inverse correlations between ENSO SSTAs and salinity occur during spring. Dry conditions and depressed stream discharge characterize La Niña winters and springs, and the higher salinity levels during La Niña springs reflect the lower freshwater input levels.     

Carbon budget for a subtropical seagrass dominated coastal lagoon: How important are seagrasses to total ecosystem net primary production?

It has been assumed that because seagrasses dominate macrophyte biomass in many estuaries they also dominate primary production. We tested this assumption by developing three carbon budgets to examine the contribution of autotrophic components to the total ecosystem net primary production (TENPP) of Lower Laguna Madre, Texas. The first budget coupled average photosynthetic parameters with average daily irradiance to calculate daily production. The second budget used average photosynthetic parameters and hourly in situ irradiance to estimate productivity. The third budget integrated temperature-adjusted photosynthetic parameters (using Q₁₀=2) and hourly in situ irradiance to estimate productivity. For each budget TENPP was calculated by integrating production from each autotroph based on the producers’ areal distribution within the entire Lower Laguna Madre. All budgets indicated that macroalgae account for 33–42% of TENPP and seagrasses consistently accounted for about 33–38%. The contribution by phytoplankton was consistently about 15–20%, and the contribution from the benthic microalgae varied between 8% and 36% of TENPP, although this may have been underestimated due to our exclusion of the within bed microphytobenthos component. The water column over the seagrass beds was net heterotrophic and consequently was a carbon sink consuming between 5% and 22% of TENPP, TENPP ranged between 5.41×10¹⁰ and 2.53×10¹¹ g C yr⁻¹, depending on which budget was used. The simplest, most idealized budget predicted the highest TENPP, while the more realistic budgets predicted lower values. Annual production rates estimated using the third budget forHalodule urightii andThalassia testudinum compare well with field data. Macroalgae and microalgae contribute 50–60% of TENPP, and seagrass may be more important as three-dimensional habitat (i.e., structure) than as a source of organic carbon to the water column in Lower Laguna Madre.     

Empirical models relating viscosity and tracer diffusion in magmatic silicate melts

The Adam-Gibbs equations describing relaxation in silicate melts are applied to diffusion of trace components of multicomponent liquids. The Adam-Gibbs theory is used as a starting point to derive an explicit relation between viscosity and diffusion including non-Arrhenian temperature dependence. The general form of the equation is D_iη = A_iexp{Δ(s_cE_i)/TS_c}, where D is diffusivity, η is melt viscosity, T is absolute temperature, Δ(s_cE_i) is the difference between the products of activation energies and local configurational entropies for viscous and diffusive relaxation, A_i is a constant that depends on the characteristics of the diffusing solute particles, and S_c is configurational entropy of the melt. The general equation will be impractical for most predictive purposes due to the paucity of configurational entropy data for silicate melts. Under most magmatic conditions the proposed non-Arrhenian behaviour can be neglected, allowing the general equation to be simplified to a generalized form of the Eyring equation to describe diffusion of solutes that interact weakly with the melt structure: D_iη/T = Q_iexp{ΔE_i/RT}, where Q_i and ΔE_i depend on the characteristics of the solute and the melt structure. If the diffusing solute interacts strongly with the melt structure or is a network-forming cation itself, then ΔE_i = 0, and the relation between viscosity and diffusion has the functional form of the classic Eyring and Stokes-Einstein equations; D_iη/T = Q_i. If the diffusing solute can make diffusive jumps without requiring cooperative rearrangement of the melt structure, the diffusivity is entirely decoupled from melt viscosity and should be Arrhenian, i.e., D_i = Q_iexp{B_i/T}. A dataset of 594 published diffusivities in melts ranging from the system CAS through diopside, basalt, andesite, anhydrous rhyolite, hydrous rhyolite, and peralkaline rhyolite to albite, orthoclase, and jadeite is compared with the model equations. Alkali diffusion is completely decoupled from melt viscosity but is related to melt structure. Network-modifying cations with field strength Z_i²/r between 1 and 10 interact weakly with the melt network and can be modelled with the extended form of the Eyring equation. Diffusivities of cations with high field strength have activation energies essentially equal to that of viscous flow and can be modelled with a simple reciprocal Eyring-type dependence on viscosity. The values of Q_i, ΔE_i and B_i for each cation are different and can be related to the cation charge and radius as well as the composition of the melt through the parameters Z_i²/r, M/O, and Al/(Na + K + H). I present empirical fit parameters to the model equations that permit prediction of cation diffusivities given only charge and radius of the cation and temperature, composition and viscosity of the melt, for the entire range of temperatures accessible to magmas near to or above their liquidus, for magmas ranging in composition from basalt through andesite to hydrous or anhydrous rhyolite. Pressure effects are implicitly accounted for by corrections to melt viscosity. Ninety percent of diffusivities predicted by the models are within 0.6 log units of the measured values.     

Rare gas isotopes and parent trace elements in ultrabasic-alkaline-carbonatite complexes, Kola Peninsula: identification of lower mantle plume component

During the Devonian magmatism (370 Ma ago) ∼20 ultrabasic-alkaline-carbonatite complexes (UACC) were formed in the Kola Peninsula (north-east of the Baltic Shield). In order to understand mantle and crust sources and processes having set these complexes, rare gases were studied in ∼300 rocks and mineral separates from 9 UACC, and concentrations of parent Li, K, U, and Th were measured in ∼70 samples. ⁴He/³He ratios in He released by fusion vary from pure radiogenic values ∼10⁸ down to 6 × 10⁴. The cosmogenic and extraterrestrial sources as well as the radiogenic production are unable to account for the extremely high abundances of ³He, up to 4 × 10⁻⁹ cc/g, indicating a mantle-derived fluid in the Kola rocks. In some samples helium extracted by crushing shows quite low ⁴He/³He = 3 × 10⁴, well below the mean ratio in mid ocean ridge basalts (MORB), (8.9 ± 1.0) × 10⁴, indicating the contribution of ³He-rich plume component. Magnetites are principal carriers of this component. Trapped ³He is extracted from these minerals at high temperatures 1100°C to 1600°C which may correspond to decrepitation or annealing primary fluid inclusions, whereas radiogenic ⁴He is manly released at a temperature range of 500°C to 1200°C, probably corresponding to activation of ⁴He sites degraded by U, Th decay.Similar ⁴He/³He ratios were observed in Oligocene flood basalts from the Ethiopian plume. According to a paleo-plate-tectonic reconstruction, 450 Ma ago the Baltica (including the Kola Peninsula) continent drifted not far from the present-day site of that plume. It appears that both magmatic provinces could relate to one and the same deep-seated mantle source.The neon isotopic compositions confirm the occurrence of a plume component since, within a conventional ²⁰Ne/²²Ne versus ²¹Ne/²²Ne diagram, the regression line for Kola samples is indistinguishable from those typical of plumes, such as Loihi (Hawaii). ²⁰Ne/²²Ne ratios (up to 12.1) correlate well with ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ones, allowing to infer a source ⁴⁰Ar/³⁶Ar ratio of about 4000 for the mantle end-member, which is 10 times lower than that of the MORB source end-member. In (³He/²²Ne)_PRIM versus (⁴He/²¹Ne)_RAD plot the Kola samples are within array established for plume and MORB samples; almost constant production ratio of (⁴He/²¹Ne)_RAD ≅ 2 × 10⁷ is translated via this array into (³He/²²Ne)_PRIM ∼ 10. The latter value approaches the solar ratio implying the non-fractionated solar-like rare gas pattern in a plume source.The Kola UACC show systematic variations in the respective contributions of in situ-produced radiogenic isotopes and mantle-derived isotopes. Since these complexes were essentially plutonic, we propose that the depth of emplacement exerted a primary control on the retention of both trapped and radiogenic species, which is consistent with geological observations. The available data allow to infer the following sequence of processes for the emplacement and evolution of Kola Devonian UACC: 1) Ascent of the plume from the lower mantle to the subcontinental lithosphere; the plume triggered mantle metasomatism not later than ∼700 to 400 Ma ago. 2) Metasomatism of the lithosphere (beneath the central part of the Kola Peninsula), including enrichment in volatile (e.g., He, Ne) and in incompatible (e.g., U, Th) elements. 3) Multistage intrusions of parental melts, their degassing, and crystallisation differentiation ∼370 Ma ago. 4) Postcrystallisation migration of fluids, including loss of radiogenic and of trapped helium. Based on model compositions of the principle terrestrial reservoirs we estimate the contributions (by mass) of the plume material, the upper mantle material, and the atmosphere (air-saturated groundwater), into the source of parent melt at ∼2%, 97.95%, and ∼0.05%, respectively.     

In situ measurement of Re-Os isotopes in mantle sulfides by laser ablation multicollector-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry: analytical methods and preliminary results

A method has been developed for the in situ determination of Re-Os isotopes in single grains of sulfides in mantle-derived peridotites using a laser ablation microprobe attached to a multicollector-induced coupled plasma mass spectrometer (MC-ICPMS). High-precision Os isotope analysis by MC-ICPMS is demonstrated by the measurement of interlaboratory Os standards. Evaluation of mass bias correction procedures shows that the exponential law provides the best fit to the Os isotope data and that the ratio of the mass fractionation coefficients for Re and Os remains constant for the range of typical instrument operating conditions. This relationship enables the accurate and precise correction of the isobaric interference of ¹⁸⁷Re on ¹⁸⁷Os for ¹⁸⁷Re/¹⁸⁸Os values up to 1.6.Results are presented for single sulfide inclusions in olivine macrocryts from kimberlites in the Siberian and Slave Cratons, and sulfides enclosed in silicates and interstitial to silicates in peridotite xenoliths from the Slave Craton and Massif Central, France. Enclosed sulfides larger than 50 μm in diameter and with Os contents ≥40 ppm give ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios with a precision of 0.1% (2 SE), which is equivalent to N-TIMS whole-rock data. Interstitial sulfides typically have lower Os (10 to 30 ppm) and give analyses with lower precision (∼1 to 2%) but still provide valuable information on the movement of Os within the lithosphere. The sulfide inclusions in silicates preserve significantly less radiogenic Os isotopic compositions than interstitial sulfides and accordingly produce significantly older and more realistic Re-Os age information. Whole-rock Os isotope compositions reflect the proportions of different generations of enclosed and interstitial sulfides; this calls into question the significance of many published “depletion ages.”     

Direct observations of aluminosilicate weathering in the hyporheic zone of an Antarctic Dry Valley stream

This study focused on chemical weathering and bacterial ecology in the hyporheic zone of Green Creek, a McMurdo Dry Valley (Antarctica) stream. An in situ microcosm approach was used to observe dissolution features on the basal-plane surface of muscovite mica. Four mica chips were buried in December 1999 and dug up 39 d later. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) of the basal-plane surfaces revealed small, anhedral ∼10-Å-deep etch pits covering ∼4% of the surfaces, from which an approximate basal-plane dissolution rate of 8.3 × 10⁻¹⁸ mol muscovite cm⁻² s⁻¹ was calculated (on the basis of the geometric surface area) for the study period. This is an integrated initial dissolution rate on a fresh surface exposed for a relatively brief period over the austral summer and should not be compared directly to other long-term field rates. The observation of weathering features on mica agrees with previous stream- and watershed-scale studies in the Dry Valleys, which have demonstrated that weathering occurs where liquid water is present, despite the cold temperatures.AFM imaging of mica surfaces revealed biofilms including numerous small (<1 μm long), rounded, oblong bacteria. The AFM observations agreed well with X-ray photoelectron microscopy results showing increased organic C and N. Bacteriologic analysis of the hyporheic zone sediments also revealed <1-μm-long bacteria. α-Proteobacteria were observed, consistent with the oligotrophic conditions of the hyporheic zone. Nitrate-reducing bacteria were found, in agreement with a previous tracer test at Green Creek that suggested nitrate reduction occurs in the hyporheic zone. The results of this study thus provide direct evidence of dynamic geochemical and microbial processes in the hyporheic zone of a Dry Valley stream despite the extreme conditions; such processes were inferred previously from stream-scale hydrogeochemical studies.     

Oxygen fugacity and geochemical variations in the martian basalts: implications for martian basalt petrogenesis and the oxidation state of the upper mantle of Mars

The oxygen fugacity of the Dar al Gani 476 martian basalt is determined to be quartz-fayalite-magnetite (QFM) −2.3 ± 0.4 through analysis of olivine, low-Ca pyroxene, and Cr-spinel and is in good agreement with revised results from Fe-Ti oxides that yield QFM −2.5 ± 0.7. This estimate falls within the range of oxygen fugacity for the other martian basalts, QFM −3 to QFM −1. Oxygen fugacity in martian basalts correlates with ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, and La/Yb ratios, indicating that the mantle source of the basalts is reduced and that assimilation of crust-like material controls the oxygen fugacity. This allows constraints to be placed on the oxidation state of the martian mantle and on the nature of assimilated crustal material. The assimilated material may be the product of early and extensive hydrothermal alteration of the martian crust, or it may be amphibole- or phlogopite-bearing basaltic rock within the crust. In either case, water may play a significant role in the oxidation of basaltic magmas on Mars, although it may be secondary to assimilation of ferric iron-rich material.     

Comparative Re-Os systematics of chondrites: Implications regarding early solar system processes

A suite of 47 carbonaceous, enstatite, and ordinary chondrites are examined for Re-Os isotopic systematics. There are significant differences in the ¹⁸⁷Re/¹⁸⁸Os and ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios of carbonaceous chondrites compared with ordinary and enstatite chondrites. The average ¹⁸⁷Re/¹⁸⁸Os for carbonaceous chondrites is 0.392 ± 0.015 (excluding the CK chondrite, Karoonda), compared with 0.422 ± 0.025 and 0.421 ± 0.013 for ordinary and enstatite chondrites (1σ standard deviations). These ratios, recast into elemental Re/Os ratios, are as follows: 0.0814 ± 0.0031, 0.0876 ± 0.0052 and 0.0874 ± 0.0027, respectively. Correspondingly, the ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios of carbonaceous chondrites average 0.1262 ± 0.0006 (excluding Karoonda), and ordinary and enstatite chondrites average 0.1283 ± 0.0017 and 0.1281 ± 0.0004, respectively (1σ standard deviations). The new results indicate that the Re/Os ratios of meteorites within each group are, in general, quite uniform. The minimal overlap between the isotopic compositions of ordinary and enstatite chondrites vs. carbonaceous chondrites indicates long-term differences in Re/Os for these materials, most likely reflecting chemical fractionation early in solar system history.A majority of the chondrites do not plot within analytical uncertainties of a 4.56-Ga reference isochron. Most of the deviations from the isochron are consistent with minor, relatively recent redistribution of Re and/or Os on a scale of millimeters to centimeters. Some instances of the redistribution may be attributed to terrestrial weathering; others are most likely the result of aqueous alteration or shock events on the parent body within the past 2 Ga.The ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratio of Earth’s primitive upper mantle has been estimated to be 0.1296 ± 8. If this composition was set via addition of a late veneer of planetesimals after core formation, the composition suggests the veneer was dominated by materials that had Re/Os ratios most similar to ordinary and enstatite chondrites.