Zircon M127 – A Homogeneous Reference Material for SIMS U–Pb Geochronology Combined with Hafnium,Oxygen and,Potentially, Lithium Isotope Analysis

In this article, we document a detailed analytical characterisation of zircon M127, a homogeneous 12.7 carat gemstone from Ratnapura, Sri Lanka. Zircon M127 has TIMS‐determined mean U–Pb radiogenic isotopic ratios of 0.084743 ± 0.000027 for ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U and 0.67676 ± 0.00023 for ²⁰⁷Pb/²³⁵U (weighted means, 2s uncertainties). Its ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 524.36 ± 0.16 Ma (95% confidence uncertainty) is concordant within the uncertainties of decay constants. The δ¹⁸O value (determined by laser fluorination) is 8.26 ± 0.06‰ VSMOW (2s), and the mean ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf ratio (determined by solution ICP‐MS) is 0.282396 ± 0.000004 (2s). The SIMS‐determined δ⁷Li value is ?0.6 ± 0.9‰ (2s), with a mean mass fraction of 1.0 ± 0.1 μg g^?1 Li (2s). Zircon M127 contains ~ 923 μg g^?1 U. The moderate degree of radiation damage corresponds well with the time‐integrated self‐irradiation dose of 1.82 × 10¹⁸ alpha events per gram. This observation, and the (U–Th)/He age of 426 ± 7 Ma (2s), which is typical of unheated Sri Lankan zircon, enable us to exclude any thermal treatment. Zircon M127 is proposed as a reference material for the determination of zircon U–Pb ages by means of SIMS in combination with hafnium and stable isotope (oxygen and potentially also lithium) determination.     

Genetic and chemical relationships between berthierine,chlorite and cordierite in nodules associated to granitic pegmatites of Sierra Albarrana (Iberian Massif,Spain)

Chlorite and berthierine occur through alteration of cordierite within enclaves of metamorphic rocks transformed by the Sierra Albarrana pegmatites. The coexistence of both phyllosilicates allows us to study their stability relationships and to compare their chemical compositions. Samples showing incipient replacement of cordierite by small cryptocrystalline aggregates can be identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD) as berthierine with small quantities of chlorite. Electron Microprobe (EMP) analyses give mixed compositions of berthierine and cordierite. Samples with extensive replacement of cordierite by aggregates show similar characteristics to those with incipient replacement, but some small crystals are present. The last type of sample shows complete replacement of cordierite by crystals showing optical properties of chlorite and EMPA compositions coherent with chlorite or berthierine. Their XRD pattern corresponds to chlorite and their high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) images only show perfect sequences of 14 Å lattice fringes. The cryptocrystalline aggregates of the samples with incipient and extensive replacement present coexistent areas of 14 Å and 7 Å lattice fringes that are intergrown at different levels: (1) large areas (> 1 m) of 7 Å layers; (2) packets of 7 Å layers between 14 Å layer areas, with visible 7 Å to 14 Å lateral changes; (3) random mixed-layers 7 Å/14 Å. Chlorite is the final stable product of alteration of cordierite, with berthierine as an intermediate metastable phase. Energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry microanalyses of 14 Å, 7 Å and (14+7) Å areas show lack of systematic differences in chemical compositions between both phyllosilicates which may be considered as true polymorphs.     

U–Pb ages of the Dalsfjord Complex, SW Norway, and their bearing on the correlation of allochthonous crystalline segments of the Scandinavian Caledonides

The Dalsfjord Complex is an allochthonous crystalline unit in the hanging wall of a major extensional detachment of the Caledonian orogen on the western coast of Norway. U-Pb geochronology has been carried out to test a previously proposed correlation between this unit and the Jotun Nappe Complex, a member of the Middle Allochthon now occupying a foreland position to the east. A monzonite sample of the Dalsfjord suite yields a zircon age of 1,634Dž Ma, whereas a crosscutting gabbro was formed at 1,464Lj Ma. Both rocks were strongly overprinted during the Sveconorwegian orogeny, especially the monzonite whose zircons U-Pb data were strongly pulled towards a lower intercept age of 882ᆱ Ma, and whose titanite indicates a two-stage growth history at >960 Ma and <920 Ma. These relationships support the correlation of these units with the Jotun Complex, and to some degree also with the Lindås Nappe in the Bergen Arcs.     

Pressure-Dependence of Rare Earth Element Distribution in Amphibolite- and Granulite- Grade Garnets. A LA-ICP-MS Study

Using an excimer (KrF) laser ablation ICP-MS system, we studied the distribution of REE in garnets from metapelites and metabasites from Ivrea-Verbano (Western Alps, Italy) and from the Peña Negra Anatectic Complex (Central Iberia), finding systematic variations that correlate well with the metamorphic grade. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of garnets from amphibolite-grade metapelites have lower-than-chondrite levels from La to Sm, a very small or no Eu anomaly, and a steep rise in the abundance of heavy REE as the atomic number increases. Metapelitic garnets from the amphibolite-granulite transition have a marked Eu negative anomaly and are enriched in MREE such that Sm is 10-15 times chondrite and the pattern is almost flat from Dy to Yb-Lu. In garnets from granulite-grade metapelites, the intensity of the Eu anomaly and the relative concentration of Nd, Sm, Gd and Tb increase, with almost flat chondrite-normalized patterns from Sm to Lu. Garnets from mafic granulites are remarkably similar to those of metapelitic garnets equilibrated at the same pressure, except for the Eu anomaly. The apparent paradox of enhanced uptake of larger REE ions with increasing pressure is attributed to the 3M²⁺ 2REE³⁺+ vacancy substitution, which produces a net decrease in the dimensions of the unit-cell of garnet. Variations in REE patterns depend essentially on the pressure and have little dependence on either temperature, bulk-composition of garnet, or REE whole-rock composition, so they could represent a new approach for geobarometric studies. The best numerical parameter to express pressure-related variations of REE distribution in garnets is the Gd/Dy ratio which does not seem perceptibly affected by disequilibrium partitioning. The regression equation between GASP pressure and the average Gd/Dy^garnet is P = 3.6 + 5.6 Gd/Dy. This equation seems to be reliable for garnets: (1)equilibrated within a pressure range of 4-9 kbar, (2) coexisting with modal monazite; and (3) with unit-cell dimensions under 11.46 Å.     

Supportive elements to the decision-making process in the emergency planning of the Angra dos Reis Nuclear Power Complex,Brazil

Accidents in nuclear power plants are problems of great complexity, mainly due to their consequences, such as the population evacuation from the enterprise influence area. The decision-making and emergency plans must be well articulated and require good local geographic space knowledge and the interactions of their environments. This study is a contribution to the emergency plans for the Almirante Álvaro Alberto Nuclear Power Plant, currently the only nuclear complex in Brazil, located in Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro. The study confirmed the region’s main geoenvironmental aspects as winds and rainfall, landslides and population density were evaluated as important elements in the local emergency process. Their integrated analysis supported scenario identification and critical regional points and highlighted population evacuation escape routes. These important results characterized the support to local emergency management actions and guidelines. Furthermore, the geographic information systems was configured as an integrated spatial and temporal analysis platform to associate meteorological, geological/geomorphological and socio-economic data, playing a key role to support the evacuation planning in the event of nuclear power plant accidents.     

Future regional projections of extreme temperatures in Europe: a nonstationary seasonal approach

This paper analyzes changes of maximum temperatures in Europe, which are evaluated using two state-of-the-art regional climate models from the EU ENSEMBLES project. Extremes are expressed in terms of return values using a time-dependent generalized extreme value (GEV) model fitted to monthly maxima. Unlike the standard GEV method, this approach allows analyzing return periods at different time scales (monthly, seasonal, annual, etc). The study focuses on the end of the 20th century (1961?C2000), used as a calibration/validation period, and assesses the changes projected for the period 2061?C2100 considering the A1B emission scenario. The performance of the regional models is evaluated for each season of the calibration period against the high-resolution gridded E-OBS dataset, showing a similar South-North gradient with larger values over the Mediterranean basin. The inter-RCM changes in the bias pattern with respect to the E-OBS are larger than the bias resulting from a change in the boundary conditions from ERA-40 to ECHAM5 20c3m. The maximum temperature response to increased green house gases, as projected by the A1B scenario, is consistent for both RCMs. Under that scenario, results indicate that the increments for extremes (e.g. 40-year return values) will be two or three times higher than those for the mean seasonal temperatures, particularly during Spring and Summer in Southern Europe.     

Late Variscan “Basin and Range” magmatism and tectonics in the Central Alps: evidence from U-Pb geochronology

Abstract

Towards the end of the Variscan orogeny, volcano-sedimentary basins were formed within the mountain hell. U-Pb age determinations on zircons of volcanic and plutonic rocks from intramontane basins of the Central Alps allows us to define the age of two volcano-sedimentary units: The former one was dated older than 333 Ma (probably Visean), the younger one was deposited in a short time span between 303 and 298 Ma (Stephanien). The latter contains tuffs (303 ± 4 Ma), ignimbrites and microgranites (299 ± 2 Ma) and intrusive rhyolites (300 ± 2 Ma) that are all coeval within analytical precision. Granitoid rocks intruded into the volcano-sedimentary rocks at 333 ± 2 Ma, 310 ± 3 Ma and 298 ± 2 Ma. An angular unconformity between the older and the younger units in the Tö di area (Aar massif) indicates uplift and erosion between 310 and 303 Ma.

Our results suggest the existence of two periods of late Variscan extension (or transtension) in the Alpine realm, both combined with magmatic activity. The extensional event of Stephaniun age is characterized by a short duration of only a few million years, between 303 and 298 Ma, comprising tectonic activity, volcanism and plutonism. The plutonic rocks are characterized by a dominant lithospheric mantle component, which was contaminated by different amounts of crostai material and might have been increasingly influenced by aslhcnos-pherie mantle melts in the course of crostai thinning. The ealc-alkaline geochemical characteristics of the granites may be explained as an inherited source feature.

The overall tectonic style and the mode of magmatism resembles the situation of the Basin-and-Kange Province (eastern USA). Consequently there is no need to invoke a late-Variscan Andean-type subduction to explain the geochemical composition of the magmatic rocks. We conclude that late-orogenic extension is an important tectonic stage of the Variscan orogeny, which lasted for some 50 million years. The extension led to thinning of the crust and upwelling of hot mantle, causing high heat flow, intrusion of mantle melts and formation of huge volumes of acid melts.     

Geological and SHRIMP II U-Pb constraints on the age and origin of the Breves Cu-Au-(W-Bi-Sn) deposit,Carajás,Brazil

The Breves deposit in the Carajás Copper-Gold Belt, Brazil, a member of the Cu-Au-(W-Bi-Sn) group of deposits, contains about 50 Mt of 1.22% Cu, 0.75 g/t Au, 2.4 g/t Ag, 1,200 g/t W, 70 g/t Sn, 175 g/t Mo and 75 g/t Bi. It is hosted by sandstones and siltstones of the Águas Claras Formation (minimum age of 2,681±5 Ma) in the roof zone of a complex, highly altered granite intrusion. The mineralisation is disseminated in a greisenized zone, resulting from alteration of probable monzogranites and syenogranites. The ore-bearing greisen contains abundant xenomorphic quartz in association with Fe-chlorite and muscovite. The gangue assemblage also includes fluorite, tourmaline, and minor amounts of monazite, xenotime, chlorapatite, thorite, zircon, calcite, siderite and bastnäesite. Copper mineralisation is dominated by chalcopyrite associated with pyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite and molybdenite. Gold particles, in equilibrium with native bismuth, are common as inclusions in chalcopyrite. The greisen contains sub-economic concentrations of tungsten and niobium that are related to the presence of ferberite, qitianlingite and Nb-rutile. SHRIMP II zircon dating of the host granites gives ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ages of 1,878±8 and 1,880±9 Ma for two phases, and a combined age of 1,879±6 Ma. SHRIMP II dating of monazite and xenotime grains in late- to post-mineralisation veins gives a combined ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of 1,872±7 Ma, indistinguishable from the ages of the granites. This provides a genetic connection between the Breves deposit and the ca. 1.88 Ga A-type granite magmatism that typifies the Carajás Belt as part of a much larger, intracratonic magmatic province that extends over much of the Amazonian Craton. The recognition of this association has exploration implications, not only for the geophysical signature of the granite roof zones, but also for likely geochemical dispersion around the deposits of this type.Editorial handling: G. Beaudoin     

Assessment of uncertainties in the response of the African monsoon precipitation to land use change simulated by a regional model

Land use and land cover (LULC) over Africa have changed substantially over the last 60 years and this change has been proposed to affect monsoon circulation and precipitation. This study examines the uncertainties of model simulated response in the African monsoon system and Sahel precipitation due to LULC change using a set of regional model simulations with different combinations of land surface and cumulus parameterization schemes. Although the magnitude of the response covers a broad range of values, most of the simulations show a decline in Sahel precipitation due to the expansion of pasture and croplands at the expense of trees and shrubs and an increase in surface air temperature. The relationship between the model responses to LULC change and the climatologists of the control simulations is also examined. Simulations that are climatologically too dry or too wet compared to observations and reanalyses have weak response to land use change because they are in moisture or energy limited regimes respectively. The ones that lie in between have stronger response to the LULC changes, showing a more significant role in land–atmosphere interactions. Much of the change in precipitation is related to changes in circulation, particularly to the response of the intensity and latitudinal position of the African Easterly Jet, which varies with the changes in meridional surface temperature gradients. The study highlights the need for measurements of the surface fluxes across the meridional cross-section of the Sahel to evaluate models and thereby allowing human impacts such as land use change on the monsoon to be projected more realistically.