Constraints and deception in the isotopic record; the crustal evolution of the west Musgrave Province,central Australia

The Hf and Nd isotopic evolution of the Musgrave Province, central Australia, is used to constrain the timing of crust formation and lithospheric organisation of Proterozoic Australia. The dataset from this region challenges two widely held tenets of Hf and Nd isotope systematics, namely; that crust formation events can only be identified as periods when crystallisation ages correspond to model ages, and that linear Hf evolution arrays away from depleted mantle (along crustal Lu/Hf or Sm/Nd slopes) reflect reworking of the same source.Hf isotopes in Musgrave Province zircon crystals indicate two major crust formation events at c. 1900 Ma and at 1600–1550 Ma. Although no juvenile rocks or crystals are known from c. 1900 Ma, radiogenic addition into the crust at this time is required to account for consistent Nd and Hf evolution patterns, which show no indication of an initially heterogeneous source. Oxygen isotopes in zircon grains confirm that much of the c. 1900 Ma Hf isotopic signal is not compromised by mixtures. Furthermore, the correspondence between mantle extraction and the commencement of reworking of Archean material supports new crust generation at c. 1900 Ma and a coupling between lower and upper crustal processes. The c. 1900 Ma timing of juvenile addition is dissimilar to that in the Albany–Fraser and Arunta Orogens and may reflect continental arc development on the margin of a southern continent.The general Hf isotopic evolution trend of the Musgrave Province apparently reflects reworking from a dominant c. 1900 Ma source with some additional unradiogenic and radiogenic input through time. However, in the 1220–1050 Ma interval this apparent isotopic evolution contrasts with geological observations that indicate input of voluminous mantle-derived material. Intracontinental rifts and other regions with sustained very-high temperature crustal recycling processes generate magmatic provinces with extreme HFSE-enrichment. This can have a profound influence on isotopic evolution trends, suppressing typical juvenile addition patterns. Isotopic mixture modelling indicates that a significant volume of mantle derived material can be accommodated within HFSE enriched magmas without diverging isotopic signatures from apparent reworking trends. In the Musgrave Province, the crust had become so HFSE enriched during the prolonged Musgrave Orogeny (1220–1150 Ma) that it was insensitive to mantle input, which is estimated to have been as much as 85% during this event.     

TREE-GROWTH RESPONSE TO ENSO EVENTS IN THE CENTRAL COLORADO FRONT RANGE

The influence of climate associated with El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events on tree growth in the central Colorado Front Range is investigated through the analysis of two high altitude tree-ring chronologies. Dendrochronological techniques are used to determine if ENSO-related climatic effects are detectable in tree-ring width patterns in the central Colorado Front Range. The form of the tree-growth response is identified and the variability of the influence of these events on tree growth over time is investigated. Results indicate that tree growth in this area does respond to ENSO events, but the response varies with species and type of event. El Niño-influenced climate tends to result in larger tree rings the year of or year following the event, while La Niña-influenced climate tends to result in smaller rings the year after the event, reflecting spring moisture conditions. Trees have a more consistent response to La Niña events, but El Niño events seem to have a greater effect on extremes in growth. The relationship between the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) and tree growth has varied over time, probably because of the fact that ENSO events, characterized by the SOI, vary in magnitude and amplitude. [Key words: ENSO, dendrochronology, Colorado Front Range.]     

Symmetries in the reflection and transmission of elastic waves

Summary. The symmetry relations between the reflection and transmission coefficients for plane elastic waves incident upon an arbitrary horizontally stratified medium are derived by a novel approach. Previous results, particularly for a single interface, are obtained as special cases of this treatment.
In addition, for perfectly elastic media, projection operators for travelling and evanescent waves are introduced and used to derive a number of new relationships between the reflection and transmission coefficients.     

The effect of a general aspherical perturbation on the free oscillations of the Earth

summary . The Lagrangian governing the infinitesimal elastic-gravitational oscillations of a completely general earth model with interior fluid—solid boundaries is given. Rayleigh's principle is then used to derive a formula for calculating the first-order perturbations in the eigenfrequencies due to an arbitrary slight perturbation of a spherically symmetric, non-rotating, isotropic starting model. The perturbations considered include rotation, asphericity, elastic anisotropy, and a deviatoric initial stress, as well as a change in the positions of both welded and fluid—solid boundaries.     

A note on the calculation of travel times in a transversely isotropic Earth model

Some explicit formulae are presented for the calculation of travel times in transversely isotropic Earth models.     

Symmetry of the wave equation and excitation of body waves

Summary. The symmetry of the differential system for elastic waves, previously noted for plane geometry, is extended to any linear differential system and, in particular, the elastic-gravitational vibrations in a spherical earth. The result remains valid in a linearly viscoelastic medium. The symmetry allows the inverse of the propagator matrix to be obtained by simply 'transposing' the elements of the propagator. With this result, it is shown how the source excitation using a particular integral can be put in a more instructive form, comparable with the result for the excitation of normal modes.     

Length scales, patterns and origin of azimuthal seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle as mapped by Rayleigh waves

We measure the degree of consistency between published models of azimuthal seismic anisotropy from surface waves, focusing on Rayleigh wave phase-velocity models. Some models agree up to wavelengths of ∼2000 km, albeit at small values of linear correlation coefficients. Others are, however, not well correlated at all, also with regard to isotropic structure. This points to differences in the underlying data sets and inversion strategies, particularly the relative 'damping' of mapped isotropic versus anisotropic anomalies. Yet, there is more agreement between published models than commonly held, encouraging further analysis. Employing a generalized spherical harmonic representation, we analyse power spectra of orientational (2Ψ) anisotropic heterogeneity from seismology. We find that the anisotropic component of some models is characterized by stronger short-wavelength power than the associated isotropic structure. This spectral signal is consistent with predictions from new geodynamic models, based on olivine texturing in mantle flow. The flow models are also successful in predicting some of the seismologically mapped patterns. We substantiate earlier findings that flow computations significantly outperform models of fast azimuths based on absolute plate velocities. Moreover, further evidence for the importance of active upwellings and downwellings as inferred from seismic tomography is presented. Deterministic estimates of expected anisotropic structure based on mantle flow computations such as ours can help guide future seismologic inversions, particularly in oceanic plate regions. We propose to consider such a priori information when addressing open questions about the averaging properties and resolution of surface and body wave based estimates of anisotropy.