Neoproterozoic alkaline magmatism at Sivamalai, southern India

The Sivamalai alkaline complex lies at the southern margin of the Cauvery Shear System that separates the Archaean and Proterozoic domains of the Southern Granulite Terrain in India. U–Pb TIMS dating of zircon from a pegmatitic syenite sample in the complex yields a concordant age of 590.2 ± 1.3 (2σ) Ma which is interpreted to date the intrusion of the alkaline rocks. A lower concordia intercept at 168 ± 210 Ma defined by two grains with high common lead may indicate post-magmatic disturbances due to recrystallisation which is also evident in the CL images of the zircons. EPMA dating of monazite from a post-kinematic pegmatite which intrudes the crystalline basement hosting the alkaline rocks yields an age of 478 ± 29 (2σ) Ma and provides a lower bracket for the main phase of tectonism in this part of the Southern Granulite Terrain. The Pan-African high-grade metamorphism and ductile deformation has thus most likely affected the alkaline rocks. This is supported by the presence of a metamorphic foliation and extensive recrystallisation textures seen in the rocks. The major and trace element concentrations measured on selected samples reveals the presence of both enriched and depleted rock types. The enriched group includes ferrosyenite and nepheline syenite while the depleted group has only nepheline syenites. The trace element depletion of some nepheline syenites is interpreted to be a result of fractional crystallization involving the removal of accessory phases like zircon, titanite, apatite and allanite.     

Molecular dynamics simulations of pressure and temperature effects on MgSiO3 and Mg2SiO4 melts and glasses

Ab-initio interionic potentials for Mg²⁺, Si⁴⁺, and O^2– have been used in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to investigate diffusivity changes, pressure-induced structural transitions, and temperature effects on polymerization in MgSiO₃ and Mg₂SiO₄ melts and glasses. The potential gives reasonable agreement with the 0.1 MPa radial distribution function of MgSiO₃ glass. Maxima in the diffusion coefficients of Si⁴⁺ and O^2– occur as pressure is increased on the MgSiO₃ melt. The controlling structural mechanism for this behavior is the Q¹ species of SiO₄ tetrahedra. Mg²⁺ diffusion coefficients decrease monotonically with pressure in both melt compositions. Increasing Mg²⁺ coordination number and population of 3- and 4-membered SiO₄ rings with pressure combine to hinder translation of the Mg²⁺ ions. The dominant changes in structure with pressure are a decrease in the intertetrahedral (Si-O--Si) angle up to approximately 4 g/cm³ and coordination changes of the ions above this density. Temperature effects on viscosity in these simulated melts are indirectly studied by analyzing polymerization changes with temperature. Polymerization and coordination numbers increase with decreasing temperature and a small quench rate effect is observed. Fair agreement is found between the MD simulations and experimental equation of state for Mg₂SiO₄, but the equation of state predictions for MgSiO₃ melts are much less accurate. The zero pressure volume, V ₀, is significantly higher and K ₀ is lower in the simulations than empirical values. The inadequacies reflect error in using the ionic approximation for polymerized systems and a need to collect more data for a variety of molecular configurations in the development of ab-initio potentials.     

Mineralogy and PT formation conditions of lead-zinc ore at the Dzhimidon deposit, north Ossetia

The mineralogy and PT formation conditions of the Dzhimidon Pb-Zn deposit in the Sadon ore district are considered. The deposit is localized in metamorphic rocks of the Buron Formation, which pertain to the pre-Jurassic basement (lower structural stage) and are cut through by Upper Paleozoic granitoids, and in the Lower Jurassic terrigenous sequence (upper structural stage). Orebodies as quartz-sulfide veins are mainly hosted in the metamorphic rocks. Galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, and arsenopyrite are the most abundant sulfides, while quartz, carbonates, chlorite, sericite, and feldspar are gangue minerals. The bismuth mineralization identified at this deposit for the first time is represented by diverse phases of the Ag-Pb-Bi-S system. Five stages of the ore deposit formation are recognized: a premineral stage (quartz-feldspar), three ore-bearing stages (pyrite-arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-sphalerite, and arsenopyrite-sphalerite-galena), and a postmineral stage (quartz-calcite); each stage comprises one or several mineral assemblages. The study of fluid inclusions in quartz, calcite, and sphalerite of the premineral, ore-forming, and postmineral stages has shown that the ore was deposited mainly from Na chloride solution with a salinity varying from >22 to <1.0 wt % NaCl equiv at a temperature from 460 to ～120°C and 430–290 bars pressure. The third stage was characterized by an abrupt increase in temperature and by the appearance of Mg(Fe,Ca) chloride solutions equally with Na chloride fluids, presumably owing to the emplacement of granite porphyry.     

An Fe isotope study of ordinary chondrites

The Fe isotope composition of ordinary chondrites and their constituent chondrules, metal and sulphide grains have been systematically investigated. Bulk chondrites fall within a restricted isotopic range of <0.2‰ δ⁵⁶Fe, and chondrules define a larger range of >1‰ (−0.84‰ to 0.21‰ relative to the IRMM-14 Fe standard). Fe isotope compositions do not vary systematically with the very large differences in total Fe concentration, or oxidation state, of the H, L, and LL chondrite classes. Similarly, the Fe isotope compositions of chondrules do not appear to be determined by the H, L or LL classification of their host chondrite. This may support an origin of the three ordinary chondrite groups from variable accretion of identical Fe-bearing precursors.A close relationship between isotopic composition and redistribution of Fe during metamorphism on ordinary chondrite parent bodies was identified; the largest variations in chondrule compositions were found in chondrites of the lowest petrologic types. The clear link between element redistribution and isotopic composition has implications for many other non-traditional isotope systems (e.g. Mg, Si, Ca, Cr). Isotopic compositions of chondrules may also be determined by their melting history; porphyritic chondrules exhibit a wide range in isotope compositions whereas barred olivine and radial pyroxene chondrules are generally isotopically heavier than the ordinary chondrite mean. Very large chondrules preserve the greatest heterogeneity of Fe isotopes.The mean Fe isotope composition of bulk ordinary chondrites was found to be −0.06‰ (±0.12‰ 2 SD); this is isotopically lighter than the terrestrial mean composition and all other published non-chondritic meteorite suites e.g. lunar and Martian samples, eucrites, pallasites, and irons. Ordinary chondrites, though the most common meteorites found on Earth today, were not the sole building blocks of the terrestrial planets.     

In Situ Observations of Solar Wind Stream Interface Evolution

The heliocentric orbits of the two STEREO satellites are similar in radius and ecliptic latitude, with separation in longitude increasing by about 45° per year. This arrangement provides a unique opportunity to study the evolution of stream interfaces near 1 AU over time scales of hours to a few days, much less than the period of a Carrington rotation. Assuming nonevolving solar wind sources that corotate with the Sun, we calculated the expected time and longitude of arrival of stream interfaces at the Ahead observatory based on the in situ solar wind speeds measured at the Behind observatory. We find agreement to within 5° between the expected and actual arrival longitude until the spacecraft are separated by more than 20° in heliocentric inertial longitude. This corresponds to about one day between the measurement times. Much larger deviations, up to 25° in longitude, are observed after 20° separation. Some of the deviations can be explained by a latitude difference between the spacecraft, but other deviations most likely result from evolution of the source region. Both remote and in situ measurements show that changes at the source boundary can occur on a time scale much shorter than one solar rotation. In 32 of 41 cases, the interface was observed earlier than expected at STEREO/Ahead.     

The sunlit lunar surface

Directional infrared emission from the sunlit lunar surface is determined for the thermal meridian and as a function of observer elevation and azimuth angles at three Sun elevation angles. A study of selected mare sites at full Moon suggests that brightness temperatures are relatively insensitive to changes in certain surface parameters, such as the photometric function, emissivity, and thermophysical properties of the soil. The observed deviations from predictions for an average surface can be accounted for by changes in surface roughness.Deceased 12 January, 1971.