Thermally metamorphosed carbonaceous chondrites from data for thermally mobile trace elements

Abstract— We report radiochemical neutron activation analysis (RNAA) data for U, Co, Au, Sb, Ga, Rb, Cs, Se, Ag, Te, Zn, In, Bi, Tl, and Cd (ordered by increasing ease of vaporization and loss from the Murchison CM2 chondrite during open-system heating) in nine Antarctic C2 and C3 chondrites. These meteorites exhibit properties (obtained by reflectance spectroscopy, O isotopic mass spectrometry and/or mineralogy-petrology) suggesting thermal metamorphism in their parent bodies. Five of these meteorites (Asuka (A) 881655, Yamato (Y) 793495, Y-790992, Pecora Escarpment (PCA) 91008, and Y-86789—paired with Y-86720) exhibit significant depletion of the most thermally mobile 1–5 trace elements, which is consistent with open-system loss during extended parent-body heating (under conditions duplicated by week-long heating of the Murchison C2 chondrite, heated at 500–700 °C in a low-pressure (initially 10^?5atm) H₂ atmosphere). From earlier data, three other C3 chondrites—Allan Hills (ALH) 81003, ALH 85003, and Lewis Cliffs (LEW) 85332—show significant Cd depletion. Nine additional C2 and C3 chondrites show no evidence of mobile trace element depletion—including Y-793321, which by all other criteria was mildly metamorphosed thermally. Either metamorphism of these nine meteorites occurred under closed conditions and/or alteration took place under such mild conditions that even Cd could not be lost. The RNAA data suggest that 10 of the 46 Antarctic carbonaceous chondrites (including 4 of 37 from Victoria Land and 6 of 9 from Queen Maud Land) exhibit open-system loss of at least some thermally mobile trace elements by heating in their parent bodies, whereas none of the 25 non-Antarctic falls experienced this. These results are consistent with the idea that the Antarctic sampling of near-Earth material differs from that being sampled today.     

Chemical studies of H chondrites 9: Volatile trace element composition and petrographic classification of equilibrated H chondrites

Abstract— To examine the thermal history of the parent body/bodies of equilibrated H chondrites, we treated data for 11 volatile trace elements (Co, Rb, Ag, Se, Cs, Te, Zn, Cd, Bi, Tl, and In in order of putative volatility) in 90 falls: 15 H4; 46 H5, and 29 H6. Using univariate statistical tests, contents of few of these elements differ significantly between any two of these suites. One element, Cs, differs systematically between all three pairs of suites; Co and Tl differ between two pairs of suites. For Co and Cs, contents varied as H4 > H5 > H6; while for Tl, contents varied as H4 < H5 < H6. Using multivariate statistical tests, all three suites can be distinguished compositionally, with trace element contents in the H5 suite being intermediate to those of H4 and H6. Surprisingly, the multivariate distinguishability reflects contents of less volatile Co, Rb, Ag, Se and Cs, and not of highly volatile Te, Zn, Cd, Bi, Tl and In. The compositional trends apparently reflect heterogeneous accretion >600 K, with the suites deriving from a stratified parent body/bodies.     

Atmospheric Effects of the Emerging Mainland Chinese Transportation System at and Beyond the Regional Scale

Local surface travel needs in the Peoples Republic of China (mainlandChina) have traditionally been met largely by nonpolluting bicycles. A majorautomobile manufacturing/importing effort has begun in the country over thelast decade, and planning documents indicate that the Chinese may strive toacquire more than 100 million vehicles early in the next century. By analogywith large automotive fleets already existing in the western world, bothregional and global scale pollution effects are to be expected from theincrease. The present work adopts the latest projections of Chinese automobilemanufacture and performs some quantitative assessments of the extent ofpollution generation.Focus for the investigation is placed upon the oxidant ozone. Emissions of theprecursor species nitrogen oxides and volatile organics are constructed basedon data for the current automotive sector in the eastern portion of the UnitedStates. Ozone production is first estimated from measured values forcontinental/oceanic scale yields relative to precursor oxidation. Theestimates are then corroborated through idealized two dimensional modeling ofthe photochemistry taking place in springtime air flow off the Asian land massand toward the Pacific Ocean. The projected fleet sizes could increase coastaland remote oceanic ozone concentrations by tens of parts per billion (ppb)in the lower troposphere. Influences on the tropospheric aerosol system andon the major greenhouse gas carbon dioxide are treated peripherally. Nitrogenoxides created during the vehicular internal combustion process willcontribute to nitrate pollution levels measured in the open Pacific. Thepotential for soot and fugitive dust increases should be considered as theautomotive infrastructure develops. Since the emerging Chinese automotivetransportation system will represent a substantial addition to the globalfleet and all the carbon in gasoline is eventually oxidized completely, asignificant rise in global carbon dioxide inputs will ensue as well.Some policy issues are treated preliminary. The assumption is made thatalterations to regional oxidant/aerosol systems and to terrestrial climate areconceivable. The likelihood that the Chinese can achieve the latest vehiclefleet goals is discussed, from the points of view of new production, positivepollution feedbacks from a growing automobile industry, and known petroleumreserves. Vehicular fuel and maintenance options lying before the Chinese areoutlines and compared. To provide some perspective on the magnitude of theenvironmental changes associated with an Asian automotive buildup, recentestimates of the effects of future air traffic over the Pacific Rim aredescribed.     

Deep marine trace fossil assemblages from the Lower Carboniferous of Menorca,Balearic Islands,western Mediterranean

Sediments of Lower Carboniferous age in eastern Menorca, Balearic Islands contain a diverse and exceptionally well preserved ichnofauna, including Neonereites biserialis, Nereites isp., Arthrophycus isp., Dictyodora liebeana, two ichnospecies of Chondrites, several ichnospecies of Lophoctenium, two ichnospecies of Phycosiphon, Syncoprulus pharmaceus, annulated burrows and a vertical burrow. The host lithologies are conglomerates, sandstones, siltstones and mudstones; most are the product of debris flows, and of high concentration [Ta(bc) intervals] to relatively dilute (Tcd/Tde intervals) turbidity currents. The rocks are interpreted as deposits of an inner- to mid-fan palaeoenvironment. Channelized deposits, sequences of overbank deposition and interchannel deposits interspersed with the deposits of unconfined debris flows and high concentration turbidity currents are present. The ichnofauna is most frequently, and best, preserved within the Td interval of turbidities, which are interpreted as interchannel deposits, produced by low concentration turbidity flows. The distribution of the ichnofauna is partly controlled by the lithologies in which they are preserved. The rarity and poor preservation of trace fossils in the coarser grained facies contrasts with the detailed preservation of very delicate traces in the finer grained lithologies. However, the ichnofauna is also partitioned between different subenvironments of the mid-fan to produce a series of palaeoichnocoenoses. Thin intervals of interchannel deposits, separated by deposits of high concentration turbidity currents, repeatedly contain only Phycosiphon incertum and small (?juvenile)Dictyodora liebeana. These traces are interpreted as the products of opportunistic colonization of near-channel environments during episodes of quiescent deposition. Thicker intervals of interchannel deposits contain diverse assemblages of trace fossils characteristic of more stable environments, in which widespread colonization occurred. Overbank deposits at Cabo de Favaritz are medium- to thick-bedded, fine-grained beds. In these, the ichnofauna occurs in a simple, two-tier profile. The upper tier is dominated by Nereites isp.; this is underlain by a partially bioturbated layer characterized by large Dictyodora liebeana and Arthrophycus isp.     

Clay-mineral distribution in surface sediments of the Eurasian Arctic Ocean and continental margin as indicator for source areas and transport pathways — a synthesis

Clay-mineral distributions in the Arctic Ocean and the adjacent Eurasian shelf areas are discussed to identify source areas and transport pathways of terrigenous material in the Arctic Ocean. The main clay minerals in Eurasian Arctic Ocean sediments are illite and chlorite. Smectite and kaolinite occur in minor amounts in these sediments, but show strong variations in the shelf areas. These two minerals are therefore reliable in reconstructions of source areas of sediments from the Eurasian Arctic. The Kara Sea and the western part of the Laptev Sea are enriched in smectite, with highest values of up to 70% in the deltas of the Ob and Yenisey rivers. Illite is the dominant clay mineral in all the investigated sediments except for parts of the Kara Sea. The highest concentrations with more than 70% illite occur in the East Siberian Sea and around Svalbard. Chlorite represents the clay mineral with lowest concentration changes in the Eastern Arctic, ranging between 10 and 25%. The main source areas for kaolinite in the Eurasian Arctic are Mesozoic sedimentary rocks on Franz-Josef Land islands. Based on clay-mineral data, transport of the clay fraction via sea ice is of minor importance for the modern sedimentary budget in the Arctic basins.     

Relative and radiocarbon chronology of two former glaciers in the Chilean Lake District

This paper investigates the relative importance of climatic and topographic factors on the fluctuations of two adjacent palaeoglaciers in the Chilean Lake District. Geomorphological mapping of the landforms around two lakes occupied by the palaeoglaciers has identified a series of intersecting moraine limits and ice-marginal meltwater channels, which allow the relative timing of glacier fluctuations to be established. The broad pattern of advance and retreat is the same in the two basins, with at least one synchronous major advance sometime after 19 500 yr BP, but there is also evidence of discordant behaviour, with one glacier advancing less often and lagging the other glacier during retreat. Seventeen radiocarbon dates suggest a similar chronology to other palaeoglaciers in the Chilean Lake District, but the advance after 19 500 yr BP may have been 1500 ¹⁴C yr later than major advances of palaeoglaciers situated immediately south. The empirical evidence of differential behaviour can be simulated by a glaciological model, which suggests that the differences in glacier response are due to contrasts in basin topography. Contrasts of this magnitude between the timing of some glacier advances has important implications for regional and interhemispheric correlation of Chilean Lake District glacier chronologies to other climate proxy records. © 1997 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Lateglacial to Holocene relative sea‐level changes in the Stykkishólmur area,northern Snæfellsnes,Iceland

Comparatively little research has been undertaken on relative sea‐level (RSL) change in western Iceland. This paper presents the results of diatom, tephrochronological and radiocarbon analyses on six isolation basins and two coastal lowland sediment cores from the Stykkishólmur area, northern Snæfellsnes, western Iceland. The analyses provide a reconstruction of Lateglacial to mid‐Holocene RSL changes in the region. The marine limit is measured to 65–69 m above sea level (asl), with formation being estimated at 13.5 cal ka BP. RSL fall initially occurred rapidly following marine limit formation, until ca. 12.6 cal ka BP, when the rate of RSL fall decreased. RSL fell below present in the Stykkishólmur area during the early Holocene (by ca. 10 cal ka BP). The rates of RSL change noted in the Stykkishólmur area demonstrate lesser ice thicknesses in Snæfellsnes than Vestfirðir during the Younger Dryas, when viewed in the regional context. Consequently, the data provide an insight into patterns of glacio‐isostatic adjustment surrounding Breiðafjörður, a hypothesized major ice stream at the Last Glacial Maximum.