Trace element and isotopic composition of baddeleyite

Summary Baddeleyite from Palabora Igneous Complex, South Africa, is among the purest natural ZrO₂ phases. This has been demonstrated by using various methods, i.e. microprobe, neutron activation, spark source and thermal ion mass spectrometry. HfO₂ with 1.87% is the only other major component. The concentrations of other HFSE are also relatively high, compared to most other elements, that reach only a few ppm.The REE display a U-shaped pattern that is interpreted to be superimposed by a strongly LREE enriched source component. The high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr initial of 0.713085 and the negative Nd_t of –10.7 prove that this component was LILE enriched for a long time prior to the formation of the Palabora Igneous Complex. These data indicate that the baddeleyite crystallized from a magma which was derived from an enriched mantle reservoir, similar to that involved in the formation of group II kimberlites.

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Spurenelemente und Isotopenzusammensetzung von Baddeleyit

Zusammenfassung Baddeleyit vom Palabora Igneous Complex, Südafrika, gehört zu den reinsten natürlichen Vorkommen von ZrO₂. Dies wurde durch Analysen mit verschiedenen Methoden wie Mikrosonde, Neutronenaktivierung, Funken- und Thermionenmassenspektrometrie bestätigt. HfO₂ ist mit 1.87 die einzige andere Hauptkomponente, auch die Konzentrationen der anderen HFSE sind relativ hoch im Vergleich zu den anderen Elementen, die nur wenige ppm erreichen.Die REE bilden ein U-förmiges Muster, das als Ausdruck einer stark LREE angereicherten Komponente im Ausgangsgestein gedeutet wird. Das hohe⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr-Initialverhältnis von 0.713085 und das negative Nd_t von -10.7 belegen, daß diese Komponente über einen langen Zeitraum vor der Bildung des Palabora Igneous Complex angereichert gewesen war. Diese Daten deuten an, da der Baddeleyit aus einem Magma kristallisierte, das aus einem angereicherten Mantelreservoir stammte, ähnlich dem, das bei der Bildung der Gruppe 11 Kimberlite beteiligt war.

     

Determination of the Tin Stable Isotopic Composition in Tin‐bearing Metals and Minerals by MC‐ICP‐MS

This study uses MC‐ICP‐MS for the precise analysis of the stable tin isotopic composition in ore minerals of tin (cassiterite, stannite), tin metal and tin bronze. The ultimate goal is to determine the provenance of tin in ancient metal objects. We document the isotope compositions of reference materials and compare the precision of different isotope ratios and the accuracy of different procedures of mass fractionation correction. These data represent a base with which isotopic data of future studies can be directly compared. The isotopic composition of cassiterite and stannite can be determined after reduction to tin metal and bronze, respectively. Both metals readily dissolve in HCl, but while the solutions of tin metal can be directly measured, the bronze solutions must be purified with an anion exchanger. The correction of the mass bias is best performed with an internal Sb standard and an empirical regression method. A series of Sn isotope determinations on commercially available mono‐element Sn solutions as well as reference bronze materials and tin minerals show fractionations ranging from about ?0.09‰ to 0.05‰/amu. The combined analytical uncertainty (2s) was determined by replicate dissolutions of reference materials of bronze (BAM 211, IARM‐91D) and averages at about 0.005‰/amu.     

Climatic fluctuation in the Czech Lands during the last millennium

On the basis of documentary evidence, proxy-data and instrumental observations, the climatic fluctuation during the last millennium in the Czech Lands is analysed. According to narrative sources, the warmest period falls between the 1260s–1380s, documents for Lamb's (1984) Medieval Warm Epoch in 1150–1300 are missing. The prevalence of extremely cold and also rainy periods, as an expression of the Little Ice Age, is most conspicuous in the 15th century, in the 1590s and, with three interruptions, between the 1730s–1850s. Since the latter half of the 19th century a rising temperature trend has manifested itself. A regional climatic scenario for the model of global warming is discussed in relation to the observed trends in the Czech Lands.