Negative δO values in Allan Hills 84001 carbonate: Possible evidence for water precipitation on mars

The Martian meteorite ALH84001 contains ∼1% by weight of carbonate formed by secondary processes on the Martian surface or in the shallow subsurface. The major form of this carbonate is chemically and isotopically zoned rosettes which have been well documented elsewhere. This study concentrates upon carbonate regions ∼200 μm across which possess previously unobserved magnesium rich inner cores, interpreted here as rosette fragments, surrounded by a later stage cement containing rare Ca-rich carbonates (up to Ca₈₁Mg₀₇Fe₀₄Mn₀₇) intimately associated with feldspar. High spatial resolution ion probe analyses of Ca-rich carbonate surrounding rosette fragments have δ¹⁸O_V-SMOW values as low as −10‰. These values are not compatible with deposition from a global Martian atmosphere invoked to explain ALH84001 rosettes. The range of δ¹⁸O values are also incompatible with a fluid that has equilibrated with the Martian crust at high temperature or from remobilisation of carbonate of rosette isotopic composition. At Martian atmospheric temperatures, the small CO₂(gas)-CO₂(ice) fractionation makes meteoric CO₂ an unlikely source for −10‰ carbonates. In contrast, closed system Rayleigh fractionation of H₂O can generate δ¹⁸O_H2O −30‰, as observed at high latitudes on Earth. We suggest that atmospheric transport and precipitation of H₂O in a similar fashion to that on Earth provides a source of suitably ¹⁸O depleted water for generation of carbonate with δ¹⁸O_V-SMOW = −10‰.     

Comparative Analysis of Arctic Sea Ice Area Derived from Satellite Microwave Radiometry Data (VASIA2 Algorithm) with Ice Charts of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute

Izvestiya, Atmospheric and Oceanic Physics - The Arctic Sea ice area, calculated by the VASIA2 algorithm using the SSMIS data during the most intensive melting of the ice cover in 2019, is compared...     

Origin of flooding water through hydrogeochemical identification,the Buenos Aires plain,Argentina

Hydrogeochemical behaviour of samples of surface and groundwater collected on a cross-section from Mendoza to the Buenos Aires provinces was studied based on chemical trends, mass balance and water mixing. Hydrogeochemical modelling included major, minor elements as well as stable isotopes (deuterium and 18-O). The area investigated is located in the “Médanos Longitudinales” (longitudinal dunes) of the northwest of Buenos Aires province, Argentina. The study area is subject to alternating flooding and drought. Rainfall and surface water subsequently transferred by rivers, canals and lagoons have been usually considered responsible for local flooding. For this study, origins of excess water were investigated using physical and chemical characteristics of the water involved. The prevalence of groundwater inflow to rainfall events was proposed based on data interpretation. Groundwater influence of flows of local and intermediate nature were defined and the importance of recharge, transit and discharge zones was highlighted. Lagoon floodwater, as well as groundwater from observation wells and production boreholes, show components of intermediate origin. Regional recharge water was identified in Mendoza and San Luis provinces. Their discharge zone was inferred to be located beyond the Buenos Aires province.     

The IGS VTEC maps: a reliable source of ionospheric information since 1998

The International GNSS Service (IGS) Working Group on Ionosphere was created in 1998. Since then, the Scientific community behind IGS, in particular CODE, ESA, JPL and UPC, have been continuosly contributing to reliable IGS combined vertical total electron content (VTEC) maps in both rapid and final schedules. The details on how these products are being generated, performance numbers, proposed improvement as far as VTEC evolution trends during near one Solar Cycle, are summarized in this paper. The confirmation of (1) the good performance of the IGS combined VTEC maps, and (2) the characteristic VTEC variability periods, are two main results of this work.     

Fattening of wild short‐finned eels,Anguilla Australis schmidtii Phillipps

Short‐finned wild eels fed an artificial diet containing either a low (5%) or a high (20%) oil content were found to increase their mass by an average of more than 30% after a 34‐day feeding period; the lipid content of the eels’ muscle was also increased from about 10% to around 20%.     

Seismic imaging of deep hydrocarbon reservoirs

This paper examines those aspects of reflection seismology which require special consideration when imaging deeper hydrocarbon reservoirs, including the constraints imposed by vertical resolution, lateral resolution, and velocity analysis. We derive quantitative expressions relating the uncertainties in stacking velocities and in interval velocities derived from stacking velocities to acquisition parameters, as well as expressions for the lateral resolution which can theoretically be achieved for migrated seismic images. This analysis shows that the most significant limitations of seismic imaging at depth involve the finite lateral resolution of the seismic method, and the proper lateral positioning of seismic images. These difficulties are overcome in large measure through the proper migration of a seismic dataset, which becomes more critical as deeper horizons are imaged. If these horizons are suspected of having significant 3-D structure, a strong argument may be made for acquiring a 3-D seismic survey over the prospect. Migration of this dataset will then generate an image of the subsurface with good lateral resolution in both the X and Y directions.     

New insights into the size and timing of the Lawn Hill impact structure: relationship to the Century Zn – Pb deposit

The Lawn Hill circular structure in northwest Queensland contains unambiguous evidence of an extraterrestrial impact, including planar deformation features in quartz, impact diamonds, widespread shatter cone formation and impact melt breccia in the Mesoproterozoic basement. The question of its relevance to ore genesis is investigated because the world-class Century Zn – Pb deposit is situated at the conjunction of the 100+ km Termite Range Fault and the previously defined margin of the impact structure. The impact structure is considered to be a 19.5 km wide feature, this constrained in part by the outer margin of an annulus of brecciated and highly contorted limestone. New evidence is presented indicating impact into this Cambrian limestone, including: (i) ‘dykes’ of brecciated Cambrian limestone extending hundreds of metres into the Mesoproterozoic basement; (ii) highly contorted bedding in the limestone annulus compared with essentially undeformed limestone away from the impact site; as well as (iii) a 1 Mt megaclast of Mesoproterozoic Century-like ore suspended in the limestone. Through aerial photograph analysis, large-scale convoluted flow structures within the limestone are identified, and these are interpreted to indicate that parts of the Cambrian sequence may have been soft or only semi-consolidated at the time of impact. This highly contorted limestone bedding is suggested to represent slump-filling of an annular trough in response to impact-induced partial liquefaction of a sediment veneer. The age of impact is therefore considered to be concurrent with limestone formation during the Ordian to early Templetonian, at 520 – 510 Ma. Formation of the Century deposit is found to be unrelated to impact-generated hydrothermal activity, although some minor hydrothermal remobilisation of metals occurred. However, there was macro-scale remobilisation of gigantic ore fragments driven by impact-induced lateral and vertical injection of limestone into the Proterozoic sediments. The limestone-filled annular trough surrounds a 7.8 km diameter central uplift, consistent with formation of a complex crater morphology.     

New evidence of extensive active mud volcanism in the Anaximander mountains (Eastern Mediterranean): The “ATHINA” mud volcano

A 3000 km² multibeam survey was carried out on the eastern Anaximander Mountains (Mts), (Eastern Mediterranean). The objective was to obtain detailed bathymetry of known mud volcanoes and identify new sites of active mud volcanism in the area. N-NW of the Amsterdam Mud-Volcano (MV) several mounds and cone-like morphological irregularities with a height of few tens of meters to about one hundred meters were detected and considered as potential MVs on the basis of their distinctive backscattered character. A group of two mounds was selected, the northern mound was sampled, documented as active, and named accordingly Athina MV. These new findings strongly support the presence of extensive active mud volcanism in the Anaximander Mountains especially in the area north of the Amsterdam MV.GEM     

Zircon geochronology and geochemistry to constrain the youngest eruption events and magma evolution of the Mid-Miocene ignimbrite flare-up in the Pannonian Basin,eastern central Europe

A silicic ignimbrite flare-up episode occurred in the Pannonian Basin during the Miocene, coeval with the syn-extensional period in the region. It produced important correlation horizons in the regional stratigraphy; however, they lacked precise and accurate geochronology. Here, we used U–Pb (LA-ICP-MS and ID-TIMS) and (U–Th)/He dating of zircons to determine the eruption ages of the youngest stage of this volcanic activity and constrain the longevity of the magma storage in crustal reservoirs. Reliability of the U–Pb data is supported by (U–Th)/He zircon dating and magnetostratigraphic constraints. We distinguish four eruptive phases from 15.9 ± 0.3 to 14.1 ± 0.3 Ma, each of which possibly includes multiple eruptive events. Among these, at least two large volume eruptions (>10 km³) occurred at 14.8 ± 0.3 Ma (Demjén ignimbrite) and 14.1 ± 0.3 Ma (Harsány ignimbrite). The in situ U–Pb zircon dating shows wide age ranges (up to 700 kyr) in most of the crystal-poor pyroclastic units, containing few to no xenocrysts, which implies efficient recycling of antecrysts. We propose that long-lived silicic magma reservoirs, mostly kept as high-crystallinity mushes, have existed in the Pannonian Basin during the 16–14 Ma period. Small but significant differences in zircon, bulk rock and glass shard composition among units suggest the presence of spatially separated reservoirs, sometimes existing contemporaneously. Our results also better constrain the time frame of the main tectonic events that occurred in the Northern Pannonian Basin: We refined the upper temporal boundary (15 Ma) of the youngest counterclockwise block rotation and the beginning of a new deformation phase, which structurally characterized the onset of the youngest volcanic and sedimentary phase.