New high-pressure and high-temperature metal/silicate partitioning of U and Pb: Implications for the cores of the Earth and Mars

In order to quantify possible fractionation of U and Pb into a metallic core, we have performed piston cylinder and multi-anvil press experiments at high pressure (up to 20 GPa) and high temperature (up to 2400 °C) and obtained the distribution coefficient D_{metal-silicate} and the exchange partition coefficient K_{metal-silicate} for these elements between metal and silicates (mineral or liquid). and depend strongly on the S content of the metallic phase, and also on the oxygen fugacity, in agreement with an effective valence state of 4 for U in silicates and 2 for Pb in silicates. and show no discernable pressure and temperature trend. U remains lithophile even at high pressure and high temperature but its lithophile nature decreases at very low oxygen fugacity. From our experimental data, it was possible to calculate the U and Pb contents of the cores of Mars and Earth under core-mantle equilibrium conditions at high pressure and high temperature. From the D_{metal-silicate} of the present study, we obtained that: 0.008 ppm < Pb_{in the core} <4.4 ppm, and 0.0003 ppb < U_{in the core} < 0.63 ppb, depending on whether the metal is S-free or S-saturated respectively, and if the mantle was molten or solid during the segregation process of the Earth’s core around ΔIW-2. For Mars, based on a core segregation process around ΔIW-1, we obtained that: 0.005 ppm < Pb_{in the core} < 3 ppm, and 0.00002 ppb < U_{in the core} < 0.05 ppb, depending on the metallic composition: S-free or S-saturated respectively.Our results suggest that the low concentration of Pb in the terrestrial mantle could not be explained by an early Pb sequestration in the Earth’s core even if S is the dominant light element of the core. If we assume a magma ocean scenario, U might produced a maximum value of 1.5% of the total heat budget of the core with a segregation occurring below ΔIW-3. The values found in the present study for U in the Martian core suggest that the magnetic field activity of Mars before ∼0.5 b.y. after its formation would be difficult to ascribe to the decay of U alone.     

Formation of todorokite from vernadite in Ni-rich hemipelagic sediments

Todorokite is considered to form from vernadite in nature and commonly concentrates nickel. However, this mineralogical transformation has never been imaged nor explained mechanistically, and its effect on the uptake of nickel has never been quantified at the molecular-level. We have characterized these reactions at the macroscopic, microscopic, nanoscopic and atomic scales in a marine manganese concretion by combining transmission electron microscopy, electron and X-ray microprobe analysis, powder and micro X-ray diffraction, and Mn and Ni K-edge EXAFS spectroscopy. The concretion was collected during the Ticoflux II expedition near the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica, and is representative of Mn deposits in hemipelagic sediments. It consists of 5 to 25 μm aggregates, shaped like sea-urchins, with a core of 7Å-vernadite (1.0 wt% Ni), a rim of 10Å-vernadite (3.8 wt% Ni), and an outermost region of todorokite fibers (1.9 wt% Ni) that extend outwards. The crystallites of 7Å-vernadite are single- to bi-layered, with hexagonal layer symmetry (a = b = 2.83 Å), and an average structural formula of . The crystallites of 10Å-vernadite contain 10 to 20 layers semi-coherently stacked in the ab plane and uniformly separated in the [0 0 1] direction by ∼9 Å due to the intercalation of hydrated Mg²⁺ cations. The average structural formula of 10Å-vernadite is if the layers contain vacancy sites, or alternately , if they contain Mn³⁺. The average formula of todorokite is .A genetic model is proposed based on combining these new data with previously published results. The thermodynamically unstable 7Å-vernadite transforms via dissolution-recrystallization to semi-ordered Mg-rich 10Å-vernadite. Nickel is released from dissolved biogenic silica or reduced organic matter, and taken up mainly in the Mn layer of 10Å-vernadite. Interlayer magnesium serves as a template to the further topotactic transformation of 10Å-vernadite to todorokite. The dimension of the todorokite tunnels in the [0 0 1] direction is uniform and determined by the size of the hydrated Mg²⁺ ion (8.6 Å). The tunnel dimension in the [1 0 0] direction depends on the density of Mg²⁺ in the interlayer and the superstructure of the phyllomanganate layer. If the parent phyllomanganate contains high amounts of Mg²⁺ (i.e., high layer charge), or Mn³⁺ and Mn⁴⁺ cations ordered following the Mn³⁺-Mn⁴⁺-Mn⁴⁺ sequence as in synthetic triclinic birnessite, then the tunnel dimension is ideally 3 × 3 octahedral chain widths in both crystallographic directions. Otherwise, the tunnel dimension is incoherent in the [1 0 0] direction (i.e., T(3,n) tunnel structure), as has been observed in all natural todorokites. Natural todorokite is defective because the precursor natural phyllomanganates either have a layer charge deficit below 0.33e per octahedral site, or rarely are triclinic birnessite. The abundance of Mg in seawater and its key role in converting phyllomanganate to tectomanganate with T(3,n) tunnel structure explain why todorokite is common in marine ferromanganese oxides, and seldom present in terrestrial environments. The topotactic phase transformation described here is the only known route to todorokite crystallization. This implies that all natural todorokites may be authigenic because they are formed in situ from a phyllomanganate precursor.     

Neutral Hydrogen and Its Emission Lines in the Solar Corona

Since the Lyman-\(\alpha\) rocket observations of Gabriel (Solar Phys. 21, 392, 1971), it has been realized that the hydrogen (H) lines could be observed in the corona and that they offer an interesting diagnostic for the temperature, density, and radial velocity of the coronal plasma. Moreover, various space missions have been proposed to measure the coronal magnetic and velocity fields through polarimetry in H lines. A necessary condition for such measurements is to benefit from a sufficient signal-to-noise ratio. The aim of this article is to evaluate the emission in three representative lines of H for three different coronal structures. The computations have been performed with a full non-local thermodynamic-equilibrium (non-LTE) code and its simplified version without radiative transfer. Since all collisional and radiative quantities (including incident ionizing and exciting radiation) are taken into account, the ionization is treated exactly. Profiles are presented at two heights (1.05 and 1.9 solar radii, from Sun center) in the corona, and the integrated intensities are computed at heights up to five solar radii. We compare our results with previous computations and observations (e.g. L\(\alpha\) from Ultraviolet Coronal Spectrometer) and find a rough (model-dependent) agreement. Since the H\(\alpha\) line is a possible candidate for ground-based polarimetry, we show that in order to detect its emission in various coronal structures, it is necessary to use a very narrow (less than 2 Å wide) bandpass filter.     

Multi-technique monitoring of ocean tide loading in northern France

We have organised afield study of ocean tide loading in the northwestern part of France, where tidal amplitudes are known to be among the highest in the world. GPS and gravimetric techniques have already proved their capability to measure such weak and high-frequency signals. In this study, these classical observations are complemented with less usual techniques, such as tiltmeter and Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) measurements. We present here the preliminary results for a common period of observations spanning from 12–19 May 2004. Additional measurements from the French Transportable Laser Ranging Station (FTLRS) were available during September and October 2004. Observation residuals are computed as the difference between the observed and the predicted time signals. We obtain small RMS residuals for GPS measurements (2.5/3.1/4.5 mm for the eastward, northward and upward components), for absolute and relative gravimetry (9 nm/s² and 13 nm/s²) and for tiltmeters (0.05 μrad for EW component). We also fit the amplitude of the main M2 tidal constituent to FTLRS observations and we find a value of 3.731 cm, which is comparable to the theoretical value.     

Stress, failure and fluid flow deduced from earthquakes accompanying eruptions at Piton de la Fournaise volcano

In the present episode of eruptive activity, evidence from seismicity for sustained magma inflow from depth into the edifice of Piton de la Fournaise is lacking. Pre-eruptive main deformation and shallow seismicity help to identify very small volumes of magma that are in motion beneath the rim of the Dolomieu summit crater, and oriented along the azimuth of the future vents. Small magma pockets may reside in the cone above sea level, or may be expelled repeatedly, due to crystallisation in a small, low-velocity, aseismic region below sea level under the high-velocity central plug of the cone in which pre-eruptive earthquake swarms are located. In cross-section the hypocentres define two steep sheets diverging from the aseismic zone at sea level towards 1.5 km above sea level (or 1 km beneath the 2632 m high cone). However, failure induced by increased pressure in the suggested chamber does not account for the observed focal mechanisms.The occurrence and timing of magma transport are attested by eruption, and seismic activity may be related to magma transport. Focal mechanisms document strike-slip, not normal faulting or tensile failure. Vertical propagation of the edge of a feeder dike may enhance strike-slip motion above the edge, in a region where effective normal stress is decreased by thermally induced groundwater flow. The strike-slip mechanisms could also be caused by a tensile-shear widening of the horizontal section of vertical conduits.Fournaise strike-slip earthquakes occur in two orientations, with P axes orthogonal between them, within a single pre-eruptive event. Earthquakes are distributed in the same volume but mechanisms switch from one to another type systematically with time, indicating a reversal of stress conditions. The orientations of P axes with respect to the epicentral trend suggest that in the later parts of events leading to eruptions, a compression of the medium occurs after a dilation in the first part. The activated zone might respond successively to the arrival and the departure of the magma on its way from the reservoir at depth to the vent, radial to the cone.     

Public expectation as an element of human perception of climate change

Human expectations regarding weather and climate sometimes lead to perceptions of climate change which are not supported by observational evidence. This paper analyses two very characteristic complaints about current climate in Switzerland, i.e., the lack of snow in winter and the lack of sunshine in summer, through a statistical investigation of climatological data. As one major problem of public perception of climate in mid-latitude regions is linked to the strong variability of the climatic parameters, the paper suggests means of presenting climatic data which include a measure of this variability. Such presentations would help overcome the common confusion between the terms weather and climate, and stress the fact that short-term extreme events are not necessarily indicative of a long-term shift in climate.     

Pre-orogenic volcanic assemblages and structure in the Western Cordillera of Ecuador between l°40'S and 2°20'S

A major reverse fault with a separation of at least a few thousand meters is exposed in the western Cordillera of Ecuador near 2°S.Ree and other incompatible elements patterns show (i) that the rocks exposed in the upthrust block to the east of the fault areMorb that had not yet been identified and (ii) that a volcanic island-arc assemblage extensively outcrops in the downthrust block west of the fault.The fault therefore bounds a steeply east-dipping thrustsheet comprising the arc and its basement. Thrustsheets of the same type are known farther north in Ecuador. They were stacked in a presently inactive subduction-zone during the early Tertiary when the island-arc, drifting from the west, finally collided with continental south America.The large dextral-slip Guayaquil-Dolores fault system, traditionally but possibly erroneously thought to be the suture-zone between continental south America and the oceanic allochthone blocks collided during the Cretaceous and Tertiary, subsequently disrupted most of that structural arrangement.

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Zusammenfassung Die Gesteine einer bei 2° Südlicher Breite in der Westkordillere Ecuadors zu Tage tretenden und um mehrere tausend Meter versetzten Verwerfung wurden in geochemischer Hinsicht untersucht. Die Verteilung der seltenen Erden und der anderen inkompatiblen Elemente in den Proben zeigte östlich dieser Verwerfung das Vorkommen von Tholeiiten desMorb-Typs auf, deren Auftreten hier bis jetzt unbekannt war. Außerdem konnten die westlich der Verwerfung auftretenden Diabase, Andesite und Rhyolite dem Typ eines Inselbogens zugeordnet werden.Diese Verwerfung begrenzt infolgedessen eine stark nach Osten einfallende Schuppe des Sockels. Andere Schuppen dieser Art treten weiter im Norden Ecuadors auf, wo sie zu Beginn des Tertiärs während des Zusammentreffens des von Westen ankommenden, aus der Kreidezeit stammenden Inselbogens mit dem südamerikanischen Kontinent in eine Paläosubduktionszone eingebettet worden sind.Dieses Strukturgefüge ist anschließend zum größten Teil durch das System der rechtsseitigen Verwerfungen von Guayaquil — Dolores verdeckt worden. Dieses System wird für gewöhnlich — aber wahrscheinlich zu Unrecht — für die Nahtstelle des kontinentalen Südamerikas und der während der Kreidezeit und des Tertiärs gegen den Kontinent sto– Benden und/oder obduzierten allochtonen Blöcke ozeanischen Substrats gehalten.

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Résumé Une faille inverse exposée dans la cordillère occidentale de l'Equateur vers 2°S a un rejet de plusieurs milliers de mètres. L'étude géochimique des terres rares et autres éléments incompatibles permet de reconnaître à l'est de la faille des tholéiites de ride médio-océanique jusqu'alors non identifiées, alors que les diabases, andésites et rhyolites présentes à l'ouest de la faille appartiennent à une formation d'arc insulaire.Cette faille délimite donc une écaille de socle à fort pendage vers l'est. D'autres écailles de ce type sont connues plus au nord en Equateur. Elles se sont imbriquées au début du Tertiaire dans une paléozone de subduction, lors de la collision de l'arc insulaire, venu de l'ouest, avec le continent sud-américain.Ce dispositif structural a été ensuite oblitéré en majeure partie par le systême faillé dextre de Guayaquil-Dolores, qui passe classiquement, mais probablement à tort, pour être la suture entre l'Amérique du sud continentale et les blocs allochtones à substratum océanique collés au continent et/ou obductés durant le Crétacé et le Tertiaire.

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Petrogenetic variability along the North–South Propagating Spreading Center of the North Fiji Basin

Summary Previous studies on propagating rifts suggested that segmentation of a spreading axis could represent the superficial mark of mantle behavior (Sinton et al., 1983; Nicolas, 1989; Gente et al., 1995). The study of North–South Propagating Spreading Center (NS-PSC) from the North Fiji Basin (NFB) brings new insights to this debate. Basalts from the central part of the propagator have more variable incompatible and isotopic ratios then those from its northern tip. A model of dynamic partial melting of a thermally and slightly geochemically and isotopically heterogeneous mantle is proposed. Beneath the central segment, the partial fusion starts deeper (ca. 30km) and reaches a higher rate (ca. 22%). Further open system differentiation occurs within shallow permanent magma reservoirs along most of the central segment. Below the segment closest to the tip of the propagator the partial fusion starts shallower (ca. 25km) and stays at a lower rate (ca. 16%). The maximum of differentiation occurs close to the propagator, in small, periodically disconnected, magma bodies resulting in the production of ferrobasalts close to the tip. In order to explain these variations, the presence of an asthenospheric diapir focused beneath the central part of the NS-PSC is proposed. The petrogenetic processes of propagating spreading centers of mature oceanic basins or back-arc basins are identical.     

Variation in hydrologic connectivity as a result of microtopography explained by discharge to catchment size relationship

In hydrological terms, raised bogs are often approximated by simple models as in the acrotelm–catotelm concept. However, raised bogs are often characterized by a pronounced surface topography, causing large changes in connectivity of contributing areas on the bog. In this study, daily regression of measured discharges versus catchment areas is used to quantify the impact of surface topography on catchment connectivity within a raised bog. The resulting coefficient of determination shows the strength of the relationship between the discharge and catchment area over time under different hydrological conditions. Monitoring of discharge, water table, transmissivity, and basic weather data on a raised bog (1.9 km²) in eastern central Estonia took place from May 2008 to June 2010. Contributing areas, calculated based on the outlet's discharge volume (V _Q ) divided by the net precipitation volume ( ), of the outlet containing the central pool‐ridge system varied between 1×10^?3 and 0.7 km², suggesting significant differences in connectivity between hydrological events. Correlation between discharge and theoretical catchment size was high (R ²>0.75) when the water table was close to the surface (less than 5 cm below peat surface), and consequently, transmissivities were also high (up to 1,030m²d^?1), which led to connectivity of local storage elements, such as pools and hollows. However, a water table below this threshold resulted in large parts of the catchment being disconnected. The importance of water table depths on catchment connectivity suggests the need to reconsider the hydrological concept of raised bogs; to incorporate these shallow flow components and better understand residence time and consequently transport of solutes, such as DOC, from patterned peatlands.