A subduction wedge origin for Paleoarchean peridotitic diamonds and harzburgites from the Panda kimberlite, Slave craton: evidence from Re–Os isotope systematics

An extensive study of peridotitic sulfide inclusion bearing diamonds and their prospective harzburgitic host rocks from the 53 Ma Panda kimberlite pipe, Ekati Mine, NWT Canada, has been undertaken with the Re–Os system to establish their age and petrogenesis. Diamonds with peridotitic sulfide inclusions have poorly aggregated nitrogen (<30% N as B centers) at N contents of 200–800 ppm which differs from that of chromite and silicate bearing diamonds and indicates residence in the cooler portion of the Slave craton lithospheric mantle. For most of the sulfide inclusions, relatively low Re contents (average 0.457 ppm) and high Os contents (average 339 ppm) lead to extremely low ¹⁸⁷Re/¹⁸⁸Os, typically << 0.05. An age of 3.52 ± 0.17 Ga (MSWD = 0.46) and a precise initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os of 0.1093 ± 0.0001 are given by a single regression of 11 inclusions from five diamonds that individually provide coincident internal isochrons. This initial Os isotopic composition is 6% enriched in ¹⁸⁷Os over 3.5 Ga chondritic or primitive mantle. Sulfide inclusions with less radiogenic initial Os isotopic compositions reflect isotopic heterogeneity in diamond forming fluids. The harzburgites have even lower initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os than the sulfide inclusions, some approaching the isotopic composition of 3.5 Ga chondritic mantle. In several cases isotopically distinct sulfides occur in different growth zones of the same diamond. This supports a model where C–O–H–S fluids carrying a radiogenic Os signature were introduced into depleted harzburgite and produced diamonds containing sulfides conforming to the 3.5 Ga isochron. Reaction of this fluid with harzburgite led to diamonds with less radiogenic inclusions while elevating the Os isotope ratios of some harzburgites. Subduction is a viable way of introducing such fluids. This implies a role for subduction in creating early continental nuclei at 3.5 Ga and generating peridotitic diamonds.Electronic Supplementary Material Supplementary material is available for this article at and is accessible for authorized users.     

Delineating low-arsenic groundwater environments in the Bengal Aquifer System, Bangladesh

Studies within the As-affected Bengal Basin have indicated that low-As groundwater can be found in a variety of geological and geomorphological settings. The hydrogeological environments that host low-As groundwater may be interpreted within a geological framework determined by the Quaternary evolution of the Bengal Aquifer System (BAS). This provides the basis for delineating the position and extent of shallow low-As groundwater, low-As groundwater in oxidised ‘red-bed’ sediments, and deep low-As groundwater. Data available on a national scale allow a preliminary delineation of these low-As groundwater environments across Bangladesh, based on empirical associations of low-As groundwater occurrences with topography, water table elevation, surface sediment lithology, geology and the screen depth of deep wells in low-As zones.     

Zur Geometrie der geologischen Falten

Zusammenfassung Zylindrische, konische, tangentenflächige und nicht-abwickelbare Falten werden geometrisch beschrieben. Die Beziehungen zwischen Falte und Lagenkugeldiagramm werden untersucht, wobei folgende Gesetzmäßigkeiten abgeleitet werden: die Schichtflächenpole (s-Pole) zylindrisch gefalteter Schichtflächen beschreiben im Lagenkugeldiagramm einen-Großkreis. Ist die gefaltete Schichtfläche konisch ausgebildet oder stellt sie eine Tangentenfläche dar, so ordnen sich dies-Pole i. allg. auf einer-Kurve. Wenn die gefaltete Schichtfläche nicht abwickelbar ist, kommen die s-Pole im Lagenkugeldiagramm auf einer-Fläche zu liegen. Die zylindrischen und konischen Falten können geometrisch als Spezialfälle der tangentenflächigen Falten betrachtet werden. Im Hinblick auf die jeweilige Lage von Achsenebene und Mittelebene wird zwischen bisektalen und abisektalen Falten unterschieden.

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The geometry of cylindrical, concal, tangent surface and non-developable folds is described. The relations between folds and corresponding orientation diagrams are investigated and the following conclusions are deducted: thes-poles of a cylindrically folded surface describe a-great circle in the orientation diagram. If, however, the folded surface is conical or a tangent surface, thes-poles generally coincide with a-curve. In case the folded surface is not developable, the s-poles fall on a-area in the orientation diagram. With respect to the geometrical form, cylindrical and conical folds may be considered as special cases of tangent surface folds. The relations between the axial plane and the bisecting plane of geological folds are investigated.

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Résumé La géométrie des plis cylindriques et coniques, des plis de surface tangentielle et des plis non-développables est décrite. Les relations entre les plis et les diagrammes de figuration sphérique sont examinées avec les résultats suivants: si une surface plissée est cylindrique, les pôles s de plans de stratification forment un grand cercle dans le diagramme. Dans le cas où la surface plissée est du type conique ou une surface tangentielle, les pôles s coincident en général avec une courbe. Les pôles d'une surface non-développable tombent dans une aire du diagramme. En ce qui concerne la forme géométrique on peut regarder les plis cylindriques et coniques comme des cas speciaux de plis de surface tangentielle. La position du plan axial et du plan médian des plis est chaque fois examinée quant à son caractère bissequant ou non.

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, , . : (S-Pole) . , , S . , . , . .

     

Lead-210 and pollen geochronologies on Lake Superior sediments

Rates of sedimentation in two Lake Superior deposits were determined by both ragweed pollen and ²¹⁰Pb geochronologies. The former yields an average rate over the time since the first appearance of enhanced concentrations of the pollen as a consequence of human settlement. Sedimentation rates derived on these two bases can be brought into accord if the first appearance of ragweed pollen in the sediments was around 1830 and if the sedimentation rates have been uniform over the past century.     

Meridional Motions of Stable Recurrent Sunspot Groups

Stable recurrent sunspot groups from the Greenwich data set which were identified in at least two subsequent solar rotations were traced and meridional motions were determined from the two central meridian passages. In total, 327 meridional velocities were calculated and the results for the northern and the southern solar hemisphere were compared. A dependence of the solar meridional velocity vectors on the development status, latitude and position respectively to the activity belt of sunspots is investigated. The results indicate that sunspot groups are moving on the average away from the center of activity. This was found for sunspot groups growing and decreasing in area.     

Gigamasers: the key to the dust-obscured star formation history of the Universe?

A numerical model of the Leonid stream is developed, based on an earlier model which has been applied to the Perseid stream. The results for this model are applied to the 2001 Leonid return. By examining the full three-dimensional dispersion of individual 'streamlets' released from the Leonid parent comet, 55P/Tempel–Tuttle, we have derived an estimate for the temporal change in spatial density of each trail. Using this result along with an estimate for the location of the centres for individual streamlets and fits to previous Leonid storm profiles, we estimate that the activity from the shower will be broad and relatively strong (zenithal hourly rates perhaps in excess of 1000). In particular, streamlets from the 1766 and 1799 ejections contribute to activity peaking near 10 and 12 ut on 2001 November 18, respectively. Additional older material from 1633, 1666 and 1699, as well as more recent ejections from 1866 and 1833, contributes to a much broader secondary maximum near 17.5 ut on November 18. Comparison with other published models of predicted Leonid activity in 2001 shows general agreement in terms of timing, but the models differ significantly in terms of the relative magnitude of the activity (which other models suggest will be larger). Significant anisotropy in the impact hazard exists for satellites in the geostationary belt, with those over western longitudes most likely to be affected. Integrated fluences for the 2001 Leonid return suggest a hazard of order one magnitude greater than occurred for the 1999 Leonid storm.     

Equilibrium Structures of Differentially Rotating and Tidally Distorted White Dwarf Models of Stars

In this paper we present a method for computing the equilibrium structures and various physical parameters of a primary component of the binary system assuming that the primary is more massive than the secondary and is rotating differentially according to the law of the w² = b₀ + b₁ × s² + b₂ × s⁴, w being the angular velocity of rotation of a fluid element distant s from the axis of rotation and b₀, b₁, b₂ suitably chosen numerical constants. This method utilizes the averaging approach of Kippenhahn and Thomas (1997) and the concept of Roche equipotentials in a manner earlier used by Mohan et al. (1997) to incorporate the effects of rotation and tidal distortions on the equilibrium structures of certain rotationally and tidally distorted stellar models. The use of the method has been illustrated by applying it to obtain the structures and some observable parameters of certain differentially rotating and tidally distorted binary systems whose primary component is assumed to be a white dwarf star.     

Search for short cosmic gamma-ray bursts using data from the APEX and LILAS experiments onboard the Phobos-2 interplanetary spacecraft

A statistical analysis of the spectral and temporal parameters for 546 triggering events on the APEX gamma-ray detector onboard the Phobos-2 spacecraft has revealed a group of 28 events that are probably short cosmic gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). The distribution of the full group of 74 events of the APEX experiment in duration parameter is bimodal in shape, which is in good agreement with the bimodal shape of the BATSE GRB distribution. A search for the detected group of short events using data from the LILAS X-ray and soft gamma-ray detector onboard the same spacecraft has yielded no positive result. A comparison of the APEX and LILAS data has led us to conclude that the short GRBs have a significantly reduced soft gamma-ray flux at energies <100 keV relative to the power law dN/dE=CE^?α with the average index α=2.62.     

Earth rotation in the hipparcos reference frame

New determination of the Earth orientation parameters (EOP), based on optical astrometry observations since the beginning of the century, is now under preparation by the Working group established by Commission 19 of the IAU. The Hipparcos catalog is to define the celestial reference frame in which the new series of EOP are to be described, The novelties of the prepared solution are the higher resolution (5 days) and more parameters estimated from the solution (celestial pole offsets, rheological parameters of the Earth, certain instrumental constants). The mathematical model of the solution is described, and the results based on the observations made with 46 instruments at 29 observatories and a preliminary Hipparcos catalog are presented.