The last interglacial as represented in the glaciochemical record from Mount Moulton Blue Ice Area,West Antarctica

Understanding climate during the last interglacial is critical for understanding how modern climate change differs from purely naturally forced climate change. Here we present the first high-resolution ice core record of the last interglacial and transition to the subsequent glacial period from Antarctica and the first glaciochemical record for this period from West Antarctica. Samples were collected from a horizontal ice trench in the Mt. Moulton Blue Ice Area (BIA) in West Antarctica and analyzed for their soluble major anions (Cl^?, NO₃^?, SO₄^2-), major and trace elements (Na, Mg, Ca, Sr, Cd, Cs, Ba, La, Ce, Pr, Pb, Bi, U, As, Al, S, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Cu, Zn) and water hydrogen isotopes (δD). The last interglacial is characterized by warmer temperatures (δD), weakened atmospheric circulation (dust elements, seasalts aerosols), decreased sea ice extent (Na, nssSO₄^2-) and decreased oceanic productivity (nssSO₄^2-). A combined examination of Mt. Moulton seasalts, dust, nssSO₄^2- and δD records indicates that the last interglacial was extremely stable compared to glacial age climate events and it ended through a long period of gradual cooling unlike that projected for future Holocene climate.     

U–Pb,Lu–Hf and Sm–Nd isotopic constraints on provenance and depositional timing of metasedimentary rocks in the western Gawler Craton: Implications for Proterozoic reconstruction models

The Gawler Craton forms the bulk of the South Australian Craton and occupies a pivotal location that links rock systems in Antarctica to those in northern Australia. The western Gawler Craton is a virtually unexposed region where the timing of basin development and metamorphism is largely unknown, making the region ambiguous in the context of models seeking to reconstruct the Australian Proterozoic.Detrital zircon data from metasedimentary rocks in the central Fowler Domain in the western Gawler Craton provide maximum depositional ages between 1760 and 1700 Ma, with rare older detrital components ranging in age up to 3130 Ma. In the bulk of samples, ?_Nd(1700 Ma) values range between ?4.3 and ?3.8. The combination of these data suggest on average, comparatively evolved but age-restricted source regions. Lu–Hf isotopic data from the ca 1700 Ma aged zircons provide a wide range of values (?_Hf(1700 Ma) +6 to ?6). Monazite U–Pb data from granulite-grade metasedimentary rocks yield metamorphic ages of 1690–1670 Ma. This range overlaps with and extends the timing of the widespread Kimban Orogeny in the Gawler Craton, and provides minimum depositional age constraints, indicating that basin development immediately preceded medium to high grade metamorphism.The timing of Paleoproterozoic basin development and metamorphism in the western Gawler Craton coincides with that in the northern and eastern Gawler Craton, and also in the adjacent Curnamona Province, suggesting protoliths to the rocks within the Fowler Domain may have originally formed part of a large ca 1760–1700 Ma basin system in the southern Australian Proterozoic. Provenance characteristics between these basins are remarkably similar and point to the Arunta Region in the North Australian Craton as a potential source. In this context there is little support for tectonic reconstruction models that: (1) suggest components of the Gawler Craton accreted together at different stages in the interval ca 1760–1680 Ma; and (2) that the North Australian Craton and the southern Australian Proterozoic were separate continental fragments between 1760 and 1700 Ma.     

In situ U–Pb rutile dating by LA-ICP-MS: <Superscript>208</Superscript>Pb correction and prospects for geological applications

Rutile is a common accessory mineral that occurs in a wide spectrum of metamorphic rocks, such as in blueschists, eclogites, and granulites and as one of the most stable detrital heavy minerals in sedimentary rocks. The advent of rutile trace element thermometry has generated increased interest in a better understanding of rutile formation. This study documents important analytical advances in in situ LA-ICP-MS U/Pb geochronology of rutile: (1) Matrix matching, necessary for robust in situ dating is fulfilled by calibrating and testing several rutile standards (R10, R19, WH-1), including the presentation of new TIMS ages for the rutile standard R19 (489.5 ± 0.9 Ma; errors always stated as 2 s). (2) Initial common lead correction is routinely applied via ²⁰⁸Pb, which is possible due to extremely low Th/U ratios (usually <0.003) in most rutiles. Employing a 213 nm Nd:YAG laser coupled to a quadrupole ICP-MS and using R10 as a primary standard, rutile U/Pb concordia ages for the two other rutile standards (493 ± 10 Ma for R19; 2640 ± 50 Ma for WH-1) and four rutile-bearing metamorphic rocks (181 ± 4 Ma for Ivrea metapelitic granulite; 339 ± 7 Ma for Saidenbach coesite eclogite; 386 ± 8 Ma for Fjortoft UHP metapelite; 606 ± 12 Ma for Andrelandia metepelitic granulite) always agree within 2% with the reported TIMS ages and other dating studies from the same localities. The power of in situ U/Pb rutile dating is illustrated by comparing ages of detrital rutile and zircon from a recent sediment from the Christie Domain of the Gawler Craton, Australia. While the U/Pb age spectrum from zircons show several pronounced peaks that are correlated with magmatic episodes, rutile U/Pb ages are marked by only one pronounced peak (at ca 1,675 Ma) interpreted to represent cooling ages of this part of the craton. Rutile thermometry of the same detrital grains indicates former granulite-facies conditions. The methods outlined in this paper should find wide application in studies that require age information of single spots, e.g., provenance studies, single-crystal zoning and texturally controlled dating.     

Managing invasive crayfish: is there a hope?

Given that the impact exerted by non-indigenous crayfish species (NICS) is most often severe, can occur across many levels of ecological organization, and results in the loss of native crayfish populations, the Convention on Biological Diversity approach, as complemented by the European Strategy, is viewed as an excellent framework to be followed to prevent the introduction of NICS and to alleviate or eliminate the damage they inflict. Much effort should be directed to minimize the risks of intentional introductions, as in part done by the Council Regulation No. 708/07 in force in the European Union since 2009. However, this and other regulations are not well harmonized, for instance, with those concerning both the aquarium trade and the harvest of crayfish for human consumption. To make prevention more difficult, there are many records of illegal release of NICS into the wild and of their accidental introduction as undetected contaminants in batches of regulated fish species. As a consequence, it seems necessary that post-introduction mitigation and remediation protocols and processes, such as contingency plans, are always in place to enable rapid detection and early response in order to minimize and, ideally, annul the threats posed by NICS. The aim of this review paper is to offer a synthetic view of the different methods (mechanical removal, physical methods, biological control, biocides, and autocidal methods) proposed and adopted until now to control NICS with a discussion of their pitfalls and potentialities. A glimpse to the ongoing research in the matter will be also given.     

U�CPb isotopic ages and Hf isotope composition of zircons in Variscan gabbros from central Spain: evidence of variable crustal contamination

Ion microprobe U?CPb analyses of zircons from three gabbroic intrusions from the Spanish Central System (SCS) (Talavera, La Solanilla and Navahermosa) yield Variscan ages (300 to 305?Ma) in agreement with recent studies. Only two zircon crystals from La Solanilla massif gave slightly discordant Paleoproterozoic ages (1,848 and 2,010?Ma). Hf isotope data show a relatively large variation with the juvenile end-members showing ?Hf_i values as high as +3.6 to +6.9 and +1.5 to +2.9 in the Navahermosa and Talavera gabbros, respectively. These positive ?Hf_i values up to +6.9 might represent the composition of the subcontinental mantle which generates these SCS gabbros. This ?Hf_i range is clearly below depleted mantle values suggesting the involvement of enriched mantle components on the origin of these Variscan gabbros, and is consistent with previous whole-rock studies. The presence of zircons with negative ?Hf_i values suggest variable, but significant, crustal contamination of the gabbros, mainly by mixing with coeval granite magmas. Inherited Paleoproterozoic zircons of La Solanilla gabbros have similar trace element composition (e.g. Th/U ratios), but more evolved Hf-isotope signatures than associated Variscan zircons. Similar inherited ages have been recorded in zircons from coeval Variscan granitoids from the Central Iberian Zone. Granitic rocks have Nd model ages (T_DM) predominantly in the range of 1.4 to 1.6?Ga, suggesting a juvenile addition during the Proterozoic. However, Hf crustal model ages of xenocrystic Proterozoic zircons in La Solanilla gabbro indicate the presence of reworked Archean protoliths (T_DM2 model ages of 3.0 to 3.2?Ga) incorporated into the hybridized mafic magma.     

Surveying at the limits of local RTK networks: Test results from the perspective of high accuracy users

Precise GNSS-based differential positioning in real time is usually known as the real-time kinematics (RTK) technique. RTK reduces the effects of orbit errors and ionospheric and tropospheric refraction by forming differences between the observables (e.g. double-differences). These effects, however, grow with increasing baseline length, although the use of corrections generated in real-time from an active GNSS network allows these distance-dependent errors to be reduced. This technology increases the reliability of the system and thereby the accuracy of real-time positioning. In this study, the test results of RTK positioning at different test points located in the border area between the Autonomous Communities of the Region of Murcia and the Community of Valencia, in SE Spain, are presented. The analysis is based on three GNSS local active networks present in this border area, namely MERISTEMUM, REGAM and ERVA networks. Test measurements with RTK rover were performed in this region in order to analyze the real-time services offered by these three networks. Moreover, precise coordinates for each test point were determined using Bernese 5.0. The results confirm that it is possible to achieve centimetre-scale accuracy with RTK positioning based on the networks studied, even in border regions.     

Eastern Mediterranean summer temperatures since 730 CE from Mt. Smolikas tree-ring densities

The Mediterranean has been identified as particularly vulnerable to climate change, yet a high-resolution temperature reconstruction extending back into the Medieval Warm Period is still lacking. Here we present such a record from a high-elevation site on Mt. Smolikas in northern Greece, where some of Europe’s oldest trees provide evidence of warm season temperature variability back to 730 CE. The reconstruction is derived from 192 annually resolved, latewood density series from ancient living and relict Pinus heldreichii trees calibrating at r1911–2015 = 0.73 against regional July–September (JAS) temperatures. Although the recent 1985–2014 period was the warmest 30-year interval (JAS Twrt.1961–1990 = + 0.71 °C) since the eleventh century, temperatures during the ninth to tenth centuries were even warmer, including the warmest reconstructed 30-year period from 876–905 (+ 0.78 °C). These differences between warm periods are statistically insignificant though. Several distinct cold episodes punctuate the Little Ice Age, albeit the coldest 30-year period is centered during high medieval times from 997–1026 (− 1.63 °C). Comparison with reconstructions from the Alps and Scandinavia shows that a similar cold episode occurred in central Europe but was absent at northern latitudes. The reconstructions also reveal different millennial-scale temperature trends (NEur = − 0.73 °C/1000 years, CEur = − 0.13 °C, SEur = + 0.23 °C) potentially triggered by latitudinal changes in summer insolation due to orbital forcing. These features, the opposing millennial-scale temperature trends and the medieval multi-decadal cooling recorded in Central Europe and the Mediterranean, are not well captured in state-of-the-art climate model simulations.     

Riphean basins of the central and western Siberian Platform

The Siberian Platform is unique by its volume of Meso-Neoproterozoic sedimentary deposits. For about one billion years (∼1650-650 Ma) several sedimentary basins were developed here, resulting in the formation of several kilometers thickness of sedimentary cover. The Riphean (Mesoproterozoic-Lower Neoproterozoic) rocks are exposed mainly along platform peripheries. The most complete sections are represented by several megacycles. Each megacycle contains terrigenous series at the base and carbonate formations in the upper part. Several isolated and anisochronous basins were created during the Riphean on the territory of East Siberia. Some of them were intracratonic, others were developed on passive margins. Neoproterozoic orogeny along the platform boundaries resulted in re-organization of the Siberian basins, with extensive faulting, uplifting and erosion of the territories.In eastern Siberia, Riphean series contain large hydrocarbon accumulations. The reservoirs were formed mainly due to fracturing and leaching of carbonate strata (e.g. vugular carbonates of the pre-Vendian weathering crust). The Upper Proterozoic deposits are overlain by thick clayey-carbonate and saliferous-carbonate series of the Upper Vendian and Cambrian, isolating them from the upper sedimentary cover. The Riphean basins contained thick, organic rich, clayey and clayey carbonate. In some of them a hydrocarbon generation maximum took place at the end of the Riphean. The pre-Vendian erosion has removed a significant volume of Riphean sediments. During this time a majority of already formed hydrocarbon accumulations have been lost or degraded. Remaining Riphean series have generated hydrocarbons during the Paleozoic.Despite its complex history, the Riphean is still considered highly prospective, with source rocks developing at multiple levels and reservoirs occurring in both carbonate and clastic rocks. Discoveries of new oil-and-gas fields in East Siberia are likely, but will depend on integration of detailed seismic data and a large volume of core data for the correct prognosis of Riphean reservoir distribution.     

Crystal chemistry of Fe3+-bearing (Mg,Fe)SiO3 perovskite: a single-crystal X-ray diffraction study

Magnesium silicate perovskite is the predominant phase in the Earth’s lower mantle, and it is well known that incorporation of iron has a strong effect on its crystal structure and physical properties. To constrain the crystal chemistry of (Mg, Fe)SiO₃ perovskite more accurately, we synthesized single crystals of Mg_0.946(17)Fe_0.056(12)Si_0.997(16)O₃ perovskite at 26 GPa and 2,073 K using a multianvil press and investigated its crystal structure, oxidation state and iron-site occupancy using single-crystal X-ray diffraction and energy-domain Synchrotron Mössbauer Source spectroscopy. Single-crystal refinements indicate that all iron (Fe²⁺ and Fe³⁺) substitutes on the A-site only, where \( {\text{Fe}}^{ 3+ } /\Upsigma {\text{Fe}}\sim 20\,\% \) based on Mössbauer spectroscopy. Charge balance likely occurs through a small number of cation vacancies on either the A- or the B-site. The octahedral tilt angle (Φ) calculated for our sample from the refined atomic coordinates is 20.3°, which is 2° higher than the value calculated from the unit-cell parameters (a = 4.7877 Å, b = 4.9480 Å, c = 6.915 Å) which assumes undistorted octahedra. A compilation of all available single-crystal data (atomic coordinates) for (Mg, Fe)(Si, Al)O₃ perovskite from the literature shows a smooth increase of Φ with composition that is independent of the nature of cation substitution (e.g., \( {\text{Mg}}^{ 2+ } - {\text{Fe}}^{ 2+ } \) or \( {\text{Mg}}^{ 2+ } {\text{Si}}^{ 4+ } - {\text{Fe}}^{ 3+ } {\text{Al}}^{ 3+ } \) substitution mechanism), contrary to previous observations based on unit-cell parameter calculations.     

Extensive hydrated silica materials in western Hellas Basin,Mars

Near-infrared spectral data indicate the presence of hydrated, poorly crystalline silica where high bulk silica contents have been previously identified in Hellas Basin. No other aqueous phases are identified in these regions and the deposits may be nearly pure. The silica-bearing surfaces are sporadically exposed along a 650 km stretch of the western basin rim within a limited elevation range and display a variety of surface textures suggesting that the materials have been reworked, but not transported large distances. The high abundances and lack of associated aqueous phases indicate that high water to rock ratios were present in the region during the Noachian period but without elevated temperatures or for durations necessary for quartz diagenesis. The silica-bearing materials may have formed via direct precipitation from silica saturated groundwater sources, although other formation mechanisms are also plausible.