Resetting of the U-Pb Zircon System in Cambro-Ordovician Intrusives of the Deep Freeze Range, Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica

A detailed in situ isotopic (U–Pb, Lu–Hf) and geochemicalstudy of zircon populations in a composite sequence of foliatedto massive Cambro-Ordovician intrusions in the Deep Freeze Range(North Victoria Land, Antarctica), has highlighted great complexityin zircon systematics. Zircons in deformed granitoids and tonalitesdisplay complex internal textures, a wide spread of concordantU–Pb ages (between 522 and 435 Ma) and unusual trace-elementcompositions (anomalous enrichment of light rare earth elements,U, Th and Y) within single zircon grains. In contrast, zirconsfrom undeformed samples display a limited range of U–Pbages and trace-element compositions. Zircons from all age andtextural populations in most of the deformed and undeformedsamples show a relatively narrow range of _Hf values, suggestingthat the Lu–Hf system remained undisturbed. Inferred emplacementages cover a time interval of about 30 Myr: from 508 to 493Ma for the oldest strongly foliated synkinematic Howard Peaksmegacrystic monzogranites and high-K calc-alkaline mafic tointermediate rocks of the ‘Corner Tonalite’ unit;from about 489 to 481 Ma for the younger massive shoshoniticmafic dyke suite and the high-K calc-alkaline Keinath granite.The observed isotopic and chemical variations in zircon areattributed to a sub-solidus recrystallization under hydrousconditions and varying temperature, in a setting characterizedby a transpressional to extensional stress regime. KEY WORDS: Antarctica; Cambro-Ordovician intrusives; Ross Orogen; zircon U–Pb geochronology     

White Knights: will wind and solar come to the rescue of a looming capacity gap from nuclear phase-out or slow CCS start-up?

In the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident, countries like Germany and Japan have planned a phase-out of nuclear generation. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology has yet to become a commercially viable technology with little prospect of doing so without strong climate policy to spur development. The possibility of using renewable power generation from wind and solar as a non-emitting alternative to replace a nuclear phase-out or failure to deploy CCS technology is investigated using scenarios from EMF27 and the POLES model. A strong carbon price appears necessary to have significant penetration of renewables regardless of alternative generation technologies available, but especially if nuclear or CCS are absent from the energy supply system. The feasibility of replacing nuclear generation appears possible at realistic costs (evaluated as total abatement costs and final user prices to households); however for ambitious climate policies, such as a 450 ppm target, CCS could represent a critical technology that renewables will not be able to fully replace without unbearable economic costs.     

SPIRE point source photometry: within the Herschel interactive processing environment (HIPE)

The different algorithms appropriate for point source photometry on data from the SPIRE instrument on-board the Herschel Space Observatory, within the Herschel Interactive Processing Environment (HIPE) are compared. Point source photometry of a large ensemble of standard calibration stars and dark sky observations is carried out using the 4 major methods within HIPE: SUSSEXtractor, DAOphot, the SPIRE Timeline Fitter and simple Aperture Photometry. Colour corrections and effective beam areas as a function of the assumed source spectral index are also included to produce a large number of photometric measurements per individual target, in each of the 3 SPIRE bands (250, 350, 500μm), to examine both the accuracy and repeatability of each of the 4 algorithms. It is concluded that for flux densities down to the level of 30mJy that the SPIRE Timeline Fitter is the method of choice. However, at least in the 250 and 350μm bands, all 4 methods provide photometric repeatability better than a few percent down to at approximately 100mJy. The DAOphot method appears in many cases to have a systematic offset of ～8 % in all SPIRE bands which may be indicative of a sub-optimal aperture correction. In general, aperture photometry is the least reliable method, i.e. largest scatter between observations, especially in the longest wavelength band. At the faintest fluxes, <30mJy, SUSSEXtractor or DAOphot provide a better alternative to the Timeline Fitter.     

Water contents of Roberts Victor xenolithic eclogites: primary and metasomatic controls

A suite of eclogites from the Roberts Victor kimberlite has been extensively characterized in terms of petrology and geochemical compositions (Gréau et al. in Geochim Cosmochim Acta 75(22):6927–6954, 2011; Huang et al. in Lithos 142–143:161–181, 2012a). In the present study, the water contents of eclogitic garnet and omphacite were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry. Garnet does not contain measureable OH in any sample. The water content of omphacite in the studied eclogites ranges from 211 to 1,496 ppm. Mantle metasomatism has modified the water content of some of the eclogites, while others retain water contents characteristic of their original environment. The OH contents of the metasomatized eclogites may be mainly controlled by the H₂O fugacity and mineral compositions. The OH contents of the non-metasomatized samples are interpreted to be more sensitive to their mantle equilibration temperature, pressure, and the local fugacities of H₂O and O₂. The calculated water content of the metasomatic medium is similar to that of carbonatitic–kimberlitic melts/fluids. Eclogites contain more water than peridotites recorded in the literature (341 ± 161 vs 122 ± 54 ppm) and represent an important water reservoir in the lithospheric mantle wherever they occur. This is an important parameter to be considered in the interpretation of mantle processes and geophysical data such as seismic wave speeds and electrical conductivity, and in geodynamic modeling.     

Sveconorwegian crustal underplating in southwestern Fennoscandia: LAM-ICPMS U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotope evidence from granites and gneisses in Telemark, southern Norway

Laser ablation ICPMS U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotope data on granitic-granodioritic gneisses of the Precambrian Vråvatn complex in central Telemark, southern Norway, indicate that the magmatic protoliths crystallized at 1201 ± 9 Ma to 1219 ± 8 Ma, from magmas with juvenile or near-juvenile Hf isotopic composition (¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf = 0.2823 ± 11, epsilon-Hf > + 6). These data provide supporting evidence for the depleted mantle Hf-isotope evolution curve in a time period where juvenile igneous rocks are scarce on a global scale. They also identify a hitherto unknown event of mafic underplating in the region, and provide new and important limits on the crustal evolution of the SW part of the Fennoscandian Shield. This juvenile geochemical component in the deep crust may have contributed to the 1.0–0.92 Ga anorogenic magmatism in the region, which includes both A-type granite and a large anorthosite–mangerite–charnockite–granite intrusive complex. The gneisses of the Vråvatn complex were intruded by a granitic pluton with mafic enclaves and hybrid facies (the Vrådal granite) in that period. LAM-ICPMS U–Pb data from zircons from granitic and hybrid facies of the pluton indicates an intrusive age of 966 ± 4 Ma, and give a hint of ca. 1.46 Ga inheritance. The initial Hf isotopic composition of this granite (¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf = 0.28219 ± 13, epsilon-Hf = − 5 to + 6) overlaps with mixtures of pre-1.7 Ga crustal rocks and juvenile Sveconorwegian crust, lithospheric mantle and/or global depleted mantle. Contributions from ca. 1.2 Ga crustal underplate must be considered when modelling the petrogenesis of late Sveconorwegian anorogenic magmatism in the region.     

Comparison between Paleozoic and Cenozoic Lithospheric Mantle in Eastern Part of North China Block: With a Discussion of Mantle Evolution

Basedontheconsiderationswhetherornottherearedif-ferencesincompositionsofthemantlematerial,betweenPale-ozoicandCenozoic,andthedifferencesinrocksamp1esfrommantleliewithinandoutsideoftheTancheng-Lujiang(Tanlu)faultzoneinCenozoic,themineralinclusionsindia-mQndandxenolithsfromMengyinandFuxiankimberliteswerechosenforconstrainingthenatureofPaleozoicSCLM,andthexenolithsfromtheShanwangandQixiabasaltswererepresentativelychosenforconstrainingthenatureofCeno-zoicSCLMinsideandoutsideoftheTanlufault…     

汉诺坝橄榄岩捕虏体的单斜辉石LAM-ICPMS分析及其岩石圈地幔演化意义

橄榄岩成分及其中矿物(如单斜辉石)微量元素组成可以很好地揭示岩石圈地幔性质．在对汉诺坝新生代玄武岩中橄榄岩捕虏体做详细岩相学和岩石化学研究基础上,重点分析了单斜辉石的激光原位微量元素,并探讨了新生代华北克拉通北缘岩石圈地幔特征及地幔演化．汉诺坝地区岩石圈地幔是相当于原始地幔经过不同程度的部分熔融抽取形成的,除个别样品的部分熔融程度为15％-20％外,多数样品<5％．全岩主元素、单斜辉石成分体现出新生代汉诺坝地区的岩石圈地幔是很不均一的:在主体饱满型中有亏损型地幔的残留．这种共存现象可能是软流圈物质对古老地幔进行侵蚀、混合和改造置换的结果．单斜辉石微量元素组成所体现的碳酸岩岩浆交代作用和硅酸盐熔／流体的交代作用也支持这一认识．     

辽东半岛中生代岩浆活动与华北陆块去克拉通化

华北陆块是中国最大、最古老的克拉通(图la),像世界上其他古老克拉通一样,由上部古老地壳和下部厚的、冷的、耐熔的古老岩石圈地幔组成,自古元古代末东、西部陆块碰撞、拼合、克拉通化后直到奥陶纪,一直保持着相对稳定,缺乏强烈的岩浆、构造活动和显著的大陆地壳生长[1].然而,自古生代以来,随着岩石圈强烈减薄作用,在华北克拉通东部广泛发育强烈的构造、岩浆、成矿作用,形成大面积花岗岩(图1b)和火山岩[2].