Oxygen isotopic composition of alkaline anorogenic granites as a clue to their origin: the problem of crustal oxygen

The primary isotopic characteristics of alkaline granites are often obscured by secondary processes enhanced by their unusual chemical compositions. This is true for radiogenic as well as for stable isotopes. For example, the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios can vary drastically in closed systems because of very high Rb/Sr ratios and can also be easily modified by direct or indirect interaction with continental crust because of low Sr concentrations. Moreover, the frequent occurrence of the granitic massifs as hypovolcanic complexes increases the probability of interaction with meteoric waters which is a common source of important isotopic variability.The investigation of oxygen isotope systematics in alkaline acidic rocks from various environments shows the¹⁸O content of their quartz to be highly invariable, and the δ¹⁸O values to be close to the mantle range of values. This is due to the resistance of quartz to isotopic exchange, which makes it a good tracer of primary isotopic composition. If we eliminate the quartz δ¹⁸O values for which interaction with meteoric water is well documented (five samples), the total range of variation (seventeen samples) is from 6.0 to 7.3‰ relative to SMOW. The values can easily be accounted for by, and correspond to, equilibrium with mantle-type material in a temperature range of 1200-800°C. If we consider possible effects of fractional crystallization, this temperature range can probably be reduced to its lower limit which is much more likely for rocks of acidic composition.The present oxygen isotope study strongly supports an origin for alkaline anorogenic granites from mantle-dominated sources.     

Endocrine disruption: thyroid dysfunction in mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) from a polluted habitat.

Mummichogs (Fundulus heteroclitus) from Piles Creeks (PC), New Jersey (a polluted site), are sluggish and show poorer prey capture and predator avoidance than reference fish from Tuckerton (TK). The behavioral dysfunction of the PC fish may be associated with thyroid impairment due to endocrine disruption. In this study, we compared thyroid histology and thyroid hormones in the two populations and determined experimentally whether the polluted environment could alter thyroid hormone levels. PC fish had larger thyroid follicles, greater follicle cell heights, and contained higher plasma thyroxine (T4) levels than TK fish. However, there were no significant differences in either plasma or tissue triiodothyronine (T3). TK fish held in simulated PC environments had higher plasma T4 and lower plasma T3 than field-sampled fish. PC fish held in clean water had lower plasma T4 and T3 than field-sampled fish. In either case, there was no significant difference in tissue T3 content. The contaminants in PC alter thyroid structure and function, which may relate to the behavioral differences between fish from the polluted and reference sites.     

Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research Bibliographic Review 2019

This bibliographic review gives an outline of publications in 2019 focusing on reference materials (RMs) used in geochemistry and related fields, such as palaeoclimate and environmental research.     

Assimilation of preexisting Pleistocene intrusions at Long Valley by periodic magma recharge accelerates rhyolite generation: rethinking the remelting model

Rhyolite flows and tuffs from the Long Valley area of California, which were erupted over a two-million-year time period, exhibit systematic trends in Nd, Hf, and Pb isotopes, trace element composition, erupted volume, and inferred magma residence time that provide evidence for a new model for the production of large volumes of silica-rich magma. Key constraints come from geochronology of zircon crystal populations combined with a refined eruption chronology from Ar–Ar geochronology; together these data give better estimates of magma residence time that can be evaluated in the context of changing magma compositions. Here, we report Hf, Nd, and Sr isotopes, major and trace element compositions, ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages, and U–Pb zircon ages that combined with existing data suggest that the chronology and geochemistry of Long Valley rhyolites can be explained by a dynamic interaction of crustal and mantle-derived magma. The large volume Bishop Tuff represents the culmination of a period of increased mantle-derived magma input to the Long Valley volcanic system; the effect of this input continued into earliest postcaldera time. As the postcaldera evolution of the system continued, new and less primitive crustal-derived magmas dominated the system. A mixture of varying amounts of more mafic mantle-derived and felsic crustal-derived magmas with recently crystallized granitic plutonic materials offers the best explanation for the observed chronology, secular shifts in Hf and Nd isotopes, and the apparently low zircon crystallization and saturation temperatures as compared to Fe–Ti oxide eruption temperatures. This scenario in which transient crustal magma bodies remained molten for varying time periods, fed eruptions before solidification, and were then remelted by fresh recharge provides a realistic conceptual framework that can explain the isotopic and geochemical evidence. General relationships between crustal residence times and magma sources are that: (1) precaldera rhyolites had long crustal magma residence times and high crustal affinity, (2) the caldera-related Bishop Tuff and early postcaldera rhyolites have lower crustal affinity and short magma residence times, and (3) later postcaldera rhyolites again have stronger crustal signatures and longer magma residence times.     

GGR Biennial Critical Review: Analytical Developments Since 2010

Advances in the chemical and isotopic characterisation of geological and environmental materials can often be ascribed to technological improvements in analytical hardware. Equally, the creation of novel methods of data acquisition and interpretation, including access to better reference materials, can also be crucial components enabling important breakthroughs. This biennial review highlights key advances in either instrumentation or data acquisition and treatment, which have appeared since January 2010. This review is based on the assessments by scientists prominent in each of the given analytical fields; it is not intended as an exhaustive summary, but rather provides insight from experts of the most significant advances and trends in their given field of expertise. In contrast to earlier reviews, this presentation has been formulated into a unified work, providing a single source covering a broad spectrum of geoanalytical techniques. Additionally, some themes that were not previously emphasised, in particular thermal ionisation mass spectrometry, accelerator‐based methods and vibrational spectroscopy, are also presented in detail.     

Non‐Matrix‐Matched Calibration for the Multi‐Element Analysis of Geological and Environmental Samples Using 200 nm Femtosecond LA‐ICP‐MS: A Comparison with Nanosecond Lasers

LA‐ICP‐MS is one of the most promising techniques for in situ analysis of geological and environmental samples. However, there are some limitations with respect to measurement accuracy, in particular for volatile and siderophile/chalcophile elements, when using non‐matrix‐matched calibration. We therefore investigated matrix‐related effects with a new 200 nm femtosecond (fs) laser ablation system (NWRFemto200) using reference materials with different matrices and spot sizes from 10 to 55 μm. We also performed similar experiments with two nanosecond (ns) lasers, a 193 nm excimer (ESI NWR 193) and a 213 nm Nd:YAG (NWR UP‐213) laser. The ion intensity of the 200 nm fs laser ablation was much lower than that of the 213 nm Nd:YAG laser, because the ablation rate was a factor of about 30 lower. Our experiments did not show significant matrix dependency with the 200 nm fs laser. Therefore, a non‐matrix‐matched calibration for the multi‐element analysis of quite different matrices could be performed. This is demonstrated with analytical results from twenty‐two international synthetic silicate glass, geological glass, mineral, phosphate and carbonate reference materials. Calibration was performed with the certified NIST SRM 610 glass, exclusively. Within overall analytical uncertainties, the 200 nm fs LA‐ICP‐MS data agreed with available reference values.     

Long‐slit échelle spectroscopy of galactic outflows: The case ofNGC 4449

At high redshift the ubiquity of outflows and winds in strongly star‐forming galaxies has been demonstrated using rest frame UV absorption lines. In the cases with optical emission lines, the studies mostly had to rely on low and intermediate dispersion spectra. This implies that for detailed studies of galactic wind physics we have to use local objects. In particular, dwarf galaxies are well suited to extrapolation to high redshift protogalaxies. Several kinematic studies of strongly starforming dwarf galaxies using Fabry‐Pérot and IFU spectrographs exist. Unfortunately, similar as for high redshift galaxies the employed spectral resolution is often significantly higher that the thermal line width. As a result faint high velocity features and details of the turbulent motion are hidden or unresolved. Here we will present an analysis of the ionized gas kinematics of the prototypical star‐forming irregular galaxy NGC 4449 using long‐slit, high‐dispersion échelle spectra. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

The Effect of Contaminated Prey on Feeding,Activity, and Growth of Young-of-the-Year Bluefish, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pomatomus saltatrix</Emphasis>, in the Laboratory

Young-of-the-year (YOY) bluefish, Pomatomus saltatrix, reside in some contaminated estuaries of the mid-Atlantic bight during their early life history, and as a result of this exposure, they may bioaccumulate high levels of contaminants, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), pesticides, and methyl mercury. Young-of-the-year bluefish from the Tuckerton, NJ, area of Great Bay (TK) were fed daily in a laboratory with common prey fish, menhaden, and mummichog from two sites: TK (reference) or Hackensack River (HR) (contaminated). Bluefish fed HR prey and the HR prey themselves had significantly elevated concentrations of PCBs, pesticides, and total mercury compared to TK counterparts. The bluefish fed contaminated prey for 4 months displayed significantly reduced feeding, spontaneous activity, and growth compared to the bluefish fed TK prey. Alterations of bluefish behavior and growth from exposure to contaminants may have detrimental effects on migration, overwinter survival, and recruitment success.