Isotopic evidence for meteoric-hydrothermal alteration of plutonic igneous rocks in the Yakutat Bay and Skagway areas,Alaska

Oxygen and hydrogen isotope ratios were measured on coexisting minerals from quartz diorites and quartz monzonites from a section across the Coast Range batholith in the Skagway area, Alaska, including a variety of outlying plutons west of the batholith in the Yakutat Bay-Mt. St. Elias region (latitudes 59–60°N). The extremely low and variable δ¹⁸Oand δD results indicate widespread meteoric-hydrothermal alternaiton of the Coast Range batholith, and to a lesser extent, of the Yakutat Bay plutons as well. In the Yakutat Bay area, the plutons with K—Ar ages younger than 50 m.y. have widely varying δD values of ?72 to ?148, compared to δD = ?69to?90 for all but one sample in the 50–225 m.y. age grouping (one biotite has δD = ?109). This suggests that the major meteoric-hydrothermal episodes in this area occurred during the Eocene and Miocene. This involved relatively small meteoric water/rock ratios(<0.1), as none of the δ¹⁸O values show any clear-cut evidence of alteration (δ¹⁸O_quartz= 7.4 ?11.8; δ¹⁸O_feldspar= 5.7?10.0). However, in the section across the Coast Range batholith, 85% of the plutonic rocks have very low δD values of ?100 to ?167, and the δ¹⁸O values are extremely variable δ¹⁸O_feldspar= + 10.3to?4.0 and Δ¹⁸O_{quartz-feldspar}= 0.4?10.5. These data indicate that a major portion of the batholith, particularly the quartz monzonite-rich eastern part, but also including many of the quartz diorite plutons as well, interacted with meteoric-hydrothermal convective systems that involved water/rock ratios of about 0.3–1.4. The quart diorite plutons are most depleted in¹⁸O near their northeast contacts against the younger quartz monzonite intrusions. The primary igneous δ¹⁸O values of the quartz diorites were apparently higher than those of the quartz monzonites; they are also unusually high in¹⁸O compared to most other analyzed quartz diorites, suggesting derivation from, exchange with, or assimilation of high-¹⁸O metasediments or altered volcanic rocks. These data and conclusions are very similar to those reached previously on a similar isotopic study of the Coast Range batholith in British Columbia, 700 km to the southeast at latitudes 54–55°N, except that in the Skagway area an even greater proportion of the batholith was apparently depleted in deuterium. This implies that deep (?5km?) circulation of meteoric groundwaters is probably a characteristic of the later stages of emplacement of the Cordilleran batholiths of western North America, suggesting that the eastern sections of these batholiths in particular were emplaced at relatively shallow depths.     

A neodymium,strontium, and oxygen isotopic study of the Cretaceous Samail ophiolite and implications for the petrogenesis and seawater-hydrothermal alteration of oceanic crust

In the Samail ophiolite,¹⁴⁷Sm-¹⁴³Nd,⁸⁷Rb-⁸⁷Sr, and¹⁸O/¹⁶O isotopic systems have been used to distinguish between sea-floor hydrothermal alteration and primary magmatic isotopic variations. The Rb-Sr and¹⁸O/¹⁶O isotopic systems clearly exhibit sensitivity to hydrothermal interactions with seawater while the Sm-Nd system appears essentially undisturbed. Internal isochrons have been determined by the¹⁴⁷Sm-¹⁴³Nd method using coexisting plagioclase and pyroxene and give crystallization ages of 130 ± 12m.y. from Ibra and 100 ± 20 m.y. from Wadi Fizh. These ages are interpreted as the time of formation of the Samail oceanic crust and are older than the inferred emplacement age of 65–85 m.y. The initial¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios for a tectonized harzburgite, cumulate gabbros, plagiogranite, sheeted dikes and a basalt have a limited range in ε_Nd of from 7.5 to 8.6 for all lithologies, demonstrating a clear oceanic affinity and supporting earlier interpretations based on geologic observations and geochemistry. The⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr initial ratios on the same rocks have an extremely large range of from 0.70296 to 0.70650 (ε_Sr = ?19.7 to +30.5) and the δ¹⁸O values vary from 2.6 to 12.7. These large variations are clearly consistent with hydrothermal interaction of seawater with the oceanic crust. A model is presented for the closed system exchange of Sr and O, that in principle illustrates how the Sr isotopic data may be utilized to estimate the water/rock ratio and subsequently used to evaluate the temperature of equilibration between the water and silicates from the¹⁸O/¹⁶O water-rock fractionation.     

Fallout radionuclides in the Pacific Ocean: Vertical and horizontal distributions,largely from GEOSECS stations

From GEOSECS stations, largely, the 1974 distributions of Pu and of¹³⁷Cs are described in the Pacific Ocean north of about 20°S latitude. Changes in some of these distributions are described from 1978 cruises by the authors.The Pacific exhibited, everywhere, a shallow subsurface layer of Pu-rich water with its concentration maximum at about 465 m in 1974; over a large portion of the central North Pacific a second layer of Pu-labelled water, less concentrated than the shallow layer, lay just above the bottom. Similar features were not observed in the case of¹³⁷Cs.The inventories of both Pu and¹³⁷Cs in the water column at most 1974 stations are substantially greater than those to be expected from world-wide fallout alone; these inventory excesses appear to be attributable to close-in fallout, but only if the ratio Pu/¹³⁷Cs in this source was much higher than in world-wide fallout. The North Pacific mean ratio of the inventories is 2.2 times that observed in world-wide fallout.Resolubilization of Pu both from sinking particles and from sediments explains peculiarities of its depth distributions.There is little evidence for tracer movement by sliding downward along density surfaces;¹³⁷Cs appears to have moved to depth by downmixing at the edge of the Kuroshio, and then moved horizontally and upward alongσ_t contours. The shallow Pu-rich layer shows no coordination with density, salinity or O₂ isopleths. The deep Pu-rich layer is restricted to a narrow range of O₂ concentrations that confirm its origin in the Aleutian Trench and rapid spread southward and laterally. Near-bottom circulation processes have been much more active than here-to-fore described.     

A mathematical model to predict the inelastic response of a steel frame: Formulation of the model

The purpose of this research is to use data from experiments to formulate a mathematical model that will predict the non-linear response of a single-storey steel frame to an earthquake input. The process used in this formulation is system identification. The form of the model is a second-order non-linear differential equation with linear viscous damping and Ramberg—Osgood type hysteresis. The damping coefficient and the three parameters in the hysteretic model are to be established. An integral weighted mean squared error function is used to evaluate the [goodness of fit] between the model's response and the structure's response when both are subjected to the same excitation. The function includes errors in displacement and acceleration and is integrated from zero to a time T, which may be the full duration of the recorded response or only a portion of it. The parameters are adjusted using a modified Gauss-Newton method until the error function is minimized. The computer program incorporating these steps in the system identification process is verified with simulated data. Results given in the paper show that in every case the program converges in few iterations to the assigned set of parameters.     

O/O mapping and hydrogeology of a short-lived (≈10 years) fumarolic (>500°C) meteoric–hydrothermal event in the upper part of the 0.76 Ma Bishop Tuff outflow sheet, California

¹⁸O/¹⁶O data from the 200-m-thick, 0.76 Ma Bishop Tuff outflow sheet provide evidence for a vigorous, short-lived (≈10 years), high-temperature, fumarolic meteoric–hydrothermal event. This is proved by: (1) the juxtaposition in the upper, partially welded Bishop Tuff of low-¹⁸O groundmass/glass (δ¹⁸O=−5 to +3) with coexisting quartz and feldspar phenocrysts having magmatic δ¹⁸O values (+8.7±0.3; +7.5±0.3); and (2) the fact that these kinds of ¹⁸O/¹⁶O signatures correlate very well with morphological features and mapped zones of fumarolic activity. Profiles of δ¹⁸O with depth in the Bishop Tuff within the fumarole area define a 40- to 50-m-thick, low-¹⁸O, stratigraphic zone that is sandwiched between the essentially unwelded near-surface portion of the tuff and an underlying, densely welded black tuff that displays magmatic ¹⁸O/¹⁶O values. Shallow-dipping columnar joints and other fumarolic features (i.e., subhorizontal tubular conduits and steep fissures) correlate very well with these pervasively devitrified, low-¹⁸O zones. The base of the low-¹⁸O zone is extremely sharp (3‰ per meter) and is located directly above the transition from partially welded tuff to densely welded black tuff. The observed average whole-rock ¹⁸O-depletions within this low-¹⁸O zone are about 6–7‰, requiring meteoric water/rock ratios in excess of 0.24 in mass units. Rainfall on the surface of the tuff would not have been high enough to supply this much H₂O in the short lifetime of fumarolic activity, suggesting that some recharge must have been from groundwater flow through the upper part of the tuff, above the sloping (1°–5°) top of the impermeable lower zone. This is compatible with the observation that the fumarolic areas roughly correlate with the preeruptive regional drainage pattern. Some of this recharge may in part have been from the lake that filled Long Valley caldera, which was dammed by the Bishop Tuff up to the level of this boundary between the partially and densely welded zones (≈7000 ft, the elevation of the highest Long Valley Lake shorelines). Gazis et al. had previously shown that the 2.8-Ma intracaldera Chegem Tuff from the Caucasus Mountains exhibits exactly the same kind of ¹⁸O-signature that we have correlated with fossil fumaroles in the Bishop Tuff outflow sheet. Although not recognized as such by McConnell et al.; ¹⁸O/¹⁶O data from drill-hole samples from the intracaldera Bishop Tuff in Long Valley also display this characteristic ¹⁸O signature (i.e., analogous δ¹⁸O-depth profiles, as well as low-¹⁸O groundmass coexisting with high-¹⁸O feldspar phenocrysts). This fumarolic ¹⁸O/¹⁶O signature is observed to much greater depths (≈650–750 m) in the intracaldera tuffs (≈1500 m thick) than it is in the ≈200-m-thick Bishop Tuff outflow sheet (≈80 m depth).     

Cristobalite in the 2011–2012 Cordón Caulle eruption (Chile)

Cristobalite is a low-pressure high-temperature polymorph of SiO₂ found in many volcanic rocks. Its volcanogenic formation has received attention because (1) pure particulate cristobalite can be toxic when inhaled, and its dispersal in volcanic ash is therefore a potential hazard; and (2) its nominal stability field is at temperatures higher than those of magmatic systems, making it an interesting example of metastable crystallization. We present analyses (by XRD, SEM, EPMA, Laser Raman, and synchrotron μ-cT) of representative rhyolitic pyroclasts and of samples from different facies of the compound lava flow from the 2011–2012 eruption of Cordón Caulle (Chile). Cristobalite was not detected in pyroclasts, negating any concern for respiratory hazards, but it makes up 0–23 wt% of lava samples, occurring as prismatic vapour-deposited crystals in vesicles and/or as a groundmass phase in microcrystalline samples. Textures of lava collected near the vent, which best represent those generated in the conduit, indicate that pore isolation promotes vapour deposition of cristobalite. Mass balance shows that the SiO₂ deposited in isolated pore space can have originated from corrosion of the adjacent groundmass. Textures of lava collected down-flow were modified during transport in the insulated interior of the flow, where protracted cooling, additional vesiculation events, and shearing overprint original textures. In the most slowly cooled and intensely sheared samples from the core of the flow, nearly all original pore space is lost, and vapour-deposited cristobalite crystals are crushed and incorporated into the groundmass as the vesicles in which they formed collapse by strain and compaction of the surrounding matrix. Holocrystalline lava from the core of the flow achieves high mass concentrations of cristobalite as slow cooling allows extensive microlite crystallization and devitrification to form groundmass cristobalite. Vapour deposition and devitrification act concurrently but semi-independently. Both are promoted by slow cooling, and it is ultimately devitrification that most strongly contributes to total cristobalite content in a given flow facies. Our findings provide a new field context in which to address questions that have arisen from the study of cristobalite in dome eruptions, with insight afforded by the fundamentally different emplacement geometries of flows and domes.     

Extending NMR data for permeability estimation in fine-grained sediments

We combine nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) transverse relaxation time data and gamma ray data to estimate lithology-dependent permeability in silt- and clay-rich sediments. This approach extends the utility of the Schlumberger-Doll Research (SDR) permeability equation from reservoirs to aquicludes and seals, and thus improves the value and robustness of NMR data. Data from Keathley Canyon, northern Gulf of Mexico show that NMR data can be used to define permeability from 10⁻¹⁸ to 10⁻¹⁴ m² (0.001–10 millidarcies) as calibrated and tested by direct measurements on core samples. We performed uniaxial, constant rate-of-strain consolidation experiments on sediments from Keathley Canyon to determine core-scale permeability. Permeabilities from these experiments were compared to permeabilities calculated from logging-while-drilling data. A better fit between log-derived permeability and laboratory-measured permeability was obtained using the SDR equation with a variable coefficient A, rather than a constant A as is typically used. We show how A is a function of lithology and can be modeled from gamma ray data. The relationship between A and gamma ray values suggests that variations in A are caused by platy clay minerals and the effect they have on the pore system. Our results provide improved means for permeability estimation for application in basin flow modeling, hydrocarbon migration modeling, and well completion design.     

Measuring erosion rates on exposed limestone residuum using erosion pins: a 10-year record

Abstract

Erosion rates in residual limestone soils in a humid climate were measured for 10 years at one site, and for 4 years at another site, using erosion pins. Erosion pins were placed in gully floors and on convex divides between adjacent gullies, on abandoned land where vegetation had been removed. We measured an average erosion rate of 20 mm yr^?1 over 10 years at one site and only 5 mm yr^?1 over 4 years at another site where chert gravel was common on the surface. The 10-year average erosion rate of divides (26 mm yr^?1) was significantly greater than the average erosion rate of gullies (14 mm yr^?1), suggesting control by different processes, some of which may be seasonal. In winter, it was observed that frost action produced a thin layer of loose soil on the surface of divides. In summer, a hardpan developed on divides, as the soil loosened by winter frosts was transported to gullies, likely by rainsplash or dry ravel. The diffusive processes of frost action, rainsplash, and dry ravel appear to shape the convex divides in this study. Down-cutting of gullies requires channelized flow produced by intense rainfall, which is more common in summer for this location.