Evolution of lunar materials in light of the abundance variation of oxyphile trace elements

Based on the lunar data on lanthanides, U, Th, Ba, and Sr, the partition coefficients for fractional solidification were estimated for these elements. The resultant values suggest the removal of solids with perhaps pyroxenic composition. The partition coefficient for europium can be judged to be normal as divalent europium dominantly present in the melt. When we go back following the trend of fractionation of abundances, we can reach the stage where there is no europium anomaly and where the thorium concentration level is chondritic. It can be imagined that the material corresponding to this stage was the directly original lunar material system. As a possibility, a zone melting is thought to be a possible process for the derivation of that material from chondritic material. The chondrite-normalized lanthanide patterns for silicate materials of two stony-irons appear to provide us with an intriguing clue to this problem.     

Trace element characteristics of the fluid liberated from amphibolite-facies slab: Inference from the metamorphic sole beneath the Oman ophiolite and implication for boninite genesis

Major and trace element compositions of amphibolites and quartzose rocks in the 230-m-thick metamorphic sole underlying the mantle section of the Oman ophiolite in Wadi Tayin area were determined to investigate the chemical characteristics of the hydrous fluid released from subducted amphiboltie-facies slab. The fluid-immobile element compositions indicate that protoliths of these rocks are mid-ocean ridge basalt-like tholeiite and deep-sea chert, which is consistent with the idea that these rocks represent Tethyan oceanic crust overridden during the early, intraoceanic thrusting stage of the Oman ophiolite emplacement. The rare-earth element (REE) and high field-strength element concentrations of the amphibolites show limited variations, within a factor of two except for a few evolved samples, throughout transect of the sole. On the other hand, concentrations of fluid-mobile elements, especially B, Rb, K and Ba, in amphibolites are highly elevated in upper 30 m of the sole (> 600 °C in peak metamorphic temperature), suggesting the equilibration with evolved, B-Rb-K-Ba-rich fluids during prograde metamorphism. The comparison with amphibolites in the lower 150 m (500 to 550 °C) demonstrates that the trace element spectra of the fluids equilibrated with the high-level amphibolites may vary as a function of metamorphic temperature. The fluids are characterized by striking enrichments of B, Rb, K and Ba and moderate to minor enrichments of Sr, Li, Be and Pb. At higher temperature (up to 700 °C), the fluids become considerably enriched in light REE and Nb in addition to the above elements. The estimated trace element spectra of the fluids do not coincide with the compositions of basalts from matured intra-oceanic arcs, but satisfactorily explain the characteristics of the low-Pb andesites and boninites found in the Oman ophiolite. Compositional similarity between the boninites of Oman and other localities suggests that the fluids estimated here well represent the amphibolite-derived fluids involved in the magmatism of immatured, hot, shallow subduction zones.     

汉诺坝玄武岩中地幔岩捕掳体REE和Sr,Nd同位素地球化学

本文报道汉诺坝玄武岩中地幔岩捕掳体的ＲＥＥ丰度和Ｓｒ、Ｎｄ同位素组成。不同岩石类型的ＲＥＥ配分模式和同位素组成反映地幔部分熔融程度和交代作用过程。二辉橄榄岩亏损轻稀土，是原始地幔经不同程度部分熔融的残留体。方辉橄榄岩具Ｕ型ＲＥＥ配分模式，是强烈亏损的地幔岩被熔体非化学平衡交代的结果。二辉岩脉状体富轻、中稀土，它同与脉状体接触的二辉橄榄岩可达化学平衡或近于化学平衡，而二辉岩脉状体的形成与玄武岩岩浆无成因关系。据对二辉岩脉状体和不含脉状体橄榄岩的Ｓｍ－Ｎｄ同位素定年，这种脉状体形成于３００Ｍａ左右。     

Erratum to: “Partial derivative of love numbers”

A small error in the computations ofOkubo andSaito has been corrected. The correction removes certain previously peculiar results and slightly affects partials within the inner core. The online version of the original article can be found at     

Statistics of Wind and Waves off Tsuyazaki, Fukuoka, in the Eastern Tsushima Strait

The variability of the sea surface wind and wind waves in the coastal area of the Eastern Tsushima Strait was investigated based on the hourly data from 1990 to 1997 obtained at a station 2 km off Tsuyazaki, Fukuoka. The annual mean wind speed was 4.84 m s⁻¹, with strong northwesterly monsoon in winter and weak southwesterly wind in summer. Significant wave heights and wave periods showed similar sinusoidal seasonal cycles around their annual means of 0.608 m and 4.77 s, respectively. The seasonal variability relative to the annual mean is maximum for wave heights, medium for wind speeds, and minimum for wave periods. Significant wave heights off Tsuyazaki turned out to be bounded by a criterion, which is proportional to the square of the significant wave period corresponding to a constant steepness, irrespective of the season or the wind speed. For terms shorter than a month, the significant wave height and the wave period were found to have the same spectral form as the inshore wind velocity: white for frequencies less than 0.2 day⁻¹ and proportional to the frequency to the −5/3 power for higher frequencies, where the latter corresponds to the inertial subrange of turbulence. The spectral levels of wave heights and wave periods in that inertial range were also correlated with those of the inshore wind velocity, though the scatter was large. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

U–Pb zircon geochronology of the North Pole Dome adamellite in the eastern Pilbara Craton

Supracrustal rocks around the North Pole Dome area, Western Australia, provide valuable information regarding early records of the evolution of crustal processes, surface environments, and biosphere. Owing to the occurrence of the oldest known microfossils, the successions at the North Pole Dome area have attracted interest from many researchers. The Paleoarchean successions (Warrawoona Group) mainly comprise mafic‐ultramafic greenstones with intercalated cherts and felsic lavas. Age constraints on the sediments have been mainly based on zircon U–Pb geochronology. However, many zircon grains have suffered from metamictization and contain anomalously high contents of common Pb, which makes interpretation of the U–Pb data complicated. In order to provide more convincing chronological constraints, an U–Pb Concordia age is widely accepted as the best estimate. Most zircons separated from two adamellites also suffered from severe metamictization. In our analyses, less metamictized domains were selected using a pre‐ablation technique in conjunction with elemental mapping, and then their U–Pb isotopic compositions were determined with a laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Most analyzed domains contained certain amounts of common Pb (²⁰⁴Pb/²⁰⁶Pb > 0.000 1), whereas three and five U–Pb data points with less common Pb (²⁰⁴Pb/²⁰⁶Pb < 0.000 1) were obtained. These U–Pb datasets yielded U–Pb Concordia ages of ca 3 445 Ma and 3 454 Ma, respectively. These ages represent the timing of the adamellite intrusion, and constrain the minimum depositional age of the Warrawoona Group. In addition, a single xenocrystic zircon grain showed a ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb age of ca 3 545 Ma, supporting the idea that the sialic basement of the Pilbara Craton existed prior to 3 500 Ma. The in situ U–Pb zircon dating combined with the pre‐ablation technique has the potentials to identify non‐metamictized parts and to yield precise and accurate geochronological data even from partially metamictized zircons.     

Detrital zircon multi‐chronology,provenance, and low‐grade metamorphism of the Cretaceous Shimanto accretionary complex,eastern Shikoku,Southwest Japan: Tectonic evolution in response to igneous activity within a subduction zone

Detrital zircon multi‐chronology combined with provenance and low‐grade metamorphism analyses enables the reinterpretation of the tectonic evolution of the Cretaceous Shimanto accretionary complex in Southwest Japan. Detrital zircon U–Pb ages and provenance analysis defines the depositional age of trench‐fill turbidites associated with igneous activity in provenance. Periods of low igneous activity are recorded by youngest single grain zircon U–Pb ages (YSG) that approximate or are older than the depositional ages obtained from radiolarian fossil‐bearing mudstone. Periods of intensive igneous activity recorded by youngest cluster U–Pb ages (YC1σ) that correspond to the younger limits of radiolarian ages. The YC1σ U–Pb ages obtained from sandstones within mélange units provide more accurate younger depositional ages than radiolarian ages derived from mudstone. Determining true depositional ages requires a combination of fossil data, detrital zircon ages, and provenance information. Fission‐track ages using zircons estimated YC1σ U–Pb ages are useful for assessing depositional and annealing ages for the low‐grade metamorphosed accretionary complex. These new dating presented here indicates the following tectonic history of the accretionary wedge. Evolution of the Shimanto accretionary complex from the Albian to the Turonian was caused by the subduction of the Izanagi plate, a process that supplied sediments via the erosion of Permian and Triassic to Early Jurassic granitic rocks and the eruption of minor amounts of Early Cretaceous intermediate volcanic rocks. The complex subsequently underwent intensive igneous activity from the Coniacian to the early Paleocene as a result of the subduction of a hot and young oceanic slab, such as the Kula–Pacific plate. Finally, the major out‐of‐sequence thrusts of the Fukase Fault and the Aki Tectonic Line formed after the middle Eocene, and this reactivation of the Shimanto accretionary complex as a result of the subduction of the Pacific plate.     

Gravelly spit deposits in a transgressive systems tract: the Pleistocene Higashikanbe Gravel, central Japan

The Pleistocene Higashikanbe Gravel, which crops out along the Pacific coast of the Atsumi Peninsula, central Japan, consists of well‐sorted, pebble‐ to cobble‐size gravel beds with minor sand beds. The gravel includes large‐scale foreset beds (5–10 m high) and overlying subhorizontal beds (0·5–3 m thick), showing foreset and topset structure, from which the gravel has previously been interpreted as deposits of a Gilbert‐type delta. However, (1) the gravel beds lack evidence of fluvial activity, such as channels in the subhorizontal beds; (2) the foresets incline palaeolandwards; (3) the gravels fill a fluvially incised valley; and (4) the gravels overlie low‐energy deposits of a restricted environment, such as a bay or an estuary. The foresets generally dip towards the inferred palaeoshoreline, indicating landward accretion of gravel. Reconstruction of the palaeogeography of the peninsula indicates that the Higashikanbe Gravel was deposited as a spit similar to that developed at the western tip of the present Atsumi Peninsula, rather than as a delta. According to the new interpretation, the large‐scale foreset beds are deposits on the slopes of spit platforms and accreted in part to the sides of small islets that are fragments of the submerging spit during relative sea‐level rise. The subhorizontal beds include nearshore deposits on the spit platform topsets and deposits of gravel shoals or bars, which are reworked sediments of the spit beach gravels during a transgression. The lack of spit beach facies in the subhorizontal beds results from truncation by shoreface erosion. Dome structure, which is a cross‐sectional profile of a recurved gravel spit at its extreme point, and sandy tidal channel deposits deposited between the small islets were also identified in the Higashikanbe Gravel. The Higashikanbe Gravel fills a fluvially incised valley and occupies a significant part of a transgressive systems tract, suggesting that gravelly spits are likely to be well developed during transgressions. The large‐scale foreset beds and subhorizontal beds of gravelly spits in transgressive systems tracts contrast with the foreset and topset beds of deltas, characteristic of highstand, lowstand and shelf‐margin systems tracts.