Preservation potential of implanted solar wind volatiles in lunar paleoregolith deposits buried by lava flows

The lunar surface is bathed in a variety of impacting particles originating from the solar wind, solar flares, and galactic cosmic rays. These particles can become embedded in the regolith and/or produce a range of other molecules as they pass through the target material. The Moon therefore contains a record of the variability of the solar and galactic particle fluxes through time. To obtain useful temporal snapshots of these processes, discrete regolith units must be shielded from continued bombardment that would rewrite the record over time. One mechanism for achieving this preservation is the burial of a regolith deposit by a later lava flow. The archival value of such deposits sandwiched between lava layers is enhanced by the fact that both the under- and over-lying lava can be dated by radiometric techniques, thereby precisely defining the age of the regolith layer and the geologic record contained therein. The implanted volatile species would be vulnerable to outgassing by the heat of the over-lying flow, at temperatures exceeding 300-700 °C. However, the insulating properties of the finely particulate regolith would restrict significant heating to shallow depths. We have therefore modeled the heat transfer between lunar mare basalt lavas and the regolith in order to establish the range of depths below which implanted volatiles would be preserved. We find that the full suite of solar wind volatiles, consisting predominantly of H and He, would survive at depths of ∼13-290 cm (for 1-10 m thick lava flows, respectively). A substantial amount of CO, CO₂, N₂ and Xe would be preserved at depths as shallow as 3.7 cm beneath meter-thick flows. Given typical regolith accumulation rates during mare volcanism, the optimal localities for collecting viable solar wind samples would involve stacks of thin mare lava flows emplaced a few tens to a few hundred Ma apart, in order for sufficient regolith to develop between burial events. Obtaining useful archives of Solar System processes would therefore require extraction of regolith deposits buried at quite shallow depths beneath radiometrically-dated mare lava flows. These results provide a basis for possible lunar exploration activities.     

Distribution of nickel,copper and zinc in the volcanic series of Erta'Ale,Ethiopia

NI, Cu and Zn were measured polarographically in 34 samples of volcanic rocks from the chain of Erta'Ale, Ethiopia. In this chain all rock types from picritic basalts to alkaline and peralkaline rhyolites can be found. The series is marked by a considerable iron enrichment in the intermediate stages. The distribution of Ni, Cu and Zn in the series emphasizes the efficiency of the crystal-field theory in accounting for the behaviour of the elements during magmatic fractionation. Nickel shows a regular variation throughout the trend. The variation of copper is similar to that of iron, but the relative rates of enrichment and depletion show that they are not necessarily associated with the same mineral phases. The behaviour of Zn is rather irregular.     

Dispersion of the salt-marsh periwinkle Littoraria irrorata: Effects of water level,size, and season

This paper documents horizontal and vertical dispersion patterns of a Texas population of the saltmarsh periwinkle, Littoraria irrorata, over a 15-month period. The study was conducted within a tidal marsh on the Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge in Galveston Bay. Two mark-recapture experiments demonstrated that L. irrorata rarely move more than 2 m from their release point over long periods of time and do not home to individual Spartina plants. Adult L. irrorata forage farther away from the base of Spartina stalks at low tide than do juvenile snails. Remaining near the plant base may decrease both temperature and desiccation stress on juveniles. During warm months, L. irrorata climb grass stalks with tidal inundation and forage on the substratum at low tide. Snails are inactive and aggregate in detrital debris at the base of Spartina clumps during the winter. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A01BY058 00016     

The U–Pb SHRIMP age of zircons from diorites of the Tomino–Bereznyaki ore field (South Urals,Russia): evolution of porphyry Cu–epithermal Au–Ag system

The Tomino–Bereznyaki ore field lies in the western part of the East Urals volcanic megazone (20–30 km southwest of Chelyabinsk). The commercial Tomino porphyry (Mo, Au)–Cu deposit is localized in the east of the field, within a small mesoabyssal intrusion of quartz–diorite composition. The epithermal Au–Ag Bereznyaki deposit is confined to subvolcanic dioritic porphyrites in the west of the field. The western and eastern parts of the ore field have a tectonic boundary. Granitoids belong to a single volcanoplutonic complex of K–Na-quartz–diorite composition. The U–Pb concordant age of zircons from the ore-bearing dioritic porphyrite of the Tomino and Bereznyaki deposits is 428 ± 3 Ma (MSWD = 0.9) and 427 ± 6 Ma (MSWD = 1.1), respectively. A Silurian absolute age has been established for the Urals porphyry Cu ore-magmatic system for the first time. The diorites and acid metasomatites of both deposits contain a unique three-mica assemblage (Mu, Pa, and Mu0.36Pa0.64). The metasomatized diorites are of similar isotope-petrogeochemical compositions; they have close total REE contents (24–52 ppm) and REE patterns. Their Zr–Hf, Nb–Ta, and La–Ce diagrams show similar trends. The obtained data indicate the close time of formation of the porphyry and epithermal deposits and their probable genetic unity. The vertical evolution of the porphyry Cu column from meso- and hypabyssal to subvolcanic level includes the isotope (Sr, S, and O) crust–mantle interaction. The deposits formed at different depths expose on the modern surface as a result of the block tectonic processes in the ore field.     

Mid‐Miocene initiation of E‐W extension and recoupling of the Himalaya

The Tibetan plateau is host to numerous ~N‐S striking graben that have accommodated E‐W directed extension. The development of these structures has been interpreted to reflect a variety of different geological processes including plateau collapse, oroclinal bending or mid‐to‐lower crustal flow. New ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar thermochronology and quartz c‐axis data from the Thakkhola graben of west‐central Nepal show that E‐W extension was ongoing at least locally by the early Miocene (ca. 17 Ma). Our new, and previously published chronologic information on the initiation of graben across the orogen shows that they typically developed immediately after cessation of the South Tibetan detachment system, a structural network that facilitated differential southward movement of the upper and middle crust. We interpret this fundamental switch in orogen kinematics to reflect recoupling of the middle and upper Himalayan crust such that the subsequent widespread flow of the mid‐to‐lower crust out of the system to the east forced brittle accommodation in the upper crust.     

Geometry of a convergent zone, Central British Columbia, Canada

The Canadian Cordillera is separable into two major northerly trending tectonic units—the Pacific Orogen and the Columbian Orogen, with the latter further separated into the Omineca Crystalline Belt and the easterly Rocky Mountain Fold and Thrust Belt. Synkinematic metamorphism of Jurassic age within the Omineca Belt is thought to be associated with accretion of westerly terranes of the Pacific Orogen—more specifically the Quesnellia terrane—that was thrust easterly over the Omineca Belt towards the craton. Mylonitic rocks mark the margin between these two belts and this margin is well-exposed near Crooked Lake, central British Columbia.Structural analysis across the zone of convergence between these two terranes indicates that the cratonic basement and the accreted cover sequences have several phases of deformation and metamorphism in common. The initial common phase of deformation, wherein convergence is accomplished, is characterized by easterly verging folds that are superposed by a second common phase having westerly verging folds that deform the zone of convergence and control the present regional map pattern. A final common phase of deformation produced easterly verging folds.Change in vergence direction is interpreted as resulting from change in direction of transport related to subduction process: first obduction of Quesnellia onto the Omineca craton, followed later by easterly subduction of an oceanic Quesnellia below the craton.All evidence of transport direction(s) points to convergence occurring at very high angles to the zone of convergence. There appears to be no evidence of transport parallel with the strike of the zone. If transport has taken place parallel to the strike of the zone, then this transport occurred before convergence or evidence of this motion has been destroyed during the convergence.     

Geologic evolution of the Canarian Islands of Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and La Gomera and comparison of landslides at these islands with those at Tenerife, La Palma and El Hierro

In this paper we discuss the results of a swath bathymetric investigation of the Canary archipelago offshore area. These new data indicate that volcanism is pervasive throughout the seafloor in the region, much more that would be suggested by the islands. We have mapped tens of volcanic edifices between Fuerteventura and Gran Canaria and offshore Tenerife, La Gomera, El Hierro and La Palma. Volcanic flows are present between Tenerife and La Gomera and salic necks dominate the eastern insular slope of La Gomera. This bathymetry also supports land geologic studies that indicate that the oceanic archipelago has acquired its present morphology in part by mass wasting, a consequence of the collapse of the volcanic edifices. In the younger islands, Tenerife, La Palma and El Hierro, the Quaternary (1.2 to 0.15 Ma) debris avalanches are readily recognizable and can be traced offshore for distances measured in tens of km. Off the older islands, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria and La Gomera (<20 to 3.5 Ma), the avalanches have been obscured by subsequent turbidity current deposition and erosion as well as hemipelagic processes. The failure offshore western Lanzarote is in the form of a ramp at the base of the insular slope bound on the seaward side by a scarp. Its size and the lack of evidence of rotation along its landwards side precludes the possibility that it is a slump. It probably represents a slide whose outer scarp is caused by break-up of the slide. Mounds on the ramp’s surface may represent post-displacement volcanic structures or exotic blocks transported to their present locations by the slide. The failures offshore Fuerteventura are so large that, although they occurred in the Miocene-Pliocene, exotic blocks displaced from upslope are still recognizable in the insular margin morphology. The Canary Island insular margin appears to be a creation of Miocene-Pliocene mass wasting and more recent turbidity current deposition and erosion, and hemilepagic deposition. Failures offshore La Gomera are due to debris flows and/or turbidity currents. These events have obscured earlier mass wasting events. An erratum to this article is available at .     

Plasmasphere convection patterns observed simultaneously from two ground stations

Whistler data recorded during a 14 h period on 10–11 July 1973 at Siple (L = 4.17) and Sanae (L = 3.98) have been used to compare the apparent plasma convection patterns observed from these Antarctic stations. Two distinct bulges in the plasmasphere are seen at both stations, each bulge corresponding to an apparent outflowed followed by in flow of plasma. These structures do not coincide in U.T. or M.L.T. The first bulge is seen at Siple almost 1 h earlier in M.L.T. than at Sanae and the second bulge almost 3 h earlier. This is interpreted in terms of a fairly rapid westward and inward movement of the plasmasphere structure.     

Influence of Inelastic Collisions with Hydrogen Atoms on Non-LTE Oxygen Abundance Determinations

We present the results of our modeling of the O I line formation under non-LTE conditions in the atmospheres of FG stars. The statistical equilibrium of O I has been calculated using Barklem’s quantum-mechanical rates of inelastic collisions with hydrogen atoms. We have determined the non-LTE oxygen abundance from atomic O I lines for the Sun and 46 FG stars in a wide metallicity range, ?2.6 < [Fe/H] < 0.2. The application of accurate atomic data has led to an increase in the departures from LTE and a decrease in the oxygen abundance compared to the use of Drawin’s theoretical approximation. The change in the non-LTE abundance from the infrared O I 7771-5 Å triplet lines is 0.11 dex for solar atmospheric parameters and diminishes in absolute value with decreasing metallicity. We have revised the [O/Fe]–[Fe/H] relationship derived by us previously. The change in [O/Fe] is small in the [Fe/H] range from ?1.5 to 0.2. For stars with [Fe/H] < ?1 the [O/Fe] ratio has increased so that [O/Fe] = 0.60 at [Fe/H] = ?0.8 and rises to [O/Fe] = 0.75 at [Fe/H] = ?2.6.