Micro-FTIR spectroscopic signatures of Bacterial lipids in Proterozoic microfossils

Precambrian microbial fossils show carbonaceous cellular structure, which often resemble in shape and size cyanobacteria and other prokaryotes. Morphological taxonomy of these minute, simple, and more or less degraded fossils is, however, often not enough to determine their precise phylogenetic positions. Here we report the results of micro-FTIR spectroscopic analyses of well-preserved microfossils in 850 Ma and 1900 Ma stromatolites, together with those of 8 species of extant prokaryotes and 5 of eukaryotes for comparison. These Proterozoic fossils have low CH₃/CH₂ absorbance ratios (R_3/2 < 0.5) of aliphatic CH moieties, suggesting selective preservation of long, straight, aliphatic carbon chains probably derived from bacterial membrane lipids. All the observed R_3/2 values of coccoids, filaments and amorphous organic matter resemble lipid fractions of extant Bacteria including cyanobacteria, but not Archaea. The results indicate that Proterozoic microfossils belong to Bacteria, which is consistent with the cyanobacterial origin inferred from morphology. Moreover, the R_3/2 value of fossilized cell would reflect chemical composition of its precursor membrane lipid, thus could be a useful new tracer for distinguishing Archaea, Bacteria and possibly Eucarya for fossilized and extant microorganisms.     

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.gsf.2016.07.005

The Hadean history of Earth is shrouded in mystery and it is considered that the planet was born dry with no water or atmosphere. The Earth-Moon system had many features in common during the birth stage. Solidification of the dry magma ocean at 4.53 Ga generated primordial continents with komatiite. We speculate that the upper crust was composed of fractionated gabbros and the middle felsic crust by anorthosite at ca. 21 km depth boundary, underlain by meta-anorthosite (grossular + kyanite + quartz) down to 50–60 km in depth. The thickness of the mafic KREEP basalt in the lower crust, separating it from the underlying upper mantle is not well-constrained and might have been up to ca. 100–200 km depending on the degree of fractionation and gravitational stability versus surrounding mantle density. The primordial continents must have been composed of the final residue of dry magma ocean and enriched in several critical elements including Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, P, K, and Cl which were exposed on the surface of the dry Earth. Around 190 million years after the solidification of the magma ocean, “ABEL bombardment” delivered volatiles including H₂O, CO₂, N₂ as well as silicate components through the addition of icy asteroids. This event continued for 200 Myr with subordinate bombardments until 3.9 Ga, preparing the Earth for the prebiotic chemical evolution and as the cradle of first life. Due to vigorous convection arising from high mantle potential temperatures, the primordial continents disintegrated and were dragged down to the deep mantle, marking the onset of Hadean plate tectonics.     

Paleoseismological evidence for non-characteristic behavior of surface rupture associated with the 2004 Mid-Niigata Prefecture earthquake, central Japan

The 2004 Mid-Niigata Prefecture earthquake sequence (mainshock magnitude, M_JMA 6.8), which occurred in an active fold-and-thrust belt in northern central Japan, generated a small thrust surface rupture (< 20 cm of vertical displacement) along a previously unmapped northern extension of the active Muikamachi–Bonchi–Seien fault zone, on the eastern margin of the epicentral region. To better understand past seismic behavior of the rupture, we conducted a paleoseismic trenching study across the 10-cm-high west-side-up surface rupture at the foot of a pre-existing 1.8-m-high east-facing scarp, which probably resulted from past earthquake(s). A well-defined west-dipping thrust fault zone accompanied by drag folding and displacing the upper Pliocene to lower Pleistocene strata and the unconformably overlying upper Pleistocene (?) to Holocene strata was exposed. The principal fault zone is connected directly to the 2004 surface rupture. From the deformational characteristics of the strata and radiocarbon dating, we inferred that two large paleoseismic events occurred during the past 9000 years prior to the 2004 event. These two pre-2004 events have a nearly identical fault slip (at minimum, 1.5 m), which is ≥ 15 times that of the 2004 event (∼ 10 cm). These paleoseismic data, coupled with the geological and geomorphological features, suggest that the 2004 event represented non-characteristic behavior of the fault, which can potentially generate a more destructive earthquake accompanied by meter-scale surface displacement. This study provides insight into the interpretation of past faulting events and increases our understanding of rupture behavior.     

Long-term climate response to stabilized and overshoot anthropogenic forcings beyond the twenty-first century

From multi-ensembles of climate simulations using the Community Climate System Model version 3, global climate changes have been investigated focusing on long-term responses to stabilized anthropogenic forcings. In addition to the standard forcing scenarios for the current international assessment, an overshoot scenario, where radiative forcings are decreased from one stabilized level to another, is also considered. The globally-averaged annual surface air temperature increases during the twenty-first century by 2.58 and 1.56°C for increased forcings under two future scenarios denoted by A1B and B1, respectively. These changes continue but at much slower rates in later centuries under forcings stabilized at year 2100. The overshoot scenario provides a different pathway to the lower B1 level by way of the greater A1B level. This scenario results in a surface climate similar to that in the B1 scenario within 100 years after the forcing reaches the B1 level. Contrasting to the surface changes, responses in the ocean are significantly delayed. It is estimated from the linear response theory that temperature changes under stabilized forcings to a final equilibrium state in the A1B (B1) scenario are factors of 0.3–0.4, 0.9, and 17 (0.3, 0.6, and 11) to changes during the twenty-first century, respectively, for three ocean layers of the surface to 100, 100–500, and 500 m to the bottom. Although responses in the lower ocean layers imply a nonlinear behavior, the ocean temperatures in the overshoot and B1 scenarios are likely to converge in their final equilibrium states.     

Heat budget of air passing through a hot tunnel in northeastern Japan

Summary A geothermal and meteorological observation was carried out inside a hot tunnel (named Torigoe tunnel) penetrating through a volcanic zone in northeastern Japan, just after it has been penetrated. Rock wall surface temperature, some thermal properties of rock samples, temperature profile in slender pits drilled into the rock body, temperature of water flowing on the floor and the meteorological elements of air passing through the tunnel are contained in the observation.Introducing the coefficient of heat transfer determined from the Reynolds analogy for turbulent forced convection in a circular tube, the heat budget of the air-tunnel system is investigated with those observed data. The results show that the net sensible heat of 58.61 kW is drawn out from the tunnel by air passing through it and seems to be overcompensated by the net heat supply of 67.21 kW from the rock wall to air, while for the net latent heat removal of 101.56 kW by air the apparent undercompensation of 80.01 kW is found from the water flowing on the floor. Consideration is carried out on such excess and deficiency of heat supplies.

---

Zusammenfassung In einem heißen Tunnel (dem Torigoe-Tunnel), der durch vulkanisches Gebiet im nordöstlichen Japan verläuft, wurden unmittelbar nach Tunneldurchstoß geothermische und meteorologische Untersuchungen durchgeführt. Die Temperatur der Gesteinsoberfläche, spezifische thermische Eigenschaften der Gesteinsproben, das Temperaturprofil von dünnen Bohrkernen, als auch die Temperatur des Wassers am Tunnelgrund und meteorologische Daten der Durchzugsluft werden in dieser Untersuchung berücksichtigt.Durch Einführung des durch die Reynolds-Analogie determinierten Wärmeaustauschkoeffizienten für turbulente, erzwungene Konvektion in einer kreisförmigen Röhre wird der Wärmehaushalt der Luft im Tunnelsystem unter Heranziehung der angeführten Daten untersucht. Die Resultate zeigen, daß 58.61 kW fühlbare Wärme dem Tunnel durch die Luft entzogen werden, die jedoch durch eine Zufuhr von 67.21 kW von der Felswand an die Luft abgegebener fühlbarer Wärme überkompensiert zu werden scheint, während der dauernden latenten Wärmeabfuhr durch die Luft von 101.56 kW eine Unterkompensierung von 80.01 kW durch das am Tunnelgrund fließende Wasser gegenübersteht. Die Folgen dieses Überschusses bzw. Defizites werden genauer diskutiert.

---

---

With 5 Figures     

An experimental investigation of heulandite-laumontite equilibrium at 1000 to 2000 bar P fluid

The univariant reaction governing the upper stability of heulandite (CaAl₂Si₇O₁₈·6H₂O), heulandite=laumontite+3 quartz+2H₂O (1), has been bracketed through reversal experiments at: 155±6° C, 1000 bar; 175±6° C, 1500 bar; and 180±8° C, 2000 bar. Reversals were established by determining the growth of one assemblage at the expense of the other, using both XRD and SEM studies. The standard molal entropy of heulandite is estimated to be 783.7±16 J mol^–1 K^–1 from the experimental brackets. Predicted standard molal Gibbs free energy and enthalpy of formation of heulandite are –9722.3±6.3 kJ mol^–1 and –10524.3±9.6 kJ mol^–1, respectively. The reaction (1), together with the reaction, stilbite=laumontite+3 quartz+3 H₂O, defines an invariant point at which a third reaction, stilbite=heulandite+ H₂O, meets. By combining the present experimental data with past work, this invariant point is located at approximately 600 bar and 140° C. Heulandite, which is stable between the stability fields of stilbite and laumontite, can occur only at pressures higher than that of the invariant point, for = P _total.These results are consistent with natural parageneses in low-grade metamorphic rocks recrystallized in equilibrium with an aqueous phase in which is very close to unity.     

Possible depth limit for underplating by a seamount

The Cazadero metabasite allochthon is located within the central melange belt of the northern California Coast Ranges, U.S.A. It composed mainly of pillowed and massive mafic flows, hyaloclastite and minor pelagic sediments. It is about 3 × 15 km² in extent, and is in fault contact with Late Mesozoic fore-arc flysch deposits of the Great Valley sequence. Three metamorphic zones were mapped in the allochthon, as follows-in order of increasing metamorphic grade: the lawsonite, the pumpellyite and the epidote zone. Ca---Na pyroxenes are ubiquitous; they were used to estimate the P-T path, together with the oxygen isotope geothermometry of Taylor and Coleman. The result shows a bending point in the P-T path for blueschist facies metamorphism of the Cazadero allochthon. At shallow depths, lower grade metamorphism proceeded under predominant pressure-increase from 4 to 7 kbar at nearly constant T of about 150–200 °C, whereas after passing the bending point higher-grade metamorphism occurred with increasing temperature from 200 to 350 °C at nearly constant P of about 7–8 kbar.

The bending point reflects the depth of transfer of underplating materials from the oceanic lithosphere and its overlying sediments to the hanging wall plate. Either seamount volcanics and pelagic sediments, or mixed packages of fragmented oceanic crust with trench-fill turbidites, were subducted beneath the North American plate. They were subjected to early lawsonite- and pumpellyite-zone metamorphism with very low geothermal gradient. We infer that when they reached about 20 km depth, underplating occurred and the metamorphosed rocks became part of the hanging wall. Heat conduction from the overlying hydrated mantle wedge caused a temperature increase at nearly constant depth. The earlier recrystallized seamount volcanics and pelagic sediments were then metamorphosed at a much higher geothermal gradient. The Cazadero allochthon has suffered extremely high P/T subduction zone metamorphism and it preserves very well the record of Cretaceous subduction-underplating processes.     

Carbon isotope chemostratigraphy of a Precambrian/Cambrian boundary section in the Three Gorge area, South China: Prominent global-scale isotope excursions just before the Cambrian Explosion

Carbon isotope chemostratigraphy has been used for worldwide correlation of Precambrian/Cambrian (Pc/C) boundary sections, and has elucidated significant change of the carbon cycle during the rapid diversification of skeletal metazoa (i.e. the Cambrian Explosion). Nevertheless, the standard δ¹³C curve of the Early Cambrian has been poorly established mainly due to the lack of a continuous stratigraphic record. Here we report high-resolution δ¹³C chemostratigraphy of a drill core sample across the Pc/C boundary in the Three Gorge area, South China. This section extends from an uppermost Ediacaran dolostone (Dengying Fm.), through a lowermost Early Cambrian muddy limestone (Yanjiahe Fm.) to a middle Early Cambrian calcareous black shale (Shuijingtuo Fm.). As a result, we have identified two positive and two negative isotope excursions within this interval. Near the Pc/C boundary, the δ¹³C_carb increases moderately from 0 to + 2‰ (positive excursion 1: P1), and then drops dramatically down to − 7‰ (negative excursion 1: N1). Subsequently, the δ¹³C_carb increases continuously up to about + 5‰ at the upper part of the Nemakit–Daldynian stage. After this positive excursion, δ¹³C_carb sharply decreases down to about − 9‰ (N2) just below the basal Tommotian unconformity. These continuous patterns of the δ¹³C shift are irrespective of lithotype, suggesting a primary origin of the record. Moreover, the obtained δ¹³C profile, except for the sharp excursion N2, is comparable to records of other sections within and outside of the Yangtze Platform. Hence, we conclude that the general feature of our δ¹³C profile best represents the global change in seawater chemistry. The minimum δ¹³C of the N1 (− 7‰) is slightly lower than carbon input from the mantle, thus implying an enhanced flux of ¹³C-depleted carbon just across the Pc/C boundary. Hence, the ocean at that time probably became anoxic, which may have affected the survival of sessile or benthic Ediacaran biota. The subsequent δ¹³C rise up to + 5‰ (P2) indicates an increase of primary productivity or an enhanced rate of organic carbon burial, which should have resulted in lowering pCO₂ and following global cooling. This scenario accounts for the cause of the global-scale sea-level fall at the base of the Tommotian stage. The subsequent, very short-term, and exceptionally low δ¹³C (− 9‰) in N2 could have been associated with the release of methane from gas hydrates due to the sea-level fall. The inferred dramatic environmental changes (i.e., ocean anoxia, increasing productivity, global cooling and subsequent sea-level fall with methane release) appear to coincide with or occur just before the Cambrian Explosion. This may indicate synchronism between the environmental changes and rapid diversification of skeletal metazoa.     

Internal structures and U–Pb ages of zircons from a tuff layer in the Meishucunian formation, Yunnan Province, South China

The Precambrian/Cambrian (PC/C) boundary is one of the most important intervals for the evolution of life, represented by prominent biological evolution from the first appearance of soft-bodied animals from the late Neoproterozoic to the sudden diversification of animals with mineralized skeletons in the Cambrian. In South China several areas contain many fossils and are well exposed, suitable for the investigation of PC/C boundary. However, geochronological relationships are still poorly known because of lack of combined detailed investigations of internal structures of zircons and in-situ U–Pb dating.We focus on the internal structure of zircons from a tuff layer within Bed 5 in the Meishucun section on which we undertook cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and in-situ U–Pb dating with LA-ICP-MS and nano-SIMS. Over 600 zircons from the tuff layer were classified into three types based on their CL images: oscillatory rims, inherited cores and dull structures. U–Pb dating of the internal structure of the zircons by LA-ICP-MS clearly shows a distinct unimodal age population dependent on the structure: 531 ± 17 Ma for the oscillatory rims and 515 Ma for the dull structures. The clear oscillatory zonation, the prismatic morphology, and their occurrence indicate that the oscillatory rims were formed from felsic magmatism, and that the U–Pb nano-SIMS age of 536.5 ± 2.5 Ma records the depositional age of the tuff. Our results indicate that the PC/C boundary is situated below Bed 5, and therefore the bottom of Zone 1 (Marker A) is more appropriate for the PC/C boundary than is the top of Zone 1 (Marker B). The age of a positive anomaly (P2) in the early Cambrian is estimated to be ca. 536 Ma.