Solar modulation of cosmogenic nuclide production over the last millennium: comparison between C and Be records

For about the last 30 years it has been recognized that the high frequency component of the tree rings ¹⁴C/¹²C record is dominated by the modulation of the cosmic ray flux by the solar wind. In particular, it has been demonstrated that the three most recent periods of low sunspot occurrence were characterized by high values of atmospheric ¹⁴C/¹²C. During the last millennium other periods of high ¹⁴C/¹²C values were observed but their solar origin is still debatable. In the present work we compare these fluctuations with an independent record of cosmogenic ¹⁰Be measured in ice from the South Pole to check the solar origin of the observed ¹⁴C/¹²C variations. In order to compare quantitatively the results obtained on ¹⁰Be and ¹⁴C, it is necessary to take into account the different behaviour of these two cosmogenic isotopes, and especially the damping effect of the carbon cycle in the case of ¹⁴C. As an input to a 12-box numerical model we used the relative fluctuations of the ¹⁰Be concentrations record measured in South Pole ice and converted it into a synthetic ¹⁴C record. We took into account the fact that ¹⁰Be modulation is enhanced in polar regions due to the orientation of the geomagnetic field. As expected, the fluctuations of the modelled ¹⁴C record are much smaller (a factor of 20) than those observed for the raw ¹⁰Be record. In addition, the variations are smoother and shifted in time by a few decades. The ¹⁰Be-based ¹⁴C variations closely resemble the ¹⁴C measurements obtained on tree rings (R = 0.81). In particular, it is easy to identify periods of maximal ¹⁴C/¹²C which correspond to solar activity minima centred at about 1060, 1320 (Wolf), 1500 (Spörer), 1690 (Maunder) and 1820 (Dalton) yr A.D. Cross-correlation calculations suggest that there is no significant lag between the ¹⁰Be-based ¹⁴C and the tree-ring ¹⁴C records. Our study strongly suggests the dominance of the solar modulation on the cosmonuclide production variations during the last millennium.     

杭州地区石笋稳定同位素古气候探索

用１４Ｃ测年技术和稳定同位素地球化学古温度方法，对浙江省临安瑞晶洞穴的石笋进行了１４Ｃ的测年和碳、氢、氧同位素测试，获得５～１万年间杭州地区古气候演化记录、该记录表明，在５～１万年间有三次较明显的周期性古温度变化，最高温度为１４．９℃，最低温度为６．６℃，最大温差为８℃左右，平均温差３～５℃。这段时期正处在大理冰期后期，但大理冰期并不是一个持续的低温阶段，它至少有３次温度波动。与我们获得的石笋同位素古温度相一致。另外，我们将５～１万年间杭州地区古气候变化与同期东南沿海的海平面变化进行了对比，在时间上也较为吻合，也就是温度上升、海平面也上升，温度下降、海平面也随之下降     

湖北蕲春花岗岩类锆石SHRIMP年龄：大别山造山带内弱变质—未变质晋宁期花岗岩类的发现

蕲春花岗质杂岩体包括斑状二长花岗岩和花岗岩两部分,它们之间在化学性质上存在着很大的差异,前者表现为高Al 2O3(15.73%)、相对高CaO(2.46%)、Na2O含量明显高于K2O(Na2O/K2O=1.27),尤以强烈亏损重稀土元素和极强的轻、重稀土元素分馏程度[(La/Yb)N=46.8]为特征而类似于太古宙高Al2O3的TTG岩石.而后者则以较低的Al2O3含量(14.05%)、贫CaO(0.82%)、K2O含量明显高于Na2O(Na2O/K2O=0.81)为特征,轻、重稀土元素的分馏程度[(La/Yb)N=10.89]也较片麻状二长花岗岩中弱得多.两类岩石中锆石的U-PbSHRIMP年龄分别为824.6±17.6 Ma和784±20 Ma,该时代与大别山造山带内花岗片麻岩的原岩形成年龄类似.大别山造山带内弱变质-未变质晋宁期花岗岩的出现表明扬子板块印支期向北俯冲时,该花岗质杂岩处于俯冲板片的后缘,可代表造山带内扬子基底的原地露头.而岩体周围的高压变质杂岩应是折返上来的无根构造岩片,大别山造山带内高压超高压变质杂岩的出露不是整体性抬升剥蚀的结果.     

Similarities between strike-slip faults at different scales and a simple age determining method for active faults

Abstract Several differently scaled strike‐slip faults were examined. The faults shared many geometric features, such as secondary fractures and linkage structures (damage zones). Differences in fault style were not related to specific scale ranges. However, it was recognized that differences in style may occur in different tectonic settings (e.g. dilational/contractional relays or wall/linkage/tip zones), different locations along the master fault or different fault evolution stages. Fractal dimensions were compared for two faults (Gozo and San Andreas), which supports the idea of self‐similarity. Fractal dimensions for traces of faults and fractures of damage zones were higher (D ～1.35) than for the main fault traces (D ～1.005) because of increased complexity due to secondary faults and fractures. Based on the statistical analysis of another fault evolution study, single event movements in earthquake faults typically have a maximum earthquake slip : rupture length ratio of approximately 10^?4, although this has only been established for large earthquake faults because of limited data. Most geological faults have a much higher maximum cumulative displacement : fault length ratio; that is, approximately 10^?2 to 10^?1 (e.g. Gozo, ～10^?2; San Andreas, ～10^?1). The final cumulative displacement on a fault is produced by accumulation of slip along ruptures. Hence, using the available information from earthquake faults, such as earthquake slip, recurrence interval, maximum cumulative displacement and fault length, the approximate age of active faults can be estimated. The lower limit of estimated active fault age is expressed with maximum cumulative displacement, earthquake slip and recurrence interval as T ? (d_max /u) · I(M).     

K–Ar geochronology of the temporal change of eruptive style in the eastern Izu peninsula, central Japan

Abstract   A recent K–Ar study elucidated that eruptive style in the eastern Izu peninsula changed from polygenetic to monogenetic volcano at 0.3–0.2 Ma. To narrow down the time of change, we determined 10 K–Ar ages on Togasayama Andesite of Amagi volcano, the youngest polygenetic volcano in the area, and Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano, one of the oldest monogenetic volcanoes in the area, which overlies a part of the Togasayama Andesite. Dating results showed that the Togasayama Andesite effused at least from 0.34 to 0.20 Ma, whereas the Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano erupted at 0.26–0.29 Ma, suggesting that the northern part of the Togasayama Andesite effused after the eruption of the Togasayama Monogenetic Volcano. Considering previous data, it is therefore inferred that change of eruptive style in the eastern Izu area occurred during the period 0.29–0.20 Ma, with considerable overlap of both polygenetic and monogenetic volcanism.     

Ar/Ar ages of tephras intercalated in astronomically tuned Neogene sedimentary sequences in the eastern Mediterranean

We present new ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar data for sanidine and biotite derived from volcanic ash layers that are intercalated in Pliocene and late Miocene astronomically dated sequences in the Mediterranean with the aim to solve existing inconsistencies in the intercalibration between the two independent absolute dating methods. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar sanidine ages are systematically younger by 0.7-2.3% than the astronomical ages for the same ash layers. The significance of the discrepancy disappears except for the upper Ptolemais ashes, which reveal the largest difference, if an improved full error propagation method is applied to calculate the absolute error in the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages. The total variance is dominated by that of the activity of the decay of ⁴⁰K to ⁴⁰Ar (∼70%) and that the amount of radiogenic ⁴⁰Ar_p in the primary standard GA1550 biotite (∼15%). If the ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages are calculated relative to an astronomically dated standard, the influence of these parameters is greatly reduced, resulting in a more reliable age and in a significant reduction of the error in ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating.Astronomically calibrated ages for Taylor Creek Rhyolite (TCR) and Fish Canyon Tuff (FCT) sanidine are 28.53±0.02 and 28.21±0.04 Ma (±1 S.E.), respectively, if we start from the more reliable results of the Cretan A1 ash layer. The most likely explanation for the large discrepancy found for the younger Ptolemais ash layers (equivalent to FCT of 28.61 Ma) is an error in the tuning of this part of the sequence.     

Molecular modeling of the 10-Å phase at subduction zone conditions

Molecular dynamics (MD) modeling of the 10-Å phase, Mg₃Si₄O₁₀(OH)₂·xH₂O, with x=2/3, 1.0 and 2.0 shows complex structural changes with pressure, temperature and water content and provides new insight into the structures and stabilization of these phases under subduction zone conditions. The structure(s) of this phase and its role as a reservoir of water in the mantle have been controversial, and these calculations provide specific predictions that can be tested by in situ diffraction studies. At ambient conditions, the computed structures of talc (x=0) and the 10-Å phases with x=2/3 and 1.0 are stable over the 350-ps period of the MD simulations. Under these conditions, the 10-Å phases show phlogopite-like layer stacking in good agreement with previously published structures based on powder X-ray diffraction data for samples quenched from high-pressure and high-temperature experiments. The calculations show that the 10-Å phase with x=2.0 is unstable at ambient conditions. The computed structures at P=5.5 GPa and T=750 K, well within the known stability field of the 10-Å phase, change significantly with water content, reflecting changing H-bonding configurations. For x=2/3, the layer stacking is talc-like, and for x=1.0, it is phlogopite-like. The calculations show that transformation between these two stackings occurs readily, and that the talc-like stacking for the x=2/3 composition is unlikely to be quenchable to ambient conditions. For x=2.0, the layer stacking at P=5.5 GPa and T=750 K is different than any previously proposed structure for a 10-Å phase. In this structure, the neighboring basal oxygens of adjacent magnesium silicate layers are displaced by b/3 (about 3 Å) resulting in the Si atoms of one siloxane sheet being located above the center of the six-member ring across the interlayer. The water molecules are located 1.2 Å above the center of all six-member rings and accept H-bonds from the OH groups located below the rings. The b/3-displaced structure does not readily transform to either the talc-like or phlogopite-like structure, because neither of these stackings can accommodate two water molecules per formula unit. There is likely to be a compositional discontinuity and phase transition between the b/3-displaced phase and the phase with phlogopite-like stacking. The simulations reported here are the first to use the recently developed CLAYFF force field to calculate mineral structures at elevated pressures and temperatures.     

Age of Yingfeng rapakivi granite pluton on the north flank of Qaidam and its geological significance

Rapakivi granite is a very rare and special type of rocks in the crust. Nearly all the typical Proterozoic rapakivi occurred in stable craton, and was regarded as representing special anorogenic settings and rifting events of the supercontinents. Therefore, rapakivi has constantly been attracting the attention of researchers from various countries[15]. For example, the Protero- zoic rapakivi granites occurring in Miyun, Beijing, has been studied in detail by the researchers both at home and …     

~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar dating of shear deformation of the Xianshuihe fault zone in west Sichuan and its tectonic significance

TheNW-SEstrikingXianshuihefaultzoneslicesthesoutheasternTibetanPlateauandconnectssoutheastwardwiththeAnninghe-Zemuhe-Xiaojiangfaultzone,whichformahuge,activesinistralstrike-slipfaultzone(fig.1).ThisfaultzoneisanimportantseismicfaultineastTibet[1-5].EarthquakegeologystudiesandoffsetpatternsofyounggeologicalfeatureshaveshownthatlateQuaternarysinistralsliprateoftheXianshuihefaultzonereaches13mm/a[1,2].TheXianshuhefaultzoneconsistsoftwomainbranches,theDaofufaultbranchinthewestandtheXianshuih…     

北京云蒙山片麻状花岗岩锆石SHRIMP定年及其地质意义

应用锆石SHRIMP定年方法对云蒙山片麻状花岗岩进行年代学研究 ,得到 4组年龄 :14 4± 4Ma、16 0～ 16 3Ma、193～ 2 18Ma和 2 4 16Ma。其中 14 4± 4Ma代表了云蒙山岩体的侵位时间 ,16 0～ 16 3Ma和 193～ 2 18Ma两组年龄可能是岩浆侵位过程中捕虏锆石的年龄。 2 4 16Ma与Davis等的锆石U_Pb法上交点年龄 (190 0～ 2 4 0 0Ma)一致 ,可能反映了原岩的时代 ,说明该花岗岩来源于晚太古代片麻岩的局部熔融或者是岩浆侵位过程中捕获了晚太古代的锆石。