Determination of Cl Production Rates Derived from the Well-Dated Deglaciation Surfaces of Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands, Washington

The ³⁶Cl dating method is increasingly being used to determine the surface-exposure history of Quaternary landforms. Production rates for the ³⁶Cl isotopic system, a critical component of the dating method, have now been refined using the well-constrained radiocarbon-based deglaciation history of Whidbey and Fidalgo Islands, Washington. The calculated total production rates due to calcium and potassium are 91±5 atoms ³⁶Cl (g Ca)⁻¹ yr⁻¹ and are 228±18 atoms ³⁶Cl (g K)⁻¹ yr⁻¹, respectively. The calculated ground-level secondary neutron production rate in air, P_f(0), inferred from thermal neutron absorption by ³⁵Cl is 762±28 neutrons (g air)⁻¹ yr⁻¹ for samples with low water content (1–2 wt.%). Neutron absorption by serpentinized harzburgite samples of the same exposure age, having higher water content (8–12 wt.%), is 40% greater relative to that for dry samples. These data suggest that existing models do not adequately describe thermalization and capture of neutrons for hydrous rock samples. Calculated ³⁶Cl ages of samples collected from the surfaces of a well-dated dacite flow (10,600–12,800 cal yr B.P.) and three disparate deglaciated localities are consistent with close limiting calibrated ¹⁴C ages, thereby supporting the validity of our ³⁶Cl production rates integrated over the last 15,500 cal yr between latitudes of 46.5° and 51°N. Although our production rates are internally consistent and yield reasonable exposure ages for other localities, there nevertheless are significant differences between these production rates and those of other investigators.     

宇宙成因核素在地球科学中的应用

随着加速器质谱的出现 ,宇宙成因核素展示了其在地球科学中的生命力。文中介绍了宇宙成因核素的生成、示踪原理及近些年来在地球科学中的应用 ,特别着重地介绍了原地生成宇宙成因核素定年这一新的技术。宇宙成因核素是宇宙射线粒子 (包括原生和次生粒子 )与大气及岩石发生核反应所生成的新的核素 ,其在大气及岩石中的生成量可用已知物理过程定量地描述。大气生成宇宙成因核素在考古、古环境及地球各圈层的相互作用方面得到了广泛的应用 ,原地生成宇宙成因核素则在地貌学研究中扮演着重要的角色 ,成为一门新的实验技术。这门技术可以定量地描述地表的暴露历史和侵蚀速率 ,在解决许多地质问题上成为惟一的手段     

雪冰中宇宙成因核素~(10)Be在第四纪研究中的潜在应用

加速器质谱仪 (AMS)的发展使高精度测量宇宙成因核素1 0 Be并应用于研究天文、地理和古气候成为可能。雪冰中的1 0 Be浓度可以指示古降水量的变化 ,其在大气中的产率变化则可以反映三个主要控制因素 :原始宇宙射线强度、地磁场强度和太阳活动的变化。此外 ,配合其它宇宙成因核素 ,1 0 Be还能用于定年 ,并利用特殊“峰”帮助一些古老冰芯建立年代表 ,提供可作为全球对比标志的特殊信息。青藏高原因其特有的高海拔地势而拥有丰富的中低纬山地冰川资源 ,其冰雪中的1 0 Be资料可能提供比极地高纬资料更清晰的1 0 Be与大气环流、地磁场屏蔽作用关系的信息 ,将是对1 0 Be现有认识的极好补充。     

地貌学与第四纪研究的新手段——陆地宇生核素研究

暴露岩石表层中的宇生核素的浓度，是产生速率、衰变常数及侵蚀速率的函数。根据该原理，在宇生核素形成速率为已知的条件下，建立宇生核素浓度与时间及侵蚀速率的函数关系，根据该模式可对岩面的暴露时间及侵蚀速度进行计算，这使得该测年技术在地貌学与第四纪研究中有着极大的运用前景。在众多的宇生核素中，取自于石英的^26Al和^10Be是目前该领域中运用最广泛、最成熟的宇生核素。     

A GLACIAL STAGE SPANNING THE ANTARCTIC COLD REVERSAL IN TORRES DEL PAINE (51°S), CHILE, BASED ON PRELIMINARY COSMOGENIC EXPOSURE AGES

ABSTRACT. Initial cosmogenic ¹⁰Be results from a former ice limit in Torres del Paine indicate a shortlived stillstand or readvance of Patagonian ice culminating at 12–15 kyr BP with a mean age of 13.2 ± 0.8 kyr BP. The glacier extended some 40 km beyond the present ice margin and was within 15 km of the presumed Last Glacial Maximum limits. The timing of the glacier stage spans the cooling event recorded in Antarctic ice cores, termed the Antarctic Cold Reversal (14.5–12.9 kyr BP). This result implies that glaciers at these latitudes were out of phase with those in the northern hemisphere; instead they mirrored the climate structure of Antarctica during the last glacial to interglacial transition.     

Stone-line formation processes documented by in situ-produced Be distribution, Jardim River basin, DF, Brazil

Concentrations of in situ-produced cosmogenic ¹⁰Be (T_1/2=1.5 Myr) were measured in quartz samples from a quartz vein and its connected stone line from the Jardim River basin, Distrito Federal, Brazil, in order to quantify the processes involved in the landscape evolution of that region. The exponential decrease of the ¹⁰Be concentrations along the quartz vein, as well as their systematic increase along the stone-line away from the quartz vein, suggests an autochthonous development. Two models allow to estimate the lateral displacement rate. A plugs model assuming that the sample depth, and hence the production rate, is constant, and a burial model assuming that the sample depth, and hence the production rate, varies through time, yield lateral displacement rate of 37±5 and 68±6 m Myr⁻¹, respectively.     

加速器质谱计在第四纪年代学研究中的应用

介绍了加速器质谱计测试长寿命宇宙成因核素＾１０Ｂｅ，＾３６Ｃｌ，＾３２Ｓｉ，＾１４Ｃ，＾４１Ｃａ，＾１２９Ｉ的基本原理，根据国内外资料以及自己的研究成果，着重讨论了ＡＭＳ在第四纪地质年代学，古环境示踪，气候变化等研究领域的应用和前景。     

Role of in situ cosmogenic nuclides 10be and 26al in the study of diverse geomorphic processes

The central premises of applications of the in situ cosmogenic dating method for studying specific problems in geomorphology are outlined for simple and complex exposure settings. In the light of these general models, we discuss the information that can be derived about geomorphic processes, utilizing concentrations of in situ produced cosmogenic radionuclides ¹⁰Be (half-life=1·5 ma) and ²⁶A1 (half-life=0·7 ma) in a variety of geomorphic contexts: glacial polish and tills; meteorite impact craters; alluvial fans; paleo-beach ridges; marine terraces; sand dunes; and bedrock slopes. We also compare ¹⁰Be-²⁶Al data with results obtained by other dating methods. We conclude that the technique of measuring in situ cosmic ray produced nuclides holds promise for quantitative studies of processes and time-scales in a wide range of geomorphological problems.     

Cosmic ray produced nitrogen in extra terrestrial matter

Production rates of¹⁵N by both solar cosmic rays (SCR) and galactic cosmic rays (GCR) have been calculated for moon, as well as meteorites of various sizes. Our production rates of¹⁵N which considered both the reaction channels¹⁶O(p, pn)¹⁵O and¹⁶O(p, 2p)¹⁵N separately are about 30% higher than those by Reedy (1981) who considered only the channel¹⁶O(p, pn)¹⁵O and used an empirical scaling factor to estimate the contribution from¹⁶O(p, 2p)¹⁵N. Production ratio¹⁵N²¹ Ne is composition dependent and hence is different for various silicate minerals. Additionally the ratio¹⁵N/²¹Ne is very sensitive to the energy spectrum of the cosmic rays. This fact can be made use of in characterizing as well as in decoupling the SCR and GCR effects in extraterrestrial samples.     

Weathering Pits as Indicators of the Relative Age of Granite Surfaces in the Cairngorm Mountains, Scotland

Weathering pits 1–140 cm deep occur on granite surfaces in the Cairngorms associated with a range of landforms, including tors, glacially exposed slabs, large erratics and blockfields. Pit depth is positively correlated with cosmogenic exposure age, and both measures show consistent relationships on individual rock landforms. Rates of pit deepening are non‐linear and a best fit is provided by the sigmoidal function D = b1 + exp(b2+b3/t). The deepest pits occur on unmodified tor summits, where ¹⁰Be exposure ages indicate that surfaces have been exposed to weathering for a minimum of 52–297 ka. Glacially exposed surfaces with pits 10–46 cm deep have given ¹⁰Be exposure durations of 21–79 ka, indicating exposure by glacial erosion before the last glacial cycle. The combination of cosmogenic exposure ages with weathering pit depths greatly extends the area over which inferences can be made regarding the ages of granite surfaces in the Cairngorms. Well‐developed weathering pits on glacially exposed surfaces in other granite areas are potential indicators of glacial erosion before the Last Glacial Maximum.