Stability and Phase Relations of Trioctahedral Calcium Brittle Micas (Clintonite Group)

On the pseudobinary join CaO:3MgO:Al₂O₃:2SiO₂:_xH2O–CaO:1.25MgO:2.75 Al₂O₃: 0.25SiO₂:_xH₂O clintonite mixed crystals Ca(Mg_{1+ x}Al_{2 – x}) (Al_{4 – x}Si_xO₁₀)(OH)₂ with x rangingfrom 0.6 to 1.4 occur in the temperature range 600–830?C, 2 kb fluid pressure. On the MgSirich side clintonites coexistwith chlorite, forsterite, diopside, and calcite (due to smallamounts of CO₂ in the gas phase) and, at lower temperatures,also with idocrase, hydrogrossularite, and aluminous serpentine.Decomposition of clintonite over a divariant temperature rangeoccurs above 830 ?C, 2 kb; clintonite-free subsolidus assemblagescomprising three or four solid phases are formed in the temperatureranges 890 ?–1120 ?C. The subsolidus assemblages can berepresented in a polyhedron defined by the corners forsterite,diopside, melilite, spinel, anorthite, corundum, and calciumdialuminate. Above 1120 ?C partial melting occurs. The upper thermal stability limits of three selected compositionshave been reversed in the P-T range 0.5–20 kb and 730–1050 ?C, respectively. Below some 4 kb breakdown is dueto the divariant reactions: (1)Ca(Mg_2.25Al_0.75)(Al_2.75)(Si_1.25O₁₀)(OH)₂ spinel+diopside_ss+forsterite+clintonite_ss+vapor, (2)Ca(Mg₂Al)(Al₃SiO₁₀)(OH)₂ spinelx002B;melilite_ss+anorthite+clintonite_ss+vapor, (3)Ca(Mg_1.75Al_1.25)(Al_3.25)(Si_0.75O₁₀)(OH)₂ spinel+melilite_ss+corundum+clintonite_ss+vapor, At the terminations of the divariant temperature ranges (1)melilite_ss, (2) diopside_ss, and (3) anorthite enter those assemblagesand clintonitess disappears completely. The reactions can berepresented by the following equations (1)log,_H2O = 10.2879–8113/T+0.0856(P–1)/T, (2)log = 9.5852–7325/T+0.0794(P–1)/T, (3)log = 7.8358–5250/T+0.077(P–1)/T, with P expressed in bars and Tin ?K. Above 4 kb the upper thermalstability limit of clintonite is defined by incongruent melting,with grossularite participating at pressures above 9 kb. Thesecurves exhibit a very steep, probably even negative slope inthe P-T diagram. There is a close correspondence between natural clintonite-bearingassemblages and thosefound experimentally. The rarity of clintonitein nature is not due to special conditions of pressure and temperaturebut rather due to special bulk compositions of the rocks.     

Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis of Silicate Rock Standards AN-G, BHVO-1, QLO-1, RGM-1, and STM-1

Silicate rock standards AN-G, BHVO-1, QLO-1, RGM-1, SDC-1 and STM-1 have been analyzed for 7 REE (La, Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Yb and Lu), Na₂O, FeO_t, Sc, Co, Cr, Ta, Hf and Th by instrumental neutron activation analysis. The mean values are compared to those from other studies reported in the literature.     

Food energy requirements of the harp seal (Phoca groenlandica) population in the Barents and White Seas

The harp seal ( Phoca groenlandica ) population of the Barents and White Seas has probably decreased from about one million individuals to half this size the last few years. Energy requirements of the population have been estimated by use of the simulation model SEAERG. In this model the energy requirements of an individual seal from each age group is multiplied with the group size and summed to provide the requirements of the population. In addition to population size and age structure the total food and energy requirement is sensitive to individual activity levels as well as metabolic levels and other specified physiological functions. The interactions between the seal population and fisheries depends on the caloric density of the prey species which varies with season and location. Realistic simulations of interactions between seals and fisheries require more information about spatial and temporal variations in the prey selection of harp seals than is available today.
Present estimates indicate average maintenance requirements of about 13,600 and ll,150kcal/day for adult female and male harp seals respectively. The high value for the females is due to the costs of pregnancy and lactation. With a mean energy density of prey of 1500 kcal/kg, the corresponding food consumption is 9 kg/day for females and 7.4 kg/day for males.     

Vegetation patterns, recent pollen deposition and distribution of non-pollen palynomorphs in a polygon mire near Chokurdakh (NE Yakutia, NE Siberia)

Fine-scaled distribution patterns of vegetation and palynomorphs in a polygon mire in NE Siberia were studied in 31 × 31 plots of 1 m² (vegetation) and along a transect at intervals of 1 m (palynomorphs). Pollen and non-pollen-palynomorph contents clearly reflect differences between polygon ridges and centres. For most single pollen types, however, no unambiguous relation with actual plant abundances and distribution exists. High pollen values are restricted to the immediate vicinity of the pollen sources, which is attributed to the low height of the vegetation. For several plant taxa, high pollen values were found to be restricted to particular plant specimens in the population. High values of pollen ascribed to taxa currently absent at the relevant plot show that the sampled mosses contain a pollen signal of several years. Betula exilis produces two morphologically clearly distinct pollen types. The distribution of selected non-pollen palynomorphs correlates to microrelief, moisture regime and/or trophic conditions. The study shows that single palaeo-sections from arctic peatlands should not be over-interpreted with respect to their palaeoecological value. Local vegetation types and site conditions, however, can be accurately reconstructed from the total assemblages and from combined occurrences of specific palynomorph types.     

Subsolidus Phase Relations in the System MgO--SiO2--Gr--O in Equilibrium with Metallic Cr, and their Significance for the Petrochemistry of Chromium

Subsolidus phase relations have been determined in the systemsSiO₂-Cr-0 and MgO-SiO₂-Cr-O in equilibrium with metallic Cr,at 1100–1500C and 0–288 kbar. There are no ternaryphases in the SiO₂-Cr-O system at these conditions, ie. onlythe assemblage eskolaite + Cr-metal + SiO₂ is found. However,in the MgO-containing system, extensive substitution of Cr²⁺for Mg is observed in (Mg,Cr²⁺)₂SiO₄ olivine, (Mg,Cr²⁺)₂Si₂O₆pyroxene, and (Mg,Cr²⁺)Cr³⁺₂0₄ spinel. Cr ³⁺ levels in olivineand pyroxene are below detection limits. The pyroxene is orthorhombicat monoclinic at higher . The structure of the spinels becomestetragonally distorted at is limited by the breakdown of olivine to pyroxene + spinel+ metal. This maximum amount increases strongly with increasingtemperature, reaching >0.2 at 1500C and 48 kbar. Increasing pressure reduces the maximum. Increasing temperature also increases the maximum amounts of Cr²⁺ which substitute intopyroxene and spinel, indicating that end-member Cr₂Si₂0₆ andCr₃O₄ may become stable above 1650C if melting does not intervene.Powder X-ray diffraction analysis of selected runs has beenused to extract molar volumes of the Mg-Cr²⁺ solid solutionsas a function of composition, which may be extrapolated to predictmolar volumes for Cr₂SiO₄ (olivine), Cr₂Si₂O₆ (ortho- and clino-pyroxene)and Cr₂O₄ (cubic spinel) of 477, 680 and 449 cm³, respectively.The experimental data have been fitted to a thermodynamic model,including free energies of formation for end member Cr₂SiO₄,Cr₂Si₂O₆ and Cr₃O₄. This model is then used to predict the amountsof Cr²⁺ which can be expected in olivine in equilibrium withCr-bearing spinel as a function of T, P and fo₂. This amountincreases strongly with temperature along standard T-fo₂ buffercurves, and is sufficient to explain the observed high Cr contentsof olivine from komatiites and diamond inclusions at reasonableterrestrial fo, values. The lower fo₂ of the lunar environmentresults in significant Cr²⁺ in olivine being stable to muchlower temperatures. The tendency for the oxidation state ofCr, and hence its geochemical properties, to change with temperaturerelative to other redox reactions makes it a potentially usefulmonitor of the temperatures of uppermantle processes, and isa significant factor in the differing styles of igneous differentiationin the Earth and Moon. Corresponding author     

Low-temperature Compatibility Relations of Cordierite in Haplopelites of the System K2O--MgO--Al2O3--SiO2--H2O

The equilibrium temperatures of the reaction muscovite+chlorite+quartz= cordierite+phlogopite+H₂O (1) in the pure system K₂O—MgO—Al₂O₂—SiO₂—H₂Owere found to be 495±10°C at 1 kb P_H2O; 525±10°Cat 2 kb; 610±15°C at 5 kb; 635±10°C at6 kb. From intersection of this curve with the lower temperaturestability limit of cordierite close to 645°C, 6.5 kb P_H2O,a reaction cordieritc+muscovite = phlogopite+aluminum silicate+quartz+H₂O(2) is generated which has a negative slope and passes throughthe points 645°C, 6.5 kb PH₂O and 700°C, 5 kb PH₂O.On the high-pressure side of this reaction curve cordieriteis restricted to K₂O—poor bulk compositions. Application of the experimentally determined phase relationsto more complex natural pelitic rocks suggests that reaction(1) represents maximum temperatures for the disappearance ofchlorite from pelitic assemblages containing muscovite and quartz,whereas reaction (2) gives maximum water pressures for the disappearanceof cordierite from these rocks.