The petrogenesis of type B1 Ca‐Al‐rich inclusions: The spinel perspective

Abstract— Minor element variations in MgAl₂O₄ spinel from the type B1 calcium‐aluminum‐rich inclusion (CAI) Allende TS‐34 confirm earlier studies in showing correlations between the minor element chemistry of spinels with their location within the inclusion and with the chemistry of host silicate phases. These correlations result from a combination of crystallization of a liquid produced by re‐melting event(s) and local re‐equilibration during subsolidus reheating. The correlation of the Ti and V in spinel inclusions with the Ti and V in the adjacent host clinopyroxene can be qualitatively explained by spinel and clinopyroxene crystallization prior to melilite, following a partial melting event. There are, however, difficulties in quantitative modeling of the observed trends, and it is easier to explain the Ti correlation in terms of complete re‐equilibration. The correlation of V in spinel inclusions with that in the adjacent host clinopyroxene also cannot be quantitatively modeled by fractional crystallization of the liquid produced by re‐melting, but it can be explained by partial re‐equilibration. The distinct V and Ti concentrations in spinel inclusions in melilite from the edge regions of the CAI are best explained as being affected by only a minor degree of re‐equilibration. The center melilites and included spinels formed during crystallization of the liquid produced by re‐melting, while the edge melilites and included spinels are primary. The oxygen isotope compositions of TS‐34 spinels are uniformly ¹⁶O‐rich, regardless of the host silicate phase or its location within the inclusion. Similar to other type B1 CAIs, clinopyroxene is ¹⁶O‐rich, but melilite is relatively ¹⁶O‐poor. These data require that the oxygen isotope exchange in TS‐34 melilite occurred subsequent to the last re‐melting event.     

THE PARENT STRATUM AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE GEORGIA TEKTITES

Seventy-six field expeditions for Georgia tektites have been made to the vicinity of Dodge County, Georgia in an effort to determine the parent formation and distribution pattern by locating new specimens. About 67 new specimens have been recovered; they represent about 9 percent of all known specimens. The primary area of distribution is a fan shaped area approximately 30 by 72 kilometers. It is likely that these tektites have been transported by water from the parent formation. No correlation could be found between size, shape, soil type, elevation and tektite location. Georgia tektites have previously been found only in strata much younger than their 34 m.y. radiometric age. Here, however, the parent formation is identified as the Tobacco Road Sand of this age.     

Petrology and origin of amoeboid olivine aggregates in CR chondrites

Abstract— Amoeboid olivine aggregates (AOAs) are irregularly shaped, fine‐grained aggregates of olivine and Ca, Al‐rich minerals and are important primitive components of CR chondrites. The AOAs in CR chondrites contain FeNi metal, and some AOAs contain Mn‐rich forsterite with up to 0.7 MnO and Mn:Fe ratios greater than one. Additionally, AOAs in the CR chondrites do not contain secondary phases (nepheline and fayalitic olivine) that are found in AOAs in some CV chondrites. The AOAs in CR chondrites record a complex petrogenetic history that included nebular gas‐solid condensation, reaction of minerals with the nebular gas, small degrees of melting, and sintering of the assemblage. A condensation origin for the Mn‐rich forsterite is proposed. The Mn‐rich forsterite found in IDPs, unequilibrated ordinary chondrite matrix, and AOAs in CR chondrites may have had a similar origin. A type A calcium, aluminum‐rich inclusion (CAI) with an AOA attached to its Wark‐Lovering rim is also described. This discovery reveals a temporal relationship between AOAs and type A inclusions. Additionally, a thin layer of forsterite is present as part of the Wark‐Lovering rim, revealing the crystallization of olivine at the end stages of Wark‐Lovering rim formation. The Ca, Al‐rich nodules in the AOAs may be petrogenetically related to the Ca, Al‐rich minerals in Wark‐Lovering rims on type A CAIs. AOAs are chondrite components that condensed during the final stage of Wark‐Lovering rim formation but, in general, were temporally, spatially, or kinetically isolated from reacting with the nebula vapor during condensation of the lower temperature minerals that were commonly present as chondrule precursors.     

Brine-pool deposition for the Zn–Pb–Cu massive sulphide deposits of the Bathurst mining camp, New Brunswick, Canada. II. Ocean anoxia during mineralisation

Current models of massive sulphide ore genesis in the Bathurst mining camp, New Brunswick, involve settling of sulphide particles from a stagnating, low-salinity hydrothermal plume spreading laterally in an anoxic ocean layer with minimal sulphate content. There is fragmentary evidence of ocean anoxia in the form of local fine lamination in the shales that host some of the deposits but the total organic carbon, S, Fe, U/Th, Ni/Co, V/Ni and V/Cr relationships indicate deposition under oxic or dysoxic conditions. Vanadium and Mn values range from oxic to anoxic and sulphate-reducing to non-sulphate reducing but Mn may be anomalously low due to derivation by erosion of acidic volcanic rocks. The somewhat equivocal physical and chemical data, combined with the likely disturbing effects of penecontemporaneous volcanism, considerably weaken the case for an anoxic bottom layer in a static ocean. The presence of barite with ambient seawater ³⁴S values in Brunswick no. 12 ore, and the abundance of sulphate in modern euxinic basin waters, make a sulphate-free layer unlikely, even if anoxic. Sulphate-bearing, low-salinity fluids mixing with seawater would lead to growth of barite-bearing chimneys and baritic rubble mounds, which are not observed. A model involving brine-pool deposition better explains the major features of the Bathurst ores.     

Geohazards surveys in the North Carolina upper continental margin

Geophysical surveys on the upper continental slope and shelf-break area off North Carolina confirm previous suggestions that this highly dissected region is characterized by deposition of sediment swept from the adjacent shelf. Seismic reflection profiling, echo sounding and side-scan sonar studies failed to reveal conclusive evidence for slumping or other gravity processes which have been described for similar areas to the north. Outcrops appear to be lacking and the upper slope is a region of sediment accumulation and/or periodic bypassing.     

Pacific subtropical cell variability in coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th century

Observational studies of the Pacific basin since the 1950s have demonstrated that a decrease (increase) in tropical Pacific sea surface temperatures (SSTs) is significantly correlated with a spin-up (slow-down) of the Pacific Subtropical Cells (STCs). STCs are shallow wind-driven overturning circulations that provide a pathway by which extratropical atmospheric variability can impact the equatorial Pacific thermocline and, through upwelling in the eastern equatorial Pacific, tropical Pacific SSTs. Recent studies have shown that this observed relationship between SSTs and STCs is absent in coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th centuries. In this paper we investigate what causes this relationship to breakdown and to what extent this limits the models’ ability to simulate observed climate change in the equatorial Pacific since the late 19th century. To provide insight into these questions we first show that the NCAR Community Climate System Model’s simulation of observed climate change since the 1970s has a robust signal in the equatorial Pacific that bears a close resemblance to observations. Strikingly, absent is a robust signal in the equatorial thermocline. Our results suggest that the coupled model may be reproducing the observed local ocean response to changes in forcing but inadequately reproducing the remote STC-forcing of the tropical Pacific due to the underestimate of extratropical winds that force these ocean circulations. These conclusions are found to be valid in five different coupled climate model simulations of the late 19th–20th centuries (CCSM3, GISS EH, GFDL CM2.1, CSIRO-Mk3, and HadCM3).     

Flows around sunspots and pores

We report on three sequences of high-resolution white-light and magnetogram observations obtained in the summer of 1989. The duration of sub-arcsecond seeing was three to four hours on each day. Study of the white-light and magnetogram data yields the following results:

1. For all but one of the sunspots we have observed, both dark fibrils and bright grains in the inner part of the penumbra of sunspots move toward the umbra with a speed of about 0.5 km s^-1. In the outer part of the penumbra, movement is away from the umbra. The one exception is a newly formed spot, which has inflow only in its penumbra.
2. Granular flows converge toward almost every pore, even before its formation. Pores are observed to form by the concentration of magnetic flux already existing in the photosphere. The pores (or small sunspots), in turn, then move and concentrate to form bigger sunspot.
3. We followed an emerging flux region (EFR) from 29 to 31 July, 1989 that was composed of a large number of bipoles with magnetic polarities mixed over a large area in the first day of its birth. As time went on, polarities sorted out: the leading polarity elements moved in one direction; the following, the opposite. During the process a large number of cancellations occurred, with some sub-flares and surges observed simultaneously. After about 24 hours, the positive and negative fluxes were essentially separated.
4. We find two kinds of photospheric dark alignments in the region of new flux emergence: (a) alignments connecting two poles of opposite magnetic polarity form the tops of rising flux tubes; (b) alignments corresponding to the magnetic flux of one polarity, which we call elongated pores.