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At least 217 records · Page 12

Experimental investigations of trace element fractionation in iron meteorites. II - The influence of sulfur

The partitioning of Ir, Ge, Ga, W, Cr, Au, P, and Ni between solid metal and metallic liquid is investigated as a function of temperature and the S-concentration of the metallic liquid. The partition coefficients for siderophile elements, such as Ir, W, Ga, and Ge, are found to increase by factors of 10-100 as the S-concentration of the metallic liquid increases from 0-30 wt percent. Partition coefficients for other siderophile elements, such as Ni, Au, and P, increase by factors of only 2-3. In contrast, a decrease is seen in the partition coefficients for the more chalcophile element Cr. These experimentally determined coefficients are used in conjunction with a fractional crystallization model to reproduce the geochemical behavior of Ni, P, Au, and Ir during the magmatic evolution of groups IIAB, IIIAB, IVA and IVB iron meteorites. The mean S-concentration for each group increases in the order IVB, IVA, IIIAB, IIAB, which is in accordance with cosmochemical prediction. However, the geochemical behavior of Ge, Ga, W, and Cr cannot be reproduced in an internally consistent way. It is concluded that the magmatic histories of these iron meteorite groups are more complex than has been generally assumed.

Jones, J. H.↗

Hydrovolcanism

Hydrovolcanism is a common phenomena produced by the interaction of magma or magmatic heat with an external source of water, such as a surface body, an aquifer, or a glacier. The effects include hydrofracture of existing rock units in the subsurface and the formation of hyaloclastites in a subaqueous environment. Hydroexplosions originate within a few kilometers of the surface. They may be relatively small, phreatic events or devastating complex blasts. Large-scale experiments determined that the optimal mixing ratio of water to basaltic melt (thermite plus silicates) for efficient conversion of thermal energy into mechanical energy is in the range of 0.1 to 0.3. Based on experimental results, eruptions can be classified as dominantly magmatic if the ratio of external water to magma is less than 0.2. Eruptions with water/melt ratios in the range of 0.2 to 1.0 are highly explosive and carry tephra in a hot vapor that contains dominantly superheated (dry) steam.

Sheridan, M. F.↗

Early evolution of the crust-mantle system

Nd isotopic data indicate that most Archean igneous rocks including compositions ranging from komatiite to tonalite are derived from undepleted or depleted upper mantle sources. If sampling is representative, only a few require enriched sources. A major unresolved question is the fate of the material removed from the upper mantle leaving early depleted sources as residue. One possibility is that widespread depletion of the early mantle resulted from a period of early degassing and magmatism. Rare gas isotopic data, in particular 129Xe/130Xe ratios, seem to demand that the upper mantle was extensively degassed at or before 4.4 b.y. and this led to rapid growth of the atmosphere and oceans. The lower mantle, however, was not significantly degassed during this event. It is likely that such widespread degassing and magmatism of the upper mantle transferred significant quantities of incompatible elements into the uppermost mantle or crust. Once formed, such an enriched fraction should resist recycling into the mantle and collect at or near the Earth's surface. One possibility is that it collects chiefly in a zone of partial melting, analogous to the present low-velocity zone at the base of the lithosphere.

Condie, K. C.↗

Open system magnetic evolution of the taos plateau volcanic field, Northern New Mexico. I - The petrology and geochemistry of the servilleta basalt

MULTIFIT, an embodiment of the conceptual structure needed in modeling multisource and multiprocess magmatic systems, is described. This program, which uses familiar materials balance methodology and the equilibrium form of the Rayleigh equations, links evolutionary arrays, which is turn collectively relate the starting and final compositions of a given magmatic system. Moreover, MULTIFIT incorporates variations within major element data arrays; the linkage between them can be tested using an extension of the least squares algorithm, which selects the best branch point according to the minimum-sum-of-squared-residuals criterion. Advantages and disadvantages of the materials balance approach used in this program are discussed, an example is provided, and equations utilized by MULTIFIT are summarized. While MULTIFIT may not be the best approach for poorly constrained models involving partial melting for complex mixing, it may ultimately prove useful for ascertaining trace element partition coefficients in magnetic systems.

Dungan, M. A.↗

Ru, Re, Os, Pt and Au in iron meteorites

Neutron activation analysis is used to ascertain the proportions of Ru, Re, Os, and Pt refractory siderophiles, and moderately volatile Au, in 41 iron meteorites. The Ni-element trends defined for groups IID and IIIF support a magmatic origin; in addition, the results obtained for groups IAB and IIICD contrast with trends observed in magmatic groups, where the Ru and Pt slopes are substantially less steep. In group IIIAB, at Ni concentrations above 90 mg/g, the steep decrease of Re, Os, and Ir with Ni levels off, and the interelement ratios exhibit considerable scatter. These observations may be explained in terms of the contamination of the residual molten core with small amounts of late primitive melts draining from the mantle.

Pernicka, Ernst↗

Metamorphic P-T paths and Precambrian crustal growth in East Antarctica

The metamorphic constraints on crustal thicknesses in Archean and post-Archean terranes are summarized along with possible implications for tectonic processes. It is important to recognize that P-T estimates represent perturbed conditions and should not be used to estimate steady state geothermal gradients or crustal thicknesses. The example is cited of the Dora Maira complex in the French Alps, where crustal rocks record conditions of 35 kbar and 800 C, implying their subduction to depths of 100 km or more, followed by subsequent uplift to the surface. Therefore such P-T estimates tell more about processes than crustal thicknesses. More importantly, according to the author, are determinations of P-T paths, particularly coupled with age measurements, because these may provide constraints on how and when perturbed conditions relax back to steady state conditions. P-T paths are illustrated that should be expected from specific tectonic processes, including Tibetan style collision, with and without subsequent extension, rifting of thin or thickened crust, and magmatic accretion. Growth of new crust, associated with magmatic accretion, for example, could possibly be monitored with these P-T paths.

Harley, S. L.↗

The mechanism of intrusion of the Inyo Dike, Long Valley Caldera, California

The dike geometry of the 11-km-long Inyo Dike at the margins of the Long Valley calderas in eastern California is explained here in terms of the interaction between tectonic stresses and local variations in host rock rheology. Relationships between tectonic and magmatic stresses are evaluated, and the magnitude of magmatic pressure at the depth necessary to get the dike to the surface is estimated. The application of the model to other volcanoes is also discussed.

Reches, Zeev↗

Experimental cosmochemistry in the Space Station

The purpose of two workshops was to identify and discuss experiments in cosmochemistry that cannot be conducted under the conditions available in terrestrial laboratories, but may be carried out successfully in the proposed Space Station. The scientific discussions focused on two general areas of research: chemical and physical processes in the earliest history of the general areas of research, and general principles of magmatic process applicable both to planetary formation and evolution, as well as present-day magmatic activity in and on terrestrial planets.

Duba, AL↗

C-O-H ratios of silicate melt inclusions in basalts from the Galapagos Spreading Center near 95 deg W - A laser decrepitation mass spectrometry study

Ratios of C, O, and H dissolved in silicate glass inclusions and pillow rind glasses in samples from the Galapagos Spreading Center near 95 deg W were analyzed (using laser volatilization and mass spectrometry), and the data were assessed in terms of mantle source compositions, oxygen fugacity, kinetic fractionation, and magmatic degassing. It was found that glass inclusions in the Galapagos failing rift lavas are higher and more variable in CO2/H2O (about 0.641) relative to inclusions in propagating rift lavas (about 0.245). This difference is considered to reflect different degrees of degassing during contrasting magmatic histories of the two regions.

Yonover, Robert N.↗

Derivation of primary magmas and melting of crustal materials on Venus - Some preliminary petrogenetic considerations

As an aid to understanding crustal formation and evolution processes on Venus, a general paradigm is developed for the derivation of primary magmas, and the range of possibilities of conditions for remelting of crustal materials and the evolution of the products of remelting. The present knowledge of the bulk and surface composition is used as a basis. A wide range of magma types is possible for the range of conditions of derivation of primary magmas and crustal remelting and no magma type can be arbitrarily excluded from consideration on Venus. The composition of Venus and the nature of source materials for melting, the melting of mantle material peridotites, and the melting of basalts including tholeiites and modified basalts are discussed. Magmatic differentiation is considered, and a comparison to terrestrial magmatic environments is conducted. It is concluded the magnetic and volcanic activity on Venus could be very similar to that on the earth, although eruption styles are expected to vary due to environmental conditions.

Hess, Paul C.↗

Rare earth elements in Angra dos Reis and Lewis Cliff 86010, two meteorites with similar but distinct magma evolutions

Data are presented on ion microprobe measurements of REE and selected trace element abundances in individual grains of merrillite, fassaite, olivine, kirschsteinite, and plagioclase of Lewis Cliff 86010 (LEW 86010) meteorite and in merrillite and fassaite grains of Angra dos Reis (ADOR). Results show a close relationship between the two meteorites and support a magmatic origin for LEW 86010. However, the measurements indicate that, despite numerous common characteristics, the two meteorites must have been produced in separate magmatic events involving similar but distinct processes and parent melts.

Crozaz, Ghislaine↗

An assessment of the crustal remelting hypothesis for volcanism in the Freyja Montes deformation zone

The linear mountain belts of Ishtar Terra on Venus are notable for their topographic relief and slope and for the intensity of surface deformation. The mountains surround the highland plain Lakshmi Planum, the site of two major paterae and numerous other volcanic features and deposits, and evidence is widespread for volcanism within the mountains and in terrain immediately outward of the mountain belt units. While two hypotheses for magmatism can be distinguished on the basis of the chemistry of the melts, chemical data are presently lacking for the Ishtar region. The competing hypotheses for magmatism in Western Ishtar Terra can also be tested with thermal models, given a kinematic or dynamic model for the evolution of the region. The crustal remelting hypothesis is assessed, using the kinematic scenario of Head for the evolution of Freyja Montes. In that scenario, Freyja Montes formed by a sequence of large scale underthrusts of the lithosphere of the North Polar Plains beneath Ishtar Terra, with successive blocks of underthrust crust sutured in imbricate fashion onto the thickened crust of Lakshmi Planum and the mantle portion of underthrusting lithosphere episodically detached. The numerical experiments thus show that volcanic activity associated with the formation of the Frejya Montes deformation zone can be explained by crustal melting, due either to direct contact of crustal material with the hot asthenosphere or to heat generation in a thickened crustal layer.

Namiki, Noriyuki↗

Tectonic deformation on icy satellites: A model of compensating horsts

Voyager images demonstrate that the icy satellites have been shaped by a variety of magmatic and tectonic processes, of which ridge and trough terrain is a manifestation. This terrain is observed on Ganymede, Enceladus, Miranda, and Ariel, and many models have been proposed to explain its origin. A likely model is horst and graben style normal faulting, in which horizontal extension results in a series of downdropped grabens and relatively uplifted horsts. The apparent negative elevation of ridges and troughs relative to surrounding terrain has been used to argue such an extensional-tectonic origin for ridge and trough terrain on Ganymede and Enceladus. A ridge or ridge set which stands above a presumed original base level, thus, might be suspect of having a magmatic or compressional origin. It has been shown that rotation of domino-style normal faulting, which involves rotation of fault blocks about a fulcrum, can allow ridges to stand slightly above the original base level, and this relative uplift may be amplified by isostatic uplift. Compensation might also be accomplished through uplift of adjacent horsts. These theories are defended with dynamical equations.

Pappalardo, Robert↗

Sudbury project (University of Muenster-Ontario Geological Survey): Isotope systematics support the impact origin

Within the framework of the Sudbury project a considerable number of Sr-Nd isotope analyses were carried out on petrographically well-defined samples of different breccia units. Together with isotope data from the literature these data are reviewed under the aspect of a self-consistent impact model. The crucial point of this model is that the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) is interpreted as a differentiated impact melt sheet without any need for an endogenic 'magmatic' component such as 'impact-triggered' magmatism or 'partial' impact melting of the crust and mixing with a mantle-derived magma.

Deutsch, A.↗

Caldera subsidence and magma chamber depth of the Olympus Mons volcano, Mars

An axisymmetric finite element model is constructed to calculate elastic stresses in a volcanic edifice to examine the relationship between surface tectonism, caldera subsidence, and the physical characteristics of Olympus Mons' magmatic reservoir. Model results indicate that the surface stress state is not strongly sensitive to the aspect ratio or pressure distribution of the magma chamber, or to the contrast in stiffness between the magma chamber and surroundings, but is strongly dependent on the depth and width of the chamber. A gross similarity is suggested between the configurations of the magmatic plumbing systems of Olympus Mons and several well-studied terrestrial volcanoes such as the Hawaiian shields.

Zuber, M. T.↗

The Fe/Mn constraint on precursors of basaltic achondrites

Most achondritic meteorites have Fe/Mn ratios that are lower than those of carbonaceous chondrites and of course are lower than the solar system abundance ratio of these elements. Models of the origin of achondritic assemblages must, therefore, account for these ratios. Fe/Mn ratios are suggested to be distinctive for samples from each achondrite parent body and for the Earth and Moon, but the correspondence between the Fe/Mn systematics of achondrites and chondritic precursors is unclear. Most models of achondrite genesis involve magmatic differentiation of chondritic precursors. The Fe/Mn difference between achondrites and chondrites is particularly significant since Fe and Mn are geochemically similar elements with similar partitioning behavior in familiar magmatic systems and are generally coupled during crystal-liquid fractionation. In contrast, however, Mn is more volatile than Fe in a nebular setting. Variation of Fe/Mn ratios based on the relative volatility of these elements in the early nebula provides a constraint for models by which the basaltic achondrites (with Fe/Mn ratios approximately = 25-50) are derived from mixtures of nebular components that were enriched in volatile components such as Mn. However, such volatile enriched components have not been identified in chondrites. When the abundance in achondrites of elements of similar volatility is examined, anomalies appear. For example, Na is massively depleted in basaltic achondrites when compared to Mn. These anomalies might be explained using current models but the alternative hypothesis, that Fe/Mn ratio is controlled not by nebular volatility constraints, but by planetary differentiation should be explored.

Delaney, Jeremy S.↗

Petrogenesis of Apollo 12 mare basalts. Part 2: An open system model to explain the pigeonite basalt compositions

Original petrogenetic models suggested that the pigeonite basalts were the evolved equivalents of the olivine basalts. Rhodes et al. concluded that the olivine and pigeonite basalts were co-magmatic, but Neal et al. have demonstrated that these two basaltic groups are distinct and unrelated. The pigeonite suite is comprised of porphyritic basalts with a fine-grained ground mass and range continuously to coarse-grained microgabbros with ophitic to graphic textures. Although it was generally recognized that the pigeonite basalts were derived from the olivine basalts by olivine + minor Cr-spinel fractionation, the compositional gap between these groups is difficult to reconcile with such a model. Indeed, Baldridge et al. concluded that these two basaltic groups could not have been co-magmatic. In this paper, we suggest an open system AFC model for pigeonite basalt petrogenesis. The assimilant is lunar anorthositic crust and the r value used is 0.6. While the choice of assimilant composition is difficult to constrain, the modeling demonstrates the feasibility of this model.

Neal, Clive R.↗

Orthopyroxenes as recorders of diogenite petrogenesis: Major and minor element systematics

As a part of our research to better understand magmatic processes in the Eucrite Parent Body, we have initiated an ambitious program of study of major, minor and trace elements in orthopyroxene from diogenites. This paper reports preliminary results for major and minor elements in orthopyroxenes for a suite of 13 diogenites: Aioun El Atrouss, ALH 84001, ALH A 77256, EET 87530, Ellemeet, Garland, Ibbenburen, Johnstown, Manegoan, peckelsheim, Roda, Shalka, and Tatahouine. A companion paper by Shearer et al. reports new trace element data for ALH 84001, ALH A 77256, Ibbenburen, and Tatahouine. We have presently collected over 800 high quality pyroxene microprobe analyses for Si, Al, Ca, Na, Mn, Fe, Mg, Cr, and Ti. The chemical systematics observed for these orthopyroxenes reflect original magmatic mineral/melt partitioning plus later trapped liquid/mineral equilibration, subsolids, exsolution, and mineral/mineral metamorphic reactions. We have therefore avoided, at this point, any attempt to use statistical analysis to group (e.g. factor or cluster analysis) these orthopyroxenes chemically.

Papike, J. J.↗