Mean air temperatures of Greenland

Melt rate and surface temperature on the Greenland ice sheet are parameterized in terms of snow accumulation, mean annual air temperatur and mean July air temperature. Melt rates are calculated using positive degree-days, and firn warming (i.e. the positive deviation of the temperature at 10-15 m depth from the mean annual air temperature) is estimated from the calculated amount of refrozen melt water in the firn. A comparison between observed and calculated melt rates shows that the parameterization provides a reasonable estimate of the present ablation rates in West Greenland between 61°N and 76°N. The average equilibrium line elevation is estimated to be about 1150 m and 1000 m for West and East Greenland respectively, which is several hundred meter lower than previous estimates. However, the total annual ablation from the ice sheet is found to be about 280 km**3 of water per year which agrees well with most other estimates. The melt-rate model predicts significant melting and consequently significant firn warming even at the highest elevations of the South Greenland ice sheet, whereas a large region of central Greenland north of 70° N experiences little or no summer melting. This agrees with the distribution of the dry snow facics as given by BENSON (1962).

Chemical composition of clinopyroxenes and melt inclusions in clinopyroxenes from rocks of the Malaita Island, Ontong Java Plateau (Pacific Ocean)

The paper is based on new results of melt inclusion studies in minerals. Physicochemical and geochemical parameters of plateau basalt magmatic systems of the Siberian Platform and Ontong Java Plateau (Pacific Ocean) have been established. The studied melts are enriched in Fe. That differs them from magmatic melts of mid-ocean ridges (MOR). A comparative analysis of data on inclusions has shown a similarity of continental and oceanic plateau basalt magmatic systems. They considerably differ from those of MOR and intraplate oceanic islands. Crystallization of oceanic plateau basalts took place at lower temperatures and pressures as compared with similar rocks of the Siberian Platform. The data on inclusions evidence that the melts of the Siberian Platform and the Malaita Island underwent a serious evolution in contrast to magmas of the Nauru Basin that have more stable geochemical parameters. The most fractionated low-temperature high-Fe magmas with elevated contents of trace and rare-earth elements occur in the Malaita Island (Ontong Java Plateau) magmatic system.

Sample locations, CTD data, mean spring and annual temperatures and salinities from World Ocean Atlas (WOA, 2001), and ICP-OES Mg/Ca data

Due to its strong gradient in salinity and small temperature gradient the Mediterranean provides an ideal setting to study the impact of salinity on the incorporation of Mg into foraminiferal tests. We have investigated tests of Globorotalia inflata and Globigerina bulloides in plankton tow and core top samples from the Western Mediterranean using ICP-OES for bulk analyses and LA-ICP-MS for analyses of individual chambers in single specimens. Mg/Ca observed in G. inflata are consistent with existing calibrations, whereas G. bulloides had significantly higher Mg/Ca than predicted, particularly in core top samples from the easterly stations. Scanning Electron Microscopy and Laser Ablation ICP-MS revealed secondary overgrowths on some tests, which could explain the observed high core top Mg/Ca. We suggest that the Mediterranean intermediate and deep water supersaturated with respect to calcite cause these overgrowths and therefore increased bulk Mg/Ca. However, the different species are influenced by diagenesis to different degrees probably due to different test morphologies. Our results provide new perspectives on reported anomalously high Mg/Ca in sedimentary foraminifera and the applicability of the Mg/Ca paleothermometry in high salinity settings, by showing that (1) part of the signal is generated by precipitation of inorganic calcite on the foraminifer test due to increased calcite saturation state of the water and (2) species with high surface-to-volume shell surfaces are potentially more affected by secondary Mg-rich calcite encrustation.

Curie temperatures and hysteresis properties of ODP Leg 183 sites, Kerguelen Plateau and Broken Ridge

In this manuscript, we present rock magnetic results of samples recovered during Leg 183. The Leg 183 cores were recovered from six drill sites and display variable rock magnetic properties. The differences in the rock magnetic properties are a function of mineralogy and alteration. Cretaceous subaerial basalt samples with titanomagnetite exhibit a strong Verwey transition in the vicinity of 110 K and have frequency-dependent susceptibility curves that resemble those of synthetic (titano) magnetites. These results are in good agreement with the thermomagnetic characteristics where titanomagnetites with Curie temperatures of ~580°C were identified. The hysteresis ratios suggest that the bulk magnetic grain size is in the psuedo-single-domain boundary. These subaerial basalts experienced high-temperature oxidation and maintained reliable paleomagnetic records. In contrast, the 34-Ma submarine pillow basalts do not show the Verwey transition during the low-temperature experiments. Thermomagnetic analysis shows that the remanent magnetization in this group is mainly carried by a thermally unstable mineral titanomaghemite. The frequency-dependent relationships are opposite of those from the first group and show little sign of titanomagnetite characteristics. Rocks from the third group are oxidized titanomagnetites and have multiple magnetic phases. They have irreversible thermaomagnetic curves and hysteresis ratios clustering toward the multidomain region (with higher Hcr/Hc ratios). The combined investigation suggests that variations in magnetic properties correlate with changes in lithology, which results in differences in the abundance and size of magnetic minerals. The rock magnetic data on Leg 183 samples clearly indicate that titanomagnetite is the dominant mineral and the primary remanence carrier in subaerial basalt. The generally good magnetic stability and other properties exhibited by titanomagnetite-bearing rocks support the inference that the ChRM isolated from the Cretaceous sites were acquired during the Cretaceous Normal Superchron. The stable inclinations identified from these samples are therefore useful for future tectonic studies.

Fig. 6: Firn temperatures at Filchner Station

During the German Antarctic Expedition 1979/80 to the Filchner/Ronne Ice Shelf glaciclogical investigations were carried out at the Filchner station, mainly for determination of snow accumulation. Also meteorological measurements and observations were part of the programme. Similar glaciological work on a smaller seale was done at Atka Ice Port. The report presents the results of the glaciological investigations, In an introductory part some basie eonsiderations, definitions and methods are discussed briefly, completed by a few hints on practical snow pit work. Density measurements, stratigraphie analyses with aid of a throughlight profile and hardness determination are described in more detail. The analyses of the Fi1chner snow profile of January 1980 with suplements of January 1981 reveal 7 complete budget years for 370 cm depth or 53 cm snow accumulation/year, With a mean density of 0.377 g/cm**2 this value corresponds to a water equivalent of 20 g/cm**2. At the Atka site 3 budget years were determined within 210 cm depth of the snow pit or 70 cm of mean annual accumulaticn. With the rat her higher mean density of 0.438 g/cm**2 for this site the corresponding water equivalent amounts here to 30 g/cm**2, In addition to the snow pit studies shallow drillings were made at Filchner Station to a depth of 10.8 m with 128 sampies taken from the core and at Atka to 12.1 m depth with 114 sampies. At the Institute for Radiohydrometry, Neuherberg, the sarnples were analysed with respect to the stable isotope ratios 2H/1H and 18O/16O related to V-SMOW. Also the tritium content was measured. The vartiations of the stable isotope ratios with the depth show quasiperiodic fluctuations which are regarded as annual cycles of the accumulation rate. Counting of the pronounced peaks leads to 20 years for the Filchner core, giving 55 cm annual accumulation or 22 g/cm**2 water equivalent respectively. At Atka 15 years could be found corresponding to 75 cm annual accumulation or 32 g/cm**2 of water. The range of varianon and the mean value of the stable isotope ratios are significantly different for both sites, the agreement of the isotopic anal yses with the pit studies is rat her satisfactory. The tritium content shows for the Filchner core two pronounced peaks which can be related to the 1965 and 1966 winter seasons according to former studies at the South Pole station. These time estimates are consistent with the time scale derived fr orn the stable isotopes distribution. At the Atka site no similar effeet in the tritium values was found. In the drill holes firn temperatures were measured carefully. The 10 m value was determined to be -25 °C at Filchner Station and -17 °C at the Atka position.

Chemical, isotope and mineral composition of hydrothermally altered upper oceanic crust drilled at ODP Site 129-801C

ODP Hole 801C penetrates >400 m into 170-Ma oceanic basement formed at a fast-spreading ridge. Most basalts are slightly (10-20%) recrystallized to saponite, calcite, minor celadonite and iron oxyhydroxides, and trace pyrite. Temperatures estimated from oxygen isotope data for secondary minerals are 5-100°C, increasing downward. At the earliest stage, dark celadonitic alteration halos formed along fractures and celadonite, and quartz and chalcedony formed in veins from low-temperature (<100°C) hydrothermal fluids. Iron oxyhydroxides subsequently formed in alteration halos along fractures where seawater circulated, and saponite and pyrite developed in the host rock and in zones of restricted seawater flow under more reducing conditions. Chemical changes include variably elevated K, Rb, Cs, and H2O; local increases in FeT, Ba, Th, and U; and local losses of Mg and Ni. Secondary carbonate veins have 87Sr/86Sr = 0.706337 - 0.707046, and a negative correlation with d18O results from seawater-basalt interaction. Carbonates could have formed at any time since the formation of Site 801 crust. Variable d13C values (-11.2? to 2.9?) reflect the incorporation of oxidized organic carbon from intercalated sediments and changes in the d13C of seawater over time. Compared to other oceanic basements, a major difference at Site 801 is the presence of two hydrothermal silica-iron deposits that formed from low-temperature hydrothermal fluids at the spreading axis. Basalts associated with these horizons are intensely altered (60-100%) to phyllosilicates, calcite, K-feldspar, and titanite; and exhibit large increases in K, Rb, Cs, Ba, H2O, and CO2, and losses of FeT, Mn, Mg, Ca, Na, and Sr. These effects may be common in crust formed at fast-spreading rates, but are not ubiquitous. A second important difference is that the abundance of brown oxidation halos along fractures at Site 801 is an order of magnitude less than at some other sites (2% vs. 20-30%). Relatively smooth basement topography (<100 m) and high sedimentation rate (8 m/Ma) probably restricted the access of oxygenated seawater. Basement lithostratigraphy and early low-temperature hydrothermal alteration and mineral precipitation in fractures at the spreading axis controlled permeability and limited later flow of oxygenated seawater to restricted depth intervals.