Geochemistry, trace elements and minerals at DSDP Holes 80-550B and 80-551

The Leg 80 basalts drilled on the Porcupine Abyssal Plain 10 km southwest of Goban Spur (Hole 550B) and on the western edge of Goban Spur (Hole 551), respectively, are typical light-rare-earth-element- (LREE-) depleted oceanic tholeiites. The basalts from the two holes are almost identical; most of their primary geochemical and mineralogical characteristics have been preserved, but they have undergone some low-temperature alteration by seawater, such as enrichment in K, Rb, and Cs and development of secondary potassic minerals of the "brownstone facies." K/Ar dating fail to give realistic emplacement ages; the apparent ages obtained become younger with alteration (causing an increase in K2O). Hole 551 basalts are clearly different from the continental tholeiites emplaced on the margins of oceanizing domains during the prerift and synrift stages.

Geochemistry and trace elements at DSDP Hole 78-543A

The upper part of the basaltic substratum of the Atlantic abyssal plain, approaching subduction beneath the Barbados Ridge and thus presumably beneath the Lesser Antilles island arc, is made of typical LREE-depleted oceanic tholeiites. Mineralogical (microprobe) and geochemical (X-ray fluorescence, neutron activation analyses) data are given for 12 samples from the bottom of Hole 543A, which is 3.5 km seaward of the deformation front of the Barbados Ridge complex. These basalts are overlain by a Quaternary to Maestrichtian-Campanian sedimentary sequence. Most of the basalts are relatively fresh (in spite of the alteration of olivine and development of some celadonite, clays, and chlorite in their groundmass), and their mineralogical and geochemical compositions are similar to those of LREE-depleted recent basalts from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The most altered samples occur at the top of the basaltic sequence, and show trends of enrichment in alkali metals typical of altered oceanic tholeiites.

Trace elements in the aerosol at Neumayer Station, Antarctica

Atmospheric trace element concentrations were measured from March 1999 through December 2003 at the Air Chemistry Observatory of the German Antarctic station Neumayer by inductively coupled plasma - quadrupol mass spectrometry (ICP-QMS) and ion chromatogra-phy (IC). This continuous five year long record derived from weekly aerosol sampling re-vealed a distinct seasonal summer maximum for elements linked with mineral dust entry (Al, La, Ce, Nd) and a winter maximum for the mostly sea salt derived elements Li, Na, K, Mg, Ca, and Sr. The relative seasonal amplitude was around 1.7 and 1.4 for mineral dust (La) and sea salt aerosol (Na), respectively. On average a significant deviation regarding mean ocean water composition was apparent for Li, Mg, and Sr which could hardly be explained by mir-abilite precipitation on freshly formed sea ice. In addition we observed all over the year a not clarified high variability of element ratios Li/Na, K/Na, Mg/Na, Ca/Na, and Sr/Na. We found an intriguing co-variation of Se concentrations with biogenic sulfur aerosols (methane sul-fonate and non-sea salt sulfate), indicating a dominant marine biogenic source for this element linked with the marine biogenic sulfur source.

Isotope ratios, trace elements and ultrastructure results of Mytilus galloprovincialis shells and experimental site data off Ischia (Italy)

Bivalve shells can provide excellent archives of past environmental change but have not been used to interpret ocean acidification events. We investigated carbon, oxygen and trace element records from different shell layers in the mussels Mytilus galloprovincialis combined with detailed investigations of the shell ultrastructure. Mussels from the harbour of Ischia (Mediterranean, Italy) were transplanted and grown in water with mean pHT 7.3 and mean pHT 8.1 near CO2 vents on the east coast of the island. Most prominently, the shells recorded the shock of transplantation, both in their shell ultrastructure, textural and geochemical record. Shell calcite, precipitated subsequently under acidified seawater responded to the pH gradient by an in part disturbed ultrastructure. Geochemical data from all test sites show a strong metabolic effect that exceeds the influence of the low-pH environment. These field experiments showed that care is needed when interpreting potential ocean acidification signals because various parameters affect shell chemistry and ultrastructure. Besides metabolic processes, seawater pH, factors such as salinity, water temperature, food availability and population density all affect the biogenic carbonate shell archive.

Concentrations of major-element oxides and minor and trace elements at DSDP Legs 87, 57, 56 and 31

Sediments from Sites 582 (11 samples), 583 (19 samples), 584 (31 samples), 294 (1 sample), 296 (9 samples), 297 (3 samples), 436 (11 samples), and 439 (3 samples) were analyzed by X-ray fluorescence and/or instrumental neutron activation analysis. Ten major elements and 24 minor and trace elements (including 7 rare earth elements) were determined with these methods. Geochemistry varies systematically with both the site location and sediment age. Such variations are explained in terms of changes in sedimentation processes caused by plate motion and changes in ocean currents.

Ordinary and duplicate analysis from major and trace elements of ODP Holes 146-888B and 168-1027B

Oceanic sediments deposited at high rate close to continents are dominated by terrigenous material. Aside from dilution by biogenic components, their chemical compositions reflect those of nearby continental masses. This study focuses on oceanic sediments coming from the juvenile Canadian Cordillera and highlights systematic differences between detritus deriving from juvenile crust and detritus from old and mature crust. We report major and trace element concentrations for 68 sediments from the northernmost part of the Cascade forearc, drilled at ODP Sites 888 and 1027. The calculated weighted averages for each site can then be used in the future to quantify the contribution of subducted sediments to Cascades volcanism. The two sites have similar compositions but Site 888, located closer to the continent, has higher sandy turbidite contents and displays higher bulk SiO2/Al2O3 with lower bulk Nb/Zr, attributed to the presence of zircons in the coarse sands. Comparison with published data for other oceanic sedimentary piles demonstrates the existence of systematic differences between modern sediments deriving from juvenile terranes (juvenile sediments) and modern sediments derived from mature continental areas (cratonic sediments). The most striking systematic difference is for Th/Nb, Th/U, Nb/U and Th/Rb ratios: juvenile sediments have much lower ratios than cratonic sediments. The small enrichment of Th over Nb in cratonic sediments may be explained by intracrustal magmatic and metamorphic differentiation processes. In contrast, their elevated Th/U and Nb/U ratios (average values of 6.87 and 7.95, respectively) in comparison to juvenile sediments (Th/U ~ 3.09, Nb/U ~ 5.15) suggest extensive U and Rb losses on old cratons. Uranium and Rb losses are attributed to long-term leaching by rain and river water during exposure of the continental crust at the surface. Over geological times, the weathering effects create a slow but systematic increase of Th/U with exposure time.

Geochemistry, isotopes, trace elements and fluid inclusion geothermometry at DSDP Hole 83-504B

Stockwork-like metal sulfide mineralizations were found at 910-928 m below seafloor (BSF) in the pillow/dike transition zone of Hole 504B. This is the same interval where most physical properties of the 5.9-m.y.-old crust of the Costa Rica Rift change from those characteristic of Layer 2B to those of Layer 2C. The pillow lavas, breccias, and veins of the stockwork-like zone were studied by transmitted and reflected light microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and electron microprobe analysis. Bulk rock oxygen isotopic analyses as well as isolated mineral oxygen and sulfur isotopic analyses and fluid inclusion measurements were carried out. A complex alteration history was reconstructed that includes three generations of fissures, each followed by precipitation of characteristic hydrothermal mineral parageneses: (1) Minor and local deposition of quartz occurred on fissure walls; adjacent wall rocks were silicified, followed by formation of chlorite and minor pyrite I in the veins, whereas albite, sphene, chlorite and chlorite-expandable clay mixtures, actinolite, and pyrite replaced igneous phases in the host rocks. The hydrothermal fluids responsible for this first stage were probably partially reacted seawater, and their temperatures were at least 200-250° C. (2) Fissures filled during the first stage were reopened and new cracks formed. They were filled with quartz, minor chlorite and chlorite-expandable clay mixtures, traces of epidote, common pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, and minor galena. During the second stage, hydrothermal fluids were relatively evolved metal- and Si-rich solutions whose temperatures ranged from 230 to 340° C. The fluctuating chemical composition and temperature of the solutions produced a complex depositional sequence of sulfides in the veins: chalcopyrite I, ± Fe-rich sphalerite, chalcopyrite II ("disease"), Fe-poor sphalerite, chalcopyrite III, galena, and pyrite II. (3) During the last stage, zeolites and Mg-poor calcite filled up the remaining spaces and newly formed cracks and replaced the host rock plagioclase. Analcite and stilbite were first to form in veins, possibly at temperatures below 200°C; analcite and earlier quartz were replaced by laumontite at 250°C, whereas calcite formation temperature ranged from 135 to 220°C. The last stage hydrothermal fluids were depleted in Mg and enriched in Ca and 18O compared to seawater and contained a mantle carbon component. This complex alteration history paralleling a complex mineral paragenesis can be interpreted as the result of a relatively long-term evolution of a hydrothermal system with superimposed shorter term fluctuations in solution temperature and composition. Hydrothermal activity probably began close to the axis of the Costa Rica Rift with the overall cooling of the system and multiple fracturing stages due to movement of the crust away from the axis and/or cooling of a magmatic heat source.

(Table 1) Major and trace elements of basalts at DSDP Hole 72-516F

The geochemistry of basalts recovered during Leg 72 is described with emphasis on trace elements. Only Hole 516F penetrated basement; the basalts recovered are plagioclase-phyric and olivine-phyric and pervasively altered. Chemically, the basalts from Hole 516F are rather uniform in composition. However, four distinct geochemical units can be recognized, although the chemistry of two of the units appears to be controlled by chemical mobility associated with alteration. The two less-altered units cannot be related by fractional crystallization processes. Hole 516F basalts have a trace element chemistry characteristic of T-type mid-ocean ridge basalt; rare-earth element patterns (as indicated by Ce/Y ratios) are mildly fractionated flight rare-earth element enriched), and a number of incompatible element ratios are close to chondritic.