Low δ18O zircons from the Bruneau-­Jarbidge eruptive center: A key to crustal anatexis along the track of the Yellowstone hotspot

The Bruneau-Jarbidge eruptive center (BJEC) in the central Snake River Plain, Idaho, USA consists of the Cougar Point Tuff (CPT), a series of ten, high-temperature (900-1000°C) voluminous ignimbrites produced over the explosive phase of volcanism (12.8-10.5 Ma) and more than a dozen equally high-temperature rhyolite lava flows produced during the effusive phase (10.5-8 Ma). Spot analyses by ion microprobe of oxygen isotope ratios in 210 zircons demonstrate that all of the eruptive units of the BJEC are characterized by zircon δ¹⁸O values ≤ 2.5‰, thus documenting the largest low δ¹⁸O silicic volcanic province known on Earth (>10⁴ km³). There is no evidence for voluminous normal δ¹⁸O magmatism at the BJEC that precedes generation of low δ¹⁸O magmas as there is at other volcanic centers that generate low δ¹⁸O magmas such as Heise and Yellowstone. At these younger volcanic centers of the hotspot track, such low δ¹⁸O magmas represent ~45 % and ~20% respectively of total eruptive volumes. Zircons in all BJEC tuffs and lavas studied (23 units) document strong δ¹⁸O depletion (median CPT δ¹⁸OZrc = 1.0‰, post-CPT lavas = 1.5‰) with the third member of the CPT recording an excursion to minimum δ¹⁸O values (δ¹⁸OZrc= -1.8‰) in a supereruption > 2‰ lower than other voluminous low δ¹⁸O rhyolites known worldwide (δ¹⁸OWR ≤0.9 vs. 3.4‰). Subsequent units of the CPT and lavas record a progressive recovery in δ¹⁸OZrc to ~2.5‰ over a ~ 4 m.y. interval (12 to 8 Ma). We present detailed evidence of unit-to-unit systematic patterns in O isotopic zoning in zircons (i.e. direction and magnitude of Δcore-rim), spectrum of δ¹⁸O in individual units, and zircon inheritance patterns established by re-analysis of spots for U-Th-Pb isotopes by LA-ICPMS and SHRIMP. In conjunction with mineral thermometry and magma compositions, these patterns are difficult to reconcile with the well-established model for "cannibalistic" low δ¹⁸O magma genesis at Heise and Yellowstone. We present an alternative model for the central Snake River Plain using the modeling results of Leeman et al. (2008) for ¹⁸O depletion as a function of depth in a mid-upper crustal protolith that was hydrothermally altered by infiltrating meteoric waters prior to the onset of silicic magmatism. The model proposes that BJEC silicic magmas were generated in response to the propagation of a melting front, driven by the incremental growth of a vast underlying mafic sill complex, over a ~5 m.y. interval through a crustal volume in which a vertically asymmetric δ¹⁸OWR gradient had previously developed that was sharply inflected from ~ -1 to 10‰ at mid-upper crustal depths. Within the context of the model, data from BJEC zircons are consistent with incremental melting and mixing events in roof zones of magma reservoirs that accompany surfaceward advance of the coupled mafic-silicic magmatic system.

Geochronological (U–Pb, U–Th–total Pb, Sm–Nd) and geochemical (REE, 87Sr/86Sr, δ18O, δ13C) tracing of intraplate tectonism and associated fluid flow in the Warburton Basin, Australia

The Warburton Basin of central Australia has experienced a complex tectonic and fluid-flow history, resulting in the formation of various authigenic minerals. Geochemical and geochronological analyses were undertaken on vein carbonates from core samples of clastic sediments. Results were then integrated with zircon U–Pb dating and uraninite U–Th–total Pb dating from the underlying granite. Stable and radiogenic isotopes (δ18O, Sr and εNd), as well as trace element data of carbonate veins indicate that >200 °C basinal fluids of evolved meteoric origin circulated through the Warburton Basin. Almost coincidental ages of these carbonates (Sm–Nd; 432 ± 12 Ma) with primary zircon (421 ± 3.8 Ma) and uraninite (407 ± 16 Ma) ages from the granitic intrusion point towards a substantial period of active tectonism and an elevated thermal regime during the mid Silurian. We hypothesise that such a thermal regime may have resulted from extensional tectonism and concomitant magmatic activity following regional orogenesis. This study shows that the combined application of geochemical and geochronological analyses of both primary and secondary species may constrain the timing of tectonomagmatic events and associated fluid flow in intraplate sedimentary basins. Furthermore, this work suggests that the Sm–Nd-isotopic system is surprisingly robust and can record geologically meaningful age data from hydrothermal mineral species.

Rapid δ18O and δ13C isotopic shifts in late Pleistocene marine varves on the California margin

Upper Pleistocene sediments on the continental slope off Northern California contain alternations of varves and bioturbation produced by fluctuations in intensity of the coastal upwelling system. Stable isotopic analyses of benthic Foraminifera across a particularly well developed varve/bioturbation sequence deposited ~26,000 years ago reveal rapid shifts of ~0.25‰ in δ18O and ~0.4‰ in δ13C. The δ18O shift occurs within a varved section. Based on varve counts, the isotopic change occurred in less than 100 years. Timing and magnitude of the shift coincide with similar shifts observed in almost all other high-resolution δ18O records that have been interpreted as primarily representing global in-volume fluctuations.

中国大气降水δ^18O区域特征及其对古气候研究的意义

系统地收集和分析IAEA／WMO数据库GNIP／ISOHIS与文献报道的中国及周边大气降水和石笋的δ^18O等数据，发现大气降水δ^18O值和降水量效应在大尺度上均与前人研究结果相似，但在小尺度上具有显著的区域性特征：以塔里木盆地、鄂尔多斯盆地和潢川-合肥盆地等为中心的区域大气降水δ^18O值明显高于其它地区，而以拉萨和川-滇-黔为中心的区域明显低于其它地区；在川-滇-黔三省交界地区和湖南中东部分别出现了强和弱降水量效应。大气降水出现δ^18O较高值或降低值的主要原因可能与当地蒸发和季风等因子控制的水汽来源特征有关；而降水量效应的区域性特征可能与水汽来源结构变化密切相关。对区域上的大气降水和石笋δ^18O进行比较分析表明，以单一水汽来源为主的地区，石笋δ^18O值能较好地反映太阳辐射强度或季风强度；两种水汽来源强度相当的地区，石笋δ^18O值反映的是两种水汽来源的综合信息；在太阳辐射强度变化对不同水汽影响差异性明确之前很难直接解析为太阳辐射或季风强度信息.

安图红松树轮稳定δ^13C、δ^18O序列记录的气候变化信

测定了安图红松树轮稳定碳、氧同位素组成。选取与安图县毗邻的敦化市气象记录，分析了气象记录与树轮稳定碳、氧同位素的相关关系，发现红松树轮碳、氧同位素对气候变化均有显著的响应。合成了复合温湿指标（TH），相关分析表明树轮碳、氧同位素对复合温湿指标的响应更加灵敏，而且碳同位素和氧同位素均对5－8月的平均复合温湿指标有显著的响应。建立了碳、氧同位素对气候因子的响应函数，重建了安图地区近2000年来的气候变化。功率谱分析发现碳、氧同位素组成在95％的置信水平上存有准200年、准11年、准4年和准2年的变化周期。前两个周期变化基本上与太阳活动周期变化一致，后两个周期分别对应于“厄尔尼诺现象”和东亚夏季风的“准2年振荡”。