Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Stephan Homrighausen, Kaj Hoernle, Folkmar Hauff, Patrick A. Hoyer, Karsten M. Haase, Wolfram H. Geissler, Jorg Geldmacher
Summary: Recent studies reveal that mantle plumes play a crucial role in transferring material and heat from Earth's interior to its surface through multifaceted upwellings. The Tristan-Gough hotspot track, located in the South Atlantic, has provided evidence of spatial geochemical zonation in two distinct sub-tracks since around 70 million years ago. The origin and sudden appearance of these distinct geochemical flavors are still a mystery, but they could offer valuable insights into the structural evolution of mantle plumes.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Chuanshun Li, Haitao Zhang, Yili Guan, Aimei Zhu, Xuefa Shi
Summary: This study presents new major and trace element as well as Sr-Nd-Pb isotope data for basalts from the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The results indicate the presence of Tristan mantle plume materials in the southern SMAR asthenosphere, which has influenced the geochemical compositions of the basalts in this region.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Benjamin E. Cohen, Darren F. Mark, William S. Cassata, Lara M. Kalnins, Martin R. Lee, Caroline L. Smith, David L. Shuster
Summary: Research found that the shergottites have a wide range of ages, with statistically robust Ar-40/Ar-39 isochron ages ranging from 161+/-9 Ma to 540+/-63 Ma, consistent with other dating methods. These data indicate that, despite experiencing shock metamorphism, the shergottites were sourced from the youngest volcanoes on Mars.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Haitao Zhang, Quanshu Yan, Chuanshun Li, Xuefa Shi, Yaomin Yang, Guozhi Wang, Qingfeng Hua, Zhiwei Zhu, Hui Zhang, Renjie Zhao
Summary: The study reveals that basalts from the South Mid-Atlantic Ridge contain chemical traces of the Saint Helena hotspot, with its influence extending from approximately 14.2 degrees S to 20.8 degrees S. Material flow from Cardno seamount toward the SMAR system may account for the stronger geochemical signals observed in certain segments along the ridge axes.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
H. S. Monteiro, P. M. Vasconcelos, K. A. Farley, C. L. Mello, F. T. Conceicao
Summary: Distinctive sediments containing quartz, kaolinite, detrital and authigenic hematite and goethite are present along the Atlantic coast of Brazil. These sediments represent a significant period of erosion and weathering, with strong influence from biologically driven weathering reactions. The ages of detrital and authigenic goethites and hematites suggest that sedimentation occurred between 26-20 million years ago. Furthermore, (U-Th)/He geochronology indicates a period of tropical climate and abundant vegetation dominating the coast of Espirito Santo since the Pliocene.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Dengliang Gao
Summary: The westward drifting and southward tapering of the South American continent have influenced the asymmetry and non-uniformity in the opening of the South Atlantic. It is revealed that non-uniform seafloor spreading caused the migration of ridges and hotspots, leaving behind nonlinear seamount trails. These findings are significant for understanding the geodynamics of global plate tectonics.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Allan Silva Gomes, Paulo Marcos Vasconcelos, Isabela de Oliveira Carmo
Summary: The presence of secondary phases in volcanic rocks and intrusive units may pose challenges for high resolution 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. Acid treatment is used to remove alteration products, but it has minimal impact on the accuracy of age determinations. Effective separation of atmospheric and radiogenic gases can successfully mitigate deleterious effects associated with alteration phases.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
C. Antoine, R. A. Spikings, D. Miletic, J. S. Marsh, S. P. Gaynor, U. Schaltegger
Summary: The extrusive component of the Karoo Large Igneous Province, the Drakensberg Continental Flood basalts of South Africa and Lesotho, is mainly composed of altered tholeiitic basalts without suitable uraniferous mineral phases for high-precision dating. Multiple techniques were used to study the plagioclase in the lavas, revealing two distinct generations of plagioclase and different alteration phases. The study explains the inaccuracies in previous dating results and provides the most accurate age for the entire lava stack.
Article
Geology
Timothy Paulsen, John Encarnacion, Anne M. Grunow, Victor A. Valencia, Mark E. Pecha, Jeffrey Benowitz, Paul Layer
Summary: New age data from the Queen Maud Mountains in the Ross orogenic belt of Antarctica reveal that plutonism primarily occurred during the Cambrian to Ordovician periods, with polymodal age distributions consistent with regional magmatic flare-ups along the Pacific-Gondwana margin. Deformed plutons indicate deformation during the Cambrian to Ordovician periods, transitioning to post-tectonic magmatism and cooling at around 509-470 Ma. This suggests that the Queen Maud-Horlick Mountains share a similar petrotectonic history with other regions along the Pacific-Gondwana margin, providing new evidence for their tectonic evolution.
INTERNATIONAL GEOLOGY REVIEW
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
M. Le Saout, D. Palgan, C. W. Devey, T. S. Lux, S. Petersen, D. Thorhallsson, A. Tomkowicz, S. Brix
Summary: Mapping and sampling of the Reykjanes Ridge reveals that tectonic and volcanic activity do not vary systematically with distance from the Iceland plume center. The tectonic geometry is related to the deepening of the brittle/ductile transition and the rapid change in crustal thickness. Fault density and sediment thickness provide insight into the region of young volcanism, while the abundance of seamounts suggests a connection to the melt production process beneath the ridge axis.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2023)
Article
Geology
Igor M. Villa, Giulia Bosio
Summary: The substoichiometric potassium concentrations and low alkali occupation observed in biotite phenocrysts from marine tephra layers are likely the result of diagenetic alteration caused by exposure to interstitial water and brine intrusions. This alteration has been shown to affect potassium-argon ages, leading to discordance, high step ages, and anomalies in elemental ratios. The preferential leaching of potassium from the phyllosilicate interlayers and the shielding of radiogenic Ar* in the tetrahedral-octahedral-tetrahedral (T-O-T) phyllosilicate layer are proposed as mechanisms for the observed discrepancies.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Leah E. E. Morgan, Brett Davidheiser-Kroll, Klaudia F. F. Kuiper, Darren F. F. Mark, Noah M. M. McLean, Jan R. R. Wijbrans
Summary: The accuracy and traceability of geochronometers are crucial to questions asked by Earth scientists. This study focuses on the 40Ar/39Ar geochronometer and its co-irradiation with reference materials. The authors used various calibration methods to determine the ages of monitor minerals and found that the current results do not meet the desired accuracy, but the extensive methodology development presented in this study can help improve future measurements.
GEOSTANDARDS AND GEOANALYTICAL RESEARCH
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
M. -T. Herret, B. J. Peters, D. Kim, P. R. Castillo, A. Mundl-Petermeier
Summary: The short-lived radiogenic 182Hf/182W and 146Sm/142Nd systems provide useful information on differentiation processes in Earth's early history. This study focuses on the Marquesas Archipelago hotspot and investigates the presence of negative μ182W anomalies in plume-derived ocean island basalts (OIB). Despite elevated 3He/4He ratios, there were no anomalous μ182W and μ142Nd measurements, suggesting the absence of ULVZ involvement in the plume's melting region and supporting the hypothesis that the expression of ancient mantle domains in hotspot geochemistry is temporally variable.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Katie Preece, Jenni Barclay, Richard J. Brown, Katy J. Chamberlain, Darren F. Mark
Summary: Research on Ascension Island has shown that over the past 1 million years, there have been more than 80 felsic pyroclastic eruptions, highlighting the uneven distribution of explosive events in both time and space. By dividing the island's volcanic activity into four periods, it reveals the cyclical nature of ocean island volcanism with predominantly mafic and felsic eruptions alternating.
JOURNAL OF VOLCANOLOGY AND GEOTHERMAL RESEARCH
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
A. Cisneros de Leon, M. Danisik, J. C. Schindlbeck-Belo, S. Kutterolf, A. K. Schmitt, A. Freundt, J. Kling, K. -L. Wang, H. -Y. Lee
Summary: Defining precise eruption timelines for explosive volcanoes in continental arcs is essential for forecasting future hazards and mitigating volcanic disasters. However, establishing reliable ages for past eruptions in the Central American Volcanic Arc has been challenging due to the lack of suitable materials for dating. In this study, zircon was used to determine the eruption ages of the Amatitlan caldera in Guatemala, revealing a more frequent eruptive activity than previously thought.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
S. Jung, F. Hauff
Summary: Pegmatites and aplites from the Donkerhoek batholith in Namibia are peraluminous, ferroan, alkalic to calc-alkalic leucogranites. These highly fractionated melts show subtle Nd isotope variations and limited AFC or contamination processes may have occurred during their formation. The rocks likely originated from meta-igneous basement rocks in the nearby Kalahari craton.
JOURNAL OF AFRICAN EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
J. Gill, K. Hoernle, E. Todd, F. Hauff, R. Werner, C. Timm, D. Garbe-Schoenberg, M. Gutjahr
Summary: The Havre Trough in the southwest Pacific is in the rifting stage of development, with uneven distribution of slab components. The southern slab source is wetter while the northern source is drier, with a higher proportion of slab components in the south. Additionally, the slab component increases gradually southward in the backarc and arc front.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
S. Aspiotis, S. Jung, F. Hauff, R. L. Romer
Summary: The study suggests that the Nomatsaus granite was formed in a continent-continent collisional setting with meta-igneous sources of possibly dacitic composition. Partial melting occurred during the initial stages of crustal heating, followed by mid-crustal level melting at higher P-T conditions and relatively late in the orogenic evolution. The petrogenetic model for the Nomatsaus granite is mainly based on the chemical characteristics and isotopic composition of the granite.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
S. Homrighausen, K. Hoernle, J-A Wartho, F. Hauff, R. Werner
Summary: The volcanic activity along the Elan 85° East Ridge in the Indian Ocean is influenced by deep-rooted mantle plumes, with age decreasing from north to south and involving a mixture of Indian-type plume material, Indian mid-ocean-ridge basalt, and detached continental lithospheric material. Plate reconstructions suggest that the southern portion of the ridge could be derived from a hotspot/plume at the Conrad Rise, explaining the weaker expression of this hotspot track compared to others like Reunion and Kerguelen.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Martin Danisik, Vera Ponomareva, Maxim Portnyagin, Sergey Popov, Andrei Zastrozhnov, Christopher L. Kirkland, Noreen J. Evans, Evgeny Konstantinov, Folkmar Hauff, Dieter Garbe-Schoenberg
Summary: Volcanic ash layers can serve as important time markers in the geological record for reconstructing paleoenvironmental, paleoclimatic, and paleogeographic conditions. This study provides geochronological and geochemical data for the Gorelka tephra, a significant marker for a major marine transgression in the Eastern Paratethys Sea during the Miocene. The eruption age of the Gorelka tephra has been constrained to 11.5 +/- 0.5 Ma, and its characteristics suggest a large-scale eruption from a volcanic source in the Transcarpathian region.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Antje Duerkefaelden, Joerg Geldmacher, Maxim Portnyagin, Dieter Garbe-Schoenberg, Reinhard Werner, Dietmar Mueller, Folkmar Hauff, Kaj Hoernle
Summary: Geochemical data and plate tectonic reconstructions support the formation of Shatsky Rise by a mantle plume, with the identification of two hotspot tracks—Papanin Ridge and Ojin Rise Seamounts verifying this hypothesis.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2021)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Rachel Bezard, Kaj Hoernle, Jorg A. Pfander, Brian Jicha, Reinhard Werner, Folkmar Hauff, Maxim Portnyagin, Blanka Sperner, Gene M. Yogodzinski, Simon Turner
Summary: By conducting extensive 40Ar/39Ar dating and geochemical analysis on 40 samples from the lower units of the Aleutian ridge, this study provides constraints on the timing of the Aleutian Arc initiation and its pre-Quaternary evolution. The results reveal three distinct periods of enhanced magmatic activity during the arc's evolution, with temporal changes in magma types corresponding to variations in arc crustal thickness beneath the active front.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
R. Pontow, S. Jung, F. Hauff, J. Berndt
Summary: The Okamutambo Pluton is the oldest intrusion of the Otjimbingwe Alkaline Complex in Namibia, consisting of mafic to intermediate alkaline rocks. The samples studied show high concentrations of potassium, magnesium, nickel, chromium, large ion lithophile elements, and high field strength elements. Isotopic data suggest a multi-source origin and differentiation processes within the magmatic suites. The alkaline rocks are inferred to have been generated through melting of enriched lithospheric mantle with a recycled crustal component, indicating an ancient mantle enrichment possibly related to Proterozoic subduction.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Wissale Boukirou, Mohammed Bouabdellah, Anton R. Chakhmouradian, Abdellah Mouttaqi, Ekaterina P. Reguir, Folkmar Hauff, Michel Cuney, Michel Jebrak, Johan Yans, Kaj Hoernle
Summary: The Gleibat Lafhouda dolomite carbonatites of the Moroccan Sahara are three separate cone-shaped plugs that intrude an Archean supracrustal basement rocks. These carbonatites have specific geochemical characteristics and may represent the earliest manifestation of the fragmentation of the Columbia supercontinent at 1.85 Ga.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Wim Boer, Simon Nordstad, Michael Weber, Regina Mertz-Kraus, Barbel Hoenisch, Jelle Bijma, Markus Raitzsch, Dorothee Wilhelms-Dick, Gavin L. Foster, Heather Goring-Harford, Dirk Nuernberg, Folkmar Hauff, Henning Kuhnert, Federico Lugli, Howie Spero, Martin Rosner, Piet van Gaever, Lennart J. de Nooijer, Gert-Jan Reichart
Summary: A new matrix-matched reference material (NFHS-2-NP) has been developed and tested by multiple laboratories, demonstrating satisfactory homogeneity and suitability for calibration and quality monitoring of geochemical techniques.
GEOSTANDARDS AND GEOANALYTICAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
H. Shafaii Moghadam, K. Hoernle, F. Hauff, D. Garbe-Schoenberg, J. A. Pfaender
Summary: High Na-to K-alkaline magmatism is common in the rear-arc region of the Cenozoic Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Belt in Iran. The Kleybar area in NW Iran shows Middle Eocene magmatic activity with diverse rock types and significant isotopic variations, enriched in alkalis and light rare earth elements.
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Katharina Pank, Thor H. Hansteen, Jorg Geldmacher, Folkmar Hauff, Brian Jicha, Paraskevi Nomikou, Dieter Garbe-Schonberg, Kaj Hoernle
Summary: The study focuses on samples from the submarine inner caldera walls of Santorini Volcano, providing new insights into its early evolutionary stages and contributing to a better understanding of its eruptive history and potential risks. The analysis of mineral compositions and rock compositions reveals the dominant processes and factors influencing magma evolution.
JOURNAL OF VOLCANOLOGY AND GEOTHERMAL RESEARCH
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
H. Zhou, K. Hoernle, J. Geldmacher, F. Hauff, D. Garbe-Schoenberg, S. Jung, I Bindeman
Summary: By studying the Etendeka large igneous province in Namibia, it has been found that the compositional variations of the flood basalts are related to a postulated plume head, and a concentric zonation model for the plume head has been proposed.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
James Gill, Erin Todd, Kaj Hoernle, Folkmar Hauff, Allison Ann Price, Matthew G. Jackson
Summary: The Vitiaz Arc broke into its Vanuatu and Fijian portions during subduction polarity reversal, possibly controlled by the subduction of the Samoan Seamount Chain. Basaltic volcanism in Fiji accompanying the breakup showed different characteristics based on the distance from the broken edge of the arc. The breakup basalts had similar Sr-Pb-Nd isotope ratios to the depleted part of the nearby Samoan seamount chain, indicating a change in the slab-derived component.
GEOCHEMISTRY GEOPHYSICS GEOSYSTEMS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Vera Ponomareva, Maxim Portnyagin, Martin Danisik, Evgeny Konstantinov, Egor Zelenin, Nikolai Tkach, Folkmar Hauff, Axel K. Schmitt, Bjarne Friedrichs, Boris Romanyuk, Marcel Guillong, Christopher L. Kirkland, Kai Rankenburg, Samuel Muller, Dieter Garbe-Schonberg
Summary: Knowledge of temporal patterns of past explosive eruptions is essential for understanding potential future eruptive behavior. The volcanic records based on geological reconstructions are incomplete, even in populated areas like Europe. This study presents the first age and geochemical data on middle to late Pleistocene explosive eruptions from the Elbrus volcanic center, providing insights into their dispersal distances and identifying them as paleoclimate and archaeological markers.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2023)