Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Dmitri A. Ionov, Kun Wang
Summary: Recent studies have shown wide ranges of K content and K-41 values in mantle materials from different tectonic settings, suggesting significant variations in K isotopes in the lithospheric mantle possibly due to diverse sources of K-bearing fluids and isotope fractionation during fluid-rock interaction.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2021)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Alison Kirkby, Karol Czarnota, David L. Huston, David C. Champion, Michael P. Doublier, Paul A. Bedrosian, Jingming Duan, Graham Heinson
Summary: There is a connection between lithospheric electrical conductors imaged using magnetotelluric (MT) data and mineral deposits, particularly Iron Oxide Copper Gold (IOCG) deposits. MT methods for exploration are becoming more popular, but their applicability to other deposit types remains untested. Early-formed deposits weakly correlate with upper mantle conductors, while late-formed deposits strongly correlate with mid-crustal conductors. These variations likely reflect mineralogical differences in the metal source regions and indicate the significance of a metamorphic-fluid source for orogenic gold deposits.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Geography
Roman Maisuradze, Tamar Khardziani
Summary: The research focuses on the study of pastoral agriculture in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region of Georgia from the 16th to the 20th centuries. By analyzing census documents, statistical data, and modern field-based materials, the study aims to understand the spatial and temporal dimensions of pastoral systems and related socio-economic sectors. Thematic maps presented in the paper reflect the state of pastoralism throughout history and the present situation, providing an opportunity to assess long-term changes and analyze current conditions.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jingao Liu, D. Graham Pearson, Lawrence Hongliang Wang, Kathy A. Mather, Bruce A. Kjarsgaard, Andrew J. Schaeffer, Gordon J. Irvine, Maya G. Kopylova, John P. Armstrong
Summary: The study investigates the role of plume upwelling in the destruction and recratonization of roughly 200-kilometre-thick cratonic lithospheric mantle in the northern portion of the Slave craton affected by the Mackenzie plume event 1.27 billion years ago. The research shows how new melt residues produced by the plume event contribute to the healing and return to their original lithospheric thickness of cratons after substantial disruption of their roots. The findings suggest that this process may be widespread in the history of cratons and contribute to the diversity of mantle peridotites in terms of age and origin.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Wenbo Fan, Neng Jiang, Jun Hu, Danqing Liu, Lang Zhao, Tiejun Li
Summary: The study suggests that the old, depleted lithospheric mantle in the northern North China craton was locally metasomatized during the late Paleozoic, leading to the formation of incompatible-element-rich phlogopite-bearing pyroxenite veins. This metasomatized O-18-rich source may contribute to the isotopic compositions of ultrapotassic rocks with highly variable chemical and isotopic variations.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Vahid Samae, Patrick Cordier, Sylvie Demouchy, Caroline Bollinger, Julien Gasc, Sanae Koizumi, Alexandre Mussi, Dominique Schryvers, Hosni Idrissi
Summary: The mechanical properties of olivine-rich rocks are crucial for understanding the mechanical coupling between Earth's lithosphere and asthenosphere. Additional deformation mechanisms are required in olivine due to the lack of slip systems, with current lack of consensus on the mechanisms of grain-boundary sliding in olivine. This proposed mechanism of grain-boundary mobility triggering plastic processes in olivine-rich rocks could be significant in high-stress deep Earth conditions.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
F. Salajegheh, J. C. Afonso
Summary: Geoid anomalies provide crucial information about the Earth's internal density structure. Researchers have developed a representative upper mantle geoid model using spherical harmonic analysis, showing significant contributions from degrees 5 and 6.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Zhikai Wang, Satish C. Singh, Cecile Prigent, Emma P. M. Gregory, Milena Marjanovic
Summary: Transform faults accommodate lateral motions between lithospheric plates, and this study presents new findings about the deep structure of the Romanche transform fault. The seismic data indicates the presence of a low-velocity anomaly, likely due to extensive serpentinization and a hydrated shear mylonite zone. Water sourced from seawater-derived fluids infiltrates the fault, leading to a low-temperature, water-induced melting zone and thinning of the lithosphere at the transform fault.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
George Segee-Wright, Jaime D. Barnes, John C. Lassiter, Duncan J. Holmes, Grace M. Beaudoin, Rudra Chatterjee, Daniel F. Stockli, J. Elis Hoffmann, Timm John
Summary: A greater amount of halogens is subducted globally compared to what is erupted at magmatic arcs, suggesting an increase in the mantle halogen budget or an additional output pathway. The sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) can act as a reservoir for volatile elements through metasomatism. This study analyzes the halogen content of xenoliths from various locations to understand the effects of subducting plate metasomatism on the western North American SCLM. The results indicate that the Farallon plate sequestered halogens in the SCLM of the central and south Colorado Plateau and the southern Rio Grande Rift.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Sally Law, Geoffrey D. Bromiley, Geoff N. Kilgour, J. Godfrey Fitton
Summary: This study investigated the olivine compositions of mafic eruptions in the Taupo Volcanic Zone in New Zealand, revealing different mantle sources and the impact of olivine compositions on volcanic activity in the TVZ. Olivines from the south TVZ are derived from harzburgite, while those from the central TVZ are lherzolite-derived, which may be related to different petrological characteristics and volcanic activities.
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Daniel Peters, Hanika Rizo, Richard W. Carlson, Richard J. Walker, Roberta L. Rudnick, Ambre Luguet
Summary: Isotope dilution W whole-rock data is used to study the behavior of W in the continental lithospheric mantle. Tungsten concentrations are found to be high in peridotite samples, even in the most depleted ones. Fractionation of W from Th and U is observed with increasing melt depletion. The findings suggest that W metasomatism and re-equilibration may not be the cause of high W abundances in peridotites.
GEOCHIMICA ET COSMOCHIMICA ACTA
(2023)
Review
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Jessica M. Warren, Lars N. Hansen
Summary: The strength of lithospheric plates, which is governed by brittle and ductile processes, is a key factor in plate tectonics. Experimental studies on olivine, the main mineral in the lithosphere, reveal that it deforms through various mechanisms including low-temperature plasticity, dislocation creep, and grain-boundary sliding. While deformation in most of the lithosphere is dominated by grain-boundary sliding, shear zones exhibit diffusion creep and the brittle-ductile transition may involve low-temperature plasticity. There is a discrepancy between observations from naturally deformed rocks and geophysical predictions, possibly due to uncertainties in the brittle-ductile transition where the lithosphere is strongest.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Fernando Martinez, Richard Hey
Summary: The offset ridge-transform structure of ocean basins is a prominent expression of plate tectonics. This study investigates the reasons for this configuration by analyzing mantle Bouguer anomalies (MBAs). The results show that the pattern of mantle melting plays a crucial role in the formation of transform faults, as the distribution and extent of melting can affect the chemical and rheological properties of the residual mantle.
EARTH AND PLANETARY SCIENCE LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Yixian Xu, Yi Zhang, Bo Yang, Xuewei Bao
Summary: This study presents a method to reconstruct the Paleozoic-lithospheric structures of the North China Craton (NCC) and reveals that there was massive thinning in the eastern East Block (EB) after the Paleozoic, while thickening occurred in the northern Ordos Basin and the region from the Weibei uplift to the South Taihang Mountains uplift. The calculated self-sustaining oscillation periods are in good agreement with the periodicity observed in the sedimentation rate of the Ordos Basin and basaltic underplating events in the Trans-North China Orogen. The results suggest that, apart from the EB, the Phanerozoic lithospheric modification of the NCC is mainly controlled by heat conduction and dissipation through the cratonic lithosphere.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Geochemistry & Geophysics
Haibin Yang, Irina M. M. Artemieva, Hans Thybo
Summary: Global geophysical observations have identified a mysterious structure called the mid-lithospheric discontinuity (MLD) at depths of around 80-150 km, which raises questions about the stability and internal structure of the continental lithosphere. This study proposes a physical mechanism for the origin of the MLD, suggesting that it is formed by channel flow in the cratonic mantle lithosphere triggered by convective instabilities at cratonic margins in the Archean period. Numerical modeling supports this mechanism, showing that the frozen-in channel flow creates a shear zone at a depth similar to the observed seismic MLD. This proposed mechanism has broad applicability and the MLD may have been preserved since its formation in the Archean.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SOLID EARTH
(2023)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
F. Marra, G. L. Cardello, M. Gaeta, B. R. Jicha, P. Montone, E. M. Niespolo, S. Nomade, D. M. Palladino, A. Pereira, G. De Luca, F. Florindo, A. Frepoli, P. R. Renne, G. Sottili
Summary: In this study, the Quaternary Volsci Volcanic Field in central Italy was investigated with new geochronological data and compositional analysis of eruptive products. The research revealed a history of volcanic activity and its implications on magma systems and subduction processes. The fast ascent of primitive magma batches is suggested to be controlled by tectonic forces in a compressive stress field.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Lorenzo Monaco, Danilo M. Palladino, Mario Gaeta, Fabrizio Marra, Gianluca Sottili, Niklas Leicher, Giorgio Mannella, Sebastien Nomade, Alison Pereira, Eleonora Regattieri, Bernd Wagner, Giovanni Zanchetta, Paul G. Albert, Ilenia Arienzo, Massimo D'Antonio, Paola Petrosino, Christina J. Manning, Biagio Giaccio
Summary: Accurately reconstructing the scale and timing of dynamic processes, such as Middle-Late Pleistocene explosive volcanism and rapid climatic changes, requires rigorous and independent chronological constraints, in which the study of distal tephra plays a crucial role. The high-resolution distal tephra record preserved in the lacustrine sedimentary succession of the Fucino Basin, central Italy, provides important insights into peri-Tyrrhenian potassic explosive volcanism and Mediterranean palaeooclimate records, offering a detailed and previously unparalleled chronicle of explosive activity.
EARTH-SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Biagio Giaccio, Gianluca Marino, Fabrizio Marra, Lorenzo Monaco, Alison Pereira, Giovanni Zanchetta, Mario Gaeta, Niklas Leicher, Sebastien Nomade, Danilo M. Palladino, Gianluca Sottili, Herve Guillou, Vincent Scao
Summary: This study reconstructs the timing of relative sea-level changes between 450 and 403 ka through analyzing the sensitivity of the Paleo Tiber River to sea-level forced changes and the occurrence of datable tephra layers. Two meltwater pulse events were identified, matching with ice-rafted debris deposition in the North Atlantic and attendant Southern Hemisphere warming.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2021)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Patrizia Maiorano, Timothy D. Herbert, Maria Marino, Franck Bassinot, Pietro Bazzicalupo, Adele Bertini, Angela Girone, Sebastien Nomade, Neri Ciaranfi
Summary: Paleoproductivity patterns in the Mediterranean region are reconstructed using coccolithophore and alkenone data from the Early/Middle Pleistocene Montalbano Jonico section in southern Italy. The study reveals low productivity during glacial and stadial phases, and enhanced productivity during interglacial and interstadials, influenced by factors like water turbidity, temperature, precipitation, and river discharge. The findings suggest that regional productivity dynamics were impacted by similar forcing mechanisms over different time periods.
PALEOCEANOGRAPHY AND PALEOCLIMATOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Geography, Physical
Fabrizio Marra, Alison Pereira, Giovanni Boschian, Sebastien Nomade
Summary: This contribution applies the conceptual model of 'aggradational succession' to geological sections of the Paleo-Tiber delta near Rome, Italy. Through geochronological constraints and 40Ar/39Ar dating, the study provides an independent chronology of Mediterranean sea-level oscillations and offers important insights into the spatial/geometric features of aggradational successions.
QUATERNARY INTERNATIONAL
(2022)
Correction
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Valerie Andrieu-Ponel, Pierre Rochette, Francois Demory, Hulya Alcicek, Nicolas Boulbes, Didier Bourles, Cahit Helvaci, Anne-Elisabeth Lebatard, Serdar Mayda, Henri Michaud, Anne-Marie Moigne, Sebastien Nomade, Mireille Perrin, Philippe Ponel, Claire Rambeau, Amelie Vialet, Belinda Gambin, Mehmet Cihat Alcicek
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
L. Monaco, D. M. Palladino, P. G. Albert, I. Arienzo, S. Conticelli, M. Di Vito, A. Fabbrizio, M. D'Antonio, R. Isaia, C. J. Manning, S. Nomade, A. Pereira, P. Petrosino, G. Sottili, R. Sulpizio, G. Zanchetta, B. Giaccio
Summary: This study presents a comprehensive characterization of pyroclastic units from the Campanian Plain, which allows the identification of the near-source equivalents of tephra markers from the MIS 5 period. These tephra markers are assigned to previously undocumented Campi Flegrei activity, providing new insights into the explosive history of the region. Additionally, the study provides precise radioisotopic dating to better understand the chronology of climatic oscillations during the MIS 5c-d period.
GLOBAL AND PLANETARY CHANGE
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Gregory P. Wilson Mantilla, Paul R. Renne, Bandana Samant, Dhananjay M. Mohabey, Anup Dhobale, Andrew J. Tholt, Thomas S. Tobin, Mike Widdowson, S. Anantharaman, Dilip Chandra Dassarma, Jeffrey A. Wilson Mantilla
Summary: In this study, two new Cretaceous mammal species are described from the Naskal locality in India, and the age of the Naskal and nearby Rangapur localities is refined using geochronology, magnetostratigraphy, and chemostratigraphy. These sites are confidently restricted to a <100 kyr interval spanning the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. The findings of this study have implications for Deccan chemostratigraphy, Deccan volcanism, the Cretaceous-Paleogene mass extinction, Indian mammalian faunal evolution, and the timing of the origin of placental mammals.
PALAEOGEOGRAPHY PALAEOCLIMATOLOGY PALAEOECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Neil J. Tabor, John Geissman, Paul R. Renne, Roland Mundil, William S. Mitchell, Timothy S. Myers, Jacob Jackson, Cindy V. Looy, Renske P. Kirchholtes
Summary: The Whitehorse Group and Quartermaster Formation in the Palo Duro Basin represent the final deposition episode of red-bed terrestrial sequences in north-central Texas. The formations comprise mainly red quartz siltstone to fine sandstone, gypsum, claystones, and dolomite. The lower Quartermaster Formation exhibits meandering channels and overbank mudstones, while the Upper Whitehorse Group lacks paleosols. Age information from volcanic ash-fall deposits suggests the presence of the Permian-Triassic boundary in the lower Quartermaster Formation/upper Whitehorse Group. Carbon and oxygen isotope data indicate changes in paleoclimate and biotic recovery across the Permian-Triassic boundary.
FRONTIERS IN EARTH SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Anthropology
Reid Ferring, Oriol Oms, Sebastien Nomade, John D. Humphrey, Martha Tappen, Reed Coil, Teona Shelia, Peter Crislip, Rusudan Chagelishvili, Gocha Kiladze, Herve Guillou, David Lordkipanidze
Summary: The Early Pleistocene site of Dmanisi has a significant importance in understanding the activities and environmental contexts during the first colonization of Eurasia. The geological record at Dmanisi reveals distinct sedimentary environments and provides a rich collection of in situ deposits and occupation remains.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Theodore Green, Paul R. Renne, C. Brenhin Keller
Summary: This study investigates the correlation between large igneous provinces (LIPs) and Phanerozoic faunal turnover, and examines the likelihood of such correlations occurring by chance. The results suggest a causal relationship between continental LIPs and extinctions, with a stronger correlation for LIPs with higher eruptive rates and stage boundaries with higher extinction magnitudes. The study also identifies LIP magma degassing as a primary kill mechanism for mass extinctions and intervals of faunal turnover.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Igor M. Villa, Norman E. Holden, Antonio Possolo, Ryan Ben Ickert, David Brynn Hibbert, Paul R. Renne, Mauro L. Bonardi, Paul De Bievre
Summary: The IUPAC-IUGS joint Task Group has evaluated the half-lives of six long-lived radioactive nuclides and recommends three robust estimates. However, for other nuclides, further investigations are needed to resolve uncertainties.
PURE AND APPLIED CHEMISTRY
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Lorenzo Monaco, Niklas Leicher, Danilo M. Palladino, Ilenia Arienzo, Fabrizio Marra, Maurizio Petrelli, Sebastien Nomade, Alison Pereira, Gianluca Sottili, Sandro Conticelli, Massimo D'Antonio, Alessandro Fabbrizio, Brian R. Jicha, Giorgio Mannella, Paola Petrosino, Eleonora Regattieri, Polychronis C. Tzedakis, Bernd Wagner, Giovanni Zanchetta, Biagio Giaccio
Summary: This study presents a detailed investigation of tephra layers in the Fucino Basin, central Italy, providing insights into volcanic activities during the 250-170 thousand years before present (ka) period. By analyzing the chemical and isotopic compositions and dating the tephra layers, the researchers traced them back to their volcanic sources, uncovering previously unrecognized volcanic events. These findings are significant for understanding the volcanic history of Italy and for future paleo-climatic research.
QUATERNARY SCIENCE REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Niklas Leicher, Biagio Giaccio, Alison Pereira, Sebastien Nomade, Lorenzo Monaco, Giorgio Mannella, Paolo Galli, Edoardo Peronance, Danilo Mauro Palladino, Gianluca Sottili, Giovanni Zanchetta, Bernd Wagner
Summary: A study on the Quaternary lacustrine succession of the Fucino Basin in central Italy identified 32 tephra layers, with 27 of them yielding suitable geochemical material to explore their volcanic origins. The study provides insights into the complex volcanic history of the Colli Albani, Sabatini, Vulsini, and Roccamonfina volcanoes during the time interval of 313-366 ka.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Pierre Rochette, Pierre Beck, Martin Bizzarro, Regis Braucher, Jean Cornec, Vinciane Debaille, Bertrand Devouard, Jerome Gattacceca, Fred Jourdan, Fabien Moustard, Frederic Moynier, Sebastien Nomade, Bruno Reynard
Summary: Tektites are impact-generated glasses that can be ejected long distances, with unique characteristics and formation process not well understood. The discovery of impact glasses in Belize originating from the Pantasma impact crater in Nicaragua sheds new light on the tektite formation process and suggests that it may be more common than previously claimed.
COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT
(2021)