ALBERT

Description: The thinning of the crust and the exhumation of subcontinental mantle in magma-poor rifted margins is accompanied by a series of extensional detachment faults. We show that exhumation along these detachments is intimately related to migration of fluids leading to changes in mineralogy and chemistry of the mantle, crustal and sedimentary rocks. Using field observation and analytical methods, we investigate the role of fluids in the fossil distal margins of the Alpine Tethys. Using Cr-Ni-V, Fe and Mn as tracers, we show that fluids used detachment faults as pathways and interacted with the overlying crust and sediments. These observations allow us to discuss when, where and how this interaction happened during the formation of the rifted margin. The results show that: (i) serpentinization of mantle rocks during their exhumation results in the depletion of elements and migration of mantle-reacted fluids that are channeled along active detachment system; (ii) in earlier-stages, these fluids affected the overlying syn-tectonic sediments by direct migration from the underlying detachments; (iii) in later-stages, these fluids arrived at the seafloor, were introduced into, or “polluted” the seawater and were absorbed by post-tectonic sediments. We conclude that a significant amount of serpentinization occurred underneath the hyperextended continental crust, and that the mantle-reacted fluids might have modified the chemical composition of the sediments and seawater. We propose that the chemical signature of serpentinization related to mantle exhumation is recorded in the sediments and may serve as a proxy to date serpentinization and mantle exhumation at present-day magma-poor rifted margins. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The East China Sea is characterized by wide continental shelf receiving a huge input of terrigenous matter from both large rivers and mountainous rivers, which makes it an ideal natural laboratory for studying sediment source-to-sink transport processes. This paper presents mineralogical and geochemical data of the clays and bulk sediments from the rivers entering the East China Sea, aiming to investigate the general driving mechanism of silicate weathering and sediment transport processes in East Asian continental margin. Two types of river systems, tectonically-stable continental rivers and tectonically-active mountainous rivers, co-exist in East Asia. As the direct weathering products, clays can better reflect the silicate weathering regimes within the two river systems. Provenance rock types are not the dominant factor causing silicate weathering intensity difference existed in the East Asian rivers. The silicate weathering intensity of tectonically-stable river basins is primarily driven by monsoon climate, and the sediment transfer is relatively slow because of natural trapping process and increasing damming effect. The geochemistry of these river-borne sediments can thus indicate paleo-weathering intensities in East Asian continent. In contrast, silicate weathering intensity in tectonically-active mountainous rivers is greatly limited by strong physical erosion despite the high temperature and highest monsoon rainfall. The factors controlling silicate weathering in tectonically-active catchments are complex and thus, it should be prudent to use river sediment records to decipher paleoclimate change. These two different silicate weathering regimes and sediment transport processes are manifestations of the landscape evolution and overall dominate the sedimentation in Asian continental margin. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Diopside phenocrysts of the Louisville Seamount Trail show an increase in Ti, Al, and Na with decreasing Mg/(Mg+Fe) as is typical for clinopyroxene in alkalic basalts. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns of calculated liquids from LA-ICPMS analyses are comparable to whole-rock and glass values. Exceptions are clinopyroxene crystals from the Rigil Seamount, the second oldest seamount drilled at the northern end of the chain. Some crystals from this site are strongly zoned with distinct compositional boundaries between cores and mantles. The cores have high Mg/(Mg+Fe) and low Al and Ti concentrations compared to the mantles and phenocrysts. Major element, clinopyroxene discrimination diagrams indicate that the clinopyroxene mantles and phenocrysts crystallized from alkalic basalts. In contrast, the Mg-rich cores have tholeiitic affinities. The REE abundances of the cores are similar to that of clinopyroxene from transitional tholeiites of the Kerguelen Archipelago. Calculated liquid La/Yb values for the cores have ratios that are similar to transitional tholeiites in Hawaii, whereas the mantles have higher La/Yb values similar to Hawaiian alkalic basalts. The major and trace element compositions of clinopyroxene cores from the Rigil seamount suggest that a transitional tholeiitic magma was present, but no evidence for Hawaiian shield-type tholeiites was found. Plagioclase crystals from the Rigil seamount have 86 Sr/ 86 Sr from 0.70306 to 0.70363, within the range of FOZO. The transitional tholeiitic signature of the Mg-rich clinopyroxene cores probably did not have a distinct source compared to other Louisville magmas, but more likely indicates a higher degree of partial melting (2-5%) of that FOZO source. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Understanding intraplate volcanism is a key to deciphering the Earth's magmatic history. One of the largest intraplate volcanic events occurred during the mid Cretaceous, roughly 75 to 125 Ma in the western Pacific. To investigate the origin and effects of this volcanism on various Earth systems, we present the first comprehensive study of volcanism in the Pigafetta Basin using seismic surveys, magnetic and gravity modeling, and Ocean Drilling Program drill core and well log data from Site 801. Our results show that intraplate volcanism in the Pigafetta Basin coincides with the rest of the western Pacific seamount provinces, supporting the previously suggested plumelets scenario for the origin of intraplate volcanism during the mid Cretaceous volcanic events. We also discover that the late stage volcanism does not overprint the remanant magnetization acquired by the Jurassic ocean crust in the Pigafetta Basin, and hence, marine magnetic anomalies recorded in the Jurassic basement are preserved. Also, the formerly identified Rough Smooth Boundary (RSB) is indistinguishable from any other rough-smooth topographic boundaries throughout the survey area suggesting that the RSB is unlikely to be a Cretaceous sill-Jurassic basement boundary. Lastly, the apparent ages and spatial distribution of volcanic features suggests a dynamic history of hydrothermal circulation in the Pigafetta Basin, indicating that hydrothermal circulation was ongoing well past 100 Ma. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The Australian-Antarctic Ridge (AAR) is one of the largest unexplored regions of the global mid-ocean ridge system. Here, we report a multi-year effort to locate and characterize hydrothermal activity on two 1 st -order segments of the AAR: KR1 and KR2. To locate vent sites on each segment, we used profiles collected by Miniature Autonomous Plume Recorders on rock corers during R/V Araon cruises in March and December of 2011. Optical and oxidation-reduction-potential anomalies indicate multiple active sites on both segments. Seven profiles on KR2 found 3 sites, each separated by ∼25 km. Forty profiles on KR1 identified 13 sites, some within a few km of each other. The spatial density of hydrothermal activity along KR1 and KR2 (plume incidence of 0.34) is consistent with the global trend for a spreading rate of ∼70 mm/yr. The densest area of hydrothermal activity, named “Mujin”, occurred along the 20-km-long inflated section near the segment center of KR1. Continuous plume surveys conducted in January-February of 2013 on R/V Araon found CH 4 / 3 He (1-15 × 10 6 ) and CH 4 /Mn (0.01-0.5) ratios in the plume samples, consistent with a basaltic-hosted system and typical of ridges with intermediate spreading rates. Additionally, some of the plume samples exhibited slightly higher ratios of H 2 / 3 He and Fe/Mn than others, suggesting that those plumes are supported by a younger hydrothermal system that may have experienced a recent eruption. The Mujin-field was populated by Kiwa crabs and seven-armed Paulasterias starfish previously recorded on the East Scotia Ridge, raising the possibility of circum-Antarctic biogeographic connections of vent fauna. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Porous sedimentary rocks fail in a variety of modes ranging from localized, brittle deformation to pervasive, cataclastic flow. To improve our understanding of this transition and its affect on fluid flow and permeability, we investigated the mechanical behavior of a siltstone unit within the Marcellus Formation, PA USA, characterized by an initial porosity ranging from 41 to 45%. We explored both hydrostatic loading paths (σ 1 =σ 2 =σ 3 ) and triaxial loading paths (σ 1 〉σ 2 =σ 3 ) while maintaining constant effective pressure (P e =P c -P p ). Samples were deformed with an axial displacement rate of 0.1 μm/s (strain rate of 2x10 −6 s −1 ). Changes in pore water volume were monitored (drained conditions) to measure the evolution of porosity. Permeability was measured at several stages of each experiment. Under hydrostatic loading, we find the onset of macroscropic grain crushing (P*) at 39 MPa. Triaxial loading experiments show a transition from brittle behavior with shear localization and compaction to cataclastic-flow as confining pressure increases. When samples fail by shear localization, permeability decreases abruptly without significant changes in porosity. Conversely, for cataclastic deformation, permeability reduction is associated with significant porosity reduction. Post-experiment observation of brittle samples show localized shear zones characterized by grain comminution. Our data show how zones of shear localization can act as barriers to fluid flow and thus modify the hydrological and mechanical properties of the surrounding rocks. Our results have important implications for deformation behavior and permeability evolution in sedimentary systems, and in particular where the stress field is influenced by injection or pumping. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Lake sediments can provide high-quality information about human activities. In this study, we investigate a sediment core from Lake Xiaolongwan using magnetic and geochemical methods. The dominant magnetic minerals of this sediment core are stable single domain (SSD) and superparamagnetic (SP) magnetite particles. The increasing amount of SP particles reflected by the rise of magnetic susceptibility and frequency dependent magnetic susceptibility since AD 1500 can be attributed to an increasing influx in pedogenic soil, which is related to a regional-scale increase in the intensity of human activity in Northeastern China. This extends the timing of human activities, which is independent from climate changes and its effects on local ecosystems in Northeastern China significantly. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Ocean island basalts (OIB) with extremely radiogenic Pb-isotopic signatures are melts of a mantle component called HIMU (high µ, high 238 U/ 204 Pb). Until now, deeply-dredged submarine HIMU glasses have not been available, which has inhibited complete geochemical (in particular, volatile element) characterization of the HIMU mantle. We report major, trace and volatile element abundances in a suite of deeply-dredged glasses from the Tuvalu Islands. Three Tuvalu glasses with the most extreme HIMU signatures have F/Nd ratios (35.6±3.6) that are higher than the ratio (∼21) for global OIB and MORB, consistent with elevated F/Nd ratios in endmember HIMU Mangaia melt inclusions. The Tuvalu glasses with the most extreme HIMU composition have Cl/K (0.11 to 0.12), Br/Cl (0.0024) and I/Cl (5-6 × 10 −5 ) ratios that preclude significant assimilation of seawater-derived Cl. The new HIMU glasses that are least degassed for H 2 O have low H 2 O/Ce ratios (75-84), similar to ratios identified in endmember OIB glasses with EM1 and EM2 signatures, but significantly lower than H 2 O/Ce ratios (119 to 245) previously measured in melt inclusions from Mangaia. CO 2 -H 2 O equilibrium solubility models suggest that these HIMU glasses (recovered in two different dredges at 2,500 to 3,600 meters water depth) have eruption pressures of 295 to 400 bars. We argue that degassing is unlikely to significantly reduce the primary melt H 2 O. Thus, the lower H 2 O/Ce in the HIMU Tuvalu glasses is a mantle signature. We explore oceanic crust recycling as the origin of the low H 2 O/Ce (∼50 to 80) in the EM1, EM2 and HIMU mantle domains. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: High-resolution 2-D multi-channel seismic data, collected during the 2012 UTIG-USGS National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program survey of Disenchantment and Yakutat Bays in southeast Alaska, provide insight into their glacial history. These data show evidence of two unconformities, appearing in the form of channels, and are interpreted to be advance pathways for Hubbard Glacier. The youngest observable channel, thought to have culminated near the main phase of the Little Ice Age (LIA), is imaged in Disenchantment Bay and ends at a terminal moraine near Blizhni Point. An older channel, thought to be from an advance that culminated in the early phase of the LIA, extends from Disenchantment Bay into the northeastern edge of Yakutat Bay, turning southward at Knight Island and terminating on the southeastern edge of Yakutat Bay. Our interpretation is that Hubbard Glacier has repeatedly advanced around the east side of Yakutat Bay in Knight Island Channel, possibly due to the presence of Malaspina Glacier cutting off access to central Yakutat Bay during times of mutual advance. We observe two distinct erosional surfaces and retreat sequences of Hubbard Glacier in Yakutat Bay, supporting the hypothesis that minor glacial advances in fjords do not erode all prior sediment accumulations. Interpretation of chaotic seismic facies between these two unconformities suggests that Hubbard Glacier exhibits rapid retreats and that Disenchantment Bay is subject to numerous episodes of outburst flooding and morainal bank collapse. These findings also suggest that tidewater glaciers preferentially reoccupy the same channels in bay and marine settings during advances. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Within the Sea of Marmara, the highly active North Anatolian Fault (NAF) is responsible for major earthquakes (Mw 〉=7), and acts as a pathway for fluid migration from deep sources to the seafloor. This work reports on pore water geochemistry from three sediment cores collected in the gulfs of Izmit and Gemlik, along the Northern and the Middle strands of the NAF, respectively. The resulting dataset shows that anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is the major process responsible for sulfate depletion in the shallow sediment. In the Gulf of Gemlik, depth concentration profiles of both sulfate and alkalinity exhibit a kink-type profile. The Sulfate Methane Transition Zone (SMTZ) is located at moderate depth in the area. In the Gulf of Izmit, the low concentrations observed near the seawater-sediment interface for sulfate, calcium, strontium and magnesium results from rapid geochemical processes, AOM and carbonate precipitation, occurring in the uppermost part of the sedimentary column and sustained by free methane accumulation. Barite dissolution and carbonate recrystallization have also been identified at deeper depth at the easternmost basin of the Gulf of Izmit. This is supported by the profile of the strontium isotope ratios ( 87 Sr/ 86 Sr) as a function of depth which exhibits negative anomalies compared to the modern seawater value. The strontium isotopic signature also shows that these carbonates had precipitated during the reconnection of the Sea of Marmara with the Mediterranean Sea. Finally, a first attempt to interpret the sulfate profiles observed in the light of the seismic activity at both sites is presented. We propose the hypothesis that seismic activity in the areas is responsible for the transient sulfate profile, and that the very shallow SMTZ depths observed in the Gulf of Izmit is likely due to episodic release of significant amount of methane. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The transition zone at the downdip end of seismic coupling along subduction interfaces is often the site of megathrust earthquake nucleation and concentrated postseismic afterslip, as well as the focus site of episodic tremor and slip features. Exhumed remnants of the former Alpine subduction zone found in the Swiss Alps allow analyzing fluid and deformation processes near the transition zone region (30-40 km paleodepth). The Dent Blanche Thrust (DBT) is a lower blueschist-facies shear zone interpreted as a fossilized subduction interface where granitic mylonites overlie a metamorphosed accretionary wedge. We report field observations from the DBT region where multiple, several tens of meters-thick foliated cataclastic networks are interlayered within the basal DBT mylonites. Petrological results and microstructural observations indicate that the various cataclasis events took place at near peak metamorphic conditions (400-500°C, 1.1-1.3 GPa) during subduction of the Tethyan seafloor in Eocene times (42-48 Ma). Some of these networks exhibit mutual cross-cutting relationships between mylonites, foliated cataclasites and vein systems indicating mutual overprinting between brittle deformation and ductile creep. Whole-rock chemical compositions, in situ 40 Ar- 39 Ar age data of recrystallized phengite, and Sr isotopic signatures reveal that DBT rocks also underwent multiple hydrofracturing and metasomatic events via the infiltration of fluids mainly derived from the oceanic metasediments underneath the DBT. From the rock fabrics we infer strain rate fluctuations of several orders of magnitude beyond subduction strain rates (c. 10 −12 s −1 ) accompanied by fluctuation of supra-lithostatic and quasi-lithostatic fluid pressures (1≥λ〉0.95). DBT brittle-plastic deformation switches highlight the diversity of deformation processes and fluid-rock interactions in the transition zone region of the subduction interface. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Water is a key parameter in magma genesis, magma evolution, and resulting eruption styles, because it controls the density, the viscosity, as well as the melting and crystallization behavior of a melt. The parental water content of a magma is usually measured through melt inclusions in minerals such as olivine, a method which may be hampered, however, by the lack of melt inclusions suitable for analysis, or post-entrapment changes in their water content. An alternative way to reconstruct the water content of a magma is to use nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs), such as pyroxene, which take up low concentrations of hydrogen as a function of the magma's water content. During magma degassing and eruption, however, NAMs may dehydrate. We therefore tested a method to reconstruct the water contents of dehydrated clinopyroxene phenocrysts from the Western Canary islands (n=28) through re-hydration experiments followed by infrared and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Employing currently available crystal/melt partitioning data, the results of the experiments were used to calculate parental water contents of 0.71 ±0.07 to 1.49 ±0.15 wt. % H 2 O for Western Canary magmas during clinopyroxene crystallization at upper mantle conditions. This H 2 O range is in agreement with calculated water contents using plagioclase-liquid-hygrometry, and with previously published data for mafic lavas from the Canary Islands and comparable ocean island systems elsewhere. Utilizing NAMs in combination with hydrogen treatment can therefore serve as a proxy for pre-eruptive H 2 O contents, which we anticipate becoming a useful method applicable to mafic rocks where pyroxene is the main phenocryst phase. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We present a new approach to identifying the source and age of paleofluids associated with low-temperature deformation in the brittle crust, using hydrogen isotopic compositions (δD) and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronology of authigenic illite in clay gouge-bearing fault zones. The procedure involves grain size separation, polytype modeling, and isotopic analysis, creating a mixing line that is used to extrapolate to δD and age of pure authigenic and detrital material. We use this method on samples collected along the surface trace of today's North Anatolian Fault (NAF). δD values of the authigenic illite population, obtained by extrapolation, are -89±3‰, -90±2‰, and -97±2‰ (VSMOW) for samples KSL, RES4-1, and G1G2, respectively. These correspond to δD fluid values of -62‰ to -85‰ for the temperature range of 125°C ±25°, indistinguishable from present-day precipitation values. δD values of the detrital illite population are -45±13‰, -60±6‰, and -64±6‰ for samples KSL, G1G2, and RES4-1, respectively. Corresponding δD fluid values at 300°C are -26 to -45‰ and match values from adjacent metamorphic terranes. Corresponding clay gouge ages are 41.4 ±3.4 Ma (authigenic) and 95.8±7.7 Ma (detrital) for sample G2 and 24.6 ±1.6 Ma (authigenic) and 96.5±3.8 Ma (detrital) for sample RES4-1, demonstrating a long history of meteoric fluid infiltration in the area. We conclude that today's NAF incorporated pre-existing, weak clay-rich rocks that represent earlier mineralizing fluid events. The samples preserve at least three fluid flow pulses since the Eocene and indicate that meteoric fluid has been circulating in the upper crust in the North Anatolian Keirogen since that time. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We reconstruct the history of the mode of accretion of an area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge south of the Kane fracture zone using bathymetric morphology. The area includes 200 km of the spreading axis and reaches to 10 Ma on either side. We distinguish three tectonic styles: 1) volcanic construction with eruption and intrusion of magma coupled with minor faulting, 2) extended terrain with abundant large-offset faults, 3) detachment faulting marked by extension on single long-lived faults. Over 40% of the seafloor is made of extended terrain and detachment faults. The area includes products of seven spreading segments. The spreading axis has had detachment faulting or extended terrain on one or both sides for 70% of the last 10 Ma. In some parts of the area, regions of detachment faulting and extended terrain lie close to segment boundaries. Regions of detachment faulting initiated at 10 Ma close to the adjacent fracture zones to the north and south, and then expanded away from them. We discuss the complex evidence from gravity, seismic surveys and bathymetry for the role of magma supply in generating tectonic style. Overall we conclude that input of magma at the spreading axis has a general control on the development of detachment faulting, but the relationship is not strong. Other factors may include a positive feedback that stabilizes detachment faulting at the expense of volcanic extension, perhaps through the lubrication of active detachment faults by the formation of low friction materials (talc, serpentine) on detachment fault surfaces. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We present a new method for measuring wettability or contact angle of minerals at reservoir pressure-temperature conditions using high-resolution X-ray computed tomography (HRXCT) and radiography. In this method, a capillary or a narrow slot is constructed from a mineral or a rock sample of interest wherein two fluids are allowed to form an interface that is imaged using X-rays. After some validation measurements at room pressure-temperature conditions, we illustrate this method by measuring the contact angle of CO 2 –brine on quartz, muscovite, shale, borosilicate glass, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE or Teflon), and polyether ether ketone (PEEK) surfaces at 60-71°C and 13.8 – 22.8 MPa. At reservoir conditions, PTFE and PEEK surfaces were found to be CO 2 –wet with contact angles of 140° and 127°, respectively. Quartz and muscovite were found to be water–wet with contact angles of 26° and 58°, respectively under similar conditions. Borosilicate glass–air–brine at room conditions showed strong water-wet characteristics with a contact angle of 9°, whereas borosilicate glass-CO 2 –brine at 13.8 MPa and 60°C showed a decrease in its water-wetness with contact angle of 54°. This method provides a new application for X-ray imaging and an alternative to other methods. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Local and regional S-wave splitting in the offshore South Island of the New Zealand plate-boundary zone provides constraints on the spatial and depth extent of the anisotropic structure with an enhanced resolution relative to land-based and SKS studies. The combined analysis of offshore and land measurements using splitting tomography suggests plate-boundary shear dominates in the central and northern South Island. The width of this shear zone in the central South Island is about 200 km, but is complicated by stress-controlled anisotropy at shallow levels. In northern South Island, a broader (〉200 km) zone of plate-boundary parallel anisotropy is associated with the transitional faulting between the Alpine fault and Hikurangi subduction and the Hikurangi subduction zone itself. These results suggest S-phases of deep events (∼ 90 km) in the central South Island are sensitive to plate-boundary derived NE-SW aligned anisotropic media in the upper-lithosphere, supporting a “thin viscous sheet” deformation model. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: In the present study, we have investigated the C-S-Fe systematics in a sediment core (MD161-13) from the Krishna-Godavari (K-G) basin, Bay of Bengal. The core covers the late Holocene period with high overall sedimentation rate of ∼573 cm ky −1 . Pore fluid chemical analyses indicate that the depth of the present sulfate methane transition zone (SMTZ) is at ∼6 mbsf. The (ΔTA+ΔCa+ΔMg)/ΔSO 4 2- ratios suggest that both organoclastic degradation and anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) drive sulfate reduction at the study site. The positive correlation between total organic carbon content (TOC) and chromium reducible sulfur (CRS) content indicates marked influence of organoclastic sulfate reduction on sulfidization. Coupled occurrence of 34 S enriched iron sulfide (pyrite) with 12 C enriched authigenic carbonate zones are the possible records of paleo-sulfate methane transition zones where AOM driven focused sulfate reduction was likely fueled by sustained high methane flux from underlying gas rich zone. Aluminium normalized poorly reactive iron (Fe PR /Al) and La/Yb ratios suggest increasing contribution from Deccan basalts relative to that of Archean- Proterozoic granitic complex in sediment flux of Krishna-Godavari basin during the last 4 ky. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: At slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges, crustal accretion style can vary significantly along and across ridge segments. In magma-poor regions, seafloor spreading can be accommodated largely by tectonic processes, however, the internal structure and formation mechanism of such highly tectonized crust are not fully understood. We analyze multi-beam bathymetry and potential field data from the Rainbow area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (35º40'N-37º40'N), a section of the ridge that shows diverse accretion styles. We identify volcanic, tectonized and sedimented terrain and measure exposed fault area to estimate the tectonic strain, T , and the fraction of magmatic accretion, M . Estimated T values range from 0.2-0.4 on ridge segments to 0.6-0.8 at the Rainbow non-transform discontinuity (NTD). At segment ends T is asymmetric, reflecting asymmetries in accretion rate, topography and faulting between inside and outside offset corners. Detachment faults have formed preferentially at inside corners, where tectonic strain is higher. We identify at least two oceanic core complexes on the fossil trace of the NTD, in addition to the Rainbow massif, which occupies the offset today. A gravity high and low magnetization suggest that the Rainbow massif, which hosts a high-temperature hydrothermal system, was uplifted by a west dipping detachment fault. Asymmetric plate ages indicate localization of tectonic strain at the inside corners and migration of the detachment towards and across the ridge axis, which may have caused emplacement of magma into the footwall. Hydrothermal circulation and heat extraction is possibly favored by increased permeability generated by fracturing of the footwall and deep-penetrating second-generation faults. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We describe a quantitative magnetic unmixing method based on principal component analysis (PCA) of first-order reversal curve (FORC) diagrams. For PCA we resample FORC distributions on grids that capture diagnostic signatures of single-domain (SD), pseudo-single-domain (PSD), and multi-domain (MD) magnetite, as well as of minerals such as hematite. Individual FORC diagrams are recast as linear combinations of end-member (EM) FORC diagrams, located at user-defined positions in PCA space. The EM selection is guided by constraints derived from physical modeling and imposed by data scatter. We investigate temporal variations of two EMs in bulk North Atlantic sediment cores collected from the Rockall Trough and the Iberian Continental Margin. Sediments from each site contain a mixture of magnetosomes and granulometrically distinct detrital magnetite. We also quantify the spatial variation of three EM components (a coarse silt-sized MD component, a fine silt-sized PSD component, and a mixed clay-sized component containing both SD magnetite and hematite) in surficial sediments along the flow path of the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). These samples were separated into granulometric fractions, which helped constrain EM definition. PCA-based unmixing reveals systematic variations in EM relative abundance as a function of distance along NADW flow. Finally, we apply PCA to the combined dataset of Rockall Trough and NADW sediments, which can be recast as a four-EM mixture, providing enhanced discrimination between components. Our method forms the foundation of a general solution to the problem of unmixing multi-component magnetic mixtures, a fundamental task of rock magnetic studies. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The abundance of microbial life and the sources of energy necessary for deep subsurface microbial communities remain enigmatic. Here we investigate deep microbial processes and their potential relationships to tectonic events in sediments from the Nankai Trough offshore Japan, drilled and sampled during IODP (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program) Expedition 316. Observed methane isotope profiles indicate that microbially mediated methane production occurs at Sites C0006 and C0007 in sediments below ∼450 meters below seafloor (mbsf) and ∼425 mbsf, respectively. The active carbon cycling in these deep subsurface sediments is likely related to the highly dynamic tectonic regime at Nankai Trough. We propose that transient increases in temperature have re-stimulated organic matter degradation at these distinct depths and explore several candidate processes for transient heating. Our favored hypothesis is frictional heating associated with earthquakes. In concert with transient heating leading to the reactivation of recalcitrant organic matter, the heterogeneous sedimentary system provides niches for microbial life. The newly available/accessible organic carbon compounds fuel the microbial community – resulting in an onset of methanogenesis several hundred meters below the seafloor. This process is captured in the methane C-isotope signal, showing the efficacy of methane C-isotopes for delineating locations of active microbial processes in deeply buried sediments. Additionally, simple model approaches applied to observed chemical pore water profiles can potentially constrain timing relationships, which can then be linked to causative tectonic events. Our results suggest the occurrence of slip-to-the-trench earthquake(s) 200-400 year ago, which could relate to historical earthquakes (1707 Hoei and/or 1605 Keicho earthquakes). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The source mantle of the basaltic ocean crust on the western half of the Pacific Plate was examined using Pb–Nd–Hf isotopes. The results showed that the subducted Izanagi–Pacific Ridge (IPR) formed from both Pacific (180–∼80 Ma) and Indian (∼80–70 Ma) mantles. The western Pacific Plate becomes younger westward and is thought to have formed from the IPR. The ridge was subducted along the Kurile–Japan–Nankai–Ryukyu (KJNR) Trench at 60–55 Ma and leading edge of the Pacific Plate is currently stagnated in the mantle transition zone. Conversely, the entire eastern half of the Pacific Plate, formed from isotopically distinct Pacific mantle along the East Pacific Rise and the Juan de Fuca Ridge, largely remains on the seafloor. The subducted IPR is inaccessible; therefore, questions regarding which mantle might be responsible for the formation of the western half of the Pacific Plate remain controversial. Knowing the source of the IPR basalts provides insight into the Indian–Pacific mantle boundary before the Cenozoic. Isotopic compositions of the basalts from borehole cores (165–130 Ma) in the western Pacific show that the surface oceanic crust is of Pacific mantle origin. However, the accreted ocean floor basalts (∼80–70 Ma) in the accretionary prism along the KJNR Trench have Indian mantle signatures. This indicates the younger western Pacific Plate of IPR origin formed partly from Indian mantle and that the Indian–Pacific mantle boundary has been stationary in the western Pacific at least since the Cretaceous. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Mid-Carboniferous carbonates in the western United States have undergone Pleistocene Bahamas-style meteoric diagenesis that may be associated with expanding late Paleozoic ice sheets. Fourteen stratigraphic sections from carbonate platforms illustrate the regional distribution and variable intensity of physical and chemical diagenesis just below the mid-Carboniferous unconformity. Each section contains top-negative carbon isotope excursions that terminate in regional exposure surfaces that are associated with some combination of karst towers, desiccation cracks, fabric destructive recrystallization, or extensive root systems. The timing of the diagenesis is synchronous with similarly-scaled top-negative carbon isotope excursions observed by others in England, Kazakhstan, and China. The mass flux of negative carbon required to generate similar isotopic profiles across the areal extent of middle Carboniferous platform carbonates is a significant component of the global carbon cycle. We present a simple carbon box model to illustrate that the δ 13 C of dissolved inorganic carbon in the ocean could be elevated by ∼1.4 textperthousand∼as isotopically lower carbon from the terrestrial organic weathering reacts with exposed platforms before reaching the ocean and atmosphere. These results represent an improvement on global biogeochemical models that have struggled to provide a congruent solution to the high δ 13 C of the late Paleozoic icehouse. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The coarseness of the 10-63 µm terrigenous silt (i.e. sortable silt) fraction tends to vary independently of sediment supply in current-sorted muds in the world's oceans, with coarser sediments representing relatively greater near-bottom flow speeds. Traditionally the coarseness of this size fraction is described using an index called sortable-silt mean size ( ), which is an arithmetic average calculated from the differential volume or mass distribution of grains within the 10-63 µm terrigenous silt fraction, where the relative weights of the individual size bins become increasingly disproportionate, with respect to the actual number of grains within those size bins, towards the coarse end of the size range. This not only increases the absolute value of the apparent “mean size” within the 10-63 μm terrigenous silt fraction, but it may also affect the apparent pattern of relative changes in the coarseness of the sortable-silt fraction along the core. In addition, it makes more prone to biases due to, for example, analytical errors. Here we present a detailed analysis of grain-size distributions over three selected Holocene time intervals from two complementary sediment cores (JM97-948/2A, MD95-2011), extracted from the center of a high-accumulation area along the flow path of the main branch of the Atlantic Inflow into the Nordic Seas and show that differential-number-based statistics, which likely better describes variations in the actual coarseness of the sortable-silt fraction, may provide a more robust alternative to . This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Slow slip events (SSEs) are observed worldwide and often coincide with tectonic tremor. Notable examples of SSEs lacking observed tectonic tremor, however, occur beneath Kīlauea Volcano, Hawaii, the Boso Peninsula, Japan, {near San Juan Bautista on the San Andreas Fault, California, and recently in Central Ecuador. These SSEs are similar to other worldwide SSEs in many ways (e.g., size or duration), but lack the concurrent tectonic tremor observed elsewhere; instead they trigger swarms of regular earthquakes. We investigate the physical conditions that may distinguish these non-tremor-genic SSEs from those associated with tectonic tremor including: slip velocity, pressure, temperature, fluids and fault asperities, although we cannot eliminate the possibility that tectonic tremor may be obscured in highly attenuating regions. Slip velocities of SSEs at Kīlauea Volcano (∼10 −6 m/s) and Boso Peninsula (∼10 −7 m/s) are among the fastest SSEs worldwide. Kīlauea Volcano, the Boso Peninsula and Central Ecuador are also among the shallowest SSEs worldwide, and thus have lower confining pressures and cooler temperatures in their respective slow slip zones. {Fluids also likely contribute to tremor generation, and no corresponding zone of high v p /v s has been noted at Kīlauea or Boso. We suggest that the relatively faster slip velocities at Kīlauea Volcano and the Boso Peninsula result from specific physical conditions that may also be responsible for triggering swarms of regular earthquakes adjacent to the slow slip, while different conditions produce slower SSE velocities elsewhere and trigger tectonic tremor. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We present a flexible, general and efficient approach for implementing thermodynamic phase equilibria information (in the form of sets of physical parameters) into geophysical and geodynamic studies. The approach is based on tensor rank decomposition methods, which transform the original multi-dimensional discrete information into a separated representation that contains significantly fewer terms, thus drastically reducing the amount of information to be stored in memory during a numerical simulation or geophysical inversion. Accordingly, the amount and resolution of the thermodynamic information that can be used in a simulation or inversion increases substantially. In addition, the method is independent of the actual software used to obtain the primary thermodynamic information, and therefore it can be used in conjunction with any thermodynamic modeling program and/or database. Also, the errors associated with the decomposition procedure are readily controlled by the user, depending on her/his actual needs (e.g. preliminary runs vs full resolution runs). We illustrate the benefits, generality and applicability of our approach with several examples of practical interest for both geodynamic modeling and geophysical inversion/modeling. Our results demonstrate that the proposed method is a competitive and attractive candidate for implementing thermodynamic constraints into a broad range of geophysical and geodynamic studies. MATLAB implementations of the method and examples are provided as supplementary material and can be downloaded from the journal's website. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Magnetic properties and the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) present promising methods to track mineral orientation and petrofabric in rocks that have undergone partial melting. In order to better understand the source of the magnetic signal in these types of rocks, the interpretation of field observations may be integrated with laboratory experiments, designed to re-create conditions of partial melting. A set of experiments is presented in this study, where synthetic foliated quartz-muscovite aggregates undergo partial melting at 300 MPa hydrostatic confining pressure and 750°C. Magnetic properties and AMS are measured before and after partial melting. Prior to partial melting, the synthetic aggregate shows a compaction-related oblate magnetic fabric, dominated by paramagnetic muscovite that contains small amounts of iron. Post-experiment samples show neoblasts that crystallize from incongruent melt reactions. Most notably for the magnetic fabric, the breakdown of muscovite results in growth of secondary phases of Fe-bearing spinel and biotite. Isothermal remanence acquisition and temperature-dependence of susceptibility indicate that the spinel is magnetite. The degree of magnetic anisotropy reduces significantly after partial melting, but notably the orientation of the principal axes of susceptibility mimic the AMS of the original quartz-muscovite aggregate. Additionally, the post-experiment samples show a relationship between the amount of sample shortening (compaction) and the degree of magnetic anisotropy and susceptibility ellipsoid shape factor. These results suggest that petrofabrics in rocks that undergo partial melting at near hydrostatic pressure conditions may in part be inherited, or mimic, the original petrofabric of a sedimentary or metasedimentary rock. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Overflow of Northern Component Water, the precursor of North Atlantic Deep Water, appears to have varied during Neogene times. It has been suggested that this variation is moderated by transient behavior of the Icelandic mantle plume, which has influenced North Atlantic bathymetry through time. Thus pathways and intensities of bottom currents that control deposition of contourite drifts could be affected by mantle processes. Here, we present regional seismic reflection profiles that cross sedimentary accumulations (Björn, Gardar, Eirik and Hatton Drifts). Prominent reflections were mapped and calibrated using a combination of boreholes and legacy seismic profiles. Interpreted seismic profiles were used to reconstruct solid sedimentation rates. Björn Drift began to accumulate in late Miocene times. Its average sedimentation rate decreased at ∼2.5 Ma and increased again at ∼0.75 Ma. In contrast, Eirik Drift started to accumulate in early Miocene times. Its average sedimentation rate increased at ∼5.5 Ma and decreased at ∼2.2 Ma. In both cases, there is a good correlation between sedimentation rates, inferred Northern Component Water overflow, and the variation of Icelandic plume temperature independently obtained from the geometry of diachronous V-shaped ridges. Between 5.5 and 2.5 Ma, the plume cooled, which probably caused subsidence of the Greenland-Iceland-Scotland Ridge, allowing drift accumulation to increase. When the plume became hotter at 2.5 Ma, drift accumulation rate fell. We infer that deep-water current strength is modulated by fluctuating dynamic support of the Greenland-Scotland Ridge. Our results highlight the potential link between mantle convective processes and ocean circulation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Mineralogical reactions which generate or consume fluids play a key role during fluid flow in porous media. Such reactions are linked to changes in density, porosity, permeability and fluid pressure which influence fluid flow and rock deformation. To understand such a coupled system equations were derived from mass conservation and local thermodynamic equilibrium. The presented mass conservative modelling approach describes the relationships between evolving fluid pressure, porosity, fluid and solid density, and devolatilization reactions in multi-component systems with solid solutions. This first step serves as a framework for future models including aqueous speciation and transport. The complexity of univariant and multi-variant reactions is treated by calculating look-up tables from thermodynamic equilibrium calculations. Simplified cases were also investigated to understand previously studied formulations. For non-deforming systems or systems divided into phases of constant density the equations can be reduced to porosity wave equations with addition of a reactive term taking the volume change of reaction into account. For closed systems an expression for the volume change of reaction and the associated pressure increase can be obtained. The key equations were solved numerically for the case of devolatilization of three different rock types that may enter a subduction zone. Reactions with positive Clapeyron slope lead to increase in porosity and permeability with decreasing fluid pressure resulting in sharp fluid pressure gradients around a negative pressure anomaly. The opposite trend is obtained for reactions having a negative Clapeyron slope during which sharp fluid pressure gradients were only generated around a positive pressure anomaly. Coupling of reaction with elastic deformation induces a more efficient fluid flow for reactions with negative Clapeyron slope than for reactions with positive Clapeyron slope. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We present experimental data on the thermodynamics and kinetics of bubble nucleation and growth in weakly H 2 O-oversaturated rhyolitic melts. The high-temperature (900-1100°C) experiments involve heating of rhyolitic obsidian from Hrafntinnuhryggur, Krafla, Iceland to above their glass transition temperature ( Tg ∼ 690°C) at 0.1 MPa for times of 0.25-24 hours. During experiments, the rhyolite cores increase in volume as H 2 O vapour-filled bubbles nucleate and expand. The extent of vesiculation, as tracked by porosity, is mapped in temperature-time ( T - t ) space. At constant temperature and for a characteristic dwell time, the rhyolite cores achieve a maximum volume where the T - t conditions reach thermochemical equilibrium. For each T-t snapshot of vesiculation, we use 3D analysis of X-ray computed tomographic (XCT) images of the quenched cores to obtain the bubble number density (BND) and bubble size distribution (BSD). BNDs for the experimental cores are insensitive to T and t , indicating a single nucleation event. All BSDs converge to a common distribution, independent of T , melt viscosity (η), or initial degree of saturation, suggesting a common growth process. We use these data to calibrate an empirical model for predicting the rates and amounts of vesiculation in rhyolitic melts as a function of η and thermochemical affinity ( A ): two computable parameters that are dependent on T , pressure and H 2 O content. The model reproduces the experimental dataset and data from the literature to within experimental error, and has application to natural volcanic systems where bubble formation and growth are not diffusion limited (e.g., lavas, domes, ignimbrites, conduit infill). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: This study examined dissolved Mo and sedimentary Mo along with hydro-chemical parameters in the western Taiwan Strait (WTS) in May and August 2012. The results demonstrate that dissolved Mo could be depleted of as high as 10-20 nM during our May sampling period when the nutrient-enriched Min-Zhe coastal current ceased and spring blooms developed. The negative correlation between Chl-a and dissolved Mo suggests of the possible involvement of high algal productivity into removing dissolved Mo out of the water column. Specific oceanographic settings (little currents) permitted a high sedimentary enrichment of Mo (〉6 µg/g Mo) within the highly productive waters outside the Jiulong River mouth. Possibly, the high algal productivities and consequent organic matter sinks provide a pathway of Mo burial from water columns into sediments. Dissolved Mo was relatively high in groundwater samples, but we observed that submarine groundwater discharges (SGDs) only contributed to a relatively small percentage of the total dissolved Mo pool in WTS. It is probably attributable to the immediate removal of SGD-released Mo ions via adsorption onto newly formed Mn oxides once exposed to oxygenated seawater, followed by an elevated sedimentary Mo accumulation near the SGDs (∼5 µg/g). In addition to metal oxide particle scavenging and sulfide precipitation, we estimated that biological uptake along with Mo adsorption onto organic matter carriers could finally provide more than 10% of the annual sedimentary Mo accumulation in WTS. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The shallow water benthic foraminifer Amphistegina lessonii was grown in seawater of variable Li and Ca concentration and shell Li/Ca was determined by means of LA-ICPMS. Shell Li/Ca is positively correlated to seawater Li/Ca only when the Li concentration of seawater is changed. If the seawater Ca concentration is changed, shell Li/Ca remains constant. This indicates that Li does not compete with Ca for incorporation in the shell of A. lessonii . A recently proposed calcification model can be applied to divalent cations (e.g. Mg and Sr), which compete for binding sites of ion-transporters and positions in the calcite lattice. By contrast, the transport pathway of monovalent cations such as Li is probably diffusion-based (e.g. ion-channels), and monovalent cations do not compete with Ca for a position in the calcite lattice. Here, we present a new model for Li partitioning into foraminiferal calcite which predicts our experimental results and should also be applicable to other alkali metals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Grain size distribution (GSD) data are widely used in Earth sciences and although large data sets are regularly generated, detailed numerical analyses are not routine. Unmixing GSDs into components can help understand sediment provenance and depositional regimes/processes. End member analysis (EMA), which fits one set of end members to a given data set, is a powerful way to unmix GSDs into geologically meaningful parts. EMA estimates end members based on co-variability within a data set and can be considered as a non-parametric approach. Available EMA algorithms, however, either produce sub-optimal solutions, or are time consuming. We introduce unmixing algorithms inspired by hyperspectral image analysis that can be applied to GSD data and which provide an improvement over current techniques. Non-parametric EMA is often unable to identify unimodal grain size sub-populations that correspond to single sediment sources. An alternative approach is single specimen unmixing (SSU), which unmixes individual GSDs into unimodal parametric distributions (e.g., lognormal). We demonstrate that the inherent non-uniqueness of SSU solutions renders this approach unviable for estimating underlying mixing processes. To overcome this, we develop a new algorithm to perform parametric EMA, whereby an entire data set can be unmixed into unimodal parametric end members (e.g., Weibull distributions). This makes it easier to identify individual grain size sub-populations in highly mixed data sets. To aid investigators in applying these methods, all of the new algorithms are available in AnalySize, which is GUI software for processing and unmixing grain size data. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Landslides are common features in the vicinity of volcanic islands. In this contribution, we investigate landslides emplacement and dynamics around the volcanic island of Martinique based on the first scientific drilling of such deposits. The evolution of the active Montagne Pelée volcano on this island has been marked by three major flank-collapses that removed much of the western flank of the volcano. Subaerial collapse volumes vary from 2 to 25 km 3 and debris avalanches flowed into the Grenada Basin. High-resolution seismic data (AGUADOMAR – 1999, CARAVAL – 2002 and GWADASEIS – 2009) is combined with new drill cores that penetrate up to 430 m through the three submarine landslide deposits previously associated to the aerial flank-collapses (Site U1399, Site U1400, Site U1401, IODP Expedition 340, Joides Resolution, March-April 2012). This combined geophysical and core data provide an improved understanding of landslide processes offshore a volcanic island. The integrated analysis shows a large submarine landslide deposit, without debris avalanche deposits coming from the volcano, comprising up to 300 km 3 of remobilized seafloor sediment that extends for 70 km away from the coast and covers an area of 2100 km 2 . Our new data suggest that the aerial debris avalanche deposit enter the sea but stop at the base of submarine flank. We propose a new model dealing with seafloor sediment failures and landslide propagation mechanisms, triggered by volcanic flank-collapse events affecting Montagne Pelée volcano. Newly recognized landslide deposits occur deeper in the stratigraphy, suggesting the recurrence of large-scale mass-wasting processes offshore the island and thus, the necessity to better assess the associated tsunami hazards in the region. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Ventilation and dissolved oxygen in Lake Superior are key factors that determine the fate of various natural and anthropogenic inputs to the lake. We employ an idealized age tracer and biogeochemical tracers in a realistically configured numerical model of Lake Superior to characterize its ventilation and dissolved O 2 cycle. Our results indicate that Lake Superior is preferentially ventilated over rough bathymetry and that spring overturning following a very cold winter does not completely ventilate the lake interior. While this is unexpected for a dimictic lake, no part of the lake remains isolated from the atmosphere for more than 300 days. Our results also show that Lake Superior's oxygen cycle is dominated by solubility changes; as a result, the expected relationship between biological consumption of dissolved O 2 and ventilation age does not manifest. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Paleoclimate reconstructions based on reef corals require precise detection of diagenetic alteration. Secondary calcite can significantly affect paleotemperature reconstructions at very low amounts of ∼ 1%. X-ray powder diffraction is routinely used to detect diagenetic calcite in aragonitic corals. This procedure has its limitations as single powder samples might not represent the entire coral heterogeneity. A conventional and a 2D X-ray diffractometer were calibrated with gravimetric powder standards of high- and low-magnesium calcite (0.3% to 25% calcite). Calcite contents 〈 1% can be recognized with both diffractometer setups based on the peak area of the calcite [104] reflection. An advantage of 2D-XRD over convenient 1D-XRD methods is the non-destructive and rapid detection of calcite with relatively high spatial resolution directly on coral slabs. The calcite detection performance of the 2D-XRD setup was tested on thin-sections from fossil Porites sp . samples that, based on powder XRD measurements, showed 〈 1% calcite. Quantification of calcite contents for these thin-sections based on 2D-XRD and digital image analysis showed very similar results. This enables spot-measurements with diameters of ∼ 4 mm, as well as systematic line-scans along potential tracks previous to geochemical proxy sampling. In this way areas affected by diagenetic calcite can be avoided and alternative sampling tracks can be defined. Alternatively, individual sampling positions that show dubious proxy results can later be checked for the presence of calcite. The presented calibration and quantification method can be transferred to any 2D X-Ray diffractometer. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The determination of in situ stress states is vital in understanding the behavior of faults and subsequent seismogenesis of accretionary prisms. In this paper, a high quality 3D seismic volume is used to map the depth of the extensional-compressional decoupling (ECD) boundary in the accretionary prism of Nankai, with the prior knowledge that strike-slip and compressional stresses occur deeper than 1250 meters below seafloor (mbsf) in the Kumano Basin, changing to extension towards the seafloor. A total of 1108 faults from the accretionary prism are analyzed to estimate paleostresses via fault inversion and slip tendency techniques. A key result is this paper is that the ECD boundary can be used as a proxy to identify active structures on accretionary prisms as its depth depends on: a) local tectonic uplift in areas adjacent to active faults, and b) on the thickness of sediment accumulated above active thrust anticlines. The depth of the ECD boundary ranges from 0 to ∼650 mbsf, being notably shallower than in the Kumano Basin. In Nankai, frontal regions of the imbricate thrust zone, and the megasplay fault zone, reveal the shallower ECD depths and correlate with the regions where faulting is most active. As a corollary, this work confirms that estimates of stress state variability based on the analysis of 3D seismic data are vital to understand the behavior of faults and potential seismogenic regions on convergent margins. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: ABSTRACT Quartz is one of the most common minerals on the surface of the earth, and is a primary rock-forming mineral across the rock cycle. These two factors make quartz an obvious target for sediment provenance studies. Observations from experimental and natural samples demonstrate that the trace-element content of quartz often reflects the conditions of quartz formation. When quartz is weathered from its primary crystallization setting (i.e., quartz from a granitoid) it can retain many chemical signatures of formation throughout the sedimentation processes. These geochemical signatures can be used to understand the primary source of individual quartz grains within a sediment. Here we present a case study from the Bega River catchment to demonstrate that quartz grains in sediments at the mouth of the Bega River are sourced from granitoids within the drainage basin. Data presented here also indicate that a portion of the beach sediment is also derived from either – (i) sedimentary rocks within the basin or; (ii) mixing with sediments at the mouth of the river. The Bega River catchment was selected for this study because it is both small and has a well-constrained bedrock lithology, making it an ideal location to test the utility of this provenance technique. However, quartz trace-element provenance has broad applications to modern and ancient sediments and can be used in lieu of, or in conjunction with, other provenance techniques to elucidate sediment transport through time. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The Nicoya peninsula in northwest Costa Rica overlies a section of the subduction megathrust along the Middle America Trench. On September 5, 2012, a moment magnitude 7.6 megathrust earthquake occurred beneath a dense network of continuous GPS and seismic stations. Many of the GPS stations recorded the event at high rate, 1 Hz or better. We analyze the temporal and spatial evolution of surface deformation after the earthquake. Our results show that the main rupture was followed by significant afterslip within the first 3 hours following the main event. The behavior of the surface displacement can be represented by relaxation processes with three characteristic times: 7, 70 and more than 400 days. We assume that the long relaxation time corresponds to viscoelastic relaxation and the intermediate relaxation time corresponds to afterslip on the main fault. The short relaxation time may represent a combination of rapid afterslip, poroelastic adjustment in the upper crust, or other processes. During the first few months that followed the earthquake, afterslip likely released a significant amount of slip deficit still present following the coseismic rupture, in particular up-dip of the rupture. Afterslip seems to be bounded up-dip by regions affected by slow slip events prior to the earthquake, suggesting that the two processes are influenced by different frictional properties. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Geomagnetic polarity reversal boundaries are key isochronous chronological controls for the long Chinese loess sequences, and further facilitate paleoclimatic correlation between Chinese loess and marine sediments. However, owing to complexity of post-depositional remanent magnetization (pDRM) acquisition processes related to variable dust sedimentary environments on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP), there is a long-standing dispute concerning the downward shift of the pDRM recorded in Chinese loess. In this study, after careful stratigraphic correlation of representative climatic tie points and the Matuyama-Brunhes boundaries (MBB) in the Xifeng, Luochuan, and Mangshan loess sections with different pedogenic environments, the downward shift of the pDRM is semi-quantitatively estimated and the acquisition model for the loess natural remanent magnetization (NRM) is discussed. The measured MB transition zone has been affected by the surficial mixing layer (SML) and remagnetization. Paleoprecipitation is suggested to be the dominant factor controlling the pDRM acquisition processes. Rainfall-controlled leaching would restrict the efficiency of the characterized remanent magnetization carriers aligning along the ancient geomagnetic field. We conclude that the MBB in the central CLP with moderate paleoprecipitation could be considered as an isochronous chronological control after moderate upward adjustment. A convincing case can then be made to correlate L8/S8 to MIS 18/19. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The water retention curve and relative permeability are critical to predict gas and water production from hydrate-bearing sediments. However, values for key parameters that characterize gas and water flows during hydrate dissociation have not been identified due to experimental challenges. This study utilizes the combined techniques of micro-focus X-ray computed tomography (CT) and pore-network model simulation to identify proper values for those key parameters, such as gas entry pressure, residual water saturation, and curve fitting values. Hydrates with various saturation and morphology are realized in the pore-network that was extracted from micron-resolution CT images of sediments recovered from the hydrate deposit at the Mallik site, and then the processes of gas invasion, hydrate dissociation, gas expansion, and gas and water permeability are simulated. Results show that greater hydrate saturation in sediments lead to higher gas entry pressure, higher residual water saturation, and steeper water retention curve. An increase in hydrate saturation decreases gas permeability but has marginal effects on water permeability in sediments with uniformly distributed hydrate. Hydrate morphology has more significant impacts than hydrate saturation on relative permeability. Sediments with heterogeneously distributed hydrate tend to result in lower residual water saturation and higher gas and water permeability. In this sense, the Brooks-Corey model that uses two fitting parameters individually for gas and water permeability properly capture the effect of hydrate saturation and morphology on gas and water flows in hydrate-bearing sediments. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Despite the widely known fact that mantle flow in and around subduction zones produces the development of considerable seismic anisotropy, most P-wave tomography efforts still rely on the assumption of isotropy. In this study, we explore the potential effects of erroneous assumption on tomographic images and explore an alternative approach. We conduct a series of synthetic tomography tests based on a geodynamic simulation of subduction and rollback. The simulation results provide a self-consistent distribution of isotropic (thermal) anomalies and seismic anisotropy which we use to calculate synthetic delay times for a number of realistic and hypothetical event distributions. We find that anisotropy-induced artifacts are abundant and significant for teleseismic, local and mixed event distributions. The occurrence of artifacts is not reduced, and indeed can be exacerbated, by increasing richness in ray-path azimuths and incidence angles. The artifacts that we observe are, in all cases, important enough to significantly impact the interpretation of the images. We test an approach based on prescribing the anisotropy field as an a priori constraint and find that even coarse approximations to the true anisotropy field produce useful results. Using approximate anisotropy fields can result in reduced RMS misfit to the travel time delays and reduced abundance and severity of imaging artifacts. We propose that the use of anisotropy fields derived from geodynamic modeling and constrained by seismic observables may constitute a viable alternative to isotropic tomography that does not require the inversion for anisotropy parameters in each node of the model. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: New high-resolution tomographic models of P- and S-wave isotropic-velocity perturbations for the Bohemian upper mantle are estimated from carefully pre-processed travel-time residuals of teleseismic P, PKP and S waves recorded during the BOHEMA passive seismic experiment. The new data resolve anomalies with scale lengths 30-50 km. The models address whether a small mantle plume in the western Bohemian Massif is responsible for this geodynamically active region in central Europe, as expressed in recurrent earthquake swarms. Velocity-perturbations of the P- and S-wave models show similar features, though their resolutions are different. No model resolves a narrow sub-vertical low-velocity anomaly, which would validate the ‘baby-plume' concept. The new tomographic inferences complement previous studies of the upper mantle beneath the Bohemian Massif, in a broader context of the European Cenozoic Rift System (ECRIS) and of other Variscan Massifs in Europe. The low-velocity perturbations beneath the Eger Rift, observed in about 200km-broad zone, agree with shear-velocity models from full-waveform inversion, which also did not identify a mantle plume beneath the ECRIS. Boundaries between mantle domains of three tectonic units that comprise the region, determined from studies of seismic anisotropy, represent weak zones in the otherwise rigid continental mantle lithosphere. In the past, such zones could have channeled upwelling of hot mantle material, which on its way could have modified the mantle domain boundaries and locally thinned the lithosphere. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We investigate how lithospheric scale compositional heterogeneities affect kilometric scale deformation processes. To this end, we perform numerical experiments of lithospheric extension in which we vary the Moho temperature and the mineralic composition of the mantle and the crust. In both the crust and the mantle we use a explicit bimineralic composition by randomly distributing two mineral phases in the materials. Comparison of our models to simulations using an implicit bimineralic composite (one average viscous flow laws for a two-phase aggregate) crust and mantle demonstrates that an explicit bimineralic composition assimilated to heterogeneities succeeds in explaining observations related to the formation of rifted margins such a: 1) the absence of a sharp deformation zone at the brittle ductile transition (BDT), 2) the initiation of the rifting process as a wide delocalized rift system with multiple normal faults dipping in both directions; 3) the development of anastomosing shear zones in the middle/lower crust and the upper lithospheric mantle similar to the crustal scale anastomosing patterns observed in the field or in seismic data; 4) the preservation of undeformed lenses of material leading to lithospheric scale boudinage structure and resulting in the formation of continental ribbons as observed along the Iberian-Newfoundland margin. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Over the last decades, scanning magnetic microscopy techniques have been increasingly used in paleomagnetism and rock magnetism. Different from standard paleomagnetic magnetometers, scanning magnetic microscopes produce high-resolution maps of the vertical component of the magnetic induction field (flux density) on a plane located over the sample. These high-resolution magnetic maps can be used for estimating the magnetization distribution within a rock sample by inversion. Previous studies have estimated the magnetization distribution within rock samples by inverting the magnetic data measured on a single plane above the sample. Here we present a new spatial domain method for inverting the magnetic induction measured on four planes around the sample in order to retrieve its internal magnetization distribution. We have presumed that the internal magnetization distribution of the sample varies along one of its axes. Our method approximates the sample geometry by an interpretation model composed of a one-dimensional array of juxtaposed rectangular prisms with uniform magnetization. The Cartesian components of the magnetization vector within each rectangular prism are the parameters to be estimated by solving a linear inverse problem. Our method automatically deals with the averaging of the measured magnetic data due to the finite size of the magnetic sensor, preventing the application of a deconvolution before the inversion. Tests with synthetic data show the performance of our method in retrieving complex magnetization distributions even in the presence of magnetization heterogeneities. Moreover, they show the advantage of inverting the magnetic data on four planes around the sample adn how this new acquisition scheme improves the estimated magnetization distribution within the rock sample. We have also applied our method to invert experimentally measured magnetic data produced by a highly-magnetized synthetic sample that was manufactured in the laboratory. The results show that, even in the presence of apparent position noise, our method was able to retrieve the magnetization distribution consistent with the isothermal remanent magnetization induced in the sample. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Deep-sea sediments represent the largest geological deposit on Earth and provide a record of our planet's response to conditions at the sea surface from where the bulk of material originates. We use a machine learning method to analyze how the distribution of 14,400 deep-sea sediment sample lithologies is connected to bathymetry and surface oceanographic parameters. Our probabilistic Gaussian process classifier shows that the geographic occurrence of five major lithologies in the world's ocean can be predicted using just three parameters. Sea-surface salinity and temperature provide a major control for the growth and composition of plankton and specific ranges are also associated with the influx of non-aerosol terrigenous material into the ocean, while bathymetry is an important parameter for discriminating the occurrence of calcareous sediment, clay and coarse lithogenous sediment from each other. We find that calcareous and siliceous oozes are not linked to high surface productivity. Diatom and radiolarian oozes are associated with low salinities at the surface but with discrete ranges of temperatures reflecting the diversity of planktonic species in different climatic zones. Biosiliceous sediments cannot be used to infer paleodepth, but are good indicators of paleotemperature and paleosalinity. Our analysis provides a new framework for constraining paleosurface ocean environments from the geological record of deep-sea sediments. It shows that small shifts in salinity and temperature significantly affect the lithology of seafloor sediment. As deep-sea sediments represent the largest carbon sink on Earth these shifts need to be considered in the context of global ocean warming. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: ABSTRACT Olivine-hosted melt inclusions from four eruptions at Hekla volcano in Iceland were analyzed for their dissolved H 2 O, CO 2 , S and Cl contents. A positive correlation between the repose interval, magmatic evolution and volatile contents of magmas is revealed. H 2 O is the dominant volatile species; it behaves as an incompatible component, increasing in concentration over time as a result of fractional crystallization in the magma. The full suite of H 2 O contents ranges from a low of 0.80 wt. % in basaltic andesites to a maximum of 5.67 wt. % in rhyolites. Decreasing H 2 O/K 2 O at fixed major element compositions suggests that syn-eruptive degassing reduces H 2 O contents significantly. Hekla magmas are CO 2 poor, with very low concentrations present only in the most evolved compositions (∼20-30 ppm or less). The decrease in S content from basaltic andesite to rhyolite demonstrates that sulfide saturation is attained when the melt composition reaches basaltic andesite, resulting in the precipitation of pyrrhotite. Low CO 2 /Nb ratios suggest that vapor saturation is most likely reached during an early period of cooling and solidification in the crust. Fresh injections of mafic magma interact with previously solidified intrusives, producing new melts that are volatile-undersaturated. Vapor saturation pressures obtained using the most volatile-rich melt inclusions suggest the presence of a magma chamber at a minimum depth of ∼7 km. This is in agreement with geophysical observations from recent small-volume eruptions, but given the possibility of volatile-undersaturated melts, some of the magmas may reside at greater depths. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Zircon extracted from drilled oceanic rocks is increasingly used to answer geologic questions related to igneous and sedimentary sequences. Recent zircon studies using samples obtained from marine drill cores revealed that drilling muds used in the coring process may contaminate the samples. The JOIDES Resolution Science Operator of the International Ocean Discovery Program has been using two types of clays, sepiolite and attapulgite, which both have salt water viscosifier properties able to create a gel-like slurry that carries drill cuttings out of the holes several hundred meters deep. The dominantly used drilling mud is sepiolite originating from southwestern Nevada, USA. This sepiolite contains abundant zircon crystals with U-Pb ages ranging from 1.89 to 2889 Ma and continental trace element, δ 18 O, and εHf isotopic compositions. A dominant population of 11 to 16 Ma zircons in sepiolite drilling mud makes identification of contamination in drilled Neogene successions particularly challenging. Interpretation of zircon analyses related to ocean drilling should be cautious of zircon ages in violation of independently constrained age models and that have age populations overlapping those in the sepiolite. Because individual geochronologic and geochemical characteristics lack absolute discriminatory power, it is recommended to comprehensively analyze all dated zircon crystals from cores exposed to drill mud for trace element, δ 18 O, and εHf isotopic compositions. Zircon analyzed in situ (i.e., in petrographic sections) are assumed to be trustworthy. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We analyzed the dissolved rare earth element (REE) content of three water column profiles (two shelf sites and one deep basin site) in the Canada Basin in order to better constrain the behavior of REEs in the Arctic Ocean. Dissolved concentrations of the REEs in the surface are 1.3 to 1.9 times higher than deep water (〉500 m) concentrations, which are constant with depth (La: 19-23 pM, Nd: 14-17 pM, Yb: 4.0-4.3 pM). The dominant source of REEs to the surface waters of the Canada Basin is most likely Pacific water flowing through the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea and/or the Mackenzie River. Dissolved REEs in the intermediate and deep waters are constant and appear to behave conservatively, allowing us to investigate this aspect of REE behavior in the oceans. Calculated deep ocean residence times of the REEs in the Canada Basin range from 450-700 years and match the age of these waters. We postulate that these values are likely applicable to global deep ocean reservoirs and that observed deviations from this conservative value can help to constrain non-conservative processes acting on the REEs. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: To constrain the water circulation in subduction zones, the hydration rates of peridotites were investigated experimentally in fore-arc mantle conditions. Experiments were conducted at 400–580°C and 1.3 and 1.8 GPa, where antigorite is expected to form as a stable serpentine phase. Crushed powders of olivine ± orthopyroxene and orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene were reacted with 15 wt% distilled water for 4–19 days. The synthesized serpentine varieties were lizardite and aluminous lizardite (Al-lizardite) in all experimental conditions except those of 1.8 GPa and 580°C in the olivine + orthopyroxene system, in which antigorite was formed. In the olivine + orthopyroxene system, the reactions were interface-controlled except for the reaction at 400°C, which was transport-controlled. The corresponding reaction rates were 7.0 × 10 −12 −1.5 × 10 −11 m s −1 at 500–580°C and 7.5 × 10 −16 m 2 s −1 at 400°C for the interface- and transport-controlled reactions, respectively. Based on a simple reaction-transport model including these hydration rates, we infer that penetration of the slab-derived fluid all the way through a water-unsaturated fore-arc mantle is allowed only when focused flow occurs with a spacing larger than 77–229 km in hot subduction zones such as Nankai and Cascadia. However, the necessary spacing is only 2.3–4.6 m in intermediate-temperature subduction zones such as Kyushu and Costa Rica. These calculations imply that fluid leakage in hot subduction zones may occur after the fore-arc mantle is totally hydrated, whereas in intermediate-temperature subduction zones, leakage through a water-unsaturated fore-arc mantle may be facilitated. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Marine silicate weathering (MSiW) in anoxic sediments has been recently shown to be a significant sink for CO 2 generated by methanogenesis. Independently, the roles of clay dehydration (illitization) in producing water and driving upward fluid advection have been well established in deep marine sediments, but to date the K + source required for the reaction has not been established. Here we present chemical and strontium isotope properties of pore fluids from seven cores in the Ulleung Basin, which show radiogenic 87 Sr/ 86 Sr values (up to ∼0.71045), very high alkalinity values (maximum ∼130 mM), and enrichment in H 4 SiO 4 , Na + , K + , and Mg 2+ , consistent with MSiW. This reaction consumes CO 2 , generates alkalinity, and acts as a K + source for illitization; water released from MSiW-supported illitization drives upward fluid flow. Our results highlight the importance of MSiW along continental margins and its underappreciated role in carbon cycling, silicate diagenesis, and hydrogeology of marine systems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We use ALOS-1 Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar data spanning the period of 2007-2011 to obtain time-dependent ground deformation data over all of the volcanoes in Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. We detect deformation on or near the proximity of Galeras, Reventador, Tungurahua, Guagua Pichincha, Sangay, and Cerro Auquihuato volcanoes, uncovering previously undocumented deformation in the latter three. Deformation is attributed to changes in pressurization of the volcanic systems (Galeras, Tungurahua, Guagua Pichincha, and Cerro Auquihuato), subsidence associated with flow deposits (Reventador), and flank creep (Sangay). Our models suggest that the pressure sources are located at depths of ∼1 to 6 km from the surface, indicating that the measurable deformation within our data is restricted to shallow magma chambers and hydrothermal systems. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The generation, transport, and accumulation of tropospheric dust have changed with the paleoclimatic changes of the Quaternary Period. Such dust has accumulated in Japan ∼3000 km leeward of the source deserts in China. We analyzed the fractions of windblown fine quartz and bulk major and trace elements, and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions of loess in SW Japan deposited over the past 210 kyr. The results indicated extensive accumulation of tropospheric dust mixed with tephra fragments derived from the nearby Daisen volcano. The accumulation rate of fine quartz and selected elemental/isotopic compositions can be used as climatic proxies that reflect greater accumulation of dust in times of colder climate. Chemical indices for weathering show enhanced effects of weathering during times of warmer climate. The trace element compositions of the loess deposits are surprisingly similar to those of the Chinese loess, hemipelagic sediments in the Sea of Japan and the western Pacific Ocean, and the distal Chinese dust found in Canada. This similarity indicates that the loess dust shares major fractions of these fine-grained sediments, and that geochemical fractionation during the transport was limited. The Sr–Nd–Pb isotope compositions of the SW Japan loess indicate an origin predominantly in the Gobi Desert. The high-latitude Pacific sediments and high-latitude dust in Canada also show the same signature. However, isotopic compositions of samples from the southern Chinese loess plateau and mid- to low-latitude Pacific sediments are largely derived from the Taklimakan desert, which indicates different delivery pathways of the tropospheric dusts. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: While nascent oceanic lithosphere at slow- to fast spreading mid-ocean ridges (MOR) is relatively well studied, much less is known about the lithospheric structure and properties at ultraslow MORs. Here we present microearthquake data from a one-year ocean bottom seismometer deployment at the amagmatic, Oblique Supersegment of the ultraslow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge. A refraction seismic experiment was performed to constrain upper lithosphere P -velocities and results were used to construct a 1D-velocity model for earthquake location. Earthquake foci were located individually and subsequently relocated relative to each other to sharpen the image of seismically active structures. Frequent earthquake activity extends to 31 km beneath the sea floor, indicating an exceptionally thick brittle lithosphere and an undulating brittle-ductile transition that implies significant variations in the along-axis thermal structure of the lithosphere. We observe a strong relation between petrology, microseismicity distribution and topography along the ridge axis: Peridotite dominated areas associate with deepest hypocenters, vast volumes of lithosphere that deforms aseismically as a consequence of alteration and the deepest axial rift valley. Areas of basalt exposure correspond to shallower hypocenters, shallower and more rugged axial seafloor. Focal mechanisms deviate from pure extension and are spatially variable. Earthquakes form an undulating band of background seismicity and do not delineate discrete detachment faults as common on slow spreading ridges. Instead, the seismicity band sharply terminates to the south, immediately beneath the rift boundary. Considering the deep alteration, large steep boundary faults might be present but are entirely aseismic. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: This paper reports the first in situ magnetic hysteresis measurements of pseudo-single-domain (PSD) magnetite under high pressure up to 1 GPa. The magnetic hysteresis measurements of stoichiometric PSD magnetite samples under hydrostatic pressure were carried out using a piston-cylinder high-pressure cell, and the pressure dependence of the hysteresis parameters of PSD magnetite was calculated from the hysteresis curves. It was found that coercivity ( B c ) increases with increasing pressure as a quadratic function up to 1 GPa by ∼90%, which is different from the pressure dependences of B c of multidomain and single-domain magnetites. Coercivity of remanence also increases as a quadratic function, and saturation remanence ( M rs ) increases with pressure up to 0.5 GPa by ∼20% until reaching saturation. In contrast, saturation magnetization is constant up to 1 GPa. The approximate demagnetizing factor calculated from the ratio B c / M rs increases with increasing pressure, suggesting that the number of lamellar domains increases with increasing pressure. The number of lamellar domains and domain wall width are theoretically estimated to increase under high pressure due to the changes in magnetostriction, elastic, and magnetocrystalline anisotropy constants, and these changes in magnetic domain structure should relate to the changes in the magnetic properties of PSD magnetite. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Over the past 80 years, 8 M W 〉6.7 strike-slip earthquakes west of 40º longitude have ruptured the North Anatolian fault (NAF) from east to west. The series began with the 1939 Erzincan earthquake in eastern Turkey, and the most recent 1999 M W =7.4 Izmit earthquake extended the pattern of ruptures into the Sea of Marmara in western Turkey. The mean time between seismic events in this westward progression is 8.5±11 years (67% confidence interval), much greater than the timescale of seismic wave propagation (seconds to minutes). The delayed triggering of these earthquakes may be explained by the propagation of earthquake-generated diffusive viscoelastic fronts within the upper mantle that slowly increase the Coulomb failure stress change (ΔCFS) at adjacent hypocenters. Here we develop three-dimensional stress transfer models with an elastic upper crust coupled to a viscoelastic Burgers rheology mantle. Both the Maxwell ( η M =4x10 18 -1x10 19 Pa·s) and Kelvin ( η K =1x10 18 -1x10 19 Pa·s) viscosities are constrained by studies of geodetic observations before and after the 1999 Izmit earthquake. We combine this geodetically constrained rheological model with the observed sequence of large earthquakes since 1939 to calculate the time evolution of ΔCFS changes along the North Anatolian fault due to viscoelastic stress transfer. Apparent threshold values of mean ΔCFS at which the earthquakes in the eight decade sequence occur are between ∼0.02 to ∼3.15 MPa and may exceed the magnitude of static ΔCFS values by as much as 177%. By 2023, we infer that the mean time-dependent stress change along the northern NAF strand in the Marmara Sea near Istanbul, which may have previously ruptured in 1766, may reach the mean apparent time-dependent stress thresholds of the previous NAF earthquakes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Although most of volcanic hazard studies focus on magmatic eruptions, volcanic hazardous events can also occur when no migration of magma can be recognized. Examples are tectonic and hydrothermal unrest that may lead to phreatic eruptions. Recent events (e.g. Ontake eruption on September 2014) have demonstrated that phreatic eruptions are still hard to forecast, despite being potentially very hazardous. For these reasons, it is of paramount importance to identify indicators that define the condition of non-magmatic unrest, in particular for hydrothermal systems. Often, this type of unrest is driven by movement of fluids, requiring alternative monitoring setups, beyond the classical seismic-geodetic-geochemical architectures. Here we present a new version of the probabilistic BET (Bayesian Event Tree) model, specifically developed to include the forecasting of non-magmatic unrest and related hazards. The structure of the new event tree differs from the previous schemes by adding a specific branch to detail non-magmatic unrest outcomes. A further goal of this work consists in providing a user-friendly, open-access, and straightforward tool to handle the probabilistic forecast and visualize the results as possible support during a volcanic crisis. The new event tree and tool are here applied to Kawah Ijen stratovolcano, Indonesia, as exemplificative application. In particular, the tool is set on the basis of monitoring data for the learning period 2000-2010, and is then blindly applied to the test period 2010-2012, during which significant unrest phases occurred. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: In this study, we report the hydraulic properties of samples recovered from the first borehole of the Wenchuan earthquake Fault Scientific Drilling and from outcrops associated with the surface rupture zone of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake. Compositional and microstructural analyses have also been performed on selected samples. Using the pore pressure oscillation method, the permeability measurements show that 1) fault gouge samples have low permeabilities, decreasing from 2 × 10 −18 m 2 at an effective pressure ( P e ) of 10 MPa (equivalent to an in-situ depth of 600 m) to 9 × 10 −21 m 2 at 155 MPa. 2) Intact and cemented samples are impermeable with permeabilities less than 2 × 10 −20 m 2 at 10 MPa. 3) Fractured samples have variable permeabilities, ranging from 3 × 10 −15 to 1 × 10 −20 m 2 at 10 MPa, and are most insensitive to changes in the effective pressure. 4) Granitic cataclasites have a moderate permeability at low pressure (i.e. 10 −16 – 10 −17 m 2 at 10 MPa); which decreases rapidly with increasing P e . Hydraulic conduction of the fault is believed to be influenced by the permeability of the fractures developed, which is controlled by the density, aperture and/or connectivity of the fractures. Microstructural and compositional analyses of the samples indicate that the fault zone heals through chemically-mediated fracture closure related to mineral precipitation, possibly assisted by pressure solution of stressed fracture asperities. Although other weakening mechanisms remain possible, our lab measurements combined with numerical modeling reveal that thermal/thermochemical pressurization, perhaps leading to gouge fluidization, played an important role in the dynamic weakening of the Wenchuan earthquake, at least in the study area. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Till from moraines at the heads of six major outlet glaciers in the Transantarctic Mountains (TAM) and from till beneath three West Antarctic ice streams have a ubiquitous zircon U-Pb age population spanning the time of the Ross/Pan-African Orogenies (610-475 Ma). Geo- and thermochronology of detrital minerals in these Antarctic glacial tills reveal two different thermal histories for the central and southern TAM. Double-dating of the zircons reveals a geographically widespread (U-Th)/He (ZHe) population of 180-130 Ma in most of the till samples. Sandstone outcrops at Shackleton Glacier, and three Beacon Supergroup sandstone clasts from three moraines, have ZHe ages that fall entirely within this range. The similar population and proximity of many of the till samples to Beacon outcrops lead us to suggest that this extensive ZHe population in the tills is derived from Beacon Supergroup rocks and reflects the thermal response of the Beacon Basin to the breakup of Gondwana. A second population of older (〉200 Ma) ZHe ages in tills at the head of Byrd, Nimrod and Reedy Glaciers. For the tills at the head of the Nimrod and Byrd Glacier, integrating the double-dated zircon results with 40 Ar/ 39 Ar of hornblende, muscovite and biotite, and U-Pb and (U-Th-Sm)/He double-dates on apatite yields a typical pattern of early rapid orogenic cooling (∼4-10˚C/my) 590-475 Ma after the emplacement of the Granite Harbour Intrusives. Low temperature thermochronometers at these sites yield variable but quite old ages (ZHe 480-70 Ma and AHe 200-70 Ma) that require a long history at low temperature. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Deciphering the petrogenesis of andesitic/dioritic rocks is fundamental to understanding the formation of the continental crust. Here we present detailed petrology, geochronology, major and trace element, Sr–Nd–Hf–O isotope data for the Early Cretaceous (ca. 122 Ma) dioritic rocks in the Bizha area in southern Qiangtang, Tibet. The dioritic rocks are characterized by large ion lithophile elements, Pb and light rare earth elements but depletion of high field strength elements with slightly enriched and variable εNd(t) values of -0.01 to -3.31 and initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr isotopic ratios of 0.7053 to 0.7062. They also have variable magmatic zircon Hf-O isotope compositions (εHf(t) = -5.3 to +3.6 and δ 18 O = +7.3 to +9.5 ‰). Combined with contemporary andesitic lavas in southern Qiangtang, we suggest that the intermediate magmatic rocks in this area were most probably derived by partial melting of a subduction mélange, which is a mixture of mid-oceanic ridge basalts (MORBs), sediments and mantle wedge peridotites, formed along the interface between the subducted slab and the overlying mantle wedge in a subduction channel before ∼ 124 Ma. The mélange diapir melting was triggered by the asthenospheric upwelling and hot corner flow caused by roll-back of the northward subducted Bangong-Nujiang oceanic slab during the Early Cretaceous. The Early Cretaceous intermediate magmatic rocks in southern Qiangtang have an overall continental crust-like andesitic composition. Therefore, partial melting of mélange provides an important support for the generation of andesitic magmas in continental arcs and the “andesite model” for crustal growth. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Here we propose a new framework for forearc evolution that focuses on the potential feedbacks between subduction tectonics, sedimentation, and geomorphology that take place during an extreme event of subduction erosion. These feedbacks can lead to the creation of a”depositionary forearc”, a forearc structure that extends the traditional division of forearcs into accretionary or erosive subduction margins by demonstrating a mode of rapid basin accretion during an erosive event at a subduction margin. A depositionary mode of forearc evolution occurs when terrigenous sediments are deposited directly on the forearc while it is being removed from below by subduction erosion. In the most extreme case, an entire forearc can be removed by a single subduction erosion event followed by depositionary replacement without involving transfer of sediments from the incoming plate. We need to further recognize that subduction forearcs are often shaped by interactions between slow, long-term processes and sudden extreme events reflecting the sudden influences of large-scale morphological variations in the incoming plate. Both types of processes contribute to the large-scale architecture of the forearc, with extreme events associated with a replacive depositionary mode that rapidly creates sections of a typical forearc margin. The persistent upward diversion of the megathrust is likely to affect its geometry, frictional nature, and hydrogeology. Therefore, the stresses along the fault and individual earthquake rupture characteristics are also expected to be more variable in these erosive systems than in systems with long-lived megathrust surfaces. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Chemical erosion contributes solutes to oceans, influencing atmospheric CO 2 and thus global climate via the greenhouse effect. Quantifying how chemical erosion rates vary with climate and tectonics is therefore vital to understanding feedbacks that have maintained Earth's environment within a habitable range over geologic time. If chemical erosion rates are strongly influenced by the availability of fresh minerals for dissolution, then there should be strong connections between climate, which is modulated by chemical erosion, and tectonic uplift, which supplies fresh minerals to Earth's surface. This condition, referred to as supply-limited chemical erosion, implies strong tectonic control of chemical erosion rates. It differs from kinetic-limited chemical erosion, in which dissolution kinetics and thus climatic factors are the dominant regulators of chemical erosion rates. Here we present a statistical method for determining whether chemical erosion of silicate-rich bedrock is supply-limited or kinetic-limited, as an approach for revealing the relative importance of tectonics and climate in Earth's silicate weathering thermostat. We applied this method to published datasets of mineral supply rates and regolith chemical depletion, and were unable to reject the null hypothesis that chemical erosion is supply-limited in eight of sixteen cases. In seven of the remaining eight cases, we found behavior that is closer to supply-limited than kinetic-limited, suggesting that tectonics may often dominate over climate in regulating chemical erosion rates. However, statistical power analysis shows that new measurements across a wider range of supply rates are needed to help quantify feedbacks between climate and tectonics in Earth's long-term climatic evolution. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Heat flow analysis of the Costa Rica convergent margin is carried out for seven sites drilled during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expeditions 334 and 344 as part of the Costa Rica Seismogenesis Project (CRISP). These expeditions are designed to better understand erosional subduction zones. Heat flow measurements were made to improve estimates of the thermal structure of this erosive margin and are located on the incoming plate, toe, lower, middle, and upper slopes of the margin. Heat flow values corrected for the effects of seafloor bathymetry and sedimentation are on average 15% higher than uncorrected values and range from approximately 158 to 200 mW/m 2 on the incoming plate to values of approximately 50 mW/m 2 on the middle and upper slopes of the margin. These values are consistent with previous estimates of heat flow showing a landward decrease in heat flow consistent with the subduction the Cocos plate. Preferred thermal models of the shallow subduction zone successfully predicting observed values of heat flow incorporate fluid flow within the upper oceanic aquifer have an uppermost permeability of 10 −9.5 m 2 and a plate boundary effective coefficient of friction of 0.06. These models suggest that temperatures on the subduction thrust reach 100° C at distances between 30 and 35 km landward of the deformation front. The updip limit of seismicity, as defined by aftershocks events of M L 1-4 recorded following the Mw 6.9 Quepos earthquake, occurs at 25 km landward of the deformation front at temperatures cooler than the 100-150°C typically predicted. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The abundance and isotopic compositions of volatile elements trapped in fluid inclusions of submarine hydrothermal mineral deposits in Western Pacific subduction zones (Okinawa Trough, Izu-Bonin arc, Mariana Trough, and Lau Basin) and in Kuroko ores in northeastern Japan are presented. The helium isotopic compositions corrected for air contribution of the Okinawa and Mariana troughs, ranging 4.49Ra-7.68Ra are lower than those of the Izu-Bonin and Lau Basin, 7.62Ra-8.91 Ra. This characteristic might reflect the differences in regional tectonic setting. The Okinawa and Mariana troughs are related to back-arc spreading with strong graben sedimentary signature, whereas the Izu-Bonin arc is associated with island arc magmatism. The arc contribution to the Lau Basin volcanism is significantly strong, even though it is assigned to back-arc spreading. Nitrogen isotopes can also be explained by a similar hypothesis, whereas argon and carbon isotopes cannot be used to discriminate tectonic setting. δ 13 C–CO 2 / 3 He and δ 15 N–N 2 / 36 Ar diagrams elucidate the source of carbon and nitrogen. The MOR-type mantle contributions to carbon are mostly smaller in the Okinawa and Mariana troughs (ranging 0.06-8.9% with the average of 2.4%) than in the Izu-Bonin and Lau Basin (2.1-25% with the average of 7.7%). The sedimentary contributions to nitrogen are larger in the Okinawa and Mariana troughs (11-65% with the average of 35%) than in the Izu-Bonin and Lau Basin (4-24% with the average of 15%), and the Kuroko samples agree well with the latter. Carbon and nitrogen fluxes are again higher in Okinawa trough than in Izu-Bonin arc. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The Tian Shan is a tectonically complex intracontinental orogenic belt situated between the Tarim Basin and the Kazakh Shield. The vast majority of the previous SWS measurements were presented as station averages, which are only valid when the anisotropy structure can be approximated by a single layer of anisotropy with a horizontal axis of symmetry, i.e., a model of simple anisotropy. A variety of anisotropy-forming hypotheses have been proposed based on the station-averaged measurements. In this study, we measure the splitting parameters at 25 stations that recorded high-quality data from a wide back-azimuthal range for the purpose of identifying and characterizing complex anisotropy. Among the 25 stations, 15 of them show systematic azimuthal variations in the observed splitting parameters with a 90° periodicity that is consistent with a model of 2-layered anisotropy. The fast orientations of the upper layer range from 50° to 90° measured clockwise from the north, which are subparallel to the strike of the orogenic belt, and the splitting times are between 0.9-1.9 s. The corresponding values for the lower layer are -45° to -85° and 1.2-2.2 s, respectively. The remaining 10 stations demonstrate azimuthally invariant splitting parameters with strike-parallel fast orientations, and can be represented by a single layer of anisotropy with a horizontal axis of symmetry. We propose that the strike-parallel anisotropy is caused by lithospheric shortening, and anisotropy in the lower layer is associated with WNW-ward flow of asthenospheric material sandwiched between the subducting Tarim lithosphere and the thick Kazakh lithospheric root. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The editorial and scientific publishing process relies on the sustained work of volunteer reviewers, and evaluating the inter-disciplinary and broad interest papers published in G-Cubed can be a particular challenge. As editors and associated editors, we are therefore hugely appreciative of the efforts of our reviewers, and would like to thank and acknowledge them in this editorial. G-Cubed published 252 manuscripts out of 472 submissions in 2015, and for this we were able to rely on the efforts of 712 dedicated reviewers. Their names are listed below, in italics those 41 who provided three or more reviews (!). A big thank you from the G-Cubed team! This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: ABSTRACT The complex geodynamic evolution of Aeolian Arc in the southern Tyrrhenian Sea resulted in melts with some of the most pronounced along the arc geochemical variation in incompatible trace elements and radiogenic isotopes worldwide, likely reflecting variations in arc magma source components. Here we elucidate the effects of subducted components on magma sources along different sections of the Aeolian Arc by evaluating systematics of elements depleted in the upper mantle but enriched in the subducting slab, focusing on a new set of B, Be, As, and Li measurements. Based on our new results, we suggest that both hydrous fluids and silicate melts were involved in element transport from the subducting slab to the mantle wedge. Hydrous fluids strongly influence the chemical composition of lavas in the central arc (Salina) while a melt component from subducted sediments probably plays a key role in metasomatic reactions in the mantle wedge below the peripheral islands (Stromboli). We also noted similarities in subducting components between the Aeolian Archipelago, the Phlegrean Fields and other volcanic arcs/arc segments around the world (e.g. Sunda, Cascades, Mexican Volcanic Belt). We suggest that the presence of melt components in all these locations resulted from an increase in the mantle wedge temperature by inflow of hot asthenospheric material from tears/windows in the slab or from around the edges of the sinking slab. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Combining multi-channel seismic reflection and gravity modeling, this study has investigated the crustal structure of the northwestern South China Sea margin. These data constrain a hyper-extended crustal area bounded by basin-bounding faults corresponding to an aborted rift below the Xisha Trough with a sub-parallel fossil ridge in the adjacent Northwest Sub-basin. The thinnest crust is located in the Xisha Trough, where it is remnant lower crust with a thickness of less than 3 km. Gravity modeling also revealed a hyper-extended crust across the Xisha Trough. The post-rift magmatism is well developed and more active in the Xisha Trough and farther southeast than on the northwestern continental margin of the South China Sea; and the magmatic intrusion/extrusion was relatively active during the rifting of Xisha Trough and the Northwest Sub-basin. A narrow continent-ocean transition zone with a width of ∼ 65 km bounded seawards by a volcanic buried seamount is characterized by crustal thinning, rift depression, low gravity anomaly and the termination of the break-up unconformity seismic reflection. The aborted rift near the continental margin means that there may be no obvious detachment fault like that in the Iberia-Newfoundland type margin. The symmetric rift, extreme hyper-extended continental crust and hotter mantle materials indicate that continental crust underwent stretching phase (pure-shear deformation), thinning phase and breakup followed by onset of seafloor spreading and the mantle-lithosphere may break up before crustal-necking in the northwestern South China Sea margin. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We present continental-scale seismic isotropic and anisotropic imaging of shear wave upper-mantle structure of tectonically diversified terranes creating the European continent. Taking into account the 36-200 s period range of surface waves enables us to model the deep subcontinental structure at different vertical scale-lengths down to 300 km. After very strict quality selection criteria, we have obtained phase wavespeeds at different periods for fundamental Rayleigh and Love modes from about 9000 three-component seismograms. Dispersion measurements are performed by using Fourier-domain waveform inversion technique named 'roller-coaster-type' algorithm. We used the reference model with a varying average crustal structure for each source-station path. That procedure led to significant improvement of the quality and number of phase wavespeed dispersion measurements compared to the common approach of using a reference model with one average crustal structure. Surface wave dispersion data are inverted at depth for retrieving isotropy and anisotropy parameters. The fast axis directions related to azimuthal anisotropy at different depths constitute a rich database for geodynamical interpretations. Shear wave anomalies of the horizontal dimension larger than 200 km are imaged in our models. They correlate with tectonic provinces of varying age-provenance. Different anisotropy patterns are observed along the most distinctive feature on our maps - the bordering zone between the Palaeozoic and Precambrian Europe. We discuss the depth changes of the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary along the profiles crossing the chosen tectonic units of different origin and age: Fennoscandia, East European Craton, Anatolia, Mediterranean subduction zones. Within the flat and stable cratonic lithosphere, we find traces of the mid-lithospheric discontinuity. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Ground thermal anomalies in volcanic-hydrothermal systems, where the outflow of hot fluids gives rise to fumarolic fields, soil degassing and hot soils, have, up to now, rarely been investigated by using satellite. Here we report a comparison between surface temperature derived by satellite data and a large dataset of measured soil temperatures and CO 2 fluxes for a volcanic-hydrothermal system, the Solfatara of Pozzuoli (Campi Flegrei, Italy). Surface temperatures derived from ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer) data are compared with soil temperatures and CO 2 fluxes from four surveys performed in 2003, 2010 and in 2014. The good match between the spatial distributions of computed and measured temperatures suggests the adequacy of satellite data to describe the Solfatara thermal anomaly, while the correspondence between temperatures and CO 2 fluxes, evidences the link between degassing and heating processes. The ASTER derived surface temperatures (14 - 37°C) are coherent with those measured in the soil (10 - 97°C at 10 cm depth), considering the effect of the thermal gradients which characterize the degassing area of Solfatara. This study shows that satellite data can be a very powerful tool with which to study surface thermal anomalies, and can provide a supplementary tool to monitor thermal evolution of restless volcanoes. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: ABSTRACT This study reports the first detailed geochemical characterization of Kolumbo submarine volcano in order to investigate the role of source heterogeneity in controlling geochemical variability within the Santorini volcanic field in the central Aegean arc. Kolumbo, situated 15 km to the northeast of Santorini, last erupted in 1650 AD and is thus closely associated with the Santorini volcanic system in space and time. Samples taken by remotely-operated vehicle that were analyzed for major element, trace element and Sr-Nd-Hf-Pb isotope composition include the 1650 AD and underlying K2 rhyolitic, enclave-bearing pumices that are nearly identical in composition (73 wt. % SiO 2 , 4.2 wt. % K 2 O). Lava bodies exposed in the crater and enclaves are basalts to andesites (52-60 wt. % SiO 2 ). Biotite and amphibole are common phenocryst phases, in contrast with the typically anhydrous mineral assemblages of Santorini. The strong geochemical signature of amphibole fractionation and the assimilation of lower crustal basement in the petrogenesis of the Kolumbo magmas indicates that Kolumbo and Santorini underwent different crustal differentiation histories and that their crustal magmatic systems are unrelated. Moreover, the Kolumbo samples are derived from a distinct, more enriched mantle source that is characterized by high Nb/Yb (〉3) and low 206 Pb/ 204 Pb (〈18.82) that has not been recognized in the Santorini volcanic products. The strong dissimilarity in both petrogenesis and inferred mantle sources between Kolumbo and Santorini suggests that pronounced source variations can be manifested in arc magmas that are closely associated in space and time within a single volcanic field. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Global water cycles, ecosystem assemblages and weathering rates were impacted by the ∼4°C of global warming that took place over the course of the last glacial termination. Fossil groundwaters can be useful indicators of late-Pleistocene precipitation isotope compositions, which, in turn, can help to test hypotheses about the drivers and impacts of glacial-interglacial climate changes. Here, a global catalog of 128 fossil groundwater records is used to interpolate late-Pleistocene precipitation δ 18 O across the global landmass. The interpolated data show that extratropical late-Pleistocene terrestrial precipitation was near uniformly depleted in 18 O relative to the late Holocene. By contrast, tropical δ 18 O responses to deglacial warming diverged; late-Pleistocene δ 18 O was higher-than-modern across India and South China but lower-than-modern throughout much of northern and southern Africa. Groundwaters that recharged beneath large northern hemisphere ice sheets have different Holocene-Pleistocene δ 18 O relationships than paleowaters that recharged subaerially, potentially aiding reconstructions of englacial transport in paleo ice sheets. Global terrestrial late-Pleistocene precipitation δ 18 O maps may help to map 3D groundwater age distributions, constrain Pleistocene mammal movements, and better understand glacial climate dynamics. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: We quantitatively explore element redistribution at subduction zones using numerical mass balance models to evaluate the roles of the subduction zone filter in the Earth's geochemical cycle. Our models of slab residues after arc magma genesis differ from previous ones by being internally consistent with geodynamic models of modern arcs that successfully explain arc magma genesis, and include element fluxes from the dehydration/melting of each underlying slab component. We assume that the mantle potential temperature ( T p ) was 1400–1650°C at 3.5–1.7 Ga and gradually decreased to 1300–1350°C today. Hot subduction zones with T p ∼1650°C have a thermal structure like modern SW Japan where high-Mg andesite is formed that is chemically like continental crust. After 2.5–1.7 Gyr of storage in the mantle, the residual igneous oceanic crust from hot subduction zones can evolve isotopically to the HIMU mantle component, the residual base of the mantle wedge to EMI, the residual sediment becomes an essential part of EMII, and the residual top of the mantle wedge can become the subcontinental lithosphere component. The Common or Focal Zone component is a stable mixture of the first three residues occasionally mixed with early depleted mantle. Slab residue that recycled earlier (∼2.5 Ga) form the DUPAL anomaly in the southern hemisphere, whereas residues of more recent recycling (∼1.7 Ga) underlie the northern hemisphere. These ages correspond to major continental crust forming events. The east-west heterogeneity of the depleted upper mantle involves sub continental mantle except in the Pacific. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Kawakatsu and Abe [2016] have highlighted the potential complicating effect of sediment reverberations on the analysis and interpretation of crust and mantle phases inferred from receiver functions analyzed from ocean-bottom seismograms. In their comment, they identify resonant peaks in the power spectrum at one of the stations, T06 , in the analysis of [ Olugboji et al ., 2016], and demonstrate with synthetic modeling how sediment-induced resonances can cause instability in the recovered receiver-function (RF) traces. They also request a detailed explanation of how LQT rotation is conducted, and why its use leads to stable receiver functions in the analysis of Olugboji et al . [2016]. We welcome this query as an opportunity to highlight certain technical aspects of the data-analysis procedures used in Olugboji et al [2016]. Our methods derive partly from methods recommended by previous studies of receiver functions estimated from seismic seafloor data [ Bostock and Trehu , 2012; Janiszewski and Abers , 2015; Audet , 2016], particularly the use of the modal wavefield decomposition [e.g., Reading et al , 2003]) (which we approximated by the LQT rotation) to suppress reverberation signals in the overlying water column [ Bostock and Trehu , 2012]. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Turbiditic events are mostly avoided in paleomagnetic studies and therefore their remanence and magnetic properties are poorly described. Turbidites are exempt of bioturbation and potentially provide pertinent information about depositional remanence. We studied four quaternary turbidites of different origins in marine sediment cores. Upward fining of both magnetic and sedimentary fractions indicates that coarser grains reached the bottom first. We observe a progressive shallowing of the magnetic inclinations between the upper and bottom layers of the turbidites that increases with the size of the events and obeys a simple linear scaling law. Measurements of magnetic anisotropy suggest that hydrodynamic conditions prevailing during deposition seem to be dominant for the alignment of the magnetic grains. We suggest that small spherical grains are randomly oriented with zero resultant magnetization in presence of strong turbulent conditions, while the alignment of elongated grains is constrained by the competition between gravity and magnetic forces. A possible scenario is that under turbulent conditions they tend to rest at the bottom with their long axes parallel to the sediment surface and therefore with shallow inclinations, whereas weakly turbulent conditions like during the smallest (26 cm thick) event do not disturb the magnetic alignment and therefore do not generate inclination shallowing. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: How and how much the mass of juvenile magma is split between vent-derived tephra, PDC deposits and lavas (i.e. mass partition) is related to eruption dynamics and style. Estimating such mass partitioning budgets may reveal important for hazard evaluation purposes. We calculated the volume of each product emplaced during the August 2006 paroxysmal eruption of Tungurahua volcano (Ecuador) and converted it into masses using high-resolution grainsize, componentry and density data. This dataset is one of the first complete descriptions of mass partitioning associated with a VEI 3 andesitic event. The scoria fall deposit, near-vent agglutinate and lava flow include 28, 16 and 12 wt. % of the erupted juvenile mass, respectively. Much (44 wt. %) of the juvenile material fed Pyroclastic Density Currents (i.e dense flows, dilute surges and co-PDC plumes), highlighting that tephra fall deposits do not depict adequately the size and fragmentation processes of moderate PDC-forming event. The main parameters controlling the mass partitioning are the type of magmatic fragmentation, conditions of magma ascent, and crater area topography. Comparisons of our dataset with other PDC-forming eruptions of different style and magma composition suggest that moderate andesitic eruptions are more prone to produce PDCs, in proportions, than any other eruption type. This finding may be explained by the relatively low magmatic fragmentation efficiency of moderate andesitic eruptions. These mass partitioning data reveal important trends that may be critical for hazard assessment, notably at frequently active andesitic edifices. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: Core disturbance, drilling overprints, post-depositional acquisition of remanence, authigenic growth of magnetic iron sulfides, and alteration all contribute challenges to recognizing the primary magnetostratigraphy in marine sediments. We address these issues in a sequence of tuffaceous muds and volcaniclastics at International Ocean Discovery Program Site U1437 and produce the longest continuous magnetic polarity stratigraphy in the history of scientific ocean drilling. Remanence measurements were filtered to remove intervals affected by fluidization, plastic sediment disturbance, and core biscuiting. Drilling overprints are concentrated in the disturbed annulus surrounding intact core material. Bioturbation was limited to a vertical extent of at most 15 cm. Changes in sediment color, stiffness, and magnetic hysteresis all suggest that remanence was locked in within a few meters of the sediment–water interface. We did not observe any systematic offset between magnetostratigraphic and biostratigraphic datums. Authigenic growth of greigite, in response to both initial sulfate reduction in the upper 50 m of the sediment column and to deeper resupply of sulfate, has led to magnetic overprinting. Anomalous polarity artefacts, extending 〈5 m and occurring within about 20 m below a real polarity transition, appear to be due to a chemical remanence acquired by greigite produced during early diagenesis. Diagenetic magnetic mineral alteration resulted in the progressive loss of fine-grained magnetite, which enhanced susceptibility to drilling and post-drilling overprints and increased the resistance of these overprints to removal by conventional demagnetization. We recovered the magnetostratigraphic record from many samples with resistant overprints through low-temperature demagnetization through the Verwey transition. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Description: The high elevation of the Southern Puna Plateau, the widespread melting of its crust, the gap in intermediate depth seismicity and the recent eruptions of ignimbrite complexes can be explained by delamination of the lithospheric mantle beneath it. To test this hypothesis, an array consisting of 73 broad band and short period seismic stations was deployed in the region for a period of two years starting in 2007. We inverted the data using the two plane wave approach and obtained 1D and 3D Rayleigh wave phase velocities. Our dispersion curve shows that at short periods (〈70 s) the phase velocities are slightly higher than those of the Tibetan plateau and lower than those of the Anatolian plateau. At periods of 100-140 s we observe a low velocity zone that might be remnant hot asthenosphere below a flat slab (7-10 Ma). We estimate the average continental lithosphere thickness for the region to be between 100 and 130 km. Our three dimensional Rayleigh wave phase velocities show a high velocity anomaly at low frequencies (0.007, 0.008 and 0.009 Hz) slightly to the north of Cerro Galan. This would be consistent with the hypothesis of delamination in which a piece of lithosphere has detached and caused upwelling of hot asthenosphere which in turn caused widespread alkaline-collision related volcanism. This interpretation is also corroborated by our shear wave velocity model where a high velocity anomaly beneath the northern edge of Cerro Galan at 130 km depth is interpreted as the delaminated block on top of the subducting Nazca slab.

Description: Chlorine isotope compositions of high-pressure (~2.3 GPa) serpentinite, rodingite, and hydrothermally altered oceanic crust (AOC) differ significantly from high- and ultrahigh-pressure (〉3.2 GPa) metasedimentary rocks in the Aosta region, Italy. Texturally early serpentinites, rodingites, and AOC have bulk δ 37 Cl values indistinguishable from those of modern seafloor analogues (δ 37 Cl = -1.0 to +1.0‰). In contrast, serpentinites and AOC samples that recrystallized during exhumation have low δ 37 Cl values (-2.7 to -0.5‰); 37 Cl depletion correlates with progressive changes in bulk chemistry. HP/UHP metasediments have low δ 37 Cl values (median = -2.5‰) that differ statistically from modern marine sediments (median = -0.6‰). Cl in metasedimentary rocks is concentrated in texturally early minerals, indicating modification of seafloor compositions early in the subduction history. The data constrain fluid sources during both subduction- and exhumation-related phases of fluid-rock interaction: (1) Marine sediments at the top of the downgoing plate likely interacted with isotopically light pore fluids from the accretionary wedge in the early stages of subduction. (2) No pervasive interaction with externally derived fluid occurred during subsequent subduction to the maximum depths of burial. (3) Localized mixing between serpentinites and fluids released by previously isotopically modified metasediments occurred during exhumation in the subduction channel. Most samples, however, preserved protolith signatures during subduction to near-arc depths.

Description: We have measured Ni, Ca, and Mn in olivine phenocrysts from volcanoes in the Galápagos Archipelago to infer the mantle source lithologies. Results show that peridotite is the dominant source lithology for Fernandina, Floreana, Genovesa, Wolf Island, and Darwin Island. These volcanoes largely characterize the PLUME, WD, FLO and DUM Nd, Sr, and Pb isotopic endmembers of Harpp and White (2001). Volcan Wolf, Alcedo, Marchena, and Cerro Azul, also produced from the melting of peridotite sources, have isotopic compositions that can be defined by mixing of the 4 isotopic endmembers. Our analysis suggests that peridotite was present in the sources of the volcanoes covered in this study and therefore is the dominant source lithology of the Galápagos plume. Pyroxenite melting is generally focused in two isotopically distinct domains: Roca Redonda, Volcan Ecuador, and Sierra Negra in the enriched western part of the archipelago, and Santiago, Santa Cruz, and Santa Fe in the depleted east. One implication of this finding is that the Western and Eastern Pyroxenite Domains represent two separate bodies of recycled crust within the Galápagos mantle plume. Furthermore, both isotopically enriched and depleted domains of the archipelago were generated from mixtures of peridotite and pyroxenite. This suggests that there is no relationship between the source lithology of the Galápagos plume and its isotopic characteristics. The identification of peridotite source melting in volcanoes with isotopic characteristics that have been attributed to recycled crust points to the importance of mixing in OIB genesis, consistent with studies in the Canary Islands.

Description: Paleomagnetic analysis and radiocarbon dating of an expanded Holocene deep-sea sediment sequence recovered by Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 303 from Labrador Sea Site U1305 (Lat: 57°28.5 N, Long. 48°31.8 W, water depth 3459 m) provides insights into mechanisms that drive both paleomagnetic secular variation (PSV) and magnetization acquisition in deep-sea sediments. Seventeen radiocarbon dates on planktonic foraminifera define postglacial (c. 8 ka) sedimentation rates as ranging from 35 to 〉 90 cm/kyr. Alternating field (AF) demagnetization of u-channel samples show that these homogeneous sediments preserve a strong, stable, and consistently well-defined component magnetization. Normalized remanence records pass reliability criteria for relative paleointensity (RPI) estimates. Assuming that the age of magnetization is most accurately defined by well dated PSV records with the highest sedimentation rates, allows us to estimate and correct for temporal offsets at Site U1305 interpreted to result from post-depositional remanence acquisition at a depth of ~ 20 cm. Comparisons indicate that the northern North Atlantic PSV and RPI records are more consistent with European than North American records, and the evolution of virtual geomagnetic poles (VGP) are temporally and longitudinally similar to global reconstructions, though with much larger latitudinal variation. The largest deviations from a geocentric axial dipole (GAD) are observed during times of the highest intensities, in contrast to the usual assumption. These observations are consistent with the idea that PSV in the North Atlantic and elsewhere during the Holocene results from temporal oscillations of high latitude flux concentrations at a few recurrent locations.

Description: The conditions permitting mantle serpentinization during continental rifting are explored within 2D thermotectonostratigraphic basin models, which track the rheological evolution of the continental crust, account for sediment blanketing effects, and allow for kinetically controlled mantle serpentinization processes. The basic idea is that the entire extending continental crust has to be brittle for crustal scale faulting and mantle serpentinization to occur [ Perez-Gussinye and Reston , 2001]. The isostatic and latent heat effects of the reaction are fully coupled to the structural and thermal solutions. A systematic parameter study shows that a critical stretching factor exists for which complete crustal embrittlement and serpentinization occurs. Increased sedimentation rates shift this critical stretching factor to higher values as sediment blanketing effects result in higher crustal temperatures. Sediment supply has therefore, through the temperature-dependence of the viscous flow laws, strong control on crustal strength and mantle serpentinization reactions are only likely when sedimentation rates are low and stretching factors high. In a case study for the Norwegian margin we test whether the inner lower crustal bodies (LCB) imaged beneath the Møre and Vøring margin could be serpentinized mantle. Multiple 2D transects have been reconstructed through the 3D data set by Scheck-Wenderoth and Maystrenko [2011]. We find that serpentinization reactions are possible and likely during the Jurassic rift phase. Predicted thicknesses and locations of partially serpentinized mantle rocks fit to information on LCBs from seismic and gravity data. We conclude that some of the inner LCBs beneath the Norwegian margin may be partially serpentinized mantle.

Description: The origin of the Bermuda swell and volcanism remains enigmatic. The lack of an associated time-progressive hotspot track and absence of present-day volcanic activity make it difficult to reconcile with a deep mantle plume model. We analyze shear wave splitting measurements to estimate mantle flow direction and receiver function stacks to place constraints on the mantle transition zone thermal structure. *KS phases exhibit well-resolved null arrivals (no splitting) beneath the swell over a range of back azimuths. We find that the 410 and 660 km discontinuities are 49 ± 5 km and 19 ± 5 km deeper than the global average, respectively, leading to a transition zone thickness that is 27 ± 4 km thinner than average. Together, an apparently isotropic upper mantle and a thinned mantle transition zone suggest that mantle flow is primarily vertical beneath the swell, consistent with the presence of hot, buoyant mantle at depth.

Description: We present an improved density model and a new structural map of the Neapolitan Yellow Tuff caldera, the active portion of the nested Campi Flegrei caldera. The model was built using a new 3D inversion of the available high-precision gravity data, and a new digital terrain and marine model. The inversion procedure, based on a variable-depth lumped assembling of the subsurface gravity distribution via cell aggregation, gives better defined insights into the internal caldera architecture, that well agree with the available geological, geophysical and geochemical data. The adopted 3D gravity method is highly efficient for characterizing the shallow caldera structure (down to 3 km depth) and defining features related to regional or volcano tectonic lineaments and dynamics. In particular, the resulting density distribution highlights a pronounced density low in correspondence of the central portion of the caldera with a detail not available till now. The joint interpretation of the available data, suggests a subsurface structural setting that supports a piecemeal collapse of the caldera, and allows the identification of its headwall. Positive gravity anomalies localize dense intrusions (presently covered by late volcanic deposits) along the caldera marginal faults, and the main structural lineaments both bordering the resurgent block and cutting the caldera floor. These results allow us to both refine the current geological-structural framework and propose a new structural map that highlights the caldera boundary and its internal setting. This map is useful to interpret the phenomena occurring during unrest, and to improve both short- and long-term volcanic hazards assessment.

Description: Catastrophic collapses of submarine volcanoes have the potential to generate major tsunami, threatening many coastal populations. Recognizing the difficulties surrounding anticipations of these events, quantitative assessment of collapse-prone regions based on detailed morphological, geological and geophysical mapping can still provide important information about the hazards associated with these collapses. Rumble III is one of the shallowest, and largest, submarine volcanoes found along the Kermadec arc, and is both volcanically and hydrothermally active. Previous surveys have delineated major collapse features at Rumble III; based on time-lapse bathymetry, dramatic changes in the volcano morphology have been shown to have occurred over the interval 2007 to 2009. Furthermore, this volcano is located just ˜300 km from the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand. Here, we present a geophysical model for Rumble III, that provides the locations and sizes of potential weak regions of this volcano. Shipborne and near-seafloor geological and geophysical data collected by the AUV Sentry are used to determine the subsurface distribution of weak and unstable volcanic rocks. The resulting model provides evidence for potentially unstable areas located in the Southeastern flank of this volcano which should be included in future hazard predictions.

Description: Broadband seismic experiments over the last two decades have produced dense data coverage across Tibet. Yet, the mechanism of the India-Asia lithospheric convergence beneath it remains a puzzle, with even its basic features debated and with very different end-member models advocated today. We measured highly accurate Rayleigh- and Love-wave phase-velocity curves in broad period ranges (up to 5-200 s) for a few tens of pairs and groups of stations across Tibet, combining, in each case, hundreds to thousands of inter-station measurements made with cross-correlation and waveform-inversion methods. Robust shear-velocity profiles were then determined by extensive series of non-linear inversions of the data, designed to constrain the depth-dependent ranges of isotropic-average shear speeds and radial anisotropy. Temperature anomalies in the upper mantle were estimated from shear velocities using accurate petro-physical relationships. Our results reveal strong heterogeneity in the upper mantle beneath Tibet. Very large high-velocity anomalies in the upper mantle are consistent with the presence of underthrust (beneath southwestern Tibet) and subducted (beneath central and eastern Tibet) Indian lithosphere. The lithosphere. In contrast to the Indian lithosphere, Tibetan lithosphere and asthenosphere display low to normal shear speeds; Tibetan lithosphere is thus warm and thin. Radial anisotropy in the upper mantle is weak in central and strong in northeastern Tibet, possibly reflecting asthenospheric flow above the subducting Indian lithospheric slab.

Description: The Pacific Northwest (PNW) has experienced voluminous intraplate volcanism over the past ~17 Ma, beginning with the Steens/Columbia River flood basalts and continuing with the still-ongoing volcanism in the High Lava Plains (HLP) and eastern Snake River Plain (SRP). Here we present two complementary datasets (SKS splitting and Rayleigh wave phase velocity anisotropy) that place constraints on the anisotropic structure of the upper mantle beneath the HLP and SRP regions. Beneath the HLP, SKS phases reveal dominantly E-W fast splitting directions and large (up to ~2.7 sec) delay times, with pronounced lateral variations in δ t . Lateral and depth variability in the strength of anisotropy beneath the HLP is also evident from Rayleigh wave dispersion. Beneath the SRP, SKS splitting delay times are much smaller (~0.5 sec) and surface wave observations suggest a region of upper mantle anisotropy (~50-150 km depth) with a geometry that deviates significantly from the generally plate motion parallel fast directions observed just outside of the SRP. Beneath the HLP, the geometry of the anomalously strong anisotropy is similar to the anisotropy in the deeper parts of the upper mantle, resulting in constructive interference and large SKS splitting delay times. Beneath the SRP, the geometry of the anomalous anisotropic region in the shallow mantle is different, resulting in destructive interference and reduced SKS splitting delay times. We discuss several possible explanations for these observations, including variations in olivine lattice preferred orientation (LPO) strength, transitions in olivine fabric type, and a contribution from aligned partial melt.

Description: The bulk composition of the silicate portion of the Earth (BSE) has long been assumed to be tied to chondrites, in which refractory, lithophile elements like Sm and Nd exist in chondritic relative abundances. However, the 142 Nd/ 144 Nd ratios of modern terrestrial samples are 18±5 ppm higher than the ordinary-chondrite reservoir, and this challenges the traditional BSE model. Here we investigate a hypothesis that this terrestrial 142 Nd excess is related to a Sm/Nd ratio 6% higher than chondritic. This Sm/Nd ratio yields a superchondritic 143 Nd/ 144 Nd (~0.5130) similar to that identified in the highest 3 He/ 4 He mantle reservoir, and we argue that this reservoir represents the BSE composition for lithophile elements. We develop a compositional model for BSE in which the elevated Sm/Nd requires a shift of 143 Nd/ 144 Nd from 0.51263 (chondritic) to 0.51300. The new BSE composition is depleted in highly incompatible elements, including K, relative to the chondrite-based BSE, and offers a solution the “missing” 40 Ar paradox. This BSE compositional model requires that 〉83% of the mantle is depleted to form continental crust. It also implies a ~30% reduction in BSE U, Th and K, and therefore in the current rate of radiogenic heating and, thus, a proportional increase in the heat flow delivered to surface by plate tectonics. We explore thermal history models including effects related to a newly recognized evolution in the style of plate tectonics over Earth history: The lower radiogenic heat production may delay the onset of core convection and dynamo action to as late as 3.5 Gyr.

Description: The internal geological structure of the Northeast German Basin (NEGB) is affected by intense salt diapirism and by the presence of several stratified aquifer complexes of regional relevance. The shallow Quaternary to late Tertiary freshwater aquifer is separated from the underlying Mesozoic saline aquifers by an embedded Tertiary clay enriched aquitard (Rupelian Aquitard). An important feature of this aquitard is that hydraulic connections between the upper and lower aquifers do exist in areas where the Rupelian Aquitard is missing (hydrogeological windows). Three-dimensional thermohaline numerical simulations are carried out to investigate the effects of such hydrogeological windows in the Rupelian Aquitard on the resulting groundwater, temperature and salinity distributions. Numerical results suggest that hydrogeological windows act as preferential domains of hydraulic interconnectivity between the different aquifers at depth, and enable vigorous heat and mass transport which causes a mixing of warm and saline groundwater with cold and less saline groundwater within both aquifers. In areas where the Rupelian Aquitard confines the Mesozoic aquifer, dissolved solutes from major salt structures are transported laterally giving rise to plumes of variable salinity content ranging from few hundreds of meters to several tens of kilometers. Furthermore, destabilizing thermal buoyancy forces may overwhelm counteracting stabilizing salinity induced forces offside of salt domes. This may result in buoyant upward groundwater flow transporting heat and mass to shallower levels within the same Mesozoic Aquifer.

Description: Long continuous seismic data recorded at five broadband seismic stations during 2006 at Campi Flegrei caldera have been analyzed. Introducing a coarse-grained method, we evaluate the time evolution of amplitude and polarization of the seismic noise in the frequency band common to Long-Period events. The series are modulated on tidal time scales: the root-mean square is basically dominated by solar contribution, while the azimuth of the polarization vector shows lunar diurnal and semidiurnal constituents. In addition, we find that in the frequency band common to Long-Period events the azimuths are polarized towards a specific area, suggesting that these persistent oscillations can be induced by the activity of the shallow geothermal reservoir.

Description: We report on the mineralogical assemblages found in the hyper-alkaline springs hosted on Liguria and Oman ophiolites based on exhaustive XRD and SEM analyses. In Liguria, hyper-alkaline springs produce a thin brownish calcite precipitate that covers the bedrock due to the concomitant atmospheric CO 2 uptake and neutralization of the hyper-alkaline waters. No brucite and portlandite minerals are observed. The discharge of alkaline waters in Oman ophiolite forms white-orange precipitates. Calcium carbonate minerals (calcite and/or aragonite) are the most abundant and ubiquitous precipitates and are produced by the same mechanism as in Liguria. This process is observed as a thin surface crust made of rhombohedral calcite. Morphological features of aragonite vary from needle-, bouquet-, dumbbell-, spheroidal-like habitus according to the origin of carbon, the temperature and the ionic composition of the hyper-alkaline springs, and the biochemical and organic compounds. Brucite is observed both at hyper-alkaline springs located at the thrust plane and at the paleo-Moho. The varying mixing proportions between the surface run-off waters and the hyper-alkaline ones control brucite precipitation. The Layered Double Hydroxide minerals occur solely in vicinity of hyper-alkaline springs emerging within the bedded gabbros. Finally, the dominant mineralogical associations we found in Oman (Ca-bearing carbonates and brucite) in a serpentinizing environment driven by the meteoric waters are surprisingly the same as those observed at the Lost City hydrothermal site in a totally marine environment.

Description: A computer program (PBUQ) that uses Monte Carlo simulations to propagate uncertainty through regression equations and the equation for the paleosol carbonate CO 2 paleobarometer is presented. PBUQ includes options for all of the common approaches to determining values for input variables and incorporates several recent advancements relevant to determining values for soil-respired CO 2 concentrations, δ 13 C values of respired CO 2 , δ 13 C values of atmospheric CO 2 and temperatures of soil carbonate formation. PBUQ is intended to improve confidence in paleoatmospheric CO 2 research by helping researchers draw statistically significant conclusions. PBUQ can also be used to attribute and partition error among various sources and thereby advance this technique. Sensitivity analysis indicates that S(z) is the largest source of uncertainty for most paleosols and that uncertainty is minimized for soils in which CO 2 is an evenly balanced mixture between soil-derived and atmospheric components. Evenly balanced mixtures are most likely for paleosols formed in deserts and for weakly-developed paleosols. Development of proxies for soil-respired CO 2 concentrations and δ 13 C values of soil-respired CO 2 specifically for such soils is perhaps the most crucial next step for improving this technique. Currently, calcic paleosols are best used to test the significance of trends and/or differences among time slices in paleoatmospheric CO 2 concentration. Application to quantifying Earth System Sensitivity will require large scale averaging of determinations from individual paleosols and/or reduced uncertainty associated with input variables.

Description: Long-lived detachment faults are now known to be important in tectonic evolution of slow-spreading mid-ocean ridges, and there is increasing evidence that fluid flow plays a critical role in development of detachment systems. Here we document a new manifestation of low-temperature hydrothermal venting associated with the detachment fault that formed Kane Megamullion ~3.3-2.1 m.y. ago in the western rift-valley wall of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Hydrothermal effects on the detachment surface include 1) cemented mounds of igneous rock and chalk debris containing hydrothermal Mn oxides and Fe oxyhydroxides, and 2) layered deposits of similar Fe-Mn minerals ± interbedded chalks. Mounds are roughly conical, ~1-10 meters high, and contain primarily basalts with lesser gabbro, serpentinite, and polymict breccia. The layered Fe-Mn-rich sediments are flat-bedded to contorted and locally are buckled into low-relief linear or polygonal ridges. We propose that the mounds formed where hydrothermal fluids discharged through the detachment hanging wall near the active fault trace. Hydrothermal precipitates cemented hanging-wall debris and welded it to the footwall, and this debris persisted as mounds as the footwall was exhumed and surrounding unconsolidated material sloughed off the sloping detachment surface. Some of the layered Fe-Mn-rich deposits may have precipitated from fluids discharging from the hanging-wall vents, but they also precipitated from low-temperature fluids venting from the exposed footwall through overlying chalks. Observed natural disturbance and abnormally thin hydrogenous Fe-Mn crusts on some contorted, hydrothermal Fe-Mn-rich chalks on ~2.7 Ma crust suggest diffuse venting that is geologically recent. Results of this study imply that there are significant fluid pathways through all parts of detachment systems and that low-temperature venting through fractured detachment footwalls may continue for several million years off-axis.

Description: P and S relative arrival time residuals from teleseismic earthquakes recorded on over 60 temporary AfricaArray broadband seismic stations deployed in Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia between 2007 and 2011 have been inverted, together with relative arrival time residuals from earthquakes recorded by previous deployments, for a tomographic image of mantle wave speed variations extending to a depth of 1200 km beneath eastern Africa. The image shows a low wave speed anomaly (LWA) well developed at shallow depths (100-200 km) beneath the Eastern and Western branches of the Cenozoic East African rift system and northwestern Zambia, and a fast wave speed anomaly at depths ≤ 350 km beneath the central and northern parts of the East African Plateau and the eastern and central parts of Zambia. At depths ≥350 km the LWA is most prominent under the central and southern parts of the East African Plateau and dips to the southwest beneath northern Zambia, extending to a depth of at least 900 km. The amplitude of the LWA is consistent with a ~150-300 K thermal perturbation, and its depth extent indicates that the African superplume, originally identified as a lower mantle anomaly, is likely a whole mantle structure. A superplume extending from the core-mantle boundary to the surface implies an origin for the Cenozoic extension, volcanism and plateau uplift in eastern Africa rooted in the dynamics of the lower mantle.

Description: In the Garibaldi Belt, the northern segment of the Cascade arc, basalts at Bridge River Cones, Salal Glacier, and Mt. Meager (BSM volcanic centers) are alkalic, atypical for an arc setting. Subduction signatures are negligible or absent from primitive alkalic basalts from Salal Glacier and Bridge River, while altered oceanic crust may have contributed a minimal amount of fluid at Mt. Meager. More evolved BSM basalts display trace element signatures considered typical of arc lavas, but this is a consequence of deep crustal assimilation rather than primary input from the subducted slab. Primary BSM basalts represent 3-8% melts that segregated from enriched garnet lherzolite at significantly higher temperatures and pressures (70-105 km) than calc-alkaline Cascade arc basalts. The BSM mantle source is significantly more incompatible element-enriched than the depleted mantle tapped by calc-alkaline Cascade arc basalts. The BSM basalts are also isotopically distinct from calc-alkaline Cascade arc basalts, more similar to MORB and intraplate basalts of the NE Pacific and NW North America. The relatively deep, hot, and geochemically distinct mantle source for BSM basalts is consistent with upwelling asthenosphere. The BSM volcanic centers are close to the projected trace of the Nootka fault, which forms the boundary between the subducting Juan de Fuca plate and the near-stagnant Explorer plate. A gap or attenuated zone between the plates may promote upwelling of enriched asthenosphere that undergoes low-degree decompression melting to generate alkalic basalts that are essentially free of slab input yet occur in an arc setting.