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Secondary orthopyroxenes occur as veinlets (<0.1 mm thick) cutting an olivine grain in a two-pyroxene peridotite xenolith from the Shiribeshi Seamount in the Sea of Japan. These orthopyroxenes are characterized by low Al2O3 (0.4-1.7 wt%), Cr2O3 (<0.1 wt%), and CaO (0.3-0.4 wt%) contents, which are the same signatures of the secondary orthopyroxenes in peridotite xenoliths from island arcs. The trace-element patterns of the melts in equilibrium with the secondary orthopyroxenes show enrichment in light rare earth elements and Sr and depletion in heavy rare earth elements, Nb and Ti. These trace-element characteristics are highly consistent with those of slab-derived adakites. The involvement of slab-derived melts in the mantle beneath the Sea of Japan has been inferred from the geochemical characteristics of the volcanic rocks formed during opening of the Sea of Japan. The source mantle of the enriched basalts in the Sea of Japan is likely to have been metasomatized by adakitic melts in the same manner as the peridotite-hosted veinlet. The secondary orthopyroxenes in the peridotite xenolith from the Shiribeshi Seamount provide direct evidence for the metasomatic influx of adakitic melts into the back-arc mantle beneath the Sea of Japan. Adakitic metasomatism, as documented in the Sea of Japan, potentially plays an important role in mantle evolution and magma generation beneath global back-arc basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major-element and trace-element geochemistry of fresh volcanic glass, and the whole-rock Hf and Nd isotopic compositions of volcanic rocks from the Oman Ophiolite were used to understand the extent to which slab-derived fluids and melts were involved in magma generation during incipient arc development. The spreading stage (V1) samples have trace-element characteristics similar to those of mid-ocean-ridge basalts, with Hf and Nd isotopic compositions of the Indian mantle domain. The incipient arc stage (V2) volcanic glasses have lower abundances of high field strength elements (HFSEs) and middle and heavy rare earth elements (MREEs and HREEs), and higher abundances of large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) than the V1 glasses. Progressive increases in B, Pb, and LILEs in the V2 stage glasses with age indicate an increasing contribution of slab-derived fluids from earlier arc tholeiite (LV2) to later boninite (UV2). The LV2 was generated by the contribution of amphibolite-derived fluid. The UV2 is subdivided into low-Si UV2 and high-Si UV2 magmas, with the former having lower SiO 2 , and LILE, and higher Na 2 O, HFSE and REE concentrations than the latter. The low-Si UV2 magma was generated with the involvement of high-temperature slab-derived fluid. In contrast, the high-Si UV2 shows a spoon-shaped trace-element pattern and Hf and Nd isotope chemistry, indicating the involvement of sediment melt in its magma genesis. Decreasing HFSEs and HREEs in the magmas with age indicate progressive depletion of the source mantle during the V2 arc magmatism, suggesting an absence of convection in the mantle wedge that resulted from subduction of a hot, buoyant slab beneath young, hot lithosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Halogen and noble gas systematics are powerful tracers of volatile recycling in subduction zones. We present halogen and noble gas compositions of mantle peridotites containing H 2 O-rich fluid inclusions collected at volcanic fronts from two contrasting subduction zones (the Avacha volcano of Kamchatka arc and the Pinatubo volcano of Luzon arcs) and orogenic peridotites from a peridotite massif (the Horoman massif, Hokkaido, Japan) which represents an exhumed portion of the mantle wedge. The aims are to determine how volatiles are carried into the mantle wedge and how the subducted fluids modify halogen and noble gas compositions in the mantle. The halogen and noble gas signatures in the H 2 O-rich fluids are similar to those of marine sedimentary pore fluids and forearc and seafloor serpentinites. This suggests that marine pore fluids in deep-sea sediments are carried by serpentine and supplied to the mantle wedge, preserving their original halogen and noble gas compositions. We suggest that the sedimentary pore fluid-derived water is incorporated into serpentine through hydration in a closed system along faults at the outer rise of the oceanic, preserving Cl/H 2 O and 36 Ar/H 2 O values of sedimentary pore fluids. Dehydration–hydration process within the oceanic lithospheric mantle maintains the closed system until the final stage of serpentine dehydration. The sedimentary pore fluid-like halogen and noble gas signatures in fluids released at the final stage of serpentine dehydration are preserved due to highly channelized flow, whereas the original Cl/H 2 O and 36 Ar/H 2 O ratios are fractionated by the higher incompatibility of halogens and noble gases in hydrous minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reaction products between hydrothermal fluids and uppermost mantle harzburgite-lowermost crustal gabbro have been reported along Wadi Fizh, northern Oman ophiolite. They are named mantle diopsidite (MD) or crustal diopsidite (CD) depending on the stratigraphic level. They construct network-like dikes crosscutting structures of the surrounding harzburgite or gabbro. The MD is mainly composed of diopsidic clinopyroxene, whereas the CD is of diopsidic clinopyroxene and anorthitic plagioclase. Here, we report a new reaction product, crustal anorthosite (CA), from the lowermost crustal section. The CA is always placed in the center of the CD network, and mainly consists of anorthitic plagioclase with minor titanite and chromian minerals such as chromite and uvarovite. Aqueous fluid inclusions forming negative crystals are evenly distributed in minerals of the CA. The fluid inclusions contain angular-shaped or rounded daughter minerals as calcite or calcite-anhydrite composite, which were identified by Raman spectroscopic analysis. We estimated their captured temperature at 530 °C at least by conducting microthermometric analysis of the fluid inclusions. Furthermore, we examined their chemical characteristics by direct laser-shot sampling conducted by laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS). The results indicate that the trapped aqueous fluids contain an appreciable amount of Na, but no K and Cr. Hydrothermal fluids involved in the CA formation transported Cr, which was probably taken up from chromite seams in the uppermost mantle section. Cr got soluble by forming complexes with anions as SO 4 2– , CO 3 2– and Cl – . In addition, these hydrothermal fluids transported Fe, Mg and trace elements (Ti, Sr, Y, Zr and rare-earth elements) governing whole-rock chemical compositions of the MDs, CDs and CAs. Our estimation for the condition of CA formation yielded rather low temperatures (530–600 °C), which indicates a later stage production of the CA than the MD and CD (~ 800 °C). A series of high-temperature hydrothermal events had been significantly contributed to the chemical flux occurring around the Moho , boundary between the mantle and crustal sections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Orthopyroxene-rich and orthopyroxene-poor peridotite xenoliths were sampled from quaternary basaltic to andesitic lava flows of the Shiribeshi seamount, Japan Sea. These xenoliths were affected by reactions with the host magma during transportation to the surface, which caused partial orthopyroxene dissolution and intergrowth with vermicular spinel. Chromian spinel and clinopyroxene major element compositions in the Shiribeshi peridotite are similar to those in abyssal peridotites. REE modeling indicates that the Opx-rich peridotite experienced decompression partial melting from the garnet to the spinel peridotite stability field. Rare earth element (REE) patterns of clinopyroxene in the Opx-rich peridotite show various degrees of enrichment in light REE, which resulted from melt percolation through the reaction with host magma. Comparison with peridotite xenoliths from two other localities (Seifu and Oshima-Ōshima) in the Japan Sea suggests that the Oshima-Ōshima peridotite record higher degree of partial melting than the Shiribeshi and Seifu peridotites. Oxygen fugacities calculated from chromian spinel in the Japan Sea peridotites are comparable to those of arc peridotites. The high degree of partial melting of the Oshima-Ōshima peridotite was possibly caused by the infiltration of a H2O-bearing flux released from the subducted slab. The Shiribeshi peridotite is interpreted as the residue formed after the extraction of depleted back-arc basalts during a later stage of the Japan Sea opening in the Middle Miocene, whereas the Oshima-Ōshima peridotite is residual after the extraction of enriched basalts during an earlier stage of the opening of the Japan Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A shock-wave compression experiment using synthesized silica gel was investigated as a model for a comet impact event on the Earth's surface. The sample shocked at 20.7 GPa showed considerable structural changes, a release of water molecules, and the dehydration of silanol (Si-OH) that led to the formation of a new Si-O-Si network structure containing larger rings (e.g., six-membered ring of SiO tetrahedra). The high aftershock temperature at 20.7 GPa, which could be close to 800 °C, influenced the sample structure. However, some silanols, which were presumed to be the mutually hydrogen-bonded silanol group, remained at pressures >20.7 GPa. This type of silanol along with a small number of water molecules may remain even after shock compression at 30.9 GPa, although the intermediate structure of the sample recovered was similar to that of silica glass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The crust-mantle boundary zone of the oceanic lithosphere is composed mainly of olivine-rich rocks represented by dunite and troctolite. However, we still do not fully understand the global variations in the boundary zone, and an effective classification of the boundary rocks, in terms of their petrographical features and origin, is an essential step in achieving such an understanding. In this paper, to highlight variations in olivine-rich rocks from the crust-mantle boundary, we describe the compositional variations in spinel-hosted hydrous silicate mineral inclusions in rock samples from the ocean floor near a mid-ocean ridge and trench. Pargasite is the dominant mineral among the inclusions, and all of them are exceptionally rich in incompatible elements. The host spinel grains are considered to be products of melt-peridotite reactions, because their origin cannot be ascribed to simple fractional crystallization of a melt. Trace-element compositions of pargasite inclusions are characteristically different between olivine-rich rock samples, in terms of the degree of Eu and Zr anomalies in the trace-element pattern. When considering the nature of the reaction that produced the inclusion-hosting spinel, the compositional differences between samples were found to reflect a diversity in the origin of the olivine-rich rocks, as for example in whether or not a reaction was accompanied by the fractional crystallization of plagioclase. The differences also reflect the fact that the melt flow system (porous or focused flow) controlled the melt/rock ratios during reaction. The pargasite inclusions provide useful data for constraining the history and origin of the olivine-rich rocks and therefore assist in our understanding of the crust-mantle boundary of the oceanic lithosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hakusan volcano, central Japan, is located in a region where two subducting plates (the Pacific Plate and the Philippine Sea Plate) overlap near the junction of four plates adjacent to the Japanese Islands (the Pacific Plate, the Philippine Sea Plate, the Eurasia Plate, and the North American Plate). The Hakusan volcano consists of products from four major volcanic episodes: Kagamuro, Ko-hakusan, and Shin-Hakusan I and II. To date the eruption events of the Hakusan volcano we applied thermoluminescence and fission track methods. 238U(234U)-230Th disequilibrium and 206Pb/238U methods were applied to date the zircon crystallization ages for estimating the magma residence time before the eruptions. The eruption ages we obtained are ca 250 ka for Kagamuro, ca 100 ka and ca 60 ka for Ko-Hakusan, ca 50 ka for Shin-Hakusan I, and <10 ka for Shin-Hakusan II. They are concordant with previous reports based on K-Ar dating. Some of the pyroclastic rocks, possibly originating from Shin-Hakusan II activities, are dated to be ca 36 ka or 50 ka, and belong to the Shin-Hakusan I activity. The zircon crystallization ages show several clusters prior to eruption. The magma residence time was estimated for each volcanic activity by comparing the major crystallization events and eruption ages, and we found a gradual decrease from ca. 500 ky for the Kagamuro activity to ca. 5 ky for the Shin-Hakusan II activity. This decrease in residence time may be responsible for the decrease in volume of erupted material estimated from the current topography of the region. The scale of volcanic activity, which was deduced from the number of crystallized zircons, is more or less constant throughout the Hakusan volcanic activity. Therefore, the decrease in magma residence time is most likely the result of stress field change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geodynamic settings of the Precambrian mafic–ultramafic complexes in the Eastern Desert of Egypt have important bearing on understanding the geotectonic evolution of the Arabian Nubian Shield. We present a detailed petrological study on a layered mafic–ultramafic intrusion that is located at the contact between the Precambrian continental crust and the Miocene Red Sea oceanic crust. The Motaghairat layered intrusion consists of basal lherzolite, orthopyroxenite, troctolite, olivine gabbro and anorthosite on the top. Variations in modal mineralogy and mineral chemistry along with the chemical composition of these units suggest their derivation from a common high-Mg tholeiitic parent melt through fractional crystallization processes. The parental magma was derived from a metasomatised mantle source. The primitive mantle-normalized patterns of the calculated melts exhibit enrichment in U relative to Th and Ba relative LREE which indicate that the enriched lithospheric mantle source was metasomatised by fluids derived from a subducted oceanic crust rather than by a sediment melt. Geological and petrological evidences suggest that the layered Motaghairat intrusion was emplaced during post-orogenic extension following subduction break-off and lithospheric delamination after the collision between the amalgamated island arc terranes and the Saharan Metacraton. The heat source required to melt the metasomatised lithospheric mantle was derived from the upwelling of hot asthenosphere after the subduction-break-off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies on olivine-rich troctolites from oceanic ridges propose that hybridized mantle rocks may locally constitute small portions of the lower oceanic crust. The exact reaction process by which they originate is still debated and their hybrid nature is controversial. We show that textural and chemical inheritances of the pre-existing mantle are preserved in olivine-rich troctolites recently sampled at the Central Indian Ridge. The occurrence of a large orthopyroxene of a probable mantle origin suggests that these rocks formed through the reactive overprint of a mantle peridotite. Combining our data with those of olivine-rich troctolites worldwide, we show that the clinopyroxenes from these rocks follow chemical trends slightly distinct to those of the oceanic gabbros. These chemical trends can be ascribed to crystallization from melts assimilating mantle peridotites, suggesting that a “mantle flavor” can be locally retained in these hybrid rocks. The present distribution of Ol-rich troctolites suggests that melt-mantle reaction processes by which these rocks originate is likely to be more diffuse at slower spreading environments, where extensive melt-rock reactions within a thick thermal boundary layer enhances the conversion of the shallow oceanic mantle into hybrid crustal rocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Oman ophiolite is one of the best preserved sections of oceanic crust and upper mantle worldwide, and consists of multiple massifs that lie along more than 400 km of the Arabian coast. In the northernmost massifs, the oceanic crust preserves a record of polygenetic magmatism from mid-ocean ridge to subduction-related stages. The lherzolites and clinopyroxene (Cpx)-rich harzburgites of the Fizh block are located a few tens to a hundred meters above the metamorphic sole of the ophiolite and the geochemistry of these Cpx-rich peridotites provides evidence of a genetic link between oceanic crust and mantle. These Cpx-rich peridotites contain olivine with a restricted range of forsterite contents (90–91), but variable Cr-spinel Cr# (Cr/(Cr + Al) atomic ratio) values (0.12–0.33), suggesting that these Cpx-rich peridotites have undergone variable degrees of melt extraction. Cpxs within the Cpx-rich peridotites have chondrite-normalised trace element variation patterns that slope either gently or steeply between the heavy rare earth elements (REEs) and the middle REEs ((Sm/Yb) N = 0.08–0.55, where N chondrite-normalised) and are enriched in highly incompatible elements such as Rb, Ba and Nb. This Cpx chemistry can be explained by a polygenetic evolution whereby an initial 4–12% of melt was extracted from the depleted mantle source before this mantle was metasomatised by interaction with fluids derived from dehydration of the metamorphic sole during subduction initiation and obduction. A comparison between 143 Nd/ 144 Nd versus 147 Sm/ 144 Nd for Cpx in the Fizh basal Cpx-rich peridotites and a mineral–whole rock Sm–Nd isochron for a gabbro from the same massif suggests a genetic link between crustal and mantle rocks in this area. In addition, Cpxs within the basal Cpx-rich peridotites have highly variable Sr isotopic compositions that are indicative of a significant contribution of seawater from the metamorphic sole, originally derived from subducted oceanic crustal material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alaskan-type complexes are uplifted fragments of the deep levels of island arcs. These complexes usually reveal chemical diversity that cannot be assigned to a unique setting within arcs. Here we report the petrology, Rb–Sr and Sm–Nd isotopic data of the Abu Hamamid intrusion from the Eastern Desert of Egypt as an example of Neoproterozoic backarc Alaskan-type complex. The intrusion comprises clinopyroxene dunite, olivine clinopyroxenite, amphibole clinopyroxenite and gabbro. All rock units represent cumulates crystallized from a high-MgO hydrous magma with geochemical characteristics intermediate between mid-ocean ridge basalt and island arc magmas. Slab signatures of the parental magma comprise elevated H 2 O, 87 Sr/ 86 Sr and large ion lithophile element contents and relative depletion in Nb. High positive initial ɛ Nd (+6.2 to +11.0) is consistent with the Abu Hamamid magma being extracted from a highly depleted mantle source. The parental magma was generated by 10% partial melting of a mantle source modified by 10% MORB (ecolgite) derived fluid. The Abu Hamamid Alaskan-type complex and the surrounding related volcanic rocks were formed in a Neoproterozoic backarc setting. The magmas forming the lower crust of the Arabian-Nubian shield were liberated from a depleted mantle before 900 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spinel harzburgite to lherzolite xenoliths are entrapped in Quaternary intraplate alkali basalts on Jeju Island, South Korea. These xenoliths are unusual in containing late-stage secondary orthopyroxene, free of deformation and exsolution that is replacing olivine as the main pervasive metasomatic mineral. These xenoliths are characterized by high Mg# in olivine, orthopyroxene, and clinopyroxene (89–93) and variable Cr# of spinel (9–53), representing residues left after variable degrees of melt extraction (~ 25%). In contrast to their depleted major-element compositions, clinopyroxenes in the xenoliths are enriched in most incompatible trace elements. Clinopyroxenes display enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREE) or spoon-shaped REE with a general enrichment in La over Ce, and depletion in high field strength elements (HFSE; e.g., Nb-Ta, Zr-Hf, Ti). Orthopyroxenes (either primary or secondary) are characterized by low TiO 2 , high Al 2 O 3 , and moderate CaO contents, and resemble those of sub-continental arc peridotites from the eastern Pacific. The geochemical evidence, in addition to the formation of secondary orthopyroxene, indicates that Jeju peridotite xenoliths have been subjected to different degrees of metasomatism by subduction-related silica- and LREE-enriched fluids (or melts). However, chemical equilibrium is evident between the primary and secondary orthopyroxene, implying that the duration of post-metasomatic high temperatures enabled complete resetting/reequilibration of the mineral compositions. The metasomatic enrichment pre-dates the host Jeju Quaternary magmatism, and a genetic relationship with the host magmas is considered unlikely. We therefore propose that the Jeju peridotite xenoliths went through a two-stage evolution, with their composition primarily controlled by early fractional melt extraction, which was subsequently modified by residual slab-derived fluids (or melts). Following enrichment in the peridotite protolith in the mantle wedge, the upper mantle beneath proto-Jeju Island was transformed from a subarc environment to an intraplate environment. The Jeju peridotites, representing old subarc fragments, were subsequently transported to the surface, incorporated into ascending Quaternary intraplate alkali basalt. The result of this study implies that long term material transfer in the transformation of geotectonic setting from a subarc to intraplate may have played a significant role in the evolution of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle, resulting in the enriched mantle domains, such as EMI or EMII. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Neyriz ophiolite along the northeast flank of the Zagros fold-thrust belt in southern Iran is an excellent example of a Late Cretaceous supra-subduction zone (SSZ)-related ophiolite on the north side of the Neotethys. The ophiolite comprises a mantle sequence including lherzolite, harzburgite, diabasic dikes, and cumulate to mylonitic gabbro lenses, and a crustal sequence comprising a sheeted dike complex and pillow lavas associated with pelagic limestone and radiolarite. Mantle harzburgites contain less CaO and Al2O3, are depleted in rare earth elements, and contain spinels that are more Cr-rich than lherzolites. Mineral compositions of peridotites are similar to those of both abyssal and SSZ- peridotites. Neyriz gabbroic rocks show boninitic (SSZ-related) affinities, while crustal rocks are similar to early arc tholeiites. Mineral compositions of gabbroic rocks resemble those of SSZ-related cumulates such as high forsterite olivine, anorthite-rich plagioclase, and high-Mg# clinopyroxene. Initial εNd(t) values range from +7.9 to +9.3 for the Neyriz magmatic rocks. Samples with radiogenic Nd overlap with least radiogenic mid-ocean ridge basalts and with Semail and other Late Cretaceous Tethyan ophiolitic rocks. Initial87Sr/86Sr ranges from 0.7033 to 0.7044, suggesting modification due to seafloor alteration. Most Neyriz magmatic rocks are characterized by less radiogenic207Pb/204Pb (near the northern hemisphere reference line), suggesting less involvement of sediments in their mantle source. Our results for Neyriz ophiolite and the similarity to other Iranian Zagros ophiolites support a subduction initiation setting for its generation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qalander ophiolite is a small, poorly preserved and incomplete mélange-type complex situated within the Eocene-Oligocene Walash-Naopurdan Group in the Iraqi Zagros Suture Zone (IZSZ). It is one of six fragmented ophiolite complexes emplaced in the IZSZ during the Cretaceous and Tertiary. Within the Qalander ophiolite, serpentinized dunite and harzburgite hosts small lens-shaped podiform high-Al (North Qalander) and high-Cr (North Shitna) chromitite bodies. The average range of Cr-, Mg-, and Fe³-numbers for North Qalander chromitites is 39-53, 75-77, and 3-5, respectively; meanwhile those for North Shitna chromitites are 78-80, 65-73, and 6-8, respectively. The ranges of Al2O3 wt.% and FeO/MgO for the North Qalander and North Shitna chromitites are 15-15.5 and 0.8-1.0, and 9.0-10.5 and 0.4-1.0, respectively. In addition to pyroxene and olivine, inclusions of laurite, millerite and galena were detected within the chromitites of Qalander ophiolite. The matrix minerals between chromite grains are serpentinized olivine and pyroxene, chlorite, and calcite; grains of magnetite, pyrite and ilmenite are also common accessories. The concentrations of platinum-group elements (PGE) in both varieties are typical for the ophiolitic chromitites, but they show two distinct patterns of PGE enrichment. The high-Cr chromitites have relatively uniform mantle-normalized PGE distribution patterns with a steep slope, positive Ru and negative Pt anomalies, and they show enrichment of PGE and depletion in Pt relative to the average upper mantle. The high-Al chromitites show relatively gently sloping patterns with slight positive Ru and negative Pt anomalies, high iridium-group PGE (IPGE) abundances relative to the high platinum-group PGE (PPGE), and are distinctly enriched in Pt and Pd relative to the upper mantle and the average abundances in the high-Cr chromitites. The differences in the PGE content, geochemistry, rare earth element (REE), mineral chemistry and petrographical characteristics of the chromitites suggests two stages of magmatic activity which were responsible for the chromitite genesis in the region. The first stage involved low degree partial melting of S-saturated peridotite melt that produced high-Al chromitites of MORB affinity, which crystallized in the upper mantle close to the Moho. The second stage involved a high degree partial melting of S-undersaturated boninitic melt that produced high-Cr chromitites of arc affinity and crystallized in a deeper mantle section. The presence of low-Cr MORB-type chromitites with high-Cr boninitic-type chromitites in the same mantle section suggests their formation in aback-arc supra-subduction zone tectonic setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The deep levels of Neoproterozoic island arcs are poorly known due to limited accessibility. The Genina Gharbia Alaskan-type complex (south Eastern Desert, Egypt) is the remains of a magma chamber that crystallized at the base (crust–mantle boundary) of a mature Neoproterozoic island arc. The rock assemblage comprises hornblende-bearing harzburgite, lherzolite, pyroxenite, norite and gabbro. All lithologies show cumulus texture with evidence of extensive cumulus mineral–melt interactions. Clinopyroxenes from all lithologies have similar rare earth element (REE) patterns with slight medium-rare earth element (MREE) enrichment. Hornblendes are slightly enriched in MREE and light rare earth elements (LREE). Island arc signatures are indicated by high contents of large ion-lithophile elements and low concentration of high field-strength elements. Positive initial εNd (+5.7 to +7.0) and Nd model ages (963±81Ma) are consistent with the Genina Gharbia magma being extracted from a depleted mantle source. Modeling of estimated parental magma indicates 10% partial melting of a 90% depleted mantle source with a 10% (MORB+sediments)-derived fluid, commencing in the spinel stability field (<85km). Relative to Phanerozoic arcs, the Neoproterozoic arcs were more hydrous, had low oxidation states and probably lasted shorter time to build-up. The hydrous nature of the sub-Arabian–Nubian Shield mantle and the long-life of the arcs are among reasons responsible for the vast crustal growth during the Pan-African Orogeny throughout the Gondwana. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We examined the composition and lithological variability from a road section in south-Andaman which represents a pathway to the crustal section of the Cretaceous Andaman ophiolite. Like other well-studied ophiolites worldwide this transition zone is marked by association of olivine-rich troctolite, wehrlite, pyroxenite and gabbroic rocks. The mineral chemical variations document the evolution of this zone by melt–mantle interaction and fractional crystallization. Petrographic evidence suggests that water was introduced during the evolution of this transition zone. The olivine-rich troctolites record impregnation of MORB melt into a residual olivine-rich lithology (replacive dunite) that formed by an earlier episode of melt–peridotite interaction at a slow spreading ridge. The clinopyroxenites indicate formation from an extreme clinopyroxene saturated melt that might be genetically linked with the formation of olivine-rich protolith of the troctolitic rocks prior to melt impregnation. The wehrlite crystallized from the melt residual after the formation of clinopyroxenite. The composition of the impregnating melt that transformed the replacive dunite to olivine-rich troctolite is identical to the gabbroic rocks. We conclude that the association of these rock types from south-Andaman provides us with a snapshot of the switch over of geodynamic setting of the Andaman ophiolite (MOR to arc) as preserved presently between north-Andaman in the north and Rutland Island in the south. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A review of previous work relevant to the formation of concentrations of chromite in peridotites from ophiolitic (s.l.) sequences highlights some of the key problems in understanding the complex processes involved. This review forms the basis for chromitite-genesis models that integrate new geochemical data with petrologic, field and microstructural observations, and for a re-interpretation of previous data and concepts. The geochemical data include major- and trace-element contents of chromite and coexisting phases and especially the nature and Os-isotope compositions of platinum-group minerals (PGM) and base-metal sulfides (BMS); the PGM data in particular provide new insights into chromitite formation. Differences in the morphology, structural relationships, and geochemical signatures of chromitites allow the recognition of three distinct types. Type I is the most abundant and is distinguished by bulk-rock enrichment in Os, Ir and Ru relative to Rh, Pt, and Pd; it shows no consistent spatial location within the ophiolite “stratigraphy”. The second type (Type IIA) is generally confined to the shallower zones of the oceanic lithosphere (mainly as concordant layers, bands and seams, but also as discordant pods or irregular bodies), and is significantly enriched in the incompatible platinum-group elements (PGE) with generally higher total PGE contents than Type I. The third type (Type IIB) shows the same spatial distributions and PGE patterns as Type IIA but has a more limited range of Cr# and a wider range of Mg# that overlap with the compositional range of chromites from layered mafic intrusions. Reaction of melts with peridotite wall-rocks results in the extraction of pyroxene into the melts, forming anastomosing dunitic melt channels in the mantle sections of ophiolites. The Os-isotope heterogeneity in PGMs within single chromitite samples, as described in Part I, provides clear evidence that melt mingling take place on very small scales. This suggests that ophiolitic chromitites are generated through the disequilibrium precipitation of chromite, forced by small-scale mingling of melts that had different SiO2 contents, reflecting derivation from different source rocks, different degrees of partial melting and/or wall-rock reaction. Progressive reaction, crystallization and mixing of melts within the channel system assures the presence of a spectrum of melts at any one time, making the system self-sustaining; each new injection of mafic melt would find more evolved melts with which to react, producing more chromite. Chromite is carried to its final deposition by migration of the chromite-bearing melts, or fluids derived from them. This explains the general association of chromitite with the dunitic portions of ophiolitic mantle; dunite margins around chromite segregations represent the original host rock intruded by chromitite-forming fluids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Shiribeshi Seamount off northwestern Hokkaido, the Sea of Japan, is a rear-arc volcano in the Northeast Japan arc. This seamount is composed of calc-alkaline and high-K basaltic to andesitic lavas containing magnesian olivine phenocrysts and mantle peridotite xenoliths. Petrographic and geochemical characteristics of the andesite lavas indicate evidence for the reaction with the mantle peridotite xenoliths and magma mixing between mafic and felsic magmas. Geochemical modelling shows that the felsic end-member was possibly derived from melting of an amphibolitic mafic crust. Chemical compositions of the olivine phenocrysts and their chromian spinel inclusions indicate that the Shiribeshi Seamount basalts in this study was derived from a primary magma in equilibrium with relatively fertile mantle peridotites, which possibly represents the mafic end-member of the magma mixing. Trace-element and REE data indicate that the basalts were produced by low degree of partial melting of garnet-bearing lherzolitic source. Preliminary results from the mantle peridotite xenoliths indicate that they were probably originated from the mantle beneath the Sea of Japan rather than beneath the Northeast Japan arc. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The structural changes of synthetic opal by heat treatment up to 1,400 °C were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared and Raman spectroscopies. The results indicate that the dehydration and condensation of silanol in opal are very important factors in the structural evolution of heat-treated synthetic opal. Synthetic opal releases water molecules and silanols by heat treatment up to 400 °C, where the dehydration of silanol may lead to the condensation of a new Si-O-Si network comprising a four-membered ring structure of SiO tetrahedra, even at 400 °C. Above 600 °C, water molecules are lost and the opal surface and internal silanol molecules are completely dehydrated by heat effect, and the medium-temperature range structure of opal may begin to thermally reconstruct to six-membered rings of SiO tetrahedra. Above 1,000 °C, the opal structure almost approaches that of silica glass with an average structure of six-membered rings. Above 1,200 °C, the opal changes to low-cristobalite; however, minor evidence of low-tridymite stacking was evident after heat treatment at 1,400 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to constrain the timing of plutonic magma emplacements relevant to current geothermal activity in the Hachimantai geothermal area, northeast Japan, laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U–Th–Pb analyses were performed on zircons from two different origins. One is from the Quaternary Kakkonda Granite in the Kakkonda geothermal field, whose present temperature at ~3700m depth is 500°C, and the other is from a clastic dike in the Matsukawa geothermal field. Zircons from the Kakkonda Granite were obtained at a depth of 1998m and their 238U–206Pb and U–Th ages showed ~0.1Ma, which probably indicates that the Kakkonda Granite is the world's youngest emplaced granitic magma body ever confirmed. The clastic dike in the Matsukawa geothermal field contains dioritic to tonalitic xenoliths; therefore zircons extracted from the dike should also be of plutonic origin. 238U–206Pb age of 1.08±0.08Ma (after correction for initial 230Th disequilibrium; error shown as 95% confidence level) was obtained from the zircons. Therefore it was found that there were at least two Quaternary plutonic magma activities (~1.1Ma and ~0.1Ma) in the Hachimantai geothermal area. Through this study, it was also found that U–Th–Pb dating using a quadrupole type ICP-MS coupled with excimer laser is applicable to Quaternary zircons as young as 0.1Ma and Fish Canyon Tuff zircon is usable as a standard material for U–Th–Pb dating method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Akarem Intrusion in the southern part of the Eastern Desert of Egypt is one of Alaskan-type ultramafic-mafic complexes of the Neoproterozoic age. The olivine and pyroxene-rich ultramafic core is surrounded by hornblende gabbro and hornblendite margin with gradational contacts. The pyroxene chemistry indicates that the intrusion was crystallized from tholeiitic arc magmas. The calculated liquids in equilibrium with clinopyroxene show enrichment in Th, U and LREE over the HREE, similar to arc magma formed from the mantle metasomatized by fluids from subducted sediments. Both olivine and pyroxene compositions indicate fractional crystallization from the ultramafic core to the mafic margin. However, amphiboles show systematic increase in concentrations of compatible elements, such as V, and shift in REE patterns from a bowed-up shape to bowed-down shape from the mafic margin to the ultramafic core. Such variation in trace elements of amphiboles indicates progressive crystallization of amphiboles from the mafic margin to the ultramafic core. The variation in amphibole chemistry has implication on both development of Alaskan-type intrusion and subduction zone geochemical signature of the evolved magma. The formation of the Akarem Intrusion started with an early fractional crystallization stage which led to the formation of a stratified magma chamber. The circulation in the magma chamber resulted in the solidification of the mafic magma along the margin where the early-stage amphiboles crystallized along with plagioclase. Subsequently, an evolved liquid from the crystallizing mafic margin percolated into the liquid-rich ultramafic core to form the later generation of interstitial amphiboles. The calculated trace element composition of the liquids in equilibrium with amphibole shows a progressive development of Nb and Ti negative anomalies and increase in La/Yb ratios from the margin to the core of the intrusion. Such variations manifest the role of amphibole fractionation in the evolution of the geochemical signature of arc magma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To decipher the petrogenesis of chromitites from the Moho Transition Zone of the Cretaceous Oman ophiolite, we carried out detailed scanning electron microscope and electron microprobe investigations of ∼500 silicate and chromite inclusions and their chromite hosts, and oxygen isotope measurements of seven chromite and olivine fractions from nodular, disseminated, and stratiform ore bodies and associated host dunites of the Maqsad area, Southern Oman. The results, coupled with laboratory homogenization experiments, allow several multiphase and microcrystal types of the chromite-hosted inclusions to be distinguished. The multiphase inclusions are composed of micron-size (1–50 μm) silicates (with rare sulphides) entrapped in high cr-number [100Cr/(Cr + Al) up to 80] chromite. The high cr-number chromite coronas and inclusions are reduced (oxygen fugacity, fO2, of ∼3 log units below the quartz–fayalite–magnetite buffer, QFM). The reduced chromites, which crystallized between 600 and 950°C at subsolidus conditions, were overgrown by more oxidized host chromite (fO2 ≈ QFM) in association with microcrystal inclusions of silicates (plagioclase An86, clinopyroxene, and pargasite) that were formed between 950 and 1050°C at 200 MPa from a hydrous hybrid mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) melt. Chromium concentration profiles through the chromite coronas, inclusions, and host chromites indicate non-equilibrium fractional crystallization of the chromitite system at fast cooling rates (up to ∼0·1°C a−1). Oxygen isotope compositions of the chromite grains imply involvement of a mantle protolith (e.g. serpentinite and serpentinized peridotite) altered by seawater-derived hydrothermal fluids in an oceanic setting. Our findings are consistent with a three-stage model of chromite formation involving (1) mantle protolith alteration by seawater-derived hydrothermal fluids yielding serpentinites and serpentinized harzburgites, which were probably the initial source of chromium, (2) subsolidus crystallization owing to prograde metamorphism, followed by (3) assimilation and fractional crystallization of chromite from water-saturated MORB. This study suggests that the metamorphic protolith assimilation occurring at the Moho level may dramatically affect MORB magma chemistry and lead to the formation of economic chromium deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Based on pressure and temperature (P–T) information of mantle-derived xenoliths, this report describes a geotherm in Far Eastern Russia, which is situated in the backarc of volcanic chains in eastern Asia. The mantle xenoliths have abundant CO 2 fluid inclusions. Accurate determination of the internal pressure of the CO 2 fluid inclusions enables estimation of the depth provenance of the mantle xenoliths. The depth provenances obtained from five mantle xenoliths are correlated with equilibrium temperatures estimated using a geothermometer. Assuming that the correlation reflects the geotherm in this region, it corresponds to heat flow of around 100 mW/m 2 , which is comparable to the surface heat flow in the volcanic arc. Such high heat flow implies a thin lithosphere and high temperature of the shallower upper mantle. Backarc areas are universally characterized by both high surface heat flow and the occurrence of recent volcanic activities. Furthermore low seismic velocity anomaly is widely observed in the shallower upper mantle in the backarc, especially in eastern Asia. The present xenolith geotherm suggests that the seismic anomaly arises from high temperature of the shallower upper mantle. It would be direct evidence for warming of the lithospheric mantle and subsequent lithospheric thinning, which is likely attributable to asthenospheric upwelling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fission-track (FT) and (U-Th-Sm)/He (He) analyses are used to constrain the denudation pattern and history of the Kiso Range, a Japanese fault-block mountain range which has been uplifted since ca 0.8 Ma. We obtained nine zircon FT ages ranging 59.3-42.1 Ma, 18 apatite FT ages ranging 81.9-2.3 Ma, and 13 apatite He ages ranging 36.7-2.2 Ma. The apatite FT and He ages are divided into an older group comparable to the zircon FT age range and a younger group of <18 Ma. The younger ages are interpreted as a reflection of uplift of the Kiso Range because they were obtained only to the east of the Seinaiji-touge Fault, and the event age estimated from apatite FT data is consistent with the timing of the onset of the Kiso Range uplift. On the basis of the distribution of the younger ages, we propose westward tilting uplift of the Kiso Range between the boundary fault of the Inadani Fault Zone and Seinaiji-touge Fault, which implies a model of bedrock uplift that is intermediate between two existing models: a pop-up model in which the Kiso Range is squeezed upward between the two faults and a tilted uplift model which assumes that the Kiso Range is uplifted and tilted to the west by the Inadani Fault Zone. The original land surface before the onset of uplift/denudation of the Kiso Range is estimated to have been uplifted to an elevation of 2700-4900 m. We estimated denudation rates at 1.3-4.0 mm/y and maximum bedrock uplift rates at 3.4-6.1 mm/y since ca 0.8 Ma. The Seinaiji-touge fault is interpreted as a back thrust of the west-dipping Inadani Fault Zone. The older group of apatite FT and He ages is interpreted to reflect long-term peneplanation with a probable denudation rate of <0.1 mm/y. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We examined peridotite massifs in the eastern part of the Mirdita ophiolite (EMO), Albania, where arc-related magmas are abundant in the upper volcanic sequences. Structurally, clinopyroxene porphyroclast-bearing harzburgites (Cpx-harzburgite hereafter) occur in the lower parts of the peridotite massifs, whereas harzburgites and dunites are more abundant towards the upper parts. Dunite is commonly associated with chromitite layers. Orthopyroxenite occurs as dikes and/or networks at all structural levels, although it is more abundant in the uppermost sections. Orthopyroxenite commonly crosscuts the foliation of peridotites and the lithological boundaries between dunites (chromitite) and harzburgites, suggesting that it was formed in the late stage. Major and trace element compositions of minerals in the Cpx-harzburgites indicate that they were formed as the residue of less-flux partial melting, and are similar to those in abyssal peridotites from mid-ocean ridge systems. Harzburgites have more depleted major element compositions than the Cpx-harzburgites. Light rare earth element (LREE)-enrichment in clinopyroxene coupled with hydrous silicate mineral inclusions in spinels in harzburgites indicate that harzburgites were produced as a result of enhanced partial melting of depleted peridotites due to infiltration of hydrous LREE-enriched fluids/melts. Based on olivine and spinel chemistries, dunites are classified into two types: high-Cr# (= Cr/(Cr+Al) atomic ratio) spinel-bearing dunite and medium-Cr# spinel-bearing dunite. Orthopyroxenites formed at the expense of the pre-existing peridotite by reaction with hydrous orthopyroxene-saturated melts, which were produced by assimilation of dissolved pyroxene during the formation of the dunite. Refractory harzburgite, high-Cr# spinel-bearing dunite, and orthopyroxenite may have a genetic link to the late stage boninitic magmas in the crustal section of the EMO. In contrast, the Cpx-harzburgite was a residue related to mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) or the “MORB-like” fore-arc basalt recently proposed by Reagan et al. (2010) from the Izu–Bonin–Mariana fore-arc. The medium-Cr# spinel-bearing dunite can be caused by interaction with a melt transitional between MORB-like and boninitic melts. The lithological variations and their relationships in the upper mantle section of the EMO were caused by changes in magmatic compositions from mid-ocean ridge signatures to boninitic magmas, due to an increasing contribution of slab-derived fluids in an island arc setting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Laser ablation – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) is applied to determining the concentrations of radioactive isotopes (87Rb, 232Th, 234U and 238U) in soil samples from Lake Baikal, Russia, for an annual dose estimation for luminescence dating. After an examination of pellet making procedures, the dried sediments were pressed into pellets. The concentrations of radioisotopes were successfully measured taking the National Institute of Standards and Technology standard glass (SRM 610 from NIST) as an external standard (reference material) to convert the signal intensity to a concentration. When the laser ablation setting is chosen to send a significant amount of material to the mass spectrometer (e.g., the repetition frequency of 20 Hz and spot diameter of 140 µm), a very small quantity of 234U (~10 ppb order) could be measured, and the resultant concentration agreed with the result obtained by conventional alpha-spectrometry analyses. Radioisotopes, along with other major elements measurable by LA-ICP-MS, can be measured quickly on fine-grained sediments (e.g., lake and deep-sea sediments) of small quantity by the simple procedure proposed here. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Two ophiolitic peridotites in the SE Desert of Egypt provide a window into the Neoproterzoic mantle. • Geochemistry of peridotite and its mineral chemistry suggest an origin in the arc-related setting. • SED peridotites are refractory mantle residues (25–40% melting), like modern fore-arc peridotites. • Geochemical aspects of peridotite indicate changing from extension during subduction initiation. Korab Kansi and Abu Dahr Neoproterozoic ophiolitic peridotites in the Southern Eastern Desert (SED) of Egypt, are parts of the largest ophiolitic nappes in the Arabian-Nubian Shield. They mainly comprise refractory harzburgites with minor dunites that are commonly altered to serpentinites and talc carbonates. Olivine relics in serpentinized peridotites of the two complexes have olivines with high forsterite (Fo 90.6-92.2) and NiO (0.39 wt%) and low MnO (0. 13 wt%) contents, similar to those of mantle olivines. High Mg# (0.91–0.95) of orthopyroxene is consistent with that of depleted harzburgites. Primary spinel Cr# (0.55–0.75) and TiO 2 contents (<0.04 wt%) of the two peridotite complexes are similar to forearc peridotite spinels. The estimated degree of partial melting of Korab Kansi peridotites (25–40% melting) is slightly lower than that of Abu Dahr (30–40% melting), consistent with modern forearc peridotites. Korab Kansi peridotites exhibit lower oxygen fugacity (Δlog ƒO 2 , FMQ + 0.7 on average) and equilibrium temperature (610–710 °C) than those of Abu Dahr (T , 750–900 °C at Δlog ƒO 2 , FMQ + 2.1), both suggesting subduction-modified peridotites. The low concentrations of incompatible elements, U-shaped REE patterns and high spinel Cr# of both peridotites indicate highly depleted mantle protoliths, reflecting multiple metasomatic and melting episodes in the mantle wedge. Enrichment of fluid mobile elements (e.g. B, Li, Th, U, Pb) relative to high-field strength elements (e.g. Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr) may reflect interaction between slab-derived fluids and peridotites. Calculated parental melts in equilibrium with Korab Kansi and Abu Dahr peridotite spinels have tholeiitic (MORB-like) and boninitic affinities, which were generated during proto-forearc spreading to a mature arc stage. Variations in melt compositions suggest a transitional setting from early proto-forearc spreading of mantle beneath Korab Kansi to the mature arc stage of Abu Dahr peridotites. Subduction initiation possibly started in the W and/or SW with proto-forearc spreading, and progressed to the E and/or NE where a mature arc stage with boninitic melts above an E- and/or SE-dipping subduction zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on both major and trace element chemistry, the occurrence of the intergranular component in mantle-derived xenoliths from far eastern Russia has been constrained. Whole-rock trace element measurements of one xenolith show apparent negative anomalies in Ce, Th, and high field strength elements on normalized trace element patterns. The trace element pattern of the whole rock differs from those of constituent minerals, indicating that the anomalies in the whole rock are attributable to the presence of an intergranular component. That assumption was confirmed using in situ analysis of trace elements in the intergranular substance and melt inclusion using laser ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry. Both the intergranular component and the melt inclusions have identical trace element patterns, which mean that these materials are a cognate metasomatizing agent. The anomalies are regarded as mantle metasomatism related to an aqueous fluid. Hydrous minerals were observed on the wall of the melt inclusions using micro-Raman spectroscopy, indicating that the melt inclusions contained a large amount of water. Thus, this study reveals a trace element composition of a hydrous metasomatizing agent in the mantle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Highly metasomatized apatite-rich peridotite layers (AP-layer) occur in the Finero phlogopite–peridotite massif (western Italian Alps). The AP-layer and the host peridotite are characterized by higher concentration of REE (total REE > 80ppm), especially LILE, and lower HFSE, than those of the other rocks in the Finero massif. The AP-layers and their host peridotites have bulk silicate Earth-like Sr and Nd-isotope compositions except for one sample containing rare carbonate aggregates. The carbonate aggregates occur in a late serpentine-talc veinlet and show relatively high d13C and d18O, high 87Sr/86Sr and lower ɛNd than the other samples. These results, combined with the previous data, indicate that the carbonates formed late at relatively low temperatures. The petrochemical results along with the literature suggest that the AP-layer was locally formed from a metasomatic agent geochemically distinct from that formerly producing phlogopite-bearing harzburgite widely distributed throughout the massif. We propose that the metasomatic agent for the AP-layer was an orthopyroxene-saturated, CO2-bearing hydrous fluid/melt that evolved through the crystallization of metasomatic minerals upon reactions with peridotites. Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) analyses of apatite grains yielded a Tera-Wasserburg concordia three-dimensional isochron age of 215 ± 35Ma in the 238U/206Pb–207Pb/206Pb–204Pb/207Pb diagram. The age is similar to intrusions in the Finero area, suggesting that the carbonate- and apatite-metasomatism was synchronous with Triassic magmatic activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Mafic–ultramafic dykes scattered in the mantle section of ophiolites are generally crystallisation products from common silicate melts. In the frame of a global survey of these melt migration relics in the Oman mantle harzburgites, we discovered a peculiar lithology made essentially of pure diopside () whose characteristics do not match a magmatic or mantle origin. Arguments against a magmatic or mantle origin for these diopsidites combine compositional and textural evidence. In spite of their refractory composition, they are strongly depleted in Cr (Cr2O3 0.2 wt.%). By the same way other minor elements (Al, Ti, Na…) and rare earth elements have peculiarly low abundances and plot away from magmatic differentiation trends. In a few samples, the paragenetic association includes pure anorthite (An% up to 0.99), minor amounts of forsterite (Fo>0.95) or traces of andradite. When not deformed, the diopsides are automorphic and their texture points to metamorphic growth in a matrix composed of antigorite and/or carbonate. Diopsidites have textures reminiscent to that of skarns developing in contact metamorphic halos or that of rodingite frequently present in the serpentine bodies of the ophiolitic crust. They frequently appear as dykes (former cracks), with a few mm to few tens of cm wide transitional zones, which contain high amounts of hydrous minerals, between the diopsidite facies and its host rock. The diopsidites are not randomly distributed in the Oman ophiolite, being more abundant near former asthenospheric diapirs emplaced at shallow depth in the lithosphere. We interpret the diopsidites as the footprint of very high temperature circulation of seawater and carbonated fluids (>800 °C), which may have leached plagioclase rich lithologies before penetrating the mantle (as shown by a well developed positive Eu anomaly). Our data confirm the prediction of McCollom and Shock [T.M. McCollom, E.L. Shock, Fluid-rock interactions in the lower oceanic crust: Thermodynamic models of hydrothermal alteration, J. Geophys. Res. 103 (B1) (1998) 547–575.] who proposed that common anhydrous minerals like pyroxene, plagioclase and olivine may crystallise from high temperature fluids intermediate between silicate melts and supercritical water. This confirms that there is no clear-cut thermal and chemical boundary between the fields of magmatic and hydrothermal crystallisations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Here we report results from an investigation of noble gases in a specimen with layers of very fine-grained apatite and orthopyroxene from the Finero ultramafic complex, western Italian alps. We have also examined fresh olivine grains separated from phlogopite-harzburgites without an apatite layer. Fluid inclusions of these olivine separates appeared rich in radiogenic components such as 4He, 21Ne and 40Ar, suggesting the derivation of fluids from a crust-like reservoir. Such a crust-like component also appeared to be contained in the samples with the apatite-opx layer, however, an additional isotopically distinct component is necessary to explain progressive increases in 3He concentration and decreases in 40Ar/ 36Ar ratios observed approaching the apatite-rich layer. High 3He contents and low 40Ar/ 36Ar ratios are consistent with the signature expected for slab-derived metasomatic fluids. There is a clear mixing trend defined in a 3He/ 36Ar vs. 40Ar/ 36Ar diagram with crustal and slab-derived fluids as end-member compositions, suggesting that the complex was metasomatised by fluids derived from geochemically distinct regions and distinct geotectonic settings. The parent melt or fluids responsible for the formation of the apatite-rich layer should be derived from the slab-derived component, which is consistent with the notion that the Finero mantle was once in the mantle wedge. An in situ component produced in the previously metasomatised portion of lithospheric mantle, or fluid released from surrounding metamorphic rocks during exhumation are possible sources for the crust-like component. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

By applying both vacuum crushing and stepwise heating methods for the extraction of the noble gases, we have discovered 3He/4He ratios much lower than the atmospheric ratio (∼0.3 RA; RA is the atmospheric 3He/4He ratio of 1.4×10-6) and relatively low 40Ar/36Ar ratios (<1000) in olivine separates from some subcontinental mantle-derived xenoliths from Far Eastern Russia. The low 3He/4He ratios cannot be explained by the addition of radiogenic 4He generated in-situ after the eruption of magma entraining the xenoliths. Furthermore, petrographic evidence suggests that incorporation of crustal fluids is not likely. Hence, it must reflect a feature of the Far Eastern Russian upper mantle.Spectroscopic and petrographic observations confirm that there are at least two compositionally distinct fluids in these xenoliths; liquid CO2 inclusions and melt inclusions with shrinkage bubbles. Based on the crushing experiments, it is inferred that the inclusions of liquid CO2 have a 3He/4He ratio similar to that of MORB, and the component with the low 3He/4He ratio is derived from the shrinkage bubbles in the melt inclusions.For the present samples, the 40Ar/36Ar ratios obtained by crushing were less than 1000, suggesting incorporation of atmospheric components in the source materials. Since low 40Ar/36Ar ratios were observed irrespective of the occurrence of the liquid CO2 inclusions, the atmospheric component exists in the melt inclusions. Ne and Xe isotopes are also consistent with incorporation of atmospheric components.Since the Far Eastern Russia area was located at a subduction zone in the Jurassic–early Cretaceous Period, it is most likely that the melt inclusions displaying atmospheric noble gas characteristics together with low 3He/4He ratios have been derived from the Jurassic–Cretaceous subducted slab. Although we cannot exclude the possibility that low 3He/4He ratios are due to the existence of minor U-bearing minerals in the lithospheric continental mantle caused by metasomatism, we have no petrographical evidence for such minerals in this area. On the other hand, 3He/4He ratios observed in the liquid CO2 inclusions, which are similar to the MORB-like value, might reflect the general character of the upper mantle. The Far Eastern Russian mantle may therefore be a MORB-like source that has been partly infiltrated by subduction-related fluids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A novel vapor phase production process for CF3I was successfully developed for the reaction between CHF3 with I2 in the presence of a unique catalyst. The most effective catalyst system for this reaction was found to be alkali metal salts which were supported on an activated carbon carrier. A consideration of the reaction mechanism suggests that the reaction proceeds via CF2 carbenes formed on the catalyst surface as intermediates, followed by carbene disproportionation to CF3 radicals, followed by reaction with I2 to give CF3I. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Isotopic signatures of mantle-derived xenoliths have provided much information on the evolution of their mantle source regions. A recently developed multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry method allows precise and accurate lithium isotopic determinations of Li-poor samples such as peridotites. We present Li–Sr–Nd isotopic systematics of clinopyroxenes (CPXs) in mantle-derived ultramafic xenoliths. The results show that Ichino-megata (Northeastern Japan) and Bullenmerri (Southeastern Australia) samples have positive δ7Li values (δ7Li∼+4 to +7‰, δ7Li=[[7Li/6Li]sample/[7Li/6Li]L-SVEC standard−1]×1000) common to values previously reported for terrestrial volcanic rocks. By contrast, unusually low δ7Li values (δ7Li∼−17‰) are observed in many samples from the Far East region of Russia (Sveyagin, Ennokentiev, and Fevralsky) and southwestern Japan (Kurose and Takashima). The δ7Li values of Sikhote-Alin (Sveyagin and Ennokentiev) samples vary widely from −17.1‰ to −3.1‰, while the δ7Li values are positively correlated with 143Nd/144Nd, and negatively correlated with 87Sr/86Sr. On the other hand, the δ7Li values of the Bullenmerri samples are essentially constant (δ7Li=+5.0 to +6.0‰), while the 87Sr/86Sr (0.7027∼0.7098) and 143Nd/144Nd ratios (0.51224∼0.51297) vary widely. These features can be explained by the results of a binary mixing between a depleted component (low-87Sr/86Sr, and high-143Nd/144Nd) and an enriched component (high-87Sr/86Sr, and low-143Nd/144Nd). The enriched component (metasomatic agent) in the mantle beneath the Sikhote-Alin area has extraordinarily low δ7Li value (<−17‰), whereas the metasomatic agent in the mantle beneath the Bullenmerri area has positive δ7Li value (+6‰). Based on the Sr–Nd isotopic systematics and coexistent hydrous mineral, metasomatic agents of the Sikhote-Alin and Bullenmerri samples are classified into anhydrous EM1-type and hydrous EM2-type, respectively. From these features, we infer that anhydrous EM1-like metasomatic agent may have an extremely low δ7Li value, whereas hydrous EM2-like metasomatic agent may have a positive δ7Li value. It has been predicted that the δ7Li value of subducted highly altered mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) would be extremely low compared to that of fresh MORB due to the preferential loss of heavier Li (δ7Li>altered MORB) from the subducted slab during dehydration at low temperature. Consequently, it is deduced that Li of metasomatic agent with an extremely low δ7Li value is derived from subducted highly altered basalt. The enrichment of isotopically light Li (low δ7Li) may be a general property of EM1 mantle reservoir. The Li isotopic data suggest further that the EM1 and HIMU sources originate from different parts of a recycling oceanic crust. This is essentially the same as the models proposed previously based on the radiogenic isotopic data, but with the Li isotopic data requiring uppermost, highly altered basaltic crust as well as pelagic sediment in the EM1 source, but not so in the HIMU end-member. Because of the apparent sensitivity of Li isotopic composition to the alteration profile of subducted MORB, it may provide complementary information to Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic compositions regarding the mantle source. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Micro-Raman spectroscopic analysis allows us to estimate the internal pressure of small fluid inclusions. We applied this method to CO2-dominated fluid inclusions in mantle-derived xenoliths. The pressures estimated from the equilibration temperature and density of the fluid range from 0.96 to 1.04 GPa corresponding to depths of up to 30 km, which confirms that these rocks and fluids are of uppermost mantle origin. Furthermore, the inclusions show pressures specific to the individual host minerals (spinel≥orthopyroxene≈clinopyroxene≫olivine). In particular, the densities of CO2 in pyroxenes are 10% higher than in olivine. Such an enormous difference cannot be explained by elastic deformation of the minerals during ascent of the xenoliths, although the process may explain the slightly higher density of CO2 in spinel. During the ascent, the strain rate of orthopyroxene calculated using the ‘constitutive equation’ is several orders of magnitude lower than that of olivine. The difference in densities of CO2 among the host mineral species is therefore attributable to the rheological properties of the minerals. Present internal pressures of fluid inclusions can be a sensitive strength marker of mantle minerals. Conversely, the density of CO2 inclusions in pyroxene (and spinel) may be a useful geobarometer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In order to provide constraints on 3He/4He ratios in the Archean mantle source, we have analyzed helium isotopic compositions in 2.7 Ga old Archean komatiites from the Abitibi green stone belt, Ontario, Canada. Two spinifex-textured komatiites yielded significantly high 3He/4He ratios of about 30 Ra (where Ra denotes the atmospheric 3He/4He ratio) in fractions released by sequential crushing. These results are the first confirmation of the occurrence of high 3He/4He ratios in Archean komatiites after the intriguing finding by Richard et al. [Science 273 (1996) 93–95] in komatiites from a nearby locality, Alexo. We also found that the crystal structure of the komatiites was significantly enriched in a radiogenic component (4He) and that this 4He was actually degassed by crushing gas extraction, indicating that the nominal 3He/4He ratios measured by crushing are lower limits for the 3He/4He ratio of the intrinsic component. By constraining the release behavior of radiogenic 4He by crushing, we have estimated the initial 3He/4He ratio of the inclusion-trapped component to be 73.0+7.8−5.5 Ra. A mantle source with such a high 3He/4He ratio at 2.7 Ga, if evolved in a closed system, would have a present-day 3He/4He ratio of 46–60 Ra, indicating that the komatiites from Munro have trapped their helium from a mantle reservoir with a very high 3He/4He ratio in the context of the present-day value. However, whether or not such a source can be considered as equivalent to the primitive mantle source (such that sampled at hotspots) is highly model-dependent. If a closed system evolution model is assumed, helium in the Munro komatiites is not likely to be derived from the mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) source-like reservoir. However, the notion that the komatiites may be derived from a depleted reservoir in terms of trace elemental and isotopic geochemistry might require an alternative view for the 3He/4He evolution in ancient mantle reservoirs, as has been demonstrated by a recent model calculation by Seta et al. [Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 188 (2001) 211–219] in which the 3He/4He ratios in the MORB mantle source could have been as high as those in the primitive (less degassed) mantle source in the Archean. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Unusual chromitite formation in the Lycian ophiolite. • Spinel shows lowest Cr# (<0.07) so far reported (0.177). • High-Cr chromitite pods are similar to common podiform chromitites. • Dunite envelopes are thinner around the high-Al chromitite than high-Cr chromitite. • Dunite envelopes have similar spinel Cr# (mainly ~ 0.5) in both. • High-Al chromitites formed via faint interaction of high-Al magma and wall-rock. • High-Cr chromitites did not form via in-situ magma-peridotite interaction. The Lycian ophiolite in SW Turkey is mainly exposed in the Marmaris-Köyceğiz (Muğla) and Yeşilova (Burdur) regions. Its mantle section is widely exposed around Marmaris (=Marmaris peridotite) and is primarily composed of harzburgite of abyssal affinity with sparse lenses of dunites. Unusual chromitites indicating complicated mantle processes for chromitite genesis in the Marmaris peridotite have been discovered. The Marmaris harzburgite is characterised by moderate Cr# (=Cr/(Cr + Al); ~0.5) spinels and very low Na 2 O contents (<0.1 wt%) in clinopyroxene. Extremely high-Al chromitites, whose spinel show very low Cr# (<0.07), were found as pods in some dunites. Their spinels are far lower in Cr# than the lowest Cr# of the spinels in podiform chromitites (0.177) reported thus far. High-Cr chromitite pods, which are similar in chemistry (Cr# of spinel; ~ 0.7) to the most common podiform chromitite, were also found in the same peridotite. Dunite envelopes are thinner around the high-Al chromitite than around the high-Cr chromitite, but they are similar to each other in spinel Cr# (mainly ~ 0.5). The parental melt, from which the high-Al spinels of chromitites crystallised, contains relatively high Al 2 O 3 (22–23 wt%) and low TiO 2 content (<0.2 wt%) compared to mid-ocean ridge basalts. On the other hand, relatively low Al 2 O 3 (12–13 wt%) and higher TiO 2 (0.2–0.5. wt%) concentrations were observed for the parental melt from which the high-Cr chromitites were crystallised, suggesting a boninitic affinity. The extremely high-Al chromitites possibly formed through faint interactions between intruding high-Al magma and harzburgite country rock. Such interactions are also responsible for the formation of a thin dunite envelope. The high-Cr chromitites did not form via in situ magma–peridotite interactions because of their far higher Cr# spinel (~0.7) than the spinel in dunites (~0.5). Instead, the high-Cr magma responsible for chromitite precipitation intruded and replaced an in situ-interacted magma in the dunite-lined channel within harzburgite. The Marmaris peridotite represents a slice of mantle wedge that evolved from an abyssal mantle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highly carbonated mantle xenoliths have been found in rift-related alkaline basalts at the Wadi Natash area in the southern part of the Eastern Desert of Egypt. Although all olivine and most orthopyroxene was replaced by carbonate and/or quartz, textural and mineral chemical features show that they are plagioclase-free spinel peridotites (lherzolite to harzburgite). Cr and Mg numbers (Cr#, Mg#) of Cr-spinel vary from 0.06 to 0.45 and 0.73 to 0.81, respectively. The correlation between Cr# and Mg# of the Cr-spinel in the studied xenoliths is weakly negative and its TiO 2 content is slightly higher than in abyssal peridotite that was not affected by melt injection. The chemistry of ortho- and clinopyroxene suggests enstatite and chromian diopside compositions, respectively, with distinct signatures of a sub-continental mantle source. In particular, the Na 2 O contents (>1.0 wt%) and AlVI/AlIV ratios (1.2–2.6) of chromian diopside suggest such an origin. Two-pyroxene geothermometry indicates a temperature of about 900 °C, which is slightly lower than that of ordinary spinel peridotite xenoliths from other rift zones. It is evident that the studied peridotite xenoliths had experienced mantle processes (e.g. decompression melting, magma upwelling and metasomatism) at higher pressure than abyssal peridotites. The trace-element chemistry of clinopyroxene, e.g. high LREE/HREE ratios {(Ce/Yb) n = 7}, high LREE contents (>3.6 ppm and up to 30.0 ppm Ce) and high Sr between >85.6 ppm and 466 ppm, indicates metasomatic alteration of the peridotite. Clinopyroxene in one sample has very low Ti/Eu and high LREE/HREE ratios. Clinopyroxene with (Ce/Yb) n higher than 3–4 and Ti/Eu ratio lower than 1500 may have experienced carbonatite or carbonate-rich melt metasomatism prior to their incorporation into the host basalt. The basalt itself is almost devoid of any carbonatization and hence the studied mantle peridotites were carbonatized before the generation of the basaltic magma but following an earlier event of K-metasomatism as indicated by the presence of phlogopite. The studied peridotites from the Wadi Natash area were altered by a carbonate-rich melt during a rifting stage. The results of the present paper indicate that the Natash basalts with their peridotite xenoliths extruded along transversal fractures of the NW-trending Nuqra-Kom Ombo-Kharit continental rift on its western shoulder in the south Eastern Desert of Egypt. Unlabelled Image • The Natash mantle xenoliths are carbonatized peridotite and plagioclase-free. • Two-pyroxene geothermometry indicates a temperature of about 900 °C. • Na 2 O content and AlVI/AlIV ratio in Cr-diopside indicate sub-continental mantle. • High LREE/HREE ratio {(Ce/Yb) n } and high Ce and Sr contents are metasomatism indicators. • Carbonatization post-dates phlogopitization in the mantle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stratiform chromite ore body crops out in the lower part of the dunitic mantle-crust transition zone (DTZ) that developed at the top of a mantle diapir in the Maqsad area in the Oman ophiolite. It is made of layers ranging in thickness from a few mm to a maximum of 3 m, and in modal composition from massive to antinodular and disseminated ore. The ore body is about 50 m thick and its lateral extent does not exceed several hundred meters. The layering dips gently to the southeast, parallel to that of the overlying gabbroic cumulates. The chromite composition is typical of a MORB kindred - moderate XCr (100 × Cr/(Cr + Al) atomic ratio), ranging from 48 to 60, and relatively high TiO 2 content, ranging from about 0.3 to 0.5 wt% -, a characteristic shared by most lithologies issued from the igneous activity of the Maqsad diapir. The silicate matrix is essentially made of slightly serpentinized olivine with minor clinopyroxene and rare pargasitic amphibole, orthopyroxene and garnet. This strongly contrasts with the nature of the mineral inclusions mostly made of the assemblage amphibole-orthopyroxene-mica, enclosed in the chromite grains and represented in abundance all along the ore body whatever the ore grade. The inclusions demonstrate the involvement of a silica- and water-rich melt and/or fluid, in addition to MORB, in the early stages of chromite crystallization. The chemical composition of chromite, silicate matrix, together with the one of silicate inclusions display well-defined evolutions vertically along the stratiform chromitite. At the scale of the ore body, the compositional trends are independent of the ore concentration but the major kinks in these trends are well-correlated with levels of magmatic breccias. This shows that abrupt chemical changes can be attributed to sudden melt ± fluids injection events followed mainly by melt-fluid-rock interaction and in a lesser extent by quieter evolution by fractional crystallization. At the thin section scale, second order chemical variations, essentially in the Mg# (100 × Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) atomic ratio) of chromite and Fo of olivine, are clearly attributable to re-equilibration between these two solid phases, possibly in the presence of an interstitial melt/fluid. • The Maqsad dunitic transition zone (Oman ophiolite) hosts a stratiform chromitite. • The matrix (ol, cpx) strongly contrasts with silicate inclusions (opx, amph, mica). • Vertical chemical evolutions along the ore body correlate to magmatic breccias. • Melt injections (breccias) controlled the hybridization between contrasted melts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mantle melts provide a window on processes related to global plate tectonics. The composition of chromian spinel (Cr-spinel) from mafic-ultramafic rocks has been widely used for tracing the geotectonic environments, the degree of mantle melting and the rate of mid-ocean ridge spreading. The assumption is that Cr-spinel's core composition (Cr# = Cr/(Cr + Al)) is homogenous, insensitive to post-formation modification and therefore a robust petrogenetic indicator. However, we demonstrate that the composition of Cr-spinel can be modified by fluid/melt-rock interactions in both sub-arc and sub-mid oceanic mantle. Metasomatism can produce Al-Cr heterogeneity in Cr-spinel that lowers the Cr/Al ratio, and therefore modifies the Cr#, making Cr# ineffective as a geotectonic and mantle melting indicator. Our analysis also demonstrates that Cr-spinel is a potential sink for fluid-mobile elements, especially in subduction zone environments. The heterogeneity of Cr# in Cr-spinel can, therefore, be used as an excellent tracer for metasomatic processes.

R(+)-α-lipoic acid (RALA) is a naturally-occurring substance, and its protein-bound form plays significant role in the energy metabolism in the mitochondria. RALA is vulnerable to a variety of physical stimuli, including heat and UV light, which prompted us to study the stability of its complexes with cyclodextrins (CDs). In this study, we have prepared and purified a crystalline RALA-αCD complex and evaluated its properties in the solid state. The results of ¹H NMR and PXRD analyses indicated that the crystalline RALA-αCD complex is a channel type complex with a molar ratio of 2:3 (RALA:α-CD). Attenuated total reflection/Fourier transform infrared analysis of the complex showed the shift of the C=O stretching vibration of RALA due to the formation of the RALA-αCD complex. Raman spectroscopic analysis revealed the significant weakness of the S-S and C-S stretching vibrations of RALA in the RALA-αCD complex implying that the dithiolane ring of RALA is almost enclosed in glucose ring of α-CD. Extent of this effect was dependent on the direction of the excitation laser to the hexagonal morphology of the crystal. Solid-state NMR analysis allowed for the chemical shift of the C=O peak to be precisely determined. These results suggested that RALA was positioned in the α-CD cavity with its 1,2-dithiolane ring orientated perpendicular to the plane of the α-CD ring.

α-Lipoic acid (ALA) has a chiral center at the C6 position, and exists as two enantiomers, R(+)-ALA (RALA) and S(-)-ALA (SALA). RALA is naturally occurring, and is a cofactor for mitochondrial enzymes, therefore playing a major role in energy metabolism. However, RALA cannot be used for pharmaceuticals or nutraceuticals because it readily polymerizes via a 1,2-dithiolane ring-opening when exposed to light or heat. So, it is highly desired to find out the method to stabilize RALA. The purpose of this study is to provide the spectroscopic information of stabilized RALA and SALA through complexation with cyclodextrins (CDs), α-CD, β-CD and γ-CD and to examine the physical characteristics of the resultant complexes in the solid state. The RALA-CD structures were elucidated based on the micro fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and Raman analyses. The FT-IR results showed that the C=O stretching vibration of RALA appeared at 1717 cm⁻¹ and then shifted on formation of the RALA-CD complexes. The Raman spectra showed that the S-S and C-S stretching vibrations for RALA at 511 cm⁻¹ (S-S), 631 cm⁻¹ (C-S) and 675 cm⁻¹ (C-S) drastically weakened and almost disappeared upon complexation with CDs. Several peaks indicative of O-H vibrations also shifted or changed in intensity. These results indicate that RALA and CDs form host-guest complexes by interacting with one another.

Fine clay particles have functioned as transport media for radiocesium in terrestrial environments after nuclear accidents. Because radiocesium is expected to be retained in clay minerals by a cation-exchange reaction, ascertaining trace cesium desorption behavior in response to changing solution conditions is crucially important. This study systematically investigated the desorption behavior of intrinsic Cs (13 nmol/g) in well-characterized Na-montmorillonite in electrolyte solutions (NaCl, KCl, CaCl2, and MgCl2) under widely differing cation concentrations (0.2 mM to 0.2 M). Batch desorption experiments demonstrated that Cs(+) desorption was inhibited significantly in the presence of the environmental relevant concentrations of Ca(2+) and Mg(2+) (>0.5 mM) and high concentrations of K(+). The order of ability for Cs desorption was Na(+) = K(+) > Ca(2+) = Mg(2+) at the highest cation concentration (0.2 M), which is opposite to the theoretical prediction based on the cation-exchange selectivity. Laser diffraction grain-size analyses revealed that the inhibition of Cs(+) desorption coincided with the increase of the clay tactoid size. Results suggest that radiocesium in the dispersed fine clay particles adheres on the solid phase when the organization of swelling clay particles occurs because of changes in solution conditions caused by both natural processes and artificial treatments.

Eu(III) sorption on granite was assessed using combined microscopic and macroscopic approaches in neutral to acidic conditions where the mobility of Eu(III) is generally considered to be high. Polished thin sections of the granite were reacted with solutions containing 10 μM of Eu(III) and were analyzed using EPMA and LA-ICP-MS. On most of the biotite grains, Eu enrichment up to 6 wt % was observed. The Eu-enriched parts of biotite commonly lose K, which is the interlayer cation of biotite, indicating that the sorption mode of Eu(III) by the biotite is cation exchange in the interlayer. The distributions of Eu appeared along the original cracks of the biotite. Those occurrences indicate that the prior water-rock interaction along the cracks engendered modification of biotite to possess affinity to the Eu(III). Batch Eu(III) sorption experiments on granite and biotite powders were conducted as functions of pH, Eu(III) loading, and ionic strength. The macroscopic sorption behavior of biotite was consistent with that of granite. At pH > 4, there was little pH dependence but strong ionic strength dependence of Eu(III) sorption. At pH < 4, the sorption of Eu(III) abruptly decreased with decreased pH. The sorption behavior at pH > 4 was reproducible reasonably by the modeling considering single-site cation exchange reactions. The decrease of Eu(III) sorption at pH < 4 was explained by the occupation of exchangeable sites by dissolved cationic species such as Al and Fe from granite and biotite in low-pH conditions. Granites are complex mineral assemblages. However, the combined microscopic and macroscopic approaches revealed that elementary reactions by a single mineral phase can be representative of the bulk sorption reaction in complex mineral assemblages.

Although the quest for Earth's oldest rock is of great importance, identifying the youngest exposed pluton on Earth is also of interest. A pluton is a body of intrusive igneous rock that crystallized from slowly cooling magma at depths of several kilometers beneath the surface of the Earth. Therefore, the youngest exposed pluton represents the most recent tectonic uplift and highest exhumation. The youngest exposed pluton reported to date is the Takidani Granodiorite (~ 1.4 Ma) in the Hida Mountain Range of central Japan. Using LA-ICP-MS and SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating methods, this study demonstrates that the Kurobegawa Granite, also situated in the Hida Mountain Range, is as young as ~ 0.8 Ma. In addition, data indicate multiple intrusion episodes in this pluton since 10 Ma with a ~ 2-million-year period of quiescence; hence, a future intrusion event is likely within 1 million years.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the co-administration of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) (LPS/TNF-alpha) can induce the expression of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which results in the generation of apoptosis in cultured human nasal microvascular endothelial cells (HNMECs). Since LPS and TNF-alpha have been suggested to play an important role in the pathophysiology of nasal disease, we conclude that microvascular leakage may therefore contribute to the inflammatory process in nasal disease, such as allergic rhinitis and asthma., Materials and Methods: The HNMECs were obtained from the inferior turbinate and subsequently cultured. The expression of iNOS induced by both the LPS and TNF-alpha was investigated by fluorescent immunohistochemistry, using confocal laser microscopy. The DNA-binding dye, Hoechist 33342, was also used to analyze the apoptosis in the HNMECs., Results: The fluorescent immunohistochemistory study demonstrated that LPS and TNF-alpha induced the expression of iNOS in HNMECs. LPS/TNF-alpha remarkably augmented the expression of iNOS in HNMECs in comparison to stimulation by either LPS or TNF-alpha alone. LPS/TNF-alpha also induced apoptosis in HNMECs. 1400W, a highly selective inhibitor of iNOS, inhibited both the expression of iNOS and the apoptosis induced by LPS/TNF-alpha.