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The closure of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean in Jurassic – Cretaceous times led to the final amalgamation of the interior of Eastern Asia, thus placing Mongolia in an intraplate tectonic setting. Small and widespread volcanic fields of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age are known through Eastern Asia, attributed to both post-collisional and intraplate mechanisms. In Mongolia, intraplate volcanic fields are scattered across the central and eastern parts of the country. Although several models have been proposed to explain the origin of this late Mesozoic – Cenozoic intraplate magmatism in Mongolia, there is still on-going debate about the process(es) that lead to it. Moreover, there are no temporal reconstructions on the extent of post-collisional magmatism in the area preceding intraplate magmatic activity, nor any hypotheses on the timing of the onset of the latter. In this study, we differentiate between post-collisional and intraplate magmatism in Mongolia using a set of geochemical, isotopic, palaeomagnetic and zircon data, and define the onset of intraplate magmatic activity at 107 Ma. Through evaluation of nearly 700 published radiometric data from the various volcanic fields across Mongolia along with newly-obtained age constraints, we reveal a complex temporal and spatial evolution of the magmatism that runs parallel in different volcanic fields through time, and we identify the extent of hiatuses in the magmatic activity. Based on the assessed data we discuss the source of bias in our understanding of the magmatic history of Mongolia and evaluate the various proposed models for the origin of the Mongolian magmatism. Finally, we suggest that asthenospheric upwellings were induced through a delamination event beneath Mongolia in the late Mesozoic. This initiated the intraplate magmatism, the temporal evolution of which is prolonged due to enhanced mantle flow related to northward progression of Tethys and the Indian plate.

In situ 40Ar–39Ar UV laser ablation dating of the Carpathian C1 obsidians from the Slovakian part of the Zemplín –Tokaj area yielded new 40Ar–39Ar obsidian glass ages that fall in a narrow time interval of 12.07 ± 0.37 to 11.44 ± 0.39 Ma. This indicates that most of the Zemplín obsidian findings come from one short-time monogenic volcano, forming part of a long-lasting volcanism over the 15–10 Ma period. Chemical compositions of the Carpathian C1 obsidians clearly indicate common similarities between all examined localities (Brehov, Cejkov, Hraň, and Viničky). Geochemically, these obsidians belong to the silica-rich, peraluminous, high-potassium, calc-alkaline rhyolite series volcanic rocks of ferroan character. They were derived by multi-stage magmatic processes, from mixed mantle and crustal sources, and generated during subduction in a volcanic arc tectonic setting. The primary basaltic magma formed from the melting of the lower crustal source at the mantle/crust boundary. Subsequent formation of melt reservoirs in the middle and upper crust, accompanied by secondary melting of the surrounding rocks with continual addition of ascending melt, and repeated processes of assimilation and fractionation produced rhyolitic rocks with obsidians in the Zemplínske vrchy Mts.

The Mae Ping shear zone (MPSZ) is one of the major ductile strike-slip systems associated with the Cenozoic extrusion tectonics in Southeast Asia. However, its sinistral shear lacks a robust temporal constraint. This study attempts to acquire the deformation timing by applying 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology on a sheared pegmatitic leucogranite showing sinistral S–C fabrics with a thrust component. The contact of the leucogranite sub-paralleling to the major foliation in host gneiss indicates it could be a pre- to syn-shearing intrusion. Most minerals, including garnet, muscovite, K-feldspar, albite, and quartz, exhibit ductile to brittle deformation. Mineral microstructural analysis suggests a retrograde sinistral shear from > 600 to 250 °C. In situ 40Ar/39Ar dating on muscovite yield ages mainly within 42–38 Ma with calculated closure temperatures of 435–330 °C. Fine-grained muscovite aggregates are slightly older than fish, implying that grain size reduction may not always reset 40Ar/39Ar ages. The K-feldspar 40Ar/39Ar step heating age spectrum with two segments of contiguous steps at 24.5 and 35.4 Ma may reflect the coexistence of high-T porphyroclast and low-T K-rich fine-grain recrystallizing at pressure shadows. The reconstructed cooling path and inferred deformation temperatures constrain a shear duration of 42–30 Ma for the MPSZ. The activation of the MPSZ before 42 Ma could be linked to the Eocene metamorphism within a transpressional regime triggering crustal thickening that may further induce the leucogranitic melt. This study also shows leucogranite can be a nice thermal history recorder for a shear zone regarding its petrogenesis and suitable mineral assemblage for thermochronology.

The petrography, detrital zircon age distribution and 40Ar–39Ar ages of three samples from the Nagurskaya drill core of westernmost Franz Josef Land have been analyzed and are compared to similar rocks from the Lomonosov Ridge. The analyzed rocks, from near the base of the drill hole, consist of fine-grained psammitic to semipelitic schists, metamorphosed under greenschist-facies conditions. They are lithologically very similar to the recently analyzed metasediments from the Lomonosov Ridge. The detrital zircon age spectra of the samples from both the Lomonosov Ridge and beneath Franz Josef Land span the Meso- to Palaeoproterozoic with a main peak around 1.6 Ga, similar to lower Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks in East Greenland, on Svalbard and northern Norway, as well as from Cambrian sediments in Estonia and Silurian–Devonian sediments on Novaya Zemlya. Biotite in metasedimentary rocks from the Nagurskaya drill core indicate an Early Devonian 40Ar–39Ar metamorphic age of c. 400 Ma, possibly superimposed on an earlier, Ordovician history similar to that of the metasediments from the Lomonosov Ridge at 470 Ma. Previously published 40Ar–39Ar analyses of Nagurskaya muscovite yielded c. 600 Ma ages, characteristic of the Timanian Orogen. Together with the new biotite data, these isotope ages favor the interpretation that the Caledonian suture is located between Svalbard and Franz Josef Land, and the Caledonian deformation front between the latter and Novaya Zemlya.

Significance The ancient topography of the Tibetan Plateau and its role in biotic evolution are still poorly understood, mostly due to a lack of fossil evidence. Our discovery of ∼47-Mya plant fossils from a present elevation of 4,850 m in central Tibet, diminishes, significantly, that lack of knowledge. The fossils represent a humid subtropical vegetation and some of the 70 different plant forms show affinity to Early-Middle Eocene floras in both North America and Europe. Using leaf architecture, we calculate that the forest grew at ∼1,500-m elevation within an east–west trending valley under a monsoonal climate. Our findings highlight the complexity of Tibet’s ancient landscape and emphasize the importance of Tibet in the history of global biodiversity., Tibet’s ancient topography and its role in climatic and biotic evolution remain speculative due to a paucity of quantitative surface-height measurements through time and space, and sparse fossil records. However, newly discovered fossils from a present elevation of ∼4,850 m in central Tibet improve substantially our knowledge of the ancient Tibetan environment. The 70 plant fossil taxa so far recovered include the first occurrences of several modern Asian lineages and represent a Middle Eocene (∼47 Mya) humid subtropical ecosystem. The fossils not only record the diverse composition of the ancient Tibetan biota, but also allow us to constrain the Middle Eocene land surface height in central Tibet to ∼1,500 ± 900 m, and quantify the prevailing thermal and hydrological regime. This “Shangri-La”–like ecosystem experienced monsoon seasonality with a mean annual temperature of ∼19 °C, and frosts were rare. It contained few Gondwanan taxa, yet was compositionally similar to contemporaneous floras in both North America and Europe. Our discovery quantifies a key part of Tibetan Paleogene topography and climate, and highlights the importance of Tibet in regard to the origin of modern Asian plant species and the evolution of global biodiversity.

40Ar–39Ar dating of glass shards from silicic tuffs of the Ellensburg Formation (NW, USA) interbedding basaltic lavas yielded accurate, precise, reproducible plateau and isochron ages that are within error at the 2σ level. The age-spectra have flat plateaus and the inverse isochrons have atmospheric 40Ar/36Ar at the 2σ level. Ages of 12.00 ± 0.24, 11.37 ± 0.15, 10.67 ± 0.21 and 10.70 ± 0.18 Ma are consistent with the stratigraphy of four of the dated layers; the age of 10.77 ± 0.18 Ma for a fifth layer is at odds with the stratigraphy. This discrepancy arises due to the effect of glass alteration that induced K- and Ar-loss. There is no evidence of excess 40Ar or 39Ar recoil. The new ages indirectly constrain the timing of eruption of the lavas above and below the ash beds. This demonstrates that volcanic glass from interbeds can be used as an additional tool for indirectly dating basaltic lava sequences, which is independent of the lavas and complementary to other materials. Considering the numerous studies in which volcanic glass failed to provide reliable 40Ar–39Ar ages, additional and supportive constraints are still needed to assess the validity of the ages from glass shards. Supplementary material: A1 – sample location, stratigraphic position and depositional environments; A2 – electron microprobe information with calibration and sample data; A3 – Ar isotopic data of blanks and samples, data reduction software, J values, criteria for age calculation and images of age spectra and inverse isochrons are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5077705

Mechanisms driving the tectonic evolution of the southeast (SE) margin of Tibet include the Paleogene extrusion of the coherent Indochina lithospheric block, and the continuous deformation caused by lower crustal flow since the middle Miocene. The timing and style of regional deformations are key to determining the role of each mechanism. Fault-bounded and -controlled Cenozoic basins within the SE margin of Tibet record regional deformation, surface uplift and variations in paleoclimate, but often are poorly dated. New magnetostratigraphy and 40Ar/39Ar dating of volcanic ashes constrain precisely the timing of sedimentation within the Lühe Basin to between ~35 and 26.5 Ma. The basin is located in the Chuandian terrane along the Chuxiong fault, which lies ~70 km north of, and parallel to, the Ailao Shan-Red River fault. The asymmetric syncline of the Lühe Basin suggests syn-contractional sedimentation and the basal age of the basin represents the initiation of the Chuxiong fault and crustal shortening at ~35 Ma. This is coincident with the onset of the Ailao Shan-Red River fault, and supports a kinematic link between them. Our study suggests that, like the Ailao Shan-Red River fault, the Chuxiong fault is a Paleogene transpressional structure that developed during the extrusion and clockwise rotation of Indochina around the Eastern Himalayan Syntaxis, which caused the late Paleogene deformation and surface uplift of the Chuandian terrane and Indochina. Our revised chronostratigraphy of the Lühe Basin provides further evidence that many of the “Neogene” sedimentary basins in the SE margin of Tibet may be much older than previously thought.

The İzmir‐Ankara suture represents part of the boundary between Laurasia and Gondwana along which a wide Tethyan ocean was subducted. In northwest Turkey, it is associated with distinct oceanic subduction‐accretion complexes of Late Triassic, Jurassic and Late Cretaceous ages. The Late Triassic and Jurassic accretion complexes consist predominantly of basalt with lesser amounts of shale, limestone, chert, Permian (274 Ma zircon U‐Pb age) metagabbro and serpentinite, which have undergone greenschist facies metamorphism. Ar‐Ar muscovite ages from the phyllites range from 210 Ma down to 145 Ma with a broad southward younging. The Late Cretaceous subduction‐accretion complex, the ophiolitic mélange, consists of basalt, radiolarian chert, shale and minor amounts of recrystallized limestone, serpentinite and greywacke, showing various degrees of blueschist facies metamorphism and penetrative deformation. Ar‐Ar phengite ages from two blueschist metabasites are ca. 80 Ma (Campanian). The ophiolitic mélange includes large Jurassic peridotite‐gabbro bodies with plagiogranites with ca. 180 Ma U‐Pb zircon ages. Geochronological and geological data show that Permian to Cretaceous oceanic lithosphere was subducted north under the Pontides from the Late Triassic to the Late Cretaceous. This period was characterized generally by subduction‐accretion, except in the Early Cretaceous, when subduction‐erosion took place. In the Sakarya segment all the subduction accretion complexes, as well as the adjacent continental sequences, are unconformably overlain by Lower Eocene red beds. This, along with the stratigraphy of the Sakarya Zone indicate that the hard collision between the Sakarya Zone and the Anatolide‐Tauride Block took place in Paleocene.

We present results of an ongoing petrologic and modelling study of a new Martian analogue rock: The Frankenstein Gabbro (Odenwald, Germany). Our aim is to predict mineral reaction paths and fluid properties during hydrothermal alteration of basaltic host rocks on Mars – thought to be a common by-product of impact cratering – in order to assess the habitability of the fluids for the potential of Martian life, and establish a link between habitable fluid conditions and secondary mineral assemblages.Primary minerals of the analogue are mostly plagioclase (~70 vol.%) and clinopyroxene (~20 vol.%) with lesser percentages of amphiboles and Fe-oxides. We focus on a chloritic-propylitic alteration event associated with hairline fault planes and mineral veinlets. The secondary mineralisation shows strong small-scale variability, depending on host mineral and type of fluid pathway: For plagioclase hosts, fault planes are dominated by chlorite with additional epidote and prehnite, while mineral veinlets consist of albite ± calcite ± chlorite ± epidote ± K-feldspar ± mica. For clinopyroxene hosts, fault planes consist of actinolite with additional chlorite or vermiculite, while mineral veinlets consist of prehnite and vermiculite.We use the software CHIM-XPT to model mineral reaction paths, with published XRF bulk rock data, EMP analyses of single minerals, and a starting fluid enriched in Na, K, Mg and Si for input, the latter based on calculated element budgets of mineral replacement reactions. Our models reproduce secondary assemblages related to plagioclase-hosted fault planes (chlorite–epidote–prehnite) and veinlets (albite–chlorite–epidote–K-feldspar–mica), as well as alteration rims around clinopyroxene related to fault planes (actinolite–chlorite). Corresponding fluid conditions are ~200–250 °C, pH ~6.5–8.0, at water/rock ratios >3000, in agreement with pre-model constraints by mineralogy. The breakdown of clinopyroxene and plagioclase releases large amounts of Ca, with calcite inferred to be a late-stage product of cooling. Fluid redox state is shown to be largely controlled by host minerals, and in turn exerts strong influence on secondary mineral formation: clinopyroxene releases Fe2+ during alteration, which is taken up by chlorite; in contrast, plagioclase contains up to 0.5 wt.% Fe3+ substituting for Al, which is taken up by epidote. Prehnite, of the same elemental composition except for Fe, is inversely correlated with epidote. Thus, the relative percentages of chlorite, epidote and prehnite can serve as indicators of redox state in similar types of rock.Our models match key petrological observations and provide information about the alteration process beyond what may be directly observed. They illustrate the need to account for small-scale variability, and to adjust models on a case-by-case basis. This has important implications for models of Martian habitability, where similar features may be expected. Next, we will apply these reaction pathways to Martian rocks (shergottitic basalts), focusing especially on small-scale distribution of dissolved iron species, a suggested energy source for hypothetical microbial Martian life.

The late Cretaceous accretionary complex along the Izmir–Ankara–Erzincan suture zone, northern Turkey, includes various types of metamorphic rock together with radiolarite, sandstone, mudstone, serpentinite, basalt and limestone. Meta-plagiogranite blocks (up to 5 m in diameter) and a meta-gabbro slice (800 × 500 m) cross-cut by meta-plagiogranite are observed in a matrix of serpentinite, mudstone and radiolarian chert. These meta-gabbros and meta-plagiogranites show subduction-related geochemical characteristics. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry U–Pb dating of zircons from two meta-plagiogranites yielded 222.3 ± 1.5 and 227.2 ± 1.6 Ma crystallization ages. This study shows that the meta-gabbro and meta-plagiogranite from the accretionary complex are remnants of the metamorphosed equivalents of the late Triassic lower crustal rocks of the subducted Tethyan oceanic crust. They are the oldest lower crustal rocks observed in the Izmir–Ankara–Erzincan suture zone. Both the meta-gabbros and meta-plagiogranites have Na–Ca amphiboles, indicating blueschist facies metamorphism. However, phengites from a blueschist facies rock yielded an 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age of 104.3 ± 0.7 Ma, indicating that blueschist metamorphism occurred during the Albian. All these data suggest that the oceanic crust formed during the Norian, metamorphosed during the Jurassic to early Cretaceous and then dismembered during accretionary complex formation in the late Cretaceous. Supplementary material: A complete description of the analytical methods ( electron microprobe, LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age analyses, pseudo-section modelling and THERMOCALC) are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.6509984

The Kalkarindji flood basalt province of northern Australia erupted in the mid-Cambrian. Today, the province consists of scattered volcanic and intrusive suites, the largest being the Antrim Plateau Volcanics (APV) in Northern Territory. Accurate dating of the Kalkarindji flood basalt province has proved challenging, with previous studies focused on minor volcanic rocks and intrusive dykes in Northern Territory and Western Australia. These previously published data, corrected to the same decay constants, range from 512.8 to 509.6 ± 2.5 Ma [2σ], placing the Kalkarindji flood basalt province in apparent synchronicity with the Cambrian Stage 4–5 biotic crisis at 510 ± 1 Ma. This study utilizes 40Ar/39Ar dating of basalts from the APV to accurately date the major volcanic eruptions in this province. The results yield an age of 508.0–498.3 ± 5.5 Ma [2σ], indicating that the APV is younger than the intrusive rocks. These dates allude to a relative timing discrepancy, where intrusive activity in the North Australian Craton preceded the eruption of the APV as the last magmatic activity in the region. The determination of these largest eruptions to be later than 510 Ma effectively disassociates the Kalkarindji lavas from being a major cause of the 510 Ma biotic crisis, but cannot definitively discount any deleterious effects on the fragile Cambrian ecosystem. Supplementary material: 40Ar/39Ar analysis data tables, XRF geochemical data, alteration study and photomicrographs of all five samples are available at: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.4176674

Purpose Sexual assault is prevalent on UK University campuses, and prevention efforts are being increased. However, at present there is limited evidence about UK students’ attitudes towards sexual assault prevention and what they think should be done to effectively address the issue. The purpose of this paper is to explore these views to provide a foundation for the development of a new intervention. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional anonymous online survey was completed by 515 students (73 per cent women; M age: 21.56; 79 per cent heterosexual; and 82.9 per cent white). There were quantitative questions about experiences of sexual assault, attitudes towards sexual consent and victim blaming. Qualitative data were collected regarding participants’ views on what universities should do to target sexual assault. Findings In line with previous studies, the authors found evidence of commonplace and normalised sexual assault behaviours. Women had more positive attitudes towards explicit consent than men, and were less likely to blame victims of sexual assault who had been drinking. Consent behaviour was predicted by positive views towards consent and lower levels of blaming. Themes relating to “awareness”, “attitudes”, “environment” and “opposition” were identified in the qualitative data. Practical implications Findings highlight the importance of engaging with students to develop effective prevention measures. Students are likely to find university-led prevention strategies acceptable, but this topic needs to be addressed in the context of the prevailing culture, which may provide an environment where certain behaviours are tolerated. New prevention programmes need to treat the issue as one that is relevant to all students and not just target men as perpetrators and women as victims. Such strategies need to do more than treat this as an isolated issue, to which the solution is re-education about the meaning of consent. Originality/value There is at present a lack of research evidence about UK students’ views on sexual assault prevention. This exploratory survey highlights areas for consideration when developing new interventions.

A number of rock samples were collected from two dredge positions on the Lomonosov Ridge at water depths of 2–3.5 km. The dredge samples are dominated by sediments deformed and metamorphosed under greenschist-facies conditions 470 myr ago according to 40Ar/39Ar dating of metamorphic muscovite. This shows that the Lomonosov Ridge was involved in a major Mid-Ordovician orogenic event that correlates with early arc–terrane accretion observed in northern Ellesmere Island, Svalbard, and other parts of the Caledonian belt. Detrital zircon age spectra of these metasediments span the Mesoproterozoic–Palaeoproterozoic with a main peak at around 1.6 Ga, and a pattern similar to that known from Caledonian metasedimentary rocks in East Greenland and northern Norway, as well as from Cambrian sediments in Estonia and Palaeozoic sediments on Novaya Zemlya. A second population of dredge samples comprises undeformed, non-metamorphic sandstones and siltstones. Detrital zircons in these sediments span the Palaeoproterozoic with a few Archaean zircons. Both rock types are covered by an up to 8 Ma ferromanganese crust and are evaluated to represent outcrop, and apatite fission-track data from three of the rock samples indicate that exposure at the seabed corresponds to a regional event of uplift and erosion that affected the Arctic in the Late Miocene. The data from the Lomonosov Ridge suggest that the 470 Ma orogenic event extended from Scotland and northern Scandinavia into the Arctic, including Svalbard, the Pearya Terrane and the Chukchi Borderlands.

The Devrekani Massif in the northern part of the Central Pontides (Northern Turkey) provides important clues to the regional tectonics and geodynamic processes associated with Jurassic high grade metamorphic conditions. This study reports new paragenetic assemblages, mineral compositions, whole-rock geochemistry and Ar-40-Ar-39 geochronological data from the paragneisses in the massif, and, discusses the P-T conditions and geodynamic implications of the Jurassic metamorphism during continental extension in the Central Pontides. Upper amphibolite to lower granulite facies paragneisses form one of the main lithological units in the massif. Within these, there are five different mineral parageneses with diagnostic mineral assemblages of: quartz, K-feldspar (An(0-1)Ab(4-26)Or(73-95)), plagioclase (An(18-35)), biotite [X-phl: 0.28-0.57; Mg/(Mg + Fe2+): 0.33-0.61], sillimanite, cordierite [Mg/(Mg + Fe2+); 0.48-0.71] and garnet (Alm(43-80)Grs(0-18)Prp(5-23)And(0-4)Sps(10-33)) with minor hercynite. Based on Na-in-Crd thermometry and GASP barometry results, the peak metamorphic conditions are 775 +/- 25 degrees C and 6 +/- 1 kbar in the massif. The field relations, petrography and bulk chemical data suggest that the paragneisses, derived from shale-wackestone and pelitic sedimentary protoliths, are typical rock lithologies of an active continental margin. They display enrichments in LILE over HFSE, coupled with negative Nb and Ti anomalies, which are geochemical signatures of subduction-related sources. It is likely that the peak metamorphism took place during the Middle-Upper Jurassic period (ca. 174-156 Ma), suggesting that the metamorphic rocks cooled to 300-350 degrees C at ca. 156 Ma. The mineral assemblages reveal that the prograde history passed from sillimanite zone conditions up to the cordierite-garnet-K-feldspar zone. The petrological and geochronological data indicate that the protoliths are related to multiple sources such as volcano-sedimentary successions. We conclude that the Devrekani Massif represents the products of pre-Jurassic sedimentation, and Permo-Carboniferous continental arc magmatism, overprinted by Jurassic metamorphism. Karadeniz Technical University (Turkey), Scientific Research Fund (BAP Project) [8702] This work was financially supported by the Karadeniz Technical University (Turkey), Scientific Research Fund (BAP Project no: 8702). WOS:000482496600017 2-s2.0-85067494093

The tephra dispersal mechanisms of rhyolitic glaciovolcanic eruptions are little known, but can be investigated through the correlation of eruptive products across multiple depositional settings. Using geochemistry and geochronology, we correlate a regionally important Pleistocene tephra horizon—the rhyolitic component of North Atlantic Ash Zone II (II-RHY-1)—and the Thórsmörk Ignimbrite with rhyolitic tuyas at Torfajökull volcano, Iceland. The eruption breached an ice mass >400 m thick, leading to the widespread dispersal of II-RHY-1 across the North Atlantic and the Greenland ice sheet. Locally, pyroclastic density currents traveled across the ice surface, depositing the variably welded Thórsmörk Ignimbrite beyond the ice margin and ~30 km from source. The widely dispersed products of this eruption represent a valuable isochronous tie line between terrestrial, marine, and ice-core paleoenvironmental records. Using the tephra horizon, estimates of ice thickness and extent derived from the eruption deposits can be directly linked to the regional climate archive, which records the eruption at the onset of Greenland Stadial 15.2.

In the northern part of the Central Pontides (N Turkey) there are different metamorphic rocks exposed, notably the Devrekani metamorphic rocks. Here, upper amphibolite-lower granulite facies metamorphic rocks contain predominantly paragneiss, orthogneiss and metacarbonate, and to a lesser extent, amphibolite and quartzite, with cross-cutting aplite, pegmatite and granite veins. This is the first report of these rocks and includes new data on the petrochemistry, geochronology and metamorphic evolution of the Devrekani orthogneisses from the Central Pontides. The orthogneisses show five different mineral parageneses with the characteristic mineral assemblage quartz + K-feldspar + plagioclase + biotite ± hornblende ± opaque (± ilmenite and ± magnetite), and accessory minerals (zircon, sphene and apatite). These metamorphic rocks exhibit generally granoblastic, lepidogranoblastic and nematolepidogranoblastic with locally migmatitic and relic micrographic textures. They have well-developed centimeter-spaced gneissic banding and display gneissose structure with symmetric, asymmetric and irregular folds. The petrographic features, mineralogical assemblages and weak migmatization reflect high temperature conditions. Thermometric calculations in the orthogneisses indicate metamorphic temperatures reached 744 ± 33 °C. Field relations, petrography and petrochemistry suggest that the orthogneisses have predominantly granodioritic and some granitic protoliths, that show features of I-type, medium to high-potassic calc-alkaline volcanic arc granitoids. The orthogneisses have high contents of LILEs and low contents of HFSEs with negative Nb and Ti anomalies, which are typical of subduction-related magmas. The orthogneisses also show significant LREE enrichment relative to HREE with negative Eu anomalies (EuN/Eu* = 0.33–1.07) with LaN/LuN = 6.98–20.47 values. Based on U-Pb zircon dating data, the protoliths are related to Permo-Carboniferous (316–252 Ma) magmatism. It is likely that peak metamorphism took place during the Jurassic as reflected by the U-Pb zircon ages (199–158 Ma) and also 40Ar/39Ar from hornblende/biotite (163–152 Ma). The four biotite 40Ar/39Ar average ages from the rock samples are ca. 156 Ma, suggesting that the metamorphic rocks cooled to 350–400 °C at ca. 156 Ma. Conclusively, the Devrekani metamorphic rocks can be ascribed as products of Permo-Carboniferous continental arc magmatism overprinted by Jurassic metamorphism in the northern Central Pontides.

The uplift history of south-eastern Tibet is crucial to understanding processes driving the tectonic evolution of the Tibetan Plateau and surrounding areas. Underpinning existing palaeoaltimetric studies has been regional mapping based in large part on biostratigraphy that assumes a Neogene modernization of the highly diverse, but threatened, Asian biota. Here, with new radiometric dating and newly collected plant-fossil archives, we quantify the surface height of part of the south-eastern margin of Tibet in the latest Eocene (∼34 Ma) to be ∼3 km and rising, possibly attaining its present elevation (3.9 km) in the early Oligocene. We also find that the Eocene–Oligocene transition in south-eastern Tibet witnessed leaf-size diminution and a floral composition change from sub-tropical/warm temperate to cool temperate, likely reflective of both uplift and secular climate change, and that, by the latest Eocene, floral modernization on Tibet had already taken place, implying modernization was deeply rooted in the Palaeogene.

The 40Ar/39Ar ages of metamorphic micas that crystallized at high temperatures are commonly interpreted as cooling ages, with grains considered to have lost 40Ar via thermally-driven diffusion into the grain boundary network. Recently reported laser-ablation data suggest that the spatial distribution of Ar in metamorphic micas does not always conform to the patterns predicted by diffusion theory and that despite high metamorphic temperatures, argon was not removed efficiently from the local system during metamorphic evolution. In the Western Gneiss Region (WGR), Norway, felsic gneisses preserve microtextural evidence for the breakdown of phengite to biotite and plagioclase symplectites during near isothermal decompression from c. 20–25 to c. 8–12 kbar at ~700°C. These samples provide an ideal natural laboratory to assess whether the complete replacement of one K-bearing mineral by another at high temperatures completely ‘resets’ the Ar clock, or whether there is some inheritance of 40Ar in the neo-crystallized phase. The timing of the high-temperature portion of the WGR metamorphic cycle has been well constrained in previous studies. However, the timing of cooling following the overprint is still much debated. In-situ laser ablation spot dating in phengite, biotite-plagioclase symplectites and coarser, texturally later biotite yielded 40Ar/39Ar ages that span much of the metamorphic cycle. Together these data show that despite residence at temperatures of ~700°C, Ar is not completely removed by diffusive loss or during metamorphic recrystallization. Instead, Ar released during phengite breakdown appears to be partially reincorporated into the newly crystallizing biotite and plagioclase (or is trapped in fluid inclusions in those phases) within a close system. Our data show that the microtextural and petrographic evolution of the sample being dated provides a critical framework in which local 40Ar recycling can be tracked, thus potentially allowing 40Ar/39Ar dates to be linked more accurately to metamorphic history.

Summary A 21-year-old New Forest pony presented for evaluation of lethargy and colic. Transcutaneous abdominal ultrasonography revealed a cavitary, thick walled, mass-like lesion that appeared continuous with the small intestine. The thick walls of the mass-like lesion were of heterogeneous echogenicity with hyperechoic foci extending from the hyperechoic luminal surface to within the wall and there was loss of normal wall layering. These findings were confirmed grossly at exploratory celiotomy and histopathological examination of affected tissues confirmed lymphoma. The ultrasound findings facilitated a preoperative presumptive diagnosis that allowed informed decision-making and aided case management.

Major volatile contents (H 2 O, CO 2 , F, Cl, and S) and 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages have been determined in variably degassed rhyolite obsidians from Pleistocene–Holocene aged subaerial and subglacial eruption environments from the Torfajokull volcanic center and the monogenetic volcano at Prestahnukur (Iceland). Icelandic subglacial rhyolites preserve residual H 2 O contents of 0.08–0.69 wt.%, undetectable CO 2 , 840–1780 ppm F, 430–2000 ppm Cl and 6–45 ppm S. Most subglacial obsidians have degassed volatile signatures at the time of their eruption under ice. One eruption (Blahnukur, Torfajokull) showed H 2 O contents which exceed those expected for quenching at atmospheric pressures (up to 0.69 wt.% H 2 O) and are consistent with eruption at ~40 kbar of pressure or equivalent to under ~450 m of ice. Altered and microcrystalline groundmass in some subglacial rhyolites yield variable volatile contents that are likely the result of micro-scale variability and the presence of alteration products. Two subaerial rhyolite obsidians gave low volatile contents consistent with quenching at the surface. New 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages were determined on the subglacially erupted rhyolites and provide broad constraints on the timing and frequency of glacio-volcanism during the Pleistocene. Three subglacial eruptions at Torfajokull yielded ages of 108 ±22 ka (Blahnukur), 255 ±20 ka (Habarmur) and 236 ±7 ka (Haskerðingur) which fit into a range of previously determined ages at Torfajokull of 67–384 ka. A new age of 132 ±19 ka was determined for the monogenetic subglacial eruption at Prestahnukur. Holocene-aged subaerial volcanic glass produced no ages due to large amounts of air-derived 40 Ar (84–93%). Preliminary apparent 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages from the limited feldspar phenocrysts available in these crystal-poor samples yield erroneous apparent plateau ages far older than eruption ages suggesting a homogenously distributed excess Ar component. Disturbances to the 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronometer are correlated with a heterogeneous distribution of volatiles in glass and linked to hydration (e.g., Kaldaklofsfjoll), mild alteration (e.g., Habarmur) and alteration and/or recrystallization of glass (e.g., Blahnukur). Our observations indicate however, that unaltered, subglacially erupted glasses that are partially to wholly degassed are promising materials for the application of the 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronometer. The precision to which we can date these young glassy samples currently limits the use of 40 Ar/ 39 Ar geochronometer as a tool for understanding the exact timing and duration of glaciovolcanism in the recent past.

The geology of Tindfjallajökull volcano, southern Iceland, is presented as a 1:50,000 scale map. Field mapping was carried out with a focus on indicators of past environments. A broad stratocone of interbedded fragmental rocks and lavas was constructed during Tindfjallajökull’s early development. This stratocone has been dissected by glacial erosion and overlain by a variety of mafic to silicic volcanic landforms. Eruption of silicic magma, which probably occurred subglacially, constructed a thick pile of breccia and lava lobes in the summit area. Mafic to intermediate flank eruptions continued through to the end of the last glacial period, producing lavas, hyaloclastite-dominated units and tuyas that preserve evidence of volcano-ice interactions. The Thórsmörk Ignimbrite, a regionally important chronostratigraphic marker, is present on the SE flank of the volcano. The geological mapping of Tindfjallajökull gives insights into the evolution of stratovolcanoes in glaciated regions and the influence of ice in their development.

Discrepancies between geological, seismic and geodetic rates of strain can indicate that rates of crustal deformation, and hence seismic hazard, are varying through time. Previous studies in the northern Shanxi Grabens, at the northeastern corner of the Ordos Plateau in northern China, have found extension rates of anywhere between 0 and 6 mm a−1 at an azimuth of between 95° and 180°. In this paper we determine extension rates across the northern Shanxi Grabens from offset geomorphological features and a variety of Quaternary dating techniques (including new IRSL and Ar-Ar ages), a Kostrov summation using a 700 yr catalogue of historical earthquakes, and recent campaign GPS measurements. We observe good agreement between Quaternary, seismic and geodetic rates of strain, and we find that the northern Shanxi Grabens are extending at around 1–2 mm a−1 at an azimuth of ≈151°. The azimuth of extension is particularly well constrained and can be reliably inferred from catalogues of small earthquakes. We do not find evidence for any substantial variations in extension rate through time, though there is a notable seismic moment rate deficit since 1750. This deficit could indicate complex fault interactions across large regions, aseismic accommodation of deformation, or that we are quite late in the earthquake cycle with the potential for larger earthquakes in the relatively near future.

Inter-bedded volcanic and organic sediments from Erazo (Ecuador) indicate the presence of four different forest assemblages on the eastern Andean flank during the middle Pleistocene. Radiometric dates (40Ar-39Ar) obtained from the volcanic ash indicate that deposition occurred between 620,000 and 192,000 years ago. Examination of the organic sediment composition and the fossil pollen, wood and charcoal it contains provides insight into depositional environment, vegetation assemblage and fire history. The high organic content and abundance of macro fossils found throughout the sediment suggest that during the period of deposition the local environment was either a swamp or a shallow water body. The correlation of fire activity (peaks in charcoal abundance) with volcanic ash deposits through most of the record suggests that volcanoes were the main source of ignition. The low abundance of grass (typically < 10%) throughout the sedimentary sequence along with the low abundance of other taxa indicative of open vegetation suggests the persistence of forest at Erazo. Four types of forest assemblage were identified (with the first taxa as the most dominant): i) Alnus-Arecaceae, ii) Miconia-Melastomataceae/Combretaceae-Moraceae/Urticaceae, iii) Arecaceae-Alnus, and iv) Podocarpus with Oreopanax sp. and Melastomataceae/Combretaceae. Changes in the forest floristic composition indicate high vegetation turnover and reassortment of taxa between upper and lower montane forests during the middle Pleistocene as well as the persistence of forest cover.

Late-orogenic Pan-African tectonics formed an 8 km long fault-fracture zone in the shallow foreland crust of the Gariep Orogen in Mesoproterozoic granitoid basement. Pseudotachylyte was locally formed during a single seismic event that caused brittle failure in cohesive quartz-diorite, granodiorite and granitic gneiss. 40Ar/39Ar laser spot analysis provides an age of 512.5 ± 7.5 Ma for this seismic event. The depth of the hypocentre between 1700 and 5300 m is inferred from the likely thickness of the overlying rock at that time. Abundant quartz melting in conjunction with low host rock temperature indicates a minimum seismic temperature rise exceeding 1030 °C but in some samples dry quartz melting at temperatures exceeding 1700 °C might have been possible. The abundance of hydrous phases in the host rock controlled the volume of melt produced in a given host rock type. Different types of primary melt were formed by the fusion of batches of host rock with different relative proportions of plagioclase, alkali feldspar, quartz, biotite, and, where present, amphibole or garnet. The chemical and physical interaction between these melts depended on contrasting melt mobility and viscosity. In quartz-diorite, glasses of variable composition are well preserved and show the distribution of primary melt species at the time of quenching. These different melt species had limited tendency of mixing, unless mixing was assisted by syn-seismic shearing. In granodiorite, which has a low proportion of hydrous phases, low-viscosity melt was formed at high temperatures, eliminating most host rock fragments and leading to extensive melting of quartz. The low melt viscosity, probably further decreased by the dissolution of free H2O, permitted effective melt homogenisation in such veins. Still in the liquid state these melts segregated, effectively separating secondary melts of sodic–calcic and of K–Mg–Fe-rich composition. After quenching the solid state diffusion of cations in glass was comparatively insignificant.

[1] The Pontides in northern Turkey constituted part of the southern active margin of Eurasia during the Mesozoic. In the Early Cretaceous, a large submarine turbidite fan covered most of the Central Pontides. New U-Pb detrital zircon data imply that the major source of the turbidites was the East European Craton-Scythian Platform in the north. This implies that there was no thoroughgoing Black Sea basin between the Pontides and the East European Craton during the Early Cretaceous. The Lower Cretaceous turbidites are bounded in the south by a large metamorphic area, the Central Pontide Supercomplex (CPS). New geological mapping, petrology, and U-Pb zircon and Ar-Ar muscovite ages indicate that the northern part of the CPS consists of Lower Cretaceous distal turbidites deformed and metamorphosed in a subduction zone in the Albian. The rest of the CPS is made of Middle Jurassic, Lower Cretaceous, and middle Cretaceous (Albian) metamorphic belts, each constituting distinct subduction-accretion units. They represent episodes of collision of oceanic volcanic arcs and oceanic plateaus with the Eurasian margin and are marked in the stratigraphy of the hinterland by periods of uplift and erosion. The accretionary complexes are overlain by Upper Cretaceous (Turonian-Santonian) volcano-sedimentary sequences deposited in a fore-arc setting. The detrital zircon data, middle Cretaceous (Albian) metamorphism, and widespread Albian uplift of the Black Sea region suggest that Early Cretaceous (Barremian-Aptian) nonvolcanic rifting and Late Cretaceous (Turonian-Santonian) opening of the Black Sea by the splitting of the arc are unrelated events.

The extent to which intracrystalline microtextures influence the diffusion of radiogenic Ar within alkali feldspars from slowly cooled igneous rocks is a long standing question in thermochronology. By combining high-resolution electron microscopy with in-situ UV-laser ablation microprobe 40 Ar/ 39 Ar analysis the interplay of microtextures with isotope ages can be studied directly, enabling some of the assumptions underlying 40 Ar/ 39 Ar thermochronological techniques to be tested and allowing deduction of thermochronological and geological histories. However, there are numerous potential mechanisms by which a sample can be damaged and its Ar-isotope system disturbed by such microscopy techniques. To test this hypothesis, perthitic alkali feldspars from the 270–280 Ma Dartmoor Granite, UK, and gem-quality orthoclase from Itrongay, Madagascar (~ 470 Ma) were polished with colloidal silica or etched with hydrofluoric acid and irradiated with electrons and Ga + ions. The accelerating voltages and currents used were typical of those for electron beam imaging by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray analysis and mapping by electron probe, and for extraction of foils using the focused ion beam technique. No disturbance to the Ar-isotope system was observed for Ga + ion irradiation, or for low-resolution SEM imaging, but electron irradiation of small areas for long durations, as occurs during extended high-magnification SEM imaging, was found to disturb the Ar-isotope system over hundreds of micrometre sized areas by the addition of K and atmospheric Ar, producing anomalously young apparent 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages. The best explanation for this age disturbance is electromigration of K and implantation of atmospheric Ar during sample charging.

This paper explores children's rights in the child and adolescent mental health arena in Ireland. It begins by outlining the legal and policy contexts of both children's services and mental health policy and practice. It specifically focuses on the notion of participation as a key factor in addressing rights-based approaches in the provision of services. The article explores current practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, highlights some of the disparities in services, which result in questions about human rights. Mainly reflective in its approach, it does, however, provide data from a small scale qualitative study carried out in relation to young people diagnosed with ADHD and their perceptions of psychopharmacological approach. The issue of consent is explored as an example of how current practice approaches fall short of a rights-based framework. It concludes with recommendations for changes incorporating a more participatory and collaborative approach.

40Ar/39Ar thermochronology is commonly used to constrain the rates and times of cooling in exhumed metamorphic terranes, with ages usually linked to temperature via Dodson's closure temperature (TC) formulation. Whilst many metamorphic 40Ar/39Ar data are consistent with the timing of crystallisation or cooling within a chronological framework defined by other, higher temperature, chronometers, other 40Ar/39Ar data are more difficult to interpret. We report white mica and biotite single grain fusion and laser ablation 40Ar/39Ar ages from felsic gneisses from the Western Gneiss Region, Norway. The rocks record isothermal decompression from peak eclogite-facies conditions (white mica stable) to amphibolite-facies conditions (biotite stable) at c. 700 °C. White mica and biotite yield dispersed single grain fusion dates from 416 to 373 Ma and 437 to 360 Ma respectively. In-situ laser ablation analyses provide a similar range, with white mica spot ages ranging from 424 to 370 Ma and biotite spot ages ranging from 437 to 370 Ma. The dates span the duration of the metamorphic cycle suggested by previous studies, and cannot be reconciled with the results of simple models of Ar loss by diffusion during cooling. Samples that show evidence for different physical processes, such as the chemical breakdown of white mica, partial melting, and fluid ingress, generated different age populations to samples that did not experience or record obvious petrological evidence for these processes. Samples that record significant recrystallization and deformation yielded younger white mica (but older biotite) single grain fusion ages than more pristine samples. Amphibolite-facies gneisses that preserve evidence for significant partial melting generated younger biotite ages than samples that recorded evidence for significant hydration. Our data support other reported observations that high-temperature metamorphic mica 40Ar/39Ar dates cannot be assumed to record the timing of cooling through a specific temperature window. Careful assessment of the petrographic context of the dated minerals and consideration of their post-crystallisation history may provide a more robust insight into whether ‘age’ links to ‘stage’ in a temporally meaningful way.

40Ar/39Ar dating of metamorphic white mica is commonly used to elucidate the timing of cooling and/or exhumation of metamorphic terranes. In theory, so long as the dated mineral originally crystallised above its closure temperature, the yielded 40Ar/39Ar ages should not vary significantly within or between samples, and should vary only due to grain size (~ 3 Ma variation depending on the estimated cooling rate). Infra-red laser single grain fusion and ultra-violet laser spot muscovite and/or phengite data from mafic eclogite bodies and their host gneisses in the Nordfjord region of the Western Gneiss Complex (WGC), Norway, show that the ages yielded both within and between white micas from the same mafic eclogite sample vary by up to 284 Ma. Ages yielded within the same pelitic gneiss sample vary by up to 28 Ma. Overall the 40Ar/39Ar phengite dates from mafic eclogites range from ~ 750 to 440 Ma and are significantly older than the previously reported 405–400 Ma U–Pb zircon age constraining peak metamorphism in the Nordfjord WGC. The felsic host gneiss samples, which recrystalised during a post-peak, exhumation-related, amphibolite-facies overprint, yield single grain fusion and laser spot 40Ar/39Ar white mica dates spanning ~ 420 to 385 Ma, encompassing previous estimates of the timing of the entire metamorphic cycle. These data suggest that Ar is heterogeneously distributed both within grains and between grains on the cm to sub-mm scale in all samples, and imply restricted Ar transport and inefficient removal during the metamorphic cycle. Open system (zero grain boundary Ar concentration) behaviour is an inherent assumption in the commonly applied closure temperature formulation, but unless this can be demonstrated, linking 40Ar/39Ar ages to temperature is no longer trivial. The high spatial and chronological precision afforded by UV laser ablation mean that intra-grain Ar concentration distributions may be used to assess open vs. closed system behaviour. The data presented here suggest that open system behaviour cannot be assumed in metamorphic systems, even those in which the pressure, temperature and time conditions in theory allow for efficient diffusion during the metamorphic cycle. High spatial resolution 40Ar/39Ar data and robust comparison with numerical models of open system behaviour provide the greatest future potential for unravelling the complexities of metamorphic exhumation timescales.

Impact cratering has been a fundamental geological process in Earth history with major ramifications for the biosphere. The complexity of shocked and melted rocks within impact structures presents difficulties for accurate and precise radiogenic isotope age determination, hampering the assessment of the effects of an individual event in the geological record. We demonstrate the utility of a multi-chronometer approach in our study of samples from the 40 km diameter Araguainha impact structure of central Brazil. Samples of uplifted basement granite display abundant evidence of shock deformation, but U/Pb ages of shocked zircons and the 40Ar/39Ar ages of feldspar from the granite largely preserve the igneous crystallization and cooling history. Mixed results are obtained from in situ 40Ar/39Ar spot analyses of shocked igneous biotites in the granite, with deformation along kink-bands resulting in highly localized, partial resetting in these grains. Likewise, spot analyses of perlitic glass from pseudotachylitic breccia samples reflect a combination of argon inheritance from wall rock material, the age of the glass itself, and post-impact devitrification. The timing of crater formation is better assessed using samples of impact-generated melt rock where isotopic resetting is associated with textural evidence of melting and in situ crystallization. Granular aggregates of neocrystallized zircon form a cluster of ten U–Pb ages that yield a “Concordia” age of 247.8 ± 3.8 Ma. The possibility of Pb loss from this population suggests that this is a minimum age for the impact event. The best evidence for the age of the impact comes from the U–Th–Pb dating of neocrystallized monazite and 40Ar/39Ar step heating of three separate populations of post-impact, inclusion-rich quartz grains that are derived from the infill of miarolitic cavities. The 206Pb/238U age of 254.5 ± 3.2 Ma (2σ error) and 208Pb/232Th age of 255.2 ± 4.8 Ma (2σ error) of monazite, together with the inverse, 18 point isochron age of 254 ± 10 Ma (MSWD = 0.52) for the inclusion-rich quartz grains yield a weighted mean age of 254.7 ± 2.5 Ma (0.99%, 2σ error) for the impact event. The age of the Araguainha crater overlaps with the timing of the Permo–Triassic boundary, within error, but the calculated energy released by the Araguainha impact is insufficient to be a direct cause of the global mass extinction. However, the regional effects of the Araguainha impact event in the Parana–Karoo Basin may have been substantial.

This paper presents a significantly simplified method for in-situ U–Th–He dating removing the need to know any absolute concentrations. This is done by calculating the normalised U, Th, and He concentrations of a conventionally dated calibration standard from its measured Th/U ratio and known U–Th–He age, and scaling these concentrations to the raw U, Th, and He signals of the sample. The Th/U ratio of the standard can be determined from its measured 208Pb/206Pb ratio, removing the need to use NIST glass as a reference material. We introduce an LA-ICP-MS-based method to correct for variable ablation depths between the standard and the unknown, using the strength of the ablated 29Si signal. Finally, we propose a pseudo-depth profile method to assess the effects of compositional zoning on the accuracy of in-situ U–Th–He data. The effectiveness of the proposed method has been demonstrated on three samples of gem-quality Sri Lanka zircon, which yield ages that are in agreement with previously published conventional U–Th–He measurements.

Charge contrast imaging in the scanning electron microscope can provide new insights into the scale and composition of alkali feldspar microtextures, and such information helps considerably with the interpretation of their geological histories and results of argon isotope thermochronological analyses. The effectiveness of this technique has been illustrated using potassium-rich alkali feldspars from the Dartmoor granite (UK). These feldspars contain strain-controlled lamellar crypto- and microperthites that are cross-cut by strain-free deuteric microperthites. The constituent albite- and orthoclase-rich phases of both microperthite generations can be readily distinguished by atomic number contrast imaging. The charge contrast results additionally show that sub-micrometre-sized albite ‘platelets’ are commonplace between coarser exsolution lamellae and occur together to make cryptoperthites. Furthermore, charge contrast imaging reveals that the orthoclase-rich feldspar is an intergrowth of two phases, one that is featureless with uniform contrast and another that occurs as cross-cutting veins and grains with the {110} adularia habit. Transmission electron microscopy shows that the featureless feldspar is tweed orthoclase, whereas the veins and euhedral grains are composed of irregular microcline that has formed from orthoclase by ‘unzipping’ during deuteric or hydrothermal alteration. The charge contrast imaging results are especially important in demonstrating that deuteric perthites are far more abundant in alkali feldspars than would be concluded from investigations using conventional microscopy techniques. The unexpected presence of such a high volume of replacement products has significant implications for understanding the origins and geological histories of crustal rocks and the use of alkali feldspars in geo- and thermochronology. Whilst the precise properties of feldspars that generate contrast remain unclear, the similarity between charge contrast images and corresponding cathodoluminescence images of deuteric microperthites indicates that trace element chemistry and possibly also elastic strain within the crystal play a major role.

Argon system behavior in a young volcanic system has been investigated through analysis of alkali feldspar phenocrysts and glass separates in order to constrain the potential effects of excess Ar upon 40Ar–39Ar ages on feldspars and the crystal/melt partition coefficient. The importance of syn-and post-emplacement processes was investigated by sampling glass and pumice clasts derived from varying post-eruptive conditions, including welded sections, vapor-phase altered sections and heavily weathered portions of the ignimbrite. Excess 40Ar was detected in all glass samples at 1–10 ppb level, yet despite this, step-heating of co-existing alkali feldspar revealed a total gas age of 0.644 ± 0.038 Ma compared with the generally accepted age of 0.668 ± 0.004 Ma for the timing of emplacement of the Arico Formation. This suggests that despite high concentrations of Ar dissolved in the glass at quenching, the alkali feldspar crystallizing from excess Ar-rich melt contain very little excess Ar. No correlation was observed between excess Ar in the glass and total gas age obtained from the co-existing alkali feldspar and a partition coefficient (KD) between feldspar and glass was constrained to be less than 10− 3. A correlation between the concentrations of excess Ar and atmospheric derived 36Ar in the glass (manifested as a restricted range of 40Ar/36Ar up to ~ 320) suggests a uniform mechanism of incorporation of Ar from these reservoirs measured in all samples prior to eruption. In an assessment of post-eruptive factors, diffusional loss of Ar was not significant during the elevated temperatures (~ up to 670 °C) associated with welding processes at the relevant timescales over which welding occurs. Since diffusive exchange occurs between crystals and melt over long periods in the magma chamber, ages determined on volcanic alkali feldspars reflect the eruption age as a result of the very low KD, but in systems containing excess Ar the ultimate accuracy of such ages will be limited by the actual value of KD. We observe that biotite, a mineral with a higher KD, yields anomalously old ages in such systems, an observation made previously for other volcanic systems. Diffusive loss of Ar from volcanic glass occurs on timescales approximating that of volcanic eruptions, suggesting that excess Ar measured in the glass separates is representative of a degassed state, and indicates even higher pre-eruptive Ar concentrations present in the magma chamber prior to eruption. Thus our measured KD is likely to be a maximum value. The significance of physical contamination of feldspar by glass is also highlighted and quantified demonstrating that less than 0.01% by weight of adhered phonolite glass was required to elevate a measured feldspar age. This is particularly significant for young samples where any such contamination effect would be magnified proportionally to the small amount of in-grown radiogenic Ar.

New single-grain-fusion muscovite and paragonite 40Ar/39Ar data from eclogite and blueschist units exposed in the Tauern Window, Eastern Alps yield a range of apparent ages from 90 to 23 Ma. These apparent ages are generally older than expected for 40Ar/39Ar cooling ages, given constraints from other geochronological systems such as Rb–Sr and U–Pb. Numerical Ar-in-muscovite diffusion models for Tauern Window nappe P–T paths in an open system suggest that 40Ar/39Ar ages should lie between 29 and 24 Ma, and that they should constrain cooling and decompression following the post-high pressure Barrovian overprint. The measured ranges of apparent 40Ar/39Ar dates suggest that the assumption of open system behaviour is not valid for this region. The local and/or regional generation of fluid during exhumation promoted pervasive recrystallization of high pressure lithologies throughout the Tauern Window to greenschist and amphibolite facies assemblages. The old apparent 40Ar/39Ar white mica dates in all lithologies are therefore interpreted as being due to inefficient removal of grain boundary Ar by the grain boundary fluids during the Barrovian overprint, due to high Ar concentrations or limited connectivity or both. This caused spatially (mm-scale) and temporally variable fluxes of Ar out of, and probably into, white mica in both metasedimentary and metabasic lithologies.

A reconstruction of past environmental change from Ecuador reveals the response of lower montane forest on the Andean flank in western Amazonia to glacial-interglacial global climate change. Radiometric dating of volcanic ash indicates that deposition occurred ~324,000 to 193,000 years ago during parts of Marine Isotope Stages 9, 7, and 6. Fossil pollen and wood preserved within organic sediments suggest that the composition of the forest altered radically in response to glacial-interglacial climate change. The presence of Podocarpus macrofossils ~1000 meters below the lower limit of their modern distribution indicates a relative cooling of at least 5°C during glacials and persistence of wet conditions. Interglacial deposits contain thermophilic palms suggesting warm and wet climates. Hence, global temperature change can radically alter vegetation communities and biodiversity in this region.

New single grain fusion and core-rim 40Ar/39Ar laserprobe phengite data from the Saih Hatat high-pressure terrane in NE Oman show that individual samples yield a range of apparent ages which is similar to that previously reported from across the entire terrane. The majority of the determined ages are older than the previously reported U-Pb zircon peak metamorphic age. Core to rim age variations within individual grains range from no discernible difference across the grain to grains with older cores, or, rarely, older rims; some samples manifest all three patterns. Numerical diffusion modelling shows that due to the peak temperature of ca. 550°C, the measured apparent ages cannot be explained by simple cooling or by partial retention of crystallisation or detrital ages in an open system. The age variability is better explained by spatially and temporally variable open or closed system behaviour at the mm-cm scale coupled with pervasive and heterogeneously distributed excess argon. Anomalously old eclogite phengite 40Ar/39Ar ages are due either to internally derived 40Ar inherited from a K-bearing precursor, or externally derived 40Ar distributed by grain boundary fluids. Mica-rich schists within the eclogite boudins yield younger phengite ages, suggesting excess argon was absent or diluted. Pelites hosting the eclogite appear to have been affected by later fluid ingress during deformation and greenschist-facies overprint and yield very variable ages commonly with apparently older rims on younger cores. The grain- and sample-scale age variations measured in Saih Hatat indicate that the grain boundary network in eclogite pods was not an efficient transfer pathway for argon transport, whereas the grain boundary network in the surrounding pelites acted as a more efficient pathway on the timescale of the metamorphic cycle.

Oil-bearing fluid inclusions trapped within authigenic K-feldspar in Late Jurassic reservoirs throughout the UK Atlantic margin are evidence for an early oil migration event from Late Jurassic source rocks in the Faeroe-Shetland Basin. Previous compound-specific isotope studies confirm the hydrocarbon provenance. Temperature-composition-time data show that the Late Jurassic source rocks were oil mature 113 ± 3.5 Ma (2σ). This new 40Ar/39Ar authigenic K-feldspar age shows that the Late Jurassic source rocks were oil mature 30–40 m.y. prior to current estimates.

The Early–Middle Miocene exhumation of the crystalline core of the Himalaya is a relatively well-understood process compared to the preceding phase of burial and prograde metamorphism in the Eocene–Oligocene. Highly deformed rocks of the Greater Himalayan Sequence (GHS) dominate the crystalline core, and feature a strong metamorphic and structural overprint related to the younger exhumation. The Tethyan Sedimentary Series was tectonically separated from the underlying GHS during the Miocene by the South Tibetan Detachment, and records a protracted and complex history of Cenozoic deformation. Unfortunately these typically low-grade or unmetamorphosed rocks generally yield little quantitative pressure–temperature�time information to accompany this deformation history. In parts of the western Himalaya, however, the basal unit of the Tethyan Sedimentary Series (the Haimanta Group) includes pelites metamorphosed to amphibolite facies. This presents a unique opportunity to explore the tectono-thermal evolution of crystalline rocks which record the early history of the orogen.\ud \ud Pressure–temperature�time–deformation (P–T�t–d) paths modelled for two Haimanta Group pelitic rocks reveal three distinct stages of metamorphism: (1) prograde Barrovian metamorphism to 610–620 °C at c. 7–8 kbars, with garnet growing over an early tectonic fabric (S1); (2) initial decompression during heating to 640–660 °C at c. 6–7 kbars, with development of a pervasive crenulation cleavage (S2) and staurolite and kyanite porphyroblast growth; (3) further exhumation during cooling, with minor retrograde metamorphism and modification of the pervasive S2 fabric. Monazite growth ages constrain the timing of initial garnet growth (> 34 Ma), the start of D2 and maximum burial (c. 30 Ma), and the termination of garnet growth (c. 28 Ma). Muscovite Ar/Ar ages indicate cooling through c. 300 °C at c. 13 Ma, from which we derive an initial exhumation rate of c. 1.3 mm year? 1 for the Haimanta Group. The underlying GHS was exhumed at a rate of 2.2 to 3 mm year? 1 during this time. The difference in exhumation rate between these two units is considered to reflect Early Miocene displacement on the intervening South Tibetan Detachment. Slower exhumation (c. 0.6 mm year? 1) of both units after c. 13 Ma followed the cessation of major displacement on this structure, after which time the Haimanta Group and the GHS were exhumed as one relatively coherent tectonic block.

Pseudotachylites within the Neoarchaean to Palaeoproterozoic basement of the Lewisian Gneiss Complex have been analysed using the high spatial resolution 40 Ar/ 39 Ar UV laserprobe technique. It has been possible to measure 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age and ‘apparent9 age variations that would be beyond resolution by lower spatial resolution or bulk 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating methods. We report a range of complexities including significantly younger narrow ( 40 Ar/ 39 Ar ages for pseudotachylite-forming events. In Lewis the c . 1900 Ma event may relate to early stages of Laxfordian reworking. In Barra and South Uist a 1300–1200 Ma event is recorded, whereas in Barra, South and North Uist a second event is recorded at c . 700 Ma, which is likely to be associated with NW- and west-directed thrusting, and could represent far-field effects of tectonic events recorded at this time east of the Moine Thrust in NW Scotland. Supplementary material: 40 Ar/ 39 Ar data are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18372.

The relationships between meteorite impact craters, flood basalt volcanism and sudden environmental perturbation on Earth have been debated extensively. We present only the second example of contemporaneous meteorite impact and flood basalt volcanism: the 17 km diameter Logoisk impact structure (Belarus) and Afro-Arabian flood volcanism. The new precise 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age of 29.71 ± 0.48 Ma for Logoisk is coincident with the acme of flood volcanism. We argue that at least one crater the size of Logoisk is likely to form during the emplacement of a flood volcanic province, and that contemporaneity of impacts and flood volcanism was the norm. The absence of a biotic effect from the combined Logoisk–Afro-Arabian volcanism we attribute to the magnitude of these combined events, which are both significantly smaller than the other known example of the Chicxulub impact event and the Deccan Traps flood volcanism. Supplementary material: 40 Ar/ 39 Ar data are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18329.

Syn-kinematic pure muscovite strain-fringes grew around pyritized graptolites in response to the early Devonian (Acadian) closure and uplift of the Peri-Gondwanan Welsh Basin. They record Ar-isotope information on the timing of low-temperature deformation and the mudrock to slate transition. Here we have applied three different 40Ar/39Ar laserprobe dating methods to strain-fringes from the central Welsh Basin to test for variations in age and to explore the technical limitations of the method. Infrared laserprobe step-heating analyses yielded only occasional plateau ages (varying between ca. 403 Ma and 422 Ma) and strong evidence for discordance in the Ar-system. Likewise, ages from infrared laserprobe total fusion analysis are scattered, and range from ca. 390 Ma to 651 Ma. By contrast, ultraviolet laserprobe intra-fringe age profiles revealed a complex pattern of ages across individual strain-fringes. This is the highest spatial resolution technique available, and the resulting age profiles consistently showed an oscillatory pattern comprising troughs, or ‘baseline’ ages that are all within error of ca. 397 Ma, and peaks, or ‘apparent’ ages, ranging up to ca. 550 Ma. These ‘apparent’ ages we interpret as the results of repeated, periodic assimilation of excess 40Ar (40ArE) during deformation and the mudrock to slate transition. Here, basinal fluids carrying 40ArE are driven through bulk mudrock during contractional phases of the Acadian orogen, and 40ArE is taken up by muscovite strain-fringes. The concentration of 40ArE varies with metamorphic grade, and is inversely proportional to the temperature of metamorphism, and we suggest is controlled by the solubility of Ar in water, which has potentially quite severe implications for 40Ar/39Ar dating of K-bearing minerals in any mudrock. These results provide a first record of Ar-isotope information in strain-fringes, and a first record of orogenically-driven fluid-flow through bulk deforming mudrock. They also demonstrate how the high spatial resolution ultraviolet laserprobe 40Ar/39Ar method can access Ar-isotope information that is obscured by lower spatial resolution laser analysis, or bulk sampling methods.

A new locality of in situ massive impact-melt rock was discovered on the south- southwestern rim of the Roter Kamm impact structure. While the sub-samples from this new locality are relatively homogeneous at the hand specimen scale, and despite being from a nearby location, they do not have the same composition of the only previously analyzed impact-melt rock sample from Roter Kamm. Both Roter Kamm impact-melt rock samples analyzed to date, as well as several suevite samples, exhibit a granitic-granodioritic precursor composition. Micro-chemical analyses of glassy matrix and Al-rich orthopyroxene microphenocrysts demonstrate rapid cooling and chemical disequilibrium at small scales. Platinum-group element abundances and ratios indicate an ordinary chondritic composition for the Roter Kamm impactor. Laser argon dating of two sub-samples did not reproduce the previously obtained age of 3.7 ± 0.3 (1σ) for this impact event, based on 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating of a single vesicular impact-melt rock. Instead, we obtained ages between 3.9 and 6.3 Ma, with an inverse isochron age of 4.7 ± 0.3 Ma for one analyzed sub-sample and 5.1 ± 0.4 Ma for the other. Clearly a post-5 Ma impact at Roter Kamm remains indicated, but further analytical work is required to better constrain the currently best estimate of 4-5 Ma. Both impactor and age constraints are clearly obstructed by the inherent microscopic heterogeneity and disequilibrium melting and cooling processes demonstrated in the present study.

Geochemical analysis of bitumen- and hydrocarbon-bearing fluid inclusions from the Devonian-Carboniferous Clair field indicates that the reservoirs contain a mixture of oils from different marine and lacustrine sources. Reconstruction of the Clair field oil-charge history using fluid inclusion petrography show that oil-charging occurred at times of K-feldspar, quartz and calcite cementation. Temperature–composition–time data yielded from the integration of fluid inclusion microthermometry with high-resolution Ar–Ar dating, date hydrocarbon-bearing K-feldspar overgrowths at 247 ± 3.3 Ma. These data show that in order for oil to be trapped within primary fluid inclusions in K-feldspar overgrowths, hydrocarbon migration throughout the UK Atlantic margin must have been taking place during the Late Palaeozoic and as such, current industry oil-play models based solely on oil charging from Jurassic-Cretaceous marine sources are clearly incomplete and need revision. Apatite fission track analysis and vitrinite reflectance data were used to reconstruct thermal burial histories and assess potential oil generation from Middle Devonian lacustrine source rocks. Thermal history data from wells along The Rona Ridge adjacent to the Clair field show that the Palaeozoic section was heated to greater than 100 °C at some time between 270 and 230 Ma, confirming that Devonian source rocks were mature and expelling oil during the Late Palaeozoic at the time that authigenic K-feldspar overgrowths were growing in the Clair field.