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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1976

Rb, Sr and strontium isotopic composition, K/Ar age and large ion lithophile trace element abundances in rocks and glasses from the Wanapitei Lake impact structure

Shock metamorphosed rocks and shock-produced melt glasses from the Wanapitei Lake impact structure have been examined petrographically and by electron microprobe. Eleven clasts exhibiting varying degrees of shock metamorphism and eight impact-produced glasses have been analyzed for Rb, Sr and Sr isotopic composition. Five clasts and one glass have also been analyzed for large ion lithophile (LIL) trace element abundances including Li, Rb, Sr, and Ba and the REE's. The impact event forming the Wanapitei Lake structure occurred 37 m.y. ago based on K/Ar dating of glass and glassy whole-rock samples. Rb/Sr isotopic dating failed to provide a meaningful whole-rock or internal isochron. The isotopic composition of the glasses can be explained by impact-produced mixing and melting of metasediments.

Winzer, S. R.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic correlation of Neoproterozoic sedimentary successions: upper Tindir Group, northwestern Canada, as a test case

Recent advances in Proterozoic micropaleontology and sedimentary isotope geochemistry suggest that improved interbasinal correlation of Neoproterozoic (1000-540 Ma) successions is possible. Because widely varying interpretations of its age have been suggested and no reliable radiometric dates or paleomagnetic data are available, the upper Tindir Group of northwestern Canada provides an opportunity to test this hypothesis. The age of these strata is of paleontological importance because silicified carbonates near the top of the group contain disc-shaped-scale microfossils that may provide insights into the early evolution of biomineralization. A reinterpretation of upper Tindir microfossil assemblages suggests a late Riphean age. Although diagenesis and contact metamorphism have altered the isotopic compositions of some carbonates, least altered samples indicate that delta 13C of contemporaneous seawater was at least +4.7%, typical of Neoproterozoic, but not Cambrian, carbonates. Strontium isotopic compositions of the least altered samples yield values of approximately 0.7065, which can be uniquely correlated with late Riphean seawater. Together, micropaleontology and the isotopic tracers of C and Sr constrain the upper Tindir carbonates and their unique fossils to be late Riphean, likely between 620 and 780 Ma.

NASA Discipline Exobiology↗
NASA NTRS1986

Chronology and isotopic geochemistry of apollo 14 basalts and Skaergard Gabbro, Eastern Greenland

Work completed on Apollo 14 basalts has been published. The two dates obtained from these rocks comprised the oldest and two of the three oldest ages (4.1 and 4.3 billion years) known for lunar maria basalts; thus their ages are important in understanding the moon's earliest history. Owing to the antiquity of these rocks, two more fragments have been dated as part of a second ASEE/NASA SFF program. The new ages are 3.95 and 4.12 billion years, thus further establishing and amplifying the earlier results. This work, although perhaps more interesting for its chronologic information, was begun as a test of chemical and petrographic models. Fragments of Apollo basalt were placed into five categories, based on petrologic and chemical, especially rare-earth element, composition. Isotopic studies were begun in an attempt to determine if the five groups of basalts were related by age or initial isotopic composition (isotopic composition of lava at time of extrusion). Although a few of the representatives of the five groups have the same age and/or initial strontium-isotopic composition, within the analtytical uncertainties, most apparently are unrelated. Petrologic implications of these data will be published in an appropriate journal.

Dasch, E. J.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Seawater strontium isotopes at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary

Anomalously high values of Seawater Sr-87/Sr-86 near the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary have been reported. However, few of the data from the literature are from a single continuous section, and perhaps the most complete study of the boundary region, from a shallow marine limestone sequence in Alabama, showed elevated Sr-87/Sr-86 but no pronounced spike. Thus, in order to investigate the cause of the change in strontium isotopic composition, it is important to determine the exact nature and magnitude of the increase by studying in detail continuous sections through the boundary. If there is indeed a Sr isotope spike at the K-T boundary, it requires the addition of a large amount of radiogenic Sr to the oceans over a short time period, a phenomenon that may be linked to other large-scale environmental disturbances which occurred at that time. In order to address this question, a high-resolution strontium isotope study of foraminifera from three Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) cores which recovered the K-T boundary section: Site 356 in the South Atlantic, Site 384 in the North Atlantic and Site 577 from the Shatsky Rise in the Pacific was initiated. The isotope measurements are being made on either single or small numbers of forams carefully picked and identified and in most cases examined by SEM before analysis. Because this work is not yet complete, conclusions drawn here must be viewed as tentative. They are briefly discussed.

Macdougall, J. D.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Isotopic composition of lithium, potassium, rubidium, and strontium in lunar surface material

The isotopic composition of alkali and alkaline earth elements in the Luna 16 regolith was investigated by the method of thermionic emission, without chemical separation. The isotopic composition of the lithium in two regolith samples did not differ (within the limits 0.5 percent) from the mean of the terrestrial reference standard. At the same time, the observed difference (1 percent) in the isotopic composition of lithium between the samples requires further investigation and confirmation. The isotopic compositions of K and Rb did not differ within the limits of experimental error from the isotopic composition of the reference standard.

Zaslavskiy, V. G.↗
NASA NTRS1972

U-Th-Pb and Rb-Sr measurements on some Apollo 14 lunar samples.

The concentrations of selected elements and elemental ratios in some Apollo 14 samples are presented in a table. Another table shows the isotopic composition of lead and strontium in some Apollo 14 samples. Graphs are provided with lead isotope ratio plots and a strontium evolution diagram. Rb-Sr ages are discussed together with isochron age methods of U-Th-Pb, a primary Pb-Pb isochron, a secondary Pb-Pb isochron, U-Pb concordia age relations, and U-Th-Pb concordia relations. Breccias and some soil samples as well as a basalt sample give evidence of significant enrichment of lead relative to uranium and thorium billions of years ago at the Fra Mauro site.

Tatsumoto, M.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Post-eruptive alteration of silicic ignimbrites and lavas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands - Strontium, neodymium, lead, and oxygen isotopic evidence

The isotopic composition of lavas from oceanic islands provides important information about the composition and evolution of the earth's mantle. Isotopic analyses of Miocene comenditic, pantelleritic, and trachyphonolitic ignimbrites and lavas from the Canary islands were performed. Results provide evidence for posteruptive mobility of Rb and Sr during low temperature postemplacement interaction with circulating ground water. Calculated Sr isotope ratios define a magmatic trend in the stratigraph section. 87Sr/86Sr ratios in hydrated vitrophyte and devitrified matrix separates indicate significant posteruptive interaction with meteoric water starting soon after deposition. This process extends patchily through the entire pyroclastic flow and may be ongoing. 87Sr/86Sr ratios determined by whole rock analysis of silicic rocks from oceanic islands are suspect and should not be incorporated into mantle tracer studies. Anorthoclase phenocrysts are resistant to these processes and may produce useful data.

Cousens, Brian L.↗
NASA NTRS1968

Rubidium-strontium age of hypersthene

Rubidium, Sr and Sr isotopic composition of normal gray hypersthene chondrite falls, noting Rb/Sr and Sr87/Sr86 ratio determination of Bath Furnace L chondrite isochron

Gopalan, K.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Rubidium-strontium isotope characteristics of lunar soils.

Evaluation of K, Rb, and Sr concentrations and Sr isotopic composition for hand-picked fractions from the 175- to 1000-micron Apollo 12 fines samples 12032 and 12070 and for two less than 1-mm bulk fines samples, 14163,160 and 14259,21, from Apollo 14 which have model Rb-Sr ages close to 4.6 b.y. The Apollo 14 data indicate the presence of a radiogenic component of 4.6 b.y. model age like the Apollo 12 fines, confirming a very early geochemical differentiation of the moon. Progressively greater enrichment in K and Rb relative to the bulk fines is shown by microbreccia from both samples, ropy brown glass from 12032, and light-grey lithic fragments from 12032. Model Rb-Sr ages, based on a basaltic achondrite initial ratio, are generally close to 4.6 b.y. The microbreccias and ropy brown glass have model ages that are younger but indistinguishable from 4.6 b.y. within analytical error. Light grey lithic fragments from 12032 have a model age of 5.1 b.y. and must have had a multistage Rb/Sr evolution. The data are broadly compatible with two-component mixing models of the Apollo 12 fines. On the basis of modal composition, the microbreccia is considered the major nonbasaltic constituent.

Cliff, R. A.↗
NASA NTRS2018

Nucleosynthetic Heterogeneity Controls Vanadium Isotope Variations in Bulk Chondrites

The vanadium (V) isotope composition of early solar system materials have been hypothesized to be sensitive to high energy irradiation that originated from the young Sun. Vanadium has two isotopes with masses 50 and 51 that have (51)V/(50)V ratio of approximately 410. High energy irradiation produces (50)V from various target isotopes of Ti, Cr and Fe, which would result in light V isotope compositions (expressed as delta (51)V in per mille = 1000 x (((51)V/(50)V(sub sample)/(51)V/(50)V(sub AlfaAesar)) - 1)) relative to a presumably chondritic starting composition. Recently published V isotope data for calcium aluminium inclusions (CAIs) has revealed some very negative values relative to chondrites (by almost -4 per mille) that were indeed interpreted to reflect irradiation processes despite the fact that the studied CAIs all exhibited significant initial abundances of (10)Be, while only a few CAIs displayed light V isotope compositions. It is difficult to relate V isotope variations directly to a singular process because V only possesses two isotopes. Therefore, V isotope variations can principally be produced both mass dependent and independent processes. Mass dependent kinetic stable isotope fractionation is common in CAIs for refractory elements due to partial condensation/evaporation processes. The element strontium (Sr) has an almost identical condensation temperature to V and studies of stable Sr isotope compositions in CAIs reveal both heavy and light values relative to chondrites of several permil. These variations are similar in magnitude to those reported for V isotopes in CAIs, which suggests it is possible that some of the V isotope variation in CAIs could be due to kinetic stable isotope fractionation during condensation/evaporation processes.

Nielsen, S. G.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Neodymium and strontium isotopic study of Australasian tektites - New constraints on the provenance and age of target materials

The Nd and Sr isotopic compositions of Australasian tectites (including two flanged Australian tectites, two low-SiO2 Muong Nong-type tectites, and three high-SiO2 Muong Nong-type tectites) and the Nd, Sm, Sr, and Rb concentrations were investigated by isotope-dilution thermal ionization mass spectrometry, and the Sm-Nd and Rb-Sr isotope systematics were used to study the characteristics of the parental material. It is shown that the Nd and Sr isotopic data provide evidence that all Australasian tektites were derived from a single sedimentary formation with a narrow range of stratigraphic ages close to 170 Ma. It is suggested that all of the Australasian tektites were derived from a single impact event and that the australites represent the upper part of a melt sheet ejected at high velocity, whereas the indochinites represent melts formed at a lower level in the target material distributed closer to the area of the impact.

Blum, Joel D.↗
NASA NTRS1991

A strontium and neodymium isotopic study of Apollo 17 high-Ti mare basalts - Resolution of ages, evolution of magmas, and origins of source heterogeneities

The geochronological and compositional differences between previously identified magma types (A, B1, B2, and C) were investigated using high-precision Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopic data for a set of Apollo 17 high-Ti mare basalt samples chosen to span the range of each of the magma types. These data, combined with previously reported geochemical ages, suggest that Apollo 17 volcanism was initially dominated by an eruption of Type B basalts. Data obtained from new whole-rock Sr and Nd isotopic analyses exhibited distinct differences in initial Sr and Nd isotopic compositions between Types A, B1, B2, and C basalts and were found to be consistent with existing petrogenetic models.

Paces, James B.↗