Sr and Nd isotopic variations in ferromanganese crusts from the Central Pacific: Implications for age and source provenance
- Geological Survey, Denver, CO (USA)
- Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA (USA)
Isotopic analyses of two hydrogenetic ferromanganese (Fe-Mn) crusts from volcanic edifices in the central Pacific Ocean reveal systematic variations in {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr and {sup 143}Nd/{sup 144}Nd, with both ratios decreasing as a function of depth into the Fe-Mn crusts. Leaching experiments suggest that Sr in the crusts is contained in at least two discrete sites. A loosely bound Sr, dominated by modern marine Sr, is removed by leaching with a 10 percent acetic acid solution. The {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr ratio of the residue is significantly less than the {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr ratio of the unleached material. The Sr-isotope ratios of leached samples are compared with the temporal variation in seawater to provide ages for layers within the Fe-Mn crusts. These data suggest that the oldest crust layers began to accrete in the early to middle Miocene. Correlated to the {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr variations, {sup 143}Nd/{sup 144}Nd ratios suggest that the Nd-isotope composition of central Pacific Ocean seawater also changed systematically over this time interval, or that the Fe-Mn crusts simply incorporated Nd from various parts of an isotopically heterogeneous ocean as the crusts were carried along with the oceanic plate. In contrast to the layered ferromanganese crust, the phosphatized volcaniclastic substrates have Sr and Nd isotope compositions that are consistent with their volcanic origin.
- OSTI ID:
- 5221420
- Journal Information:
- Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA), Vol. 52:9; ISSN 0016-7037
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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VOLCANIC ROCKS
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HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
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580000* - Geosciences