Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences

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Large-Amplitude Variations in Carbon Cycling and Terrestrial Weathering during the Latest Paleocene and Earliest Eocene: The Record at Mead Stream, New Zealand
(University of Chicago Press, 2012) Slotnick, Benjamin S.; Dickens, Gerald R.; Nicolo, Micah J.; Hollis, Christopher J.; Crampton, James S.; Zachos, James C.; Sluijs, Appy
The late Paleocene to early Eocene was marked by major changes in Earth surface temperature and carbon cycling. This included at least two, and probably more, geologically brief (<200-k.yr.) intervals of extreme warming, the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) and the Eocene thermal maximum-2 (ETM-2). The long-term rise in warmth and short-term “hyperthermal” events have been linked to massive injections of 13C-depleted carbon into the ocean-atmosphere system and intense global climate change. However, the causes, environmental impact, and relationships remain uncertain because detailed and coupled proxy records do not extend across the entire interval of interest; we are still recognizing the exact character of the hyperthermals and developing models to explain their occurrence. Here we present lithologic and carbon isotope records for a 200-m-thick sequence of latest Paleocene– earliest Eocene upper slope limestone exposed along Mead Stream, New Zealand. New carbon isotope and lithologic analyses combined with previous work on this expanded section shows that the PETM and ETM-2, the suspected H-2, I-1, I-2, and K/X hyperthermals, and several other horizons are marked by pronounced negative carbon isotope excursions and clay-rich horizons. Generally, the late Paleocene–early Eocene lithologic and δ¹³C records at Mead Stream are similar to records recovered from deep-sea sites, with an important exception: lows in δ¹³C and carbonate content consistently span intervals of relatively high sedimentation (terrigenous dilution) rather than intervals of relatively low sedimentation (carbonate dissolution). These findings indicate that, over ~6 m.yr., there was a series of short-termclimate perturbations, each characterized by massive input of carbon and greater continental weathering. The suspected link involves global warming, elevated greenhouse-gas concentrations, and enhanced seasonal precipitation.
Constraints on rigid zones and other distinct layers at the top of the outer core using CMB underside reflected PKKP waves
(Springer, 2012) Niu, Fenglin; Kelly, Cindi; Huang, Jianping
Rare calcareous microfossils from Middle Miocene strata, Weddell Sea off Antarctic Peninsula
(Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2012) Majewski, Wojciech; Olempska, Ewa; Kaim, Andrzej; Anderson, John B.
The calcareousmicrofossil assemblage from Middle Miocene strata of SHALDRIL Site NBP0602A−5D consists of benthic foraminifera, ostracods, bivalves, and gastropods, and is interpreted as shallow−water. It appears to be reworked but its age is probably similar to the age of the host sediment, which contains only rare, fragmented, agglutinated foraminifera. Most of the calcareous taxa are of uncertain taxonomic affiliation, due to the scarcity of Ceno− zoic microfossils of this age fromWest Antarctica, and also the very different paleohabitat of this now extinct assemblage.
Lithosphere versus asthenosphere mantle sources at the Big Pine Volcanic Field, California
(American Geophysical Union, 2012) Gazel, Esteban; Plank, Terry; Forsyth, Donald W.; Bendersky, Claire; Lee, Cin-Ty A.; Hauri, Erik H.
[1] Here we report the first measurements of the H2O content of magmas and mantle xenoliths from the Big Pine Volcanic Field (BPVF), California, in order to constrain the melting process in the mantle, and the role of asthenospheric and lithospheric sources in this westernmost region of the Basin and Range Province, western USA. Melt inclusions trapped in primitive olivines (Fo82–90) record surprisingly high H2O contents (1.5 to 3.0 wt.%), while lithospheric mantle xenoliths record low H2O concentrations (whole rock <75 ppm). Estimates of the oxidation state of BPVF magmas, based on V partitioning in olivine, are also high (FMQ +1.0 to +1.5). Pressures and temperatures of equilibration of the BPVF melts indicate a shift over time, from higher melting temperatures (∼1320°C) and pressures (∼2 GPa) for magmas that are >500 ka, to cooler (∼1220°C) and shallower melting (∼1 GPa) conditions in younger magmas. The estimated depth of melting correlates strongly with some trace element ratios in the magmas (e.g., Ce/Pb, Ba/La), with deeper melts having values closer to upper mantle asthenosphere values, and shallower melts having values more typical of subduction zone magmas. This geochemical stratification is consistent with seismic observations of a shallow lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (∼55 km depth). Combined trace element and cryoscopic melting models yield self-consistent estimates for the degree of melting (∼5%) and source H2O concentration (∼1000 ppm). We suggest two possible geodynamic models to explain small-scale convection necessary for magma generation. The first is related to the Isabella seismic anomaly, either a remnant of the Farallon Plate or foundered lithosphere. The second scenario is related to slow extension of the lithosphere.
A Study of Cathodoluminescence and Trace Element Compositional Zoning in Natural Quartz from Volcanic Rocks: Mapping Titanium Content in Quartz
(Microscopy Society of America, 2012) Leeman, William P.; MacRae, Colin M.; Wilson, Nick C.; Torpy, Aaron; Lee, Cin-Ty A.; Student, James J.; Thomas, Jay B.; Vicenzi, Edward P.
Geochemical diagnostics of metasedimentary dark enclaves: a case study from the Peninsular Ranges Batholith, southern California
(Taylor & Francis, 2012) Liao, Kelley Z.; Morton, Douglas M.; Lee, Cin-Ty A.
Flux of carbonate melt from deeply subducted pelitic sediments: Geophysical and geochemical implications for the source of Central American volcanic arc
(American Geophysical Union, 2012) Tsuno, Kyusei; Dasgupta, Rajdeep; Danielson, Lisa; Righter, Kevin
[1] We determined the fluid-present and fluid-absent near-solidus melting of an Al-poor carbonated pelite at 3–7 GPa, to constrain the possible influence of sediment melt in subduction zones. Hydrous silicate melt is produced at the solidi at 3–4 GPa whereas Na-K-rich carbonatite is produced at the solidi at ≥5 GPa for both starting compositions. At ≥5 GPa and 1050°C, immiscible carbonate and silicate melts appear with carbonate melt forming isolated pockets embedded in silicate melt. Application of our data to Nicaraguan slab suggests that sediment melting may not occur at sub-arc depth (∼170 km) but carbonatite production can occur atop slab or by diapiric rise of carbonated-silicate mélange zone to the mantle wedge at ∼200–250 km depth. Flux of carbonatite to shallower arc-source can explain the geochemistry of Nicaraguan primary magma (low SiO2and high CaO, Ba/La). Comparison of carbonate-silicate melt immiscibility field with mantle wedge thermal structure suggests that carbonatite might temporally be trapped in viscous silicate melt, and contribute to seismic low-velocity zone at deep mantle wedge of Nicaragua.
Insights to slip behavior on rough faults using discrete element modeling
(American Geophysical Union, 2012) Fournier, Thomas; Morgan, Julia
[1] We simulate a range of fault slip behaviors using the discrete element method (DEM) to examine the controls on different slip modes on rough faults. Shear strain is imposed upon a 2-D bonded particle assemblage that contains a predefined fault. Slip modes on the fault vary from creep, to slow-slip, to stick-slip behavior, both spatially and temporally. The mode of slip is controlled largely by the local stress field along the fault, which depends on the local fault roughness. Portions of the fault that fail in relatively low normal stress regimes tend to slide continuously, whereas areas with high clamping stress produce stick-slip events. During stick-slip events, regions within the rupture zone that experience high slip are associated with physical asperities on the fault; ruptures terminate at barriers and through dissipation of the stored elastic energy. The simulated events show stress drops between 0.2–50 MPa, a slightly larger range than is inferred for natural earthquakes. Simulated events also have higher slip magnitudes than are observed during earthquakes for a given rupture length. The simulation produces many characteristics of fault behavior and is shown to be a successful avenue for future studies on the mechanics of fault slip.
Assessing offsets between the δ13C of sedimentary components and the global exogenic carbon pool across early Paleogene carbon cycle perturbations
(Wiley, 2012) Sluijs, Appy; Dickens, Gerald R.
[1] Negative stable carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) across the Paleocene–Eocene thermal maximum (PETM; ~56 Ma) range between 2‰ and 7‰, even after discounting sections with truncated records. Individual carbon isotope records differ in shape and magnitude from variations in the global exogenic carbon cycle through changes in (1) the relative abundance of mixed components with different δ13C within a measured substrate, (2) isotope fractionation through physiological change, and (3) the isotope composition of the carbon source. All three factors likely influence many early Paleogene δ13C records, especially across the PETM and other hyperthermal events. We apply these concepts to late Paleocene–early Eocene (∼58–52 Ma) records from Lomonosov Ridge, Arctic Ocean. Linear regression analyses show correlations between the δ13C of total organic carbon (TOC) and two proxies for the relative contribution of terrestrial organic components to sediment TOC: the branched and isoprenoid tetraether index and palynomorphs. We use these correlations to subtract the terrestrial component from δ13CTOC and calculate marine organic matter δ13C. The results show that the magnitude of the CIE in δ13CTOC across the PETM is exaggerated relative to the magnitude of the CIE in δ13CMOM by ~3‰ due to increased contributions of terrestrial organic carbon during the event. Collectively, all carbon isotope records across the PETM and other major climate–carbon cycle perturbations in Earth's history are potentially biased through one or more of the above factors. Indeed, it is highly unlikely that any δ13C record shows the true shape and magnitude of the CIE for the global exogenic carbon cycle. For the PETM, we conclude that CIE in the exogenic carbon cycle is likely <4‰, but it will take additional analyses and modeling to obtain an accurate value for this CIE.
Avoiding unintentional eviction from integral projection models
(Ecological Society of America, 2012-09) Williams, Jennifer L.; Miller, Tom E.X.; Ellner, Stephen P.
Integral projection models (IPMs) are increasingly being applied to study size-structured populations. Here we call attention to a potential problem in their construction that can have important consequences for model results. IPMs are implemented using an approximating matrix and bounded size range. Individuals near the size limits can be unknowingly "evicted" from the model because their predicted future size is outside the range. We provide simple measures for the magnitude of eviction and the sensitivity of the population growth rate (lambda) to eviction, allowing modelers to assess the severity of the problem in their IPM. For IPMs of three plant species, we found that eviction occurred in all cases and caused underestimation of the population growth rate (lambda) relative to eviction-free models; it is likely that other models are similarly affected. Models with frequent eviction should be modified because eviction is only possible when size transitions are badly mis-specified. We offer several solutions to eviction problems, but we emphasize that the modeler must choose the most appropriate solution based on an understanding of why eviction occurs in the first place. We recommend testing IPMs for eviction problems and resolving them, so that population dynamics are modeled more accurately.
Ray-parameter based stacking and enhanced pre-conditioning for stable inversion of receiver function data
(Oxford University Press on behalf of The Royal Astronomical Society, 2013) Chen, Youlin; Niu, Fenglin
While inversion of seismic velocity from receiver function data could be instable due to its intrinsic non-linearity and non-uniqueness, improper stacking of receiver function could also introduce significant biases to the resulting velocity structure. In a distance section of receiver functions, the Moho Ps conversion and the two reverberations possess a positive and negative moveout, respectively. Stacking receiver functions without moveout correction could significantly reduce and distort the amplitude and waveform of these phases. Inversion with these incorrectly stacked receiver functions will thus inevitably introduce artefacts to the resulting velocity structure. In this study, we have improved the inversion procedure in two ways. First, we introduce a ray-parameter based (RPB) stacking method to correctly construct receiver function data for inversion. Specifically we develop a ‘four-pin’ method that accounts for the moveout effect of the converted and reverberated phases in stacking individual receiver functions recorded at various distances. Secondly, we divide the receiver function trace into conversion and reverberation windows and assign different weights between the two windows in the inversion. More weight is given to the Ps conversion window in resolving the shallow structure, which can be nearly fixed in the successive inversion of deeper structure. We also employ other pre-conditioning proposed by previous studies, such as balancing the receiver function data being filtered with different Gaussian filters, smoothing the velocity model and further regulating the model based on existing information. We compute synthetic receiver functions at distances between 30◦ and 90◦ from a target model and then use the RPB stacking method to generate the input data for various inversions (iterative linear) with different initial models. Our inversions with enhanced pre-conditioning and RPB stacked data demonstrate a good capability in recovering the target model from generally more stable iterations. Applying these techniques to two broad-band stations in China indicates that the improvements on data stacking and inversion can eliminate potential stacking-induced artefacts, and yield models more consistent with surface geology.
Reactive Infiltration of MORB-Eclogite-Derived Carbonated Silicate Melt into Fertile Peridotite at 3GPa and Genesis of Alkalic Magmas
(Oxford University Press, 2013) Mallik, Ananya; Dasgupta, Rajdeep
We performed experiments between two different carbonated eclogite-derived melts and lherzolite at 1375°C and 3 GPa by varying the reacting melt fraction from 8 to 50 wt %. The two starting melt compositions were (1) alkalic basalt with 11·7 wt % dissolved CO2 (ABC), (2) basaltic andesite with 2·6 wt % dissolved CO2 (BAC). The starting melts were mixed homogeneously with peridotite to simulate porous reactive infiltration of melt in the Earth’s mantle. All the experiments produced an assemblage of melt + orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + garnet ± olivine; olivine was absent for a reacting melt fraction of 50 wt % for ABC and 40 wt % for BAC. Basanitic ABC evolved to melilitites (on a CO2-free basis, SiO2 ∼27–39 wt %, TiO2 ∼2·8–6·3 wt %, Al2O3 ∼4·1–9·1 wt %, FeO* ∼11–16 wt %, MgO ∼17–21 wt %, CaO ∼13–21 wt %, Na2O ∼4–7 wt %, CO2 ∼10–25 wt %) upon melt–rock reaction and the degree of alkalinity of the reacted melts is positively correlated with melt–rock ratio. On the other hand, reacted melts derived from BAC (on a CO2-free basis SiO2 ∼42–53 wt %, TiO2 ∼6·4–8·7 wt %, Al2O3 ∼10·5–12·3 wt %, FeO* ∼6·5–10·5 wt %, MgO ∼7·9–15·4 wt %, CaO ∼7·3–10·3 wt %, Na2O ∼3·4–4 wt %, CO2 ∼6·2–11·7 wt %) increase in alkalinity with decreasing melt–rock ratio. We demonstrate that owing to the presence of only 0·65 wt % of CO2 in the bulk melt–rock mixture (corresponding to 25 wt % BAC + lherzolite mixture), nephelinitic-basanite melts can be generated by partial reactive crystallization of basaltic andesite as opposed to basanites produced in volatile-free conditions. Post 20% olivine fractionation, the reacted melts derived from ABC at low to intermediate melt–rock ratios match with 20–40% of the population of natural nephelinites and melilitites in terms of SiO2 and CaO/Al2O3, 60–80% in terms of TiO2, Al2O3 and FeO, and <20% in terms of CaO and Na2O. The reacted melts from BAC, at intermediate melt–rock ratios, are excellent matches for some of the Mg-rich (MgO >15 wt %) natural nephelinites in terms of SiO2, Al2O3, FeO*, CaO, Na2O and CaO/Al2O3. Not only can these reacted melts erupt by themselves, they can also act as metasomatizing agents in the Earth’s mantle. Our study suggests that a combination of subducted, silica-saturated crust–peridotite interaction and the presence of CO2 in the mantle source region are sufficient to produce a large range of primitive alkalic basalts. Also, mantle potential temperatures of 1330–1350°C appear sufficient to produce high-MgO, primitive basanite–nephelinite if carbonated eclogite melt and peridotite interaction is taken into account.
Relating vesicle shapes in pyroclasts to eruption styles
(Springer-Verlag, 2013) Moitra, Pranabendu; Gonnermann, Helge M.; Houghton, Bruce F.; Giachetti, Thomas
Vesicles in pyroclasts provide a direct record of conduit conditions during explosive volcanic eruptions. Although their numbers and sizes are used routinely to infer aspects of eruption dynamics, vesicle shape remains an underutilized parameter. We have quantified vesicle shapes in pyroclasts from fall deposits of seven explosive eruptions of different styles, using the dimensionless shape factor , a measure of the degree of complexity of the bounding surface of an object. For each of the seven eruptions, we have also estimated the capillary number, Ca, from the magma expansion velocity through coupled diffusive bubble growth and conduit flow modeling. We find that Ω is smaller for eruptions with Ca 1 than for eruptions with Ca 1. Consistent with previous studies, we interpret these results as an expression of the relative importance of structural changes during magma decompression and bubble growth, such as coalescence and shape relaxation of bubbles by capillary stresses. Among the samples analyzed, Strombolian and Hawaiian fire-fountain eruptions have Ca 1, in contrast to Vulcanian, Plinian, and ultraplinian eruptions. Interestingly, the basaltic Plinian eruptions of Tarawera volcano, New Zealand in 1886 and Mt. Etna, Italy in 122 BC, for which the cause of intense explosive activity has been controversial, are also characterized by Ca 1 and larger values of Ω than Strombolian and Hawaiian style (fire fountain) eruptions. We interpret this to be the consequence of syn-eruptive magma crystallization, resulting in high magma viscosity and reduced rates of bubble growth. Our model results indicate that during these basaltic Plinian eruptions, buildup of bubble overpressure resulted in brittle magma fragmentation.
Velocity structure of the uppermost mantle beneath East Asia from Pn tomography and its dynamic implications
(American Geophysical Union, 2013) Wang, Suyun; Niu, Fenglin; Zhang, Guomin
[1] East Asia is one of the most tectonically active regions on Earth's surface due to the collision from the India plate and the suctions induced by the subduction of the Pacific and Philippine plates. To better understand the complicated deformation and active seismicity of the area, we conducted a Pn traveltime tomography to estimate the compressive wave speed of the uppermost mantle beneath East Asia. We collected a total of 296,334 Pn arrivals recorded by 1354 stations from 27,777 earthquakes in a rectangular area from 60°E to 145°E in longitude, 15°N to 60°N in latitude. The data set was carefully integrated from three different catalogs after examining potential systematic biases in the catalogs. The inversion results revealed a large-scale velocity perturbation in the study area. Pn velocity in the region west to ~108°E is approximately 10% higher than that in the east. In each region, stable blocks tend to have highPn velocity while the boundary regions, which show a high level of seismicity and surface deformation, appear to have low Pn velocity. We further computed the Benioff strain rate in the two regions and found it correlates negatively with the averaged Pn velocity. Our observations here suggest that Pn velocity, which is predominantly determined by Moho temperature, is a good indicator of lithosphere strength.
Midinfrared third-harmonic generation from macroscopically aligned ultralong single-wall carbon nanotubes
(American Physical Society, 2013) Morris, D.T.; Pint, C.L.; Arvidson, R.S.; Luttge, A.; Hauge, R.H.; Belyanin, A.A.; Woods, G.L.; Kono, J.
We report the observation of strong third-harmonic generation from a macroscopic array of aligned ultralong single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs)with intensemidinfrared radiation. Through power-dependent experiments, we determined the absolute value of the third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility !(3) of our SWCNT film to be 5.53 × 10−12 esu, three orders of magnitude larger than that of the fused silica reference we used. Taking account of the filling factor of 8.75% for our SWCNT film, we estimate a !(3) of 6.32 × 10−11 esu for a fully dense film. Furthermore, through polarization-dependent experiments, we extracted all the nonzero elements of the !(3) tensor, determining the magnitude of the weaker tensor elements to be #1/6 of that of the dominant !(3) zzzz component.
Biochar and Microbial Signaling: Production Conditions Determine Effects on Microbial Communication
(American Chemical Society, 2013) Masiello, Caroline A.; Chen, Ye; Gao, Xiaodong; Liu, Shirley; Cheng, Hsiao-Ying; Bennett, Matthew R.; Rudgers, Jennifer A.; Wagner, Daniel S.; Zygourakis, Kyriacos; Silberg, Jonathan J.
Charcoal has a long soil residence time, which has resulted in its production and use as a carbon sequestration technique (biochar). A range of biological effects can be triggered by soil biochar that can positively and negatively influence carbon storage, such as changing the decomposition rate of organic matter and altering plant biomass production. Sorption of cellular signals has been hypothesized to underlie some of these effects, but it remains unknown whether the binding of biochemical signals occurs, and if so, on time scales relevant to microbial growth and communication. We examined biochar sorption of N-3-oxo-dodecanoyl-L-homoserine lactone, an acyl-homoserine lactone (AHL) intercellular signaling molecule used by many gram-negative soil microbes to regulate gene expression. We show that wood biochars disrupt communication within a growing multicellular system that is made up of sender cells that synthesize AHL and receiver cells that express green fluorescent protein in response to an AHL signal. However, biochar inhibition of AHL-mediated cell–cell communication varied, with the biochar prepared at 700 °C (surface area of 301 m2/g) inhibiting cellular communication 10-fold more than an equivalent mass of biochar prepared at 300 °C (surface area of 3 m2/g). These findings provide the first direct evidence that biochars elicit a range of effects on gene expression dependent on intercellular signaling, implicating the method of biochar preparation as a parameter that could be tuned to regulate microbial-dependent soil processes, like nitrogen fixation and pest attack of root crops.
Film drainage and the lifetime of bubbles
(American Geophysical Union, 2013) Nguyen, C.T.; Gonnermann, H.M.; Chen, Y.
[1] We present the results of new laboratory experiments that provide constraints on inter bubble film thinning and bubble coalescence as a consequence of liquid expulsion by gravitational and capillary forces. To ensure dynamic similarity to magmatic systems, the experiments are at small Reynolds numbers inline image and cover a wide range of Bond numbers (10−3 ≤ Bo ≤ 102). Results indicate that at Bo < 0.25 film drainage is due to capillary forces, whereas at Bo > 0.25 gravitational forces result in film thinning. The film drainage time scale is given by t ∼ C ln (α) τ and is orders of magnitude faster than often assumed for magmatic systems. Here, C ∼ 10 is an empirical constant and α is the ratio of initial film thickness to film thickness at the time of rupture and τ is the characteristic capillary or buoyancy time scale at values of Bo < 0.25 and Bo > 0.25, respectively.
Modern rates of glacial sediment accumulation along a 15° S-N transect in fjords from the Antarctic Peninsula to southern Chile
(Wiley, 2013) Boldt, Katherine V.; Nittrouer, Charles A.; Hallet, Bernard; Koppes, Michele N.; Forrest, Brittany K.; Wellner, Julia S.; Anderson, John B.
[1] Rates of glacial erosion in temperate climates rank among the highest worldwide, and the sedimentary products of such erosion record climatic and tectonic signals in many glaciated settings, as well as temporal changes in glacier behavior. Glacial sediment yields are expected to decrease with increasing latitude because decreased temperature and meltwater production reduce glacial sliding, erosion, and sediment transfer; however, this expectation lacks a solid supportive database. Herein we present modern 210Pb-derived sediment accumulation rates on decadal to century time scales for 12 fjords spanning 15° of latitude from the Antarctic Peninsula to southern Chile and interpret the results in light of glacimarine sediment accumulation worldwide. 210Pb records from the Antarctic Peninsula show surprisingly steady sediment accumulation throughout the past century at rates of 1–7 mm yr−1, despite rapid warming and glacial retreat. Cores from the South Shetland Islands reveal accelerated sediment accumulation over the past few decades, likely due to changes in the thermal state of the glaciers in this region, which straddles the boundary between subpolar and temperate conditions. In Patagonia and Tierra del Fuego, sediment accumulates faster (11–24 mm yr−1), and previously collected seismic profiles show that rates reach meters per year close to the glacier termini. This increase in sediment accumulation rates with decreasing latitude reflects the gradient from subpolar to temperate climates and is consistent with glacial erosion being much faster in the temperate climate of southern Chile than in the polar climate of the Antarctic Peninsula.
Understanding long-term carbon cycle trends: The late Paleocene through the early Eocene
(Wiley, 2013) Komar, N.; Zeebe, R.E.; Dickens, G.R.
[1] The late Paleocene to the early Eocene (~58–52 Ma) was marked by significant changes in global climate and carbon cycling. The evidence for these changes includes stable isotope records that reveal prominent decreases in δ18O and δ13C, suggesting a rise in Earth's surface temperature (~4°C) and a drop in net carbon output from the ocean and atmosphere. Concurrently, deep-sea carbonate records at several sites indicate a deepening of the calcite compensation depth (CCD). Here we investigate possible causes (e.g., increased volcanic degassing or decreased net organic burial) for these observations, but from a new perspective. The basic model employed is a modified version of GEOCARB III. However, we have coupled this well-known geochemical model to LOSCAR (Long-term Ocean-atmosphere Sediment CArbon cycle Reservoir model), which enables simulation of seawater carbonate chemistry, the CCD, and ocean δ13C. We have also added a capacitor, in this case represented by gas hydrates, that can store and release13C-depleted carbon to and from the shallow geosphere over millions of years. We further consider accurate input data (e.g., δ13C of carbonate) on a currently accepted timescale that spans an interval much longer than the perturbation. Several different scenarios are investigated with the goal of consistency amongst inferred changes in temperature, the CCD, and surface ocean and deep ocean δ13C. The results strongly suggest that a decrease in net organic carbon burial drove carbon cycle changes during the late Paleocene and early Eocene, although an increase in volcanic activity might have contributed. Importantly, a drop in net organic carbon burial may represent increased oxidation of previously deposited organic carbon, such as stored in peat or gas hydrates. The model successfully recreates trends in Earth surface warming, as inferred from δ18O records, the CCD, and δ13C. At the moment, however, our coupled modeling effort cannot reproduce the magnitude of change in all these records collectively. Similar problems have arisen in simulations of short-term hyperthermal events during the early Paleogene (Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum), suggesting one or more basic issues with data interpretation or geochemical modeling remain.
Magma flow between summit and Pu‘u ‘ Ō ‘ō at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i
(American Geophysical Union, 2013) Montagna, C.P.; Gonnermann, H.M.; Keith-Wiess Geological Lab
[1] Volcanic eruptions are often accompanied by spatiotemporal migration of ground deformation, a consequence of pressure changes within magma reservoirs and pathways. We modeled the propagation of pressure variations through the east rift zone (ERZ) of Kılauea Volcano, Hawai‘i, caused by magma withdrawal during the early eruptive episodes (1983–1985) of the ongoing Pu‘u ‘O‘ o-Kupaianaha eruption. Eruptive activity at the Pu‘u ‘O‘ o vent was typically accompanied by abrupt deflation that lasted for several hours and was followed by a sudden onset of gradual inflation once the eruptive episode had ended. Similar patterns of deflation and inflation were recorded at Kılauea’s summit, approximately 15 km to the northwest, albeit with time delays of hours. These delay times can be reproduced by modeling the spatiotemporal changes in magma pressure and flow rate within an elastic-walled dike that traverses Kılauea’s ERZ. Key parameters that affect the behavior of the magma-dike system are the dike dimensions, the elasticity of the wall rock, the magma viscosity, and to a lesser degree the magnitude and duration of the pressure variations themselves. Combinations of these parameters define a transport efficiency and a pressure diffusivity, which vary somewhat from episode to episode, resulting in variations in delay times. The observed variations in transport efficiency are most easily explained by small, localized changes to the geometry of the magma pathway.

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