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      <title>Top Downloaded Articles This Week: Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems</title>
      <link>http://www.agu.org/contents/journals/ViewPublishedToday.do</link>
      <description><![CDATA[]]></description>
      <language>en-us</language>
      <copyright>AGU</copyright>
      <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
      <webMaster>webmaster@agu.org</webMaster>
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         <title>Magnetic and seismic reflection study of Lake Cheko, a possible impact crater for the 1908 Tunguska Event</title>
         <link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2012GC004054</link>
         <description><![CDATA[A major explosion occurred on 30 June 1908 in the Tunguska region of Siberia, causing the destruction of over 2,000 km2 of taiga; pressure and seismic waves detected as far as 1,000 km away; bright luminescence in the night skies of Northern Europe and Central Asia; and other unusual phenomena. This “Tunguska Event” is probably related to the impact with the Earth of a cosmic body that exploded about 5–10 km above ground, releasing in the atmosphere 10–15 Mton of energy. Fragments of the impacting body have never been found, and its nature (comet or asteroid) is still a matter of debate. We report here results from a magnetic and seismic reflection study of a small (∼500 m diameter) lake, Lake Cheko, located about 8 km NW of the inferred explosion epicenter, that was proposed to be an impact crater left by a fragment of the Tunguska Cosmic Body. Seismic reflection and magnetic data revealed a P wave velocity/magnetic anomaly close to the lake center, about 10 m below the lake floor; this anomaly is compatible with the presence of a buried stony object and supports the impact crater origin for Lake Cheko.]]></description>
         <author>L. Gasperini, L. Cocchi, C. Stanghellini, G. Stanghellini, F. Del Bianco, M. Serrazanetti and C. Carmisciano</author>
         <category>Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems</category>
         <pubDate>13</pubDate>
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      <item>
         <title>Factors controlling the mode of rift interaction in brittle-ductile coupled systems: A 3D numerical study</title>
         <link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2012GC004077</link>
         <description><![CDATA[The way individual faults and rift segments link up is a fundamental aspect of lithosphere extension and continental break-up. Little is known however about the factors that control the selection of the different modes of rift interaction observed in nature. Here we use state-of-the-art large deformation 3D numerical models to examine the controls on the style and geometry of rift linkage between rift segments during extension of crustal brittle-ductile coupled systems. We focus on the effect of viscosity of the lower layer, the offset between the rift basins and the amount of strain weakening on the efficiency of rift linkage and rift propagation and the style of extension. The models predict three main modes of rift interaction: 1) oblique to transform linking graben systems for small to moderate rift offset and low lower layer viscosity, 2) propagating but non linking and overlapping primary grabens for larger offset and intermediate lower layer viscosity, and 3) formation of multiple graben systems with inefficient rift propagation for high lower layer viscosity. The transition between the linking (Mode 1) and non-linking mode (Mode 2) is controlled by the trade-off between the rift offset, the strength of brittle-ductile coupling, and the amount of strain weakening. The mode transition from overlapping non-connecting rift segments (Mode 2) to distributed deformation (Mode 3) is mainly controlled by the viscosity of the lower layer and can be understood from minimum energy dissipation analysis arguments.]]></description>
         <author>Vaneeda Allken, Ritske S. Huismans and Cedric Thieulot</author>
         <category>Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems</category>
         <pubDate>13</pubDate>
      </item>
      <item>
         <title>High-precision isotopic characterization of USGS reference materials by TIMS and MC-ICP-MS</title>
         <link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2006GC001283</link>
         <description><![CDATA[The Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research (PCIGR) at the University of British Columbia has undertaken a systematic analysis of the isotopic (Sr, Nd, and Pb) compositions and concentrations of a broad compositional range of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) reference materials, including basalt (BCR-1, 2; BHVO-1, 2), andesite (AGV-1, 2), rhyolite (RGM-1, 2), syenite (STM-1, 2), granodiorite (GSP-2), and granite (G-2, 3). USGS rock reference materials are geochemically well characterized, but there is neither a systematic methodology nor a database for radiogenic isotopic compositions, even for the widely used BCR-1. This investigation represents the first comprehensive, systematic analysis of the isotopic composition and concentration of USGS reference materials and provides an important database for the isotopic community. In addition, the range of equipment at the PCIGR, including a Nu Instruments Plasma MC-ICP-MS, a Thermo Finnigan Triton TIMS, and a Thermo Finnigan Element2 HR-ICP-MS, permits an assessment and comparison of the precision and accuracy of isotopic analyses determined by both the TIMS and MC-ICP-MS methods (e.g., Nd isotopic compositions). For each of the reference materials, 5 to 10 complete replicate analyses provide coherent isotopic results, all with external precision below 30 ppm (2 SD) for Sr and Nd isotopic compositions (27 and 24 ppm for TIMS and MC-ICP-MS, respectively). Our results also show that the first- and second-generation USGS reference materials have homogeneous Sr and Nd isotopic compositions. Nd isotopic compositions by MC-ICP-MS and TIMS agree to within 15 ppm for all reference materials. Interlaboratory MC-ICP-MS comparisons show excellent agreement for Pb isotopic compositions; however, the reproducibility is not as good as for Sr and Nd. A careful, sequential leaching experiment of three first- and second-generation reference materials (BCR, BHVO, AGV) indicates that the heterogeneity in Pb isotopic compositions, and concentrations, could be directly related to contamination by the steel (mortar/pestle) used to process the materials. Contamination also accounts for the high concentrations of certain other trace elements (e.g., Li, Mo, Cd, Sn, Sb, W) in various USGS reference materials.]]></description>
         <author>Dominique Weis, Bruno Kieffer, Claude Maerschalk, Jane Barling, Jeroen de Jong, Gwen A. Williams, Diane Hanano, Wilma Pretorius, Nadine Mattielli, James S. Scoates, Arnaud Goolaerts, Richard M. Friedman and J. Brian Mahoney</author>
         <category>Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems</category>
         <pubDate>7</pubDate>
      </item>
      <item>
         <title>A detailed paleomagnetic record between 2.1 and 2.75 Ma at IODP Site U1314 in the North Atlantic: Geomagnetic excursions and the Gauss-Matuyama transition</title>
         <link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2012GC004080</link>
         <description><![CDATA[This study investigated the detailed geomagnetic field variation between 2.1 and 2.75 Ma from a sediment core (IODP Site U1314) with high sedimentation rate (≥10 cm/kyr) and good age control. Characteristic remanent magnetization directions were well resolved by stepwise alternating field demagnetization. As a proxy of relative paleointensity, natural remanent magnetization (NRM) normalized by anhysteretic remanent magnetization (ARM) was used after testing that the influence of magnetic interaction in ARM is negligible. As a result, the following features of the geomagnetic field in the studied period have been revealed. During the transition of the Gauss-Matuyama (G-M) reversal and the Réunion Subchron, the paleointensity decreased to the value lower than 20% of the average intensity in the whole studied interval. In addition to these lows, eight paleointensity lows were found associated with large directional changes that satisfy the definition of a geomagnetic excursion. Four of these have ages close to ages reported for geomagnetic excursions in prior studies, whereas the other four excursions have not previously been observed. In our results, we confirm that the G-M transition occurred in marine isotope stage 103 even if we consider the shift in depth due to the lock-in process of magnetic particles. The temporal variation in paleointensity showed asymmetric behavior associated with the G-M transition, with a gradual decrease prior to the transition and a rapid recovery after the transition.]]></description>
         <author>Masao Ohno, Tatsuya Hayashi, Fumiki Komatsu, Fumi Murakami, Meng Zhao, Yohan Guyodo, Gary Acton, Helen F. Evans and Toshiya Kanamatsu</author>
         <category>Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems</category>
         <pubDate>13</pubDate>
      </item>
      <item>
         <title>Effects of sampling and mineral separation on accuracy of detrital zircon studies</title>
         <link>http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2012GC004106</link>
         <description><![CDATA[We investigated some of the sampling and mineral separation biases that affect the accuracy of detrital zircon provenance studies. The study has been carried on a natural catchment in the Scottish Highlands that represents a simple two-component source system and on samples of synthetic sediment prepared for this study to test the effects of heavy mineral separation on the resulting zircon age spectra. The results suggest that zircon fertility of the source rocks and physical properties of zircon represent the most important factors affecting the distribution of zircon age populations in the stream sediments. The sample preparation and selection of zircons for analysis may result in preferential loss of information from small zircon grains. Together with the preference for larger crystals during handpicking, it can result in several-fold difference compared to the real age distribution in the sediment sample. These factors appear to be more important for the reproducibility of zircon age spectra than is the number of zircon grains analyzed per sample.]]></description>
         <author>Jiří Sláma and Jan Košler</author>
         <category>Geochemistry Geophysics Geosystems</category>
         <pubDate>13</pubDate>
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