Rapid decomposition of geological samples by ammonium bifluoride (NH4 HF2 ) for combined Hf-Nd-Sr isotope analyses.

RATIONALE: Complete decomposition of silicate rock matrices is crucial in determining their isotopic compositions, but acid dissolution in a high-pressure steel-jacketed bomb, which has been the only powerful, effective technique thus far, is time-consuming and expensive. Rock dissolution using ammonium bifluoride (ABF), as described here, is a viable alternative. METHODS: Geological reference materials (GRMs) were digested using ABF in closed Teflon beakers at temperatures of 220/230°C in a convection oven and subsequently treated with HNO3 . Hf-Sr-Nd were separated and purified using ion-exchange chemistry columns calibrated for 50-2 mg samples. The isotopic compositions of Sr-Nd were measured by Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry, while that of Hf by Multi-Collector Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry, both with normal 1011 Ω and gain calibrated 1013 Ω amplifiers. RESULTS: Total procedural blanks of our protocol are 0.5 ng for Sr, 0.2 ng for Nd and <25 pg for Hf. Test runs with GRMs, ranging in composition from basic to felsic and dissolved in ABF, yield accurate 87 Sr/86 Sr, 143 Nd/144 Nd and 176 Hf/177 Hf isotope ratios as compared with those obtained with the bomb dissolution technique. Reproducibilities were comparable, on the order of 10-20 ppm. Our technique allows combined Hf-Sr-Nd isotope analyses of low-mass (50-2 mg) samples. CONCLUSIONS: The ABF digestion is an alternative technique to high-pressure bomb dissolution in matrix decomposition for accurate and reproducible Hf-Nd-Sr isotope analyses of geological samples within a reasonable time (3-4 days), with high sample throughput and low costs in geochemistry and environmental sciences.

Coupled European and Greenland last glacial dust activity driven by North Atlantic climate.

Centennial-scale mineral dust peaks in last glacial Greenland ice cores match the timing of lowest Greenland temperatures, yet little is known of equivalent changes in dust-emitting regions, limiting our understanding of dust-climate interaction. Here, we present the most detailed and precise age model for European loess dust deposits to date, based on 125 accelerator mass spectrometry 14C ages from Dunaszekcso, Hungary. The record shows that variations in glacial dust deposition variability on centennial-millennial timescales in east central Europe and Greenland were synchronous within uncertainty. We suggest that precipitation and atmospheric circulation changes were likely the major influences on European glacial dust activity and propose that European dust emissions were modulated by dominant phases of the North Atlantic Oscillation, which had a major influence on vegetation and local climate of European dust source regions.

Mars-Relevant Field Experiences in Morocco: The Importance of Spatial Scales and Subsurface Exploration.

During field work at the Ibn Battuta Mars analogue sites, two research questions were analyzed: (1) How do we identify sampling sites using remote and local imaging and (2) what kind of information can be gained from shallow subsurface exploration? While remote images help in targeting field activities in general, the connection between observations at different spatial scales for different rocky desert terrain types is not well established; in this, focused comparison of remote in situ images of well-selected analogues would help a great deal. Dried up lake beds as discerned in remotely acquired data may not show signatures of past water activity, while shallow subsurface exploration could reveal the lacustrine period. Acquisition of several satellite images of the same terrain under different geometries would help to support the planning of such in situ work. The selection of appropriate sampling sites in fluvial settings could be improved by analyzing long, meter-high, open-air outcrops that formed during most recent fluvial episodes. Such settings are abundant on Earth and could be present on Mars but may be just below the resolution of available data. By using 20-30-cm-deep excavations, shallow subsurface exploration could reveal the last period of geological history that would have been unattainable by surface observation alone. Aggregates embedded in the original strata or from heavily pulverized samples could not be identified; only weakly fragmented samples viewed right after acquisition showed aggregates, and thus, the Close-Up Imager (CLUPI) on the ExoMover might provide information on cementation-related aggregation on the observing plate before crushing. The mechanical separation of different size grains (mainly clays and attached minerals) would also support the identification of individual components. To maximize context information during subsurface exploration, rover imaging should be accomplished before crushing; however, currently planned imaging may not be ideal for this.