James J. Student

A study of cathodoluminescence and trace element compositional zoning in natural quartz from volcanic rocks: Mapping titanium content in quartz

This article concerns application of cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy to volcanic quartz and its utility in assessing variation in trace quantities of Ti within individual crystals. CL spectroscopy provides useful details of intragrain compositional variability and structure but generally limited quantitative information on element abundances. Microbeam analysis can provide such information but is time-consuming and costly, particularly if large numbers of analyses are required. To maximize advantages of both approaches, natural and synthetic quartz crystals were studied using high-resolution hyperspectral CL imaging (1.2-5.0 eV range) combined with analysis via laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICPMS). Spectral intensities can be deconvolved into three principal contributions (1.93, 2.19, and 2.72 eV), for which intensity of the latter peak was found to correlate directly with Ti concentration. Quantitative maps of Ti variation can be produced by calibration of the CL spectral data against relatively few analytical points. Such maps provide useful information concerning intragrain zoning or heterogeneity of Ti contents with the sensitivity of LA-ICPMS analysis and spatial resolution of electron microprobe analysis.

Magma sheets defined with magnetic susceptibility in the Maiden Creek sill, Henry Mountains, Utah, USA

In the ∼20-m-thick Maiden Creek sill of the Henry Mountains (Utah, USA) intrusive complex, two magma sheets are locally separated by a 1.5-m-thick lens of sandstone. We studied the boundary between these sheets at the termination of this sandstone lens, where the upper sheet directly overlies the lower sheet, in order to test the reliability of using magnetic susceptibility in delineating internal magmatic contacts. The contact between these two sheets is along a cliff face and defined by a thin (<1 cm) brittle-ductile shear zone. Measurements of magnetic susceptibility (K) were collected within a grid every 20 cm across this contact. Drill cores (72) were also collected along four traverses across the shear zone. Mapping K across the cliff face reveals an abrupt decrease immediately below the shear zone contact. 1 m below the contact, K unexpectedly increases again to the same levels observed above the contact. This lower boundary coincides with a 1–2-mm-thick minor fracture zone. The 1-m-thick low-K zone (LKZ) is characterized by more intense microfracturing and is bleached compared to the surrounding igneous rock. Plotting the magnetic foliation from the drill cores reveals abrupt changes to the orientation across both the shear zone and fracture zone. We hypothesize that the LKZ was the original magma sheet that intruded the sandstone. The high-K zones above and below the LKZ represent later sheets that intruded above and below the original sheet, fracturing the partially or wholly crystallized original intrusion. These later sheets exsolved fluids that were injected into the original sheet, resulting in more advanced oxidation of magnetite and thus lowering the K. Alternatively, it is possible that the LKZ is simply the altered zone at the top of a thicker older sheet that was modified by the intrusion of a younger overlying sheet.

Same habitat, different species: otolith microchemistry relationships between migratory and resident species support interspecific natal source classification

We tested the hypothesis that otolith trace elemental signatures (microchemistries) of mottled sculpin Cottus bairdi, slimy sculpin C. cognatus, and juvenile coho salmon Oncorhynchus kisutch were predictive of those of juvenile steelhead O. mykiss across many sites within the Lake Michigan basin. Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to generate otolith microchemistry signatures for each individual fish. For each species pair, statistical correlations of mean otolith concentrations of Mg, Mn, Cu, Zn, Sr, Ba, and Pb for each site were estimated. Linear equations describing these relationships were used to transform juvenile steelhead otolith microchemistry data to those of each of the other species. Transformed otolith microchemistry data were subjected to random forest classifications developed for mottled sculpin, slimy sculpin, and juvenile coho salmon to assess interspecific natal source assignment accuracies. Steelhead otolith concentrations of Sr were significantly correlated with those of each of the other species, whereas otolith concentrations of Ba and Mn were significantly correlated among some species pairs, but not others. Natal source assignment accuracies of juvenile steelhead to site and watershed generally decreased when otolith microchemistry data were transformed to those of mottled sculpin, slimy sculpin, and coho salmon. Miss-assigned fish often classified into nearby watersheds within larger hydrologic units, leading to higher assignment accuracies at coarser geographical resolutions (75–97% correct assignment to hydrologic unit for each species). These findings suggest that applications of otolith microchemistry data may extend beyond the species from which they are collected.