Evaluation of cosmogenic 3He and 21Ne production rates in olivine and pyroxene from two Pleistocene basalt flows, western Grand Canyon, AZ, USA

Fenton, C., Niedermann, S., Goethals, M.M., Schneider, B. and Wijbrans, J. (2009) Evaluation of cosmogenic 3He and 21Ne production rates in olivine and pyroxene from two Pleistocene basalt flows, western Grand Canyon, AZ, USA. Quaternary Geochronology, 4(6), pp. 475-492. (doi: 10.1016/j.quageo.2009.08.002)

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Abstract

Combining cosmogenic 3He and 21Ne (3Hec and 21Nec) measurements on both pyroxene and olivine from the Pleistocene Bar Ten flows (85–107 ka) greatly increases our ability to evaluate the accuracy of 3Hec and 21Nec production rates and, therefore, 3Hec and 21Nec surface exposure ages. Comparison of 3Hec and 21Nec age-pairs yielded by experimentally determined production rates and composition-based model calculations indicates that the former give more accurate surface exposure ages than the latter in this study. However, experimental production rates should be adjusted to the composition of the minerals being analyzed to obtain the best agreement between 3Hec and 21Nec ages for any given sample. 21Nec/3Hec values are 0.400 ± 0.029 and 0.204 ± 0.014 for olivine and pyroxene, respectively, in Bar Ten lava flows, in agreement with previously published values, and indicate that 21Nec/3Hec in olivine and pyroxene is not affected by erosion and remains constant with latitude, elevation, and time (up to 10 Myr). Samples with 21Nec/3Hec that do not agree with these values may indicate the presence of non-cosmogenic helium and/or neon. The neon three-isotope diagram can also indicate whether or not all excess neon in mineral separates comes from cosmogenic sources. An error-weighted regression for olivine defines a spallation line [y = (1.033 ± 0.031)x + (0.09876 ± 0.00033)], which is indistinguishable from that for pyroxene (Schäfer et al., 1999). We have derived a production rate of 25 ± 8 at/g/yr for 21Nec in clinopyroxene (En43–44) based on the 40Ar/39Ar age of the upper Bar Ten flow. Our study indicates that the production rate of 21Nec in olivine may be slightly higher than previously determined. Cosmogenic 3He and 21Ne remain extremely useful, particularly when paired, in determining accurate eruption ages of young olivine- and pyroxene-rich basaltic lava flows.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Fenton, Dr Cassandra
Authors: Fenton, C., Niedermann, S., Goethals, M.M., Schneider, B., and Wijbrans, J.
Subjects:G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GE Environmental Sciences
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
Journal Name:Quaternary Geochronology
ISSN:1871-1014
Published Online:14 August 2009

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