Matchan, E. L., Honda, M., Barrows, T. T., Phillips, D., Chivas, A. R., Fifield, L. K. and Fabel, D. (2018) Production of 21 Ne in depth-profiled olivine from a 54 Ma basalt sequence, Eastern Highlands (37° S), Australia. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 220, pp. 276-290. (doi: 10.1016/j.gca.2017.09.035)
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Abstract
In this study we investigate the cosmogenic neon component in olivine samples from a vertical profile in order to quantify muogenic 21Ne production in this mineral. Samples were collected from an 11 m thick Eocene basalt profile in the Eastern Highlands of southeastern Australia. An eruption age of 54.15 ± 0.36 Ma (2σ) was determined from 40Ar/39Ar step-heating experiments (n = 6) on three whole-rock samples. A 36Cl profile on the section indicated an apparent steady state erosion rate of 4.7 ± 0.5 m Ma−1. The eruption age was used to calculate in situ produced radiogenic 4He and nucleogenic 3He and 21Ne concentrations in olivine. Olivine mineral separates (n = 4), extracted from the upper two metres of the studied profile, reveal cosmogenic 21Ne concentrations that attenuate exponentially with depth. However, olivine (Fo68) extracted from below 2 m does not contain discernible 21Ne aside from magmatic and nucleogenic components, with the exception of one sample that apparently contained equal proportions of nucleogenic and muogenic neon. Modelling results suggest a muogenic neon sea-level high-latitude production rate of 0.02 ± 0.04 to 0.9 ± 1.3 atoms g−1 a−1 (1σ), or <2.5% of spallogenic cosmogenic 21Ne production at Earth’s surface. These data support a key implicit assumption in the literature that accumulation of muogenic 21Ne in olivine in surface samples is likely to be negligible/minimal compared to spallogenic 21Ne.
Item Type: | Articles |
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Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: | Fabel, Dr Derek |
Authors: | Matchan, E. L., Honda, M., Barrows, T. T., Phillips, D., Chivas, A. R., Fifield, L. K., and Fabel, D. |
College/School: | College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre |
Journal Name: | Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
ISSN: | 0016-7037 |
ISSN (Online): | 1872-9533 |
Published Online: | 28 September 2017 |
Copyright Holders: | Copyright © 2017 Elsevier, Ltd. |
First Published: | First published in Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 220:276-290 |
Publisher Policy: | Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher |
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