High-resolution dating of Co-rich crusts: A comparative study using the methods of orbital pacing and ^(230)Th_(ex)/^(232)Th dating  

作　　者：HAN XiQiu1,2, QIU ZhongYan1,2,3, MA WeiLin1,2 & QIAN JiangChu1,2 1 Key Laboratory of Submarine Geosciences, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou 310012, China 2 Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration, Hangzhou 310012, China 3 Department of Earth Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310027, China 

出　　处：《Science China Earth Sciences》2009年第4期484-488,共5页中国科学（地球科学英文版）

基　　金：Supported by China Ocean Mineral Resources R & P Association (Grant No. DY105-01-01-08);National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40106005, 40476050)

摘　　要：Due to their slow growth rates, seamount Co-rich crusts are very difficult to date with high resolution and precision. This paper is to test the use of orbital pacing on the growth profile of crusts to determine high-resolution age and growth rate. Crust CB14 from the central Pacific Ocean was selected for this study. We first examined the growth pattern in detail under a reflected-light microscope and ascertained that the growth environment was stable for the sub-layer 1 (0-3 mm). We then used electron micro-probe line-scanning to obtain elemental profiles. The pattern of the power spectrum analysis of the Al-profile revealed that there are significant cycles of 113.9, 87.8, 51.5, 42.2 and 25.8 μm. These cycles correspond to the Milankovitch cycles of 53.1, 41, 24, 19.7 and 12 ka, respectively, and yield the growth rate of about 2.14 mm/Ma and an age of about 1.40 Ma for the boundary between the sub-layer 1 and sub-layer 2. We also used a drilling machine with a numerically controlled drive to obtain high-resolution samples at 0.1mm intervals, and used the 230Thex/232Th method to date the samples. For the uppermost 1.3 mm, the growth rate was about 2.15 mm/Ma, and the age for the layer at the depth of 3 mm was about 1.40 Ma, which coincides perfectly with the results obtained from orbital pacing. Thus, it is considered that orbital pacing is a new and effective method to determine the growth rate of the seamount Co-rich crust. This method is applicable for establishing a high-resolution age frame for the crusts of the world's oceans.Due to their slow growth rates, seamount Co-rich crusts are very difficult to date with high resolution and precision. This paper is to test the use of orbital pacing on the growth profile of crusts to determine high-resolution age and growth rate. Crust CB14 from the central Pacific Ocean was selected for this study. We first examined the growth pattern in detail under a reflected-light microscope and ascertained that the growth environment was stable for the sub-layer 1 (0-3 mm). We then used electron micro-probe line-scanning to obtain elemental profiles. The pattern of the power spectrum analysis of the Al-profile revealed that there are significant cycles of 113.9, 87.8, 51.5, 42.2 and 25.8 μm. These cycles correspond to the Milankovitch cycles of 53.1, 41, 24, 19.7 and 12 ka, respectively, and yield the growth rate of about 2.14 mm/Ma and an age of about 1.40 Ma for the boundary between the sub-layer 1 and sub-layer 2. We also used a drilling machine with a numerically controlled drive to obtain high-resolution samples at 0.1mm intervals, and used the 230Thex/232Th method to date the samples. For the uppermost 1.3 mm, the growth rate was about 2.15 mm/Ma, and the age for the layer at the depth of 3 mm was about 1.40 Ma, which coincides perfectly with the results obtained from orbital pacing. Thus, it is considered that orbital pacing is a new and effective method to determine the growth rate of the seamount Co-rich crust. This method is applicable for establishing a high-resolution age frame for the crusts of the world’s oceans.

关 键 词：SEAMOUNT Co-rich crust MILANKOVITCH cycles 230Thex/232Th DATING growth rates of Mn-crusts central Pacific Ocean 

分 类 号：P597.3[天文地球—地球化学]