Jeremy J Bellucci

Swedish Museum of Natural History · Department of Geosciences

Martian meteorite NWA 7533 is a regolith breccia that compositionally resembles the Martian surface measured by orbiters and landers. NWA 7533 contains monzonitic clasts that have zircon with U–Pb ages of 4.428 Ga. The Pb isotopic compositions of plagioclase and alkali feldspars, as well as U–Pb isotopic compositions of chlorapatite in the monzonit...

The Cl isotopic compositions and halogen (Cl, F, Br, and I) abundances in phosphates from eight Martian meteorites, spanning most rock types and ages currently available, have been measured in situ by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). Likewise, the distribution of halogens has been documented by x-ray mapping. Halogen concentrations range ove...

The initial Pb compositions of one enriched shergottite, one intermediate shergottite, two depleted shergottites, and Nakhla have been measured by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). These values, in addition to data from previous studies using an identical analytical method performed on three enriched shergottites, ALH 84001, and Chassigny, ar...

A felsite clast in lunar breccia Apollo sample 14321, which has been interpreted as Imbrium ejecta, has petrographic and chemical features that are consistent with formation conditions commonly assigned to both lunar and terrestrial environments. A simple model of Imbrium impact ejecta presented here indicates a pre-impact depth of 30–70 km, i.e. n...

The triple oxygen isotope compositions of phosphate grains in six martian meteorites have been measured by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) and combined together with their chlorine isotope and halogen concentrations have been used to constrain hydrosphere-lithosphere interactions on Mars. These samples include three enriched shergottites (Za...

Constraining the duration of magmatic activity on the Moon is essential to understand how the lunar mantle evolved chemically through time. Determining age and initial isotopic compositions of mafic lunar meteorites is a critical step in defining the periods of magmatic activity that occurred during the history of the Moon and to constrain the chem...

We report a new age for the Sääksjärvi impact structure, Finland, a 6 km diameter feature that formed in crystalline rocks of the Precambrian Baltic Shield. Two previous studies reported 40Ar/39Ar data for Sääksjärvi and suggested conflicting formation ages of ≤330 Ma or c. 560 Ma. The former age represents a possible complication for models which...

Shergottite Northwest Africa (NWA) 8159 is a basaltic rock derived from a mantle source with chemical characteristics that are unique in the martian meteorite suite. To further investigate this source reservoir, the Pb isotope compositions of plagioclase/maskelynite, pyroxene, phosphates, and shock melt-glass in NWA 8159 have been measured in situ...

The sulfur isotope budget of Martian regolith breccia (NWA 7533) has been addressed from conventional fluorination bulk rock analyses and ion microprobe in situ analyses. The bulk rock analyses yield 865 ± 50 ppm S in agreement with LA‐ICP‐MS analyses. These new data support previous estimates of 80% S loss resulting from terrestrial weathering of...

Despite the wide utility of apatite, Ca5(PO4)3(F,Cl,OH), in the geosciences, including tracing volatile abundances on the Moon and Mars, little is known about how the mineral responds to the extreme temperatures and pressures associated with hypervelocity impacts. To address this deficiency, we here present the first microstructural analysis and ch...

In this contribution we describe the influx of non-formula elements (Fe, Ca, Al, Y, U and Th) into fractures and selected zone lamellae in zircons from Jack Hills during recent weathering and discuss the effects of this on overlapping SIMS U-Th-Pb and oxygen isotope analyses. Previous research has recognised the importance of fractures in the gener...

The recent discovery of Pb* (radiogenic lead)-enriched domains (PEDs) in zircon using high-resolution scanning ion imaging, atom probe tomography and transmission electron microscopy indicates that the U-Pb isotopic system in zircon can be affected not only by Pb* loss but also by intra-crystalline Pb* enrichment. However, the formation mechanism o...

An environmentally recovered, mixed Pu-U hot particle from the Thule accident, Greenland has been analyzed by Scanning Electron Microscopy and a large-geometry Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry based Scanning Ion Imaging (SII) method for simultaneous 235,236,238U and 239,240Pu isotope compositions. This SII technique permits the visual assessment of...

Accurate and precise dating of terrestrial impact craters is a critical requirement for correlating impacts with events such as mass extinctions. A number of isotopic systems have been applied to impact chronology but it is important to understand what an age actually represents and, thus, if it accurately represents the ‘true’ impact age and is su...

Lunar meteorites provide a potential opportunity to expand the study of ancient (>4000 Ma) basaltic volcanism on the Moon, of which there are only a few examples in the Apollo sample collection. Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) was used to determine the Pb isotopic compositions of multiple mineral phases (Ca-phosphates, baddeleyite K-feldspar...

ACCURATE AND PRECISE DATING OF IMPACT EVENTS BY U-Pb ANALYSIS OF SHOCKED ZIRCON – A CASE STUDY FROM THE LAPPAJÄRVI IMPACT STRUCTURE G. G. Kenny1*, M. Schmieder2,3, M. J. Whitehouse1, A. A. Nemchin1,4, L. F. G. Morales5, E. Buchner6,7, J. J. Bellucci1, J. F. Snape1. 1Department of Geosciences, Swedish Museum of Natural History, SE-104 05 Stockholm,...

The formation of a primordial crust is a critical step in the evolution of terrestrial planets but the timing of this process is poorly understood. The mineral zircon is a powerful tool for constraining crust formation because it can be accurately dated with the uranium-to-lead (U-Pb) isotopic decay system and is resistant to subsequent alteration....

Apollo 12 breccia 12013 is composed of two portions, one grey in colour, the other black. The grey portion of the breccia consists mainly of felsite thought to have formed during a single crystallisation event, while the black part is characterized by presence of lithic fragments of noritic rocks and individual plagioclase crystals. In this study,...

Hadean (≥4.0 Ga) zircon grains provide the only direct record of the first half-billion years of Earth's history. Determining accurate and precise crystallization ages of these ancient zircons is a prerequisite for any interpretation of crustal evolution, surface environment, and geodynamics on the early Earth, but this may be compromised by mobili...

The U-Th-Pb isotopic data from detrital zircon grains from five samples of Archean quartzite from the Mt. Alfred area of the Illaara greenstone belt in the Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia are presented in this study. The zircon grains are typically fractured and contain both irregular and oscillatory zoned internal structures as revealed by cat...

The basaltic suites collected at the Apollo 12 landing site have been interpreted as representing a stratigraphic sequence of volcanic flows emplaced in the Oceanus Procellarum region between approximately 3100–3300 Ma. This study presents Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) Pb isotopic analyses of samples from each of the basaltic suites, which...

Five Hadean (> 4 Ga) aged zircon grains from the Jack Hills metasedimentary belt have been investigated by a secondary ion mass spectrometry scanning ion image technique. This technique has the ability to obtain accurate and precise full U-Pb systematics on a scale < 5 μm, as well as document the spatial distribution of U, Th and Pb. All five of th...

Pb-Pb isochron ages of ca. 3.92 Ga for three K-feldspar-rich clasts from Apollo 14 breccias 14303 and 14083 were determined using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). These ages are interpreted to represent the resetting of the U-Pb system in the clasts as a result of brecciation during the Imbrium impact. One of the clasts contains zircon grain...

Recent in situ Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) Pb isotope analyses of lunar basalts have provided precise crystallisation ages and initial Pb isotopic compositions for these samples. In this study, the same approach has been tested in the Apollo 16 impact melt breccia 66095, referred to as the “Rusty Rock” due to its enrichments in volatile...

Water contents of the Martian mantle have previously been investigated using Martian meteorites, with several comprehensive studies estimating the water content in the parental melts and mantle source regions of the shergottites and Chassigny. However, no detailed studies have been performed on the Nakhla meteorite. One possible way to determine th...

Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) U-Pb ages of Ca-phosphates from four texturally distinct breccia samples (72255, 76055, 76015, 76215) collected at the Apollo 17 landing site were obtained in an attempt to identify whether they represent a single or several impact event(s). The determined ages, combined with inferences from petrologic relatio...

The Pb isotope composition of a nuclear fallout debris particle has been directly measured in post-detonation materials produced during the Trinity nuclear test by a secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) scanning ion image technique (SII). This technique permits the visual assessment of the spatial distribution of Pb and can be used to obtain full...

Despite more than 40 years of studying Apollo samples, the age and early evolution of the Moon remain contentious. Following the formation of the Moon in the aftermath of a giant impact, the resulting Lunar Magma Ocean (LMO) is predicted to have generated major geochemically distinct silicate reservoirs, including the sources of lunar basalts. Samp...

Northwest Africa 7533, a polymict Martian breccia, consists of fine-grained clast-laden melt particles and microcrystalline matrix. While both melt and matrix contain medium-grained noritic-monzonitic material and crystal clasts, the matrix also contains lithic clasts with zoned pigeonite and augite plus two feldspars, microbasaltic clasts, vitroph...

Panamá Viejo, founded in 1519 by the Spanish explorer Pedrarias Dávila, was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Ocean, and became a city, by royal decree, in 1521. Shortly after its creation, the city became an important base for trade with Spain. In 1671, the English pirate Henry Morgan waged an attack on Panamá Viejo, which res...

The full UPb isotopic systematics in a complex lunar zircon ‘Pomegranate’ from lunar impact breccia 73,235 have been investigated by the development of a novel Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) scanning ion imaging (SII) technique. This technique offers at least a four-fold increase in analytical spatial resolution over traditional SIMS analys...

The Pb isotopic compositions of maskelynite and pyroxene grains were measured in ALH84001 and three enriched shergottites (Zagami, Roberts Massif 04262, and Larkman Nunatuk 12011) by secondary ion mass spectrometry. A maskelynite-pyroxene isochron for ALH84001 defines a crystallization age of 4089±73Ma (2σ). The initial Pb isotopic composition of e...

The U-Pb systems of apatite and merrillite grains within four separate Apollo 14 impact melt breccia samples were analysed by secondary ion mass spectrometry. No systematic difference was identified between the 207Pb/206Pb ages of the apatites and merrillites. A combined 207Pb/206Pb age of 3927±2Ma (95% conf.) is determined for three of these sampl...

U-Pb SIMS analyses of Ca-phosphates in the sample 66095 are used to provide key information about the evolution of the Moon and initial lunar Pb compositions.

A Pb isotopic study of martian regolith breccia NWA 7533.

The spatial distribution of radiation within trinitite thin sections have been mapped using alpha track radiography and beta autoradiography in combination with optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Alpha and beta maps have identified areas of higher activity, and these are concentrated predominantly within the surficial glassy compo...

The Pb isotopic compositions for 51 spots of melt glass in 11 samples of trinitite have been determined using laser ablation-multi-collector-ICPMS (LA-MC-ICP-MS). Trinitite glass yields a large range of Pb isotopic compositions (i.e., 206Pb/204Pb= 17.08-19.04), which reflect mixing between industrial Pb from materials used in the Trinity test and n...

In the event of a rogue nuclear attack or interception of illicit nuclear materials, timely forensic investigations are critical for accurate source attribution. Uranium (U) and plutonium (Pu) isotopic ratios of intercepted materials or post-detonation samples are, perhaps, the most valuable evidence in modern nuclear forensics. These ratios simult...

The activities of Ba-133, Cs-137, Eu-152, Eu-154, Eu-155, Pu-239, and Am-241 were determined by gamma spectroscopy on the largest sample set (n = 49) of bulk trinitite to date. The range in activity for all isotopes is large. For example, the activity of Am-241 (normalized to the time of detonation) ranges between 1 and 42 Bq/g. Comparison of activ...

This study documents the 3D morphology of trinitite-hosted metallic inclusions and the first observa-tions of alloys consisting primarily of Pb, Ta, Ga, and W. Scanning electron and backscatter electron imaging, as well as energy dispersive X-ray spectra chemical compo-sition data are reported for heavy metal inclusions in 14 different samples of t...

This study documents the 3D morphology of trinitite-hosted metallic inclusions and the first observa-tions of alloys consisting primarily of Pb, Ta, Ga, and W. Scanning electron and backscatter electron imaging, as well as energy dispersive X-ray spectra chemical compo-sition data are reported for heavy metal inclusions in 14 different samples of t...

Common and radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions of plagioclase and anti-perthitic feldspars from granulite-facies lower crustal xenoliths from the Labait Volcano on the eastern margin of the Tanzanian Craton have been measured via laser ablation MC-ICP-MS. Common Pb in plagioclase and a single stage Pb evolution model indicate that the lower crust o...

Recent developments from 2008 to 2009 in ICP-MS engineering, methods and applications are reviewed here. Of particular emphasis are advances in: (a) maximising sensitivity and reducing elemental/isotopic fractionation during laser ablation processing; (b) developing new analytical techniques to measure major, minor and trace element abundances with...

This collection of articles represents the fourth in a series of reviews in which authors have aimed at capturing the key advances in a range of analytical fields (Hergt et al. 2005, 2006, 2008). The publication period under review is 2008–2009 and the intention here is to provide readers with a summary of the most influential developments publishe...

The continental crust is stratified in composition; the upper crust is generally enriched in highly incompatible trace elements relative to the lower crust [1]. The Western Granulite section of the Mozambique Belt of Northern Tanzania yields Archean Nd model ages and has zircons with U-Pb ages of ~2.6 Ga [2,3], but was strongly re-worked during the...

The origin of Romita pottery has been a controversial topic during the last three decades of Colonial Mexico archaeological studies. Lead isotopic analyses of glaze coatings of Spanish and Mexican pottery, and Romita ceramics unearthed from the archaeological site of the Metropolitan Cathedral in Mexico City provide evidence that support a Mexican...

Study of deep crustal and upper mantle xenoliths from rift volcanoes throughout northern Tanzania provides insights into the architecture of the Tanzanian lithosphere, as well as the interaction of this lithosphere with rift magmas. Like the upper crust, the lower crust and mantle lithosphere of the Tanzanian Craton (TC) and Mozambique Belt (MB) ar...

Replying to: R. Arculus, I. H. Campbell, S. M. McLennan & S. R. Taylor

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Mechanisms for the formation of crust on planetary bodies remain poorly understood. It is generally accepted that Earth's andesitic continental crust is the product of plate tectonics, whereas the Moon acquired its feldspar-rich crust by way of plagioclase flotation in a magma ocean. Basaltic meteorites provide evidence that, like the terrestrial p...

A 187Re–187Os isochron including data for all twelve IVB irons gives an age of 4579 ± 34 Ma with an initial 187Os/188Os of 0.09531 ± 0.00022, consistent with early solar system crystallization. This result, along with the chemical systematics of the highly siderophile elements (HSE) are indicative of closed-system behavior for all of the HSE in the...

GRA 06129 is an oligoclase-rich achondrite with subsidiary olivine, cpx, opx and phosphates. Major, trace, and rare earth element and oxygen and lead isotope analyses suggest that it is an early formed crustal sample from a previously unsampled planetesimal.

Here we show that standard addition or Rh and Au can yield precisions of 5-7% (at 2 s.d.) to help constrain the nebular condensation condition and to improve fractional crystallization models used to explain the HSE patterns observed in the IVB irons.