Visualising data distributions with kernel density estimation and reduced chi-squared statistic

The application of frequency distribution statistics to data provides objective means to assess the nature of the data distribution and viability of numerical models that are used to visualize and interpret data.Two commonly used tools are the kernel density estimation and reduced chi-squared statistic used in combination with a weighted mean.Due to the wide applicability of these tools,we present a Java-based computer application called KDX to facilitate the visualization of data and the utilization of these numerical tools.

Strategies towards robust interpretations of in situ zircon Lu-Hf isotope analyses

The combination of U-Pb and Lu-Hf compositions measured in zircon crystals is a remarkably powerful isotopic couplet that provides measures on both the timing of mineral growth and the radiogenic enrichment of the source from which the zircon grew.The U-Pb age documents the timing of zircon crystallization/recrystallization and Hf isotopes inform on the degree to which the host melt was derived from a radiogenic reservoir(e.g.depleted mantle) versus an unradiogenic reservoir(e.g.ancient continental crust),or some mixture of these sources.The ease of generating large quantities of zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf data has been in large part facilitated by instrument advances.However,the dramatic increase in time constrained zircon Lu-Hf analyses in the Earth science community has brought to the fore the importance of careful data collection and reduction workflows,onto which robust geological interpretations may be based.In this work,we discuss the fundamentals of Lu-Hf isotopes in zircon,which then allows us to provide a robust,accessible,methodology for the assessment of data quality.Additionally,we discuss some novel techniques for:data visualization—that facilitates better transparency of data interpretation;integration of geographic information—that may reveal spatial trends where temporal trends were only apparent before;and some novel statistical evaluation tools—that may provide more rigorous interand intra-sample comparisons.

Crustal reworking and orogenic styles inferred from zircon Hf isotopes:Proterozoic examples from the North Atlantic region

Zircon Hf evolutionary patterns are powerful tools to investiage magma petrogenesis and crustal evolution. The ^(176)Hf/^(177)Hf isotopic signature of a rock is particularly informative and can be used to derive an estimation of the time when mantle extraction and diagnose closed system reworking where successive samples through time define an Hf evolution array dependant on the source Lu/Hf ratio. However, many magmatic events require new mantle addition as the thermal impetus for melting pre-existing crust. In this situation, rather than simply reflecting reworking, the isotopic signature indicates mixing with contributions from both reworked crust and new radiogenic input. Different geodynamic settings have different propensities for either reworking or addition of new mantle-derived magma. Hence, Hf-time trends carry within them a record, albeit cryptic, of the evolving geodynamic environment as different tectonic configurations recycle and add new crust at different rates, magnitudes, and from different sources. As an example of the difference in apparent Hf evolution slopes, we present Hf-time compilations from three geographically distinct Meso-to Neoproterozoic orogenic belts in the North Atlantic Region whose geodynamic configurations remain a subject of debate. We use the εHf/Ma trajectory to assist in understanding their evolution. The εHf/Ma trajectory of the Sveconorwegian Orogen corresponds to a ^(176)Lu/^(177) Hf ratio of 0.012, which implies a process driven primarily by reworking of preexisting crust that is balanced with input from the depleted mantle resulting in a relatively shallowεHf/Ma slope. The Valhalla Orogen reveals a similar comparatively shallow εHf/Ma path. In stark contrast to these patterns is the steep εHf/Ma trajectory of the Grenville Orogen that requires a mixing process involving a greater contribution of old crust of at least ～ 1.8 Ga age. The degree of reworking required to produce the εHf/Ma trend of the Grenville Orogen is consistent with a continent-continent collisional orogeny whereas both Sveconorwegian and Valhalla orogens appear more consistent with accretionary margins.