Thermal and exhumation history of the Songnan Low Uplift,Qiongdongnan Basin:constraints from the apatite fission-track and zircon(U-Th)/He thermochronology

Significant advancements have been made in the study of Mesozoic granite buried hills in the Songnan Low Uplift(SNLU)of the Qiongdongnan Basin.These findings indicate that the bedrock buried hills in this basin hold great potential for exploration.Borehole samples taken from the granite buried hills in the SNLU were analyzed using apatite fission track(AFT)and zircon(U-Th)/He data to unravel the thermal history of the basement rock.This information is crucial for understanding the processes of exhumation and alteration that occurred after its formation.Thermal modeling of a sample from the western bulge of the SNLU revealed a prolonged cooling event from the late Mesozoic to the Oligocene period(~80-23.8 Ma),followed by a heating stage from the Miocene epoch until the present(~23.8 Ma to present).In contrast,the sample from the eastern bulge experienced a more complex thermal history.It underwent two cooling stages during the late Mesozoic to late Eocene period(~80-36.4 Ma)and the late Oligocene period(~30-23.8 Ma),interspersed with two heating phases during the late Eocene to early Oligocene period(~36.4-30 Ma)and the Miocene epoch to recent times(~23.8-0 Ma),respectively.The differences in exhumation histories between the western and eastern bulges during the late Eocene to Oligocene period in the SNLU can likely be attributed to differences in fault activity.Unlike typical passive continental margin basins,the SNLU has experienced accelerated subsidence after the rifting phase,which began around 5.2 Ma ago.The possible mechanism for this abnormal post-rifting subsidence may be the decay or movement of the deep thermal source and the rapid cooling of the asthenosphere.Long-term and multi-episodic cooling and exhumation processes play a key role in the alteration of bedrock and contribute to the formation of reservoirs.On the other hand,rapid post-rifting subsidence(sedimentation)promotes the formation of cap rocks.

Integrative biogeography: Validating hypotheses of species distribution

DEAR EDITOR,Biogeography is a scientific field dedicated to the investigation of the origins and distribution patterns of organisms,as well as predicting future alterations in their geographical distributions(Cox&Moore,2005).However,the majority of conclusions drawn within the field of biogeography are hypothetical.Rigorous testing of these biogeographic hypotheses remains a considerable challenge.This paper presents the concept of“integrative biogeography”,which emphasizes the experimental testing of biogeographic hypotheses through studies on geological history,as well as biotic and abiotic factors(Figure 1).

A Comparison of Microbial Communities in Three Morphs of the Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Olivier), a Key Pest of Date Palms

The invasive insect pest, red palm weevil (RPW), Rhynchophorus ferrugineus, poses a significant threat to date production, causing substantial economic damage. If uncontrolled, RPW leads the severely infested host tree to collapse and eventually die. The symbiotic associations with microorganisms and RPW in their gut may help their host insects’ establishment, development, nutrition assimilation, and survival. The objective of this research was the molecular characterization of the microbiome of RPW. In this study, the microbiome was compared among different tissues in females and males of RPW of three different morphs and larvae collected from date palm plantations in the Kingdom of Bahrain. A 251-bp segment of bacterial 16S rRNA was amplified by PCR, sequenced, and processed using the bioinformatics platform QIIME2. One ASV, corresponding to the obligate weevil symbiont Nardonella, predominated in adult female samples, constituting 56 ± 7% of total reads, but was less dominant in male samples (12 ± 3%) and larval samples (2.6 ± 1.9%). For females, samples that included reproductive tissues were almost entirely composed of Nardonella (88% - 99%). When Nardonella was excluded from analyses, there were no differences between adult females and adult males, but larval samples were more species-rich and differed in microbial composition from adults. There were no consistent differences in the microbiomes among morphs. Several specimens showed evidence of infection with host-specific strains of Spiroplasma-like members of the Entomoplasmatales, which are often pathogens or vertically transmitted symbionts. Such close microbial associates deserve additional attention as potential routes to control this destructive date palm pest.

U-Pb dating of monazite in the Bainiuchang silver polymetallic deposit,Yunnan Province,and its limitation on Mesozoic mineralization

1.Objective The Gejiu-Bozhushan-Laojunshan tin-tungsten polymetallic metallogenic belt is located in southeastern Yunnan.It is bounded by the Mile-Shizong Fault and the Yangzi Plate to the north and west,respectively,while the Honghe Fault represents its southwestern boundary.It is adjacent to the Ailaoshan Fault,and extends to Guangxi and Vietnam to the southeast(Fig.1a;Liu JP et al.,2021).

Muscovite^(40)Ar/^(39)Ar isotopic dating of pegmatite veins in the Bieyesamas rare metal deposit in the Altay Mountain,Xinjiang,northwestern China

1.Objective The Altay Orogenic Belt in Xinjiang,China is located in the west of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and in the transition zone between the Siberian Plate and the Kazakhstan-Junggar Plate,extending approximately 500 km in northern Xinjiang,China(Fig.1a).The Altay Orogenic Belt has undergone two-way accretion of the Paleozoic crust and the Meso-Cenozoic intracontinental orogeny,leading to the formation of large numbers of intermediate-acid intrusions.More than 100000 pegmatite veins have been discovered in the intermediate-acid intrusions,and they constitute an important rare metal metallogenic belt of China(Fig.1b).

Cassiterite U-Pb dating of the Yelonggou pegmatite-type lithium deposit in western Sichuan and its metallogenic age constraints

1.Objective Pegmatite hosts important resource of rare metals,e.g.,lithium(Li)and beryllium(Be).In recent years,increasingly more studies were dedicated to characterize and unravel the formation of pegmatite-type deposits,for which accurate dating of pegmatite formation and mineralization is essential.The Songpan-Ganzi orogenic belt is a major rare metal metallogenic belt in China,hosting many important pegmatite-type Li deposits,including the Lijiagou,Dangba,Jiajika,Yelonggou,Cuola,and Declalongba.Radiometric age data(mica Ar-Ar and zircon/cassiterite U-Pb)from these Li deposits are sparse,ranging from 210 to 152 Ma.However,obtaining reliable zircon U-Pb dates can be a challenge due to the strong decidualization in pegmatites.As a result,the formation and mineralization ages of these rare metal pegmatites remain controversial,which hampers the development of pegmatite-type metallogenic model for the Songpan-Ganzi orogenic belt.

Apatite Fission-Track Thermochronology in the Tamusu Area,Bayingobi Basin,NW China,and its Geological Significance

The Bayingobi basin is located in the middle of Central Asia Orogenic Belt,at the intersection of Paleo-Asian Ocean and Tethys Ocean,as well as the junction of multiple tectonic plates.This unique tectonic setting underpins the basin's intricate history of tectonic activity.To unravel the multifaceted tectono-thermal evolution within the southwestern region of the basin and to elucidate the implications of sandstone-hosted uranium mineralization,granitic and clastic rock samples were collected from the Zongnai Mts.uplift and Yingejing depression,and apatite fission track(AFT)dating and thermal history simulation analysis were performed.AFT dating findings reveal that the apparent ages of all samples fall within the range of 244 Ma to 112 Ma.In particular,the bedrock of the Zongnai Mts.and Jurassic detrital apatite fission tracks have undergone complete annealing,capturing the uplift-cooling age.Meanwhile,the AFT ages of Cretaceous detrital rocks are either equivalent to or notably exceed the age of sedimentary strata,signifying the cooling age of the provenance.A comprehensive examination of AFT ages and palaeocurrent direction analyses suggests that the Cretaceous source in the Tamusu area predominantly originated from the central and southern sectors of the Zongnai Mts.uplift.However,at a certain juncture during the Late Early Cretaceous,the Cretaceous provenance expanded to include the northern part of the Zongnai Mts.uplift.Based on the results of thermal history simulations and previous studies,it is considered that the Tamusu area has undergone four distinct tectonic uplift events since the Late Paleozoic.The first is the Late Permian to Early Triassic(260-240 Ma),which is associated with the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean and the accretionary orogeny within the Alxa region.The second uplift event took place in the Early Jurassic(190-175 Ma)and corresponded to intraplate orogeny following the closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean.The third uplift event is the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous(160-120 Ma),which is linked to the East Asia's position as the convergence center of multiple tectonic plates during this period.The fourth uplift event is linked to the Late Early Cretaceous(112-100 Ma),driven either by the westward subduction of the eastern Pacific plate or the mantle upwelling resulting from the Bangong-Nujiang oceanic lithosphere subduction and slab break-off.The primary stress orientation for the first three tectonic uplift phases approximated a nearly SN direction,while the fourth stage featured a principal stress direction of NW.The fourth tectonic uplift event of the Late Early Cretaceous and basaltic eruption thermal event during this period likely exerted a significant influence on the formation of the Tamusu sandstone-hosted uranium deposit.

Mineral Chemistry,Trace Elements,Isotopic Analysis and Zircon U-Pb Dating in the Hesar Pluton,Northern UDMA,Iran:Implications for Pre-Collisional Magma Mixing

The Hesar pluton in the northern Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic arc hosts numerous mafic-microgranular enclaves(MMEs).Whole rock geochemistry,mineral chemistry,zircon U-Pb and Sr-Nd isotopes were measured.It is suggested that the rocks are metaluminous(A/CNK=1.32-1.45),subduction-related I-type calc-alkaline gabbro to diorite with similar mineral assemblages and geochemical signatures.The host rocks yielded an U-Pb crystallization age of 37.3±0.4 Ma for gabbro-diorite.MMEs have relatively low SiO_(2) contents(52.9-56.6 wt%)and high Mg^(#)(49.8-58.7),probably reflecting a mantle-derived origin.Chondrite-and mantle-normalized trace element patterns are characterized by LREE and LILE enrichment,HREE and HFSE depletion with slight negative Eu anomalies(Eu/Eu^(*)=0.86-1.03).The host rocks yield(^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)_(i) ratios of 0.70492-0.70510,positive ε_(Nd)(t)values of+1.55-+2.06 and T_(DM2)of 707-736 Ma,which is consistent with the associated mafic microgranular enclaves((^(87)Sr/^(86)Sr)_(i)=0.705014,ε_(Nd)(t)=+1.75,T_(DM2)=729 Ma).All data suggest magma-mixing for enclave and host rock formation,showing a complete equilibration between mixed-mafic and felsic magmas,followed by rapid diffusion.The T_(DM1)(Nd)and T_(DM2)(Nd)model ages and U-Pb dating indicate that the host pluton was produced by partial melting of the lower continental crust and subsequent mixing with injected lithospheric mantlederived magmas in a pre-collisional setting of Arabian-Eurasian plates.Clinopyroxene composition indicates a crystallization temperature of~1000℃ and a depth of~9 km.

Estimating Key Phenological Dates of Multiple Rice Accessions Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicle-Based Plant Height Dynamics for Breeding

Efficient and high-quality estimation of key phenological dates in rice is of great significance in breeding work. Plant height(PH) dynamics are valuable for estimating phenological dates. However, research on estimating the key phenological dates of multiple rice accessions based on PH dynamics has been limited. In 2022, field traits were collected using unmanned aerial vehicle(UAV)-based images across 435 plots, including 364 rice varieties. PH, dates of initial heading(IH) and full heading(FH), and panicle initiation(PI), and growth period after transplanting(GPAT) were collected during the rice growth stage. PHs were extracted using a digital surface model(DSM) and fitted using Fourier and logistic models. Machine learning algorithms, including multiple linear regression, random forest(RF), support vector regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, and elastic net regression, were employed to estimate phenological dates. Results indicated that the optimal percentile of the DSM for extracting rice PH was the 95th(R^(2) = 0.934, RMSE = 0.056 m). The Fourier model provided a better fit for PH dynamics compared with the logistic models. Additionally, curve features(CF) and GPAT were significantly associated with PI, IH, and FH. The combination of CF and GPAT outperformed the use of CF alone, with RF demonstrating the best performance among the algorithms. Specifically, the combination of CF extracted from the logistic models, GPAT, and RF yielded the best performance for estimating PI(R^(2) = 0.834, RMSE = 4.344 d), IH(R^(2) = 0.877, RMSE = 2.721 d), and FH(R^(2) = 0.883, RMSE = 2.694 d). Overall, UAV-based rice PH dynamics combined with machine learning effectively estimated the key phenological dates of multiple rice accessions, providing a novel approach for investigating key phenological dates in breeding work.

Effect of dates on blood glucose and lipid profile among patients with type 2 diabetes

Poor fruit and vegetable consumption is one of the 10 major risk factors for mortality.There is a misconception regarding the consumption of dates among patients with diabetes.This manuscript assessed the effects of date consumption on fasting and postprandial blood glucose,glycated hemoglobin,total cholesterol,triglycerides,low-density lipoproteins,high-density lipoproteins,and microbial markers.Four literature databases were searched for relevant articles.Of the 595 studies retrieved,24 assessed the effects of dates on glycemic control and lipids.Overall,the evidence suggests that dates have a lowering effect on blood glucose.Dates reduce total cholesterol and triglyceride levels and increase high-density lipoprotein levels.Dates also promote the abundance of beneficial gut microbiota.Therefore,patients with diabetes and dyslipidemia can consume dates to reduce their blood glucose,cholesterol,and triglycerides.

Effects of Seeding Date and Density on Yield and Agronomic Traits of Millet : A Case Study of Wangu 098 Variety of Millet

[Objectives]To find out a suitable cultivation technique of Wangu 098 in Nanyang area,speed up the popularization,demonstration and application of Wangu 098,and provide a theoretical and practical basis for adjusting the planting structure and realizing the matching of improved varieties and methods.[Methods]The new self-bred millet variety Wangu 098 was used as the material,and the two-factor split zone experimental design was adopted.The effects of different sowing dates and densities on the yield,growth period and agronomic characters of millet were studied.[Results]The interaction of seeding date and density had a great effect on the yield and plant traits of millet.Millet yield was significantly and positively correlated with plant height,panicle length,single panicle weight,panicle grain weight and tiller number.[Conclusions]The reasonable combination of seeding date and density could give full play to the yield potential of millet.According to the experimental results and cultivation experience,the suitable seeding date of millet in Nanyang area is in the first and middle ten days of June,and the best density is about 750000 plants/ha.However,after June 30,the seeding millet did not tiller,so the density should be increased to more than 900000 plants/ha to obtain higher yield.In terms of cultivation and management,timely seeding,reasonable close planting,and coordination of vegetative growth and reproductive growth can make the plant tall and strong,panicle long and thick,and improve the yield of millet.

Dating Suborder Polypodiineae (Eupolypods I) with Its Oldest Fossil

Inferring divergence times between lineages is crucial for understanding biological evolutionary processes. The extraordinary species diversity of Eupolypods within the fern lineage has been interpreted as an ecological opportunistic response to the emergence of more complex, angiosperm-dominated ecosystems. This co-adaptation between Eupolypods and angiosperms has prompted ongoing investigations into the phylogenetic and diversification timelines of Eupolypods. In this study, we incorporate newly discovered fossils of Dryopteridaceae, including two species from both the stem and crown groups, to reanalyze the phylogenetic and diversification times of Eupolypods using total-evidence dating (TED or tip-dating) methods. Our analyses confirm that Eupolypods first diversified during the Jurassic and suggest that both subclades, Polypodiineae and Aspleniineae, underwent their earliest diversification during this period, challenging recent claims that Polypodiineae diversified no earlier than the Cretaceous. These results support a “long fuse” model, indicating that the initial emergence of Polypodiales preceded their diversification and extensive fossil record. Furthermore, our findings clarify the systematic position of Hypodematiaceae, indicating that it, along with Didymochlaenaceae, represents the basal lineages of Polypodiineae. This study highlights the critical role of fossil abundance and taxonomic composition in molecular dating analyses.

Inferring Eupolypods Divergence Time Using Bayesian Tip-Dating

According to the most recent Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group (PPG), eupolypods, or eupolypod ferns, are the most differentiated and diversified of all major lineages of ferns, accounting for more than half of extant fern diversity. However, the evolutionary history of eupolypods remains incompletely understood, and conflicting ideas and scenarios exist in the literature about many aspects of this history. Due to a scarce fossil record, the diversification time of eupolypods mainly inferred from molecular dating approaches. Currently, there are two molecular dating results: the diversification of eupolypods occurred either in the Late Cretaceous or as early as in the Jurassic. This study uses the Bayesian tip-dating approach for the first time to infer the diversification time for eupolypods. Our analyses support the Jurassic diversification for eupolypods. The age estimations for the diversifications of the whole clade and one of its two subclades (the eupolypods II) are both in the Jurassic, which adds to the growing body of data on a much earlier diversification of Polypodiales in the Mesozoic than previously suspected.

以学生为中心的BOPPPS教学模型+DATE监控模式在药理学教学中的应用探索

随着教育改革的推广和深入,当前教学的模式开始逐渐的丰富化和多元化,各个教学理念、教学模型层出不穷,在这样的背景下,结合学科的特质和需求,设计良好的教学模式,认知理论和构建主义是BOPPPS教学模型的理论和依据,该模型是一个能够帮助教师分解并分析教学过程、找出教学盲点、改善并提升教学成效的工具。如何使学生在课堂上最大限度的掌握知识,是其关注的重点,教学互动和反馈是其突出的特点。BOPPPS教学模型就是一个基于体验式学习模型的教学框架,是一种有效的课程设计模式,强调学生主动参与式学习,体现“以学生为中心、教师为主导”教学理念设计,为高质量的有效课堂提供了理论基础。因此,本文旨在探讨以学生为中心的BOPPPS教学模型与DATE监控模式在药理学教学中的应用及其效果。通过实践与研究,发现BOPPPS模型能够有效地提高学生的主动参与度和学习效果,而DATE监控模式则有助于及时发现和解决学生学习中的问题。以供一线教学教师作为教学提供参考和依据,有效提升药理学教学质量。

Paleomagnetic and Fission-Track Dating of a Late Cenozoic Red Earth Section in the Liupan Shan and Associated Tectonic Implications

The north-trending Liupan Shan （六盘山） is an important tectonic boundary between the Tibetan Plateau and the Ordos platform. The Late Cenozoic red earth deposits of the Liupan Shan record its tectonic history and environmental effects. In this article we report a new Late Cenozoic red earth section from an intermontane basin in the southern part of the Liupan Shan. Lithofacies analysis, paleomagnetic and fission-track chronologies, and paleocurrent analysis have been employed to identi- fy the tectonic uplift events of the Liupan Shan. Based on the age constraints of mammal fossils, the pa- leomagnetic polarity zones of the Huating （华亭） Section can be approximately correlated with the standard polarity zones that lie between C3An.2n and C5n.ln of the Geomagnetic Polar- ity Timescale; the bottom age of this section is approximately 10 Ma. Based on this and the previous studies, we infer that a tectonic event commenced in the southern Liupan Shan in this interval between 8.3 and 8.7 Ma, accompanied by a remarkable increase in sediment accumulation rate. Field observations, fission-track dating, determinations of grain-size frequency distribu- tions and the vertebrate fossils found there suggest that the red earth deposits were reworked by water and mainly transported by fluvial-alluvial processes from the adjacent area.

Combined apatite fission-track dating, chlorine and REE content analysis by LA-ICPMS

As one of the best established low temperature thermochronology techniques,apatite fission-track(AFT)analysis has proved an important tool for constraining a wide variety of upper crustal processes,e.g.,landscape evolution,hydrocarbon exploration and tectonics[1].The most common method employed for AFT analysis is the external detector method(EDM)[1]and this involves the thermal neutron irradiation of samples for determination of

Decoding Provenance and Tectonothermal Events by Detrital Zircon Fission-Track and U-Pb Double Dating: A Case of the Southern Ordos Basin

Multi-dating on the same detrital grains allows for determining multiple different geo-thermochronological ages simultaneously and thus could provide more details about regional tectonics.In this paper,we carried out detrital zircon fission-track and U-Pb double dating on the Permian-Middle Triassic sediments from the southern Ordos Basin to decipher the tectonic information archived in the sediments of intracratonic basins.The detrital zircon U-Pb ages and fission-track ages,together with lag time analyses,indicate that the Permian-Middle Triassic sediments in the southern Ordos Basin are characterized by multiple provenances.The crystalline basement of the North China Craton(NCC)and recycled materials from pre-Permian sediments that were ultimately sourced from the basement of the NCC are the primary provenance,while the Permian magmatites in the northern margin of NCC and Early Paleozoic crystalline rocks in Qinling Orogenic Collage act as minor provenance.In addition,the detrital zircon fission-track age peaks reveal four major tectonothermal events,including the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic post-depositional tectonothermal event and three other tectonothermal events associated with source terrains.The Late Triassic-Early Jurassic(225–179 Ma)tectonothermal event was closely related to the upwelling of deep material and energy beneath the southwestern Ordos Basin due to the coeval northward subduction of the Yangze Block and the following collision of the Yangze Block and the NCC.The Mid-Late Permian(275–263 Ma)tectonothermal event was associated with coeval denudation in the northern part of the NCC and North Qinling terrane,resulting from the subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean and Tethys Ocean toward the NCC.The Late Devonian-early Late Carboniferous(348±33 Ma)tectonothermal event corresponded the long-term denudation in the hinterland and periphery of the NCC because of the arc-continent collisions in the northern and southern margins of the NCC.The Late Neoproterozoic(813–565 Ma)tectonothermal event was associated with formation of the Great Unconformity within the NCC and may be causally related to the Rodinia supercontinent breakup driven by a large-scale mantle upwelling.

Effects of sowing date and ecological points on yield and the temperature and radiation resources of semi-winter wheat

Exploring the effects of sowing date and ecological points on the yield of semi-winter wheat is of great significance.This study aims to reveal the effects of sowing date and ecological points on the climate resources associated with wheat yield in the Rice–Wheat Rotation System.With six sowing dates,the experiments were carried out in Donghai and Jianhu counties,Jiangsu Province,China using two semi-winter wheat varieties as the objects of this study.The basic seedlings of the first sowing date (S1) were planted at 300×10^(4)plants ha^(-1),which was increased by 10%for each of the delayed sowing dates (S2–S6).The results showed that the delay of sowing date decreased the number of days,the effective accumulated temperature and the cumulative solar radiation in the whole growth period.The yields of S1 were higher than those of S2 to S6 by 0.22–0.31,0.5–0.78,0.86–0.98,1.14–1.38,and 1.36–1.59 t ha^(–1),respectively.For a given sowing date,the growth days increased as the ecological point was moved north,while both mean daily temperature and effective accumulative temperature decreased,but the cumulative radiation increased.As a result,the yields at Donghai County were 0.01–0.39 t ha–1lower than those of Jianhu County for the six sowing dates.The effective accumulative temperature and cumulative radiation both had significant positive correlations with yield.The average temperature was significantly negatively correlated with the yield.The decrease in grain yield was mainly due to the declines in grains per spike and 1 000-grain weight caused by the increase in the daily temperature and the decrease in the effective accumulative temperature.

Phylogeny,molecular evolution,and dating of divergences in Lagerstroemia using plastome sequences

Lagerstroemia L.(Lythraceae)is a widely distributed genus of trees and shrubs native to tropical and subtropical environments from Southeast Asia to Australia,with numerous species highly valued as ornamentals.Although the plastomes of many species in this genus have been sequenced,the rates of functional gene evolution and their effect on phylogenetic analyses have not been thoroughly examined.We compared three plastome sequence matrices to elucidate how differences in these datasets affected phylogenetic analyses.Robust phylogenetic relationships for Lagerstroemia species were reconstructed based on different plastome sequence partitions and multiple phylogenetic methods.Identification of single-nucleotide variants within different genes also provides basic data on the patterns of functional gene evolution in Lagerstroemia and may provide insights into how those mutations affect protein structure and potentially drive divergence via cytonuclear incompatibility.These results as well as analyses of non-synonymous and synonymous mutations,indicate that heterotachic modes of evolution are present in functional plastome genes and should be accounted for in the analyses of molecular evolution.In addition,divergence events within the Lagerstroemia were dated for the first time.Several of the divergence estimates corresponded to well-known Earth history events,such as the reduction in global temperatures at the Eocene/Oligocene boundary.Our analyses conducted in Lagerstroemia here dissects the various patterns in the divergence of Lagerstroemia and may provide a useful guide to help plant breeders,as well as the necessity of using plastomic data and as possible as to combine evidence from morphological characteristics to investigate the complicated interspecies relationship and the evolutionary dynamics of species.

Diffusion of Sm-Nd in Scheelite and its Significance to Isotopic Dating and Tracing

As the principal ore mineral in various tungsten(-gold)deposits,scheelite(CaWO_(4))plays an important role in directly dating the timing of ore formation,and in tracing associated material sources through the study of its Sm-Nd geochronology and Nd isotopic characteristics.Since the retention of Sm-Nd systematics within scheelite is presently unconstrained,equivocal interpretations for isotopic data resulting from this method have occurred quite often in previous studies that apply these isotopic data.In order to better elucidate the closure of Sm-Nd in scheelite,the kinetics of Sm and Nd within this mineral lattice were investigated through calculation of diffusion constants presented herein.The following Arrhenius relations were obtained:D_(Nd)=4.00exp(-438 kJ·mol^(–1)/RT)cm^(2)/s D_(Sm)=1.85exp(-427 kJ·mol^(–1)/RT)cm^(2)/s showing diffusion rate of Nd is near identical to Sm in scheelite when at the same temperature.However,compared to other rare earth elements(REEs),which have markedly different atomic radii to either Nd or Sm,these are shown to exhibit a great variation in diffusivities.The observed trends in our data are in excellent agreement with the diffusion characteristics of REEs in other tetragonal ABO4 minerals,indicating that ionic radius is a key constraint to the diffusivity of REEs in the various crystal lattices.With this in mind,the same substitution mechanism and a very slight discrepancy in radii will allow us to infer that significant Sm/Nd diffusional fractionation in scheelite is unlikely to occur during most geological processes.Based upon the diffusion data determined herein,Sm and Nd closure temperatures and retention times in scheelite are discussed in terms of diffusion dynamics.Those results suggest that closure temperatures for Sm-Nd within this mineral are relatively high in contrast to the temperature ranges of ore-formation responsible for scheelite-related deposits,and any later thermal environments.It is likely,therefore,that relevant isotopic information could be easily retained under most geological conditions,since initial crystallization of the scheelite.In addition,comparison of this mineral-element pair over a range of temperatures with some other common minerals used as geochronometers(e.g.,zircon and apatite)indicates that Sm-Nd system has a slower diffusive rate in scheelite than for Sr in apatite or Ar in quartz,and only a little faster than for Pb in zircon.It should be noted,within most hydrothermal deposits where zircon has crystallized,its size is typically no more than 100μm,whereas scheelite commonly occurs as macroscopic grains.For this reason,the larger dimensions of scheelite would provide a robust Sm-Nd system more able to resist perturbations,relating to any later thermal process.As such Sm-Nd investigations of scheelite are akin to U-Pb within zircon samples used in isotopic dating.These observations indicate that Sm-Nd age and isotopic information can provide reliable data in all but the most extreme case,especially when data are extracted from macroscopic grains of scheelite that are chosen to be“pristine”(i.e.,free of surface alteration and/or fractures).