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Issues Published in 2020 -- Volume 16

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February 2020 – Volume 16 Number 1

Abiotic Hydrogen and Hydrocarbons in Planetary Lithospheres

GUEST EDITORS
Laurent Truche, Thomas M. McCollom, and Isabelle Martinez

PRINCIPAL EDITOR
John M. Eiler

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April 2020 – Volume 16 Number 2

Raman Spectroscopy in Earth and Planetary Sciences

GUEST EDITORS
Jill D. Pasteris and Olivier Beyssac

PRINCIPAL EDITOR
Nancy Ross

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June 2020 – Volume 16 Number 3

Redox Engine of Earth

GUEST EDITORS
Roberto Moretti, Maria Rita Cicconi, and Daniel R. Neuville

PRINCIPAL EDITOR
Jon Blundy

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August 2020 – Volume 16 Number 4

Lithium: Less is More

GUEST EDITORS
Robert J. Bowell, Philip A.E. Pogge von Strandmann and Edward S. Grew

PRINCIPAL EDITOR
John Eiler

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October 2020 – Volume 16 Number 5

Noble Gas Thermochronology

GUEST EDITORS
Marissa M. Tremblay, Emily H.G. Cooperdock, and Peter K. Zeitler

PRINCIPAL EDITOR
Jon Blundy

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December 2020 – Volume 16 Number 6

Hydrothermal Fluids

GUEST EDITORS
Matthew Steele-MacInnis and Craig E. Manning

PRINCIPAL EDITOR
Richard Harrison

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February 2020 -- Abiotic Hydrogen and Hydrocarbons in Planetary Lithospheres

Abiotic molecular hydrogen and hydrocarbons have been observed in a variety of geologic settings both on Earth and other planetary bodies. Owing in large part to the utilization of hydrogen and methane by chemosynthetic biological communities, the geologic production of these compounds has become the subject of intense scientific study. Geologically produced hydrogen and methane are also of interest as possible energy resources. This issue highlights recent developments in the understanding of geologic sources of hydrogen and methane, the biological utilization of these compounds, and the potential for human exploitation of these resources.

April 2020 - Raman Spectroscopy in Earth and Planetary Sciences

The application of Raman (microprobe) spectroscopy in the geosciences has rapidly broadened and deepened over the past 40 years. This has been sparked by both improvements in technology and recognition of the quantitative, as well as qualitative, capabilities of the technique. Raman spectroscopy claims relative ease of use; is typically nondestructive at the (sub-)micrometer scale; has the ability to analyze solids, liquids, and gases; can differentiate polymorphs; and can enlarge the available spectral databases for minerals especially. Petrologists, geologists, mineralogists, geochemists, and geobiologists can create Raman maps/images based on selected spectral features, which simultaneously capture chemical–structural and microtextural information. In a single sample, one may investigate quantitatively the P–T path history during metamorphism, determine the composition and internal pressure of mixed volatiles in micrometer-size fluid inclusions, study the strain pattern or radiation damage in minerals, and/or target possible biosignatures.

June 2020 - The Redox Engine of Earth

The redox state is one of the master variables that drove the formation of the Earth and that now also controls life processes. From the dawn of geochemistry, a knowledge of redox states has been essential to understanding the compositional makeup of our planet and the fundamental processes that occur in any natural chemical system, from the core to the atmosphere, from magmatic systems to aquatic systems. The social and economic impact of redox geochemistry is enormous because of the control it plays on metal mobility, solubility, metal availability and any associated complexing ligands, and the widespread use of redox indicators for environmental hazard assessment. This issue of Elements will illustrate how understanding redox processes can help us to understand much of Earth’s activity.

August 2020 - Lithium: Less is More

Lithium was created during the Big Bang at about 13.8 Ga. Lithium is concentrated in Earth’s upper continental crust and in 124 mineral species, the greatest mineralogical diversity being found in pegmatites. Lithium occurs naturally in two isotopes, 6Li and 7Li, which are readily fractionated, thus becoming sensitive to geological and environmental processes. Closed-basin brines (58%) and pegmatites plus related granites (26%) constitute the main sources of exploitable lithium worldwide. Life as we know it at the start of the 21st century would not be possible without lithium as it is used in a myriad applications ranging from lithium-ion batteries to medicine.

October 2020 - Nobel Gas Thermochronology

Noble-gas thermochronology takes advantage of two properties: (1) the time-dependent production of noble gases, such as helium and argon, by processes like radioactive decay; (2) the thermally activated diffusion of these gases to constrain the temperature histories of several minerals commonly found in crustal rocks. Because temperature is essential to many geological processes, thermochronology has become widely used to address research questions across Earth and planetary science. These questions include when and how valleys are cut by glaciers; from where is sediment sourced; what thermal conditions occur on fault planes during slip; and how the surfaces of planetary bodies evolve on billion-year timescales. This issue will highlight how noble-gas thermochronology can be used to address questions like these, as well as what new avenues of research noble-gas thermochronology could be used for in the future.

December 2020 - Hydrothermal Fluids

Fluids are the principle agents of heat and mass transfer in the Earth. This thematic issue will explore the physical and chemical properties of hydrothermal fluids and how they affect geologic processes. The issue will discuss our current understanding of the nature of hydrothermal fluids across a range of geologic settings; interactions between fluids and rocks; and the interrelationships between fluid-driven processes in different settings. Each article will highlight both broad and specific overlaps between “normal” and ore-forming hydrothermal fluids and will describe how the features of hydrothermal systems reflect the specific properties of the fluids in each setting.

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December 2025 --The Variscan Orogeny in Europe – Understanding Supercontinent Formation

The Variscan orogen formed between 380 and 300 million years ago through several accretionary and collisional cycles, culminating with the construction of the Pangea supercontinent. This process occurred via sequential opening and closure of oceanic basins, synchronous detachment of Gondwana derived continental ribbons, and their outboard amalgamation onto the Laurussia margin. The Variscan orogen is rather unique compared with other orogenic belts on Earth: its overthickened and dominantly magmatic crust in the central belt, surprisingly minor mantle involvement in the magmatic and geodynamic processes, coherent and pulsed magmatism along the collision suture, and its complex accretionary history. Because its final product, Pangea, is the youngest and best-understood supercontinent on Earth, the Variscan orogeny offers clues for understanding the mechanisms of supercontinent formation.