Olivine as a Probe into the Early Thermal Histories of Solar System Samples

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dc.contributor.advisorHammer, Julia E.
dc.contributor.authorNelson, William S.
dc.contributor.departmentGeology and Geophysics
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-26T20:14:20Z
dc.date.available2024-02-26T20:14:20Z
dc.date.issued2023
dc.description.degreePh.D.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10125/107944
dc.subjectPetrology
dc.subjectPlanetology
dc.subjectMaterials Science
dc.subjectDiffusion Chronometry
dc.subjectDiffusivity
dc.subjectIgneous
dc.subjectLunar
dc.subjectOlivine
dc.subjectPhosphorus
dc.titleOlivine as a Probe into the Early Thermal Histories of Solar System Samples
dc.typeThesis
dcterms.abstractClues of our solar system’s history exist in igneous rocks that exist on every terrestrial body in the solar system. Temperature is one of the most important variables to describe and infer the formation and evolution of these rocks. If the temperatures a rock has experienced throughout its formation are known, we can gain a substantial understanding of the processes and conditions behind a rock and its surroundings. This thesis explores the utilization of the heterogeneous distribution of trace elements in olivine to reconstruct the high-temperature thermal histories of igneous rocks. A study of Apollo troctolite 76535 reveals comparatively rapid cooling timescales and demonstrates how one can use diffusive relaxation of heterogeneities to determine the maximum cooling timescales even with minimal constraints on high-temperature cooling rates. This study finds that phosphorus in olivine displays less diffusive relaxation than expected. So, we investigate the diffusive behavior of this element in olivine, both through models and in the lab. We find no evidence of phosphorus heterogeneities diffusively relaxing when reheated. So, we investigate these heterogeneities using nanoscale microscopy. We find these heterogeneities are many orders of magnitude smaller than previously assumed and determine a plausible accommodation mechanism that would explain a lack of diffusive relaxation. Finally, we investigate the relative cooling histories of porphyritic and barred olivine chondrules using a variety of other systems, demonstrating how one can use these methods even when uncertain about the environment, diffusivity of the element, and temperature. Altogether, this dissertation discusses how trace elements behave in olivine and how they can be used to reveal the high-temperature thermal histories of olivine crystals.
dcterms.extent208 pages
dcterms.languageen
dcterms.publisherUniversity of Hawai'i at Manoa
dcterms.rightsAll UHM dissertations and theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission from the copyright owner.
dcterms.typeText
local.identifier.alturihttp://dissertations.umi.com/hawii:12019

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Ph.D. - Geology and Geophysics