Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Investigation Of The Lead Isotope Signatures Of Marine Sediments In Relation To The Lead Isotope Signatures Of Northern Andean Ores, Kimberly D. Beck

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Lead isotope ratios of ores and igneous rocks in the Central and Southern Andes show a large-scale geographic pattern related to magmatic source processes. This pattern changes in the Northern Andes for reasons that are not well understood; this study is an investigation of potential causes of this change. Deep ocean sediment samples from the Nazca Plate were analyzed for ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, and the data were compared with published data on central Andean ores and ores and igneous rocks from Ecuador. Lead isotopic compositions of the Nazca Plate sediments …