Global biogeochemicial cycles

Rook Reviews Mantie XenoiIths edited by Peter H. Nixon. J. Wiley & Sons 1987, 844p., E99.00 (IS3N O-47l-91209-3). Dig ONLY PRI.VINE samples of the most massive unit of the Earth have deserved a summary for a long time. Here it is, and it is voluminous 844 pa8es demonstrate the pro8ress made since the early summaries by Schadler (1914; 27~) and Ross, Foster, and Myers ( 1954; 45~). Yet NantIe Xenoiiths includes most of our present day knowledge but only a tiny haction of the data available. The book is divided into two parts. Thefirst consists of invited ~nt~butions on the world-wide distribution of xenolith localities,. their tectonic setting their bulk xenolith and mineral chemistries, and the nature of the host rocks. Approximately 7OCNl localities am presented. The summary of the “Regional St&ii” is grouped by teetonic plates, each of which is introduced by the editor with tables of localities which include locality name, xenolith types, host rock, age, and the 8eo8raphic coordinates. The invited summaries, mostly written by local experts cover regions within the plates. This takes 365 pagea.It is followed by the secondpart entitled “Principles, Processes, and Special Studies”. Thii part is subdivided into several chapters and contains expert summaries on thermobarometry, megac+s, eel&tea, the MARID suite, diamonds, textures of xenoliths, magnetic properties, oxidation state of the upper mantle, metasoma&n, guid inclusions, C isotope, REII and Sr and Nd isotope studies. Ihis part ends at D. 756. is followed bv a 2ih naae list of abbreviations &I symbols, a gloss&, 72 pagesof referen&&pprox. 2500) and a short index. Certainly, the first part is the most valuable part in spite of it being fairly inhomopeneous This is not only due to the highly different covemgeofdi&rent re8ion.5by detaikd studies Some reports present bulk, mineral and isotope data some do not, and some even present

Cl&al Bm CyeIa, Vol. 1, no. 1, edited by James J. McCarthy. Ametican Geophysical Union, 1987, 86p., published quarterly, KiO.OO/yr.(ISSN 08866236). @AM.4L ~lOGEOCff&MfCiL CYCLJZS is the latest journal o%hredby the American Geophysical Union, following in the f&steps of Tectonics and, most mcently, Pal ewawgwphy. It is focused on topics at the intergtce of marine, atmospheric, geological and biological sCienCes5specifiauYthelinkn8esbehmmtheEnah’Sphy&XlClimatc ~rn~~~!t~~~~~of~~~

The initial issue ofany new periodiari invariably con&& invjted contributions and may the&ire not be repmsentative of the futum contents. Here, the papers cover aspects ofatmospheric CC&,oxygen isotopes in ocean waters, fecal pellet flux and CH, emission from

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bulk norm and mineral formula calculations (which add pages). Rcgrettabk. there is a lack of standardization, both in the contents and the presentation of data. For examplh plots of mg vs. N of spineI analysaanpaentedinsil~Mcways:manyofthemuse~w: counting on positive axes. However, this is a comprehensive compilation of localities and no mote. Analytical information must be found via the original literature. The second part contains some highly valuable summaries but also some contributions on narrow aspects Some important topics of upper mantle research have not been covered: the chemical cornposition of the upper mantle, its rare gas tteochemistry, the physical properties of upper mantle ti and others Lack of friction is also evident in the different use of terms like “me&soma&m”, “fluid”, %apour”, “