Constraints on the source of Siberian Trap magmas from Mo isotope evidence

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The relative contributions of asthenospheric mantle, lithospheric mantle, and continental crust in the genesis of the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province (ST-LIP) remain poorly constrained. Most models invoke partial melting of asthenospheric mantle within a mantle plume with an inventory of recycled crustal material, with or without melting of subcontinental lithospheric mantle, and crustal contamination during ascend through the continental lithosphere. A greater understanding of this topic is of fundamental importance because the ST-LIP basalts are associated with the large Permian-Triassic extinction and the world’s largest magmatic Ni-Cu-platinum group element sulfide resources (Ni-Cu-PGE), the Norilsk-Talnakh mining camp. The ∼250 ± 2 Ma Siberian Traps at Norilsk contain a classic sequence of basaltic rocks that provide a spatial and stratigraphic context for changing chemistry of the eruptive products. We present a detailed geochemical and Sr-Nd-Hf-Mo isotopic investigation of ST-LIP volcanic rocks and associated sedimentary rocks, including coal and anhydrite, from the Norilsk area. The 98Mo/95Mo isotope ratios (reported as δ98Mo ratio relative to NIST SRM 3134) vary significantly from −0.62 to 0.07 ‰ for the older basalt formations and −0.41 to 0.03 ‰ for the younger basalt formations. The range of δ98Mo and its correlation with the other geochemical tracers cannot be explained by post-magmatic alteration, magmatic differentiation, or sulfide fractionation as Mo behaves as a lithophile element under these magmatic conditions. We suggest that the δ98Mo range can be explained by interaction of the plume with subcontinental lithospheric mantle modified by subduction processes. This is particularly prominent in the earlier Ivakinsky to Gudchikhinsky formations where light δ98Mo values coupled with low Mo/Ce can be explained by contributions from a dehydrated eclogitic component, whereas more rare heavy δ98Mo values and high Mo/Ce likely require contributions from a fluid metasomatized mantle source. Later magmas of the Nadezhdinsky formation show clear evidence of crustal contamination in their combined Mo-Sr-Nd-Hf isotope and trace element systematics, while the later more voluminous Morongovsky type magmas are shallower, large degree melts with limited crustal interaction. Our data shows the usefulness of Mo isotopes in deciphering magma sources of large igneous provinces eruptions.