Discovery of Archean continental and mantle fragments inferred from xenocrysts in komatiites, the Belingwe greenstone belt, Zimbabwe

Abstract

Research Article| April 01, 2004 Discovery of Archean continental and mantle fragments inferred from xenocrysts in komatiites, the Belingwe greenstone belt, Zimbabwe Kenji Shimizu; Kenji Shimizu 1Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University at Misasa, Tottori 682-0193, Japan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Eizo Nakamura; Eizo Nakamura 1Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University at Misasa, Tottori 682-0193, Japan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Katsura Kobayashi; Katsura Kobayashi 1Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University at Misasa, Tottori 682-0193, Japan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Shigenori Maruyama Shigenori Maruyama 2Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Kenji Shimizu 1Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University at Misasa, Tottori 682-0193, Japan Eizo Nakamura 1Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University at Misasa, Tottori 682-0193, Japan Katsura Kobayashi 1Pheasant Memorial Laboratory, Institute for Study of the Earth's Interior, Okayama University at Misasa, Tottori 682-0193, Japan Shigenori Maruyama 2Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Tokyo, 152-8551, Japan Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 31 Aug 2003 Revision Received: 19 Dec 2003 Accepted: 22 Dec 2003 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2004) 32 (4): 285–288. https://doi.org/10.1130/G20162.1 Article history Received: 31 Aug 2003 Revision Received: 19 Dec 2003 Accepted: 22 Dec 2003 First Online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Kenji Shimizu, Eizo Nakamura, Katsura Kobayashi, Shigenori Maruyama; Discovery of Archean continental and mantle fragments inferred from xenocrysts in komatiites, the Belingwe greenstone belt, Zimbabwe. Geology 2004;; 32 (4): 285–288. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G20162.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Controversy exists as to whether the 2.7 Ga Belingwe greenstone belt, Zimbabwe, is autochthonous or allochthonous. In this study we report direct evidence for an autochthonous continental setting for the Belingwe greenstone belt. Garnet and clinopyroxene xenocrysts were discovered in the fresh ultramafic komatiites. Major and trace element compositions of these xenocrysts suggest that they originated from mafic lower crust, presumably garnet granulite in composition, at a low temperature of ∼600 or ∼700 °C. Furthermore, in a komatiitic basalt sample, we have discovered orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene xenocrysts that may have originated from lithospheric mantle beneath the continental margin. Discoveries of these xenocrysts indicate that the komatiite magma was transported to the surface and quenched rapidly enough to prevent the complete melting of continental fragments. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.