Geochemical studies of abyssal lavas recovered by DSRV Alvin from Eastern Galapagos Rift, Inca Transform, and Ecuador Rift: 2. Phase chemistry and crystallization history

Abstract

A diverse suite of lavas recovered by DSRV Alvin from the eastern Galapagos rift and Inca transform includes mid‐ocean ridge tholeiitic basalts (MORB), iron‐ and titanium‐enriched basalts (FeTi basalts), and abyssal andesites. Rock types transitional in character (ferrobasalts and basaltic andesites) were also recovered. The most mafic glassy basalts contain plagioclase, augite, and olivine as near‐liquidus phases, whereas in more fractionated basalts, pigeonite replaces olivine and iron‐titanium oxides crystallize. Plagioclase crystallizes after pyroxenes and iron‐titanium oxides in andesites, possibly due to increased water contents or cooling rates. Apatite phenocrysts are present in some andesitic glasses. Ovoid sulfide globules are also common in many lavas. Compositional variations of phenocrysts in glassy lavas reflect changes in magma chemistry, temperature of crystallization, and cooling rate. The overall chemical variations parallel the chemical evolution of the lava suite and are similar to those in other fractionated tholeiitic complexes. Elemental partitioning between plagioclase‐, pyroxene‐, and olivine‐glass pairs suggests that equilibration occurred at low pressure in a rather restricted temperature range. Various geothermometers indicate that the most primitive MORB began to crystallize between 1150° and 1200°C with fo2 < 10−7 atm. Coexisting iron‐titanium oxides in more evolved lavas yield temperatures ∼1025°C to as low as 910°C withfo2 from 10−8 to 10−12 atm. PH 2 o could have been as high as 1 kbar during andesite crystallization. Compositions of the lavas from the Galapagos rift follow the experimentally determined (1 atm‐QFM) liquid line of descent. Least squares calculations for the major elements indicate that the entire suite of lavas can be produced by fractional crystallization of successive residual liquids from a MORB parent magma. FeTi basalts represent 30–65 cumulative weight percent crystallization of plagioclase, augite, and olivine. An additional 30–50% fractionation of pyroxenes, plagioclase, titanomagnetite, and possible apatite is required to generate andesite from FeTi basalt liquids. The presence of partially resorbed mafic xenocrysts in some andesites, FeTi basalt inclusions in these xenocrysts, high‐silica glass inclusions in basaltic andesites, and the transitional chemistry of basaltic andesites are evidence that some magma mixing occurred during crystal fractionation. The diversity of lava types recovered at single dive sites suggests that low‐pressure fractional crystallization is a very efficient process beneath the eastern Galapagos rift and that isolated magma bodies must be present at shallow levels beneath the accretionary locus. Voluminous FeTi basalts erupted at the rift‐transform intersection are genetically related to the rift lavas, but their restricted chemistry reflects different thermal and tectonic controls on their petrogenesis.