Geochemistry of Pliocene to Quaternary alkali basalts from the Huri Hills, northern Kenya

Abstract

Pliocene to Quaternary basaltic lavas from the Huri Hills show a continuous change in eruptive style from earlier fissure-type eruptions producing extensive lava flows to later central-type activity, resulting in cinder cones and associated small lava flows. This change in eruptive style was accompanied by systematic variations in chemical composition and isotopic signature. With decreasing age, rock compositions change from alkali basalt to basanite (CIPW-normative nepheline increases from 3% to 22%). Whereas chondrite-normalised La abundances increase from ∼ 40 to 200, Yb stays almost constant at ∼ 10× chondritic. Concurrently, samples with Mg#>64 exhibit an increase in chondrite-normalised Tb/Yb and Zr/Y, as well as a decrease in Sc and Ti/Zr. Since no correlation between any of these parameters and the CaO Al 2 O 3 ratio or Mg# is observed, the systematic temporal variations in trace-element ratios of slightly fractionated magmas can best be explained by an increasing amount of garnet in the residue of the melts. With decreasing age and increasing CIPW-normative nepheline, Huri Hills lavas show decreasing 87 Sr 86 Sr ratios (0.7033-0.703) and increasing 143 Nd 144 Nd (0.5129-0.51295) and 206 Pb 204 Pb (18.7–19.3) ratios. Concurrently, ratios such as Ba/Th, K/La and Sr/Nd decrease. These covariations suggest binary mixing of two chemically and isotopically distinct end-member compositions. The first end-member, with high 206 Pb 204 Pb ratios, is most probably derived from a plume source with HIMU affinities. The second end-member, showing low 206 Pb 204 Pb , and high 87 Sr 86 Sr , Ba/Nb and Sr/Nd ratios, is tentatively attributed to the lithospheric mantle but could also be a second plume component.