Multi-Stage Modification of the Northern Slave Mantle Lithosphere: Evidence from Zircon- and Diamond-Bearing Eclogite Xenoliths Entrained in Jericho Kimberlite, Canada

Abstract

The Jericho kimberlites are part of a small Jurassic kimberlite cluster in the northern Slave craton, Canada. A variety of dating techniques were applied to constrain the nature and age of two Jericho kimberlites, JD-1 (170·2 ± 4·3 Ma Rb–Sr phlogopite megacrysts, 172·8 ± 0·7 Ma U–Pb eclogite rutile, 178 ± 5 Ma U–Pb eclogite zircon lower intercept) and JD-3 (173 ± 2 Ma Rb–Sr phlogopite megacryst; 176·6 ± 3·2 Ma U–Pb perovskite), and all yielded identical results within analytical uncertainty. As there is no discernible difference in the radiometric ages obtained for these two pipes, the composite Rb–Sr phlogopite megacryst date of 173·1 ± 1·3 Ma is interpreted as the best estimate for the emplacement age of both Jericho pipes. The initial Sr isotope composition of 0·7053 ± 0·0003 derived from phlogopite megacrysts overlaps the range (0·7043–0·7084) previously reported for Jericho whole-rocks. These strontium isotope data, combined with the radiogenic initial 206Pb/204Pb ratio of 18·99 ± 0·33 obtained in this study, indicate that the Jericho kimberlites are isotopically similar to Group 1 kimberlites as defined in southern Africa. The Jericho kimberlites are an important new source of mantle xenoliths that hold clues to the nature of the Slave craton subcontinental mantle. A high proportion (30%) of the Jericho mantle xenolith population consists of various eclogite types including a small number (2–3%) of apatite-, diamond-, kyanite- and zircon-bearing eclogites. The most striking aspect of the Jericho zircon-bearing eclogite xenoliths is their peculiar geochemistry. Reconstructed whole-rock compositions indicate that they were derived from protoliths with high FeO, Al2O3 and Na2O contents, reflected in the high-FeO (22·6–27·5 wt %) nature of garnet and the high-Na2O (8·47–9·44 wt %) and high-Al2O3 (13·12–14·33 wt %) character of the clinopyroxene. These eclogite whole-rock compositions are highly enriched in high field strength elements (HFSE) such as Nb (133–1134 ppm), Ta (5–28 ppm), Zr (1779–4934 ppm) and Hf (23–64 ppm). This HFSE enrichment is linked to growth of large (up to 2 mm) zircon and niobian rutile crystals (up to 3 modal %) near the time of eclogite metamorphism. The diamond-bearing eclogites on the other hand are characterized by high-MgO (19·6–21·3 wt %) garnet and ultralow-Na2O (0·44–1·50 wt %) clinopyroxene. Paleotemperature estimates indicate that both the zircon- and diamond-bearing eclogites have similar equilibration temperatures of 950–1020°C and 990–1030°C, respectively, corresponding to mantle depths of 150–180 km. Integration of petrographic, whole-rock and mineral geochemistry, geochronology and isotope tracer techniques indicates that the Jericho zircon-bearing eclogite xenoliths have had a complex history involving Paleoproterozoic metamorphism, thermal perturbations, and two or more episodes of Precambrian mantle metasomatism. The oldest metasomatic event (Type 1) occurred near the time of Paleoproterozoic metamorphism (∼1·8 Ga) and is responsible for the extreme HFSE enrichment and growth of zircon and high-niobian rutile. A second thermal perturbation and concomitant carbonatite metasomatism (Type 2) is responsible for significant apatite growth in some xenoliths and profound light rare earth element enrichment. Type 2 metasomatism occurred in the period 1·0–1·3 Ga and is recorded by relatively consistent whole-rock eclogite model Nd ages and secondary U–Pb zircon upper intercept dates. These eclogite xenoliths were derived from a variety of protoliths, some of which could represent metasomatized pieces of oceanic crust, possibly linked to east-dipping subduction beneath the Slave craton during construction of the 1·88–1·84 Ga Great Bear continental arc. Others, including the diamond-bearing eclogites, could be cumulates from mafic or ultramafic sill complexes that intruded the Slave lithospheric mantle at depths of about 150–180 km.