Platinum group elements in the Emeishan large igneous province, SW China: Implications for mantle sources

Abstract

We report concentrations of platinum group elements (PGE: Os, Ir, Ru, Rh, Pt and Pd) for picrite-basalt lavas of the Emeishan large igneous province, SW China. The absolute concentrations of Os in most of the Emeishan picrites are higher than in picrites from ocean islands and other continental flood basalt provinces, and in estimated primitive mantle. A roughly positive correlation between MgO and Cr and Ni, and no overall correlation of Os or Ir with MgO, show that no Cu-Ni sulfide fractionated during differentiation but rather that olivine and chromite fractionated, implying that the initial picritic magma was sulfide-undersaturated. In addition, Os/Ir ratios are unusually high, suggesting that the picritic magmas may have been contaminated by black shales. Modeling shows that a 7% partial melt of primitive mantle containing 0.01 wt% of sulfides can account for the observed Os, Ir and Ru concentrations in the most primitive picrite if the melt is contaminated by 10 wt% of black shale en route to the surface.