Rapid Temporal Changes in Ocean Island Basalt Composition: Evidence from an 800 m Deep Drill Hole in Eiao Shield (Marquesas)

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The Dominique drill hole has penetrated the volcanic shield of Eiao island (Marquesas) down to a depth of 800 m below the surface and 691⋅5 m below sea-level with a percentage of recovery close to 100%. All the lavas encountered were emplaced under subaerial conditions. From the bottom to the top are distinguished: quartz and olivine tholeiites (800–686 m), hawaiites, mugearites and trachyte (686–415 m), picritic basalts, olivine tholeiites and alkali basalts (415–0 m). The cored volcanic pile was emplaced between 5⋅56±0⋅07 Ma and 5⋅22±0⋅06 Ma. Important chemical changes occurred during this rather short time span (0⋅34 ± 0⋅13 Ma). In particular, the lower basalts differ from the upper ones in their lower concentrations of incompatible trace elements and their Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic signature being closer to the HIMU end-member, whereas the upper basalts are EM II enriched. The chemical differences between the two basalt groups are consistent with a time-related decrease in the degree of partial melting of isotopically heterogeneous sources. It seems unlikely that these isotopic differences reflect changes in plume dynamics occurring in such a short time span, and we tentatively suggest that they result from a decreasing degree of partial melting of a heterogeneous EM II–HIMU mantle plume. Some of the intermediate magmas (the uppermost hawaiites and mugearites) are likely to be derived from parent magmas similar to the associated upper basalts through simple fractionation processes. Hawaiites, mugearites and a trachyte from the middle part of the volcanic sequence have Sr–Nd isotopic signatures similar to those of the lower basalts but they differ from them in their lower 206Pb/204Pb ratios, resulting in an increased DMM signature. Some of the hawaiites-mugearites also display specific enrichments in P2O5, Sr and REE which are unlikely to result from simple fractionation processes. The isotopic and incompatible element compositions of the intermediate rocks are consistent with the assimilation of MORB-derived wall rocks during fractional crystallization. The likely contaminant corresponds to Pacific oceanic crust, locally containing apatite-rich veins and hydrothermal sulphides. We conclude that a possible explanation for the DMM signature in ocean island basalts is a chemical contribution from the underlying oceanic crust and that studies of intermediate rocks may be important to document the origin of the isotopic features of plume-derived magmas.