Rare-earth elements, Co, Sc and Hf in the Steens Mountain basalts

Abstract

The concentrations of the rare-earth elements (REE) in 52 of 70 consecutive lava flows from Steens Mountain, Oregon, are reported. The concentrations of Co, Sc and Hf were measured in 17 of the flows. Logarithmic partitioning theory is used to correlate the concentrations of the trace elements with the major element and mineralogical compositions of the samples. Production of the basalts by partial melting requires a parent material that has concentrations of the REE that are several times those of chondrites. Those samples enriched in alumina have positive Eu anomalies compared to chondrites and those depleted in alumina have negative Eu anomalies. Production of these samples by partial melting is unlikely because the Eu anomalies would require that plagioclase was stable under the conditions of melting. All of the samples can be related to a single parent magma by fractional crystallization processes. The concentrations of the trace elements are controlled by the addition or removal of plagioclase and the removal of clinopyroxene. Samples with high concentrations of alumina are interpreted as plagioclase cumulates while those with low concentrations of alumina are residual liquids produced by crystallization of plagioclase. During fractional crystallization, the concentrations of the light REE are increased selectively in the residual liquid. The material that must be crystallized and removed during fractional crystallization has characteristics that are similar to those reported for gabbros.