Alkaline Basaltic Melts Research Articles

Deciphering magmatic processes from plagioclase, clinopyroxene and amphibole chemistry and textures: A case study of a basaltic lava flow in the Basque-Cantabrian Basin (Northern Spain)

This paper addresses the study of a pillow lava interbedded with Late Albian-Early Cenomanian sediments that crops out in Armintza (Bizkaia, Northern Spain). The lava flow is an alkaline basalt with abundant macrocrysts of clinopyroxene, kaersutite, Ca-rich plagioclase (50-86% An) and ilmenite, which display a variety of textures and complex zoning patterns indicative of open-system magmatic behaviour. Macrocryst cores are likely to be inherited antecrysts that underwent complex processes under deep pre-eruptive conditions (≈ 700-800 MPa). Microcrysts and macrocryst rims formed during magmatic ascent and emplacement at shallower levels (≈ 35 MPa). Hypothetical melts in equilibrium with clinopyroxenes and amphiboles have trace element compositions like metasomatic vein melts containing amphibole, and their patterns overlap with those of the Armintza pillow lava. This suggests a metasomatised lithospheric mantle with amphibole-rich veins as a potential source for the alkaline basaltic melt. It is even conceivable that the Armintza pillow lava and other alkaline volcanic manifestations of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin were part of the same magma plumbing system through which a series of time-limited eruptions of different batches of magma ascended from the lithospheric mantle to the upper crust during the Albian to the Santonian.

Experimental study on reactions between alkaline basaltic melt and orthopyroxenes: constraints on the evolution of lithospheric mantle in the North China Craton

Experimental study on reactions between alkaline basaltic melt and orthopyroxenes: constraints on the evolution of lithospheric mantle in the North China Craton

Probing the deep mantle wedge in an active subduction zone: Xenoliths from the Mercaderes Volcanic District, Southern Colombia

In subduction zones, the mantle wedge is the domain where liquid phases released by the oceanic subducting plates cause mantle hydration, metasomatism, and partial melting, producting the arc crust. However, direct petrologic information on mantle wedges overlying active subduction zones remains scarce. Here we constrain key aspects of the petrological evolution of the supra-subduction mantle underneath the active volcanic district of Southern Colombia (Mercaderes) by studying a unique suite of peridotite and pyroxenite xenoliths hosted by andesites and lamprophyres. These garnet-bearing peridotite, websterite, clino- and orthopyroxenite xenoliths equilibrated between 2.5 and 4 GPa and 1100–1200 °C. The studied rocks display considerable heterogeneity in terms of lithotypes, textures, mineral abundance and extent of metasomatic overprint. Most samples display fine-grained mylonitic textures overprinting coarse-grained peridotite and garnet pyroxenite precursors; the EBSD study of undeformed garnet websterite samples suggests crystallization from melts and/or melt-rock reaction processes. Modal enrichment in clinopyroxene as well as in the alkalis and LREE contents in some garnet peridotite implies interaction with alkaline basaltic melts, whereas enrichment in silica, Pb and Sr in the garnet-bearing orthopyroxenites records interaction with metasomatic, slab-derived liquids. Some garnet clinopyroxenite xenoliths display marked positive Sr anomalies and minor Eu anomalies, indicating derivation of these rocks from Mg-rich, plagioclase-bearing (and garnet-absent) low-pressure cumulates. Their equilibration in the garnet field implies that after crystallization these clinopyroxenites were transported to deeper levels in the mantle, as the result of foundering into the mantle of the dense arc roots, as already documented in Mercaderes and elsewhere in the Andes. In conclusion, the Mercaderes xenoliths probe a heterogeneous and chemically active domain of the Colombian mantle wedge, where deep sinking lower crustal rocks, melt metasomatism by distinct venues of chemically different melts, and deformation predate fast exhumation by volatile-rich melts.

Major and Trace-Element Composition of Minerals in the Paleoproterozoic Tiksheozero Ultramafic–Alkaline–Carbonatite Complex, Russia: Insight into Magma Evolution

The Middle Paleoproterozoic (1.99 Ga) Tiksheozero ultramafic‒alkaline‒carbonatite complex in Northern Karelia is one of the Earth’s oldest alkaline complexes. The major and trace-element compositions of minerals were used to decipher the genetic relations between ultramafic cumulates, alkaline rocks, and carbonatites. Based on detailed analysis of clinopyroxenes from ultramafic cumulates, it was assumed that they were derived from an alkaline melt. It was estimated that ultramafic cumulates and alkaline rocks were formed at close moderate pressure, which in combination with the above facts, is consistent with their cogenetic origin. The REE patterns of clinopyroxenes are characterized by the high LREE/HREE fractionation, with slightly convex-upward LREE patterns (La/Nd < 1), which are typical of deep-seated cumulates formed in an equilibrium with an alkaline basaltic melt. Two types of REE zoning were distinguished in apatite using cathodoluminescence imaging. The first type with an outward LREE decrease was found in apatite from silicate rocks of the complex and was likely produced by the closed-system overgrowth of apatite from a residual melt at the late magmatic stage. In contrast, apatite from carbonatite is characterized by a slight outward LREE increase, which is likely related to the re-equilibration of apatite with fresh batches of REE-enriched carbonatite magma. Precipitation of monazite along fractures and margins of apatite in complex with essential HREE and Y enrichment observed in syenite is indicative of the metasomatic interaction of this rock with fluid. Apatites from alkaline rocks and carbonatites define a common trend in the Y–Ho diagram, with a decrease in the Y/Ho ratio from foidolites to carbonatites. This fact together with the absence of signs of liquid immiscibility, and compositional variations in apatite in silicate rocks and carbonatites, are consistent with their origin through fractional crystallization rather than liquid immiscibility.

Timing and Petrogenesis of the Permo-Carboniferous Larvik Plutonic Complex, Oslo Rift, Norway: New Insights from U–Pb, Lu-Hf, and O Isotopes in Zircon

Abstract The Permo-Carboniferous Oslo Rift is a narrow, aborted continental rift with comparatively little extension but voluminous magmatism, developed at a Proterozoic lithospheric discontinuity. On the southern flank of the onshore part of the rift, the multiple intrusive phase Larvik plutonic complex (LPC) encompasses almost the width of the rift with a conspicuous over- to undersaturated assemblage of monzonite (larvikite, tønsbergite) and nepheline syenite (lardalite, foyaite). We present new single-crystal U–Pb–, Lu–Hf–, and O–in–zircon isotope data for the intrusive centers of the complex. U–Pb ages of slightly over- to undersaturated monzonites show a shift in igneous activity from 299 Ma on the eastern edge of the complex to 289 Ma in the west. The western part of the complex is built of two consanguineous magmatic systems with a northward shift in the locus of magmatism, from 296 to 289 Ma (undersaturated monzonite) and 296 to ~288 Ma (nepheline syenite). Moreover, an early oversaturated monzonite was emplaced in the eastern part of the complex at ~302 Ma. The Hf and O isotope composition of the monzonites and nepheline syenites shows little variation with zircon εHf (295 Ma) values of +5.5 to +8 and δ18Ο values of +4.79‰ to +5.49‰. No change in isotope values is observed with varying alkalinity and the Hf and O isotope compositions are interpreted as mantle source values. The source of the precursors of the monzonitic and nepheline syenitic magmas was probably a mildly depleted, sublithospheric peridotite in the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary zone (at 3–4 GPa). Rhyolite–MELTS modeling implies polybaric fractionation of weakly alkaline basaltic melts from the source having led to an oversaturated/saturated liquid line of descent at ~0.5 GPa and an undersaturated one at ~1 GPa. Magmatism had an imperative role in the evolution of the rift by localizing strain and weakening the lithosphere along the discontinuity. A fractionating crustal melt column was tapped at varying depths in the course of advancing rupturing with no significant mixing of the over- and undersaturated melts, and magma batches were emplaced as sequential nested plutons in response to differential opening of the rift. Among continental saturated-undersaturated alkaline complexes, the LPC may be unique in the emplacement of successive magma batches across a continental rift in the direction of opening, tapping of increasingly deeper parts of the melt column with advancing rifting, and intrusion of two contemporaneous, contrasting magmatic lineages at the end of igneous activity. The marked lithospheric step at the rift locus in the Precambrian basement of southeastern Norway was probably the driving force for the inception and evolution of the Larvik magmatic system.

Petrology and geochemistry of the Batchingou anorthositic suite rocks (Bana volcano‐plutonic complex, Cameroon Volcanic Line): Inference on their origin and relation with host granites

This study focusses on field mapping, petrographic description, and geochemical analyses of the Batchingou anorthositic suite rocks (Bana Plutono‐volcanic Anorogenic Complex, Cameroon Volcanic Line). This suite consists of gabbroic (gabbro, gabbronorite, norite, and anorthosite) and charnockitic (mangerite, jotunite, enderbite, and monzogranite) rocks and intrude Ypresian granites (51 ± 1 Ma), within an elliptically shaped corridor of 1200 × 600 m2. Gabbroic rocks evolved by crystal fractionation of olivine, hypersthene, augite, plagioclase, and ilmenite following the path: gabbro → gabbronorite → norite → anorthosite. There is little or no crustal assimilation in this suite, contrarily to the charnockitic suite which likely evolved from a jotunite melt by assimilation of the Pan‐African granito‐gneissic basement rocks. Anorthosite has high Eu/Eu* (2.04–2.66), typical of anorthosites formed as cumulates. The La/Ta ratios (9.75–20.1 in gabbro, 21–45 in anorthosite and 23–76 charnockitic rocks), La/YbN (4.2–19.5), Nb/U (22–90), and Nb/Th (5–23) suggest that the parental magma of the Batchingou anorthositic suite rocks is an alkaline basaltic melt deriving from a garnet‐bearing asthenospheric mantle, but was variably modified during ascent by lithospheric spinel lherzolites and crustal rocks. The Batchingou gabbro has characteristics of evolved tholeiites and match the composition of the Laramie high‐Al gabbro, whereas jotunite shows compositional affinity to ferrodiorites from Proterozoic anorthosite complexes. The gabbro Ni (19–39 ppm) and Cu (44–118 ppm) contents are low, indicating that their parental melt is not primitive. The Batchingou anorthositic suite differentiated from a different magma batch postdating the host granitoids and is similar to the anorthosite dykes of the Mboutou ring complex (Cameroon) and most of the ring complexes of the Aïr Province (Niger).

Helium, neon and argon in alkaline basalt-related corundum megacrysts: Implications for their origin and forming process

Corundum megacrysts from Cenozoic alkaline basaltic fields, notably in eastern Asia and Australia, are economically important but poorly understood in their genesis. Here we present new crushing noble gas (He, Ne and Ar) data of alkali basalt-related corundum and some other mineral megacrysts from several localities worldwide to better constrain their ultimate fluid (material) source and forming process. Markedly, the corundum megacrysts have widespread mid ocean ridge basalts (MORB)-like 3He/4He ratios (8 ± 1 RA, where RA is atmospheric 3He/4He ratio of 1.39 × 10−6) in each locality, although lower than MORB 3He/4He ratios also occur in some cases. The latter could be interpreted as the addition of ingrowth 4He but not reflect the initially trapped compositions. The initially MORB-like 3He/4He and high 40Ar/36Ar isotopic ratios, combined with major element and fluid inclusion data, support that the asthenosphere-derived melts/fluids are the primary source for their formation, which is genetically related to the generation of the Cenozoic continental alkaline basalts and mafic megacrysts like clinopyroxene and garnet. Elemental fractionation between helium and argon, enriched in helium compared to the current mantle production value, was observed in most blue-green-yellow (BGY) sapphires, notably for the samples from Changle, eastern China and Ban Huai Sai, Laos. However, the blue sapphires from Wenchang, China do not show such an enrichment. The elevated 4He/40Ar* (40Ar* is radiogenic Ar corrected for atmospheric Ar) ratios are interpreted as a solubility-controlled fractionation during magma degassing. Based on the degree of fractionation, the degassing scheme is most likely to be a single-stage process in closed systems (e.g., in a magma chamber), and the original volatile (assuming pure CO2) content of the parental melts before vesiculation is estimated to be ∼3.5 wt.% in minimum. The degassing process may have caused a sudden Al-saturation of the parental magma and facilitated the crystallization of sapphires by losing alkalis from the magma and decreasing the system's temperature. However, the “degassing” model, so far, has limitations to interpret the Wenchang data. After crystallization of the BGY sapphires at depths of deep to middle crust levels, a new pulse of alkaline basaltic melt carries them to the surface.

Evolution of Intraplate Alkaline to Tholeiitic Basalts via Interaction Between Carbonated Melt and Lithospheric Mantle

AbstractIntraplate basaltic volcanism commonly exhibits wide compositional ranges from silica-undersaturated alkaline basalts to silica-saturated tholeiitic basalts. Possible mechanisms for the compositional transition involve variable degrees of partial melting of a same source, decompression melting at different mantle depths (so-called ‘lid effect’), and melt-peridotite interaction. To discriminate between these mechanisms, here we investigated major-trace elemental and Sr–Nd–Mg–Zn isotopic compositions of a suite of intraplate alkaline and tholeiitic basalts from the Datong volcanic field in eastern China. Specifically, we employed Mg and Zn isotope systematics to assess whether the silica-undersaturated melts originated from a carbonated mantle source. The alkaline basalts have young HIMU-like Sr and Nd isotopic compositions, lower δ26Mg (-0·42‰ to -0·38‰) and higher δ66Zn (0·40‰ to 0·46‰) values relative to the mantle. These characteristics were attributable to an asthenospheric mantle source hybridized by carbonated melts derived from the stagnant Pacific slab in the mantle transition zone. From alkaline to tholeiitic basalts, δ26Mg gradually increases from -0·42‰ to -0·28‰ and δ66Zn decreases from 0·46‰ to 0·28‰ with decreasing alkalinity and incompatible trace element abundances (e.g. Rb, Nb, Th and Zr). The Mg and Zn isotopic variations are significantly beyond the magnitude (<0·1‰) induced by different degrees of fractional crystallization and partial melting of a same mantle source, excluding magmatic differentiation, different degrees of partial melting and the ‘lid effect’ as possible mechanisms accounting for the compositional variations in the Datong basalts. There are strong, near-linear correlations of δ26Mg and δ66Zn with 87Sr/86Sr (R2=0·75 − 0·81) and 143Nd/144Nd (R2=0·83 − 0·90), suggesting an additional source for the Datong basalts. This source is characterized by pristine mantle-like δ26Mg and δ66Zn values as well as EM1-like Sr–Nd isotopic ratios, pointing towards a metasomatized subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). Isotope mixing models show that mingling between alkaline basaltic melts and partial melts from the SCLM imparts all the above correlations, which means that the SCLM must have been partially melted during melt-SCLM reaction. Our results underline that interaction between carbonated silica-undersaturated basaltic melts and the SCLM acts as one of major processes leading to the compositional diversity in intracontinental basaltic volcanism.

Lithospheric modification by carbonatitic to alkaline melts and deep carbon cycle: Insights from peridotite xenoliths of eastern China

Carbonates in subducting oceanic slabs can survive beyond slab dehydration and be transferred into the deep mantle. Such deep carbon cycling plays a critical role in generating carbonatitic to alkaline melts. However, whether and how this process has influenced the lithospheric mantle still remains enigmatic. To address these issues, here we provide a detailed petrographic, in-situ chemical and Sr isotopic study on two mantle xenoliths (a wehrlite and a melt pocket-bearing peridotite) entrained by the Changle Miocene basalts from the eastern China. The Changle wehrlite contains carbonate melt inclusions and apatites and is merely enriched in clinopyroxene relative to the Changle lherzolites. The clinopyroxenes are characterized by high (La/Yb)N (4.7–41) and low Ti/Eu (873–2292) ratios and equilibrated with carbonated silicate melt-like compositions. These petrographic and chemical features indicate that the wehrlite was formed by reaction between peridotite and carbonated silicate melts. On the other hand, the Changle melt pocket-bearing peridotite is suggested to have been produced by in-situ melting/breakdown of amphiboles of an amphibole-rich dunite. Low olivine Fo (~89), presence of amphiboles with high (La/Yb)N (~50) and low Ti/Eu (~1070) ratios suggest that such amphibole-rich dunite would have been formed by reaction of peridotite with hydrous alkaline basaltic melts from a carbonated mantle. Our data, combined with previously reported data of the Changle lherzolite xenoliths, unravel a series of mantle metasomatisms by carbonatitic to alkaline melts from carbonated mantle sources. The consistently high 87Sr/86Sr ratios (up to 0.7036) of the clinopyroxenes in both the wehrlites and lherzolites indicate the carbonate components in the mantle sources were derived from the stagnant Pacific slab within the Mantle Transition Zone. This study provides a fresh perspective on the role of deep carbon cycling from subducted oceanic slabs in chemical modification of intracontinental lithospheric mantle through reaction with different types of melts.

Geochemical constraints on CO2-rich mantle source for the Kocebu Seamount, Magellan Seamount chain in the western Pacific

The alkaline oceanic island basalts (OIBs) with under-saturated SiO2 and high contents of CaO and alkaline are usually attributed to mantle sources different from typical tholeiitic OIBs. Based on the results of high pressure and temperature experiment study, the genesis of silica under-saturated alkaline basaltic melts could be explained by the role of CO2, thus, the genetic relationship of alkaline basalts with CO2 has become a topic of relevance because it is closely related to the deep carbon cycle. The Magellan Seamount chain in the West Pacific Seamount Province has wide distribution of alkali basalts. For the first time, we collected alkaline basalt samples from the Kocebu Seamount of the Magellan Seamount chain and found that magmatic apatites widely occur in the less evolved volcanic rock samples, and the high contents of phosphorus should be a feature of the alkaline OIBs of the Magellan Seamounts. Compared with typical OIBs, these alkaline volcanic rocks have higher CaO and P2O5, lower SiO2 content, negative anomaly of high field strength elements (HFSEs), more distinctly negative anomaly of potassium (K) and the ubiquity of titanaugite, indicating a CO2-rich mantle source. Based on the relatively high K2O and TiO2 contents and La/Yb ratio and low MgO content of these alkaline rocks, we suggest that the volcanic rocks of the Magellan Seamounts are originated from carbonated eclogites derived possibly from ancient subducted altered oceanic crust.

Unraveling the Effects of Melt–Mantle Interactions on the Gold Fertility of Magmas

The oxidation state of the Earth’s mantle and its partial melting products exerts a fundamental control on the behavior and distribution of sulphur and chalcophile and siderophile elements between the mantle and crust, underpinning models of ore deposit formation. Whether the oxidized nature of magmas in inherited from the asthenospheric mantle source or acquired during ascent and differentiation is vigorously debated, limiting our understanding of the mechanisms of extraction of sulphur and metals from the mantle. Here, we focused on the redox-sensitive behavior of sulphur in apatite crystallized from quenched alkaline basaltic melts preserved within a peridotite xenolith from the El Deseado Massif auriferous province in southern Patagonia. We took advantage of this unique setting to elucidate the redox evolution of melts during their ascent through the subcontinental lithospheric mantle, and grasp the inner workings of the Earth’s mantle during gold metallogenesis. Our data reveal that an initially reduced silicate melt (ΔFMQ -2.2 to -1.2) was oxidized to ΔFMQ between 0 and 1.2 during percolation and interaction with the surrounding peridotite wall-rock (ΔFMQ 0 to +0.8). This process triggered changes in sulphur speciation and solubility in the silicate melt, boosting the potential of the melt to scavenge ore metals such as gold. We suggest that large redox gradients resulting from the interaction between ascending melts and the surrounding mantle can potentially modify the oxidation state of primitive melts and enhance their metallogenic fertility. Among other factors including an enriched metal source and favorable geodynamic conditions, redox gradients in the mantle may exert a first-order control on the global-scale localization of crustal provinces endowed with gold deposits.

Magmatic platinum nanoparticles in metasomatic silicate glasses and sulfides from Patagonian mantle xenoliths

Platinum-rich nanonuggets (s.l., nanoparticles) are commonly produced in experiments attempting to quantify the solubility or partitioning of noble metals in silicate and sulfide melts. However, it has been thought that these represent artifacts produced during quenching of the experimental runs. Here, we document nanoparticles (~ 20–80 nm) of Pt-rich alloys and arsenides dispersed in high-temperature metasomatic silicate glasses and in base-metal sulfides (BMS) entrained in them, found interstitially between minerals of mantle peridotite xenoliths from southern Patagonia. Pt-rich nanoparticles found in the interstitial silicate glasses are frequently attached to, or in the proximities of, oxides (ilmenite or Cr-spinel) suggesting a close link between the formation of the oxides and the Pt-rich nanoparticles. The interstitial glasses in the studied xenoliths correspond to quenched alkaline basaltic melts that infiltrated the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) at > 1000 °C at an oxygen fugacity (fO2) near the fayalite–magnetite–quartz (FMQ) buffer. Experimental works indicate that at these conditions the crystallization of oxides such as ilmenite or Cr-spinel may lower fO2 to promote the precipitation of Pt-rich nanoparticles. The investigation of four Pt-rich nanoparticles hosted in two different pentlandite grains using a combination of focused ion beam and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (FIB/HRTEM) show that these nanoparticles consists of polycrystalline aggregates < 10 nm that are randomly oriented relative to their sulfide host matrices. These observations suggest that these nanoparticles could be segregated either directly from the infiltrating alkaline basaltic melt prior to sulfur saturation in the silicate melt, or from droplets of immiscible sulfide melt once sulfur saturation was achieved. The formation of Pt-rich nanoparticles in high-temperature melts, either silicate or sulfide, provides new clues on the processes of fractionation, transport and concentration of Pt in the mantle.

The origin and geodynamic significance of the Mesozoic dykes in eastern continental China

We sampled 22 Mesozoic dykes in eastern continental China and carried out a detailed study on these samples, including K–Ar and zircon U–Pb geochronology, and elemental and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotope geochemistry. Their K–Ar and zircon ages of 130-110 Ma are broadly consistent with the timing of the lithosphere thinning and the emplacement ages of widespread granitoids in the vast region, explicitly pointing to a common cause in space and time. The dykes represent evolved alkaline basaltic melts intruding the Mesozoic granitoids. Their rare earth element (REE) and multi-element patterns differ from the present-day ocean island basalts (OIB), but show strong arc-like signatures (e.g., enrichment in Rb and Pb and depletion in Nb, Ta and Ti). They show high (87Sr/86Sr)i (0.7048 to 0.7103), low εNd(t) (−12.3 to −5.7), low εHf(t) (−16.5 to −8.0) and low (206Pb/204Pb)i (18.79–18.85). These Mesozoic dykes are best understood as resulting from melting of geochemically enriched sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), whose geochemical enrichment is consistent with prior metasomatism with the agent being hydrous melt coming from subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate at ~120 Ma or earlier. Similar to the present-day situation, the paleo-Pacific slab may have also existed stagnant in the mantle transition zone in the Mesozoic. The slab dehydrated and released water in the form of hydrous melt that percolated through and metasomatized the mantle lithosphere, and weakened the base of the lithosphere while producing basaltic melts that evolved to intermediate-felsic compositions of these dykes. The basaltic magmas that underplated and melted the lower crust to generate the widespread Mesozoic granitoids in eastern continental China.

Petrogenesis of an Eocene syenitic intrusion from south-central British Columbia: Evidence for increasing influence of cratonic Laurentia on alkaline magmatism of western North America

The Allendale Lake stock is a representative intrusion of the Eocene alkaline igneous province in south-central British Columbia (Canada), which forms the northwestern edge of the Montana-Wyoming alkaline province. The shallow-seated intrusion (~53 Ma), about 4.5 km long and 2 km wide, is composed predominately of feldspar-phyric biotite-clinopyroxene-amphibole-bearing monzonitic/syenitic rocks. The feldspar forms distinct rhomb-shaped phenocrysts, which contain abundant exsolution of perthite and antiperthite. The Allendale Lake rocks are silica-undersaturated with SiO2 ranging from 52 to 63 wt% and high contents of alkalis, particularly K2O (4.5–6.5 wt%), typical of shoshonitic rocks. The rocks show a distinct enrichment of large-ion-lithophile elements relative to heavy rare earth elements and high-field strength elements. Their isotopic compositions are highlighted by high negative ƐNd(t) values (−4.5 to −5.5), Neoproterozoic Nd model ages (750–900 Ma) and high but relatively uniform initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (~0.706). The rocks were generated by fractional crystallization under oxidizing conditions. The parent magma, a hydrous alkaline basaltic melt, was formed by partial melting of an amphibole-phlogopite-bearing peridotite of the subduction-modified subcontinental lithospheric mantle. The mantle source underwent Neoproterozoic and subsequently Cenozoic metasomatic enrichment events. The alkaline volcanic rocks of the Penticton Group (Marron Formation) from the nearby Eocene Challis-Kamloops volcanic belt are volcanic correlatives of these intrusions. The Eocene alkaline rocks in the south-central part of the British Columbia are related to continental arc rifting.

High-Phosphorous Lithium–Fluorine Granites of Eastern Yakutia (Verkhoyansk–Kolyma Orogenic Region)

The paper considers the petrographic composition and petro- and geochemical features of high-phosphorous lithium–fluorine granites from the Arga–Ynnakh–Khaya and Burgali ore–magmatic clusters in eastern Yakutia. Granitoids of three successively formed petrotypes are recognized here: amphibole–biotite granodiorites and andesine granites close to I-type granitoids; S-type two-mica cordierite granites; and plumasite lithium–fluorine granites. The latter are characterized by extremely high Li, Cs, F, and P contents; they are ascribed to ultra-rare-metal rocks and are not complementary to the preceding granitoids. They are assumed to be the derivatives of independent melts obtained from a lower crustal protolith that was reworked by ore- and volatile-rich fluids related to upwelling subalkaline or alkaline basaltic melts.

Petrogenesis and tectonic significance of the late Triassic mafic dikes and felsic volcanic rocks in the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt, Northern Tibet Plateau

We present zircon U–Pb ages and geochemical data on the late Triassic mafic dikes (diabase) and felsic volcanic rocks (rhyolite and rhyolitic tuffs) in the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt (EKOB). These rocks give a small age window of 228–218Ma. The mafic dikes represent evolved alkaline basaltic melts intruding ~8–9Myrs older and volumetrically more abundant A-type granite batholith. Their rare earth element (REE) and multi-element patterns are similar to those of the present-day ocean island basalts (OIBs) except for a weak continental crustal signature (i.e., enrichment of Rb and Pb and weak depletion of Nb, Ta and Ti). Their trace element characteristics together with the high 87Sr/86Sr (0.7076–0.7104), low εNd(t) (−2.18 to −3.46), low εHf(t) (−2.85 to −4.59) and variable Pb isotopic ratios are consistent with melts derived from metasomatized subcontinental lithospheric mantle with crustal contamination. The felsic volcanic rocks are characterized by high LREE/HREE (e.g., [La/Yb]N of 5.71–17.00) with a negative Eu anomaly and strong depletion in Sr and P, resembling the model upper continental crust (UCC). Given the high 87Sr/86Sr (0.7213–0.7550) and less negative εNd(t) (−3.83 to −5.09) and εHf(t) (−3.06 to −3.83) than the UCC plus the overlapping isotopes with the mafic dikes and high Nb–Ta rhyolites, the felsic volcanic rocks are best interpreted as resulting from melting-induced mixing with 45–50% crustal materials and 50–55% mantle-derived mafic melts probably parental to the mafic dikes. Such mantle-derived melts underplated and intruded the deep crust as juvenile crustal materials. Partial melting of such juvenile crust produced felsic melts parental to the felsic volcanic rocks in the EKOB. We hypothesize that the late Triassic mafic dikes and felsic volcanic rocks are associated with post-collisional extension and related orogenic collapse. Such processes are probably significant in causing asthenospheric upwelling, decompression melting, induced melting of the prior metasomatized mantle lithosphere and the existing crust. This work represents our ongoing effort in understanding the origin of the juvenile crust and continental crustal accretion through magmatism in the broad context of orogenesis from seafloor subduction to continental collision and to post-collisional processes.

GEOCHEMICAL AND PETROLOGICAL FEATURES OF THE ALKALINE GRANITES OF THE UKRAINIAN SHIELD

Alkaline granites in the Ukrainian Shield are not widespread and are only revealed in two areas. To first one belong the alkaline (with aegirine and ribekite) varieties among Proterozoic biotite-alkalic feldspathic Perga granites. Second area is Azov megablock where are found hypabyssal bodies of Devonian grorudites. Grorudites are of more melanocratic composition and have higher agpaitic index while low magnesity is the typical features for both types of alkaline granites. Perga alkaline granites and grorudites have different geochemical peculiarities. Grorudites have increased content of Ti, V, Cr, Ni, while Perga granites are enriched in Sn, Mo, Be, Rb, U. Like to alkaline granites over world alkaline granites of the Ukrainian Shield are, on the one hand enriched in HFSE and REE and, on the other hand – depleted in Sr and Ba. Chondrite normalized REE patterns from Perga granites have deep negative Eu-anomalus and enriched in HREE in comparison to grorudites. Geochemical peculiarities indicate that Perga granites are genetically related to granitic magmas of Korosten pluton and their formation have been attended by intensive feldspar fractionation. At the same time generation of grorudites are connected with subalkaline and alkaline basaltic melts differentiation during of the Dnieper-Donetsk depression formation.

Origin and ascent history of unusually crystal-rich alkaline basaltic magmas from the western Pannonian Basin

The last eruptions of the monogenetic Bakony-Balaton Highland Volcanic Field (western Pannonian Basin, Hungary) produced unusually crystal- and xenolith-rich alkaline basalts which are unique among the alkaline basalts of the Carpathian–Pannonian Region. Similar alkaline basalts are only rarely known in other volcanic fields of the world. These special basaltic magmas fed the eruptions of two closely located volcanic centres: the Bondoro-hegy and the Fuzes-to scoria cone. Their uncommon enrichment in diverse crystals produced unique rock textures and modified original magma compositions (13.1–14.2 wt.% MgO, 459–657 ppm Cr, and 455–564 ppm Ni contents). Detailed mineral-scale textural and chemical analyses revealed that the Bondoro-hegy and Fuzes-to alkaline basaltic magmas have a complex ascent history, and that most of their minerals (∼30 vol.% of the rocks) represent foreign crystals derived from different levels of the underlying lithosphere. The most abundant xenocrysts, olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, and spinel, were incorporated from different regions and rock types of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Megacrysts of clinopyroxene and spinel could have originated from pegmatitic veins/sills which probably represent magmas crystallized near the crust–mantle boundary. Green clinopyroxene xenocrysts could have been derived from lower crustal mafic granulites. Minerals that crystallized in situ from the alkaline basaltic melts (olivine with Cr-spinel inclusions, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and Fe–Ti oxides) are only represented by microphenocrysts and overgrowths on the foreign crystals. The vast amount of peridotitic (most common) and mafic granulitic materials indicates a highly effective interaction between the ascending magmas and wall rocks at lithospheric mantle and lower crustal levels. However, fragments from the middle and upper crust are absent from the studied basalts, suggesting a change in the style (and possibly rate) of magma ascent in the crust. These xenocryst- and xenolith-rich basalts yield divers tools for estimating magma ascent rate that is important for hazard forecasting in monogenetic volcanic fields. According to the estimated ascent rates, the Bondoro-hegy and Fuzes-to alkaline basaltic magmas could have reached the surface within hours to few days, similarly to the estimates for other eruptive centres in the Pannonian Basin which were fed by “normal” (crystal and xenoliths poor) alkaline basalts.

Petrogenesis of Mafic to Felsic Lavas from the Oligocene Siebengebirge Volcanic Field (Germany): Implications for the Origin of Intracontinental Volcanism in Central Europe

Magmatism in the Cenozoic Central European Volcanic Province (CEVP) has been related to two geodynamic scenarios, either extensional tectonics in the north Alpine realm or upwelling of deep mantle material. The Oligocene ( 30^19 Ma) Siebengebirge Volcanic Field (SVF) is a major part of the German portion of the CEVP and consists of erosional remnants of mafic to felsic volcanic edifices. It covers an area of 35 km (NW^SE) by 25 km (SW^NE) with eruptive centres concentrated near the eastern shore of the Rhine river in the vicinity of the city of Bonn. Mafic rocks in the SVF comprise strongly SiO2-undersaturated basanites to alkaline basalts. Occurrences of alkaline basalts are confined to an inner NW^SE-striking zone, whereas the more SiO2-undersaturated basanites dominate the western and eastern periphery of the SVF. Radiogenic isotope compositions (Sr/Sr 0·70335^ 0·70371; eNd þ3·1 to þ4·5; eHf þ6·5 to þ8·0; Pb/Pb 19·46^19·69; Pb/Pb 15·63^15·66; Pb/Pb 39·34^ 39·62) indicate a common asthenospheric mantle end-member with HIMU-like characteristics for all mafic rocks, similar to the European Asthenospheric Reservoir (EAR). A lithospheric mantle source component with a residual K-bearing phase (phlogopite or amphibole) is inferred from negative K anomalies. Incompatible trace element modelling indicates that melting took place in the spinel^garnet transition zone with low degrees of melting at higher pressures generating the basanitic magmas (LaN/YbN1⁄4 20^25), whereas the alkaline basalts (LaN/YbN1⁄414^18) are the result of higher melting degrees at shallower average melting depths. Differentiation of basanitic primary melts generated tephritic to tephriphonolitic magmas that, for instance, erupted at the Lo« wenburgVolcanic Complex in the central SVF. Latites and trachytes, such as the prominent Drachenfels andWolkenburg protrusions, are more common in the central portion of the SVF.These compositions originate from parental alkaline basaltic melts. All differentiated samples show evidence for crustal contamination, possibly with lowerto mid-crustal material comprising mafic granulites as found in Eifel basalt xenoliths and metapelites. Based on the spatial and temporal distribution of the various volcanic rock types, a model for the temporal evolution of the SVF can be proposed. During the initial phase of volcanism, low-degree basanitic melts were generated as a result of decompression following tectonic rifting and formation of the Cologne Embayment, a northward extension of the Rhine Graben. In a second stage, alkali basalts were generated at shallower depths and higher degrees of melting as a result of continued lithospheric thinning and passive upwelling of asthenospheric mantle. These conclusions strengthen previous models suggesting

Oxygen isotopes composition of sapphires from the French Massif Central: implications for the origin of gem corundum in basaltic fields

Alluvial and colluvial gem sapphires are common in the basaltic fields of the French Massif Central (FMC) but sapphire-bearing xenoliths are very rare, found only in the Menet trachytic cone in Cantal. The O-isotope composition of the sapphires ranges between 4.4 and 13.9‰. Two distinct groups have been defined: the first with a restricted isotopic range between 4.4 and 6.8‰ (n = 22; mean δ18O = 5.6 ± 0.7‰), falls within the worldwide range defined for blue-green-yellow sapphires related to basaltic gem fields (3.0 < δ18O < 8.2‰, n = 150), and overlaps the ranges defined for magmatic sapphires in syenite (4.4 < δ18O < 8.3‰, n = 29). A second group, with an isotopic range between 7.6 and 13.9‰ (n = 9), suggests a metamorphic sapphire source such as biotite schist in gneisses or skarns. The δ18O values of 4.4–4.5‰ for the blue sapphire-bearing anorthoclasite xenolith from Menet is lower than the δ18O values obtained for anorthoclase (7.7–7.9‰), but suggest that these sapphires were derived from an igneous reservoir in the subcontinental spinel lherzolitic mantle of the FMC. The presence of inclusions of columbite-group minerals, pyrochlore, Nb-bearing rutile, and thorite in these sapphires provides an additional argument for a magmatic origin. In the FMC lithospheric mantle, felsic melts crystallized to form anorthoclasites, the most evolved peraluminous variant of the alkaline basaltic melt. The O-isotopic compositions of the first group suggests that these sapphires crystallized from felsic magmas under upper mantle conditions. The second group of isotopic values, typified for example by the Le Bras sapphire with a δ18O of 13.9‰, indicates that metamorphic sapphires from granulites were transported to the surface by basaltic magma.