Basaltic Melts Research Articles

A late Eocene lamprophyre-carbonatite association in the SE Tibetan Plateau: Rapid basalt-induced H2O-saturated partial melting of the upper crust

Abstract The processes by which lamprophyres and associated carbonatites are generated remain subject to debate. The Wase Basin on the SE Tibetan Plateau contains trachytes, rhyolites, and minor carbonatites that were emplaced at 37–36 Ma. Coeval lamprophyre dikes are widespread in the adjacent regions. Geochemically and petrographically, both the extrusive trachytes and dikes can be classified as lamprophyre. The numerous millimete r-sized SiO2-rich and calcite-rich ocelli that occur within the trachytes and dikes are solidified pseudomorphs of felsic and calcic melt drops, respectively. These ocelli combined with inherited granitic zircons suggest magma mixing between the calcic melt or felsic melt and basaltic melt. Petrographic evidence, mineral compositions, and zircon textures and U-Pb ages (827–682 Ma) suggest that the felsic melt and the calcic melt were generated by rapid H2O-saturated partial melting of Neoproterozoic granite and limestone, respectively, at >800 °C and <2 kbar, according to available experimental data. These melts were separated from each other and were stored at upper crustal depths, forming a zone of transient magma lenses or parcels. Melts mixed when an ascending basaltic magma intersected this zone. Reaction between the basaltic melt and the calcic melt occurred when they mixed, which formed clinopyroxene of predominantly diop side-hedenbergite solid solution. The observed heterogeneity of the upper crust combined with the variable degrees of magma mixing account for the great chemical diversity of the lamprophyres of SE Tibet. This model sheds new light on the petrogenesis of other lamprophyre-carbonatite associat ions elsewhere.

Trans‐Lithospheric Ascent Processes of the Deep‐Rooted Magma Plumbing System Underneath the Ultraslow‐Spreading SW Indian Ridge

AbstractProcesses of magma generation and transportation in global mid‐ocean ridges are key to understanding lithospheric architecture at divergent plate boundaries. These magma dynamics are dependent on spreading rate and melt flux, where the SW Indian Ridge represents an end‐member. The vertical extent of ridge magmatic systems and the depth of axial magma chambers (AMCs) are greatly debated, in particular at ultraslow‐spreading ridges. Here we present detailed mineralogical studies of high‐Mg and low‐Mg basalts from a single dredge on Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) at 45°E. High‐Mg basalts (MgO = ∼7.1 wt.%) contain high Mg# olivine (Ol, Fo = 85–89) and high‐An plagioclase (Pl, An = 66–83) as phenocrysts, whereas low‐Mg basalts contain low‐Mg# Ol and low‐An Pl (Fo = 75–78, An = 50–62) as phenocrysts or glomerocrysts. One low‐Mg basalt also contains normally zoned Ol and Pl, the core and rim of which are compositionally similar to those in high‐Mg and low‐Mg basalts, respectively. Mineral barometers and MELTS simulation indicate that the high‐Mg melts started to crystallize at ∼32 ± 7.8 km, close to the base of the lithosphere. The low‐Mg melts may have evolved from the high‐Mg melts in an AMC at a depth of ∼13 ± 7.8 km. Such great depths of magma crystallization and the AMC are likely the result of enhanced conductive cooling at ultraslow‐spreading ridges. Combined with diffusion chronometers, the basaltic melts could have ascended from the AMC to seafloor within 2 weeks to 3 months at average rates of ∼0.002–0.01 m/s, which are the slowest reported to date among global ridge systems and may characterize mantle melt transport at the slow end of the ridge spreading spectrum.

Specific features of basalts, its melting and tempering in different environments

The paper discusses the radical approach to expanding the possibilities of obtaining metals from untapped reserves of natural resources. It presents the results of scientific research dedicated to studying the specific components of the elements contained. The results of the preparation and implementation of smelting works at the basalt deposit ‘Asmansay-1ʹ are provided. The analysis of the results of melting basaltic minerals from the ‘Asmansay’ deposit is presented, along with their annealing in different environments. The aim is to determine the optimal parameters for the melting of basalt and similar ores.

An Amphibole Perspective on the Recent Magmatic Evolution of Mount St. Helens

Abstract Compositional variations of amphibole stratigraphically recovered from multiple eruptions at a given volcano have a great potential to archive long-term magmatic processes in its crustal plumbing system. Calcic amphibole is a ubiquitous yet chemically and texturally diverse mineral at Mount St. Helens (MSH), where it occurs in dacites and in co-magmatic enclaves throughout the Spirit Lake stage (last ~4000 years of eruptive history). It forms three populations with distinct geochemical trends in key major and trace elements, which are subdivided into a high-Al (11–14.5 wt% Al2O3), a medium-Al (10–12.5 wt% Al2O3), and a low-Al (7.5–10 wt% Al2O3) amphibole population. The oldest investigated tephra record (Smith Creek period, 3900–3300 years BP) yields a bimodal amphibole distribution in which lower-crustal, high-Al amphibole cores (crystallized dominantly from basaltic andesite to andesite melts) and upper-crustal, low-Al amphibole rims (crystallized from rhyolitic melt) document occasional recharge of a shallow silicic mush by a more mafic melt from a lower-crustal reservoir. The sudden appearance of medium-Al amphiboles enriched in incompatible trace elements in eruptive periods younger than 2900 years BP is associated with a change in reservoir conditions toward hotter and drier magmas, which indicates recharge of the shallow silicic reservoir by basaltic melt enriched in incompatible elements. Deep-crystallizing, high-Al amphibole, however, appears mostly unaffected by such incompatible-element-enriched basaltic recharge, suggesting that these basalts bypass the lower crustal reservoir. This could be the result of the eastward offset position of the lower crustal reservoir relative to the upper crustal storage zone underneath the MSH edifice. Amphibole has proven to be a sensitive geochemical archive for uncovering storage conditions of magmas at MSH. In agreement with geophysical observations, storage and differentiation have occurred in two main zones: an upper crustal and lower crustal reservoir (the lower one being chemically less evolved). The upper crustal silicic reservoir, offset to the west of the lower crustal reservoir, has captured compositionally unusual mafic recharge (drier, hotter, and enriched in incompatible trace elements in comparison to the typical parental magmas in the region), resulting in an increased chemical diversity of amphiboles and their carrier intermediate magmas, in the last ~3000 years of MSH’s volcanic record.

Geophysical imaging of the active magmatic intrusion and geothermal reservoir formation beneath the Corbetti prospect, Main Ethiopian Rift

SUMMARY Silicic volcanic complexes in the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) system host long-lived shallow magma reservoirs that provide heat needed to drive geothermal systems. Some of these geothermal systems in Ethiopia appear to be suitable for green and sustainable electricity generation. One such prospect is located at the Corbetti volcanic complex near the city of Awassa. High-resolution imaging of the subsurface below Corbetti is of imminent importance, not only because of its geothermal potential, but also due to reported evidence for an ongoing magmatic intrusion. In this study, we present a new subsurface 3-D electrical conductivity model of Corbetti obtained through the inversion of 120 magnetotelluric stations. The model elucidates a magmatic system under Corbetti and reveals that it is linked to a magma ponding zone in the lower crust. Magma is transported through the crust and accumulates in a shallow reservoir in form of a magmatic mush at a depth of $\gtrapprox 4\, {\rm km b.s.l.}$ below the caldera. The imaged extent and depth of the shallow magma reservoir is in agreement with previous geodetic and gravimetric studies that proposed an ongoing magmatic intrusion. Interpreting our model with laboratory-based conductivity models for basaltic and rhyolitic melt compositions suggests that Corbetti is seemingly in a non-eruptible state with ∼6–16 vol. per cent basaltic melt in the lower crust and ∼20–35 vol. per cent rhyolitic melt in the upper crust. With these observations, Corbetti’s magmatic system shares common characteristics with volcanic complexes found in the central MER. Specifically, these volcanic complexes are transcrustal two-stage magmatic systems with magma storage in the lower and upper crust that supply heat for volcano-hosted high-temperature geothermal systems above them. According to the presented subsurface model, a cross-rift volcano-tectonic lineament exerts first-order controls on the magma emplacement and hydrothermal convection at Corbetti. Our study depicts hydrothermal convection pathways in unprecedented detail for this system and helps identify prospective regions for future geothermal exploration. 3-D imaging of both the Corbetti’s magmatic and associated geothermal systems provides key information for the quantitative evaluation of Corbetti’s geothermal energy potential and for the assessment of potential volcanic risks.

Preface

The Palaeogene Skaergaard intrusion, East Greenland, has since its first description by Wager & Deer (1939) been a foremost natural laboratory for the study of low-pressure fractionation of basaltic melt. Ocean floors are composed of basalt and the processes that control compositions of basaltic melts are fundamental to the dynamics of the Earth. This special issue of GEUS Bulletin by Peter Thy, Christian Tegner and Charles E. Lesher is the most recent in a more than eighty year succession of trendsetting works on the evolution of the Skaergaard intrusion and evolution of basaltic melt. The early sample collections, housed in the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, were used for the development of fractionation models, mapping of the distribution as well as the partition of major and trace elements between melts and liquidus phases in basaltic melts. These and many other studies resulted in the monumental “Layered Igneous Rocks”, edited by L.R. Wager and G.M. Brown (Wager & Brown 1968). By the 1970s, the original collection in the Oxford University Museum of Natural History and the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences, University of Cambridge had seen extensive use. The science developed and new and more detailed sampling was now required. Fieldwork and sampling in the later part of the 20th century led to a flurry of new studies by more research groups, including Neil Irvine of Carnegie’s Geophysical Laboratory and the University of Oregon group lead by Alex McBirney. Despite all the efforts, no consensus was reached on the many fundamental chemical and physical processes in basaltic magma chambers. The available collections did not provide sufficiently systematic and detailed information for the modelling of the evolution of the basaltic melt and the genesis of the precious metal deposit that had been discovered in the intrusion. Exploration drill cores offered the possibility for tight stratigraphic sampling through >1000 m of gabbro. In combination with surface sampling, a new standard profile with superior systematics could be established. In the summer of 2000, the Danish Lithosphere Centre (DLC) organised fieldwork and the transport of the drill cores to the Museum of Natural History in Copenhagen. This special issue is part of the legacy of the DLC and a fulfilment of the then envisaged potential of the Skaergaard intrusion for fundamental studies of processes in basaltic magma chambers. Thy et al. (2023, this volume) analyse and compile in unprecedented detail the variation in major and trace element compositions of bulk-rock samples and electron microprobe compositions of rock-forming minerals in the Layered Series on the floor of the intrusion. In addition, they include a wealth of information on all samples from the Skaergaard intrusion that are housed in museum, university and survey collections in Denmark, the UK and US, topographic and geological maps, aerial photographs in archives and images of thin sections used in the study. With all its data and appendices, the monograph is the most comprehensive collection of petrological information for the Skaergaard intrusion and the Layered Series on the floor of the intrusion, ever to have been made available for research. The detailed modelling presented re-evaluates petrogenetic constraints and tests petrogenetic models in the literature. The modelling is based on liquidus proportions established in experimental studies of appropriate melt compositions. Thy and co-authors conclude that evolution observed in the gabbros of the Layered Series is predominantly controlled by crystal fractionation of bulk liquid. Late in the evolution and above the boundary between Upper Zone a and b, the gabbros crystallised from ponded Fe-rich, immiscible melt. Redistribution of granophyric melts and decoupling of included and excluded trace elements, not only in bulk liquid but also in mush melts, complicates the modelling of trace element distributions in the late and evolved stages of crystallisation in the crystal mushes of the intrusion. This special issue is a treasure trove for all who study the intrusion and are searching for a data set to be matched with experimental and numeric modelling of low-pressure fractionation of basaltic melt. With this contribution, the Skaergaard intrusion continues to be a foremost natural laboratory for modelling of melts formed in solidifying basaltic magma chambers. Troels F.D. NielsenEmeritus, GEUS, Denmark

Mechanism of carbonate assimilation by intraplate basaltic magma and liquid immiscibility: example of Wangtian’e volcano (Changbaishan volcanic area, NE China)

The balance of CO2 during abundant basaltic magma production is an important factor of volcanic hazards and climate. In particular, this can be explored based on CO2-rich mantle-derived magmas or carbonate assimilation by basaltic melts. To reconstruct the origin of Fe-rich carbonates hosted by Cenozoic basalts from Wangtian’e volcano (northeast China), we studied elemental compositions of melt, crystalline and fluid inclusions in magmatic minerals as well as the oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of the plagioclase and carbonates from basalts. The crystallization of basaltic magmas occurred in shallow chamber (∼4 km) at temperatures of 1,180°C–1,200°C and a pressure of 0.1 ± 0.01 GPa. Stable Fe-rich carbonates occur in the Wangtian’e tholeiite basalts as groundmass minerals, crystalline inclusions in plagioclase and globules in melt inclusions, which suggests that they crystallized from a ferrocarbonate melt. The values of δ18О and δ13С in the minerals analyzed by laser fluorination method are in line with the sedimentary source of Fe-rich carbonates, indicating assimilation and partial decomposition of carbonate phases. The parent ferrocarbonate melt could be produced during interactions between the basaltic magma and the crustal marbles. The phase diagram and thermodynamic calculations show that the ferrocarbonate melt is stable at a temperature of 1,200°C and a pressure of 0.1 GPa. Our thermodynamic calculations show that carbonate melt containing 73 wt% FeCO3, 24 wt% MgCO3 and 3 wt% CaCO3 is in thermodynamic equilibrium with silicate melt in agreement with our natural observations. The proposed mechanism is crustal carbonate sediment assimilation by the intraplate basaltic magma resulting in the melt immiscibility, production of the ferrocarbonate melt and the following Fe-rich carbonate mineral crystallization during magma residence and cooling.

Constraints of boron and oxygen stable isotopes on dehydration fluids, sediment-derived melts, and crustal assimilation of the Toba volcanic system (Indonesia)

Abstract Arc magmas are produced from the mantle wedge, with possible addition of fluids and melts derived from serpentinites and sediments in the subducting slab. Identification of various sources and their relevant contributions to such magmas is challenging; in particular, at continental arcs where crustal assimilation may overprint initial geochemical signatures. This study presents oxygen isotopic compositions of zoned olivine grains from post-caldera basalts and boron contents and isotopes of these basalts and glassy melt inclusions hosted in quartz and clinopyroxene of silicic tuffs in the Toba volcanic system, Indonesia. High-magnesian (≥87 mol% Fo [forsterite]) cores of olivine in the basalts have δ18O values ranging from 5.12‰ to 6.14‰, indicating that the mantle source underneath Toba is variably enriched in 18O. Olivine with <87 mol% Fo has highly variable (4.8–7.2‰), but overall increased, δ18O values, interpreted to reflect assimilation of high δ18O crustal materials during fractional crystallization. Mass balance calculations constrain the overall volume of crustal assimilation for the basalts as ≤13%. The processes responsible for the 18O-enriched basaltic melts are further constrained by boron data that indicate the addition of <0.1 wt% fluids to the mantle, >40% of the fluids being derived from serpentinites and others from altered oceanic crust and sediments. This amount of fluids can increase δ18O of the magma by only ~0.02‰. Approximately 6–9% sediment-derived melt hybridization in the mantle wedge is further needed to yield basaltic melts with δ18O values in equilibrium with those of the high-Fo olivine cores. The cogenetic silicic tuffs, on the other hand, seem to record a higher proportion of fluid addition dominated by sediment-derived fluids to the mantle source, in addition to crustal assimilation. Our reconnaissance study therefore demonstrates the application of combined B and O isotopes to differentiate between melts and fluids derived from serpentinites and sediments in the subducted slab—an application that can be applied to arc magmas worldwide.

Widespread PREMA in the upper mantle indicated by low-degree basaltic melts

Studies of ocean island basalts have identified a Prevalent Mantle (PREMA) component as a fundamental feature of mantle geochemical arrays; however, its origin and distribution are highly controversial, including its potential link to plumes sourced in low-shear-wave velocity provinces (LLSVPs) above the core-mantle boundary. In this study, we interrogate the compositional systematics of ~ 3500 Cenozoic oceanic and continental sodic basalts to provide insights into the origin and distribution of PREMA. We find that low-degree basaltic melts with high Nb concentrations located away from deep-mantle plumes have PREMA-like Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic signatures, implying that PREMA is highly fusible and not exclusively associated with LLSVPs. Geochemical modelling and mantle convection simulations indicate that PREMA could have been generated soon after Earth accretion, experiencing only minimal melting or enrichment, and then scattered throughout the upper mantle, rather than being the result of mixing between depleted and enriched mantle components.

The role of high oxygen fugacity on genesis of the late Cenozoic Abaga basalts in Xilin Gol League, Inner Mongolia, China

ABSTRACT The Abaga basalts, which erupted within an intraplate background in the late Cenozoic, are situated in eastern central Inner Mongolia. Previous studies have explored the genesis of these basalts, which were influenced by the subduction of slab. Although trace element ratios demonstrate that altered oceanic crust (AOC) and sediments have contributed to the genesis of the basalts, limited information about the detailed percentages of mixing among sediments, AOC, and depleted mantle (DM) based on Sr‒Nd‒Pb isotopic values has been reported. In this study, we modelled the possible mixing percentages among AOC, DM, and sediments. The calculated results illustrate that a proportion of 80% DM, 16% AOC, and 4% sediments is appropriate for interpreting the Sr‒Nd‒Pb isotopic variation of the basalts. In addition, the associated major and trace elements of olivine and the partition coefficient of V between olivine and melt are used to estimate the crystallization temperatures of the olivine phenocrysts and oxygen fugacity of the basalts. The calculated results display that the olivine mainly crystallized between 1248 and 1293°C (standard error estimate: 51°C), and the fO2 values of the Abaga basalts range from FMQ + 0.14 to FMQ + 1.46 (FMQ, fayalite–magnetite–quartz buffer). The estimated oxygen fugacity values plot in the range of island arc basalts (from FMQ to FMQ + 2) but are higher than those of both mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) (from FMQ-0.4 to FMQ + 0.5) and Abaga xenoliths (from FMQ-1.55 to FMQ + 0.53), which indicates that the basaltic melts were more oxidized than those of MORB and the Abaga lithospheric mantle. Furthermore, the primary magma and the corresponding mantle source were more oxidized than MORB. The Ba/Th and Ce/Pb ratios of the basalt present positive correlations with fO2 values, demonstrating that the addition of sediments and oceanic crust into the mantle source may have contributed to increasing the fO2 values of the basalts.

FORMATION OF TRACHYTES FROM WANGTIAN’E VOLCANIC NECK OF THE CHANGBAISHAN AREA (NORTHEAST CHINA) AS A RESULT OF THOLEIITIC MAGMA CRYSTAL FRACTIONATION

Tholeiitic basalts and trachytes of Wangtian’e bimodal association are studied. It is shown that trachytes were formed under the leading role of crystal fractionation of the initial tholeiitic magma. Based on the method of melt and fluid inclusion studies, it was determined that hedenbergite phenocrysts from Wangtian’e volcanic neck crystallized in the temperature range of 1080–1100°С, and plagioclase phenocrysts crystallized at temperatures of 1050–1060°С. After thermometric experiments with melt inclusions in plagioclase from trachytes, in some cases relics of carbonates and carbon dioxide were observed in the inclusions. Trachyte phenocrysts contain hydrous Fe-rich silicate globules and CO2 inclusions containing carbonate phases. Fe-rich silicate globules are often intergrown with titanomagnetite and covered with films of amorphous carbon. A model the appearance of hydrous Fe-rich globules and CO2 inclusions with carbonate relics is proposed. It results due to the silicate-silicate and silicate-carbonate liquid immiscibility processes, that are caused by the evolution of the initial basaltic melt. As the trachyte melt has been risen to the surface, the ferrocarbonate liquid decomposed into magnetite, carbon, and carbon dioxide.

An in-situ experimental HP/HT study on bromine release from a natural basalt

We present the first in-situ partitioning data for bromine between a natural basaltic melt and a coexisting fluid. For this study hydrothermal diamond anvil cell experiments at pressures up to 1.7 GPa were conducted. We combined laser heating to melt the basalt glass with external heating to lower the temperature gradient in the cell and to initiate circulation for the aqueous fluid. Bromine concentrations were measured in-situ with X-ray fluorescence in the basaltic melts, glasses, and in the fluid. From the results we calculated partition coefficients of DBrfluid/melt = 1.19 to 3.92 in the range of 0.4 to 1 GPa for aqueous fluids. Experiments with neon as the surrounding fluid (DBrfluid/melt = 0.38 ± 0.01 at 1.1 GPa) suggest that Br-release from a basalt into volatiles that have no bonding affinity with Br is weak. This should be the case for dry intra-plate volcanic eruptions. From the experimentally gained partition coefficients and from global Br concentration values in melt inclusions of arc magmas, we calculated an annual global Br flux of 23.5–72.9 × 109 g/y.

Nickel isotope fractionation factors between silicate minerals and melt

Quantitative knowledge of inter-mineral and mineral–melt isotopic fractionation factors is of crucial importance to interpret variability of mass-dependent isotope ratios in terrestrial rocks and meteorites. The isotopic composition of Ni shows great promise as a tracer of planetary differentiation, but the lack of solid constraints on the sign and magnitude of equilibrium Ni isotope fractionation factors hampers its further development. We address this issue by studying Ni isotope fractionation between silicate minerals and melt using a combination of carefully selected natural samples and olivine crystallisation experiments.Mineral separates from xenoliths are used to determine the Ni isotope fractionation behaviour of pyroxenes, spinel, and garnet relative to olivine. Nickel isotope fractionation between olivine and orthopyroxene is negligible, whereas clinopyroxene shows large variability that does not reflect equilibrium. Spinel has a clear affinity for the heavier isotopes of Ni relative to olivine; garnet has the lightest Ni isotope composition at equilibrium. The key parameter that dictates the sign and magnitude of Ni isotope fractionation during partial melting and crystallisation, however, is the olivine–melt fractionation factor. We present data for a natural basalt that contains olivine phenocrysts in chemical equilibrium with the host glass, and furthermore employ olivine crystallisation experiments in a 1-atmopshere furnace. Although the experiments invariably suffer from Ni loss to the Pt wire used to suspend the experiments in the furnace, these effects were carefully considered and quantified. The experiments limit the olivine–melt Ni isotope fractionation factor to lie between zero and slightly negative, which agrees very well with the natural datum, and we derive a best estimate value for Δ60/58NiOl–melt of −0.142 ± 0.031 ‰ at 1000 K. Hence, olivine has a subtle but clearly resolvable affinity for the lighter isotopes of Ni relative to basaltic melt. The implication is that equilibrium partial melts of mantle peridotite should have a slightly heavier Ni isotope composition than their source. Available Ni isotope data for mid-ocean ridge basalts show some overlap with modelled partial melts but extend to notably lighter Ni isotope compositions, potentially reflecting source heterogeneity or diffusive fractionation during melt transport.

Paleovolcanism of the eastern Magnitogorsk megazone, Southern Urals: Petrology, geochemistry, and gold-bearing perspectives

The geological-petrographic and petrogeochemical features of volcanic rocks are considered of the Gumbeika zone in the Southern Urals, that is the frontal easternmost portion of the East Magnitogorsk paleo-island arc. The volcanites are united into the Gumbeika volcanic association. The association is shown to be represented by the basalt– andesite–dacite–rhyodacite “uninterrupted” homodrom igneous series. The compositional features of the volcanics allow confident assigning them to the island-arc calc-alkaline series, or more precisely, to formations of “developed” island arcs. It is concluded that the main process that determines the general appearance and composition of the unified petrogenetic series of rocks of the Gumbeika association was the fractional crystallization of the parental basaltic melts in deep-seated chambers and, then, in near-surface peripheral ones. The emplacement of some of the magmatic bodies was also accompanied by in situ gravitational differentiation. The general similarity of the volcanics-associated gold-silver deposits with the analogs within recent island arcs allows us to suggest a great perspectives for gold-silver mineralization throughout the Gumbeika zone. Two forecasted ore fields have been identified.

Formation of Trachytes from Wangtian’e Volcanic Neck of the Changbaishan Area (Northeast China) as a Result of Tholeiitic Magma Crystal Fractionation

Tholeiitic basalts and trachytes of the bimodal association of Wangtian’e volcano are studied. It is shown that trachytes formed with the leading role of crystal fractionation of the parental tholeiitic magma. It has been identified from the melt inclusion study that hedenbergite and plagioclase phenocrysts of trachytes from Wangtian'e volcanic neck crystallized in the temperature range of 1080–1100 and 1050–1060°C, respectively. After heating experiments with melt inclusions in plagioclase of trachytes, in some cases relics of carbonates and CO2 were observed in the inclusions. The trachyte phenocrysts host water-bearing Fe-rich globules and CO2 inclusions with carbonate phases. The Fe-rich silicate globules are often intergrown with titanomagnetite and are covered by amorphous carbon films. A model is suggested explaining the formation of water-bearing Fe-rich globules and CO2 inclusions with carbonate relics as a result of silicate–silicate and silicate–carbonate liquid immiscibility, that was caused by the evolution of the parental basaltic melt. Upon the trachytic melt ascending to the surface, the ferrocarbonate liquid was decomposed on magnetite, carbon, and carbon dioxide.

Trondhjemites from the Western Dharwar Craton, Southern India: Implications for Mesoarchean crustal growth

Trondhjemite, together with tonalite and granodiorite (TTG) are important building blocks of the Archean continental crust and their studies provide insights into the formation of the early continents. The Western Dharwar Craton (WDC) in southern India contains voluminous TTG rocks that record prolonged Archean crustal evolution history with evidence for multiple episodes of magmatic accretion and metamorphic events from the Paleoarchean (∼3600 Ma) to Archean-Proterozoic transition (∼2500 Ma ago). In this study, we investigate trondhjemites from different typical locations in the WDC. Petrological, geochemical and zircon UPb, REE and LuHf data are presented and evaluated to understand the timing of magma emplacement and petrogenetic history. The trondhjemites in our study were generated from partial melting of juvenile hydrous basalt with arc features. The melting depth is variable, mainly shallow, while some melts originated at greater depths with variable plagioclase, amphibole with or without garnet, ilmenite or rutile in source residue. The age data presented here suggest that the crust accretion of the Mesoarchean Western Dharwar Craton occurred dominantly at 3.13–3.27 Ma followed by reworking of lower crustal basement 3.0–2.9 Ga.

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.

Petrological models of magma evolution on the formation of mafic-felsic igneous complexes of the Emeishan large igneous province, SW China

Many Late Permian world-class Fe-Ti oxide-bearing layered intrusions in the Pan-Xi region, SW China are commonly considered to be fractionation products of the Emeishan mantle plume-related high-Ti basaltic melts. These layered intrusions coexist spatially and temporally with A-type granitoids, which consist of syenites and granites and are further classified into isotopically depleted metaluminous to peralkaline and isotopically enriched peraluminous to metaluminous groups. The petrogenesis of these mafic-felsic igneous complexes has been controversial. This study investigates geochemical correlations of the microgabbros at the margin of the Baima layered intrusions and the intruding isotopically enriched granitoids. The amphiboles at both sides of the contact zone are calcic (CaO = 10.4 to 12.5 wt.%) and display obvious mixing trends. Thermodynamical modeling using the MAGEMin program indicates that fractionation of basaltic melts compositionally similar to the Baima microgabbros seems incapable to crystallize olivine compositions comparable to those of the layered intrusions, but can be reconciled by early separation of 7.5 to 10 wt.% Fe-Ti-rich melts. Continued differentiation of the basaltic melts may lead to formation of the isotopically depleted granitoids, among which perthite accumulation in water-rich environments could result in the formation of metaluminous granitoids with high Na, K and Al contents and positive Eu anomalies. The isotopically enriched granitoids, on the other hand, can be produced by anatexis of the juvenile mafic lower crust together with the Yangtze ancient lower crust. Our study therefore provides a panoramic view on the complicated petrogenesis of the igneous complexes related to Emeishan mantle plume impingement through thermodynamic modeling.

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.

Petrogenesis and implications for tin mineralization of the Beidashan granitic pluton, southern Great Xing'an Range, NE China: Constraints from whole-rock and accessory mineral geochemistry

The Beidashan pluton, consisting of quartz monzonite in the northeast and biotite granite in the southwest, is a representative granitic intrusion in the southern Great Xing'an Range. To investigate its petrogenesis and relationship with tin mineralization, whole-rock and accessory minerals (zircon and apatite) geochemical analyses were carried out. The quartz monzonite mainly belongs to high-K calc-alkaline strongly peraluminous granite, and the biotite granite is high-K calc-alkaline weakly peraluminous granite. Zircon U-Pb dating indicates a younger age for the biotite granite (138 Ma) than the quartz monzonite (140 Ma). The zircon Hf and apatite Nd isotopic compositions of the quartz monzonite (εHf(t) = 5.2 to 9.1 and εNd(t) = −1.1 to 1.3) and those of the biotite granite (εHf(t) = 5.6 to 8.0 and εNd(t) = −0.9 to 1.0) are indistinguishable, implying that they were derived from the same sources. Modeling results using apatite Nd isotope data show that they were from a mixing source of the Xilinhot Group and mantle-derived basaltic melt. Whole-rock and apatite trace elements reveal that the granitic magma mainly experienced fractional crystallization of amphibole, biotite, plagioclase, K-feldspar, apatite, and monazite from the quartz monzonite to the biotite granite. Mineralogical, whole-rock geochemical, and apatite trace element data indicate that the Beidashan pluton has an I-type granite affinity. A crystal mush model was proposed accounting for the composition gap between these two granites (e.g., SiO2, Al2O3, and Ba), in which the biotite granite represents the highly fractionated interstitial melt extracted from the crystal mush system whereas the quartz monzonite is the residual crystal mush consisting of the cumulate crystals and trapped interstitial melt. The melt was extracted when the crystallinity of the crystal mush reached about 33–37%, and the residual crystal mush trapped about 38–46% interstitial melt. Both Ce anomalies in zircon and Eu anomalies in apatite imply reducing conditions. The calculated values of oxygen fugacity for the Beidashan pluton range from −19.3 to −15.7, and most of them are lower than the fayalite-magnetite-quartz (FMQ) oxygen buffer. Apatite in the Beidashan pluton has high F (2.35–3.61%) and low Cl (0–0.41%) concentrations, which are similar to those of Sn-W deposits worldwide. The Sn contents of apatite increase from the quartz monzonite (mean 0.30 ppm) to the biotite granite (mean 1.09 ppm), suggesting that magma evolution is important for the enrichment of Sn in the melt.