Boninitic Magmas Research Articles

Evolution from fore‐arc oceanic crust to island arc crust: A seismic study along the Izu‐Bonin fore arc

Petrological studies have suggested that oceanic crust is formed during the initial stage of subduction. However, there is little geophysical evidence for the formation of oceanic crust in the fore‐arc region. We conducted an active‐source seismic survey in the fore‐arc region of the Izu‐Bonin intraoceanic arc to examine processes of crustal formation associated with the initiation of subduction. We used seismic refraction tomography to obtain a detailed seismic velocity model and diffraction‐stack migration of picked reflection travel times to derive reflectivity images. These data show a remarkably thin crust (<10 km thick) along the northern half of the Bonin ridge and abrupt crustal thickening (to ∼20 km) toward the south of the ridge. Comparison of velocity–depth profiles of the thin fore‐arc crust of the Bonin ridge with those of typical oceanic crusts showed them to be seismologically identical. Boninitic magmatism is evident in the area of thin crust and tholeiitic–calcalkaline andesitic volcanism in the area of thick crust. High‐precision dating of the volcanic rocks showed that the thin fore‐arc oceanic crust was created soon after initiation of subduction (48–45 Ma) and that the nonoceanic thick crust was created with tholeiitic–calcalkaline andesitic magmatism after the boninitic magmatism was ceased. Our seismological image strongly supports the view that fore‐arc oceanic crust was formed by fore‐arc spreading during the initial stage of subduction along the Izu‐Bonin intraoceanic arc.

Compositional variations in the Mesoarchean chromites of the Nuggihalli schist belt, Western Dharwar Craton (India): potential parental melts and implications for tectonic setting

The chromite deposits in the Archean Nuggihalli schist belt are part of a layered ultramafic–mafic sequence within the Western Dharwar Craton of the Indian shield. The 3.1-Ga ultramafic–mafic units occur as sill-like intrusions within the volcano-sedimentary sequences of the Nuggihalli greenstone belt that are surrounded by the tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) suite of rocks. The entire succession is exposed in the Tagdur mining district. The succession has been divided into the lower and the upper ultramafic units, separated by a middle gabbro unit. The ultramafic units comprise of deformed massive chromitite bodies that are hosted within chromite-bearing serpentinites. The chromitite bodies occur in the form of pods and elongated lenses (~60–500 m by ~15 m). Detailed electron microprobe studies reveal intense compositional variability of the chromite grains in silicate-rich chromitite (~50% modal chromite) and serpentinite (~2% modal chromite) throughout the entire ultramafic sequence. However, the primary composition of chromite is preserved in the massive chromitites (~60–75% modal chromite) from the Byrapur and the Bhaktarhalli mining district of the Nuggihalli schist belt. These are characterized by high Cr-ratios (Cr/(Cr + Al) = 0.78–0.86) and moderate Mg-ratios (Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) = 0.38–0.58). The compositional variability occurs due to sub-solidus re-equilibration in the accessory chromite in the serpentinite (Mg-ratio = 0.01–0.38; Cr-ratio = 0.02–0.99) and in silicate-rich chromitite (Mg-ratio = 0.06–0.48; Cr-ratio = 0.60–0.99). In the massive chromitites, the sub-solidus re-equilibration for chromite is less or absent. However, the re-equilibration is prominent in the co-existing interstitial and included olivine (Fo96–98) and pyroxene grains (Mg-numbers = 97–99). Compositional variability on the scale of a single chromite grain occurs in the form of zoning, and it is common in the accessory chromite grains in serpentinite and in the altered grains in chromitite. In the zoned grains, the composition of the core is modified and the rim is ferritchromit. In general, ferritchromit occurs as irregular patches along the grain boundaries and fractures of the zoned grains. In this case, ferritchromit formation is not very extensive. This indicates a secondary low temperature hydrothermal origin of ferritchromit during serpentinization. In some occurrences, the ferritchromit rim is very well developed, and only a small relict core appears to remain in the chromite grain. However, complete alteration of the chromite grains to ferritchromit without any remnant core is also present. The regular, well-developed and continuous occurrence of ferritchromit rims around the chromite grain boundaries, the complete alteration of the chromite grains and the modification of the core composition indicate the alteration in the Nuggihalli schist belt to be intense, pervasive and affected by later low-grade metamorphism. The primary composition of chromite has been used to compute the nature of the parental melt. The parental melt calculations indicate derivation from a high-Mg komatiitic basalt that is similar to the composition of the komatiitic rocks reported from the greenstone sequences of the Western Dharwar Craton. Tectonic discrimination diagrams using the primary composition of chromites indicate a supra-subduction zone setting (SSZ) for the Archean chromitites of Nuggihalli and derivation from a boninitic magma. The composition of the komatiitic basalts resembles those of boninites that occur in subduction zones and back-arc rift settings. Formation of the massive chromitites in Nuggihalli may be due to magma mixing process involving hydrous high-Mg magmas or may be related to intrusions of chromite crystal laden magma; however, there is little scope to test these models because the host rocks are highly altered, serpentinized and deformed. The present configurations of the chromitite bodies are related to the multistage deformation processes that are common in Archean greenstone belts.

Petrology, geochemistry and genesis of newly discovered Mesoproterozoic highly magnesian, calcite-rich kimberlites from Siddanpalli, Eastern Dharwar Craton, Southern India: products of subduction-related magmatic sources?

The Siddanpalli kimberlites constitute a newly discovered cluster (SKC) of Mesoproterozoic (1090 Ma) dykes occurring in the granite-greenstone terrain of the Gadwal area in the Eastern Dharwar Craton (EDC), Southern India. They belong to coherent facies and contain serpentinized olivines (two generations), phlogopite, spinel, perovskite, ilmenite, apatite, carbonate and garnet xenocrysts. A peculiar feature of these kimberlites is the abundance of carbonate and limestone xenoliths of the eroded platformal Proterozoic (Purana) sedimentary cover of Kurnool/Bhima age. Chemically, the Siddanpalli dykes are the most magnesium-rich (up to 35 wt.% MgO) and silica-undersaturated (SiO2 < 35 wt.%) of all kimberlites described so far from the Eastern Dharwar Craton. The La/Yb ratio in the Siddanpalli kimberlites (64–105) is considerably lower than that in the other EDC kimberlites (108–145), primarily owing to their much higher HREE abundances. Since there is no evidence of any crustal contamination by granitic rocks we infer this to be a specific character of the magmatic source. A comparison of the REE geochemistry of the Siddanpalli kimberlites with petrogenetic models for southern African kimberlites suggests that they display involvement of a wide range in the degree of melting in their genesis. The different geochemical signatures of the SKC compared to the other known kimberlites in the EDC can be explained by a combination of factors involving: (i) higher degrees of partial melting; (ii) relatively shallower depths of derivation; (iii) possible involvement of subducted component in their mantle source region; and (iv) previous extraction of boninitic magmas from their geological domain.

Enrichment of PGE through interaction of evolved boninitic magmas with early formed cumulates in a gabbro–breccia zone of the Mesoarchean Nuasahi massif (eastern India)

The Mesoarchean Nuasahi chromite deposits of the Singhbhum Craton in eastern India consist of a lower chromite-bearing ultramafic unit and an upper magnetite-bearing gabbroic unit. The ultramafic unit is a ∼5 km long and ∼400 m wide linear belt trending NNW-SSE with a general north-easterly dip. The chromitite ore bodies are hosted in the dunite that is flanked by the orthopyroxenite. The rocks of the ultramafic unit including the chromitite crystallized from a primitive boninitic magma, whereas the gabbro unit formed from an evolved boninitic magma. A shear zone (10–75 m wide) is present at the upper contact of the ultramafic unit. This shear zone consists of a breccia comprising millimeter- to meter-sized fragments of chromitite and serpentinized rocks of the ultramafic unit enclosed in a pegmatitic and hybridized gabbroic matrix. The shear zone was formed late synkinematically with respect to the main gabbroic intrusion and intruded by a hydrous mafic magma comagmatic with the evolved boninitic magma that formed the gabbro unit. Both sulfide-free and sulfide-bearing zones with platinum group element (PGE) enrichment are present in the breccia zone. The PGE mineralogy in sulfide-rich assemblages is dominated by minerals containing Pd, Pt, Sb, Bi, Te, S, and/or As. Samples from the gabbro unit and the breccia zone have total PGE concentrations ranging from 3 to 116 ppb and 258 to 24,100 ppb, respectively. The sulfide-rich assemblages of the breccia zone are Pd-rich and have Pd/Ir ratios of 13–1,750 and Pd/Pt ratios of 1–73. The PGE-enriched sulfide-bearing assemblages of the breccia zone are characterized by (1) extensive development of secondary hydrous minerals in the altered parts of fragments and in the matrix of the breccia, (2) coarsening of grain size in the altered parts of the chromitite fragments, and (3) extensive alteration of primary chromite to more Fe-rich chromite with inclusions of chlorite, rutile, ilmenite, magnetite, chalcopyrite, and PGE-bearing chalcogenides. Unaltered parts of the massive chromitite fragments from the breccia zone show PGE ratios (Pd/Ir = 2.5) similar to massive chromitite (Pd/Ir = 0.4–6.6) of the ultramafic unit. The Ir-group PGE (IPGE: Ir, Os, Ru) of the sulfide-rich breccia assemblages were contributed from the ultramafic–chromitite breccia. Samples of the gabbro unit have fractionated primitive mantle-normalized patterns, IPGE depletion (Pd/Ir = 24–1,227) and Ni-depletion due to early removal of olivine and chromite from the primitive boninitic magma that formed the ultramafic unit. Samples of the gabbro and the breccia zone have negative Nb, Th, Zr, and Hf anomalies, indicating derivation from a depleted mantle source. The Cu/Pd ratios of the PGE-mineralized samples of the breccia zone (2.0 × 103–3.2 × 103) are lower than mantle (6.2 × 103) suggesting that the parental boninitic magma (Archean high-Mg lava: Cu/Pd ratio ∼1.3 × 103; komatiite: Cu/Pd ratio ∼8 × 103) was sulfur-undersaturated. Samples of the ultramafic unit, gabbro and the mineralized breccia zone, have a narrow range of incompatible trace element ratios indicating a cogenetic relationship. The ultramafic rocks and the gabbros have relatively constant subchondritic Nb/Ta ratios (ultramafic rocks: Nb/Ta = 4.1–8.8; gabbro unit: Nb/Ta = 11.5–13.2), whereas samples of the breccia zone are characterized by highly variable Nb/Ta ratios (Nb/Ta = 2.5–16.6) and show evidence of metasomatism. The enrichment of light rare earth element and mobile incompatible elements in the mineralized samples provides supporting evidence for metasomatism. The interaction of the ultramafic fragments with the evolved fluid-rich mafic magma was key to the formation of the PGE mineralization in the Nuasahi massif.

Podiform chromitites and mantle peridotites of the Antalya ophiolite, Isparta Angle (SW Turkey): Implications for partial melting and melt–rock interaction in oceanic and subduction-related settings

The Antalya ophiolites (AO) in SW Turkey comprise remnants from the southern branch of the Neotethyan oceanic basins. The mantle peridotites of the AO include spinel lherzolite, harzburgite, and dunite. Harzburgites are dominant over spinel lherzolites in the AO, whereas dunites occur exclusively as ‘envelopes’ surrounding chromitite pods hosted by harzburgite. Petrographic and geochemical data from the peridotites show a progression from fertile to ultra-refractory character, reflected by a progressive decrease in bulk rock contents of Al 2O 3, CaO, SiO 2, TiO 2, Sc, V and Y, modal clinopyroxene, Al 2O 3 content of pyroxenes, and an increase in mafic phase Mg#s and spinel Cr#s (Cr#: 18.0–39.6% in spinel lherzolites, 33.2–77.8% in harzburgites, and 68.7–72.2% in dunites). The chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the AO spinel lherzolites have LREE depleted signature showing steep slopes from HREE to LREE, and are compatible with the residue of a low degree (8–18%) of partial melting of N type MOR mantle. Their mineral composition, whole-rock chemistry and oxygen fugacities between FMQ −1.01 and FMQ −0.57 are consistent with mid-ocean ridge-type mantle. On the other hand, the AO harzburgites have slight enrichment in LREE relative to the patterns expected for residues of partial malting thereby indicating reaction with a LREE-enriched melt. Thus, their chondrite-normalized REE patterns show ‘V-shaped’ REE distributions similar to those of forearc harzburgites. The AO harzburgites have oxygen fugacities between FMQ − 1.08 and FMQ +0.72. The correlation of spinel Cr# and oxygen fugacity values indicates polygenetic association in the AO harzburgites as encountered in modern forearcs (e.g. Izu–Bonin–Mariana and South Sandwich forearc complexes). The spinel Cr# and oxygen fugacity correlation and the LREE enrichment, despite their ultra-refractory character, confirm the notion that the AO harzburgites could be residue from interaction of a previously melted mantle source (the AO spinel lherzolites) with an ascending LREE-enriched melt in a supra-subduction environment. The interaction must have caused modest melt fractions of the pre-existing mantle lithosphere. Therefore, the harzburgites experienced higher degree partial melting (17 to 25%) than the spinel lherzolites. The AO dunites, the most ‘refractory’ of the peridotites, appear to have formed at oxygen fugacities between FMQ +0.72 and FMQ +1.72, and show V-shaped REE distributions similar to those of supra-subduction zone (SSZ) dunites. Phase equilibria, field evidence and petrographic features show that the AO dunites are formed by dissolution of pyroxene from host harzburgites during the melt–mantle interaction. Focused melt flow caused the highest of melt fractions around the reaction zone. The AO podiform chromitites composed of a very refractory olivine–spinel assemblage (Fo: 94.8 and 96.1 – Cr#: 72.2–81.2%), corroborating a boninitic parentage. Therefore, the chromitites are considered to be the product of boninitic melt evolved by melt–rock interaction in a supra-subduction environment. Our results support a model involving both melt–rock interaction and differential partial melting to explain (a) precipitation of podiform chromitite from boninitic magma and (b) peridotites showing a sequence from MORB-like to subduction-related affinity.

Platinum-group elements geochemistry in podiform chromitites and associated peridotites of the Mawat ophiolite, northeastern Iraq

Small lensoidal bodies of massive and disseminated chromitites have been examined in association with ultramafic rocks of the Mawat ophiolite complex (MOC), Iraqi Zagros Thrust Zone, northeastern Iraq. The chromitites are surrounded by dunite envelopes of variable thickness, exhibiting transitional boundaries to harzburgitic host rocks. The primary chromite composition exhibits high Cr varieties; the average Cr# of chromite is 0.73, and have <0.2% TiO 2 content, which may reflect the crystallization of chromite from boninitic magma. Partial melting in the upper mantle and assimilation of wall rocks by primitive melt might have played an essential role in the chromitite formation in the studied area. Unusually high platinum-group elements contents of up to 1094 ppb have been reported for the first time in these chromitites pods. Chondrite normalized patterns of platinum-group elements are typical for ophiolitic chromitite, with enrichment of the IPGE, and depletion in PPGE indicating a high degree of partial melting of the mantle source. The PGE diversity between different chromitite pods in the MOC may be attributed to the differences in chemistry of the magma involving in the chromitite formation. The mineral chemistry data and PGE geochemistry, indicates that the Mawat ophiolite was generated from an arc-related magma above a supra-subduction zone setting.

Chromite and PGE in the Logar Ophiolite Complex, Afghanistan

The Logar Ophiolite Complex (LOC) is located 30 km south of Kabul, Afghanistan, and extends over approximately 2000 km2. It comprises a lower lherzolitic-dunitic-harzburgitic-gabbro ultramafic-mafic unit that passes upwards into a dolerite dyke complex, basaltic pillow lavas and an uppermost sequence of volcaniclastic- and terrigenous-dominated sedimentary units. The ophiolite represents an obducted remnant of intra-Tethyan basin oceanic crust, thrust onto a platform-style cover component of the Kabul Terrane during the Himalayan orogeny. Platinum-group minerals have been detected for the first time in chromitites and ultramafic units from the LOC. Two distinct types of chromitites and ultramafic lithologies with different origins have also been identified in this study. The first type is a low Cr, PGE-poor chromitite interpreted to have been produced in a mid ocean ridge (MOR) environment. The second type is a high Cr, relatively PGE-rich dunite and peridotite from a boninitic magma produced in a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) setting. Platinum group element (PGE) abundances in these chromitites average 12 ppb and 26 ppb for Pt+Pd+Rh for the dunite and peridotite. Chondrite-normalised PGE patterns have two distinct trends: (a) the MOR rocks have a positive Ru anomaly with a negative Pt anomaly and a generally negative slope; and (b) the SSZ rocks show weak positive Ru and Pt anomalies and a positive slope. It is concluded that the negative sloping pattern is typical of PGE in most ophiolites elsewhere. In contrast, the positively sloping pattern is more unusual and may indicate PGE remobilisation and enrichment.

The Trinity ophiolite (California): the strange association of fertile mantle peridotite with ultra-depleted crustal cumulates

The Trinity ophiolite (California): the strange association of fertile mantle peridotite with ultra-depleted crustal cumulates

Stratigraphy and geochemistry of the Lac-Brompton ophiolite, Canada: evidence for extensive forearc magmatism and mantle exhumation in the Southern Quebec Ophiolite Belt

Three ophiolites are currently recognized in the southern Quebec Appalachians, from south to north: the Mont-Orford ophiolite, dominated by tholeiitic to transitional–alkaline basalt and diabase, and the Thetford Mines and Asbestos ophiolites, which are made up of boninites and tholeiitic basalts. This contribution documents the origin, geochemistry, and geodynamic evolution of the Lac-Brompton ophiolite, which was previously interpreted as a diapiric serpentinite mélange and genetically attributed to the Mont-Orford ophiolite. Our study of its igneous rocks rather indicates that the Lac-Brompton ophiolite is an exhumed segment of oceanic lithosphere represented by mantle rocks of harzburgitic composition and a discontinuous crust made up of boninitic volcanic rocks and intrusions of gabbro, pyroxenite, and granitoids that, respectively, overlie and crosscut the harzburgite. The ophiolitic mantle and crustal rocks and underlying infra-ophiolitic tectonic sole are overlain by sedimentary rocks belonging to the Saint-Daniel Mélange. The internal stratigraphy of the ophiolite and relationships with the Saint-Daniel Mélange suggest that the mantle rocks were exhumed to seafloor level prior to boninitic magmatism, and that the mantle and crustal rocks were deeply eroded during or shortly after obduction. The intra-oceanic evolution of the Lac-Brompton ophiolite is believed to have been comparable to the one of ultramafic core complexes exposed along slow-spreading ridge segments. The stratigraphic and geochemical characteristics of the Lac-Brompton ophiolite suggest that it forms, with the Asbestos and Thetford Mines ophiolites, a composite slab of forearc seafloor.

Geochemistry and tectonic setting of mafic rocks from the Othris Ophiolite, Greece

We present new geochemical analyses of minerals and whole rocks for a suite of mafic rocks from the crustal section of the Othris Ophiolite in central Greece. The mafic rocks form three chemically distinct groups. Group 1 is characterized by N-MORB-type basalt and basaltic andesite with Na- and Ti-rich clinopyroxenes. These rocks show mild LREE depletion and no HFSE anomalies, consistent with moderate degrees (~15%) of anhydrous partial melting of depleted mantle followed by 30–50% crystal fractionation. Group 2 is represented by E-MORB-type basalt with clinopyroxenes with higher Ti contents than Group 1 basalts. Group 2 basalts also have higher concentrations of incompatible trace elements with slightly lower HREE contents than Group 1 basalts. These chemical features can be explained by ~10% partial melting of an enriched mantle source. Group 3 includes high MgO cumulates with Na- and Ti-poor clinopyroxene, forsteritic olivine, and Cr-rich spinel. The cumulates show strong depletion of HFSE, low HREE contents, and LREE enrichments. These rocks may have formed by olivine accumulation from boninitic magmas. The petrogenesis of the N-MORB-type basalts and basaltic andesites is in excellent agreement with the melting conditions inferred from the MOR-type peridotites in Othris. The occurrence of both N- and E-MORB-type lavas suggests that the mantle generating the lavas of the Othris Ophiolite must have been heterogeneous on a comparatively fine scale. Furthermore, the inferred parental magmas of the SSZ-type cumulates are broadly complementary to the SSZ-type peridotites found in Othris. These results suggest that the crustal section may be genetically related to the mantle section. In the Othris Ophiolite mafic rocks recording magmatic processes characteristic both of mid-ocean ridges and subduction zones occur within close spatial association. These observations are consistent with the formation of the Othris Ophiolite in the upper plate of a newly created intra-oceanic subduction zone.

Structure and growth of the Izu‐Bonin‐Mariana arc crust: 2. Role of crust‐mantle transformation and the transparent Moho in arc crust evolution

Evolution of arc crust and subarc mantle in the Izu‐Bonin‐Mariana (IBM) intraoceanic arc‐trench system is examined by petrological modeling of arc magma generation and differentiation. Characteristic seismic structural features of the IBM arc highlighted in this modeling include the presence of (1) a middle crust with a P wave velocity (Vp) of 6.0–6.5 km/s, (2) a 6.5–6.8 km/s Vp layer at the top of the lower crust, (3) a high‐velocity (Vp = 6.8–7.2 km/s) lower crust, and (4) an uppermost mantle exhibiting rather low velocities (Vp = 7.4–7.7 km/s). The formation of the middle crust, which is considered to have an intermediate composition, is examined by (1) the mantle‐derived basalt model including anatexis of the initial mafic lower crust or mixing of mantle‐melting‐derived basaltic magma with crust‐melting‐derived felsic magma and (2) the mantle‐derived andesite model including differentiation of boninitic magma. The Vp calculated for the inferred compositions for each layer of the IBM crust on the basis of the basalt model is consistent with the observed values, whereas the andesite model cannot account for the characteristic Vp of the middle crust, the uppermost lower crust, and the uppermost mantle. The results further suggest that the volume of mafic restite and cumulates that are “crustal residues” resulting from the evolution of middle and upper arc crust is, at least, 3 to 9 times greater than that of the seismically defined IBM lower crust. One possible explanation to overcome this apparent dilemma is that the mafic to ultramafic crustal components are transformed to subarc mantle. During this process the subarc Moho is chemically transparent and permeable to the crustal components. This crust‐mantle transformation could play the major role in the creation of mature arc crust with intermediate compositions similar to continental crust.

Boninites and Adakites from the Northern Termination of the Tonga Trench: Implications for Adakite Petrogenesis

Adakitic rocks were recovered by dredging from the northern termination of the Tonga Trench during the 1984 voyage of the R.V. Natsushima and the 1996 voyage of the R.V. Melville. These contain magmatic zircons that have been dated at 2� 5M a by U^Pb methods, indicating that they are contemporaneous with boninite magmatism previously described from this area. This is the first time adakites and high-Ca boninites have been reported from the same active tectonic setting. The Tonga adakites are classified as high-SiO2 adakites, and are compositionally consistent with an origin as partial melts of subducted Pacific oceanic crust and sediment. Geochemical modelling suggests that the adakites are not involved in the petrogenesis of the Tongan high-Ca boninites. However, the recovery of adakites and boninites from the termination of the northern Tonga Trench suggests that both magma types are related to the unique tectonic setting of this region, where a transition from steep subduction to a transform fault plate boundary has created a slab window with an associated slab edge. Boninites are generated as a result of hot Samoan plume mantle moving through the slab window and subsequently being fluxed by H2O-rich fluids from the subducting Pacific oceanic crust. The Tonga adakites, in contrast, result from the direct melting of the slab edge as a result of the juxtaposition of the subducting slab against hot mantle derived from the Samoan plume.

Devonian supra-subduction zone setting for the Princhester and Northumberland Serpentinites: implications for the tectonic evolution of the northern New England Orogen

The Princhester Serpentinite of the Marlborough terrane of the northern New England Orogen is a remnant of upper mantle peridotite that was partially melted at an oceanic spreading centre at 562 Ma, and subsequently interacted with Late Devonian island arc basalts in an intra-oceanic supra-subduction zone (SSZ) setting. The full range of rare-earth element (REE) contents, including U-shaped patterns, can be explained by a single process of reaction of partially melted, depleted peridotite with Late Devonian calc-alkaline and island arc tholeiite magmas by equilibrium porous flow, fractionating the REE by a chromatographic column effect. The Northumberland Serpentinite on South Island of the Percy Group has similar REE and high field strength element (HFSE) contents to the most depleted samples of the Princhester Serpentinite, supporting a common origin. However, spinel compositions suggest that the Northumberland Serpentinite interacted with boninitic magmas. The REE and mineral geochemistry indicates that the Princhester and Northumberland Serpentinites both represent part of the mantle component of a disrupted SSZ ophiolite. The ophiolite is considered to have formed above an east-dipping subduction zone, based on the geochemistry of Devonian island arc basalts between Mt Morgan and Monto, which include compositions identical to dykes and gabbroic blocks within the Princhester Serpentinite. Blockage of the subduction zone by collision with the Australian continent during the Late Devonian led to slab breakoff and the reversal of subduction direction, trapping the Late Devonian ophiolite in a forearc position. Its location, in a forearc setting above a growing accretionary wedge, conforms to the definition of a Cordilleran-type ophiolite. This interpretation is consistent with current views that most ophiolites are formed from young, hot and thin oceanic lithosphere at forearc, intra-arc and backarc spreading centres in a SSZ setting, and that emplacement follows genesis by 10 million years or less. Late Devonian crustal growth may have been widespread in the New England Orogen, because the disrupted ophiolite assemblage of the Yarras complex in the southern New England Orogen is probably of this age. Extensional tectonism at the end of the Carboniferous dismembered the Princhester – Northumberland ophiolite, removed the crustal section, and produced windows of accretionary wedge rocks within the fragmented ophiolite. The Princhester Serpentinite, together with fault slices of metasedimentary rocks, was thrust westward as a flat sheet over folded strata of the Yarrol Forearc Basin by a Late Permian out-of-sequence thrust during the Hunter – Bowen Orogeny, completing the emplacement of the Marlborough terrane. The Princhester and Northumberland Serpentinites could have been displaced by strike-slip movement along the Stanage Fault Zone or an equivalent structure. There is no record in the northern New England Orogen of SSZ ophiolites and volcanic arc deposits of Cambrian age, as exposed along the Peel Fault. Partial melting of the Princhester Serpentinite at an oceanic spreading centre at 562 Ma, recorded by mafic intrusives displaying N-MORB chemistry, was an earlier event that was outboard of any Early Paleozoic subduction zone along the margin of the Australian continent, and cannot be regarded as representing the early history of the New England Orogen. It is possible that the formation of intra-oceanic arcs in latest Silurian and Devonian time was the first tectonic event common to both the southern and northern New England Orogen.

Platinum-group element mineralogy and geochemistry of chromitite of the Kluchevskoy ophiolite complex, central Urals (Russia)

We report the results of investigation of chromitites occurring in the Kluchevskoy ophiolite complex of the Russian Urals. The chromite composition suggests crystallization from a boninitic magma in a supra-subduction zone geodynamic setting. The investigated chromitites are enriched in Os–Ir–Ru over Rh–Pt–Pd, as typical of the mantle hosted ophiolite chromitites. Consistent with the geochemical data, the Platinum Group Mineral (PGM) assemblage is dominated by Ru–Os–Ir phases, whilst specific Rh–Pt–Pd minerals are absent. Two distinct paragenetic assemblages have been recognized: 1) primary magmatic PGM (laurite, erlichmanite, osmium, iridium, unnamed Ir–Ni–S, cuproiridsite, irarsite and ruthenarsenite) and 2) secondary PGM formed by desulfurization of primary sulfides at low temperature (ruthenium). Comparison of the studied chromitites with those hosted in the mantle of the Kempirsai, Ray–Iz and Voikar–Sininsky ophiolites has shown that all these chromite deposits form in the same geodynamic environment. The differences in the temperature calculated on the Fe–Mg exchange between olivine–spinel and observed in the PGM assemblage suggest that the Kluchevskoy chromitite suffered the effects of the metasomatism to a lesser extent compared with Kempirsai and Ray–Iz chromitites.

Origin of magmas in subduction zones: a review of experimental studies

Studies of the origin of magmas in subduction zones, particularly in the Japanese island arc, have been significantly advanced by petrological, geochemical, geophysical and experimental studies during last 50 years. Kuno's original model(1)) for magma generation in the Japanese island arc, that tholeiite magmas are formed at relatively shallow levels in the mantle on the Pacific Ocean side whereas alkali basalt magmas are formed in deeper levels on the Japan Sea side, stimulated subsequent studies, particularly high-pressure experimental studies in which the author participated. Recent seismic tomographic studies of regions beneath the Japanese island arc demonstrate that seismic low-velocity zones where primary magmas are formed have finger-like shapes and rise obliquely from the Japan Sea side toward the Pacific Ocean side. Based on experimental studies, it is suggested that the compositions of primary magmas depend mainly on the H2O content and degree of melting in the melting zones, and that primary tholeiite magmas are formed by 10-25% melting of the source mantle containing less than 0.2 wt.% H2O. High-alumina basalt and alkali basalt magmas are formed by smaller degrees of melting of similar mantle, whereas primary boninite magmas are formed by more than 20% melting of the source mantle with more than 0.2 wt.% H2O, and finally, high-magnesia andesite magmas are formed by smaller degrees of melting of similar mantle.

Petrology and Geochemistry of Boninite-Series Volcanic Rocks, Chichi-Jima, Bonin Islands, Japan

An Eocene submarine boninite-series volcanic center is exposed on the island of Chichi-jima, Bonin Islands, Japan. Five rock types—boninite, bronzite andesite, dacite, quartz dacite, and rhyolite—were distinguished within the boninite volcanic sequence on the basis of petrography and geochemistry. Boninites contain high Mg, Ni, and Cr contents indicative of primitive melts, but have high Si contents relative to other mantle-derived magmas. All boninite-series rocks contain very low incompatible-element concentrations, and concentrations of high-field-strength elements in primitive boninites are less than half of those found in depleted mid-ocean ridge basalts. Abundances of large-ion lithophile elements are relatively high in boninite-series rocks, similar to the enrichments observed in many island-arc lavas. Trends for both major- and trace-element data suggest that the more evolved members of the boninite magma series were derived primarily through high-level fractional crystallization of boninite. Textural features, such as resorption and glomeroporphyrocrysts, and reverse chemical zonations suggest that magma mixing contributed to the development of the quartz dacites.

Further Study on Geochemical Characteristics and Genesis of the Boninitic Rocks from Bikou Group, Northern Yangtze Plate

Compared with the major and trace elements of typical boninite, the metabasalts collected from the Nanfanba ()-Miaowanli () region in the Bikou () block could be treated as boninite characterized by low-Si, low-Ti, low-P, high-Mg# and high Al2O3/TiO2, consistent with geochemical features of boninite. The normal mid-ocean ridge basalt (N-MORB) normalized spider diagram displays fairly depleted high field strong elements (HFSE) (Zr, Y, Ti). Enriched refractory elements (Cr, Co, Ni) as well as light rare earth elements (LREE)-depleted chondrite-normalized REE distribution patterns suggest the boninitic magmas are derived from an extremely depleted mantle wedge in the presence of a hydrous fluid, meanwhile signifying the source region had previously undergone a high degree partial melting process yielding primary magmas with enriched large ion lithophile elements (LILE). In addition, almost all the samples in the Nb-Zr-Y and Ti-Zr-Y discrimination diagrams were plotted in the island arc basalt (IAB) field. Coupled with the island arc tholeiitic (IAT) basalt in the study region, therefore, the geochemical characteristics of the studied rocks indicate the meta-basalts probably occurred in a fore-arc subduction setting. This conclusion may be of great significance for the further study of the tectonic background of the Bikou volcanism.

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of Neoarchaean high-Mg low-Ti mafic igneous rocks in an intracratonic setting, Central India craton: Evidence for boninite magmatism

The southern Central India craton (also known as Bastar craton) has experienced several episodes of mafic magmatism during the early Precambrian time. These mafic igneous rocks are emplaced as dyke and volcanic rocks. A set of mafic dyke swarm and few exposures of mafic volcanics, both emplaced in the Neoarchaean time, contain high-SiO2 (>52 wt%), high-MgO (>8 wt%), and low-TiO2 (mostly <0.5 wt%) and classified as boninites on IUGS classification scheme. Al2O3/CaO ratio classifies these high-Mg mafic igneous rocks into high-Ca and low-Ca (Type 3) boninites. High-Ca boninites show typical boninitic geochemical characteristics, whereas low-Ca variety shows geochemical characteristics similar to the high-Mg norites. Siliceous high-magnesium basalts (SHMB) show similar geochemical properties as observed for the high-Mg norites. Early Precambrian high-Mg norites are reported from the rift setting environment but, on the other hand, boninitic magmatism represents an enigmatic style of magmatism and commonly formed at convergent margin settings. Most boninites are Phanerozoic in age and rarely reported from the Archaean terrains. The established geological and tectonic setting of the Archaean Bastar craton clearly suggests existence of a stable continental rift environment in the region since the Archaean time. Thus, report of Neoarchaean boninite-like rocks in an intracratonic setting is an important feature noticed in the Archaean terrain of Indian peninsula. A highly refractory mantle source region is required to form boninitic magma. Refractory lithosphere may be result of extensive extraction of mafic magma during Mesoarchaean. The preservation of refractory reservoir beneath the Bastar craton for long period of time corroborates a high degree of crustal stability during the Meso-Neoarchaean time. Trace element modelling suggests that high-Mg mafic igneous rocks under study are product of different pulses of boninitic magma produced by ∼20-25% melting of a refractory mantle source.

Magma generation and crustal accretion as evidenced by supra‐subduction ophiolites of the Albanide–Hellenide Subpelagonian zone

Abstract Ophiolites of the Mirdita–Subpelagonian zone form a nearly continuous belt in the Albanide–Hellenide orogen, including mid‐ocean ridge basalt (MORB) associations in the western Mirdita sector and supra‐subduction zone (SSZ) complexes, with prevalent island arc tholeiitic (IAT) and minor boninitic affinities in the eastern part of the belt (i.e. eastern Mirdita, Pindos, Vourinos). In addition, basalts with geochemical features intermediate between MORB and IAT (MORB/IAT) are found in the central Mirdita and in the Aspropotamos sequence (Pindos). These basalts alternate with pure MORB and are cut by boninitic dykes. The distinctive compositional characteristics of the mafic magmas parental to the different ophiolitic suites can be accounted for by partial melting of mantle sources progressively depleted by melt extractions. Partial melting processes (10–20%) of lherzolitic sources generated pure MORB, leaving clinopyroxene‐poor lherzolite as a residuum. Approximately 10% water‐assisted partial melting of this latter source, in an SSZ setting, may in turn generate basalts with MORB/IAT intermediate characteristics, whereas IAT basalts and boninites may have been derived from 10–20% and 30% partial melting, respectively, of the same source variably enriched by subduction‐derived fluids. In addition, boninites may also have been derived by comparatively lower degrees of hydrated partial melting of more refractory harzburgitic sources. A generalized petrologic model based on mass balance calculations between bulk rock and mineral compositions, indicate that most of the intrusives (from ultramafic cumulates to gabbronorites and plagiogranites), as well as sheeted dykes and volcanics (from basalts to rhyodacites) forming the bulk crustal section of the SSZ ophiolites, may be accounted for by shallow fractional crystallization from low‐Ti picritic parental magmas very similar in composition to IAT picrites from Pacific intraoceanic arcs. The most appropriate tectono‐magmatic model for the generation of the SSZ Tethyan ophiolites implies low velocity plate‐convergence of the intraoceanic subduction and generation of a nascent arc with IAT affinity and progressive slab roll‐back, mantle diapirism and extension from the arc axis to the forearc region, with generation of MORB/IAT intermediate basalts and boninitic magmas.

Genesis of andesitic–boninitic magmas at mid-ocean ridges by melting of hydrated peridotites: Geochemical evidence from DSDP Site 334 gabbronorites

The gabbronoritic cumulates drilled at DSDP Site 334 (Mid-Atlantic Ridge off the FAMOUS area) are neither crystallization products of the associated basalts, nor from any MORB composition documented along ocean ridges. Their parent melts are richer in SiO 2 than MORB at a given MgO content, as attested by the crystallization sequence starting with an olivine + calcic and sub-calcic pyroxene assemblages. These melts are issued from a source highly depleted in incompatible elements, likely residual peridotite left after MORB extraction. To understand the role of water in the genesis of these lithologies whose occurrence in a mid-ocean ridge setting is rather puzzling, we performed a geochemical study on clinopyroxene separates following an analytical protocol able to remove the effects of water rock interactions post-dating their crystallization. Accordingly, the measured isotopic signatures can be used to trace magma sources. We find that Site 334 clinopyroxenes depart from the global mantle correlation: normal MORB values for the 143Nd / 144Nd ratio (0.51307–0.51315) are associated to highly radiogenic 87Sr / 86Sr (0.7034–0.7067) ratios. This indicates that the parent melts of Site 334 cumulates are issued from a MORB source but that seawater contamination occurred at some stage of their genesis. The extent of contamination, traced by the Sr isotopic signature, is variable within all cumulates but more developed for gabbronorites sensus stricto, suggesting that seawater introduction was a continuous process during all the magmatic evolution of the system, from partial melting to fractional crystallization. Simple masse balance calculations are consistent with a contaminating agent having the characters of a highly hydrated (possibly water saturated) silica-rich melt depleted in almost all incompatible major, minor and trace elements relative to MORB. Mixing in various proportions of contaminated melts similar to the parent melts of Site 334 cumulates with MORB can account for part of the variability in the Sr isotopic signature of oceanic basalts, among other to the short wavelength isotopic “noise” superimposed on regional trends. We conclude that seawater introduction into residual peridotite at shallow depth beneath mid-ocean ridges can lead mantle rocks and their melts to follow complex P–T–f H2O paths that mimic petrogenetic contexts classically attributed to subduction zone environments, like the production of boninitic–andesitic magmas.