Cenozoic Volcanic Rocks Research Articles

Quaternary Melanephelinites and Melilitites from Nowbaran (NW Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc, Iran): Origin of Ultrabasic-Ultracalcic Melts in a Post-Collisional Setting

Abstract The small Quaternary volcanic district of Nowbaran (NW Iran) belongs to the Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc, a ∼1800-km long NW–SE striking Cenozoic belt characterized by the irregular but abundant presence of subduction-related igneous products. Nowbaran rocks are characterized by absence of feldspars coupled with abundance of clinopyroxene and olivine plus nepheline, melilite and other rarer phases. All the rocks show extremely low SiO2 (35.4–41.4 wt%), very high CaO (13.1–18.3 wt%) and low Al2O3 (8.6–11.6 wt%), leading to ultracalcic compositions (i.e. CaO/Al2O3 > 1). Other less peculiar, but still noteworthy, characteristics are the high MgO (8.7–13.3 wt%) and Mg# (0.70–0.75), coupled with a variable alkali content with sodic affinity (Na2O = 1.8–5.4 wt%; K2O = 0.2–2.3 wt%) and variably high LOI (1.9–10.4 wt%; average 4.4 wt%). Measured isotopic ratios (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7052–0.7056; 143Nd/144Nd = 0.51263–0.51266; 206Pb/204Pb = 18.54–18.66; 207Pb/204Pb = 15.66–15.68; 208Pb/204Pb = 38.66–38.79) show small variations and plot within the literature field for the Cenozoic volcanic rocks of western Iran but tend to be displaced towards slightly higher 207Pb/204Pb. Primitive mantle-normalized multielemental patterns are intermediate between typical subduction-related melts and nephelinitic/melilititic melts emplaced in intraplate tectonic settings. The enrichment in Th, coupled with high Ba/Nb and La/Nb, troughs at Ti in primitive mantle-normalized patterns, radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr and positive Δ7/4 anomalies (from +15.2 to +17.0) are consistent with the presence of (old) recycled crustal lithologies in the sources. The origin of Nowbaran magmas cannot be related to partial melting of C–H-free peridotitic mantle, nor to digestion of limestones and marls by ‘normal’ basaltic melts. Rather, we favour an origin from carbonated lithologies. Carbonated eclogite-derived melts or supercritical fluids, derived from a subducted slab, reacting with peridotite matrix, could have produced peritectic orthopyroxene- and garnet-rich metasomes at the expenses of mantle olivine and clinopyroxene. The residual melt compositions could evolve towards SiO2-undersaturated, CaO- and MgO-rich and Al2O3-poor alkaline melts. During their percolation upwards, these melts can partially freeze reacting chromatographically with portions of the upper mantle wedge, but can also mix with melts from shallower carbonated peridotite. The T–P equilibration estimates for Nowbaran magmas based on recent models on ultrabasic melt compositions are compatible with provenance from the lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary at average temperature (∼1200°C ± 50°C). Mixing of melts derived from subduction-modified mantle sources with liquids devoid of any subduction imprint, passively upwelling from slab break-off tears could generate magmas with compositions recorded in Nowbaran.

Geochemical and seismic tomography constraints of two-layer magma chambers beneath the bimodal volcanism: A case study of late Cenozoic volcanic rocks from Ulleung Island and Mt. Changbai (Paektu)

We take two typical Northeast Asia bimodal volcanoes as examples to explain the general features of Cenozoic bimodal ocean island basalt (OIB)-type volcanism in Northeast Asia. We present mineralogical, petrological, geochemical, isotopic, and full-waveform seismic tomographic evidence for the existence of two-layer magma chambers of Late Cenozoic volcanic activity beneath Ulleung Island and Mt. Changbai (Paektu). Ulleung Island volcanic rocks, which are composed of alkaline basalt, phonotephrite, trachyte, and phonolite, belong to the alkaline magma series and display enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREEs) and large ion lithophile elements (LILEs), slight depletion of heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), enriched 87Sr/86Sr (0.70475–0.70507) and 143Nd/144Nd (0.51250–0.51255) isotopic values, and enriched 207Pb/204Pb (15.544–15.626) and 208Pb/204Pb (38.750–38.954) values, similar to the geochemistry of OIB. Ulleung Island felsic volcanic rocks are characterized by significant negative Ba, Sr, P, Eu, and Ti anomalies (δEu = 0.14–0.35) and positive Pb anomalies, slightly higher 87Sr/86Sr isotopic ratios relative to those of mafic volcanic rocks, although the mafic and felsic samples have similar Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope compositions without significant differences. Ulleung Island and Mt. Changbai volcanic activities are likely related to the involvement of subduction-related compositions, but parts of the Mt. Changbai samples have been contaminated by crustal components to a certain extent. Mafic volcanic rocks of Ulleung Island are segregated from a deeper mantle source within a pressure range of 10.1–21.2 kbar compared with felsic volcanic rocks, which exhibit fractional crystallization of clinopyxene, spinel, plagioclase, and olivine. To explain this, a two-layer magma chamber beneath Ulleung Island with depths of 30–40 and 60–80 km is proposed, which is supported by mineral crystallization pressure and a three-dimensional full-waveform seismic tomography model. We also suggest that similar magma eruption processes and a two-layer magma chamber with depths of ~10 and 40–60 km also exist beneath Mt. Changbai. Taking the typical Cenozoic bimodal samples from Ulleung Island and Mt. Changbai as examples, we argue that two-layer magma chambers exist beneath Cenozoic bimodal OIB-type volcanic activities in Northeast Asia.

Coexistence of Hainan Plume and Stagnant Slab in the Mantle Transition Zone beneath the South China Sea Spreading Ridge: Constraints from Volcanic Glasses and Seismic Tomography

Abstract The influence of Hainan mantle plume and subducting recycled oceanic crust beneath the spreading ridge of the South China Sea (SCS) have been widely proposed recently, but still controversial and ambiguous. Here, we present seismic tomographic evidence, new major and trace element, and Pb isotopic compositions of volcanic glasses from one International Ocean Drilling Program drill core (Site U1434) in the SCS spreading ridge. The volcanic glasses are relatively enriched in alkalis and light rare earth elements (LREEs) and depleted in heavy REEs (HREEs), exhibit slightly positive anomalies in Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf as well as a positive Nb relative to La and Th, and show relatively high 207Pb/206Pb and 208Pb/206Pb isotopic ratios, suggesting ocean island basalt- (OIB-) type and enriched mantle 2- (EM2-) type geochemical features likely related to a mantle plume. These geochemical features are consistent with those of late Cenozoic volcanic rocks in Hainan and surrounding areas associated with a mantle plume, likely providing the influence of Hainan mantle plume beneath the spreading ridge of the SCS. The SCS primary-melt and volcanic glasses indicate that the source mantle involved 18.5% eclogite (dense, recycled oceanic crust from the stagnant subducted slab) and 46.1% garnet pyroxenite (produced by the reaction between the peridotite melt and recycled oceanic crust). The existence of Hainan mantle plume and stagnant subducted slab is further supported by geophysical evidence from a recent three-dimensional P-wave seismic tomographic model.

Ultramafic mantle xenoliths in the Late Cenozoic volcanic rocks of the Antarctic Peninsula and Jones Mountains, West Antarctica

Abstract Abundant mantle-derived ultramafic xenoliths occur in Cenozoic (7.7–1.5 Ma) mafic alkaline volcanic rocks along the former active margin of West Antarctica, that extends from the northern Antarctic Peninsula to Jones Mountains. The xenoliths are restricted to post-subduction volcanic rocks that were emplaced in fore-arc or back-arc positions relative to the Mesozoic–Cenozoic Antarctic Peninsula volcanic arc. The xenoliths are spinel-bearing, include harzburgites, lherzolites, wehrlites and pyroxenites, and provide the only direct evidence of the composition of the lithospheric mantle underlying most of the margin. The harzburgites may be residues of melt extraction from the upper mantle (in a mid-ocean ridge type setting), that accreted to form oceanic lithosphere, which was then subsequently tectonically emplaced along the active Gondwana margin. An exposed highly depleted dunite–serpentinite upper mantle complex on Gibbs Island, South Shetland Islands, supports this interpretation. In contrast, pyroxenites, wehrlites and lherzolites reflect percolation of mafic alkaline melts through the lithospheric mantle. Volatile and incompatible trace element compositions imply that these interacting melts were related to the post-subduction magmatism which hosts the xenoliths. The scattered distribution of such magmatism and the history of accretion suggest that the dominant composition of sub-Antarctic Peninsula lithospheric mantle is likely to be harzburgitic.

Petrogenesis of the Cenozoic volcanic rocks in Baekdu volcano in northeastern Asia and the expected depth of the magma chamber based on geochemistry, mineral chemistry, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope chemistry

Baekdu volcano is a Cenozoic composite volcano in northeastern Asia that consists of a basaltic plateau, a basaltic shield, and a trachytic to comenditic stratovolcano. In this study, the petrogenesis and tectonic setting of Baekdu volcano are studied based on the whole-rock geochemistry and Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions of the Baekdu volcanic rocks. The K–Ar age and mineral chemistry are also investigated to estimate the evolution of the magma chamber depth beneath Baekdu volcano. The Toudao and Baishan basalts formed ca. 2.5 Ma and 1.1 Ma and erupted from magma chambers located at depths of 11.5 ± 2.2 km and 24.9 ± 3.8 km, respectively. The Xiaobaishan and Middle trachytes and the comendites formed during the Pleistocene from magma chambers located at depths of 2.9 ± 0.2 km, 5.4 ± 0.45 km, and 4.4 ± 0.3 km, respectively. These data suggest that the trachytes and comendites erupted from magma chambers located at depths of approximately 3–5 km. The Baishan basalts have geochemical characteristics comparable with those of ocean island basalt (OIB), whereas the Toudao basalts show enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt (E-MORB) or OIB characteristics. The trends of several components, such as the CaO/Al2O3 ratio and the TiO2 and Sc concentrations, are different between older basalts (>2 Ma, including the Toudao basalts) and younger basalts (<1.5 Ma, including the Baishan basalts), indicating that the magma-forming process changed ca. 2–1.5 Ma. The enrichment in Th/Yb ratios in the Toudao basalts indicates that they experienced crustal contamination. Trachytes and comendites are considered to be products of the fractional crystallization of the Baishan basalt based on the similar geochemical trends of the two rocks. Crustal assimilation (up to 20%) also occurred with fractional crystallization (more than 70%) during the formation of peralkaline silicic volcanic rocks. All volcanic rocks in Baekdu volcano have Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions comparable with the enriched mantle (EM1)-like signature. This EM1-like signature may have originated from the contamination of asthenospheric mantle with Paleoproterozoic lithosphere that sank into the asthenospheric mantle due to delamination caused by regional extensional events in northeastern Asia between the Cretaceous and the Cenozoic. The characteristics of trace element compositions indicate a within-plate tectonic setting for Baekdu volcano. These data imply that Baekdu volcano origin may have been related to a plume of EM1-type upper mantle under the North China Craton.

Variable origin of clinopyroxene megacrysts carried by Cenozoic volcanic rocks from the eastern limb of Central European Volcanic Province (SE Germany and SW Poland)

Clinopyroxene megacrysts occurring in Cenozoic mafic alkaline volcanic rocks from the northern margin of the Bohemian Massif (SW Poland, SE Germany) could be subdivided by colour and Mg# (Mg/(Mg + Fetot)) in three groups. Megacryst with the highest Mg# = 90.0–91.5 (“high Mg#”, HMg#) is transparent and strongly Light Rare Earth Element (LREE) depleted and contains abundant orthopyroxene lamellae. The clinopyroxene megacrysts with “medium Mg#” (MMg#) values (76.8–83.4) are transparent to light grey and are all LREE-enriched. The group with the lowest Mg# (LMg#; 62.2–74.6) is intensively coloured (from grey to green) and may enclose apatite, Ti-magnetite or pseudomorphs after amphibole. The “low Mg#” (LMg#) clinopyroxenes are LREE-enriched, and some display positive Zr–Hf anomalies.The single HMg# megacryst records pressures ~1GPa and temperature of 1280 °C, pointing to its mantle origin. It is the first megacryst described in European lavas and possibly worldwide, which shows affinity to Depleted MORB Mantle (DMM). The MMg# megacrysts formed from fractionating mafic magmas at variable pressures and temperatures – from those corresponding to mantle depths (>1 GPa, 1230–1350 °C) to lower/middle crustal values (0.5–0.9 GPa, 1120–1150 °C). The parental melts for this group are isotopically related to the Cenozic volcanic rocks from the study area. The LMg# megacrysts crystallized from strongly alkaline melts, mostly at lower- to middle-crustal pressures (0.4–1.0 GPa). Their parental melts were also related to Cenozoic volcanism, but their strongly evolved nature resulted in local, but significant enrichment in Zr and Hf. The LMg# megacrysts from three localities in Poland are the first evidence of strongly alkaline magmatism in the north-easternmost part of Cenozoic European Volcanic Province.

Constraints from geochemistry, zircon U-Pb geochronology and Hf-Nd isotopic compositions on the origin of Cenozoic volcanic rocks from central Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic arc, Iran

Considerable debate persists regarding the petrogenesis of high-alumina basalts (HAB) which are purported to occur exclusively in subduction zones. Major and trace element, mineral chemistry, whole-rock Sr-Nd-Hf-isotopes and zircon U-Pb age data are reported for the Cenozoic Eshtehard HABs, in order to constrain the nature of mantle beneath the central Urumieh-Dokhtar magmatic arc, and further investigate the mechanism of HABs generation. Eshtehard HABs, chemically akin to those from continental arcs, include basaltic, basaltic andesite, andesitic and dacitic rocks. U-Pb geochronology of zircon yield ages of 47.2 ± 0.6 Ma, 43.9 ± 0.3, and 40.9 ± 0.5 to 39.4 ± 0.9 for basaltic, andesitic and dacitic samples, respectively. Basaltic andesitic dikes intruded into dacitic hosts yield age of ca. 20–18 Ma. εHf(t) values for Eocene zircons display a range variable from −6.4 to +6.5. Miocene zircons have higher εHf(t), ranging between −1.8 and +10.7. The studied rocks are characterized by enrichment in incompatible trace elements and have relatively homogeneous Sr-Nd isotopes. Integrated studies indicate that Eshtehard HABs were derived from the hydrated, dominantly depleted shallow asthenospheric mantle wedge (and possibly also in the lower lithosphere) overlying subducted oceanic lithosphere. Traversing lithospheric mantle and Cadomian crust, and assimilating crustal material while fractionating plagioclase, high-Ca pyroxene, magnetite, and amphibole, the primary melt formed Eshtehard high-alumina, low-Mg# basalts. We hypothesize that ponding of hydrous magma at the base of the crust allowed for further crustal assimilation and fractionation of Ca-pyroxene and magnetite without plagioclase and zircon nucleation; then, ascending magmas through the crust led to crystallization of plagioclase and eventually zircon. We suggest comparatively high water content (rather than high crystallization pressure), up to 4% sediment melt and less than 10% of continental crust materials were involved, as subordinate components, in the petrogenesis of Eshtehard HABs.

Late Cenozoic volcanism in the Almaludag region, Azerbaijan province, northwest Iran: Evidence for post-collisional extension

We discuss the geology, petrology, and major and trace element geochemistry of Late Cenozoic volcanic rocks in the Almaludag region in the Western Azerbaijan province, northwest Iran. Geology of this region evolved through the northward subduction of the Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere and subsequent collision of the Arabian and Eurasian plates during the Alpine-Himalayan orogeny. Two different Late Cenozoic periods of volcanic activity are recognized: Episode I produced pyroclastic deposits and trachydacitic lava (1.47 Ma, U-Pb dating) and Episode II generated mafic lava and scoria cones (including spatter/cinder). Geochemical data indicate that Episode I lavas have high-silica adakitic compositions, similar to the post-collisional and continental adakites, that formed from the partial melting of the thickened lower crust. Episode II lavas vary in composition and fall into two distinct geochemical groups. The first group includes picrobasalt-basanite and tephrite compared to the more evolved trachybasalt and basaltic trachyandesite of the second group. Both of these groups show alkaline to shoshonitic affinities.The binary geochemical plots of the Episode II samples display compositional trends that indicate magmatic processes such as fractional olivine ± clinopyroxene crystallization. The major and minor elemental variations of these samples reflect a mantle source heterogeneity and minor crustal contamination. The REE (rare earth elements) patterns and spider diagrams indicate enrichment of the large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and depletion of the high field strength elements (HFSE) relative to the heavy rare earth elements (HREE), and reveal an enriched lithospheric mantle source which was previously metasomatized by subduction components. The mantle source of the Episode II lavas was enriched by fluids and melts which were released from a subducted slab between Late Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic in northwest Iran. The Si-undersaturated lavas of the first group of Episode II probably originated in the garnet stability field in the lithospheric mantle with carbonate residue or veins, suggesting that the mantle source probably underwent carbonate metasomatism. Geochemistry of the SiO2 rich lavas of the second group of Episode II is consistent with a melt extracted from a peridotitic mantle source. The compositional variation from the rocks of the first group to those in the second group suggests a diminishing degree of metasomatic veins-wallrock interactions.The Late Cenozoic mafic rocks in the Almaludag region probably formed through extension in a post-collision, post-orogenic setting. The extension was likely the result of the delamination of the thickened subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) and ensuing asthenospheric upwelling after the collision of the Arabian and Eurasian plates.

Petrological characterization of the Cenozoic igneous rocks of the Tafresh district, central Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc (Iran)

We report a petrographic and whole-rock geochemical characterization of the Cenozoic volcanic rocks cropping out in the Tafresh area of the central Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Arc of Iran. The investigated rocks range mainly from basaltic andesite to dacite, and are considered to be genetically linked by (mostly) closed-system evolutionary processes involving fractionation of ferromagnesian minerals and plagioclase first, then of plagioclase and lesser amphibole (plus minor clinopyroxene) and finally of plagioclase with lesser alkali feldspar and minor amphibole. These represent a typical calcalkaline series emplaced in a subduction-related setting, producing the observed LILE-enriched and HFSE-depleted geochemical signature. The basaltic andesite compositions likely derived from an unsampled hydrous primitive melt equilibrated in a spinel-bearing metasomatized peridotite source, evolving at shallow to moderate crustal depths.

Feedback of Slab Distortion on Volcanic Arc Evolution: Geochemical Perspective From Late Cenozoic Volcanism in SW Japan

AbstractSouthwest Japan is an island arc formed by subduction of the Philippine Sea (PHS) plate. The Quaternary magmatism in this region is characterized by eruptions of high‐Sr andesites and dacites, considered to have been derived by melting of the PHS plate. The loci of these volcanoes spatially coincide with seismic discontinuities of the subducted PHS plate. Thus, the magmatism is interpreted as the result of slab melting at the plate tears. However, the processes that promote slab tearing remain unclear. In this study, we applied geochronological and geochemical analyses to late Cenozoic volcanic rocks in southwest Japan as tracers of slab morphology. Two different magma types, ocean‐island basalt (OIB) and island‐arc basalt (IAB), have occurred over 12 million years (Myr). These two magmas are attributed to different integrations of melts extracted from an originally fertile mantle; the OIBs from high temperature melt (1,300–1,400°C) were extracted at a depth of 40–80 km, whereas the IABs were extracted from a shallower, lower temperature region (30–60 km, 1,200–1,350°C). Secular change in Sr enrichment of IAB likely arose due to a transition of slab‐derived fluids, incorporated into magmas as they formed, from water‐ to melt‐dominant one. Progressive shallowing of the subducted PHS plate is responsible for secular change in the properties of slab‐derived fluids as well as rollback of OIB volcanoes. Production of chemically variable magmas in the Chugoku district is the surface expression of distorting slab morphology by interaction between mantle and the subducting plate.

Late Mesozoic–Cenozoic Stages of Volcanism and Geodynamics of the Sea of Japan and Sea of Okhotsk

A model of the geological evolution of the Japan and Okhotsk seas was developed based on radioisotope age, mineralogical, and isotope-geochemical study of the Late Mesozoic–Cenozoic volcanic rocks. The geodynamic settings of volcanic stages were determined as follows: (1) the Late Cretaceous continental-margin (calc-alkaline), (2) the Eocene transform-margin (adakite) in the Sea of Okhotsk, (3) the Miocene–Pliocene marginal sea (alkaline basaltic) in the Sea of Japan, and (4) the Pliocene–Pleistocene island arc (calc-alkaline) in the southern Sea of Okhotsk. It has been established that parental magmas were derived from subcontinental lithosphere, oceanic asthenosphere, and lower-mantle plume-continental (CAB) and plume-oceanic (OIB) sources. Geodynamic settings changed from the Late Cretaceous subduction to the Maastrichtian–Pliocene transform margin. The transform margin setting involved destruction and extension, maximum oceanic-margin spreading (end of the Early Miocene–beginning of the Middle Miocene), and post-spreading lower mantle plume upwelling (the Middle Miocene – Pliocene). It was completed by the resumption of the Pliocene–Pleistocene subduction of the Pacific plate beneath the Eurasian continent.

Identifying Metasomatized Continental Lithospheric Mantle Involvement in Cenozoic Magmatism From Ta/Th Values, Southwestern North America

AbstractThe accessory minerals rutile and apatite are rare or absent in the convecting upper mantle but occur in shallow, cooler, metasomatized continental lithospheric mantle (CLM) where they serve as carrier phases for the trace elements Ta (in rutile) and Th (in apatite). Because both minerals crystallize near‐solidus and are eliminated early during partial mantle melting, the relative abundances of rutile and apatite should control the Ta and Th abundances of mantle melts and provide a means of identifying the involvement of rutile‐ and/or apatite‐bearing metasomatized CLM in mafic continental magmatism. As a test, we investigated published Ta and Th abundances data from ~2,000 whole‐rock samples of mafic to intermediate composition, Cenozoic volcanic rocks in southwestern North America. Roughly half of the samples have Ta/Th values similar to those of island arc volcanic rocks (&lt;0.2) or ocean island and mid‐ocean ridge basalts (&gt;0.6). The remaining samples have intermediate and variable Ta/Th values between 0.2 and 0.6, independent of specific indices of crustal interaction (e.g., wt% P2O5/wt% K2O). We interpret the intermediate Ta/Th rocks as the products of direct melting of, or of extensive melt‐rock interaction with, rutile‐ and/or apatite‐bearing CLM. Intermediate Ta/Th rocks also have uniformly high 87Sr/86Sr (0.706 to 0.708) compared to oceanic basalts that, unlike their Nd isotopic compositions, do not covary with lithospheric age. These observations are consistent with widespread metasomatism of the CLM by Sr‐rich, Nd‐poor, aqueous fluids generated by dehydration of oceanic lithosphere, and its overlying tectonic mélange during early Cenozoic subduction beneath southwestern North America.

Mantle and Recycled Oceanic Crustal Components in Mantle Xenoliths From Northeastern China and their Mantle Sources

AbstractThe subduction of the Paleo‐Pacific plate is widely credited for the destruction of the eastern North China Craton. However, how the Pacific plate subduction has affected the off‐craton lithospheric mantle in northeastern China is less clear, as few studies have focused on the lithospheric mantle‐derived xenoliths in that region. We report petrography, mineral and rock chemistry, and in situ isotopic compositions of Sr in clinopyroxene and O in olivine for 20 peridotite and 11 pyroxenite xenoliths hosted by the Cenozoic volcanic rocks at Jiaohe and Shuangliao localities. The peridotites include lherzolites, harzburgites, and a wehrlite, many are metasomatized. Group 1 garnet pyroxenites have high Al2O3, Ni, and Mg#; positive Eu and Sr anomalies; and olivine δ18O values of 4.8–5.1‰, which we attribute to recycling of oceanic crustal components to the asthenosphere and their reactions with host peridotites. Groups 2 and 3 pyroxenites are garnet‐free and contain peridotite‐like pyroxenes; we argue that they were formed by reactions of lithospheric peridotites with evolved melts derived from recycled oceanic crust. In addition, one pyroxenite contains orthopyroxene surrounded by fine‐grained olivine and clinopyroxene, while another pyroxenite and the wehrlite contain zoned clinopyroxene with gradual increases in Na2O, (La/Yb)N, Sr, and 87Sr/86Sr ratios and decreases in Ti/Eu from core to rim. These characteristics record infiltration of a carbonatite melt shortly before the transport of the xenoliths. The inferred carbonatite melt has 87Sr/86Sr ≥ 0.70415 and mantle‐like olivine δ18O and originated from carbonated asthenosphere. Our results, together with previous studies on the host basalts, suggest that subducted crustal materials were initially transported to the asthenosphere beneath northeastern China to produce carbonate‐bearing domains. Upwelling of the carbonated asthenosphere produced carbonatite melts that migrated upward and metasomatized the overlying lithospheric mantle.

Gas Flows in the Sea of Okhotsk Resulting from Cretaceous-Cenozoic Tectonomagmatic Activity

A model of the geological evolution of the Sea of Okhotsk is presented based on data from radioisotope age determinations and the mineral and isotope-geochemical composition of Late Mesozoic–Cenozoic volcanic rocks. We discuss the probable interrelationship between gas geochemical manifestations of gas fluxes with anomalous methane concentrations and the formation of gas hydrates, along with the occurrence of volcanic processes in the Sea of Okhotsk, fault zones, and different geological structures of basement and sedimentary deposits, landslides, and earthquakes. As a result of the studies, the nature of each volcanic stage has been determined. These include the Late Cretaceous continental-marginal belt stage (calc-alkaline), the Eocene transform-marginal (adakite) stage, and the Pliocene-Pleistocene island arc stage in the southern part of the Sea of Okhotsk. The sources of magma generation have been recognized, namely, the lithosphere subcontinental, asthenosphere oceanic, and plume-oceanic (OIB). The change in geodynamic regimens was traced back from the Late Cretaceous subduction regimen to the Maastrichtian–Datian transform-marginal, which continued as far as the Pliocene and ended at the resumption of the Pliocene–Pleistocene subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the Eurasian continent. This involved the processes of destruction of the subduction plate, lithosphere and asthenosphere diapirism, and lower mantle plume upwelling. In the periods of geodynamic, seismotectonic and volcanic activities, gas migrated along the fault zones from the depth to the surface, together with different volcanic substrates ascending through the upper and lower mantle. Gas contained CO2, CH4, H2, He, N2, O2, and superheated steam (Н2О). Gas plays an important dynamic and physicochemical role in the evolution of the Sea of Okhotsk. At the present stage, gas fluxes migrating from the depth to the surface manifest as gas bubbles penetrating from the bottom sediments into the water column, with some portion of gas penetrating into the atmosphere. In the areas with gas fluxes, the fields containing anomalous concentrations of hydrocarbons, gas hydrate, carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and helium result in the formation of gas hydrates and associations of authigenic minerals and various geochemical elements.

Geology of the southern Mesa Central of Mexico: recording the beginning of a polymodal fault system

ABSTRACT The Mesa Central (MC) of Mexico presents a noticeable feature as is the three-dimensional (3D) deformation of Cenozoic volcanic rocks. To figure out when this unusual deformation began, we constructed a geological map at 1:100,000 scale, with detailed stratigraphy, and thirteen new U-Pb ages in the southern MC. The mapped area is dominated by silicic volcanic rocks with ages from ca. 34.4 Ma to ca. 23.5 Ma affected by coeval normal faulting. An angular unconformity evidences a shift in the deformation style that occurred around 30 Ma, from an NW-trending fault system in domino-style to a polymodal fault system, which also temporally coincided with the emplacement of lava dome complexes. The structural and stratigraphic data give new insight for understanding how the polymodal fault system developed in the southern MC, suggesting that the change in the deformation and volcanism regime played an important role.

Lead isotope evolution of the Central European upper mantle: Constraints from the Bohemian Massif

The Pb isotope composition of the upper mantle beneath Central Europe is heterogeneous due to the subduction of regionally contrasting material during the Variscan and Alpine orogenies. Late Variscan to Cenozoic mantle-derived melts allow mapping this heterogeneity on a regional scale for the last ca. 340 Myr. Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic anorogenic magmatic rocks of the Bohemian Massif (lamprophyres, volcanic rocks of basanite/tephrite and trachyte/phonolite series) concentrate mostly in the Eger Rift. Cretaceous ultramafic lamprophyres yielded the most radiogenic Pb isotope signatures reflecting a maximum contribution from metasomatised lithospheric mantle, whereas Tertiary alkaline lamprophyres originated from mantle with less radiogenic 206Pb/204Pb ratios suggesting a more substantial modification of lithospheric source by interaction with asthenospheric-derived melts. Cenozoic volcanic rocks of the basanite/tephrite and trachyte/phonolite series define a linear mixing trend between these components, indicating dilution of the initial lithospheric mantle signature by upwelling asthenosphere during rifting. The Pb isotope composition of Late Cretaceous and Cenozoic magmatic rocks of the Bohemian Massif follows the same Pb growth curve as Variscan orogenic lamprophyres and lamproites that formed during the collision between Laurussia, Gondwana, and associated terranes. This implies that the crustal Pb signature in the post-Variscan mantle is repeatedly sampled by younger anorogenic melts. Most Cenozoic mantle-derived rocks of Central Europe show similar Pb isotope ranges as the Bohemian Massif.

Geochemical comparison of late Mesozoic and early Cenozoic volcanic rocks in South Mongolia

The Mesozoic-Cenozoic volcanic rocks are widely distributed in the interior of the East Asia and document the tectonic transition of East Asia. We present new geochronology and geochemistry data of late Cretaceous-early Cenozoic basalts in Bayantsagaan and Han-Uul volcanic provinces in South Mongolia, in order to explore their petrogenesis and geodynamic settings. The volcanic rocks in the Bayantsagaan and Han-Uul field yielded K-Ar ages of 90.55±1.93 Ma and 55.49±1.49 Ma, respectively. The volcanic rocks in South Mongolia can be subdivided into to alkaline basalts and tholeiitic series, and are characterized by ocean island basalts (OIB) trace elements features, such as enrichment of light REE relative to heavy REE and enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE) with positive K anomaly. Compared with the late Cretaceous, the early Cenozoic basalts show a decrease in the contents of HREE and an increase of Nb and Ta. Crustal contamination and fractional crystallization are insignificant in the genesis of late Cretaceous-early Cenozoic basalts South Mongolia. The available Sr-Nd isotope results indicate that a mixing depleted (DM) and enriched mantle (EM) signature characterize in late Cretaceous volcanic rocks, which derived from magmas from the asthenosphere with some contributions of metasomatized subcontinent lithospheric mantle, whereas the early Cenozoic basalts are ascribed to contributions from the asthenospheric mantle. We propose that the generation of the late Cretaceous-early Cenozoic volcanism (90-40 Ma) in Mongolia is probably related to the shallow mantle upwelling (asthenosphere) induced by the edge convection along the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC), triggered by a far-field effect of Indo-Asian collision.

Lithium concentrations and isotope signatures of Palaeozoic basement rocks and Cenozoic volcanic rocks from the Central Andean arc and back-arc

We investigate the Li isotope composition and the Li concentrations of metamorphic and sedimentary rocks of the Palaeozoic (Pz) basement in the Central Andes and follow the trace of the Li in the Cenozoic volcanic rocks at the active continental margin. The average Li isotope composition of Pz-basement closely resembles global averages of upper crustal rocks with overlapping, but higher average Li content in the Pz-basement. Lithium isotope composition and content in the Cenozoic volcanic rocks of the Central Volcanic Zone (CVZ) range from mantle-like signatures to Pz-basement compositions with high δ7Li values and high Li contents. Evolutionary trends of the Li isotope composition in the CVZ volcanic rocks can be explained by assimilation of the Pz-basement. At a margin-wide scale, the abundance of Li in the CVZ volcanic rocks is higher than that of the Cenozoic volcanic rocks of the active Andean arc north and south of the CVZ. The CVZ volcanic and Pz-basement rocks are considered to be the primary source of Li in world-class Li-deposits in evaporates of the Altiplano-Puna high plateau and its western slope between ca 27° and 20° S. These deposits define the so-called “Lithium-Triangle”, between southern Bolivia, NW Argentina and NE Chile. The pivotal processes of extraction of Li from its primary rock sources and of Li migration from the source rocks to the deposits still await detailed investigation.

Geochronology and Sr–Nd–Hf isotope constraints on the petrogenesis of teschenites from the type-locality in the Outer Western Carpathians

Abstract The Teschenite Association Rocks (TAR) in the Outer Western Carpathian (OWC) flysch form a classic suite of alkaline intrusions where teschenite and picrite were first defined. They represent continental intraplate volcanism that produced a wide range of melano- to mesocratic rocks emplaced during the Early Cretaceous rifting within the southern margin of the European Plate. Geochemical modelling indicates that they may be a product of ~2–5 % partial melting of the metasomatised, asthenospheric mantle. The variations in REE (low / heavy REE content, LaN/YbN = 11–34) are consistent with deep melting of garnet peridotite. Initial ε(Nd)i = 5.0–6.3 and ε(Hf)i = 4.9–10.0 preclude the significant mature crust involvement. Instead, a linear array formed by the 143Nd/144Nd and 176Hf/177Hf isotopic ratios points to a genesis from the mixed, HIMU–OIB source with the more depleted, MORB-type component. Mantle metasomatism was most likely caused by the Variscan subduction–collision processes as indicated by the depleted mantle Nd model ages. The isotope and trace element ratios of the TAR resemble the European Asthenospheric Reservoir (EAR) — the common mantle end-member for the widespread Cenozoic volcanic rocks in Europe. This confirms a long-term existence of the EAR mantle component beneath the Central Europe, at least since the Early Cretaceous. In situ laser-ablation ICP-MS U–Pb dating of titanite indicates short duration of mafic alkaline magmatism in the OWC, lasting from 123.7 ± 2.1 to 117.9 ± 1.8 Ma. Emplacement of the TAR is correlated with the maximum lithospheric thinning that triggered adiabatic decompression and partial melting of the upwelling asthenospheric mantle. Magmatism ceased most likely due to transition to the dominantly compressive regime associated with the major stress field reorganization directly preceding the Carpathian– Alpine Orogeny.

Origin of volcanic-hosted Mn-oxide mineralization from San Pietro Island (SW Sardinia, Italy): An integrated geochemical, mineralogical and isotopic study

The Mn-oxide mineralizations from Sardinia (Italy) represent examples of Mn deposits in a continental environment and, as such, their investigation can shed light on the genesis and characteristics of this deposit type, less studied than their more common oceanic counterpart. In this paper, the genetic mechanisms, the physical-chemical conditions and the origin of the mineralizing fluids are discussed for the volcanic-hosted Mn ores of the San Pietro Island (SW Sardinia), through an integrated geochemical, mineralogical and radiogenic isotope approach. New and published data are here examined on the basis of recent trace element discrimination schemes for Mn ores and a model for the genesis is proposed.The mineralogy of the alteration paragenesis (argillic facies) and the type of observed fluid inclusions (very small monophase liquid inclusions) suggest a circulation of mineralizing fluids characterized by weak acidic conditions (pH indicatively around 5) and relatively low temperature (<100–120 °C). Geochemical features such as the contents of transition metals (Mn, Fe, Cu, Co, Ni, Zn), and contents and ratios of rare-earth elements and yttrium (REY), suggest that the San Pietro Island Mn metallogenesis is the result of combined hydrothermal and hydrogenetic mechanisms of formation. The Pb isotope compositions of different Mn veins exhibit a significant spread that suggests the contribution of distinct mineralizing fluids, deriving their isotopic signature from both seawater and water-rock interaction processes.The possible model of formation of the San Pietro Mn mineralization can be viewed as a complex process, in which Mn-bearing fluids originated from remobilization of Mn oxides sequestered in shelf and slope sediments and/or from leaching of the older Cenozoic volcanic rocks that form the basement of the island. Fluid rise was due to hydrothermal convection, possibly related to the general thermal anomaly active in the area from 15 to 12 Ma, during the final stage of the intense Cenozoic volcanic activity of the Sulcis area (San Pietro, Sant'Antioco, Isola del Toro volcanic activity). The fluids were probably dominated by seawater, characterized by relatively low temperatures and acidic conditions, due to the input of H2S of hydrothermal origin. The Mn ore deposition occurred in relatively shallow water and oxidizing environment, following the pH neutralization induced by water-rock interaction processes.