Gabbroic Cumulates Research Articles

Early Eocene clinoenstatite boninite and boninite-series dikes of the ophiolite of New Caledonia; a witness of slab-derived enrichment of the mantle wedge in a nascent volcanic arc

Clinoenstatite-bearing boninites (CE-boninite) from the serpentinite sole of the Cenozoic ophiolite of New Caledonia near Nepoui have been dated by the 40Ar/39Ar method, yielding two plateau ages of 47.4±0.9Ma and 50.4±1.3Ma. Coarser grained, geochemically similar boninite-series felsic dikes consistently yielded U–Pb zircon ages of ca. 54Ma.Nepoui CE-boninites display whole rock geochemical features similar to that of Cape Vogel boninites (Papua-New Guinea). They similarly have been generated by low degree hydrous melting of depleted peridotite. High contents in LILE and LREE, and some elemental ratios suggest source enrichment by subduction-derived fluids and melts. However, unlike the Cape Vogel boninite, moderately depleted MORB-like isotopic signatures (εNd50=7.9) rule out the role of OIB-like, or E-MORB component that might account for the relatively high LREE and LILE contents measured in the rocks. Nd isotopic ratios and positive anomalies in Zr and Hf are closely similar to that of the slightly older felsic dikes (55–50Ma) that crosscut the peridotite from the ophiolite in New Caledonia. Most of these magmas have been generated by slab melting during the early stages of intra-oceanic subduction. The Early Eocene subduction started at or near the “oceanic” ridge and involved young and hot lithosphere; therefore, slab-derived melts may have reacted locally with hot depleted peridotites. Finally, water influx into the mantle wedge during the subduction of slightly older (cooler and hydrated) lithosphere initiated a low degree partial melting event in the mantle wedge and generated the CE-boninite magma.Geochemical modeling of hydrous melting of a depleted mantle re-enriched by slab melts suggest that the additional slab melt component was derived from the partial melting of a BABB-like barroisite-bearing eclogite, similar to some elements of the Eocene HP–LT Pouebo terrane. This potential magma source is similar to the BABB-like HT amphibolites of the metamorphic sole of the ophiolite, which have the same origin. Geochemical modeling also suggests that CE-boninite magma may have been in equilibrium with the enstatite-bearing gabbro cumulates that crop out in several places of the Massif du Sud.However, modeling fails in establishing that harzburgite of the same massif simply corresponds to the melting residue of this process. It appears that ultra-depleted supra-subduction peridotites of the Massif du Sud are probably not directly related to the overlying gabbro cumulates.

Petrological, Geochemical and Sr–Nd–O Isotopic Constraints on the Origin of Garnet and Spinel Pyroxenites from the Moldanubian Zone of the Bohemian Massif

Garnet pyroxenites, spinel pyroxenites, and eclogites in the Moldanubian Zone of the Bohemian Massif form layers and lenses in mantle-derived peridotites that are enclosed by migmatitic gneisses and granulites. We have analysed major and trace elements, and Sr, Nd and oxygen isotopes for a suite of pyroxenites, which vary in composition and origin, from nine localities (Becvary, Horni Bory, Drahonin, Nihov, Mohelno, Nove Dvory, Horni Kounice, Karlstetten and Meidling-im-Tal) in the Gfohl Unit and Kutna Hora Complex. Based on conventional geothermobarometry, most pyroxenites yield a restricted range of temperatures (similar to 875-975 degrees C) over a wide span of pressures (similar to 1.0-3.0 GPa). The pyroxenite suite exhibits large variations in elemental and isotopic compositions, reflecting its complex origin and evolution. Based on the rare earth element (REE) compositions of clinopyroxene (Cpx), three types of pyroxenite can be distinguished: Type A with a light REE (LREE)-depleted patterns, Type B with an LREE-enriched pattern and Type C with a convex-upward REE pattern. Such REE patterns reflect derivation of the melts from depleted (Type A) and enriched (Types B and C) mantle sources. Pyroxenites from eight localities originated as high-pressure crystal cumulates from transient basaltic melts migrating through the lithospheric mantle. In contrast, pyroxenites at the Becvary locality represent fragments of metamorphosed gabbroic cumulates from oceanic crust. For the pyroxenite suite as a whole, a positive correlation between Sr/Nd and Eu/Eu*, radiogenic Sr-87/Sr-86 and negative epsilon(Nd) values in clinopyroxene, and variable delta O-18 values in coexisting garnet argue for the presence of a crustal component in the parental pyroxenite melts. Variations in compatible elements (Ni, Sc, and Co) indicate that combined assimilation and fractional crystallization was important in the evolution of most of the pyroxenite parental melts, although fractional crystallization alone is recorded by the fragments of oceanic crust, perhaps reflecting their pre-subduction crystallization history.

Immiscible iron- and silica-rich liquids in the Upper Zone of the Bushveld Complex

The Bushveld Complex (South Africa) is the largest layered intrusion on Earth and plays a considerable role in our understanding of magmatic differentiation and ore-forming processes. In this study, we present new geochemical data for apatite-hosted multiphase inclusions in gabbroic cumulates from the Bushveld Upper Zone. Inclusions re-homogenized at high-temperature (1060–1100 °C) display a range of compositions in each rock sample, from iron-rich (35 wt.% FeOtot; 28 wt.% SiO2) to silica-rich (5 wt.% FeOtot; 65 wt.% SiO2). This trend is best explained by an immiscible process and trapping of contrasted melts in apatite crystals during progressive cooling along the binodal of a two-liquid field. The coexistence of both Si-rich and Fe-rich immiscible melts in single apatite grains is used to discuss the ability of immiscible melts to segregate from each other, and the implications for mineral and bulk cumulate compositions. We argue that complete separation of immiscible liquids did not occur, resulting in crystallization of similar phases from both melts but in different proportions. However, partial segregation in a crystal mush and the production of contrasting phase proportions from the Fe-rich melt and the Si-rich melt can be responsible for the cyclic evolution from melanocratic (Fe–Ti–P-rich) to leucocratic (plagioclase-rich) gabbros which is commonly observed in the Upper Zone of the Bushveld Complex where it occurs at a vertical scale of 50 to 200 m.

Megacrystic pyroxene basalts sample deep crustal gabbroic cumulates beneath the Mount Taylor volcanic field, New Mexico

Distributed over the ~2.3m.y. history of the alkaline and compositionally diverse Mount Taylor Volcanic Field (MTVF), New Mexico is a widespread texturally distinct family of differentiated basalts that contain resorbed megacrysts (up to 3cm) of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, and olivine±Ti–magnetite±ilmenite±orthopyroxene. These lavas have gabbroic cumulate inclusions with mineral compositions similar to the megacrysts, suggesting a common origin. Gabbroic and megacrystic clinopyroxenes form positive linear arrays in TiO2 (0.2–2.3wt.%) with respect to Al2O3 (0.7–9.3wt.%). Plagioclase (An41–80) from representative thin sections analyzed for 87Sr/86Sr by laser ablation ICP-MS range from 0.7036 to 0.7048. The low 87Sr/86Sr plagioclases (0.7036 to 0.7037) are associated with high Ti–Al clinopyroxenes. Likewise, the higher 87Sr/86Sr plagioclases (0.7043 to 0.7047) are associated with the low-Al clinopyroxenes. Taken together, the pyroxene and plagioclase megacrysts appear to track the differentiation of a gabbroic pluton (or related plutons) from alkaline to Si-saturated conditions by fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation. Clinopyroxene-liquid geobarometry calculations suggest that crystallization occurred near the crust–mantle transition at an average of ~1200°C and 12–13kbar. The distribution of the megacrystic pyroxene basalts suggests that a gabbroic intrusive body underlies subregions of the MTVF that have generated silicic magmas. The gabbro is interpreted to be a significant heat and mass input into the lower crust that is capable of driving the petrogenesis of diverse silicic compositions (through fractionation and crustal assimilation), including mugearites, trachytes, trachy-andesites and dacites, high-Si rhyolites, and topaz rhyolites of the MTVF.

Genesis of chromium-rich kyanite in eclogite-facies Cr-spinel-bearing gabbroic cumulates, Pohorje Massif, Eastern Alps

Natural kyanites with Cr2O3 contents >1 wt% are very rare and known only from high- P environments, for example, eclogite-facies gabbroic cumulates containing Cr-spinel from the Pohorje Massif, Eastern Alps, Slovenia. In these rocks, turquoise-colored Cr-rich kyanites are present in two different textural types. A first type has formed as blocky crystals of several hundred micrometers in size around clusters of small drop-like Cr-spinels. This kyanite shows a highly irregular Cr distribution and may contain up to 15.6 wt% Cr2O3, which is one of the highest Cr2O3 contents reported so far. A second type is present as part of reaction coronas around large red-brownish Cr-spinel and forms deep-blue needle-like crystals that rarely exceed 100 μm in size. This kyanite contains up to 8.2 wt% Cr2O3 and is associated with Cr-rich corundum (≤9.1 wt% Cr2O3) and Cr-Al-rich pargasite (≤3.9 wt% Cr2O3). The formation of kyanite around Cr-spinel droplets is interpreted to be the result of increasing P-T conditions during prograde metamorphism where Cr-spinel and plagioclase or quartz react to Cr-kyanite, ±garnet, ±omphacite. In contrast, the formation of kyanite associated with Cr-rich corundum and Cr-rich pargasite within coronas around Cr-spinel occurred in an early stage of the retrogressive evolution of the gabbroic cumulates at eclogite-facies conditions of ~2.5 GPa and 750–800 °C triggered by the influx of H2O-rich fluids. The driving force for developing these coronas was an increase in the chemical potential of silica caused by the infiltrating hydrous fluid phase. P-T estimates using matrix mineral assemblage place the peak metamorphic conditions close to the quartz/coesite transition with temperatures in the range of 750–810 °C and pressures of ~2.9 GPa.

Platinum-Group Elements Mineralization in the Cumulate Gabbro of Phenai Mata Complex, Deccan Large Igneous Province, India

Platinum-Group Elements Mineralization in the Cumulate Gabbro of Phenai Mata Complex, Deccan Large Igneous Province, India

Olivine Slurry Replenishment and the Development of Igneous Layering in a Franklin Sill, Victoria Island, Arctic Canada

The Franklin sills and dykes on Victoria Island in the Canadian Arctic represent the sub-volcanic plumbing system to the Natkusiak flood basalts, which are associated with the late Neoproterozoic (c. 723–716 Ma) break-up of Rodinia. The Lower Pyramid Sill (LPS) is the distal end of a sill complex that may be rooted in the Uhuk Massif, a major fault-guided magmatic feeder system. The LPS is unusual for a thin (c. 21 m), shallow, tholeiitic intrusion because it displays well-developed cumulate layering similar to that seen in large layered intrusions. The LPS has an aphanitic, olivine-phyric (c. 5%) Lower Chilled Margin (LCM), a (<1 m thick) dendritic, olivine-phyric Lower Border Zone (LBZ), a (c. 7 m thick) olivine-dominated (up to c. 55%) melagabbro–feldspathic-peridotite zone (OZ), a thin (c. 1 m) clinopyroxene-rich cumulate gabbro (CPZ) containing sector-zoned euhedral clinopyroxene, a (c. 10 m thick) doleritic gabbro zone (DZ), a (<1 m thick) aphyric, dendritic Upper Border Zone (UBZ) and an aphanitic, olivine-phyric (c. 5%) Upper Chilled Margin (UCM). Distinct compositional groups recognized in olivines from the OZ can be associated with specific crystal morphologies, some showing significant reverse zoning. Melt compositions were calculated through application of the olivine–melt Fe ¼ Mg exchange coefficient. The calculations suggest that phenocrystic and primocrystic olivine (Fo88–82) in the LCM–LBZ and lower OZ formed from melts with c. 13–10 wt % MgO. Modeling implies that reversely zoned olivine primocrysts and chadacrysts have rims in equilibrium with melts of c. 10–8 wt % MgO that were saturated only in olivine (þ minor chromite), whereas some olivine cores formed from melts as evolved as c. 6–5 wt % MgO that would have coexisted with a gabbroic assemblage. The presence of multiple olivine populations in the OZ (some reverse zoned) indicates that the LPS did not crystallize from a single pulse of melt that evolved by closed-system fractional crystallization. We propose that the reverse zoning pattern records incorporation of evolved crystals, most derived from the mushy gabbroic host, when an olivine-charged replenishment under- or intraplated the partly crystallized basaltic magma, now preserved as the DZ. The intervening CPZ may also owe its origin to the emplacement of the olivine slurry, possibly as a result of pore-scale melt mixing at this interface. The DZ shows inward differentiation trends that can be explained by in situ differentiation. The data imply that late emplacement of olivine-rich

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of mafic-ultramafic rocks from the Central Indian Ridge, latitude 8°–17° S: denudation of mantle harzburgites and gabbroic rocks and compositional variation of basalts

This study investigates the formation of lower oceanic crust and geochemical variations of basalts along the Central Indian Ridge (CIR, lat. 7°45′–17°10′ S). Harzburgites, various gabbroic cumulates, medium- to fine-grained oxide gabbros, diabases, and pillow basalts were recovered by dredging from segment ends such as ridge-transform intersections (RTIs), non-transform discontinuities (NTDs), and transform offset areas. The occurrence of both harzburgites and gabbroic rocks with minor basalts at all segments ends, and leucogabbro intrusive into harzburgite at the 12°45′ S NTD indicates that oceanic crust at segment ends exposes mantle-derived harzburgites and gabbroic intrusions with a thin basaltic cover due to sparse magmatic activity. Basalts collected along the entire ridge show wide compositional variations between N (normal)- and E (enriched)-mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB). T (transitional)-MORBs with enriched affinities are more prominent than N-MORBs. There is no tendency of enrichment towards specific directions. (La/Sm)N variations in MORB along the CIR (8°–21°S) fluctuates at a regional scale with local high positive anomalies reflecting compositional heterogeneity of the sub-CIR mantle domain.

Recycled oceanic crust in the source of 90–40 Ma basalts in North and Northeast China: Evidence, provenance and significance

Major, trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data of basalts emplaced during 90–40Ma in the North and Northeast China are compiled in this review, with aims of constraining their petrogenesis, and by inference the evolution of the North China Craton during the late Cretaceous and early Cenozoic. Three major components are identified in magma source, including depleted component I and II, and an enriched component. The depleted component I, which is characterized by relatively low 87Sr/86Sr (<0.7030), moderate 206Pb/204Pb (18.2), moderately high εNd (∼4), high Eu/Eu∗ (>1.1) and HIMU-like trace element characteristics, is most likely derived from gabbroic cumulate of the oceanic crust. The depleted component II, which distinguishes itself by its high εNd (∼8) and moderate 87Sr/86Sr (∼0.7038), is probably derived from a sub-lithospheric ambient mantle. The enriched component has low εNd (2–3), high 87Sr/86Sr (>0.7065), low 206Pb/204Pb (17), excess Sr, Rb, Ba and a deficiency of Zr and Hf relative to the REE. This component is likely from the basaltic portion of the oceanic crust, which is variably altered by seawater and contains minor sediments. Comparison with experimental melts and trace element modeling suggest that these recycled oceanic components may be in form of garnet pyroxenite/eclogite. These components are young (<0.5Ga) and show an Indian-MORB isotopic character. Given the share of this isotopic affinity by the extinct Izanaghi-Pacific plate, currently stagnated within the mantle transition zone, we propose that it ultimately comes from the subducted Pacific slab.Eu/Eu∗ and 87Sr/86Sr of the 90–40Ma magmas increases and decreases, respectively, with decreasing emplacement age, mirroring a change in magma source from upper to lower parts of subducted oceanic crust. Such secular trends are created by dynamic melting of a heterogeneous mantle containing recycled oceanic crust. Due to different melting temperature of the upper and lower ocean crust and progressive thinning of the lithosphere, the more fertile basaltic crustal component is preferentially sampled during the early stage of volcanism, whereas the more depleted gabbroic lower crust and lithospheric mantle components are preferentially sampled during a late stage. This model is consistent with a protracted destruction process of the lithosphere beneath eastern China. The presence of significant recycled oceanic crust components in the 90–40Ma basalts highlights the influence of Pacific subduction on the deep processes in the North China Craton, which can be traced back at least to the late Cretaceous. This, along with the conjugation of crustal deformation pattern in this region with the movement of the Pacific plate, makes the Pacific subduction as a potential trigger of the destruction of the North China Craton.

Petrogenesis and geodynamic significance of silicic volcanism in the western Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt: role of gabbroic cumulates

In the western Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt voluminous silicic volcanism has been associated with the rifting of the Jalisco block from mainland Mexico. Rhyolitic volcanism started at 7.5 Ma after a major pulse of basaltic volcanism aged 11–8.5 Ma associated with slab detachment. This was followed by a second period, between 4.9 and 2.9 Ma, associated with rhyolitic domes and ignimbrite coexisting with basaltic volcanism. The similarity in rare earth element contents between basalts and rhyolites excludes a simple liquid line of descent. The low Ba and Sr contents and the ferroan character of the rhyolites suggest extensive fractional crystallization. Late Miocene–early Pliocene rhyolite Sr isotope values are only slightly more radiogenic than the basalts, whereas Nd isotope ratios are indistinguishable. We successfully modelled the 7.5–3 Ma silicic magmatism as a result of partial melting of crustal gabbroic complexes that we infer to have formed in the mid-lower crust due to the high-density Fe-enriched composition of the late Miocene basaltic volcanism. Slab rollback since ~7.5 Ma favoured decompression melting and arrival of additional mafic magmas that intruded in the lower crust. These basalts heated and melted the gabbroic complexes forming the silicic magmas, which subsequently underwent assimilation and fractional crystallization processes. The first silicic pulse was emplaced during a period of low tectonic activity. Extensional faulting since the Pliocene favours the eruption of both silicic magma and lesser amount of mafic lavas.

Petrology, geochemistry and geochronology of gabbros from the Zhongcang ophiolitic mélange, central Tibet: Implications for an intra-oceanic subduction zone within the Neo-Tethys Ocean

In order to investigate the evolution of Shiquanhe-Yongzhu-Jiali ophiolitic melange belt, the gabbros from new discovered Zhongcang ophiolitic melange are studied through petrology, whole-rock geochemistry, zircon U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotope. The gabbros investigated in this paper contain cumulate gabbro and gabbro dike, and they have undergone greenschist-amphibolite facies metamorphism. The chondrite normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns of most of these rocks show flat types with slightly light REE (LREE) depletion and the N-MORB normalized incompatible elements diagrams indicate depletion in high field strength elements (HFSE) (Nb, Ta) and enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE). These gabbros have island arc and mid-ocean ridge basalt affinities, suggesting that they were originated in an oceanic back arc basin. Whole rock geochemistry and high positive ɛ Nd(t) values show that these gabbros were derived from ∼30% partial melting of a spinel lherzolite mantle, which was enriched by interaction with slab-derived fluids and melts from sediment. U-Pb analyses of zircons from cumulate gabbro yield a weighted mean age of 114.3±1.4 Ma. Based on our data and previous studies, we propose that an intra-oceanic subduction system and back arc basin operated in the Neo-Tethy Ocean of central Tibet during Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, resembling modern active intra-oceanic subduction systems in the western Pacific.

Magmatic relationships between depleted mantle harzburgites, boninitic cumulate gabbros and subduction-related tholeiitic basalts in the Puerto Plata ophiolitic complex, Dominican Republic: Implications for the birth of the Caribbean island-arc

The Lower Cretaceous Puerto Plata ophiolitic complex (PPC) occurs west of the main collisional suture between the Caribbean and North American plates in the northern Dominican Republic, and imposes important constraints on the geochemical and tectonic processes associated with the birth of the Caribbean island-arc. The PPC exposes a tectonically dismembered 3.0-km-thick section of upper mantle harzburgites, lower crustal cumulate gabbroic rocks and upper crustal basaltic pillow lavas, volcanic breccias and pelagic sediments. The harzburgites exhibit a highly depleted signature in terms of their modal compositions, mineral chemistry and whole rock major and trace element contents, suggesting that they are residues after high-degrees of partial melting. Melt modeling suggests that they were similar in trace element characteristics to a boninite. In the crustal sequence, three magmatic episodes have been recognized based on field, mineral and geochemical data. The first phase is composed of the lower layered gabbronorites, which are variably deformed and recrystallized at high-temperature conditions. Trace element modeling suggests that the gabbronorites crystallized from LREE-depleted island-arc tholeiitic (IAT) melts. The second phase is composed of the intermediate layered troctolites (126Ma), which are undeformed and preserve igneous cumulate textures. Modeling indicates that the troctolites crystallized from boninitic melts. The gabronorite–troctolite substrate was intruded by a third, supra-subduction zone tholeiitic magmatic phase at <126Ma, which formed the upper olivine gabbros and gabbronorites. These gabbroic rocks formed from melts similar in composition to the IAT basalts and basaltic andesites of the overlying Los Caños Fm. Contemporaneous Aptian to lower Albian mafic volcanic rocks of the Los Ranchos Fm and Cacheal complex have comparable IAT geochemical and isotopic signatures, suggesting that all of them may have erupted over a single piece of the Caribbean oceanic lithosphere.The Lower Cretaceous PPC is interpreted to have formed during initiation of W/SW-directed subduction in an intra-oceanic island-arc setting. Fast rollback of the subducting slab would have induced extension in the Caribbean upper plate, and upwelling of mantle already depleted by the generation of oceanic crust. Aided by fluid expelled from the downgoing plate, the decompression melting of this previously depleted mantle at shallow levels yielded boninitic melts. The supra-subduction zone tholeiite sequence would have formed from ascending fertile mantle fluxed with subduction-related fluids as rollback continued. This model constrains the initiation and early evolution of a SW-dipping subduction zone that was responsible for the formation of the primitive Caribbean island-arc/back-arc system currently preserved in several locations in the Greater Antilles.

Geochronology of the Dong Tso Ophiolite and the Tectonic Environment

AbstractThe wedge shaped Dong Tso ophiolitic block is distributed near the transition point from the western to the middle sub–belt of the Bangong–Nujiang suture zone. The ophiolite is characterized by well–developed cumulate rocks that are mainly composed of cumulate and massive gabbros. In the cumulate gabbros, the adcumulate amphiboles are distributed extensively around the plagioclase and residual pyroxene grains; hence, the rocks are named adcumulate amphibole–gabbro. In this study, the formation age of the ophiolite has been estimated to be 166 ± 4 million years (Ma) by the sensitive high–resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) II U–Pb isotopic analysis of the zircons from the adcumulate amphibole–gabbro; the 40Ar/39Ar plateau age was estimated to be 148.19 ± 1.53 Ma, which should represent the emplacement time of the ophiolite, by isotopic dating of the pure amphibole mineral from the amphibole–schist. Two different suits of volcanic lavas have been recognized in this work. The purple colored pillow basalts have high TiO2 and P2O5 contents, and are rich in light rare earth elements (LREEs), large–ion lithospheric elements (LILEs) and high–field–strength elements (HFSEs), the characteristics that are the typical of the oceanic island basalt (OIB). On the other hand, other massive basaltic andesites of celadon color are poor in MgO; rich in Fe2O3, LREEs, LILEs, and HFSEs; and especially characterized by negative Nb and Ta anomalies, the properties that establish the andesites as continental arc volcanic rocks. It is concluded that hotspots had developed in the old Dong Tso basin, the oceanic basin that had been developing from middle Jurassic (166 Ma) or even before and emplaced northward in late Jurassic (about 148 Ma).

Geochemistry of eclogite‐ and blueschist‐facies rocks from the Bantimala Complex, South Sulawesi, Indonesia: Protolith origin and tectonic setting

AbstractWe present the first data on bulk‐rock major and trace element compositions for a suite of eclogite‐ and blueschist‐facies rocks from the Bantimala Complex, Indonesia, with the aim of better constraining the protolith origins and nature of the subducted crust. The eclogites can be classified into two groups: glaucophane‐rich eclogite and glaucophane‐free eclogite, whereas the blueschists are divided into albite–epidote glaucophanite and quartz–glaucophane schists. SiO2 contents of the eclogites are 43.3–49.6 wt%, with Na2O + K2O contents 3.7–4.7 wt%. The blueschists show a wider range of compositions, with SiO2 = 40.7–63.8 wt% and Na2O + K2O = 2.7–4.5 wt%. Trace element data suggest that the eclogite protoliths include both enriched and normal mid‐oceanic ridge basalt (E‐MORB and N‐MORB) and also gabbroic cumulates. The blueschists show more variation in protoliths, which include N‐MORB, Oceanic Island Basalt (OIB) and Island Arc Basalt (IAB). Plots of element concentrations against the immobile Zr show considerable mobility of large ion lithophiles but not of high field‐strength elements during high‐pressure metamorphism, and indicate that the high SiO2 content of some blueschists is probably due to metasomatism by a LILE‐rich siliceous aqueous fluid. Strong correlations between K, Rb, Ba and Cs suggests that enrichment of these elements occurred by a single process. All the protoliths were subducted, metamorphosed to blueschist/eclogite‐facies and subsequently exhumed. It is noteworthy that the samples deduced to have come from thicker‐crust environments (OIB, IAB) were subducted to shallower depths (blueschist‐facies) than MORB‐derived samples, all except one of which reached eclogite‐facies conditions. The geochemical data of this study demonstrate the variety of ocean floor types that were subducted under the southeast margin of Sundaland in the late Jurassic period.

Timing of Ti-magnetite crystallisation and silicate disequilibrium in the Panzhihua mafic layered intrusion: Implications for ore-forming processes

The ±260Ma Panzhihua mafic layered intrusion is one of a suite of intrusions related to the Emeishan Large Igneous Province (ELIP), SW China. The Panzhihua intrusion hosts a large (±60m thick) FeTi oxide ore body at the base of the intrusion. This study provides new constraints on the genesis of FeTi oxide ore layers at the Panzhihua intrusion using: geochemistry, petrography, and modeling of parent magma crystallisation with variation in fO2 and H2O content.Whole-rock major element geochemical trends are controlled by the modal abundance of FeTi oxides (Ti-magnetite and ilmenite). The lower ±270m of the intrusion is clearly dominated by a Ti-magnetite accumulation trend whereas above this level the geochemical variation is consistent with a Ti-magnetite and ilmenite accumulation trend. This suggests that the lower ±270m of the intrusion crystallised at higher fO2 conditions relative to that above ±270m. Detailed petrographic analysis of exsolution microtextures of the Ti-magnetite from within ore layers and gabbroic host rocks also indicates a relative increase in fO2 within the ore rocks. Modeling of Panzhihua parent magma shows that Ti-magnetite crystallises late for dry (<0.5wt.%) starting compositions and early for wet (>1.5wt.% H2O) compositions. This corresponds to a distinct variation in plagioclase crystallisation temperature, which decreases with increasing H2O content of the parent magma. The initial plagioclase composition varies from An55 for a dry magma up to An73 for a magma containing 3wt.% H2O. The average plagioclase composition for the Panzhihua intrusion is An58, indicating an initial magma with low H2O content. Textures within the FeTi oxide ore rocks clearly indicate that Ti-magnetite crystallised after the silicate phases (plag.+cpx.) and disequilibrium textures indicate that the FeTi oxide ores were not in equilibrium with the enclosed silicates.We present a model for FeTi oxide ore formation in an open system by multiple replenishments of magma with variable H2O contents, Ti-magnetite crystal load and volume. Intruding H2O- and crystal-rich magmas effectively thermo-chemically erode previously formed gabbroic cumulates forming the footwall and incorporates previously crystallised silicate grains. These grains are consumed by the magma due to the high H2O content and higher temperature resulting in the association of consumed silicate primocrysts enclosed in FeTi oxide ore layers.

The Carboniferous ophiolite in the middle of the Qiangtang terrane, Northern Tibet: SHRIMP U–Pb dating, geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic characteristics

Ophiolite plays a key role in identifying paleo-ocean and paleo-plate and rebuilding the evolutionary history of ancient orogen. Mafic–ultramafic rocks are distributed in a broadly E–W direction in the middle of the Qiangtang terrane, northern Tibetan plateau. However, interpretation of these rocks as ophiolite and subsequent tectonic implications have been much disputed, and they were regarded by some to have an origin in a continental rift setting. A detailed zircon dating and geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic study of this suite of rocks has been undertaken in order to clarify this important issue. The mafic–ultramafic suite was collected from the Gangma Co and Guoganjianian localities and is composed of cumulate and isotropic gabbro, basalt, actinolitite and plagiogranite. All basaltic rocks are tholeiitic and have low rare earth element (REE) abundances with variable REE patterns and slight negative Nb and Ti anomalies. These features are comparable with those of normal mid-ocean ridge basalts (N-MORB) and/or enriched mid-ocean ridge basalts (E-MORB). The positive whole-rock εNd(t) and zircon εHf(t) values indicate that these rocks were derived from a long-term depleted mantle source. Zircon U–Pb dating using a sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) on two cumulate gabbros and two plagiogranites samples yielded Carboniferous ages of 357±2.5Ma, 356.1±3.0Ma, 354.7±4.7Ma and 345.4±4.6Ma. The ophiolite marks a Paleo-Tethys Ocean basin in middle of the Qiangtang terrane, and it is interpreted as the western extension of the Changning–Menglian Paleo-Tethys ophiolite in the eastern margin of the Tibetan plateau.

Intrusion and contamination of high-temperature dunitic magma: the Nordre Bumandsfjord pluton, Seiland, Arctic Norway

The Caledonian Nappe Complex of Arctic Norway provides rare insights into the interaction between mafic–ultramafic magmas and the deep continental crust. The Kalak Nappe Complex contains >25,000 km3 of mafic igneous rocks, mostly layered gabbros, making up the 570–560 Ma Seiland Igneous Complex. The complex has been intruded by a series of ultramafic magmatic rocks, including the Nordre Bumandsfjord pluton. Field relationships in this pluton show that extremely fluid, dry, relatively Fe-rich (Fo81) dunite magmas intruded a pile of cumulate gabbros, with block stopping and intrusive brecciation. Diking on scales from mm to metres and extensive melting and assimilation of the gabbros attest to high temperatures, consistent with a 2-km-wide granulite-facies contact aureole. Major- and trace-element trends show that the dunites were progressively contaminated by a cpx-rich partial melt of the gabbros, producing a range of lithologies from dunite through lherzolites to wehrlite. Experimental studies of natural samples at 0.8–1 GPa define the dunite solidus at 1,650–1,700 °C. In the average peridotite, contamination has produced a crystallisation interval of ca 400 °C (1,600–1,200 °C); this would provide large amounts of heat for melting and metamorphism and would maintain the fluidity of the magmas to relatively low T, consistent with field relationships. Thermochemical and dynamic modelling demonstrates that the dunitic primary magmas may represent the last melting of a rapidly ascending diapir of previously depleted subducted oceanic lithosphere. The mafic rocks of the Seiland Complex may already have been extracted from this diapir, and the late dikes of the province may reflect melting of the asthenosphere as the diapir spread out beneath the lithosphere. Ultramafic magmas, abundant in the Archean, may still be more common than usually assumed. However, they would only penetrate to the shallow crust under unusually extensional conditions, where ascent could outpace assimilation.

U–Pb and Sm–Nd geochronology of the ophiolites from the SE Turkey: implications for the Neotethyan evolution

The ophiolites in southeast Turkey crop out along two distinct belts. The ophiolites in the north are attached to Tauride active margin and represented by Göksun, Berit, İspendere, Kömürhan and Guleman ophiolites. Whereas the ophiolites in the south are observed as tectonically overlying the Arabian continental margin and characterized mainly by Kızıldağ (Hatay) and Koçali ophiolites. In this paper, new U–Pb and Sm–Nd isotopic ages are presented. The zircons extracted from the gabbroic cumulates of the Kömürhan ophiolite yielded a concordia age of 87.2 ± 3.1 Ma. The zircons in the gabbroic cumulates of the İspendere ophiolite yielded a Concordia age of 84.5 ± 3.9 Ma. Moreover, the Sm–Nd age of the gabbroic cumulates of the İspendere ophiolite yielded 85.1 ± 7.1 Ma (εNd = + 7.8). The gabbroic rocks of the Kızıldağ (Hatay) ophiolite yielded 110 ± 11 Ma (εNd = + 7.3) Sm–Nd isochron age. The new and already published U–Pb and Sm–Nd ages from the Kızıldağ ophiolite suggest that the time span between the melt generation in a subduction zone setting and SSZ-type oceanic crust crystallization was ≥3 my. All the ages from the Southeast Anatolian ophiolites suggest that the ophiolites between the Bitlis–Pütürge continent and the Arabian platform formed around 99–102 Ma whereas the ophiolites between the Bitlis–Pütürge continent and the Tauride platform formed around 84–90 Ma, suggesting that the peri-Arabic belt ophiolites are 10 My older than the ophiolite attached to the Malatya–Keban platform in the north. Detailed comparison suggests that there are number of differences between the ophiolites to the north and south of the Bitlis–Pütürge continental unit based on the geological, geochronological, petrological, internal stratigraphy of the ophiolites as well as their relationships with the continental fragments during the late Cretaceous. Therefore, the ophiolites were rooted from two different oceanic basins, one to the north and other to the south of the Bitlis–Pütürge continent.

U–Pb and Sm–Nd geochronology of the Kızıldağ (Hatay, Turkey) ophiolite: implications for the timing and duration of suprasubduction zone type oceanic crust formation in the southern Neotethys

AbstractThe Kızıldağ (Hatay) ophiolite in Turkey represents remnants of the southern Neotethyan ocean and is characterized by a complete ocean lithospheric section. It formed in a fore-arc setting above a N-dipping intraoceanic subduction zone, and represents the undeformed, more northerly part of the same thrust sheet that also forms the Baer–Bassit ophiolite to the south. The ophiolite was emplaced southwards from the southerly Neotethyan ocean in Maastrichtian time. U–Pb and Sm–Nd dates are used to constrain the crystallization age and duration of magmatic activity of the Kızıldağ ophiolite. U–Pb dating yielded ages of 91.7 ± 1.9 Ma for a plagiogranite and 91.6 ± 3.8 Ma for a cumulate gabbro. The cumulate gabbro also yielded a Sm–Nd isochron age of 95.3 ± 6.9 Ma. The measured ages suggest that the oceanic crust of the Kızıldağ ophiolite formed in a maximum time period of 6 Ma, and that the plagiogranite may have formed later than the gabbroic section. The U–Pb zircon ages from the Kızıldağ ophiolite and the cooling age of a metamorphic sole beneath the Baer–Bassit ophiolite are indistinguishable within the analytical uncertainties. This indicates the presence of young and hot oceanic lithosphere at the time of intraoceanic subduction/thrusting in the southern Neotethys. The U–Pb zircon ages from the Kızıldağ, the Troodos and the Semail ophiolites overlap within analytical uncertainties, suggesting that these ophiolites are contemporaneous and genetically and tectonically related within the same Late Cretaceous southern Neotethyan ocean.

Palaeoproterozoic mafic intrusions along the Avesta–Östhammar belt, east-central Sweden: mineralogy, geochemistry, and magmatic evolution

An E–W-trending belt of mafic intrusions, called the Avesta–Östhammar belt in this article, extends across east-central Sweden for approximately 130 km, surrounded by 1.90–1.86 thousand million year old early orogenic Svecofennian granitoids. In terms of chemical composition, these intrusions range from gabbroic to dioritic, with 44–60 wt.% SiO2. Their Mg# mostly range from 77 to 49, with a few scattering all the way down to 13. These rocks are variably deformed and metamorphosed, and could be termed as amphibolites from a mineralogical perspective, being dominated by amphibole and plagioclase. Although remains of pyroxene are found in a few more primitive samples, more evolved rocks contain relatively abundant quartz and biotite, as well as some ilmenite or magnetite. Garnet has been recorded in one sample. In terms of isotopic composition, they are variably enriched in radiogenic Sr, with initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7021–0.7034 (ϵSr −2 to +16), and mildly depleted when it comes to radiogenic Nd, with initial ϵNd of −0.6 to +2.2. Similar to many other mafic intrusive rocks in Sweden, their magma thus seems to be derived from a depleted mantle source enriched by fluids or melts from subducting oceanic crust. They most likely originated in a subduction-related volcanic arc in close relation to the surrounding granitoids. Although they are chemically more evolved than the ultrabasic to basic cumulate gabbros in the nearby southern Roslagen area, they appear to be derived from a slightly more primitive high-magnesia basalt magma. A model is presented where these gabbros and diorites are formed by differentiation through fractional crystallization of plagioclase, olivine, and clinopyroxene from such a parental magma.