Evolution Of Arc Magmas Research Articles

Pre-eruptive storage, evolution, and ascent timescales of a high-Mg basaltic andesite in the southern Cascade Arc

Crustal storage and transit play a critical role in the compositional evolution of arc magmas; however, the enigmatic nature of lower crustal magma storage and early differentiation limit our understanding of the connections between the physical processes of subduction zones and the architecture of the arc crust. We present new geochemical data and applications of existing barometric and chronometric tools to interrogate the mantle source compositions, crustal storage depths, and ascent timescales of a primitive, high-Mg, clinopyroxene-bearing cinder cone, the basaltic andesite of Box Canyon, located in the vicinity of Lassen Volcanic National Park, CA, in the southern Cascades. Petrographic examination in addition to bulk and in situ geochemical analyses (XRF, LA-ICP-MS, and EPMA) of tephra and lava-derived samples reveals co-crystallization of clinopyroxene and olivine as phenocrysts and glomerocrysts with ~ Mg# 80 and > Fo85, respectively. Phase equilibria experiments of analogous Cascade Arc magma compositions estimate crustal storage of the observed phase assemblage at pressures in the lower crust > 700 MPa. Reverse zonation in olivine and clinopyroxene phenocryst interiors from core-rim analytical profiles record a lower crustal mafic mixing event. Results from one-dimensional, multi-elemental olivine and clinopyroxene diffusion models fit to these interior mixing zones provide an assessment of available trace element (Ti, La, Yb, Ce, and Nd) diffusion chronometers in clinopyroxene by considering multiple element profiles within two phases that experienced the same pre-eruptive conditions. While multi-elemental and multi-phase diffusion timescales span two to three orders of magnitude, Ni in olivine profiles provide the most-robust estimate of 19.1 ± 8.6 years from mixing-to-eruption. Our results provide new constraints on arc crustal differentiation processes, indicate rapid crustal transit timescales in agreement with a growing database of diffusion-based ascent timescales of basaltic magmas, and demonstrate significant, systematic deviation of diffusion timescales calculated from natural zonation of rare earth elements in clinopyroxene and Ti in clinopyroxene and olivine.

The partitioning behavior of trace elements in subduction zones: Advances and prospects

The partitioning behavior of trace elements is of key importance for understanding the geochemical process and material cycle mechanism in subduction zones. This paper focuses on the advances and prospects on the studies of trace element partitioning in subduction zones from the following four aspects. (1) The properties of fluids derived from subducting slabs and their ability in element transport. How slab-derived solute-rich fluids and supercritical fluids are formed and what the roles and key control factors of these fluids are in transferring of elements (especially the high field strength elements) from slab to wedge are discussed. We point out that the detailed investigations of supercritical fluids may provide a new perspective for the element migration mechanism, material cycle process, arc magma genesis and so on. (2) The behavior of transition elements during mantle wedge melting. The behavior of the first row transition elements (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn) in the mantle partial melting process is compatible or incompatible, depending on residual mineral assemblage and physicochemical conditions. The partitioning behavior of the elements such as Sc, Ti, Co, Ni and Zn whose valence states do not change in the melting process mainly depends on the residual mineral assemblage and temperature, whereas the partitioning behavior of the multivalent elements such as V and Fe is also the function of oxygen fugacity (fO2) in addition to mineral assemblage and temperature. Therefore, the partitioning behavior of transition elements has important applications in tracing lithologic inhomogeneity and fO2 of the mantle wedges. (3) The specificity of element partitioning behavior during arc magma evolution. Garnet has Dy/Yb partitioning behavior different from amphibole, and rutile has Nb/Ta partitioning behavior different from amphibole. Dy/Yb and Nb/Ta partitioning differences for these minerals enable to distinguish the specific evolution process of arc magmas. The Dy/Yb and Nb/Ta generally decrease with the increase of SiO2 in arc magmas, indicating that amphibole fractionation should be the most important during arc magma differentiation. (4) The behavior of sulfur and chalcophile elements and porphyry metallogeny. In subduction zones, the behavior of chalcophile elements such as Cu and Au is controlled by sulfide and fluid. Therefore, the stability of sulfide, the time at which the fluid exsolves from the melt relative to sulfide saturation, the fluid/sulfide mass ratio and fluid/melt Cu and Au partition coefficients in intermediate-felsic magma- H2O systems are especially important in understanding Cu and Au enrichment in magma-hydrothermal processes. Intermediate-felsic magmas mainly originate from the differentiation of arc magmas at lower crustal reservoirs, and thus the fluid exsolution from the lower crustal reservoirs and the fluid/melt and fluid/sulfide partition coefficients of Cu and Au should be the keys to understanding quantitatively how Cu and Au are migrated from the deep crust to the shallow site of mineralization.

Metallogenesis and major challenges of porphyry copper systems above subduction zones

Porphyry copper±molybdenum±gold deposits (PCDs) are the most representative magmatic-hydrothermal metallogenic system above subduction zones with important economic value. Previous studies revealed that large PCDs are generally formed from initial arc magmas (from subduction-induced partial melting of the mantle wedge), which eventually ascend to the shallow crust (3–5 km) for mineralization after a series of complex evolution processes. These processes include (1) the dehydration or partial melting of subducting slab, which induces partial melting of the metasomatized mantle wedge; (2) the ascent of mantle-derived magma to the bottom of the lower crust, which subsequently undergoes crustal processes such as assimilation plus fractional crystallization (AFC) or melting, assimilation, storage and homogenization (MASH); (3) the magma chamber formation at the bottom of the lower, middle and upper crust; (4) the final emplacement and volatilization of porphyry stocks; and (5) the accumulation of ore-forming fluids and metal precipitation. Despite the many decades of research, many issues involving the PCD metallogenic mechanism still remain to resolve, such as (1) the tectonic control on the geochemical characteristics of ore-forming magma; (2) the reason for the different lifespans of the long-term magmatic arc evolution and geologically “instantaneous” mineralization processes; (3) the source of ore-forming materials; (4) the relative contributions of metal pre-enrichment to mineralization by the magma source and by magmatic evolution; and (5) the decoupling behaviors of Cu and Au during the pre-enrichment. These issues point out the direction for future PCD metallogenic research, and the resolution to them will deepen our understanding of the metallogenesis at convergent plate boundaries.

Amphibole-rich cumulate xenoliths in the Zhazhalong intrusive suite, Gangdese arc: Implications for the role of amphibole fractionation during magma evolution

Abstract Amphibole fractionation during the early evolution of arc magmas has been widely inferred on the basis of distinctive geochemical fingerprints of the evolved melts, although amphibole is rarely found as a major mineral phase in arc volcanic rocks, so-called cryptic amphibole fractionation. Here, we present a detailed case study of xenoliths of amphibole-rich cumulate from the Zhazhalong intrusive suite, Gangdese arc, which enables an investigation of this differentiation process using a combination of petrological observations and in situ geochemical constraints. Evidence that the xenoliths represent fragments of igneous cumulates includes: (1) the presence of an amphibole-dominated crystal framework; (2) mineral and whole-rock Fe–Mg exchange coefficients; (3) rare-earth element patterns that are similar in the amphiboles and the xenoliths; (4) the compositions of basaltic to andesitic liquids in equilibrium with amphiboles; and (5) enrichment of the xenoliths in compatible elements and depletion in incompatible elements. The amount of trapped liquid based on La, Ce, and Dy abundances varies from ~12 to ~20%. Actinolitic cores within amphibole grains likely represent reaction between olivine precursor and hydrous melt, as evidenced by their high Cr and Ni contents. Amphibole thermometry and oxybarometry calculations indicate that crystal accumulation occurred over temperatures of 857–1014 °C, at mid-crustal pressures of 312 to 692 MPa and oxygen fugacity between 0.4 and 1.9 log units above the nickel–nickel oxide buffer. Quantification of the major-element compositions of the parent liquids indicates that the Zhazhalong amphibole cumulates crystallized from basaltic to andesitic magmas, probably with a shoshonitic affinity, and with SiO2 contents of 46.4–66.4 wt%. Appropriate partition coefficients, calculated using a parameterized lattice strain model and an empirical partitioning scheme, were employed to calculate the trace-element compositions of the liquids in equilibrium with amphibole. Our results confirm that Dy/Yb and Dy/Dy* ratios, which decrease with increasing degrees of differentiation, can be used as robust signatures of amphibole fractionation. This work presents a direct snapshot of the process of amphibole fractionation and provides a natural example of the hidden amphibole “sponge” in arc crust. In particular, this study also suggests that some appinites likely represent amphibole-rich cumulates, which may help to explain the genesis of other unusual but petrologically significant rocks.

Post-melting oxidation of highly primitive basalts from the southern Andes

The oxygen fugacity (fO2) of the Earth’s upper mantle and its melting products is an important parameter in the geochemical evolution of arc magmas and their connection with the continental crustal construction and growth. Several works have focused on the fO2 of peridotite xenoliths, primitive melts in relatively young arc settings, and mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) but few studies have attempted to examine the early redox history of primitive magmas in mature arcs. Hence, our understanding of the nature and evolution of fO2 during the subduction cycle remains limited. Here, we investigate the basaltic tephra from the Los Hornitos monogenetic cones in central-southern Chile, which are among the most primitive materials reported in the Southern Andes (olivine Mg# ≤ 92.5, and Ni ≤ 5000 µg·g−1). These features offer a unique opportunity to explore the fO2 conditions below the Andean arc by studying olivine phenocrysts and their contained crystal and melt inclusions. We integrated EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, and µ-XANES analyses to constrain the redox conditions recorded in the basaltic tephra by three different and self-reliant methods. First, we determined the fO2 based on the olivine-spinel equilibrium, yielding average values ΔFMQ + 1.3 ± 0.4 (1σ). Second, we constrained the fO2 conditions of melt inclusions using Fe µ-XANES data and the redox dependent olivine-melt vanadium partitioning. After correcting for post-entrapment crystallization and diffusive iron loss, the Fe µ-XANES data indicate that the melt inclusions were trapped in average at ΔFMQ +2.5 ± 0.5 (1σ). Results using the olivine-melt vanadium partitioning oxybarometer in melt inclusions are in agreement with Fe µ-XANES data, yielding average ΔFMQ values of +2.6 ± 0.3 (1σ). In order to test the potential effects of other post-entrapment modifications of the melt inclusions that could have affected the fO2 prior to eruption, we assessed the residence time of these magmas using Mg-Fe interdiffusion modelling in olivine. The short residence times (<200 days) compared to vanadium re-equilibration models strongly suggest that the melt inclusions preserve the prevailing fO2 conditions during their entrapment. Correlations between melt inclusions major element composition and their fO2 determined by Fe µ-XANES, as well as V/Sc modelling reveal a case of post-melting oxidation of the LHC magmas. We argue that primitive arc magmas behave as an open system with respect to fO2 during their early geochemical evolution. Our data indicate a complex fO2 early history of primitive melts in the southern Andes and provide a cautionary note on the direct extrapolation of primitive melts fO2 values to that of their mantle source.

Multi-stage arc magma evolution recorded by apatite in volcanic rocks

AbstractProtracted magma storage in the deep crust is a key stage in the formation of evolved, hydrous arc magmas that can result in explosive volcanism and the formation of economically valuable magmatic-hydrothermal ore deposits. High magmatic water content in the deep crust results in extensive amphibole ± garnet fractionation and the suppression of plagioclase crystallization as recorded by elevated Sr/Y ratios and high Eu (high Eu/Eu*) in the melt. Here, we use a novel approach to track the petrogenesis of arc magmas using apatite trace element chemistry in volcanic formations from the Cenozoic arc of central Chile. These rocks formed in a magmatic cycle that culminated in high-Sr/Y magmatism and porphyry ore deposit formation in the Miocene. We use Sr/Y, Eu/Eu*, and Mg in apatite to track discrete stages of arc magma evolution. We apply fractional crystallization modeling to show that early-crystallizing apatite can inherit a high-Sr/Y and high-Eu/Eu* melt chemistry signature that is predetermined by amphibole-dominated fractional crystallization in the lower crust. Our modeling shows that crystallization of the in situ host-rock mineral assemblage in the shallow crust causes competition for trace elements in the melt that leads to apatite compositions diverging from bulk-magma chemistry. Understanding this decoupling behavior is important for the use of apatite as an indicator of metallogenic fertility in arcs and for interpretation of provenance in detrital studies.

Constraints on Trenchward Arc Migration and Backarc Magmatism in the North Patagonian Andes in the Context of Nazca Plate Rollback

AbstractGeochemical and geochronological data reveal that late Oligocene‐early Miocene time is a break point in the evolution of Andean magmatism. The Patagonian Andes registered the onset of arc volcanism since the late Eocene forming part of the El Maitén Belt, whose development was driven by the subduction of the Farallon/Nazca plates beneath the Andean margin. During the Oligocene, the El Maitén Belt shows a change in the geochemical signature of its magmas from tholeiitic to calc‐alkaline compositions, reflecting a more mature stage in the magmatic arc evolution. Toward the early Miocene, a striking event is registered in Andean volcanic sequences as mafic tholeiitic lava flows of the El Maitén are interbedded with marine deposits, suggesting their development in the context of a fast subsiding regime. Geochemical analyses presented in this paper show that these rocks resemble enriched mid‐ocean ridge basalt‐like and ocean island basalt compositions, isotopically depleted, which strongly contrast with previous arc products. By this time, a global plate reorganization event had caused an increase in convergence rates, accelerated rollback, and a more orthogonal geometry of subduction, triggering widespread magmatism and the development of extensional basins in the overriding plate. Arc‐related volcanism during the early Miocene can be found only in the western slope of the Andes, suggesting the retreat of the volcanic front toward the trench. The proposed model highlights a strong linkage between the geochemical signature of magmatic products and changes in the subduction zone configuration and mantle dynamics during the evolution of the Patagonian Andes (41–44°S).

Petrografia e química do Granito Aripuanã, sul do Cráton Amazônico

O termo Granito Aripuanã refere-se a um conjunto de corpos graníticos circunscritos não deformados, intrusivos em rochas da sequência metavulcanossedimentar do Grupo Roosevelt, reconhecidos na porção sul do Cráton Amazônico. O corpo granítico principal constitui um batólito ovalado com diâmetro menor que 15 km, que ocorre a norte da cidade de Aripuanã, no noroeste do estado do Mato Grosso. É constituído de hornblenda-biotita sieno a monzogranitos porfiríticos grossos, de coloração cinza ou vermelha e localmente com texturas rapakivi. Nas áreas marginais é observada uma redução de granulação das feições porfiríticas com predomínio da fácies equigranular fina, associada a resfriamento rápido. As fácies tardias comuns são constituídas de diques equigranulares de cor cinza, aplitos róseos e cinza e veios pegmatíticos. Ocorrem veios pós-magmáticos de quartzo, fluorita, muscovita em zonas de deformação rúptil, em que as rochas mostram intensa alteração hidrotermal. Esse hidrotermalismo afeta de forma heterogênea as rochas encaixantes e as rochas magmáticas, facilitando a circulação de fluidos e favorecendo a concentração de sulfetos de zinco disseminados, sempre relacionados ao fraturamento. Os granitos hospedam xenólitos de rochas paraderivadas encaixantes, de granodioritos, quartzo dioritos e rochas micáceas. Nas bordas, ocorrem veios e apófises graníticas, além de metamorfismo de contato nas rochas encaixantes. Os monzogranitos são peraluminosos e pertencem à série de alto potássio a shoshonítica, similares a granitos “ferroan”, apresentando assinatura de granito tipo A, pós-colisionais a anorogênicos e associado à evolução do Arco Magmático Jamari.

Timing and tectonic significance of Paleozoic magmatism in the Sakar unit of the Sakar-Strandzha Zone, SE Bulgaria

ABSTRACTPalaeozoic granitoids and meta-granitoids dominate the metamorphic basement of the Sakar unit of the Sakar-Strandzha Zone (SASTZ) in southeast Bulgaria. In this article, we present new whole-rock geochemical data and U–Pb zircon geochronology for the Sakar unit granitoids. The igneous minerals and textures are preserved, except the meta-granitoids that experienced a weak amphibolite-facies overprint. Geochemistry reveals compositions of peraluminous high-K calc-alkaline I- to S-type granitoids of volcanic arc origin. A major group of LILE-LREE-enriched granitoids and meta-granitoids and a single HFSE-HREE-enriched meta-granitoid are distinguished. U–Pb geochronology has yielded crystallization ages between 305 and 295 Ma for the major group granitoids and a ca. 462 Ma crystallization age of HFSE-HREE-enriched meta-granitoid. Late Palaeozoic granitoids of the Sakar unit show similar compositions and a similar tectonic setting when compared to other granitoids of the SASTZ, confirming a uniform region-wide tectono-magmatic event. As the Late Carboniferous-Permian magmatic arc components extend across the SASTZ, they trace the time-correspondent active continental margin along the Eurasian plate during subduction of the Palaeotethys oceanic lithosphere. The late Palaeozoic Eurasian active continental margin magmatic arc evolution of the SASTZ can be extended into the Serbo-Macedonian-Rhodope zones to the west, where time equivalent meta-granitoids support the same geodynamic context.

The isotopic evolution of the Kohistan Ladakh arc from subduction initiation to continent arc collision

Abstract Magmatic arcs associated with subduction zones are the dominant active locus of continental crust formation, and evolve in space and time towards magmatic compositions comparable to that of continental crust. Accordingly, the secular evolution of magmatic arcs is crucial to the understanding of crust formation processes. In this paper we present the first comprehensive U–Pb, Hf, Nd and Sr isotopic dataset documenting c. 120 myr of magmatic evolution in the Kohistan-Ladakh paleo-island arc. We found a long-term magmatic evolution that is controlled by the overall geodynamic of the Neo-Tethys realm. Apart from the post-collisionnal melts, the intra-oceanic history of the arc shows two main episodes (150–80 Ma and 80–50 Ma) of distinct geochemical signatures involving the slab and the sub-arc mantle components that are intimately linked to the slab dynamics.

Comment on ‘Petrotectonic characteristics, geochemistry, and U[sbnd]Pb geochronology of Jurassic plutons in the Upper Magdalena Valley-Colombia: Implications on the evolution of magmatic arcs in the NW Andes’ by Rodríguez et al. (2018)

Comment on ‘Petrotectonic characteristics, geochemistry, and U[sbnd]Pb geochronology of Jurassic plutons in the Upper Magdalena Valley-Colombia: Implications on the evolution of magmatic arcs in the NW Andes’ by Rodríguez et al. (2018)

Snapshots of primitive arc magma evolution recorded by clinopyroxene textural and compositional variations: The case of hybrid crystal-rich enclaves from Capo Marargiu Volcanic District (Sardinia, Italy)

Snapshots of primitive arc magma evolution recorded by clinopyroxene textural and compositional variations: The case of hybrid crystal-rich enclaves from Capo Marargiu Volcanic District (Sardinia, Italy)

Oligocene-Pleistocene Paleogeography within Banyumas Basin and implication to petroleum potential

&lt;p&gt;This study attempts to reconstruct paleogeography of Banyumas Basin in association with magmatic arc evolution and its implication to petroleum potential. Based on the volcanic rocks distribution, their association and relatives age, there are three alignments of a magmatic arc, that are: (1) Oligo-Miocene arc in the south (2) Mio-Pliocene arc in the middle (3) Plio-Pleistocene arc in the north. The consequences of the magmatic arc movement were tectonic setting changing during Oligocene to Pleistocene, as well as their paleogeography. During Oligo-Miocene where magmatic arc existed in the southern part, the Banyumas tectonic setting was a back-arc basin. This tectonic setting was changing to intra-arc basin during Mio-Pliocene and subsequently to fore-arc basin since Plio-Pleistocene until today. Back-arc basin is the most suitable paleogeography to create a depositional environment for potential source rocks. Exploration activity to prove the existence of source rocks during Oligo-Miocene is needed to reveal petroleum potential in Banyumas Basin.&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Petrotectonic characteristics, geochemistry, and U-Pb geochronology of Jurassic plutons in the Upper Magdalena Valley-Colombia: Implications on the evolution of magmatic arcs in the NW Andes

Field, petrographic, and geochemical characterization along with U-Pb zircon geochronology of the Jurassic plutons exposed in the Upper Magdalena Valley (Colombia) allowed recognizing distinct western and eastern suites formed in at least three magmatic pulses. The western plutons crop out between the eastern flank of the Central Cordillera and the Las Minas range, being limited by the Avirama and the Betania-El Agrado faults. The western suite comprises a quartz monzonite – quartz monzodiorite – quartz diorite series and subordinate monzogranites. Chemically, the rocks are high-K calc-alkaline I-type granitoids (some reaching the shoshonitic series) with metaluminous of magnesium affinity. Trace-element tectonic discrimination is consistent with magmatism in a continental arc environment. Most rocks of this suite crystallized between 195 and 186 Ma (Early Jurassic, Pliensbachian), but locally some plutons yielded younger ages between 182 and 179 Ma (Early Jurassic, Toarcian).The eastern suite crops out in the eastern margin of the Upper Magdalena Valley, east of the Betania – El Agrado fault. Plutons of this unit belong to the monzogranite series with rock types ranging between syenogranites and granodiorites. They are high-K calc-alkaline continental granitoids, some metaluminous and some peraluminous, related to I-type granites generated in a volcanic arc. Crystallization of the suite was between 173 and 169 Ma (Middle Jurassic, Aalenian-Bajocian), but locally these rocks contain zircon with earlier inherited ages related to the magmatic pulse of the western suite between 182 and 179 Ma (Early Jurassic, Toarcian).The evolution of the Jurassic plutons in the Upper Magdalena Valley is best explained by onset or increase in subduction erosion of the accretionary prism. This explains the eastward migration of the arc away from the trench. Subduction of prism sediments increased the water flux from the subducting slab, decreasing solidus temperatures, therefore increasing the volume of magma and the amount of crustal melts involved in the magma. This is explains the crystallization of older and more primitive quartz-monzodiorite stocks in the west and the later crystallization of granitic bodies with batholitic dimensions in the east.

Geochemical differentiation processes for arc magma of the Sengan volcanic cluster, Northeastern Japan, constrained from principal component analysis

In this study, with a view of understanding the structure of high-dimensional geochemical data and discussing the chemical processes at work in the evolution of arc magmas, we employed principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate the compositional variations of volcanic rocks from the Sengan volcanic cluster of the Northeastern Japan Arc. We analyzed the trace element compositions of various arc volcanic rocks, sampled from 17 different volcanoes in a volcanic cluster. The PCA results demonstrated that the first three principal components accounted for 86% of the geochemical variation in the magma of the Sengan region. Based on the relationships between the principal components and the major elements, the mass–balance relationships with respect to the contributions of minerals, the composition of plagioclase phenocrysts, geothermal gradient, and seismic velocity structure in the crust, the first, the second, and the third principal components appear to represent magma mixing, crystallizations of olivine/pyroxene, and crystallizations of plagioclase, respectively. These represented 59%, 20%, and 6%, respectively, of the variance in the entire compositional range, indicating that magma mixing accounted for the largest variance in the geochemical variation of the arc magma. Our result indicated that crustal processes dominate the geochemical variation of magma in the Sengan volcanic cluster.

Amphibole megacrysts as a probe into the deep plumbing system of Merapi volcano, Central Java, Indonesia

Amphibole has been discussed to potentially represent an important phase during early chemical evolution of arc magmas, but is not commonly observed in eruptive arc rocks. Here, we present an in-depth study of metastable calcic amphibole megacrysts in basaltic andesites of Merapi volcano, Indonesia. Radiogenic Sr and Nd isotope compositions of the amphibole megacrysts overlap with the host rock range, indicating that they represent antecrysts to the host magmas rather than xenocrysts. Amphibole-based barometry suggests that the megacrysts crystallised at pressures of >500 MPa, i.e., in the mid- to lower crust beneath Merapi. Rare-earth element concentrations, in turn, require the absence of magmatic garnet in the Merapi feeding system and, therefore, place an uppermost limit for the pressure of amphibole crystallisation at ca. 800 MPa. The host magmas of the megacrysts seem to have fractionated significant amounts of amphibole and/or clinopyroxene, because of their low Dy/Yb ratios relative to the estimated compositions of the parent magmas to the megacrysts. The megacrysts’ parent magmas at depth may thus have evolved by amphibole fractionation, in line with apparently coupled variations of trace element ratios in the megacrysts, such as e.g., decreasing Zr/Hf with Dy/Yb. Moreover, the Th/U ratios of the amphibole megacrysts decrease with increasing Dy/Yb and are lower than Th/U ratios in the basaltic andesite host rocks. Uranium in the megacrysts’ parent magmas, therefore, may have occurred predominantly in the tetravalent state, suggesting that magmatic fO2 in the Merapi plumbing system increased from below the FMQ buffer in the mid-to-lower crust to 0.6–2.2 log units above it in the near surface environment. In addition, some of the amphibole megacrysts experienced dehydrogenation (H2 loss) and/or dehydration (H2O loss), as recorded by their variable H2O contents and D/H and Fe3+/Fe2+ ratios, and the release of these volatile species into the shallow plumbing system may facilitate Merapi’s often erratic eruptive behaviour.

Nb/Ta Fractionation by Amphibole in Hydrous Basaltic Systems: Implications for Arc Magma Evolution and Continental Crust Formation

Nb/Ta Fractionation by Amphibole in Hydrous Basaltic Systems: Implications for Arc Magma Evolution and Continental Crust Formation

Magma Transfer and Evolution in Channels within the Arc Crust: the Pyroxenitic Feeder Pipes of Sapat (Kohistan, Pakistan)

Our understanding of the mode of transfer and evolution of arc magmas in the lower arc crust is limited by the accessibility of arc roots, which are mainly documented by remote geophysical methods. At the same time, the fractionation processes of primitive parental melts defining a liquid line of descent from basalt to dacite are well defined by experimental petrology. However, the structural evidence for transfer of magmas evolving during their ascent remains basically uncharacterized. The Sapat Complex represents a lower crust segment of the exhumed Kohistan paleo-island arc and exposes kilometer-sized pyroxenite bodies that grew at the expense of host metagabbroic sill sequences. The largest of these pyroxenite bodies are mainly composed of wehr-lite to olivine-clinopyroxenite, whereas the smaller bodies show a sequence of cumulative rocks, from ol-clinopyroxenite through various gabbros to tonalite. Inside the bodies, vertical magmatic and reactional structures indicate magma ascent accompanied by cumulate formation. Altogether, cumulates document the evolution of an initially primitive basaltic melt (at similar to 7 kbar) that contained >= 5wt % H2O. After cotectic olivine and clinopyroxene fractionation, the appearance of hornblende at the expense of clinopyroxene marks a stepping stone in the melt evolution. From this point, the appearance of orthopyroxene and hornblende at the expense of olivine drives the magma towards an andesitic composition, from which the crystallization of An-rich plagioclase and hornblende drives the melt to evolve further. During peritectic hornblende crystallization fluid-precipitated assemblages occur showing that the melts have reached water-saturation while they were crystallizing and percolating, thus degassing H2O-rich fluids. Structural observations, mineral and bulk-rock compositions, and calculated seismic P-wave velocities identify the ultramafic pipe-shaped bodies as magmatic conduits in which melt ascended from the mantle through the lower crust to feed upper crustal magma chambers and volcanic systems.

The Zhaheba ophiolite complex in Eastern Junggar (NW China): Long lived supra-subduction zone ocean crust formation and its implications for the tectonic evolution in southern Altaids

The composite Zhaheba ophiolite complex, exposed in Eastern Junggar in the Southern Altaids, records an unusually long record of oceanic crust and magmatic arc evolution. The Zhaheba ophiolite complex consists of ultramafic rocks, gabbro, diorite, basalt and chert intruded by diabase dikes and diorite porphyry. These rocks are overlain by a several-km-thick section of tuffaceous rocks, volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, and intermediate volcanic rocks. The igneous rocks of the ophiolite complex show negative Nb and Ta anomalies and LREE enrichment relative to HREE, suggesting the influence of fluids derived from a subducting oceanic slab. The LA-ICPMS U–Pb age of zircons from gabbro is 495.1±3.5Ma. Zircon ages from diorite and basalt are 458.3±7.2Ma and 446.6±6.0Ma, respectively. The basalt is locally overlain by bedded chert. Diabase dikes and diorite porphyry yield the U–Pb ages of 421.5±4.1Ma and 423.7±6.5Ma, respectively. The age of stratigraphically lower part of the overlying volcanic–volcaniclastic section is constrained to be about 410Ma, the maximum depositional age of the tuffaceous sandstone from U–Pb detrital zircon ages. Late rhyolite at the top of the stratigraphic section yielded a U–Pb zircon age of 280.3±3.7Ma. The age and stratigraphic relationships for the Zhaheba ophiolite complex and related rocks suggest that the period of ~70Ma of initial supra-subduction magmatism was followed by construction of a mature island arc that spanned an additional 140Ma. Many other ophiolites in the southern Altaids appear to record similar relationships, and are represented as substrates of oceanic island arcs covered by island arc volcanism in supra-subduction zone. The occurrence of the Zhaheba ophiolite complex with tuffaceous and intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks is different from the rock association of classic Tethyan SSZ ophiolites but similar to some ophiolites in North America. Although the Zhaheba ophiolite belt is flanked by the Dulate arc in the north and Yemaquan arc in the south, it cannot stand a suture between two arcs. It is suggested that Devonian–Carboniferous Dulate arc was built on the late Cambrian–middle Ordovician Zhaheba supra-subduction oceanic crust. The late Carboniferous rocks and early Permian rocks in Dulate arc are interpreted to form in the extensional process within Zhaheba–Dulate arc composite system.

A Cambrian intra-oceanic subduction system in the Bozshakol area, Kazakhstan

The Bozshakol area is one of the most important copper resource concentrations in Central Kazakhstan. We report in situ zircon U–Pb age and Hf isotope data, whole rock geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic data for the volcanics and intrusions from the Bozshakol area.Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) zircon U–Pb dating indicates that the volcanics erupted at 501.8±3.2Ma and the intrusions emplaced at 489.5±3.3Ma. The volcanics are subdivided into two types. Type I are tholeiitic to calc-alkaline basalt and calc-alkaline andesite and dacite, which are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE) with a marked negative Nb anomaly and Th/Yb-enrichment. They also have low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7026–0.7048), high zircon εHf(t) and whole-rock εNd(t) values (+9.7 to +17.0 and +5.4 to +6.7, respectively). Type II are Nb-enriched basalts (NEBs, Nb=6–7ppm), which are sodium-rich (Na2O/K2O=3–10) and differ from the vast majority of arc basalts in their higher Nb, Zr, and TiO2 contents and Nb/U ratio. NEBs also have low whole-rock initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7040) and high εNd(t) values (+5.6). Therefore Bozshakol volcanics were formed by partial melting of the mantle wedge and subducted slab.The Bozshakol ore-bearing intrusive rocks include the fine- and medium-grained tonalite porphyry. They belong to the medium-K calc-alkaline series and are strongly enriched in LREE with a marked negative Nb anomaly and Th/Yb-enrichment. The fine-grained tonalite porphyries exhibit element characteristics similar to normal arc granitoids. They have low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7036–0.7039), high zircon εHf(t) values (+10.7 to +17.2) and whole-rock εNd(t) values (+4.9 to +5.7). Compared with the fine-grained tonalite porphyries, the medium-grained tonalite porphyries have high Al2O3 and Sr contents (16–17wt.% and 565–569ppm, respectively) and low Yb and Y concentrations (0.9–1.1ppm and 9.3–12.1ppm, respectively), showing a geochemical affinity to adakites. Therefore, Bozshakol intrusive rocks were also derived from the mantle wedge and minor slab melts. We propose a model of intra-oceanic subduction for the Middle to Late Cambrian magmatic evolution of magmatic arcs in northwestern central Kazakhstan.