Melt Evolution Research Articles

An open source Bayesian Monte Carlo isotope mixing model with applications in Earth surface processes

AbstractThe implementation of isotopic tracers as constraints on source contributions has become increasingly relevant to understanding Earth surface processes. Interpretation of these isotopic tracers has become more accessible with the development of Bayesian Monte Carlo (BMC) mixing models, which allow uncertainty in mixing end‐members and provide methodology for systems with multicomponent mixing. This study presents an open source multiple isotope BMC mixing model that is applicable to Earth surface environments with sources exhibiting distinct end‐member isotopic signatures. Our model is first applied to new δ18O and δD measurements from the Athabasca Glacier, which showed expected seasonal melt evolution trends and vigorously assessed the statistical relevance of the resulting fraction estimations. To highlight the broad applicability of our model to a variety of Earth surface environments and relevant isotopic systems, we expand our model to two additional case studies: deriving melt sources from δ18O, δD, and 222Rn measurements of Greenland Ice Sheet bulk water samples and assessing nutrient sources from ɛNd and 87Sr/86Sr measurements of Hawaiian soil cores. The model produces results for the Greenland Ice Sheet and Hawaiian soil data sets that are consistent with the originally published fractional contribution estimates. The advantage of this method is that it quantifies the error induced by variability in the end‐member compositions, unrealized by the models previously applied to the above case studies. Results from all three case studies demonstrate the broad applicability of this statistical BMC isotopic mixing model for estimating source contribution fractions in a variety of Earth surface systems.

Oligocene HP metamorphism and anatexis of the Higher Himalayan Crystalline Sequence in Yadong region, east-central Himalaya

The Higher Himalayan Crystalline Sequence (HHCS) provides an excellent natural laboratory to study continental subduction, crustal melting and tectonic evolution of orogenic belt generated through the collision of India with Eurasia. Our petrological study and phase equilibrium modeling reveal that the pelitic migmatites in the HHCS of Yadong region, east-central Himalaya, preserve an early mineral assemblage garnet, kyanite, biotite, quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, rutile and ilmenite, and a late sillimanite- and/or cordierite-bearing assemblage, and underwent the high pressure (HP) and high temperature (HT) granulite-facies metamorphism and associated partial melting under P–T conditions of ca. 12kbar and 825–845°C, followed by nearly isothermal decompression and isobaric cooling. The anatexis of the migmatites occurred dominantly through dehydration-melting of both muscovite and biotite during the prograde metamorphism. The melt produced in the peak metamorphic conditions is about 20 to 30vol.% of the rocks, and a significant amount of melt has been extracted from the source leading to the formation of Himalayan leucogranites. The zircon U–Pb dating data shows that the migmatites probably witnessed a prolonged melting episode that began at ca. 30Ma and lasted to ca. 20Ma. These results show that the thickening lower crust of the Himalayan orogen experienced long-lived and continued HP and HT metamorphism and pervasive anatexis, supporting the models on channel flow.

Ocean rises are products of variable mantle composition, temperature and focused melting

The composition of mid-ocean ridge basalts varies with the properties of the mantle that feeds the ridges. Thermodynamic calculations of melt evolution suggest that most of the mantle melting occurs by an overlooked mechanism, focused melting.

Trace-element partitioning between plagioclase, alkali feldspar, Ti-magnetite, biotite, apatite, and evolved potassic liquids from Campi Flegrei (Southern Italy)

Partition coefficients (Min/L D ) for a series of geochemically relevant elements have been calculated from combined EMP/LA-ICP-HRMS analyses of plagioclase, alkali feldspar, Ti-magnetite, biotite, apatite, and trachytic/trachyphonolitic melt pairs in selected Campi Flegrei rocks. Pl/L D and Kfs/L D values are generally very low for most of the trace-elements but Sr, Ba, and Eu. Kfs/L D for the latter elements record a systematic increase as the melt composition changes from trachyte to trachyphonolite, likely due to increasing structural compliance of the sanidine in the trachyphonolites related to larger Na/K values. Conversely, Kfs/L D values for transitional, highly charged incompatible elements (e.g., LREE) decrease from trachyte to trachyphonolite, possibly in response to the decrease of melt polymerization. Min/L D values for titanomagnetite generally decrease with the increasing melt evolution, the highest values being those measured for Ti, V, and Sc. Ti, Ba, Sc, Rb, Nb, Ta, and V are compatible in biotite in equilibrium with trachytic melt, whereas Cs, Sr, and Pb are incompatible and REE are strongly incompatible, as supported by the extremely low Bt/L D Y (0.003–0.008). Partition coefficients for apatite and trachyphonolitic glass pairs are high for Sr, REE (particularly MREE), and Y, large for Th, U, and V, generally low for HFSE, and variable for other LILE. The comparison of measured Min/L D values for Campi Flegrei trachytes/trachyphonolites with other sets of partition coefficients reported in literature for evolved systems suggests that a reliable data set for magma evolution modeling requires: (1) a thorough preliminary selection of natural samples; (2) the adoption of accurate microanalytical techniques; (3) the direct measurement of Min/L D values for each specific melt composition.

Fractionation of zirconium in pyroxenes of alkaline magmas

Pyroxenes of the Lovozero Massif (Kola Peninsula) intensely accumulate zirconium. The Zr content in the pyroxenes varies from 0.01 to 2.3%. In the pyroxenes from the Eudialyte Complex, Zr content increases with increasing the stratigraphic height in the sequence of the Lovozero intrusion. In contrast, Zr concentration in pyroxenes from the Differentiated Complex show very uneven distribution. This is related to the crystallization of pyroxenes at different stages of melt evolution and to the variations in their alkalinity. The zirconium distribution in pyroxenes of the Lovozero Massif is determined by the fractional crystallization differentiation. The partition coefficient of zirconium between pyroxene and ultraalkaline magmatic system was determined for the first time on the basis of alkaline pyroxene—melt equilibrium in hypabyssal porphyritic lujavrites. The model of generation of zirconium (eudialyte) ores in the Lovozero Massif was developed using this value and equations of equilibrium and fractional crystallization.

Silicate melt inclusions in clinopyroxene phenocrysts from mafic dikes in the eastern North China Craton: Constraints on melt evolution

Silicate melt inclusions (SMIs) in magmatic minerals provide key information on the chemical and mineralogical evolution of source magmas. The widespread Cretaceous mafic dikes in the Jiaojia region of the eastern North China Craton contain abundant SMIs within clinopyroxene phenocrysts. The daughter minerals in these SMIs include amphibole, plagioclase, pyrite and ilmenite, together with CO2+CH4 and CH4 as the major volatile phase. The total homogenization temperatures of the SMIs range between 1280 and 1300°C. The host clinopyroxene phenocrysts in these dolerite dikes are dominantly augite with minor diopside. From LA-ICPMS analyses of the SMIs, we identify two compositional groups: (1) low-MgO (6.0–7.6 wt.%) SMIs and (2) high-MgO (11.2–13.9 wt.%) SMIs. The Low-MgO group exhibits higher concentrations of TiO2, Al2O3, Na2O, P2O5 and lower CaO and CaO/Al2O3 ratio as compared to the high-MgO SMIs. The trace element patterns of the two types of SMIs are similar to those of the host mafic dikes. However, the low-MgO SMIs and host mafic dikes are clearly more enriched in all the trace elements as compared to the high-MgO type, especially with regard to the highly incompatible elements. The estimated capture temperatures and pressures are 1351–1400°C and 1.6–2.1 GPa for the high-MgO SMIs and 1177–1215°C and 0.6–1.1GPa for the low-MgO type. The high-MgO and low-MgO SMIs were trapped at depths of ∼51–68km and ∼20–35km, respectively. Computations show that the parental melt is mafic with SiO2 content 49.6 wt% and Mg# 80.0 with relatively low total alkali contents (1.35 wt% Na2O+K2O) and high CaO (15.2 wt%). Exploratory runs with the program MELTS and pMELTS show that the low-MgO and high-MgO SMIs were derived from the same parental melt through different degrees of crystallization. Clinopyroxene and a small amount of olivine were the fractionating phases during the evolution from parental melts to high MgO melts, while the low MgO melts experienced significant fractional crystallization of olivine and clinopyroxene. We postulate the newly accreted lithospheric clinopyroxenite as the major source for the Jiaojia dolerite dikes, with melting of the source at a depth of ∼68–80km.

High-resolution solid-state NMR study of the effect of composition on network connectivity and structural disorder in multi-component glasses in the diopside and jadeite join: Implications for structure of andesitic melts

The structural evolution of andesitic melts with varying compositions remains one of the unsolved questions in high-temperature geochemistry and petrology. In this article, we report the structural details of model andesitic glasses [CaO–MgO–Na2O–Al2O3–SiO2 (CMNAS)] in the diopside (CaMgSi2O6) and jadeite (NaAlSi2O6) join using high-resolution, multi-nuclear, solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The 27Al NMR spectra of CMNAS glasses confirm that [4]Al is dominant. While a minor fraction of [5]Al is observed, its presence is only prevalent in the glasses with higher Ca–Mg content. Topological disorder in the glass network also tends to increase with Ca–Mg content as evidenced by the increase in the quadrupolar coupling constant (Cq) of [4]Al for glasses with increasing diopside contents (XDiopside). Despite the complex nature of the glasses studied here (with five oxide components), the 17O 3QMAS NMR spectra resolve diverse bridging oxygens (BOs) and non-bridging oxygens (NBOs), from which the degree of Al avoidance among framework cations (Si and Al) and preferential proximity among non-network cations (Ca2+, Mg2+, and Na+) and each oxygen site can be estimated: presence of Al–O–Al in jadeite glass implies a violation of the Al-avoidance rule in the glasses and the decrease in the fraction of NBOs with increasing XDiopside is consistent with a decrease in their viscosity. Analysis of the peak position of {Ca, Mg}-mixed NBOs, along with the absence of Na-NBO peak, and the peak shape of Si–O–Al reveals preferential partitioning of Ca2+ and Mg2 into NBOs and the proximity of Na+ to BOs. The fraction of highly coordinated Al has been linked to thermodynamic and transport properties of the melts. Considering all the experimental Al coordination environments available in the literature, together with the current experimental studies, we attempt to establish the relationship between the fractions of highly coordinated Al and composition, particularly average cationic potential of non-network forming cations (<c/r>ave, defined as cationic potential normalized by the mole fraction of each non-network cation). The fraction of highly coordinated Al increases nonlinearly with increasing <c/r>ave. The fraction of [5,6]Al is negligible up to <c/r>ave=∼1.7, then it increases above <c/r>ave>∼1.7 regardless of changes in other compositional variables (e.g., Si/Al, NBO content). This indicates the presence of a threshold <c/r>ave value for the formation of [5,6]Al. The current experimental results with the changes in network polymerization, coordination environments, and the degree of disorder in the CMNAS glasses can improve understanding of the structure–property (particularly, configurational thermodynamic properties) relationships of multi-component natural silicate melts, including andesitic melts and glasses.

Eddy-resolving simulations of the Fimbul Ice Shelf cavity circulation: Basal melting and exchange with open ocean

Melting at the base of floating ice shelves is a dominant term in the overall Antarctic mass budget. This study applies a high-resolution regional ice shelf/ocean model, constrained by observations, to (i) quantify present basal mass loss at the Fimbul Ice Shelf (FIS); and (ii) investigate the oceanic mechanisms that govern the heat supply to ice shelves in the Eastern Weddell Sea. The simulations confirm the low melt rates suggested by observations and show that melting is primarily determined by the depth of the coastal thermocline, regulating deep ocean heat fluxes towards the ice. Furthermore, the uneven distribution of ice shelf area at different depths modulates the melting response to oceanic forcing, causing the existence of two distinct states of melting at the FIS. In the simulated present-day state, only small amounts of Modified Warm Deep Water enter the continental shelf, and ocean temperatures beneath the ice are close to the surface freezing point. The basal mass loss in this so-called state of “shallow melting” is mainly controlled by the seasonal inflow of solar-heated surface water affecting large areas of shallow ice in the upper part of the cavity. This is in contrast to a state of “deep melting”, in which the thermocline rises above the shelf break depth, establishing a continuous inflow of Warm Deep Water towards the deep ice. The transition between the two states is found to be determined by a complex response of the Antarctic Slope Front overturning circulation to varying climate forcings. A proper representation of these frontal dynamics in climate models will therefore be crucial when assessing the evolution of ice shelf basal melting along this sector of Antarctica.

Magmatism and formation conditions of the Urma helvite-bertrandite deposit, West Transbaikal berillium province

The relationships between mineralization and magmatism during the formation of the Early Mesozoic West Transbaikal beryllium province are exemplified in the Urma helvite-bertrandite deposit. The deposit is drawn toward granitoids of elevated alkalinity, which belong to the Tashir Complex. Mineralization is related to leucogranite and characterized by patched distribution controlled by localization of metasomatic alteration. The latter is identified owing to replacement of feldspar with microcline and albite followed by silicification related to fracture zones. Helvite and bertrandite are the major Be minerals at the deposit. The Be grade of the ore is nonuniform and varies from 740 to 25000 ppm. Zircon, malacon, monazite, allanite, bastnaesite, columbite, and xenotime occur in metasomatic rocks together with Be minerals. Geochemical characteristics of alkali granites and metasomatic rocks are similar in a wide range of incompatible elements. Both are characterized by lowered Ba, Sr, P, and Eu contents and enriched in Th, U, Pb, Zr, and Hf. The degree of enrichment is the highest in the ore. The Be content in the ore correlates with concentrations of a number of other rare metals typical of host granite, which form their own mineralization against the background of metasomatic alteration, including Zr and REE minerals. Similarity in geochemistry of granitic rocks and Be ore indicates that the Urma deposit was related to the evolution of magmatic melt. Regional correlation shows that the ore-magmatic system of the Urma deposit is close to that of the Orot deposit, one of the largest in the central segment of the West Transbaikal metallogenic province. Both deposits are characterized by a similar composition of granitoids and comparable localization of ore zones in the structure of plutons. This similarity supports the high ore resource potential of Early Mesozoic alkali granites in the western Transbaikal region. Taking into account that these granitoids are widespread in the West Transbaikal Rift Zone that controls the metallogenic province, one can expect the discovery of new deposits therein.

Phase-equilibrium geobarometers for silicic rocks based on rhyolite-MELTS. Part 1: Principles, procedures, and evaluation of the method

Constraining the pressure of crystallization of magmas is an important but elusive task. In this work, we present a method to derive crystallization pressures for rocks that preserve glass compositions (either glass inclusions or matrix glass) representative of equilibration between melt, quartz, and 1 or 2 feldspars. The method relies on the well-known shift of the quartz–feldspar saturation surface toward higher normative quartz melt compositions with decreasing pressure. The critical realization for development of the method is the fact that melt, quartz and feldspars need to be in equilibrium at the liquidus for the melt composition. The method thus consists of calculating the saturation surfaces for quartz and feldspars using rhyolite-MELTS over a range of pressures, and searching for the pressure at which the expected assemblage (quartz+1 feldspar or quartz+2 feldspars) is found at the liquidus. We evaluate errors resulting from uncertainties in glass composition using a series of Monte Carlo simulations for a quartz-hosted glass inclusion composition from the Bishop Tuff, which reveal errors on the order of 20–45 MPa for the quartz+2 feldspars constraint and on the order of 25–100 MPa for the quartz+1 feldspar constraint; we suggest actual errors are closer to the lower bounds of these ranges. We investigate the effect of fluid saturation in two ways: (1) By applying our procedure over a range of water contents for three glass compositions; we show that the effect of fluid saturation is more important at higher pressures (~300 MPa) than at lower pressures (~100 MPa), but reasonable pressure estimates can be derived irrespective of fluid saturation for geologically relevant H2O concentrations >3 wt% and (2) by performing the same type of pressure determinations with a preliminary version of rhyolite-MELTS that includes a H2O–CO2 mixed fluid phase; we use a range of H2O and CO2 concentrations for two compositions characteristic of early-erupted and late-erupted Bishop Tuff glass inclusions and demonstrate that calculated pressures are largely independent of CO2 concentration (for CO2 <1,000 ppm), at least for relatively high H2O contents, as expected in most natural magmas, such that CO2 concentration can be effectively neglected for application of our method. Finally, we demonstrate that pressures calculated using the rhyolite-MELTS geobarometer compare well with those resulting from H2O–CO2 glass inclusion barometry and Al-in-hornblende barometry for an array of natural systems for which data have been compiled from the literature; the agreement is best for quartz-hosted glass inclusions, while matrix glass yields systematically lower rhyolite-MELTS pressures, suggestive of melt evolution during eruptive decompression.

Mechanism and kinetics of ultra‐high molecular weight polytetrafluoroethylene sintering

ABSTRACTThe effect of sintering time on the melt evolution of Ultra‐High Molecular Weight Polytetrafluoroethylene was studied in situ by high temperature Wide Angle X‐ray Scattering, and by cyclic thermal loading profiles within a Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and Thermo‐Mechanical Analyzer (TMA). Results obtained from these techniques support the concept of molecular ordering in the melt state as a function of sintering time well above the melting temperature. TMA, which is not a conventional technique for monitoring thermal transitions, is shown to be sensitive enough for such purposes. Both DSC and TMA exhibit nonequilibrium melt behavior even 30°C above its equilibrium melting temperature for long time periods. A correlation between the DSC and TMA results is established. The cyclic thermal profile leads to a dramatic growth in enthalpy of crystallization/melting. The mechanism for this growth is associated with two independent processes; isothermal annealing at the sintering temperature and lamellar thickening in the solid state. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci. 2014, 131, 40967.

Sr Isotope Zoning in Plagioclase from Parinacota Volcano (Northern Chile): Quantifying Magma Mixing and Crustal Contamination

We present analyses of Sr isotope zoning by microdrilling and thermal ionization mass spectrometry in plagioclase crystals from Parinacota volcano (Central Volcanic Zone, northern Chile), which were analysed for major and minor element zoning in a previous study. Although the isotopic range of the bulk-rock samples is small at this volcano (0·7067–0·7070, except for one flow of mafic andesite at 0·7061), significant variations are seen (0·70649–0·70700) within and between plagioclase crystals. A general negative correlation is observed between Sr isotope composition and Sr concentration in the liquid in equilibrium with each plagioclase zone, as calculated from chemical zoning data and partition coefficients. Additional scatter is superimposed on this general trend, indicating a decoupling between isotopic and chemical variations for Sr. In one dacite sample a detailed isotopic profile shows increasing contamination during crystal growth, except for an abrupt decrease correlated with a dissolution surface and interpreted as a recharge event. We apply energy-constrained recharge, assimilation and fractional crystallization modelling to the melt evolution recorded in the chemical and isotopic zoning in this crystal. Results suggest 20% assimilation of the local wall-rock gneiss, at high initial temperatures. The isotopic data confirm the involvement of two contrasting mafic magmas, which are sampled at flank cinder cone vents. One (Lower Ajata) has a low Sr content with high 87Sr/86Sr, the other (Upper Ajata) has a high Sr content with lower 87Sr/86Sr. In some samples from Parinacota, the isotopic composition of plagioclase crystal rims or groundmass crystals is significantly higher than that of the high 87Sr/86Sr mafic magma. In others, where chemical zoning profiles suggest that recharge was from the low 87Sr/86Sr magma, the 87Sr/86Sr of the groundmass and crystal rims is higher than expected. This indicates either additional parent magmas to the two previously identified, or further crustal assimilation, either at lower crustal depths, before crystallization of plagioclase, or just after the last recharge. Our results illustrate the complexity of magma–crust interaction beneath Parinacota, which is likely to be representative of many other Central Andean volcanoes formed on thick crust. Such complex interactions can be revealed by combined study of chemical and isotopic zoning in plagioclase (in a textural petrographic context), despite a small whole-rock isotopic range. The distinct contamination patterns of various samples suggest an important role for the geometry, location and evolution of the magma plumbing system and, in general, variations of the thermal and compositional structure of the crust underneath the volcano.

Syn-exhumation partial melting and melt segregation in the Sulu UHP terrane: Evidences from leucosome and pegmatitic vein of migmatite

Abstract In order to investigate partial melting and melt evolution during exhumation of deeply subducted continental crust, we carried out a combined study on layered leucosomes and pegmatitic veins from the Weihai–Rongcheng migmatites in the Sulu ultra-high pressure (UHP) metamorphic terrane, eastern China. The leucosomes are millimetric to centimetric in thickness and mainly consists of K-feldspar + quartz + plagioclase. The pegmatitic veins emplace along the compositional layers or crosscut them and are mainly composed of K-feldspar + quartz. CL images show that most zircon grains of the leucosomes have a core–rim zoning structure, whereas zircons of the pegmatitic veins are mostly new growth grains with rarely preserved relict domains. The inherited zircon domains (ca. 750 Ma) are of a magmatic origin with zircon eHf(t) values between − 5.7 and 5.3 (mean = − 0.8 ± 1.5), suggesting that the protolith rock is a Mid-Neoproterozoic juvenile crust. The zircon overgrowth rims (223 ± 3 Ma) of the leucosomes and the new zircon grains (217 ± 2 Ma) of the pegmatitic veins formed in equilibrium with melt and are similar to magmatic zircons in terms of their CL images and trace element compositions, e.g., heavy-enriched REE patterns (i.e., very low (Gd/Lu)N ratios) with positive Ce and variably negative Eu anomalies, high Y contents and low Hf/Y ratios. Compared with the inherited protolith zircon domains, the Triassic zircon domains of the leucosomes and the pegmatitic veins have obviously high U but low Th contents, resulting in very low Th/U ratios (

Carbonate- and silicate-rich globules in the kimberlitic rocks of northwestern Tarim large igneous province, NW China: Evidence for carbonated mantle source

We report carbonate- and silicate-rich globules and andradite from the Wajilitage kimberlitic rocks in the northwestern Tarim large igneous province, NW China. The carbonate-rich globules vary in size from 1 to 3mm, and most have ellipsoidal or round shape, and are composed of nearly pure calcite. The silicate-rich globules are elliptical to round in shape and are typically larger than the carbonate-rich globules ranging from 2 to several centimeters in diameter. They are characterized by clear reaction rims and contain several silicate minerals such as garnet, diopside and phlogopite. The silicate-rich globules, reported here for the first time, are suggested to be related to the origin of andradite within the kimberlitic rocks. Our results show that calcite in the carbonate-rich globules has a high XCa (>0.97) and is characterized by extremely high concentrations of the total rare earth elements (up to 1500ppm), enrichment in Sr (8521–10,645ppm) and LREE, and remarkable depletion in Nd, Ta, Zr, Hf and Ti. The calcite in the silicate-rich globules is geochemically similar to those in the carbonate-rich globules except the lower trace element contents. Garnet is dominantly andradite (And59.56–92.32Grs5.67–36.03Pyr0.36–4.61Spe0–0.33) and is enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and relatively depleted in Rb, Ba, Th, Pb, Sr, Zr and Hf. Phlogopite in the silicate-rich globules has a high Mg# ranging from 0.93 to 0.97. The composition of the diopside is Wo45.82–51.39En39.81–49.09Fs0.88–0.95 with a high Mg# ranging from 0.88 to 0.95. Diopside in the silicate-rich globules has low total rare earth element (REE) contents (14–31ppm) and shows middle REE- (Eu to Gd), slight light REE- and heavy REE-enrichment with elevated Zr, Hf and Sr contents and a negative Nb anomaly in the normalized diagram. The matrix of the kimberlitic rocks are silica undersaturated (27.92–29.31wt.% SiO2) with low Al2O3 (4.51–5.15wt.%) and high CaO (17.29–17.77wt.%) contents. The samples are characterized by incompatible element enrichment with high (La/Yb)N values (41–58) and remarkable negative anomalies in HFSEs (e.g. Ta, Zr, Hf). Our new data suggest that the carbonate-rich globule most likely crystallized at high-temperature and does not represent immiscible liquids, whereas the silicate-rich globules are related to carbonate-rich deuteric hydrothermal fluids during the later-stage of melt evolution. The fluids reacted with the surrounding silicate melts resulting in the formation of skarn minerals such as phlogopite, diopside and andradite. The presence of the carbonate-bearing globules indicates that the Wajilitage kimberlitic rocks are carbonate-rich and most likely derived from an enriched mantle with abundant carbonate. We correlate the carbonated mantle to metasomatism by the migration of deep-seated fluids (carbonate-rich) in response to the impingement of the early Permian mantle plume.

Petrology and geochemistry of plutonic rocks in the Northwest Pacific Ocean and their geodynamic interpretation

The paper presents data on the petrology and geochemistry of plutonic rocks dredged from the Stalemate Fracture Zone, Northwest Pacific Ocean, during Cruise SO201-1 of the R/V “Sonne”. We proposed also the reconstruction of their formation conditions and interpretation of their tectonic evolution. The genesis of gabbroids found among plutonic rocks composing the Cretaceous–Paleogene basement of the northwestern part of the Pacific Ocean was related to magmatism at the ancient spreading center and provides record of the evolution of the parental magmatic melts of N-MORB. Along with related peridotites, basalts, and dolerites, these rocks can be attributed to the disintegrated the Cretaceous–Paleogene oceanic lithosphere of the Pacific Ocean. The shallow mantle beneath the ancient oceanic crust of this area is made up of depleted magmatic spinel lherzolite, harzburgite, and dunite. The fact that gabbro-diorite and diorite that are not genetically related to the rocks of the Cretaceous–Paleogene basement of the Northwest Pacific occur at the eastern termination of the Stalemate Fracture Zone possibly reflects the complicated structure of the tectonic collage of rocks of different age that were produced in different geodynamic environments and were later tectonically brought together near the frontal portion of the Aleutian island arc. Judging by the isotopic–geochemical characteristics of these rocks, they cannot be classed with the family of oceanic plagiogranites. Deformations of the oceanic basement can be discerned throughout the whole Stalemate Fracture Zone as brecciation and large-amplitude vertical displacements within the oceanic lithosphere.

Jurassic–Paleogene intraoceanic magmatic evolution of the Ankara Mélange, north-central Anatolia, Turkey

Abstract. Oceanic rocks in the Ankara Mélange along the Izmir–Ankara–Erzincan suture zone (IAESZ) in north-central Anatolia include locally coherent ophiolite complexes (~ 179 Ma and ~ 80 Ma), seamount or oceanic plateau volcanic units with pelagic and reefal limestones (96.6 ± 1.8 Ma), metamorphic rocks with ages of 256.9 ± 8.0 Ma, 187.4 ± 3.7 Ma, 158.4 ± 4.2 Ma, and 83.5 ± 1.2 Ma indicating northern Tethys during the late Paleozoic through Cretaceous, and subalkaline to alkaline volcanic and plutonic rocks of an island arc origin (~ 67–63 Ma). All but the arc rocks occur in a shale–graywacke and/or serpentinite matrix, and are deformed by south-vergent thrust faults and folds that developed in the middle to late Eocene due to continental collisions in the region. Ophiolitic volcanic rocks have mid-ocean ridge (MORB) and island arc tholeiite (IAT) affinities showing moderate to significant large ion lithophile elements (LILE) enrichment and depletion in Nb, Hf, Ti, Y and Yb, which indicate the influence of subduction-derived fluids in their melt evolution. Seamount/oceanic plateau basalts show ocean island basalt (OIB) affinities. The arc-related volcanic rocks, lamprophyric dikes and syenodioritic plutons exhibit high-K shoshonitic to medium- to high-K calc-alkaline compositions with strong enrichment in LILE, rare earth elements (REE) and Pb, and initial εNd values between +1.3 and +1.7. Subalkaline arc volcanic units occur in the northern part of the mélange, whereas the younger alkaline volcanic rocks and intrusions (lamprophyre dikes and syenodioritic plutons) in the southern part. The late Permian, Early to Late Jurassic, and Late Cretaceous amphibole-epidote schist, epidote-actinolite, epidote-chlorite and epidote-glaucophane schists represent the metamorphic units formed in a subduction channel in the northern Neotethys. The Middle to Upper Triassic neritic limestones spatially associated with the seamount volcanic rocks indicate that the northern Neotethys was an open ocean with its MORB-type oceanic lithosphere by the early Triassic (or earlier). The latest Cretaceous–early Paleocene island arc volcanic, dike and plutonic rocks with subalkaline to alkaline geochemical affinities represent intraoceanic magmatism that developed on and across the subduction–accretion complex above a N-dipping, southward-rolling subducted lithospheric slab within the northern Neotethys. The Ankara Mélange thus exhibits the record of ~ 120–130 million years of oceanic magmatism in geological history of the northern Neotethys.

Experimental and numerical study on melting of phase change materials in metal foams at pore scale

An experimental study on the melting behavior of phase change material (PCM) in metal foams has been carried out at the pore scale. Paraffin wax was used as phase change material, in which aluminum foams were embedded to enhance the heat transfer. The temperature field and the melting evolution of the PCM at the pore scale were studied using an infrared camera and an optical microscope, respectively. The experimental results indicated that the metal foam is capable of enhancing the solid–liquid phase-change heat transfer, mainly because of the thermal conduction in the metal matrix. It was observed that the effect of the metal structure on the heat transfer is significant during the melting of PCM. A thermal lattice Boltzmann model with doubled populations was implemented to simulate the two-dimensional melting of the phase change material in metal foams. The numerical results agree well with the experimental observations qualitatively.

Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry for the quantification of multiple minor and trace elements in forsterite–fayalite

Matrix effects in the olivine binary series are known to affect the determination of minor and trace elements by Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). We use seven well-characterized, compositionally divergent reference materials (Fo100–Fo0.5) to calibrate these effects for accurate analyses of the forsterite (Fo) content and a suite of petrologically important minor and trace elements (Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn) using SIMS.The forsterite (Fo) content and, concurrently, the concentrations of MgO, FeO, and SiO2 of an unknown sample are extracted from a calibration of R25Mg+/(R25Mg++R57Fe+) (RMX+ is the intensity ratio of an analyte ion to 30Si+ measured by SIMS) against accepted values for Fo for the seven reference materials, as originally determined by Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA). Traditional working lines (RMX+ versus accepted values for atomic weight ratio) for Ca, Ti, V, and Cr display near-linear relationships, whereas plots of Relative Sensitivity Factor (RSF) versus Fo content for Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn revealed significant non-linear variations with olivine composition (‘matrix effect’). RSF-based working lines for these elements yield polynomial regressions with strong correlations (R2∼0.99). This consequently enables a precise quantification of the matrix effect-biased elements over the complete range of natural olivine compositions.Comparison of SIMS vs. EPMA was performed using highly homogeneous mantle olivine (Fo90) from a garnet-peridotite (Western Gneiss Region, Norway) and more compositionally variable olivine (Fo74–89) from a volcanic ash deposit (2010 Eyjafjallajökull eruption, Iceland). SIMS determinations of Fo, Ni, and Mn compared accurately with those by EPMA – with the added advantage of ∼5ppm detection limit for Ni and Mn, and the analysis of Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Co, Cu, and Zn in the same sample volume. The capability of SIMS for precise quantification of Fo, Ni, Mn, and multiple trace elements is particularly valuable in petrogenetic and mineral deposit studies where olivine Fo compositions vary over a large range. For example, those pertaining to melt evolution in magmatic Ni–Cu–Co deposits.

Contrasting behaviours of CO2, S, H2O and halogens (F, Cl, Br, and I) in enriched-mantle melts from Pitcairn and Society seamounts

In order to improve characterisation of volatiles in the EM1 and EM2 mantle sources, which are interpreted to contain subducted sedimentary or lithospheric components, we report electron microprobe, FTIR and SIMS CO2, H2O, S, F and Cl concentrations of variably enriched glasses from Pitcairn and Society seamounts in Polynesia. The analyses complement previously published Cl, Br and I data for some of the same glasses and all the techniques show reasonable agreement of better than 5–9% for S, Cl and H2O. The concentrations of H2O and all the halogens increase as a function of melt evolution with the highest values of 1.6wt.% H2O, 2100ppm F, 1500ppm Cl, 3.7ppm Br and 80ppb I in melts with <2wt.% MgO. In contrast, CO2 and S are strongly influenced by degassing and it is the least evolved melts that preserve the highest CO2 concentrations, that indicate CO2 oversaturation of some lavas. Comparison of volatile and non-volatile elements of similar compatibility (e.g. H2O/Ce, Cl/K) as a function of equilibration depth and 87Sr/86Sr, suggests H2O and halogens were not significantly degassed from melts equilibrated at >100bars and most of the variation in H2O/Ce reflects source composition. Despite their overall enrichment in volatiles, both the Pitcairn and Society EM1 and EM2 sources are depleted in H2O as well as Cl, Br, and I relative to Ce and K. Slightly different behaviour is suggested for F and a correlation between F/Cl and K/Cl in Pitcairn melts, could be explained by preferential subduction of F relative to Cl into the EM sources. The relative abundances of H2O, halogens and lithophile elements in melts from different tectonic settings indicate subduction-related H2O and Cl loss efficiencies are similar at ~90–96%; F is suggested to have a lower loss efficiency; whereas Br and I are lost more efficiently. Nonetheless, dehydrated lithosphere containing 5–10% of its original volatile content is interpreted as the most likely source of volatile enrichment in the Pitcairn and Society mantle sources.

Melt–peridotite interaction in the shallow lithospheric mantle of the North China Craton: evidence from melt inclusions in the quartz-bearing orthopyroxene-rich websterite from Hannuoba

To better understand the origin, migration, and evolution of melts in the lithospheric mantle and their roles on the destruction of the North China Craton (NCC), we conducted a petrological and geochemical study on a quartz-bearing orthopyroxene-rich websterite xenolith from Hannuoba, the NCC, and its hosted melt and fluid inclusions. Both clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in the xenolith contain lots of primary and secondary inclusions. High-temperature microthermometry of melt inclusions combined with Raman spectroscopy analyses of coexisting fluid inclusions shows that the entrapment temperature of the densest inclusions was ~1215°C and the pressure ~11.47 kbar, corresponding to a depth of ~38 km, i.e. within the stability of the spinel lherzolite. Intermediate pressure inclusions probably reflect progressive fluid entrapment over a range of depths during ascent, whereas the low-pressure inclusions (P < 2 kbar) may represent decrepitated primary inclusions. In situ laser-ablation ICP-MS analyses of major and trace elements on individual melt inclusions show that the compositions of these silicate melt inclusions in clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene are rich in SiO2, Al2O3, and alkalis but poor in TiO2 and strongly enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and large ion lithophile elements (LILEs), with negative anomalies of high-field strength elements (HFSEs). These characteristics suggest that the silica-rich melts could be derived from the partial melting of subducted oceanic slab. Therefore, this kind of quartz-bearing orthopyroxene-rich websterite may be produced by interaction between the slab-derived melts with the mantle peridotite. This study provides direct evidence for the origin, migration, and evolution of melts in the lithospheric mantle, which may play an important role in the destruction of the NCC.