High Degrees Of Partial Melting Research Articles

Highly siderophile elements and Os isotope constraints on the genesis of peridotites from the Kızıldağ ophiolite, southern Turkey

In this contribution, we present whole-rock major and trace element chemistry, including rare earth elements (REE), highly siderophile elements (HSE), and Re-Os isotope data, together with mineral chemistry for the harzburgites and dunites from the Kızıldağ ophiolite of SE Turkey, in an attempt to better constrain its petrogenesis. Both the harzburgites and dunites have refractory compositions with CaO contents <0.90 wt%, Al2O3 contents <0.90 wt% and TiO2 contents <0.01 wt%, indicating that they experienced high degrees of partial melting in the supra-subduction zone (SSZ) setting. Besides, the concave-shaped REE patterns and positive anomalies in some incompatible elements (e.g., Cs, Rb and Pb) suggest that the harzburgites and dunites have also experienced interactions with percolating melts after partial melting. Based on the quantitative melt-rock interaction model, the addition of sulfides derived from the percolating magmas could be responsible for the variable HSE contents and suprachondritic Pd/Ir and Pt/Ir ratios observed in some of the harzburgite samples. The extremely low HSE contents in the dunites can be explained by interaction with S-undersaturated melts. Enrichments of Os and Ru in two dunites could be attributed to the precipitation of a higher amount of spinel grains along with the possible Os-Ru microparticles. The significantly wide range of Os isotopic ratios in the harzburgites (187Os/188Os(90 Ma) = 0.12152–0.13584; γOs(90 Ma) = −4.31 to 6.96) and dunites (187Os/188Os(90 Ma) = 0.12690–0.13267; γOs(90 Ma) = −0.08 to 4.47) seems to be consistent with the multi-stage evolution of the oceanic upper mantle. The low Os isotopic ratios (sub-primitive mantle) in some harzburgite samples suggest the lithospheric mantle has experienced ancient melting processes (>1.0 Ga).

Lithogeochemistry of the Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts near the Fossil Ridge of the Southwest Sub-Basin, South China Sea

Mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) in the South China Sea (SCS) record deep crust-mantle processes during seafloor spreading. We conducted a petrological and geochemical study on the MORBs obtained from the southwest sub-basin of the SCS at site U1433 and U1434 of the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 349. Results show that MORBs at IODP site U1433 and U1434 are unaffected by seawater alteration, and all U1433 and the bulk of U1434 rocks belong to the sub-alkaline low-potassium tholeiitic basalt series. Samples collected from site U1433 and U1434 are enriched mid-ocean ridge basalts (E-MORBs), and the U1434 basalts are more enriched in incompatible elements than the U1433 samples. The SCS MORBs have mainly undergone the fractional crystallization of olivine, accompanied by the relatively weak fractional crystallization of plagioclase and clinopyroxene during magma evolution. The magma of both sites might be mainly produced by the high-degree partial melting of spinel peridotite at low pressures. The degree of partial melting at site U1434 was lower than at U1433, ascribed to the relatively lower spreading rate. The magmatic source of the southwest sub-basin basalts may be contaminated by lower continental crust and contributed by recycled oceanic crust component during the opening of the SCS.

Alaskan-type nature and PGE mineralization of the Wuxing mafic–ultramafic complex in eastern part of the Central Asian Orogenic belt

The Wuxing mafic–ultramafic complex is located in the eastern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). It consists of hornblende-olivine clinopyroxenite, hornblende clinopyroxenite, clinopyroxenite, gabbro and diorite. Hornblende occurs in all the rock types of the complex and is pargasite in composition. Clinopyroxene is diopsidic in composition with high CaO and low TiO2 contents. The flat REE and sub-parallel trace element patterns of both clinopyroxene and hornblende suggest that these rocks were formed by fractional crystallization from common magma with no significant crustal contamination. Enrichment in large ion lithophile elements relative to high field strength elements of the silicate minerals, together with the variable sulfur isotope compositions (δ34S = -2.55 ~ 11.01‰) of the sulfides, indicate the involvement of subducted oceanic materials into the mantle source. These petrological, mineralogical and geochemical features strongly suggest the Alaskan-type nature of the Wuxing complex. The hydrous parental magma of the Wuxing complex was derived from partial melting of the mantle wedge, which had been metasomatized by subducted melts/fluids.The Wuxing complex is a unique Pt-Pd-rich Ni-Cu sulfide deposit in the CAOB. The ore minerals, which are dominated by pyrite, pyrrhotite, pentlandite, chalcopyrite and platinum-group mineral (PGM), mainly occur in clinopyroxenite and hornblende clinopyroxenite. The sulfide ores are predominantly present as net-textured and disseminated textures. Pentlandite and chalcopyrite associated with pyrrhotite commonly occur in the marginal zone of the pyrrhotite grains. The PGMs occur as interstitial grains at the contact between base-metal sulfides and silicate minerals or along the crack of pyrrhotite or clinopyroxene, or as inclusions in pyrrhotite. The occurrences of sulfides and PGMs in the Wuxing complex, together with sulfur isotope compositions and PGE patterns, reveal that the PGE enrichment of the Alaskan-type complexes can be attributed to the high-degree partial melting of the mantle source, sulfur involvement in the source, and PGE transportation of hydrous melts.

Geochronology and geochemistry of late Paleozoic volcanic rocks from eastern Inner Mongolia, NE China: Implications for igneous petrogenesis, tectonic setting, and geodynamic evolution of the south-eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt

Here we report new petrography, geochemistry, UPb zircon geochronology, and Hf isotope results for volcanic rocks of the Dashizhai Formation in the Dashizhai area, Keerqin Right Wing Front Banner, Inner Mongolia. The volcanic rocks have mafic to felsic bulk-rock compositions and include basalt, rhyolite, basaltic andesite, andesite, dacite, and rhyolitic tuff. Two dacite and rhyolitic tuff samples yield laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) 206Pb/238U zircon ages of 332 ± 1 Ma and 300 ± 1 Ma, respectively, suggesting that the timing of felsic volcanism ranged from the early to late Carboniferous. Mafic volcanic rock samples are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE; La/Nb = 1.58–4.84), and are depleted in high-field-strength elements (HFSE; Th/Yb ratios <2.2) and heavy rare earth elements [HREE; (Tb/Yb)N ratios 1.27–1.91]. Based on these trace element characteristics, we propose that the mafic volcanic rocks represent fractionated, high-degree partial melts that were sourced from the subduction-modified and melt-depleted mantle wedge. The felsic volcanic rocks yield LILE- and LREE-rich compositions and arc-like HFSE- and HREE-poor signatures. Magmatic zircons recovered from the dated rhyolitic tuff and dacite samples yield positive εHf(t) values (+1.21 to +14.85) and two-stage Hf model ages of 1236 and 391 Ma, suggesting that arc-like felsic volcanism was sourced from, and/or interacted with, the older juvenile lower-crust underlying the Dashizhai Formation. Therefore, the mafic to felsic volcanic rocks from the Dashizhai area likely formed in a Carboniferous magmatic arc at a continental margin. Based on the isotopic and geochemical signatures of the Carboniferous–Permian volcanic rocks in the Dashizhai area, we preliminarily divide central and eastern Inner Mongolia into three zones: (i) North Zone, which formed at the magmatically active continental margin; (ii) Middle Zone, which formed in a magmatic arc peripheral to the continental marginal; and (iii) South Zone, which formed in an oceanic island arc. The age and geochemical signature of the Dashizhai Formation points to active, northward subduction during the early Carboniferous to the early Permian and suggests that the Paleo-Asian Ocean closed after the early Permian.

What lies beneath? Reconstructing the primitive magmas fueling voluminous silicic volcanism using olivine-hosted melt inclusions

Abstract Understanding the origins of the mantle melts that drive voluminous silicic volcanism is challenging because primitive magmas are generally trapped at depth. The central Taupō Volcanic Zone (TVZ; New Zealand) hosts an extraordinarily productive region of rhyolitic caldera volcanism. Accompanying and interspersed with the rhyolitic products, there are traces of basalt to andesite preserved as enclaves or pyroclasts in caldera eruption products and occurring as small monogenetic eruptive centers between calderas. These mafic materials contain MgO-rich olivines (Fo79–86) that host melt inclusions capturing the most primitive basaltic melts fueling the central TVZ. Olivine-hosted melt inclusion compositions associated with the caldera volcanoes (intracaldera samples) contrast with those from the nearby, mafic intercaldera monogenetic centers. Intracaldera melt inclusions from the modern caldera volcanoes of Taupō and Okataina have lower abundances of incompatible elements, reflecting distinct mantle melts. There is a direct link showing that caldera-related silicic volcanism is fueled by basaltic magmas that have resulted from higher degrees of partial melting of a more depleted mantle source, along with distinct subduction signatures. The locations and vigor of Taupō and Okataina are fundamentally related to the degree of melting and flux of basalt from the mantle, and intercaldera mafic eruptive products are thus not representative of the feeder magmas for the caldera volcanoes. Inherited olivines and their melt inclusions provide a unique “window” into the mantle dynamics that drive the active TVZ silicic magmatic systems and may present a useful approach at other volcanoes that show evidence for mafic recharge.

Mesoproterozoic (~1.32 Ga) modification of lithospheric mantle beneath the North China craton caused by break-up of the Columbia supercontinent

The Mesoproterozoic Yanliao diabase sills are widespread at the northern margin of the eastern North China Craton (NCC) and provide a means to examine the evolution of the NCC lithospheric mantle from amalgamation to breakup and dispersal of the Columbia supercontinent. Here, we report new baddeleyite U–Pb ages, whole-rock geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic data, and baddeleyite Hf isotopes for diabase rocks from different sills, which provide insights into the source and petrogenesis of the magmas and the Mesoproterozoic evolution of the NCC. In situ baddeleyite U–Pb dating yields consistent ages of ca. 1320 Ma for these sills, suggesting coeval emplacement. The diabase samples are all tholeiitic and have high TiO2 and total Fe2O3, and low alkali contents. They have variable Mg# values and major- and trace-element contents but uniform primitive-mantle-normalized trace-element patterns, with weak enrichment in light rare-earth elements (LREEs) and large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs), and depletion in high-field-strength elements (HFSEs). The whole-rock and in situ isotopic contents of the diabase samples are homogeneous, with initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7032–0.7049, εNd(t) values of −0.7 to +3.1, εHf(t) values of +0.8 to +3.7, and baddeleyite εHf(t) values of +1.9 to +7.2. All of these geochemical features suggest that these rocks were derived from high-degree partial melting of a fertile lithospheric mantle source at the depth of spinel stability, with subsequent olivine, clinopyroxene, and plagioclase fractionation. This lithospheric mantle was distinct from the previous Archean to Paleoproterozoic cratonic lithospheric mantle beneath the NCC, indicating a refertilization process by upwelling asthenospheric materials during the Mesoproterozoic. This upwelling, together with other Mesoproterozoic magmatism at the craton margin, would have significantly modified the subcontinental lithospheric mantle of the eastern NCC during the Mesoproterozoic, thereby increasing the susceptibility of the craton to subsequent Mesozoic decratonization.

Genesis of Recent Mafic Magmatism in the Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand: Insights into the Birth and Death of Very Large Volume Rhyolitic Systems?

Abstract Mafic magmatism of the rifting Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) of the North Island, New Zealand, is volumetrically minor, but is thought to tap the material that provides the heat source for voluminous rhyolite production through partial melting of the crust, which ultimately results in very large volume explosive eruptions. We have studied the major and trace element chemistry of 14 mafic samples from across the entire TVZ, and the U isotopic composition of whole-rocks, groundmasses and separates of mafic mineral phases from a selection of nine samples (with the remaining five too sparsely phyric for mineral separation). Some minerals yield significant 234U enrichments despite groundmass and whole-rock close to 238U–234U secular equilibrium, pointing to uptake of variably hydrothermally altered antecrystic minerals prior to the eruption of originally sparsely phyric to aphyric mafic magmas. However, incompatible trace element patterns indicate that there are three chemically distinct groups of samples, and that samples may be used to derive primary melt compositions. We employ the latest version of the Arc Basalt Simulator (ABS5) to forward model these compositions, deriving mantle source parameters including mantle fertility, slab liquid flux, mantle volatile content, degree of melting, and P–T conditions of melt segregation. We show that mafic rocks erupted in areas of old, now inactive calderas constitute low-degree, deep melts, whereas those in areas of active caldera-volcanism are high-degree partial melts segregated from a less depleted source at an intermediate depth. Finally, high-Mg basaltic andesites erupted in the SW and NE of the TVZ point to a fertile, shallow mantle source. Our data are consistent with a petrogenetic model in which mantle melting is dominated by decompression, rather than fluid fluxing, and progresses from shallow to deeper levels with time. Melt volumes initially increase to a tipping point, at which large-scale crustal melting and caldera volcanism become prominent, and then decrease owing to progressive depletion of the mantle wedge by melting, resulting in the dearth of heat provided and eventual cessation of very large volume rhyolitic volcanism. ABS5 modelling therefore supports the notion of a direct link between the chemistry of recently erupted mafic magmas and the long-term activity and evolution of rhyolitic volcanism in the TVZ.

Multistage origin of dunite in the Purang ophiolite, southern Tibet, documented by composition, exsolution and Li isotope characteristics of constituent minerals

Abstract. The Purang ophiolite, which crops out over an area of about 650 km2 in the western Yarlung–Zangbo suture zone, consists chiefly of mantle peridotite, pyroxenite and gabbro. The mantle peridotite is comprised mainly harzburgite and minor dunite. Locally, the latter contains small pods of chromitite. Pyroxenite and gabbro occur as veins of variable size within the peridotite; most of them strike northwest, parallel to the main structure of the ophiolite. Three types of dunite occur in the Purang ophiolite: dunite that envelopes podiform chromitite (1) and lenses of dunite with either Cr-rich spinel (2) or Cr-poor spinel (3) in a harzburgite host. The constituent minerals of dunite envelopes around podiform chromitite are similar in composition to those of transition-zone dunite (Fo91.01−91.87 in olivine; Cr/(Cr+Al) (Cr#) =41.5–47.0 and Mg/(Mg+Fe2+) (Mg#) =58.9–63.0 in Cr-spinel). Forsterite contents in olivine decrease from type 2 lenses with Cr-rich spinel (91.9–93.0) to type 1 dunite enveloping chromitite (91.7–93.7) to type 3 lenses with Cr-poor spinel (95.3–96.0). Similarly, Cr# in spinel decreases from type 2 (66.9–67.9) to type 1 (41.5–47.0) to type 3 (19.8–20.6). In addition, Al2O3 in clinopyroxene is highest in type 2 (3.48–5.24 wt %) and decreases to type 1 (1.56–3.29 wt %) and type 3 (0.78–0.86 wt %). Olivine in type 1 dunite enveloping podiform chromitite has Li concentrations and δ7Li values of 1.48–1.71 ppm and 6.19 ‰–7.98 ‰, respectively. Type 2 dunite lenses with Cr-rich spinel contain olivine with Li =0.98–1.64 ppm and δ7Li =6.77 ‰–10.99 ‰. The type 3 dunite lenses with Cr-poor spinel show the highest values of Li =0.94–1.40 ppm and δ7Li =10.25 ‰–14.20 ‰. Exsolution lamellae of clinopyroxene and magnetite occur as oriented intergrowths in olivine of type 3 dunite lenses with Cr-poor spinel. We suggest that the Purang ophiolite developed during two main stages of formation. In the first stage, abyssal peridotites formed in a mid-ocean-ridge environment. During the second stage, hydrous high-Mg boninitic melts were produced by high degrees of partial melting in a supra-subduction zone mantle wedge, which reacted with peridotite to form type 2 dunite pods with high-Cr# spinel. At lower degrees of partial melting in the same mantle wedge, Al-rich melts were produced, which reacted with peridotite to form type 3 dunite pods that contain low-Cr# spinel. These Al-rich melts were also relatively rich in Ti4+, Ca2+ and Fe3+, which were incorporated into the olivine structure by appropriate substitutions. During cooling, these elements exsolved as lamellae of magnetite and clinopyroxene.

Elemental and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions, and K–Ar ages of transitional and alkaline plateau basalts from the eastern edge of the West Cameroon Highlands (Cameroon Volcanic Line)

This study presents the first geochronological and geochemical data from volcanic rocks on the eastern edge of the West Cameroon Highlands, which is the southern continental sector of the Cameroon Volcanic Line. Whole-rock petrography and geochemistry indicate that the rocks are transitional and alkaline basalts. KAr ages show that the transitional lavas are older (36.67 ± 1.88 Ma) than the alkaline lavas (14.86 ± 1.1 to 8.89 ± 0.7 Ma). The Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic ratios of the transitional lavas (87Sr/86Sri = 0.70380–0.70384, 143Nd/144Ndi = 0.51268–0.51277, 206Pb/204Pb = 18.06–18.65, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.52–15.62, and 208Pb/204Pb = 38.15–39.07) are different to those of the alkaline lavas (87Sr/86Sri = 0.70300–0.70330, 143Nd/144Ndi = 0.51287–0.51298, 206Pb/204Pb = 19.67–19.89, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.63–15.66, and 208Pb/204Pb = 39.35–39.59). Chondrite-normalized rare earth element (REE) and primitive-mantle-normalized trace element patterns of the lavas from the study area are similar to those of oceanic islands basalts (OIB). The transitional lavas have Nb/Y ratios of 0.67–1.18, (La/Yb)N ratios of 4.96–5.84, and Mg# = 29–39, and the alkaline lavas have Nb/Y ratios of 1.65–3.55, (La/Yb)N ratios of 7.76–20.13, and Mg# = 35–58. Both the transitional and alkaline lavas are enriched in Nb, Ta, Ti, and Ba, and depleted in K and Pb on normalized incompatible element diagrams. The geochemical differences may be due to distinct source compositions. The trace elements and REE patterns suggest that garnet and amphibole played a significant role in the generation of the lavas. Batch partial melting modelling suggests that the transitional lavas were formed by higher degrees of partial melting (3%–5%) than the alkaline lavas (0.6%–2.0%). The geochemical and geochronological data imply that the transitional and alkaline volcanism was related to exchange between the upwelling asthenosphere and the lithospheric mantle which might have triggered lithospheric extension during the Cenozoic.

Podiform Chromitites and PGE Mineralization in the Ulan-Sar’dag Ophiolite (East Sayan, Russia)

In this paper, we present the first detailed study on the chromitites and platinum-group element mineralization (PGM) of the Ulan-Sar’dag ophiolite (USO), located in the Central Asian Fold Belt (East Sayan). Three groups of chrome spinels, differing in their chemical features and physical–chemical parameters, under equilibrium conditions of the mantle mineral association, have been distinguished. The temperature and log oxygen fugacity values are, for the chrome spinels I, from 820 to 920 °C and from (−0.7) to (−1.5); for chrome spinels II, 891 to 1003 °C and (−1.1) to (−4.4); and for chrome spinels III, 738 to 846 °C and (−1.1) to (−4.4), respectively. Chrome spinels I were formed through the interaction of peridotites with mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)-type melts, and chrome spinels II were formed through the interaction of peridotites with boninite melts. Chrome spinels III were probably formed through the interaction of andesitic melts with rocks of an overlying mantle wedge. Chromitites demonstrate the fractionated form of the distribution of the platinum-group elements (PGE), which indicates a high degree of partial melting at 20–24% of the mantle source. Two assemblages of PGM have been distinguished: The primary PGE assemblage of Os-Ir-Ru alloys-I, (Os,Ru)S2, and IrAsS, and the secondary PGM assemblage of Os-Ir-Ru alloys-II, Os0, Ru0, RuS2, OsS2, IrAsS, RhNiAs with Ni, Fe, and Cu sulfides. The formation of the secondary phases of PGE occurred upon exposure to a reduced fluid, with a temperature range of 300–700 °C, log sulfur fugacity of (−20), and pressure of 0.5 kbar. We have proposed a scheme for the sequence of the formation and transformation of the PGMs at various stages of the evolution of the Ulan-Sar’dag ophiolite.

Late Triassic back-arc spreading and initial opening of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean in the northern margin of Gondwana: Evidences from Late Triassic BABB-type basalts in the Tethyan Himalaya, Southern Tibet

The tectonic evolution of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic plate between the Indian Plate and the Lhasa Terrane is a key issue for the evolution of Gondwana and formation of the Tibetan Plateau. In this paper we report on the geochemistry, SrNd isotope compositions, and zircon UPb dating of Late Triassic basalts from the Nieru Formation (T3n) in the Kampa region, southern Tibet. The basalts have relatively low contents of MgO, TiO2, and total alkalis (K2O + Na2O), and they have affinities to tholeiitic basalt. They exhibit weakly fractionated rare earth element (REE) patterns with slight depletions in LREEs and slightly negative Eu anomalies on a chondrite-normalized diagram. On a primitive-mantle-normalized spider diagram, they are characterized by slight enrichments in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and relatively flat patterns of high field strength elements (HFSEs), except for depletions in Ba, Nb, Ta, and Ti. Their initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios vary from 0.718133 to 0.738977 and εNd(t) values are relatively depleted (4.09–5.22), similar to mid-ocean ridge basalts in the Yarlung Zangbo ophiolite. We propose the T3n basalts were derived from a shallow and depleted mantle source by relatively high-degree partial melting in the spinel stability field. They underwent slight crustal contamination as well as the fractional crystallization of clinopyroxene. The T3n basalts are similar to typical back-arc basin basalts (BABB) such as the Okinawa BABB. This indicates an extensional back-arc-basin setting along the northern margin of Gondwana during the Late Triassic. The initial opening of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean was related to the southwards subduction of the Paleo-Tethyan oceanic plate and back-arc-basin spreading during the Late Triassic. Magmatic activity along the passive continental margin records key information on continental break-up and incipient ocean development.

EPMA and LA-ICP-MS Data of Clinopyroxene and Chromite from the Wadi Ghadir Ophiolites, Eastern Desert, Egypt

New EPMA and LA-ICP-MS data of pyroxene and chromite are used to assess the so far published tectonic setting of Wadi Ghadir Ophiolite (WGO) in the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. The low contents of TiO2 (< 0.46 wt%) and high MgO (13.39-15.17 wt%) concentrations in the analyzed clinopyroxene suggest a depleted residual mantle source material. The trace element composition and REE patterns reflect transitional IAT-boninitic geochemical affinities in a supra-subduction zone setting. Chromite, on the other hand, shows high Cr#(Cr/(Cr+Al)) (0.83-0.88 mol) and relatively constant Mg#(Mg/(Mg+Fe+2)) (0.66-0.70 mol), indicating a high degree of partial melting of the uPP.er mantle source. These features are typical for supra-subduction zone in a back-arc or inter‐arc basin setting. The micro-analytical data of relict magmatic mineral phases in the WGO and other ophiolitic rocks in the Arabian-Nubian Shield can help in interpreting their precise tectonic setting as far as data of the immobile, incompatible elements are used.

The Neoproterozoic ophiolitic ultramafic rocks in Eastern Desert of Egypt: implications for petrogenesis and metasomatic processes

ABSTRACT This paper deals with the mineral chemistry and geochemistry of ophiolitic peridotites from three localities in the Eastern Desert of Egypt, namely; Wadi Muweilha, Wadi Arayis and Gabal Kurbiyay. The present peridotites show variable degrees of alteration, including; serpentinized peridotites, serpentinites and talc-carbonate rocks with small-scale outcrops of chromitites, serpentinized pyroxenites and chloritites. Cr-spinel together with olivine and pyroxene relics represent the most common primary phases in the studied rock types. The investigated rocks represent mantle residues that experienced high degrees of partial melting. The Cr numbers of Cr-spinels reveal that serpentinized pyroxenites exhibit lower degrees of partial melting (~35%) than serpentinites and chromitites (> 35%). The whole-rock trace and rare earth elements (REE) data together with the elevated Cr# of Cr-spinels (>0.6), high Mg# of olivines (Fo = 90.82–92.61) and depleted composition of clinopyroxene are consistent with a fore-arc supra-subduction zone environment. The enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREEs) relative to heavy ones (HREE) in samples of W. Muweilha and W. Arayis could be attributed to the induction of serpentinization-related hydrothermal fluids. In contrast, the studied samples of G. Kurbiyay are depleted in LREE compared with HREE in common with a previously formed abyssal peridotite that later modified in a fore-arc region. The serpentinized pyroxenites and chloritites are speculated a genetic relationship with the rest of the mantle suite. The former is produced by the assimilation of subducted sediments in arc-related magmas. The latter is considered to be products of retrograde metamorphism simultaneously with the obduction and thrusting of the ophiolitic ultramafics. The investigated Cr-rich chromitites were formed from boninitic melts resulting from the high-degree melting of the sub-arc depleted mantle in the presence of slab-derived fluids at a mature-arc stage.

Effects of sediment addition on magma generation from oceanic crust in a post-collisional extensional setting: Constraints from partial melting experiments on mudstone–amphibolite/basalt at 1.0 and 1.5 GPa

To assess the effects of sediment addition on magma generation from oceanic crust during post-collisional extension, we conducted partial melting experiments on amphibolite–mudstone (90 and 10 wt%, respectively) and basalt–mudstone (90 and 10 wt%, respectively) mixtures at 850–1000 °C and 1.0 and 1.5 GPa. In the experimental products, partial melt coexists with Amp ± Pl ± Grt ± Cpx at 1.0 GPa and Grt ± Cpx ± Amp at 1.5 GPa. Given the high water content of the sediment (>5 wt%), the partial melts are hydrous even without the addition of water. Compared with previous partial melting experiments on (meta)basalts, our experiments yield similar phase assemblages (Amp ± Pl ± Grt ± Cpx) but different P–T conditions for mineral stabilities. Sediment addition makes the residual minerals (Amp, Pl, and Cpx) more fusible and the crystallization of new minerals (Grt and Cpx) more difficult, thereby producing a high proportion of melt (>50 vol%) at >900 °C. In the case of high-degree partial melting, the melt is enriched in Al2O3 and depleted in SiO2. Sediment addition enriches the partial melts in Rb, Th, U, and light rare earth elements, and results in high Y contents, low Sr/Y and very low LaN/YbN ratios. These effects are apparent in a natural example from east Junggar in northwest China, where granitoids have major and trace element features comparable with those of partial melts from the amphibolite–sediment mixture at 1.5 GPa. This indicates that sediment addition has a significant effect on magma generation from oceanic crust in a post-collisional extensional setting.

Major/trace elements and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope systematics of lavas from lakes Barombi Mbo and Barombi Koto in the Kumba graben, Cameroon volcanic line: Constraints on petrogenesis

This study presents major elements, trace elements and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data for fifteen (15) representative volcanic rock samples from volcanic edifices of Lakes Barombi Mbo (n = 9) and Barombi Koto (n = 6), located in the Kumba graben along the Cameroon Volcanic Line (CVL). The samples are dominantly basalts and trachy-basalts with MgO ranging from 7 to 9 wt.%. The lavas from the edifice of Lake Barombi Mbo are slightly richer in TiO2 (mean 3.3 wt%) and lower in CaO (mean 9.2 wt%) relative to those from the edifice of Lake Barombi Koto (2.9 wt% and 10.3 wt%, respectively). Trace element characteristics of the lavas suggest an enrichment of the source by carbonatitic metasomatism and melting of a heterogeneous source at varying depth in the garnet-spinel transition zone. Trace elements and isotopic composition of the lavas suggest insignificant crustal contamination. Modelling of the degree of partial melting suggest that the magmas were formed at varying depth (60–80 km) and by ~2% partial melting of a source containing less than 4% garnet. Samples from Lake Barombi Mbo formed at a higher degree of partial melting (2%–0.5%) and at a shallower depth relative to those from the volcanic edifice of Lake Barombi Koto (mostly <0.5%) and Mt. Cameroon. Interestingly, the relationship of Zr/Hf and 206Pb/204Pb suggests that the magma was affected by carbonatitic metasomatism whose effect decreased from Mt. Cameroon to Lake Barombi Mbo. Our results suggest that Lakes Barombi Mbo and Barombi Koto lavas are typical of lavas with HIMU-like signature and involved contributions from a dominantly sublithospheric mantle (SLM) and minor contributions from the sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM). The SLM material rose and was hosted in the SCLM prior to melting.

Multi-stage evolution of forearc mantle peridotites of Kağızman Ophiolite (Ağrı-eastern Anatolia)

The Kağızman Ophiolite, constituting the easternmost part of Tethys ophiolites in Anatolia, is located on the İzmir-Ankara-Erzincan ophiolitic belt. Ophiolitic rocks include a range of mantle peridotites, gabbros, pillow basalts and isolated sheeted dykes. The studied mantle peridotites are investigated with regard to geochemical and petrographical characteristics. MgO content of peridotites varies from 41.24 to 45.63 wt % while that of Al2O3 is in the range of 0.20–0.32 wt % indicating a high partial melting degree. Highly depleted mantle peridotites represent residues of primitive mantle formed by 17–23% melting. Whole rock trace element patterns point to variable partial melting conditions. Petrographical and geochemical results reveal that mantle peridotites of Kağızman Ophiolite are the residues of two-stage partial melting process. The first melting (consuming) stage occurred in a mid-ocean ridge setting which was later metasomatized in a subduction zone by interaction between peridotites and fluids derived from the subducted crust. According to all data, these rocks are hypothesized as forearc peridotites affected by high degree partial melting.

Geochemistry of arc-related mantle peridotites and gabbros from the Chaldoran ophiolite, NW Iran

ABSTRACT The Neo-Tethys-related Chaldoran ophiolite peridotites in NW Iran are remnants of mantle lithosphere, exhumed tectonically during the Late Cretaceous. Harzburgite is the predominant peridotite type, associated with oceanic lower crust cumulate gabbros occasionally. The ophiolite rocks are unconformably overlain by Late Cretaceous-Paleocene sediments. New whole-rock geochemistry of the variably serpentinized harzburgites shows a depleted nature, exemplified by low Al2O3, CaO, TiO2, V and Y and high Ni, Cr and Mg and also low rare earth element (REE) contents. The harzburgites present LREE enrichment. Positive correlations between some LREEs and high field strength elements (HFSE) suggest enrichment of LREEs by melt re-fertilization processes. Cr-spinels have Cr number of [Cr# = Cr/(Cr + Al) = 0.53–0.67], showing medium to high degree of partial melting (F = ~17-20%). Both whole-rock and mineral chemistry data show a supra-subduction zone setting and progressive depletion along with increase in spinel Cr# (MOR to fore arc). The cumulate gabbros have high MgO and SiO2, low TiO2 and Ti/V < 10 and also low chondrite normalized Dy (<8.5). The gabbro samples show enriched LREEs and LILEs and depleted HREEs and HFSEs with respect to MORBs. Subduction initiation (SI) model in a fore-arc/proto-fore-arc environment is suggested for the upper mantle evolution of the Chaldoran ophiolite. The rocks have experienced depletion in a second melting process at the later stages of SI and compositions were probably modified by extraction of island arc tholeiitic (IAT) and possibly boninitic (BON) melts. The chemostratigraphic progression for ‘subduction initiation rule (SIR)’ is likely traceable in Chaldoran mafic-ultramafic sequence, which corresponds to the most Neo-Tethyan ophiolites and is similar to MOR to supra-subduction zone (SSZ) evolution of most Iranian ‘Inner’ and ‘Outer Zagros’ ophiolitic peridotites.

Petrogenesis of ultramafic-mafic clasts in the Dos Hermanos Mélange, Ilocos Norte: Insights to the evolution of western Luzon, Philippines

The clasts of ophiolitic mélanges formed in orogenic margins reflect the tectonomagmatic history of a region and record the petrological signatures of oceanic lithospheres that interacted in the past. Exposed at the northwestern edge of Luzon, Philippines, the highly deformed Dos Hermanos Mélange (DHM) provides new insights on the complex history of western Luzon island. The DHM is a tectonic mélange composed predominantly of ultramafic-mafic clasts set in a sheared serpentinite matrix. The ultramafic clasts are mostly harzburgites with rare occurrences of lherzolite, dunite and chromitite. Petrographic (e.g. protogranular to equigranular texture) and geochemical characteristics (e.g. spinel Cr# = 0.17–0.60, olivine Fo content = 87–91) of the peridotites typify residual mantle peridotites which underwent low to moderately high degrees of partial melting. Mineral chemistry of some dunite and harzburgite samples (e.g. high spinel TiO2 = 0.01–0.64 wt%) further record subsequent modification of the depleted mantle material by arc-related processes (e.g. metasomatism). Most of the mafic clasts classify as gabbros and are composed of highly anorthitic plagioclase (An88–99) and Ti-poor pyroxenes which suggest derivation from arc-related melts. One troctolite clast, however, records the distinct petrographic (e.g. ophitic texture) and geochemical (e.g. low An content of plagioclase = 73–80) signatures of primitive MOR-related magma. These contrasting petrologic signatures in the ultramafic-mafic clasts of the DHM are similar to those observed in the crustal and mantle sections of the Eocene Zambales Ophiolite Complex (ZOC). This suggests that the DHM, like the ZOC, records the complex history of the convergence and emplacement of an ancient oceanic crust onto the Philippine Mobile Belt. Later tectonic processes in the region, which occurred after the emplacement of the ZOC, resulted to the extensive dissection and translation of ophiolitic blocks northwards transforming them into the DHM.

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of acidic volcanics from Betul–Chhindwara Belt, Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ), central India

Betul–Chhindwara belt is part of Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ) that includes Proterozoic basalt, rhyolite, quartzite, mafic–ultramafic rocks, volcano sediments and banded iron formation (BIF). Studied rhyolites and leuco-micro granites are deformed due to shearing and includes quartz, K-feldspar (microcline), muscovite, biotite and epidote. In some samples, feldspar has been sericitized due to interaction with hydrothermal fluids. The major element geochemistry of volcanic rocks clearly indicates acidic nature and falls in the rhyolite field. Rhyolites show difference in the enrichment of REEs and major element composition which help us divide them into two groups and also indicate heterogenous source. The rhyolites show very strong negative Eu anomaly, which indicates fractionation of feldspar. Positive anomalies of U–Th–Zr for the rhyolites indicate crustal involvement. The εNdt (t=1500) for the Group I rhyolites vary from –1.42 to –0.19 and for the Group II rhyolites vary from –5.81 to +0.14 and DM model ages for Group I rhyolites vary from 2284 to 2464 Ma and for Group II vary from 2174 to 2863 Ma. It is suggested that contemporary mafic magma of the Betul–Chhindwara belt while ascending from mantle sources interacted with the continental crust at different levels, supplying heat and fluids which reduced the melting points of the crustal source rocks, producing felsic melt of varying compositions. Tectonic discriminant diagrams and geochemical data indicate subduction zone tectonic environment for the genesis of the Betul–Chhindwara acidic volcanism. The acidic volcanics of Betul–Chindwara, Sakoli and the Bijli rhyolites from the adjoining areas display similarity in terms of the total alkali vs. silica diagram and many of the major and trace elements, including rare earth element characteristics. Compared to Betul Rhyolite, Sakoli Rhyolites are derived from less enriched source with less involvement of crust and/or the latter represents high degree of partial melting of similar source. They are considered contemporaneous to Betul Rhyolite based on geochronological data. Contrastingly, Bijli Rhyolite show highly fractionated patterns with high LREE enrichment indicating considerable crustal involvement which is very obvious for within plate magmatism, assigned for the Bijli rhyolites.

Geochemical constraints on the origin and tectonic setting of the serpentinized peridotites from the Paleoproterozoic Nyong series, Eseka area, SW Cameroon

Serpentinized rocks closely associated with Paleoproterozoic eclogitic metabasites were recently discovered at Eseka area in the northwestern edge of the Congo craton in southern Cameroon. Here, we present new field data, petrography, and first comprehensible whole-rock geochemistry data and discuss the protolith and tectonic significance of these serpentinites in the region. The studied rock samples are characterized by pseudomorphic textures, including mesh microstructure formed by serpentine intergrowths with cores of olivine, bastites after pyroxene. Antigorite constitutes almost the whole bulk of the rocks and is associated (to the less amount) with tremolite, talc, spinel, and magnetite. Whole-rock chemistry of the Eseka serpentinites led to the distinction of two types. Type 1 has high MgO (> 40 wt%) content and high Mg# values (88.80) whereas Type 2 serpentinite samples display relatively low MgO concentration and Mg# values ( 50 ppm). This similarity, associated with the high Cr contents, spinel-peridotite protolith compositions and Mg/Si and Al/Si ratios imply that the studied serpentinites were formed in a subduction-related environment. The U-shaped chondrite normalized-REE patterns of serpentinized peridotites, coupled with similar enrichments in LREE and HFSE, suggest the refertilized nature due to melt/rock interaction prior to serpentinization. Based on the results, we suggest that the Eseka serpentinized peridotites are mantle residues that suffered a high degree of partial melting in a subduction-related environment, especially in Supra Subduction Zone setting. These new findings suggest that the Nyong series in Cameroon represents an uncontested Paleoproterozoic suture zone between the Congo craton and the Sao Francisco craton in Brazil.