High Degrees Of Partial Melting Research Articles

Oldest volcanic-hosted submarine iron ores in South China: Evidence from zircon U–Pb geochronology and geochemistry of the Paleoproterozoic Dahongshan iron deposit

The Dahongshan iron deposit is hosted in the Paleoproterozoic submarine metavolcanic rocks of the Dahongshan Group in the Yangtze Block, South China. LA-ICP-MS dating of hydrothermal zircon grains from the genetically associated albitite and dolomite albitite show ca. 2008Ma ages that are consistent with the zircon ages from the host metavolcanic rocks (ca. 2012Ma), and postdated the post-ore diabase dike (ca. 1724Ma), marking the Dahongshan iron deposit as the oldest submarine volcanic-hosted deposit so far as known. The ore-hosting metavolcanic rocks in the Dahongshan deposit have low Ni (9.1–77.4ppm), Cr (1.0–63.0ppm) and Co contents (5.6–62.9ppm), suggesting the fractionation of olivine, clinopyroxene and plagioclase within the magma chamber. The major and trace element features of the alkaline to tholeiitic metavolcanic rocks are consistent with high-degree partial melting of the mantle wedge metasomatized by melts enriched in high field strength elements (HFSEs), which were derived from the subducted slab in volcanic arc setting. Based on an evaluation of the morphology of orebody, ore fabrics, petrology and melt-fluid inclusions, as well as the geochemical characteristics of the major ore mineral (magnetite), we correlate the iron mineralization in the Dahongshan deposit with hydrothermal process induced by the high-temperature, high-salinity and Fe-rich brines derived through magmatic exsolution. The similar characteristic of Ce and Eu anomalies of the Dahongshan iron deposit and banded iron formations (BIFs) suggest that the Dahongshan deposit was formed in reducing environment, although the two types of iron ores were generated through distinct processes with hydrothermal processes dominating for the submarine volcanic-hosted iron deposits whereas the BIFs were formed through chemical precipitation.

Origin of Peridotites and Chromitites in the Pozanti‐kar Santi Ophiolite, Turkey

The Pozanti‐Karsanti ophiolite (PKO) in Turkey's eastern Tauride belt comprises mantle peridotites, ultramafic to mafic cumulates, isotropic gabbros, sheeted dikes and pillow lavas. The mantle peridotites are dominated by spinel harzburgites with minor dunites. The harzburgites and dunites have quite depleted mineral and whole‐rock chemical composition, suggesting high degrees of partial melting. Their PGEs vary from Pd‐depleted to distinct Pd‐enriched patterns, implying the crystallization of interstitial sulphides from sulphur‐saturated melts (e.g. MORB‐like forearc basalt). U‐shaped or spoon‐shaped REE patterns indicate that the PKO peridotites may have also been metasomatized by the LREE‐enriched fluids released from a subducting slab in a suprasubduction zone. Based on the mineral and whole‐rock chemical compositions, the PKO peridotites show affinities to forearc peridotites. Chromitites occur both in the mantle peridotites and the mantle‐crust transition zone horizon (MTZ). Chromitites from the two different horizons have different textures but similar mineral compositions, consistent with typical high‐Cr chromitites. Chromitites hosted by mantle harzburgites generally have higher total platinum‐group element (PGE) contents than those of the MTZ chromitites. However, both chromitites show similar chondrite‐normalized PGE patterns characterized by clear IPGEs, Rh‐enrichments relative to Pt and Pd. Such PGE patterns indicate no or only minor crystallization of Pt‐ and Pd enriched sulphides during formation of chromitites from a sulphur‐undersaturated melt (e.g. boninitic or island arc tholeiitic melt). Dunite enveloping chromitite lenses in the hosting harzburgite resulted from melt‐rock reaction.We have performed mineral separation work on samples of podiform chromitite hosted by harzburgites. So far, more than 200 grains of microdiamond and more than 100 grains of moissanite (SiC) have been separated from podiform chromitites. These minerals have been identified by EDX and Laser Raman analyses. The diamonds and moissanite are accompanied by large amounts of rutile. Additionally, zircon, monazite and sulphides are also common phases within the heavy mineral separates. Both diamond and moissanite have been analyzed for carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition using the CARMECA 1280‐HR large geometry Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer at the Helmholtz Zentrum Potsdam. In total, 61 δ13CPDB results for diamond were acquired, exhibiting a range from −28.4 ‰ to −18.8 ‰. 31 δ13CPDB results for Moissanite vary between −30.5 ‰ to −27.2 ‰, with a mean value of −29.0 ‰. Diamond has relatively large variation in nitrogen isotopic composition with 40 δ15NAIR results ranging from −19.1 ‰to 16.6 ‰.The discovery of diamond, moissanite and the other unusual minerals from podiform chromitite of the Pozanti‐Karsanti ophiolite provides new support for the genesis of ophiolitic peridotites and chromitites under high‐pressure and ultra‐high reducing conditions. Considering the unusual minerals, the high Mg# silicate inclusions, and the needle‐shaped exsolutions in the PKO chromitites, the parental melts of these chromitites may have been mixed with deep asthenospheric basaltic melts that had assimilated materials of the descending slab when passing through the slab in a subduction zone environment. We suggest melt‐rock reactions, magma mixing and assimilation may have triggered the oversaturation of chromites and the formation of PKO chromitites.

A mantle plume origin for the Palaeoproterozoic Circum-Superior Large Igneous Province

The Circum-Superior Large Igneous Province (LIP) consists predominantly of ultramafic-mafic lavas and sills with minor felsic components, distributed as various segments along the margins of the Superior Province craton. Ultramafic-mafic dykes and carbonatite complexes of the LIP also intrude the more central parts of the craton. Most of this magmatism occurred ∼1880Ma. Previously a wide range of models have been proposed for the different segments of the CSLIP with the upper mantle as the source of magmatism.New major and trace element and Nd-Hf isotopic data reveal that the segments of the CSLIP can be treated as a single entity formed in a single tectonomagmatic environment. In contrast to most previous studies that have proposed a variety of geodynamic settings, the CSLIP is interpreted to have formed from a single mantle plume. Such an origin is consistent with the high MgO and Ni contents of the magmatic rocks, trace element signatures that similar to oceanic-plateaus and ocean island basalts and εNd-εHf isotopic signatures which are each more negative than those of the estimated depleted upper mantle at ∼1880Ma. Further support for a mantle plume origin comes from calculated high degrees of partial melting, mantle potential temperatures significantly greater than estimated ambient Proterozoic mantle and the presence of a radiating dyke swarm. The location of most of the magmatic rocks along the Superior Province margins probably represents the deflection of plume material by the thick cratonic keel towards regions of thinner lithosphere at the craton margins. The primary magmas, generated by melting of the heterogeneous plume head, fractionated in magma chambers within the crust, and assimilated varying amounts of crustal material in the process.

Using mineral geochemistry to decipher slab, mantle, and crustal input in the generation of high-Mg andesites and basaltic andesites from the northern Cascade Arc

To better understand the role of slab melt in the petrogenesis of North Cascades magmas, this study focuses on petrogenesis of high-Mg lavas from the two northernmost active volcanoes in Washington. High-Mg andesites (HMA) and basaltic andesites (HMBA) in the Cascade Arc have high Mg# [molar Mg/(Mg+Fe 2+ )] relative to their SiO 2 contents, elevated Nd/Yb, and are Ni- and Cr-enriched. The rock units examined here include the Tarn Plateau HMBA (51.8–54.0 wt% SiO 2 , Mg# 68–70) and Glacier Creek HMA (58.3–58.7 wt% SiO 2 , Mg# 63–64) from the Mount Baker Volcanic Field, and the Lightning Creek HMBA (54.8–54.6 SiO 2 , Mg# 69–73) from Glacier Peak. This study combines major and trace element compositions of minerals and whole rocks to test several petrogenetic hypotheses and to determine which, if any, are applicable to North Cascades HMA and HMBA. In the Tarn Plateau HMBA, rare earth element (REE) equilibrium liquids calculated from clinopyroxene compositions have high Nd/Yb that positively correlates with Mg#. This correlation suggests an origin similar to that proposed for Aleutian adakites, where intermediate, high Nd/Yb slab-derived melts interact with the overlying mantle to become Mg-rich, and subsequently mix with low Nd/Yb, mantle-derived mafic magmas with lower Mg#. In the Glacier Creek HMA, elevated whole-rock MgO and SiO 2 contents resulted from accumulation of xenocrystic olivine and differentiation processes, respectively, but the cause of high Nd/Yb is less clear. However, high whole-rock Sr/P (fluid mobile/fluid immobile) values indicate a mantle source that was fluxed by an enriched, hydrous slab component, likely producing the observed high Nd/Yb REE signature. The Lightning Creek HMBA is a hybridized rock unit with at least three identifiable magmatic components, but only one of which has HMA characteristics. Cr and Mg contents in Cr-spinel and olivine pairs in this HMA component suggest that its source is a strongly depleted mantle, and high whole-rock Sr/P values indicate mantle melting that was induced through hydration, likely adding the component responsible for the observed high Nd/Yb REE pattern. The elevated SiO 2 contents (54.6 wt%) of the HMA component resulted from differentiation or high degrees of partial melting of ultramafic material through the addition of H 2 O. Therefore the Lightning Creek HMBA is interpreted to have originated from a refractory mantle source that underwent melting through interaction with an enriched slab component. Our results indicate that in addition to slab-derived fluids, slab-derived melts also have an important role in the production of HMA and HMBA in the north Cascade Arc.

Electrical conductivity of NaCl-bearing aqueous fluids to 600 °C and 1 GPa

The electrical conductivity of aqueous fluids containing 0.01, 0.1, and 1 M NaCl was measured in an externally heated diamond cell to 600 °C and 1 GPa. These measurements therefore more than double the pressure range of previous data and extend it to higher NaCl concentrations relevant for crustal and mantle fluids. Electrical conductivity was generally found to increase with pressure and fluid salinity. The conductivity increase observed upon variation of NaCl concentration from 0.1 to 1 M was smaller than from 0.01 to 0.1 M, which reflects the reduced degree of dissociation at high NaCl concentration. Measured conductivities can be reproduced (R 2 = 0.96) by a numerical model with log $$\sigma$$ = −1.7060– 93.78/T + 0.8075 log c + 3.0781 log $$\rho$$ + log $$\varLambda$$ 0(T, $$\rho$$ ), where $$\sigma$$ is the conductivity in S m−1, T is temperature in K, c is NaCl concentration in wt%, $$\rho$$ is the density of pure water (in g/cm3) at given pressure and temperature, and $$\varLambda$$ 0 (T, $$\rho$$ ) is the molar conductivity of NaCl in water at infinite dilution (in S cm2 mol−1), $$\varLambda$$ 0 = 1573–1212 $$\rho$$ + 537 062/T–208 122 721/T 2. This model allows accurate predictions of the conductivity of saline fluids throughout most of the crust and upper mantle; it should not be used at temperatures below 100 °C. In general, the data show that already a very small fraction of NaCl-bearing aqueous fluid in the deep crust is sufficient to enhance bulk conductivities to values that would be expected for a high degree of partial melting. Accordingly, aqueous fluids may be distinguished from hydrous melts by comparing magnetotelluric and seismic data. H2O–NaCl fluids may enhance electrical conductivities in the deep crust with little disturbance of v p or v p/v s ratios. However, at the high temperatures in the mantle wedge above subduction zones, the conductivity of hydrous basaltic melts and saline aqueous fluids is rather similar, so that distinguishing these two phases from conductivity data alone is difficult. Observed conductivities in forearc regions, where temperatures are too low to allow melting, may be accounted for by not more than 1 wt% of an aqueous fluid with 5 wt% NaCl, if this fluid forms a continuous film or fills interconnected tubes.

Petrogenesis of Neoarchean metavolcanic rocks in Changyukou, Northwestern Hebei: Implications for the transition stage from a compressional to an extensional regime for the North China Craton

The 2.5Ga metavolcanic rocks in Changyukou, Northwestern Hebei, can be classified into three groups based on major and trace elements: high-Mg basalts, tholeiitic basalts, and the calc-alkaline series (basaltic andesites-andesites and dacites-rhyolites).Both high-Mg basalts and tholeiitic basalts have negative anomalies of Nb, Zr, Ti and Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) as well as enrichments of Sr, K, Pb, Ba and Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE) and show typical subduction zone affinities. The petrogenesis of high-Mg basalts can be ascribed to high-degree partial melting of an enriched mantle source in the spinel stability field that was previously enriched in Large Ion Lithophile Elements (LILE) and LREE by slab-derived hydrous fluids/melts/supercritical fluids, as well as the subsequent magma mixing processes of different sources at different source depths, with little or no influence of polybaric fractional crystallization. The flat HREE of tholeiitic basalts indicates they may also originate from the spinel stability field, but from obviously shallower depths than the source of high-Mg basalts. They may form at a later stage of the subduction process when rapid slab rollback leads to extension and seafloor spreading in the upper plate.We obtain the compositions of the Archean lower crust of the North China Craton based on the Archean Wutai-Jining section by compiling the average tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) components, average mafic granulite components, and average sedimentary rock components. The modeling results show that the generation of high-Al basalts, basaltic andesites and andesites can be attributed to assimilation by high-Mg basalts (primary basalts) of relatively high-Al2O3 thickened lower crust and the subsequent crystallization of prevailing mafic mineral phases, while Al2O3-rich plagioclase crystallization is suppressed under high-pressure and nearly water-saturated conditions. Dacites and rhyolites may be the result of further fractional crystallization of basaltic andesites (high-Al basalts) and andesites. Mixing of magmas at various stages along the fractionation course of basaltic andesites (high-Al basalts) toward rhyolites promotes the trend of the calc-alkaline series.To reconcile the 2.55 to 2.5Ga TTGs derived from overthickened crust, the 2.51 to 2.50Ga calc-alkaline volcanic rocks derived from thickened crust, tholeiitic basalts representing low pressure and an extensional tectonic setting, 2493Ma leucosyenogranites derived from overthickened crust, 2437Ma biotite-monzogranites derived from slightly thinner crust than leucosyenogranites but still thickened, as well as the clockwise hybrid ITD and IBC P–T paths of the HP granulites and widespread extension and rifting setting within the NCC from 2300Ma, we propose a model of an evolving subduction process. Among them, the composition of the 2.5Ga Changyukou volcanic rocks and potassic granites as well as the clockwise hybrid ITD and IBC P–T paths of the HP granulites may reveal that the tectonic setting in Northwest Hebei was in a transition stage from a subduction-related compressional regime to an extensional regime related to plate rollback.

Peridotite xenoliths from the Shiribeshi Seamount, Japan Sea: insights into mantle processes in a back-arc basin

Orthopyroxene-rich and orthopyroxene-poor peridotite xenoliths were sampled from quaternary basaltic to andesitic lava flows of the Shiribeshi seamount, Japan Sea. These xenoliths were affected by reactions with the host magma during transportation to the surface, which caused partial orthopyroxene dissolution and intergrowth with vermicular spinel. Chromian spinel and clinopyroxene major element compositions in the Shiribeshi peridotite are similar to those in abyssal peridotites. REE modeling indicates that the Opx-rich peridotite experienced decompression partial melting from the garnet to the spinel peridotite stability field. Rare earth element (REE) patterns of clinopyroxene in the Opx-rich peridotite show various degrees of enrichment in light REE, which resulted from melt percolation through the reaction with host magma. Comparison with peridotite xenoliths from two other localities (Seifu and Oshima-Ōshima) in the Japan Sea suggests that the Oshima-Ōshima peridotite record higher degree of partial melting than the Shiribeshi and Seifu peridotites. Oxygen fugacities calculated from chromian spinel in the Japan Sea peridotites are comparable to those of arc peridotites. The high degree of partial melting of the Oshima-Ōshima peridotite was possibly caused by the infiltration of a H2O-bearing flux released from the subducted slab. The Shiribeshi peridotite is interpreted as the residue formed after the extraction of depleted back-arc basalts during a later stage of the Japan Sea opening in the Middle Miocene, whereas the Oshima-Ōshima peridotite is residual after the extraction of enriched basalts during an earlier stage of the opening of the Japan Sea.

Combined bulk-rock Hf- and Nd-isotope compositions of Mesoarchaean metavolcanic rocks from the Ivisaartoq Supracrustal Belt, SW Greenland: Deviations from the mantle array caused by crustal recycling

Bulk-rock Lu-Hf and Sm-Nd isotope compositions, as well as major and trace element data are presented for metavolcanic rocks from the Mesoarchaean (ca. 3075 Ma) Ivisaartoq Supracrustal Belt in the Nuuk region of southern West Greenland. The εHft calculated at 3075 Ma range from +0.8 to +3.1 and the corresponding εNdt values range from +0.7 to +3.6, which forms an array that is displaced off the mantle array for these two isotopic systems. Primitive mantle normalized trace element plots of the metabasalts display negative Nb- and Ti-anomalies in combination with the elevated Th abundances, which is consistent with a subduction zone affinity as proposed by previous studies of this metavolcanic belt. No significant correlations are observed between the isotope compositions and proxies of shallow crustal contamination in the Ivisaartoq rocks, despite clear evidence for inherited Eoarchaean zircon [Polat et al. (2009a) Chemical Geology 268, 248-271], which would have dominated the bulk-rock Hf-isotope budget. Furthermore, the measured samples are less radiogenic than the estimate for the depleted mantle composition at 3075 Ma. The lack of isotope and trace element correlation suggests incomplete equilibration between the crustal contaminant and the parental Ivisaartoq melts. We prefer a petrogenetic model with some combination of slab-derived metasomatism of the mantle source region for the Ivisaartoq magmas, which homogenized their trace element contents, in combination with the incorporation of granitoid residue with unradiogenic Hf-isotope composition at higher degrees of partial melting and finally the eruption of mechanically entrained Eoarchaean crust without significant chemical equilibration. The geochemical arc-affinity and lower than depleted mantle (DM) isotope compositions of these metavolcanic rocks support the notion that crustal recycling and plate tectonics has been operating on Earth since at least the Mesoarchaean Eon.

Formation of porphyry Mo deposit in a deep fault zone, example from the Dabaoshan porphyry Mo deposit in northern Guangdong, South China

The Dabaoshan porphyry Mo deposit is located in the Wuchuan-Sihui fault zone, a deep fault system in South China. The Dabaoshan Mo mineralization occurs as disseminations and veinlets in the Dabaoshan porphyries and skarn-greisen associated with the Chuandu porphyritic monzogranite. Here we report the zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb ages of the porphyries mentioned above. We also present the major and trace elements, whole-rock Sr-Nd and the zircon Hf isotopic compositions of the Dabaoshan porphyries. The Dabaoshan porphyries are composed of weakly to strongly peraluminous monzogranite porphyry and granite porphyry. They yield ages of 166.3±2.0Ma (MSWD=1.9) and 166.2±2.7Ma (MSWD=2.7), respectively, slightly older than the Chuandu porphyritic monzogranite pluton which crystallized at 162.1±1.6Ma (MSWD=2.7). This is indicative of two distinct magmatic pulses in this region. The Dabaoshan porphyries have 64.42%–75.41% SiO2 and show an affinity of high-K calc-alkaline and shoshonite in the plot of Th vs. Co. They have [La/Yb]N of 14.6–35.0 and εNd(t) values ranging from −8.2 to −6.6. The εNd(t) values of the rocks are more negative than those for the Middle Jurassic mafic rocks (εNd(t)=−2.7 to +7.9) in the region, but similar to those for Proterozoic crust in the Cathaysia Block at ~165Ma. Zircon from the Dabaoshan porphyries has εHf(t) values ranging from −13.2 to −7.5 and two-stages Hf model ages (TDM2) from 1.7 to 2.0Ga, close to the TDM2 (~1.7Ga) of the basement in the western Cathaysia Block. The Dabaoshan porphyries have averaged Th/U of 5.0, similar to those for the Proterozoic crystalline basement (Th/U=5.3–5.4) in the Cathaysia Block, but higher than those for arc magmas (Th/U=1.5–3.0). Moreover, Nb/Ta ratios of the porphyries (average 11.8) are also similar to those of the Cathaysia Proterozoic crystalline basement (average 12.4). These geochemical features indicate that the porphyries were derived from high-degree partial melting of the crystalline basement in the Cathaysia Block. Based on the available geochemical data of the Dabaoshan porphyries, together with that of porphyry Mo deposits distributed along the Wuchuan-Sihui deep fault zone, it is concluded that the Dabaoshan porphyry Mo deposit is genetically related to the movements of the Wuchuan-Sihui deep fault induced by the subduction of the paleo-Pacific plate during the Jurassic.

Subduction-related Late Cretaceous high-K volcanism in the Central Pontides orogenic belt: constraints on geodynamic implications

Mineral chemistry, major and trace elements, 40Ar/39Ar age and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data are presented for the Late Cretaceous Hamsilos volcanic rocks in the Central Pontides, Turkey. The Hamsilos volcanic rocks mainly consist of basalt, andesite and associated pyroclastics (volcanic breccia, vitric tuff and crystal tuff). They display shoshonitic and high-K calc-alkaline affinities. The shoshonitic rocks contain plagioclase, clinopyroxene, alkali feldspar, phlogopite, analcime, sanidine, olivine, apatite and titanomagnetite, whereas the high-K calc-alkaline rocks contain plagioclase, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, magnetite / titanomagnetite in microgranular porphyritic, hyalo-microlitic porphyritic and glomeroporphyritic matrix. Mineral chemistry data reveal that the pressure condition of the clinopyroxene crystallisation for the shoshonitic rocks are between 1.4 and 6.3 kbar corresponds to 6–18-km depth and the high-K calc-alkaline rocks are between 5 and 12 km. 40Ar/39Ar age data changing between 72 ± .5 Ma and 79.0 ± .3 Ma (Campanian) were determined for the Late Cretaceous Hamsilos volcanic rocks, contemporaneous with the subduction of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean beneath the Pontides. The studied volcanic rocks were enriched in the large-ion lithophile and light rare earth element contents, with pronounced depletion in the contents of high-field-strength elements. Chondrite-normalised rare earth element patterns (LaN/LuN = 6–17) show low to medium enrichment, indicating similar sources of the rock suite. Initial 87Sr/86Sr values vary between .70615 and .70796, whereas initial 143Nd/144Nd values change between .51228 and .51249. Initial 206Pb/204Pb values vary between 18.001 and 18.349, 207Pb/204Pb values between 15.611 and 15.629 and 208Pb/204Pb values between 37.839 and 38.427. The main solidification processes involved in the evolution of the volcanic rocks consist of fractional crystallisation, with minor amounts of crustal contamination ± magma mixing. According to geochemical evidence, the shoshonitic melts in the Hamsilos volcanic rocks were possibly derived from the low degree of partial melting of a subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), while the high-K calc-alkaline melts were derived from relatively high degree of partial melting of SCLM that was enriched by fluids and/or sediments from a subduction of oceanic crust.

Petrogenesis for the Chiang Dao Permian high-iron basalt and its implication on the Paleotethyan Ocean in NW Thailand

The Changning-Menglian suture in SW Yunnan has been accepted as the Paleotethyan main ocean. However, it has been a matter of debate as to its southerly extension in NW Thailand (the Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai vs. Nan-Uttaradit zone). Our field investigation identified the high-iron basaltic rocks in the Chiang Dao Permian standard profile in NW Thailand. The high-iron rocks provide crucial records for understanding the controversy on the location of Paleotethyan main ocean in NW Thailand. The Early Permian high-iron samples show extremely high FeOt (20.96 wt.%–25.56 wt.%) and TiO2 (6.07 wt.%–6.34 wt.%) and low SiO2 (38.54 wt.%–43.46 wt.%) and MgO (1.61 wt.%–2.40 wt.%) contents. Such characteristics are similar to those of the Fenner differentiation trend rarely observed in the natural system, distinct from those of the “normal” Bowen trend. Their chondritenormalized REE and primitive mantle-normalized patterns are generally similar to those of typical OIB. The initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios and eNd(t) values range from 0.704 677 to 0.705 103 and 3.16 to 3.48, respectively, falling near the field of typical OIB (oceanic-island basalt). These data synthetically suggest that the Chiang Dao high-iron rocks are the products of high-degree partial melting of peridotite with Fe-rich eclogitic blobs/streaks in response to a seamount setting. In comparison with the Permian tectonic setting in SW Yunnan and NW Thailand, it is inferred that the Paleotethyan Ocean was located between the Shan-Thai terrane of Sibumasu and Sukhothai arc along the Inthanon zone of the Chiang Mai-Chiang Rai rather than Nan-Uttaradit zones.

Temporal magma source changes at Gaua volcano, Vanuatu island arc

Gaua Island (also called Santa Maria), from the central part of the Vanuatu arc, consists of a large volcano marked by a caldera that hosts the active Mount Garet summit cone. In this paper, a geochemical study including Sr, Nd, Pb and Hf isotopic compositions of 25 lavas emitted since 1.8Ma is presented, with a focus on the volcanic products that preceded (old volcanics, main cone and pyroclastic series) and followed (Mount Garet) the caldera forming event.All lavas show an island arc signature with enrichment in LILE and depletion in HFSE. Post-caldera lavas define a medium-K calc-alkaline trend, whereas lavas from the former main cone have high-K calc-alkaline compositions. Compared to the pre-caldera volcanic suite, the Mount Garet lavas have similar Th/Nb (~1.5), 143Nd/144Nd (~0.51295) and 176Hf/177Hf (~0.28316) ratios, but higher Ba/La (~42 vs. ~27) and 87Sr/86Sr (0.70417 vs. 0.70405) ratios and lower Ce/Pb (~2.7 vs. ~4.6), La/Sm (~2.5 vs. ~4.0) and 206Pb/204Pb (18.105 vs. 18.176) ratios. High Th/Nb and low Nd and Hf isotopic ratios compared to N-MORB suggest the contribution of ~2% of subducted sediment melt to the mantle source of Gaua magmas. Most of the observed differences between pre- and post-caldera lavas can be accounted for by the involvement of at least two portions of the mantle wedge, metasomatized by different slab-derived aqueous fluids. In addition, the lower La/Sm (at a given 143Nd/144Nd) ratios of Mount Garet lavas suggest a higher degree of partial melting (~10–15%) compared to the pre-caldera lavas (~5%). The Santa Maria Pyroclastic Series (SMPS) eruption probably triggered the caldera collapse, in response to emptying of the magmatic chamber. This event may have allowed new access to the surface for a geochemically distinct batch of magma issued from a separate magma chamber, resulting in the birth and construction of Mount Garet within the caldera. As both magmatic suites were emitted over a very short time, the storage of their parental magmas beneath the volcano is still possible.

Water and fabric in an ophiolitic peridotite from a supra-subduction zone

Mantle peridotites from modern supra-subduction zones (SSZs) are important windows through which we can investigate the geodynamic processes active in the subduction factory, but they are unfortunately rare and hard to access. Most ophiolitic peridotites stem from SSZ settings and are therefore good candidates to explore the water budget and deformation in mantle wedges. We present here an integrated study of the geochemistry, deformation microstructures and water contents of olivine and orthopyroxene from the Dongqiao harzburgites, central Tibet. These peridotites are characterized by an absence of interstitial clinopyroxene, the partial replacement of orthopyroxene by olivine, the highly magnesian olivine and chromium spinel, and remarkable LREE enrichments. These features suggest that the Dongqiao harzburgites are highly depleted and have undergone a high degree (~40 %) of partial melting, followed by infiltration of and interaction with melt while they were part of the mantle wedge. Olivine and orthopyroxene show prominent plastic deformation microstructures and have developed significant crystallographic preferred orientations (CPOs), suggestive of dislocation creep deformation. Fourier transform infrared analyses show that olivine is essentially dry, while orthopyroxene contains an average water content of 70 ± 14 wt ppm. We propose that orthopyroxene largely retains its in-situ water content from the mantle source, while olivine completely loses its water during emplacement. The orthopyroxene water contents fall into the lower end of the range observed in SSZ peridotites. We consider that the high degree of partial melting and the interaction with a water-undersaturated melt contribute to the relatively lower water contents in orthopyroxene from the Dongqiao harzburgites. Based on experimentally determined hydrogen partition coefficients between olivine and orthopyroxene, the water contents of olivine in the mantle source are calculated to be 7–9 wt ppm (or 114–147 ppm H/Si), which is consistent with the observed A-type CPOs in olivine.

The origin of thec. 1.7 Ga gabbroic intrusion in the Hekou area, SW China: constraints from SIMS U–Pb zircon geochronology and elemental and Nd isotopic geochemistry

AbstractThe late Palaeoproterozoic to early Mesoproterozoic igneous rocks of southwestern China are characterized by a number of mafic intrusions and dykes. However, the origin and tectonic implications of these mafic intrusions and dykes remain unclear. The Hekou mafic intrusion, intruding into the Hekou Group in the Hekou area, SW China, is the biggest and most representative one. The intrusion is mainly composed of coarse-grained in the central zone (CZ) and medium- to fine-grained gabbroic rocks in the outer zone (OZ). Cameca secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) U–Pb zircon ages, and geochemical and Nd isotopic results for the intrusion are reported in this paper. SIMS U–Pb zircon ages indicate that the gabbroic rocks from the CZ and OZ were emplaced at 1735±6.5 Ma and 1736±4.0 Ma, respectively. This suggests that the Hekou intrusion originated fromc. 1.7 Ga mafic magmatism in the southwestern Yangtze Block. The coarse-grained rocks in the CZ of the intrusion show fairly homogeneous major- and trace-element compositions. In contrast, the medium- to fine-grained rocks from the OZ display slightly evolved compositions, with relatively lower Mg nos, MgO, Al2O3, Cr and Ni contents, and higher SiO2, CaO and Zr concentrations than those of the rocks from the CZ. Although the gabbroic rocks of the intrusion have low total rare earth element (REE) contents (REE = 29.3–40.2 ppm) with slightly light REE (LREE)-enriched and heavy REE (HREE)-depleted patterns, they exhibit distinct trace-element and Nd isotopic features. The rocks from the CZ are characterized by slightly LREE-enriched and ‘convex upwards’ incompatible trace-element patterns with significant Th depletion and insignificant Nb and Ta depletion relative to La. However, the rocks from the OZ have relatively flatter REE patterns than those of the rocks from the CZ. In addition, the rocks from the OZ are slightly enriched in Th and depleted in Nb and Ta relative to La. The εNd(T) values of the CZ and the OZ rocks are +0.70 to +2.3 and −0.30 to +0.24, respectively. The parental magma for the Hekou gabbroic intrusion exhibits affinity with a subalkaline basaltic magma, which was possibly generated by relatively high degrees of partial melting of a slightly depleted asthenospheric mantle source. Their geochemical and isotopic variations were due to slight crystal fractionation with varying degrees of crustal contamination. The Hekou intrusion was therefore supposed to form in an anorogenic extensional environment. It is further suggested thatc. 1.7 Ga is an important onset timing of widespread anorogenic magmatism in the southwestern Yangtze Block. We interpret the late Palaeoproterozoic gabbroic intrusion to represent anorogenic mafic magmatism, which was most likely related to the break-up of the Columbia supercontinent.

Petrogenesis and Geochemistry of Archean Komatiites

Komatiites are products of decompression melting of mantle so hot that they are almost exclusively restricted to the Archean. The high degree of partial melting (F) and pressure (P) required for their generation facilitates comparison between the magma composition and its mantle source. To investigate compositional variations in Archean komatiites, a global selection of 38 Archean komatiites spanning five cratons (Kaapvaal, Zimbabwe, Yilgarn, Pilbara, Superior) were analysed for their major and trace element contents. Included are the Aluminium-Depleted (ADK, Barberton-Type) and Aluminium-Undepleted (AUK, Munro-Type) petrogenetic types that have been equated with high P/moderate F and moderate P/high F, respectively, on the basis of their Al/Ti and Gd/Yb ratios. Following calculation of the primary magma composition of each suite, we show that the absolute Al content at a specified MgO proves a more sensitive indicator of P than either of the above two ratios and hence we introduce a new classification using Al. The Mg# is a reliable proxy for F, independent of the two endmember melting styles, fractional and batch. We demonstrate that most komatiites form by batch melting, ceding to fractional melting with decreasing pressure as the density contrast between the liquid and solid grows. The Munro AUKs are the only suite to show evidence of fractional melting, with melt extraction occurring at the lowest F and P, ?25% melting at 5?GPa (mantle potential temperature, TP?=?1750°C) whereas the ADKs of Barberton segregated at the highest F and P (?40%, 9?GPa, TP?=?1950°C). The petrogenetic type is a combination of P and F, where, at a given pressure, higher F will produce AUKs over ADKs as majorite is consumed in the source. Through numerical simulations, it is shown that both types can occur within the same mantle plume, with ADKs forming in its cooler, distal fringes whereas AUKs occur along its axis. Furthermore, and contrary to previous views, there is no temporal distinction between the two komatiite types, with both AUKs and ADKs occurring throughout the Archean. By contrast, younger, 2·7 Ga komatiites tend to have sources that are more depleted than those of older, 3·5 Ga komatiites. Komatiites are invaluable records of the mantle’s chemical and physical evolution during the Archean.

Mantle rock exposures at oceanic core complexes along mid-ocean ridges

Abstract The mantle is the most voluminous part of the Earth. However, mantle petrologists usually have to rely on indirect geophysical methods or on material found ex situ. In this review paper, we point out the in-situ existence of oceanic core complexes (OCCs), which provide large exposures of mantle and lower crustal rocks on the seafloor on detachment fault footwalls at slow-spreading ridges. OCCs are a common structure in oceanic crust architecture of slow-spreading ridges. At least 172 OCCs have been identified so far and we can expect to discover hundreds of new OCCs as more detailed mapping takes place. Thirty-two of the thirty-nine OCCs that have been sampled to date contain peridotites. Moreover, peridotites dominate in the plutonic footwall of 77% of OCCs. Massive OCC peridotites come from the very top of the melting column beneath ocean ridges. They are typically spinel harzburgites and show 11.3–18.3% partial melting, generally representing a maximum degree of melting along a segment. Another key feature is the lower frequency of plagioclase-bearing peridotites in the mantle rocks and the lower abundance of plagioclase in the plagioclase-bearing peridotites in comparison to transform peridotites. The presence of plagioclase is usually linked to impregnation with late-stage melt. Based on the above, OCC peridotites away from segment ends and transforms can be treated as a new class of abyssal peridotites that differ from transform peridotites by a higher degree of partial melting and lower interaction with subsequent transient melt.

The origin of boninites on Mercury: An experimental study of the northern volcanic plains lavas

Phase equilibrium experiments were conducted on a synthetic rock composition matching that of the northern volcanic plains of Mercury as measured by the MErcury Surface, Space ENvironment, GEochemistry and Ranging spacecraft (MESSENGER). The northern volcanic plains are smooth plains of suspected volcanic origin that cover more than 6% of the surface area of Mercury. The northern volcanic plains are less cratered than their surroundings and reported to be the product of flood volcanism, making them a prime candidate for experimental study. The bulk composition of the northern volcanic plains is that of an alkali-rich boninite and represents the first silica-enriched crustal terrane identified on an extraterrestrial planet from orbital data. Phase equilibrium experiments were conducted over the pressure range of the mercurian mantle (0.5–5GPa) at very low oxygen fugacity (∼ΔIW0 to −7) using a piston-cylinder apparatus (P 0.5–1.7GPa) and a Walker-style multi-anvil device (P⩾2.5GPa). Our results indicate the origin of the northern volcanic plains lavas (boninites) are best explained by high degrees of partial melting of an olivine-dominant, pyroxene- and plagioclase-bearing mantle source at low pressure (⩽1.4GPa) and does not require hydrous melting to achieve the silica-enriched melt composition. The formation mechanism for boninites on Mercury contrasts substantially with terrestrial boninites, which typically occur in oxidized and hydrous arc environments associated with subduction zones. Instead, mercurian boninites form at exceptionally low oxygen fugacity and do not require melting of hydrated source materials. The NVP lavas represent a novel mechanism by which planetary bodies can form silica-enriched secondary crusts without the aid of water.

The Neoarchean ultramafic–mafic complex in the Yinshan Block, North China Craton: Magmatic monitor of development of Archean lithospheric mantle

Neoarchean ultramafic–mafic complexes are critical for characterizing the embryonic continental lithosphere and hence for arbitrating the extrapolation of plate tectonics into the Archean geology. This geochronological and geochemical study documents the newly identified amphibolite- to granulite-facies Xiwulanbulang (XWLBL) ultramafic–mafic complex in the Yinshan Block, North China Craton (NCC). It is composed mainly of meta-gabbro, hornblendite and serpentinite. SIMS U–Pb zircon dating on the later granite constrains a minimum formation age of ∼2581Ma for the complex, whereas the metamorphic zircons from the hornblendite and coexisting kyanite-garnet gneiss yield a metamorphic age of ∼2.50Ga.The dominant meta-gabbros in the complex show an “MORB” composition, and characterized by an LREE-depleted to flat REE pattern, yet possessing prominent Nb, Zr and Ti depletions, which suggest dual geochemical features. Combined with their depleted ɛNd (t) isotope compositions (+1.77 to +2.23) and regional high temperature high Mg# basaltic magmatism, we suggest that they may have been produced by interaction of the upwelling asthenosphere with the metasomatized lithospheric mantle. Minor hornblendites/pyroxenites that occurred in the complex display high MgO (13.6–20.2wt.%), CaO (7.5–13.8wt.%), Cr (475–2049ppm) and Ni (154–859ppm) contents, reflecting they have originated either as a crystal mush magma or high-degree partial melts of a mantle source. They show moderately fractionated REE patterns ((La/Yb)N=2.9–10.7) but depleted ɛNd (t) (+ 1.48 to +3.53) and zircon ɛHf (t) (up to +7.3) values. Considering their negative anomalies for Nb, Zr and Ti relative to neighboring REE, we suggest that the mantle source of the hornblendites was refractory depleted peridotite that experienced prior basaltic magma extraction followed by metasomatism of subduction-related fluids. Systematic variations trend in both major and trace elements between the hornblendites and the associated serpentinites support their genetic linkage. High CaO (0.7–6.9wt.%) and Al2O3 (3.9–6.9wt.%) contents but low Mg# (79–85) imply that the serpentinites were likely the cumulates segregated from the coexisting hornblendite/pyroxenite magma instead of mantle peridotite. Taking into full account the regional tectono-thermal events, we conclude that the XWLBL ultramafic–mafic complex was produced in a Neoarchean subduction-related zone, which was more likely trigged by the upwelling asthenosphere mantle as a result of rollback of subducted oceanic lithosphere.

Exploring the mineralogical heterogeneities of the Louisville Seamount Trail

AbstractDiopside phenocrysts of the Louisville Seamount Trail show an increase in Ti, Al, and Na with decreasing Mg/(Mg + Fe) as is typical for clinopyroxene in alkalic basalts. Chondrite‐normalized REE patterns of calculated liquids from LA‐ICPMS analyses are comparable to whole‐rock and glass values. Exceptions are clinopyroxene crystals from the Rigil Seamount, the second oldest seamount drilled at the northern end of the chain. Some crystals from this site are strongly zoned with distinct compositional boundaries between cores and mantles. The cores have high Mg/(Mg + Fe) and low Al and Ti concentrations compared to the mantles and phenocrysts. Major element, clinopyroxene discrimination diagrams indicate that the clinopyroxene mantles and phenocrysts crystallized from alkalic basalts. In contrast, the Mg‐rich cores have tholeiitic affinities. The REE abundances of the cores are similar to that of clinopyroxene from transitional tholeiites of the Kerguelen Archipelago. Calculated liquid La/Yb values for the cores have ratios that are similar to transitional tholeiites in Hawaii, whereas the mantles have higher La/Yb values similar to Hawaiian alkalic basalts. The major and trace element compositions of clinopyroxene cores from the Rigil seamount suggest that a transitional tholeiitic magma was present, but no evidence for Hawaiian shield‐type tholeiites was found. Plagioclase crystals from the Rigil seamount have 86Sr/86Sr from 0.70306 to 0.70363, within the range of FOZO. The transitional tholeiitic signature of the Mg‐rich clinopyroxene cores probably did not have a distinct source compared to other Louisville magmas, but more likely indicates a higher degree of partial melting (2–5%) of that FOZO source.

Geochemical characteristics and tectonic setting of the Middle Permian Tiaohu Formation mafic-ultramafic rocks of Santanghu area, Xinjiang, Northwest China

Santanghu area in northeastern Xinjiang region of Northwest China is an important component of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), in which the dynamic mechanism of Permian magmatism is controversial. In Santanghu area is exposed a thick succession of the Middle Permian basalts, including a small amount of picritic basalts and andesites, known as the Tiaohu Formation. The picritic basalts contain cumulate olivine, and have whole-rock Mg# up to 0.68–0.77; the basalts exhibit porphyritic or doleritic textures, and have relatively low Mg# of 0.41–0.54, typical of evolved magmas. The mafic-ultramafic rocks of the Tiaohu Formation are slightly enriched in Light Rare Earth Elements (LREEs), and exhibit negative Nb and Ti anomalies. They also have high TiO2 content, and Nb/Y and Zr/Yb ratios greater than those of island arc volcanic rocks. Relatively low initial Sr isotopic ratios and high positive ɛ Nd(t) and ɛ Hf(t) values argue against contamination by ancient continental crust, and suggest formation of the Tiaohu Formation by partial melting of relatively refractory depleted lithospheric mantle that underwent metasomatism and extraction by fluid from the subducted slab. In addition, up to 38% olivine in picritic basalts indicates high-degree partial melting of lithospheric mantle, and the underlying Lucaogou Formation contains fragments of ultra-alkaline magmatic rocks that originated in the deep mantle. These observations imply wide-spread underplating in Santanghu area, which may have been associated with a mantle plume.