Hole 504B Research Articles

Sulfur and metal mobilization during the life cycle of an oceanic core complex: Implications for seafloor massive sulfide deposits formation at slow and ultra-slow spreading ridges

Seafloor massive sulfide (SMS) deposits at slow and ultra-slow spreading ridges are often spatially related to, or hosted in oceanic core complexes (OCCs). The specific oceanic crust architecture, magmatism, hydrothermal fluid circulation and lithologies at OCCs, however, imply different S and metal (e.g. Cu, Zn, Co, Ni) fluxes relative to well-structured oceanic crust at-fast spreading ridges and which are not yet fully constrained. The study of S and metal distribution in the ODP Hole 735B deep drill core from the Atlantis bank allows to understand these fluxes along detachment faults and to better constrain the source zone of S and metals for OCC-related SMS deposits. Significant depletion of S, Cu, Zn and Ni are observed within the upper 250 m of the drill core where intense deformation and hydrothermal fluid circulation occurred. During the complex tectono-magmatic-hydrothermal evolution of the Atlantis Bank, four important stages are recognized for S and metal mobilization: 1) magmatic stratification leading to a higher proportion of sulfide-rich and S, Cu, Zn and Co fertile oxide gabbros in the root zone of the Atlantis Bank detachment, 2) high temperature ductile deformation leading to magmatic sulfide reworking and onset of sulfide leaching with limited metal mobilization, 3) extensive sulfide leaching and metal mobilization during amphibolite to greenschist facies metasomatism and, 4) late stage secondary sulfide precipitation and S enrichment during low temperature fluid circulation. Mass balance calculations from the source zones of the Atlantis Bank detachment highlights that metal mobilization during hydrothermal alteration of gabbroic rocks along detachment faults can fully account for the formation of OCC-related SMS deposits at slow and ultraslow spreading ridges. The Atlantis Bank detachment system, however, is gabbroic-dominated and represent the magmatic end-member of OCCs and further work is necessary for understanding metal fluxes in ultramafic-dominated detachment systems.

Electrical resistivity, seismic velocity, and porosity of crustal rocks from the Oman ophiolite under brine-saturated ocean floor conditions

In order to examine the effects of crack properties on electrical resistivity and seismic velocity, we conducted simultaneous measurements of electrical resistivity, seismic velocity and porosity at brine-saturated hydrostatic pressures using mafic crustal rocks from the Oman ophiolite. The resistivity and velocity of the samples increase systematically with increasing confining pressure owing to the closure of cracks, as monitored by changes in porosity. Apparent formation factors of each sample are related to the porosity, but nonlinear relationships on logarithmic plots indicate that Archie's law cannot explain these experimental data. We evaluated the effect of crack porosity and aspect ratio for the measured velocity based on the effective medium theory, and the electrical resistivity was inferred from the crack porosity and connectivity according to the percolation model. The experimental velocity and resistivity results are consistent with the model calculations in terms of crack density, aspect ratio and connectivity. We applied a combined velocity-resistivity model to the geophysical logging and borehole data for the oceanic crust in Hole 504B. Our inversion results indicate that the seismic layer 2/3 transition is primarily caused by an alteration front controlled by interconnected cracks and fluid flow in the oceanic crust.

Alteration enrichment of nitrogen in the gabbroic oceanic crust: Implications for global subducting nitrogen budget and subduction-zone nitrogen recycling

Uptake of nitrogen (N) during hydrothermal alteration of oceanic crust makes the altered oceanic crust (AOC) a significant N reservoir in parallel to seafloor sediments. While N enrichment in the upper (basaltic) oceanic crust during low-temperature alteration has been widely observed, the N characteristics of moderate- to high-temperature altered gabbroic oceanic crust, which accounts for ∼70 vol% of the crustal material in subducting slabs, have been rarely studied. The lack of these data resulted in large uncertainties in calculating the N input flux of global subducting slabs and modeling the N quantities released through the arc and subducted into the deep mantle. To fill this gap, we examined the N concentrations and isotope compositions of 38 altered gabbroic rocks recovered by ODP/IODP drillings from three oceans, i.e., Hole 735B at the Atlantis Bank in the Southwest Indian Ridge, Hole 1309D at the Atlantis massif in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and Hole 1415P at the Hess Deep in the East Pacific Rise. All the gabbroic samples show significant N enrichment with mostly positive δ15N values (in average: 7.4±3.8 ppm and +0.6±2.0‰ for Hole 735B, 5.3±2.1 ppm and +1.4±1.3‰ for Hole 1309D and 7.9±1.9 ppm and +2.0±1.8‰ for Hole 1415P), which are comparable to those of altered basalts from global oceanic crust. The N concentrations and δ15N values of these gabbroic rocks can be readily explained by mixing between minor inherited mantle N and mainly secondary N derived from seawater. The secondary N-hosting minerals in altered gabbroic rocks are likely plagioclase, amphibole and chlorite formed during moderate- to high-temperature alteration stages. Using these new data, we obtained a global nitrogen input flux of 20.6-1.3+0.9 × 109 mol·yr−1 to 29.9±2.2 × 109 mol·yr−1 for subducting AOC, in which 50% – 64% is contributed by the altered gabbroic oceanic crust. Integrating with previous estimate of N input flux from seafloor sediments, a total N input flux of 74.9-1.3+0.9 – 84.2±2.2 mol·yr−1 was estimated for global subducting slabs. Mass balance between this input N flux and various estimates of N output flux in global arcs gave a large range (from 47% – 53% to 10% – 20%) for the fraction of slab N to be subducted beyond the sub-arc depth to the deeper mantle. The upper end (47% – 53%) of this range is more consistent with the results from other constraints, such as thermal structural control and comparison between altered gabbros and meta-gabbros.

Nitrogen enrichment in the altered upper oceanic crust: A new perspective on constraining the global subducting nitrogen budget and implications for subduction-zone nitrogen recycling

Studies of alteration enrichment of nitrogen (N) in seafloor basalts clearly indicate that the upper oceanic crust is an important reservoir to transfer crustal N into Earth's interior. However, since previous studies have focused on relatively few DSDP/ODP/IODP drill cores, the factors controlling N enrichment in the altered upper oceanic crust at a global scale have not been revealed. Here we report N concentrations and isotope compositions of altered basalts from four additional DSDP/ODP Holes (556, 1224F, 417A and 543A). These new data, together with the published data from Holes 801C, 1149D, 1256D and 504B, enable systematic assessment of the potential affecting factors such as alteration degree, crustal age, spreading rate and sediment type, on N enrichment in the upper oceanic crust. The new data demonstrate ubiquitous N enrichment (1.3 – 48.4 ppm) in global seafloor basalts. The results indicate that, (i) the secondary N (in the form of ammonium) in altered basalts was sourced from sediment/seawater with δ15N values of 0‰ to +8‰, with a minor source from abiotic N2 reduction with δ15N values of -12‰ to -21‰; (ii) N enrichments in the upper oceanic crust do not correlate with crustal age, suggesting that the N uptake should mainly occur over early ages (likely within ∼20 Myr of crustal formation); (iii) the magnitude of N enrichment in the upper oceanic crust is primarily controlled by the N availability in the surrounding environment, which is ultimately related to the N abundance of basal sediments and/or seawater. The highest degree of N enrichment occurs in the upper oceanic crust overlain by N-rich basal sediments (claystone), i.e., at Hole 543A (N = 24.9±8.3 ppm; 1σ). In contrast, the lowest degree of N enrichment occurs in the upper oceanic crust overlain by N-poor basal sediments (chert), i.e., at Hole 1149D (N = 2.0±0.5 ppm; 1σ). With the consideration of this primary controlling factor, a global N input flux of 3.7±0.3 ×109 mol⋅yr−1 for the 300 – 600 m upper oceanic crust is calculated. These new data also demonstrate that N concentrations are relatively low in global altered basalts (average: 10.1±7.8 pm; 1σ). In comparison to their metamorphic equivalents, blueschists have much higher N concentrations (up to ∼122 ppm) whereas eclogites have N concentrations comparable to altered basalts. This implies further N enrichment in basaltic oceanic crust during early subduction and N devolatilization during deep subduction (by eclogite facies).

Nitrogen enrichments in sheeted dikes and gabbros from DSDP/ODP/IODP Hole 504B and 1256D: Insights into nitrogen recycling in Central America and global subduction zones

The fate of subducted crustal nitrogen (N) in modern-style subduction zones remains hotly debated from nearly complete return to the surface via arc volcanoes to net ingassing into the deep mantle beyond the sub-arc depth. One of the major obstacles for this controversy is the lack of constraint on the input N flux from altered oceanic crust (AOC). While notable N enrichment by low-temperature hydrothermal alteration has been widely reported in the upper volcanic section of AOC, N behavior during high-temperature alteration of the underlying intrusive oceanic crust (i.e., sheeted dikes and gabbros) remains poorly understood. Here we examined the bulk-rock N concentrations and isotopic compositions of the AOC (with a main focus on sheeted dikes and gabbros, yet including basalts from sections that have not been examined before) from ODP/IODP Hole 1256D and DSDP/ODP Hole 504B, which are two reference sites for subducting material into the warm Central America (CA) subduction zone. The results show that the intrusive sections have comparable N concentrations and isotopic compositions to their overlying upper volcanic rocks at 1256D (sheeted dikes: 16.4±7.2 ppm and −1.3±1.5‰; gabbros: 11.3±5.6 ppm and +1.3±1.0‰; basalts: 11.8±3.8 ppm and +0.9±1.7‰) and 504B (sheeted dikes: 7.6±2.1 ppm and +2.1±1.7‰; basalts: 8.0±3.8 ppm and +2.4±2.9‰). These data can be readily explained by mixing between inherited mantle N and secondary N mostly derived from seawater/sediments with a minor contribution from abiotic N2 reduction. The secondary N in sheeted dikes and gabbros was mainly incorporated at moderate- to high-temperature (>250 °C) alteration stages and likely resides in chlorite, secondary plagioclase and amphibole. These new data clearly indicate that the intrusive section of AOC is a non-negligible N reservoir. Using these data, together with previously published N concentration data of basalts from Holes 1256D and 504B and of subducting sediments from Hole 1039B offboard the CA trench, we obtained a total N input flux of 3.1±0.6 × 109 mol‧yr−1 to 4.0±0.8 × 109 mol‧yr−1 into the CA trench. Integrating recently published N output flux of 0.58 × 109 to 1.4±0.6 × 109 mol‧yr−1 at the CA arc, an N recycling efficiency of 15±3–45±5% was yielded for the CA margin, indicating that up to 55±5–85±3% of subducted slab N is possibly transported beyond the sub-arc depth in this warm subduction zone. Based on the new finding of comparable N enrichment between basalts and intrusive oceanic crust, our modeling also gave a revised N recycling efficiency of 12±10–17±12% for the cold Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) subduction zone, which is consistent with previous estimate of 4–17%. While these new estimates do not provide a conclusive constraint on the effect of subduction-zone thermal structure on N recycling, they consistently suggest that a large fraction of slab N (>50%) can survive the sub-arc filter and be delivered to the deeper mantle in global subduction zones.

MORB Melt Transport through Atlantis Bank Oceanic Batholith (SW Indian Ridge)

AbstractThe Atlantis Bank Oceanic Batholith is a 660 km2 gabbro massif representing the plutonic foundation of a major ridge magmatic center. It was continuously accreted, emplaced, and exposed in the rift mountains of the paleo-SW Indian Ridge from 13 to 10·3 Ma. Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 735B, drilled to 1508 m at Atlantis Bank, recovered evolved intercalated olivine and oxide gabbros representing the upper levels of the lower ocean crust. Within this section, ∼5·6 m of primitive chromian-spinel-bearing troctolites (0·1–2 m thick), with sharp modal contacts with the host gabbros, were cored between 410 and 500 m depth. Here we present new mineral (chromian spinel, clinopyroxene, olivine, and plagioclase) major and trace element and petrographic data for the troctolite suites (i.e. troctolites, clinopyroxene-rich troctolites, troctolitic gabbros) from 410 to 528 mbsf (meters below seafloor) and olivine gabbros in the 0–274 mbsf and 410–500 mbsf intervals, and examine the origin of these troctolite layers. Equilibrium melts for the troctolites are primitive to moderately evolved, with Mg# [= 100Mg/(Mg + Fe), 48–68 mol%] comparable with those of Atlantis Bank basalts. By contrast, equilibrium melts for both the 0–274 mbsf and 410–500 mbsf host olivine gabbros are highly to moderately evolved (Mg# 27–63 mol%). The 410–500 mbsf troctolite suites maintain high clinopyroxene Mg# (81–89 mol%) and mineral concentrations of compatible elements (i.e. clinopyroxene Cr2O3 0·1–1·2 wt%, Ni 151–330 μg g–1 and olivine Ni 1055–1559 μg g–1) with the increase in incompatible trace element abundances (i.e. clinopyroxene TiO2 0·3–2·1 wt%, Zr 5·8–112 μg g–1 and olivine Ti up to 293 μg g–1). Combined with abundant dissolution–reprecipitation textures, our results indicate that the troctolites were formed by the reaction between a spinel-bearing, troctolitic mush, from which they inherited the high Mg#, Ni and Cr, and percolating melts adding incompatible trace elements. Moreover, the spinel (NiO versus TiO2) and olivine (Ti versus Y) trace element compositions indicate that the troctolites were affected by low-degree Fe–Ti-rich melt metasomatism. In contrast, both the 0–274 mbsf and 410–500 mbsf olivine gabbros display a prominent decrease in clinopyroxene Mg# (from 88 to 66) and mineral compatible element concentrations (i.e. clinopyroxene Cr2O3 from 1·1 to ∼0 wt%, Ni from 208 to 34 μg g–1 and olivine Ni from 1200 to 136 μg g–1) with increasing incompatible trace element abundances (e.g. clinopyroxene Zr from 4·8 to 157 μg g–1). These features are compatible with the reactive porous flow of slightly to highly evolved melts through the cooling crystal mush zone. Our results, combined with the literature data, indicate that most olivine gabbros between 410 and 500 mbsf were formed prior to the troctolite layers. We document that the troctolites represent conduits for mid-ocean ridge basalt melt transport through the lower oceanic crust, whereas the olivine gabbros represent crystallization of a large crystal mush, recording initial gabbro emplacement, hyper- and sub-solidus deformation, and melt–rock reaction owing to upward penetrative flow of intercumulus melt.

Fractional crystallization causes the iron isotope contrast between mid-ocean ridge basalts and abyssal peridotites

The iron isotope contrast between mid-ocean ridge basalts and abyssal peridotites is far greater than can be explained by mantle melting alone. Here we investigate a suite of mid-ocean ridge magma chamber rocks sampled by the Ocean Drilling Project Hole 735B in the Atlantis Bank of the Indian Ocean. We report major and trace element geochemistry from these rocks and measure their iron isotope compositions to investigate the potential role of fractional crystallization during melt evolution. We observe a large range of δ56Fe that defines a significant inverse curvilinear correlation with bulk rock MgO/FeOT. These data confirm that δ56Fe in the melt increases as fractional crystallization proceeds but, contrary to expectation, δ56Fe continues to increase even when oxides begin to crystallize. We conclude that iron isotope fractionation through fractional crystallization during the evolution of mid-ocean ridge basalts from abyssal peridotites reconciles the disparity in isotopic compositions between these two lithologies.

Local rift and intraplate seismicity reveal shallow crustal fluid-related activity and sub-crustal faulting

Seismicity delineating the mid-ocean ridge system in the Panama Basin is mostly concentrated along transform offsets. Most intraplate areas show little-to-no seismic activity. Here we analyze passive recordings from a short-term deployment of 75 ocean-bottom seismographs (OBS) at the Costa Rica Rift (CRR) and across its southern flank along a flowline to Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 504B. The OBS array recorded 1061 events along the CRR and the Ecuador Fracture Zone, and 127 intraplate events around ODP Hole 504B. The seismic activity along the CRR occurred in clusters, with some events associated with an axial magma lens (AML) located at 3–3.5 km depth below seafloor (bsf), and four events exhibiting normal and reverse faulting focal mechanisms. These deep events are followed by the largest event cluster whose epicenters connect the AML to the seafloor, at a location where a hydrothermal plume was previously reported. During the same period, another event cluster occurs close to the seabed. This spatio-temporal pattern suggests that deeper events close to the AML, which might be related to thermal stresses or stress perturbations due to a volume change in the AML, trigger fluid-related seismicity within the shallower hydrothermal system. The easternmost extent of the seismicity along the CRR corresponds to an overlapping spreading center (OSC). At depth, the seismicity around the OSC is focused beneath one limb, but is spread over a larger area closer to the surface. The focal mechanisms calculated for OSC events show both normal and reverse motions, and might reflect complex stress or fault orientations. Intraplate seismicity around ODP Hole 504B shows both isolated and clustered events from the seafloor to ∼15–25 km bsf. Some of this seismicity is likely associated with the reactivation of east-west trending normal faults under high pore pressure and thermoelastic stresses conditions. Deep seismicity (i.e. between 15 and 20 km bsf) occurs in small, well-defined clusters close to ODP Hole 504B, at the theoretical depth of the brittle-to-plastic transition for a ∼6.9 Ma oceanic lithosphere. Our results show the importance of short-term OBS deployments for improving our understanding of mid-ocean ridge seismicity and hydrothermal processes, as well as intraplate seismicity and deformation mechanisms.

A new high-temperature borehole fluid sampler: the Multi-Temperature Fluid Sampler

Abstract. Deep (>1 km depth) scientific boreholes are unique assets that can be used to address a variety of microbiological, hydrologic, and biogeochemical hypotheses. Few of these deep boreholes exist in oceanic crust. One of them, Deep Sea Drilling Project Hole 504B, reaches ∼190 ∘C at its base. We designed, fabricated, and laboratory-tested the Multi-Temperature Fluid Sampler (MTFS), a non-gas-tight, titanium syringe-style fluid sampler for borehole applications that is tolerant of such high temperatures. Each of the 12 MTFS units collects a single 1 L sample at a predetermined temperature, which is defined by the trigger design and a shape memory alloy (SMA). SMAs have the innate ability to be deformed and only return to their initial shapes when their activation temperatures are reached, thereby triggering a sampler at a predetermined temperature. Three SMA-based trigger mechanisms, which do not rely on electronics, were tested. Triggers were released at temperatures spanning from 80 to 181 ∘C. The MTFS was set for deployment on International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 385T, but hole conditions precluded its use. The sampler is ready for use in deep oceanic or continental scientific boreholes with minimal training for operational success.

Magma Reservoir Formation and Evolution at a Slow-Spreading Center (Atlantis Bank, Southwest Indian Ridge)

Several ODP-IODP expeditions drilled oceanic core complexes (OCCs) interpreted as exhumed portions of lower crust close to the ridge axis, and provide the community with invaluable sampling opportunity for further constraining magmatic processes involved in the formation of the slow-spreading lower oceanic crust. ODP Hole 735B presents the most primitive lithologies sampled at Atlantis Bank OCC (Southwest Indian Ridge) in a ~250 m thick section that was previously interpreted as a single crustal intrusion. We combined detailed structural and petrographic constraints with whole rock and in situ mineral analyses of this section in order to precisely determine the processes of emplacement, crystallization and melt migration within the lower crust. The lower half of the unit is comprised of alternating olivine gabbros and troctolites showing intrusive contacts, magmatic fabrics and crystal-plastic fabrics. Such structures and primitive lithologies are lacking in the upper half, rather uniform, gabbroic sequence. Whole rock compositions highlight the cumulative character of both lower and upper units and a great compositional variability in the lower sequence, whereas the upper sequence is homogeneous and differentiates up-section. In situ analyses of mineral phases document magma emplacement processes and provide evidence for ubiquitous reactive porous flow during differentiation. We show that the whole section, and related geochemical unit, constitutes a single magmatic reservoir, in which the lower unit is formed by stacked primitive sills formed by repeated recharge by primitive melts and melt-present deformation. Recharge led to partial assimilation of the crystallizing primitive cumulates, and hybridization with their interstitial melts. Hybrid melts were progressively collected in the overlying mushy part of the reservoir (upper unit), whereas the sills' residual hybrid melts differentiated by reactive porous flow processes under a predominantly crystallization regime. Similarly, hybrid melts’ evolution in the upper unit was governed by upward reactive porous flow, and progressive differentiation and accumulation of evolved melts at the top of the reservoir. Our results provide the community with the first integrated model for magma reservoir formation in the lower slow-spreading oceanic crust that can potentially be applied to other magmatic lower crust sections.

Magnetic Mineral Populations in Lower Oceanic Crustal Gabbros (Atlantis Bank, SW Indian Ridge): Implications for Marine Magnetic Anomalies

AbstractTo learn more about magnetic properties of the lower ocean crust and its contributions to marine magnetic anomalies, gabbro samples were collected from International Ocean Discovery Program Hole U1473A at Atlantis Bank on the Southwest Indian Ridge. Detailed magnetic property work links certain magnetic behaviors and domain states to specific magnetic mineral populations. Measurements on whole rocks and mineral separates included magnetic hysteresis, first‐order reversal curves, low‐temperature remanence measurements, thermomagnetic analysis, and magnetic force microscopy. Characteristics of the thermomagnetic data indicate that the upper ~500 m of the hole has undergone hydrothermal alteration. The thermomagnetic and natural remanent magnetization data are consistent with earlier observations from Hole 735B that show remanence arises from low‐Ti magnetite and that natural remanent magnetizations are up to 25 A m−1 in evolved Fe‐Ti oxide gabbros, but are mostly <1 A m−1. Magnetite is present in at least three forms. Primary magnetite is associated with coarse‐grained oxides that are more frequent in the upper part of the hole. This magnetic population is linked to dominantly “pseudo‐single‐domain” behavior that arises from fine‐scale lamellar intergrowths within the large oxides. Deeper in the hole the magnetic signal is more commonly dominated by an interacting single‐domain assemblage most likely found along crystal discontinuities in olivine and/or pyroxene. A third contribution is from noninteracting single‐domain inclusions within plagioclase. Because the concentration of the highly magnetic, oxide‐rich gabbros is greatest toward the surface, the signal from coarse oxides will likely dominate the near‐bottom magnetic anomaly signal at Atlantis Bank.

The Neodymium Stable Isotope Composition of the Oceanic Crust: Reconciling the Mismatch Between Erupted Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts and Lower Crustal Gabbros

The trace element and isotopic compositions of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) provide an important cornerstone for all studies seeking to understand mantle evolution. Globally there is a significant over-enrichment in the incompatible trace element concentrations of MORB relative to levels which should be generated by fractional crystallization. Thermal and geochemical constraints suggest that MORB require generation in open system magma chambers. However, the petrology of lower oceanic crustal rocks suggests instead that these enrichments maybe formed through reactive porous flow (RPF). Stable isotope compositions are process dependent and therefore provide an excellent mechanism to compare these contrasting models. This study presents the first neodymium (Nd) stable isotope compositions of Indian MORB and well characterized gabbroic rocks from the lower oceanic crust sampled at the Southwest Indian Ridge (Hole 735B). Indian MORB is extremely homogenous with a mean δ146Nd of −0.025 ±0.005‰ which is identical to the composition of Pacific MORB. Despite significant variability in the source composition of MORB globally (i.e. 143Nd/144Nd) their indistinguishable δ146Nd compositions suggests they were homogenized through the same process along the global ridge network. In stark contrast, oceanic gabbros have δ146Nd ranging from −0.026‰ to −0.127‰, doubling the natural variability in Nd stable isotopes observed in terrestrial rocks. Clinopyroxene separates possess variable δ146Nd but are isotopically heavier than the gabbroic whole rocks at the same major element compositions. These large variations in δ146Nd cannot be generated solely by the fractionation or accumulation of clinopyroxene and/or plagioclase. Hole 735B preserves widespread evidence of RPF which could induce kinetic isotopes fractionation during crystal growth. In clinopyroxene kinetic isotope fractionations will only induce ca. 0.02‰ variations therefore several cycles of dissolution and reprecipitation of isotopic signatures at grain boundaries are required to explain the range of δ146Nd observed in the gabbros. Given the large disconnect between the average composition of the lower crust (δ146Nd = −0.076‰) and MORB globally and the evidence of limited melt extraction into the upper crust at Hole 735B it is highly unlikely that the melts involved in RPF contributed in a substantial way to the Nd isotope composition of erupted MORB.

Dynamic Accretion Beneath a Slow‐Spreading Ridge Segment: IODP Hole 1473A and the Atlantis Bank Oceanic Core Complex

Abstract809 deep IODP Hole U1473A at Atlantis Bank, SWIR, is 2.2 km from 1,508‐m Hole 735B and 1.4 from 158‐m Hole 1105A. With mapping, it provides the first 3‐D view of the upper levels of a 660‐km2 lower crustal batholith. It is laterally and vertically zoned, representing a complex interplay of cyclic intrusion, and ongoing deformation, with kilometer‐scale upward and lateral migration of interstial melt. Transform wall dives over the gabbro‐peridotite contact found only evolved gabbro intruded directly into the mantle near the transform. There was no high‐level melt lens, rather the gabbros crystallized at depth, and then emplaced into the zone of diking by diapiric rise of a crystal mush followed by crystal‐plastic deformation and faulting. The residues to mass balance the crust to a parent melt composition lie at depth below the center of the massif—likely near the crust‐mantle boundary. Thus, basalts erupted to the seafloor from >1,550 mbsf. By contrast, the Mid‐Atlantic Ridge lower crust drilled at 23°N and at Atlantis Massif experienced little high‐temperature deformation and limited late‐stage melt transport. They contain primitive cumulates and represent direct intrusion, storage, and crystallization of parental MORB in thinner crust below the dike‐gabbro transition. The strong asymmetric spreading of the SWIR to the south was due to fault capture, with the northern rift valley wall faults cutoff by a detachment fault that extended across most of the zone of intrusion. This caused rapid migration of the plate boundary to the north, while the large majority of the lower crust to spread south unroofing Atlantis Bank and uplifting it into the rift mountains.

A re-assessment of the nitrogen geochemical behavior in upper oceanic crust from Hole 504B: Implications for subduction budget in Central America

The geochemical behavior of N during seawater-oceanic crust alteration remains poorly constrained. Yet, it is a central parameter to assess the flux of N to subduction zones. Most studies proposed that hydrothermally altered basaltic rocks are enriched in N relative to fresh basalts. However, published data from DSDP/ODP Hole 504B, a reference site for the composition of the oceanic crust, suggest that seawater alteration leads to the N depletion of the upper ocean crust. To better address this issue, we analyzed N concentration and isotope composition of 21 altered basalts from the lavas and sheeted dikes sampled by Hole 504B. These new analyses show significant N enrichment (up to 14.1 ppm) relative to fresh degassed MORB (∼1 ppm). The differences observed between earlier and modern data are interpreted as resulting from analytical artifact due to the earlier use of a molybdenum crucible for N extraction. Furthermore, our new data show a progressive decrease of N concentration with depth, from 14.1 to 1.4 ppm. Nitrogen isotope compositions display a large range, with δ15N values from −0.9 to +7.3‰, and most likely reflect multiple stages of alteration with fluids of various compositions. In contrast to N concentration, δ15N values do not show a global depth trend but oscillate around a mean value of 3.0 ± 2.2‰ (1SD). The N concentration shows a positive correlation with bulk rock δ18O values, suggesting that N behavior during alteration process is mainly controlled by temperature. We propose that N speciation in the hydrothermal fluid is dominated by NH3/NH4 at low temperature (<200°C) but is transformed to N2, associated with H2, at higher temperature (>200°C). These new data are used to re-evaluate the global flux of N input into Central American subduction zone, showing that the upper basaltic crust represent about 20% of the total N buried in subduction zone. A comparison with previous results obtained on N degassed in volcanic arc illustrates that, in “warm” subduction zone like Central America, up to 50% of the subducted N may be transferred to the deep mantle. This contrasts with “cold” subduction environments, where >80% of the N inputs escape sub-arc slab devolatilization and supports that the geothermal gradient plays a major role in determining the N fate in subduction zones.

Biotite in olivine gabbros from Atlantis Bank: Evidence for amphibolite-facies metasomatic alteration of the lower oceanic crust

Gabbroic rocks recovered from deep holes drilled in the ocean floor provide us with valuable information about in-situ alteration processes of the lower oceanic crust. We found that the occurrence of biotite is widespread in gabbroic rocks recently drilled from IODP Hole U1473A at Atlantis Bank, near the Southwest Indian Ridge. Biotite is rare in oceanic gabbros, thus we analyzed textural and compositional details of biotite and associated minerals to better understand the conditions governing their formation.In olivine gabbros from Hole U1473A and from nearby ODP Hole 735B, biotite occurs mainly in coronitic aggregates mantling olivine. It also forms monomineralic veins or occurs in biotite-chlorite-amphibole veins within plagioclase grains that contact the coronitic aggregates. The coronitic aggregates typically have an outer biotite-dominated zone and an inner zone mostly made up of Al-poor calcic amphibole. The biotite and the calcic amphibole zones frequently include Al-rich calcic amphibole (± cummingtonite) and talc, respectively. Plagioclase in direct contact with Al-rich calcic amphibole has 65–90 mol% anorthite. The coronitic aggregates also frequently have an outermost zone composed of submicron-scale biotite-chlorite mixtures, which show intermediate optical and chemical characteristics between biotite and chlorite, and a composite pattern of Raman-shift spectra. Most biotite-rich coronitic aggregates occur in proximity to felsic veins or to biotite or alkali feldspar microveins branched from felsic veins, whereas most biotite-chlorite coronas are connected to biotite-, chlorite- or amphibole-bearing microveins. Chlorite coronas around olivine, though rare in Atlantis Bank gabbros, occur in contact with chlorite-bearing microveins and show no relationship with felsic veins. Based on the plagioclase-amphibole equilibrium, we evaluated temperature of 750–850 °C for the formation of the biotite-rich coronitic aggregates.From the modes of occurrence, compositions of minerals, and thermodynamic modeling, we conclude that the biotite coronas formed at higher temperatures and higher SiO2 and/or K+/H+ activities than chlorite coronas typically found in olivine gabbros from other mid-ocean ridge localities. The coronitic biotite-chlorite mixtures formed in response to lower SiO2 and/or K+/H+ activities, and possibly lower temperature, than the biotite coronas. Such a difference in physical and chemical conditions for corona formation probably reflects the distance from felsic vein/microvein or is related to the relative timing of reactions. The high-temperature metasomatic alteration of lower oceanic crustal gabbros shown in this study is most likely characteristic of oceanic core complexes from ultraslow-spreading ridges.

Evolution of heat flow, hydrothermal circulation and permeability on the young southern flank of the Costa Rica Rift

SUMMARYWe analyse 67 new conductive heat-flow measurements on the southern flank of the Costa Rica Rift (CRR). Heat-flow measurements cover five sites ranging in oceanic crustal age between approximately 1.6 and 5.7 Ma, and are co-located with a high-resolution multichannel seismic line that extends from slightly north of the first heat-flow site (1.6 Ma) to beyond ODP Hole 504B in 6.9 Ma crust. For the five heat-flow sites, the mean observed conductive heat flow is ≈85 mW m−2. This value is approximately 30 per cent of the mean lithospheric heat flux expected from a half-space conductive cooling model, indicating that hydrothermal processes account for about 70 per cent of the heat loss. The advective heat loss fraction varies from site to site and is explained by a combination of outcrop to outcrop circulation through exposed basement outcrops and discharge through faults. Supercritical convection in Layer 2A extrusives occurs between 1.6 and 3.5 Ma, and flow through a thinly sedimented basement high occurs at 4.6 Ma. Advective heat loss diminishes rapidly between ≈4.5 and ≈5.7 Ma, which contrasts with plate cooling reference models that predict a significant deficit in conductive heat flow up to ages ≈65 ± 10 Ma. At ≈5.7 Ma the CRR topography is buried under sediment with an average thickness of ≈150 m, and hydrothermal circulation in the basement becomes subcritical or perhaps marginally critical. The absence of significant advective heat loss at ≈5.7 Ma at the CRR is thus a function of both burial of basement exposure under the sediment load and a reduction in basement permeability that possibly occurs as a result of mineral precipitation and original permeability at the time of formation. Permeability is a non-monotonic function of age along the southern flank of the CRR, in general agreement with seismic velocity tomography interpretations that reflect variations in the degree of ridge-axis magma supply and tectonic extension. Hydrothermal circulation in the young oceanic crust at the southern flank of CRR is affected by the interplay and complex interconnectedness of variations in permeability, sediment thickness, topographical structure, and tectonic and magmatic activities with age.

Petrogenesis of ODP Hole 735B (Leg 176) Oceanic Plagiogranite: Partial Melting of Gabbros or Advanced Extent of Fractional Crystallization?

AbstractOceanic plagiogranite was first defined by Coleman in 1975 as an assemblage of felsic rocks in the ocean crust and is the sole rock type in ophiolites for age dating. However, the petrogenesis of these felsic rocks remains controversial. Some consider them as partial melting products of gabbros, while others interpret them as representing highly evolved residual melt of ocean ridge magmatism. To resolve this debate, we focus our study on felsic veins from Ocean Drilling Program Hole 735B (Leg 176) in the Southwest Indian Ridge. We carried out detailed petrography, mineral compositional analysis, bulk‐rock trace element, and Sr‐Nd‐Pb‐Hf isotope analysis and petrological modeling. These data and observations lead to the conclusion that these felsic vein lithologies (i.e., oceanic plagiogranite) are solidified residual melts after advanced extents of fractional crystallization of ocean ridge basaltic magmas, rather than partial melting products of gabbros. At the late stage of mid‐ocean ridge basaltic magma evolution, Fe‐Ti oxides appear on the liquidus to crystallize, resulting in the residual melts rapidly enriched in SiO2. Such silicic melts are buoyant and can transport through “cracking” within the lithologies of the gabbroic sections of the ocean crust in the form of felsic dykes, veins, and veinlets. The volumetrically small (~0.5%) but widespread plagiogranite veins and veinlets throughout the gabbroic sections provide evidence that multiple small melt batch intrusion and differentiation are primary mechanism and mode of ocean crust accretion at slow‐spreading ridges.

Geographically re-oriented magmatic and metamorphic foliations from ODP Hole 735B Atlantis Bank, Southwest Indian Ridge: Magmatic intrusion and crystal-plastic overprint in the footwall of an oceanic core complex

When core pieces are drilled they lose all geographic information, making crustal-scale structural analysis of in situ oceanic crust near impossible. In order to better understand the orientation of deformation fabrics in the footwall, and therefore the formation and evolution of the lower oceanic crust, magmatic and high-temperature metamorphic foliations were re-oriented back to the geographic reference frame over the interval 90–600 m below sea floor from Ocean Drilling Program Hole 735B at the Atlantis Bank oceanic core complex, Southwest Indian Ridge. Fractures measured on cores were correlated with borehole images of fractures to re-orient core pieces, and therefore re-orient any element within those core pieces. Simple 2-D models of extension predict that high-temperature fabrics should dip toward or away from the spreading ridge, however, only ∼30% of each foliation type follows this prediction. The lack of systematic orientation of high temperature deformation foliations seems to indicate that there is a complex 3-D orientation and distribution of magmatic and metamorphic foliations with respect to the detachment shear zone and that the strains that these foliations recorded is not compatible with simple plane strain assumptions related to ridge-perpendicular extension at slow-spreading ridges.

Triple oxygen and hydrogen isotopic study of hydrothermally altered rocks from the 2.43–2.41 Ga Vetreny belt, Russia: An insight into the early Paleoproterozoic seawater

Abstract The early Paleoproterozoic represents a period of rapid changes in Earth systems that could have affected the stable isotopic composition of seawater. The well-preserved pillow structures, hyaloclastites and komatiitic basalts of the 2.43–2.41 Ga Vetreny belt, Baltic Shield provide a record of high-temperature water-rock interaction induced by contemporaneous seawater. Here we present results of mineralogical, fluid inclusion, hydrogen, and triple oxygen isotopic analysis of hydrothermal alteration products. Emphasis is given to vein-filling quartz and epidote as they likely formed at high water-rock ratios. Ten minerals pairs, quartz-epidote and quartz-calcite, returned temperatures of isotopic equilibrium between 286 and 387 °C, which compares well to the homogenization temperatures measured for saline fluid inclusions hosted in vein quartz. The computed δD and δ18O values of equilibrium fluids range between −31 and +12‰, and −1.36 and +3.20‰, respectively, which overlap with the isotopic composition of ice-free world seawater and fluids generated at submarine hydrothermal systems. This is the earliest piece of evidence suggesting that early Paleoproterozoic seawater had a δD value close to 0‰. We also present triple oxygen isotopic composition of quartz and epidote that formed in similar facies of hydrothermal alteration from the relatively young (6–7 Ma) oceanic crust as sampled by the ODP Hole 504B in the eastern Pacific Ocean. These data show similarity to the triple oxygen isotope analyses of the Vetreny belt rocks indicating that the 2.43–2.41 Ga seawater had the Δ17O value close to that of modern-day seawater. Due to small fractionation at 300–390 °C (αepidote-water ≈ 1), epidotes present a strong evidence that equilibrium fluids had Δ′17O values close to 0‰. Based on the previously published quartz-water calibration, the computed Δ17O values of equilibrium fluids range between −0.11 and −0.03‰, significantly lower than that of seawater or inferred seawater-derived fluids at low water-rock ratios. This can be explained by multiple factors including phase separation of fluids or/and presence of low-temperature quartz overgrowths. Both are reflected in the fluid inclusion data and in situ δ18O measurements by ion microprobe (SIMS) presented here. Overall, our study suggests that the δ18O, Δ17O and δD values of the 2.43–2.41 Ga seawater were −1.7 ± 1.1, −0.001 ± 0.011 and 0 ± 20‰ respectively, similar to the modern values, which reflects the dominant role of submarine hydrothermal alteration in the stable isotopic budget of seawater throughout Earth’s history.

Crystallization of late-stage MORB under varying water activities and redox conditions: Implications for the formation of highly evolved lavas and oxide gabbro in the ocean crust

In order to understand late magmatic processes that occur in the deep oceanic crust, we performed a phase-equilibria study in a representative late-stage system at a pressure of 200 MPa with a special focus on the role of water and oxygen fugacity. The starting composition for the experiments was evaluated based on a statistical approach using evolved fresh MORB glasses from the database PETDB highest in FeO and TiO2 (in average 17.92 wt% and 3.73 wt%, respectively), assumed to represent frozen liquids erupted at the seafloor generated by extensive differentiation of MORB.We conducted crystallization experiments in a range of temperatures from 850 to 1050 °C with water activities from 0.1 to 1 and under redox conditions from FMQ-1.1 to FMQ + 3.2 (FMQ = fayalite-magnetite-quartz oxygen buffer). The results show that in this Fe- and Ti-rich late-stage system, Fe-Ti-oxides are the liquidus phases followed by clinopyroxene, apatite, and plagioclase, which is more stable at low water activity. Amphibole is stable at high aH2O and at temperatures lower than 900 °C. The evolution of the melt composition with decreasing temperature and aH2O follows in general the liquid lines of descent observed in other experiments in ferrobasaltic compositions. Orthopyroxene, which occurs as late crystallizing phase in many oceanic gabbros, was absent among the experimental mineral assemblages. Based on the evolution of coexisting clinopyroxene and plagioclase compositions, our experiments define a trend similar to the trends from other suites of oceanic gabbros from various locations.Our experimental results shed new light on the formation of highly evolved lavas from fast- and intermediate spreading mid-ocean ridges implying a relatively simple two-step differentiation model. First, primitive MORBs differentiate along the 1 atm cotectic trend to typical ferrobasaltic compositions by fractionation of olivine, plagioclase, clinopyroxene. This trend continues as long as Fe-Ti oxides are not saturated, which is strongly dependent on the prevailing oxygen fugacity. When such ferrobasaltic magmas are cut off from replenishment by fresh MORB, the possibility for further differentiation to highly evolved melts is given by fractionation of oxides, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, apatite and finally amphibole and apatite. Phase relations obtained in our experiments help to understand the formation of oxide gabbros from the ultra-slow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (IODP drill core Hole 735B). The experimental evaluated crystallization order with temperature is in accord with the record of crystallization of the Hole 735B oxide gabbros.