Komatiitic Magma Research Articles

The multiple sulfur isotope architecture of the Kambalda nickel camp, Western Australia

New data on the multiple sulfur isotope signature of Archean sulfides from country rocks and magmatic mineralization at the Moran deposit (Kambalda, Western Australia) were combined with previously published geochemical data to constrain the various stages of the dynamic evolution of this magmatic system, unveiling new insights into the transport mechanisms of sulfide liquids in komatiite magmas. Sulfides in the Archean magmatic and sedimentary host rocks of the komatiites display a unique mass-independent sulfur isotope signature (Δ33S), which records a photochemical reaction of sulfur in an oxygen-poor atmosphere prior to the Great Oxidation Event.Sedimentary rocks that are thought to be assimilated by komatiite show a distinctly positive Δ33S signature (+ 0.9 to + 2.4‰). Early ore sulfides situated above these sedimentary rocks contain relatively few valuable metals and display an overlapping Δ33S range (+ 0.6 to + 1.0‰). Subsequent but still early ore sulfides are situated above basalt, as the sedimentary rocks were thermo-mechanically eroded by the sulfide melt, displaying more mantle-like signatures (+ 0.2 to + 0.3‰) and valuable metal content - indistinguishable from the main ore deposit. This reflects a progressive dilution of the contaminant signature by the magmatic isotope signature of the komatiite liquid. Calculated volumes of the interaction of silicate melt and sulfide melt to explain the metal tenor of the ore and its Δ33S signature indicate a decoupling between chemical and isotopic signatures. This can be explained by upgrading the sulfide melt with valuable metals simultaneously with the dissolution of sulfur in the komatiite melt.

Geochemistry of 2.45 Ga mafic dykes in northern Finland: Constraints on the petrogenesis and PGE prospectivity of coeval layered intrusions

The Karelian craton contains abundant ~2.45 Ga mafic dykes that are compositionally, temporally and, in some cases, spatially related to PGE-mineralised mafic-ultramafic layered intrusions. The dykes can be sub-divided into four groups, namely siliceous high-magnesian basalts (SHMB), gabbronorites (GBNO), low-Ti tholeiites and Fe-rich tholeiites. In this study, we group the SHMB and GBNO dykes to one group as SHMB group, and the two tholeiitic group dykes as tholeiite group, based on their similar geochemical and mineralogical features. In the SHMB group dykes, plagioclase has initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7028 to 0.7036 and initial bulk-rock εNd values vary from −2.5 to −1.0, indicating moderate degrees of contamination with Archaean basement. Tholeiitic dykes show a less-radiogenic Sr isotope composition with an average initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.7024 and higher initial εNd values ranging from +0.3 to +1.7. Thermodynamic and geochemical modelling suggests that the SHMB group dykes could have formed by crustal contamination of a komatiitic magma at deeper crust followed by fractional crystallisation at shallower depth, whereas the tholeiitic group mainly experienced fractional crystallisation with less crustal contamination. Alternatively, the SHMB dyke s may have been derived from a SCLM mantle whereas tholeiitic dykes from a plume mantle, or the two types of dykes derived from different part of a mantle plume with different melting degrees, though these latter two models are not favoured in this study. Based on trace element and isotope characteristics, the SHMB dykes are suitable candidates for the parental magmas to some of the Finnish PGE-mineralised intrusions (e.g., Penikat and Portimo), whereas the tholeiitic dykes may represent the parental magma of the Tsipringa layered intrusion in Russia. Both the SHMB and tholeiitic dyke types are fertile with regard to PGE, with up to 10–20 ppb Pt and Pd and mantle-like Cu/Pd ratios in their least evolved members, suggesting that the magmas remained sulphide undersaturated during mantle melting and en route to the upper crust. This interpretation is consistent with the fact that most of the ~2.45 Ga Fennoscandian layered intrusions contain PGE mineralisation. Sulphide melt saturation in the dykes and layered intrusions was mostly attained after their final emplacement, likely due to crystal fractionation.

Updated COMAGMAT-5: Modeling the Effects of Sulfide Precipitation in Parallel to Crystallization Of Alumino-Chromian Spinel

An updated version of the COMAGMAT-5.3 program is presented, which enables simulations of the silicate-sulfide immiscibility in parallel to crystallization of Al-Cr spinel and other rock-forming minerals. Main changes include a completed recalibration of the previous Fe-Ni sulfide solubility model (Ariskin et al., 2013) and incorporation of equations describing spinel-melt equilibria in a wide range of magmatic systems (Nikolaev et al., 2018а, 2018b). This allowed us to specify more accurately the link between compositions of immiscible sulfides and magma crystallization temperatures, as well as to correct partitioning of alumina between the model spinel and crystallizing melt. The updated COMAGMAT-5.3 can be used for calculations of the crystallization of basaltic to komatiitic magmas, as well as the history of solidification of mafic to ultramafic cumulates, including relative proportions of Al-Cr spinel and immiscible sulfides. Application example includes solidification of sulfide-bearing primitive olivine cumulate from the endocontact of the Yoko-Dovyren intrusion in Northern Transbaikalia (Russia). It is established that maximum crystallization proportions of Al-Cr spinel as much as 3.5 wt % are observed at Ol-Spl cotectic, following an abrupt decrease to slightly negative values during crystallization of plagioclase-bearing assemblages. This results in the inflection point on the trend of evolution of the spinel compositions, which changes from descending the Cr/Al ratio in the field of olivine to its increase when plagioclase starts to crystallize. As compared to previous version COMAGMAT-5.2, the updated model predicts somewhat higher proportions of precipitated sulfides.

Mineral–Geochemical and Geotectonic Features of the Lotmvara-II Ultrabasic Sill, Serpentinite Belt (Kola Peninsula)

Abstract —In this paper, we present a description of the characteristics of the Lotmvara-II sill, which is a representative of the Serpentinite Belt (SB) composed of a series of shallowly emplaced ultrabasic intrusive bodies. The Paleoproterozoic SB complexes were derived from a large-scale mantle plume of komatiitic melt. The sill consists predominantly of fine-grained (locally nearly micrograined) harzburgites with subordinate zones of dunites and orthopyroxenites, located in the central and marginal parts, respectively. It formed from an Al-undepleted komatiitic magma of extremely high Mg content and may represent a near-surface laccolithic “ridge.” In general, the sill is comparatively homogeneous and does not have distinct zoning in the distribution of Mg# values in rock compositions (Mg# = 84.2–88.9, average 86.7). Detailed studies show that olivine, chromian spinel, and ilmenite are the most strongly magnesian in the central part of the body. The maximum values of Mg# equal to 90.7–91.4 in the compositions of olivine at the center of the sill are interpreted as “centers of initial crystallization”. The low values of Mg# equal to 73.4–76.4 are attributed to manifestations of the recurrent generation of olivine. The values of Mg# of orthopyroxene in the sill are within the range 84.6 to 92.3. Orthopyroxene grains in a porphyritic texture are surrounded by a rim of calcic amphibole (autometasomatic in origin); they do not differ compositionally from normal grains. The Zn content of the chromian spinel generally decreases toward the marginal parts of the sill. There is an insignificant degree of magmatic differentiation in the sill with respect to the principal components, but incompatible elements (REE and HFSE) locally show increased levels of their relative enrichment, which is reflected in the nature of the mineral associations described. Thus, the sill has a cryptic zonal structure, which is consistent with its overall crystallization from the center to the edges. The data gathered suggest the presence and significant development of volatile components, halogens, CO2, and especially magmatic H2O, which are capable of strongly lowering the liquidus and reducing the density and viscosity of the high-magnesium melt, thereby improving its mobility during ascent from the mantle to the near-surface level of the crust. An increase in fO2 is observed during in situ subvolcanic crystallization of the sill, as noted earlier in the related complexes of the belt. The relatively small volume of the komatiitic magma in the sill crystallized fairly quickly, resulting in unusual mineral intergrowths. Thus, the Lotmvara-II sill is a novel member in the Serpentinite Belt–Tulppio Belt (SB–TB) in the Paleoproterozoic SB–TB megastructure of the Fennoscandian Shield.

Komatiitic Subvolcanic Rocks in the Mount Khanlauta Massif, Serpentinite Belt (Kola Peninsula)

Abstract —For the first time, exposures of ultramafic rocks of subvolcanic origin have been investigated at the foot of Mount Khanlauta (Kola Peninsula) located at a distance of ~2 km from the southwestern margin of the Pados-Tundra layered complex of dunite–harzburgite–orthopyroxenite composition, which hosts zones of chromitite and unconventional PGE mineralization. The ultramafic body is composed of micro- to fine-grained harzburgite and subordinate orthopyroxenite and has a cryptically zoned structure. The body is of E–W strike and has a small size with an apparent thickness of ~0.1 km; the exposed outcrops exhibit a blocky surface as a result of extensive cracking caused by degassing and rapid cooling of a parental komatiitic melt. Elements of columnar parting are recognized, which have a hexagonal shape in cross section and are consistent with the inferred subvolcanic origin. Two zones are identified. Zone I is formed by a more magnesian olivine with Mg# = 86.0–87.9 (0.15–0.21 wt.% MnO). In Zone II, olivine grains are notably less magnesian (Mg# = 81.8–84.1) and invariably have higher contents of manganese (0.19–0.30 wt.% MnO). The presence of this zoning is corroborated by the lateral distribution of accessory chromian spinel grains with maximum Mg# values (>20) in Zone I. The Khanlauta rocks also contain subordinate orthopyroxene (Mg# = 86.3–87.2), amphiboles of the tremolite–actinolite series, and anthophyllite of deuteric (autometasomatic) origin along with accessory minerals: ilmenite, hematite (~15 mol.% escolaite, Cr2O3, in solid solution), and mono- and diphase grains of sulfides in the form of intergrowths of Co-bearing pentlandite (Ni/Fe = 0.9–1.3; 1.00–16.74 wt.% Co; up to 1.7–6.8 wt.% Cu) and heazlewoodite (locally in intergrowth with hematite). The inferred front of crystallization moved in the western direction, causing the formation of Zone II from a more fractionated melt with a notably lower Mg# value. A sharp increase in oxygen fugacity locally caused the formation of anomalous parageneses of chromite and ilmenite, in which the observed Mg# values of ilmenite are considerably greater than those of the coexisting chromite. The geochemical whole-rock characteristics based on major, minor, and trace elements (including LILE, REE, and HFSE), as well as the compositions and trends of chromian spinels, are similar to those in differentiated (zoned) sills of the Chapesvara complex, which are closely associated with the Pados-Tundra layered complex. The obtained data indicate comagmatic relationships among the Khanlauta massif, zoned sills of the Chapesvara complex, and the Pados-Tundra layered complex. All of them crystallized from a primitive highly magnesian Fe- and Cr-enriched komatiitic magma (Al-undepleted). Thus, they belong to a single subvolcano–plutonic association being part of the Serpentinite belt–Tulppio belt (SB–TB) megastructure of presumably Paleoproterozoic age.

The Lyavaraka Ultrabasic Complex, Serpentinite Belt, Kola Peninsula, Russia

The Paleoproterozoic Lyavaraka ultrabasic complex is one of several dunite–harzburgite–orthopyroxenite bodies exposed as shallow plutonic complexes in the Serpentinite Belt, Kola Peninsula, Russia. Lyavaraka and the other complexes are anorogenic, formed in a stable within-plate environment in the interval 2.5–2.4 Ga as members of a large igneous province formed in the Sumian cycle of igneous activity. This geotectonic setting accounts for the shallow emplacement of the strongly magnesian komatiitic magma in the Fennoscandian Shield. We recognize three stages of crystallization of the Al-undepleted magma, present as dislocated blocks. Zone I is the ultrabasic core-like zone in which olivine predominates. Orthopyroxene is the major mineral in Zone II, and Zone III contains the most evolved ultrabasic rocks in which recurrent olivine coexists with Cpx + Pl. Primocrysts of hypermagnesian Opx (Mg# 91–93) nucleated in central areas of Zone II as olivine (Mg# 89.1–90.3) was forming in Zone I. In Zone III, olivine grains of a second generation (Mg# 74.5–75.8) formed after the primocrystic Cpx (Mg# up to 88.0) appeared. The recurrence of olivine is attributed to the progressive buildup in fO2 as a result of degassing and conversion of Fe2+ to Fe3+, well documented in our earlier studies of oxide parageneses.

Mesoarchean trondhjemitic continental nucleus and pre-plate tectonic crustal-mantle interactions of the Western Shandong Complex, North China Craton

Plate tectonics play an important role in crustal-mantle interactions since late Archean, yet detailed processes of pre-plate tectonic crustal-mantle interactions remain enigmatic. In the Western Shandong Complex of the North China Craton, magmatic rocks recorded successive tectonic transition processes from vertical (plume) to lateral (subduction) during the early Neoarchean. These magmatic records, together with our newly discovered a pre-Neoarchean continental nucleus in the Western Shandong Complex, documented key information on pre-plate tectonic crustal-mantle interactions. In this study, petrology, whole-rock geochemical and Sm–Nd isotopic data, and zircon U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopes are reported for Neoarchean supracrustal and intrusive rocks for the Western Shandong Complex. Early Neoarchean komatiitic basalts and ultramafic rocks (∼2.77 Ga) were plume-related and generated by crustal contamination of fractional crystallized komatiitic magma. A series of Mesoarchean (∼3.0–2.8 Ga) xenocrystic zircon grains were discovered in the Late Neoarchean charnockites (∼2.56–2.52 Ga), indicating contributions of continental crustal material earlier than regional oldest magmatic records. Based on our new geochronological and geochemical data, a trondhjemitic Mesoarchean (∼3.1–2.8 Ga) continental nucleus was identified and reported for the first time in the Western Shandong Complex. During the early stage of the early Neoarchean, this continental nucleus dismembered during the bottom-up plume processes and the correlated plume-continental nucleus interactions occurred and ubiquitously documented in regional Neoarchean magmatic rocks with different degrees. The plume-continental nucleus interactions consequently resulted in the opening of an oceanic basin and different continental evolutionary processes during the subsequent lateral subduction in the early Neoarchean. The buoyant oceanic plateau was possibly dragged to the trench and blocked subsequent subduction and led to a ∼40 Myr magmatic hiatus between 2.60 Ga and 2.56 Ga.

Olivine in komatiite records origin and travel from the deep upper mantle

Abstract The deep upper mantle is the main source of high-temperature magmatism, but the only known naturally occurring samples of high-pressure mantle constituents are mineral inclusions in diamonds. Trace elements in olivine crystals from the 3.33 Ga Commondale Greenstone Belt in South Africa reveal that these crystals formed in the deep upper mantle as high-pressure phenocrysts, and some perhaps even formed in the mantle transition zone (410–600 km) where they began as wadsleyite. The crystals were entrained within ascending komatiite magma and conveyed to the surface. The olivine crystals have the highest contents of Al2O3 (0.3 wt%) recorded in any terrestrial olivine, which is indicative of formation at high pressure. The deep mantle gave rise to Archean komatiites, extraordinarily hot magmas (up to 1700 °C), which provide insight into Earth's early mantle evolution and the formation of most ancient continental and oceanic crust. In spite of extensive research since their discovery over 50 years ago, the origins of komatiites have remained contentious. Plumes—thermochemical instabilities originating at the core-mantle boundary—are the most likely source, but no direct evidence of a deep mantle origin of komatiite has yet been recognized.

The chromian spinels of the Lyavaraka ultrabasic complex, Serpentinite Belt, Kola Peninsula, Russia: Patterns of zoning, hypermagnesian compositions, and early oxidation

ABSTRACTThe maximum value of Mg# [= 100Mg/(Mg + Fe2+ + Mn)] in chromium-bearing spinel-group minerals (Chr) in the Ultrabasic Core Zone (UCZ) of the Lyavaraka orthopyroxenite – harzburgite – dunite complex of the Serpentinite Belt in the Kola Peninsula is 54.5–67.5. Such highly magnesian compositions of spinel are associated with notable enrichments of ferric iron (Fe3+# 58–63). There are two generations of accessory Chr in the UCZ unit. The first generation occurs as inclusions in olivine that is not unusually magnesian (Mg# 90.3), and the second is closely associated with serpentine. The compositional series of Chr at Lyavaraka attains more aluminous compositions than was observed in nearby intrusive bodies. The anomalously high level of Mg in Chr, also manifest in ilmenite, is mainly a result of the high intrinsic fugacity of oxygen attained locally in the melt. A progressive buildup in H2O and increase in fO2 likely resulted from efficient vesiculation and selective loss of H2 from the Al-undepleted komatiitic magma crystallizing in a shallow setting. The chromian spinel forming in such a modified magma is virtually unzoned in Mn, and a minor quantity of Mn is also present in olivine and orthopyroxene. In contrast, zinc is strongly partitioned in the core of Chr, as it is relatively incompatible in the coexisting olivine and orthopyroxene at that stage. Zinc efficiently partitioned into the H2O-enriched melt, which crystallized as the pegmatitic orthopyroxenite near the contacts at Lyavaraka. A high potential of oxidation appears to be characteristic of all orthopyroxenite – harzburgite – dunite suites of the Serpentinite Belt formed from a primitive melt of komatiitic composition.

Thermodynamic limits for assimilation of silicate crust in primitive magmas

Abstract Some geochemical models for basaltic and more primitive rocks suggest that their parental magmas have assimilated tens of weight percent of crustal silicate wall rock. But what are the thermodynamic limits for assimilation in primitive magmas? We pursue this question quantitatively using a freely available thermodynamic tool for phase equilibria modeling of open magmatic systems—the Magma Chamber Simulator (https://mcs.geol.ucsb.edu)—and focus on modeling assimilation of wall-rock partial melts, which is thermodynamically more efficient compared to bulk assimilation of stoped wall-rock blocks in primitive igneous systems. In the simulations, diverse komatiitic, picritic, and basaltic parental magmas assimilate progressive partial melts of preheated average lower, middle, and upper crust in amounts allowed by thermodynamics. Our results indicate that it is difficult for any subalkaline primitive magma to assimilate more than 20−30 wt% of upper or middle crust before evolving to compositions with higher SiO2 than a basaltic magma (52 wt%). On the other hand, typical komatiitic magmas have thermodynamic potential to assimilate as much as their own mass (59−102 wt%) of lower crust and retain a basaltic composition. The compositions of the parental melt and the assimilant heavily influence both how much assimilation is energetically possible in primitive magmas and the final magma composition given typical temperatures. These findings have important implications for the role of assimilation in the generation and evolution of, e.g., ultramafic to mafic trans-Moho magmatic systems, siliceous high-Mg basalts, and massif-type anorthosites.

Origin of Ni-Cu-(PGE + Au) sulfides in late-Archean komatiitic suite of rocks in the Shankaraghatta belt, Western Dharwar Craton (India)

The Shankaraghatta ultramafic–mafic suite of rocks (12 × 0.3 km) within the late ArcheanShimoga greenstone belt (Western Dharwar Craton, southern India) is constituted of sulfide-bearing serpentinized dunite flanked by metabasaltic schist rocks, which are probable analogues of the adcumulate-mesocumulate sheet flows in a komatiitic sequence, flanked by komatiitic basalts. Owing to limited field exposures in this study, the bulk concentrations of Ni, Cr, Ti, Fe, and Mg were used to classify the rocks into different volcanogenic facies observed in a komatiitic flow. The mineralized mesocumulate (serpentinized dunites) flanking its S-poor adcumulate counterpart host 5–8 modal % disseminated sulfide globules formed by an assemblage of pentlandite-millerite-pyrite-chalcopyrite. Millerite is the dominant sulfide mineral, whereas coarse euhedral pyrite grains are abundant in the serpentinites. The sulfide-bearing serpentinites have higher platinum-group element (PGE) abundances than those lacking visible sulfides (∑PGEsulfide-bearing samples = 440–1848 ppb; ∑PGEsulfide-lacking samples = 4.8–69 ppb) and show a strong PPGE (Pd, Pt, Rh) enriched trend with distinct negative Pt-anomalies in the primitive-mantle normalized PGE diagram. The mineralized serpentinites have higher Ni and Cu concentrations (0.5–2.2 wt% and 29–201 ppm, respectively) compared to their unmineralized counterparts (0.1–0.6 wt% and 22–72 ppm, respectively). Major element data indicate a komatiitic composition for the serpentinites, whereas the schists are komatiitic basalts. Chondrite-normalized REE plots for the serpentinites and schists show LREE-enriched patterns (La/SmNserp = 1.8–3.5; La/SmNschist = 2.5), with almost flat to slightly depleted HREEs (Gd/YbNserp = 1.1–1.7; Gd/YbNschist = 1.8). The rocks show prominent negative anomalies of Zr and Hf, which along with the subchondritic Al2O3/TiO2 ratios for serpentinites (~9.9), indicate derivation of the komatiitic magma from a plume that originated from a deep mantle source (>400 km) with the mantle residue retaining a majorite garnet phase. The komatiites and komatiitic basalts from which the serpentinites and schists were derived have a common mantle source. They are connected by fractional crystallization as understood from collinear and coherent patterns in bivariate plots between major oxides such as MgO, and alteration resistant immobile trace elements such as Nb, that are plotted with other major and trace elements, as well as from the coherent patterns observed in the chondrite-normalized REE and multi-element spider diagrams. The serpentinites and schists show signatures of crustal contamination as defined by negative anomalies of Nb, Ta, and Ti,high La/Sm ratios, along with higher concentrations of trace elements like La and Th, and lower Nb/Th ratios(Nb/Thavgserp = 6.6; Nb/Thavgschist = 3.7). AFC (Assimilation Fractional Crystallization) models indicate that the schists underwent a greater extent of crustal contamination (50% AFC) relative to the serpentinites (12% AFC). Sulfide saturation was achieved late, after emplacement of the komatiitic magma and crystallization of the olivine adcumulates, when the melt was slightly more differentiated to form the mesocumulates. The sulfides are later overprinted by low-temperature alteration processes, as evident from the significant enrichments in serpentinites for Au (AuNavg: 2.1), As (AsNavg: 20), Bi (BiNavg: 8.2), and Te (TeNavg: 1.5), which occurred perhaps during the replacement ofpentlandites by millerites.

Detrital chromites reveal Slave craton's missing komatiite

Abstract Komatiitic magmatism is a characteristic feature of Archean cratons, diagnostic of the addition of juvenile crust, and a clue to the thermal evolution of early Earth lithosphere. The Slave craton in northwest Canada contains >20 greenstone belts but no identified komatiite. The reason for this dearth of komatiite, when compared to other Archean cratons, remains enigmatic. The Central Slave Cover Group (ca. 2.85 Ga) includes fuchsitic quartzite with relict detrital chromite grains in heavy-mineral laminations. Major and platinum group element systematics indicate that the chromites were derived from Al-undepleted komatiitic dunites. The chromites have low 187Os/188Os ratios relative to chondrite with a narrow range of rhenium depletion ages at 3.19 ± 0.12 Ga. While these ages overlap a documented crust formation event, they identify an unrecognized addition of juvenile crust that is not preserved in the bedrock exposures or the zircon isotopic data. The documentation of komatiitic magmatism via detrital chromites indicates a region of thin lithospheric mantle at ca. 3.2 Ga, either within or at the edge of the protocratonic nucleus. This study demonstrates the applicability of detrital chromites in provenance studies, augmenting the record supplied by detrital zircons.

Geochemical characteristics of the early Neoarchean komatiite from the North China Craton: Evidence for plume–craton interaction

Komatiite is characterized by extremely high MgO contents and H2O-poor nature and plays an important role in understanding the early mantle-derived magma processes, crust–mantle differentiation of the Archean earth, but it is sparse in the North China Craton. Although komatiitic rocks have ever been discovered in the Mengyin area, their formation ages and types are still in debate. Here, we firstly report a new komatiite outcrop near Nanbaita village (Jinan city) of the western Shandong Province and present new major and trace element contents, as well as Sr–Nd and Re–Os isotopic compositions. The rocks show spinifex texture with primary olivine and pyroxene skeletal needles have been transformed into secondary minerals (e.g., serpentine, tremolite). The komatiites display extremely high MgO, but low TiO2 and Na2O + K2O. Their chondritic Al2O3/TiO2 and GdN/YbN ratios suggest they are Aluminium-undepleted komatiites which are generated by larger degrees of melting (~50%) in relatively lower pressure (ca. 5–7 GPa) with garnet absence than Aluminium-depleted komatiites. The formation age of these komatiites was no later than 2.69 Ga constrained by the Re depletion age. Flat heavy rare earth element patterns and low 187Re/188Os and Th/Yb ratios show the primary komatiitic magma was not contaminated by substantial crustal material. The γOs value of sample 18LH51 is 0.09, which is adjacent with chondrite and other contemporaneous komatiites in the world, indicating that the Nanbaita komatiites were originated from a chondritic mantle. Furthermore, the widely distribution of ~2.7 Ga ultramafic–mafic rocks in the western Shandong Province might be the reflection of a contemporaneous worldwide superplume event.

Ultramagnesian Olivine in the Monchepluton (Fo96) and Pados-Tundra (Fo93) Layered Intrusions (Kola Peninsula)

Abstract —The paper focuses on compositional variations of olivine and chromian spinel in the Monchepluton and Pados-Tundra layered intrusions, which host significant chromitite mineralization. Ore-bearing dunite (with up to 25–30 vol.% Mcr) in the Sopcheozerskoe chromite deposit from the Monchepluton complex, Kola Peninsula, Russia, bears an assemblage of phases with exceptionally high magnesium contents: Fo96 + augite (Mg# = 94) + magnesiochromite, Mcr (Mg# ≈ 65); Mg# = 100·Mg/(Mg + Fe2+ + Mn). However, olivine in the host dunite has normal maximum values of Mg# comparable to those in cumulus olivine from layered intrusions worldwide (Fo≤91–92). The Fo96 phase in the Sopcheozerskoe deposit shows the most primitive composition ever reported from any layered intrusion. Magnesiochromite occurs as unzoned homogeneous euhedral crystals unaffected by subsolidus exchange or metasomatic effects. Olivine in ore-bearing dunite (20–25 vol.% magnesian chromite) from the Pados-Tundra complex attains Fo93, with the Mg# value notably higher than the range (Fo85.5–90.6) in olivine from orthopyroxenite, harzburgite, and dunite within the intrusion. Olivine and chromian spinel in the two complexes behave coherently, with covarying patterns of Mg# and Ni contents in olivine at R = 0.75 (n = 160) and positive correlation between Mg# in coexisting chromian spinel and olivine grains at R = 0.8 (n = 150). This behavior indicates that the two phases attained equilibrium during crystallization. It appears unlikely that the extremely high Mg enrichment in olivine (Fo96), as well as in all associated phases of the Monchepluton complex, would result from a subsolidus reaction between olivine and chromian spinel or low-temperature alteration of olivine. We suggest a more realistic explanation that the olivine (+ high-Mg augite)–chromian spinel assemblage crystallized from komatiitic magma under the conditions of progressively increasing oxygen fugacity (fO2). The high Mg# in the Mcr-chromite-enriched system, above the maximum values common in cumulus olivine from layered intrusions (up to Fo96 against Fo≤91–92), may be caused by shortage of ferrous iron.

The Rustenburg Layered Suite formed as a stack of mush with transient magma chambers

The Rustenburg Layered Suite of the Bushveld Complex of South Africa is a vast layered accumulation of mafic and ultramafic rocks. It has long been regarded as a textbook result of fractional crystallization from a melt-dominated magma chamber. Here, we show that most units of the Rustenburg Layered Suite can be derived with thermodynamic models of crustal assimilation by komatiitic magma to form magmatic mushes without requiring the existence of a magma chamber. Ultramafic and mafic cumulate layers below the Upper and Upper Main Zone represent multiple crystal slurries produced by assimilation-batch crystallization in the upper and middle crust, whereas the chilled marginal rocks represent complementary supernatant liquids. Only the uppermost third formed via lower-crustal assimilation–fractional crystallization and evolved by fractional crystallization within a melt-rich pocket. Layered intrusions need not form in open magma chambers. Mineral deposits hitherto attributed to magma chamber processes might form in smaller intrusions of any geometric form, from mushy systems entirely lacking melt-dominated magma chambers.

Zones of PGE–Chromite Mineralization in Relation to Crystallization of the Pados-Tundra Ultramafic Complex, Serpentinite Belt, Kola Peninsula, Russia

The lopolithic Pados-Tundra layered complex, the largest member of the Serpentinite belt–Tulppio belt (SB–TB) megastructure in the Fennoscandian Shield, is characterized by (1) highly magnesian compositions of comagmatic dunite–harzburgite–orthopyroxenite, with primitive levels of high-field-strength elements; (2) maximum values of Mg# in olivine (Ol, 93.3) and chromian spinel (Chr, 57.0) in the Dunite block (DB), which exceed those in Ol (91.7) and Chr (42.5) in the sills at Chapesvara, and (3) the presence of major contact-style chromite–IPGE-enriched zones hosted by the DB. A single batch of primitive, Al-undepleted komatiitic magma crystallized normally as dunite close to the outer contact, then toward the center. A similar magma gave rise to Chapesvara and other suites of the SB–TB megastructure. Crystallization proceeded from the early Ol + Chr cumulates to the later Ol–Opx and Opx cumulates with accessory Chr in the Orthopyroxenite zone. The accumulation of Chr resulted from efficient cooling along boundaries of the Dunite block. The inferred front of crystallization advanced along a path traced by vectors of Ol and Chr compositions. Grains and aggregates of Chr were mainly deposited early after the massive crystallization of olivine. Chromium, Al, Zn and H2O, all incompatible in Ol, accumulated to produce podiform segregations or veins of chromitites. This occurred episodically along the moving front of crystallization. Crystallization occurred rapidly owing to heat loss at the contact and to a shallow level of emplacement. The Chr layers are not continuous but rather heterogeneously distributed pods or veins of Chr–Ol–clinochlore segregations. Isolated portions of melt enriched in H2O and ore constituents accumulated during crystallization of Ol. Levels of fO2 in the melt and, consequently, the content of ferric iron in Chr, increased progressively, as in other intrusions of the SB–TB megastructure. The komatiitic magma vesiculated intensely, which led to a progressive loss of H2 and buildup in fO2. In turn, this led to the appearance of anomalous Chr–Ilm parageneses. Diffuse rims of Chr grains, abundant in the DB, contain elevated levels of Fe3+ and enrichments in Ni and Mn. In contrast, Zn is preferentially partitioned into the core, leading to a decoupling of Zn from Mn, also known at Chapesvara. The sulfide species display a pronounced Ni-(Co) enrichment in assemblages of cobaltiferous pentlandite, millerite (and heazlewoodite at Khanlauta), deposited at ≤630 °C. The oxidizing conditions have promoted the formation of sulfoselenide phases of Ru in the chromitites. The attainment of high degrees of oxidation during crystallization of a primitive parental komatiitic magma accounts for the key characteristics of Pados-Tundra and related suites of the SB–TB megastructure.

Time Between 3 and 2 Ga: Transitional Events in the Earth’s History

Abstract —The time span between 3 and 2 Ga in the geologic history encompassed a number of key events on the cooling Earth. The cooling interrupted heat transfer within and across the mantle, which caused changes in Earth’s major spheres and in the mechanisms of their interaction. The great thermal divergence at 2.5 Ga and differentiation into the depleted upper asthenospheric and primitive lower mantle affected the compositions of oceanic basalts. The lower mantle cooling recorded by a systematic decrease in the temperature of komatiite magma generation at the respective depths began at 2.5 Ga and was accompanied by increasing abundance of arc basalts and by changes in the behavior of the Sr, Nd, and O isotope systems. It was the time when the continental lithosphere consisting of subcontinental lithospheric mantle and crust began its rapid growth, while the crust became enriched in felsic material with high contents of lithophile elements. Magmatism of the 3–2 Ga time span acquired more diverse major-element chemistry, with calc-alkaline and alkaline lithologies like carbonatite and kimberlite. The dramatic changes were driven by subduction processes, whereby the crust became recycled in the mantle and the double layer (D”) formed at the core–mantle boundary. The events of the 3–2 Ga interval created prerequisites for redox changes on the surface and release of free oxygen into the atmosphere. In terms of global geodynamics, it was transition from stagnantlid tectonics to plate tectonic regime, which approached the present-day style about 2.0–1.8 Ga.

Compositional variations, thermometry, and probable parental magmas of Archean chromite from the Sargur greenstone belt, Western Dharwar Craton (India)

The chromite and magnesite deposits from Talur, Sindhuvalli, and Doddakanya in the layered ultramafic-mafic plutonic sequence are a part of the Archean Sargur greenstone belt within the Western Dharwar Craton of the Indian shield. The ultramafic bodies in these three areas are highly sheared and comprise of serpentinized dunite with chromitite bodies along with harzburgite and pyroxenite. Detailed electron microprobe studies reveal intense compositional variability of the chromite grains in silicate-rich chromitite (~ 50 vol% of chromite) and serpentinite (~ 2 vol% of chromite) throughout the entire ultramafic sequence. In Talur, the chromites in massive chromitites (~ 60–70 vol% of chromite) are characterized by relatively lower Mg# (0.28–0.39) compared to chromites from massive chromitites in Sindhuvalli (Mg# = 0.63–0.69). The accessory chromite in dunite from Talur shows higher Cr#, Fe2O3, TiO2, and MnO content than other localities. The range of Fo content of cumulus olivine in dunites from Talur (Fo91-92) is relatively lower than the dunite from Doddakanya (Fo92-93) and net-textured chromitite from Sindhuvalli (Fo95-96). The range of Mg# in the intercumulus clinopyroxene in Talur net-textured chromitite varies between 94 and 99, whereas, in the Sindhuvalli net-textured chromitite, the intercumulus clinopyroxene shows a lower range of Mg# (= 96–97). Chromites in massive and silicate-rich chromitites, and from dunite contain several rounded to subhedral inclusions of silicate minerals of various sizes (~ 4–20 μm). Spherical inclusions of olivine (Fo94) are present in accessory chromites of dunite (Fo87). The Mg-rich clinopyroxene inclusions have Cr2O3 content from 1.5 to 2.3 wt%. The clinopyroxene inclusions in the Talur schlieren-banded chromitite are more magnesian (Mg# = 95–98) compared to the inclusions in chromites of the Sindhuvalli net-textured chromitite (Mg# = 96–97). The euhedral phlogopite inclusions in chromites from the Sindhuvalli net-textured chromitite are Mg-rich (~ 31.09 wt% MgO) with a significant amount of K2O (~ 9.28 wt%). The chlorite inclusion in chromites from the Talur schlieren-banded chromitite is also Mg-rich (~ 39.32 wt% MgO) with Al2O3 ~ 21.01 wt% and a significant amount of Cr2O3 (~ 3.51 wt%). Clinopyroxene (along with phlogopite) inclusions always occur as independent grain testifying their primary nature and might be genetically linked with the chromite crystallization from a primary high-Mg silicate magma. Chlorite and dolomite inclusions may be related to secondary hydrothermal alteration events. The average re-equilibration temperature of the olivine-chromite pairs in the Sindhuvalli net-textured chromitite and Doddaknaya dunite of around 545 °C represents the first stage of metamorphism under reducing conditions. Subsequently, the second hydrothermal episode involved fluids evolving to an average temperature of about 327 °C calculated from the accessory chromite and olivine pairs from Talur dunite, consistent with the abundance of magnesite veins throughout the Talur mines. The computed values of Al2O3, TiO2, and FeO/MgO ratio of the melt show that the parental melt associated with the chromitites in the Sargur greenstone belt has a close resemblance with the parental melt of the chromitites in the Nuggihalli schist belt, which is low-Al komatiitic. In the tectonic discrimination diagrams, most of the primary chromite compositions from Sargur plot within the field of chromites from komatiites from the Archean greenstone belts. Parental komatiitic magma fractionated in the subvolcanic conduits within the thin lithospheric crust and formed the sill-like layered ultramafic-mafic bodies with chromite deposits. These conduits fed the overlying extrusive system that developed the ultramafic-mafic volcanic sequence of the Sargur greenstone belt in the Western Dharwar Craton.

Komatiites From Mantle Transition Zone Plumes

During the Archean, periods of volcanism on both individual cratons and globally occurred sporadically between long periods of volcanic inactivity. The episodic volcanism commonly included both plume- and arc-type magmatism, raising the issue of a possible link between “bottom up” and “top down” geodynamic processes. Rather than being cases of plume-initiated subduction, the best-preserved cratons demonstrate that komatiitic magmatism postdated at least some of the subduction-linked volcanism. Several factors suggest that komatiite-generating plumes may have been sourced in the mantle transition zone. Komatiites contain 0.6 wt. % or more H2O, which is contrary to earlier predictions for plume ascent through through the transition zone. Geodynamic reconstructions indicate that multiple subducted slabs penetrated the transition zone in the region of future plume ascent and the related trench configurations limit the size of any associated plume heads. The implied size of the plume heads is inconsistent with that required for a plume to ascend from the core-mantle boundary but matches that predicted for plumes sourced from the lower transition zone. Transition zone plumes have mainly been advocated for two types of geodynamic scenarios. They are common in post-Archean “big wedge” scenarios involving the consequences of subducted slabs that stall at the base of the transition zone and they are also an outcome of the “basalt barrier” featured in some geodynamic models for the Archean and early Proterozoic. The latter models suggest that the basaltic components of Archean subducted slabs were too buoyant to descend into the lower mantle and formed a boundary layer that isolated the upper mantle and lower mantle on the early Earth, except in times of mantle overturns. The basalt barrier was a significant thermal boundary layer that, in principle, could act as the nucleation site of upwelling plumes anywhere on the globe. The evidence discussed here, however, suggests that the mainly peridotitic mantle upwellings were enhanced by the nearby injection of closely associated slabs into the transition zone.

Ultra-depleted 2.05 Ga komatiites of Finnish Lapland: Products of grainy late accretion or core-mantle interaction?

Rhenium-Os, PtOs, SmNd, LuHf, and HfW isotope data, together with lithophile trace element and highly siderophile element (HSE: Re, Os, Ir, Ru, Pt, and Pd) abundances, are reported for 2.05 Ga Jeesiörova and Kevitsa komatiites from the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt, Fennoscandia, Finland. Both komatiites are closely genetically related, with the Kevitsa dikes having served as feeding magma conduits to the Jeesiörova pillowed and massive lavas. The parental komatiite magma is estimated to have contained ~25 wt% MgO and was, thus, derived from a mantle source at least as hot as those of some of its late Archean counterparts. A suite of Jeesiörova and Kevitsa whole-rock komatiite samples and olivine and chromite separates define an internal ReOs isochron with an age of 2049 ± 13 Ma and an initial γ187Os = −0.2 ± 0.2 (2SE), indicating long-term chondritic Re/Os in the mantle source. By contrast, PtOs data for a set of Jeesiörova chromite separates define an average initial μ186Os = +29 ± 2 (2SE), indicating a long-term history of suprachondritic Pt/Os in the mantle source. The absolute HSE abundances in the mantle source of the Jeesiörova-Kevitsa komatiite system are estimated to have been 120 ± 5% of the present-day Bulk Silicate Earth (BSE). This is the first komatiite system for which excess HSE in the mantle source, relative to modern BSE, has been documented.The 147Sm143Nd and 176Lu176Hf data yield isochron ages and initial ratios of, respectively, 2046 ± 22 Ma with ε143Nd = +3.7 ± 0.3, and 2072 ± 20 Ma with ε176Hf = +8.7 ± 0.4 (2SE), indicating a long-term history of depletions of Nd relative to Sm, and Hf relative to Lu. The measured μ182W = +1.5 ± 3.3 is indistinguishable from the modern mantle value. Despite being strongly depleted in highly incompatible lithophile trace elements, the Th-Nb-La systematics of the komatiites indicate ~1% crustal contamination of the original komatiite magma, assuming the contaminant was similar in composition to the calculated Fennoscandian Tonalite Average (FTA). This level of contamination would have also significantly modified the Nd, Hf, and W isotope compositions of the original komatiitic magma, but not the Os isotope compositions or HSE abundances. The calculated original komatiite magma, corrected for the effects of crustal contamination, would have had initial ε143Nd ~ +4.9, ε176Hf ~ +10.2, and μ182W ~ −10.Our modeling indicates that the initial 186,187Os/188Os isotopic compositions and suprachondritic HSE abundances, coupled with the projected negative μ182W, are best explained by either (1) derivation from a mantle domain characterized by an excess of late accreted, differentiated planetesimal core metal, i.e., “grainy” late accretion, or (2) addition of chemically fractionated terrestrial core metal to the mantle source domain of the komatiites. The presence of these characteristics in the Jeesiörova-Kevitsa komatiite mantle source provides further evidence for the early creation and long-term survival of chemically diverse domains within the mantle.