Large Magmatic Province Research Articles

Timing of Carbonatite Ultramafic Complexes of the Eastern Sayan Alkaline Province, Siberia: U–Pb (ID–TIMS) Geochronology of Ca–Fe Garnets

In this study, we present the results of U–Pb (ID-TIMS) geochronological studies of calcic garnet from the alkaline ultramafic complexes of Eastern Sayan province (eastern Siberia). New U–Pb ID–TIMS garnet ages obtained from different rocks of Bolshaya Tagna (632 ± 2 Ma) and Srednaya Zima intrusions (624 ± 5 Ma), as well as previously published garnet ages of the Belaya Zima complex (646 ± 6 Ma), allow us to constrain the timing and duration of episodes of alkaline ultramafic magmatism in Eastern Sayan province (619–651 Ma). Variations in the chemical compositions of rocks from three massifs indicate that the parental melts were separated from different magmatic chambers generated during the same episode of mantle melting. This study further highlights garnet U–Pb dating as a potentially robust, high-resolution geochronometer to constrain the evolution of the main pulse of alkaline ultramafic magmatism in the large magmatic provinces.

Structure Formation of the Southeast Indian Ridge at the Early Stages of Development: Physical Modeling

The authors of the article studied the features of the structure formation of the earth’s crust in the early period of the formation of the Southeast Indian Ridge, associated with the separation of Australia from Antarctica and the advancement of the rift zone to the west within the ancient oceanic lithosphere towards the large magmatic province of Kerguelen, formed by the activity of the plume of the same name. The separation of Australia and Antarctica covered a long period of continental rifting (~160‒80 Ma), which then turned into ultra-slow spreading (~80‒45 Ma), then into slow spreading (~45‒40 Ma) and then into stationary spreading at average rates (after 40 Ma). The advance of the rift zone towards the ancient oceanic lithosphere gave way to the accretion of young oceanic crust on the emerging Southeast Indian spreading ridge. The early stages of development of the young spreading ridge are captured in the modern structural plan of the study region. The advance of the rift zone from the continent into the boundaries of the ancient oceanic lithosphere led to the formation of the Naturalist Plateau and the Bruce Bank near the Antarctic margin. The split of the ancient oceanic lithosphere and the formation of a young crust on the Southeast Indian Ridge led to the formation of conjugated Diamantina and Labuan suture zones, fixing the position of the initial rift split. The transition from ultraslow spreading at the initial stage of oceanic crust formation to stationary spreading with medium velocities is clearly recorded in the change in the irregularity of the accretionary relief. The Southeast Indian Spreading Range westward collided with a large igneous province during the formation of the Kerguelen Plateau and separated the Broken Range from the plateau. The authors carried out physical modeling of the conditions for the occurrence of rifting and spreading processes, as well as structure formation in the region of the Southeast Indian Ridge.

Mid-Cretaceous Hainan back-arc basin: record of the sustained extension of South China margin

The continued subduction of the Pacific oceanic lithosphere during the Jurassic-Cretaceous time formed a large magmatic province as “Basin and Range” at the South China Block. However, the timing and mechanisms of such a huge rifting and magmatism belt are still controversial. Here we present new petrological, sedimentological and geochemical analyses for the Cretaceous Lumuwan Formation and coeval intruded mafic dykes under the robust age constrain in Hainan Island. Our results show that the mid-Cretaceous Lumuwan Formation was a typical lacustrine stratigraphic sandwich that accumulated in an intracontinental back-arc extensional basin. The Hainan mafic dykes (∼108-93 Ma) were probably sourced from asthenospheric and lithospheric mantle which were metasomatized by subducted oceanic sediments in a back-arc extension of the continental lithosphere. The timing of the NW-SE-directed back-arc extension in the Hainan Basin has been constrained as 108-93 Ma and played a significant role in the formation of Basin and Range-type tectonics and landscape evolution in the South China.

Fragments of Paleoproterozoic Large Igneous Provinces in Northern Fennoscandia: Baddeleyite U–Pb Age Data for Mafic Dykes and Sills

New data on the age of dolerite dikes in the NE part of the Kola province of the Fennoscandinavian shield and the picrodolerite sills that cut the dikes are presented. The results of U–Pb ID-TIMS baddeleyite dating indicate that dolerites were formed between 2508 ± 6 and 2513 ± 16 Ma ago, simultaneously with the intrusions of the Monchegorsk group. A comparison of the composition of the dolerites studied with dykes of the same age found in other Archean cratons shows their significant similarity and suggests their formation at the same large magmatic province. The age of baddeleyite from the picrodolerites sills at 2403 ± 12 Ma ago indicates an event of basic magmatism that was not previously established in this part of the Fennoscandinavian shield. It is possible that, along with dolerite dykes with an age of 2405 Ma and komatiites of the Vetreny belt of the Karelian craton, sills of the Kola province are a component of a unified large magmatic event.

Geochronologic evidence of a large magmatic province in northern Patagonia encompassing the Permian-Triassic boundary

The Los Menucos Complex (northern Patagonia) consists of ∼6 km thick succession of acidic and intermediate volcanic and pyroclastic products, which has been traditionally assigned to the Middle/Late Triassic. New U/Pb (SHRIMP) zircon crystallization ages of 257 ± 2 Ma at the base, 252 ± 2 Ma at an intermediate level and 248 ± 2 Ma near the top of the sequence, indicate that this volcanic event took place in about 10 Ma around the Permian-Triassic boundary. This volcanism can now be considered as the effusive terms of the neighboring and coeval La Esperanza Plutono-Volcanic Complex. This indicates that the climax of activity of a large magmatic province in northern Patagonia was coetaneous with the end-Permian mass extinctions. Likely correlation of La Esperanza- Los Menucos magmatic province with similar volcanic and plutonic rocks across other areas of northern Patagonia suggest a much larger extension than previously envisaged for this event. Its age, large volume and explosive nature suggest that the previously ignored potential role that this volcanism might have played in climatic deterioration around the Permian-Triassic boundary should be investigated.

Magmatic structure and geochemistry of the Luanga Mafic–Ultramafic Complex: Further constraints for the PGE-mineralized magmatism in Carajás, Brazil

The Luanga Complex is part of the Serra Leste Magmatic Suite, a cluster of PGE-mineralized mafic–ultramafic intrusions located in the northeastern portion of the Carajás Mineral Province. The Luanga Complex is a medium-sized layered intrusion consisting of three main zones: i. the lower Ultramafic Zone comprising ultramafic adcumulates (peridotite), ii. the Transition Zone comprising interlayered ultramafic and mafic cumulates (harzburgite, orthopyroxenite and norite) and iii. the upper Mafic Zone comprising a monotonous sequence of mafic cumulates (norite) with minor orthopyroxenite layers. Several PGE-mineralized zones occur in the Transition Zone but the bulk of the PGE resources are hosted within a 10–50meter thick interval of disseminated sulfides at the contact of the Ultramafic and Transition Zones. The compositional range of cumulus olivine (Fo78.9–86.4) is comparable to those reported for layered intrusions originated from moderate primitive parental magmas. Mantle normalized alteration-resistant trace element patterns of noritic rocks are fractionated, as indicated by relative enrichment in LREE and Th, with negative Nb and Ta anomalies, suggesting assimilation of older continental crust. Ni contents in olivine in the Luanga Complex (up to 7500ppm) stand among the highest values reported in layered intrusions globally. The highest Ni contents in olivine in the Luanga Complex occur in distinctively PGE enriched (Pt+Pd>1ppm) intervals of the Transition Zone, in both sulfide-poor and sulfide bearing (1–3vol.%) rocks. The origin of the PGE- and Ni-rich parental magma of the Luanga Complex is discussed considering the upgrading of magmas through dissolution of previously formed Ni-rich sulfide melts. Our results suggest that high Ni contents in olivine and/or orthopyroxene provide an additional exploration tool for Ni–PGE deposits, particularly useful for target selection in large magmatic provinces.

Origin of the Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous peraluminous granitoids in the northeastern Hunan province (middle Yangtze region), South China: Geodynamic implications for the Paleo-Pacific subduction

The Late Mesozoic granitic belt in the northeastern Hunan province (situated in the south of the middle Yangtze region) represents the western front of the large magmatic province of SE China. In order to determine their ages and petrogenesis, we carried out zircon U–Pb dating, Hf isotope and whole-rock geochemical analyses for four granitic plutons, namely Taohuashan, Dayunshan-Mufushan, Wangxiang and Lianyunshan. Our SIMS zircon U–Pb ages, together with previously published data, reveal that the magmatic activities in this area can be roughly subdivided into three phases at 151–146Ma, 132–127Ma and ca. 117Ma, and the Dayunshan-Mufushan batholith therein is a composite pluton. These four plutons are mainly composed of weakly to strongly peraluminous biotite or two-mica monzogranites, with a minor amount of biotite granodiorites. Their geochemical features are similar to S-type as well as fractionated S-type granites, with enrichment in LREEs and negative Ba, Sr, Nb, P and Ti anomalies. All samples show negative zircon εHf(t) values ranging from −12.5 to −3.6, corresponding to crustal Hf model (TDMC) ages of 1.4–2.0Ga. It is inferred that these granitoids were derived from partial melting of metasedimentary rocks analogous to the Neoproterozoic Lengjiaxi Group, predominantly with psammitic component. Fractional crystallization probably played an important role in the magma evolution, while input of mantle-derived magma was insignificant. Combined with other geological evidence, our new data allow us to propose that the Cretaceous (132–127Ma and ca. 117Ma) magmatism might be response to episodic slab rollback of the Paleo-Pacific plate, while the early-stage (151–146Ma) magmatism that overlapped the epilogue of Jurassic magmatic flare-up and subsequent magmatic quiescence probably foreshadowed the transformation from foundering of a subducted flat-slab to slab rollback. Alternatively, slab foundering after a SE-directed intracontinental subduction in the central SCB cannot be ruled out for geodynamic interpretation of the Jurassic magmatism in SE China.

Zircon reconnaissance dating of Proterozoic gneisses along the Kunene River of northwestern Namibia

The northern margin of the Epupa Metamorphic Complex (EMC) along the Kunene River in NW Namibia is one of the geologically least known terranes in Africa because of its remoteness and difficult accessibility. We report field relationships and reconnaissance zircon ages for granitoid gneisses from a 120km foot-traverse along the Kunene River between the Ruacana Falls in the east and Marienfluss in the west. Most rocks are late Palaeoproterozoic in age and correlate well with similar rocks of the EMC farther south in Kaokoland (1757–1835Ma, one sample 1861Ma) and with granitoid rocks in the Kamanjab Inlier, some 400km SE of the Kunene River (1801–1836Ma). All these rocks constitute a large magmatic province on the southwestern margin of the Congo Craton, whose protoliths are possibly related to arc magmatism during the Africa-wide so-called Eburnian event (ca. 2000±200Ma). However, there are also Mesoproterozoic granitoids, 1520–1530Ma in age, whose tectonic significance remains uncertain but which seem to document a thermal event also seen in high-grade metamorphism and isotopic resetting in this part of SW Africa.

On the longevity of large upper crustal silicic magma reservoirs

Research Article| July 01, 2013 On the longevity of large upper crustal silicic magma reservoirs Sarah E. Gelman; Sarah E. Gelman 1Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Francisco J. Gutiérrez; Francisco J. Gutiérrez 1Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA2Advanced Mining and Technology Center, and Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Chile, Santiago, Chile Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Olivier Bachmann Olivier Bachmann 1Department of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington 98195, USA3Department of Earth Sciences, Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2013) 41 (7): 759–762. https://doi.org/10.1130/G34241.1 Article history received: 15 Nov 2012 rev-recd: 08 Feb 2013 accepted: 12 Feb 2013 first online: 09 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Sarah E. Gelman, Francisco J. Gutiérrez, Olivier Bachmann; On the longevity of large upper crustal silicic magma reservoirs. Geology 2013;; 41 (7): 759–762. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G34241.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Understanding the processes involved in the formation and maturation of upper crustal magma reservoirs, ultimately sourcing the largest volcanic eruptions on Earth, is one of the most fundamental aspects of volcanology. While such reservoirs are known to assemble incrementally over extended periods of time, debate persists regarding the time scales of melt preservation in the cold upper crust. If rapid cooling individually freezes incoming replenishing intrusions, accumulations of eruptible magma are impossible, precluding the construction of voluminous volcanic reservoirs for all but the highest magma emplacement rates. Recent numerical thermal models have been used to assess the viability of upper crustal silicic magma survival, and have suggested that supervolcanic reservoirs must form on geologically short time scales with anomalously high injection rates, and subsist only ephemerally, making their long-term evolution less predictable. Motivated by geological observations suggesting the contrary, we have improved upon these models by incorporating two fundamental features of natural systems not previously considered: (1) a nonlinear crystallization-temperature relationship adapted for upper crustal silicic magmas and (2) a temperature-dependent thermal conductivity. We demonstrate that the incorporation of both of these properties can allow an upper crustal reservoir to remain above its solidus for hundreds of thousands of years when fed by magma fluxes typical of large magmatic provinces. While the crystallization-temperature path plays the most significant role in maintaining a large pool of eruptible magma, the incorporation of temperature-dependent thermal properties significantly extends the lifetime of such reservoirs. Furthermore, while deeper emplacement levels (e.g., 10 km depth) can both extend magma survival and increase melt availability, we show that a 5 km depth can also provide an adequate magma storage environment. These results provide strong support for long-lived upper crustal mushes as a staging ground for accumulation of highly eruptible, crystal-poor silicic magmas, and further assert the evolutionary link between volcanic and plutonic systems. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.

Magma chamber dynamics in a silicic LIP revealed by quartz: The Mesoproterozoic Gawler Range Volcanics

Silicic-dominated large igneous provinces (SLIP) represent vast amounts of magma (≥ 10 5 km 3) erupted onto the Earth's surface or injected into the crust over short time spans, and are important components of the continental crust. The conditions of formation and evolution of these large magmatic provinces and their magma chambers are still poorly constrained. In this contribution, we examine cathodoluminescence textures and trace element (Al, Ti, Fe) zoning of quartz in a Mesoproterozoic SLIP, the Gawler Range Volcanics (GRV), South Australia. We describe intra-granular textures such as truncation of growth textures and reverse zoning (rimwards increase of Ti content). These characteristics of quartz, together with remelting of already crystallised portions of the magma chamber (felsic enclaves), suggest a complex history of crystallisation and resorption, and fluctuating magma temperature. Titanium-in-quartz geothermometry indicates that adjacent quartz zones record temperature variations (ΔT) up to 70 °C in volcanic units. We also report contrasting (non-correlatable) zoning patterns amongst quartz crystals, each indicating different crystallisation conditions. The juxtaposition of quartz crystals with contrasting zoning patterns is consistent with a dynamic regime (convection, stirring, overturning) of the GRV magma chamber. These results point to pulsating magmatic conditions, compatible with a non-linear evolution of the GRV magma chamber. Heat, necessary to explain both intra-granular and infra-granular textural variations, may have been provided in different pulses by underplating of mafic magma.

Oceanic anoxic events and global rhythms of endogenic activity during the Phanerozoic history of the Earth

The Phanerozoic history of the Earth was marked by recurrent oceanic anoxic events (OAE) accompa� nied by outbursts of plankton bioproductivity and extinction of more evolved animal and plant groups. Such processes resulted in accumulation of sediments enriched in organic matter and sulfides. For the sake of brevity, let us call them carbonaceous metalliferous sediments (CMS). Some researchers [1–4 and others] noted that accumulation of CMS members was preceded or accompanied by volcanic eruptions, which resulted sometimes in the formation of large magmatic prov� inces. The significant role of volcanic activity during accumulation of such sediments is confirmed by the isotopic analysis of S, Mo, Rb, Sr, Os, and Nd in rocks

Early Paleozoic alkaline magmatism of the Altai Mountains: 40Ar-39Ar geochronology data for the Edel’veis complex

The isotopic age by40Ar-39Ar (506.8 ± 3.5 Ma) was determined for the rock-forming phlogopite from the alkaline carbonatite-containing Edel’veis complex in the southeast of the Altai Mountains. Based on this, the complex development is attributed to the formation of a large magmatic province at the Early Paleozoic stage (Caledonian, ∼510–470 My ago) of the development of the Central Asian folded belt. By the features of substantial composition and the time of appearance, the Edel’veis complex is considered as a product of the primary phase of the activity of the mantle plume promoting the multiform magmatism of Central Asia in the Early and Middle Paleozoic. In view of the new geochronology data obtained, for the geodynamic evolution of the Gorno-Altai terrain, the authors propose to distinguish the three stages of the appearance of magmatism of increased alkalinity: the Early Paleozoic (Cambrian), Middle Paleozoic (Devonian), and Early Mesozoic (Triassic) stages.

Nd, Pb, and Sr isotope composition of juvenile magmatism in the Mesozoic large magmatic province of northern Chile (18–27°S): indications for a uniform subarc mantle

The Jurassic to Early Cretaceous magmatic arc of the Andes in northern Chile was a site of major additions of juvenile magmas from the subarc mantle to the continental crust. The combined effect of extension and a near stationary position of the Jurassic to lower Cretaceous arc favoured the emplacement and preservation of juvenile magmatic rocks on a large vertical and horizontal scale. Chemical and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopic compositions of mainly mafic to intermediate volcanic and intrusive rock units coherently indicate the generation of the magmas in a subduction regime and the dominance of a depleted subarc mantle source over contributions of the ambient Palaeozoic crust. The isotopic composition of the Jurassic (206Pb/204Pb: ∼ 18.2; 207Pb/204Pb: ∼ 15.55; 143Nd/144Nd: ∼ 0.51277; 87Sr/86Sr: ∼ 0.703–0.704) and Present (206Pb/204Pb: ∼ 18.5; 207Pb/204Pb: ∼ 15.57; 143Nd/144Nd: ∼ 0.51288; 87Sr/86Sr: ∼ 0.703–0.704) depleted subarc mantle beneath the Central and Southern Andes (18°–40°S) was likely uniform over the entire region. Small differences of isotope ratios between Jurassic and Cenozoic to Recent of subarc mantle-derived could be explained by radiogenic growth in a still uniform mantle source.

Bundelkhand mafic dykes, Central Indian Shield: Implications for the role of sediment subduction in Proterozoic crustal evolution

Abstract The Archean to Paleo–Proterozoic Bundelkhand massif basement of the central Indian shield has been dissected by numerous mafic dykes of Proterozoic age. These dykes are low‐Ti tholeiites, ranging in composition from subalkaline basalt through basaltic‐andesite to dacite. They are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE), large ion lithophile elements (LILE) and depleted in high field strength elements (HFSE: Nb, P and Ti). Negative Sr anomaly is conspicuous. Nb/La ratios of the dykes are much lower compared with the primitive mantle, not much different from the average crustal values, but quite similar to those of continental and subduction related basaltic rocks. Bulk contamination of the mantle derived magma by crustal material is inadequate to explain the observed geochemical characteristics; instead contamination of the mantle/lithospheric source(s) via subduction of sediment is a better proposition. Thus, in addition to generating juvenile crust along the former island arcs, subduction processes appear to have influence on the development of enriched mantle/lithospheric source(s). The Bundelkhand massif basement is inferred to represent subduction related juvenile crust, that experienced lithospheric extension and rifting possibly in response to mantle plume activities. The latter probably supplied the required heat, material (fluids) and extensional environment to trigger melting in the refractory lithospheric source(s) and emplacement of the mafic dykes. Proterozoic mafic magmatic rocks from Bundelkhand, Aravalli, Singhbhum and Bastar regions of the Indian shield and those from the Garhwal region of the Lesser Himalaya display remarkably similar enriched incompatible trace elements characteristics, although limited chemical variations are observed in all these rocks. This may indicate the existence of a large magmatic province, different parts of which might have experienced similar petrogenetic processes and were probably derived from mantle/lithospheric source(s) with similar trace element characteristics. The minor, less enriched to depleted components of the Jharol Group of the Aravalli terrane and those from the Singhbhum terrane may represent protracted phases of rifting, that probably caused thinning and mobilization of the lithosphere, facilitating the eruption/emplacement of the asthenospheric melts (with N‐ to T‐types mid‐oceanic ridge basalts signatures) and deposition of deep water facies sediments in the younger developing oceanic basins. In contrast, Bundelkhand region did not experience such protracted rifting, although dyke swarms were emplaced and shallow water Bijawar Group and Vindhyan Supergroup sediments were deposited in continental rift basins. All these discrete Proterozoic terranes appear to have experienced similar petrogenetic processes, tectonomagmatic and possibly temporal evolution involving subduction processes, influencing the lithospheric source characteristics, followed by probably mantle plume induced ensialic rifting through to the development of oceanic basins in the Indian shield regions and their extension in the Lesser Himalaya.

K-Ar dating on eastern Mexican volcanic rocks — Relations between the andesitic and the alkaline provinces

Eastern Mexico is characterized by two large magmatic provinces: the trans-Mexican volcanic belt, mainly of Miocene and Quaternary andesitic rocks, and the eastern alkaline province (oversaturated alkalic and subsaturated nephelinitic-type volcanic rocks) which appears to be Oligocene to Quaternary in age. Twenty-eight K-Ar analyses show the respective positions and the relationships between the two magmatic types: 1. (1) The data indicate that the trans-Mexican andesitic zone has had various important periods of volcanic activity since the Early Miocene: the major activity seems to have taken place about 20-15 m.y. and 9-6 m.y. ago. Ages of 3-0 m.y. are concentrated in the neovolcanic belt, the southern part (high volcanoes of Quaternary age), apparently more recent than the northern part (Atotonilco lavas). 2. (2) In the eastern alkaline province, the volcanism occurred from the Late Oligocene, with various phases, until the most recent volcanic episode. Activity has moved southwards from Tamaulipas to the Veracruz region. 3. (3) Alkaline basaltic lavas (“traps”), which occur in the fault zone of the Altiplano border, show a progression of the rifting, between 9 and 3 m.y. ago, from northern Hidalgo to Veracruz. 4. (4) The periods of alkaline magmatism were not contemporaneous with andesitic phases. The two types occur independently, the andesitic one having an east-west direction and the alkaline one a north-south orientation and north-south migrations. 5. (5) Such patterns lead to a crossing and interference of the two Pliocene and Quaternary fields of magmatism. It appears that the relations between the andesitic and the alkalic provinces is not in agreement with a classical scheme recognized in the Circum-Pacific.