Lithospheric Mantle Xenoliths Research Articles

Clinopyroxenite Xenoliths Record Magma Transport and Crystallization in the Middle and Upper Crust: A Case Study from the Rockeskyllerkopf Volcanic Complex, West Eifel, Germany

Abstract Clinopyroxenite xenoliths comprising cumulus clinopyroxene ± amphibole together with intercumulus phlogopite ± olivine ± apatite ± titanite form a large part of the xenolith load in the oldest deposits of the Rockeskyllerkopf Volcanic Complex (RVC) in the West Eifel volcanic field. The xenoliths also contain xenocrysts of olivine and clinopyroxene derived from mantle peridotite and clinopyroxene from lower crustal granulite. The clinopyroxenite xenoliths are divided into five groups on the basis of their modal mineralogy and mineral compositions. Groups 1 to 4 define a continuous compositional trend indicative of fractionation of a mafic alkaline magma. Group 5 xenoliths are compositionally distinct and have been tentatively linked to high pressure crystallization of phonolitic magma within the RVC system. Thermobarometry of the group 1 to 4 xenoliths indicates that they crystallized between 1 and 4 kilobars, equivalent to a depth of 4 to 14 km. Group 1 to 3 xenoliths all crystallized at between 1050°C and 1150°C, whereas the amphibole-rich group 4 xenoliths give temperature estimates of ~900°C. The clinopyroxenites share a common parent magma with clinopyroxene–phlogopite veins found in subcontinental lithospheric mantle xenoliths. However, the vein forming mama was richer in incompatible elements, in particular Zr and Hf and is interpreted to be an early formed batch of magma with the clinopyroxenites crystallizing from magma derived from the same mantle, which had been depleted by the earlier phase of melting. Intrusion of magma began around 155 ky prior to the eruption of the RVC. Fe–Mg interdiffusion profiles in zoned clinopyroxene show that the magma that formed the xenoliths was present in the crust for up to 28 ky prior to the eruption. However, most samples give interdiffusion times between 1.5 and 9.9 ky. Based on xenocryst residence times and the calculated P–T conditions for clinopyroxene, there were at least seven separate batches of magma emplaced below Rockeskyllerkopf, probably as sills.

Chlorine isotope evidence for Farallon-derived metasomatism of the North American lithospheric mantle

Metasomatism of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) can result in enrichment in volatile elements introduced via subduction of seawater-altered oceanic lithosphere. Subduction-related metasomatism can introduce chlorine isotope heterogeneity to the SCLM inherited from the subducted source, which can be used to characterize the source of metasomatism. This study presents Cl isotope compositions (δ37Cl) of variably metasomatized continental lithospheric mantle xenoliths from the Colorado Plateau and southern Rio Grande Rift (southwestern United States). Fertile mantle xenoliths that represent asthenosphere that has recently been emplaced at the base of the North American lithosphere have δ37Cl values of 0.0 ‰ to +0.1 ‰, suggesting that the convecting mantle has an average δ37Cl value similar to seawater and chondrites. In contrast, metasomatized xenoliths span a range of δ37Cl values from +0.1 ‰ to +1.9 ‰, extending above the average convecting mantle value. The range in δ37Cl values can be explained by mixing between a subduction-related fluid with δ37Cl values between +1.0 ‰ and +1.9 ‰ and a shallow crustal fluid with a δ37Cl value less than +0.3 ‰. The most likely source of the high δ37Cl subduction-related signature is the lower crust in the subducted Farallon plate. Lower crustal Cl likely entered the SCLM either through direct dehydration of lawsonite ± phengite in the deeply subducted Farallon plate or from a mixed serpentinite-oceanic crust source in the subducted Farallon. Regardless of the mechanism, this study provides evidence for subduction of crustal Cl into the mantle, which can introduce isotopic heterogeneity into the SCLM and has implications for the volatile cycling in the HIMU mantle and SCLM.

Characterizing Peridotite Xenoliths From Southern Vietnam: Insight Into the Underlying Lithospheric Mantle

AbstractWe present data for lithospheric mantle xenoliths sampled from two alkali basalts in south‐central Vietnam, Pleiku and Xuan Loc, including fertile spinel peridotites. To better determine the origins of the Indochinese subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), including impacts of posited tectonic extrusion, we present major and trace elements, and 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 176Hf/177Hf, 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, and 208Pb/204Pb in xenolith mineral separates. Most peridotites from Pleiku and Xuan Loc have fertile major element compositions, “depleted” and “spoon‐shaped” rare earth element (REE) patterns, interpreted to record prior melt depletion followed by melt metasomatism, and variable but generally depleted isotopic signatures (e.g., 87Sr/86Sr = 0.70238–0.70337 and 143Nd/144Nd = 0.512921–0.514190). A small group of refractory peridotites have “enriched” REE patterns suggesting more extensive metasomatism and enriched isotope ratios (87Sr/86Sr = 0.70405 and 143Nd/144Nd = 0.512755–0.512800). The presence of both fertile and refractory xenoliths records a heterogeneous SCLM beneath Vietnam. Based on geothermobarometry calculations, fertile xenoliths have equilibrium temperatures of 923–1,034°C and pressures of 11.7–15.8 kbar, while refractory xenoliths have comparable temperatures of 923–1,006°C, but lower pressures of 7.1–10.0 kbar, suggesting refractory rocks are dominantly present at shallower depths. We suggest that the lithospheric mantle has experienced variable melt extraction around 1.0–1.3 Ga, producing heterogeneous major element compositions. While we cannot rule out partial removal and replacement of the lithosphere, large‐scale delamination is not necessary to explain observed characteristics. The entire SCLM was more recently metasomatized by melts resembling Cenozoic basalts, suggesting recent asthenospheric melting has modified the SCLM by melt infiltration.

Correlations between olivine composition and groundmass mineralogy in Sierra Leone kimberlites provide constraints on craton-specific melt-lithosphere interactions

Sierra Leone contains two Jurassic-aged diamondiferous kimberlite clusters, namely Koidu and Tongo-Tonguma (hereafter referred to as Tongo), consisting of eruptive pipes and NE-SW trending dikes. In this study, a combination of detailed petrography, and phlogopite, spinel, and olivine compositions in hypabyssal samples is presented to classify and constrain the petrogenesis of these kimberlites. Both the Koidu and Tongo rocks are predominantly macrocrystic and highly micaceous with phlogopite abundances, normalised to olivine-free, of 36–65 vol% in the groundmass. These phlogopite contents are comparable to those of some cratonic lamproites and significantly higher than any other kimberlites. Other groundmass minerals include spinel, perovskite, and apatite set in a base of carbonate and serpentine. Phlogopite and spinel have similar compositions in the Koidu and Tongo samples, displaying evolutionary trends consistent with those observed in worldwide kimberlites. Olivine macrocrysts and microcrysts display complex zoning with distinct cores, internal zones, and rims. The core compositions display a range in Mg# (81–95) and are interpreted to be derived from the disaggregation of lithospheric mantle xenoliths and proto-kimberlite related megacrysts. The Tongo olivine rims, interpreted to be primary magmatic crystallisation products, have similar compositions from various locations within the cluster whereas the Koidu samples display a range in rim compositions (Mg# 87–89) from different locations within the cluster. The average Koidu rim compositions display a strong positive correlation with the average core compositions, consistent with the trend formed by kimberlites worldwide and indicative of a strong control by melt-lithosphere interaction on melt compositions. Previously, it has been shown that the Mg# of olivine rim's negatively correlates with the abundance of groundmass phlogopite (± oxide minerals) in kimberlites. However, the Koidu and Tongo kimberlites are exceptionally phlogopite-rich given their olivine Mg#, fall outside of the worldwide kimberlite array and have olivine compositions and phlogopite abundances like some cratonic lamproites. This leads us to suggest that Koidu and Tongo represent a rare style of highly micaceous kimberlite magmatism, not previously reported in other cratonic regions, and are genetically linked to the assimilation of K 2 O-rich, metasomatic mantle lithologies. We further suggest that the K 2 O content, reflected by groundmass phlogopite abundances, of worldwide kimberlite and cratonic lamproite parent magmas ascending to the surface may be related to assimilation of craton-specific styles of metasomatic lithologies in the SCLM. • Unique highly micaceous kimberlites from Sierra Leone. • Olivine compositions constraining melt-SCLM interactions. • Craton-specific melt-SCLM assimilation and K2O enrichment.

Heat flow constraints on the mafic character of Archean continental crust

The bulk composition of the continental crust can be constrained from its surface heat flow. Published values of heat flow and heat production from 17 areas ranging in age from 3.3 to 0.4 Ga are compared. In the Superior province, the ca. 2.7 Ga accreted belts have a heat flow of 41mWm−2, significantly higher than that in the older, ca. 3.0 Ga, craton core (32mWm−2) (Jaupart et al., 2014). The mean surface heat flow values are 40±1.2mWm−2 for the Archaean areas, and 53±1.9mWm−2 for the post-Archaean. Heat flow values into the base of the crust are constrained from P-T estimates in lithospheric mantle xenoliths, and subtracted from the surface heat flow to calculate the bulk crustal heat production, whereupon there is a strong correlation between the surface heat flow data and the calculated average bulk crustal heat production values. Average crustal heat production values are described in terms of two component mixtures of felsic crust with >57% SiO2, and mafic crust with <57% SiO2, which is suggested to be more robust than relying on an average seismic model, given the complexity of the crustal structure and how it varies between provinces, and sometimes within a single province. The proportions of the mafic crustal component required to account for the regional bulk heat production values in 5 areas older than 2.8 Ga range from 60–78% consistent with a fixed mafic proportion of ∼70%. This is higher than the proportion of lower, mafic crust in the present bulk crust of Rudnick and Gao (2014), which is 43%, and the estimated bulk crust MgO values change from 10–6.6% in areas older than 2.8 Ga, to ∼5% MgO for the younger areas. The bulk crust in the late Archaean was on average more mafic than the bulk crust at the present day, and it had a bulk crust Rb/Sr value of 0.12±0.04.

Reconsideration of Neo‐Tethys Evolution Constrained from the Nature of the Dazhuqu Ophiolitic Mantle, Southern Tibet

AbstractThe nature (i.e., sub‐oceanic, sub‐arc or sub‐continental) of ophiolitic mantle peridotites from the eastern Neo‐Tethyan domain in southern Tibet has been hotly debated. This uncertainty limits our understanding of the history and evolution of the eastern Neo‐Tethys Ocean. Here we present petrological, geochemical and Re‐Os isotopic data for the mantle peridotites from the Dazhuqu ophiolite in the central segment of the Yarlung Zangbo suture zone, southern Tibet. Samples collected include both spinel lherzolites and spinel harzburgites. The lherzolites have spinel Cr# [Cr/ (Cr + Al), ∼ 0.3–0.4] comparable to those of typical abyssal peridotites. In contrast, the harzburgites have spinel Cr# (∼0.3–0.7) overlapping with the ranges of both abyssal and fore‐arc peridotites (Day et al., 2017; Parkinson and Pearce, 1998); two samples have spinel Cr# higher than 0.6, which is probably ascribed to intense melt‐rock interactions. Clinopyroxene trace element modeling indicates that the Dazhuqu mantle peridotites have experienced 0–6% garnet‐facies melting followed by 10%–18% melting in the spinel stability field. This is similar to the degree of garnet‐facies melting inferred for many abyssal peridotites (Hellebrand et al., 2002) and implies deep initial melting (&gt; 85 km), which distinguishes the Dazhuqu mantle peridotites from fore‐arc peridotites (commonly &lt;80 km in origin). The Dazhuqu peridotites have unradiogenic 187Os/188Os of 0.11836–0.12922, which are commonly lower than the recommended value of primitive upper mantle (PUM) (Meisel et al., 2001). All but one samples yield relatively younger Re depletion ages (TRD = 0.06–0.81 Ga) with respect to the only one sample having an older TRD age of 1.66 Ga. Re‐Os isotopes and highly siderophile element (HSE) compositions of the Dazhuqu peridotites are similar to those of abyssal peridotites (Day et al., 2017) and the Oman southern massifs (Hangh⊘j et al., 2010) but are distinct from non‐cratonic sub‐continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) xenoliths and sub‐arc mantle. We emphasize the similarity between the Dazhuqu and Oman ophiolites, both representing Neo‐Tethyan oceanic lithosphere and implying ridge–trench collision.

A földköpeny reológiai kutatása: mennyiségi Fourier transzformációs infravörös spektrometria alkalmazása egy Persány hegységi xenolit példáján

A felsőköpenyből származó xenolitok kőzettani és geokémiai vizsgálatával közvetlen ismeretekhez juthatunk a litoszféra fizikai és kémiai állapotáról. Ezen információk birtokában kiszámíthatók a xenolitok által jellemzett köpenylitoszféra legfontosabb geofizikai tulajdonságai (pl. szeizmikus hullámsebesség, fajlagos vezetőképesség, effektív viszkozitás). Ezek a fizikai jellemzők meghatározók a geofizikai mérések eredményének értelmezésében, és így a kutatott régió geodinamikai fejlődésének megértésében. Jelen tanulmányban azt mutatjuk be, hogy akár nyomnyi mennyiségű „víz” (helyesebben szerkezeti hidroxil) jelenléte a földköpeny névlegesen vízmentes ásványaiban (röviden NAM elegyrészek az angol „Nominally Anhydrous Minerals” kifejezés alapján) milyen kiemelkedő jelentőséggel bír a litoszféra fizikai viszonyaira és hogyan reagál a rendszer kémiai összetételére. A felsőköpeny geokémiai és geodinamikai kutatásában alkalmazott spektrometriai technikák közül a Fourier transzformációs infravörös spektrometria (FTIR) a NAM elegyrészek szerkezeti hidroxil-tartalmának tanulmányozásával a kőzetek fizikai viselkedéséről (pl. olvadási hőmérséklet, deformálhatóság, fajlagos vezetőképesség stb.) és bizonyos kémiai tulajdonságairól (H-tartalom) ad képet. Kísérleti kőzettani eredmények alapján a H+ töltéskompenzáló kationként vakanciákba önállóan, vagy csatolt helyettesítést létrehozva más kationokkal (pl. Al3+ vagy Ti4+) együtt tud a NAM elegyrészekbe beépülni. A vakanciák esetében a H+ valamelyik koordináló oxigénhez csatlakozva OH- (szerkezeti hidroxil) gyököt hoz létre. Ritkán a H+ önállóan, intersticiális helyzetben vagy Li+- és Na+-hoz csatlakozva szerkezeti hidroxil formájában is előfordulhat a rácsközi térben. A beépülés jellege függ a rendszer összetételétől (pl. Ti-tartalom), az oxigén, H2O és SiO2 aktivitásától, az oxigén fugacitástól és a nyomástól. A beépülés módján kívül a NAM elegyrész pontos szerkezeti hidroxil tartalmát is meg lehet határozni mikro-FTIR spektrometriával. A szerkezeti hidroxil koncentrációt konvencionálisan molekuláris víz egyenértékben és ppm tömegrészben vagy mol %-ban fejezzük ki. A nem poláros mikro-FTIR módszer térnyerése az utóbbi időben jelentős áttörést hozott, hiszen a kis szemcseméretű (&lt;0,7 mm) természetes és kísérleti kőzetek ásványainak elemzésére is lehetőség nyílt, amelyre a tradicionálisan megbízhatónak gondolt poláros mikro-FTIR módszer nem adott módot. Tanulmányunk egyik célja, hogy részletes áttekintést adjunk a mikro-FTIR alkalmazásáról a NAM szerkezeti hidroxil tartalmának vizsgálatához.A nem poláros mikro-FTIR módszert ma már világszerte alkalmazzák, a Kárpát-Pannon régió felsőköpeny kutatásában is nagy szerepet kap. Alkalmazását a Persány-hegységi Vulkáni Terület felső-köpeny xenolitjain mutatjuk be, összehasonlítva korábbi munkákkal a Kárpát-Pannon régióból, kiemelve az eredmények felhasználhatóságát a geofizikai adatok értelmezéséhez és így a Kárpát-Pannon régió geodinamikájának jobb megértéséhez. A persány-hegységi xenolitra kapott geofizikai eredmények (szeizmikus hullámterjedési sebesség, fajlagos vezetőképesség) és effektív viszkozitás nagy hasonlóságot mutat a Stájer-medence xenolitjaival, ami a két terület hasonló geodinamikai helyzetének köszönhető. A Nógrád-Gömör vulkáni terület xenolitjai eltérő jellemvonásokat mutatnak.

Reconsideration of Neo-Tethys evolution constrained from the nature of the Dazhuqu ophiolitic mantle, southern Tibet

The nature (i.e., sub-oceanic, sub-arc or sub-continental) of ophiolitic mantle peridotites from the eastern Neo-Tethyan domain in southern Tibet has been hotly debated. This uncertainty limits our understanding of the history and evolution of the eastern Neo-Tethys Ocean. Here we present petrological, geochemical and Re–Os isotopic data for the mantle peridotites from the Dazhuqu ophiolite in the central segment of the Yarlung Zangbo suture zone, southern Tibet. Samples collected include both spinel lherzolites and spinel harzburgites. The lherzolites have spinel Cr# [Cr/(Cr + Al), ~ 0.3–0.4] comparable to those of typical abyssal peridotites. In contrast, the harzburgites have spinel Cr# (~ 0.3–0.7) overlapping with the ranges of both abyssal and fore-arc peridotites; two samples have spinel Cr# higher than 0.6, which is probably ascribed to intense melt–rock interactions. Clinopyroxene trace element modeling indicates that the Dazhuqu mantle peridotites have experienced 0–6% garnet-facies melting followed by 10–18% melting in the spinel stability field. This is similar to the degree of garnet-facies melting inferred for many abyssal peridotites and implies deep initial melting (> 85 km), which distinguishes the Dazhuqu mantle peridotites from fore-arc peridotites (commonly < 80 km in origin). The Dazhuqu peridotites have unradiogenic 187Os/188Os of 0.11836–0.12922, which are commonly lower than the recommended value of primitive upper mantle (PUM). All but one samples yield relatively younger Re depletion ages (TRD = 0.06–0.81 Ga) with respect to the only one sample having an older TRD age of 1.66 Ga. Re–Os isotopes and highly siderophile element (HSE) compositions of the Dazhuqu peridotites are similar to those of abyssal peridotites and the Oman southern massifs but are distinct from non-cratonic sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) xenoliths and sub-arc mantle. We emphasize the similarity between the Dazhuqu and Oman ophiolites, both representing Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere and implying ridge–trench collision.

End-Permian extinction amplified by plume-induced release of recycled lithospheric volatiles

Magmatic volatile release to the atmosphere can lead to climatic changes and substantial environmental degradation including the production of acid rain, ocean acidification and ozone depletion, potentially resulting in the collapse of the biosphere. The largest recorded mass extinction in Earth’s history occurred at the end of the Permian, coinciding with the emplacement of the Siberian large igneous province, suggesting that large-scale magmatism is a key driver of global environmental change. However, the source and nature of volatiles in the Siberian large igneous province remain contentious. Here we present halogen compositions of sub-continental lithospheric mantle xenoliths emplaced before and after the eruption of the Siberian flood basalts. We show that the Siberian lithosphere is massively enriched in halogens from the infiltration of subducted seawater-derived volatiles and that a considerable amount (up to 70%) of lithospheric halogens are assimilated into the plume and released to the atmosphere during emplacement. Plume–lithosphere interaction is therefore a key process controlling the volatile content of large igneous provinces and thus the extent of environmental crises, leading to mass extinctions during their emplacement. Halogens in Siberian xenoliths show that plume–lithosphere interaction controls the volatile content of large igneous provinces. The seawater-derived volatiles, implicated in the end-Permian mass extinction, infiltrated the lithosphere during subduction.

Metasomatism and origin of glass in the lithospheric mantle xenoliths beneath Ain Temouchent area (North-West Algeria)

A spinel ± amphibole ± feldspar bearing Iherzolites, a spinel ± amphibole ± feldspar bearing harzburgites, and a spinel ± amphibole ± phlogopite bearing wehrlites are metasomatized peridotitic mantle xenoliths from Ain Temouchent volcanic complex (North-West Algeria). These xenoliths are metamorphic/deformed rocks with a strong planar fabric typical of mantle tectonites. The wehrlites are not the result of a simple model of partial melting. The spinel ± amphibole ± feldspar bearing harzburgites and lherzolites exhibit asymmetric concave-shaped REE patterns. These indicate that an earlier partial melting event was followed by metasomatic processes. The wehrlites have higher REE concentrations and LREE/HREE fractionations, indicating a sequential evolution of wehrlites from previous refractory material with melting as an addition process. This process reflects the interaction of the lithospheric mantle beneath the Ain Temouchent area with basaltic melt. Metasomatism is expressed by the formation of amphibole, phlogopite, and increased abundances of clinopyroxene at the expense of orthopyroxene, in lherzolite and harzburgite. In the Ain Temouchent area, metasomatizing agents are Na-alkali silicates. The similarities observed between the glasses studied in this paper, and the basaltic host rocks of the Ain Temouchent area, may suggest a common mantle source, or with chemical similarities but with relatively different evolutions pathways. The formation of glass in wehrlites from the Ain Temouchent area has an origin formed by the breakdown of amphibole or phlogopite as a result of decompressional melting and production of silica-undersaturated glasses. The glass reacts with essentially orthopyroxene to produce silica-rich glasses. This study has contributed to highlighting a relationship between glass, and the processes that caused the formation of metasomatic phases.

Mantle transition zone-derived EM1 component beneath NE China: Geochemical evidence from Cenozoic potassic basalts

The isotopic characteristics of the sub-oceanic mantle are well established, but in continental regions these properties are usually obscured, and therefore controversial, because of the potential effects of crustal contamination together with lithospheric mantle metasomatism and melting. The so-called EM1 (Enriched Mantle-1) signature, characterized by low 206Pb/204Pb and 143Nd/144Nd ratios, is particularly problematic in this respect because EM1-type OIB sources are commonly attributed to recycled crust and/or lithospheric mantle. In this paper we show that a suite of Cenozoic potassic basalts from NE China displays many previously unrecognized correlations between chemical and isotopic parameters, which tightly constrain the isotopic characteristics of an extreme EM1-type mantle source located in the asthenosphere. Its radiogenic isotopes are similar to, but even more extreme than, those of the oceanic endmember composition represented by the Pitcairn hotspot, namely 206Pb/204Pb ≤ 16.5, 143Nd/144Nd ≤ 0.5123 (or εNd≤−6.4), 176Hf/177Hf ≤ 0.2825 (or εHf≤−10.1). These characteristics require a source of recycled crustal material of Precambrian age (∼2.2 Ga). An important new constraint is the Mg isotopic composition of δ26Mg (≤−0.6‰), which is lower than normal mantle (δ26Mg=−0.25±0.07‰) and lower crustal values (δ26Mg=−0.29±0.15‰), but consistent with sedimentary carbonate (δ26Mg=−5.57‰ to −0.38‰). The endmember EM1 source produced high-SiO2 melts with low MgO, CaO/Al2O3 and δ26Mg values, exceptionally high K/U ≅ 50,000, Ba/Th ≅ 400, low U/Pb ≅ 0.06, and positive Zr and Hf anomalies. The chemical and isotopic parameters of this potassic basalt suite form binary mixing arrays, one end point of which is the inferred asthenospheric EM1 reservoir, whereas the other is a more ordinary, depleted mantle component, which is also sampled by local lithospheric mantle xenoliths. These binary arrays include well-developed correlations between Sr, Nd, Hf, Pb and Mg isotopes, negative correlations of 206Pb/204Pb with K2O, K/U, Hf/Hf⁎, positive correlations of δ26Mg with MgO, and 143Nd/144Nd with Fe2O3T and U/Pb.We propose that the EM1 reservoir contains recycled ancient carbonate-bearing sediments, subducted into the mantle transition zone, where K, Rb, Ba and Pb are sequestered by K-hollandite as suggested by Murphy et al. (2002) for the Gaussberg lamproites. Loss of small amounts of carbonate melt extracted Th, U and some of the LREE, while retaining K, Rb, Ba, Pb, Zr and Hf in the residue, thereby generating the observed trace element anomalies. In Cenozoic time, this deep EM1 reservoir ascended into the shallow asthenosphere and underwent low-degree partial melting, at pressures below the stability field of K-hollandite, thereby releasing K, Rb and Ba into the melt. The partial melts ascended through subcontinental lithosphere and were progressively modified by interaction with the lithospheric mantle, thus accounting for the linear chemical and isotopic trends noted above. This interaction imposed a progressively more depleted character on the erupted melt, both in terms of isotopic composition and trace element enrichment.

Restitic or not? Insights from trace element content and crystal — Structure of spinels in African mantle xenoliths

The lithospheric architecture of Africa consists of several Archean cratons and smaller cratonic fragments, stitched together and flanked by polycyclic fold belts. Here we investigate the structure and chemistry of spinels from lithospheric mantle xenoliths from distinct tectonic settings, i.e. from the Saharan metacraton in Libya (Waw-En-Namus) which could show archaic chemical features, Cameroon (Barombi Koto and Nyos Lakes) where the Sub Continental Lithospheric Mantle was modified during the Pan-African event and fluxed by asthenospheric melts of the Tertiary Cameroon Volcanic Line and Morocco (Tafraoute, Bou-Ibalrhatene maars) in the Middle Atlas where different metasomatic events have been recorded. From a structural point of view it is to notice that the Libyan spinels can be divided into two groups having different oxygen positional parameter (u>0.2632 and u<0.2627, respectively), while those from Cameroon are in between those values as the Moroccan ones already studied by other authors. The intracrystalline closure temperature (Tc) of the here studied spinels is different among the different samples with one Libyan group (LB I) showing Tc in the range 490–640°C and the other 680–950°C (LB II). Cameroon and Morocco spinels show a Tc in the range 630–760°C. About 150 different spinels have been studied for their trace element content and it can be seen that many of them are related to Cr content, while Zn and Co are not and clearly distinguish the occurrences. Differences in the trace element chemistry, in the structural parameters and in the intracrystalline closure temperatures suggest that a different history should be considered for Cameroon, Morocco and LB I and LB II spinels. Even if it was not considered for this purpose, we tentatively used the Fe2+/Fe3+ vs. TiO2 diagram that discriminate between peridotitic and the so-called “magmatic” spinels, i.e. spinel crystallized from melts. LB I and LB II spinels plot in the peridotitic field while Cameroon and Morocco spinels fall in the magmatic one. Consequently, the xenoliths sampled from a probably juvenile SCLM at the edge of the most important lithospheric roots (i.e. Cameroon and Morocco) apparently have spinels possibly fractionated in situ from percolating melts and do not represent a real spinel-peridotite facies. On the contrary mantle xenoliths from Libya exhibit spinels with peridotitic features compatible with a slow ascent of a mantle diapir (plume).

Petrofabric and seismic properties of lithospheric mantle xenoliths from the Calatrava volcanic field (Central Spain)

The microstructural and petrofabric study of peridotite xenoliths from the El Aprisco (Neogene Calatrava Volcanic Field) has provided new information on deformation mechanisms, ambient conditions and seismic properties of the central Iberian subcontinental mantle. Olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, amphibole and spinel constitute the mineral assemblage in equilibrium. Their microstructure indicates that they accommodated crystal-plastic deformation under high water fugacity conditions. Crystallographic preferred orientation patterns of key minerals were determined with the EBSD technique. The xenoliths exhibit B, C and A olivine fabrics. B-type fabrics, involving the (010)[001] slip system, may develop in domains where deformation occurs under comparatively lower temperature, higher water-content and faster strain rates. They are interpreted here as the result of deformation in a suprasubduction mantle setting triggered by changing conditions imposed by a cooler subducting slab that incorporated fluids into the system. Xenoliths with olivine C-type fabrics involve activation of the dominant (100)[001] slip system, denote intracrystalline slip at higher temperatures and water-contents. They are here interpreted to sample lithospheric mantle domains where the impact of those new conditions was not so strong. Finally, the A-type fabrics, characteristic of the (010)[100] slip system, are frequent in the mantle under moderate to high temperature. These fabrics are considered here as characteristic of the mantle prior to subduction. The olivine fabrics constrain heterogeneous seismic properties. Propagation orientation of P waves (8.27–8.51km/s) coincides with olivine [100] axis concentrations, whereas the fastest S1 waves (5.13–5.22km/s) propagate parallel to [010] axis minima. The maximum shear wave birefringence (VS1–VS2=0.17–0.37km/s) is close to the direction of the macroscopic lineation. Heterogeneity of calculated seismic properties would concur with preservation of fossil flow perturbations, reworking and metasomatism in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle of central Spain, likely related to changes in the ambient conditions close to paleosubductions.

Lithospheric mantle xenoliths sampled by melts from upwelling asthenosphere: The Quaternary Tasse alkaline basalts of southeastern British Columbia, Canada

The Quaternary Tasse basalts are exposed near the north shore of Quesnel Lake in southeastern British Columbia. They host a variety of mantle xenoliths consisting predominantly of spinel lherzolite with minor dunite and pyroxenite. Mineralogically, the xenoliths are composed of olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and spinel characterized by forsterite (Fo87–93), enstatite (En90–92), diopside (En45–50–Wo40–45–Fs5), and Cr-spinel (6−11wt.% Cr), respectively. All of the mantle xenoliths are coarse-grained and show granoblastic textures. Clinopyroxene and spinel display textural evidence for chemical reactions with percolating melts.The mantle xenoliths are characterized by restricted Mg-numbers (89−92) and low abundances of incompatible elements (Ba=2−11ppm; Sr=3−31ppm) and Yttrium (1−3ppm). On the basis of REE patterns, the xenoliths are divided into three groups reflecting the various degrees of mantle metasomatism: (1) Group 1 consists of concave-up LREE patterns (La/Smcn=0.48−1.16; Gd/Ybcn=0.71−0.92); (2) Group 2 possesses flat to moderately LREE-enriched patterns (La/Smcn=1.14−1.92; Gd/Ybcn=0.87−1.09); and (3) Group 3 is characterized by strongly LREE-enriched patterns (La/Smcn=1.53−2.45; Gd/Ybcn=1.00−1.32). On MORB-normalized trace element diagrams, the majority of the xenolith samples share the enrichment of LILE (Rb, Ba, K), U, Th, Pb, Sr and the depletion of HFSE (Nb, Ta, Ti, Y) relative to REE. These geochemical characteristics are consistent with a compositionally heterogeneous subcontinental lithospheric mantle source that originated as subarc mantle wedge peridotite at a convergent plate margin.The Tasse basalts have alkaline compositions characterized by low SiO2 (44−46wt.%) and high alkali (Na2O+K2O=5.1−6.6wt.%) contents. They are strongly enriched in incompatible elements (TiO2=2.4−3.1wt.%; Ba=580−797ppm; Sr=872−993ppm) and, display OIB-like trace element patterns (La/Smn=3.15−3.85; Gd/Ybn=3.42−4.61). They have positive εNd (+3.8 to +5.5) values, with 338−426Ma depleted mantle model ages, and display uniform OIB-like Sr (87Sr/86Sr=0.703346−0.703591) and Pb (206Pb/204Pb=19.40−19.58; 207Pb/204Pb=15.57−15.60; 208Pb/204Pb=38.99−39.14) isotopic compositions. The basalts erupted discontinuously along a >1000km long SE-NW-trending linear belt with minimal compositional variation indicative of a homogenous mantle source. The Sr−Nd−Pb isotope and trace element systematics of the alkaline basalts suggests that they originated from partial melting of an upwelling asthenospheric mantle source. Melting of the asthenospheric mantle might have stemmed from extension of the overlying lithosphere in response to the early stages of back-arc basin opening in the Omineca and Intermontane belts. Ridge subduction beneath the Canadian Cordillera might have played an important role in the weakening of the lithospheric mantle prior to its extension. Alternatively, melting of the upwelling asthenosphere in response to the delamination of the lithospheric mantle beneath the Rocky Mountain Trench might have generated the alkaline lavas.

Petrogenesis of Cenozoic, alkalic volcanic lineages at Mount Morning, West Antarctica and their entrained lithospheric mantle xenoliths: Lithospheric versus asthenospheric mantle sources

Two volcanic lineages are identified at Mount Morning, a Cenozoic to recent, eruptive centre in the Ross Sea, West Antarctica, which is part of the McMurdo Volcanic Group. Both the older (at least 18.7–11.4Ma), mildly alkalic, nepheline- or quartz-normative Mason Spur Lineage, and the younger (at least 6–0.02Ma), nepheline normative, strongly alkalic Riviera Ridge Lineage evolved by fractional crystallization from nominally anhydrous (<0.5wt% H2O) parental magmas. Both lineages are analogous to other, relatively anhydrous lineages in the McMurdo Volcanic Group and distinctly different from those in which kaersutite is present on the liquid line of descent. Sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) xenoliths entrained in Riviera Ridge Lineage rocks show trace element and isotopic Sr–Nd–Pb variation that is consistent with four-component mixing whereby depleted mantle has been refertilised by enriched, HIMU-like and Nb-enriched (carbonatite) components. Refertilization may have occurred c. 530–490Ma ago when fluids derived from subduction associated with Gondwanaland amalgamation infiltrated the SCLM. Similar trace element and isotope variation (Sr–Nd–Pb) in Mount Morning basaltic rocks and entrained xenoliths suggests that the source for the basaltic magmas lies (at least in part) in the lithospheric mantle. It has long been recognized that Cenozoic volcanic rocks in Antarctica (Victoria Land – including Mount Morning – and Marie Byrd Land), Zealandia and eastern Australia share common chemical and isotopic source characteristics and they have been argued to collectively constitute a single diffuse alkaline magmatic province (DAMP). Source characteristic similarities suggest DAMP volcanic rocks inherit at least some of their trace element and isotopic characteristics from the lithospheric mantle. Super-chondritic Nb/Ta values measured in some SCLM xenoliths and volcanic rocks at Mount Morning, and in volcanic rocks across the DAMP, can be explained by addition of ⩽5wt% carbonatite to the source. The DAMP SCLM is a significant Nb reservoir that offers an explanation for the Nb paradox.

On the iron isotope heterogeneity of lithospheric mantle xenoliths: implications for mantle metasomatism, the origin of basalts and the iron isotope composition of the Earth

With the aim to better understand the cause of the iron isotope heterogeneity of mantle-derived bulk peridotites, we compared the petrological, geochemical and iron isotope composition of four xenolith suites from different geodynamic settings; sub-arc mantle (Patagonia); subcontinental lithospheric mantle (Cameroon), oceanic mantle (Kerguelen) and cratonic mantle (South Africa). Although correlations were not easy to obtain and remain scattered because these rocks record successive geological events, those found between δ57Fe, Mg#, some major and trace element contents of rocks and minerals highlight the processes responsible for the Fe isotope heterogeneity. While partial melting processes only account for moderate Fe isotope variations in the mantle ( 0.9 ‰). The kinetic nature of rapid metasomatic exchanges between low viscosity melts/fluids and their wall-rocks peridotite in the mantle is the likely explanation for this large range. There are a variety of responses of Fe isotope signatures depending on the nature of the metasomatic processes, allowing for a more detailed study of metasomatism in the mantle with Fe isotopes. The current database on the iron isotope composition of peridotite xenoliths and mafic eruptive rocks highlights that most basalts have their main source deeper than the lithospheric mantle. Finally, it is concluded that due to a complex geological history, Fe isotope compositions of mantle xenoliths are too scattered to define a mean isotopic composition with enough accuracy to assess whether the bulk silicate Earth has a mean δ57Fe that is chondritic, or if it is ~0.1 ‰ above chondrites as initially proposed.

Lithosphere versus asthenosphere mantle sources at the Big Pine Volcanic Field, California

Here we report the first measurements of the H2O content of magmas and mantle xenoliths from the Big Pine Volcanic Field (BPVF), California, in order to constrain the melting process in the mantle, and the role of asthenospheric and lithospheric sources in this westernmost region of the Basin and Range Province, western USA. Melt inclusions trapped in primitive olivines (Fo82–90) record surprisingly high H2O contents (1.5 to 3.0 wt.%), while lithospheric mantle xenoliths record low H2O concentrations (whole rock &lt;75 ppm). Estimates of the oxidation state of BPVF magmas, based on V partitioning in olivine, are also high (FMQ +1.0 to +1.5). Pressures and temperatures of equilibration of the BPVF melts indicate a shift over time, from higher melting temperatures (∼1320°C) and pressures (∼2 GPa) for magmas that are &gt;500 ka, to cooler (∼1220°C) and shallower melting (∼1 GPa) conditions in younger magmas. The estimated depth of melting correlates strongly with some trace element ratios in the magmas (e.g., Ce/Pb, Ba/La), with deeper melts having values closer to upper mantle asthenosphere values, and shallower melts having values more typical of subduction zone magmas. This geochemical stratification is consistent with seismic observations of a shallow lithosphere‐asthenosphere boundary (∼55 km depth). Combined trace element and cryoscopic melting models yield self‐consistent estimates for the degree of melting (∼5%) and source H2O concentration (∼1000 ppm). We suggest two possible geodynamic models to explain small‐scale convection necessary for magma generation. The first is related to the Isabella seismic anomaly, either a remnant of the Farallon Plate or foundered lithosphere. The second scenario is related to slow extension of the lithosphere.

Petrological, geochemical and isotopic characteristics of the lithospheric mantle beneath Sardinia (Italy) as indicated by ultramafic xenoliths enclosed in alkaline lavas

Mantle xenoliths hosted in Miocene-Quaternary mafic alkaline volcanic rocks from Sardinia have been investigated with electron microprobe, laser ablation microprobe-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and thermal ionization mass spectrometry techniques. The xenoliths are anhydrous clinopyroxene-poor lherzolites and harzburgites, plus very rare websterites and olivine-websterites. Glassy pods having thin subhedral to euhedral microlites of olivine, clinopyroxene and spinel have been found in harzburgites and websterites. Clinopyroxene shows trace element variability, with values of (La/Yb)N ranging from sub-chondritic (0.01) to supra-chondritic (8.6). The Sr–Nd isotopic ratios of the clinopyroxenes fall mostly in the field of the European lithospheric mantle xenoliths (87Sr/86Sr from 0.70385 to 0.70568 and 143Nd/144Nd ranging from 0.512557 to 0.512953). The geochemical characteristics of the Sardinian xenoliths testify to the variable degrees of earlier partial melt extraction, followed by metasomatic modification by alkaline melts or fluids. Websterites are considered to represent small lenses or veins of cumulitic (i.e. magmatic) origin within the mantle peridotite.

Sulfide melts and long-term low seismic wavespeeds in lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle

[1] Some studies of lithospheric and asthenospheric seismic structure, report mantle velocities as low as ∼4% below the reference models used. While these low wavespeeds may be attributed to thermal effects in tectonically young or actively volcanic regions, in older, tectonically stable regions low velocity anomalies apparently persist even past the decay time of any thermal perturbation, rendering such a mechanism implausible. Low volume melts can also reduce wavespeeds, but their buoyancy should drain them upward away from source regions, preventing significant accumulation if they are able to segregate. Sulfide, ubiquitous as inclusions in lithospheric mantle xenoliths, forms dense, non-segregating melts at temperatures and volatile fugacities characteristic of even old lithospheric mantle. We show that 1–5 volume percent sulfide melts can act to permanently create reductions up to 5.5% in seismic wavespeeds in areas of the lithosphere and the asthenosphere disturbed by prior melting events that carry and concentrate sulfide.

The evolution of the Arabian lower crust and lithospheric mantle — Geochemical constraints from southern Syrian mafic and ultramafic xenoliths

Geochemical compositions of lower crustal and lithospheric mantle xenoliths found in alkali basaltic lavas from the Harrat Ash Shamah volcanic field in southern Syria place constraints on the formation of the Arabian–Nubian Shield in northern Arabia. Compositions of lower crustal granulites are compatible with a cumulate formation from mafic melts and indicate that they are not genetically related to their host rocks. Instead, their depletion in Nb relative to other incompatible elements points to an origin in a Neoproterozoic subduction zone as recorded by an average depleted mantle Sm–Nd model age of 630 Ma. Lithospheric spinel peridotites typically represent relatively low degree (< 10%) partial melting residues of spinel lherzolite with primitive mantle compositions as indicated by major and trace element modelling of clinopyroxene and spinel. The primary compositions of the xenoliths were subsequently altered by metasomatic reactions with low degree silicate melts and possibly carbonatites. Because host lavas lack these signatures any recent reaction of the lherzolites with their host magma can be ruled out. Sm–Nd data of clinopyroxene from Arabian lithospheric mantle lherzolites yield an average age of 640 Ma suggesting that the lithosphere was not replaced since its formation and supporting a common origin of the Arabian lower crustal and lithospheric mantle sections. The new data along with published Arabian mantle xenolith compositions are consistent with a model in which the lithospheric precursor was depleted oceanic lithosphere that was overprinted by metasomatic processes related to subduction and arc accretion during the generation of the Arabian–Nubian Shield. The less refractory nature of the northern Arabian lithosphere as indicated by higher Al, Na and lower Si and Mg contents of clinopyroxenes compared to the more depleted nature of the south Arabian lithospheric mantle, and the comparable low extent of melt extraction suggest that the northern Arabian lithosphere formed in a continental arc system, whereas the lithosphere in the southern part of Arabia appears to be of oceanic arc origin.