Magma Composition Research Articles

The Hidden Magmatic Chamber from the Ponte Nova Mafic–Ultramafic Alkaline Massif, SE Brazil: Clues from Clinopyroxene and Olivine Antecrysts

Clinopyroxene and olivine primocrysts in the intrusions of the Ponte Nova mafic–ultramafic alkaline massif (SE Brazil) present several textures and zoning that indicate open-system processes. Important compositional differences were found in the clinopyroxene. Diopside relict cores (mostly partially corroded) present higher Mg, Cr and Ni and lower Ti, Na, Al, REE and Sr than Ti-augite mantling and rims. Subordinately, two types of olivine crystals were recognized, one related to very zoned crystals with high Mg (Fo up to 86 mol.%) and Ni cores (mostly with corroded rims), and other almost without clear zonation and with lower Mg contents. Relict cores of high-Mg clinopyroxene and olivine crystals are representative of antecrysts formed in deeper chamber environments. Temperature and pressure estimates based on clinopyroxene-liquid geothermobarometers indicate crystallization of the antecrysts at ~1171 ± 10 °C and ~5.7 ± 0.3 kbar, pointing to a deeper hidden magmatic chamber, whereas mantling and rim compositions indicate a shallow chamber environment. Clinopyroxenes of this hidden chamber have progressive enrichments of incompatible elements with the Mg# decrement and inflection points in Sr and REE due to the starting of co-precipitation of apatite. The evolution trend of clinopyroxene antecrysts indicates that the main intrusions in the Ponte Nova shallow chamber were fed by a single deeper hidden chamber mainly controlled by typical fractional crystallization processes. These antecrysts indicate the presence of a complex plumbing system, which is also supported by similar antecrysts found in the lamprophyre and alkali basalt dikes of this region. The preferred petrological model for the Ponte Nova massif could be summarized as repeated influxes of antecryst-laden basanite magmas that deposited most of their suspended crystals on the floor of the upper-crust magma chamber.

Cambrian rift magmatism recorded in subvolcanic sills of the Ediacaran-Cambrian La Ciénega Formation, NW Mexico

Mafic-ultramafic subvolcanic metabasalt sills intrude Ediacaran and Cambrian strata of the La Ciénega Formation of Sonora, Mexico. Sills are typically 1–7.5 m thick, with minor associated thin (∼10 cm thick) intrusions. Sills are typically bed parallel with upper and/or lower tempered (quenched) borders and porphyritic textures characterized by abundant olivine and pyroxene pseudomorphs that have been transformed to clay and carbonate minerals. Metamorphic halos in adjacent dolostones and quartzites occur at the bottom and top contacts, and metabasalt sills contain carbonate veins typical of hydrothermal alteration and mobilization. Unlike surface flows of the overlying Cerro Rajón Formation, all sills in the La Ciénega Formation lack evidence of crystal settling, yet evidence for assimilation of country rocks is present. Assimilation is more typical of sills rather than flows and is diagnostic of sills in the El Arpa Formation, a stratigraphically lower unit in the succession. Actinolite-chlorite-albite metamorphic mineral paragenesis suggests low-grade greenschist facies metamorphism for these metabasaltic rocks. Although their primary mineralogy is obscured due to alteration, olivine and clinopyroxene pseudomorphs are present and their major and trace element geochemistry suggest they were derived from alkaline basaltic magmas with low (normalized) SiO2N (22.7–43.1 wt%), high MgON (7.25–16.6 wt%), and high TiO2N (4.04–6.27 wt%). Immobile trace elements suggest these sills were originally alkaline rift-related basalts with OIB-type signatures. Tectonic discrimination diagrams suggest continental rift magmatism with low geochemical evolution ratios and relatively low mantle melting rates when compared to contemporaneous rift related magmatism. Sr-Hf-Nd-Pb isotopes suggest the metabasalts originated from an Enriched Mantle I (EMI) reservoir and melting occurred during adiabatic decompression. These geochemical characteristics are remarkably similar to volcanic rocks of the Cerro Rajón Formation. The inferred magmatic composition, mantle melting rates, petrography and field relations of the La Ciénega Formation metabasalt are consistent with a low viscosity feeder system like that envisaged to have sourced volcanic rocks of the overlying Cambrian (Terreneuvian) Cerro Rajón Formation. Together, evidence from these two volcanic units is consistent with a Cambrian continental rift event close to the onset of the Sauk transgression.

Styles of Fe–Ti–V ore deposits in the Neoproterozoic layered mafic-ultramafic intrusions, south Eastern Desert of Egypt: Evidence for fractional crystallization of V-rich melts

The Korab Kansi and Abu Ghalaga Neoproterozoic mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the South Eastern Desert (SED) of Egypt host economic Fe–Ti–V oxide deposits, ∼41 million tons for Abu Ghalaga ores. The Korab Kansi deposits are composed of titanomagnetite with subordinate ilmenite layers in dunites, gabbros and troctolites. The Abu Ghalaga ores consist of hemo-ilmenite and ilmenite with subordinate magnetite and titanomagnetite lenses in norites, gabbros and anorthosites. The difference in calculated oxygen fugacity (fO2: ∼ ΔFMQ–1.24 to −3.28 for Korab Kansi ores and +0.21 to −0.3 for Abu Ghalaga ores) during subsolidus re-equilibration is consistent with different dominant iron and titanium oxides, magnetite and hematite, respectively. Ilmenite in both deposits is enriched in Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf and V, but is poor in Cr and Ni relative to coexisting magnetite, which belongs to magmatic Fe–Ti–V deposits. The Korab Kansi and Abu Ghalaga ore deposits are rich in Ti, Fe, V, Nb, Ta and Hf with subordinate S, Cu, Ga and Zn at high fO2. The Abu Ghalaga gabbroic intrusion crystallized from ferrobasaltic magmas of tholeiitic affinity at lower temperature (∼1082 °C) and pressure (5.1 kbar) than the Korab Kansi intrusion (∼1180 °C, 8.3 kbar). The Korab Kansi ore deposits mainly formed by fractional crystallization of olivine followed by in situ crystallization of Fe–Ti oxides from ferropicritic/ferrobasaltic parent melts at the floor of the magma chamber. The Abu Ghalaga ores formed as a result of more advanced fractional crystallization of ferrobasaltic parent melts. The Abu Ghalaga Fe–Ti oxides in massive ores at the base of the intrusion grew in situ, whereas most ore lenses in the middle to the top of the intrusion precipitated from immiscible oxide melts that separated from the parental magma in association with floatation of plagioclase and sulfide crystals at a late magmatic stage. Both Fe–Ti ore deposits formed from similar mantle-derived magmas but Korab Kansi ores formed as early fractionates, whereas Abu Ghalaga ores formed late. The Korab Kansi ilmenite is rich in vanadium (up to 3.8 wt% V2O5) relative to that of other magmatic deposits. Its parental melt may have formed from locally Fe–Ti–V enriched part of the Neoproterozoic mantle due to interaction with upwelling asthenosphere or a mantle plume. Controlling factors for formation of economic SED Fe–Ti–V deposits were the V-rich ferropicritic/ferrobasaltic compositions of the parental magmas, and addition of H2O to cause high magma ƒO2.

Chemical Mohometry: Assessing Crustal Thickness of Ancient Orogens Using Geochemical and Isotopic Data.

Convergent plate boundaries are key sites for continental crustal formation and recycling. Quantifying the evolution of crustal thickness and paleoelevation along ancient convergent margins represents a major goal in orogenic system analyses. Chemical and in some cases isotopic compositions of igneous rocks formed in modern supra-subduction arcs and collisional belts are sensitive to Moho depths at the location of magmatism, implying that igneous suites from fossil orogens carry information about crustal thickness from the time they formed. Several whole-rock chemical parameters correlate with crustal thickness, some of which were calibrated to serve as "mohometers," that is, quantitative proxies of paleo-Moho depths. Based on mineral-melt partition coefficients, this concept has been extended to detrital zircons, such that combined chemical and geochronological information extracted from these minerals allows us to reconstruct the crustal thickness evolution using the detrital archive. We discuss here the mohometric potential of a variety of chemical and isotopic parameters and show that their combined usage improves paleocrustal thickness estimates. Using a MATLAB® app developed for the underlying computations, we present examples from the modern and the deeper time geologic record to illustrate the promises and pitfalls of the technique. Since arcs are in isostatic equilibrium, mohometers are useful in reconstructing orogenic paleoelevation as well. Our analysis suggests that many global-scale correlations between magma composition and crustal thickness used in mohometry originate in the sub-arc mantle; additional effects resulting from intracrustal igneous differentiation depend on the compatible or incompatible behavior of the involved parameters.

Magma–rock interactions: a review of their influence on magma rising processes with emphasis on short-timescale assimilation of carbonate rocks

Abstract The interaction of magma and wall-rocks is inevitable when magma is moving through Earth's crust. These interactions happen on different timescales and especially the short-term interactions (seconds to days) during the final ascent of the magma can induce changes in eruption dynamics. However, information on this matter is scarce and scattered in different scientific fields. We conducted this review in order to present a full picture of the state of the art for short-timescale magma–wall-rock interactions. According to the three existing studies on short-term magma–carbonate interactions, magma viscosity is the most important controlling factor for carbonate assimilation. Lower viscosity magmas enhance CO 2 -bubble migration away from the reaction site, resulting in a higher carbonate assimilation rate. The released CO 2 plays an important role regarding eruption dynamics since a higher CO 2 release rate would result in accelerated magma ascent and may increase eruption intensity. Despite the importance for hazard assessment, important factors (pressure, magma composition, vapour phase solubilities, carbonate clast properties) for carbonate assimilation in general and CO 2 release rate in particular are not or only poorly constrained. This review presents the present-day knowledge of short-term magma–carbonate interaction that is relevant to establish the basis for future work concerning magma–wall-rock interactions.

Volatile Characteristics of Apatite in Dacite from the Eastern Manus Basin and Their Geological Implications

As one of the youngest back-arc basins, the evolutionary behavior of magmatic volatiles in the Eastern Manus Basin has been poorly studied. Recently, apatite has received widespread attention for its powerful function in recording information on magmatic volatiles. In this paper, by determining the major element compositions and primary volatile abundances (F, Cl, SO3) of apatites in dacite, we analyze the compositions of volatiles before magma eruption in the Eastern Manus Basin, as well as their indications for magmatic oxygen fugacity and petrogenesis, so as to improve the study about the evolution of magmatic volatiles in this region. Experimental data indicate that apatite saturation temperatures range from 935 to 952 °C. All the apatites are magmatic apatites with F contents of 0.87−1.39 wt.%, Cl contents of 1.24−1.70 wt.%, and SO3 ≤ 0.06 wt.%. Analysis reveals that the apatites in this study crystallized from volatile-undersaturated melts, so their chemical compositions can be used as indicators of magmatic compositions. According to calculations, the minimum S concentrations of the host melts range from 2−65 ppm or 8−11 ppm. The crystallization and separation of magnetite caused the reduction state of melts, and the relatively low oxygen fugacity (ΔFMQ = −0.2 ± 0.9) caused low SO3 contents in apatites. In addition, F and Cl contents of the host melt were calculated to be 185−448 ppm and 1059−1588 ppm, corresponding to the H2O contents of 1.4−2.1% and 1.2−1.5% (error ± 30−40%), respectively. The high Cl/F ratio and H2O contents of samples indicate the addition of slab-derived fluids in the mantle source region of the Eastern Manus Basin. High F contents of the melts may be influenced by F-rich sediments, as well as the release of F from lawsonite and phengite decomposition. High Cl appears to originate from the dual influence of subduction-released fluids and Cl-rich seawater-derived components. Further, it is estimated that 14−21% of the total Cl concentrations in melts were added directly from subduction-released fluids, or higher.

Spatial distribution and geochemical characterization of Icelandic mantle end-members: Implications for plume geometry and melting processes

We compile a new geochemical database (Icelandic Volcanic rocks Isotopic Database, IVID) which includes previously reported 87Sr/86Sr, 143Nd/144Nd, 176Hf/177Hf, 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, 208Pb/204Pb, 187Os/188Os and 3He/4He data and major and trace element concentrations measured in Icelandic volcanic rocks. Isotopic compositions were evaluated and filtered to identify the highest quality data and data most likely to represent mantle-derived compositions. The carefully filtered, comprehensive geochemical database is an important contribution to the geochemical community and can be used to put further constraints on the generation of geochemical heterogeneity in Iceland. We use the compiled database to examine the spatial distribution of geochemical components in the Icelandic mantle, and test whether melting processes control how source heterogeneity from the deep mantle is extracted on the surface. The PRIMELT software (which combines an inverse model for crystallization in the crust with a forward model of mantle melting to estimate the primary mantle-derived magma composition) is used to estimate mantle potential temperatures and melt fractions in Iceland. The results of these calculations and forward melting models demonstrate that mantle potential temperatures have a largely insignificant role, and that lithospheric thickness plays a key role in generating geochemical heterogeneity in Icelandic volcanic rocks. Volcanic rocks from the off-rift volcanic zones are generally produced by lower melt fractions, consistent with preferential sampling of geochemically enriched and fertile “blobs” at lower degrees of melting, where the lithosphere is thicker; more geochemically depleted volcanic rocks from the axial rift zones, where the lithosphere is thinner, show higher degrees of melting, consistent with dilution of enriched blob melts by melts of more depleted and refractory mantle.

Carbon recycling efficiency in subduction zones constrained by the effects of H2O-CO2 fluids on partial melt compositions in the mantle wedge

The extent of CO2 transfer from subducting lithologies to the overlying mantle wedge in general and to the arc magma source regions in particular remains debated. The limit of CO2 transfer to the sub-arc mantle could be estimated if the effects of CO2 on the primary hydrous melt compositions of mantle wedge can be assessed in relation to the observed compositions of primitive arc magmas. Here we present new piston cylinder and multi-anvil experiments using Au75Pd25 and Au capsules on four depleted peridotite + H2O ± CO2 starting compositions with 3.5 wt.% H2O and XCO2 [=molar CO2/ (CO2+H2O)] of 0–0.17. Experiments were performed at 2–4 GPa and 1200°C to constrain how the presence of variable CO2 in slab-derived aqueous fluids affects the composition of peridotite partial melts. All experiments consisted of low degree melts (<10 wt.%) in equilibrium with olivine + orthopyroxene ± clinopyroxene. Melts at 2–4 GPa are basaltic for XCO2 of 0–0.10 and become SiO2-poor and CaO-rich at XCO2 > 0.10. Comparison between our experimental partial melt compositions with a global dataset of the most primitive arc magmas suggests that the upper limit of XCO2 in fluids inducing melting in mantle wedges is ∼0.10 at 2–4 GPa. We apply these new constrains to an H2O and CO2 mass balance model for subduction zones and estimate that at least 34–86% of CO2 entering subduction zones bypasses the sub-arc melt generation zone and is subducted to the convecting mantle, either carried by the slab or by the down-dragged limb of the mantle wedge directly above the slab.

Oxidized mantle sources of HIMU- and EM-type Ocean Island Basalts

Oxygen fugacity (fO2) is a fundamental variable in igneous petrology with utility as a potential tracer of recycled high Fe+3/ΣFe surficial materials in the sources of mantle-derived lavas. It has been postulated that ocean island basalts (OIB) have elevated fO2 relative to mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) owing to higher average Fe+3/ΣFe in their source regions. To examine this issue, trace-element systematics of olivine grains are reported from OIB lavas with HIMU (high-μ; Mangaia, Canary Islands), enriched mantle (EM; Samoa; São Miguel in the Azores Islands) and depleted MORB mantle (DMM; Pico in the Azores Islands) Sr-Nd-Pb-Os isotope signatures, in order to constrain the fO2 of each magmatic system. Despite sampling distinct mantle reservoirs based on radiogenic isotope systematics, these OIB suites show similar fO2, ranging from +0.8 to +2.6 ΔFMQ, with an average of +1.5 ± 0.8 ΔFMQ, largely higher than MORB using the same oxybarometry method at +0.6 ± 0.2 ΔFMQ. The studied OIB show no correlation between fO2 and bulk rock isotopic ratios or calculated parental magma compositions. The lack of correlations with isotopic signatures likely results from radiogenic isotope signatures being hosted in volumetrically minor trace element enriched mantle lithologies, while Fe+3/ΣFe ratios that act as the primary control on fO2 are controlled by the volumetrically dominant mantle component. Higher fO2 in many OIB relative to MORB implies that they sample a uniformly high Fe+3/ΣFe plume source mantle that may be the result of either a common oxidized oceanic crust-rich reservoir parental to many modern plume lavas, or preservation of un-degassed and oxidized mantle domains formed shortly after core formation.

Iron isotope compositions of subduction-derived rocks: Insights from eclogites and metasediments of the Münchberg Massif (Germany)

The Fe isotope systematics of subducted lithologies are crucial for the understanding of redox-dependent mass transfer in subducting slabs, with consequences for the compositions of arc magmas and of the deep mantle. We investigated eclogites, metagabbros, and paragneisses from the Variscan Münchberg Massif to unravel whether their Fe isotope compositions are dominated by the igneous/sedimentary protolith signature, by low-temperature seawater alteration, or by later fluid-rock interactions during the subduction-exhumation cycle. Although the eclogites are thought to be derived from a continental rather than oceanic setting (possibly a rift-drift transition stage), they have mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)-like major and trace element compositions. They are often moderately oxidized compared to MORB (Fe3+/ΣFe = 0.06 to 0.30). Their δ56Fe values (+0.00 to +0.17‰; mean + 0.08 ± 0.01‰) mostly resemble those of MORB (+0.07 to +0.17‰). The metagabbros, which are derived from a more enriched mantle source than the eclogites, yielded heavier δ56Fe values (+0.09 to +0.22‰) similar to ocean island basalts, whereas those of the paragneisses (+0.03 to +0.10‰) are typical for pelitic sediments.It appears that the Fe isotope compositions of the igneous protoliths are largely preserved and little if any Fe was mobilized during the diverse fluid-rock interaction stages. The parental magma of the eclogites was probably somewhat isotopically lighter than similarly differentiated MORB magmas, perhaps due to the presence of metasomatized, isotopically light peridotites in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) source. Although it is possible that δ56Fe values were slightly modified during seawater alteration and/or metamorphic fluid-rock interactions in some of the eclogites, the impact of fluid-rock interactions on the major element compositions of the eclogites appears to be small. Furthermore, the scarcity of metamorphic veins in the Münchberg Massif argues against significant Fe mobilization in the slab. We suggest that continental eclogites tend to retain their magmatic δ56Fe values throughout the subduction-exhumation cycle, whereas δ56Fe values of oceanic eclogites may often be dominated by seafloor alteration with potential local modifications in the slab close to fluid channels. The remarkable robustness of the Fe isotope compositions of continental eclogites suggests that they may be used to reconstruct protolith mantle source properties despite the complex post-magmatic history.

Zircon crystallization in low-Zr mafic magmas: Possible or impossible?

Zircon is a ubiquitous accessory phase that carries important isotopic and geochemical information. Experimental work indicates that zircon solubility in silicate melts increases exponentially with decreasing silica; accordingly, crystallizing mafic magmas would only precipitate zircon from the last drops of residual melts, likely of granophyric composition. However, this view is inconsistent with the abundance of syn-magmatic zircons in many mafic rocks, in which zircon often occupies textural positions compatible with early crystallization. Given that factors other than temperature and magma composition negligibly affect the solubility of zircon, its precipitation from mafic magmas must involve the formation of small zircon-saturated transient zones. Here we explored that possibility using 2D finite elements to model the crystallization of MORB melts confined in pores. We found that zircon-saturated volumes may form locally at the growing mineral-melt interfaces if the growth rate of a low KdZr mineral (<0.2) is much faster than the diffusion rate of the rejected Zr4+ away into the melt, thus leading to the precipitation of zircon in low-Zr mafic magmas. Local saturation close to interfaces growing in confined pores also explains the wide range of crystallization temperatures displayed by zircons of mafic rocks, the variety of their inclusions and textures, and in the particular case of the Atlantic seafloor, why syn-magmatic zircons are more common in troctolites and olivine gabbros than in the more evolved clinopyroxene or amphibole-rich gabbros. This mechanism can also account for the formation of other accessory phases composed of elements scarcely partitioned in major minerals.

Mineralogical and Geochemical Evidence of Dissolution-Reprecipitation Controlled Hydrothermal Rare Earth Element Mineralization in the Amba Dongar Carbonatite Complex, Gujarat, Western India

Abstract The Amba Dongar carbonatite complex in western India comprises an inner ring of carbonatite breccia surrounded by a sövite ring dike. The various carbonatite units in the body include calcite carbonatite, alvikite, dolomite carbonatite, and ankerite carbonatite. The carbonate phases (calcite and ankerite) occur as phenocrysts, groundmass phases, fresh primary grains, and partially altered grains and/or pseudomorphs when hydrothermally overprinted. Rare earth element (REE) enrichment in the groundmass/altered calcite grains compared to the magmatic ones is ascribed to the presence of micron-sized REE phases. Fluorapatite and pyrochlore constitute important accessory phases that are altered to variable extents. Higher concentrations of Sr, Si, and REEs in fluorapatite are suggestive of a magmatic origin. Fresh pyrochlore preserves its magmatic composition, characterized by low A-site vacancy and high F in the Y-site, which on alteration becomes poorer in Na, Ca, and F and displays an increase in vacancy. The C-O isotope compositions of the carbonates also corroborate the extensive low-temperature hydrothermal alteration of the carbonatites. The REE mineralization is the result of interaction of the carbonatite with a sulfur-bearing, F-rich hydrothermal fluid that exsolved from late-stage carbonatitic magmas. The hydrothermal fluids caused dissolution of the primary carbonates and simultaneous precipitation of REEs and other high field strength element (HFSE)-bearing minerals. Complex spatial associations of the magmatic minerals with the REE fluorocarbonates, [synchysite-(Ce), parisite-(Ce), bastnäsite-(Ce)] and florencite-(Ce) point to the formation of these REE phases as a consequence of postmagmatic hydrothermal dissolution of the REEs from fluorapatite, pyrochlore, and carbonates. Ubiquitous association of fluorite and barite with REE minerals indicates transport of REEs as sulfate complexes in F-rich fluids. Precipitation of REE fluorocarbonates/florencite resulted from fluid-carbonate interaction, concomitant increase in pH, and decrease in temperature. Additionally, REE precipitation was aided and abetted by the removal of sulfur from the fluid by the precipitation of barite, which destabilized the REE sulfate complexes.

Carbonatite metasomatism, the key to unlocking the carbonatite-phoscorite-ultramafic rock paradox

One of the features of carbonatite-phoscorite complexes that has received comparatively little attention is that many of them are surrounded by large bodies of ultramafic rocks. Although it is generally assumed that all the rocks are of igneous origin, there is disagreement over whether the carbonatites and phoscorites are genetically related to the ultramafic rocks. This is despite the fact that in complexes where they have been dated, these three suites of rocks are identical in age. A major challenge for any igneous hypothesis is the paradox posed by the observation that the ultramafic and carbonatitic magmas are the products of very high and very low degrees of partial melting of the mantle, respectively. We resolve this paradox by proposing a hypothesis, in which the ultramafic rocks are metasomatic in origin. According to this hypothesis, a carbonatitic magma, generated by partial melting of carbonated mantle, acts as the agent of metasomatism. The interaction of this magma with quartz-rich rocks, including granites and gneisses, transforms them into ultramafic rocks. This is made possible by the extremely low viscosity of the magma that allows it to pervasively infiltrate the wall rocks. As a result, Mg, Ca and other components are transferred to the host, leading to the crystallisation of minerals such as olivine, clinopyroxene and biotite, and the loss of CO2 from the system. Because of its low viscosity, the carbonatitic magma is emplaced as numerous intrusions, ranging in width from the micron to the metre scale, that progressively transform the host rocks into ultramafic rocks. As this metasomatism proceeds, the Na concentration of the magma gradually increases and eventually becomes high enough to permit large scale assimilation of Si (and Al) and the generation of an alkaline silicate magma that is emplaced at the margins of complexes, forming ijolites. The metasomatism and assimilation are envisaged as a front that moves progressively from the conduit to the limits of the complex, producing an outward zonation from dunite through clinopyroxenite to ijolite or from clinopyroxenite to ijolite directly. Whether the zonation is fully developed or dominated by a single zone, e.g., dunite or clinopyroxenite, depends on the initial composition of the carbonatitic magma and/or the degree of progress of the metasomatic reaction. The processes described above constitute the “silicate stage” of carbonatite-phoscorite-ultramafic rock complex development and are marked by the complete consumption of the carbonatitic magma. During the waning stages of the formation of these complexes, metasomatism by new batches of carbonatitic magma is restricted to remnants of reactive wall rocks adjacent to the magma conduit. Consequently, the magma is only partially consumed. This results in a residual liquid that is enriched in phosphate and iron and crystallises phoscorite. We refer to this as the “phoscorite stage” of carbonatite-phoscorite-ultramafic rock complex development. The final, “carbonatite stage”, is marked by the cessation of metasomatic activity and the crystallisation of carbonatites from batches of magma that are unaffected by interaction with the wall rocks and are compositionally identical to those that initiated the “silicate stage”. This model explains the spatial association of the different rock types, in which the complexes are zoned outwards from a core of carbonatite, through a zone enriched in phoscorite, into a broad halo of ultramafic/ultrabasic rocks. In so doing, the model accounts for the many features of these complexes that have not been adequately explained in previous genetic models.

Diversity of Net-Textured Sulfides in Magmatic Sulfide Deposits: Insights from the Eagle’s Nest Ni-Cu-(Platinum Group Element) Deposit, McFaulds Lake Greenstone Belt, Superior Province, Canada

Abstract The Eagle’s Nest Ni-Cu-(platinum group element; PGE) deposit occurs within the 2.73 Ga Esker intrusive complex of the Ring of Fire intrusive suite in the McFaulds Lake greenstone belt of northern Ontario. Mineralization occurs along the northern margin of a formerly ~500-m-high, ~85-m-thick, &amp;gt;1,500-m-long subvertical structurally rotated blade-shaped dike composed of harzburgite, lherzolite, and wehrlite. Three sulfide textural facies are present (percentage as proportion of total mineralization): (1) disseminated (~5%), (2) net texture (~80%), and (3) semimassive to massive (~15%). Five subfacies of net texture have been identified: (1) bimodal olivine-bearing leopard net texture (~50%), (2) inclusion net texture (~5%), (3) orthopyroxene-bearing pinto net texture (&amp;lt;1%), (4) localized zones of disrupted net texture (~30%) containing 3- to 5-cm-thick zones of barren amoeboid crosscutting pyroxenite, and (5) fine-grained patchy net texture (~15%). All textural facies are characterized by typical magmatic pyrrhotite-pentlandite-chalcopyrite-(platinum group mineral) assemblages. Massive sulfides are localized in two embayments along the basal contact separated by a topographic high, grading upward to rare semimassive, laterally more continuous net-textured, and disseminated sulfides, with gradational contacts between all textures except massive. Similar mean ore tenors of different sulfide textural facies (Ni100 ~7.5, Cu100 ~4.8), suggest that the majority of the mineralization formed from similar magma compositions at similar magma/sulfide ratios, but the presence of different inclusion populations (peridotite, gabbro, chromitite) and the presence of disrupted net texture indicates that the olivine, inclusions, and sulfide melts accumulated from multiple pulses in a dynamic system. The smaller, blade-shaped, sulfide-rich, chromite-poor Eagle’s Nest body does not appear to be the feeder to the overlying larger, oblate, sulfide-poor, chromite-rich Double Eagle body. This highlights the need to understand the fluid dynamics of entire plumbing systems when exploring for these deposit types and the significance of smaller, more dynamic magmatic conduits as environments favorable for Ni-Cu-(PGE) mineralization.

Syn-Eruptive Processes During the January–February 2019 Ash-Rich Emissions Cycle at Mt. Etna (Italy): Implications for Petrological Monitoring of Volcanic Ash

Low-intensity emission of volcanic ash represents the most frequent eruptive activity worldwide, spanning the whole range of magma compositions, from basalts to rhyolites. The associated ash component is typically characterized by heterogeneous texture and chemical composition, leading to misinterpretation of the role of syn-eruptive processes, such as cooling and degassing during magma ascent or even magma fragmentation. Despite their low intensity, the ash emission eruptions can be continuous for enough time to create problems to health and life networks of the communities all around the volcano. The lack of geophysical and/or geochemical precursor signals makes the petrological monitoring of the emitted ash the only instrument we have to understand the leading mechanisms and their evolution. Formation of low-level plumes related to ash-rich emissions has increasingly become a common eruptive scenario at Mt. Etna (Italy). In January–February 2019, an eruptive cycle of ash-rich emissions started. The onset of this activity was preceded on 24 December 2018 by a powerful Strombolian-like eruption from a fissure opened at the base of the New Southeast Crater. A lava flow from the same fissure and an ash-rich plume, 8–9 km high a.s.l., from the crater Bocca Nuova occurred concurrently. After about 4 weeks of intra-crater strombolian-like activity and strong vent degassing at summit craters, starting from 23 January 2019, at least four episodes of ash-rich emissions were recorded, mainly issued from the Northeast Crater. The episodes were spaced in time every 4–13 days, each lasting about 3–4 days, with the most intense phases of few hours. They formed weak plumes, up to 1 km high above the crater, that were rapidly dispersed toward different directions by dominant winds and recorded up to a distance of 30 km from the vent. By combining observations on the deposits with data on textural and chemical features of the ash components, we were able to discriminate between clasts originated from different crater sources and suggest an interpretive model for syn-eruptive processes and their evolution. Data indicate the occurrence of scarce (&amp;lt;10 vol.%) fresh juvenile material, including at least four groups of clasts with marked differences in microlite content and number density, and matrix glasses and minerals composition. Moreover, a large amount of non-juvenile clasts has been recognized, particularly abundant at the beginning of each episode. We propose that the low amount of juvenile ash results from episodic fast ascent of small magma batches from shallow reservoirs, traveling within a slow rising magma column subjected to cooling, degassing, and crystallization. The large number of non-juvenile clasts deriving from the thick crater infill of variably sealed or thermally altered material at the top of the magma column is suggested to contribute to the ash generation. The presence of a massive, granular crater infilling accumulating in the vent area may contribute to buffer the different geophysical signals associated with the active magma fragmentation process during the low-energy ash eruptions, as already evidenced at other volcanoes.

New insights into the mantle source of a large igneous province from highly siderophile element and Sr-Nd-Os isotope compositions of carbonate-rich ultramafic lamprophyres

Despite being volumetrically minor components, carbonate-rich ultramafic magmas like aillikites represent good candidates to investigate the compositional variations in plume and/or lithospheric mantle sources because they represent low-degree melts which preferentially sample highly fusible components including recycled crustal material. To gain new insights into the composition of the plume-related magmas and, more broadly, the petrogenesis of ultramafic lamprophyres, we have undertaken the first comprehensive study of bulk rock and mineral (olivine and Ti-magnetite) highly siderophile element (HSE) abundances and Re-Os isotopes combined with in situ major-, trace-element and Sr-Nd isotope analyses of apatite and perovskite from the Permian Wajilitag aillikites of the Tarim large igneous province, China. The Wajilitag aillikites have high PPGE (Pt and Pd) contents relative to IPGE (Os, Ir and Ru), which can be ascribed to low-degree partial melting and/or fractionation of olivine and laurite. Measured 187Os/188Os ratios are moderately to highly radiogenic (0.186–0.313) with age-corrected γOs values up to +113. In situ Sr and Nd isotope analyses of apatite phenocrysts (87Sr/86Sr(i) = 0.70349–0.70384; εNd(i) = +1.3 to +4.9) and fresh perovskite grains (87Sr/86Sr(i) = 0.70340–0.70390; εNd(i) = +1.3 to +3.8) exhibit limited variability both within and across samples from different aillikite dykes and the only volcanic pipe in the area. These Nd isotopic values resemble those from bulk-rock samples (εNd(i) = +1.9 to +5.2), whereas Sr in apatite and perovskite extends to marginally less radiogenic values than the bulk-rock compositions (87Sr/86Sr(i) = 0.70362–0.70432). The moderately depleted Sr-Nd isotope compositions of magmatic apatite and perovskite, and the previously reported mantle-like C isotope values of these samples suggest that the aillikites and their carbon probably derived from a sub-lithospheric (plume) source with minimal contribution of deeply subducted material. Conversely, the radiogenic Os isotope compositions of the Tarim aillikites and separated minerals require some contribution from recycled crustal material in the plume source. Mass balance calculations suggest that the radiogenic Os isotopes and moderately depleted Sr-Nd isotopes can be reproduced by less than one third of eclogite component addition to a moderately depleted mantle source. We conclude that the combination of complementary isotopic systems can enlighten contributions from different components to mantle-derived magmas and, in this case, clarifies the occurrence of carbon-free subducted oceanic crust in the Tarim plume.

Olivine and glass chemistry record cycles of plumbing system recovery after summit collapse events at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai‘i

The eruptive activity of Kīlauea Volcano (Hawai‘i) in the past 2500 years has alternated between centuries-long periods dominated either by explosive or effusive eruptions. The onset of explosive periods appears to be marked by caldera collapse events at the volcano's summit accompanied by draining of Kīlauea's magmatic plumbing system. Here we leverage >1800 olivine forsterite (Fo) contents, >900 glass MgO contents, and estimated magma supply rates from the past six centuries to describe the relationships between summit collapse and the composition of erupted material. On a first order basis, the major element chemistry of the centuries-long eruptive periods largely originates from fundamental differences between fractional crystallization of shallowly stored magmas during high-supply effusive-dominated periods versus little evolution of mafic recharge magmas during low-supply explosive-dominated periods. The modern effusive period (1820s-present) is dominated by relatively evolved olivine forsterite contents (Fo81–82) for Kīlauea, which is interpreted to reflect a buffered crustal reservoir system in which shallow storage and fractional crystallization control the composition of magmas. In contrast, olivine crystals from the explosive Keanakāko‘i Tephra (1500 - early 1800s C.E.) are dominated by higher olivine forsterite contents (Fo89) which are interpreted to reflect more primitive compositions, are correlated with glass MgO compositions extending to high values (e.g.,11.0 wt%), and show signs of magma mixing (zoned olivine, bimodal Fo populations). These signatures reflect a disrupted reservoir system in which high-MgO recharge melts mix with melts left over from draining of the shallow (<5 km) magma plumbing.Superimposed on these explosive-effusive periods are three decades- to centuries long periods of progressively evolving olivine and glass compositions. Eruptions that occur after caldera collapse in ~1500C.E. and smaller scale crater collapse events in 1790 (inferred) and 1924 have heterogeneous olivine populations dominated by ≥Fo88 and typically high MgO glasses. These compositions reflect inefficient mixing of stored and primitive recharge magmas after the disruption of the shallow plumbing system. After these collapses, olivine Fo and glass MgO subsequently evolve to <Fo82 and <7.0 wt% compositions, reflecting the recovery of the crustal plumbing system to an end-member system state characterized by efficient mixing of recharge and stored magmas that serve to buffer the shallow magma reservoirs. These evolved signatures suggest that a mature and buffered reservoir system may be a key condition for significant disruptions of volcanic plumbing systems. Plumbing system recovery is slower following large-scale caldera collapse (hundreds of years) compared to recovery following smaller crater collapse (tens of years), which may be modulated by differences in magma supply rates. Following the 2018 crater collapse olivine populations have high-Fo but glasses are low MgO, suggesting that this collapse might have disrupted shallow magma pathways but not strongly impacted the reservoir(s). Ultimately, olivine and glass major element chemistry record the impacts of caldera and smaller but significant summit crater collapse events at Kīlauea and could be used to provide a framework for better characterizing long-term volcano evolution in Hawai‘i and shield volcanoes elsewhere.

Contribution of continental subduction to very light B isotope signatures in post-collisional magmas: Evidence from southern Tibetan ultrapotassic rocks

Understanding the subduction and recycling of continental crust is crucial for reconstructing the long-term evolutionary history of Earth's mantle and crust. The Himalaya-Tibet orogen is arguably the world's best natural laboratory for investigating these processes. Cenozoic post-collisional ultrapotassic volcanic rocks are common in the Lhasa block of southern Tibet and they can provide important clues to crust-mantle interaction in a well-characterized continental collision zone. Understanding the sources and processes that generated these lavas can contribute to our understanding of the thermal and compositional characteristics of the deep mantle and geodynamic processes in this region, including Indian continental subduction. In this contribution, we report Sr-Nd-Pb-O-B isotope and elemental chemistry data for post-collisional (13-11 Ma) ultrapotassic rocks from the TangraYumco-Xuruco rift (TYXR) in the Lhasa block. The arc-like trace-element signatures and markedly enriched Sr-Nd-Pb-O isotope compositions indicate that these mafic rocks originate from a mantle source containing recycled crustal components. Unlike pre-collisional (∼64 Ma) ultrapotassic rocks in the Lhasa block with arc-like B/Nb (0.85-1.89) and δ11B (−9.0 to −2.5‰) values, the TYXR post-collisional ultrapotassic rocks with much lower B/Nb (0.05-0.85) and δ11B (down to −20.5‰) values resemble Miocene K-rich volcanic rocks from western Anatolia. These western Anatolian rocks have been formed by either progressive dehydration of a stalled slab or deep-subducted continental crust. However, some TYXR samples have lower B/Nb ratios than MORB, consistent with a fluid-starved source. These markedly negative δ11B in conjunction with low B/Nb cannot be explained by the addition of melts from oceanic sediments, which generally yield lower B/Nb but higher δ11B values than MORB (e.g., the Armenia post-collisional mafic rocks). Given the low δ11B of Indian upper continental crust and its similar Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic signatures to the post-collisional lavas, it is clear that the post-collisional ultrapotassic rocks in the Lhasa block contain a significant component derived from subducted Indian continental crust. Combined with the temporal evolution of regional magmatism, tectonics and geophysical data, we propose that the break-off and tearing of subducted Indian continental slab induced post-collisional magmatism in the Lhasa block. Our case study provides evidence that continental subduction contributes to very light B isotope compositions of post-collisional magmas, which suggests that B isotopes have the potential to discriminate between oceanic subduction and continental subduction.

Growth and evolution of long-lived, large volcanic clusters in the Central Andes: The Chachani Volcano Cluster, southern Peru

In the Central Andes, large (> 500 km2) and long-lived (1–5 Ma) volcanic clusters (LVCs) are less explored and their eruptive history and magmatic regimes less understood than smaller, short-lived (<0.5 Ma), individual stratocones. The Chachani-large volcanic cluster (C-LVC) sizeable volume (c. 290 km3) consists of twelve edifices forming the 1.06–0.64 Ma group of stratovolcanoes and the 0.46–0.05 Ma group of domes coulees and block-lava flow fields. Both groups overlie pre-Chachani lavas and tuffs 1.02–1.27 Ma, and together they have buried large nested craters or a caldera associated with the c. 1.62–1.66 Ma Arequipa Airport ignimbrite. The C-LVC evolved from: (i) homogeneous compositions of the pre-Chachani and Chachani basal eruptive units to (ii) relatively wide compositional variations (53–67 wt% SiO2) between mafic andesite and dacite at moderate eruptive rates (0.27–0.41 km3/ka) for the ‘Old Edifice’ group, and finally to (iii) narrower (57–64 wt% SiO2) andesitic compositions coinciding with extrusive activity at 2.5 times lower eruptive rates (0.12–0.15 km3/ka) for the ‘Young Edifice’ group. The large compositional variations in the Old Edifice group are related to strongly contrasting resident and recharge magma compositions of hybridized lavas. In contrast, the narrow compositional range and lower eruption rate during the second half of the C-LVC eruptive history represent a trend towards more homogeneous, andesitic magma composition with time. Mineral texture and compositional studies provide evidence for disequilibrium and magma mixing in the C-LVC shallow (5–20 km depth range) magma reservoirs. These temporal changes in magma composition document that the transcrustal magma systems of the C-LVC evolved and matured with time by a combination of processes: fractional crystallization, crustal contamination and magma mixing/mingling with variable rates of mafic recharge. This resulted in a shift in time to a steady state, monotonous (andesite) regime as a result of coupling between compositional parameters and thermal conditions, density constraints, and the viscosity/crystallinity of erupted magmas.

Carbonatite, aillikite and olivine melilitite from Zandkopsdrift, Namaqualand, South Africa: Constraints on the origin of an unusual lamprophyre-dominated carbonatite complex and the nature of its mantle source

We present a chemical and stable and radiogenic isotope data set for carbonatite, aillikite (ultramafic lamprophyre) and olivine melilitite from the Zandkopsdrift carbonatite complex in Namaqualand, South Africa. This carbonatite complex is associated with the ≈500-km-long, NE-SW oriented, age-progressive (40–80 Ma) Namaqualand-Bushmanland-Warmbad ultramafic alkaline magmatic lineation that consists mainly of olivine melilitite and kimberlite. Zandkopsdrift has a radiometric age of 55 ± 4 Ma and is unusual among southern African carbonatites because the dominant rock type exposed is aillikite (a variety of carbonated ultramafic lamprophyre), with carbonatite occurring mainly as a network of subvertical dykes in the southwest of the complex and olivine melilitite occurring as meter-sized blocks of float derived from the subsurface. Calcite and ferroan dolomite carbonatites are present but Mg-rich dolomitic carbonatite varieties are lacking. All rock types appear to have experienced at least moderate differentiation and all show elevated δ18OSMOW values for carbonate minerals, whereas phlogopite and clinopyroxene from these rock types fall near mantle values (with ranges of +13.3 to +21.8‰ and + 4.9 to +5.4‰ for carbonates and silicates, respectively), indicative of interaction with hydrous fluids at low-temperature. Sr-Nd-Pb isotope compositions indicate moderate to strong HIMU signatures (e.g., 206Pb/204Pbi = 19.4 to 21.0) with limited SrNd isotope variation and subvertical NdHf isotope arrays extending well below the ocean island basalt field and terrestrial array. Uncertainty regarding the differentiation history of the three rock types complicates estimation of primary magma compositions but strong chemical similarities between the carbonatites and aillikites, plus their close physical intermingling, strongly suggests that they are related by fractional crystallization to a common parental magma, whereas their relationship to the melilitites is less straightforward. The aillikites and melilitites have compositions of the REE and other elements similar to near-primary versions of these rock types from other alkaline igneous provinces globally, which have been explained as the products of low degrees of partial melting at 4–7 GPa (for aillikites) and slightly higher degrees of melting at 3–3.5 GPa (for melilitites). Lower pressures of generation and distinct trace element characteristics of the Zandkopsdrift melilitites could be explained by these originating as melts of a garnet wehrlite halo around the magmatic conduit formed by metasomatic reaction between carbonated melts and lithospheric peridotite. Most Zandkopsdrift carbonatites have high Lu/Hf ratios which, combined with their relatively low 176Hf/177Hf values, suggests that their mantle sources could not have formed more than 30–50 Myr prior to emplacement of the complex. This implies that a mantle plume had a role in their formation, either as a direct source of melts or as a source of heat with which to melt pre-existing metasomatic heterogeneities.