Slab Melting Research Articles

Magmatic record of continuous Neo-Tethyan subduction after initial India-Asia collision in the central part of southern Tibet

The Lhasa Terrane in southern Tibet is the leading edge of the Tibet-Himalaya Orogen and represents a fragmentary record of terminal oceanic subduction. Thus, it is an ideal region for studying magmatism and geodynamic processes that occurred during the transition from oceanic subduction to continental collision and/or oceanic slab breakoff. Here we examine a suite of early Cenozoic mafic rocks (ca. 57 Ma) within the central part of Lhasa Terrane, southern Tibet, which erupted during a transitional phase between the onset of India-Asia continental collision and Neo-Tethyan slab breakoff. These rocks display a geochemical affinity with magmas produced by fluid-fluxed melting of the mantle wedge within a subduction zone environment. The whole-rock element and Sr-Nd isotope compositions of these mafic rocks are similar to those of Cretaceous subduction-related magmatism in southern Tibet, demonstrating the sustained influence of the Neo-Tethys Ocean slab on the mantle wedge during the onset of the collision of India and Asia. The results of our geochemical forward modeling constrain the conditions of melt generation at depths of 1.3−1.5 GPa with significant fluid additions from the Neo-Tethyan slab. These results provide the first petrological and geochemical evidence that slab flux-related magmatism continued despite the commencement of continental collision. While existing studies have suggested that magmas were derived from melting of the Neo-Tethyan slab during this period, our new results suggest that additional magma generation mechanisms were active during this transitional phase.

The Miocene Tatatila–Las Minas IOCG skarn deposits (Veracruz) as a result of adakitic magmatism in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt

The Cu- and Au-rich Tatatila–Las Minas IOCG skarn deposits in Veracruz (central-east Mexico) are circumscribed to the earliest stages of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB) and stand for a metallogenic province directly linked to its tectonomagmatic dynamics. This is the first well-documented case for such metallogenic province. These deposits were formed as skarns between rocks of the Mesozoic carbonate series and Miocene intermediate to acid hypabyssal rocks. New U-Pb zircon and 40Ar/39Ar ages provide evidence for four epochs of magmatic activity in the area: (1) early Permian (Artinskian), in association with the Paleozoic basement, (2) late Oligocene to early Miocene suite of pre-TMVB intrusive rocks, (3) middle to late Miocene suite of early TMVB-related intrusive rocks, and (4) Pliocene intrusive and extrusive rocks of the TMVB, possibly associated with the Los Humeros post-caldera stage. The obtained ages range between 24.60 ± 1.10 and 19.04 ± 0.69 Ma for stage 2, and between 16.34 ± 0.20 and 13.92 ± 0.22 Ma for stage 3. Stage 2 corresponds to a magmatic stage unheard of in the area, until this study. Only stage 3 rocks are associated with the IOCG skarn mineralization, with retrograde stages dated at 12.44 ± 0.09 (chromian muscovite, phyllic association) and 12.18 ± 0.21 Ma (zircon, potassic association). Therefore, the ages of stage-3 intrusive rocks are interpreted to date the formation of the prograde skarn associations (mostly ~15.4 to <14 Ma). The petrogenetic affinity of stage-2 and stage-3 rocks is about the same—the main difference has to do with higher Y and Yb contents in stage-3 rocks (although no affinity with within-plate granites was found), which is suggestive of an interaction of their parental magmas with alkaline magmas that most likely belong to the conterminous and contemporaneous Eastern Mexico Alkaline Province. Petrological indicators (elemental and isotopic) in Cenozoic rocks consistently point to intermediate to acid, metaluminous, I- and S-type rocks that were emplaced in a subduction-related continental arc, within the medium- to high-potassium calc-alkaline series, with high-silica adakitic signatures due associated to deep-sourced magmas that underwent crustal contamination to some degree. The various possible sources for the magmas with adakitic signature in this context can be narrowed down to two of them that are not mutually exclusive: adakitic derived from subducted slab melting and melting-assimilation-storage-homogenization (MASH)-derived adakites. Both sources are, in principle, capable of generating magmas that would eventually produce magmatic-hydrothermal mineralizing systems with an associated variety of ore deposit types, including IOCG. Also, both possible sources for adakites are compatible with the renewed steepening of the subducted slab after a period of flat subduction, for the earliest stage in the evolution of the TMVB.

Neoproterozoic metasomatized mantle beneath the western Yangtze Block, South China: Evidence from whole-rock geochemistry and zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopes of mafic rocks

Mafic rocks contain important information about the nature of the mantle source and tectonic settings. Here we present results of whole-rock geochemistry and zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopes for the Early Neoproterozoic mafic rocks (Ganyuhe hornblende gabbros and Guandaoshan gabbro-diorites) in the western Yangtze Block, South China, in order to constrain the petrogenesis and the mantle metasomatism processes under subduction setting. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating results display concordant crystallization ages of 857.4 ± 2.0 Ma for the hornblende gabbros and 856.4 ± 2.8 Ma for the gabbro-diorites, respectively. These mafic rocks possess low SiO2 contents (45.5–53.3 wt%) as well as high MgO contents (3.27–9.20 wt%) and Mg# (48.6–62.6) values, and show characteristics of arc-like trace element patterns with enriched Rb, Ba, Sr, K, and Pb but depleted Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, and Ti. The prominently positive whole-rock εNd(t) (+4.9 to + 5.8) and zircon εHf(t) (+8.48 to + 20.6) values suggest a depleted lithospheric mantle source. We therefore infer that the mafic rocks investigated here were derived from an amphibole-bearing spinel peridotite source that was affected by metasomatism between the overlying mantle wedge and subduction-related fluids. In conjunction with the compiled data of Neoproterozoic mafic rocks from the western Yangtze Block, we propose that there exist Neoproterozoic metasomatized mantle sources beneath the western Yangtze Block during the subduction process in response to the evolution of the supercontinent Rodinia. The Neoproterozoic metasomatic agents in mantle sources include the slab fluids, sediment melts, and oceanic slab melts.

Nature of the Early Cretaceous lamprophyre and high-Nb basaltic dykes, NE Turkey: Constraints on their linkage to subduction initiation of Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere

Late Mesozoic evolution of the Neotethys Ocean is critical and still remains unclear along the entire Sakarya Zone (SZ), Turkey, because previous interpretations of the Middle to Late Jurassic rifting of the SZ have not been consensually accepted. We identified, for the first time, the Early Cretaceous dykes intruded into the Late Jurassic and Late Carboniferous bodies in the Çamlıkaya (Erzurum) area in the SZ. Here, we present a data set of new field observations, 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, whole-rock geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopes to find out the tectonic setting of previously undated basic to intermediate igneous rocks. 40Ar/39Ar technique on the groundmass separations yielded the plateau ages of 128.78 ± 1.02 to 122.89 ± 0.82 Ma. The investigated dykes are compositionally divided into two sub-groups: calc-alkaline lamprophyres (CAL) and high-Nb alkaline basalts (HNB). They show enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE: e.g., Rb, Ba, K) and depletion in high field strength elements (HFSE: Nb and Ti) as well as moderate fractionation of light rare earth elements relative to heavy rare earth elements. The HNB have high Mg# (47–66), and relatively unradiogenic Sr [87Sr/86Sr(t) = 0.70385 to 0.70510] and Nd [εNd(t) = +0.5 to +5.3] isotopic composition, whereas the CAL possess moderate to high Mg# (32–72), and relatively high Sr [87Sr/86Sr(t) = 0.70586 to 0.71379] and Nd [εNd(t) = +1.5 to −9.9] isotopic composition. Early Cretaceous high-angle subduction triggered upwelling of the asthenosphere at 126 Ma, which likely generated a heat anomaly. This anomaly has probably induced melting of the oceanic slab and the metasomatized mantle to form the CAL and HNB. The HNB were generated by low degrees of melting of mantle domain that was previously reacted by oceanic slab-related adakitic melts at the depths of the garnet stability field (≥70 km). However, the CAL were probably formed at shallower mantle levels within the garnet-amphibole field by a relatively higher degree of melting of the mantle, also modified by subducted slab sediments. A new field, age, and petrochemical data from the Early Cretaceous dykes, combined with the presence of Aptian deep-water sediments to the north and the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous platform carbonates deposited in the passive margin setting along the entire SZ, imply the initiation of active-margin magmatism in the SZ. We suggest that the coexistence of the Early Cretaceous CAL and HNB points to the formation of an Andean-type active margin above a north-dipping Neotethyan oceanic slab. Their emplacement ages are associated with the inception of the magmatic arc structure and refer to a significant geodynamic turnover from passive-margin to active-margin tectonics along the SZ.

Adakitic rocks at convergent plate boundaries: Compositions and petrogenesis

Adakitic rocks are intermediate-acid magmatic rocks characterized by enrichment in light rare-earth elements, depletion in heavy rare-earth elements, positive to negligible Eu and Sr anomalies, and high La/Yb and Sr/Y ratios. Cenozoic adakitic rocks generated by partial melting of subducted oceanic crust (slab) under eclogite-facies conditions (i.e., the original definition of “adakite”) occur mainly in Pacific Rim volcanic arcs (intra-oceanic, continental, and continental-margin island arcs), whereas those generated by partial melting of thickened lower crust occur mainly in Tethyan Tibetan collisional orogens. In volcanic arcs, adakitic melts derived from the melting of subducted oceanic crust metasomatize the mantle wedge to form a unique rock suite comprising adakite-adakite-type high-Mg andesite-Piip-type high-Mg andesite-Nb-rich basalt-boninite. This suite differs from the basalt-andesite-dacite-rhyolite suite formed from mantle wedge metasomatized by fluids derived from subducted oceanic crust. Previously published data indicate that partial melting of mafic rocks can generate adakitic magmas under pressure, temperature, and hydrous conditions of 1.2–3.0 GPa, 800–1000°C, and 1.5–6.0 wt.% H2O, respectively, leaving residual minerals of garnet and rutile with little or no plagioclase. Cenozoic Au and Cu deposits occur proximally to adakitic rocks, with host rocks of some deposits actually being adakitic rocks. Adakitic rocks thus have important implications for both deep-Earth dynamics and Cu-Au mineralization/exploration. Although studies of Cenozoic adakitic rocks have made many important advances, there remain weaknesses in some important areas such as their tectonic settings, petrogenesis, magma sources, melt-mantle interactions of pre-Cenozoic adakitic rocks, and their relationship with the onset of plate tectonics and crustal growth. Future research directions are likely to involve (1) the generation of adakitic magmas by experimental simulations of partial melting of different types of rock (including intermediate-acid rocks) and magma fractional crystallization at different temperatures and pressures, (2) the relationship between magma reservoir evolution and the formation of adakitic rocks, (3) the tectonic setting and petrogenesis of pre-Cenozoic adakitic rocks and related geodynamic processes, (4) interactions between slab melts and the mantle wedge, (5) the formation of Archean adakitic tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite and its link to the onset of plate tectonics and crustal growth, and (6) the relationship between the formation of adakitic rocks and metal mineralization in different tectonic settings.

Os isotopic composition of western Aleutian adakites: Implications for the Re/Os of oceanic crust processed through hot subduction zones

Constraining the behaviour of Re and Os during eclogite melting is required to understand the Re and Os budget and 187Os/188Os of recycled slabs produced at warm subduction zones. It is particularly relevant to early Earth history, a period during which slab melting could have prevailed over dehydration due to higher mantle temperatures. There are however currently few constraints on Re and Os mobility during slab melting. Accordingly, we measured Os, Re and 187Os/188Os in primitive submarine lavas (Mg# ˃ 0.6) from the western Aleutian Arc. These include strongly adakitic rocks shown to be derived from eclogite melting (high-Mg# andesite, dacites and rhyodacites), as well as non-adakitic rocks (high-Mg# andesites, basaltic andesites and basalts) with variable sediment and fluid-derived slab contributions for comparison.The 187Os/188Os of the adakitic and non-adakitic volcanic rocks vary significantly but largely overlap. In both groups, the most radiogenic values occur in samples with the lowest Os concentrations, thus implicating crustal assimilation as the main cause of Os isotope variations. Adakitic and non-adakitic rocks least affected by crustal assimilation have overlapping 187Os/188Os of 0.141–0.149. We show that the source of the adakites is very unlikely to comprise significant eclogite-derived Os, which suggests no or minimal mobilization of Os during eclogite melting. Eclogitic Os is inferred to be retained in sulphides or replacement phases formed upon sulphide breakdown for which Os has high affinity, such as a platinum-group minerals (PGMs). The small Os budget of the adakites is most likely derived from limited reaction with the mantle wedge during ascent. Degassing has reduced Re contents in most samples, but not for end-member adakites (SiO2 > 67% and Sr/Y > 200; n = 4) that were erupted at seafloor depths > 2500 m. These undegassed samples have elevated Re concentrations (0.8–1.5 ppb) that are positively correlated with Sr/Y and so are interpreted to be primary magmatic concentrations resulting from the mobilization of Re from the slab. Re could either be derived from the eclogites or from the serpentinite-derived fluids fluxing eclogites during melting. The former scenario would produce recycled residual crusts with lower Re/Os than in unmelted eclogites while the latter would result in Re/Os ranging from similar to higher than prior to melting. In both cases, the Re/Os and therefore the time-integrated 187Os/188Os of residual crust produced at warm subduction zones involving slab melting are likely to be different from that processed at cooler typical modern subduction zones. Therefore, if slab melting was an important process during the early Earth, the use of Re and Os partitioning in modern subduction zones to model the source of magmas comprising old recycled oceanic crust, such as the HIMU (high μ = 238U/204Pb) ocean island basalts (OIBs), might lead to erroneous interpretations.

Warm and oxidizing slabs limit ingassing efficiency of nitrogen to the mantle

Nitrogen is a major and essential component of Earth's atmosphere, yet relative to other volatile elements, there are relatively few experimental constraints on the pathways by which nitrogen cycles between Earth's interior and exterior. We report mineral-melt and mineral-fluid partitioning experiments to constrain the behavior of nitrogen during slab dehydration and sediment melting processes. Experiments reacted rhyolitic melts with silicate and oxide minerals, in the presence of excess aqueous fluid, over temperatures between 725-925°C and pressures between 0.2 and 2.3 GPa. Oxygen fugacity ranged between iron metal saturation (∼NNO-5) to that in excess of primitive arc basalts (∼NNO+2). Our experiments demonstrate that hydrous fluid is the preferred phase for nitrogen over minerals (biotite, K-feldspar, and amphibole) and rhyolitic melts across all conditions explored. Relatively large effects of pressure (Δlog(Dmelt−fluidN)/Δ(GPa/K) = 761 ± 68 (1σ), Δlog(Dbiotite−fluidN)/Δ(GPa/K) = 462 ± 169) and moderate effects of oxygen fugacity (Δlog(Dmelt−fluidN)/ΔNNO = -0.20 ± 0.04, Δlog(Dbiotite−fluidN)/ΔNNO = -0.10 ± 0.04) modulate partitioning of nitrogen. We further document negligible partitioning effects related to mineral composition or Cl content of hydrous fluid. Of the minerals investigated, biotite has the largest affinity for N and should control the retention of N in slabs where present. Application of partitioning data to slab dehydration PT paths highlights the potential for highly incompatible behavior (Dbiotite−fluidN < 0.1) from the slab along warmer and oxidized (NNO+1) subduction geotherms, whereas dehydration along reduced and cooler geotherms will extract moderate amounts of nitrogen (Dbiotite−fluidN > 0.1). We find that slab melting is less effective at extracting N from slabs than fluid loss, at least under oxidized conditions (NNO+1). Ultimately, the conditions under which slabs lose fluid strongly affect the distribution of nitrogen between Earth's interior and exterior.

Feedback of Slab Distortion on Volcanic Arc Evolution: Geochemical Perspective From Late Cenozoic Volcanism in SW Japan

AbstractSouthwest Japan is an island arc formed by subduction of the Philippine Sea (PHS) plate. The Quaternary magmatism in this region is characterized by eruptions of high‐Sr andesites and dacites, considered to have been derived by melting of the PHS plate. The loci of these volcanoes spatially coincide with seismic discontinuities of the subducted PHS plate. Thus, the magmatism is interpreted as the result of slab melting at the plate tears. However, the processes that promote slab tearing remain unclear. In this study, we applied geochronological and geochemical analyses to late Cenozoic volcanic rocks in southwest Japan as tracers of slab morphology. Two different magma types, ocean‐island basalt (OIB) and island‐arc basalt (IAB), have occurred over 12 million years (Myr). These two magmas are attributed to different integrations of melts extracted from an originally fertile mantle; the OIBs from high temperature melt (1,300–1,400°C) were extracted at a depth of 40–80 km, whereas the IABs were extracted from a shallower, lower temperature region (30–60 km, 1,200–1,350°C). Secular change in Sr enrichment of IAB likely arose due to a transition of slab‐derived fluids, incorporated into magmas as they formed, from water‐ to melt‐dominant one. Progressive shallowing of the subducted PHS plate is responsible for secular change in the properties of slab‐derived fluids as well as rollback of OIB volcanoes. Production of chemically variable magmas in the Chugoku district is the surface expression of distorting slab morphology by interaction between mantle and the subducting plate.

Geological characteristics of the Nankai Trough subduction zone and their tectonic significances

The Nankai Trough subduction zone is a typical subduction system characterized by subduction of multiple geological units of the Philippine Sea Plate (the Kyushu-Palau Ridge, the Shikoku Basin, the Kinan Seamount Chain, and the Izu-Bonin Arc) beneath the Eurasian Plate in the southwest of Japan. This study presents a geophysical and geochemical analysis of the Nankai Trough subduction zone in order to determine the features and subduction effects of each geological unit. The results show that the Nankai Trough is characterized by low-gravity anomalies (−20 mGal to −40 mGal) and high heat flow (60–200 mW/m2) in the middle part and low heat flow (20–80 mW/m2) in the western and eastern parts. The crust of the subducting plate is 5–20 km thick. The mantle composition of the subducting plate is progressively depleted from west to east. Subduction of aseismic ridges (e.g., the Kyushu-Palau Ridge, the Kinan Seamount Chain, and the Zenisu Ridge) is a common process that leads to a series of subduction effects at the Nankai Trough. Firstly, aseismic ridge or seamount chain subduction may deform the overriding plate, resulting in irregular concave topography along the front edge of the accretionary wedge. Secondly, it may have served as a seismic barrier inhibiting rupture propagation in the 1944 Mw 8.1 and 1946 Mw 8.3 earthquakes. In addition, subduction of the Kyushu-Palau Ridge and hot and young Shikoku Basin lithosphere may induce slab melting, resulting in adakitic magmatism and the provision of ore-forming metals for the formation of porphyry copper and gold deposits in the overriding Japan Arc. Based on comparisons of their geophysical and geochemical characteristics, we suggest that, although the Izu-Bonin Arc has already collided with the Japan Arc, the Kyushu-Palau Ridge, which represents a remnant arc of the Izu-Bonin Arc, is still at the subduction stage characterized by a single-vergence system and a topographic boundary with the Japan Arc.

Apatite geochronology and chemistry of Luanchuan granitoids in the East Qinling Orogen, China: Implications for petrogenesis, metallogenesis and exploration

The Luanchuan granitoids in the East Qinling Orogen, Central China host multiple genetic types of Mo-W-Pb-Zn-Ag polymetallic deposits. Here we present results from systematic geochronological and geochemical investigations on apatite with a view to gain insights into the petrogenesis, metallogenesis and potential for mineral exploration. We analyzed 388 apatite grains from eight Late Mesozoic granitic plutons in the Luanchuan ore district. Apatite U–Pb geochronology yields 206Pb/238U mean ages in the range of 151.5–102.3 Ma, representing the crystallization ages. Through integrating our results with those from previous studies on the multi-stage magmatism (160–130 Ma; 111–108 Ma) and metallogeny (150–139 Ma; 138–135 Ma; 114 Ma), the newly obtained apatite ages can be correlated with coeval magmatic and metallogenetic events of this ore district. In comparison, except for the Nannihu pluton which is ca. 19 Ma younger than the corresponding zircon U–Pb ages, the other studied plutons show almost consistent apatite and zircon U–Pb ages within error ranges, suggesting rapid post magmatic cooling below ~450 °C in response to shallow emplacement. Apatite chemistry displays ΣREE concentrations in the range of 2379–15,925 ppm, characterized by rather high LREE concentrations, depleted to flat HREE profiles and distinctive negative Eu anomalies, suggesting crust-mantle mixing in the magma source prior to apatite crystallization, which incorporated different degrees of sediment melting and slab melting components triggered by the subducted Paleo-Pacific slab-derived fluids. In conjunction with element concentrations and ratios (e.g., Sr, Mn, Cl, Y, La/Y, Eu/Eu*, (Sm/Nd)N, (La/Sm)N, (Eu/Eu*)N, (Ce/Ce*)N, (La/Yb)N) in apatite, the Luanchuan granitoids are classified as moderately oxidized and mineralized I-type granites. We suggest that the Huangbeiling pluton and other igneous rocks in its vicinity likely have relatively higher potential for future W-Mo/Mo-W exploration, and that different degrees of magmatic differentiation might have generated the porphyry-skarn Mo–W deposit in the Yuku ore field. Moreover, our study also demonstrates that the apatite REE concentrations and ratios can be used as potential indicators for mineral exploration.

The lithospheric-to-lower-mantle carbon cycle recorded in superdeep diamonds.

The transport of carbon into Earth's mantle is a critical pathway in Earth's carbon cycle, affecting both the climate and the redox conditions of the surface and mantle. The largest unconstrained variables in this cycle are the depths to which carbon in sediments and altered oceanic crust can be subducted and the relative contributions of these reservoirs to the sequestration of carbon in the deep mantle1. Mineral inclusions in sublithospheric, or 'superdeep', diamonds (derived fromdepths greater than250 kilometres) can be used to constrain these variables. Here we present oxygen isotope measurements of mineral inclusions within diamonds from Kankan, Guineathat are derived from depths extending from the lithosphere to the lower mantle (greater than 660 kilometres). These data, combined with the carbon and nitrogen isotope contents of the diamonds, indicate that carbonated igneous oceanic crust, not sediment, is the primary carbon-bearing reservoir in slabs subducted to deep-lithospheric and transition-zone depths (less than 660 kilometres). Within this depth regime, sublithospheric inclusions are distinctly enriched in 18O relative to eclogitic lithospheric inclusions derived from crustal protoliths. The increased 18O content of these sublithospheric inclusions results from their crystallization from melts of carbonate-rich subducted oceanic crust. In contrast, lower-mantle mineral inclusions and their host diamonds (deeper than 660 kilometres) have a narrow range of isotopic values that are typical of mantle that has experienced little or no crustal interaction. Because carbon is hosted in metals, rather than in diamond, in the reduced, volatile-poor lower mantle2, carbon must be mobilized and concentrated to form lower-mantle diamonds. Our data support a model in which the hydration of the uppermost lower mantle by subducted oceanic lithosphere destabilizes carbon-bearing metals to form diamond, without disturbing the ambient-mantle stable-isotope signatures. This transition from carbonate slab melting in the transition zone to slab dehydration in the lower mantle supports a lower-mantle barrier for carbon subduction.

Petrogenesis of a rare Ediacaran tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite suite, Egypt, and implications for Neoproterozoic Gondwana assembly

AbstractMost tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) suites are Archean–Palaeoproterozoic in age, but those of Neoproterozoic–Phanerozoic age are scarce. A rare Ediacaran high-Al TTG suite has been identified at the Fannani Igneous Complex (FIC) in the northern Arabian–Nubian Shield, which is essentially composed of amalgamated Neoproterozoic island-arc Pan-African composite terranes that contain several ophiolitic sutures. The FIC exhibits a wide range of SiO2, Al2O3, Sr and Zr, shows moderate rare earth element (REE) enrichment, and K, Ti, Nb, Y and heavy REE depletion. It is a subsolvus suite with clear orogenic affinities and strong arc-geochemical signatures. The precise U–Pb zircon thermal ionization mass spectrometry age obtained (607.4 ± 1.95 Ma) indicates oceanic subduction extended to late stages of the East African Orogeny. The FIC exhibits87Sr/86Sr compositions of 0.70346–0.71091 (Sr(i)ratio, 0.70284), and143Nd/144Nd of 0.51254–0.51270 (ϵNd(t) = +5.12 to +7.16), typical of modern oceanic-arc rocks (as Japan-arc basalts), and suggestive of mantle sources and island-arc settings. The FIC possesses low values of Yb (1.55 ppm), Nb (14 ppm) and Y (24 ppm), and high ratios of Sr/Y (27), Zr/Sm (46) and Nb/Ta (11.8), typical of magmas produced by anatexis of a basaltic slab. Partial melting models show that the FIC magma was generated by melting (F= 0.25–0.50) of a subducted oceanic crust transformed into eclogite, leaving 10–25% garnet in the residue. The FIC and similar complexes produced via slab melting during the closure of the Mozambique Ocean formed large juvenile belts along the East African Orogen that sutured East and West Gondwana together into a united supercontinent.

Mafic volcanic rocks of western Iron Ore Group, Singhbhum Craton, eastern India: Geochemical evidence for ocean–continent convergence

Precambrian mafic magmatism is an important global episode which played a significant role in the crustal evolution. In India, Singhbhum Craton being the oldest craton, witnessed significant occurrences of Precambrian geological activity, marked by several episodes of volcanism, plutonism, sedimentation spanning from Palaeoarchean to Mesoproterozoic age. Here we present petrological and geochemical characteristics of Precambrian mafic volcanic rocks (occurring in western Iron Ore Group (IOG), Singhbhum Craton, eastern India) to evaluate their petrogenetic aspects, tectonic setting, and magma generation. The mafic volcanic rocks are porphyritic in nature with the phenocrysts of plagioclase and groundmass composed of clinopyroxene, plagioclase, ilmenite, and volcanic glass. These rocks are mostly tholeiitic, sometimes with a transitional behaviour towards calc‐alkaline nature and display basalt‐basaltic andesite affinity. These mafic volcanic rocks also preserve geochemical signatures (high Nb/U, Nb/La, [Nb/Th]pm ratios) in support of Nb‐enriched basalts and are classified as Nb‐enriched basalts (NEB; Nb &gt; 7 ppm) and high‐Nb basalts (HNB; Nb &gt; 20 ppm) on the basis of Nb concentrations and mantle normalized Nb/La ratios (&gt;0.5). The NEBs and HNBs are marked by lesser magnitude of negative Nb anomalies with high (Nb/Th)pm, (Nb/La)pm, and Nb/U ratios as compared to normal arc basalts. Several major element oxides, trace elements, and selected element ratios (like SiO2, CaO/Al2O3, Y, V/Cr, Zr/Nb, and ∑REE) show systematic variations with MgO which suggests role of magmatic fractionation. Chondrite‐normalized REE patterns for NEB and HNB rocks exhibit uniform LREE enrichment with distinct Eu negative anomalies while primitive mantle‐normalized incompatible trace element patterns reflect enrichment in LILE and LREE with prominent Nb‐Ta anomalies. Different HFSE ratios corroborate a subduction related setting for magma generation formed by ∼10%–20% melting in the domain of garnet lherzolite. Relative enrichment of LILE and LREE with depleted HFSE characteristics attest a garnet‐bearing mantle source and melt extraction with garnet in the residue. Geochemical signatures suggest that the genesis of NEB and HNB is attributable to slab‐melting and wedge hybridization processes during matured stages of subduction. Selected incompatible trace element ratios for the studied mafic volcanic rocks invoke an enriched (EM1‐EM2 type) mantle source and unequivocally suggest effects of continental crustal assimilation of the parent magma. Liquid immiscibility has played an important role as a differentiation mechanism leading to presence of high and low FeO types. The IOG mafic volcanic rocks preserve distinct geochemical signatures of matured stage of subduction, slab melting, crustal contamination and magma generation at an Archean ocean–continent convergent margin setting.

Ridge subduction, magmatism, and metallogenesis

Modern oceans contain large bathymetric highs (spreading oceanic ridges, aseismic ridges or oceanic plateaus and inactive arc ridges) that, in total, constitute more than 20–30% of the total area of the world’s ocean floor. These bathymetric highs may be subducted, and such processes are commonly referred to as ridge subduction. Such ridge subduction events are not only very common and important geodynamic processes in modern oceanic plate tectonics, they also play an important role in the generation of arc magmatism, material recycling, the growth and evolution of continental crust, the deformation and modification of the overlying plates, and metallogenesis at convergent plate boundaries. Therefore, these events have attracted widespread attention. The perpendicular or high-angle subduction of mid-ocean spreading ridges is commonly characterized by the occurrence of a slab window, and the formation of a distinctive adakite–high-Mg andesite–Nb-enriched basalt-oceanic island basalt (OIB) or a mid-oceanic ridge basalt (MORB)-type rock suite, and is closely associated with Au mineralization. Aseismic ridges or oceanic plateaus are traditionally considered to be difficult to subduct, to typically collide with arcs or continents or to induce flat subduction (low angle of less than 10°) due to the thickness of their underlying normal oceanic crust (> 6–7 km) and high topography. However, the subduction of aseismic ridges and oceanic plateaus occurred on both the western and eastern sides of the Pacific Ocean during the Cenozoic. On the eastern side of the Pacific Ocean, aseismic ridges or oceanic plateaus are being subducted flatly or at low angles beneath South and Central American continents, which may cause a magmatic gap. But slab melting can occur and adakites, or an adakite–high-Mg andesite–adakitic andesite–Nb-enriched basalt suite may be formed during the slab rollback or tearing. Cu-Au mineralization is commonly associated with such flat subduction events. On the western side of the Pacific Ocean, however, aseismic ridges and oceanic plateaus are subducted at relatively high angles (>30°). These subduction processes can generate large scale eruptions of basalts, basaltic andesites and andesites, which may be derived from fractional crystallization of magmas originating from the subduction zone fluid-metasomatized mantle wedge. In addition, some inactive arc ridges are subducted beneath Southwest Japan, and these subduction processes are commonly associated with the production of basalts, high-Mg andesites and adakites and Au mineralization. Besides magmatism and Cu-Au mineralization, ridge subduction may also trigger subduction erosion in subduction zones. Future frontiers of research will include characterizing the spatial and temporal patterns of ridge subduction events, clarifying the associated geodynamic mechanisms, quantifying subduction zone material recycling, establishing the associated deep crustal and mantle events that generate or influence magmatism and Cu-Au mineralization, establishing criteria to recognize pre-Cenozoic ridge subduction, the onset of modern-style plate tectonics and the growth mechanisms for Archean continental crust.

The Cretaceous igneous rocks in southeastern Guangxi and their implication for tectonic environment in southwestern South China Block

Abstract Southeastern Guangxi is located in the southwestern South China Block and to the northwest of the South China Sea (SCS), with abundant records of the Cretaceous magmatism. A detailed study of igneous rocks will contribute to a better understanding of the late Mesozoic tectonic environment. Zircon U–Pb dating yields ages of 93.37 ± 0.43 Ma for Yulin andesites and 107.6 ± 1.2 Ma for Luchuan granites. Yulin andesites are hornblende andesites, of which w(MgO) is between 7.72% and 8.42%, and Mg# is between 66.7 and 68.0, belonging to high magnesian andesites (HMAs) from peridotite sources. Luchuan granites are medium- to fine-grained monzogranites. Monzogranites and clastoporphyritic lava are high-K calc-alkaline series and metaluminum to weakly peraluminous series, which belong to the I-type granites. Those are enriched in Rb, Th, K and LREEs and depleted in Nb, Ta, P and Eu, showing the geochemical characteristics related to subduction. Unlike the contemporary “bimodal igneous rock assemblages” in Zhejiang and Fujian, the intermediate-acid magmatites in the southeastern Guangxi imply the compressive tectonic environment. The assemblage of HMAs and adakitic rocks indicates that the southwestern South China Block was under the Neo-Tethyan subduction during Cretaceous, and slab melting contributed to the magma in this area.

Intermittent subduction of the Paleo-Tethys Ocean in the middle–late Permian: evidence from the mafic–intermediate intrusive rocks in the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt

In this study, we investigate the geochronology, geochemistry, zircon Lu–Hf isotopes and Sr–Nd isotopes of mafic–intermediate intrusive rocks in the Naxiguole area of the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt (EKOB), northwest China. Zircon U–Pb dating yields formation ages of 254.8 ± 1.2 Ma for gabbros and 251.9 ± 1.3 Ma for gabbrodiorites, suggesting that the mafic–intermediate intrusive rocks were formed in the late Permian. The gabbrodiorites show the geochemical characteristics of arc magmatic rocks, while gabbros were similar to those of backarc basin basalts. The gabbros yielded (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios of 0.7068–0.7097, low ε Nd(t) values of –4.40 to +0.16, and a limited range of ε Hf(t) values of –1.09 to +0.04. The gabbrodiorites display (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios of 0.7090–0.7098, ε Nd(t) values ranging between –3.99 and –3.55, and ε Hf(t) values of –0.81 to +0.34. The Sr–Nd and Lu–Hf isotopes from both types of samples resemble an enriched mantle but distinctly different from the crust. Based on their geochemical, and some trace elemental ratios (e.g. Ba/Th, La/Sm, Th/Yb and Sm/Yb), we suggest that the parental magmas of the gabbros and gabbrodiorites were formed by 1–5% partial melting of spinel lherzolite and garnet–spinel lherzolite, respectively. The gabbros originated from a mantle source modified by subducted slab fluids, while the gabbrodiorites were derived from a mantle source altered by subducted slab melts. By synthesising all the data, we propose that the gabbros were formed in a backarc extension setting and the gabbrodiorites in a continental arc setting. This suggests a geodynamic setting transition from backarc extension to subduction during the late Permian. In combination with previous research, we propose that the subduction mode in the Paleo-Tethys Ocean in the EKOB is intermittent. KEY POINTS Zircon U–Pb dating indicates an age of ca 254.8 ± 1.2 Ma for the gabbros and ca 251.9 ± 1.3 Ma for the gabbrodiorites (i.e. late Permian). The gabbros were derived from an enriched mantle source modified by slab-derived fluids whereas the gabbrodiorites had an enriched mantle source modified by subducted slab melts. The gabbros were in a backarc extension setting while the gabbrodiorites formed in a continental arc setting. This suggests that there was a transition in the geodynamic setting (from backarc extension to subduction).

Petrogenesis of Late Carboniferous A-type granites and Early Cretaceous adakites of the Songnen Block, NE China: Implications for the geodynamic evolution of the Paleo-Asian and Paleo-Pacific oceans

The petrogenesis of Late Carboniferous A-type granites and Early Cretaceous adakites in NE China offers new insights into the geodynamic evolution of the Paleo-Asian and Paleo-Pacific oceans. This study reports new LA–ICP–MS zircon UPb ages, geochemical data, and zircon Hf isotopic compositions of syenogranites and quartz diorite porphyries exposed on the northern margin of the Songnen Block, NE China. Zircon UPb age data indicate that the syenogranites and quartz diorite porphyries were emplaced at ca. 319 and 120 Ma, respectively. The syenogranites have high K2O contents of 4.15–4.79 wt% and (K2O + Na2O)/CaO ratios of 33–102, and low MgO (0.06–0.20 wt%) and P2O5 (0.01–0.02 wt%) contents. Their remarkably high HREE contents and Y/Nb ratios (2.07–2.40), significantly negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu⁎ = 0.15–0.28), and low Sr contents (29.7–85.8 ppm) indicate that the syenogranites are A-type granites. They have positive zircon εHf(t) values of 8.4–12.1 and Neoproterozoic Hf TDM2 ages of 795–561 Ma, suggesting a juvenile lower crustal source. The quartz diorite porphyries have relatively high Na2O and MgO, and moderate K2O contents. Their A/CNK values (0.95–1.18) indicate a transition from being metaluminous to weakly peraluminous. They are enriched in LILEs (e.g., Rb, K, and Ba) and depleted in HFSEs (e.g., Nb, Ta, Ti, and P). Their low Y (11.1–14.4 ppm) and Yb (0.98–1.34 ppm) contents and high Sr (589–1131 ppm), Cr, and Ni contents and Sr/Y ratios indicate that they were generated by partial melting of oceanic crust. Based on these data and regional geological investigations, we propose that the syenogranites on the northern margin of the Songnen Block were formed in a post-collision extensional setting, likely due to closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean between the Xing'an and Songnen blocks. Formation of the Early Cretaceous quartz diorite porphyries may have been triggered by partial melting of the Paleo-Pacific flat slab. Apart from rollback of the Paleo-Pacific oceanic slab, the main reason for the eastward migration of magmatism during the Cretaceous was the trench-ward dehydration, eclogitization, and sinking of the residual Paleo-Pacific flat slab.

Sediment-derived melt-related metasomatized mantle wedge as a source of post-subduction Quaternary adakitic porphyries associated with absarokite-shoshonite from the Karadağ stratovolcano (Karaman, Central Anatolia, Turkey)

The Karadağ stratovolcano (KS), located at the southern end of the Cappadocian Volcanic Province in Central Anatolia, Turkey, is a key volcanic vent for understanding the spatiotemporal association between adakitic and mafic potassic (absarokitic-shoshonitic-banakitic) magmas in a post-subduction intracontinental setting. Here, we present a comprehensive geochemical dataset consisting of mineral chemistry, major and trace elements, Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes and conventional K-Ar age data for the adakitic andesite-dacite series of the KS. KS was built up by the eruption of adakitic andesites (825 ± 17 ka), absarokite-shoshonites (393 ± 153 ka), adakitic dacites (45 ± 6 ka) and effusive deposits (<45 ka). The metaluminous and calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline Karadağ adakitic porphyries demonstrate high Sr (662 to 1053 ppm), Sr/Y ratios (39–66) and Mg# (46 to 63) along with low Y (11 to 17 ppm) and heavy rare earth element (HREE) concentrations, consistent with a slab melting origin in modern subduction settings. The samples are characterized by relative enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and depletion in high field strength elements (HFSEs), with Nb-Ta depletion but an insignificant negative Eu anomalies. However, their high K2O/Na2O ratios (0.6–0.9) and Mg# and their evolved Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr(t) = 0.7045 to 0.7078, 143Nd/144Nd = 0.512454 to 0.512612 and 206Pb/204Pb = 18.93 to 18.94) mark an origin from an enriched mantle source. Karadağ volcanic rocks also have low Nb/La (<0.5) ratios that show a positive correlation with SiO2 and high Nb/Ta (average 15.7) ratios close to that of primitive mantle (PM) (17.5), all of which implies a heterogeneous mantle source and an insignificant role of crustal assimilation. Based on the powerful volcanic markers of geochemical ratios (e.g., low Ba/Th, Sr/Th and high La/Sm, Th/Nb, Th/La, Hf/sm), variable Sr-Nd, and high 206Pb/204Pb isotopic compositions, we contend that the Karadağ adakitic porphyries, similar to the absarokites-shoshonites-banakites, were formed through partial melting of the metasomatized mantle. The mantle wedge was metasomatized mainly by overlying sediments of subducted crust, as major metasomatic agents, and to a lesser degree by melts/fluids from the dehydrated oceanic slab. It is suggested that absarokitic magmas were derived from the lowermost lithospheric mantle source and adakitic magmas from the uppermost mantle lithosphere. The thermal energy required for partial melting of the metasomatized mantle lithosphere was generated by upwelling of the hot asthenosphere through deep strike-slip faults bordering a pull-apart basin in a post-subduction extensional intracontinental setting. These interpretations argue against the presence of a Quaternary arc in Central Anatolia, and adakitic and associated mafic potassic magmas do not require contemporaneous subduction of an oceanic slab or delamination of lower continental crust in a post-subduction setting. We conclude that a post-collisional transtensional stage after rapid multi-phased uplift was triggered by asthenospheric mantle flows (collision-induced, collision-related slab break-off-induced, or a combined effect of both), transferring the metasomatized mantle-derived magmas into the crust system along with the whole Cappadocian Volcanic Province.

Temporal‐Geochemical Evolution of the Persani Volcanic Field, Eastern Transylvanian Basin (Romania): Implications for Slab Rollback Beneath the SE Carpathians

AbstractThe Quaternary Persani volcanic field (PVF) consists of alkali basalts formed in an extensional basin at the SE end of the Transylvanian basin, near an important anomaly in the European mantle, the Vrancea slab, a seismically active near‐vertical lithospheric fragment of debated origin. The PVF is the only basaltic field regionally, has been studied geochemically in the past, and is also known for the presence of abundant mantle xenoliths. Here, we describe new geochemical data on rocks recently dated by Ar‐Ar chronometry and show that while we can reproduce virtually all previous results, there is a clear temporal evolution of the magmatic system. There is an increase of over 80°C in temperatures determined by the Si activity thermometer, from 1,300°C to 1,380°C during the ~0.5‐Myr duration of volcanic activity, which is accompanied by several coherent trends in geochemistry, among which the decrease of Zn/Fe and 87Sr/86Sr ratios over time. Earlier, higher Zn/Fe ratios are indicative of a pyroxenite/eclogite‐dominated source, which gradually changed to a peridotite‐dominated source. These characteristics are typical of a dynamic mantle in which vertical mantle lithosphere tectonics, either due to slab rollback or mantle dripping plays a role and are not consistent with simple decompression melting of asthenosphere. Synchronous adakitic rocks found about 25–30 km east of PVF are presumed to be slab melts and are consistent with the Vrancea slab rollback as the trigger for mantle melting responsible for the PVF.

Genesis of ca. 850–835 Ma high-Mg# diorites in the western Yangtze Block, South China: Implications for mantle metasomatism under the subduction process

High-Mg# (molar 100 × Mg/(Mg + Fe)) diorites can provide significant insights on mantle metasomatism under a subduction zone. Here we investigate the genesis of the Neoproterozoic Shuilu high-Mg# diorites in the western Yangtze Block to evaluate the role of subduction-related fluids and sediment melts acting on mantle sources during the subduction process. Zircon U–Pb dating results display new weighted mean 206Pb/238U ages of 850.1 ± 1.7 Ma, 840.9 ± 2.4 Ma, and 836.6 ± 1.9 Ma for these high-Mg# diorites. They are metaluminous and calc-alkaline rocks, and characterized by moderate SiO2 contents (57.08–61.12 wt%) and high MgO contents (3.36–4.30 wt%) and Mg# values (56–60). The relatively low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.703406 to 0.704157) and highly positive whole-rock εNd(t) (+3.26 to +4.26) and zircon εHf(t) values (+8.43 to +13.6) imply that these rocks were predominantly sourced from depleted lithospheric mantle. These high-Mg# diorites also show enrichment of light rare earth elements and large ion lithophile elements (e.g., Rb, Ba, K, and Sr) as well as depletion of high field strength elements (e.g., Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf), resembling a typical arc magma affinity. The highly variable Ba contents and Rb/Y, Th/Ce, Th/Sm, Ba/La, and Th/Yb ratios indicate significant incorporation of subduction-related fluids and sediment-derived melts into the primary mantle source. We therefore propose that the ca. 850–835 Ma high-Mg# diorites investigated in this study were formed by partial melting of a metasomatized mantle source enriched by subduction fluids and sediment melts. Our new data, in conjunction with numerous studies of metasomatized mantle magmatism from the western Yangtze Block, suggest that the Neoproterozoic mantle sources beneath the western Yangtze Block were metasomatized by subduction-related compositions involving slab fluids, sediment melts, and oceanic slab melts during the subduction process.