Mid-ocean Ridge Basalt Source Research Articles

The recycling of marine carbonates and sources of HIMU and FOZO ocean island basalts

© 2014 Elsevier B.V. Many, and perhaps all, oceanic island basalts (OIB) clearly contain a component of crustal materials that have been returned to the mantle through subduction or other processes. One of the first recycled materials to be identified as a potential source of OIB was mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), and this was later fine-tuned as having a long time-integrated (b.y.) high U/Pb ratio or high μ (HIMU) and producing OIB with the most radiogenic Pb isotopic ratios (206Pb/204Pb>20). However, it is becoming more evident that the compositional connection between subducted MORB and HIMU basalts is problematic. As an alternative hypothesis, a small amount (a few %) of recycled Archaean marine carbonates (primarily CaCO3) is proposed to be the main source of the distinct 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb and 87Sr/86Sr isotopic and major-trace element compositions of classic HIMU and post-Archaean marine carbonates for younger HIMU or the so-called FOZO mantle source. As an extension of the hypothesis, a conceptual model that combines the separate evolutionary histories of ancient oceanic lithosphere, which is the source of OIB, and upper mantle, which is the source of MORB, is also proposed. The model claims that FOZO mainly consists of the lithospheric mantle portion of the ancient metamorphosed oceanic slabs that have accumulated in the deep mantle. Such an ultramafic source is geochemically depleted due to prior extraction of basaltic melt plus removal of the enriched subduction component from the slab through dehydration and metamorphic processes. Combined with other proposed models in the literature, the conceptual model can provide reasonable solutions for the 208Pb/204Pb, 143Nd/144Nd, 176Hf/177Hf, and 3He/4He isotopic paradoxes or complexities of oceanic lavas. Although these simultaneous solutions for individual paradoxes are qualitative and non-unique, these are unified under a single, marine carbonate recycling hypothesis.

Disequilibrium degassing model determination of the 3He concentration and 3He/22Ne of the MORB and OIB mantle sources

Models of the dynamics of eruptive degassing provide a unique insight into the pre-eruptive concentrations of the major volatiles (CO2, H2O), noble gases, and the mantle reservoirs supplying them: a fundamental component in describing the accretion and evolution of the Earth. We investigate and develop a disequilibrium degassing model, exploring the parameters required to reproduce noble gas compositions observed in two ocean island basalt (OIB) and one mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) sample suites from the East Pacific Rise (EPR), Loihi Seamount, and Iceland. The original model assumed an identical loss of major volatile components for each degassing step (Gonnermann and Mukhopadhyay, 2007). We recalculate the major volatile vapor phase composition for each degassing step, taking account of the degassing history over previous steps. Final noble gas elemental ratios, using the same eruption parameters, can differ by orders of magnitude from the original model's calculations. We further adapt our model variant to take into account both decompression-driven degassing during magma ascent and degassing at constant pressure during sample quenching. Our results show that elemental ratios and noble gas concentrations can be effectively decoupled by the different degassing stages of an eruption. Ascent rate determines whether degassing during magma ascent is modeled as predominantly closed or open system degassing. The closed system conditions that dominate the slowly ascending MORB result in a less dramatic decrease in degassed elemental ratios than for the OIB models, consistent with the observed data. The MORB model also constrains the initial MORB source melt 3He/22Ne ratio, allowing that the MORB mantle could have a ratio as low as the OIB ratio, a feature required by steady state mantle models. The two OIB sample suites show very similar noble gas ratios and concentrations despite a large difference in final eruption pressures. We propose that this can fit our model if the effect of gas loss by quenching is negligible. Our model then shows that only a small amount of degassing takes place during magma ascent, meaning that initial OIB He melt concentrations must be similar to or lower than MORB source melt concentrations, although greater initial CO2 concentrations are required. This result is entirely consistent with mantle models which see a significant recycled component in the OIB-source mantle: such material would be expected to have higher CO2 but lower 3He concentrations than the depleted mantle.

Petrogenesis and chemogenesis of oceanic and continental orogens in Asia: Current topics, Part I

Petrogenesis and chemogenesis of oceanic and continental orogens in <scp>A</scp>sia: Current topics, <scp>Part I</scp>

Experimental Study of the Influence of Water on Melting and Phase Assemblages in the Upper Mantle

The role of water in the uppermost mantle has been explored to 6 GPa (∼200 km) by a novel experimental approach in which the silicate melting solidus, the stability of hydrous phases and the H2O contents in nominally anhydrous minerals (NAMs) were determined. The composition studied is a fertile lherzolite modelled as a source for mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB). The use of crushed olivine as traps for melt or fluid inclusions allows a distinction to be made between quenched hydrous silicate melt and quench material from water-rich vapour phase. The vapor-saturated solidus (water-rich vapor) of fertile lherzolite increases in temperature (T) from a minimum of 970°C at 1·5 GPa (∼50 km) to 1375°C at 6 GPa. The Ca-rich amphibole pargasite is stable to the vapour-saturated solidus to 3 GPa (∼100 km). Based on normative components, at 2·5 GPa the near-solidus melt (1–2%) in mantle with very low H2O content is transitional between sodic–dolomitic carbonatite and olivine melilitite. With higher melt fraction (∼5%) at higher T or higher H2O content it is olivine-rich basanite. Both immediately below and above the solidus, the H2O content in residual lherzolite is ∼200 ppm retained in NAMs at 2·5 and 4 GPa. The experimentally determined vapour-saturated solidus corrects recent numerical models of melting of lherzolite + H2O based on inferred high solubilities of H2O in NAMs and accounts for a discrepant experimental determination of the vapour-saturated solidus in which very high water/rock ratios were used. At 2·5 ± 0·1 GPa, the water content of experimental charges was varied from 0·05 to 14·5 wt %. Below the solidus and with increasing water content from 0·05 to 2·9 wt %, pargasite decreases in K2O and Na2O content and is absent in experiments with 7·25 and 14·5 wt % H2O. Also with increasing water content from 0·05 to 14·5 wt % H2O, the Na2O content of clinopyroxene decreases from 1·6 wt % to below the limit of detection (0·2 wt %). The destabilization of pargasite and change of clinopyroxene composition at 2·5 GPa and 1000°C are attributed to the leaching role (Na2O and K2O particularly) of the water-rich vapour at high water/rock ratios. The hydrous mineral pargasite is the major site of H2O storage in fertile uppermost mantle lherzolite but pargasite is unstable at pressures (P) >3 GPa (∼100 km depth), causing a sharp drop in the water storage capacity of the upper mantle from >2000 to ∼200 ppm. For small H2O contents (<2000 ppm approximately), the temperature of the vapour-undersaturated solidus of fertile upper mantle lherzolite decreases sharply with increasing P at ∼90 km depth. The negative dT/dP for the vapour-undersaturated solidus has important rheological and geodynamic consequences. In oceanic intraplate settings, the geotherm passes from subsolidus pargasite-bearing lherzolite to garnet lherzolite with incipient melting, creating the rheological boundary at ∼90 km depth, between lithosphere and asthenosphere. The asthenosphere becomes geochemically zoned with the ‘enriched’ intraplate basalt source (>500 ppm H2O) overlying the ‘depleted’ MORB source (∼200 ppm H2O) in the deeper asthenosphere. Water also plays a significant role at convergent margins, where hydrous silicate melting in the mantle wedge is initiated at the vapour-saturated solidus. Melting of lherzolite at or near the vapour-saturated solidus does not fully dehydrate residual lherzolite or harzburgite. Residual lithosphere returned to the upper mantle may carry ∼100–200 ppm H2O. At 6 GPa the low K/Na model mantle composition (MORB-source mantle) with >200 ppm H2O has normal rather than supercritical melting behaviour with the solidus at 1375°C, which is ∼350°C below the C + H-free solidus.

Understanding the origin and evolution of water in the Moon through lunar sample studies.

A paradigm shift has recently occurred in our knowledge and understanding of water in the lunar interior. This has transpired principally through continued analysis of returned lunar samples using modern analytical instrumentation. While these recent studies have undoubtedly measured indigenous water in lunar samples they have also highlighted our current limitations and some future challenges that need to be overcome in order to fully understand the origin, distribution and evolution of water in the lunar interior. Another exciting recent development in the field of lunar science has been the unambiguous detection of water or water ice on the surface of the Moon through instruments flown on a number of orbiting spacecraft missions. Considered together, sample-based studies and those from orbit strongly suggest that the Moon is not an anhydrous planetary body, as previously believed. New observations and measurements support the possibility of a wet lunar interior and the presence of distinct reservoirs of water on the lunar surface. Furthermore, an approach combining measurements of water abundance in lunar samples and its hydrogen isotopic composition has proved to be of vital importance to fingerprint and elucidate processes and source(s) involved in giving rise to the lunar water inventory. A number of sources are likely to have contributed to the water inventory of the Moon ranging from primordial water to meteorite-derived water ice through to the water formed during the reaction of solar wind hydrogen with the lunar soil. Perhaps two of the most striking findings from these recent studies are the revelation that at least some portions of the lunar interior are as water-rich as some Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt source regions on Earth and that the water in the Earth and the Moon probably share a common origin.

Sulfur isotope budget (32S, 33S, 34S and 36S) in Pacific–Antarctic ridge basalts: A record of mantle source heterogeneity and hydrothermal sulfide assimilation

To better address how Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) sulfur isotope composition can be modified by assimilation and/or by immiscible sulfide fractionation, we report sulfur (S), chlorine (Cl) and copper (Cu) abundances together with multiple sulfur isotope composition for 38 fresh basaltic glasses collected on the Pacific–Antarctic ridge. All the studied glasses – with the exception of 8 off-axis samples – exhibit relatively high Cl/K, as the result of pervasive Cl-rich fluid assimilation. This sample set hence offers an opportunity to document both the upper mantle S isotope composition and the effect of hydrothermal fluids assimilation on the S isotope composition of erupted basalts along segments that are devoid of plume influence.Δ33S and Δ36S yield homogenous values within error of Canyon Diablo Troilite (CDT), whereas δ34S are variable, ranging between −1.57±0.11‰ and +0.60±0.10‰ with a mean value of −0.64±0.40‰ (1σ, versus V-CDT). The geographic distribution of δ34S follows a spike-like pattern, with local 34S-enrichments by up to +1.30‰ compared to a low-δ34S baseline. As hydrothermal massive sulfides are characterized by relative 34S-enrichments, such first-order variability can be accounted for by hydrothermal sulfide assimilation, a process that would occur for a subset of samples (n=10). Excluding these particular samples, the mean δ34S is significantly less variable, averaging at −0.89±0.11‰ (1σ, n=28), a value that we suggest to be representative of the average MORB source value for Pacific–Antarctic basalts. Weak trends between δ34S and 206Pb/204Pb are displayed by such uncontaminated samples suggesting the recycled oceanic crust to have a modest impact on the S budget of the mantle. Their positive signs, however, suggest the depleted mantle to have a δ34S of −1.40±0.50‰. The sub-chondritic 34S/32S value that was previously observed for the South-Atlantic mantle is here extended to the Pacific–Antarctic domain. Such a feature cannot originate from oceanic crust recycling and substantiates the concept of a core–mantle fractionation relict.

Across-arc geochemical variations in the Southern Volcanic Zone, Chile (34.5–38.0°S): Constraints on mantle wedge and slab input compositions

Crustal assimilation (e.g. Hildreth and Moorbath, 1988) and/or subduction erosion (e.g. Stern, 1991; Kay et al., 2005) are believed to control the geochemical variations along the northern portion of the Chilean Southern Volcanic Zone. In order to evaluate these hypotheses, we present a comprehensive geochemical data set (major and trace elements and O–Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotopes) from Holocene primarily olivine-bearing volcanic rocks across the arc between 34.5°S and 38.0°S, including volcanic front centers from Tinguiririca to Callaqui, the rear arc centers of Infernillo Volcanic Field, Laguna del Maule and Copahue, and extending 300km into the backarc. We also present an equivalent data set for Chile trench sediments outboard of this profile. The volcanic arc (including volcanic front and rear arc) samples primarily range from basalt to andesite/trachyandesite, whereas the backarc rocks are low-silica alkali basalts and trachybasalts. All samples show some characteristic subduction zone trace element enrichments and depletions, but the backarc samples show the least. Backarc basalts have higher Ce/Pb, Nb/U, Nb/Zr, and Ta/Hf, and lower Ba/Nb and Ba/La, consistent with less of a slab-derived component in the backarc and, consequently, lower degrees of mantle melting. The mantle-like δ18O in olivine and plagioclase phenocrysts (volcanic arc=4.9–5.6‰ and backarc=5.0–5.4‰) and lack of correlation between δ18O and indices of differentiation and other isotope ratios, argue against significant crustal assimilation. Volcanic arc and backarc samples almost completely overlap in Sr and Nd isotopic composition. High precision (double-spike) Pb isotope ratios are tightly correlated, precluding significant assimilation of older sialic crust but indicating mixing between a South Atlantic Mid Ocean-Ridge Basalt (MORB) source and a slab component derived from subducted sediments and altered oceanic crust. Hf–Nd isotope ratios define separate linear arrays for the volcanic arc and backarc, neither of which trend toward subducting sediment, possibly reflecting a primarily asthenospheric mantle array for the volcanic arc and involvement of enriched Proterozoic lithospheric mantle in the backarc. We propose a quantitative mixing model between a mixed-source, slab-derived melt and a heterogeneous mantle beneath the volcanic arc. The model is consistent with local geodynamic parameters, assuming water-saturated conditions within the slab.

Heterogeneities from the first 100 million years recorded in deep mantle noble gases from the Northern Lau Back-arc Basin

Heavy noble gases can record long-lasting heterogeneities in the mantle, because Ne, Ar, and Xe isotopes are produced from extant (U, Th, K) and extinct (129I and 244Pu) radionuclides. However, the presence of ubiquitous atmospheric contamination in basalts, particularly for ocean island basalts (OIBs) that sample the Earth's deep mantle, have largely hampered precise characterization of the mantle source compositions. Here we present new high-precision noble gas data from gas-rich basalts erupted along the Rochambeau Rift (RR) in the northwestern corner of the Lau Basin. The strong influence of a deep mantle plume in the Rochambeau source is apparent from low 4He/3He ratios down to 25,600 (3He/4He of 28.1RA).We find that the Rochambeau source is characterized by low ratios of radiogenic to non-radiogenic nuclides of Ne, Ar, and Xe (i.e., low 21Ne/22Ne, 40Ar/36Ar, and 129Xe/130Xe) compared to the mantle source of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs). High-precision xenon isotopic measurements indicate that the lower 129Xe/130Xe ratios in the Rochambeau source cannot be explained solely by mixing atmospheric xenon with MORB-type xenon; nor can fission-produced Xe be added to MORB Xe to produce the compositions seen in the Rochambeau basalts. Deconvolution of fissiogenic xenon isotopes demonstrate a higher proportion of Pu- fission derived Xe in the Rochambeau source compared to the MORB source. Therefore, both I/Xe and Pu/Xe ratios are different between OIB and MORB sources. Our observations require heterogeneous volatile accretion and a lower degree of processing for the plume source compared to the MORB source. Since differences in 129Xe/130Xe ratios have to be produced while 129I is still alive, OIB and MORB sources must have been processed at different rates for the first 100 million years (Myr) of Solar System history, and subsequent to this period, the two reservoirs have not been homogenized.In combination with recent results from the Iceland plume, our noble gas observations require the formation and preservation of less-degassed, early-formed (pre-4.45Ga) heterogeneities in the Earth's deep mantle. Consequently, the primitive noble gas reservoir sampled by mantle plumes cannot be created solely through sequestration of recycled slabs or undegassed melts at the base of the mantle during the past 4.4Ga. Finally, if the more primitive, less degassed heterogeneities reside in the Large Low Shear Wave Velocity Provinces (LLSVPs), then LLSVPs must be long-lasting features of the deep mantle and are not composed exclusively of recycled material.

Water in the martian interior: Evidence for terrestrial MORB mantle-like volatile contents from hydroxyl-rich apatite in olivine–phyric shergottite NWA 6234

Understanding the distribution and behavior of volatiles in martian magmas and the corresponding mantle provides crucial constraints on planetary properties such as mantle melting temperatures and melt production, as well as the availability of magmatic fluids for any potential occurrences of life. Current evaluations of the pre-eruptive volatile concentrations of martian magmas are based on analyses of hydrous minerals in martian meteorites such as apatite, because they record the volatile content (OH, F, Cl) and the halogen and water fugacities of their parental magmas. Estimates for the pre-eruptive volatile contents of martian basaltic magmas range from nearly anhydrous to 2wt% H2O. However, these magmas may have potentially degassed upon eruption and/or emplacement losing their magmatic water while retaining some halogens. Here we report apatite compositional data from the martian meteorite NWA 6234, an intermediate olivine–phyric shergottite, and calculate F2, Cl2, H2O fugacity ratios for its parental magma. Apatites in NWA 6234 contain the highest observed OH–F content among martian meteorites and importantly have volatile fugacity ratios similar to terrestrial basalts. This suggests that the actual content of fluorine, chlorine and water of the martian mantle, parental to SNC meteorites, are higher than previously thought and are similar to the volatile content of the terrestrial mid-ocean ridge basalt source region.

Origin of Diverse Geochemical Signatures in Igneous Rocks from the West Philippine Basin: Implications for Tectonic Models

The West Philippine Basin (WPB), formed by seafloor spreading between 60 and 35 Ma, provides an excellent case study of relationships between basin tectonics and magma chemistry. At 48 Ma, the Izu-Bonin-Mariana (IBM) arc formed along the basin edge, orthogonal to the active spreading center; thus, WPB development is a key issue for this Margins Subduction Factory focus area. WPB basalts from the main spreading stage are normal to enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) with an Indian Ocean MORB isotopic signature. Basalts from the Benham Rise and locations near the western Central Basin Spreading Center (CBSC) at 50-35 Ma are geochemically identical to oceanic island basalts. Late-stage CBSC basalts (35-26 Ma) are isotopically like main spreading-stage MORB, with widely varying and decoupled trace element enrichments. Based on basalt geochemistry, the WPB could be a trapped fragment of ancient Indian/Tethyan ocean ridge, as proposed in some models for the initiation of the IBM arc, or it could be a back-arc basin, provided plate configurations allowed replenishment of sub-Indian Ocean asthenosphere. Ocean island basalts were formed by decompression melting of an enriched source beneath the western CBSC, mixing with normal MORB sources to form enriched MORB. This was a transitory feature (15 Ma) related to spreading, rather than a deep-seated plume, and probably did not affect the early IBM arc. Magma formed in small, deep-seated batches as the extension waned. That CBSC activity continued for 22 Ma after the initiation of the IBM arc indicates that forces related to an additional subduction system influenced the WPB.

Mesozoic magmatic and sedimentary development of the Tavşanlı Zone (NW Turkey): implications for rifting, passive margin development and ocean crust emplacement

Abstract Upper Ordovician–Upper Cretaceous high-pressure–low-temperature metasedimentary and meta-igneous rocks in the Dursunbey area provide insights into the Tavşanlı Zone (Anatolides) when compared to crustal units further south (e.g. Afyon Zone and Taurides). Schists near the base of the Tavşanlı Zone succession are cut by a small Upper Ordovician metagranite. This is covered by metaclastic sediments that are interbedded with bimodal rift-related basic-silicic volcanics of inferred Triassic age. Above this is a thick metacarbonate platform interpreted as the result of post-rift subsidence. Overlying metacarbonates, metapelites and metachert with metabasaltic intercalations (Upper Cretaceous?) reflect platform collapse. Overlying mélange contains blocks of ocean-derived intrusive and extrusive igneous rocks (e.g. ocean island-type basalt), metacarbonates and radiolarian chert, set in a low-grade metamorphosed shaly matrix. The Tavşanlı Zone was buried in a north-dipping subduction zone to 74–79 km at c. 88 Ma, exhumed and tectonically juxtaposed with accretionary mélange prior to the Late Palaeocene–Early Eocene. Geochemical studies of the meta-igneous rocks indicate the presence of ocean island basalt (OIB) and mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) sources modified by crustal contamination, evidenced by Th enrichment and fractional crystallization. A subduction chemical influence in the lower part of the succession (e.g. Nb depletion) was probably derived from subcontinental mantle lithosphere, modified during some previous subduction event (Panafrican?). supplementary-material: Full geochemical data are available at www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18570

Heterogeneous upper mantle Ne, Ar and Xe isotopic compositions and a possible Dupal noble gas signature recorded in basalts from the Southwest Indian Ridge

Variations in heavy noble gas (Ne, Ar, Xe) isotopic compositions provide unique insights into the nature of heterogeneities in the mantle. However, few precise constraints on mantle source heavy noble gas isotopic compositions are available due to ubiquitous shallow-level atmospheric contamination. As a result, the extent of heterogeneity in mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle source Ne, Ar and Xe isotopic compositions is unknown. Basalts from the ultra-slow spreading Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR) between 7°E and 25°E exhibit remarkable variability in He isotopic composition: SWIR 4He/3He spans half the total range observed in all mantle-derived basalts. Therefore, basalts from the SWIR provide a unique window into upper mantle heterogeneity and present an ideal opportunity to characterize variations in upper mantle heavy noble gas isotopic composition. Here we present new high-precision Ne, Ar and Xe isotopic compositions as well as He, CO2, Ne, Ar and Xe abundances measured in basalt glasses from the SWIR. After correcting the measured values for shallow-level atmospheric contamination, significant and systematic variations in mantle source Ne, Ar and Xe compositions are observed. We note that large variations in source 40Ar/36Ar and 129Xe/130Xe are observed in basalts removed from the influence of known hotspots, indicating a heterogeneous mid-ocean ridge basalt source. Thus, SWIR heavy noble gas data reveal a greater degree of source heterogeneity than is evident in the 4He/3He systematics alone. The observed heavy noble gas isotopic heterogeneities imply that the average MORB source 40Ar/36Ar and 129Xe/130Xe ratios are not yet well-determined.Variation in MORB source 40Ar/36Ar and 129Xe/130Xe at a given 4He/3He and 21Ne/22Ne may reflect heterogeneous recycling of atmospheric Ar and Xe. In particular, we find low mantle source 40Ar/36Ar and 129Xe/130Xe ratios in the eastern region of the study area, which may reflect the noble gas signature of the Dupal mantle domain. Our observations require that the sampled mantle domain either is very ancient (>4.45Ga) or has been metasomatized by subduction zone fluids carrying recycled atmospheric Ar and Xe. However, our Xe isotopic measurements indicate that differences between MORB and ocean island basalt (OIB) source noble gas compositions cannot be explained by recycling of atmospheric noble gases alone. Instead, a relatively undegassed mantle reservoir is required to account for OIB noble gases. The SWIR data demonstrate that the reservoir supplying primordial noble gases to mantle plumes differentiated from the MORB source early in Earth history, and the two reservoirs have not been homogenized over 4.45Ga of mantle convection.

Early differentiation and volatile accretion recorded in deep-mantle neon and xenon

The isotopes (129)Xe, produced from the radioactive decay of extinct (129)I, and (136)Xe, produced from extinct (244)Pu and extant (238)U, have provided important constraints on early mantle outgassing and volatile loss from Earth. The low ratios of radiogenic to non-radiogenic xenon ((129)Xe/(130)Xe) in ocean island basalts (OIBs) compared with mid-ocean-ridge basalts (MORBs) have been used as evidence for the existence of a relatively undegassed primitive deep-mantle reservoir. However, the low (129)Xe/(130)Xe ratios in OIBs have also been attributed to mixing between subducted atmospheric Xe and MORB Xe, which obviates the need for a less degassed deep-mantle reservoir. Here I present new noble gas (He, Ne, Ar, Xe) measurements from an Icelandic OIB that reveal differences in elemental abundances and (20)Ne/(22)Ne ratios between the Iceland mantle plume and the MORB source. These observations show that the lower (129)Xe/(130)Xe ratios in OIBs are due to a lower I/Xe ratio in the OIB mantle source and cannot be explained solely by mixing atmospheric Xe with MORB-type Xe. Because (129)I became extinct about 100 million years after the formation of the Solar System, OIB and MORB mantle sources must have differentiated by 4.45 billion years ago and subsequent mixing must have been limited. The Iceland plume source also has a higher proportion of Pu- to U-derived fission Xe, requiring the plume source to be less degassed than MORBs, a conclusion that is independent of noble gas concentrations and the partitioning behaviour of the noble gases with respect to their radiogenic parents. Overall, these results show that Earth's mantle accreted volatiles from at least two separate sources and that neither the Moon-forming impact nor 4.45 billion years of mantle convection has erased the signature of Earth's heterogeneous accretion and early differentiation.

Reactive Melt Flow as the Origin of Residual Mantle Lithologies and Basalt Chemistries in Mid-Ocean Ridges: Implications from the Red Hills Peridotite, New Zealand

A reactive flow geochemical model based on pMELTS thermodynamic calculations explains the observed modal, major, and trace element variations in the Red Hills peridotite, New Zealand. The model also reproduces the major and trace element chemical variations in mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) observed in present-day spreading ridges. The Red Hills peridotite is thought to originate from palaeo-MOR magmatic processes in the mantle–Moho transition zone. The peridotite body consists of a harzburgite matrix and dunite channels. The harzburgite forms the Lower Unit and is intruded by replacive dunite channels in the Upper Unit. This lithology gradually turns into a massive dunite zone in which disseminated to lenticular clinopyroxene aggregates are present. The rare earth element (REE) abundances in the peridotite samples vary greatly depending on their lithologies. In the Lower Unit, REE are extremely depleted, whereas in the Upper Unit they are relatively enriched, in contradiction to the depleted lithologies. Our model consists of two stages. The first stage assumes melting of depleted MORB source mantle in the garnet stability field, and the second assumes reactions between residual solids and the melts from the first stage in the spinel stability field in an open system. The model explains the formation of depleted harzburgite and the formation of dunite channels in the harzburgite matrix well. The major and trace element compositions of the melts calculated by the model vary from ultra-depleted MOR melts in harzburgite to normal MORB in dunite, suggesting that these lithologies are residues of a palaeo-MOR. The model also explains the origins of the local and global geochemical trends observed in MORB and the geochemical variation in abyssal peridotite samples. Our model confirms the important role of reactive flow in the mantle–Moho transition zone beneath MORs.

Depleted Basaltic Lavas from the Proto-Iceland Plume, Central East Greenland

New geochemical and isotopic data are presented for volumetrically minor, depleted low-Ti basalts that occur in the Plateau Basalt succession of central East Greenland (CEG), formed during the initial stages of opening of the North Atlantic at 55 Ma. The basalts have mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)-like geochemistry (e.g. depleted light rare earth elements) and are distinct from the high-Ti lavas that dominate the sequence. Rare earth element geochemistry implies derivation from a source more depleted than the typical MORB source, and suggests polybaric melting and contributions from both spinel- and garnet-facies mantle. The low-Ti basalts have Sr^Nd^ Pb^Hf isotopic characteristics that are similar to those of depleted magmas from Iceland (e.g. Theistareykir) and adjacent ridges (Kolbeinsey and Reykjanes) and distinct from global MORB (e.g. negative 207 Pb, and Hf and Nd isotope compositions that plot above the mantle reference line). Isotope and trace element data indicate the involvement of two depleted source components. One component has isotopic compositions similar to other depleted components identified in the North Atlantic and has high Rb/Zr and Ba/Nb. The second is isotopically less depleted with lower Rb/Zr and Ba/ Nb. Small degrees of crustal contamination (51%) by both amphibolitic and granulitic crust result in relatively large changes in isotopic composition (c .1 % lower for 206 Pb/ 204 Pb and 0·1% higher for 87 Sr/ 86 Sr depending on the contaminant). Negative Nb suggests a MORB affinity for the low-Ti magmas; however, they are distinguished from global normal (N)-MORB on the basis of vertical deviations from the Northern Hemisphere Reference Line (negative 207 Pb and positive 208 Pb), and relative enrichments in Ba, Sr and Pb. The isotopic compositions of the low-Ti CEG basalts suggest correlation with modern depleted components beneath Iceland and adjacent ridges, considered to be derived from upper mantle sources polluted by the Iceland plume. However, small positive Pb peaks when normalized to MORB, and lower Nb distinguish the CEG low-Ti basalts from depleted Icelandic compositions. The lower Nb (5 0) and 87 Sr/ 86 Sr, and suggestion of higher 206 Pb/ 204 Pb in crustally uncontaminated parental melts imply a closer affinity to compositions from the oceanic ridges surrounding Iceland (especially the Reykjanes Ridge), yet they are subtly distinct on the basis of available trace element data. We suggest that this depleted component was an integral part of the plume that melted primarily during the rapid lithospheric uplift and extension associated with continental break-up.

Dynamical geochemistry of the mantle

Abstract. The reconciliation of mantle chemistry with the structure of the mantle inferred from geophysics and dynamical modelling has been a long-standing problem. This paper reviews three main aspects. First, extensions and refinements of dynamical modelling and theory of mantle processing over the past decade. Second, a recent reconsideration of the implications of mantle heterogeneity for melting, melt migration, mantle differentiation and mantle segregation. Third, a recent proposed shift in the primitive chemical baseline of the mantle inferred from observations of non-chondritic 142Nd in the Earth. It seems most issues can now be resolved, except the level of heating required to maintain the mantle's thermal evolution. A reconciliation of refractory trace elements and their isotopes with the dynamical mantle, proposed and given preliminary quantification by Hofmann, White and Christensen, has been strengthened by work over the past decade. The apparent age of lead isotopes and the broad refractory-element differences among and between ocean island basalts (OIBs) and mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORBs) can now be quantitatively accounted for with some assurance. The association of the least radiogenic helium with relatively depleted sources and their location in the mantle have been enigmatic. The least radiogenic helium samples have recently been recognised as matching the proposed non-chondritic primitive mantle. It has also been proposed recently that noble gases reside in a so-called hybrid pyroxenite assemblage that is the result of melt from fusible pods reacting with surrounding refractory peridotite and refreezing. Hybrid pyroxenite that is off-axis may not remelt and erupt at MORs, so its volatile constituents would recirculate within the mantle. Hybrid pyroxenite is likely to be denser than average mantle, and thus some would tend to settle in the D" zone at the base of the mantle, along with some old subducted oceanic crust. Residence times in D" are longer, so the hybrid pyroxenite there would be less degassed. Plumes would sample both the degassed, enriched old oceanic crust and the gassy, less enriched hybrid pyroxenite and deliver them to OIBs. These findings can account quantitatively for the main He, Ne and Ar isotopic observations. It has been commonly inferred that the MORB source is strongly depleted of incompatible elements. However it has recently been argued that conventional estimates of the MORB source composition fail to take full account of mantle heterogeneity, and in particular focus on an ill-defined "depleted" mantle component while neglecting less common enriched components. Previous estimates have also been tied to the composition of peridotites, but these probably do not reflect the full complement of incompatible elements in the heterogeneous mantle. New estimates that account for enriched mantle components suggest the MORB source complement of incompatibles could be as much as 50–100 % larger than previous estimates. A major difficulty has been the inference that mass balances of incompatible trace elements could only be satisfied if there is a deep enriched layer in the mantle, but the Earth's topography precludes such a layer. The difficulty might be resolved if either the Earth is depleted relative to chondritic or the MORB source is less depleted than previous estimates. Together these factors can certainly resolve the mass balance difficulties.

Multistage Evolution of Dolerites in the Karoo Large Igneous Province, Central South Africa

EarlyJurassic sheet-like intrusions (sills and dykes) are abundant in the Karoo Basin in South Africa, and were emplaced as a part of the Karoo Large Igneous Province. Here we discuss the evolutionary history of dolerite sills and dykes in different parts of the basin on the basis of new major and trace element analyses of dolerite samples collected from drill-cores (five sites spanning 1700 m of basin stratigraphy) and previously published data on sills and dykes in the Golden Valley Sill Complex (GVSC). In addition, we present Sr^ Nd isotope data for selected samples.The dolerites are subalkaline tholeiitic basalts and basaltic andesites characterized by enriched trace element patterns, variable degrees of depletion in Nb^Ta relative to light rare earth elements, negative to positive Pb anomalies, and mild to moderate enrichment in initial Sr^Nd isotopic ratios. The aim of this study is to unravel the evolutionary history of the melts that gave rise to the dolerites. We propose that the primary melts were derived from sub-lithospheric mid-ocean ridge basalt (or ocean island basalt) source mantle and had acquired a weak subduction signature (relative depletion in Nb^Ta, mildly enriched Sr^Nd isotopic ratios) through interaction with metasomatized lithospheric mantle. In the deep crust the magmas underwent assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC) processes involving up to 10% assimilation of granulites with strong arc-type geochemical signatures. The AFC processes may alternatively have taken place in the uppermost mantle. Distinct geochemical characteristics among the GVSC and drill-core units reflect different amounts of AFC. During and/or after intrusion into the sedimentary rocks in the Karoo Basin the magmas underwent a second stage of fractional crystallization (50^60%) and local contamination by their sedimentary wall-rocks. High U concentrations and U/Th ratios in some dolerites in the southwestern part of the Karoo Basin were probably caused by fluids released from shales rich in organic material (e.g. Ecca Group shales) during devolatilization and contact metamorphism. Contamination in a GVSC unit may reflect interaction withTa^Th^U-rich minerals of the type found in stratiform uranium ore bodies in the Karoo Basin, or fluids that have interacted with such rocks. Considering that continental flood basalts are emplaced through continental crust and sedimentary basins, it is likely that other LIPs have similar evolutionary histories to that proposed for the Karoo Basin.

The oxidation state of Fe in MORB glasses and the oxygen fugacity of the upper mantle

Micro-analytical determination of Fe3+/∑Fe ratios in mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) glasses using micro X-ray absorption near edge structure (μ-XANES) spectroscopy reveals a substantially more oxidized upper mantle than determined by previous studies. Here, we show that global MORBs yield average Fe3+/∑Fe ratios of 0.16±0.01 (n=103), which trace back to primary MORB melts equilibrated at the conditions of the quartz–fayalite–magnetite (QFM) buffer. Our results necessitate an upward revision of the Fe3+/∑Fe ratios of MORBs, mantle oxygen fugacity, and the ferric iron content of the mantle relative to previous wet chemical determinations. We show that only 0.01 (absolute, or <10%) of the difference between Fe3+/∑Fe ratios determined by micro-colorimety and XANES can be attributed to the Mössbauer-based XANES calibration. The difference must instead derive from a bias between micro-colorimetry performed on experimental vs. natural basalts. Co-variations of Fe3+/∑Fe ratios in global MORB with indices of low-pressure fractional crystallization are consistent with Fe3+ behaving incompatibly in shallow MORB magma chambers. MORB Fe3+/∑Fe ratios do not, however, vary with indices of the extent of mantle melting (e.g., Na2O(8)) or water concentration. We offer two hypotheses to explain these observations: The bulk partition coefficient of Fe3+ may be higher during peridotite melting than previously thought, and may vary with temperature, or redox exchange between sulfide and sulfate species could buffer mantle melting at ~QFM. Both explanations, in combination with the measured MORB Fe3+/∑Fe ratios, point to a fertile MORB source with greater than 0.3wt.% Fe2O3.

Nonchondritic 142Nd in suboceanic mantle peridotites

The discovery that several solid Earth reservoirs have a superchondritic 142Nd/144Nd ratio led to the hypothesis that either the bulk silicate Earth is not chondritic or that a subchondritic reservoir lies hidden somewhere within the Earth's interior. One important reservoir, i.e., mid‐ocean ridge peridotites representing the main component of the upper oceanic mantle and the source of mid‐ocean ridge basalt, has never been tested for 142Nd/144Nd. We determined the 142Nd/144Nd ratio in clinopyroxene separated from two peridotites and a pyroxenite from the SW Indian Ridge and one peridotite from the northern Mid‐Atlantic Ridge. All samples analyzed have superchondritic 142Nd/144Nd ratios in line with mantle‐derived material measured to date, except for some ancient cratonic rocks.

Diverse mantle sources for Ninetyeast Ridge magmatism: Geochemical constraints from basaltic glasses

The Ninetyeast Ridge (NER), a north–south striking, 5,000km long, 77 to 43Ma chain of basaltic submarine volcanoes in the eastern Indian Ocean formed as a hotspot track created by rapid northward migration of the Indian Plate over the Kerguelen hotspot. Based on the major and trace element contents of unaltered basaltic glasses from six locations along the NER, we show that the NER was constructed by basaltic magma derived from at least three geochemically distinct mantle sources: (1) a source enriched in highly incompatible elements relative to primitive mantle like the source of the 29–24Ma flood basalts in the Kerguelen Archipelago; (2) an incompatible element-depleted source similar to the source of Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) erupted along the currently active Southeast Indian Ridge (SEIR); and (3) an incompatible element-depleted source that is compositionally and mineralogically distinct from the source of SEIR MORB. Specifically, this depleted mantle source was garnet-bearing and had higher Y/Dy and Nb/Zr, but lower Zr/Sm, than the SEIR MORB source. We infer that this third source formed as a garnet-bearing residue created during a previous melting event, perhaps an initial partial melting of the mantle hotspot. Subsequently, this residue partially melted over a large pressure range, from slightly over 3GPa to less than 1GPa, and to a high extent (~30%) thereby creating relatively high SiO2 and FeO contents in some NER basalts relative to SEIR MORB.