Pervasive Metasomatism Research Articles

Stable isotopes (O, H) and quartz geochemistry provide insight to melt source and subsolidus fluid:rock interaction in the Cretaceous Little Nahanni LCT Pegmatites (NWT, Canada)

Previous studies of the mid-Cretaceous (ca. 85 Ma) LCT-type Little Nahanni Pegmatite Group (LNPG; Northwest Territories, Canada) document disequilibrium textures and pervasive metasomatism associated with rare-metal (e.g., Ta, Nb, Sn) mineralization. As in other pegmatite settings, the source of the melts and the nature and origin of pervasive metasomatism remain enigmatic. To resolve these latter issues, an integrated study of bulk O and H isotope analysis of mineral separates (quartz, K-feldspar, albite, muscovite, garnet), in situ Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS) isotopic (O) analysis of quartz and albite, and in situ Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) trace element analysis of quartz was done in concert with cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging and petrographic observations. Quartz with elevated δ18O values (δ18Oquartz = 10 to 16.3‰) also have high Ti-in-quartz temperatures (551 ± 17 °C to 603 ± 16 °C). These data along with their pristine nature from CL imaging suggest some localized melt-wall rock (WR) exchange occurred at the time of pegmatite melt emplacement. Furthermore, the elevated δ18O values indicate a crustal source (i.e., S-type granite) for the LNPG parental melt, which also overlaps with δ18Oquartz data for granitoids of the mid- to Late-Cretaceous Selwyn Plutonic Suite of this area. In contrast, the large range for δ18O values for metasomatic minerals, such as albite (−3.0 to +18.3‰) indicate a complex evolution involving multiple oxygen isotopic reservoirs, in particular incursion of meteoric water previously equilibrated with metasedimentary wall rocks. Finally, the large range for mineral pairs (e.g., Δquartz-albite = −5.1 to +14.3‰) and abundance of dissolution features in late-stage assemblages unequivocally indicates that sub-solidus fluid:rock interaction was responsible for such large spreads in δ18O and values δD values, although other processes (e.g., disequilibrium crystallization, thermal gradients, rapid cooling) might have also contributed, but to lesser extents.

Post-subduction porphyry Cu magmas in the Sanjiang region of southwestern China formed by fractionation of lithospheric mantle–derived mafic magmas

Abstract For porphyry Cu deposits that formed during oceanic slab subduction, there is a general consensus that the ore-forming magmas evolved through fractionation of mafic magmas that were generated by slab fluid (± melt)–fluxed melting of the asthenospheric mantle wedge. This model, however, is not applicable to post-subduction porphyry Cu deposits because they formed distinctly after cessation of oceanic slab subduction. A popular model proposes that post-subduction porphyry Cu magmas were produced by partial melting of lower-crustal, sulfide-rich arc cumulates, with or without minor contributions from potassic mafic magmas. To reappraise the crustal melting model, we focused on one of the largest post-subduction porphyry Cu belts on Earth, which formed during the India-Asia collision in the Sanjiang region of southwestern China. Detailed petrographic studies and new Nd-Sr isotopic data from non-metasomatized versus metasomatized lower-crustal xenoliths suggest that previous models based on crustal melting rest upon wrong radiogenic isotope constraints due to pervasive metasomatism of the xenoliths. Based on traceelement quantitative modeling and regional-scale geochemical trends of magmatic rocks, we demonstrate that the Sanjiang post-subduction porphyry Cu magmas were produced by fractionation of potassic mafic magmas derived from lithospheric mantle. This study highlights that post-subduction porphyry Cu magmas attain their K-rich composition, and all the ore-forming ingredients, from subduction-modified lithospheric mantle, the existence of which may be a prerequisite for the formation of porphyry Cu deposits in post-subduction settings.

Prolonged Slab-derived Silicate and Carbonate Metasomatism of a Cratonic Mantle Wedge (Maowu Ultramafic body, China)

AbstractMass transfer between crust and mantle at continental margins is a crucial process in shaping mantle heterogeneity and material cycling in deep Earth. Mass transfer is usually archived by the slab-derived and/or asthenosphere-derived component, which metasomatize a cratonic mantle wedge. Clarifying the origin and temporal sequences of these records is a fundamental aim yet is poorly resolved. Comprehensive petrography, whole-rock and mineral compositions [including platinum group elements (PGE)], zircon U–Pb ages, trace elements, and Hf isotopes of the Maowu ultramafic body (comprising harzburgites and garnet orthopyroxenites) in the Dabie orogen (Central China) are presented in this study to decode the complex metasomatic histories beneath the southern North China Craton (NCC). The ultramafic body represents a typical cratonic mantle-wedge fragment with an equilibration pressure of 4·0 ± 1·0 GPa and temperature of 750 ± 50 °C. The harzburgites have high Mg# values (up to 92) and Ni contents (2537–2892 ppm), low Al2O3 (0·26–0·76 wt%) and CaO (0·05–0·32 wt%) contents, and high olivine Fo values (91–93), supporting the origin from a cratonic mantle wedge with partial melting extents of ~20–25 %. Garnet orthopyroxenites occurring as veins in the harzburgites have a wide range of Mg# values (83–91), high Ni contents (963–2353 ppm), and significant enrichment in light rare earth elements and large ion lithophile elements. They show PGE contents and patterns similar to those of the host harzburgites. These characteristics, combined with geochemical modeling, suggest that the garnet orthopyroxenites were produced through the reaction of the harzburgites with silicate melts derived from the continental crust. Three types of zircons were identified in the Maowu ultramafic body. The group-I zircons with U–Pb ages ranging from ~1927 to ~465 Ma were separated from the harzburgites. They are characterized by oscillatory zones, high heavy rare earth element (HREE) contents, a wide range of εHf(t) values (from −24·9 to +21·0), and felsic inclusions (e.g. quartz and plagioclase). They are interpreted as records of the intense silicate-melt metasomatism triggered by the addition of crust-derived silicate sediments (containing Proterozoic detrital zircons) into the NCC mantle wedge. This metasomatism formed the garnet orthopyroxenite veins in the southern NCC mantle wedge. The group-II zircons have dark cores and bright rims and yield a range of U–Pb ages from 421 ± 8 to 256 ± 6 Ma in both the harzburgites and garnet orthopyroxenites. They contain high Th and U contents (up to 5000 ppm) and display steep HREE patterns, negative Eu anomalies, and positive εHf(t) values (+0·6 to +8·2). Carbonates were identified as inclusions in the zircons and as pods or veinlets in the matrix of the harzburgites. These features may reflect a long-term and pervasive metasomatism by oxidized carbonate fluids in the garnet orthopyroxenite-veined mantle wedge, coeval with the secular subduction of the Tethyan slab that carried mainly sedimentary carbonates. The group-III zircons from both the harzburgites and garnet orthopyroxenites show concordant U–Pb ages of 227 ± 6 Ma. They are interpreted to record the Triassic continental collision between the Yangtze Craton and NCC. Collectively, this study provides geochemical, mineralogical, and petrological evidence that the periphery of a cratonic mantle with prolonged fluxing and various metasomatism can archive the complex history along a convergent margin that evolved from oceanic subduction to continental collision.

Magmatic-hydrothermal evolution of rare metal pegmatites from the Mesoproterozoic Orange River pegmatite belt (Namaqualand, South Africa)

The 450 km long Orange River pegmatite belt intruded the Namaqua Sector of the Mesoproterozoic Namaqua-Natal Province, Southern Africa, at ca. 1 Ga. The western part of the belt is characterized by the occurrence of LCT pegmatites locally mineralized in Li, Ta, Nb, Be and Bi. Most of these mineralized pegmatites display zonation with a quartz-feldspar-muscovite-garnet-beryl-bearing aplite border and wall zone, a quartz-feldspar-spodumene-lepidolite-bearing intermediate zone, and a quartz-K-feldspar core. The pegmatites and their granodioritic country rocks commonly show evidence of albitization and greisenization (i.e. secondary muscovitization). In this study, detailed petrographic observations and the compositions of mica, feldspar, spodumene and Nb-Ta oxide minerals are reported. This information is combined with bulk country rock compositions and new U-Pb zircon and monazite ages plus Sm-Nd isotope compositions of monazite to constrain the origin and magmatic-hydrothermal evolution of weakly and strongly mineralized LCT pegmatites.The Li-Ta-Be Kokerboomrand I pegmatite emplaced at ca. 985 Ma during the main stage of pegmatite emplacement in the Orange River belt and regional strike-slip deformation. It has εNd(t)monazite = −14 ± 3 and potentially formed by partial melting of Paleoproterozoic rocks from the Richtersveld magmatic arc. Alternatively, Mesoproterozoic sediments of the Bushmanland Subprovince may also provide a suitable magma source for the Kokerboomrand I pegmatite.The rare metal contents of muscovite and columbite group minerals (CGM) increase from the weakly mineralized to strongly mineralized pegmatites, suggesting early-stage fractional crystallization or variable partial melting conditions. Mica Nb/Ta values of <14 and K/Rb ratios of <40 can be used as geochemical tools for Li-Ta-(Nb)-Be exploration in the region, and possibly in other pegmatite belts worldwide.Rare metal-bearing minerals crystallized throughout the magmatic-hydrothermal evolution of mineralized pegmatites. During the magmatic-dominated stage I, constitutional zone refining likely induced a decrease of spodumene Fe contents and increase of CGM Ta contents toward the pegmatite core. Stage II marks the pervasive circulation of an immiscible hydrosaline melt. This stage is characterized by the replacement of the primary mineral assemblage by lamellar albite (cleavelandite), (fluor)calciomicrolite and Cs-Ta-rich Li-muscovite and zinnwaldite. Stage III represents the progressive transition from a magmatic-hydrothermal system dominated by a Li-Cs-Ta-rich hydrosaline melt toward a system mainly involving (Li)-Cs-(Ta)-Bi-rich aqueous fluids. This stage is characterized by the crystallization of lepidolite and zero-valence-dominant pyrochlore as well as strong localized greisenization and Bi mineralization.Magmatic-hydrothermal alteration of the immediate country rock of the mineralized pegmatites is marked by the crystallization of albite, Li-Ta-Cs-rich mica, various Nb-Ta oxide minerals, and led to a strong decrease of the whole-rock Nb/Ta ratio plus significant rare metal enrichment.Our findings from the Orange River belt demonstrate that an important role can be ascribed to melt-melt and melt-fluid immiscibility and metasomatism in the formation of pegmatite-related rare metal deposits. Greisens and albitites associated with pegmatites and their immediate country rocks can be considered as favorable targets for Li-Ta mineral exploration. Strong and pervasive metasomatism across the mineralized pegmatites and their country rocks suggests involvement of a parental medium that was highly enriched in water.

The Weaklaw Vent, SE Scotland: Metasomatism of eruptive products by carbo-hydro-fluids of probable mantle origin

AbstractThe Weaklaw vent in SE Scotland (East Lothian coast), inferred to be Namurian, produced lava spatter and volcanic bombs. The latter commonly contained ultramafic xenoliths. All were metasomatised by carbonic fluids rich in incompatible elements. The lavas and xenoliths are inferred to have been basanites and lherzolites prior to metasomatism. The abundance and size of (carbonated) peridotite xenoliths at Weaklaw denotes unusual rapidity of magma ascent and high-energy eruption making Weaklaw exceptional in the British Isles. The lavas and xenoliths were altered subsequently by low-temperature (&lt;200°C) carbo-hydrous fluids to carbonate, clay and quartz assemblages. A small irregular tuffisite ‘dyke’ that transects the ejecta is also composed dominantly of carbonates and clays. The peridotitic xenoliths are typically foliated, interpreted as originating as pre-entrainment mantle shear-planes.Analyses of the relic spinels shows them to be compositionally similar to spinels in local unaltered lherzolites from near-by basanitic occurrences. Chromium showed neither significant loss nor gain but was concentrated in a di-octahedral smectite allied to volkonskoite. It is in the complex association of smectite with other clays, chlorite and possibly fuchsite that the diverse incompatible elements are concentrated.We conclude that late Palaeozoic trans-tensional fault movement caused mantle shearing. Rapid ascent of basanite magma entrained large quantities of sheared lithospheric mantle. This was followed by ascent of an aggressive carbonate-/ hydroxyl-rich fluid causing pervasive metasomatism. The vent is unique in several ways: in its remarkable clay mineralogy and in displaying such high Cr-clays in a continental intra-plate setting; in being more productive in terms of its ‘cargo’ of peridotite xenoliths; in presenting an essentially un-eroded sequence of Namurian extrusives; and, not least, for giving evidence for post-eruptive, surface release of small-melt, deep-source fluids.

Origin and age of zircon-bearing chromitite layers from the Finero phlogopite peridotite (Ivrea–Verbano Zone, Western Alps) and geodynamic consequences

An investigation has been performed on three chromitite layers segregated in dunite bodies of the Phlogopite Peridotite mantle unit in the Finero complex (FPP, Ivrea–Verbano Zone, Southern Alps) aimed at providing new constraints to their origin and evolution.Field relationships, the sub-chondritic Hf isotopic composition of the zircons (εHf(188) as low as −5.4), the heavy O isotopic composition of zircons and pyroxenes (δ18O up to 6.9‰), the strict similarity of the trace element composition between the clinopyroxenes and amphiboles from the chromitites and those from the phlogopite harzburgites and pyroxenites forming the typical FPP association, as well as the REE composition of zircons, which approaches equilibrium with the associate clinopyroxene, suggest that the studied chromitites were segregated from melts, highly contaminated from continental crust, during the pervasive cycle of metasomatism recorded by the FPP. An LA-ICP-HRMS survey of chromitite zircon grains has provided Early Jurassic U–Pb ages mostly between 199±3Ma and 178±2Ma, with a pronounced peak at 187Ma. Relevant exceptions are inherited domains of two grains giving Triassic ages of 242±7Ma and 229±7Ma, and a third homogeneous zircon giving 208±3Ma. Our geochronological data and those reported in the literature show that the FPP chromitites have zircon populations with different internal CL textures, but the same sub-chondritic Hf isotopic composition, which define an overall U–Pb age span from ~290Ma to 180. The segregation of the chromitite layers and the main pervasive metasomatism likely occurred in the Early Permian (in a post-collisional, transtensional setting) or before (possibly, in a subduction-related setting). The rejuvenation of the zircon ages was accompanied by a progressive disappearance of the internal zoning, interpreted as the result of a prolonged residence at mantle depths with progressive re-equilibration of the U–Pb system due to thermal perturbations. The age peak at ~187Ma is argued to constrain the timing of FPP exhumation at shallower, crustal levels. This process was characterised by an important reheating event, possibly due to lithospheric hyperextension. The evolution of the FPP appears completely different than that of mantle bodies of the central IVZ (i.e., the Val Sesia-type bodies), which were emplaced within the continental crust, as part of accretionary prisms, at or before the end of the Variscan orogeny.

Magmatic–hydrothermal fluids and volatile metals in the Spirit Lake pluton and Margaret Cu–Mo porphyry system, SW Washington, USA

The halogen-bearing minerals tourmaline, amphibole, and biotite formed during magmatic–hydrothermal processes associated with the late-stage cooling of the Spirit Lake granitoid pluton (Mt. St. Helens, WA) and with the younger sulphide-mineralised rocks of the Margaret Cu–Mo porphyry deposit located entirely within the pluton. Major- and trace-element discrimination suggests that one tourmaline population crystallised from fractionated late-stage melt pockets in granodiorite–monzogranitic dykes of the pluton. These coarse, euhedral, oscillatory, and complexly sector-zoned uvite tourmalines span a limited range in Mg/(Mg + Fe) [Mg#] space (0.4–0.7 apfu) and show the highest Ti, Ca, F, Nb, and Ta contents, and low X-site vacancies ( 0.6 apfu), lower Ca and F contents, and the highest Li, As, and HREE contents (>80 ppm Li, >1200 ppm As). This population appears to record direct, rapid crystallisation from magmatic ± meteoric fluid(s) bearing the signature of the breakdown of primary feldspars and pyroxenes, with fluid exsolution from fractionated melt patches likely triggered by the formation of the previous generation of tourmaline. Mineralised porphyry deposit tourmaline compositions from the stockwork span a much larger range in Mg# space (0.05–0.9 apfu) and are almost entirely Ca-free. X-sites of these schorl tourmalines are dominated by Na or vacancies, and the Y-sites are strongly Fe enriched. The highest Mn and Zn concentrations (>4000 and >1000 ppm, respectively) potentially reflect the composition of mineralising fluids during ore deposition. A number of boron isotopic analyses yield predominantly heavy boron, but δ11B values range from −5.2 to 6.2 ‰ and average 1.4 ‰. Whilst most plutonic tourmalines conform to reported a- and c-sector element partitioning models, those from the mineralised porphyry show large and variable sector fractionation differences, suggesting that external controls may also be important. Wider evidence for late-stage pervasive metasomatism by halogen-bearing exsolved fluid(s) is provided by the high Mg# (>70) secondary amphiboles and biotites from within the Spirit Lake pluton, where the amphiboles are clear replacement products of primary pyroxenes. Fluid halogen fugacity ratios calculated from the biotite compositions overlap with other global mineralised porphyry systems, despite not being immediately associated with sulphide ores. The evidence suggests complex fluid processes and the coincidental development of the mineralised porphyry system within the pluton. Heat, fluids, and metals were therefore likely supplied by a later phase of magmatism, unrelated to the consolidation of the main Spirit Lake granitoid. These new constraints on magmatic–hydrothermal fluid signatures have wider applicability to potentially tracing proximal barren and mineralised processes, and for distinguishing between formation mechanisms for primary and secondary halogen-bearing minerals.

Southward trench migration at ∼130–120 Ma caused accretion of the Neo-Tethyan forearc lithosphere in Tibetan ophiolites

The preservation of ultrahigh-pressure and super-reduced phases (diamond, moissanite, etc.) in the harzburgites and chromitites of the Yarlung Zangbo ophiolites (South Tibet, China) has major implications for mantle recycling and lithosphere evolution in the tectonic system related to the closing of the Neo-Tethyan Ocean. However, important aspects of the genesis of these enigmatic ophiolites and the related geodynamic evolution are still unclear. In the Zedang ophiolite of the eastern Yarlung Zangbo Suture, detailed mineral chemical data reveal that the harzburgite domain in the east [spinel Cr# (mole Cr3+/(Cr3+ + Al3+) = 0.62–0.33] is more depleted than the lherzolite domain in the west (spinel Cr# = 0.30–0.17) and shows much lower equilibration temperatures (by ∼250–150 °C) than the lherzolites. Clinopyroxene trace-element compositions indicate that the harzburgites underwent pervasive metasomatism after melt extraction, while the lherzolites did not. New zircon U–Pb ages show that the harzburgites were intruded by dolerite dykes with chilled margins at ∼130–128 Ma, consistent with the widespread mafic magmatism at ∼130–120 Ma in the Yarlung Zangbo ophiolites. Nd–Hf isotopic data indicate that the Zedang lherzolites subcreted the pre-emplaced harzburgites concurrently with the intrusion of the dolerite dykes into the harzburgites, and that the lherzolites and dolerites both were derived from upwelling asthenosphere with minor slab input. Available zircon geochronology and Hf-isotope data show that juvenile magmatism in the adjacent Gangdese Arc was almost completely interrupted from ∼130–120 Ma.We suggest that the extension of the overlying harzburgitic lithosphere, subcretion of lherzolites, intrusion of mafic dykes, and the waning of Gangdese-Arc magmatism all reflect a southward trench migration in the Neo-Tethyan subduction system from the Gangdese Arc to the oceanic forearc lithosphere. This magmatic relocation and tectonic linkage are inferred to be the far-field effects of plate reorganization related to the Lhasa-Qiangtang collision and the breakup of Gondwanaland in the early Cretaceous. This model provides a solution for the global “ophiolite conundrum”: supra-subduction-zone type ophiolites with mid-ocean-ridge features.

Geochemical and petrological constraints on mantle composition of the Ohře(Eger) rift, Bohemian Massif: peridotite xenoliths from the České Středohoří Volcanic complex and northern Bohemia

The Ohře(Eger) rift in the Bohemian Massif, which represents part of the Cenozoic Central European Volcanic Province, contains abundant mantle xenoliths of spinel peridotite. Petrography, geothermometry, mineral compositions and whole-rock and clinopyroxene trace element compositions of xenolith suites from four localities in the central part Ceske Středohoři Volcanic complex (CSVC) and one locality in the eastern continuation (northern Bohemia) of the rift system display important differences that reveal small-scale compositional heterogeneity of the mantle. The xenoliths from the CSVC are mostly harzburgite that experienced high degrees of partial melting from ~17 to 21 %. However, xenoliths from one locality, Medvědický vrch, are predominantly fertile lherzolite. Subsequent pervasive metasomatism produced enrichments in light rare earth elements, large-ion lithophile elements, and U and Th, except for xenoliths from Medvědický vrch, which show marked depletions in all these elements. Such composition most likely reflects refertilization of the source rock by depleted melts. The trace element characteristics of the CSVC xenoliths indicate metasomatism of a depleted protolith by silicate melt at high melt/rock ratios. In contrast, harzburgite xenoliths from northern Bohemia experienced metasomatism at low melt/rock ratios by more evolved, alkaline and carbonate-rich melts.

Lithospheric architecture of the Slave craton, northwest Canada, as determined from an interdisciplinary 3‐D model

AbstractRegional‐scale geologic structures characteristic of mantle lithosphere within cratons found in continent interiors are interpreted using geo‐registered diverse data sets from the Slave craton of northwest Canada. We developed and applied a new method for mapping seismic discontinuities in three dimensions using multiyear observations at sparse, individual broadband receivers. New, fully 3‐D conductivity models used all available magnetotelluric data. Discontinuity surfaces and conductivity models were geo‐registered with previously published P‐wave and surface‐wave velocity models to confirm first‐order structures such as a midlithosphere discontinuity. Our 3‐D model to 400 km depth was calibrated by “drill hole” observations derived from xenolith suites extracted from kimberlites. A number of new structural discontinuities emerge from direct comparison of coregistered data sets and models. Importantly, we distinguish primary mantle layers from secondary features related to younger metasomatism. Subhorizontal Slave craton layers with tapered, wedge‐shaped margins indicate construction of the craton core at 2.7 Ga by underthrusting and flat stacking of lithosphere. Mapping of conductivity and metasomatism in 3‐D, the latter inferred via mineral recrystallization and resetting of isotopic ages in xenoliths, indicates overprinting of the primary layered structures. The observed distribution of relatively conductive mantle at 100–200 km depths is consistent with pervasive metasomatism; vertical “chimneys” reaching to crustal depths in locations where kimberlites erupted or where Au mineralization is known.

Geochemistry and age of the complex of alkaline metasomatic rocks and carbonatites of the Gremyakha-Vyrmes massif, Kola Peninsula

This paper presents new geochemical data on the complex of alkaline metasomatic rocks and carbonatites, which hosts the rare-metal mineralization of the Gremyakha-Vyrmes massif. The contents of major and trace, including rare-earth elements were determined in the albitites, aegirinites, and carbonatites. Two types of the rare-metal ores are distinguished: niobium albitite and zirconium aegirinite ores. It was shown that the albitites and aegirinites have similar trace element distribution patterns, being most geochemically close to the foidolites. The carbonatites, albitites, and aegirinites were dated by Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd methods at 1887 ± 58 Ma, which corresponds to the formation age of the Gremyakha-Vyrmes massif. The ultrabasic rocks, foidolites, alkaline metasomatic rocks, and carbonatites were formed successively within a relatively narrow range. The geological observations and geochemical data led us to conclude that the emplacement of the fluid-saturated carbonatite solutions-melts at the final stages of the massif formation against a background of fault tectonics caused a pervasive metasomatism of the ultrabasic and alkaline rock complexes and, as a result, the formation of the alkaline albitites and aegirinites. The carbonatites could be sources of rare-metals, while foidolites served as a geochemical barrier, and their metasomatic alteration led to the formation of Zr-Nb mineralization in the albitites and aegirinites.

Composition and thermal structure of the lithospheric mantle beneath kimberlite pipes from the Catoca cluster, Angola

Garnet, clinopyroxene and ilmenite xenocrysts from three Angolan kimberlite pipes belonging to the Catoca cluster (Angola Caquele, Camitongo I and II, and Catoca) from the SW part of the Congo–Kasai craton, reveal similar features which suggest a similarity of mantle structure. PT estimates for pyropes, Cr-diopsides and picroilmenites reveal similar geothermal conditions of ~37–40mW/m2. This is slightly higher than the values determined for the Catoca pipe. Higher temperature conditions ~45mW/m2 were determined for low-Cr pyroxenes and omphacites. The similar general mineralogy and suggested mantle lithology, as well as reconstructed layering of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), are similar for Camitongo I–II as well as for Caquele and Catoca pipes. Heating at depths of 7.5–4.5GPa (240–140km) is a general feature of the SCLM beneath the field. The high temperature trend for low-Cr and hybrid pyroxenes from the base of the SCLM up to 30GPa (100km) represents the PT path of the protokimberlite melts. PT conditions for ilmenites mainly correspond to colder conditions of crystallization in wall rocks and the outer parts of magmatic channels.Individual geochemical features of the minerals for each SCLM suggest pervasive metasomatism in lower part of the SCLM. Clinopyroxene trace element patterns from the Caquele pipe reveal a lherzolitic affinity; they are LILE-enriched with Ba peaks due to phlogopite melting, while those from Camitongo I–II show Ta–Nb enrichment and Pb troughs. The ilmenite trends trace the mantle column from deep to shallow mantle, evolving to Fe-ilmenites due to advanced AFC of protokimberlite magma that also produced abundant Fe-rich clinopyroxenes. The rise of calculated fO2 correlates with the position of protokimberlites. Comparison with the thermal gradient derived from peridotitic inclusions from Catoca cluster is lower than for Lesotho possibly related to the thicker lithospheric roots beneath the Congo–Kasai craton.

The lithospheric mantle and lower crust–mantle relationships under Scotland: a xenolithic perspective

Abstract: In the British Isles the majority of volcanic rocks containing upper mantle and lower crustal xenoliths occur in Scotland. Most of the occurrences are of Carboniferous–Permian age. This paper presents new data on the mineral chemistry of spinel lherzolite xenoliths from the five principal Scottish tectonic terranes. Compositional variations among the minerals emphasize the broad lateral heterogeneity of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle across the region. The remarkable range of Al 2 O 3 v. CaO exhibited by the clinopyroxenes compared with data from other ‘xenolith provinces' emphasizes the extremely complex tectonomagmatic history of the Scottish lithosphere. The generalized age increase from southern and central Scotland to the Northern Highland and Hebridean terranes of the north and NW, with concomitant complexity of geological history, is reflected also by trace element and isotopic studies. Reaction relationships in lherzolites from the Hebridean Terrane, owing to pervasive metasomatism, involve secondary growth of sodic feldspar. This, and light REE enrichment of clinopyroxenes, points to involvement of a natro-carbonatitic melt. Most pyroxenitic xenoliths are inferred to form a basal crustal layer with a generally sharp discontinuity above the underlying (dominantly lherzolitic) mantle. A second discontinuity is inferred to separate these ultramafic cumulates from overlying, broadly cognate metagabbroic cumulates.

Evidence for multi-stage mantle metasomatism at the Dehsheikh peridotite massif and chromite deposits of the Orzuieh coloured mélange belt, southeastern Iran

The Dehsheikh peridotite massif is located in the Esfandagheh region in southeastern Iran at the NE edge of the main Zagros thrust and is part of the Orzuieh coloured mélange belt. The Dehsheikh massif consists of relatively unaltered harzburgite, lherzolite, dunite and several chromite deposits that are cut by pyroxenitic dykes. These peridotites display numerous evidences of mantle metasomatism at various scales. Dunite dykes, bands and patches as well as pyroxenites and chromite deposits were formed during several metasomatic stages. Textural features such as the incongruent melting of orthopyroxenes and interstitial spinels, olivines and pyroxenes suggest that mantle metasomatism has affected the Dehsheikh massif. The effects of the metasomatism can be traced in mineral chemistry and chemical zoning of the spinels and orthopyroxenes, as well as the REE patterns of the Dehsheikh harzburgites. These features indicate that the Dehsheikh peridotites were depleted in incompatible elements, light REE, as a consequence of partial melting prior to being metasomatized by migrating melts at mantle conditions. Our observations also suggest that ascending melts in the deeper levels of the upper mantle began to react with depleted peridotites and produced incongruently melted orthopyroxenes, dunites and impregnated harzburgites. The composition of the melts gradually changed toward boninite due to melt–peridotite reaction. These processes produced the chromite deposits and their dunitic envelopes in the upper levels of the mantle. Following the early pervasive metasomatism, pyroxenitic melts invaded the peridotite at shallower depths. These events suggest that the Dehsheikh peridotites were formed in a supra-subduction zone setting.

Triassic alkaline magmatism of the Hawasina Nappes: Post-breakup melting of the Oman lithospheric mantle modified by the Permian Neotethyan Plume

Middle to Late Triassic lavas were sampled within three tectonostratigraphic groups of the Hawasina Nappes in the Oman Mountains. They are predominantly alkali basalts and trachybasalts, associated with minor sub-alkaline basalts, trachyandesites, trachytes and rhyolites. Their major, trace elements and Nd–Pb isotopic compositions are very similar to those of the Permian plume-related high-Ti basalts which also occur in the Hawasina Nappes. The Triassic lavas derive from low-degree melting of an enriched OIB-type mantle source, characterized by εNdi=0.3–5.3 and (206Pb/204Pb)i=16.96–19.31 (for t=230My). With time, melting depths decreased from the garnet+spinel to the spinel lherzolite facies and the degree of melting increased. The oldest are distinguished from the others by unradiogenic Nd and Pb signatures, with εNdi=−4.5 to −1.2 and (206Pb/204Pb)i=16.35–17.08, which we attribute to their contamination by Arabo-Nubian lower crust. The lavas likely derived from the Oman lithospheric mantle, the original DMM-HIMU signature of which was overprinted during its pervasive metasomatism by the Permian plume-related melts. We suggest that these lavas were emplaced during post-breakup decompression-triggered melting in the Middle Triassic during global kinematic reorganization of the Tethyan realm.

The Advocate ophiolite mantle, Baie Verte, Newfoundland: regional correlations and evidence for metasomatismGeological Survey of Canada, Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution 20090211.

Mantle rocks of the Advocate ophiolite near Flatwater Pond (Baie Verte, Newfoundland) are dominated by harzburgite tectonites, which are extensively converted to listvenite along the Baie Verte Road fault and represent a potential gold exploration target. Most Advocate harzburgites have forsteritic olivine (Fo90.5 to Fo93) and Cr-spinels, with Cr# (= 100Cr/(Cr + Al)) between 52 and 64 and Mg# (= 100Mg/(Mg + Fe2+)) between 56 and 68. These mineral chemical signatures, together with high whole-rock MgO (46%–48%), low Al2O3 (&lt;1%), and TiO2 (&lt;0.003%), imply the Advocate harzburgites are refractory residues after ca. 25%–35% melting. Cr-spinel compositions of Advocate mantle rocks overlap with Cr-spinels from the mantle rocks of the Point Rousse and Betts Cove ophiolites, with Mg# higher than those of Bay of Islands or Thetford Mines mantle Cr-spinels. Although refractory in terms of major elements and mineral chemistry, Advocate harzburgites contain high La–Ce–Pr–Pb–Nd–Sm–Zr contents suggestive of pervasive metasomatism. Similar geochemical signatures occur in all ophiolitic mantle rocks from the Baie Verte Peninsula examined so far. The enrichments are not consistent with supra-subduction zone syn-melting metasomatism as observed in other Appalachian ophiolites. The apparent absence of visible metasomatic channels in most outcrops suggests that metasomatism occurred before obduction by diffuse percolation, but the nature and origin of the metasomatic agent remain speculative. The similarities of mineral and whole-rock geochemistry imply that all mantle rocks from Baie Verte ophiolites are correlative and may represent remnants of a single obducted slab.

Mantle metasomatism by melts of HIMU piclogite components: new insights from Fe-lherzolite xenoliths (Calatrava Volcanic District, central Spain)

Abstract Mantle xenoliths from the Calatrava Volcanic District (CLV), central Spain, are characterized by a wide compositional range that includes lherzolites (prevalent), as well as minor amounts of wehrlite, olivine (ol)-websterite and rare dunites. They generally have a bulk-rock Mg# of less than 89, lower than any primordial mantle estimates. Intra-suite variations in modal proportions are inconsistent with those predicted by melting models irrespective of the starting composition; mineral and bulk-rock variation diagrams show inconsistencies between the CLV compositions (anomalously enriched in Fe–Ti) and those predicted from the partial melting of primordial mantle material. Processes other than pure melt extraction are confirmed by the whole-rock REE (rare earth element) budget, typically characterized by LREE enrichments, with La N /Yb N (up to 6.7), probably related to pervasive metasomatism. CLV mantle clinopyroxenes (cpx) generally display fractionated REE patterns with upwards-convex shapes, characterized by low HREE (Tm–Lu) concentrations (typically &lt;6× chondrite) and enrichments in middle–light REE (MREE–LREE) (Nd N /Yb N up to 7, La N /Yb N up to 5). These ‘enriched’ cpx compositions either result from re-equilibration of primary mantle cpx with an incoming melt, or represent cpx crystallization directly from the metasomatic agent. The latter was plausibly generated at greater depths in the presence of residual garnet (from peridotite or eclogite starting materials). Separated cpx have homogeneous 87 Sr/ 86 Sr compositions between 0.7031 and 0.7032; 143 Nd/ 144 Nd ranges from 0.51288 to 0.51295 (εNd 4.74–6.07) and 176 Hf/ 177 Hf is in the range 0.28302–0.28265 (εHf −3.6 to 9.0). Unlike mantle xenoliths and alpine-type peridotites from other Iberian occurrences, which range in composition from the depleted mantle (DM) to the enriched mantle (EM), the CLV mantle cpx approach the composition of the HIMU mantle end member, the genesis of which is generally interpreted as the result of long-term recycling of oceanic basalts/gabbros (or their eclogitic equivalent) via ancient subduction. A model is proposed for the mantle evolution under central Iberia, where sublithospheric convective instabilities – possibly triggered by the neighbouring subduction along the Betic collisional belt – could have remobilized deep domains from the mantle ‘transition zone’ (410–660 km), which may include relicts of older subducted slabs. Within these remobilized domains, characterized by the coexistence of peridotite and eclogite and referred to as a ‘piclogite’ association, the eclogites melt preferentially generating Fe–Ti rich melts characterized by a HIMU isotopic signature that infiltrates and metasomatizes the shallower lithospheric mantle.

Structure and evolution of the lithospheric mantle beneath Siberian craton, thermobarometric study

Monomineral thermobarometry (MTB) data derived from EMP analyses for heavy monomineral separates from > 20 Yakutian kimberlite pipes were used to compile a SSE–NNW traverse of the mantle beneath the Siberian craton. Orthopyroxene (Opx) MBT for the mantle section beneath Udachnaya gives three PT paths: a low temperature (LT) conductive branch (Boyd et al., 1997), estimated with thermometers of Krogh (1988) or/and O'Neill and Wood (1979), and two other HT paths. The three paths correspond to different values of Fe# in Ol (0.075, 0.085 and 0.11). They are reproduced by the modified MTB equations for clinopyroxene, garnet, chromite and ilmenites (Ashchepkov et al., 2008a), a mono-version of the O'Neill and Wood (1979) thermometer with corrections to Cr and Ca/Mg ratios which mark conductive geotherm. PT estimates for garnets and pyroxenes reflect mantle layering, whereas those for ilmenite reflect varying conditions of polybaric mantle protokimberlite systems and metasomatism. MTB for xenoliths from the Udachnaya, Mir, Dalnyaya, and Komsomolskaya kimberlites show the colder branches if PT path using heavy mineral analyses them according to PT for xenoliths according to TB (O'Neill and Wood, 1979; Finnerty and Boyd, 1987; McGregor, 1974; Brey and Kohler, 1990) producing smoother geotherms. MTB gives a wider range PT points reflecting heating near magmatic channels. Regularities of mantle sections and layering in the Daldyn field are recognized on the PT and P– X diagrams. The lower part of the mantle sections were heated by protokimberlite melts which created the megacrystalline associations. PT values of sub-calcic garnets correlate with those of picroilmenites. Mantle columns beneath the large pipes reveal stepped 7–12 layering for Udachnaya pipe units correlating with the peaks of Re/Os ages (Griffin et al., 2002b) is marked by periodic increase in Fe# in minerals. Pyroxenites and ‘hot’ eclogites (Pokhilenko et al., 1999) are found in layers at ∼ ∼ 40, 50–65, and ∼ 70 kbar. Sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath the Alakite field has been subjected to pervasive multistage metasomatism, as indicated by Fe-enriched Cr-diopsides and Ti-rich low-Ca garnets. Ilmenite PT trends were formed by rising protokimberlites that underwent AFC. In the Upper Muna field the mantle is similar in structure to that of the Alakite region. Fe-rich clinopyroxene-bearing rocks (60–55 kbar) are located between the ilmenite-forming systems (70–60 and 55–40 kbar), sub-Ca garnets start from 40 kbar and become more abundant downward. Beneath the Nakyn field, rhythmic layering is found for peridotites in the lower part ( P > 40 kbar), fertilization by Fe–Cpx (40–50 kbar) follow the Ilm-forming system ∼ 55–60 kbar correlating with the occurrence of depleted (low-Ca) peridotites. Beneath the Anabar fields highly depleted mantle at depth > 40 kbar has been subjected to Fe-metasomatism and pervasive metasomatism that accompanied protokimberlite feeders marked by low Cr-ilmenites accompanied by fertilization. In the upper section abundant garnet- and clinopyroxene-rich peridotites are typical. Comparison of mantle sections reconstructed from monomineral PT estimates from Paleozoic and Mesozoic kimberlites show differences in entrainment levels which were elevated after the Permian–Triassic superplume to > 55–40 kbar without delamination.

Age and tectonic implications of Paleoproterozoic mafic dyke swarms for the origin of 2.2 Ga enriched lithosphere beneath the Ungava Peninsula, Canada

Mafic dyke swarms represent short-lived magmatic events that carry important temporal and chemical constraints for the evolution of the lithospheric mantle. Five baddeleyite U–Pb isotopic analyses of Paleoproterozoic mafic dyke swarms intruding the Ungava Peninsula yielded ages of 2508 ± 6, 2220 ± 1, 2212 ± 3, 2199 ± 5 and 2149 ± 3 Ma. These ages fall within the 2.5–2.0 Ga period previously defined by five other swarms, which together comprise a magmatic record of more than 500 Ma. The similar age, composition and surface area of two 2.51 Ga swarms, along with the lack of coeval supracrustal rocks, suggest they correspond to failed rifts. An important magmatic hiatus of 280 Ma follows, but ends with the intrusion of numerous dykes between 2.23 and 2.20 Ga in the thinnest lithosphere of the northern Ungava Peninsula. These dykes exhibit chemical signatures that vary from enriched older 2229–2212 Ma dykes ( ɛNd ( t) < +0.4, La/Yb > 4) to relatively depleted 2209–2199 Ma voluminous younger dykes ( ɛNd ( t) > +1.4, La/Yb < 4). The depleted character, great volume, and occurrence of these younger dykes in a thin lithosphere may represent decompression melting of the asthenosphere, following delamination of the Archean lithospheric keel ca. 2.21–2.20 Ga. Later dykes emplaced ca. 2.17 Ga within a rejuvenated Paleoproterozoic lithosphere also have depleted chemical compositions, and map the extent of rifting coeval with the emplacement of early basalts in the Labrador Trough. Dykes emplaced in the 2.15–2.00 Ga period further to the South are proximal to coeval continental basalts, with which they share enriched isotopic compositions ( ɛNd ( t) = −1.5 to −7) and a positive correlation between La/Yb and Zr/Nb (La/Yb = 4–10; Zr/Nb = 7–20) that suggest assimilation of an Archean crustal component. A progressive decrease in the ɛNd ( t) values of these magmas with decreasing age further implies increasing contamination, until the Archean lithosphere failed ca. 2.0 Ga and permitted the eruption of isotopically depleted basalts. The ca. 2.2 Ga depleted northern dykes and the 2.1–1.9 Ga Povungnituk basalts of the Cape Smith foldbelt share a negative correlation between Zr/Nb and La/Yb that is expected for the incorporation of an enriched lithospheric component. This component is represented by the alkaline rocks comprised in the Circum-Ungava supracrustal belts (carbonatites, lamprophyric lavas, alkaline basalts) and by the Lac Aigneau lamprophyric dykes (1941 ± 3 Ma) intruding the Ungava Peninsula. These alkaline magmas collectively have 2.2–2.1 Ga depleted-mantle Nd model ages ( T DM) similar to a 2.15 Ga Sm–Nd isochron defined by the basaltic rocks of the supracrustal belts. Although these Nd T DM ages and isochron are 100–300 Ma older than magmatic ages, they are identical with the ca. 2.2 Ga mafic dykes of the Ungava Peninsula. This time correlation, along with the similar chemical signature of the northern dykes and younger Povungnituk basalts, suggest that the composition of younger lavas and alkaline magmas was influenced by an enriched component associated with the pervasive metasomatism of the lithosphere, coeval with the emplacement of the many ca. 2.2 Ga dykes.

Transition from Ultrapotassic Kamafugitic to Sub-alkaline Magmas: Sr, Nd, and Pb Isotope, Trace Element and 40Ar–39Ar Age Data from the Middle Latin Valley Volcanic Field, Roman Magmatic Province, Central Italy

The Middle Latin Valley volcanic field forms part of the Roman Magmatic Province and includes Pleistocene monogenetic volcanism characterized by the emplacement of small lava flows and minor pyroclastic ejecta and flows.The absence of a main volcanic edifice and of a large, shallow-level magma reservoir allows the eruption of primitive magmas. Geochemical and petrological data suggest that at least four types of mafic parental magmas are present within the volcanic field: (1) melilite-bearing ultrapotassic (kamafugitic); (2) plagioclase-bearing and -free leucititic (HKS); (3) shoshonitic; (4) sub-alkaline. Ar^Ar dating reveals diachronous emplacement of mafic magmas with different levels of K enrichment; the kamafugitic lavas are the oldest and the sub-alkaline lavas the youngest. Incompatible trace element contents strictly follow K2O, but overall the groups of rocks show similar trace element fractionation, with high field strength elements less enriched than large ion lithophile elements. Despite a restricted range in MgO and SiO2 contents, the Middle LatinValley volcanic rocks have highly variable Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions. The sub-alkaline rocks have the lowest Sr/Sr and the highest Nd/Nd, whereas the kamafugitic rocks have the highest Sr/Sr and the lowest Nd/Nd. Intermediate isotopic compositions between these two end-members are shown by leucitites^plagio-leucitites and shoshonites. A clear, time-dependent trend of isotopic variation is observed. This also holds true for Pb isotope compositions, with shoshonitic and subalkaline rocks showing the most radiogenic signatures and the kamafugitic rocks the least radiogenic signatures.The overall geochemical characteristics of the magmas can be reconciled in terms of a model involving recycling of marly shales within the upper mantle; this overprinted earlier pervasive metasomatism related to melts (supercritical fluids) derived from altered oceanic basalts. The crustal derived (marl) end-member is considered to have been concentrated within a metasomatic vein network within the lithosphere, whereas the supercritical fluid-metasomatized end-member occurs within the surrounding mantle. Early partial melting of veins produced strongly undersaturated melilite-bearing ultrapotassic magma (kamafugitic).The progressive exhaustion of the veined mantle increased the