Post-entrapment Crystallization Research Articles

Plagioclase-hosted Crystallized Melt Inclusions within Hypabyssal Volcanic Rocks of the Torud-Ahmad Abad Magmatic Belt, Iran: Analysis of Origin and Fractionation Processes

Investigating crystal-rich clots hosted in phenocrysts and phenoclasts within Eocene subvolcanic rocks in Torud-Ahmad Abad, south-southeast of Shahrood (northern part of central Iran zone). These crystal-rich clots and clusters (alias stone inclusions, nanogranitoids, microcrystal clots) are interpreted as crystallized melt inclusions (cMIs) within phenocrysts and phenoclasts, highlighting plagioclase-hosted inclusions. Least-altered hypabyssal igneous rocks are trachy-andesitic, basaltic andesitic, and dacitic porphyries. These porphyries have porphyritic, glomeroporphyritic, granular, and trachytic textures with variable-sized phenocrysts of plagioclase (albite-labradorite), green hornblende (magnesio-hastingsite), and clinopyroxene (diopside-augite), with minor biotite, and Fe-Ti oxides; large plagioclase phenocrysts, exhibiting clear normal oscillatory zoning, were consistently utilized as plagioclase-hosted inclusions due to their abundance in rocks. MIs exhibit complete post-entrapment crystallization (PEC), generally with a slightly finer grain size than the igneous groundmass, i.e. no preserved glassy MI were observed in these phenocrysts, only cMIs. These variably sized, cryptocrystalline to microcrystalline clots in various phenocrysts seem to also represent primary igneous assemblages, manifested as clusters of microphenocrysts; these are referred to as crystal clots. SEM-EDS analyses determined the composition of crystal-rich clots in various plagioclase phenocrysts forming inclusions. The major-element composition of these crystal-rich clots in plagioclase are basalt, basaltic andesite, andesite, trachy-andesite, and trachyte that seem to be melt trapped during plagioclase phenocryst growth; these trapped interface melts then form microphenocryst assemblages that are preserved in phenocrysts, which are trapped when some process interferes with the growth of a phenocryst. These cMIs exhibit compositional variations from their bulk host rock, resulting from entrapment during magma mixing during plagioclase growth.

Revisiting the Petrogenesis of Pyroclastic Glass Bead Deposits at the Apollo 15 and 17 Sites

Abstract The Apollo 15 low-titanium and Apollo 17 high-titanium pyroclastic glass beads are among the most primitive magmatically derived samples obtained from the Moon. Two key samples, the low-Ti Apollo 15426 green glass clod and the high-Ti Apollo 74220 orange glass are morphologically distinct, where the Apollo 15 beads are larger (~107 μm along maximum axis) and more fractured, and the Apollo 17 are smaller (~42 μm) and less fractured. In this study, holohyaline beads as well as crystallized beads were examined from both samples using petrography, electron microprobe analysis, and laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Crystallized beads show compositional variability in major, minor, and trace elements and enable examination of magmatic mineral fractionation processes during cooling of both deposits. The Apollo 15426 beads experienced variable olivine crystallization, whereas the Apollo 74220 beads experienced both olivine and ilmenite crystallization. Holohyaline beads from both deposits show more limited major, minor, and trace element variability than their crystallized counterparts. Trace element abundance data for individual holohyaline beads show that in Apollo 74220, they are tightly clustered at ~30× Carbonaceous Ivuna chondrite [CI] with negative Eu anomalies and subchondritic Nb/Ta, interpreted to reflect the presence of late-stage magma ocean cumulates overturned into an otherwise primitive mantle source. Incompatible trace element abundances for holohyaline beads in 15426 are supra-chondritic from ~8× CI, to >80× CI, with pronounced relative depletions in Sr and Eu for the most incompatible element enriched beads, which represent a distinct bead group within the deposit. Apollo 15426 beads have elevated Ni and Co abundances at the edges of the beads compared to their centers. These data are interpreted to reflect a more complex magmatic evolution of the 15426 deposit, beginning with (i) initial magma generation, storage, and assimilation within shallower low- and high-Ca pyroxene bearing magma ocean cumulates (15B,C); (ii) mobilization of the earlier magmas by more recently generated primitive magmas (15A); (iii) eruption and crystallization of some beads (15D,E); and (iv) later jumbling of the deposit, possible impact contamination and addition of exotic basaltic bead components (J Group). In contrast, the 74220 data show no discernable difference between Ni and Co abundances at the edges and centers supporting prior observations for limited melt fractionation and an absence of meteoritic components. Both deposits are likely to have been formed in the presence of a transient atmosphere. Using 74220 melt compositions from this study, post-entrapment crystallization abundances range from 266 to 1130 μg/g for H2O, 36 to 68 μg/g for F, 441 to 832 μg/g for S, and 0 to 2.31 μg/g for Cl, consistent with prior studies and suggesting up to ~0.1 wt % H2O in the melt, with considerably less in the source. The role that late-stage magma ocean cumulates rich in ilmenite and high-Ca pyroxene might play in modifying this volatile element estimate, however, casts remaining doubt on the volatile element abundance and evolution of the primitive Moon.

Genesis of Carbonatite at Oldoinyo Lengai (Tanzania) from Olivine Nephelinite: Protracted Melt Evolution and Reactive Porous Flow in Deep Crustal Mushes

Abstract Carbonatites, carbon-rich magmatic rocks, are thought to form by low-degree partial melting of a relatively carbon-poor mantle followed by protracted differentiation and immiscibility. However, the nature of parental magmas and the characteristics of the early stages of differentiation that shape the subsequent crystal and liquid lines of descent remain poorly constrained. To provide new constraints, deep crustal cumulative xenoliths from Oldoinyo Lengai (East African Rift), the only active volcano erupting carbonatite magmas, were studied. We use major and volatile elements in primitive olivine-hosted melt inclusions, as well as major and trace elements in crystals, to reconstruct the conditions of formation and evolution of cumulates (pressure, temperature, composition). Xenoliths are composed of olivine, diopside, phlogopite, amphibole and accessory minerals. One remarkable feature is the presence of diopside and phlogopite oikocrysts enclosing roundish olivine chadacrysts. Melt inclusions do not have vapor bubble and have major element compositions resembling olivine nephelinite (7–10 wt % MgO after corrections for post-entrapment crystallization). The absence of vapor bubbles implies that the concentrations of volatile components (i.e. CO2, H2O, S) were not compromised by well-known post-entrapment volatile loss into the vapor bubble. Based on the melt inclusion study by SIMS, the volatile concentrations in olivine nephelinite magmas (early stage of differentiation) at Oldoinyo Lengai were 20–130 ppm S, 390–4500 ppm F, 50–540 ppm Cl, up to 6074 ppm CO2 and up to 1.5 wt % H2O. According to the calculated CO2-H2O saturation pressures and geophysical data, xenoliths from Embalulu Oltatwa document a mushy reservoir in the lower crust. Primitive olivine nephelinite melt inclusions have higher H2O contents than olivine nephelinite lavas from other further South volcanoes from the North Tanzanian Divergence (0.2–0.5 wt % H2O), suggesting that the lithospheric mantle source beneath the Oldoinyo Lengai is more hydrated than the mantle beneath the rest of North Tanzanian Divergence. We present a model in which resorption features observed in olivine chadacrysts, together with the LREE enrichments in olivine grains, are the consequences of reactive porous flows in a deep crustal mushy reservoir. We provide constraints on the major, trace and volatile element composition of the parental magmas of carbonatite series and demonstrate with Rhyolite-MELTS models that phonolites and related natrocarbonatites from Oldoinyo Lengai can be produced by protracted differentiation of olivine nephelinite melts.

The petrologic and degassing behavior of sulfur and other magmatic volatiles from the 2018 eruption of Kīlauea, Hawaiʻi: melt concentrations, magma storage depths, and magma recycling

Kīlauea Volcano’s 2018 lower East Rift Zone (LERZ) eruption produced exceptionally high lava effusion rates and record-setting SO2 emissions. The eruption involved a diverse range of magmas, including primitive basalts sourced from Kīlauea’s summit reservoirs. We analyzed LERZ matrix glasses, melt inclusions, and host minerals to identify melt volatile contents and magma storage depths. The LERZ glasses and melt inclusions span nearly the entire compositional range previously recognized at Kīlauea. Melt inclusions in Fo86-89 olivine from the main eruptive vent (fissure 8) underwent 70–170 °C cooling during transport in LERZ carrier melts, causing extensive post-entrapment crystallization and sulfide precipitation. Many of these melt inclusions have low sulfur (400–900 ppm) even after correction for sulfide formation. CO2 and H2O vapor saturation pressures indicate shallow melt inclusion trapping depths (1–5 km), consistent with formation within Kīlauea’s Halemaʻumaʻu and South Caldera reservoirs. Many of these inclusions also have degassed δ34S values (− 1.5 to − 0.5‰). Collectively, these results indicate that some primitive melts experienced near-surface degassing before being trapped into melt inclusions. We propose that decades-to-centuries of repeated lava lake activity and lava drain-back during eruptions (e.g., 1959 Kīlauea Iki) recycled substantial volumes of degassed magma into Kīlauea’s shallow reservoir system. Degassing and magma recycling from the 2008–2018 Halemaʻumaʻu lava lake likely reduced the volatile contents of LERZ fissure 8 magmas, resulting in lower fountain heights compared to many prior Kīlauea eruptions. The eruption’s extreme SO2 emissions were due to high lava effusion rates rather than particularly volatile-rich melts.

Formation of miarolitic-class, segregation-type pegmatites in the Taishanmiao batholith, China: The role of pressure fluctuations and volatile exsolution during pegmatite formation in a closed, isochoric system

Abstract The Taishanmiao granitic batholith, located in the Eastern Qinling Orogen in Henan Province, China, contains numerous small (mostly tens of centimeters in maximum dimension) bodies exhibiting textures and mineralogy characteristics of simple quartz and alkali feldspar pegmatites. Analysis of melt inclusions (MI) and fluid inclusions (FI) in pegmatitic quartz, combined with Rhyolite-MELTS modeling of the crystallization of the granite, have been applied to develop a conceptual model of the physical and geochemical processes associated with the formation of the pegmatites. These results allow us to consider the formation of the Taishanmiao pegmatites within the context of varios models that have been proposed for pegmatite formation. Field observations and geochemical data indicate that the pegmatites represent the latest stage in the crystallization of the Taishanmiao granite and occupy ≤4 vol% of the syenogranite phase of the batholith. Results of Rhyolite-MELTS modeling suggest that the pegmatite-forming melts can be produced through continuous fractional crystallization of the Taishanmiao granitic magma, consistent with the designation of the pegmatites as a miarolitic class, segregation-type pegmatites rather than the more common intrusive-type of pegmatite. The mineral assemblage predicted by Rhyolite-MELTS after ~96% of the original granite-forming melt had crystallized consists of ~51 vol% alkali feldspar, 34 vol% quartz, 14 vol% plagioclase, 0.1 vol% biotite, and 1 vol% magnetite, similar to the alkali feldspar + quartz dominated mineralogy of the pegmatites. Moreover, the modeled residual melt composition following crystallization of ~96% of the original melt is similar to the composition of homogenized MI in quartz within the pegmatite. Rhyolite-MELTS predicts that the granite-forming melt remained volatile-undersaturated during crystallization of the batholith and contained ~6.3 wt% H2O and ~500 ppm CO2 after ~96% crystallization when the pegmatites began to develop. The Rhyolite-MELTS prediction that the melt was volatile-undersaturated at the time the pegmatites began to form, but became volatile-saturated during the early stages of pegmatite formation, is consistent with the presence of some inclusion assemblages consisting of only MI, while others contain co-existing MI and FI. The relationship between halogen (F and Cl) and Na abundances in MI is also consistent with the interpretation that the very earliest stages of pegmatite formation occurred in the presence of a volatile-undersaturated melt and that the melt became volatile saturated as crystallization progressed. We propose a closed system, isochoric model for the formation of the pegmatites. Accordingly, the Taishanmiao granite crystallized isobarically at ~3.3 kbar, and the pegmatites began to form at ~734 °C and ~ 3.3 kbar, after ~96% of the original granitic melt had crystallized. During the final stages of crystallization of the granite, small pockets of the remaining residual melt became isolated within the enclosing granite and evolved as constant mass (closed), constant volume (isochoric) systems, similar to the manner in which volatile-rich melt inclusions in igneous phenocrysts evolve during post-entrapment crystallization under isochoric conditions. As a result of the negative volume change associated with crystallization, pressure in the pegmatite initially decreases as crystals form, and this leads to volatile exsolution from the melt phase. The changing PTX conditions produce a pressure-induced “liquidus deficit” that is analogous to liquidus undercooling and results in crystal growth as required to return the system to equilibrium PTX conditions. Owing to the complex closed system, isochoric PVTX evolution of the melt-crystal-volatile system, the pressure does not decrease rapidly or monotonically during pegmatite formation but, rather, gradually fluctuates such that at some stages in the evolution of the pegmatite the pressure is decreasing while at other times the pressure increases as the system cools to maintain mass and volume balance. This behavior, in turn, leads to alternating episodes of precipitation and dissolution that serve to coarsen (ripen) the crystals to produce the pegmatitic texture. The evolution of the pegmatitic melt described here is analogous to that which has been well-documented to occur in volatile-rich MI that undergo closed system, isochoric, post-entrapment crystallization.

MushPEC: Correcting Post-entrapment Processes Affecting Melt Inclusions Hosted in Olivine Antecrysts

Olivine-hosted melt inclusions (MIs) are widely used as a tool to study the early stages of magmatic evolution. There are a series of processes that affect MI compositions after trapping, including post-entrapment crystallization (PEC) of the host mineral at the MI boundaries, exsolution of volatile phases into a “shrinkage bubble” and diffusive exchange between a MI and its host. Classical correction schemes applied to olivine-hosted MIs include PEC correction through addition of olivine back to the melt until it reaches equilibrium with the host composition and “Fe-loss” correction due to Fe-Mg diffusive exchange. These corrections rely on the assumption that the original host composition is preserved. However, for many volcanic samples the crystal cargo is thought to be antecrystic, and the olivine composition may thus have been completely re-equilibrated during long crystal storage times. Here, we develop a novel MI correction scheme that is applicable when the original host crystal composition has not been preserved and the initial MI composition variability can be represented by simple fractional crystallization (FC). The new scheme allows correction of MI compositions in antecrystic hosts with long and varied temperature histories. The correction fits a set of MI compositions to modelled liquid lines of descent generated by FC. A MATLAB®script (called MushPEC) iterates FC simulations using the rhyolite-MELTS algorithm. In addition to obtaining the corrected MI compositions, the application of this methodology provides estimations of magmatic conditions during MI entrapment. A set of MIs hosted in olivine crystals of homogeneous composition (Fo77–78) from a basaltic tephra of Akita-Komagatake volcano was used to test the methodology. The tephra sample shows evidence of re-equilibration of the MIs to a narrow Mg# range equivalent to the carrier melt composition. The correction shows that olivine hosts were stored in the upper crust (c.125 – 150 MPa) at undersaturated H2O contents ofc. 1 – 2 wt% H2O).

Effect of redox on Fe\u2013Mg\u2013Mn exchange between olivine and melt and an oxybarometer for basalts

The Fe–Mg exchange coefficient between olivine (ol) and melt (m), defined as {text{Kd}}_{{{text{Fe}}^{T} {-} {text{Mg}}}} = (Feol/Fem)·(Mgm/Mgol), with all FeT expressed as Fe2+, is one of the most widely used parameters in petrology. We explore the effect of redox conditions on {text{Kd}}_{{{text{Fe}}^{T} {-} {text{Mg}}}} using experimental, olivine-saturated basaltic glasses with variable H2O (≤ 7 wt%) over a wide range of fO2 (iron-wüstite buffer to air), pressure (≤ 1.7 GPa), temperature (1025–1425 °C) and melt composition. The ratio of Fe3+ to total Fe (Fe3+/∑Fe), as determined by Fe K-edge µXANES and/or Synchrotron Mössbauer Source (SMS) spectroscopy, lies in the range 0–0.84. Measured Fe3+/∑Fe is consistent (± 0.05) with published algorithms and appears insensitive to dissolved H2O. Combining our new data with published experimental data having measured glass Fe3+/∑Fe, we show that for Fo65–98 olivine in equilibrium with basaltic and basaltic andesite melts, {text{Kd}}_{{{text{Fe}}^{T} {-} {text{Mg}}}} decreases linearly with Fe3+/∑Fe with a slope and intercept of 0.3135 ± 0.0011. After accounting for non-ideal mixing of forsterite and fayalite in olivine, using a symmetrical regular solution model, the slope and intercept become 0.3642 ± 0.0011. This is the value at Fo50 olivine; at higher and lower Fo the value will be reduced by an amount related to olivine non-ideality. Our approach provides a straightforward means to determine Fe3+/∑Fe in olivine-bearing experimental melts, from which fO2 can be calculated. In contrast to {text{Kd}}_{{{text{Fe}}^{T} {-} {text{Mg}}}}, the Mn–Mg exchange coefficient, {text{Kd}}_{{{text{Mn}} {-} {text{Mg}}}}, is relatively constant over a wide range of P–T–fO2 conditions. We present an expression for {text{Kd}}_{{{text{Mn}} {-} {text{Mg}}}} that incorporates the effects of temperature and olivine composition using the lattice strain model. By applying our experimentally-calibrated expressions for {text{Kd}}_{{{text{Fe}}^{T} {-} {text{Mg}}}} and {text{Kd}}_{{{text{Mn}} {-} {text{Mg}}}} to olivine-hosted melt inclusions analysed by electron microprobe it is possible to correct simultaneously for post-entrapment crystallisation (or dissolution) and calculate melt Fe3+/∑Fe to a precision of ≤ 0.04.

Post-melting oxidation of highly primitive basalts from the southern Andes

The oxygen fugacity (fO2) of the Earth’s upper mantle and its melting products is an important parameter in the geochemical evolution of arc magmas and their connection with the continental crustal construction and growth. Several works have focused on the fO2 of peridotite xenoliths, primitive melts in relatively young arc settings, and mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) but few studies have attempted to examine the early redox history of primitive magmas in mature arcs. Hence, our understanding of the nature and evolution of fO2 during the subduction cycle remains limited. Here, we investigate the basaltic tephra from the Los Hornitos monogenetic cones in central-southern Chile, which are among the most primitive materials reported in the Southern Andes (olivine Mg# ≤ 92.5, and Ni ≤ 5000 µg·g−1). These features offer a unique opportunity to explore the fO2 conditions below the Andean arc by studying olivine phenocrysts and their contained crystal and melt inclusions. We integrated EPMA, LA-ICP-MS, and µ-XANES analyses to constrain the redox conditions recorded in the basaltic tephra by three different and self-reliant methods. First, we determined the fO2 based on the olivine-spinel equilibrium, yielding average values ΔFMQ + 1.3 ± 0.4 (1σ). Second, we constrained the fO2 conditions of melt inclusions using Fe µ-XANES data and the redox dependent olivine-melt vanadium partitioning. After correcting for post-entrapment crystallization and diffusive iron loss, the Fe µ-XANES data indicate that the melt inclusions were trapped in average at ΔFMQ +2.5 ± 0.5 (1σ). Results using the olivine-melt vanadium partitioning oxybarometer in melt inclusions are in agreement with Fe µ-XANES data, yielding average ΔFMQ values of +2.6 ± 0.3 (1σ). In order to test the potential effects of other post-entrapment modifications of the melt inclusions that could have affected the fO2 prior to eruption, we assessed the residence time of these magmas using Mg-Fe interdiffusion modelling in olivine. The short residence times (<200 days) compared to vanadium re-equilibration models strongly suggest that the melt inclusions preserve the prevailing fO2 conditions during their entrapment. Correlations between melt inclusions major element composition and their fO2 determined by Fe µ-XANES, as well as V/Sc modelling reveal a case of post-melting oxidation of the LHC magmas. We argue that primitive arc magmas behave as an open system with respect to fO2 during their early geochemical evolution. Our data indicate a complex fO2 early history of primitive melts in the southern Andes and provide a cautionary note on the direct extrapolation of primitive melts fO2 values to that of their mantle source.

Derivation of Jurassic HIMU-like intraplate basalts from mantle transition zone in South China: New geochemical constraints from olivine-hosted melt inclusion

The petrogenesis of high-μ (HIMU, μ = 238U/204Pb) basalt in a continental setting remains highly controversial. Here we present a comprehensive geochemical (including major and trace element and isotopic compositions of whole-rock, olivine and melt inclusion) data on Jurassic HIMU-like basalts from the interior (Antang) of South China. This study identified high-H2O (up to 5.0 wt%) olivine-hosted melt inclusions in these basalts. After stripping off the effects of degassing, post-entrapment crystallization and kinetic diffusion, the primary magma of the Antang basalts was estimated to contain ≥2.65 wt% H2O and the corresponding mantle source contains >1000 ppm H2O, which is much higher than the water content of convecting asthenosphere and lower mantle. In addition, the relative depletion of fluid-mobile elements and positive Nb-Ta anomalies in bulk rocks and melt inclusions, and the distance far away from the contemporaneous paleo-Pacific subduction zone, preclude an origin from a slab fluid-metasomatized mantle. The strong depletion of CaO in both olivine phenocrysts and whole-rock compositions further indicates that the basaltic magmas originated from an eclogitic or pyroxenitic mantle source. The combined geochemical data suggest that the Antang basalts were most likely derived from a hydrous source, which was composed mainly of ancient recycled oceanic crust that had stagnated in the mantle transition zone (MTZ) for more than one billion years. Our results therefore provide a new perspective on the MTZ origin of intracontinental basalts and imply that the hydrous MTZ can preserve recycled crustal components for long periods of time and form distinct mantle reservoirs for intraplate basalts.

Crystal scavenging from mush piles recorded by melt inclusions

Olivine-hosted melt inclusions are commonly used to determine pre-eruptive storage conditions. However, this approach relies on the assumption that co-erupted olivines have a simple association with their carrier melts. We show that primitive olivine crystal cargoes and their melt inclusions display a high degree of geochemical disequilibrium with their carrier melts at Kīlauea Volcano, Hawai’i. Within a given eruption, melt inclusions trapped in primitive olivine crystals exhibit compositional diversity exceeding that in erupted lava compositions since 1790 CE. This demonstrates that erupting liquids scavenge crystal cargoes from mush piles accumulating diverse melt inclusion populations over timescales of centuries or longer. Entrainment of hot primitive olivines into cooler, evolved carrier melts drives post-entrapment crystallization and sequestration of CO2 into vapour bubbles, producing spurious barometric estimates. While scavenged melt inclusion records may not be suitable for the investigation of eruption-specific processes, they record timescales of crystal storage and remobilization within magmatic mush piles.

Volatiles in the martian crust and mantle: Clues from the NWA 6162 shergottite

Martian meteorites of various petrogeneses retain a record of volatiles on Mars: from the hydrosphere, crustal water to the mantle. Sputtering of the martian atmosphere by solar wind after the loss of Mars' magnetic field enriched it in deuterium, which exchanged with martian crustal water. Recent studies show that the hydrogen isotopic composition of the martian crustal water reservoir varies from 3000 to 7000‰ but requires better constraints. Melt inclusion glasses, maskelynite and fusion crust from the depleted olivine-phyric shergotite NWA 6162 were analyzed using NanoSIMS, providing a unique insight into the hydrogen isotopic and volatile elemental content of both the martian crustal water reservoir and the mantle source.The H2O, S, and Cl contents of the melt inclusion glasses are ∼0-3137, 14-239, and 16-967 ppm, respectively. δD values vary from −560 to 6137‰. The water content positively correlates with the δD values in both the melt inclusion glasses and maskelynite in a two end-member mixing trend. One end-member is the magmatic water with a δD value of ∼0‰, and the other end member is the martian crustal water with δD ranging from 5000 to 6000‰. NWA 6162, a depleted olivine-phyric shergottite, originated from a different mantle source to the enriched lherzolitic shergottites. However, both types of shergottites exchanged with martian crustal water with the same δD values, indicating a homogeneous martian crustal water hydrogen isotopic composition (5000-6000‰). Most melt inclusion glasses from NWA 6162 have low water content (0-234 ppm) except for two enriched locations as micron-sized bands and dendrites. The low water content in most melt inclusion glasses, the dendritic shaped water enriched areas in melt inclusions, and the martian crustal water diffusion profile recorded in maskelynite collectively suggest short-lived water-rock interactions in the NWA 6162 parent rock that was probably induced by impact. Furthermore, a great contribution (up to 98%) of surface Cl accompanying D-enriched water was recorded in the melt inclusions supported by the positive correlation between Cl and H2O. The presence of sulfide and S-rich hot spots and low δD end-member of the magmatic water indicate that the degassing during post-entrapment crystallization and ascent of the melt inclusion is negligible. H2O, S, and Cl contents of the martian mantle reservoir are estimated to be 0.1-3, 0.5-15, and 0.5-4 ppm respectively, after the correction of fractional crystallization of the melt inclusions and contribution from the martian surface reservoir. The martian mantle reservoir estimated from NWA 6162 was water-, S-, and Cl-poorer than the Earth's interior.

Process-related isotope variability in oceanic basalts revealed by high-precision Sr isotope ratios in olivine-hosted melt inclusions

Melting of the proto-Iceland Plume produced the intra-plate lavas of the Faroe Islands. The lava series of the Malinstíndur Formation contains picrite flows which have accumulated up to 50% olivine pheno- and antecrysts. Whole-rocks, minerals and olivine-hosted melt inclusions (MI) from this formation, in addition to other Faroe Island lavas, were analysed for their major-trace element and Sr isotope composition. In comparison to other lavas from the Faroe Islands, the depleted incompatible trace-element composition of the population of inclusions investigated here is equivalent to that of its host-lava, and thus minorly influenced by post-entrapment crystallisation (PEC). High-precision Sr isotope ratios of silicate melt inclusions in olivine, binned by their Fo contents (Fo93–78, in 1 mol% Fo bins), reveal large variations in 87Sr/86Sr within a single lava flow. Both the 87Sr/86Sr and their variability increase with decreasing Fo content, suggesting progressive incorporation of different components during magma evolution, that is, concurrent mixing and crystallisation. The total variation in Sr isotope ratios in the MI population covers about 60% of the variation recorded in the erupted lavas of the entire Faroe Island archipelago, but is slightly biased towards more radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr. The variation of Sr isotope ratios and incompatible trace element concentrations is best explained by mixing-in of melts with different trace element and isotope compositions. Clinopyroxene barometry indicates that mixing of melts likely occurred at pressures higher than 0.6 GPa, in sub-MOHO magma conduits and sills. Hence the chemical and isotopic variability of the melt inclusions is influenced by magmatic processes during melt evolution, which must therefore also influence how source heterogeneity is reflected in the composition of the erupted basalts.

Reequilibration Processes Occurring in Plagioclase‐Hosted Melt Inclusions From Plagioclase Ultraphyric Basalts

AbstractPlagioclase‐hosted melt inclusions are infrequently used to investigate magmatic processes owing to the perception that they are less robust than olivine‐hosted inclusions. Based on a set of time series experiments ranging from 30 min to 4 days, we demonstrate that plagioclase‐hosted melt inclusions can preserve the original (primitive) magmatic signal if steps are taken to correct for post entrapment crystallization. Diffusion within plagioclase‐hosted melt inclusions is sufficiently fast that the melt inclusions can be homogenized within 30 min through heating experiments. As heating time increases, the composition of melt inclusions drifts. We attribute this longer‐term phenomenon to plastic deformation of the host plagioclase (crystal relaxation) inducing a decrease in the internal pressure in the melt inclusion combined with diffusion of elements across the host/melt inclusion interface. The rate of chemical reequilibration within melt inclusions is limited by the much slower rate of diffusion within the solid host. Indeed, the host/melt inclusion partition coefficient for MgO decreases by 25% from the 30‐min to the 4‐day experiments. Our results suggest that the primary character of plagioclase‐hosted melt inclusions can be recovered if one recognizes and corrects for the effects of the complex physical and chemical processes that occur during melt inclusion homogenization.

Deep pre-eruptive storage of silicic magmas feeding Plinian and dome-forming eruptions of central and northern Dominica (Lesser Antilles) inferred from volatile contents of melt inclusions

Volatiles contribute to magma ascent through the sub-volcanic plumbing system. Here, we investigate melt inclusion compositions in terms of major and trace elements, as well as volatiles (H2O, CO2, SO2, F, Cl, Br, S) for Quaternary Plinian and dome-forming dacite and andesite eruptions in the central and the northern part of Dominica (Lesser Antilles arc). Melt inclusions, hosted in orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and plagioclase are consistently rhyolitic. Post-entrapment crystallisation effects are limited, and negligible in orthopyroxene-hosted inclusions. Melt inclusions are among the most water-rich yet recorded (≤ 8 wt% H2O). CO2 contents are generally low (< 650 ppm), although in general the highest pressure melt inclusion contain the highest CO2. Some low-pressure (< 3 kbars) inclusions have elevated CO2 (up to 1100–1150 ppm), suggestive of fluxing of shallow magmas with CO2-rich fluids. CO2-trace element systematics indicate that melts were volatile-saturated at the time of entrapment and can be used for volatile-saturation barometry. The calculated pressure range (0.8–7.5 kbars) indicates that magmas originate from a vertically-extensive (3–27 km depth) storage zone within the crust that may extend to the sub-Dominica Moho (28 km). The vertically-extensive crustal system is consistent with mush models for sub-volcanic arc crust wherein mantle-derived mafic magmas undergo differentiation over a range of crustal depths. The other volatile range of composition for melt inclusions from the central part is F (75–557 ppm), Cl (1525–3137 ppm), Br (6.1–15.4 ppm) and SO2 (< 140 ppm), and for the northern part it’s F (92–798 ppm), Cl (1506–4428 ppm), Br (not determined) and SO2 (< 569; one value at 1015 ppm). All MIs, regardless of provenance, describe the same Cl/F correlation (8.3 ± 2.7), indicating that the magma source at depth is similar. The high H2O content of Dominica magmas has implications for hazard assessment.

Vanadium, sulfur, and iron valences in melt inclusions as a window into magmatic processes: A case study at Nyamuragira volcano, Africa

This study describes microscale sulfur (S), vanadium (V), and iron (Fe) K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure (µ-XANES) spectroscopy measurements on olivine-hosted melt inclusions (MI) preserved in tephras (1986 and 2006) and lavas (1938 and 1948) erupted from Nyamuragira volcano (D.R. Congo, Africa). The S, V, and Fe spectroscopic data are used to constrain the evolution of oxygen fugacity (fO2) and sulfur speciation for the entrapped melts. Melt inclusions from lavas show evidence of post-entrapment crystallization and were thus reheated prior to µ-XANES analysis. The MI from tephra show no evidence of post-entrapment crystallization and were, therefore, not reheated. Sulfur, V, and Fe µ-XANES results from 1938, 1948, and 2006 eruptive materials are all similar within analytical uncertainty and provide similar average calculated melt fO2’s based on XANES oxybarometry. However, olivine-hosted MI from the 1986 tephras yield significantly different S, V, and Fe XANES spectra when compared to MI from the other eruptions, with disagreement between calculated fO2’s from the three valence state oxybarometers beyond the uncertainty of the calibration models. Their V µ-XANES spectra are also significantly more ordered and yield more reduced average V valence. The S µ-XANES spectra display a significantly more intense low-energy spectral resonance, which indicates differences in Fe-S bonding character, and greater variability in their measured sulfate content. These V and S spectroscopic features are best explained by crystallization of sub-micrometer magnetite and sulfide crystallites within the 1986 inclusions. The sensitivity of XANES spectroscopy to short-range order allows these crystallites to be recognized even though they are not easily detected by imaging analysis. This shows that V and S µ-XANES are potentially highly sensitive tools for identifying the presence of volumetrically minor amounts of spinel and sulfide within inclusions extracted from rapidly-cooled samples of tephra. Additionally, the observation that rehomogenized 1938 and 1948 inclusions from lava yield similar S, V, and Fe XANES spectra to the 2006 inclusions from tephra may be an encouraging indication that rehomogenization appears to have enabled the successful recovery of their pre-eruptive fO2, despite their complex post-eruptive histories.

Petrogenesis of basalt from the middle Okinawa Trough: New insights from olivine‐hosted melt inclusions

Silicate melt inclusions (SMIs) in basalt from the middle Okinawa Trough are investigated in detail to understand the source geochemical characteristics and petrogenesis of the basalt. The middle Okinawa Trough basalts contain abundant SMIs within olivine phenocrysts. The major element compositions of the SMIs are analysed using an electron microprobe. After correcting for olivine postentrapment crystallization, the major element compositions of the SMIs are more variable in terms of SiO2 (49.7–54.8 wt%) and MgO (5.1–7.2 wt%) than those of the host basalt (SiO2, 52.4 wt%; MgO, 5.7 wt%), which could indicate the existence of more primitive melts than erupted bulk rock. The major element compositions of the SMIs indicate that the SMI‐recorded melt evolution process was mainly dominated by the fractional crystallization of olivine. According to laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometer analyses, the trace element compositions of the SMIs are similar to those of the host bulk rock and feature obvious enrichment in Pb and large‐ion lithophile elements relative to high field strength elements, rare earth elements, and highly negative Nb and Ta anomalies. The low Ce/Pb ratios, high Pb contents, and trace element distribution patterns in the SMIs are related to contributions from subducted sedimentary components in the magma source. Based on the electron microprobe analyses, the chemical composition of the olivine suggests that the lithology of the basalt source may be pyroxenite. The basalts may have been generated by the partial melting of pyroxenite during interactions between mantle‐wedge peridotite and Si‐rich melts that were released from the subducted slab.

Bubble formation and decrepitation control theCO2content of olivine‐hosted melt inclusions

AbstractThe CO2contents of olivine‐hosted melt inclusions have previously been used to constrain the depth of magma chambers in basaltic systems. However, the vast majority of inclusions have CO2contents which imply entrapment pressures that are significantly lower than those obtained from independent petrological barometers. Furthermore, a global database of melt inclusion compositions from lowsettings, indicates that the distribution of saturation pressures varies surprisingly little between mid‐ocean ridges, ocean islands, and continental rift zones. 95% of the inclusions in the database have saturation pressures of 200 MPa or less, indicating that melt inclusion CO2does not generally provide an accurate estimate of magma chamber depths. A model of theP‐V‐T‐Xevolution of olivine‐hosted melt inclusions was developed so that the properties of the inclusion system could be tracked as the hosts follow a modelP‐Tpath. The models indicate that the principal control on the saturation of CO2in the inclusion and the formation of vapor bubbles is the effect of postentrapment crystallization on the major element composition of the inclusions and how this translates into variation in CO2solubility. The pressure difference between external melt and the inclusion is likely to be sufficiently high to cause decrepitation of inclusions in most settings. Decrepitation can account for the apparent mismatch between CO2‐based barometry and other petrological barometers, and can also account for the observed global distribution of saturation pressures. Only when substantial postentrapment crystallization occurs can reconstructed inclusion compositions provide an accurate estimate of magma chamber depth.

Oxygen isotopes and volatile contents of the Gorgona komatiites, Colombia: A confirmation of the deep mantle origin of H2O

We report O isotopes in olivine grains (Fo89–93) and volatile contents (CO2, H2O, F, S, Cl) in olivine-hosted melt inclusions from one Gorgona picrite and five komatiites with the aim of constraining the origin of H2O in these magmas. These samples have previously been analysed for major and trace elements and volatile concentrations (H2O, S, Cl) and B isotopes in melt inclusions. A distinctive feature of the included melts is relatively high contents of volatile components and boron, which show positive anomalies in, otherwise depleted, primitive mantle normalised trace and rare earth element patterns and range in δ11B from −11.5 to 15.6‰. In this study, the olivines were systematically analysed for O isotopes (1) in the centre of grains, (2) near the grain boundaries and, (3) as close as possible to the studied melt inclusions. The majority of olivines (∼66%) are “mantle”-like, 4.8‰≤δ18O≤5.5‰, with a subordinate but still significant number (∼33%) above, and only 2 grains below, this range. There is no systematic difference between the central and marginal parts of the grains. Higher than “mantle” δ18OOl values are ascribed to low-T (<300 °C) serpentinisation along inner fractures and grain boundaries of olivine phenocrysts. The measured concentrations of volatile components in the melt inclusions corrected for the effects of post-entrapment crystallisation and H2O–CO2 exsolution in inclusion shrinkage bubbles are: 286–1748 μg/g CO2, 0.2–0.86 wt.% H2O, 48–82 μg/g F, 398–699 μg/g S and 132–198 μg/g Cl. They correspond to a pressure of 86±44MPa or ∼2.5-km crustal depth of olivine crystallisation. The correlations of S and, to a lesser extent, of H2O, with highly incompatible lithophile elements and the correlation of F with Cl, but no relationships of H2O with Cl, rule out shallow depth magma degassing and/or crustal contamination. Our new δ18O olivine and volatile component data combined with the existing, highly variable δ11B values for melt inclusions also support the deep mantle origin of H2O (and probably other volatiles) in the Gorgona mafic and ultramafic magmas.

Deep differentiation of alkali ultramafic magmas: Formation of carbonatite melts

The study of melt microinclusions in olivine megacrysts from meimechites and alkali picrites of the Maimecha–Kotui alkali ultramafic and carbonatite province (Polar Siberia) revealed that the melt compositions corrected for loss of olivine due to post-entrapment crystallization of olivine on inclusion walls (differentiates of primary meimechite magma) match well to the composition of nephelinites and olivine melilitites belonging to carbonatite magmatic series. Modeling of fractional crystallization of meimechite magmas results in the high-alkali melt compositions corresponding to the silicate–carbonate liquid immiscibility field. The appearance of volatile-rich melts at the base of magma-generating plume systems at early stages of partial melting can be explained by extraction of incompatible elements including volatiles, by near-solidus melts at low degrees of partial melting, and meimechites are an example of such magmas. Subsequent accumulation of CO2 in the residual melt results in generation of carbonate magma.

Degassing and magma mixing during the eruption of Surtsey Volcano (Iceland, 1963–1967): the signatures of a dynamic and discrete rift propagation event

The eruption of Surtsey (Iceland, 1963–1967) is a rare example of observed volcanism at a propagating rift tip, where Iceland’s Eastern Volcanic Zone is advancing southwesterly toward the Reykjanes Ridge. We use olivine-hosted melt inclusions, embayments, and matrix glasses to investigate major element, trace element, and volatile characteristics of Surtsey’s magmatic system, and to parameterize decompression models that describe degassing of C-H-S-O species during this well-studied eruption. Major elements show that the inclusions represent heterogeneous melts with a range of compositions similar to those of Icelandic lavas. Trace elements discriminate between two groups of inclusions: the majority are compositionally similar to Eastern Volcanic Zone alkalic basalts, and the remainder are notably more depleted in incompatible trace elements and trend toward fields defined by tholeiites on and around Iceland. Strongly correlated Cl and Nb for all inclusions indicates that seawater did not affect Surtsey’s volatile budget, despite having clearly affected its eruption style. Both types of inclusions are volatile rich (≤1.47 wt.% H2O; ≤2534 ppm CO2 as measured or ≤5286 ppm once corrected for vapor bubbles and post-entrapment crystallization). They are more hydrous than primary melts in the onshore Eastern Volcanic Zone and have parental CO2/Nb (≤590) at the upper end of regional estimates. Saturation pressures calculated from corrected CO2 values indicate that melts in both inclusion types initially crystallized at similar depths in the upper mantle (17–21 km), and then partially crystallized during ascent through the lower crust (7–13 km). Historical data show that gases emitted on Surtsey shifted from being relatively reduced in 1964/1965 to more oxidized in 1967, after a protracted period of effusive activity and resurgence of pyroclastic activity from satellite vents. Closed-system degassing models predict the compositions and redox states of the 1964/1965 gases extremely well, but cannot account for the oxidized gases emitted in 1967, which may have been contaminated by ambient air in a system that was opening as the eruption waned. Surtsey’s pyroclastic resurgence can be explained by recharge from ephemeral and compositionally heterogeneous magma bodies, tapped from possibly as deep as the mantle-crust boundary, in a process consistent with the progressively increasing interconnection between magma bodies that is typical at propagating rift tips. The eruption of Surtsey therefore shows that magma system evolution at rift tips can occur in dynamic and discrete events, with influx of new magma having explosive consequences.