Incompatible Trace Element Ratios Research Articles

SO2 emissions from the Timanfaya eruption (1730–36 CE), Lanzarote, Canary Islands

The 1730–36 CE eruption of Lanzarote (Canary Islands) is the third largest basaltic fissure eruption known to have occurred in the last 1000 years, after the Icelandic events of Laki (1783–84 CE) and Eldgja (939 CE). Approximately 5.2 km3 (1.1 × 1012 kg) of alkalic basalt (sensu lato) lava and pyroclastic rocks were emplaced on land, with a further unknown amount entering the sea, The activity occurred in five eruptive phases from vents situated along a 15-km long, E-W trending fissure. Each phase began with Strombolian fire fountain activity, building large spatter and scoria cones, accompanied and followed by effusive ‘a'ā and pāhoehoe lava flow emplacement. Phases I and II were the most explosive and occurred between 1st September 1730 and June 1731. Samples of scoria and lava surfaces were collected from all phases and the major elements, S, Cl and F contents of matrix glasses and glass inclusions in olivine (the dominant phenocryst phase) were analysed by electron microprobe. Water contents of selected glasses were measured on polished wafers by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. Glass compositions mimic the range of published whole rock compositions, with Phase I being predominantly basanitic and later phases alkali basalt. Whole rock variations in incompatible trace element ratios are mimicked by ratios involving TiO2, K2O and P2O5 in glass. Matrix and glass inclusion analyses in a given sample are similar, indicating that the inclusions formed synchronously with eruption and that most phenocryst crystallization occurred during earlier evolution of the magmas. Matrix glasses in scoria and surface lava samples have 80–300 ppm S and 260–750 ppm H2O, whereas glass inclusions in olivine have 420–2650 ppm S and 0.1 to 0.5 wt% H2O. Glass inclusions with low sulfur contents were trapped during degassing-induced crystallization as the magma approached the surface. The inclusions with the highest sulfur contents, at given P2O5/TiO2 ratio, are inferred to represent un-degassed melt, and their S content and S/K2O ratios correlate very strongly with incompatible element concentrations and P2O5/TiO2 ratios. The original S contents of 131 matrix glasses were calculated from their P2O5/TiO2 ratios and compared to their measured degassed S contents. The mass of S released per unit mass of magma ranged from about 0.25% in Phase I Episode 1to 0.17% in later phases, with propagated uncertainties of about 2 to 5%. About 40 Mt. of SO2 was released overall, with ca. 25 Mt. being released during the first 5 months of the eruption (Phase I). Estimates of average magma discharge rates imply that plumes remained in the troposphere, with the possible exception of those associated with extreme peak discharge rates during Phase I Episode 1 which may have just reached the upper troposphere – lower stratosphere. Lower eruption rates during the later phases would have confined SO2 emissions to the troposphere. Although acid and sulfate peaks dated to 1730 and 1731 have been reported from some Greenland ice cores, the evidence for stratospheric impact, such as cooling at the Earth's surface and increased stratospheric turbidity, is minimal.

Probabilistic Source Classification of Large Tephra Producing Eruptions Using Supervised Machine Learning: An Example From the Alaska‐Aleutian Arc

AbstractAlaska contains over 130 volcanoes and volcanic fields that have been active within the last 2 million years. Of these, roughly 90 have erupted during the Holocene, with many characterized by at least one large explosive eruption. These large tephra‐producing eruptions (LTPEs) generate orders of magnitude more erupted material than a “typical” arc explosive eruption and distribute ash thousands of kilometers from their source. Because LTPEs occur infrequently, and the proximal explosive deposit record in Alaska is generally limited to the Holocene, we require a method that links distal deposits to a source volcano where the correlative proximal deposits from that eruption are no longer preserved. We present a model that accurately and confidently identifies LTPE volcanic sources in the Alaska‐Aleutian arc using only in situ geochemistry. The model is a voting ensemble classifier comprised of six conceptually different machine learning algorithms trained on proximal tephra deposits that have had their source positively identified. We show that incompatible trace element ratios (e.g., Nb/U, Th/La, Rb/Sm) help produce a feature space that contains significantly more variance than one produced by major element concentrations, ultimately creating a model that can achieve high accuracy, precision, and recall on predicted volcanic sources, regardless of the perceived 2D data distribution (i.e., bimodal, uniform, normal) or composition (i.e., andesite, trachyte, rhyolite) of that source. Finally, we apply our model to unidentified distal marine tephra deposits in the region to better understand explosive volcanism in the Alaska‐Aleutian arc, specifically its pre‐Holocene spatiotemporal distribution.

Determination of the oxidation state of primary melts using two proxies

Although many studies have demonstrated that arc magmas are more oxidized than mid-ocean ridge (MORB) and oceanic island basalts (OIB), the oxidation state of their mantle source is still debated. This ongoing debate is mainly due to contradictory fO2 values obtained from different proxies (e.g., Fe3+/ΣFe of olivine-hosted melt inclusions and glasses; Zn/ΣFe, V/Sc, V/Ga of lavas). On the one hand, some studies using V/Sc, V/Ga and Zn/ΣFe of lavas tend to show that the oxidation state of the mantle beneath arcs cannot be distinguished from that of the MORB mantle. On the other, Fe3+/ΣFe of glasses and olivine-hosted melt inclusions suggest that the sub-arc mantle is more oxidized than the mantle beneath ridges. Here, we estimate the oxygen fugacity of high-Mg olivine-hosted melt inclusions from various mid-ocean ridges and arcs, from one hot spot (Reunion Island) and Mount Etna using two fO2 proxies: the Fe3+/ΣFe of melts and the partition coefficient of V between olivine and melt (DvOl/Melt). After assessing the role of secondary processes such as volatile degassing and fractional crystallization on the fO2 of melts and reconstructing primary melt compositions, we show that (1) fO2 values derived from Fe3+/ΣFe and DvOl/Melt are comparable and (2) arc and Mount Etna primary melts are more oxidized than mid-ocean ridge and Reunion Island primary melts. We then demonstrate, from Zr/Nb, that the observed variability in primary melt fO2 is not due to chemical variability of the mantle source. Finally, the correlations between incompatible trace element ratios such as Th/La, Ba/La, Ba/Th and La/Yb and the fO2 of primary melts reveal a link between the oxidized nature of arc and Mount Etna primary magmas to slab fluid and/or sediment melt influence. Our arc dataset displays a variety of subduction influences, from fluid-dominated (Aoba and Mount Meager) to sediment melt-dominated (La Sommata) influences. The origin of the oxidation of Mount Etna magmas is more complicated to identify and the nature of the oxidized metasomatic fluids that likely percolated through the mantle source before magma generation is yet to be determined.

U-Pb Neoproterozoic age and petrogenesis of a calc-alkaline shoshonitic lamprophyre from Simdega area, Chhotanagpur Gneissic Complex (Eastern India): Implication for the evolution of the Central Indian Tectonic Zone and Rodinia tectonics

The age of emplacement and geochemistry of the lamprophyres are of tectonic significance as they have potential to unravel global scale geodynamic processes. We present petrology, U-Pb SHRIMP apatite and titanite ages and bulk-rock Sr-Nd isotope data for an unmetamorphosed and undeformed lamprophyre dyke from the Simdega area of the Chhotanagpur Gneissic Complex (CGC) which is a component of the E-W trending Central Indian Tectonic Zone (CITZ), India. The CITZ is a major intercontinental suture which separates the northern Indian and the southern Indian blocks whose polarity of their subduction is a contentious issue. The lamprophyre exhibits a strong porphyritic-panidiomorphic texture imparted by the megacrysts/phenocrysts of mica and amphibole with feldspar, apatite, titanite, zircon and opaques confined to the groundmass. Based on combined mineralogy and geochemistry, the lamprophyre is classified to be of calc-alkaline variety (minette) with shoshonitic affinities. Mg# (70.7–78.2) contents highlight the primitive melt character whereas incompatible trace element ratios exclude crustal contamination and are indistinguishable from those of the subduction-related global as well as Eastern Dharwar craton (southern India) calc-alkaline lamprophyres. U-Pb dating of apatite gave an emplacement age of 944 ± 82 Ma which is indistinguishable, within the error limits, from the U-Pb titanite age of 942.1 ± 5 Ma demonstrating a Neoproterozoic magmatic emplacement age of the lamprophyre synchronous with the Rodinia assembly. Bulk-rock 87Sr/86Srinitial (0.707239 and 0.708910) and ɛNdinitial (-8.9 to -8.3) highlights the involvement of an enriched mantle source. Calculated Paleoproterozoic model ages (Nd depleted mantle) of 2.1 Ga of the lamprophyre are indistinguishable from those of the co-spatial amphibolite dykes. Petrogenetic modeling involving rare earth elements reveals that the derivation of the lamprophyre magma from 2 to 3% partial melting of a mixed garnet (70%) and spinel (30%) lherzolitic mantle source with minor phlogopite. Our study highlights that the western part of the CGC was less affected, relative to the eastern part, by the M3 regional amphibolite grade metamorphic event (ca. 920-880 Ma) and also supports the geodynamic models involving northward-directed subduction of the Southern Indian block under the Northern Indian block.-

The complex construction of a glaciovolcanic ridge with insights from the 2021 Fagradalsfjall Eruption (Iceland)

Glaciovolcanic landforms provide global-scale records of paleoenvironmental conditions and yield insights into subglacial eruption processes. Models for the formation of glaciovolcanic ridges, or tindars, are relatively simple, proposing a monogenetic eruption and a fairly uniform stratigraphy with or without a single transition from effusive pillow lavas to explosive fragmental deposits. Others have suggested that tindars are more complicated. To build a more robust model for tindar formation, we conducted a field and geochemical study of Undirhlíðar ridge on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland. We show that the ridge was built through a complex sequence of eruptive and intrusive events under dynamically changing ice conditions. Quarry walls expose a continuous cross-section of the ridge, revealing multiple pillow and fragmental units. Pillow lava orientations record the emplacement of discrete pillow-dominated lobes and the migration of volcanic activity between eruptive vents. Volatile contents in glassy pillow rinds show repeated pulses of pillow lava emplacement under glaciostatic conditions, with periods of fragmentation caused by depressurization. Variations in major elements, incompatible trace element ratios, and Pb-isotopes demonstrate that the eruption was fed from separate crustal melt reservoirs containing melts from a compositionally heterogeneous mantle source. A shift in mantle source signature of pillow lavas suggests that the primary ridge-building phase was triggered by the injection of magma into the crust. Within the growing edifice, magma was transported through dykes and irregularly shaped intrusions, which are up to 20% by area of exposed stratigraphy sequences. The model for tindar construction should consider the significant role of intrusions in the growth of the ridge, a detail that would be difficult to identify in natural erosional exposures. The 2021–22 eruptions from the adjacent Fagradalsfjall vents allow us to draw parallels between fissure-fed eruptions in subaerial and ice-confined environments and test hypotheses about the composition of the mantle underlying the Reykjanes Peninsula. Both Fagradalsfjall and Undirhlíðar ridge eruptions may have occurred over similar spatial and temporal scales, been triggered by mixing events, erupted lavas with varying mantle source signatures, and focused volcanic activity along migrating vents. Differences in composition between the two locations are not related to systematic lateral variations in the underlying mantle. Rather, the Undirhlíðar ridge and Fagradalsfjall eruptions capture complex interactions among the crustal magma plumbing system, mantle source heterogeneity, and melting conditions for a moment in time.

Origin of highly variable and unusually low δ7Li in mineral separates from ultramafic intrusive rocks in a convergent tectonic setting in the Tibetan plateau

Lithium isotopes are increasingly used as a tracer for the sources of mafic-ultramafic intrusive rocks, but the validity of such approach has never been evaluated directly. We have addressed this issue by analyzing mineral separates from an arc-type mafic-ultramafic complex (namely Xiarihamu) in the Tibetan plateau for Li isotopes. The Xiarihamu complex consists of a gently-dipping, ultramafic chonolith in the center and older gabbro in the margins. The chonolith was interpreted to be a feeder for olivine-charged magma by previous studies. Our new data show minor to strong isotopic disequilibrium between coexisting minerals in the chonolith, with lower δ7Li in clinopyroxene than in coexisting orthopyroxene by up to 7‰. The total range of δ7Li in the pyroxene and olivine separates together is from 5.0‰ to −16.2‰, which is significantly different from that of known arc lavas in the world (3.6 ± 1.2 ‰). Samples from a subvertical drill core of ∼190 m in length penetrating the chonolith show a concentric decrease of δ7Li in orthopyroxene from −16.2‰ in the middle to +1.5‰ and + 3.8‰ in both ends. The δ7Li values of mineral separates show no correlation with whole-rock SrNd isotopes and incompatible trace element ratios, as well as olivine forsterite contents and orthopyroxene Mg/(Mg + Fe) molar ratios, indicating that the observed great variability of δ7Li in the minerals was not caused by variable subduction inputs or magma differentiation alone. A positive correlation exists between orthopyroxene δ7Li and whole-rock LOI, illustrating that serpentinization-talc alteration caused δ7Li in the residual mineral to increase, contributing to the great variability of δ7Li on the mineral scales. Subducting sediment input during magma generation and crustal contamination together cannot adequately account for the observed extremely low δ7Li (−2 to −16.2‰) in the minerals from many of the rock samples as well as the unusually low average δ7Li (−3.5‰) of all of the samples, because the δ7Li of the crust and subducting sediments are much higher. Kinetic fractionation of Li isotopes in response to a temperature gradient across the chonolith as well as to subsequent diffusion of Li from interstitial melt to the mineral phases is the best explanation. Since the kinetic fractionation is independent of tectonic settings, such effect is inevitably present in all mafic-ultramafic intrusions on Earth, illustrating that the effect of kinetic Li isotope fractionation must be considered before using Li isotopic data to constrain mantle sources and magmatic evolution, especially if mineral rather than whole-rock data are employed.

Mid-Devonian basaltic magmatism and associated sedimentation: the Ooloo Hill Formation, central-eastern South Australia

We report composition and age data from a restricted <370 km2, volcano-sedimentary basin beneath Mesozoic cover to the northwest of the Flinders Ranges, South Australia. This volcano-sedimentary basin comprises two components: a sedimentary sequence that includes shales, siltstones and sandstones, and a basalt–sedimentary member. Together, these components are defined as the Ooloo Hill Formation. Whole-rock K–Ar geochronology for five basalt samples yields a preferred mean K–Ar age of 392 ± 8 Ma. Two samples of detrital zircons from the sedimentary rock yield SHRIMP U–Pb maximum depositional ages of ca 527 and 510 Ma. These ages are significant, as they rule out a Neoproterozoic age for the sedimentary basin and demonstrate that this basin is not part of the Adelaide Superbasin. Lower eruptive sequences are calc-alkaline and mafic in composition (SiO2 = 46.1–47.8 wt%, Na2O + K2O = 3.7–6.1 wt%, MgO = 6.85–8.37 wt%, Mg# = 57–65 and εNd(390 Ma) = 3.4–4.0) and may represent two small-scale melting events from compositionally distinct mantle reservoirs. The uppermost eruptive sequence is tholeiitic andesite (SiO2 = 51.6 wt%, Na2O + K2O = 8.1 wt%, MgO = 2.2 wt%, Mg# = 27 and εNd(390 Ma) = 3.0) and displays geochemical affinity to the first two eruptive sequences, possibly representing a differentiated magma from a similar source region. Incompatible trace-element ratios and isotopic compositions suggest the source was a heterogeneous oceanic island basalt-like parent magma derived from partial melting of the asthenospheric mantle. We envisage decompressional melting was linked to large-scale tectonic processes inboard of the Tasman Orogen, with magma ascent facilitated by crustal faulting. KEY POINTS First record of a mid-Devonian intracontinental volcano-sedimentary basin in South Australia. Basalts have an oceanic island basalt-like mantle source that represents at least two small-scale melting events from compositionally distinct mantle reservoirs. A localised mid-Devonian backarc basin or transpressional/transtensional basin linked to intracontinental faulting formed inboard of the Tasman Orogen.

Petrology of continental, OIB-like, basaltic volcanism in Saudi Arabia: Constraints on Cenozoic anorogenic mafic magmatism in the Arabian Shield

Continental basaltic volcanism in the Arabian Shield of Saudi Arabia has distinctive mineralogical and geochemical features important for understanding the composition of its mantle source and melting conditions. The studied Cenozoic basaltic rocks (19.3–15 Ma) occur at Jabal Al Gharib and Jabal Al Ghuraybayn areas within the Al Qasr quadrangle and southwest of Hail City in Saudi Arabia. They show similar chondrite-normalized REE patterns, suggesting that they were derived from a common mantle source. Their OIB-like features, silica undersaturated nature, and incompatible trace element ratios all reveal an asthenospheric mantle source and argue against crustal contamination process, subduction contribution, and interaction with a lithospheric mantle. Moreover, the elevated compatible trace element concentrations of Ni, Cr, and Co and the low and relatively narrow range of FeOtotal/MgO ratios argue for their nearly primitive nature and indicate that the role of crystal fractionation processes was minor during the evolution of the studied rocks. The estimated temperatures indicate that the sequence of crystallization likely began with olivine at 1,378–1,475°C, then clinopyroxene at 1,137–1,214°C, and soon after followed by plagioclase at 1,096–1,108°C. Plagioclase geo-hygrometers reveal 0.63–1.41 wt% water contents, suggesting crystallization under hydrous conditions. The basalts have geochemical features such as high (K2O + Na2O)/TiO2, Zr/Hf, and Nb/Ta ratios and negative K anomalies which suggest a carbonated peridotite mantle source. Their bulk-rock compositions are consistent with &amp;lt;5% CO2 in their peridotite melts. Highly incompatible elemental ratios supported by REE modeling indicate that they were generated by low degrees (4–10%) of partial melting of a garnet-bearing lherzolite mantle source. The garnet signature in the source region suggests a deeper origin exceeding ∼85 km. The basanite compositions fall within the range of alkaline OIB and intracontinental basalts formed in the rifted region. Moreover, they show geochemical characteristics typical of Cenozoic rift-related Oman basanites and other Arabian intraplate volcanic rocks. The basaltic volcanism in Saudi Arabia seems to be the result of melting asthenospheric mantle source in response to the lithospheric extension that is spatially and temporally linked to Red Sea rifting and triggered anorogenic mafic magmatism due to passive mantle upwelling beneath the Arabian Shield.

Tracing Volatiles, Halogens, and Chalcophile Metals during Melt Evolution at the Tolbachik Monogenetic Field, Kamchatka

AbstractMelt storage and supply beneath arc volcanoes may be distributed between a central stratovolcano and wider fields of monogenetic cones, indicating complex shallow plumbing systems. However, the impact of such spatially variable magma storage conditions on volatile degassing and trace element geochemistry is unclear. This study explores magma generation and storage processes beneath the Tolbachik volcanic field, Kamchatka, Russia, in order to investigate the evolution of the magmatic volatile phase and, specifically, the strong enrichment of chalcophile metals (in particular, Cu) in this system. We present new geochemical data for a large suite of olivine- and clinopyroxene-hosted melt inclusions (and host phenocrysts) from five separate monogenetic cones within the Tolbachik volcanic field. These high-Al composition magmas likely reflect the homogenised fractionation products of primitive intermediate-Mg melt compositions, stored at shallow depths after significant fractional crystallisation. Boron isotope compositions and incompatible trace element ratios of the melt inclusions suggest a deeper plumbing system that is dominated by extensive fractional crystallisation and fed by melts derived from an isotopically homogeneous parental magma composition. Volatile components (H2O, CO2, S, Cl, F) show that magmas feeding different monogenetic cones had variable initial volatile contents and subsequently experienced different fluid-saturated storage conditions and degassing histories. We also show that melts supplying the Tolbachik volcanic field are strongly enriched in Cu compared with almost all other Kamchatka rocks, including samples from the Tolbachik central stratocones, and other volcanoes situated in close proximity in the Central Kamchatka Depression. The melt inclusions record Cu concentrations ≥450 μg/g at ca. 4–5 wt.% MgO, which can only be explained by bulk incompatible partitioning behaviour of Cu, i.e. evolution under sulphide-undersaturated conditions. We suggest that initial mantle melting in this region exhausted mantle sulphides, leading to sulphide undersaturated primitive melts. This sulphide-free model for the high-Al cone melts is further supported by S/Se and Cu/Ag values that overlap those of the primitive mantle and MORB array, with bulk rock Cu/Ag ratios also overlapping other with other global arc datasets for magma evolution prior to fractionation of a monosulfide solid solution. We therefore demonstrate that the combination of novel chalcophile metal analyses with trace element, isotopic, and volatile data is a powerful tool for deciphering complex magmatic evolution conditions across the entire volcanic field.

Geochronology and glass geochemistry of major Pleistocene eruptions in the Main Ethiopian Rift: Towards a regional tephrostratigraphy

The Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) is renowned as a focus of investigations into human origins. It is also the site of many large volcanic calderas, whose eruptions have spanned the timeframe of speciation, cultural innovation, and dispersal of our species. Yet, despite their significance for dating human fossils and cultural materials, the timing and geochemical signatures of some of the largest eruptions have remained poorly constrained at best. Here, through a programme of field surveys, geochemical analysis and 40Ar/39Ar dating, we report the ages of MER ignimbrites and link them to widespread tephra layers found in sequences of archaeological and paleoenvironmental significance. We date major eruptions of Fentale (76 ± 18 ka), Shala (ca. 145–155 ka), Kone (184 ± 42 ka and ca. 200 ± 12 ka) and Gedemsa (251 ± 47 ka) volcanoes, and correlate a suite of regionally important tephra horizons. Geochemical analysis highlights the predominantly peralkaline rhyolitic melt compositions (7.5–12 wt% Na2O + K2O, 70–76 wt% SiO2) across the central MER and remarkable similarity in incompatible trace element ratios, limiting the correlation of deposits via glass composition alone. However, by integrating stratigraphic and geochronological evidence from proximal deposits, lake sediment cores and distal outcrops at archaeological sites, we have traced ash layers associated with the ca. 177 ka Corbetti, ca. 145–155 ka Shala and ca. 108 ka Bora-Baricha-Tullu-Moye eruptions across southern Ethiopia. In addition to strengthening the tephrochronological framework that supports paleoenvironmental and archaeological work in the region, our findings have wider implications for evaluating the hypothesis of a middle Pleistocene ‘ignimbrite flare-up’ in the MER, and for evaluating the impacts of these great eruptions on landscapes, hydrology, and human ecology.

Evidence for transitional and mildly alkalic eruptions during Hawai'i's dominantly tholeiitic shield-building stage: Insights from the Kulanaokuaiki Tephra (≥1.0 ka) at Kīlauea Volcano, HI

Vitric clasts from a marker horizon in the Kulanaokuaiki Tephra, deposited on the summit and flanks of Kīlauea Volcano, HI, during a prolonged period of explosive eruptions and low magma supply >1.0 ka, show unusual enrichments in alkalis relative to silica and in incompatible elements, in contrast with the volcano's dominantly tholeiitic shield-building lavas. The clasts are transitional basalts, with compositions near the tholeiitic-alkalic boundary (Macdonald and Katsura, 1964). Nearly uniform in composition across ∼200 km2, the clasts are the most proximal to the summit among rare occurrences of transitional and mildly alkalic shield-stage eruptions at Kīlauea. In contrast with the volcano's effusive shield-building style, stratigraphic evidence suggests the clasts were deposited in one of Kīlauea's most vigorous explosive eruptions in the past 2.5 ka—an episode punctuated by high fountaining along with an ∼12 km-tall ash plume. The tephra's composition is consistent with those of five unusual shield-stage Kīlauea lavas. All contain <50.0 wt% SiO2 and 3.0–4.0 wt% Na2O + K2O. All but one contain ≥0.70 wt% K2O, ≥3.0 wt% TiO2, and > 0.30 wt% P2O5. The transitional Kulanaokuaiki clasts also display elevated abundances and ratios of incompatible trace elements (e.g., ∼19 ppm La, La/Yb ∼ 8.6). Compositionally, these early shield-stage clasts and lavas resemble those erupted at the end of shield building at older Hawaiian volcanoes, attributed to lower degrees of partial mantle melting. Chemical constraints and extrinsic circumstances suggest that similar episodes of transitional and mildly alkalic volcanism will likely recur throughout shield building.

Oxygen isotope evidence for progressively assimilating trans-crustal magma plumbing systems in Iceland

Abstract The oxygen isotope composition of mantle-derived melts can place important constraints on how magmas are processed as they traverse the crust. Assimilation of crustal material is a crucial aspect of basalt petrogenesis, as it affects the chemical and rheological characteristics of eruptive magmas at active volcanoes. We report oxygen isotope (δ18O) and trace element (TE) data from a suite of well-characterized basaltic melt inclusions and groundmass glasses from the Bárðarbunga volcanic system in Iceland to assess how and where in the plumbing system crustal rocks interact with ascending magmas. While both melt inclusions and groundmass glasses record a large range in δ18O values (+3.2‰ to +6.4‰ and +2.6‰ to +5.5‰, respectively) groundmass glasses record lower values on average. Relationships between incompatible trace element (e.g., Zr/Nb) and oxygen isotope ratios are best explained with three-component mixing, where primary melts derived from depleted and enriched mantle components with distinct δ18O values mix and acquire a low-δ18O character upon progressive contamination with altered Icelandic crust. The majority (60%) of melt inclusions require 10–30% exchange of oxygen with the Icelandic crust. In addition, for the first time, we link the extent of oxygen isotope exchange with melt equilibration depths, showing that most of the contamination occurs at 1–2 kbar (3–7 km depth). We propose that a progressively assimilating, multi-tiered plumbing system is a characteristic feature of the Bárðarbunga volcanic system, whereby chemical modifications resulting from interaction with the crust systematically increase as melts migrate through higher crustal levels. We show that similar processes may also occur across the active rift zone in Iceland.

Neogene Alkali Basalts from Central Slovakia (Ostrá Lúka Lava Complex); Mineralogy and Geochemistry

Ostrá Lúka basalts are a product of the final phase of Neogene volcanism in Central Slovakia. Their major and trace elements composition is alkaline, a feature confirmed by light rare earth elements (LREE) relative enrichment and some incompatible trace elements ratios. The basalts contain rare surrounded gabbro cumulates. Their peculiarity is a strong zonation of olivines and clinopyroxene. The significant zonation probably indicates a short stop of the melt at shallow depth. The Sr, Nd and Pb isotope compositions indicate an origin from a moderately depleted mantle source. The mineral and chemical composition of the basalts is similar to the Pannonian basin alkali basalts and the Western and Central Europe alkali basalts.

Age, geochemistry, and origin of the mid-Proterozoic Häme mafic dyke swarm, southern Finland

We have reappraised the age and composition of the mid-Proterozoic Häme dyke swarm in southern Finland. The dominant trend of the dykes of this swarm is NW to WNW. Petrographic observations and geochemical data indicate uniform, tholeiitic low- Mg parental magmas for all of the dykes. Nevertheless, the variability in incompatible trace element ratios, such as Zr/Y and La/Nb, provides evidence of changing mantle melting conditions and variable crustal contamination. Our ID-TIMS 207Pb/206Pb ages for four low-Zr/Y-type dykes indicate emplacement at 1639 ± 3 Ma, whereas the most reliable previously published ages suggest emplacement of the high-Zr/Y-type dykes at 1642 ± 2 Ma. We propose that the Häme dyke swarm, and possibly also the other mid- Proterozoic mafic dyke swarms in southern Finland, records a progressive decrease in Zr/Y values due to magma generation under developing areas of thinned lithosphere. We consider that the formation of mafic magmas was most probably associated with the upwelling of hot convective mantle in an extensional setting possibly related to the nearby Gothian orogeny. The generation of tholeiitic magmas below continental lithosphere was probably promoted by the elevated mantle temperature underneath the Nuna supercontinent. We speculate that the origin of most of the relatively small mid-Proterozoic mafic dyke swarms, anorthosites, rapakivi granites, and associated rocks found across Nuna was similarly triggered by extensional plate tectonics and the convection of anomalous hot upper mantle below the supercontinent.

The Bajgan Complex revealed as a Cretaceous ophiolite-bearing subduction complex: A key to unravel the geodynamics of Makran (southeast Iran)

• The Bajgan Complex consists of meta -ophiolites. • The mafic rocks have MOR-, OIB- and E-MOR affinity. • The ages of intrusive protholiths range from Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous . • The Bajgan Complex represents a Cretaceous fossil accretionary wedge. In the Makran area, a wide accretionary wedge is originated by the north-dipping subduction of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere. The rear of the accretionary wedge is represented by the North Makran Domain that consists of an imbricate stack of tectonic units derived from the closure of the North Makran oceanic basin. This oceanic basin opened southward of the Eurasia continental margin during the Early Cretaceous. The Bajgan Complex is interpreted as an Early Paleozoic or older metamorphic basement representing the remnants of the Bajgan-Durkan continental microplate located at the southern rim of the North Makran oceanic basin. This microplate plays thus a key-role in the so far proposed reconstructions of the evolution of the whole Makran area. The Bajgan Complex consists of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous meta -ophiolites and related meta -sediments, both affected by HP-LT metamorphism. The HP-LT metamorphism has been overprinted by epidote amphibolite to greenschist facies metamorphism in the Late Cretaceous during the progressive exhumation of the Bajgan Complex up to shallow structural levels. The incompatible trace elements ratios of meta -igneous rocks indicate a subduction-unrelated chemical affinity for these meta -ophiolites. Our study clearly indicates that the Bajgan Complex cannot be considered as a continental basement of pre-Mesozoic age. Consequently, the closure of the North Makran oceanic basin cannot be related to a collision between a microcontinent and the continental margin of the Lut Block.

Highly variable H2O/Ce ratios in the Hainan mantle plume

Mantle plume-generated basalts have long been utilized to assess the large-scale heterogeneity of the deep mantle. Their chemical and isotopic enrichment has been thought to result from the incorporation of recycled sediments or oceanic crust in their sources. Variable extents of dehydration or rehydration of recycled materials during subduction can induce different H2O/Ce ratios in plume-related basalts. The Hainan plume has been regarded as the cause of the massive Cenozoic basaltic volcanism in southeastern Asia. In this study, we measured bulk-rock major and trace element compositions of basalts from a volcano at Heishanling Hill, northern Hainan Island, and made FTIR analyses of water in clinopyroxene phenocrysts to determine magmatic water contents. In addition, we determined Sr-Nd isotope compositions of basalts at Heishanling Hill and other three localities.Water contents of Cpx phenocrysts vary from 20 to 254 ppm, which were used to calculate the water contents in the corresponding equilibrated melts, yielding values from 0.22 to 2.42 wt% with an average of 1.07 ± 0.47 wt%. Considering the effect of magma differentiation on water contents, the primary melts of Heishanling basalts were estimated to have a range of 0.67–1.40 wt% for individual Heishanling basalts, with the average of 1.03 ± 0.33 wt%. The calculated water contents in the mantle source of the Heishanling basalts vary from 279 to 582 ppm, falling in the range of global OIBs.Combined with the results previously reported, H2O/Ce ratios of Hainan basalts were estimated to vary from 50 to 425, covering the reported range from EM-type OIBs to NMORBs. The enriched Sr-Nd isotopic compositions of the studied samples resemble those of other Hainan plume-related basalts, and their 143Nd/144Nd ratios are well correlated with incompatible trace element ratios (e.g., Th/La, Ba/Nb). Bulk-rock compositions are consistent with a contribution of pyroxenite in the mantle source of the Hainan basalts and mixing modeling suggests coupled contribution of recycled sediment and oceanic crust. H2O/Ce displays a negative correlation with 143Nd/144Nd and a positive correlation with (Rb/Nb)n and (Th/La)n, meaning that an increasing amount of recycled oceanic crust and sediment in the source increases its H2O/Ce. The recycled material incorporated in the Hainan plume source may have undergone variable degrees of dehydration or deep rehydration by fluids released from subcrustal hydrous minerals at grater depths during subduction.

The Evolution of Central Volcanoes in Ultraslow Rift Systems: Constraints From D. João de Castro Seamount, Azores

AbstractThe Dom João de Castro seamount in the Hirondelle Basin (Azores) is a central volcano on the ultraslow diverging Terceira Rift axis. The combination of structural and geochemical data provides insights into the evolution of central volcanoes in oceanic rift systems above the Azores melting anomaly. The orientation of fault scarps and volcanic structures at D. João de Castro and the adjacent Castro fissure zone indicate that the regional SW‐NE extending stress field dominates the morphology of the NW Hirondelle Basin. The regional tectonic stress field controls the crustal melt pathways and leads to dike emplacement along fissure zones and the prevalent eruption of mafic lavas. The occurrence of mafic to felsic lavas at D. João de Castro gives evidence for both a deep and a shallow crustal melt reservoir generating a subordinate local stress field at the seamount. New Sr‐Nd‐Pb isotope data along with incompatible trace element ratios indicate that D. João de Castro and the Castro Ridges originated from similarly heterogeneous mantle source but did not form simultaneously. Our new model implies that central volcanoes along the Terceira Rift form by the growth of volcanic ridges and transitioned into circular edifices after magmatic systems generate local changes in the regional lithospheric stress field. The geometry of D. João de Castro and other magmatic systems along the Terceira Rift combined with the alkaline nature of the erupted lavas, and the large lithosphere thickness indicates that young oceanic rifts are more similar to continental rifts rather than mid‐ocean ridges.

Phlogopite-rich and phlogopite-poor kimberlite intrusions within the Du Toitspan kimberlite pipe, South Africa: Petrogenetic relationships and localised source heterogeneity

Samples from three petrographically distinct, intrusive kimberlite bodies and associated kimberlite dykes from the eastern lobe of the Du Toitspan kimberlite pipe, Kimberley, South Africa, have been analysed for their bulk rock major and trace element compositions and their olivine and phlogopite compositions. The two dominant intrusive bodies (D13, D14) are distinguished by the one (D13) being phlogopite-rich and best classified as a macrocrystic hypabyssal phlogopite kimberlite, and the other (D14) being phlogopite-poor and best classified as a macrocrystic hypabyssal monticellite kimberlite. The minor D17 intrusive body is classified as a macrocrystic transitional hypabyssal serpentinized phlogopite kimberlite. The associated kimberlite dykes range texturally from aphanitic to macrocrystic and are classified as calcite kimberlites.The major kimberlite intrusions and their associated dykes show no evidence of crustal contamination and are characterised by broadly overlapping geochemistry except for distinctly higher K2O (> 2 wt%) and Al2O3 (>3 wt%) and flattening HREE patterns (Gd/YbN = 6.5–7.0) in the D13 – phlogopite kimberlite compared to the D14 – monticellite kimberlite and the calcite kimberlite dykes (Gd/YbN = 9.6–12.1). These distinguishing geochemical features of the D13 – phlogopite kimberlite are comparable to typical Group II kimberlites in southern Africa. However, their diagnostic incompatible trace element ratios (for example, Th/Nb, La/Nb, Ce/Pb, and Ba/Nb) are instead comparable to other kimberlite intrusions analysed in this study and to southern African Group I kimberlites in general.Semi-quantitative modelling suggests that these kimberlite intrusions could have derived by low (<1%) degrees of partial melting of a source region that is enriched in LREE (Lan = ~6.1; Ybn ~ 1.47) comparable to metasomatised peridotites from the underlying lithospheric mantle. The composition of the D13 phlogopite kimberlite is consistent with a partial melt of a modally metasomatised source containing a higher proportion of residual clinopyroxene relative to garnet (compared to that giving rise to the D14 monticellite kimberlite and calcite kimberlite dykes), as well as accessory amounts of phlogopite, i.e. a garnet phlogopite peridotite (GPP). The absence of K-anomalies on primitive mantle normalized diagrams for the D13 phlogopite kimberlite requires that phlogopite was not a residual phase during partial melting and was exhausted shortly before or at the moment of melt segregation. The higher Gd/Yb ratios and lower K2O in the D14 monticellite kimberlite and calcite kimberlite dykes can be explained by partial melting of a cryptically metasomatized, phlogopite – free, garnet peridotite (GP) source, containing a higher proportion of garnet relative to clinopyroxene. The low absolute K and strong negative K-anomaly on primitive mantle normalized diagrams for the D14 monticellite kimberlite were inherited from a source region that previously experienced cryptic metasomatism by a differentiated fluid already carrying a negative K-anomaly.

Deciphering variable mantle sources and hydrous inputs to arc magmas in Kamchatka

The chemistry of primitive arc rocks provides a window into compositional variability in the mantle wedge, as well as slab-derived inputs to subduction-related magmatism. However, in the long-term cycling of elements between Earth's internal and external reservoirs, a key unknown is the importance of retaining mobile elements within the subduction system, through subduction-related metasomatism of the mantle. To address these questions, we have analysed olivine-hosted melt inclusions and corresponding bulk rocks from the Kamchatka arc. Suites of melt inclusions record evidence for entrapment along melt mixing arrays during assembly of diverse parental magma compositions. Systematic variations in parental magma B/Zr, Nb/Zr, Ce/B, and δ11B are also apparent among the different eruptive centres studied. These element ratios constrain the nature of subduction-related metasomatism and provide evidence for ambient mantle heterogeneity and variable degrees of mantle melting.High Nb/Zr and low B/Zr in back-arc rocks indicate smaller degree melts, lower slab-derived inputs, but relatively enriched mantle compositions. Similarly, small monogenetic eruptive centres located away from the main stratocones also tend to erupt magmas with relatively lower slab contribution and overall smaller melting degrees. Conversely, arc-front compositions reflect greater slab contributions and larger degree melts of a more depleted ambient mantle. Across-arc variations in δ11B (ranging from ca. −6‰ in the rear-arc and Sredinny Ridge to +7‰ in the Central Kamchatka Depression) are generally consistent with variable addition of an isotopically heavy slab-derived component to a depleted MORB mantle composition. However, individual volcanic centres (e.g. Bakening volcano) show correlations between melt inclusion δ11B and other geochemical indicators (e.g. Cl/K2O, Ce/B) that require mixing between isotopically distinct melt batches that have undergone different extents of crustal evolution and degassing processes.Our results show that while melt inclusion volatile inventories are largely overprinted during shallower melt storage and aggregation, incompatible trace element ratios and B isotope compositions more faithfully trace initial mantle compositions and subduction inputs. Furthermore, we suggest that the signals of compositional heterogeneity generated in the sub-arc mantle by protracted metasomatism during earlier phases of subduction can be preserved during later magma assembly and storage in the crust.

Late Permian–Early Triassic mafic dikes in the southwestern margin of the South China block: Evidence for Paleo-Pacific subduction

The link of the widespread Late Permian–Triassic magmatism in the southwestern corner of the South China block to a subduction zone or the Emeishan mantle plume is debated. We have carried out an integrated geochronological-petrological-geochemical study of four mafic dikes in the Gulinjing–Nanxi area of this region to shed new light on the issue. Zircon grains from the Gulinjing–Nanxi mafic dikes yield UPb ages from 254 ± 2 to 250 ± 2 Ma, indicating that they are coeval with abundant felsic intrusive-extrusive rocks in the region, but are 6–7 myr younger than the nearby Emeishan flood basalts and associated mafic-ultramafic intrusions. The Gulinjing–Nanxi mafic dikes are characterized by light rare-earth element enrichments and pronounced negative NbTa anomalies, similar to typical arc basalts worldwide, plus enriched Sr-Nd-Hf isotope compositions (initial 87Sr/86Sr from 0.7088 to 0.7103, εNd(t) from −6.6 to −4.6, and zircon εHf(t) from −3.7 to −0.3). The isotopes and incompatible trace element ratios indicate that the parental magmas for the Gulinjing–Nanxi mafic dikes are consistent with contaminated arc mafic magmas, but not contaminated Emeishan flood basalts in the region. This, together with a significant age difference between the mafic dikes and the Emeishan flood basalts and associated mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the nearby areas, support the interpretation that the Gulinjing–Nanxi mafic dikes are unlikely to be parts of the Emeishan mantle plume. Based on regional igneous association and the distribution of known paleo subduction zones in the surrounding regions, we conclude that the Gulinjing–Nanxi mafic dikes are linked to Paleo-Pacific subduction to the south, and not Paleo-Tethys subduction to the west.