Supra-subduction Zone Tectonic Setting Research Articles

Influences of subduction derived fluids and melt in the genesis of Nidar ophiolite peridotites, Ladakh Himalaya, India: Evidence from mineralogy, PGE and Nd isotopic compositions

The Nidar ophiolite is one of the well-preserved and almost complete ophiolite sections of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere, obducted along the continental margin between the Indian and the Eurasian plate. This ophiolite sequence is mostly dominated by ultramafic rocks, consisting of forearc-related refractory, mainly harzburgite, dunite, and serpentinite, with minor intrusions of lherzolite, chromitites, and pyroxenites. In this present study, detailed mineralogical, whole rock geochemistry (major oxides, trace elements, PGE), and Nd isotopic composition of mantle-derived peridotites have been carried out to constrain the petrogenesis and melt evolution. These peridotites are depleted in nature due to the low modal composition of clinopyroxene, high forsterite content in olivine, and wide variation in Cr# and bulk rock chemistry, indicating variable degree of partial melting. The spoon-shaped rare earth element (REE) patterns indicate metasomatism by fluids derived from a subducting slab enriched in light REEs. Geochemical composition of the studied peridotites rocks is marked by high ratio of Al2O3/TiO2, LILE-LREE enrichment, HFSE depletion, and spoon-shaped chondrite-normalized REE patterns and (La/Sm)N > 1 and (Gd/Yb)N < 1, indicates some involvement of boninitic mantle melts and validate a subduction initiation process. The total PGE of the peridotites (ΣPGE = 33–337 ppb) is much more enriched than that of the primitive mantle and other ophiolite peridotites. The PGE distribution displays a concave upward pattern with higher PPGE/IPGE ratios (i.e., 0.11–1.45), suggesting that partial melting is not the only process for the evolution of the Nidar ophiolite peridotites. Enrichment of PPGE and incompatible elements (like LREE) and higher Pd/Ir ratio (0.69–8.26) indicates that these peridotites have undergone fluid/melt interaction in a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) tectonic setting. PGE concentrations of these depleted harzburgites and dunites, formed by partial melting of cpx–harzburgites in an SSZ that produced the boninitic-like melt. The enrichment of incompatible elements like the PPGE is mainly due to the circulation of fluids in the subduction zone, which leads to the PGE fractionation in mantle peridotites. Also, these peridotites have 143Nd/144Nd ratios (0.51148–0.51262) and εNd(t) (t = 140 Ma) values (i.e., +0.97 to −21.3), indicating derivation from depleted mantle sources within an intra-oceanic arc setting. The geochemical behavior exhibited by the Nidar ophiolite peridotites suggests the evolution of a highly depleted fore-arc mantle wedge significantly modified by various fluids and melts during subduction. The mineralogical, geochemical, and Nd isotopic composition of these peridotites and dunites mutually depict the diverse mantle compositions, suggesting insights into the interactions between the oceanic crust and mantle as well as associated geochemical cycling in an SSZ environment.

Geochemical and Characteristics of Mafic and Ultramafic Rocks of the Suprasubduction Zone Mawat Ophiolite, NE Iraq

New geochemical data were presented for the mafic (basalts and gabbros) and ultramafic (dunites, serpentinites and pyroxenites) rocks from the Mawat ophiolite exposed in the Zagros suture zone in northeastern Iraq. The mantle section of the ophiolite is composed of serpentinized peridotites, harzburgites, dunites, chromitites and pyroxenite dykes. The crustal section is composed of layered amphibole-rich gabbros, pegmatitic gabbros as well as basalts and minor felsic dykes. The ultramafic rocks are highly depleted in the LILEs and most of the HFSEs. The mafic rocks are tholeiitic, characterized by depletion of LREEs and display a positive trend from LREE to HREE with low Ti/V ratios. The younger gabbros are mostly calc-alkaline, characterized by enrichments of LREE with a negative REE trend and high Ti/V ratios. The basaltic and ultramafic samples plot below the N-MORB reference line suggesting that these elements have been mobile. They fall within the boninitic field in the Ti/V diagram and are related to the subduction initiation setting. The younger gabbros are related to rifting which postdated the formation of ophiolite. These geochemical data are consistent with the subduction-related suprasubduction zone tectonic setting.

Mineralogy and PGE geochemistry of chromitites and peridotites of the sapat complex in the indus suture zone, northern Pakistan: implications for magmatic processes in the supra-subduction zone

ABSTRACT The Sapat Complex in Northern Pakistan contains remnants of the northern Neo-Tethys Ocean, presently exposed along the Indus Suture Zone. The mantle peridotites of the Sapat Complex include harzburgites, dunites, and subordinate lherzolites. Harzburgites are the dominant peridotite variety over dunites. The dunites are hosted by harzburgites and occur exclusively as ‘envelopes’ surrounding chromitite pods. The podiform chromitites show disseminated, banded, and massive textures. Chromitites exhibit variable Cr# [Cr/(Cr + Al)] and Mg# [Mg/(Mg + Fe2+)], which range from 0.76 to 0.77, and from 0.64 to 0.66, respectively, while TiO2 contents are <0.2 wt.%. These features perhaps reflect crystallization of the chromian spinel from a boninitic magma. Similarly, chromian spinel in peridotites manifest a wide range of Cr# and Mg#, from 0.49 to 0.83 and 0.41 to 0.57, respectively, and are characterized by very low TiO2 values, averaging at 0.1 wt.%. Chromian spinel of chromitites and peridotites of the Sapat Complex have also very low Fe3+# (<0.01), which indicate their crystallization under low oxygen fugacities. The platinum group elements (PGE) distributions show high (Os + Ir + Ru)/(Rh + Pt + Pd), very low Pd/Ir values, and are defined by a prominently fractionated chondritic normalized PGE pattern, hence, this deposit is a typical example of an ophiolitic chromitite. The studied peridotites are highly depleted in PGE compared to chondritic values. The PdN/IrN values, averaging to 1.5 in dunites are unfractionated, while PGE spidergrams of harzburgites and lherzolites depict minor positive slopes, a minor positive Ru anomaly, and have average PdN/IrN values of 2.3 and 2.4, respectively. Furthermore, the harzburgites, dunites, and lherzolites display generally flat chondritic and primitive mantle normalized PGE patterns, and therefore, are nearly identical to highly depleted mantle peridotites. The mineralogical and PGE geochemical imprints of Sapat Complex chromitites and peridotites establish a strong affinity to supra-subduction zone ophiolites. Moreover, calculated parental melts of the chromitites and various geochemical discrimination diagrams elucidate that the chromitites were derived from boninitic magma produced by melting of depleted mantle peridotites in an oceanic arc, characterized by low oxygen fugacity, similar to a supra-subduction zone tectonic setting. This research highlights the use of mineralogy and geochemical compositions of chromitites and peridotites to reveal deep magmatic processes in a supra-subduction zone environment.

Formation processes and tectonic implications of mantle peridotites of the Yushigou ophiolite in the North Qilian Orogenic Belt, NW China

The upper-mantle section of the Yushigou ophiolite in the North Qilian Orogenic Belt consists mainly of moderately depleted harzburgite. New mineral and whole-rock major- and trace-element geochemical data show that these rocks could not have formed by simple partial melting of more enriched peridotites. The harzburgites contain high-Mg olivine (Fo = 91.0–92.2) and orthopyroxene (Mg# 91.4–92.6) accompanied by sparse high-Cr magnesium chromite (Cr# = 54.1–67.6) and clinopyroxene with low Al2O3 (1.19–2.11 wt%) and TiO2 (<0.02 wt%) contents. Most of the analysed samples exhibit depleted, U-shaped, chondrite-normalized rare earth element patterns, whereas primitive mantle-normalized PGE display flat patterns from Os to Pt with significant depleted in Pd. We propose that these peridotites underwent a multi-stage melting process beginning with 20%–25% partial melting of a mantle source beneath a mid-ocean ridge environment followed by second-stage partial melting and related refertilization in a supra-subduction zone tectonic setting, experience an additional 5%–10% melting, yielding a total of 25%–35% melting in the two episodes. TiO2 enrichment (up to 0.09 wt%) of spinels in some of the harzburgites point to interaction between an already depleted mantle and various proportions of silicate melts with LREE-enriched, boninitic compositions in a forearc setting. Both the ReOs isotope and the PGE characteristics of the Yushigou harzburgites were controlled mainly by ancient depletion events. All the samples have low Re concentrations (0.006–0.228 ppb) and subchondritic Os isotopic compositions (0.11216–0.11979). The Re-depletion model ages (1.5–1.2 Ga) of the Yushigou harzburgites may record a period of Mesoproterozoic intracontinental rifting and formation of the original ocean basin in the North Qilian Orogenic Belt.

PGE and isotopic characteristics of Shergol and Suru Valley Ophiolites, Western Ladakh: Implications for supra-subduction tectonics along Indus Suture Zone

Present study reports the PGE-geochemistry of mantle peridotites and Nd-isotope geochemistry of arc related mafic rocks from the Indus Suture Zone (ISZ), western Ladakh. The total PGE concentration of the Shergol and Suru Valley peridotites (∑PGE = 96–180 ppb) is much higher than that of the primitive mantle and global ophiolitic mantle peridotites. The studied peridotites show concave upward PGE-distribution patterns with higher palladium-group PGE/Iridium-group PGE ratios (i.e., 0.8–2.9) suggesting that the partial melting is not the sole factor responsible for the evolution of these peridotites. The observed PGE-distribution patterns are distinct from residual/refractory mantle peridotites, which have concave downward or flat PGE-distribution patterns. Relative enrichment of palladium-group PGE as well as other whole-rock incompatible elements (e.g., LILE and LREE) and higher Pd/Ir ratio (1.1–5.9) reflects that these peridotites have experienced fluid/melt interaction in a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) tectonic setting. Also, the Shergol mafic intrusives and Dras mafic volcanics, associated with the studied peridotites, have high 143Nd/144Nd ratios (i.e., 0.512908–0.513078 and 0.512901–0.512977, respectively) and positive εNd(t) (calculated for t = 140 Ma) values (i.e., +5.3 to +8.6 and + 5.1 to +6.6, respectively), indicating derivation from depleted mantle sources within an intra-oceanic arc setting, similar to Spongtang and Nidar ophiolites from other parts of Ladakh Himalaya. The transition from SSZ-type Shergol and Suru Valley peridotites to Early Cretaceous tholeiitic Shergol mafic intrusives followed by tholeiitic to calc-alkaline Dras mafic volcanics within the Neo-Tethys Ocean exhibit characteristics of subduction initiation mechanism analogous to the Izu-Bonin-Mariana arc system within western Pacific.

Spinel chemistry from Madawara Mafic-Ultramafic Complex, Lalitpur District, Uttar Pradesh, India

Spinel in peridotite of the Pipariya area in Madawara Mafic and Ultramafic Complex (MMUMC) occur as euhedral to subhedral inclusion within the silicates. They exhibit regular to irregular shape and is altered to ferritchromite to magnetite along the cracks and boundaries. Cr-spinel is characterised by high values of Cr# (79.7-98.4) and low Mg# and Al# values (i.e., 20.41-9.66 and 0.49- 17.71, respectively) and are identified as Fe-chromite. Chemical discontinuity/zones between the core and rim can be observed in the analysed grain. The textural and chemical features of investigated suggest low- to sub greenschist facies metamorphism consistent with the estimated metamorphic equilibrium temperature of 500°C-550°C.&#x0D; Mineral chemistry of these spinel suggests that spinel in peridotite of Pipariya in the Madawara Mafic and Ultramafic Complex depicts that these Cr-spinel may have been derived from boninitic related magmas at arc to suprasubduction zone tectonic setting at low degree of partial melting.

GEOCHEMISTRY AND TECTONIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THE OPHIOLITIC ROCKS OF THE YARPUZ-KAYPAK (AMANOSLAR, OSMANİYE) AREA

Amanoslar’da, Yarpuz-Kaypak (Osmaniye) yoresindeki ofiyolitik kayaclar harzburjitik tektonitler ve mafik kumulat kayaclarindan olusmaktadir. Tektonitler serpantinize harzburjitler ile temsil edilirken kumulat kayaclari gabronorit ve gabro ile temsil edilmektedir. Kumulat kayaclardaki minerallerin kristallenme sirasi klinopiroksen, ortopiroksen, plajiyoklaz ve amfibol seklindedir. Tektonit ve kumulatlarin ana element icerikleri yay ile iliskili tektonik ortamlar ile uyumludur. Bu kayaclar, iz element konsantrasyonlari bakimindan, buyuk iyon yaricapli elementlerce zenginlesme gostermektedir. Elde edilen jeokimyasal ve petrografik veriler, Yarpuz-Kaypak (Osmaniye) yoresindeki tektonit ve kumulat kayaclarin Guney Neotetis okyanusunun Gec Kretase’de kapanmasi sirasinda okyanus ici yitim zonu dalma-batma zonu uzerinde olusan ve Arap platformunun kuzey kenarina yerlesen okyanusal litosfer kalintilari olduguna isaret etmektedir.

Neoarchean suprasubduction zone magmatism in the Sonakhan greenstone belt, Bastar Craton, India: Implications for subduction initiation and melt extraction

The Neoarchean Sonakhan greenstone belt (SGB) in the north‐eastern Bastar Craton is mainly composed of an association of pillowed and massive tholeiitic basalts emplaced within an intraoceanic environment. Two types of ultrabasic rocks were identified and are designated as TH‐1 and TH‐2 on the basis of geochemical parameters. Both sample suites exhibit depletion of HFSE with reference to LILE and LREE, LREE/HFSE ratios, and negative Nb–Ta–Ti anomalies in the primitive mantle‐normalized multi‐element diagrams. The geochemical characters of TH‐1 and TH‐2 are consistent with Island arc tholeiites (IAT) and boninite‐like rocks of both Archean and Phanerozoic terranes. Mineral chemistry of clinopyroxenes from both volcanic suites indicate an oceanic arc affinity. The chromite chemistry indicate its derivation from a boninite‐like magma in a suprasubduction zone (SSZ) environment. Trace element modelling depicts that source depletion with significant influence of fluids derived from the subducting oceanic slab collectively controlled the trace element inventory of the mantle wedge, which result to the higher abundance of LREE and LILE compared to HREE and HFSE. The occurrence of lower basalt sequence followed by IAT and boninite‐like rocks in the SGB define a magmatic evolution which is comparable to the Phanerozoic ophiolite suites that exhibit subduction initiation prior to forearc rifting and suprasubduction zone magmatism. The subduction initiation in the intraoceanic lithosphere and the initial decompression melting followed by the upwelling of the MORB‐related magmas were attributed to the formation of the lower pillow basalts. Dehydration of the subducting plate and the melt extraction processes in the hydrous lherzolite mantle wedge account for the formation of TH‐1. Subsequent depletion and significant modification of a more refractory harzburgite source by the slab‐derived fluids generated the TH‐2 rocks. The compositionally diverse magmatic imprints with IAT and boninite affinity in the SGB indicate the significance of episodic melt extraction processes, dehydration of the subducting plate, and hydrous fluxing in SSZ tectonic setting.

Classification of the Neoproterozoic ophiolites of the Central Eastern Desert, Egypt based on field geological characteristics and mode of occurrence

The present work presents new field observations on the geological characteristics of the Neoproterozoic ophiolites of the Central Eastern Desert (CED) of Egypt. Based on mode of occurrences, the investigated ophiolites appear to show characteristics of both MORB-type and SSZ-type ophiolites and classified from oldest to youngest into: (1) MORB intact ophiolites (MIO), (2) dismembered ophiolites (DO), and (3) arc-associated ophiolites (AAO). Ophiolite components include serpentinized peridotite and other metamorphosed ultramafics, metagabbros, sheeted dykes, pillowed and massive metabasalts, minor boninites, and pelagic sediments. The rocks of the MIO and DO were subjected to two main phases of deformation (D1 and D2) and metamorphism, whereas the AAO have been affected only by later phase of deformation (D2). Compositional variation of chrome spinel in blocks of metamorphosed ultramafic and serpentinite of dismembered ophiolites shows three distinct groups (G1, G2, and G3) based on their Cr#. Whereas G1 is similar to abyssal peridotites, G2 and G3 display mainly supra-subduction zone (SSZ) tectonic setting. The ophiolitic metagabbros display both N-MORB and supra-subduction zone tectonic setting (SSZ). The basaltic rocks of the MORB-intact ophiolites (MIO) and blocks of metabasalts in the melanges display N-MORB affinity, whereas the basaltic rocks associated with arc volcanics display SSZ tectonic setting. Collectively, the investigated ophiolites of the Central Eastern Desert (CED) fall into two groups, MORB or BABB and SSZ ophiolites. They are spatially and temporally unrelated, and thus, it seems likely that the two types are not petrogenetically related. Ophiolites occur in different geological settings, and they represent change of the tectonic setting of the ophiolites from MORB to SSZ with time.

Evidence from detrital chrome spinel chemistry for a Paleo-Tethyan intra-oceanic island-arc provenance recorded in Triassic sandstones of the Nakhlak Group, Central Iran

Detrital chrome spinel (Cr-spinel) is for the first time described from the Nakhlak Group, which is a distinctive Triassic (Late Olenekian‒?Early Carnian) sedimentary succession in Central Iran. Previously published data from the Nakhlak Group suggest deposition along an active margin during the Triassic and Eurasian affinity. Presently, the Nakhlak Group is located in the northwestern region of the Central-East Iranian Microcontinent, a major segment of the Cimmerian block. The Nakhlak region is believed to have been dislocated from its prior position at the Turan Plate from the southern Eurasian active margin after deposition in Triassic time. Almost all of the analyzed detrital Cr-spinels have high Cr-numbers (0.6–0.85), variable Mg-numbers (0.33–0.78), and low Fe3+ (<0.25), Al2O3 (<20 wt%) and TiO2 (<0.4 wt%) contents, suggesting a magmatic source for the Cr-spinels formed both within oceanic (mainly harzburgitic) mantle and in a supra-subduction zone (SSZ) tectonic setting. The data suggest that mafic‒ultramafic rock assemblages with SSZ signatures were generated in the Paleo-Tethyan realm before their obduction as an ophiolite. By comparing data from the present study with results from previous work on the Triassic in Central Iran it is evident that Paleo-Tethyan ophiolites of intra-oceanic island-arc (IOIA) origin supplied detrital material to the Nakhlak Group at the southern margin of Eurasia during pre-to syn-Eocimmerian tectonics in the Triassic.

Ordovician backarc-basin metadolerite and metabasalt of the South Kitakami Terrane, Northeast Japan

Basement rocks that occur along the northern margin of the South Kitakami Terrane in Japan consist of Ordovician ultramafic rocks (Hayachine ultramafic complex), gneissose amphibolite (Kuromoriyama amphibolite), and mafic rocks (Kagura igneous rocks, KIR). The KIR are composed of metagabbro, metadolerite, metabasalt, and minor felsic–intermediate dikes. Although the KIR contain green hornblende due to metamorphism of greenschist to epidote–amphibolite facies, they rarely retain primary brown hornblende. Approximately 30% of the metabasalt shows porphyritic textures, with phenocrysts of saussuritized plagioclase and/or altered mafic minerals. The geochemistry of the common metadolerite and metabasalt of the KIR shows a tholeiite trend, a low TiO2 content, and high Th/Nb and Ti/V ratios. The KIR are therefore indicative of a supra-subduction zone tectonic setting, which implies a backarc origin (as also indicated by discrimination diagrams). Trace element patterns of the KIR resemble those of the backarc-basin basalt of the Japan and Yamato basins in the Japan Sea. We propose that the KIR formed during backarc spreading from the Ordovician to Early Silurian. This view is supported by the geochemical data, the tectonic setting of the Hayachine ultramafic rocks, and the provenance of clastics within Silurian sedimentary rocks. 日本語要旨 南部北上帯の北縁域に基盤岩の一つとして分布する神楽火成岩類は変斑れい岩,変ドレライト,変玄武岩からなり,少量の珪長質~中性岩岩脈を伴う.神楽火成岩類は,緑色片岩~緑れん石角閃岩相の変成作用により生じた緑色普通角閃石に加えて,まれに初生的な褐色普通角閃石を含む.変ドレライトと変玄武岩の全岩化学組成はソレアイト系列を示し,低TiO比,高Th/Nb比,高Ti/V比でも特徴付けられる.すなわち,神楽火成岩類はスープラサブダクション帯起源で,特に背弧が示唆される.微量元素組成のパターンは日本海に位置する日本海盆や大和海盆のものと類似する.全岩化学組成および先行研究で示された早池峰超苦鉄質岩コンプレックスの形成場やシルル系中の正珪岩礫やジルコン粒子の供給源などの周辺地質体情報も参考にしたうえで,神楽火成岩類がオルドビス紀~前期シルル紀にかけて背弧拡大で形成されたことを説明するモデルを示した.

Petrology and Geochemistry of Gabbros from the Andaman Ophiolite: Implications for their Petrogenesis and Tectonic Setting

The Andaman ophiolite has almost a complete preservation of ophiolite sequence with mantle section and comparatively less well-developed crustal section. The crustal part of the ophiolite comprises both ultramafic cumulates; dunite, wherlite and pyroxenite and mafic cumulates or gabbros. The gabbros are olivine gabbro, and pyroxene gabbro. They are distinguished into cumulates and non-cumulates. Geochemical features indicate that they are tholeiitic, fractionated and are formed in an arc-related tectonic setting. The large- ion lithophile (LIL) elements (Rb, Ba, Th, Sr) are relatively more enriched than Normal-mid-ocean ridge basalts (N-MORB). The enrichment of Large-ion lithophile (LIL) elements over the High-field strength (HFS) elements and the depletion of Nb relative to other High-field strength (HFS) - elements suggest involvement of subduction component in the depleted mantle source, and suggest that they are formed in a supra-subduction zone tectonic setting

Petrology and geochemistry of mafic dykes from the Muslim Bagh Ophiolite (Pakistan): implications for petrogenesis and emplacement

Two different types of mafic dykes are found in the Muslim Bagh Ophiolite: 1) a sheeted dyke complex and 2) a mafic dyke swarm. Relative to the host plutonic section, the sheeted dykes are poorly developed, implying that they formed in an oceanic setting with a low and intermittent supply of magma, probably because of cyclic accumulation of crystals at the base of the magma chamber. Both the sheeted dykes and the dyke swarms have been metamorphosed to greenschist/amphibolite facies conditions. With the exception of the upper level gabbros and sheeted dykes, the dyke swarms crosscut almost the whole ophiolite suite as well as the metamorphic sole rocks, but are truncated structurally at the contact with the underlying mélange and sediments. Hence, the injection of the dyke swarms postdates the formation of both the main Muslim Bagh Ophiolite and the metamorphic sole rocks, but predates the accretion of the mélange and the final emplacement of the ophiolite onto the Indian plate margin. Both the sheeted dykes and dyke swarms are tholeiitic and have a geochemical signature of either island arc tholeiites (IAT) or are transitional between mid-oceanic ridge basalts and IAT. Oceanic rocks with such characteristics, especially their enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements, are generally thought to have formed by processes involving a subduction zone component in the source region by fluids released from the subducting slab. The Muslim Bagh Ophiolite sheeted dykes originated in the late Cretaceous, in a supra-subduction zone tectonic setting related to the subduction of a narrow branch of the Neo-Tethys Ocean, followed by a subduction rollback due to splitting of the nascent arc in the Tethys Ocean. This intra-oceanic subduction led to the formation of a metamorphic sole, followed by the off-axis intrusion of mafic dykes into the ophiolite through a slab window. The Muslim Bagh Ophiolite was accreted to the Bagh Complex and finally obducted onto the Indian Platform.

The effects of partial melting, melt–mantle interaction and fractionation on ophiolite generation: Constraints from the late Cretaceous Pozantı-Karsantı ophiolite, southern Turkey

The Pozantı-Karsantı ophiolite consists of a mantle unit and overlying crustal rocks. The mantle peridotite is composed of harzburgitic to dunitic rocks that are depleted in Al2O3 and CaO compared to primitive mantle. The low whole-rock Al and Ca values are consistent with the high Cr# [= 100 × Cr/(Cr + Al)] values of spinel that range from 44 to 70. These spinels generally have low TiO2 (< 0.06 wt.%) concentrations, although spinels with high-Cr compositions in certain samples exhibit enrichments of up to 0.16 wt.% TiO2. The concentrations of chondrite-normalized rare earth elements (REEs) indicate depletion toward heavy to middle REEs. However, the entire mantle peridotite samples exhibit marked enrichment in light REEs and large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) compared to middle REEs. The heavy REE patterns of some peridotite samples are comparable to the calculated melting curves representing various degrees of melting and are modeled by ~ 24% to 30% melting in the spinel stability field. However, some samples are more depleted in the middle REEs than heavy REEs. The patterns of heavy to middle REEs do not follow the melting lines produced by various degrees of melting in the spinel stability field. The heavy REE composition of these peridotite samples suggests that partial melting began in the garnet stability field and continued into the spinel stability field; they represent ~ 22% to 26% melting under various pressure conditions. High anorthite content of plagioclase as well as Nb-depleted composition of mafic cumulates and isotropic gabbros indicate that the crustal rocks of the Pozantı-Karsantı ophiolite formed from a melt that has been produced by melting of depleted source. This melt is thought to have enriched in light REE and fluid mobile elements that were released from the subducting slab during the subduction of Neotethyan ocean. The whole-rock light REE and LILE enrichments and the higher TiO2 concentrations of the high-Cr# spinels in some mantle peridotite samples cannot be explained by simple melt extraction in a mid-ocean ridge (MOR) environment and require melting and enrichment processes in a supra-subduction zone tectonic setting. However, these features of the peridotites can be explained by the interaction of light REEs and TiO2-rich melts and fluids with peridotites that were depleted during melting events in an MOR environment. This interaction, took place in a supra-subduction zone environment, may have increased the light REE concentrations in the peridotites and caused the re-equilibration of the Ti-depleted spinel to produce Ti-richer spinel and therefore explains the geochemical signatures of the Pozantı-Karsantı peridotites.

Supra-subduction zone tectonic setting of the Muslim Bagh Ophiolite, northwestern Pakistan: Insights from geochemistry and petrology

The geology of the Muslim Bagh area comprises the Indian passive continental margin and suture zone, which is overlain by the Muslim Bagh Ophiolite, Bagh Complex and a Flysch Zone of marine–fluvial successions. The Muslim Bagh Ophiolite has a nearly-complete ophiolite stratigraphy. The mantle sequence of foliated peridotite is mainly harzburgite with minor dunite and contains podiform chromite deposits that grade upwards into transition zone dunite. The mantle rocks (harzburgite/dunite) resulted from large degrees of partial melting of lherzolite and have also been affected by melt–peridotite reaction. The Muslim Bagh crustal section has a cyclic succession of ultramafic–mafic cumulate with dunite at the base, that grades into wehrlite/pyroxenite with gabbros (olivine gabbro, norite and hornblende gabbro) at the top. The sheeted dykes are immature in nature and are rooted in crustal gabbros. The dykes are mainly metamorphosed dolerites, with minor intrusions of plagiogranites. The configuration of the crustal section indicates that the crustal rocks were formed over variable time periods, in pulses, by a low magma supply rate. The whole rock geochemistry of the gabbros, sheeted dykes and the mafic dyke swarm suggests that they formed in a supra-subduction zone tectonic setting in Neo-Tethys during the Late Cretaceous. The dykes of the mafic swarm crosscut both the ophiolite and the metamorphic sole rocks and have a less-marked subduction signature than the other mafic rocks. These dykes were possibly emplaced off-axis and can be interpreted to have been generated in the spinel peridotite stability zone i.e., < 50–60 km, and to have risen through a slab window. The Bagh Complex is an assemblage of Triassic–Cretaceous igneous and sedimentary rocks, containing tholeiitic, N-MORB-like basalts and alkali basalts with OIB-type signatures. Nb–Ta depletion in both basalt types suggests possible contamination from continental fragments incorporated into the opening Tethyan oceanic basin during break-up of Gondwana. The lithologies and ages of the Bagh Complex imply that these rocks formed in an area extending from the continental margin over the Neo-Tethyan ocean floor. The Bagh Complex was then juxtaposed with the Muslim Bagh Ophiolite in the final stage of tectonic emplacement.

Petrogenesis and PGE distribution in the Al- and Cr-rich chromitites of the Qalander ophiolite, northeastern Iraq: Implications for the tectonic environment of the Iraqi Zagros Suture Zone

Abstract The Qalander ophiolite is a small, poorly preserved and incomplete melange-type complex situated within the Eocene–Oligocene Walash–Naopurdan Group in the Iraqi Zagros Suture Zone (IZSZ). It is one of six fragmented ophiolite complexes emplaced in the IZSZ during the Cretaceous and Tertiary. Within the Qalander ophiolite, serpentinized dunite and harzburgite hosts small lens-shaped podiform high-Al (North Qalander) and high-Cr (North Shitna) chromitite bodies. The average range of Cr-, Mg-, and Fe 3 -numbers for North Qalander chromitites is 39–53, 75–77, and 3–5, respectively; meanwhile those for North Shitna chromitites are 78–80, 65–73, and 6–8, respectively. The ranges of Al 2 O 3 wt.% and FeO/MgO for the North Qalander and North Shitna chromitites are 15–15.5 and 0.8–1.0, and 9.0–10.5 and 0.4–1.0, respectively. In addition to pyroxene and olivine, inclusions of laurite, millerite and galena were detected within the chromitites of Qalander ophiolite. The matrix minerals between chromite grains are serpentinized olivine and pyroxene, chlorite, and calcite; grains of magnetite, pyrite and ilmenite are also common accessories. The concentrations of platinum-group elements (PGE) in both varieties are typical for the ophiolitic chromitites, but they show two distinct patterns of PGE enrichment. The high-Cr chromitites have relatively uniform mantle-normalized PGE distribution patterns with a steep slope, positive Ru and negative Pt anomalies, and they show enrichment of PGE and depletion in Pt relative to the average upper mantle. The high-Al chromitites show relatively gently sloping patterns with slight positive Ru and negative Pt anomalies, high iridium-group PGE (IPGE) abundances relative to the high platinum-group PGE (PPGE), and are distinctly enriched in Pt and Pd relative to the upper mantle and the average abundances in the high-Cr chromitites. The differences in the PGE content, geochemistry, rare earth element (REE), mineral chemistry and petrographical characteristics of the chromitites suggests two stages of magmatic activity which were responsible for the chromitite genesis in the region. The first stage involved low degree partial melting of S-saturated peridotite melt that produced high-Al chromitites of MORB affinity, which crystallized in the upper mantle close to the Moho. The second stage involved a high degree partial melting of S-undersaturated boninitic melt that produced high-Cr chromitites of arc affinity and crystallized in a deeper mantle section. The presence of low-Cr MORB-type chromitites with high-Cr boninitic-type chromitites in the same mantle section suggests their formation in aback-arc supra-subduction zone tectonic setting.

The mafic–ultramafic complex of Aniyapuram, Cauvery Suture Zone, southern India: Petrological and geochemical constraints for Neoarchean suprasubduction zone tectonics

Several Precambrian mafic–ultramafic complexes occur along the Cauvery Suture Zone (CSZ) in Southern Granulite Terrain, India. Their origin, magmatic evolution and relationship with the associated high-grade rocks have not been resolved. The Aniyapuram Mafic–Ultramafic Complex (AMUC), the focus of the present study in southern part of the CSZ, is dominantly composed of peridotites, pyroxenites, gabbros, metagabbros/mafic granulites, hornblendites, amphibolites, plagiogranites, felsic granulites and ferruginous cherts. The rock types in the AMUC are structurally emplaced within hornblende gneiss (TTG) basement rocks and are highly deformed. The geochemical signature of the amphibolites indicates tholeiitic affinity for the protolith with magma generation in island arc-setting. N-MORB normalized pattern of the amphibolites show depletion in HFS-elements (P, Zr, Sm, Ti, and Y) and enrichment of LIL-elements (Rb, Ba, Th, Sr) with negative Nb anomalies suggesting involvement of subduction component in the depleted mantle source and formation in a supra-subduction zone tectonic setting. Our new results when correlated with the available age data suggest that the lithological association of AMUC represent the remnants of the Neoarchean oceanic lithosphere.

Forearc serpentinite mélange from the Hongseong suture, South Korea

The signature of a prolonged subduction–accretion history from Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic is preserved within the dismembered serpentinite mélanges within the Hongseong suture. Here we present major and trace element data from the mafic fragments/blocks within the Baekdong serpentinite mélange revealing their arc-like tholeiite affinity within a suprasubduction zone tectonic setting. Chromian spinel compositions from the Baekdong hydrated mantle peridotite (serpentinite) are characterized by high Cr# (0.53–0.67) and Fe 2+/Fe 3+ ratio, medium Mg# (0.42–0.55), and Al 2O 3 contents (17–25 wt.%) indicating a forearc tectonic environment for the hydrated mantle peridotite. The estimated melting degree (> 17.6%) and FeO/MgO of the parental melt (0.9–1.3) are consistent with that of forearc magmas. SHRIMP zircon U–Pb ages from a high-grade mafic rock and an anorthosite from the study area give protolith ages of ~ 310 Ma and ~ 228 Ma, respectively. Zircons from an associated orthogneiss block within the mélange yield a Neoproterozoic crystallization age of ~ 748 Ma. These results, together with the recent SHRIMP zircon ages from other dismembered serpentinite mélanges within the Wolhyeonri complex, suggest that Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic subduction and subsequent collision events led to the exhumation of the hydrated forearc mantle peridotites from a metasomatized mantle wedge. The Hongseong region preserves important clues to a long-lived subduction system related to global events associated with the final amalgamation of the Pangaea supercontinent.

The Manamedu Complex: Geochemical constraints on Neoproterozoic suprasubduction zone ophiolite formation within the Gondwana suture in southern India

Abstract Ophiolites provide important clues on the role of subduction and have been widely investigated to reconstruct the history of development and closure of ocean basins in the geological past. The Manamedu Complex within the Palghat-Cauvery Suture Zone in southern India comprises metamorphosed equivalents of the following lithological units: (1) an ultramafic group comprising dominantly of pyroxenite and highly altered dunite, locally preserving cumulate textures; (2) a gabbroic suite consisting of gabbro, gabbro norite, and anorthosite; (3) sheeted mafic dykes of amphibolite to meta-andesite categories, (4) plagiogranite veins and pools; and (5) a thin layer of ferruginous cherts. Cr vs. Y, V vs. Cr, Ti vs. Zr, TiO 2 –MnO–P 2 O 5 and Fe 2 O 3 –Na 2 O + K 2 O–MgO plots of the gabbros and mafic dyke assemblages show that these are related to island arc tholeiite (IAT) group with tholeiitic to calcalkaline signatures. Chondrite normalized REE patterns of mafic dykes do not show any pronounced fractionation and display slight positive Eu anomalies. The normalized MORB plots of the mafic dykes show depletion of HFSE (negative Nb, Ti, Ta, Hf anomalies) and enrichment of LFSE (positive K, Ba, Rb, Th). The petrological and geochemical characteristics of the major lithological units in Manamedu Complex suggest that these rocks represent the remnants of an oceanic crust, developed from mantle-derived arc magmas probably within a suprasubduction zone tectonic setting. From the geological set up and our field observations, we infer that these rocks were obducted on to the continental margin with the closure of an ocean basin during the Neoproterozoic. The Manamedu Complex may represent the remnants of the Mozambique Ocean crust developed during Rodinia breakup and which was destroyed during the amalgamation of the Gondwana supercontinent in the Latest Neoproterozoic-Cambrian.

Serpentinites and their tectonic signature along the Northwest Zagros Thrust Zone, Kurdistan Region, Iraq

Two types of serpentinized peridotites are distinguished within the Northwest Zagros Thrust Zone (NW-ZTZ) in Kurdistan region of Iraq. One is found as lower members of ophiolite sequences, such as the Mawat and Penjwin ophiolites of the upper Cretaceous age. The other is represented by intraformational isolated serpentinite bodies in Betwat, Qaladeza, and Qalander areas within the Walash–Naopurdan volcano-sedimentary unit of the Paleocene to Eocene paleo-arc tectonic setting. Serpentinites within the NW-ZTZ consist mainly of lizardite and chrysotile, with subordinate amounts of syn-serpentinization magnetite, carbonates, chromium chlorite, tremolite, and talc as secondary minerals, and olivine, clinopyroxene, and chromian spinel as primary minerals. Minor antigorite is also found in the sheared serpentinites often found in ophiolite sequences. Petrological and geochemical studies of serpentinites from the NW-ZTZ show that, of the original protoliths of serpentinites, those associated with ophiolites are residual depleted harzburgite and dunite. The \( {\text{Cr}}\# \left( {{{ = {\text{ Cr}}} \mathord{\left/ {\vphantom {{ = {\text{ Cr}}} {\left( {{\text{Cr}} + {\text{Al}}} \right){\text{ atomic ratio}}}}} \right. \kern-\nulldelimiterspace} {\left( {{\text{Cr}} + {\text{Al}}} \right){\text{ atomic ratio}}}}} \right) \) of chromian spinel is more than 0.6, and the forsterite content of olivine is 91–92. On the other hand, the original protolith of isolated serpentinite bodies is less depleted harzburgite or depleted lherzolite, which has spinel with Cr# less than 0.6 and olivine with 90–91 forsterite contents. Whole rock chemistry of major, trace, and rare earth elements shows that the serpentinites of ophiolite sequences are depleted in CaO, Al2O3, and SiO2, Sr, and Zr, and are enriched in MgO, Ni, and Cr, in comparison with the isolated serpentinites. Cr# of the disseminated unaltered chromian spinels indicates that the serpentinites of both types had been originated from the supra-subduction zone tectonic setting; the serpentinites of ophiolite sequences obducted and thrusted over the continental margin during the obduction of the Tethyth oceanic crust onto the Arabian continental margin during the upper Cretaceous period. Isolated serpentinite bodies represent serpentinized forearc mantle wedge peridotites emplaced by diapiric upwelling into non-accretionary forearc tectonic settings during the Paleocene to Eocene age.