Water-rich Magma Research Articles

The role of fractional crystallization of water-rich magma in forming high Sr/Y intermediate-silicic rocks in the Beishan orogen, NW China

The petrogenesis of intermediate-silicic rocks with high Sr/Y ratios that are closely associated with porphyry Cu-Au mineralization and TTGs remains uncertain. This study presents new geochronological and geochemical data for high Sr/Y granodiorites and associated mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) from the Late Devonian–early Carboniferous Suanjingzi batholith in the Beishan orogen, NW China. The MMEs, dioritic and fine-grained, share mineral assemblages with their hosts but contain more amphibole. Similarities in ages and Sr-Nd-O isotopes between the MMEs and their hosts indicate that they share a common magma source. Our geochemical studies and quantitative modeling imply that upper crustal fractional crystallization of water-rich magma, represented by the associated MMEs, played a crucial role in forming the Late Devonian–early Carboniferous high Sr/Y rocks in central Beishan. High H2O contents promote amphibole crystallization and delay plagioclase appearance, giving rise to higher Sr and lower Y contents in evolved magma. Additionally, titanite fractionation can contribute to high Sr/Y ratios by decreasing Y contents. The MMEs, the best available proxy for the parental magma, originated from the partial melting of a mantle wedge metasomatized by subduction fluids. This study emphasizes the significance of upper crustal fractional crystallization of water-rich magma in forming high Sr/Y rocks. The possible increment caused by amphibole-dominated fractionation within the upper crustal level should be considered when employing Sr/Y ratios to quantify crustal thickness. Moreover, we argue that Late Devonian–early Carboniferous magmatism in central Beishan occurred in a continental arc setting, providing a stronger basis for understanding the Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the Beishan orogen.

Platinum-Group Element Geochemistry of Igneous Rocks in the Chongjiang Cu–Mo–Au Deposit, Southern Tibet: Implications for the Formation of Post-Collisional Porphyry Cu Deposits

Abstract The timing and extent of sulfide saturation have been suggested as controlling factors in the formation of economically significant porphyry Cu deposits in subduction zone settings. However, details on the sulfide saturation history in post-collisional porphyry systems remain ambiguous. Accordingly, we have characterized the whole-rock geochemistry, including platinum-group elements (PGE), of igneous intrusions in the post-collisional Chongjiang porphyry Cu–Mo–Au deposit (southern Tibet) and utilize this data in conjunction with zircon U–Pb geochronological results and sulfide chemistry to assess the timing of sulfide saturation, the nature and amount of magmatic sulfide produced. The Chongjiang intrusions (monzogranite, biotite monzogranite porphyry, granodiorite, dacite porphyry, and quartz diorite porphyry) and mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs) have zircon U–Pb ages of 14.2 to 12.8 Ma. Covariations in whole-rock major and trace elements among the Chongjiang intrusions and MMEs, together with similarities in their Sr–Nd and zircon Hf isotope compositions, indicate that they are co-magmatic and crystallized from a juvenile lower crustal melt that mixed with mafic melt derived from the lithospheric mantle; this hybrid melt subsequently evolved via fractional crystallization. Trace-element ratios in zircon and temperature − ∆FMQ estimates of the different intrusions suggest that they all crystallized from oxidized (average ∆FMQ = 1.9–2.6) and water-rich magmas. Palladium contents and Pd/Pt ratios in the Chongjiang igneous intrusions increase with decreasing MgO up to 3.9 wt % MgO, after which they abruptly decrease. The initial increase in Pd/Pt ratios likely results from the fractionation of a Pt-rich mineral (e.g. Pt–Fe alloy). The decrease in Pd contents and Pd/Pt ratios at 3.9 wt % MgO likely results from sulfide saturation during magma evolution, but prior to volatile exsolution, which occurred at approximately 1.4 to 2.4 wt % MgO. The presence of magmatic sulfide inclusions in amphibole and magnetite in samples with 3.9 wt % MgO, and the geochemical compositions of sulfide inclusions suggest that they represented trapped sulfide liquid and intermediate solid solution. Results of Monte Carlo simulations demonstrate that 0.003 to 0.009 wt % magmatic sulfide is required to have fractionated from the magma to explain the decrease in Pd contents at 3.9 wt % MgO. Highly chalcophile elements, such as Pd, will be sequestered by the magmatic sulfide that saturates at depth, decreasing their concentrations in the residual silicate melt, whereas concentrations of the less chalcophile elements, such as Cu, Mo, and even Au, will not be as significantly affected. Consequently, sufficient concentrations of Cu–Mo–Au will remain in the residual melt and, upon reaching volatile saturation, can be transported by the vapor phase to form porphyry Cu–Mo–Au deposits. In the case of the Chongjiang deposit, sulfide saturation was likely triggered by the high pressures and/or depletion of FeO caused by the thick (~70 km) crust beneath the Gangdese belt. This contribution presents evidence of sulfide saturation in post-collisional magmatic systems, and demonstrates that the amount of magmatic sulfide produced is a critical factor in controlling the formation of post-collisional porphyry Cu deposits.

Petrogenesis of high-alumina basalts: Implications for magmatic processes associated with the opening of the South China Sea

Results of International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expeditions on the northern continental margin of the South China Sea (SCS) have nullified the early notion that the SCS is a magma-poor margin. However, there are continuing debates on how the rapid transition from continent to ocean is supported by geochemical and petrologic data, and whether such a process was related to plate subduction or mantle plume activities. Here we present the results of bulk-rock and plagioclase phenocryst geochemistry of the basalts generated during the early spreading stage (initial and steady ocean stages) of SCS basin extension, which were drilled at IODP Sites U1500 and U1503, respectively. We combined these findings with published data from the late spreading stage of the SCS basin, which provides an excellent opportunity to examine the magmatic processes associated with the evolution of the SCS basin. Our results revealed that the SCS basalts generally exhibit higher Al contents than global Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts, particularly at lower MgO contents, which is similar to the characteristics of modern arc basalts. Nevertheless, their origins are site-specific and complex. For instance, some of the Site U1503 basalts originated through fractional crystallization of water-rich parental magmas with the lowest degree of melting, while the basalts from the other sites, including Site U1500, were primarily generated by the accumulation of plagioclase. More specifically, the water-rich magmas from Site U1503 displayed strong subduction signals in terms of trace elements, and their correlations with Al2O3 content suggest that they are the product of partial melting of the mantle wedge, closely related to the northward subduction of proto-SCS. This subduction had a significant effect on triggering the opening of the SCS, rather than a mantle plume. Moreover, the Site U1500 basalts exhibit a significant increase in plagioclase An values with the increase of host magma Al contents, indicating that the plagioclase floatation mechanism cannot account for the origin of their plagioclase accumulation. Therefore, we propose that the high abundance of plagioclase in Site U1500 basalts requires rapid ascent of magma, supporting a rapid rifting and strong magmatism during the initial opening of the SCS.

A Devonian Shoshonitic Appinite–Granite Suite in the North Qinling Orogenic Belt: Implications for Partial Melting of a Water-Fluxed Lithospheric Mantle in an Extensional Setting

AbstractAppinite–granite suites commonly occur in the final stage of collisional orogenic processes, providing a unique opportunity to reveal the properties of continental lithospheric mantle and crust–mantle geodynamics. In this paper, we present a systematic study of the petrology, mineral chemistry, whole-rock geochemistry and geochronology of the Xiong’erling pluton and adjacent appinite dikes in the northern margin of the North Qinling orogenic belt. The pluton is mainly composed of diorites, quartz monzonites and minor granites. The diorites and appinites have LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb ages of c. 389 Ma with variable εHf(t) values of −5.58 to +3.36 and TDM1 model ages peaking at c. 1133 Ma. These rocks belong to the shoshonitic series with high Ba–Sr content and were emplaced in an intraplate extensional environment. The quartz monzonites and granites are oxidized A-type granites and have zircon U–Pb ages of c. 396 and c. 378 Ma with negative εHf(t) values of −11.99 to −1.18 and TDM2 model age peaks at 1434, 1720, and 1888 Ma. The in situ87Sr/86Sr ratios of plagioclase from the mafic and felsic rocks are 0.70565-0.70752 and 0.70695-0.71008, respectively. The Xiong’erling pluton and the coeval appinite dikes represent a Devonian appinite–granite suite in the North Qinling orogenic belt. Asthenospheric upwelling during the intraplate extension triggered partial melting of a phlogopite- and amphibole-bearing garnet lherzolite mantle source that had been previously metasomatized by the subducted oceanic slab, leading to the formation of a primitive hydrous mafic magma. The rapid ascent of the water-rich magma along deep-seated active faults with fast crystallization of amphibole resulted in emplacement of the c. 389 Ma appinite dikes. Replacement of anhydrous minerals by amphibole and biotite via hydrous reaction during magma cooling resulted in the formation of the coeval diorites. The mafic magma underplating triggered episodic remelting of a late Paleoproterozoic to early Mesoproterozoic crustal source, leading to the generation of the c. 396–378 Ma quartz monzonites and granites. Combining our results with existing data, we identify a sequence of (1) northward subduction of the Shangdan oceanic crust beneath the Qinling block at c. 524–438 Ma resulting in island-arc calc-alkaline magmatism, (2) closure of the Shangdan Ocean indicated by collision between the Qinling block and the South Qinling terrane and slab failure magmatism at c. 438–410 Ma, and (3) post-collisional to intraplate extension with alkaline magmatism at c. 410–370 Ma. The Devonian extensive intraplate magmatism marks the end of the Paleozoic orogenesis in the North Qinling belt.

Logan Medallist 7. Appinite Complexes, Granitoid Batholiths and Crustal Growth: A Conceptual Model

Appinite bodies are a suite of plutonic rocks, ranging from ultramafic to felsic in composition, that are characterized by idiomorphic hornblende as the dominant mafic mineral in all lithologies and by spectacularly diverse textures, including planar and linear magmatic fabrics, mafic pegmatites and widespread evidence of mingling between coeval mafic and felsic compositions. These features suggest crystallization from anomalously water-rich magma which, according to limited isotopic studies, has both mantle and meteoric components. Appinite bodies typically occur as small (~2 km diameter) complexes emplaced along the periphery of granitoid plutons and commonly adjacent to major deep crustal faults, which they preferentially exploit during their ascent. Several studies emphasize the relationship between intrusion of appinite, granitoid plutonism and termination of subduction. However, recent geochronological data suggest a more long-lived genetic relationship between appinite and granitoid magma generation and subduction.Appinite may represent aliquots of hydrous basaltic magma derived from variably fractionated mafic underplates that were originally emplaced during protracted subduction adjacent to the Moho, triggering generation of voluminous granitoid magma by partial melting in the overlying MASH zone. Hydrous mafic magma from this underplate may have ascended, accumulated, and differentiated at mid-to-upper crustal levels (ca. 3–6 kbar, 15 km depth) and crystallized under water-saturated conditions. The granitoid magma was emplaced in pulses when transient stresses activated favourably oriented structures which became conduits for magma transport. The ascent of late mafic magma, however, is impeded by the rheological barriers created by the structurally overlying granitoid magma bodies. Magma that forms appinite complexes evaded those rheological barriers because it preferentially exploited the deep crustal faults that bounded the plutonic system. In this scenario, appinite complexes may be a direct connection to the mafic underplate and so its most mafic components may provide insights into processes that generate granitoid batholiths and, more generally, into crustal growth in arc systems.

The Influence of Magma Storage and Ascent Conditions on Laguna del Maule Rhyolite Eruptions

AbstractThe scarcity of historical rhyolite eruptions means that volcanological and petrological studies of past eruptions are a key tool for assessing the potential for future hazardous activity and improving interpretations of unrest signals. For the last 18 ky, the Laguna del Maule (LdM) volcanic complex in Chile has erupted primarily rhyolites but with differing magma compositions, eruption styles and eruptive volumes. Rapid surface uplift and episodic seismic activity at LdM over the last two decades has emphasized the need to understand both the recent evolution of the magmatic system and the most likely future eruption scenarios. Using mineral composition, geothermobarometry and MELTS modeling, we assess the influence of the magma storage and ascent conditions on the magnitude and styles of three LdM rhyolites. Magmas of the first and largest Plinian-ignimbrite eruption (LdM: rdm; >17 km3 DRE) form a distinct mineral assemblage with An28–60 plagioclase, amphibole and quartz derived from a magma plumbing system over a large pressure range (90–350 MPa). We suggest that the rdm eruption was triggered by magma recharge and overpressure within a ~ 90 MPa magma chamber of high-silica (>76.5 wt.% SiO2) rhyolitic melt. The rdm eruption appears to have reset the LdM storage conditions, such that subsequent rhyolite eruptions have been smaller (<4 km3 DRE), involved less evolved melt (<75.8 wt.% SiO2) and produced (sub)Plinian-effusive eruption sequences. Of these, we have studied the earliest (Los Espejos: rle) and the most recent (Las Nieblas: rln). Both have mineral assemblages with An20–34 plagioclase and biotite formed in water-saturated crystal-poor rhyolite batches over limited pressure ranges (ΔP ~ 50 MPa) within a rhyodacitic mush reservoir. We suggest that rle and rln were triggered by injection of water-rich magma and volatile exsolution; the transition to effusive behavior occurred because of changes in magma temperature (rle) or magma decompression rate (rln). Similarities in the limited pressure range and high volatile content inferred for the current low-density magma body with the petrologically determined source conditions of magmas that fed past subplinian-effusive eruptions suggest that the next LdM eruption will be similar.

The Triassic Duobaoshan appinite-granite suite, NE China: Implications for a water-fluxed lithospheric mantle and an extensional setting related to the subduction of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean

The appinite suite of rocks offers a unique opportunity to reveal the properties of subarc lithospheric mantle, indicate essential crust-mantle interactions, and ascertain critical geodynamic settings. In this study, we present zircon U–Pb ages, Hf–O isotopes, and whole-rock geochemical data for the newly identified Duobaoshan appinite-granite suite in the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Field and petrographic investigations show that this suite of rocks is composed of hornblende gabbro, quartz monzonite, and granite porphyry. The appinites are abnormally hornblende-rich, and contain spectacular hornblende phenocrysts, pegmatitic textures, and miarolitic cavity structures that indicate an anomalous water-rich origin. The quartz monzonite and granite porphyry show intrusive contact relations with the appinites. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) zircon dating reveals that the Duobaoshan appinite-granite suite was emplaced in a very short time interval of 224–223 Ma. These samples show typical subduction related arc magmatic geochemical characteristics that are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and light rare earth elements (REEs), depleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs) and middle and heavy REEs. All samples exhibit comparative total REEs and no significant evolutionary relationships. The appinites show high Sr/Y ratios (reaching ~100) and positive or zero Eu anomalies, which reveal amphibole fractionation promotion and plagioclase fractionation suppression in a water-rich magma system. The quartz monzonite possesses high Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios that exhibit adakite-like properties and were derived from thickened lower continental crust. The granite porphyry is silica-rich and non-adakitic. All samples have juvenile whole-rock initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (~0.7038) and ɛNd(t) values. Zircons have depleted mantle-like ɛHf (t) (to +12.0) and δ18O (~ + 5.65‰) values. Combining these geochemical features with observations of the regional geology and tectonic setting, we propose that the Duobaoshan appinite-granite suite was generated under a Triassic back-arc extensional setting related to the southward subduction of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean. The appinites were derived from an unusual water-rich mantle source, which was previously metasomatized by slab-derived fluids. The quartz monzonite and granite porphyry were generated from partial melting of the juvenile lower continental crust triggered by coeval appinitic magma underplating.

Petrogenesis, alteration, and shock history of intermediate shergottite Northwest Africa 7042: Evidence for hydrous magmatism on Mars?

Northwest Africa (NWA) 7042 is an intermediate, permafic shergottite consisting of two generations of olivine (early zoned olivine Fo41-76, and late-stage fayalitic olivine Fo46-56), complexly zoned pyroxene (En35-64Fs22-46Wo5-34), shock-melted or maskelynitized feldspar (An5-30Ab16-61Or1-47), and accessory merrillite, apatite, ilmenite, titanomagnetite, Fe-Cr-Ti spinels, pyrrhotite, and baddeleyite. The zoned olivine grains have been pervasively modified, containing conspicuous brown Mg-rich cores surrounded by colorless, unaltered Fe-rich overgrowth rims. This textural relationship suggests that the cores were altered at magmatic temperatures prior to crystallization of the rims on Mars. Launch-generated shock veins in NWA 7042 also crosscut and displace several of the altered olivine grains indicating that alteration occurred before ejection of the meteorite. While this type of olivine alteration is rare in shergottites, it is similar to deuterically altered olivine in basalts and gabbros on Earth, caused by residual water-rich magmatic fluids. Transmission electron microscopy analysis of the olivine alteration did not reveal the high-temperature phases expected from this process; however, NWA 7042 has also been subjected to extensive terrestrial weathering, which may explain their absence. The potential presence of deuterically altered olivine in NWA 7042 has significant implications, as it is the third martian meteorite where deuteric alteration of olivine has been observed (the others being NWA 10416, and Allan Hills 77005). The different mantle sources for the parental melts of these three meteorites would suggest many, if not all martian mantle reservoirs have the potential to produce water-rich magmas.

Effusive-explosive transitions of water-undersaturated magmas. The case study of Methana Volcano, South Aegean Arc

Most arc volcanoes erupt intermediate to silicic magmas that have sufficient volatile contents to behave explosively. Despite this explosive potential, low-energy effusive eruptions of such viscous water-rich magmas are common occurrences. Hence, predicting the style of the next eruption, with its obvious importance on hazard mitigation, remains one of the main challenges of volcanology. Here, we investigate the changes in eruptive styles at Methana volcano, from the South Aegean Arc. This volcano has generated multiple andesite-to-dacite eruptions, with the last event occurring in historical times (~2250 BP). We focus on 14 eruptive events, 3 being explosive. We compare the petrology and geochemistry of the deposits to reconstruct the magma chamber events that preceded both types of eruptions. We estimate the thermo-chemical conditions that characterized each eruptive event, and highlight the causes that promoted or inhibited magma fragmentation: temperature, pressure, composition, relative volumes of different magma batches, dissolved water content, crystallinity, melt and bulk viscosities. The results indicate that Methana harbors an upper-crustal silicic reservoir stored at ~2 kbar (likely dacitic to rhyodacitic in composition) that is in a highly crystalline state (>50 vol% crystals, mostly uneruptible). All the eruptions are triggered by deeper magma recharge ascending from storage pressures of ~4–5 kbar, leading to some rejuvenation of the shallow silicic mush. The most mafic recharges (~55 wt% SiO2, ~1000 °C, >3 wt% H2O) promote effusive eruptions after mixing and hybridizing the upper-crustal reservoir (hybrids of ~57–64 wt% SiO2, ~900–950 °C, generally 3–4 wt% H2O). Slightly colder, wetter and more differentiated recharges (~62 wt% SiO2; ~900 °C, ~4 wt% H2O) trigger explosive events after having minimal interaction with the upper-crustal reservoir. However, the dissolved water content is not the only factor influencing explosivity, as some of the wettest magmas (>4.5 wt% H2O) generate lava flows. Our data indicate that a key control on effusive-explosive transitions at Methana is the crystallinity of the erupted material. A high crystallinity (40–55 vol%) increases the bulk-viscosity, which results in the magma having a slower ascent velocity. In addition, crystallinity enhances the formation of permeable pathways for the gas. Longer ascent timescales and enhanced permeability in the conduit improve the outgassing potential of the magmas and lead to effusive behavior. The opposite occurs for explosive events. Here, the lower crystallinity of the magmas (30 vol%) translates into lower bulk-viscosities and faster ascent rates, which inhibit outgassing. This case study highlights the importance of obtaining better constraints on the state of subvolcanic magma reservoirs, in particular concerning crystallinity and volatile concentrations, which has to become a priority in the years to come.

The ascent of water-rich magma and decompression heating: A thermodynamic analysis

The ascent of water-rich magma and decompression heating: A thermodynamic analysis

A distinct metal fingerprint in arc volcanic emissions

As well as gases that regulate climate over geological time, volcanoes emit prodigious quantities of metals into the atmosphere, where they have key roles as catalysts, pollutants and nutrients. Here we compare measurements of arc basaltic volcano metal emissions with those from hotspot settings. As well as emitting higher fluxes of metals (similar to those building ore deposits), these arc emissions possess a distinct compositional fingerprint, particularly rich in tungsten, arsenic, thallium, antimony and lead when compared with those from hotspots. We propose that volcanic metal emissions are controlled by magmatic water content and redox: hydrous arc magmas that do not undergo sulfide saturation yield metal-rich, saline aqueous fluid; shallow degassing and resorption of late-stage sulfides feeds volcanic gases in Hawai’i and Iceland. Although global arc magma chemistries vary considerably, our findings suggest that volcanic emissions in arcs have a distinct fingerprint when compared with other settings. A shift in global volcanic metal emissions may have occurred in Earth’s past as more oxidized, water-rich magmas became prevalent, influencing the surface environment. Arc volcanism emits higher metal fluxes to Earth’s atmosphere than hotspot volcanism. The systems’ unique gas compositions are controlled by magmatic water content and redox state, as shown by a compilation of volcanic gas and aerosol metal data.

Petrological and experimental evidence for differentiation of water-rich magmas beneath St. Kitts, Lesser Antilles

St. Kitts lies in the northern Lesser Antilles, a subduction-related intraoceanic volcanic arc known for its magmatic diversity and unusually abundant cognate xenoliths. We combine the geochemistry of xenoliths, melt inclusions and lavas with high pressure–temperature experiments to explore magma differentiation processes beneath St. Kitts. Lavas range from basalt to rhyolite, with predominant andesites and basaltic andesites. Xenoliths, dominated by calcic plagioclase and amphibole, typically in reaction relationship with pyroxenes and olivine, can be divided into plutonic and cumulate varieties based on mineral textures and compositions. Cumulate varieties, formed primarily by the accumulation of liquidus phases, comprise ensembles that represent instantaneous solid compositions from one or more magma batches; plutonic varieties have mineralogy and textures consistent with protracted solidification of magmatic mush. Mineral chemistry in lavas and xenoliths is subtly different. For example, plagioclase with unusually high anorthite content (An≤100) occurs in some plutonic xenoliths, whereas the most calcic plagioclase in cumulate xenoliths and lavas are An97 and An95, respectively. Fluid-saturated, equilibrium crystallisation experiments were performed on a St. Kitts basaltic andesite, with three different fluid compositions (XH2O = 1.0, 0.66 and 0.33) at 2.4 kbar, 950–1025 °C, and fO2 = NNO − 0.6 to NNO + 1.2 log units. Experiments reproduce lava liquid lines of descent and many xenolith assemblages, but fail to match xenolith and lava phenocryst mineral compositions, notably the very An-rich plagioclase. The strong positive correlation between experimentally determined plagioclase-melt KdCa–Na and dissolved H2O in the melt, together with the occurrence of Al-rich mafic lavas, suggests that parental magmas were water-rich (> 9 wt% H2O) basaltic andesites that crystallised over a wide pressure range (1.5–6 kbar). Comparison of experimental and natural (lava, xenolith) mafic mineral composition reveals that whereas olivine in lavas is predominantly primocrysts precipitated at low-pressure, pyroxenes and spinel are predominantly xenocrysts formed by disaggregation of plutonic mushes. Overall, St. Kitts xenoliths and lavas testify to mid-crustal differentiation of low-MgO basalt and basaltic andesite magmas within a trans-crustal, magmatic mush system. Lower crustal ultramafic cumulates that relate parental low-MgO basalts to primary, mantle -derived melts are absent on St. Kitts.

Petrogenesis of the middle Jurassic appinite and coeval granitoids in the Eastern Hebei area of North China Craton

An integrated study of zircon U–Pb ages and Hf–O isotopic compositions, whole rock elemental and Sr–Nd isotope geochemistry was conducted on three lithologically diverse middle Jurassic plutons from the Eastern Hebei area of the North China Craton (NCC), in order to reveal both their petrogenesis and possible tectonic affinity. The three plutons have consistent magmatic zircon U–Pb ages from 167±1Ma to 173±1Ma. The Nianziyu pluton has typical characteristics of appinite with low SiO2 (43.7–52.6%), high Ca, Mg, Fe and H2O contents. It possesses subduction-related trace element patterns, enriched Nd–Hf isotopic signatures as well as elevated zircon δ18O values (6.2–7.2‰), arguing for an enriched mantle source metasomatized by fluids related to subduction. The Shuihutong monzogranites have high silica (SiO2=75.4–75.9%) and alkali contents, low Ca contents and striking negative Ba, Sr and Eu anomalies. Samples from the pluton have more evolved Nd–Hf isotopic values and are considered to be most likely derived from anatexis of ancient lower continental crust. Hybridization between mantle- and ancient lower crust-derived magmas is proposed for the mafic microgranular enclave-bearing Baijiadian granitoids, which are characterized by variable εNd (t) and εHf(t) values. Integrated with the regional geologic history, we suggest that the formation of the three middle Jurassic plutons were related to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific ocean plate beneath the NCC. Their petrogenetic differences reflect complex magmatic processes in subduction settings involving melting of multiple sources, possible partly facilitated by fluid metasomatism and water-rich magma injection, accompanied with various degrees of magma mixing. The appearance of middle Jurassic appinitic rocks leads us to propose that the NCC destruction and lithosphere thinning were facilitated and controlled by the weakening of the lithospheric mantle after hydration because of the subduction of the paleo-Pacific ocean plate. The lower crust of the craton was also reactivated at the same time due to the subduction.

Porphyry copper enrichment linked to excess aluminium in plagioclase

Porphyry ore deposits are increasingly hard to discover. Geochemical analysis of minerals formed in porphyry systems worldwide shows that the most fertile deposits are associated with excess Al and water-rich magma injections.

Textural and chemical consequences of interaction between hydrous mafic and felsic magmas: an experimental study

Mantle-derived, hydrous mafic magmas are often invoked as a mechanism to transfer heat, mass and volatiles to felsic plutons in the Earth’s crust. Field observations suggest that mafic, water-rich magmas often intrude viscous felsic crystal-rich mushes. This scenario can advect water from the crystallising mafic magma to the felsic magma, leading to an increase in melt fraction in the felsic mush and subsequent mobilisation, at the same time as the mafic magma becomes quenched through a combination of cooling and water loss. To investigate such a scenario, we conducted experiments on a water-undersaturated (4 wt% H2O in the interstitial melt) dacitic crystal mush (50–80 vol% quartz crystals) subject to volatile supply from a water-saturated (≥6 wt% H2O) andesite magma at 950 °C and 4 kbar. Our experimental run products show unidirectional solidification textures (i.e. comb layering) as crystals nucleate at the mafic–felsic interface and grow into the mafic end-member. This process is driven by isothermal and isobaric undercooling resulting from a change in liquidus temperature as water migrates from the mafic to the felsic magma. We refer to this process as “chemical quenching” and suggest that some textures associated with natural mafic–felsic interactions are not simply cooling-driven in origin, but can be caused by exsolution of volatiles adjacent to an interface, whether a water-undersaturated felsic magma (as in our experiments) or a fracture.

Explosive style, magma degassing and evolution in the Chaimilla eruption, Villarrica volcano, Southern Andes

Villarrica (Chile) is a basaltic stratovolcano, cur- rently in an open-conduit condition. It now has relatively fre- quent Strombolian and effusive eruptions, but it had large explosive eruptions in prehistoric times. Among them, the most recent eruption was Chaimilla, which occurred about 3100 years ago and produced deposits that indicate complex, multiphase eruptive dynamics. Significant differences in min- eralogy and glass compositions of the erupted scoria suggest the eruption was fed by two distinct magma batches with similar bulk compositions but distinct crystallization and degassing histories. The lower sequence scoria has a complex crystal assemblage with several crystal populations produced by mixing between a relatively degassed magma containing Fo75-79 olivine, normally or reversely zoned plagioclase (An70-94) and augite (type 1 magma), and a subordinate vol- ume of more-primitive and more volatile-rich magma rising from depth (type 2 magma) and carrying normally zoned pla- gioclaseandhigher-Mg(Fo81-85)olivinecrystals.Type2mag- ma was the main component emitted during the larger and more explosive eruptive phase that deposited the upper sequence. The Chaimilla eruption occurred under closed- vent conditions and was fed by water-rich magmas. When comparedwiththe petrologicalfeaturesofthe magma current- ly erupted at Villarrica, which has slightly more-evolved bulk compositions, lower crystal content and lower water content, these results suggest that the evolution in eruptive style of the volcano from highly explosive to a lava lake/Strombolian ac- tivity corresponds to significant changes in the shallow plumbing system (which is now at much shallower depths); these plumbing-system changes were not associated with sig- nificant changes in the parental magma compositions.

Fluid flux melting generated postcollisional high Sr/Y copper ore–forming water-rich magmas in Tibet

Miocene postcollisional porphyry Cu deposits in southern Tibet are genetically associated with dacitic-rhyolitic intrusions with unusually high Sr/Y ratios (>40), which have been attributed to dehydration melting of garnet amphibolite in a thickened lower crust. To test this hypothesis and examine the hydration state of copper ore-forming high Sr/Y magmas, we utilize a geohygrometer for granitoid rocks, entailing zircon-saturation thermometry and H 2 O-dependent phase equilibria. The results show that these Tibetan high Sr/Y magmas had dissolved H 2 O contents >10 wt%, which considerably exceeds the water supply by dehydration melting of basaltic amphibolites (maximum of 6.7 ± 1.4 wt%). Our results indicate that high Sr/Y dacitic-rhyolitic magmas cannot be produced by dehydration melting of basaltic amphibolites. While H 2 O-added melting of basaltic amphibolites can produce high Sr/Y dacitic-rhyolitic melts, it does not yield high enough Mg# (>50) to match the Tibetan ore-forming porphyries. We propose an alternative model for the genesis of copper ore-forming high Sr/Y magmas in Tibet, and suggest that the high Sr/Y dacitic-rhyolitic porphyries in southern Tibet are residually H 2 O-enriched, high-pressure differentiation products of hydrous mafic partial melts of Tibetan mantle. This hypothesis is based on the previous investigation of Miocene mafic microgranular enclaves (mantle-derived melts), which define a fractionation trend with, and have Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic compositions similar to, the host Tibetan ore-forming porphyries.

The 36–18 Ma Central Nevada ignimbrite field and calderas, Great Basin, USA: Multicyclic super-eruptions

The 36–18 Ma Central Nevada ignimbrite field and calderas, Great Basin, USA: Multicyclic super-eruptions

Clinopyroxene and amphibole crystal populations in a lamprophyre sill from the Catalonian Coastal Ranges (NE Spain): A record of magma history and a window to mineral-melt partitioning

A Cretaceous sill of alkaline lamprophyre (camptonite) cropping out in the northern Catalonian Coastal Ranges includes macrocrysts and microcrysts of clinopyroxene and amphibole with complex zoning patterns. The in-depth petrographic, compositional and barometric study of the different crystal populations, including statistical evaluation of the compositional dataset by principal component analysis, provides insights into the magmatic plumbing system. Macrocryst cores are inherited antecrysts crystallised in a deep (500–800MPa) magma chamber or conduit. Their reverse zoning patterns reveal repeated injection and mixing of batches of a more primitive and water-rich magma with the resident magma in the magma chamber. Macrocryst rims and microcrysts, in contrast, crystallised during the ascent and shallow emplacement of the magma below 50MPa pressure. They define normal zoning patterns that can be related to progressive fractionation of the magma. This study shows that an apparently simple porphyritic rock can actually contain a significant amount of recycled crystals, reflecting an open-system magmatic behaviour. Only the groundmass of the sill represents a closed-system, where microphenocryst cores are in chemical equilibrium with the bulk composition of the groundmass. Using trace element compositions obtained by LA–ICP–MS and geochemical modelling, a complete and consistent partition coefficient dataset is obtained for the first time for clinopyroxene and amphibole in camptonite melts. Both minerals show a similar partitioning behaviour for most trace elements. Clinopyroxene-melt and amphibole-melt partition coefficients are overall consistent with data from basic rocks, although clinopyroxene partition coefficients are generally higher than data from basalt and basanite melts. The results from this research support the use of naturally occurring mineral-melt equilibrium pairs for partitioning studies but emphasise the need for a detailed study of the phases used to define the partition relationships.

The 36–18 Ma Indian Peak–Caliente ignimbrite field and calderas, southeastern Great Basin, USA: Multicyclic super-eruptions

The 36–18 Ma Indian Peak–Caliente ignimbrite field and calderas, southeastern Great Basin, USA: Multicyclic super-eruptions