南岭燕山早期后造山花岗岩类: 岩石学制约和地球动力学背景

在南岭花岗岩带中燕山早期的岩浆岩套花岗岩类占绝对优势, 以二长花岗岩和钾长花岗岩为主. 在岩带的东段赣南和闽西南地区, 存在燕山早期的A型花岗岩类(176~178 Ma)和双峰式火山岩(158~179 Ma)组合, 在岩带中部湘南地区存在燕山早期的玄武岩类(177~178 Ma). 赣南地区的双峰式火山岩组合中酸性端员流纹岩和A型花岗岩类同具有板内花岗质岩石的地球化学特征, 基性端员玄武岩为板内拉斑玄武岩, 湘南地区的玄武质岩石不仅为板内拉斑玄武岩而且发育有板内碱性玄武岩. 鉴此, 南岭地区燕山早期的岩浆岩套无疑是一种典型的后造山(Post-orogenic)岩石组合. 后造山岩套是后碰撞(Post-collision or Late orogenic)事件结束和泛大陆开始裂解的标志, 预示着一个新的造山的威尔逊旋回即将来临. 因此可以认为南岭地区燕山早期应是继印支造山运动以后的一种后造山的大陆裂解的地球动力学背景, 并非自白垩纪以来才开始裂解.     

梁河花岗岩岩浆混合作用：锆石微量元素、U-Pb和Hf同位素示踪

通过对滇西梁河地区细致的填图,分析了环状杂岩体中碱长花岗岩、花岗闪长岩及其中闪长岩包体的锆石微量元素、U-Pb年龄和Hf同位素组成,发现它们基本同时期形成,年龄依次为127,115和122Ma,但其中锆石有着不同的微量元素和Hf同位素组成,从酸性到基性岩石,其微量元素含量逐渐降低,εHf（t）值逐渐增高,依次为-9.1～-5.4,-4.5～0和3.6～6.2.不同岩性的锆石微量元素变化与Hf同位素组成变化相关,可能示踪了基性和酸性岩浆的岩浆混合过程.结果表明,早白垩世来自亏损地幔的基性岩浆底侵造成古老地壳熔融形成了梁河地区大面积的花岗岩,而基性岩浆与花岗质岩浆的混合作用是形成花岗闪长岩的主要原因.     

甜水海地块古元古代火山岩的发现及其地质意义

本文报道甜水海地块西段古元古界布伦阔勒岩群中片理化变流纹岩的单颗粒锆石LA-ICP-MS测年为（2481±14）Ma.这套流纹岩与玄武岩、玄武安山岩互层状产出,可能共同组成布伦阔勒岩群中的古元古界组分.其中玄武岩、玄武安山岩主体属于低铝拉斑玄武岩系列,流纹岩属于低铝钙碱性系列;岩石富集大离子亲石元素和轻稀土,亏损亲石元素P及高场强元素Nb,Ta和Ti等,铕异常不明显.εNd（t）值（3.14～4.88之间）及微量元素地球化学特征显示具有亏损地幔源区特征,并受到强烈的地壳混染.基性火山岩多元素原始地幔标准化分配曲线及Zr/Y-Zr图解表明其形成于大陆板内构造环境.综合喀喇昆仑区域地质资料,参考华北克拉通新太古代基性火山岩研究成果,推测布伦阔勒岩群火山岩与地幔岩浆底侵作用有关.     

青藏高原羌塘中部中奥陶世变质堆晶辉长岩锆石SHRIMP年代学及Hf同位素特征

藏北羌塘桃形湖地区出露有一套变质基性岩,主要岩石类型有变质超基性岩、变质堆晶辉长岩、变质辉长岩(辉绿岩)、变质玄武岩和斜长花岗岩等,局部可见有残留的堆晶(层状)结构.变质堆晶辉长岩的锆石SHRIMP定年和Hf同位素研究表明其时代为(467±4)Ma,这是目前羌塘地区时代最老、最可靠的岩浆岩年龄.变质堆晶辉长岩锆石176Hf/177Hf比值介于0.282615～0.282657之间,εHf(t)加权平均值为5.02±0.28,反映其岩浆源区为亏损型地幔.变质基性岩地球化学特征与大洋中脊玄武岩类似,它很可能是古洋壳的残片.桃形湖变质基性岩代表羌塘中央隆起地区早古生代蛇绿岩残片.     

铜陵矿集区侵入岩SHRIMP锆石U-Pb年龄及其深部动力学背景

选取铜陵矿集区5个典型的中生代侵入岩体——沙滩脚石英二长斑岩、冬瓜山辉石二长岩、新桥二长岩、凤凰山花岗闪长岩、小铜官山石英二长闪长岩,进行了系统的SHRIMP锆石U—Pb定年,给出了（151．8±2．6）～（142．8±1．8）Ma的年龄值,对该区侵入岩的形成时代提供了精确约束,表明晚侏罗世末是该区岩浆活动的高峰期．岩浆侵入的总体顺序为石英二长（斑）岩→二长岩→花岗闪长岩→石英二长闪长岩→辉石二长闪长岩→辉长辉绿岩．不同岩性的侵入岩具不同的结晶年龄可能说明了铜陵地区侵入岩经历了深部岩浆的演化过程．这种岩浆的演化过程和该区当时深部地球动力学背景有密切的关系．提出了研究区深部构造和岩浆演化的动力学模型：T3末期,扬子与华北块体完成拼合,铜陵地区进入新的挤压造山运动期,即进入了太平洋动力学体系．J2-J3期间,随着Izanagi板块向欧亚板块之下俯冲,该区受到的北西向挤压作用,形成北东向褶皱,并导致地壳增厚．在地壳下部形成高密度的榴辉岩相岩石,造成深部岩石圈地幔及下地壳拆沉,诱使热的软流圈物质上涌,减压熔融产生的玄武质岩浆发生底侵作用,并引起下地壳受热熔融产生花岗质岩浆．这些岩浆经过不同的作用过程最终沿深大断裂上侵（J3-K1）．测年结果表明该区岩石圈地幔和下地壳的拆沉作用至少在晚侏罗世中晚期就已经开始,并造成岩石圈的急剧减薄,中上地壳发生强烈的伸展作用,形成盖层间、基底与盖层问、中下地壳等大量的滑脱构造,构成了岩石圈构造分层或拆离作用．老的岩浆成因继承核（747～823Ma范围内的3个一致年龄）的存在支持铜陵地区在新元古代存在明显的岩浆作用,同时说明中生代侵入岩的形成有较多的新元古代火成岩源岩的参与．     

西昆仑库科西鲁克地区基性岩脉地球化学及构造意义

新疆库科西鲁克地区广泛发育基性岩脉,多呈岩墙、岩枝和小岩滴。基性岩脉岩石类型为辉长岩和辉绿岩。辉长岩属于碱性玄武岩,而辉绿岩属于过铝质碱性系列碱玄武岩与粗面玄武岩过渡型,其形成深度（浅成相）比辉长岩浅（中深成相）。区内基性岩脉形成于闭合边缘岛弧、活动陆缘造山带环境,是由幔源原生岩浆经过分异并同化混染地壳物质而形成,结晶分异是控制岩浆演化的主要因素。辉长岩中δEu具有弱的亏损。辉绿岩δEu为正异常,而C e均具弱亏损,成岩氧逸度较高,其成因与典型的I型花岗岩类相似,为壳幔混合型。辉长岩偏幔源,而辉绿岩偏壳源,可能为幔源岩浆上侵受围岩混染所致。辉长岩年龄（119 M a）要比辉绿岩年龄（46.1M a）老,辉长岩为冈底斯陆块向欧亚大陆板块碰撞拼贴过程中,逆冲挤压结束的标志,辉绿岩为大规模逆冲挤压剪切结束,青藏高原隆升初期拉张作用的产物。     

马鞍桥金矿床中香沟岩体锆石U-Pb定年、地球化学及其与成矿关系研究

摘要对出露马鞍桥金矿床中香沟二长花岗斑岩进行了单颗粒锆石U-Pb定年和岩石地球化学研究．结果表明,锆石的LA-ICPMS U-Pb年龄值为（242．0±0．8）Ma,与前人确定的秦岭造山带的主造山时间（（242±21）Ma）致,显示香沟岩体可能和印支期华北与扬子板块的碰撞事件有关．香沟岩体以高硅富碱为特征,属于高钾钙碱性系列花岗岩类．香沟岩体高A1（Al2O3=14．49％～15．61％）和Sr（457．10～630．82gg／g）、亏损Y（〈16μg／g）和HREE（Yb〈0．45μg／g）,并具有较高的Sr／Y（76．24～97．34）和（La／Yb）N（29．65～46．10）比值及强分异的稀土元素组成模式,其地球化学特征显示香沟岩体花岗岩类属于C型埃达克质（adakitic）岩石．岩石初始Sr同位素比值Isr=0．70642-0．70668,CNd（t）=-4．5～-4．0,TDM=1152～1220Ma．香沟岩体具有较低的εNd（t）,Isr值和较高的TDM值,同时其Na2O／K2O接近1（Na2O／K2O=0．95～1．10）,显示香沟花岗岩不是俯冲洋壳部分熔融形成的Ⅰ型埃达岩或底侵玄武质下地壳熔融所产生的埃达克质岩,而为增厚下地壳非底侵成因的玄武质下地壳部分熔融的产物．香沟岩体锆石Hf同位素组成均一,εHr（t）=-9．7～-5．9,均小于0,指示其成岩物质主要来自古老地壳物质的熔融,并非来自亏损地幔源区．香沟二长花岗斑岩富集大离子亲石元素和轻稀土,亏损高场强元素、重稀土和Y,微量元素和稀土元素分布与同碰撞花岗岩相似．香沟岩体的岩石产出地质特征及地球化学共同揭示,它是在陆．陆挤压碰撞和壳内构造剪切作用的地球动力学条件下,由大陆碰撞作用所诱发的加厚下地壳玄武质岩石发生部分熔融的产物．由于香沟花岗岩浆侵入于242Ma的挤压造山环境,而金矿化集中发生于170Ma左右的挤压-伸展环境,金矿化比岩浆侵入事件滞后约70Ma,同?     

碧口群西段董家河蛇绿岩地球化学及LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb定年

董家河蛇绿岩位于碧口群火山岩系西段,由蛇纹石化、滑石菱镁岩化变质橄榄岩、辉长岩、堆晶辉长岩和浅变质亚碱性拉斑玄武岩组成,具有典型的蛇绿岩套岩石组合特征.变质橄榄岩为轻稀土亏损型,辉长岩与变质玄武岩具共源岩浆演化特征,均表现为MORB型玄武岩的稀土元素及不活动痕量元素地球化学特征,是本区蛇绿岩的重要组成端元,指示扬子北缘碧口地区一个已经消失的古洋盆.辉长岩中锆石的激光探针U-Pb测年结果((839.2±8.2)Ma)表明,该洋盆形成于新元古代晋宁期.     

湘东南中生代花岗闪长岩锆石U-Pb法定年及其成因指示

湘东南中生代花岗闪长质小岩体与铜多金属成矿带在时空上密切共生, 主要岩性为花岗闪长(斑)岩. 4个花岗闪长质岩体的单颗粒锆石U-Pb同位素定年结果精确限定了带内花岗闪长质岩体的形成年龄在172～181 Ma之间, 这一年龄也代表了带内铜多金属成矿作用发生的上限年龄. 部分颗粒锆石属残留锆石, 给出了中元古代(1753 Ma左右)年龄信息, 暗示带内花岗闪长质岩浆受到了古老地壳物质的混染作用或前寒武纪岩石是其熔融源区的重要组成之一.     

粤北存在早侏罗世的岩浆活动——来自霞岚杂岩SHRIMP锆石U-Pb年代学的证据

报道了粤北梅州地区霞岚杂岩的SHRIMP锆石U-Pb年龄,花岗岩（196±2）Ma,辉长岩（195±1）Ma,为中国东南部缺少200～180Ma期间的岩浆岩报道增添了新资料,又表明了滨太平洋构造域至少在195Ma左右已经开始作用于中国东南部．野外揭露的新鲜露头上,辉长岩与花岗岩之间有岩浆部分混合作用现象．辉长岩局部发育20～30cm的细粒边,从辉长岩往花岗岩方向逐渐变细;花岗岩中发育大量暗色细粒．微粒闪长质岩浆包体,形态多样、大小不一,边部有暗色矿物集中现象,部分界线呈截然、模糊或过渡关系：包体中出现针状磷灰石;辉长岩类与花岗质岩石的稀土配分模式基本一致,其微量元素特征也具有明显的一致性;二者年龄十分接近,且基性岩略晚于花岗岩形成。这些特征均表明,早侏罗世基性岩浆注入引起了深部陆壳物质的熔融,并形成了酸性岩浆,然后二者发生混合产生了霞岚杂岩．     

Hafnium isotopes in Jack Hills zircons and the formation of the Hadean crust

New bulk Hf and Pb isotope data were obtained for 63 leached single zircons from Jack Hills (JH), Western Australia, using solution chemistry and, respectively, MC-ICP MS and ICP-MS. With the exception of one “young” zircon at 3.32 Ga, the remainder of the selected grains were previously dated at > 3.9 Ga by ion-microprobe. This work extends and complements the solution chemistry data of Harrison et al. [Harrison, T.M., Blichert-Toft, J., Müller, W., Albarède, F., Holden, P., Mojzsis, S.J., 2005. Heterogeneous Hadean hafnium: evidence of continental crust at 4.4 to 4.5 Ga. Science 310, 1947–1950.] but uses bulk rather than in situ Pb–Pb ages to interpret the Hf isotope data. This larger data set is used to explore whether the host rocks of the JH zircons formed as a succession of pulses or rather as a single event, and to calculate the age and assess the nature of their crustal protolith. We find that the parent granites of the JH zircons analyzed here formed during a single pulse 4.1 ± 0.1 Ga ago by the remelting of a 4.30–4.36 Ga old protolith. Monte Carlo modeling indicates that the ¹⁷⁶Lu/¹⁷⁷Hf ratios of this material (< 0.01) are unlike the ratios of modern-type oceanic crust and island arc rocks but rather fit a tonalite–trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) source. TTGs themselves derived their inordinately enriched character from a basaltic progenitor which corresponds to the missing enriched reservoir identified by the ¹⁴³Nd–¹⁴⁴Nd, ¹⁴²Nd–¹⁴⁴Nd, and ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf systematics of Archean rocks. We speculate that crystallization of the magma ocean in the presence of garnet left the upper mantle and an early basaltic crust enriched in incompatible elements. Reaction of this early crust with the overlying hydrosphere and subsequent foundering into the mantle gave rise at ～ 4.3 Ga to the TTG protolith of the JH granites. Dating the onset of plate tectonics therefore depends on whether TTGs can be considered as subduction zone magmas or not.     

Petrogenesis of the Mesozoic intrusive rocks in the Tongling area,Anhui Province,China and their constraint on geodynamic process

TheTonglingarea,whichiscalledtheChineseCopperCapital,isoneofthemostimportantnon-ferrousmetalproducersinChina(e.g.Cu,AuandAg,especiallyCu).ManyresearchershavenotedthatthemetaldepositsarecloselyrelatedtotheMesozoicintrusiverocksinthisarea.Therefore,theTongl…     

Deformation structures associated with the Tazo landslide (La Gomera, Canary Islands)

Deformation structures below the basal plane of gravitational slides can provide useful information about the state of stress undergone by rocks prior to the sliding process and about the triggering forces acting at each particular sliding event. In the present work we conducted a structural analysis of the rocks below the surface of the gravitational slide of Tazo (La Gomera, Canary Islands) and determined the epigenetic processes involved in the filling of the amphitheatre. We also inferred the possible triggering phenomena related to the Tazo landslide. The rocks located below the surface of the gravitational slide of Tazo -i.e., the basaltic lava flows, sills and dikes of the Lower Old Edifice and the submarine volcanic rocks, gabbros, pyroxenites and dikes of the Basal Complex of La Gomera- are strongly deformed close to this sliding surface. The lava flows and dikes of the Lower Old Edifice are folded, with fault breccias and gouges, and locally foliated, defining the sliding surface. The dikes of the Basal Complex are also folded, and the gabbros and pyroxenites are affected by a large number of small faults. In the Basal Complex, the sliding surface is defined by a foliated granular gouge. In the damage zone, the Basal Complex rocks show an incipient fracture cleavage. The sliding amphitheatre has been filled by the debris avalanche or cohesive debris flow generated within the slide, as well as by later debris flows, hyperconcentrated flows, sheet flows, and by interspersed lava flows from the Upper Old Edifice. We suggest here that the collapse of the north-western flank of the Lower Old Edifice at Tazo could in part have been triggered by continuous magma injection, associated with the emplacement of dikes in a rift zone with an ENE-WSW direction, enhanced by the mechanical weakness of the Basal Complex unit, which was affected by hydrothermal metamorphism under greenschist facies conditions and by the displacement along the Montaña de Alcalá and Guillama normal faults, which are deeply entrenched in the altered rocks of the Basal Complex.     

Hydrothermal alteration and tectonic evolution of an intermediate- to fast-spreading back-arc oceanic crust: Late Ordovician Solund-Stavfjord ophiolite, western Norway

Abstract The Solund‐Stavfjord ophiolite complex (SSOC) in western Norway represents a remnant of the Late Ordovician oceanic lithosphere, which developed in an intermediate‐ to fast‐spreading Caledonian back‐arc basin. The internal architecture and magmatic features of its crustal component suggest that the SSOC has a complex, multistage sea floor spreading history in a supra‐subduction zone environment. The youngest crustal section associated with the propagating rift tectonics consists of a relatively complete ophiolite pseudostratigraphy, including basaltic volcanic rocks, a transition zone between the sheeted dyke complex and the extrusive sequence, sheeted dykes, and high‐level isotropic gabbros. Large‐scale variations in major and trace element distributions indicate significant remobilization far beyond that which would result from magmatic processes, as a result of the hydrothermal alteration of crustal rocks. Whereas K₂O is strongly enriched in volcanic rocks of the extrusive sequence, Cu and Zn show the largest enrichment in the dyke complex near the dyke–volcanic transition zone or within this transition zone. The δ¹⁸O values of the whole‐rock samples show a general depletion structurally downwards in the ophiolite, with the largest and smallest variations observed in volcanic rocks and the transition zone, respectively. δ¹⁸O values of epidote–quartz mineral pairs indicate 260–290°C for volcanic rocks, 420°C for the transition zone, 280–345°C for the sheeted dyke complex and 290–475°C for the gabbros. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr isotope ratios show the widest range and highest values in the extrusive rocks (0.70316–0.70495), and generally the lowest values and the narrowest range in the sheeted dyke complex (0.70338–0.70377). The minimum water/rock ratios calculated show the largest variations in volcanic rocks and gabbros (approximately 0–14), and generally the lowest values and range in the sheeted dyke complex (approximately 1–3). The δD values of epidote (?1 to ?12‰), together with the δ¹⁸O calculated for Ordovician seawater, are similar to those of present‐day seawater. Volcanic rocks experienced both cold and warm water circulation, resulting in the observed K₂O‐enrichment and the largest scatter in the δ¹⁸O values. As a result of metal leaching in the hot reaction zone above a magma chamber, Zn is strongly depleted in the gabbros but enriched in the sheeted dyke complex because of precipitation from upwelling of discharged hydrothermal fluids. The present study demonstrates that the near intact effect of ocean floor hydrothermal activity is preserved in the upper part of the SSOC crust, despite the influence of regional lower greenschist facies metamorphism.     

U-Pb isotopic geochemistry of the post-collisional mafic-ultramafic rocks from the Dabie Mountains——Crust-mantle interaction and LOMU component

Geochronological studies of mafic-ultramafic intrusions occurrence in the northern Dabie zone (NDZ) suggest that these pyroxenite-gabbro intrusions formed 120—130 Ma ago should be post-collisional magmatic rocks[1—4]. These mafic-ultramafic rocks provid…     

燕山地区早侏罗世岩浆活动热供给的数值模拟

燕山地区燕山期发育大量的岩浆岩, 如此大规模的岩浆活动(热)的来源一直是一个谜。 本文利用有限元的热传导模拟反演可能的热供给。 模型假设温度1250 ℃、 面积905.86 km²半圆面形玄武岩浆底侵到36.6~50 km深的陆壳底部, 陆壳的地温梯度随着克拉通的破坏而逐渐升高。 数值模拟的主要结论: ① 早侏罗世时期的地温曲线表明, 要使围岩发生熔融, 所需要的底侵玄武岩岩浆量是非常大的, 基于燕山地区实际产出的早侏罗世时期的酸性岩, 反演产生81 km²的花岗岩需要的最少底侵玄武岩岩浆量为1053 km²; ② 早侏罗世(J₁)的模型温度场表明, 随着时间的演化, 在40～50 km处水平方向的围岩温度升高明显, 形成很明显的一条高温带或熔融带, 该高温带或者熔融带可能成为后期的构造薄弱面, 加上榴辉岩相变造成的密度增加引起下坠, 达到临界值时, 就会出现垮落, 因此本文从数值模拟的角度, 支持拆沉作用的发生。     

U-Pb isotopic geochemistry of the post-collisional mafic-ultramafic rocks from the Dabie Mountains

The U-Pb isotope geochemical study of the pyroxenite-gabbro intrusion in the Dabie Mountains shows that the post-collisional mafic-ultramafic rocks of the Dabie Mountains are characterized by relative high Pb contents, low U contents and low U/Pb ratios. These characters may be results of interaction between lithosphere or depleted asthenospheric mantle (DMM) and lower crust, but have nothing to do with mantle plume and subducted continental crust. It was first observed that some samples with lower ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and higher ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios show typical characters of the LOMU component. The Pb, Sr, and Nd isotopic tracing shows that three components are needed in the source of the Zhujiapu pyroxenite-gabbro intrusion. They could be old enriched sub-continental lithospheric mantle (LOMU component), lower crust and depleted asthenospheric mantle. The crust-mantle interaction process producing primitive magma of post-collisional mafic-ultramafic rocks in the Dabie Mountains could be described by a lithospheric delamination and magma underplating model. After continent-continent collision, delamination of the thickened lithosphere induced the upwelling of depleted asthenospheric mantle, which caused partial melting of asthenospheric mantle and residual sub-continental lithospheric mantle. The basaltic magma produced in this process underplated in the boundary between the crust and mantle and interacted with lower crust resulting in the geochemical characters of both enriched lithospheric mantle and lower crust.     

Carboniferous tectono-magmatic evolution of the northern Luliang arc: evidence from geochemistry and petrography of Carboniferous volcanic rocks in the northern Luliang Uplift,NW China

The Northern Junggar Basin experienced extensive subduction and a complex tectono-magmatic evolution during the Late Paleozoic,resulting in a heterogeneous distribution of volcanic rocks in the Junggar Basin.In this study,the Carboniferous tectono-magmatic evolution of the northern Luliang arc was described by exploring the petrography and geochemistry of Carboniferous volcanic rocks collected from well Y-2 and outcrop WW' in the northern Luliang Uplift.The distribution,types,and formation ages of these volcanic rocks were characterized and the volcanic sequence in well Y-1 was divided into upper and lower parts according to vertical variations in selected geochemical data.Then the petrogenesis and tectonic settings of different volcanic rocks were evaluated and this was used to infer the tectonomagmatic evolution of the northern Luliang arc during the Carboniferous.The results indicate that:(1) Carboniferous high-K calc-alkali andesite-dacite associations are distributed in the west of the northern Luliang Uplift,and Lower Carboniferous calc-alkali basalt-dacite-rhyolite assemblages are preserved in its east.(2) The intermediateacid volcanic rocks in wells Y-1 and Y-2 were derived from calc-alkali basaltic magma through melting of the juvenile lower crust,and geochemical variations indicate increasing addition of slab melting in a subduction-related arc environment.The bimodal volcanic rocks from outcrop WW' were derived from lithospheric underplating of basaltic magma in an intra-arc extensional setting.(3) The closure of the eastern Keramaili Oceanic basin occurred before the Early Carboniferous,and the tectono-magmatic difference between the east and the west of the northern Luliang Uplift appeared before the Carboniferous period.     

Geochemistry of basaltic and gabbroic rocks from the West Mariana basin and the Mariana trench

This paper describes the chemistry of 33 basaltic rocks dredged from the West Mariana basin and from the Mariana trench during the R/V “Dmitry Mendeleev” 1976 cruise in the western Pacific.The shipboard investigations were carried out by an international working group of 66 earth scientists under the IGCP Project “Ophiolites” and sponsored by the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences, Moscow. The purpose of the expedition was to investigate the structure and composition of the oceanic crust of marginal basins, remnant island arcs and deep-sea trenches. Tholeiitic basalts and gabbros as well as ultramafic rocks in various stages of alteration were dredged from the central part of the West Mariana basin demonstrating the presence of oceanic crust.The Pacific slope of the Mariana trench yielded altered basaltic rocks of tholeiitic and alkalic (? trachybasaltic to shoshonitic) composition. The lower part of the island arc slope contains typical tholeiitic basalts, dolerites and gabbros as well as ultramafics associated with flysch-type sediments. This is strong evidence for the formation of an “ophiolite-schuppenzone”, probably due to subduction of Pacific oceanic crust.Associated with these rocks are amygdaloidal, highly magnesian lavas (similar to boninites), which have not been recognized previously in oceanic ridge basalts.These rocks (together with the dolerites) are interpreted as parts of the Mariana island arc and are thought to be the first stage of island arc development (an immature island arc).