Partitioning of manganese between forsterite and silicate liquid

Partition coefficients for Mn between forsterite and liquid in the system MgO-CaO-Na₂O-Al₂O₃-SiO₂ (+ about 0.2% Mn) were measured by electron microprobe for a variety of melt compositions over the temperature range 1250–1450°C at one atm pressure. The forsterite-liquid partition coefficient of Mn (mole ratio, MnO in Fo/MnO in liquid, designated D_mn^fo?Liq) depends on liquid composition as well as temperature: at 1350°C, D_Mn^Fo?Liqranges from 0.60 (basic melt, SiO₂ = 47wt%) to 1.24 (acidic melt, SiO₂ = 65wt%). At lower temperatures, the partition coefficient is more strongly dependent on melt composition.The effects of melt composition and temperature on D_Mn^fo?Liq can be separately evaluated by use of the Si:O atomic ratio of the melts. A plot of D_mn^Fo?Liq measured at various temperatures vs melt Si:O for numerous liquid compositions reveals discrete, constant-temperature curves that are not well defined by plotting D_Mn^Fo?Liq against other melt composition parameters such as melt basicity or MgO content. For constant Si:O in the melt, In D_Mn^Fo?Liq vs reciprocal absolute temperature is linear; however, the slope of the plot becomes more positive for higher values of Si:O, indicating a higher energy state for Mn²⁺ ions in acidic melts than in basic melts.Comparison of Mn partitioning data for the iron-free system used in this study with data of other workers on iron-bearing compositions suggests that the effect of iron on Mn partitioning between olivine and melt is small over the range of basalt liquidus temperatures.     

Magmatic evolution of Li–F, rare-metal granites: a case study of melt inclusions in the Khangilay complex, Eastern Transbaikalia (Russia)

We report compositions of homogenized quartz-hosted melt inclusions from a layered sequence of Li-, F-rich granites in the Khangilay complex that document the range of melt evolution from barren biotite granites to Ta-rich, lepidolite–amazonite–albite granites. The melt inclusions are crystalline at room temperature and were homogenized in a rapid-quench hydrothermal apparatus at 200 MPa before analysis. Homogenization runs determined solidus temperatures near 550 °C and full homogenization between 650 and 750 °C. The compositions of inclusions, determined by electron microprobe and Raman spectroscopy (for H₂O), show regular overall trends of increasing differentiation from the least-evolved Khangilay units to apical units in the Orlovka intrusion. Total volatile contents in the most-evolved melts reach over 11 wt.% (H₂O: 8.6 wt.%, F: 1.6 wt.%, B₂O₃: 1.5 wt.%). Concentrations of Rb range from about 1000 to 3600 ppm but other trace elements could not be measured reliably by electron microprobe. The resulting trends of melt evolution are similar to those described by the whole-rock samples, despite petrographic evidence for albite- and mica-rich segregations previously taken as evidence for post-magmatic metasomatism.

Melt variation trends in most samples are consistent with fractional crystallization as the main process of magma evolution and residual melt compositions plot at the granite minimum in the normative Qz–Ab–Or system. However, melts trapped in the highly evolved pegmatitic samples from Orlovka deviate from the minimum melt composition and show compositional variations in Al, Na and K that requires a different explanation. We suggest that unmixing of the late-stage residual melt into an aluminosilicate melt and a salt-rich dense aqueous fluid (hydrosaline melt) occurred. Experimental data show the effectiveness of this process to separate K (aluminosilicate melt) from Na (hydrosaline melt) and high mobility of the latter due to its low viscosity and relatively low density may explain local zones of albitization in the upper parts of the granite.     

Spinel peridotite xenoliths from the Atsagin-Dush volcano, Dariganga lava plateau, Mongolia: a record of partial melting and cryptic metasomatism in the upper mantle

Spinel peridotite xenoliths from the Atsagin-Dush volcanic centre, SE Mongolia range from fertile lherzolites to clinopyroxene(cpx)-bearing harzburgites. The cpx-poor peridotites typically contain interstitial fine-grained material and silicate glass and abundant fluid inclusions in minerals, some have large vesicular melt pockets that apparently formed after primary clinopyroxene and spinel. No volatile-bearing minerals (amphibole, phlogopite, apatite, carbonate) have been found in any of the xenoliths. Fifteen peridotite xenoliths have been analysed for major and trace elements; whole-rock Sr isotope compositions and O isotope composition of all minerals were determined for 13 xenoliths. Trace element composition and Sr-Nd isotope compositions were also determined in 11 clinopyroxene and melt pocket separates. Regular variations of major and moderately incompatible trace elements (e.g. heavy-rare-earth elements) in the peridotite series are consistent with its formation as a result of variable degrees of melt extraction from a fertile lherzolite protolith. The Nd isotope compositions of LREE (light-rare-earth elements)-depleted clinopyroxenes indicate an old (≥ 1 billion years) depletion event. Clinopyroxene-rich lherzolites are commonly depleted in LREE and other incompatible trace elements whereas cpx-poor peridotites show metasomatic enrichment that can be related to the abundance of fine-grained interstitial material, glass and fluid inclusions in minerals. The absence of hydrous minerals, ubiquitous CO₂-rich microinclusions in the enriched samples and negative anomalies of Nb, Hf, Zr, and Ti in primitive mantle-normalized trace element patterns of whole rocks and clinopyroxenes indicate that carbonate melts may have been responsible for the metasomatic enrichment. Low Cu and S contents and high δ³⁴S values in whole-rock peridotites could be explained by interaction with oxidized fluids that may have been derived from subducted oceanic crust. The Sr-Nd isotope compositions of LREE-depleted clinopyroxenes plot either in the MORB (mid-ocean-ridge basalt) field or to the right of the mantle array, the latter may be due to enrichment in radiogenic Sr. The LREE-enriched clinopyroxenes and melt pockets plot in the ocean island-basalt field and have Sr-Nd isotope signatures consistent with derivation from a mixture of the DMM (depleted MORB mantle) and EM (enriched mantle) II sources. Received: 18 January 1996 / Accepted: 23 August 1996     

Geologic relationships and mineralization of peralkaline/alkaline granite-syenite of the Zargat Na''am ring complex, Southeastern Desert, Egypt

The Zargat Na'am ring complex crops out 90 km NW of Shalatin City in the Southeastern Desert of Egypt. The ring complex forms a prominent ridge standing high above the surrounding mafic-ultramafic hills. It is cut by two sets of joints and faults which strike predominantly NNW-SSE and E-W,and is injected by dikes, porphyritic alkaline syenites, and felsite porphyries. It consists of alkali syenites, alkali quartz syenites, and peralkaline arfvedsonite-bearing granitic and pegmatitic dikes and sills.The complex is characterized locally by extreme enrichments in REEs, wolframite and rare, high field strength metals (HFSM), such as Zr and Nb. The highest concentrations ( 1.5 wt% Zr, 0.25 wt% Nb,0.6 wt% ∑REEs) occur in aegirine-albite aplites that formed around arfvedsonite pegmatites. Quartzhosted melt inclusions in arfvedsonite granite and pegmatite provide unequivocal evidence that the peralkaline compositions and rare metal enrichments are primary magmatic features. Glass inclusions in quartz crystals also have high concentrations of incompatible trace elements including Nb (750 × 10-6), Zr (2500 × 10-6) and REEs (1450 × 10-6). The REEs, Nb and Zr compositions of the aegirine-albite aplites plot along the same linear enrichment trends as the melt inclusions, and Y/Ho ratios mostly display unfractionated, near-chondritic values. The chemical and textural features of the aegirine-albite aplites are apparently resultant from rapid crystallization after volatile loss from a residual peralkaline granitic melt similar in composition to the melt inclusions.     

Lead isotope variability in olivine-hosted melt inclusions from Iceland

The lead isotope and trace element compositions of a suite of olivine-hosted melt inclusions in primitive lava flows from the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland show extreme variability. Much of this variability is present in the composition of inclusions from one hand specimen of Háleyjabunga, a depleted picrite lava shield that erupted 13 ka. ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb compositions in this sample span 50-90% of the total range found in Atlantic MORB, indicating that high-amplitude compositional heterogeneity is present in the mantle source of melts that aggregated to form a single eruption. The trace element and isotopic trends in the melt inclusions are coincident with those in whole rock samples from young lava flows of the Reykjanes Peninsula, and extend the total range of variation towards more depleted compositions. The incompatible trace element and lead isotope compositions of the inclusions are strongly coupled and lie close to binary mixing trends between the extreme melt inclusion compositions. These relationships indicate that the trace element variation in the melt inclusions reflects heterogeneity in the composition of the mantle source entering the melting region under the Reykjanes Peninsula. Large positive Sr concentration anomalies are present in three of the inclusions, but do not correlate with indicators of mantle melting or source variations and are likely to arise by reaction with plagioclase during crustal storage. Fractional melting of heterogeneous mantle is predicted to generate melts with a wide range of compositions, filling a large volume in trace element-isotope space. However, the compositional variations observed in the melt inclusions lie close to binary mixing curves. These observations may be accounted for by a two-stage model of melt mixing. The first stage occurs in porous channels that transport melt in the mantle and takes place before inclusion entrapment. This mixing stage generates a bimodal distribution of melt compositions that is supplied from the channels to sub-Moho and lower crustal magma lenses. The second stage of mixing occurs in these chambers, producing the binary mixing trends recorded in the inclusion compositions. The distribution of isotopic compositions observed in the melt inclusions and whole rock samples from the Reykjanes Peninsula is therefore controlled by melt mixing. These results have important implications for the interpretation of basalt composition in terms of distinct compositional entities within the upwelling solid mantle under mid-ocean ridges and ocean islands.     

Composition of liquids coexisting with spinel lherzolite at 10 kbar and the genesis of MORBs

Because of the controversy over the nature of the parental magma for MORBs, experiments have been performed at 10 kbar in order to assess the effect of modal variations in the source peridotite and the effect of temperature (degree of partial melting) on the composition of partial melts. A peridotite-basalt sandwich method was used and a run duration of 72 h was found to be necessary to equilibrate basalt and peridotite. A range of melt compositions, coexisting with olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and spinel, was produced at 10 kbar, indicating that partial melting of peridotite cannot be regarded as isobarically pseudoinvariant. On projections in the normative tetrahedron OL-PL-CPX-SIL, the liquids obtained in this study define an area, rather than a point or narrow band. The compositions of some liquids in this study are similar to magnesian MORBs (MgO>9.5 wt%), providing evidence in support of the derivation of magnesian MORBs by partial melting of mantle lherzolite at about 10 kbar.     

Implications of liquid-liquid distribution coefficients to mineral-liquid partitioning

The effect of silicate liquid structure upon mineral-liquid partitioning has been investigated by determining element partitioning data for coexisting immiscible granitic and ferrobasaltic magmas. The resulting elemental distribution patterns may be interpreted in terms of the relative states of polymerization of the coexisting magmas. Highly charged cations (REE, Ti, Fe, Mn, etc.) are enriched in the ferrobasaltic melt. The ferrobasaltic melt is relatively depolymerized due to its low $\text{Si}\text{O}$ ratio. This allows highly charged cations to obtain stable coordination polyhedra of oxygen within the ferrobasaltic melt. The granitic melt is a highly polymerized network structure in which Al can occupy tetrahedral sites in copolymerization with Si. The substitution of Al⁺³ for Si⁺⁴ produces a local charge imbalance in the granitic melt which is satisfied by a coupled substitution of alkalis, thus explaining the enrichment of low charge density cations, the alkalis, in the granitic melt. P₂O₅ increases the width of the solvus and, therefore, the values of the distribution coefficients of the trace elements. This effect is attributed to complexing of metal cations with PO₄^?3 groups in the ferrobasaltic melt.The values of ferrobasalt-granite liquid distribution coefficients are reflected in distribution coefficients for a mineral and melts of different compositions. The mineral-liquid distribution coefficient for a highly charged cation is greater for a mineral coexisting with a highly polymerized melt (granite) than it is for that same mineral and a depolymerized melt (ferrobasalt). The opposite is true for low charge density cations. Mineralliquid and liquid-liquid distribution coefficients determined for the REE's indicate that fractionated REE patterns are due to mineral selectivity and not the state of polymerization of the melt.     

Chemical evolution of basalts from 23°N along the mid-Atlantic ridge: evidence from melt inclusions

The chemical compositions of melt inclusions in a primitive and an evolved basalt recovered from the mid-Atlantic ridge south of the Kane Fracture Zone (23°–24°N) are determined. The melt inclusions are primitive in composition (0.633–0.747 molar Mg/(Mg+Fe²⁺), 1.01–0.68 wt% TiO₂) and are comparable to other proposed parental magmas except in having higher Al₂O₃ and lower CaO. The primitive melt inclusion compositions indicate that the most primitive magmas erupted in this region are not near primary magma compositions. Olivine and plagioclase microphenocrysts are close to exchange equilibrium with their respective basalt glasses, whose compositions are displaced toward olivine from 1 atm three phase saturation. The most primitive melt inclusion compositions are close to exchange equilibrium with the anorthitic cores of zoned plagioclases (An_78.3-An_83.1; the hosts for the melt inclusions in plagioclase) and with olivines more forsteritic (Fo₈₉-Fo₉₁) than the olivine microphenocrysts (the hosts for the melt inclusions in olivine). Xenocrystic olivine analyzed is Fo₈₉ but contains no melt inclusions. These observations indicate that olivines have exchanged components with the melt after melt inclusion entrapment, whereas plagioclase compositions have remained the same since melt inclusion entrapment. Common denominator element ratio diagrams and oxide versus oxide variation diagrams show that the melt inclusion compositions, which represent liquids higher along the liquid line of descent, are related to the glass compositions by the fractionation of olivine, plagioclase and clinopyroxene (absent from the mincral assemblage), probably occurring at elevated pressures. A model is proposed whereby clinopyroxene segregates from the melt at elevated pressures (to account for its absence in the erupted lavas that have the chemical imprint of clinopyroxene fractionation). Zoned plagioclases in the erupted lavas are thought to be survivors of decompressional melting during magma ascent. Since similar primitive melt inclusions occur in olivine microphenocrysts and in the cores of zoned plagioclases, any model must account for all phases present.     

Experiments on silicate melt immiscibility in the system Fe2SiO4–KAlSi3O8–SiO2–CaO–MgO–TiO2–P2O5 and implications for natural magmas

The effect of CaO and MgO, with or without TiO₂ and P₂O₅, on the two-melt field in the simplified system Fe₂SiO₄–KAlSi₃O₈–SiO₂ has been experimentally determined at 1,050°–1,240°C, 400 MPa. Despite the suppressing effect of MgO, CaO, and pressure on silicate melt immiscibility, our experiments show that this process is still viable at mid-crustal pressures when small amounts (0.6–2.0 wt%) of P₂O₅ and TiO₂ are present. Our data stress that the major element partition coefficients between the two melts are highly correlated with the degree of polymerisation (nbo/t) of the SiO₂-rich melt, whatever temperature, pressure, or exact composition. Experimental immiscible melt compositions in natural systems at 0.1 MPa from the literature (lunar and tholeiitic basalts) plot on similar but distinct curves compared to the simplified system. These relations between melt polymerisation and partition coefficients, which hold for a large range of compositions and fO₂, are extended to various volcanic and plutonic rocks. This analysis strengthens the proposal that silicate melt immiscibility can be important in volcanic rocks of various compositions (from tholeiitic basalts to lamprophyres). However, the majority of proposed immiscible compositions in plutonic rocks are at least not coexisting melts, but may have suffered accumulation of early crystallized minerals.     

Phase relations in silicic systems at one-atmosphere pressure

An important control on magma rheology is the extent to which the magma crystallizes during ascent as a result of the effective undercooling created by volatile exsolution. To assess this undercooling, we need to know the final (anhydrous) one-atmosphere phase relations of silicic magmas. For this reason, we have performed one-atmosphere controlled-fO₂ crystallization experiments on dacitic to rhyolitic melt compositions (67–78 wt% SiO₂) and determined equilibrium phase assemblages, melt fractions, and some phase compositions over a range of temperatures. Experiments were run at oxygen fugacities between NNO+1 and NNO+2 and temperatures of 1,000 to 1,250°C. Constant phase compositions and sample crystallinities in runs longer than 3.5 days suggest that these runs closely approached compositional equilibrium. Additionally, melting experiments with similar compositions yielded results closely resembling those obtained in crystallization experiments. All samples have liquidus temperatures between 1,250 and 1,200 °C, with plagioclase the liquidus phase for the two most mafic samples and quartz for the most silicic sample. When associated glass compositions are projected into the Qz-Ab-Or system they define a revised one-atmosphere quartz-feldspar cotectic 5–10% less quartz normative than previously estimated. Glass compositions from each sample plot along this cotectic between 1,100 and 1,000 °C, consistent with the plagioclase-quartz co-crystallization textures found in runs at these temperatures. This cotectic constrains glass compositions to a maximum silica content of 76±1 wt% SiO₂. Reported glass compositions in excess of 77 wt% SiO₂ in volcanic samples suggest non-equilibrium crystallization, perhaps a consequence of large melt undercoolings.Editorial responsibility: I. Carmichael     

Geologic relationships and mineralization of peralkaline/alkaline granite-syenite of the Zargat Na＇ am ring complex, Southeastern Desert, Egypt

The Zargat Na’ am ring complex crops out 90 km NW of Shalatin City in the Southeastern Desert of Egypt. The ring complex forms a prominent ridge standing high above the surrounding mafic-ultramafic hills. It is cut by two sets of joints and faults which strike predominantly NNW-SSE and E-W, and is injected by dikes, porphyritic alkaline syenites, and felsite porphyries. It consists of alkali syenites, alkali quartz syenites, and peralkaline arfvedsonite-bearing granitic and pegmatitic dikes and sills. The complex is characterized locally by extreme enrichments in REEs, wolframite and rare, high field strength metals (HFSM), such as Zr and Nb. The highest concentrations (1.5 wt% Zr, 0.25 wt% Nb, 0.6 wt% Σ REEs) occur in aegirine-albite aplites that formed around arfvedsonite pegmatites. Quartzhosted melt inclusions in arfvedsonite granite and pegmatite provide unequivocal evidence that the peralkaline compositions and rare metal enrichments are primary magmatic features. Glass inclusions in quartz crystals also have high concentrations of incompatible trace elements including Nb (750 ￠ 10⁻⁶), Zr (2500 × 10⁻⁶) and REEs (1450 × 10⁻⁶). The REEs, Nb and Zr compositions of the aegirine-albite aplites plot along the same linear enrichment trends as the melt inclusions, and Y/Ho ratios mostly display unfractionated, near-chondritic values. The chemical and textural features of the aegirine-albite aplites are apparently resultant from rapid crystallization after volatile loss from a residual peralkaline granitic melt similar in composition to the melt inclusions.     

The composition and origin of metal in howardites

Howardites can be divided into two main groups, Ni-rich (>350ppm Ni) and Ni-poor (<150ppm Ni). In the Ni-rich group Ni occurs principally in metal grains associated with melt rocks and is largely derived from projectiles which caused the melting. The metal in Bununu, Kapoeta and Malvern melt rocks plots in the meteoritic Ni-Co range and in Bununu and Kapoeta is enriched in P. By contrast, most metal grains in primary lithic and crystal clasts in howardites are Ni-poor and plot mainly in the composition field of pristine lunar anorthosite metal. However, there are variations in the abundance and exact composition of primary metal from howardite to howardite and each therefore represents a discrete source region. The matrix metal in Bholgati, Bununu, and Kapoeta shows the diversity of compositions expected in a polymict breccia, with compositions plotting in and between the anorthositic and meteoritic Ni-Co fields. Other howardites show a more limited range of matrix metal compositions, because of limited metal-bearing clasts.Petersburg differs from other howardites in several ways. The metal in primary clasts has a unique $\text{Ni}\text{Co}$ ratio of about 40, which indicates derivation from a different reservoir from other howardite primary clasts. The metal in the matrix consists of large grains intergrown with silicates with compositions clustering tightly at 3.3% Ni, 0.2% Co. This is interpreted as equilibration, possibly as the result of deeper burial for Petersburg than for other howardites.     

Experiments on melt–rock reaction in the shallow mantle wedge

This experimental study simulates the interaction of hotter, deeper hydrous mantle melts with shallower, cooler depleted mantle, a process that is expected to occur in the upper part of the mantle wedge. Hydrous reaction experiments (~6 wt% H₂O in the melt) were conducted on three different ratios of a 1.6 GPa mantle melt and an overlying 1.2 GPa harzburgite from 1060 to 1260 °C. Reaction coefficients were calculated for each experiment to determine the effect of temperature and starting bulk composition on final melt compositions and crystallizing assemblages. The experiments used to construct the melt–wall rock model closely approached equilibrium and experienced <5% Fe loss or gain. Experiments that experienced higher extents of Fe loss were used to critically evaluate the practice of “correcting” for Fe loss by adding iron. At low ratios of melt/mantle (20:80 and 5:95), the crystallizing assemblages are dunites, harzburgites, and lherzolites (as a function of temperature). When the ratio of deeper melt to overlying mantle is 70:30, the crystallizing assemblage is a wehrlite. This shows that wehrlites, which are observed in ophiolites and mantle xenoliths, can be formed by large amounts of deeper melt fluxing though the mantle wedge during ascent. In all cases, orthopyroxene dissolves in the melt, and olivine crystallizes along with pyroxenes and spinel. The amount of reaction between deeper melts and overlying mantle, simulated here by the three starting compositions, imposes a strong influence on final melt compositions, particularly in terms of depletion. At the lowest melt/mantle ratios, the resulting melt is an extremely depleted Al-poor, high-Si andesite. As the fraction of melt to mantle increases, final melts resemble primitive basaltic andesites found in arcs globally. An important element ratio in mantle lherzolite composition, the Ca/Al ratio, can be significantly elevated through shallow mantle melt–wall rock reaction. Wall rock temperature is a key variable; over a span of <80 °C, reaction with deeper melt creates the entire range of mantle lithologies from a depleted dunite to a harzburgite to a refertilized lherzolite. Together, the experimental phase equilibria, melt compositions, and reaction coefficients provide a framework for understanding how melt–wall rock reaction occurs in the natural system during melt ascent in the mantle wedge.     

The structural environments of trace elements in dry and hydrous silicate glasses; a manganese and strontium K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopic study

The structural environments of Mn²⁺ and Sr²⁺ at concentrations of 0.2–0.8 wt% in dry and hydrous silicate glasses have been studied using X-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS and XANES). The environment of Mn in hydrous silica glasses containing 4.5 and 6.0 wt% H₂O appears to be close to an undistorted octahedral site, whereas Mn in other compositions, both dry and hydrous, occupies either a distribution of octahedral and tetrahedral sites, or distorted, non-centrosymmetric sites. The fraction of non-centrosymmetric sites (including tetrahedral) or the average degree of distortion of the sites decreases with both increasing dissolved water concentration and number of non-bridging oxygens in the glass. For Sr the changes as a function of polymerisation and water concentration are less clear, but it appears that the average Sr-O distances are shorter than in crystalline silicates and decrease further with decreasing polymerisation. The structural data obtained in this study are not readily integrated with previous partitioning data for Mn, suggesting that changes in the first-shell coordination geometry of Mn do not play a direct role in controlling the melt compositional dependence of trace element partition coefficients. It is tentatively suggested that distortions of the framework resulting from the incorporation of Mn (i.e. a second shell effect) control the partitioning behaviour.     

Hydrous partial melting in the sheeted dike complex at fast spreading ridges: experimental and natural observations

In ophiolites and in present-day oceanic crust formed at fast spreading ridges, oceanic plagiogranites are commonly observed at, or close to the base of the sheeted dike complex. They can be produced either by differentiation of mafic melts, or by hydrous partial melting of the hydrothermally altered sheeted dikes. In addition, the hydrothermally altered base of the sheeted dike complex, which is often infiltrated by plagiogranitic veins, is usually recrystallized into granoblastic dikes that are commonly interpreted as a result of prograde granulitic metamorphism. To test the anatectic origin of oceanic plagiogranites, we performed melting experiments on a natural hydrothermally altered dike, under conditions that match those prevailing at the base of the sheeted dike complex. All generated melts are water saturated, transitional between tholeiitic and calc-alkaline, and match the compositions of oceanic plagiogranites observed close to the base of the sheeted dike complex. Newly crystallized clinopyroxene and plagioclase have compositions that are characteristic of the same minerals in granoblastic dikes. Published silicic melt compositions obtained in classical MORB fractionation experiments also broadly match the compositions of oceanic plagiogranites; however, the compositions of the coexisting experimental minerals significantly deviate from those of the granoblastic dikes. Our results demonstrate that hydrous partial melting is a likely common process in the root zone of the sheeted dike complex, starting at temperatures exceeding 850°C. The newly formed melt can either crystallize to form oceanic plagiogranites or may be recycled within the melt lens resulting in hybridized and contaminated MORB melts. It represents the main MORB crustal contamination process. The residue after the partial melting event is represented by the granoblastic dikes. Our results support a model with a dynamic melt lens that has the potential to trigger hydrous partial melting reactions in the previously hydrothermally altered sheeted dikes. A new thermometer using the Al content of clinopyroxene is also elaborated.     

Melt inclusions in high-An plagioclase from the Gorda Ridge: an example of the local diversity of MORB parent magmas

 The use of ocean floor basalt chemistry as a tool to investigate mantle composition and processes requires that we work with basalts that have been modified little since leaving the mantle. One source of such basalts is melt inclusions trapped in primitive crystals. However, obtaining information from these melt inclusions is complicated by the fact that melt inclusions in natural basalts are essentially always altered by post-entrapment crystallization. This requires that we develop techniques for reconstructing the original trapped liquid compositions. We conducted a series of experiments to reverse the effects of post-entrapment crystallization by re-heating the host crystals to their crystallization temperature. For these experiments we used plagioclase crystals separated from a single Gorda Ridge lava. The crystallization temperature for these crystals was determined by a set of incremental re-heating experiments to be ∼1240–1260° C. The inclusions are primitive, high Ca-Al basaltic melts, saturated with plagioclase, olivine and Al-rich chromite at low pressure. The inclusion analyses can be linked to the host lava composition by low pressure fractionation. The major element composition of the re-homogenized melt inclusions within each crystal is relatively constant. However, the incompatible element analyses have extremely wide ranges. The range of La/Sm and Ti/Zr from inclusions analyzed from a single sample from the Gorda Ridge exceeds the range reported for lavas sampled from the entire ridge. The pyroxene compositions predicted to be in equilibrium with the melt inclusion trace element signature cover much of the range represented by pyroxenes from abyssal peridotites. The volumetric proportions of the magmas entering the base of the crust can be evaluated using frequency distribution of melt inclusion compositions. This distribution suggests that the array of magmas was skewed towards the more depleted compositions, with little evidence for an enriched component in this system. This pattern is more consistent with a dynamic flow model of the mantle or of a passive flow model where the melts produced in the peripheral areas of the melting regime were not focused to the ridge. Received: 5 January 1995 / Accepted: 13 June 1995     

Mineral equilibria constraints on open‐system melting in metamafic compositions

The recent development of activity–composition relations for mineral and melt phases in high‐grade metamafic rocks allows mineral equilibria tools to be used to further aid our understanding of partial melting and the mineralogical consequences of melt segregation in these rocks. We show that bulk compositional data from natural amphibolites cover a wide compositional range, with particular variability in the content and ratios of Ca, Na and K indicating that low‐grade metasomatic alteration can substantially alter the igneous protolith chemistry and potentially affect the volume and composition of melt generated. Mineral equilibria calculations for five samples that span the compositional variability in our data set indicate that melting occurs primarily via the fluid‐absent breakdown of amphibole+quartz to produce a pressure‐sensitive peritectic assemblage of augite, orthopyroxene and/or garnet. The introduction of orthopyroxene at the onset of the amphibolite‐to‐granulite‐facies transition at lower pressure results in an increased rate of melt production until quartz is typically exhausted, and this is similarly seen for the introduction of garnet at higher pressure. Calculated melt compositions are dependent on the protolith composition, but initial solidus melting and biotite breakdown produce 1–3 mol.% of K‐rich granitic melts. As hornblende melting proceeds, 15–20 vol.% of either more granodioritic‐to‐tonalitic or granodioritic‐to‐trondhjemitic melt is produced. Once quartz is exhausted, intermediate to mafic melt compositions are produced at ultrahigh‐temperature conditions. Quartz‐rich lithologies with high Ca coupled to low Na and K are the most fertile under orogenic conditions, yielding up to 25 mol.% of sub‐alkalic granitic melt by 850°C. Such rocks did not experience significant subsolidus alteration. Altered compositions with low Ca and elevated Na and K are not as fertile, yielding less than 15 mol.% of alkalic granitic melt by 850°C. These melt volumes are enough to be segregated, and can make a contribution to granite magmatism and intracrustal differentiation that should not be overlooked.     

Iron Isotopic Compositions of Forearc Mantle Peridotites Constrained by Ophiolites from the North Qilian Orogen,Northern Tibet

Previous studies on iron isotope compositions of subduction zone magmas have revealed significant and complex variations that have great bearings on petrogenetic processes in the mantle wedge, e.g., partial melting, fluid metasomatism and redox state. However, interpretations for the fractionations are highly debatable and lack direct constraints from mantle wedge peridotites. This study presents iron isotope compositions for whole rocks and mineral separates in fresh forearc peridotites from the Yushigou ophiolite, North Qilian orogen in northern Tibet. Major and trace element compositions of whole rock and mineral indicate that the peridotites are highly depleted forearc peridotites overprinted by melt metasomatism, in contrast to the long‐holding opinion that the peridotites are derived from mid‐oceanic ridges. The minerals fall on a line with a slope of ～1 on the plot of δ⁵⁶Fe vs. δ⁵⁶Fe, indicating isotope equilibrium between minerals. δ⁵⁶Fe fractionation between olivine and orthopyroxene is within the range of 0～0.05, while fractionation between olivine and spinel is about 0.05～0.10. The fractionation trend between olivine and spinel is opposite to previous theoretical and experimental constraints, which may be due to substantial Cr substitution into the spinel. This indicates that negative correlations between spinel Cr#, fO₂ and spinel δ⁵⁶Fe in previous studies are probably a reflection of gradual Cr enrichment in spinel during melt extraction, and spinel δ⁵⁶Fe values are not a proxy for oxygen fugacity. Whole rock δ⁵⁶Fe values are well correlated with mineral δ⁵⁶Fe values, varying from overlapping with depleted mantle to slightly lower than depleted mantle. Therefore, variations in iron isotope compositions of subduction zone magmas are probably due to combined effect of source heterogeneity and partial melting fractionation.     

A parameterized model for REE distribution between low-Ca pyroxene and basaltic melts with applications to REE partitioning in low-Ca pyroxene along a mantle adiabat and during pyroxenite-derived melt and peridotite interaction

Low-Ca pyroxenes play an important role in mantle melting, melt-rock reaction, and magma differentiation processes. In order to better understand REE fractionation during adiabatic mantle melting and pyroxenite-derived melt and peridotite interaction, we developed a parameterized model for REE partitioning between low-Ca pyroxene and basaltic melts. Our parameterization is based on the lattice strain model and a compilation of published experimental data, supplemented by a new set of trace element partitioning experiments for low-Ca pyroxenes produced by pyroxenite-derived melt and peridotite interaction. To test the validity of the assumptions and simplifications used in the model development, we compared model-derived partition coefficients with measured partition coefficients for REE between orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene in well-equilibrated peridotite xenoliths. REE partition coefficients in low-Ca pyroxene correlate negatively with temperature and positively with both calcium content on the M2 site and aluminum content on the tetrahedral site of pyroxene. The strong competing effect between temperature and major element compositions of low-Ca pyroxene results in very small variations in REE partition coefficients in orthopyroxene during adiabatic mantle melting when diopside is in the residue. REE partition coefficients in orthopyroxene can be treated as constants at a given mantle potential temperature during decompression melting of lherzolite and diopside-bearing harzburgite. In the absence of diopside, partition coefficients of light REE in orthopyroxene vary significantly, and such variations should be taken into consideration in geochemical modeling of REE fractionation in clinopyroxene-free harzburgite. Application of the parameterized model to low-Ca pyroxenes produced by reaction between pyroxenite-derived melt and peridotite revealed large variations in the calculated REE partition coefficients in the low-Ca pyroxenes. Temperature and composition of starting pyroxenite must be considered when selecting REE partition coefficients for pyroxenite-derived melt and peridotite interaction.     

Dehydration melting of tonalites. Part II. Composition of melts and solids

 Dehydration melting of tonalitic compositions (phlogopite or biotite-plagioclase-quartz assemblages) is investigated within a temperature range of 700–1000°C and pressure range of 2–15 kbar. The solid reaction products in the case of the phlogopite-plagioclase(An₄₅)-quartz starting material are enstatite, clinopyroxene and potassium feldspar, with amphiboles occurring occasionally. At 12 kbar, zoisite is observed below 800°C, and garnet at 900°C. The reaction products of dehydration melting of the biotite (Ann₅₀)-plagioclase (An₄₅)-quartz assemblage are melt, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, amphibole and potassium feldspar. At pressures > 8 kbar and temperatures below 800°C, epidote is also formed. Almandine-rich garnet appears above 10 kbar at temperatures ≥ 750°C. The composition of melts is granitic to granodioritic, hence showing the importance of dehydration melting of tonalites for the formation of granitic melts and granulitic restites at pressure-temperature conditions within the continental crust. The melt compositions plot close to the cotectic line dividing the liquidus surfaces between quartz and potassium feldspar in the haplogranite system at 5 kbar and a _{H 2O} = 1. The composition of the melts changes with the composition of the starting material, temperature and pressure. With increasing temperature, the melt becomes enriched in Al₂O₃ and FeO+MgO. Potash in the melt is highest just when biotite disappears. The amount of CaO decreases up to 900°C at 5 kbar whereas at higher temperatures it increases as amphibole, clinopyroxene and more An-component dissolve in the melt. The Na₂O content of the melt increases slightly with increase in temperature. The composition of the melt at temperatures > 900°C approaches that of the starting assemblage. The melt fraction varies with composition and proportion of hydrous phases in the starting composition as well as temperature and pressure. With increasing modal biotite from 20 to 30 wt%, the melt proportion increases from 19.8 to 22.3 vol.% (850°C and 5 kbar). With increasing temperature from 800 to 950°C (at 5 kbar), the increase in melt fraction is from 11 to 25.8 vol.%. The effect of pressure on the melt fraction is observed to be relatively small and the melt proportion in the same assemblage decreases at 850°C from 19.8 vol.% at 5 kbar to 15.3 vol.% at 15 kbar. Selected experiments were reversed at 2 and 5 kbar to demonstrate that near equilibrium compositions were obtained in runs of longer duration. Received: 27 December 1995 / Accepted: 7 May 1996