Calbuco Volcano and minor eruptive centers distributed along the Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault Zone,Chile (41°–42° S): contrasting origin of andesitic and basaltic magma in the Southern Volcanic Zone of the Andes

Calbuco volcano is a Late Pleistocene-Holocene composite stratovolcano located at 41°20 S, in the southern region of the Southern Volcanic Zone of the Andes (SSVZ; 37°–46° S). In contrast to basalt and basaltic andesite, which are the dominant lava types on the volcanic front from 37° to 42° S, Calbuco lavas are porphyritic andesites which contain a wide variety of crustal xenoliths. They have SiO₂ contents in the 55–60% range, and have comparatively low K₂O, Rb, Ba, Th and LREF abundances relative to other SSVZ centers. Incompatible element abundance ratios are similar to those of most SSVZ volcanics, but ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd are respectively higher and lower than those of adjacent volcanic centers. Basalts from nearby Osorno stratovolcano, 25 km to the northeast, are similar to other basaltic SSVZ volcanoes. However, basalts from several minor eruptive centers (MEC), located east of Calbuco and Osorno volcano along the Liquiñe-Ofqui fault zone (LOFZ), are enriched in Ba, Nb, Th and LREE, and have higher La/Yb and lower Ba/La, K/La and Rb/La. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd in MEC basalts are respectively lower and higher than those of Osorno and Calbuco lavas. We suggest that MEC basalts were produced by lower extents of mantle melting than basalts from Osorno and other SSVZ stratovolcanoes, probably as a result of lower water content in the source of MEC basalts. Calbuco andesites formed from basaltic parents similar to Osorno basalts, by moderate pressure crystallization of a hornblende-bearing assemblage accompanied by crustal assimilation. Hornblende stability in the Calbuco andesites was promoted by the assimilation of hydrous metasedimentary crustal rocks, which are also an appropriate endmember for isotopic trends, together with magma storage at mid-crustal depths. The unique characteristics of Calbuco volcano, i.e. the stability of hornblende at andesitic SiO₂ contents, low ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, and abundant crustal xenoliths, provide evidence for crustal assimilation that is not apparent at more northerly volcanoes in the SSVZ.     

Granulite xenoliths from western Saudi Arabia: the lower crust of the late Precambrian Arbian-Nubian Shield

Mafic and intermediate granulite xenoliths, collected from Cenozoic alkali basalts, provide samples of the lower crust in western Saudi Arabia. The xenoliths are metaigneous two-pyroxene and garnet granulites. Mineral and whole rock compositions are inconsistent with origin from Red Sea rift-related basalts, and are compatible with origin from island arc calc-alkaline and low-potassium tholeiitic basalts. Most of the samples are either cumulates from mafic magmas or are restites remaining after partial melting of intermediate rocks and extraction of a felsic liquid. Initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios are less than 0.7032, except for two samples at 0.7049. The Sm-Nd data yield T_DM model ages of 0.64 to 1.02 Ga, similar to typical Arabian-Nubian Shield upper continental crust. The isotopic data indicate that the granulites formed from mantle-derived magmas with little or no contamination by older continent crust. Calculated temperatures and pressures of last reequilibration of the xenoliths show that they are derived from the lower crust. Calculated depths of origin and calculated seismic velocities for the xenoliths are in excellent agreement with the crustal structure model of Gettings et al. (1986) based on geophysical data from western Saudi Arabia. Estimation of mean lower crustal composition, using the granulite xenoliths and the Gettings et al. (1986) crustal model, suggests a remarkably homogeneous mafic lower crust, and an andesite or basaltic andesite bulk composition for Pan-African juvenile continental crust.     

广东麒麟新生代玄武质角砾岩筒中岩石包体的研究

本文以广东麒麟玄武质角砾岩筒中的各种岩石包体为研究对象,通过详细的岩石学研究,按岩石类型将包体划分为四类：即橄榄岩、辉石岩、辉长岩质麻粒岩、花岗岩和火山－沉积岩,并依据包体的岩石地球化学特征,讨论了它们的成因;其中辉长岩质麻粒岩是来自本区下地壳的样品,是由上地幔部分熔融产生的熔体“底侵”于地壳底部结晶,又经变质作用的产物。同时,本文结合实测的和计算的地球物理参数,讨论了该区的岩石圈分层。     

The meta-igneous granulite xenoliths from Kerguelen Archipelago: evidence of a continent nucleation in an oceanic setting

Xenoliths of meta-igneous origin occur as one of the two main types of ultramafic and mafic xenoliths entrained by alkaline lavas of the Kerguelen islands. These are designated type II xenoliths and are subdivided into three mineralogical groups. Subtype IIa and IIc xenoliths are interpreted as crystallisation products of basaltic melts that were emplaced near the crust-mantle boundary during the early tholeiitic–transitional magmatic activity of the Kerguelen islands. Younger magmatism became more alkaline and subtype IIb xenoliths were formed as high-pressure alkaline cumulates related to the last alkaline volcanic stage. Subsequently, the plagioclase-bearing type II rocks have been re-equilibrated under granulite facies conditions. This addition of mafic material around the crust-mantle boundary is consistent with seismic evidence for crustal thickening to 14–20 km. Calculated compressional seismic velocities (Vp) for the basic granulites are consistent with the range of observed Vp in the low-velocity region underlying the oceanic crust. Such growth in the thickness of the oceanic crust may be caused by intrusion of basalts at different levels in the lithosphere and may provide the heat responsible for granulitic metamorphism in the oceanic setting. This study suggests that basic granulites can account for the observed seismic characteristics of oceanic plateaux and can be important components of Kerguelen oceanic lithosphere where there has been large-scale magma production. Moreover we speculate that the Kerguelen islands and perhaps the surrounding plateau represent a continental nucleation process. Received: 30 September 1997 / Accepted: 17 June 1998     

Nd-isotopes in selected mantle-derived rocks and minerals and their implications for mantle evolution

The Sm-Nd systematics in a variety of mantle-derived samples including kimberlites, alnoite, carbonatite, pyroxene and amphibole inclusions in alkali basalts and xenolithic eclogites, granulites and a pyroxene megacryst in kimberlites are reported. The additional data on kimberlites strengthen our earlier conclusion that kimberlites are derived from a relatively undifferentiated chondritic mantle source. This conclusion is based on the observation that the _Nd values of most of the kimberlites are near zero. In contrast with the kimberlites, their garnet lherzolite inclusions show both time-averaged Nd enrichment and depletion with respect to Sm. Separated clinopyroxenes in eclogite xenoliths from the Roberts Victor kimberlite pipe show both positive and negative _Nd values suggesting different genetic history. A whole rock lower crustal scapolite granulite xenolith from the Matsoku kimberlite pipe shows a negative _Nd value of -4.2, possibly representative of the base of the crust in Lesotho. It appears that all inclusions, mafic and ultramafic, in kimberlites are unrelated to their kimberlite host.The above data and additional Sm-Nd data on xenoliths in alkali basalts, alpine peridotite and alnoite-carbonatites are used to construct a model for the upper 200 km of the earth's mantle — both oceanic and continental. The essential feature of this model is the increasing degree of fertility of the mantle with depth. The kimberlite's source at depths below 200 km in the subcontinental mantle is the most primitive in this model, and this primitive layer is also extended to the suboceanic mantle. However, it is clear from the Nd-isotopic data in the xenoliths of the continental kimberlites that above 200 km the continental mantle is distinctly different from their suboceanic counterpart.     

托云深源岩石包体计算波速与地震波速共同约束西南天山壳-幔过渡带

对我国西部新疆托云地区中新生代火山岩中的深源岩石包体进行了波速计算, 并与地球物理深部探测技术相结合, 共同限定了西南天山深部壳-幔过渡带的组成和性质.托云地区麻粒岩、橄榄岩的计算波速分别是6.98~7.36 km/s、7.96~8.47 km/s.这些结果与地震反射探测地震波速的对比, 说明在西南天山岩石圈剖面中的40~48km处存在较明显的壳-幔过渡带.过渡带自上而下主要由石英麻粒岩、辉石麻粒岩和橄榄石/石榴石麻粒岩组成, 然后进入尖晶石相二辉橄榄岩组成的上地幔.这样的岩石圈壳-幔结构可以用岩浆底侵-变质作用来解释.      

Crustal xenoliths from Tertiary volcanics of the Northern Hessian Depression

A suite of crustal xenoliths from Tertiary basaltic tuffs of the Northern Hessian Depression (NHD) volcanic field comprises abundant meta-igneous pyroxene granulites of mafic, noritic to anorthositic, IAT and tonalitic composition. Less abundant are granitic, tonalitic and leucogranitic gneisses and metasedimentary xenoliths. A total of 49 samples were analyzed for modal compositions, for major and trace elements (including Li, Rb, Sr, Ba, Cs, V, Sc, Cr, Co, Ni, Y, Zr, Nb, Ta, Hf, Th and REE) and oxygen isotopes. Two-pyroxene thermometry yields temperatures between 700 and 900° C for mafic and noritic granulites. Feldspar thermometry indicates temperatures of 660°–710° C for tonalitic granulites and 470°–520° C for granitic and tonalitic gneisses. One highly depleted sillimanite-rich metasediment contains cordierite and garnet which have equilibrated at temperatures of 780° C. The general lack of garnet in the mafic and noritic granulites and the presence of sillimanite in felsic xenoliths indicates that metamorphic pressures have not exceeded 10 kb. Major and trace element data and oxygen isotope compositions of the mafic granulites are compatible with an origin from spilitized enriched-type MORB rocks (enrichment in ¹⁸O to 11 and in Li to 34 ppm at average SiO₂ contents of 44.1 wt%). These low-T spilites were transformed into amphibolites and then pyroxene granulites during subsequent high temperature metamorphic events. Low Si, Al, K, and Rb concentrations along with An contents in plagioclase ranging from near 50 to 98 mole percent suggest that amphibolite facies protoliths have generated tonalitic melts during partial melting at temperatures above 700° C. The mafic granulite xenoliths are interpreted as restites whereas the tonalitic samples probably represent the extracted partial melts derived by 20 to 30 percent degree of melting. Metasedimentary xenoliths strongly depleted in granitic component could represent restites from which granitic S-type partial melts have been extracted. Tonalitic and leucogranitic gneisses including one trondhjemite xenolith have many chemical characteristics (e.g. REE distribution) in common with tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite suites of the North Atlantic region but cannot be accounted for a more specific origin. Estimated elastic properties of the main types of NHD xenoliths yield P-wave velocities of 6.0–6.4 km^-1 for granitic, tonalitic and trondhjemite gneisses including tonalitic granulites and 6.5–7.0 for the more mafic xenoliths. When compared with two seismic depths-V_p profiles these data are in accordance with a model where the mafic, andesitic, noritic and tonalitic granulites comprise abundant rock types at depths between 29 km (Moho) and 20 km which mainly consists of old oceanic crust including subduction related volcanic products. The more felsic xenoliths probably represent material from depths between 12 and 20 km.     

The lithospheric mantle beneath the Kerguelen Islands (Indian Ocean): petrological and petrophysical characteristics of mantle mafic rock types and correlation with seismic profiles

Deep-seated meta-igneous xenoliths brought to the surface by alkali basaltic magmas from the Kerguelen Islands reveal that basaltic magmas have intruded the upper mantle throughout their geological evolution. These xenoliths record volcanic activity associated with their early South East Indian Ridge location and subsequent translation to an intraplate setting over the Kerguelen Plume. The meta-igneous xenoliths sample two distinctive geochemical episodes: one is tholeiitic transitional and one is alkali basaltic. Geothermobarometry calculations provide a spatial context for the rock type sequence sampled and for interpreting petrophysical data. The garnet granulites equilibrated over a pressure range of 1.15 to 1.35 GPa and the garnet pyroxenite at 1.8 GPa. Ultrasonic measurements of compressional wave speed V_P have been carried out at pressures up to 1 GPa, and densities measured for representative samples of meta-igneous xenoliths and for a harzburgite that represents the peridotitic mantle. V_P and density have also been calculated using modal proportions of minerals and appropriate elastic properties for the constituent minerals. Calculated and measured V_P agree well for rock types with microstructures not complicated by kelyphitic breakdown of garnet and/or pervasive grain-boundary cracking. Pyroxene granulites have measured and calculated V_P within the range 7.37-7.52 km/s; calculated velocities for the garnet granulites and pyroxenites range from 7.69 to 7.99 km/s, whereas measured and calculated V_P for a mantle harzburgite are 8.45 and 8.29 km/s respectively. The seismic structure observed beneath the Kerguelen Islands can be explained by (1) a mixture of underplated pyroxene granulites and ultramafic rocks responsible for the 2-3 km low velocity transitional zone below the oceanic layer 3, (2) varying proportions of granulites and pyroxenites in different regions within the upper mantle producing the lateral heterogeneities, and (3) intercalation of the granulites and pyroxenites throughout the entire upper mantle column, along with elevated temperatures, accounting for the relatively low mantle velocities (7.70-7.95 km/s).     

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 Kd_Ca–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.     

Geochemistry and geochronology of the rapakivi granites and associated rocks in the midwest portion of the Serra da Providência composite batholith,SW of Amazonian craton,Rondônia,Brazil

The Serra da Providência batholith includes the type area of the homonymous suite, the oldest rapakivi magmatic assemblage in the SW of the Amazonian craton (1.60–1.53 Ga). In the midwest portion of this massif, besides wiborgites/pyterlites and granophyric syenogranites, a leucosyenogranite facies and porphyritic rhyolites constitute new rock varieties recently described in that area. UPb LA-MC-ICP-MS zircon ages of 1574 ± 9 Ma and 1604 ± 3 Ma, respectively, were obtained for these new varieties and confirm their link with the Serra da Providência magmatism, whereas the subvolcanic rocks are older than the main rock varieties and were formed in a precursor event. These granitic facies are metaluminous to peraluminous, alkali-calcic, A2-type, ferroan granites. Their FeOt/(FeOt + MgO) ratios vary from 0.83 to 0.98 and suggest that these rocks were crystallized from oxidized-to reduced-A-type magmas, where the leucosyenogranites and granophyric sienogranites tend to be formed under more reduced conditions. They show fractionated REE patterns with very pronounced to weak negative Eu anomalies. The presence of granophyric textures and miarolitic cavities in equigranular syenogranitic facies suggests that these rocks were formed at shallow crustal depths, lower than 3 km. Three samples of leucosyenogranite have silica contents higher than 75% and low K/Rb ratios (<150), similarly to the tin specialized granites described in the Amazonian craton. Two distinctive groups of mafic rocks were recognized in the study area: porphyritic and equigranular gabbronorites. They correspond to tholeiitic basalts, with #Mg varying from 37 to 41 in porphyritic gabbronorites and 51 to 65 in equigranular gabbronorites. The low to moderate #Mg suggests that these rocks were crystallized from more evolved basaltic magmas. The porphyritic gabbronorites are enriched in TiO₂, FeOt, K₂O, P₂O₅ and REE compared to the equigranular gabbronorites that are enriched in MgO and CaO. The porphyritic gabbronorites have significant negative Eu anomalies a feature not observed in the equigranular gabbronorites. Porphyritic gabbronorites geochemical characteristics are similar to calc-alkaline basalts, whereas equigranular gabbronorites are similar to continental basalts. Petrographic, geochemical, and geological data of the felsic facies and the presence of associated mafic rocks corroborate the bimodal and post-collisional character of this magmatism. The occurrence of porphyritic rhyolites associated with shallow level plutonic granites in the Serra da Providência batholith reinforces the similarities between the Rondonian granites and the classical Fennoscandian rapakivi granites.     

Gabbroic xenoliths in tuff-breccia pipes from the Hyblean Plateau: insights into the nature and composition of the lower crust underneath South-eastern Sicily, Italy

Summary Crust-derived xenoliths hosted by Miocene basaltic diatremes in the Hyblean Plateau (south-eastern Sicily, Italy) provide new information regarding the nature of a portion of the central Mediterranean lower crust. These xenoliths can be divided into three groups: gabbros (plagioclase + clinopyroxene + Fe–Ti oxides ± apatite ± amphibole ± Fe-rich green spinel), diorites (An-poor plagioclase, clinopyroxene ± Fe–Ti oxides ± orthopyroxene) and mafic granulites (plagioclase + clinopyroxene + green spinel ± orthopyroxene ± Fe–Ti oxides). Gabbros form the main subject of this paper. They represent cumulates whose igneous texture has been locally obliterated by metamorphic recrystallization and shearing. They were permeated by Fe–Ti-rich melts related to tholeiitic-type fractional crystallisation. Incompatible element ratios (Zr/Nb = 5–26; Y/Nb = 1.4–11) indicate that these cumulate gabbros derived from MORB liquids. Late-stage and hydrothermal fluids caused diverse, sometimes important, metasomatic trasformations. Petrographic and geochemical comparison with gabbroids from well-known geodynamic settings show that the Hyblean lower crustal xenoliths were probably formed in an oceanic or oceanic-continent transition environment.     

Composition and geochronology of the deep-seated xenoliths from the southeastern margin of the North China Craton

A variety of deep-seated xenoliths occur within the Mesozoic Jiagou dioritic porphyry in the southeastern margin of the North China Craton (NCC). In this study we present a combined petrologic, geochronological, Hf isotope and geochemical study on the different types of xenoliths and use these data to better constrain the composition and age of the deep crust beneath the area. Most of the xenoliths are mafic meta-igneous rocks, among which garnet-bearing lithologies are common. The xenoliths can be classified into three broad petrographic groups: spinel-bearing garnet clinopyroxenite/phlogopite clinopyroxenite/spinel pyroxenite (Group 1), garnet amphibolite or hornblendite/garnet granulite/mafic gneiss lacking pyroxene (Group 2), and garnet-bearing felsic (intermediate-acid) gneiss (Group 3). Among these, the mafic–ultramafic rocks constitute the dominant category. The protoliths of the studied xenoliths range from basalt through andesite to dacite. Geochemical and Hf-isotope data indicate that most xenoliths belonging to Groups 2 and 3 resemble magmatic rocks formed at convergent continental margin arc setting. A few of them (mostly belonging to Group 1) represent mantle-derived products. Multiple metasomatic imprints, with contribution from subduction-related or mantle-derived fluids or melts have been recognized from the multistage mineral assemblages and ages.SHRIMP zircon U–Pb dating, Hf isotope and geochemical data offer evidence for subduction-related adakite-like and arc-related rocks in the southeastern margin of the NCC at ca. 2.5 Ga and 2.1 Ga, and confirm the occurrence of high-pressure granulite-facies metamorphism at ca. 1.8 Ga. These data suggest an episodic growth of Precambrian lower crust beneath this region in response to two stages of subduction–accretion and one vertical accretion of mantle-derived basaltic magma at the base of the lower crust. Additionally, a previously unknown late mantle-derived basaltic magmatism at 393 ± 7 Ma has also been recognized. The data presented in this paper demonstrate that the deep crust beneath the southeastern margin of the NCC is composed of hybrid protoliths derived from Paleozoic, Paleoproterozoic and late Neoarchean sources.     

扬子陆块西缘晚古生代玄武岩浆的性质和演化——玄武岩-辉绿玢岩稀土元素-微量元素地球化学研究

以四川和云南晚二叠世-早三叠世形成的峨嵋山玄武岩和同期形成的龙门山、墨江辉绿玢岩为主要研究对象,结合与勉略、三江蛇绿岩套内的玄武岩的对比,从岩石的化学成分、稀土元素和微量元素的含量和特征比值分析,提出晚古生代扬子陆块西缘的基性岩浆活动经历了由特提斯洋壳俯冲诱发陆块内玄武岩浆的发生、洋壳消减和陆块内大规模玄武岩浆喷发及局部小规模岩浆活动的萎缩消亡3个发展演化阶段.扬子陆块内玄武岩浆主要来源于正常或富集型地幔,在发生和萎缩阶段部分岩浆源自亏损型地幔.扬子陆块西缘晚古生代时期的基性岩浆活动是全球岩石圈构造活动的局域表现,与特提斯洋的俯冲-封闭有直接联系.     

The influence of amphibole fractionation on the evolution of calc-alkaline andesite and dacite tephra from the central Aleutians,Alaska

Petrologic studies of tephra from Kanaga, Adak, and Great Sitkin Islands indicate that amphibole fractionation and magma mixing are important processes controlling the composition of calc-alkaline andesite and dacite magmas in the central Aleutians. Amphibole is ubiquitous in tephra from Kanaga and Adak Islands, whereas it is present only in a basaltic-andesite pumice from Great Sitkin. Dacitic tephra from Great Sitkin do not contain amphibole. Hornblende dacite tephra contain HB+PLAG+OX±OPX±CPX phenocrysts with simple zoning patterns, suggesting that the dacites evolved in isolated magma chambers. Andesitic tephra from Adak contain two pyroxene and hornbelende populations, and reversely zoned plagioclase, indicating a more complex history involving mixing and fractional crystallization. Mass balance calculations suggest that the andesitic tephra may represent the complements of amphibole-bearing cumulate xenoliths, both formed during the evolution of high-Al basalts. The presence of amphibole in andesitic and dacitic tephra implies that Aleutian cale-alkaline magmas evolve in the mid to lower crust under hydrous (>4 wt.% H₂O) and oxidizing (Ni–NiO) conditions. Amphibole-bearing andesites and pyroxene-bearing dacites from Great Sitkin indicates fractionation at several levels within the arc crust. Despite its absence in many calc-alkaline andesite and dacite lavas, open system behavior involving amphibole fractionation can explain the trace element characteristies of lavas found on Adak Island. Neither open nor closed system fractionation involving a pyroxene-bearing assemblage is capable of explaining the trace element concentrations or ratios found in the Adak suite. We envision a scenario where amphibole was initially a liquidus phase in many calc-alkaline magmas, but was later replaced by pyroxenes as the magmas rose to shallow levels within the crust. The mineral assemblage in these evolved lavas reflects shallow level equilibration of the magma, whereas the trace element chemistry provides evidence for a earlier, amphibole-bearing, mineral assemblage.     

Petrology of high pressure clinopyroxenite series xenoliths,Mount Carmel,Israel

The Mount Carmel xenolith suite is composed of a series of garnet granulites of probable lower crustal origin, and a high pressure clinopyroxenite series. The clinopyroxenite series is petrologically diverse with the most common lithologies being garnet-clinopyroxenite, clinopyroxenite, garnet-amphibole-clinopyroxenite, amphibole-clinopyroxenite, amphibole-mica-clinopyroxenite plus megacrystalline nodules of clinopyroxene, garnet, amphibole and mica. Orthopyroxene is extremely rare (1 sample) and olivine is absent in the clinopyroxenite series xenoliths. The clinopyroxenite series is divided into three rock associations based on textures, mineralogy, mineral chemistry and equilibration temperatures: the metaclinopyroxenite, the magmatic garnet-clinopyroxenite and the amphibole-mica-clinopyroxenite associations. Many of the xenoliths contain late phases, largely amphibole, as microphenocrysts in glass and altered glass that was intruded into the xenoliths. Each of the three associations plus the late phases represents the crystallization products of one or more magma batchs. Garnet-clinopyroxene geothermometry and phase relations for alkaline basalts allow estimates of theP/T conditions of equilibration to be made for some of the xenoliths. The metaclinopyroxenites were equilibrated at 1.5–3 GPa and 990–1,115° and the magmatic garnet-clinopyroxenites were equilibrated at 2–3 GPa and 1,160–1,190°. The Mt. Carmel xenoliths are samples from the depth range 50–95 km and fall in the sampling gap between xenoliths typical of alkali basalts (d<60 km) and those typical of kimberlites (d> 90 km).     

Lower crustal xenoliths from Mongolia and their bearing on the nature of the deep crust beneath central Asia

Rare lower crustal xenoliths found in Cenozoic alkali basalts from the Tariat region in central Mongolia and the Dariganga Plateau in south-eastern Mongolia are the only direct samples of lower crustal material known so far from central and eastern Asia. They are two-pyroxene granulites, including some garnet granulites, as well as scarce amphibolite-facies rocks. The xenoliths are broadly basaltic to andesitic in bulk chemical composition. Their igneous protoliths appear to represent underplated fractionated liquids and cumulates from such liquids. The xenoliths yield equilibration temperatures of 840 ± 30 °C (Wells, 1977) and, for Tariat garnet granulites only, pressures of 14 ± 1.5 kbar. For central Mongolia, these estimates indicate unusually great depths of origin which, however, are in line with some geophysical models for that area.

Extensive to complete kelyphitisation has affected the garnets where originally present in the Tariat suite; nevertheless, the kelyphite has largerly preserved the major element and REE compositions of the original garnet. Mineral and whole-rock Sm-Nd data obtained for three samples from Tariat and Dariganga indicate, within large errors, low or zero ages. These may either indicate that the rocks are young (Cenozoic) or that ambient temperatures in the lower crust were high enough to permit continuous isotopic equilibration on a mineral-to-mineral scale.     

Nd-Sr isotope composition of lower crustal xenoliths — Evidence for the origin of mid-tertiary felsic volcanics in Mexico

Isotopic data were collected on lower crustal xenoliths to constrain the Mexican lower crust as source material for the mid-Tertiary Sierra Madre Occidental, which is one of the largest silicic volcanic piles known. The xenoliths are predominantly pelitic gneisses and mafic orthogneisses that were brought to the surface on the eastern edge of the Sierra Madre Occidental by recent alkalic basalts. The pelitic gneisses are uniform in mineral assemblage and contain garnet+quartz+plagioclase+sanidine+rutile +sillimanite/kyanite+graphite. The orthogneisses are plagioclase, garnet and/or spinel bearing two pyroxene granulites. Available geothermometric and geobarometric data show that the xenoliths equilibrated at temperatures and pressures consistent with those of the mantle/crust boundary in those areas.The xenoliths range from 46.2 to 67.2 SiO₂. Paragneisses are in general more silicic than the orthogneisses. The xenoliths have Rb concentrations between 0.4 and 97 ppm but most samples are very low, with less than 3 ppm Rb. The Sr isotopic ratios of orthogneisses from the lowermost crust throughout most of northern Mexico are very similar and range from ca. 0.705 to 0.706. Previous studies indicate that these rocks have measured (inNd) values between+2 and –5. Paragneiss xenoliths are generally more radiogenic in Sr isotopic ratio, up to 0.730, and have lower _Nd values of–11.The Nd and Sr isotopic characteristics of the orthogneisses are similar to those of the voluminous mid-Tertiary ignimbrites of the Sierra Madre Occidental. The xenoliths cannot represent cumulate material produced during the mid-Tertiary volcanism because they are Paleozoic or older. Consequently, based on Sr and Nd isotopic data, the silicic ignimbrites could comprise up to 100% lower crustal material.     

The Saxonian Granulite Massif: new aspects from geochronological studies

Geochronological and geochemical analyses were carried out to determine the age of protolith formation and the timing of eclogite and granulite metamorphism of the Saxonian Granulite Massif (SGM). The age of the ultramafic protoliths of the garnet pyroxenites from the rim of the SGM has been determined to be Late Riphean (828 Ma), which together with geochemical and isotope data implies the extraction of the melt from an enriched mantle reservoir with an initial -Nd value of + 3.4. The minimum emplacement age of the mafic to felsic granulites has been dated at 470 Ma. The source material of these granulites reflects an enriched mantle reservoir with an -Nd value of + 2.6 (470 Ma).Based on U/Pb zircon and Sm/Nd analyses (garnet kyanite, apatite, clinopyroxene, whole rock) the granulite metamorphism of the SGM probably occurred at 340 Ma. The time of the eclogite metamorphism for a garnet pyroxenite has been detected at 380 Ma using the Sm/Nd method on minerals (garnet — clinopyroxene—zircon) and whole rock.Geochemical and isotope data clearly indicate a MORB- as well as an IAT-type source for the mafic granulites. During the time of the eclogite and granulite formation the oceanic basin closed in a subduction zone tectonic setting. A terrane or microcontinent model is consistent with these data and further explains the Ordovician, Silurian and Devonian high pressure events detected all over the European Hercynides. In this model, Gondwana derived microcontinents successively collided from the Early Ordovician onwards, causing subduction zone related high pressure metamorphism during closure of oceanic basins.     

华北地台部分麻粒岩地体及包体的地球化学特征对比

华北地台麻粒岩包体（汉诺坝）与麻粒岩地体（西望山、蔓菁沟）存在明显的岩石地球化学特征差异，麻粒岩包体总体成分偏基性，麻粒岩地体总体成分偏长英质。形成时间、空间及构造背景的不同是造成成分差异的重要因素。汉诺坝麻粒岩包体是在拉线环境下玄武质岩浆底侵下地壳后结晶分异过程中堆晶作用的结果，其主、微量元素成分受控于辉石和斜长石堆晶的相对比例；下地壳物质的混染作用不是造成麻粒岩包体Nb、Ta、Th、U亏损的惟一因素，底侵的玄武质岩浆可能发生了含钛矿物相的结晶分离，造成了汉诺坝麻粒岩包体Nb、Ta亏损，而下地壳的麻粒岩相变质作用则使Th、U发生亏损。麻粒岩地体存在两种不同性质的微量元素组成，反映了两种不同构造环境的并置，是构造挤压抬升的结晶。     

Fluid inclusions as petrogenetic indicators in granulite xenoliths,Pali-Aike volcanic field,Chile

Granulite xenoliths within alkali olivine basalts of the Pali-Aike volcanic field, southern Chile, contain the mineral assemblage orthopyroxene + clinopyroxene + plagioclase + olivine + green spinel. These granulites are thought to be accidental inclusions of the lower crust incorporated in the mantle-derived basalt during its rise to the surface. Symplectic intergrowths of pyroxene and spinel developed between olivine and plagioclase imply that the reaction olivine+plagioclase = Al-orthopyroxene + Al-clinopyroxene + spinel (1) occurred during subsolidus cooling and recrystallization of a gabbroic protolith of the granulites.Examination of fluid inclusions in the granulites indicates the ubiquitous presence of an essentially pure CO₂ fluid phase. Inclusions of three different parageneses have been recognized: Type I inclusions occur along exsolution lamellae in clinopyroxene and are thought to represent precipitation of structurally-bound C or CO₂ during cooling of the gabbro. These are considered the most primary inclusions present. Type II inclusions occur as evenly distributed clusters not associated with any fractures. These inclusions probably represent entrapment of a free fluid phase during recrystallization of the host grains. IIa inclusions are found in granoblastic grains and have densities of 0.68–0.88 g/cm³. Higher density (=0.90–1.02 g/cm³) IIb inclusions occur only in symplectite phases. Secondary Type III CO₂+glass inclusions with =0.47–0.78 g/cm³ occur along healed fractures where basalt has penetrated the xenoliths. Type III inclusions appear related to exsolution of CO₂ from the host basalt during its ascent to the surface. These data suggest that CO₂ is an important constituent of the lower crust under conditions of granulite facies metamorphism, indicated by Type I and II fluid inclusions, and of the mantle, as indicated by Type III inclusions.Correlation of fluid inclusion densities with P-T conditions calculated from both two-pyroxene geothermometry and reation (1) indicate emplacement of a gabbroic pluton at 1,200–1,300° C, 4–6 kb; cooling was accompanied by a slight increase in pressure due to crustal thickening, and symplectite formation occurred at 850±35° C, 5–7 kb. Capture of the xenoliths by the basalt resulted in heating of the granulites, and CO₂ from the basalt was continuously entrapped by the xenoliths over the range 1,000–1,200° C, 4–6 kb. Examination of fluid inclusions of different generations can thus be used in conjunction with other petrologic data to place tight constraints on the specific P-T path followed by the granulite suite, in addition to indicating the nature of the fluid phase present at depth.