Variations in melting dynamics and mantle compositions along the Eastern Volcanic Zone of the Gakkel Ridge: insights from olivine-hosted melt inclusions

We present major element, trace element, and volatile concentrations from 66 naturally glassy, olivine-hosted melt inclusions erupted along the Eastern Volcanic Zone (EVZ) of the ultraslow-spreading Gakkel Ridge. Melt inclusion compositions suggest that there are systematic variations in the mantle source composition and melting dynamics from the eastern to the western end of the EVZ. This includes increasing water contents and highly incompatible trace element concentrations (e.g., Ba and Nb) and decreasing light and middle rare earth element concentrations. Ratios of light to heavy rare earth elements in the easternmost melt inclusions are relatively homogeneous, but become more variable to the west. To determine the source of the geochemical variability observed along the EVZ, we model trace elements associated with mantle melting in one- and two-component systems. We consider four possible mantle sources and a range of melting regime shapes, from a full melting triangle to a vertical melting column centered beneath the ridge axes. The observed geochemical variations can be explained by melting of a heterogeneous mantle source composed of depleted MORB mantle plus a metasomatized mantle, where the proportion of the metasomatized component and the extent of melting increases toward the west. Lower rare earth element concentrations and trace element ratios in the westernmost sites also suggest inefficient melt focusing from the outer edges of the melting region. Our results indicate that despite variations in the size of the melting zone and the composition of the mantle source along the ridge axis, the region over which the melts are pooled back to the ridge axis is relatively constant (~10–20 km), suggesting that there is a limit to the distance melts can be transported from off-axis in ultraslow-spreading environments.     

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.     

Non-modal melting in an upwelling mantle column: Steady-state models with applications to REE depletion in abyssal peridotites and the dynamics of melt migration in the mantle

Simple models for trace element fractionation during concurrent melting and melt migration in an upwelling steady-state mantle were developed. Based on petrologic considerations, we divided the mantle column into two regions: a single-lithology lower region that consists of partially molten garnet and spinel lherzolites and a double-lithology upper region where high-porosity dunite channels or melt-filled fractures are embedded in a porous lherzolite/harzburgite matrix. Analytical solutions for the case of a constant and uniform relative melting suction rate and a linearly variable relative melt suction rate were obtained. Key parameters and the first order characteristics of melting and melt migration in a 1-D steady-state mantle column were examined through forward calculations and Monte Carlo simulations. Melting in the upwelling single-lithology column is equivalent to non-modal batch melting, whereas melting and melt migration in the double-lithology region can be viewed as a nonlinear combination of batch melting and fractional melting, depending on the amount of melt extracted to the channel. The degree of melting (F), the degree of melting at the depth of melt-channel initiation (F_d) and the relative rate of melt suction (R) are important in controlling the extent of depletion of the incompatible trace element in the matrix. Spatially variable R affects the abundance of an incompatible trace element in the melt and residual solid the most in near fractional melting. There is a strong nonlinear trade off among the three parameters. Given F_d, it is possible to constrain F and R from incompatible trace element abundances in residual peridotite.To explore the dynamics of melt migration in the mantle, we used the two melting models developed in this study and published REE and Y abundances in diopside in abyssal peridotites from the Central Indian Ridge to infer their melting and melt migration history. Overall, the degrees of melting inferred from the trace element data are not sensitive to the value of F_d used in the inversion and ranges from 10% to 15%. The relative rate of melt suction depends slightly on the choice of F_d and ranges from 0.85 to 1.0 for F_d = 0.05 and 0.75 to 0.97 for F_d = 0. Further, the estimated R is inversely correlated with F, a robust feature independent of the choice of F_d. The upward decrease of R in an upwelling mantle column can be understood in terms of melt focusing in the lower part of the double-lithology region. And finally, given F and R, we found that the permeability and porosity of the lherzolite/harzburgite matrix also increase as a function of F in the melting column, with melt fractions ranging from 0.2% to 0.7% for a grain size of 5 mm.     

大兴安岭哈拉哈河-绰尔河第四纪火山岩地幔源区与岩浆成因

哈拉哈河-绰尔河第四纪火山地处重力梯度带上的大兴安岭中段。火山岩主要类型为钠质系列碱性橄榄玄武岩。火山岩大离子亲石元素和轻稀土元素相对富集,轻重稀土分异程度弱((La/Yb)N=8～12),稀土元素和微量元素配分曲线与大同碱性玄武岩平行,总体上表现出与OIB相似的特征。在Sr-Nd-Pb同位素组成特征上表现出亏损地幔的特点(εNd=4.8～5.9),接近MORB的源区范围。哈拉哈河-绰尔河第四纪火山岩岩浆由轻稀土富集的石榴子石二辉橄榄岩低程度(8%～15%)部分熔融产生,火山岩高MgO(>9%)、Ni(>200×10-6)和Mg#(60～70),表明它们是较原始的岩浆,岩浆上升过程经历了橄榄石和辉石为主的弱分离结晶作用,没有受到地壳物质明显混染。区域伸展作用引发软流圈地幔上涌是哈拉哈河-绰尔河第四纪火山的岩浆成因。     

张广才岭地块早-中二叠世镁铁质侵入岩体的年代学、地球化学及岩石成因

双凤山基性侵入岩体位于松嫩-张广才岭地块南缘,其岩石组成主要为橄榄辉长岩.锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb定年显示该岩体形成于279±4 Ma.岩石矿物组成主要为橄榄石、单斜辉石、斜方辉石、高An值（80.1~87.9）斜长石以及以反应边形式存在的角闪石,矿物学特征指示其母岩浆为经历过充分流体交代的富水岩浆.全岩主微量元素组成揭示其源区物质组成为石榴子石二辉橄榄岩,部分熔融程度约20%,岩浆演化过程中经历了斜长石堆晶作用以及斜方辉石的结晶分异作用.全岩Sr-Nd同位素及锆石Hf同位素研究显示其（87Sr/86Sr）_i=0.705 2~0.706 1,并具有正的ε_Nd（t）值（0.9~1.3）和ε_Hf（t）值（0~10.2）,表明其来源于亏损的地幔源区,并且岩浆上升过程中没有经历明显的地壳混染.微量元素和同位素特征综合反映岩浆源区经历了古亚洲洋俯冲沉积物熔体和流体交代作用的改造,但起主导作用的是流体.其地球化学特征总体显示MORB以及弧型玄武岩过渡的特征,暗示其形成于弧后伸展环境.研究区基性侵入岩地幔源区的不均一性主要受到古亚洲洋多期次俯冲作用析出熔/流体对上覆地幔楔不同程度的改造.      

Trace element evidence for the origin of ocean island basalts: an example from the Austral Islands (French Polynesia)

The Austral Islands, a volcanic chain in the South-Central Pacific Ocean (French Polynesia) are composed mainly of alkali basalts and basanites with subordinate amounts of olivine tholeiites and strongly undersaturated rocks (phonolite foidites and phonolite tephrites). The basaltic rocks have geochemical features typical of oceanic island suites. The distribution of incompatible trace elements indicate that the lavas were derived from a heterogeneous mantle source. The chondrite-normalized patterns of the incompatible elements in basaltic rocks of the Austral Islands are complementary to those of island arc tholeiites. As supported by isotope data, the observed trace element heterogeneities of the source are probably due to mixing of the upper mantle with subducted oceanic crust from which island arc tholeiitic magma was previously extracted.     

云南金宝山岩体岩浆起源的微量元素模式分析

金宝山镁铁-超镁铁岩体是峨眉山大火成岩省一个典型的岩浆Cu-Ni-PGE成矿岩体。在根据成岩机制概算原始岩浆微量元素含量的基础上,通过模式计算,表明原始岩浆强不相容元素相对富集型式不可能由现有原始地幔或亏损地幔模型的单一源区熔融或融体混合作用形成,原始岩浆起源于类似OIB源的地幔柱高程度熔融,熔融程度在20％左右。     

Heterogeneous mantle melting and magmatic processes at the East Pacific Rise (2.6–3.1°S): Evidence from mid-ocean ridge basalt geochemistry and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes

ABSTRACT

We present the major and trace elements and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotopes in mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) from the East Pacific Rise (EPR) at 2.6–3.1°S. These samples are low-K tholeiites and show significant variation in their major element compositions (e.g. 4.60–8.18 wt% MgO, 8.34–12.12 wt% CaO, 9.78–14.25 wt% Fe₂O₃, and 0.06–0.34 K₂O wt%). Trace element abundances of the 2.6–3.1°S MORB are variably depleted (e.g. (La/Sm), _N = 0.51–0.78, Zr/Y = 2.35–3.42, Th/La = 0.035–0.056, and Ce/Yb = 2.38–3.96) but closely resemble the average N-MORB. In the compatible elements (Ni and Cr) against incompatible element Zr plots, the 2.6–3.1°S MORB show well-defined negative correlations, together with a liquid line of descent (LLD) modelling and petrographic observations, implying a significant role of olivine, plagioclase and clinopyroxene fractionation during magma evolution. When compared to global MORB and peridotites, the 2.6–3.1°S MORB and most of the other axial lavas from the South EPR show similar Zn/Fe, Zn/Mn, and Fe/Mn ratios, attesting to a peridotite-dominated mantle lithology. However, the relationships between incompatible trace element ratios, such as Zr/Rb and Nb/Sm, and the negative correlation between Zr/Nb and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr indicate a geochemically heterogeneous mantle source. The mantle beneath the South EPR likely consists of two components, with the enriched component residing as physically distinct domains (e.g. veins or dikes) in the depleted peridotite matrix. In the Sr–Nd–Pb isotope space, the South EPR MORB lie along the mixing lines between the depleted MORB mantle (DMM) and the ‘C’-like Pukapuka endmember. We infer that low-F melts derived from these enriched materials may cause localized mantle heterogeneity (veins or dikes) via an infiltration process. Subsequent melting of the refertilized mantle may impart an isotopically distinct characteristic to South EPR MORB.     

The importance of melt extraction for tracing mantle heterogeneity

Numerous isotope and trace element studies of mantle rocks and oceanic basalts show that the Earth’s mantle is heterogeneous. The isotopic variability in oceanic basalts indicates that most mantle sources consist of complex assemblages of two or more components with isolated long-term chemical evolution, on both global and local scales. The range in isotope and highly incompatible element ratios observed in oceanic basalts is commonly assumed to directly reflect that of their mantle sources. Accordingly, the end-points of isotope arrays are taken to represent the isotopic composition of the different components in the underlying mantle, which is then used to deduce the origin of mantle heterogeneity. Here, a melting model for heterogeneous mantle sources is presented that investigates how and to what extent isotope and trace element signatures are conveyed from source to melt. We model melting of a pyroxenite-bearing peridotite using recent experimental constrains for melting and partitioning of pyroxenite and peridotite. Identification of specific pyroxenite melting signatures allows finger-printing of pyroxenite melts and confirm the importance of lithological heterogeneity in the Earth’s mantle. The model results and the comparison of the calculated and observed trace element-isotope systematics in selected MORB and OIB suites (e.g. from the East Pacific Rise, Iceland, Tristan da Cunha, Gough and St.Helena) further show that factors such as the relative abundance of different source components, their difference in solidus temperature, and especially the extent, style and depth range of melt aggregation fundamentally influence the relationship between key trace element and isotope ratios (e.g. Ba/Th, La/Nb, Sr/Nd, La/Sm, Sm/Yb, ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd). The reason for this is that any heterogeneity present in the mantle is averaged or, depending on the effectiveness of the melt mixing process, even homogenized during melting and melt extraction. Hence to what degree mantle heterogeneity is reflected in the erupted melts is not only a function of source and melting-induced variability. It also depends on the extent of mixing during melting and melt extraction and thus strongly on the relative incompatibility of the elements considered. The observed trace element variation in erupted melts can be greater or smaller than that of their mantle sources, depending on the incompatibility of the elements investigated. The isotopic variability in erupted melts, on the other hand, is generally smaller than that of their mantle source. Melt mixing during melt extraction consequently has an important influence on the relative extent of variation, and hence the degree of correlation between the isotope and trace element ratios. Overall fewer correlations between trace element and isotope ratios are expected whenever melts are extracted from a restricted depth range, as is the case for ocean island basalts, than for cases where melts are extracted over a larger depth interval (mid ocean ridges and especially ridge centered hotspots like Iceland). While the isotopic composition of the most enriched melts may correspond closely to those of the enriched source component, even the most depleted mid ocean ridge basalts are likely to underestimate the isotopic depletion of the depleted mantle component. These observations imply that using the chemical and isotopic range observed in oceanic basalts as directly representative of that in the corresponding mantle source can be misleading, since this assumption is strictly true only for homogeneous mantle sources. In addition to identifying source or partitioning-related differences in melts from different mantle sources, inferring the true composition, origin, and distribution of heterogeneous components in the Earth’s mantle therefore requires detailed knowledge about the mechanisms of melting and melt mixing during the melt extraction process. Only if these processes and their influence on the isotope-trace element relationship are understood, can the composition and origin of the different source components, and thus mantle heterogeneity, be accurately constrained.     

Magmatic processes and mantle heterogeneity beneath the slow-spreading northern Kolbeinsey Ridge segment,North Atlantic

We present new data on mineralogical, major and trace element compositions of lavas from the northernmost segment of the Kolbeinsey Ridge (North Kolbeinsey Ridge, NKR). The incompatible element enriched North Kolbeinsey basalts lie on a crystal fractionation trend which differs from that of the other Kolbeinsey segments, most likely due to higher water contents (~0.2%) in the NKR basalts. The most evolved NKR magmas erupt close to the Jan Mayen Fracture Zone, implying increased cooling and fractionation of the ascending magmas. Mainly incompatible element-enriched basalts, as well as some slightly depleted lavas, erupt on the NKR. They show evidence for mixing between different mantle sources and magma mixing. North Kolbeinsey Ridge magmas probably formed by similar degrees of melting to other Kolbeinsey basalts, implying that no lateral variation in mantle potential temperature occurs on the spreading axis north of the Iceland plume and that the Jan Mayen Fracture Zone does not have a cooling effect on the mantle. Residual garnet from deep melting in garnet peridotite or from enriched garnet pyroxenite veins does not play a role. The incompatible element-enriched source has high Ba/La and Nb/Zr, but must be depleted in iron. The iron-depleted mantle is less dense than surrounding mantle and leads to the formation of the North Kolbeinsey segment and its shallow bathymetry. The enriched NKR source formed from a relatively refractory mantle, enriched by a small degree melt rather than by recycling of enriched basaltic crust. The depleted mantle source resembles the mantle of the Middle Kolbeinsey segment with a depletion in incompatible elements, but a fertile major element composition.     

The petrogenesis of group 2 ultrapotassic kimberlites from Finsch Mine, South Africa

Major, trace element and radiogenic isotope results are presented for a suite of hypabyssal kimberlites from a single pipe, at the Finsch Mine, South Africa. These are Group 2 kimberlites characterised by abundant phlogopite ± serpentine ± diopside; they are ultrabasic (SiO₂ < 42 wt.%%) and ultrapotassic (K₂O/Na₂O > 6.9) igneous rocks, they exhibit a wide range in major element chemistry with SiO₂ = 27.6−41.9 wt. % and MgO = 10.4−33.4 wt. %. (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i=0.7089 to 0.7106, ε_{Nd is} −6.2 to −9.7 and they have unradiogenic (²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb)_i contents which ensure that they plot below the Pb-ore growth curve. They have high incompatible and compatible element contents, a striking positive array between Y and Nb which indicates that garnet was not involved in the within suite differentiation processes, and a negative trend between K/Nb and Nb contents which suggests that phlogopite was involved. In addition, some elements exhibit an unexpected order of relative incompatibility for different trace elements which suggests that the intra-kimberlite variations are not primarily due to variations in the degree of partial melting. The effects of fractional crystallization are difficult to establish because for the most part they have been masked by the entrainment of 50–60% mantle peridotite. Thus, the Finsch kimberlites are interpreted as mixtures of a melt component and entrained garnet peridotite, with no evidence for significant contamination with crustal material. The melt component was characterised by high incompatible element contents, which require both very small degrees of partial melting, and source regions with higher incompatible element contents than depleted or primitive mantle. Since the melt component was the principal source of incompatible elements in the kimberlite magma, the enriched Nd, Sr and Pb isotope ratios of the kimberlite are characteristic of the melt source region. The melt fractions were therefore derived from ancient, trace elements enriched portions of the upper mantle, most probably situated within the sub-continental mantle lithosphere, and different from the low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr garnet peridotite xenoliths found at Finsch. Within the sub-continental mantle lithosphere old, incompatible element enriched source regions for the kimberlite melt fraction are inferred to have been overlain by depleted mantle material which became entrained in the kimberlite magma.     

中国东部新生代玄武岩的地球化学──Ⅰ．主元素和微量元素组成：岩石成因及源区特征

所研究的玄武岩包括拉斑玄武岩、碱性玄武岩、苦橄粗玄岩和钾质玄武岩。主元素和微量元素的组成变化表明，中国东部玄武岩既是不同深度地幔部分熔融的产物，又经历了岩浆结晶分异作用。强不相容元素比值的变化特征显然与岩石圈地幔交代作用有关。软流圈地幔的上涌并导致上覆不均一的岩石圈地幔的部分熔融是形成中国东部新生代玄武岩的主要机制。     

攀西裂谷南段鸡街碱性超基性岩微量元素和Sr-Nd 同位素地球化学及其成因探讨

鸡街碱性超基性杂岩体产出于攀西古裂谷南段,地处云南省境内的罗茨地区,空间上与峨嵋山玄武岩紧密伴生。岩体的主体由霞霓钠辉岩、霓霞岩和磷霞岩组成,三类岩石具有相似的微量元素和稀土元素(REE)配分,富集大离子亲石元素K、Rb、Sr、Ba,过渡族元素Sc、Cr和Ni相对亏损,Nb/Ta、Zr/Hf比值在幔源岩的范围内,Sr-Nd同位素沿"幔源趋势"线分布。鸡街碱性超基性岩中不相容元素总体亏损,含量与EMORB相当,稀土总量ΣREE=32.86～70.07偏低,(La/Yb)N=3.03～4.47,HREE亏损,指示源区的适度亏损。微量元素和同位素信息共同指示鸡街碱性超基性岩为地幔岩高压条件下低程度部分熔融的产物(<10%),岩浆演化过程中经历了橄榄石、辉石和少量磁铁矿的结晶分异。霞霓钠辉岩、霓霞岩与磷霞岩来自同一地幔源区,岩浆源区的相对亏损,可能与中-晚二叠纪大量的玄武质岩浆从深部地幔抽取有关。攀西古裂谷的多期次活动为峨嵋地幔柱提供了岩浆通道,地幔柱活动的早期阶段或晚期阶段岩石圈地幔(或混合地幔)低程度部分熔融的碱性岩浆沿此构造薄弱带上侵,形成了攀西古裂谷内呈带状分布的各碱性杂岩体。     

<Superscript>10</Superscript>Be, <Superscript>18</Superscript>O and radiogenic isotopic constraints on the origin of adakitic signatures: a case study from Solander and Little Solander Islands,New Zealand

Subduction-related Quaternary volcanic rocks from Solander and Little Solander Islands, south of mainland New Zealand, are porphyritic trachyandesites and andesites (58.20–62.19 wt% SiO₂) with phenocrysts of amphibole, plagioclase and biotite. The Solander and Little Solander rocks are incompatible element enriched (e.g. Sr ~931–2,270 ppm, Ba ~619–798 ppm, Th ~8.7–21.4 ppm and La ~24.3–97.2 ppm) with MORB-like Sr and Nd isotopic signatures. Isotopically similar quench-textured enclaves reflect mixing with intermediate (basaltic-andesite) magmas. The Solander rocks have geochemical affinities with adakites (e.g. high Sr/Y and low Y), whose origin is often attributed to partial melting of subducted oceanic crust. Solander sits on isotopically distinct continental crust, thus excluding partial melting of the lower crust in the genesis of the magmas. Furthermore, the incompatible element enrichments of the Solander rocks are inconsistent with partial melting of newly underplated mafic lower crust; reproduction of their major element compositions would require unrealistically high degrees of partial melting. A similar argument precludes partial melting of the subducting oceanic crust and the inability to match the observed trace element patterns in the presence of residual garnet or plagioclase. Alternatively, an enriched end member of depleted MORB mantle source is inferred from Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions, trace element enrichments and εHf ? 0 CHUR in detrital zircons, sourced from the volcanics. ¹⁰Be and Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic systematics are inconsistent with significant sediment involvement in the source region. The trace element enrichments and MORB-like Sr and Nd isotopic characteristics of the Solander rocks require a strong fractionation mechanism to impart the high incompatible element concentrations and subduction-related (e.g. high LILE/HFSE) geochemical signatures of the Solander magmas. Trace element modelling shows that this can be achieved by very low degrees of melting of a peridotitic source enriched by the addition of a slab-derived melt. Subsequent open-system fractionation, involving a key role for mafic magma recharge, resulted in the evolved andesitic adakites.     

Petrogenesis of continental mafic dykes from the Izera Complex, Karkonosze-Izera Block (West Sudetes, SW Poland)

The Izera Complex (West Sudetes) contains widespread bodies of metagabbro, metadolerite and amphibolite (the Izera metabasites), and less abundant dykes of weakly altered dolerites, emplaced in a continental setting. The primary magmas of the Izera metabasites were probably formed through adiabatic decompression melting of upwelling asthenosphere (mantle plume) that was associated with the early Palaeozoic fragmentation of Gondwana (initial rift). The rocks are mildly alkaline, transitional-to-tholeiitic basalts and have OIB-like trace element patterns. Trace element modelling reveals that the mafic magmas were generated by variable degrees of partial melting (1–7%) of fertile, garnet-bearing asthenospheric source similar in composition to primitive mantle. Together with an increase in degree of partial melting, the compositional affinity of the magmas and the depth of segregation changed progressively from ca. 70–90 km (mildly alkaline magmas of the metadolerites and amphibolites) to ca. 60–75 km (transitional-to-tholeiitic magmas of the metagabbros). The systematics of incompatible versus compatible element distribution, and major and trace element modelling, indicate that some rocks experienced low-pressure (<5 kbar) differentiation resulting in up to 50% fractionation of clinopyroxene, olivine and minor plagioclase and ilmenite. The genetically distinct weakly altered dolerites are basaltic andesite in composition and possibly related to late- or post-orogenic events in the Karkonosze-Izera Block. These rocks are calc-alkaline, with relatively flat MREE–HREE patterns, enrichment in LREE and other highly incompatible elements relative to primitive mantle, and negative Nb–Ta, Ti, P anomalies. The geochemical features and geochemical modelling, indicate that their primary magmas segregated at depths ≤70 km and were produced by ~2% melting of a metasomatized sublithospheric mantle source presumably containing small amounts of hydrated phases. Although the present study is inconclusive as to the origin of the metasomatic component in the source (? slab-derived fluid/melts, OIB-like alkaline melt percolation of subcontinental lithosphere), the genesis of the Izera basaltic andesites is seemingly related to upwelling of asthenosphere and heat flow triggered by a postulated decoupling of the mantle lithosphere and post-collisional extensional collapse and uplift in the Karkonosze-Izera Block.     

Geochemical variation in peridotite xenoliths and their constituent clinopyroxenes from Ray Pic (French Massif Central): implications for the composition of the shallow lithospheric mantle

Anhydrous mantle peridotite xenoliths from a single volcanic vent in the French Massif Central are compositionally varied, ranging from relatively fertile lherzolites to refractory harzburgites. Fertile lherzolites closely resemble previous estimates of undepleted mantle compositions but the average of the Ray Pic xenoliths is much less enriched in LILE and LREE than McDonough's (1990) average mantle [McDonough, W.F., 1990. Constraints on the composition of the continental lithospheric mantle. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 101, 1–18]. The wide geochemical variation in the bulk rocks reflects significant heterogeneities that can be attributed to two major processes within the shallow lithospheric mantle. The first process is depletion, related to variable degrees of partial melting and melt extraction from an originally near-chondritic mantle. This process has largely controlled the major elements and much of the trace element variation between fertile lherzolites and refractory peridotites. LREE-depleted compositions are also produced by this process. During partial melting, HREE behaved coherently with the major oxides and the moderately incompatible trace elements (Y, V and Sc). A subsequent process of enrichment is indicated by high concentrations of incompatible trace elements in many of the xenoliths. Sr, Ba, K, Th, U, Nb and LREE abundance are independent of major oxide variations and reflect enrichment related to infiltration by alkaline silicate melts/fluids. Both fertile and refractory mantle were enriched but harzburgites were particularly affected. Modal metasomatism occurred only rarely and is indicated by Cr-diopside-rich veins and patches in a few samples. Their chemistry suggests that they were also formed by migration of similar magmas/fluids from the asthenospheric mantle, although the presence of wehrlitic patches may indicate interaction with carbonate melts. In both depleted and enriched xenoliths, trace element patterns for separated clinopyroxenes closely reflect those of the bulk rock, except for Rb, Ba and Nb, which are probably hosted by other phases.     

Trace elements in ocean ridge basalt glasses: implications for fractionations during mantle evolution and petrogenesis

Seven well-documented and fresh glassy selvages from ocean floor basalt pillows were analyzed by radiochemical neutron activation analysis for Ag, Au, Bi, Br, Cd, Cs, Ge, In, Ir, Ni, Os, Pd, Rb, Re, Sb, Se, Te, Tl, U and Zn. The samples came from active spreading centers in the Indian and Atlantic Ocean. Glasses from DSDP Leg 24, site 238 (Indian Ocean) have a somewhat peculiar trace element pattern, but this is thought to reflect secondary processes operating at shallow depth, not an anomalous source region in the mantle. Our data rather indicate that heterogeneities in the mantle are confined to the highly incompatible lithophile elements.Chemical fractionations during petrogenesis of tholeiitic basalts are discussed in the light of literature data for primitive peridotitic upper mantle nodules. (Ir, Os), Au, Pd, Ni and Re are strongly fractionated from each other in igneous processes; the unfractionated chondritic mantle pattern thus imposes firm constraints on mantle evolution models. The potentially chalcophile elements Ag, Cd, In and Zn do not behave differently from lithophile elements of the same valency and comparable ionic radius. Residual sulfides are not abundant enough to efficiently control the partitioning of these elements during basalt petrogenesis. However, the poor coherence of Tl to Rb and U in ocean floor basalts could point to retention of Tl by residual sulfides during depletion of the MORB source regions. Sb is strongly depleted in the source regions of ocean ridge basalts; most likely, it was present as a highly incompatible Sb⁵⁺ cation. The limited Rb/Cs fractionation in oceanic tholeiites, as opposed to continental tholeiites and acidic rocks, appears to reflect the low abundance of volatile constituents and hydrous silicates in normal ocean ridge basalts.     

Zn/Fe systematics in mafic and ultramafic systems: Implications for detecting major element heterogeneities in the Earth’s mantle

Oceanic basalts, such as mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) and ocean island basalts (OIB), are characterized by large isotopic and trace element variability that is hard to reconcile with partial melting of a peridotitic mantle alone. Their variability has been attributed to the presence of heterogeneities within the mantle, such as recycled crust, metasomatized material or outer core contribution. There have been few attempts to constrain the major element composition of those heterogeneities, most studies focusing on incompatible trace elements and radiogenic isotopes. Here, we report Zn, Mn and Fe systematics in mafic and ultramafic systems (whole-rocks and minerals) and we explore their use for detecting lithological heterogeneities that deviate from peridotitic mantle dominated by olivine and orthopyroxene. We suggest that Zn/Fe ratio is a particularly promising proxy. Zn/Fe fractionates equally between olivine, orthopyroxene and melt (e.g. the inter-mineral exchange coefficients  ∼  is ∼0.9-1), and the distribution of Zn/Fe between minerals appears to be temperature-independent within error. In contrast, clinopyroxene and garnet are characterized by low Zn/Fe ratios compared to co-existing melt, olivine and orthopyroxene, that is, and are both <<1. These partitioning behaviors imply that Zn/Fe ratios are minimally fractionated during partial melting of peridotite and differentiation of primitive basalts, if differentiation is dominated by olivine control. Thus, the Zn/Fe ratios of primitive basalts preserve the Zn/Fe ratio of the primary parental magma, providing insight into the signature of the mantle source region. We also infer that Zn/Fe ratios in melts are unlikely to be fractionated by modal variations in peridotitic material but are highly fractionated if garnet and/or clinopyroxene are the main phases in the source during melting. Similar Zn/Fe ratios between MORB and average upper mantle confirm the lack of fractionation during peridotite melting. However, high Zn/Fe ratios of some OIB cannot be explained by peridotite melting alone, but instead require the presence of high Zn/Fe lithologies or lithologies that have bulk exchange coefficients  < 1. All garnet-bearing or clinopyroxene-bearing lithologies, such as eclogites and garnet pyroxenites, fit the latter requirement.     

Small-scale coexistence of island-arc- and enriched-MORB-type basalts in the central Vanuatu arc

We report here major, trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data for a new set of basaltic lavas and melt inclusions hosted in Mg-rich olivines (Fo_86–91) from Mota Lava, in the Banks islands of the Vanuatu island arc. The results reveal the small-scale coexistence of typical island-arc basalts (IAB) and a distinct type of Nb-enriched basalts (NEB) characterized by primitive mantle-normalized trace element patterns without high-field-strength element (HFSE) depletion. The IAB show trace element patterns with prominent negative HFSE anomalies acquired during melting of mantle sources enriched with slab-derived, H₂O-rich components during subduction. In contrast, the NEB display trace element features that compare favourably with enriched-mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) and the most enriched basalts from the Vanuatu back-arc troughs. Both their trace element and Nd–Sr isotopic compositions require partial melting of an enriched-MORB-type mantle source, almost negligibly contaminated by slab-derived fluids (~0.2 wt%). The coexistence of these two distinct types of primitive magma, at the scale of one volcanic island and within a relatively short span of time, would reflect a heterogeneous mantle source and/or tapping of distinct mantle sources. Direct ascent of such distinct magmas could be favoured by the extensive tectonic setting of Mota Lava Island, allowing decompression melting and sampling of variable mantle sources. Significantly, this island is located at the junction of the N–S back-arc troughs and the E–W Hazel Home extensional zone, where the plate motion diverges in both direction and rate. More broadly, this study indicates that crustal faulting in arc contexts would permit basaltic magmas to reach Earth’s surface, while preserving the geochemical heterogeneity of their mantle sources.     

Trace element partitioning between mica- and amphibole-bearing garnet lherzolite and hydrous basanitic melt: 2. Tasmanian Cainozoic basalts and the origins of intraplate basaltic magmas

Oligocene volcanics from Oatlands in Tasmania, Australia, include olivine tholeiites, alkali olivine basalts, nepheline basanites and olivine nephelinites. They have compositional characteristics that are typical of intraplate basalts worldwide. They are generally enriched in incompatible elements relative to the primitive mantle and are strongly enriched in Nb, Ta and light rare earths, but not heavy rare earths. At the same time, they have Sr and Nd isotope compositions that are similar to those in some incompatible-element-depleted mid-ocean ridge basalts (E-type MORB). Experimentally obtained mineral/melt partition coefficients for an Oatlands basanite allow the relative concentrations of incompatible elements in the volcanics to be produced by small degrees of melting (≤1%) of a source similar to the E-type MORB source of Workman and Hart (2005). However, the absolute concentrations that can be achieved in this way are much less than present in the most incompatible-element-enriched basanites and nephelinites at Oatlands. This contradiction can be explained by open-system melting under the influence of a conductive geotherm. This would have involved upwardly migrating near-solidus melts from the asthenosphere cooling along a sub-adiabatic geotherm. Cooling of the melts would have caused them to re-crystallize and accumulate in the overlying mantle, thereby enriching both the new host rocks and any residual melts in incompatible elements. This would also have increased the buoyancy of the host rocks leading to upwelling and further (decompression) melting of incompatible-element-enriched peridotite. We were able to use our partition coefficients to quantitatively model the development of incompatible-element enrichments in the Oatlands magmas by these processes. Our explanation is consistent with the characteristically scattered but widespread distributions and long time scales of intraplate volcanism in a broad variety of tectonic settings. This is because the conditions required to initiate volcanism (i.e. those of near-solidus melting of the asthenosphere) are relatively easy to produce and can therefore be caused by both near-surface tectonics and deeper mantle processes. Furthermore, the super-enrichments of incompatible elements in some intraplate volcanics can be attributed to the influence of normal geothermal gradients on melting processes. Without the very strong fractionation imposed by this combination of factors, the Oatlands volcanics would more closely resemble mid-ocean-ridge basalts.