Geochemical characteristics of lavas from Broken Ridge, the Naturaliste Plateau and southernmost Kerguelen Plateau: Cretaceous plateau volcanism in the southeast Indian Ocean

Lavas from several major bathymetric highs in the eastern Indian Ocean that are likely to have formed as Early to Middle Cretaceous manifestations of the Kerguelen hotspot are predominantly tholeiitic; so too are glass shards from Eocene to Paleocene volcanic ash layers on Broken Ridge, which are believed to have come from eruptions on the Ninetyeast Ridge. The early dominance of tholeiitic compositions contrasts with the more recent intraplate, alkalic volcanism of the Kerguelen Archipelago. Isotopic and incompatible-element ratios of the plateau lavas are distinct from those of Indian mid-ocean ridge basalts; their Nd, Sr, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and isotopic ratios overlap with but cover a much wider range than measured for more recent oceanic products of the Kerguelen hotspot (including the Ninetyeast Ridge) or, indeed, oceanic lavas from any other hotspot in the world. Samples from the Naturaliste Plateau and ODP Site 738 on the southern tip of the Kerguelen Plateau are particularly noteworthy, with ε_Nd(T) = − 13 to −7, (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_T=0.7090 to 0.7130 and high ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb relative to ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb. In addition, the low-ε_Nd(T) Naturaliste Plateau samples are elevated in SiO₂ (> 54 wt%). In contrast to “DUPAL” oceanic islands such as the Kerguelen Archipelago, Pitcairn and Tristan da Cunha, the plateau lavas with extreme isotopic characteristics also have relative depletions in Nb and Ta (e.g., Th/Ta, La Nb > primitive mantle values); the lowest ε_Nd(T) and highest Th/Ta and La Nb values occur at sites located closest to rifted continental margins. Accepting a Kerguelen plume origin for the plateau lavas, these characteristics probably reflect the shallow-level incorporation of continental lithosphere in either the head of the early Kerguelen plume or in plume-derived magmas, and suggest that the influence of such material diminished after the period of plateau construction. Contamination of asthenosphere with the type of material affecting Naturaliste Plateau and Site 738 magmatism appears unlikely to be the cause of low-²⁰⁶Pb/⁰⁴Pb Indian mid-ocean ridge basalts. Finally, because isotopic data for the plateaus do not cluster or form converging arrays in isotope-ratio plots, they provide no evidence for either a quickly evolving, positive ε_Nd, relatively high-²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb plume composition, or a plume source dominated by mantle with ε_Nd of −3 to 0.     

Paleocene on-spreading-axis hotspot volcanism along the Ninetyeast Ridge: An interaction between the Kerguelen hotspot and the Wharton spreading center

Investigations of three plausible tectonic settings of the Kerguelen hotspot relative to the Wharton spreading center evoke the on-spreading-axis hotspot volcanism of Paleocene (60-54 Ma) age along the Ninetyeast Ridge. The hypothesis is consistent with magnetic lineations and abandoned spreading centers of the eastern Indian Ocean and seismic structure and radiometric dates of the Ninetyeast Ridge. Furthermore, it is supported by the occurrence of oceanic andesites at Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) Site 214, isotopically heterogeneous basalts at Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 757 of approximately the same age (59-58 Ma) at both sites. Intermix basalts generated by plume-mid-ocean ridge (MOR) interaction, exist between 11° and 17°S along the Ninetyeast Ridge. A comparison of age profile along the Ninetyeast Ridge between ODP Sites 758 (82 Ma) and 756 (43 Ma) with similarly aged oceanic crust in the Central Indian Basin and Wharton Basin reveals the existence of extra oceanic crust spanning 11° latitude beneath the Ninetyeast Ridge. The extra crust is attributed to the transfer of lithospheric blocks from the Antarctic plate to the Indian plate through a series of southward ridge jumps at about 65, 54 and 42 Ma. Emplacement of volcanic rocks on the extra crust resulted from rapid northward motion (absolute) of the Indian plate. The Ninetyeast Ridge was originated when the spreading centers of the Wharton Ridge were absolutely moving northward with respect to a relatively stationary Kerguelen hotspot with multiple southward ridge jumps. In the process, the spreading center coincided with the Kerguelen hotspot and took place on-spreading-axis volcanism along the Ninetyeast Ridge.     

Ninetyeast ridge: Magmatism and geodynamics

The study of magmatism and tectonic structure of the East Indian or Ninetyeast Ridge (NER) reveals the geochemical similarity of mantle sources for the NER and Kerguelen Plateau melts. Magmas related to the Kerguelen plume were derived from an enriched mantle source, whereas the NER tholeiitic basalts originated from a source contaminated by a depleted material. While, depleted basalt varieties were not found within the NER basalts. It was shown that magmatic rocks forming the NER were generated by high degrees (30%) of partial melting within the ancient Wharton spreading ridge due to the activity of the Kerguelen plume, which was located at this time in the vicinity of the ridge. The most significant impact of the plume on the NER structures was recorded at 70–50 Ma ago.     

Tholeiitic and alkalic basalts of the oldest Pacific Ocean crust

Approximately 160 Ma old basaltic lavas obtained from ODP Site 801 in the Pigafetta Basin represent the first Jurassic oceanic crust recovered in the Pacific Ocean and the oldest in situ oceanic crust discovered anywhere. The basement consists of an upper alkali olivine basalt sequence and a lower tholeiitic sequence separated by a yellow Fe-rich hydrothermal sedimentary deposit. The aphyric and sparsely plagiodase-olivine±spinel phyric tholeiites exhibit depleted, open–system fractionated characteristics with trace element abundances and Pb–Nd isotopic compositions similar to normal mid-ocean ridge basalts (N-MORB). The aphyric alkali basalts, although showing some overlap in isotopic composition with MORB, exhibit strong similarities in terms of incompatible element abundances to ocean island basalts (OIB). They could represent either OIB-type off-axis volcanism or an alkalic event possibly associated with the waning stages of spreading axis volcanism in the Pigafetta Basin. All lavas have undergone low-grade anoxic smectite–carbonate alteration, although flows underlying the Fe-rich sediments have suffered hydrothermal alteration and fracturing.     

Experimental constraints on the origin and evolution of mildly alkalic basalts from the Kerguelen Archipelago, Southeast Indian Ocean

This experimental study examines the role of clinopyroxene fractionation on major element trends and alkalinity variations in mildly alkalic basalts from the Kerguelen Archipelago, Southeast Indian Ocean. Equilibrium crystallization experiments were carried out on a natural basalt (MgO=5 wt.%, alkalinity index=0.10) over a range of pressures (0–1.43 GPa) and water contents (nominally dry to hydrous, 1.2 wt.% H₂O) under relatively oxidizing conditions (Δlog FMQ=+1 to +2) at 0 GPa and relatively reducing conditions (Δlog FMQ=0 to –2) at all higher pressures. The hydrous experiments at 0.93 GPa closely reproduce most of the compositional variations in the 24–25 Ma mildly alkalic lavas from the archipelago, which supports a major role for high-Al clinopyroxene fractionation (5–9 wt.% Al₂O₃) at pressures corresponding to the base of the Northern Kerguelen Plateau (15–20 km). However, clinopyroxene fractionation at depth fails to produce important changes in the alkalinity of the residual melts. The transition from tholeiitic to mildly alkalic basalts on the Kerguelen Archipelago thus reflects primarily changes in melting conditions (lower extents of partial melting at higher pressures), which is related to crustal and lithospheric thickening as distance from the Southeast Indian Ridge increased over time from 43 to 24 Ma.     

Source characteristics of the basement rocks from the Sulu and Celebes Basins (Western Pacific): chemical and isotopic evidence

 New Sr- Nd- and Pb-isotopic and trace element data are presented on basalts from the Sulu and Celebes Basins, and the submerged Cagayan Ridge Arc (Western Pacific), recently sampled during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 124. Drilling has shown that the Sulu Basin developed about 18 Ma ago as a backarc basin, associated with the now submerged Cagayan Ridge Arc, whereas the Celebes Basin was generated about 43 Ma ago, contemporaneous with a general plate reorganisation in the Western Pacific, subsequently developing as an open ocean receiving pelagic sediments until the middle Miocene. In both basins, a late middle Miocene collision phase and the onset of volcanic activity on adjacent arcs in the late Miocene are recorded. Covariations between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd show that the seafloor basalts from both the Sulu and Celebes Basins are isotopically similar to depleted Indian mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB), and distinct from East Pacific Rise MORB, defining a single negative correlation. The Cagayan Arc volcanics are different, in that they have distinctly lower ɛ_Nd(T) for a given ɛ_Sr(T), compared to Sulu and Celebes basalts. In the ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb versus ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb diagrams, the Celebes, Sulu and Cagayan rocks all plot distinctly above the Northern Hemisphere Reference Line, with high Δ7/4 Pb (5.3–9.3) and D8/4 Pb (46.3–68.1) values. They define a single trend of radiogenic lead enrichment from Celebes through Sulu to Cagayan Ridge, within the Indian Ocean MORB data field. The data suggest that the overall chemical and isotopic features of the Sulu, Cagayan and Celebes rocks may be explained by partial melting of a depleted asthenospheric N-MORB-type (“normal”) mantle source with isotopic characteristics similar to those of the Indian Ocean MORB source. This asthenospheric source was slightly heterogeneous, giving rise to the Sr-Nd isotopic differences between the Celebes and Sulu basalts, and the Cagayan Ridge volcanics. In addition, a probably slab-derived component enriched in LILE and LREE is required to generate the elemental characteristics and low _Nd(T) of the Cagayan Ridge island arc tholeiitic and calcalkaline lavas, and to contribute to a small extent in the backarc basalts of the Sulu Sea. The results of this study confirm and extend the widespread Indian Ocean MORB signature in the Western Pacific region. This signature could have been inherited by the Indian Ocean mantle itself during the rupture of Gondwanaland, when fragments of this mantle could have migrated towards the present position of the Celebes, Sulu and Cagayan sources. Received: 23 May 1995/Accepted: 12 October 1995     

Involvement of Continental Crust in the Formation of the Cretaceous Kerguelen Plateau: New Perspectives from ODP Leg 120 Sites

The basaltic basement of the large igneous province formed bythe Kerguelen Plateau and Broken Ridge in the southeastern IndianOcean has been sampled by three Ocean Drilling Program cruises(Legs 119, 120 and 183). Although the Cretaceous parts of thisplateau formed in the embryonic Indian Ocean basin, presumablyby melting associated with the Kerguelen plume, trace elementabundances and isotopic ratios of Sr, Nd and Pb of Cretaceousbasalt from several drill sites indicate that continental lithospherewas involved in their petrogenesis. On the basis of relativedepletions in Nb, Ta and Th, and isotopic characteristics similarto those of EMI ocean island basalt, lavas from Leg 120 Site747 in the Central Kerguelen Plateau contain a component derivedfrom lower continental crust. On the basis of relative abundancesof Sr and Eu and EMI-like Pb isotopic ratios, the source ofbasalt from Leg 120 Site 750 in the northeastern part of theSouthern Kerguelen Plateau also contained a component derivedfrom lower continental crust; in this case, the crustal componentformed as a plagioclase-rich, clinopyroxene-bearing cumulate.Basalts from Leg 120 Site 749 define two distinct isotopic (Sr,Nd and Pb) groups which differ from the isotopic fields forSite 747 and 750 basalts. Among Site 749 lavas, there is subtleevidence for a continental component, broadly similar (i.e.moderate ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb     

Petrogenesis of anomalous K-enriched MORB from the Southwest Indian Ridge: 11°53′E to 14°38′E

Glassy pillow basalts with unusual geochemical characteristics for mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) have been dredge sampled from the Southwest Indian Ridge between 12 and 15°E during Leg ANT IV/4 of the F.S. POLARSTERN. Lavas from 4 of 6 dredges are moderately nepheline normative, highly K-enriched (0.5–1.77 wt% K₂O) alkali basalts and hawaiites. Mg-numbers indicate that many of the lavas are fairly primitive (Mg No.=63–67), yet show extreme enrichment in incompatible elements; e.g. Nb (24–60 ppm), Ba (170–470 ppm) and Sr (258–460 ppm). Incompatible-element ratios such as Zr/Nb (3–5) and Y/Nb (0.46–1.1) are extremely low even for E-type (enriched) MORB, whereas (La/Yb)_n ratios are particularly high (3.4–7.8). ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70290–0.70368), ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.51302–0.51284) and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (18.708–19.564) isotopic ratios further indicate the geochemically enriched nature of these lavas, which range from the compositional field for depleted N-type (normal) MORB towards the composition of Bouvet Island lavas. Mutually correlated incompatible-element and Sr-, Nd- and Pb-isotopic ratios allow a fairly well constrained model to be developed for the petrogenesis of these unusually alkalic mid-ocean ridge lavas. The alkalic nature and degree of enrichment in incompatible elements is ascribed to particularly low degrees of partial melting (3–5 wt%), at greater than usual depth, of a source region that has experienced prior geochemical enrichment (by veining) related to the upwelling Bouvet mantle plume. To account for the observed compositional variations, a model is proposed whereby mixing between partial melts derived from these geochemically enriched silicate veins, and an incipient to low percentage (±2%) melt from the surrounding geochemically depleted suboceanic asthenosphere occurs as a consequence of increasing degree of melting with adiabatic upwelling. Eruption of these alkalic lavas in this spreading ridge environment is attributed to a temporary hiatus in tholeiitic volcanism and associated spreading along this section of the Southwest Indian Ridge, related to readjustment of spreading direction to a more stable plate geometry.     

Geochemical evolution of Indian Ocean basaltic magmatism

A comparison of new and published geochemical characteristics of magmatism in the western and eastern Indian Ocean at the initial and recent stages of its evolution revealed several important differences between the mantle sources of basaltic melts from this ocean.

1. The sources of basalts, from ancient rises and from flanks of the modern Central Indian Ridge within the western Indian Ocean contain an enriched component similar in composition to the source of the Réunion basalts (with radiogenic Pb and Sr and unradiogenic Nd), except for basalts from the Comores Islands, which exhibit a contribution from an enriched HIMU-like component.
2. The modern rift lavas of spreading ridges display generally similar geochemical compositions. Several local isotopic anomalies are characterized by the presence of an EM2-like component. However, two anomalous areas with distinctly different enriched mantle sources were recognized in the westernmost part of the Southwestern Indian Ridge (SWIR). The enriched mantle source of the western SWIR tholeiites in the vicinity of the Bouvet Triple Junction has the isotopic ratios indicating a mixture of HIMU + EM2 in the source. The rift anomaly distinguished at 40° E displays the EM1 signature in the mantle source, which is characterized by relatively low ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (up to 17.0) and high ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr. This source may be due to mixing with material from the continental lithosphere of the ancient continent Gondwana. The material from this source can be distinguished in magmas related to the Mesozoic plume activity in Antarctica, as well as in basalts from the eastern Indian Ocean rises, which were formed by the Kerguelen plume at 100–90 Ma.
3. The geochemical heterogeneities identified in the ancient and present-day magmatic products from the western and eastern Indian Ocean are thought to reflect the geodynamic evolution of the region. In the eastern part of the ocean, the interaction of the evolving Kerguelen plume with the rift zones produced magmas with specific geochemical characteristics during the early opening of the ocean; such a dispersion of magma composition was not recognized in the western part of the ocean.

     

The tholeiite to alkalic basalt transition at Haleakala Volcano,Maui, Hawaii

Previous studies of alkalic lavas erupted during the waning growth stages (<0.9 Ma to present) of Haleakala volcano identified systematic temporal changes in isotopic and incompatible element abundance ratios. These geochemical trends reflect a mantle mixing process with a systematic change in the proportions of mixing components. We studied lavas from a 250-m-thick stratigraphic sequence in Honomanu Gulch that includes the oldest (1.1 Ma) subaerial basalts exposed at Haleakaka. The lower 200 m of section is intercalated tholeiitic and alkalic basalt with similar isotopic (Sr, Nd, Pb) and incompatible element abundance ratios (e.g., Nb/La, La/Ce, La/Sr, Hf/Sm, Ti/Eu). These lava compositions are consistent with derivation of alkalic and tholeiitic basalt by partial melting of a compositionally homogeneous, clinopyroxene-rich, garnet lherzolite source. The intercalated tholeiitic and alkalic Honomanu lavas may reflect a process which tapped melts generated in different portions of a rising plume, and we infer that the tholeiitic lavas reflect a melting range of 10% to 15%, while the intercalated alkalic lavas reflect a range of 6.5% to 8% melting. However, within the uppermost 50 m of section. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr decreases from 0.70371 to 0.70328 as eruption age decreased from 0.97 Ma to 0.78 Ma. We infer that as lava compositions changed from intercalated tholeiitic and alkalic lavas to only alkalic lavas at 0.93 Ma, the mixing proportions of source components changed with a MORB-related mantle component becoming increasingly important as eruption age decreased.     

Pb, Sr AND Nd-ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS OF PALEO AND NEO-TETHYAN OCEANIC CRUSTS IN THE EASTERN TETHYAN DOMAIN: IMPLICATION FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN-TYPE ISOTOPIC SIGNATURE

Pb, Sr AND Nd-ISOTOPIC COMPOSITIONS OF PALEO AND NEO-TETHYAN OCEANIC CRUSTS IN THE EASTERN TETHYAN DOMAIN: IMPLICATION FOR THE INDIAN OCEAN-TYPE ISOTOPIC SIGNATURE     

The Val Gabbro Plutonic Suite: A Sub-volcanic Intrusion Emplaced at the End of Flood Basalt Volcanism on the Kerguelen Archipelago

The age, petrology, major and trace element geochemistry, andSr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotopic geochemistry of basicand felsic rocks from the Val gabbro plutonic suite on the KerguelenArchipelago, Southern Indian Ocean, are used to constrain thetemporal and compositional relationships between sub-volcanicintrusions and flood basalt volcanism during the formation ofa major oceanic island. The 4 km² Val gabbro plutonic suitewas emplaced at 24·25 ± 0·15 Ma (U–Pbzircon) into 25 Ma volcanic rocks of the Southeast Province,locally producing a large zone of overlying basaltic breccia.Cumulate basic–ultrabasic rocks are the dominant lithologyin the intrusion, with horizontally layered peridotites at thebase of the exposed part of the intrusion, overlain by verticallylayered, coarse-grained plagioclase-bearing peridotites, melagabbrosand equigranular gabbros. The intrusion was formed by repeatedinjections of relatively crystal-rich and crystal-poor magmasinto an open-system magma reservoir. Strong geochemical andisotopic similarities between the fine-grained marginal microgabbrosand cross-cutting felsic rocks and the hosting mildly alkalicbasalts and trachytes of the Southeast Province indicate thatthey were derived from similar alkalic basaltic parental magmas,which were dominated by the enriched component of the Kerguelenmantle plume source. At 25 Ma, the change from tholeiitic–transitionalto mildly alkalic basalts marks the terminal stage of floodbasalt volcanism on the Kerguelen Archipelago. This compositionalchange was associated with deeper melting within the Kerguelenplume source, lower extents of melting, a decrease in magmasupply, and the emplacement of high-level intrusions such asthe Val gabbro plutonic suite. KEY WORDS: Kerguelen Archipelago; Val gabbro plutonic suite; oceanic island; gabbros; sub-volcanic intrusion; alkalinity; Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotopes     

Geochemistry and geochronology of the mafic lavas from the southeastern Ethiopian rift (the East African Rift System): assessment of models on magma sources,plume–lithosphere interaction and plume evolution

Major and trace element and isotopic ratios (Sr, Nd and Pb) are presented for mafic lavas (MgO > 4 wt%) from the southwestern Yabello region (southern Ethiopia) in the vicinity of the East African Rift System (EARS). New K/Ar dating results confirm three magmatic periods of activity in the region: (1) Miocene (12.3–10.5 Ma) alkali basalts and hawaiites, (2) Pliocene (4.7–3.6 Ma) tholeiitic basalts, and (3) Recent (1.9–0.3 Ma) basanite-dominant alkaline lavas. Trace element and isotopic characteristics of the Miocene and Quaternary lavas bear a close similarity to ocean island basalts that derived from HIMU-type sublithospheric source. The Pliocene basalts have higher Ba/Nb, La/Nb, Zr/Nb and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70395–0.70417) and less radiogenic Pb isotopic ratios (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 18.12–18.27) relative to the Miocene and Quaternary lavas, indicative of significant contribution from enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle in their sources. Intermittent upwelling of hot mantle plume in at least two cycles can explain the magmatic evolution in the southern Ethiopian region. Although plumes have been originated from a common and deeper superplume extending from the core–mantle boundary, the diversity of plume components during the Miocene and Quaternary reflects heterogeneity of secondary plumes at shallower levels connected to the African superplume, which have evolved to more homogeneous source.     

Makran ophiolitic basalts (SE Iran) record Late Cretaceous Neotethys plume-ridge interaction

ABSTRACT

The Makran complex in southeast Iran provides a spectacular subduction-related accretionary complex to understand the mechanism of oceanic accretion and the evolution of subduction zones. In this paper, we present new major and trace element data as well as isotopic compositions of mafic volcanic blocks from the Makran ophiolitic mélange complex (OMC). Our aim is to assess the genesis of these rocks and discuss their implications on the evolution of Neotethys Ocean. These volcanic blocks are composed mainly of basalts with minor trachytes. The Makran lavas are occasionally interlayered with tuff layers. Zircons from these tuffs give U-Pb ages of 95 Ma, which is well in accordance with the reposted microfossil data for the interlayered pelagic limestones with pillow lavas. Makran basalts can be geochemically subdivided into four groups; normal to transitional MORB, enriched-MORB, Plume-type MORB and alkaline (-OIB-like) basalts. The OIB-like pillow lavas are represented by high values of Th/Tb (6.3–7.4) which are higher than other basalts (group 1 = 0.3–0.8; groups 2 = 0.7–1.6; group 3 = 1.58–1.36).¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd_(t) ratios for basalts ranges from 0.51247 to 0.51292, whereas ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_(t) isotopic composition of the OMC lavas varies from 0.704433 to 0.709466. The Pb isotopic composition of the lavas are quite high, ranging from 15.49–15.66 for ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_(t), 18.09–19.12 for ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_(t) and 37.80–39.23 for ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_(t). The chemistry of these rocks suggests that they were formed most likely in an oceanic setting with clear plume-ridge interaction. These rocks can form from partial melting of a highly heterogeneous mantle source, which is extensively metasomatized with deep mantle OIB-type components. We suggest these rocks have been generated in an oceanic ridge with plume-ridge interaction, similar to the Iceland-Reykjanes Ridge, before being fragmented and accreted into the Makran accretionary complex.     

Volcanism of the Kerguelen Plateau (Indian Ocean): Composition,Evolution, and Sources

Petrographic and geochemical study of basalts in the Kerguelen Plateau basement revealed changes in the composition and character of volcanism during the development of this tectonovolcanic structure. The Kerguelen Plateau is one of the largest intraplate rises in the World Ocean. It started to form about 120 Ma ago. The age of basalts and overlying sediments shows that the plateau formation succeeded in the northwestern direction. Basalts of the Kerguelen Plateau basement are products of tholeiitic melts in terms of geochemistry, but differ from the mid-oceanic ridge basalt (MORB). They are enriched in incompatible trace elements and rare earth elements (REE) relative to MORB, and the degree of enrichment varies in basalts from different segments of the plateau. The composition of basalts does not directly depend on their age. Specific features of the plateau magmatism are commonly explained in terms of a long-living deep magma plume, which variously interacted with a depleted upper mantle source at different stages of the plateau formation. However, taking into account block morphology and deep structure of the plateau, one can suggest that the plateau volcanism was initiated by a large fault. As the volcanism prograded to the northwest, the depth of fault penetration into the mantle changed. The composition of basalts in the plateau basement was also governed by the formation depth of primary melts.     

Geochemical and Nd–Pb isotopic characteristics of the Tethyan asthenosphere: implications for the origin of the Indian Ocean mantle domain

It is unclear why the Pb, Nd, and Sr isotopic composition of the modern mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) from the Indian Ocean is different from that of the North Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. A possible explanation for this is that the Indian MORB-type isotopic signature is a long-lived regional feature of the mantle, as evidently shown by the isotopic composition of the 350 Ma MORB-like Mian-Lue northern ophiolite, which was formed in the same region presently occupied by the Indian Ocean. However, this hypothesis is in conflict with the lack of Indian MORB-type isotopic signature in a number of 150 Ma Tethyan and Indian Ocean crusts. To further constrain the origin of the Indian MORB-type isotopic signature, we analyze the geochemical and Pb, Nd, and Sr isotopic composition of representative mafic rocks from four Tethyan ophiolites ranging in age from 90 to 360 Ma. The Sr isotopic composition of the samples is unreliable due to alteration, but the age-corrected Nd and Pb isotopic ratios and geochemical data indicate that these Tethyan rocks were derived from a geochemically depleted asthenospheric source that had a clear Indian MORB-type isotopic signature. We therefore conclude that the bulk of the Indian suboceanic mantle was most probably inherited from the Tethyan asthenosphere. A few regions in both the Tethyan and Indian Oceans, however, are most probably underlain by Pacific and North Atlantic MORB-type mantle (and vice-versa) because of the flow of the asthenosphere in response to tectonic plate reorganizations that lead to openings and closures of ocean basins. The Indian MORB-type isotopic signature of the western Pacific marginal basin crusts could be due to either flow of the Indian Ocean mantle into the western Pacific or to endogenous production of such an isotopic signature from delaminated East-Asian sublithospheric materials during closure of the Tethys Ocean.     

Geochemical variations in the Cocos Plate subducting beneath Central America: implications for the composition of arc volcanism and the extent of the Galápagos Hotspot influence on the Cocos oceanic crust

New geochemical data from the Cocos Plate constrain the composition of the input into the Central American subduction zone and demonstrate the extent of influence of the Galápagos Hotspot on the Cocos Plate. Samples include sediments and basalts from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 1256 outboard of Nicaragua, gabbroic sills from ODP Sites 1039 and 1040, tholeiitic glasses from the Fisher Ridge off northwest Costa Rica, and basalts from the Galápagos Hotspot Track outboard of Central Costa Rica. Site 1256 basalts range from normal to enriched MORB in incompatible elements and have Pb and Nd isotopic compositions within the East Pacific Rise MORB field. The sediments have similar ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and only slightly more radiogenic ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb isotope ratios than the basalts. Altered samples from the subducting Galápagos Hotspot Track have similar Nd and Pb isotopic compositions to fresh Galápagos samples but have significantly higher Sr isotopic composition, indicating that the subduction input will have a distinct geochemical signature from Galápagos-type mantle material that may be present in the wedge beneath Costa Rica. Gabbroic sills from Sites 1039 and 1040 in East Pacific Rise (EPR) crust show evidence for influence of the Galápagos Hotspot ∼100 km beyond the morphological hotspot track.     

Stratigraphy and geochemistry of pillow basalts within the ophiolitic mélange of the Izmir–Ankara–Erzincan suture zone: implications for the geotectonic character of the northern branch of Neotethys

The Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan suture zone of Turkey is a broad zone of ophiolitic mélange containing numerous fragmented blocks ranging in age from Triassic to Cretaceous. Stratigraphic sequences for various mélange units are compared, together with the geochemistry of associated basaltic pillow lavas of Cretaceous age. A review of geochemical data for the pillow lavas demonstrate: (a) a dominant group of alkalic basalts with enriched incompatible elements, variable Zr/Y and Zr/Nb ratios, and (b) a range of tholeiitic basalts with slightly depleted to mildly enriched (normalized) rare earth patterns, (La/Yb)_N 0.4-3.0, and generally low Zr/Y ratios. The alkalic basalts can be chemically matched to Pacific Ocean seamounts, although the close association of red radiolarites and cherts suggests that many basalts represent the margins of such structures, rather than the main seamount edifice. Nd-Sr isotope data are typical for ocean island basalts and represent an admixture of a dominant EM-1 source and a depleted MORB-like source. Enhanced δ¹⁸O compositions are a consequence of submarine alteration and not crustal contamination. Tholeiitic compositions have affinities with both N- and E-type MORB, although most are probably representative of tholeiitic ocean islands. Overall the basalts are mainly representative of structures built on the ocean floor, rather than the oceanic crust itself, being scraped off the subducting crust and preserved in the mélange of the accretionary wedge.     

Mantle Sources and the Highly Variable Role of Continental Lithosphere in Basalt Petrogenesis of the Kerguelen Plateau and Broken Ridge LIP: Results from ODP Leg 183

Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 183 was designed to investigatethe origin and evolution of the large igneous province composedof the Kerguelen Plateau and Broken Ridge. Of the eight sitesdrilled, basalt was recovered from seven, five on the plateauand two on Broken Ridge. We present results from four of thesesites, 1136, 1138, 1141 and 1142. Although this large igneousprovince is interpreted as being derived from the Kerguelenmantle plume, the geochemical characteristics of basalt fromsome parts of the province indicate a role for continental lithosphere.The 118–119 Ma basalt flows recovered in the SouthernKerguelen Plateau (Site 1136) have a more subtle continentalsignature than shown by basalt at Leg 119 Site 738. A continentalsignature is absent in the 100–101 Ma tholeiitic basaltsat Site 1138 in the Central Kerguelen Plateau (CKP); their age-correctedNd–Sr–Pb isotopic values and incompatible elementratios are similar to those estimated for primitive mantle.These flows may represent a major mantle source in the Kerguelenstarting-plume head. The 20 basalt units identified are a productof magma chamber replenishment, fractional crystallization,and resorption of crystallizing phases. The topmost unit, Unit1, is a dacite that evolved from a basalt magma similar to thoserepresented by Units 3–22; unlike the basalts the dacitemagma was probably influenced by continental material. MiddleCretaceous (     

Geochemistry of Heard Island (Southern Indian Ocean): Characterization of an Enriched Mantle Component and Implications for Enrichment of the Sub-Indian Ocean Mantle

Lavas from Heard Island, located on the Kerguelen Plateau inthe southern Indian Ocean, exhibit the largest range (e.g.,⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.7047–0.7079) of isotopic compositions yetobserved on a single oceanic island. Isotopic compositions arewell correlated and are accompanied by systematic changes inincompatible trace element ratios, particularly those involvingNb. These variations are interpreted as resulting from mixingbetween two components. One is characterized by high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr,low ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios, and negative Nb andEu anomalies, and is derived ultimately from the upper continentalcrust. The other has lower ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, and higher ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pband ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios, and lacks the depletions in Nb and Eu.Two possible compositions are considered for the low-⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Srcomponent of the source. The first is at the low-⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr endof the Heard Island data array, represented most closely bylavas from the Laurens Peninsula. However, trace element variationssuggest that these lavas might not be representive of the Heardplume. The second is close to the low-⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr end of the isotopicarray for lavas from the main volcano. In this case a lithosphericmantle origin is suggested for the Laurens Peninsula lavas.The relationships between isotopic data, major element compositions,and incompatible trace element ratios indicate that the continent-derivedmaterial is probably present in the mantle source, where itmakes a maximum contribution of <4 wt.% for all but one HeardIsland sample. However, if the Kerguelen Plateau is a submergedcontinental block, shallow-level contamination cannot be ruledout. The binary mixing model developed to explain the Heard Islandgeochemical variations is extended to include other Indian Oceanoceanic island and mid-ocean ridge basalts (OIB and MORB). Weshow that isotopic compositions of Indian Ocean OIB are consistentwith sampling of a regional reservoir in which the same twocomponents exist in variable proportions (generally 1–5wt.% of the continent-derived component). The distinctive isotopiccompositions of Indian Ocean MORB are consistent with mixingof a similar component into an Atlantic-or Pacific-like MORBmantle source. The relatively unradiogenic ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb isotopiccompositions of these ‘enriched’ Indian Ocean mantlecomponents are unlike any present-day marine sediments and indicatethat their source has had ²³⁸U/²⁰⁴Pb ratios (µ) much lowerthan typical upper continental crust for > 1 Ga. These agespre-date the formation of Gondwana (600-130 Ma) and thereforedo not support sediment subduction beneath Gondwana as the causeof enrichment in the sub-Indian Ocean mantle. We propose thatthe enrichment of Indian Ocean OIB sources was due to subductionof upper-crustal material beneath a Proterozoic precursor ofGondwana at 1–2 Ga. The enrichment of the Indian OceanMORB sources could have had a similar origin, or could havebeen derived from sub-continental lithospheric mantle returnedto the asthenospheric mantle, perhaps during the break-up ofGondwana (200–130 Ma).