Mantle dynamics and mantle melting beneath Niuafo’ou Island and the northern Lau back-arc basin

A suite of young volcanic basaltic lavas erupted on the intra-plate island of Niuafo’ou and at active rifts and spreading centres (the King’s Triple Junction and the Northeastern Lau Spreading Centre) in the northern Lau Basin is used to examine the pattern of mantle flow and the dynamics of melting beneath this complex back-arc system. All lavas contain variable amounts of a subduction related component inherited from the Tonga subduction zone to the east. All lavas have higher ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, lower ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and more radiogenic Pb isotope compositions than basalts erupted at the Central Lau Spreading Centre in the central Lau Basin, and are interpreted as variable mixtures of subduction-modified, depleted upper mantle, and mantle residues derived from melting beneath the Samoan Islands which has leaked through a tear in the subducting Pacific Plate beneath the Vitiaz Lineament at the northern edge of the Lau Basin. Our data can be used to map out the present-day distribution of Samoan mantle in this region, and show that it influences the compositions of lavas erupted as far as 400 km from the Samoan Islands. The distribution of Samoan-influenced lavas implies south- and southwest-wards mantle flow rates of >4 cm/year. U-series disequilibria in historic Niuafo’ou lavas have average (²³⁰Th/²³⁸U) = 1.13, (²³¹Pa/²³⁵U) = 2.17, (²²⁶Ra/²³⁰Th) = 2.11, and together with major and trace element data require ∼5% partial melting of mantle at between 2 and 3 GPa, with a residual porosity of 0.002 and an upwelling rate of 1 cm year⁻¹. We suggest that intraplate magmatism in the northern Lau Basin results from decompression melting during southward flow of mantle from beneath old (110–120 Ma), relatively thick Pacific oceanic lithosphere to beneath young (<5 Ma), thinner oceanic lithosphere beneath the northern Lau Basin.     

Geochemical constraints on the contribution of Louisville seamount materials to magmagenesis in the Lau back-arc basin,SW Pacific

Seamounts are an integral part of element recycling in global subduction zones. The published trace element and Pb-Sr-Nd isotope data for basaltic lavas from three key segments (Central Lau Spreading Ridge (CLSR), Eastern Lau Spreading Ridge (ELSR), and Valu Fa Ridge (VFR)) of the Lau back-arc basin were compiled to evaluate the contribution of Louisville seamount materials to their magma genesis. Two geochemical transitions, separating three provinces with distinct geochemical characteristics independent of ridge segmentation, were identified based on abrupt geochemical shifts. The origin of the geochemical transitions was determined to be the result of drastic compositional changes of subduction components added into the mantle source, rather than the transition from Indian to Pacific mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle, or due to variable mantle fertilities. The most likely explanation for the drastic shifts in subduction input is the superimposition of Louisville materials on ‘normal’ subduction components consisting predominantly of aqueous fluids liberated from the down-going altered oceanic crust and minor pelagic sediment melts. Quantitative estimation reveals that Louisville materials contributed 0–74% and 21–83% of the Th budget, respectively, to CLSR and VFR lavas, but had no definite contribution to the lavas from the ELSR, which lies farthest away from the subducted Louisville seamount chain (LSC). The spatial association of the subducted LSC with the Louisville-affected segments suggests that the Louisville signature is regionally but not locally available in the Tonga subduction zone. Besides, the preferential melting of subducted old Cretaceous LSC crust instead of the old normal Pacific oceanic crust at similar depths implies that elevated temperature across the subduction interface or seamount erosion and rupture were required to trigger melting. A wider implication of this study, thus, is that seamount subduction may promote efficiency of element recycling in subduction zones.     

Magmatic evolution of Late Cenozoic volcanic rocks of the Lau Ridge,Fiji

Three main groups of lavas are exposed on islands of the Lau Ridge: the Lau Volcanic Group (LVG), 14.0–5.4 Ma, are predominantly andesite; Korobasaga Volcanic Group (KVG), 4.4–2.4 Ma, are predominantly basalt and Mago Volcanic Group (MVG), 2.0–0.3 Ma, are basalt-hawaiite. LVG and KVG lavas are mostly medium-K tholeiitic rocks with high LILE/HFSE ratios characteristic of islands ares, while MVG lavas are ne-normative alkalic rocks with high LILE and HFSE, characteristic of ocean island basalts. LVG lavas have high ?_Nd (+8.0–+8.4) and low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70273–0.70349) similar to N-MORB, whereas KVG lavas have slightly more radiogenic values (?_Nd=+7.5?+8.4; ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.70323-0.70397). MVG lavas form an isotopically distinct group having lower ?_Nd (+4.6–+4.9) and (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ranging from 0.70347–0.70375). LVG lavas were erupted in a primary oceanic island arc (Vitiaz arc) during the Miocene. Basaltic lavas were derived by approximately 19% partial melting of mantle wedge peridotite with only minor subduction component. Andesites and dacites were produced by low-pressure plagioclase-pyroxene-titanomagnetite dominated crystal fractionation. KVG lavas were erupted during the period immediately prior to or during the initial stages of rifting in the Lau Basin, and, like LVG lavas, show significant chemical differences at the northern and southern ends of the Lau Ridge. Lavas at the northern end (type (ii)) appear to be derived from a more depleted source than LVG but with a greater amount of subduction component. Those at the southern end (type (i)) probably came from a slightly more enriched source with less subduction component. MVG basalts and hawaiites were derived from an enriched mantle with little or no subduction input. The hawaiites (type (i)) could not have been derived from the basalts (type (ii)), and the two magma types must have come from different sources, indicating mantle heterogeneity. The lack of subduction influence indicates the MVG lavas are tectonically unrelated to the present-day Tonga arc, and the lack of depletion indicators suggests they have tapped a different (new?) part of the mantle wedge. This may reflect introduction of sub-Pacific mantle through the present Tonga-Lau subduction system.     

Magma genesis in the New Britain island-arc: Constraints from Nd and Sr isotopes and trace-element patterns

A selected suite of fresh volcanic rocks from the New Britain island arc has been analyzed for ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, major and trace elements to investigate relationships between isotopes, trace elements and petrology, and depth to the underlying Benioff zone. From these relationships inferences about magma generation are made utilizing Nd and Sr isotope systematics in possible source materials. Lavas ranging in composition from basalt to rhyolite show minimal variation of ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd. Small variations in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr do not correlate with depth to the Benioff zone, but are related to magma type. Nd-Sr isotopes suggest that island arc lavas in general are derived from a mixture of suboceanic mantle and hydrothermally altered mid-ocean ridge-type basalt, but the New Britain magma source appears homogeneous with little indication of either the involvement of oceanic crust or mantle inhomogeneity. Trace element patterns in New Britain lavas are not consistent with Nd isotope data for currently accepted petrologic and trace element models of magma genesis. Mafic lavas from New Britain and other island arcs have anomalously high Sr/Nd, possibly due to components derived from subducted oceanic crust.     

Temporal evolution of the kerguelen plume: Geochemical evidence from 38 to 82 ma lavas forming the Ninetyeast ridge

Abstract Basaltic basement has been recovered by deep-sea drilling at seven sites on the linear Ninetyeast Ridge in the eastern Indian Ocean. Studies of the recovered lavas show that this ridge formed from ~ 82 to 38 Ma as a series of subaerial volcanoes that were created by the northward migration of the Indian Plate over a fixed magma source in the mantle. The Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic ratios of lavas from the Ninetyeast Ridge range widely, but they largely overlap with those of lavas from the Kerguelen Archipelago, thereby confirming previous inferences that the Kerguelen plume was an important magma source for the Ninetyeast Ridge. Particularly important are the ~ 81 Ma Ninetyeast Ridge lavas from DSDP Site 216 which has an anomalous subsidence history (Coffin 1992). These lavas are FeTi-rich tholeiitic basalts with isotopic ratios that overlap with those of highly alkalic, Upper Miocene lavas in the Kerguelen Archipelago. The isotopic characteristics of the latter which erupted in an intraplate setting have been proposed to be the purest expression of the Kerguelen plume (Weis et al. 1993a,b). Despite the overlap in isotopic ratios, there are important compositional differences between lavas erupted on the Ninetyeast Ridge and in the Kerguelen Archipelago. The Ninetyeast Ridge lavas are dominantly tholeiitic basalts with incompatible element abundance ratios, such as La/Yb and Zr/Nb, which are intermediate between those of Indian Ocean MORB (mid-ocean ridge basalt) and the transitional to alkalic basalts erupted in the Kerguelen Archipelago. These compositional differences reflect a much larger extent of melting for the Ninetyeast Ridge lavas, and the proximity of the plume to a spreading ridge axis. This tectonic setting contrasts with that of the recent alkalic lavas in the Kerguelen Archipelago which formed beneath the thick lithosphere of the Kerguelen Plateau. From ~ 82 to 38 Ma there was no simple, systematic temporal variation of Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic ratios in Ninetyeast Ridge lavas. Therefore all of the isotopic variability cannot be explained by aging of a compositionally uniform plume. Although Class et al. (1993) propose that some of the isotopic variations reflect such aging, we infer that most of the isotopic heterogeneity in lavas from the Ninetyeast Ridge and Kerguelen Archipelago can be explained by mixing of the Kerguelen plume with a depleted MORB-like mantle component. However, with this interpretation some of the youngest, 42–44 Ma, lavas from the southern Ninetyeast Ridge which have²⁰⁶pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios exceeding those in Indian Ocean MORB and Kerguelen Archipelago lavas require a component with higher²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, such as that expressed in lavas from St. Paul Island.     

The Eastern Makran Ophiolite (SE Iran): evidence for a Late Cretaceous fore-arc oceanic crust

ABSTRACT

The nature, magmatic evolution, and geodynamic setting of both inner and outer Makran ophiolites, in SE Iran, are enigmatic. Here, we report mineral chemistry, whole-rock geochemistry, and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope composition of mantle peridotites and igneous rocks from the Eastern Makran Ophiolite (EMO) to assess the origin and tectono-magmatic evolution of the Makran oceanic realm. The EMO includes mantle peridotites (both harzburgites and impregnated lherzolites), isotropic gabbros, diabase dikes, and basaltic to andesitic pillow and massive lava flows. The Late Cretaceous pelagic limestones are found as covers of lava flows and/or interlayers between them. All ophiolite components are somehow sheared and fragmented, probably in Cenozoic time, during the emplacement of ophiolite. This event has produced a considerable extent of tectonic melange. Tectonic slices of trachy-basaltic lavas with oceanic island basalt (OIB)-like signature seal the tectonic melange. Our new geochemical data indicate a magmatic evolution from fore-arc basalt (FAB) to island-arc tholeiite (IAT)-like signatures for the Late Cretaceous EMO lavas. EMO extrusive rocks have high εNd(t) (+8 to +8.9) and isotopically are similar to the Oman lavas. This isotopic signature indicates a depleted mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle source for the genesis of these rocks, except isotopic gabbros containing lower εNd(t) (+5.1 to +5.7) and thus show higher contribution of subducted slab components in their mantle source. High ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb isotopic ratios for the EMO igneous rocks also suggest considerable involvement of slab-derived components into the mantle source of these rocks. The variable geochemical signatures of the EMO lavas are mostly similar to Zagros and Oman ophiolite magmatic rocks, although the Pb isotopic composition shows similarity to the isotopic characteristic of inner Zagros ophiolite belt. This study postulates that the EMO formed during the early stages of Neo-Tethyan subduction initiation beneath the Lut block in a proto-forearc basin. We suggest subduction initiation caused asthenospheric upwelling and thereafter melting to generate the MORB-like melts. This event left the harzburgitic residues and the MORB-like melts interacted with the surrounding peridotites to generate the impregnated lherzolites, which are quite abundant in the EMO. Therefore, these lherzolites formed due to the refertilization of mantle rocks through porous flows of MORB-like melts. The inception of subduction caused mantle wedge to be enriched slightly by the slab components. Melting of these metasomatized mantle generated isotropic gabbros and basaltic to andesitic lavas with FAB-like signature. At the later stage, higher contribution of the slab-derived components into the overlying mantle wedge causes formation of diabase dikes with supra-subduction zone – or IAT-like signatures. Trachy-basalts were probably the result of late-stage magmatism fed by the melts originated from an OIB source asthenospheric mantle due to slab break-off. This occurred after emplacement of EMO and the formation of tectonic melange.     

Magmatic evolution of a dying spreading axis: Evidence for the interaction of tectonics and mantle heterogeneity from the fossil Phoenix Ridge,Drake Passage

New ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar ages of 5.6 to 1.3 Ma for lavas from the fossil Phoenix Ridge in the Drake Passage show that magmatism continued for at least 2 Ma after the cessation of spreading at 3.3 ± 0.2 Ma. The Phoenix Ridge lavas are incompatible element-enriched relative to average MORB and show an increasing enrichment with decreasing age, corresponding to progressively decreasing degrees of partial melting of spinel peridotite after spreading stopped. The low-degree partial melts increasingly tap a mantle source with radiogenic Sr and Pb but unradiogenic Nd isotope ratios implying an ancient enrichment. The post-spreading magmas apparently form by buoyant ascent of enriched and easily fusible portions of the upper mantle. Only segments of fossil spreading ridges underlain by such enriched and fertile mantle show post-spreading volcanism frequently forming bathymetric highs. The Phoenix Ridge lavas belong to the Pacific, rather than the Atlantic, mantle domain in regional Sr–Nd–Pb space. Our new data show that the southern Pacific Ocean mantle is heterogeneous containing significant enriched portions that are preferentially tapped at low melt fractions. Isotopic mapping reveals that Pacific-type upper mantle flows eastward through Drake Passage and surrounds the subducting Phoenix Plate beneath the Bransfield Basin.     

Controls on magmatism in an island arc environment: study of lavas and sub-arc xenoliths from the Tabar–Lihir–Tanga–Feni island chain, Papua New Guinea

The Tabar–Lihir–Tanga–Feni (TLTF) islands of Papua New Guinea mainly comprise high-K calc-alkaline and silica undersaturated alkaline rocks that have geochemical features typical for subduction-related magmatism. Numerous sedimentary, mafic, and ultramafic xenoliths recovered from Tubaf seamount, located on the flank of Lihir Island, provide a unique opportunity to study the elemental and isotopic composition of the crust and mantle wedge beneath the arc and to evaluate their relationships to the arc magmatism in the region. The sedimentary and mafic xenoliths show that the crust under the islands is composed of sedimentary sequences and oceanic crust with Pacific affinity. A majority of the ultramafic xenoliths contain features indicating wide spread metasomatism in the mantle wedge under the TLTF arc. Leaching experiments reveal that the metasomatized ultramafic xenoliths contain discrete labile phases that can account for up to 50% or more of elements such as Cu, Zn, Rb, U, Pb, and light REE (rare-earth elements), most likely introduced in the xenoliths via hydrous fluids released from a subducted slab. The leaching experiments demonstrated that the light REE enrichment pattern can be more or less removed from the metasomatized xenoliths and the residual phases exhibit REE patterns that range from flat to light REE depleted. Sr–Nd isotopic data for the ultramafic residues show a coupled behavior of increasing ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr with decreasing ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios. The labile phases in the ultramafic xenoliths, represented by the leachates, show decoupling between Sr and Nd with distinctly more radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr than the residues. Both leachates and residues exhibit very wide range in their Pb isotopic compositions, indicating the involvement of three components in the mantle wedge under the TLTF islands. Two of the components can be identified as Pacific Oceanic mantle and Pacific sediments. Some of the ultramafic samples and clinopyroxene separates, however, exhibit relatively low ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb at elevated ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb suggesting that the third component is either Indian Ocean-type mantle or Australian subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Geochemical data from the ultramafic xenoliths indicate that although the mantle wedge in the area was extensively metasomatized, it did not significantly contribute to the isotopic and incompatible trace element compositions of TLTF lavas. Compared to the mantle samples, the TLTF lavas have very restricted Pb isotopic compositions that lie within the Pacific MORB range, indicating that magma compositions were dominated by melts released from a stalled subducted slab with Pacific MORB affinity. Interaction of slab melts with depleted peridotitic component in the mantle wedge, followed by crystal fractionation most likely generated the geochemical characteristics of the lavas in the area. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Isotopic Evolution of the Tonga Arc during Lau Basin Rifting; Evidence from the Volcaniclastic Record

New Pb, Sr and Nd isotope data from volcaniclastic sedimentsrecovered from the Tonga forearc and Lau Basin permit the isotopicevolution of a section of this arc system, next to the modernisland of Ata, to be traced through the backarc basin riftingprocess from 7.0 Ma to the present. The new data suggest thatthe isotopic character of the mantle wedge remains constant,and of Pacific mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) character, duringthe early rifting phase. The isotopic evidence supports traceelement data in showing an increase in the sediment contributionto arc petrogenesis about 2–3 m.y. after the start ofLau Basin rifting. Since 0.45 Ma the sediment contribution decreasedto pre-rift values with the initiation of spreading in the adjacentbackarc basin, where the high sediment influence is not seenin the isotopes. The isotopes show a relative increase in thevolcaniclastic compared with pelagic sediment involvement duringrifting. The inferred peak in sediment subduction is probablythe result of a decoupling of the two plates owing to roll-backof the Pacific lithosphere at the time of arc rifting. KEY WORDS: isotopes; Pacific; rifting; subduction; volcanism ^*Corresponding author. Telephone: (508) 289 3437. Fax: (508) 457 2187. e-mail: pclift{at}whoi.edu     

An Ordovician intra-oceanic subduction system influenced by ridge subduction in the West Junggar,Northwest China

We report elemental and Nd–Sr isotopic data for three types of Ordovician volcanic and gabbroic rocks from the Sharburti Mountains in the West Junggar (Xinjiang), Northwest China. Gabbros and Type I lavas occur in the Early Ordovician Hongguleleng ophiolite whereas Type II and III lavas are parts of the Middle Ordovician Bulukeqi Group. Gabbros and Type I lavas are tholeiites with a depleted light rare earth element (LREE) and mid-oceanic ridge basalt (MORB)-like signature with a crystallization sequence of plagioclase–clinopyroxene, suggesting formation at a mid-oceanic ridge. Type II lavas are Nb-enriched basalts (NEBs, Nb = 14–15 ppm), which have E-MORB-like REE patterns and Nb/Yb and Th/Yb ratios. They come from mantle metasomatized by slab melts. Type III lavas are further divided into two sub-types: (1) Type IIIa is tholeiitic to calc-alkaline basalts and andesites, with REE patterns that are flat or slightly LREE enriched, and with a negative Nb anomaly and Th/Yb enrichment, indicating that they were generated above a subduction zone; (2) Type IIIb is calc-alkaline basalts and andesites, which are strongly enriched in LREE with a marked negative Nb anomaly and Th/Yb enrichment, suggesting generation in a normal island-arc setting. The initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of Type III lavas range from 0.70443 to 0.70532 and ?Ndt ranges from +1.5 to +4.5, suggesting that these melts were derived from mantle wedge significantly modified by subducted material (enriched mantle I (EMI)) above a subduction zone. Contemporary tholeiitic to calc-alkaline basalt–andesite and NEB association suggest that the NEBs erupted during development of the tholeiitic to calc-alkaline arc. We propose a model of intra-oceanic subduction influenced by ridge subduction for the Ordovician tectono-magmatic evolution of the northern West Junggar.     

Evolution of alkalic lavas at Haleakala Volcano,east Maui,Hawaii

The postshield and posterosional stages of Haleakala Volcano contain intercalated alkalic basalt and evolved alkalic lavas. Isotopic and incompatible element abundance ratios in the Haleakala postshield basalts changed systematically with time, providing evidence for significant temporal changes in the mantle components contributing to the magmatic sources. Specifically, a depleted, i.e. low⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and high¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, mantle component is more abundant in younger lavas. However, as magma-production rates decreased during the postshield and posterosional stages, basaltic melts in magma reservoirs cooled and fractionated, leading to evolved residual melts such as hawaiite. Because primary basalt compositions changed with time, the evolved Haleakala lavas formed from a range of parental compositions. However, basalts and evolved lavas of similar age and isotopic ratios (Sr and Nd) have major and trace element contents that are consistent with a crystal-fractionation model. Although alkalic basalt and hawaiite are the dominant lavas of the postshield stages of both Haleakala and Mauna Kea volcanoes, there are important differences between their lavas. For example, compositional differences between the hawaiite suites at Haleakala and Mauna Kea indicate that, on average, the evolved lavas at Haleakala formed at lower pressures. Also, at Haleakala basalts are intercalated with hawaiites, whereas at Mauna Kea basalts and hawaiites are separated by a sharp boundary. These differences probably reflect a higher magma supply rate to the Haleakala volcano.     

Petrology and geochemistry of basalts from the American-Antarctic Ridge,Southern Ocean: implications for the westward influence of the Bouvet mantle plume

Ridge segments and fracture zones from the American-Antarctic Ridge have been systematically dredge sampled from 4° W to 18° W. Petrographic studies of the dredged basalts show that the dominant basalt variety is olivine-plagioclase basalt, although olivine-plagioclase-clinopyroxene basalt is relatively common at some localities. Selected samples have been analysed for major and trace elements, rare earth elements and Sr and Nd isotopes. These data show that the majority of samples are slightly evolved (Mg#=69-35) N-type MORB, although a small group of samples from a number of localities have enriched geochemical characteristics (T- and P-type MORB).These different types of MORB are readily distinguished in terms of their incompatible trace element and isotopic characteristics: N-type MORB have high Zr/Nb (17–78), Y/Nb (4.6–23) and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.51303–0.51308) ratios, low Zr/Y (2.2–4.2) and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70263–0.70295) ratios and have (La/Sm)_N<1.0; T-type MORB have lower than chondritic Zr/Nb ratios (8.8–15.5), relatively low Y/Nb (1.9–4.3) and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.51296–0.51288) ratios and relatively high Zr/Y (3.1–4.7), ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70307–0.70334) and (La/Sm)_N (1.1–1.5) ratios; the single sample of P-type MORB has low Zr/Nb (6.3), Y/Nb (0.9) and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.51287) ratios and high Zr/Y (7.1), ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70351) and (La/Sm)_N (2.4) ratios. The geochemical characteristics of this sample are essentially identical to those of the Bouvet Island lavas.Geochemically enriched MORB are less abundant on the American-Antarctic Ridge than on the Southwest Indian Ridge but their geochemical characteristics are identical. The compositions of T- and P-type MORB are consistent with a regional mixing model involving normal depleted mantle and Bouvet plume type magma. On a local scale the composition of T-type MORB is consistent with derivation from depleted mantle which contains 4% veins of P-type melt.We propose a model for the evolution of the American-Antarctic Ridge lavas in which N-type MORB is derived from mantle with negligible to low vein/mantle ratios, T-type MORB is derived from domains with moderate and variable vein/mantle ratios and P-type MORB from regions with very high vein/mantle ratios where vein material comprises the major portion of the melt. The sparse occurrence of enriched lavas and by implication enriched mantle beneath the American-Antarctic Ridge, some distance (500–1,200 km) from the Bouvet plume location, is interpreted to be the result of lateral dispersion of enriched mantle domains by asthenospheric flow away from the Bouvet mantle plume towards the American-Antarctic Ridge.     

The Pushtashan juvenile suprasubduction zone assemblage of Kurdistan (northeastern Iraq): A Cretaceous (Cenomanian) Neo-Tethys missing link

The Pushtashan suprasubduction zone assemblage of volcanic rocks, gabbros, norites and peridotites occurs in the Zagros suture zone, Kurdistan region, northeastern Iraq. Volcanic rocks are dominant in the assemblage and consist mainly of basalt and basaltic andesite flows with interlayered red shale and limestone horizons. Earlier lavas tend to be MORB-like, whereas later lavas display island arc tholeiite to boninitic geochemical characteristics. Tholeiitic gabbros intrude the norites and display fractionation trends typical of crystallisation under low-pressure conditions, whereas the norites display calc-alkaline traits, suggesting their source included mantle metasomatised by fluids released from subducted oceanic crust. Enrichment of Rb, Ba, Sr, Th and the presence of negative Nb anomalies indicate generation in a suprasubduction zone setting. Trondhjemite and granodiorite intrusions are present in the volcanic rocks, gabbros and norites. SHRIMP U-Pb dating of magmatic zircons from a granodiorite yields a mean~(206)Pb/~(238)U age of 96.0 ±2.0 Ma(Cenomanian). The initial ε_(Hf) value for the zircons show a narrow range from +12.8 to+15.6, with a weighted mean of + 13.90±0.96. This initial value is within error of model depleted mantle at 96 Ma or slightly below that, in the field of arc rocks with minimal contamination by older continental crust. The compositional bimodality of the Pushtashan suprasubduction sequence suggests seafloor spreading during the initiation of subduction, with a lava stratigraphy from earlyerupted MORB transitioning into calc-alkaline lavas and finally by 96 Ma intrusion of granodioritic and trondhjemitic bodies with juvenile crustal isotopic signatures. The results confirm another Cretaceous arc remnant preserved as an allochthon within the Iraqi segment of the Cenozoic Zagros suture zone. Implications for the closure of Neo-Tethys are discussed.     

Chemistry of hot springs along the Eastern Lau Spreading Center

The Eastern Lau Spreading Center (ELSC) is the southernmost part of the back-arc spreading axis in the Lau Basin, west of the Tonga trench and the active Tofua volcanic arc. Over its 397-km length it exhibits large and systematic changes in spreading rate, magmatic/tectonic processes, and proximity to the volcanic arc. In 2005, we collected 81 samples of vent water from six hydrothermal fields along the ELSC. The chemistry of these waters varies both within and between vent fields, in response to changes in substrate composition, temperature and pressure, pH, water/rock ratio, and input from magmatic gases and subducted sediment. Hot-spring temperatures range from 229° to 363 °C at the five northernmost fields, with a general decrease to the south that is reversed at the Mariner field. The southernmost field, Vai Lili, emitted water at up to 334 °C in 1989 but had a maximum venting temperature of only 121 °C in 2005, due to waning activity and admixture of bottom seawater into the subseafloor plumbing system. Chloride varies both within fields and from one field to another, from a low of 528 mmol/kg to a high of 656 mmol/kg, and may be enriched by phase separation and/or leaching of Cl from the rock. Concentrations of the soluble elements K, Rb, Cs, and B likewise increase southward as the volcanic substrate becomes more silica-rich, especially on the Valu Fa Ridge. Iodine and δ⁷Li increase southward, and δ¹¹B decreases as B increases, apparently in response to increased input from subducted sediment as the arc is approached. Species that decrease southward as temperature falls are Si, H₂S, Li, Na/Cl, Fe, Mn, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, whereas pH, alkalinity, Ca, and Sr increase. Oxygen isotopes indicate a higher water/rock ratio in the three systems on Valu Fa Ridge, consistent with higher porosity in more felsic volcanic rocks. Vent waters at the Mariner vent field on the Valu Fa Ridge are significantly hotter, more acid and metal-rich, less saline, and richer in dissolved gases and other volatiles, including H₂S, CO₂, and F, than the other vent fields, consistent with input of magmatic gases. The large variations in geologic and geophysical parameters produced by back-arc spreading along the ELSC, which exceed those along mid-ocean ridge spreading axes, produce similar large variations in the composition of vent waters, and thus provide new insights into the processes that control the chemistry of submarine hot springs.     

Geochemistry of Quaternary lavas from NE Sulawesi: transfer of subduction components into the mantle wedge

Major and trace element, and Sr-Nd isotope compositions were determined for Quaternary volcanic rocks from NE Sulawesi (the Sangihe are), Indonesia, in order to examine the origin of across-arc variation in lava and magma source chemistry. The arc is formed in an intraoceanic tectonic setting and is not associated with a backarc basin, thereby minimizing possible contributions from non-arc geochemical reservoirs. The geochemistry of these arc lavas is likely to provide essential information about the chemical characteristics of subduction components. All incompatible elements, except Pb, increase away from the volcancic front. Major element data for Mg-rich lavas together with available experimental data, suggest that primary magmas are produced at higher pressured by smaller degrees of partial melting beneath the backarc-side volcanoes. Rb/K and Ba/Pb are higher, and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd are lower in backarc-side lavas. These variations may be attributed to generation of hydrous fluids in the downdragged hydrous peridotite layer at the base of the mantle wedge through the following reactions: decompositions of pargasitic amphibole to form phlogopite and breakdown of phlogopite to crystallize K-richterite, beneath the volcanic front and the backarc-side volcanoes, respectively.     

Contributions of Slab Fluid, Mantle Wedge and Crust to the Origin of Quaternary Lavas in the NE Japan Arc

Quaternary lavas from the NE Japan arc show geochemical evidenceof mixing between mantle-derived basalts and crustal melts atthe magmatic front, whereas significant crustal signals arenot detected in the rear-arc lavas. The along-arc chemical variationsin lavas from the magmatic front are attributable almost entirelyto geochemical variations in the crustal melts that were mixedwith a common mantle-derived basalt. The mantle-derived basaltshave slightly enriched Sr–Pb and depleted Nd isotopiccompositions relative to the rear-arc lavas, but the variationis less pronounced if crustal contributions are eliminated.Therefore, the source mantle compositions and slab-derived fluxesare relatively uniform, both across and along the arc. Despitethis, incompatible element concentrations are significantlyhigher in the rear-arc basalts. We examine an open-system, fluid-fluxedmelting model, assuming that depleted mid-ocean ridge basalt(MORB)-source mantle melted by the addition of fluids derivedfrom subducted oceanic crust (MORB) and sediment (SED) hybridsat mixing proportions of 7% and 3% SED in the frontal- and rear-arcsources, respectively. The results reproduce the chemical variationsfound across the NE Japan arc with the conditions: 0·2%fluid flux with degree of melting F = 3% at 2 GPa in the garnetperidotite field for the rear arc, and 0·7% fluid fluxwith F = 20% at 1 GPa in the spinel peridotite field beneaththe magmatic front. The chemical process operating in the mantlewedge requires: (1) various SED–MORB hybrid slab fluidsources; (2) variable amounts of fluid; (3) a common depletedmantle source; (4) different melting parameters to explain across-arcchemical variations. KEY WORDS: arc magma; crustal melt; depleted mantle; NE Japan; Quaternary; slab fluid     

Cross-arc geochemical variations in volcanic fields in Honduras C.A.: progressive changes in source with distance from the volcanic front

A geochemical traverse across Honduras reveals the heterogeneity of the mantle underneath Central America. Alkali basalts from Lake Yojoa (170 km behind the front) have low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr but high La/Yb, and elevated incompatible trace element abundances, consistent with derivation from a normal mid-ocean ridge basalt source mantle via low degrees of melting. These lavas lack evidence for an enriched source thought to be intermingled with normal mid-ocean ridge basalt source mantle beneath most of Central America. The amplitude of the subducted slab signature decreases smoothly with distance from the volcanic front. Lavas from Zacate Grande, the area nearest to the volcanic front (17 km behind the arc), display large ion lithophile element enrichment and high field strength element depletion indicating the involvement of subducted material in magma genesis. Components of subducted material are not evident in lavas from Lake Yojoa, the area furthest from the arc. Basalts and basaltic andesites from Tegucigalpa, 102 km behind the volcanic front, are geochemically intermediate between those of Lake Yojoa and Zacate Grande. The lavas from Tegucigalpa show a decreased influence of the subduction component, and are affected by assimilation-fractional crystallization processes at shallow depths. The gradual decrease in the subducted component from the volcanic front to Zacate Grande, Tegucigalpa and finally Lake Yojoa contrasts with the abrupt decrease documented for southeast Guatemala, the only other area in Central America where a cross-arc transect has been studied. Received: 1 July 1995 / Accepted: 16 July 1997     

Petrogenesis of isotopically unusual Pliocene olivine leucitites from Deep Springs Valley, California

High-K mafic alkalic lavas (5.4 to 3.2 wt% K₂O) from Deep Springs Valley, California define good correlations of increasing incompatible element (e.g., Sr, Zr, Ba, LREE) and compatible element contents (e.g., Ni, Cr) with increasing MgO. Strontium and Nd isotope compositions are also correlated with MgO; ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios decrease and ɛ_Nd values increase with decreasing MgO. The Sr and Nd isotope compositions of these lavas are extreme compared to most other continental and oceanic rocks; ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios range from 0.7121 to 0.7105 and ɛ_Nd values range from −16.9 to −15.4. Lead isotope ratios are relatively constant, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ∼17.2, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ∼15.5, and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ∼38.6. Depleted mantle model ages calculated using Sr and Nd isotopes imply that the reservoir these lavas were derived from has been distinct from the depleted mantle reservoir since the early Proterozoic. The Sr-Nd-Pb isotope variations of the Deep Springs Valley lavas are unique because they do not plot along either the EM I or EM II arrays. For example, most basalts that have low ɛ_Nd values and unradiogenic ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios have relatively low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (the EM I array), whereas basalts with low ɛ_Nd values and high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios have radiogenic ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios (the EM II array). High-K lavas from Deep Springs Valley have EM II-like Sr and Nd isotope compositions, but EM I-like Pb isotope compositions. A simple method for producing the range of isotopic and major- and trace-element variations in the Deep Springs Valley lavas is by two-component mixing between this unusual K-rich mantle source and a more typical depleted mantle basalt. We favor passage of MORB-like magmas that partially fused and were contaminated by potassic magmas derived from melting high-K mantle veins that were stored in the lithospheric mantle. The origin of the anomalously high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios and low ɛ_Nd values and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios requires addition of an old component with high Rb/Sr and Th/Pb ratios but low Sm/Nd and U/Pb ratios into the mantle source region from which these basalts were derived. This old component may be sediments that were introduced into the mantle, either during Proterozoic subduction, or by foundering of Proterozoic age crust into the mantle at some time prior to eruption of the lavas. Received: 28 February 1997 / Accepted: 9 July 1998     

Isotopic constraints on the Easter Seamount Chain source

New isotopic data (Sr, Nd and Pb) for lavas from Easter and Salas y Gomez Islands, and nine seamounts along the length of the Easter Seamount Chain (ESC) to the east of these islands, exhibit a regular behavior that is consistent with two-component mixing between a MORB-like source and more enriched mantle (the Easter Plume source) characterized by relatively radiogenic Pb and unradiogenic Sr. Based on the linearity of mixing trends on the isotope diagrams, the plume source appears to have maintained approximately the same isotopic composition over the 20 to 30 Ma history of the Easter Plume sampled by the seamounts. In current nomenclature, the plume source resembles a mix of predominantly HIMU mantle with a small amount of EMI. The proportions of MORB and plume source mantle sampled by the lavas erupted along the ESC vary in a systematic way, with Easter Island and seamounts to the west containing larger fractions of the MORB component than Salas y Gomez Island and the older seamounts to the east. This variability is probably a reflection of the nearness to the spreading center, and therefore lithospheric thickness, at the time of volcanism Received: 27 April 1998 / Accepted: 11 December 1998     

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.