Petrogenesis of the Swaziland and Northern Natal Rhyolites of the Lebombo Rifted Volcanic Margin, South East Africa

The Jozini and Mbuluzi rhyolites and Oribi Beds of the southernLebombo Monocline, southeastern Africa, have geochemical characteristicsthat indicate they were derived by partial melting of a mixtureof high-Ti/Zr and low-Ti/Zr Sabie River Basalt Formation types.Compositional variations within the different rhyolite typescan largely be explained by subsequent fractional crystallization.The Sr- and Nd-isotope composition of the rhyolites is uniqueamongst Gondwana silicic large igneous provinces, having _Ndvalues close to Bulk Earth (–0·94 to 0·35)and low, but more variable, initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0·7034–0·7080).Quartz phenocryst ¹⁸O values indicate that the rhyolite magmashad ¹⁸O values between 5·3 and 6·7, consistentwith derivation from a basaltic protolith with ¹⁸O values between4·8 and 6·2. The low-¹⁸O rhyolites (< 6·0)come from the same stratigraphic horizon and are overlain andunderlain by rhyolites with more ‘normal’ ¹⁸O magmavalues. These low-¹⁸O rhyolites cannot have been produced byfractional crystallization or partial melting of mantle-derivedbasaltic material. The rhyolites have low water contents, makingit unlikely that the low ¹⁸O values are the result of post-emplacementalteration. Modification of the source by fluid–rock interactionat elevated temperatures is the most plausible mechanism forlowering the ¹⁸O magma value. It is proposed that the low-¹⁸Orhyolites were derived by melting of earlier altered rhyolitein calderas situated to the east, which were not preserved afterGondwana break-up. KEY WORDS: rhyolite; Lebombo; stable and radiogenic isotopes; low-¹⁸O magmas; partial melting     

Genesis of Ultramafic Lamprophyres and Carbonatites at Aillik Bay, Labrador: a Consequence of Incipient Lithospheric Thinning beneath the North Atlantic Craton

Numerous dykes of ultramafic lamprophyre (aillikite, mela-aillikite,damtjernite) and subordinate dolomite-bearing carbonatite withU–Pb perovskite emplacement ages of 590–555 Ma occurin the vicinity of Aillik Bay, coastal Labrador. The ultramaficlamprophyres principally consist of olivine and phlogopite phenocrystsin a carbonate- or clinopyroxene-dominated groundmass. Ti-richprimary garnet (kimzeyite and Ti-andradite) typically occursat the aillikite type locality and is considered diagnosticfor ultramafic lamprophyre–carbonatite suites. Titanianaluminous phlogopite and clinopyroxene, as well as comparativelyAl-enriched but Cr–Mg-poor spinel (Cr-number < 0.85),are compositionally distinct from analogous minerals in kimberlites,orangeites and olivine lamproites, indicating different magmageneses. The Aillik Bay ultramafic lamprophyres and carbonatiteshave variable but overlapping ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i ratios (0·70369–0·70662)and show a narrow range in initial _Nd (+0·1 to +1·9)implying that they are related to a common type of parentalmagma with variable isotopic characteristics. Aillikite is closestto this primary magma composition in terms of MgO (15–20wt %) and Ni (200–574 ppm) content; the abundant groundmasscarbonate has ¹³C_PDB between –5·7 and –5,similar to primary mantle-derived carbonates, and ¹⁸O_SMOW from9·4 to 11·6. Extensive melting of a garnet peridotitesource region containing carbonate- and phlogopite-rich veinsat 4–7 GPa triggered by enhanced lithospheric extensioncan account for the volatile-bearing, potassic, incompatibleelement enriched and MgO-rich nature of the proto-aillikitemagma. It is argued that low-degree potassic silicate to carbonatiticmelts from upwelling asthenosphere infiltrated the cold baseof the stretched lithosphere and solidified as veins, therebycrystallizing calcite and phlogopite that were not in equilibriumwith peridotite. Continued Late Neoproterozoic lithosphericthinning, with progressive upwelling of the asthenosphere beneatha developing rift branch in this part of the North Atlanticcraton, caused further veining and successive remelting of veinsplus volatile-fluxed melting of the host fertile garnet peridotite,giving rise to long-lasting hybrid ultramafic lamprophyre magmaproduction in conjunction with the break-up of the Rodinia supercontinent.Proto-aillikite magma reached the surface only after coatingthe uppermost mantle conduits with glimmeritic material, whichcaused minor alkali loss. At intrusion level, carbonate separationfrom this aillikite magma resulted in fractionated dolomite-bearingcarbonatites (¹³C_PDB –3·7 to –2·7)and carbonate-poor mela-aillikite residues. Damtjernites maybe explained by liquid exsolution from alkali-rich proto-aillikitemagma batches that moved through previously reaction-lined conduitsat uppermost mantle depths. KEY WORDS: liquid immiscibility; mantle-derived magmas; metasomatism, Sr–Nd isotopes; U–Pb geochronology     

Leucocratic and Gabbroic Xenoliths from Hualalai Volcano, Hawai'i

A diverse range of crustal xenoliths is hosted in young alkalibasalt lavas and scoria deposits (erupted 3–5 ka) at thesummit of Huallai. Leucocratic xenoliths, including monzodiorites,diorites and syenogabbros, are distinctive among Hawaiian plutonicrocks in having alkali feldspar, apatite, zircon and biotite,and evolved mineral compositions (e.g. albitic feldspar, clinopyroxeneMg-number 67–78). Fine-grained diorites and monzodioritesare plutonic equivalents of mugearite lavas, which are unknownat Huallai. These xenoliths appear to represent melt compositionsfalling along a liquid line of descent leading to trachyte—amagma type which erupted from Huallai as a prodigious lava flowand scoria cone at 114 ka. Inferred fractionating assemblages,MELTS modeling, pyroxene geobarometry and whole-rock norms allpoint to formation of the parent rocks of the leucocratic xenolithsat 3–7 kbar pressure. This depth constraint on xenolithformation, coupled with a demonstrated affinity to hypersthene-normativebasalt and petrologic links between the xenoliths and the trachyte,suggests that the shift from shield to post-shield magmatismat Huallai was accompanied by significant deepening of the activemagma reservoir and a gradual transition from tholeiitic toalkalic magmas. Subsequent differentiation of transitional basaltsby fractional crystallization was apparently both extreme—culminatingin >5·5 km³ of trachyte—and rapid, at 2·75x 10⁶ m³ magma crystallized/year. KEY WORDS: geothermobarometry; magma chamber; xenolith; cumulate; intensive parameters     

Fluid--Rock Interaction during Low-Pressure Polymetamorphism of the Reynolds Range Group, Central Australia

Marbles and metapelites from the Reynolds Range Group (centralAustralia) were regionally metamorphosed at low pressure duringM₂ at 1.6 Ga, M₂ ranged in grade from greenschist to granulitefacies along the length of the Reynolds Range, and overprinted1.78 Ga granites and their contact aureoles in the ReynoldsRange Group metasediments. At all M₂ grades the marbles andmetapelites have highly variable oxygen isotope ratios [marbles:¹⁸O(carb) 14–20%; metapelites: ¹⁸O 6–14%). Similarly, 1.78 Ga granites have highly variable oxygen isotope ratios(¹⁸O 5–13%), with the lowest values occurring at thegranite margins. In all rock types, the lowest oxygen isotopevalues are consistent with the infiltration of channelled magmaticand/or meteoric fluids. The variable lowering of oxygen isotopevalues resulted from pre-M₂ contact metamorphism and fluid—rockinteraction around the 1.78 Ga granites. In contrast, mineralassemblages in the marbles define a trend of increasing X_CO2with increasing grade from <0.05 (greenschist facies) to0.7–1.0 (granulite facies). This, together with the lackof regionally systematic resetting of oxygen isotope ratios,implies that there was little fluid—rock interaction duringprograde regional metamorphism. KEY WORDS: low pressure; polymetamorphism; fluids; stable isotopes; petrology ^*Corresponding author Fax: 61–3–94791272. e-mail: geoisb{at}lure.latrobe.edu.au     

Hafnium Isotope and Trace Element Constraints on the Nature of Mantle Heterogeneity beneath the Central Southwest Indian Ridge (13{degrees}E to 47{degrees}E)

Hafnium isotope and incompatible trace element data are presentedfor a suite of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) from 13 to 47°Eon the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR), one of the slowest spreadingand most isotopically heterogeneous mid-ocean ridges. Variationsin Nd–Hf isotope compositions and Lu/Hf ratios clearlydistinguish an Atlantic–Pacific-type MORB source, presentwest of 26°E, characterized by relatively low _Hf valuesfor a given _Nd relative to the regression line through all Nd–Hfisotope data for oceanic basalts (termed the ‘Nd–Hfmantle array line’; the deviation from this line is termed_Hf) and low Lu/Hf ratios, from an Indian Ocean-type MORB signature,present east of 32°E, characterized by relatively high _Hfvalues and Lu/Hf ratios. Additionally, two localized, isotopicallyanomalous areas, at 13–15°E and 39–41°E,are characterized by distinctly low negative and high positive_Hf values, respectively. The low _Hf MORB from 13 to 15°Eappear to reflect contamination by HIMU-type mantle from thenearby Bouvet mantle plume, whereas the trace element and isotopiccompositions of MORB from 39 to 41°E are most consistentwith contamination by metasomatized Archean continental lithosphericmantle. Relatively small source-melt fractionation of Lu/Hfrelative to Sm/Nd, compared with MORB from faster-spreadingridges, argues against a significant role for garnet pyroxenitein the generation of most central SWIR MORB. Correlations between_Hf and Sr and Pb isotopic and trace element ratios clearly delineatea high-_Hf ‘Indian Ocean mantle component’ that canexplain the isotope composition of most Indian Ocean MORB asmixtures between this component and a heterogeneous Atlantic–Pacific-typeMORB source. The Hf, Nd and Sr isotope compositions of IndianOcean MORB appear to be most consistent with the hypothesisthat this component represents fragments of subduction-modifiedlithospheric mantle beneath Proterozoic orogenic belts thatfoundered into the nascent Indian Ocean upper mantle duringthe Mesozoic breakup of Gondwana. KEY WORDS: mid-ocean ridge basalt; isotopes; incompatible elements; Indian Ocean     

Geochemical Constraints on the Petrogenesis of Diamond Facies Pyroxenites from the Beni Bousera Peridotite Massif, North Morocco

The petrogenesis of pyroxenite layers within the Beni Bouseraperidotite massif is investigated by means of elemental andNd-Sr-Pb-O-S isotope analyses. The light rare earth element(LREE) depleted nature of many of the pyroxenites, their widevariation in composition, and lack of correlation between incompatibleelements and fractionation indices preclude them from representingcrystallized melts from a peridotitic source. The physical characteristicsof the pyroxenites and their large (greater than a factor of20) range in Ni rule out partial melting as the cause of theirpetrological and geochemical diversity. Major and compatibletrace element geochemistry is consistent with formation of mostof the pyroxenite suite via high-pressure crystal segregationin magma conduits intruding the peridotites. These magmas crystallizedclinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, and garnet. The pressure of crystallizationis constrained to be above {small tilde}45 kbar from the presenceof graphitized diamonds in pyroxenite layers. Lack of correlationbetween fractionation indices and highly incompatible elementsand the wide variation in incompatible element abundances suggestthat the suite did not form from genetically related magmas.The presence of positive and negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* =0•54–2•0) in pyroxenites which crystallizedat pressures much greater than the plagioclase stability field({small tilde} 45 kbar) suggests that the parental magmas originatedfrom precursors which formed in the crust. Oxygen isotope compositionsof coexisting minerals in the pyroxenites indicate high-temperatureequilibration but ¹⁸O values vary from +4•9 to + 9•3,ruling out their derivation from the host peridotites or othernormal mantle sources. The extreme O-isotope variation, togetherwith ³⁴S values of up to + 13 in sulphides included within CPXstrongly suggests that the melts from which the pyroxenitescrystallized were derived from hydrothermally altered, subductedoceanic lithosphere. Extreme initial radiogenic isotope variationin the pyroxenites (_Nd + 26 to –9 , ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr 0•7025–0•7110,²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb 18•21–19•90) support such an originbut also require a component with ancient, high U/Pb and Th/Pbin their source to explain the high 7/4 and 8/4 values of somepyroxenites. This component may be subducted hemi-pelagic sediment.Further evidence for a sediment component in the pyroxenitesis provided by isotopically light carbon in the graphite pyroxenites(¹³C–16 to – 28). Parentdaughter isotopes in thepyroxenites are strongly decoupled, making estimation of formationages speculative. The decoupling occurred recently (<200Ma), probably as a result of partial melting associated withdiapiric upwelling and emplacement of the massif into the crustfrom the diamond stability field. This late partial meltingevent further depleted the pyroxenites in incompatible elements.The variably altered nature of the subducted protolith and complexhistory of trace element fractionation of the pyroxenites haslargely obscured geochemical mixing trends. However, Nd–Pbisotope systematics indicate that incorporation of the componentwith high U/Pb–Th/Pb occurred relatively recently (<200Ma) for some pyroxenites. Other pyroxenites do not show evidencefor incorporation of such a component and may be substantiallyolder. Tectonic, geophysical, and isotopic constraints indicateformation of the pyroxenites in the mantle wedge above a subductingslab during the Cretaceous. Physical and chemical evidence forhigh-pressure fractionation seen in most of the pyroxenitesprecludes them from simply representing ancient subducted oceaniclithosphere, thinned by diffusion. However, the petrologicaland isotopic diversity of the massif support the concept ofa ‘marble cake’ mantle capable of producing theobserved geochemical diversity seen in oceanic magmas. *Present Address: Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, 5241 Broad Branch Road, N.W., Washington, DC 20015 Present address: Department of Geological Sciences, 1066 C.C. Little Building, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109     

Oxygen Isotope Geochemistry of the Lassen Volcanic Center, California: Resolving Crustal and Mantle Contributions to Continental Arc Magmatism

This study reports oxygen isotope ratios determined by laserfluorination of mineral separates (mainly plagioclase) frombasaltic andesitic to rhyolitic composition volcanic rocks eruptedfrom the Lassen Volcanic Center (LVC), northern California.Plagioclase separates from nearly all rocks have ¹⁸O values(6·1–8·4) higher than expected for productionof the magmas by partial melting of little evolved basalticlavas erupted in the arc front and back-arc regions of the southernmostCascades during the late Cenozoic. Most LVC magmas must thereforecontain high ¹⁸O crustal material. In this regard, the ¹⁸O valuesof the volcanic rocks show strong spatial patterns, particularlyfor young rhyodacitic rocks that best represent unmodified partialmelts of the continental crust. Rhyodacitic magmas erupted fromvents located within 3·5 km of the inferred center ofthe LVC have consistently lower ¹⁸O values (average 6·3± 0·1) at given SiO₂ contents relative to rockserupted from distal vents (>7·0 km; average 7·1± 0.1). Further, magmas erupted from vents situated attransitional distances have intermediate values and span a largerrange (average 6·8 ± 0·2). Basaltic andesiticto andesitic composition rocks show similar spatial variations,although as a group the ¹⁸O values of these rocks are more variableand extend to higher values than the rhyodacitic rocks. Thesefeatures are interpreted to reflect assimilation of heterogeneouslower continental crust by mafic magmas, followed by mixingor mingling with silicic magmas formed by partial melting ofinitially high ¹⁸O continental crust (9·0) increasinglyhybridized by lower ¹⁸O (6·0) mantle-derived basalticmagmas toward the center of the system. Mixing calculationsusing estimated endmember source ¹⁸O values imply that LVC magmascontain on a molar oxygen basis approximately 42 to 4% isotopicallyheavy continental crust, with proportions declining in a broadlyregular fashion toward the center of the LVC. Conversely, the¹⁸O values of the rhyodacitic rocks suggest that the continentalcrust in the melt generation zones beneath the LVC has beensubstantially modified by intrusion of mantle-derived basalticmagmas, with the degree of hybridization ranging on a molaroxygen basis from approximately 60% at distances up to 12 kmfrom the center of the system to 97% directly beneath the focusregion. These results demonstrate on a relatively small scalethe strong influence that intrusion of mantle-derived maficmagmas can have on modifying the composition of pre-existingcontinental crust in regions of melt production. Given thisresult, similar, but larger-scale, regional trends in magmacompositions may reflect an analogous but more extensive processwherein the continental crust becomes progressively hybridizedbeneath frontal arc localities as a result of protracted intrusionof subduction-related basaltic magmas. KEY WORDS: oxygen isotopes; phenocrysts; continental arc magmatism; Cascades; Lassen     

Oxygen Isotope Evidence for Chemical Interaction of Ki lauea Historical Magmas with Basement Rocks

Klauea historical summit lavas have a wide range in matrix ¹⁸O_VSMOWvalues (4·9–5·6) with lower values in rockserupted following a major summit collapse or eruptive hiatus.In contrast, ¹⁸O values for olivines in most of these lavasare nearly constant (5·1 ± 0·1). The disequilibriumbetween matrix and olivine ¹⁸O values in many samples indicatesthat the lower matrix values were acquired by the magma afterolivine growth, probably just before or during eruption. BothMauna Loa and Klauea basement rocks are the likely sources ofthe contamination, based on O, Pb and Sr isotope data. However,the extent of crustal contamination of Klauea historical magmasis probably minor (< 12%, depending on the assumed contaminant)and it is superimposed on a longer-term, cyclic geochemicalvariation that reflects source heterogeneity. Klauea's heterogeneoussource, which is well represented by the historical summit lavas,probably has magma ¹⁸O values within the normal mid-ocean ridgebasalt mantle range (5·4–5·8) based on thenew olivine ¹⁸O values. KEY WORDS: Hawaii; Klauea; basalt; oxygen isotopes; crustal contamination     

The Ni-S System and Related Minerals

The system Ni-S has been studied systematically from 200^? to1, 030^? C by means of evacuated, sealed silica-glass tube experimentsand differential thermal analyses. Compounds in the system areNi₃S₂ (and a high temperature, non-quenchable Ni_3?S₂ phase),Ni₇S₆, Ni₁–S₄ Ni₃S₄, and NiS₂. The geologic occurrenceof the minerals heazlewoodite (Ni₂S₂), millerite (ßSNi₁-₂S),polydymite (Ni₃S₄), and vaesite (NiS₂) can now be describedin terms of the stability ranges of their synthetic equivalents. Hexagonal heazlewoodite, which is stoichiometric within thelimit of error of the experiments, inverts on heating to a tetragonalor pseudotetragonal phase at 556^? C. This high-temperature phase(Ni₃ has a wide field of stability, from 23.5 to 30.5 wt percent sulfur at 600^? C, and melts incongruently at 806^??3^? C.The ßNi₇S₆ phase inverts to Ni₇₈ at 397^? C6 when inequilibrium with Ni₃S₂, and at 400^? C when in equilibrium withNiS. Crystals of Ni₇S₆ break down to Ni₃-S₂+NiS at 573^??3^?C.The low-temperature form of Ni₁-S₁ corresponding to the mineralmillerite, is rhombohedral, and the high-temperature form hasthe hexagonal NiAs structure. Stoichiometric NiS inverts at379^??3^?C, whereas Ni₁-S with the maximum nickel deficiency invertsat 282^??5OC. The Ni₁-alphS-NiS₂ solvus was determined to 985^??3^?C,the eutectic temperature of these phases. Stoichiometric NiSis stable at 600^?C but breaks down to Ni₂-S₂ and Ni₁-S below797^?C, whereas Ni₁-S with 38.2 wt per cent sulfur melts congruentlyat 992^??3^?C. Vaesite does not vary measurably from stoichiometricNiS₂ composition, and melts congruently at 1.007?5^?C. Polydymitebreaks down to aNi-S? vaesite at 356^??3^?C. Differential thermalanalyses showed the existence of a two-liquid field in the sulfur-richportion of the system above 991^?C and over a wide compositionalrange.     

The Gronnedal-Ika Carbonatite-Syenite Complex, South Greenland: Carbonatite Formation by Liquid Immiscibility

The Grønnedal-Ika complex is dominated by layered nephelinesyenites which were intruded by a xenolithic syenite and a centralplug of calcite to calcite–siderite carbonatite. Aegirine–augite,alkali feldspar and nepheline are the major mineral phases inthe syenites, along with rare calcite. Temperatures of 680–910°Cand silica activities of 0·28–0·43 weredetermined for the crystallization of the syenites on the basisof mineral equilibria. Oxygen fugacities, estimated using titanomagnetitecompositions, were between 2 and 5 log units above the fayalite–magnetite–quartzbuffer during the magmatic stage. Chondrite-normalized REE patternsof magmatic calcite in both carbonatites and syenites are characterizedby REE enrichment (La_CN–Yb_CN = 10–70). Calcite fromthe carbonatites has higher Ba (5490 ppm) and lower HREE concentrationsthan calcite from the syenites (54–106 ppm Ba). This isconsistent with the behavior of these elements during separationof immiscible silicate–carbonate liquid pairs. _Nd(T =1·30 Ga) values of clinopyroxenes from the syenites varybetween +1·8 and +2·8, and _Nd(T) values of whole-rockcarbonatites range from +2·4 to +2·8. Calcitefrom the carbonatites has ¹⁸O values of 7·8 to 8·6and ¹³C values of –3·9 to –4·6. ¹⁸Ovalues of clinopyroxene separates from the nepheline syenitesrange between 4·2 and 4·9. The average oxygenisotopic composition of the nepheline syenitic melt was calculatedbased on known rock–water and mineral–water isotopefractionation to be 5·7 ± 0·4. Nd and C–Oisotope compositions are typical for mantle-derived rocks anddo not indicate significant crustal assimilation for eithersyenite or carbonatite magmas. The difference in ¹⁸O betweencalculated syenitic melts and carbonatites, and the overlapin _Nd values between carbonatites and syenites, are consistentwith derivation of the carbonatites from the syenites via liquidimmiscibility. KEY WORDS: alkaline magmatism; carbonatite; Gardar Province; liquid immiscibility; nepheline syenite     

A Method for Thermodynamical Calculation of Basicity Indicators of Rocks and Minerals

A new method has been suggested for evaluating the overall basicityof minerals and rocks by using ionization reactions involvingone proton: (sum of cations) + H₂O = mineral + H⁺, (sum of cations) + H₂O = (sum of normative minerals of a rock)+ H⁺. The basicity indicators are expressed as standard free energychanges of these reactions (). At standard water pressure (logP_H2O = 0) and chemical activity of the metal ions ( log _Mⁿ⁺= 0), the relationship between and alkalinity of solutions(pH) becomes: = –2.303 RTlog _H⁺ = 2.303 RT pH. The overall basicities of rock-forming oxides, minerals andmajor rocks were calculated from the thermodynamic data on ionsin water solutions and solid compounds.     

Fluid Flow During Contact Metamorphism at Mary Kathleen, Queensland, Australia

Corella marbles in the Mary Kathleen Fold Belt were infiltratedby fluids during low-pressure (200-MPa) contact metamorphismassociated with the intrusion of the Burstall granite at 1730–1740Ma. Fluids emanating from the granite [whole-rock (WR) ¹⁸O=8.1–8.6%]produced Fe-rich massive and banded garnet—clinopyroxeneskarns [¹⁸O(WR)=9.1–11.9%]. Outside the skarn zones, marblemineralogies define an increase in temperature (500 to >575C) and XCO₂ (0.05 to >0.12) towards the granite, andmost marbles contain isobarically univariant or invariant assemblagesin the end-member CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O–CO₂system. Marbles have calcite (Cc) ¹⁸O and ¹³C values of 12.3–24.6%and –1.0 to –3.9%, respectively. A lack of down-temperaturemineral reactions in the marbles suggests that pervasive fluidinfiltration did not continue after the thermal peak of contactmetamorphism. The timing of fluid flow probably correspondsto a period of high fluid production and high intrinsic permeabilitiesduring prograde contact metamorphism. The petrology and stableisotope geochemistry of the marbles suggest that these rockswere infiltrated by water-rich fluids. If fluid flow occurredup to the peak of contact metamorphism, the mineralogical andisotopic resetting is best explained by fluids flowing up-temperaturetoward the Burstall granite. However, if fluid flow ceased beforthe peak of regional metamorphism, the fluid flow directioncannot be unambiguously determined. At individual outcrops,marble ¹⁸O(Cc) values vary by several permil over a few squaremetres, suggesting that fluid fluxes varied by at least an orderof magnitude on the metre to tens-of-metre scale. Fluids werefocused across lithological layering; however, mesoscopic fracturesare not recognized. The focusing of fluids was possibly viamicrofractures, and the variation in the degree of resettingmay reflect variations in microcrack density and fracture permeability.The marble—skarn contacts represent a sharp discontinuityin both major element geochemistry and ¹⁸O values, suggestingthat, at least locally, little fluid flow occurred across thesecontacts.     

An Experimental Study of Fe-Al Solubility in the System Corundum-Hematite up to 40 kbar and 1300{degrees}C

The mutual solubility in the system corundum–hematite[-(Al, Fe³⁺)₂O₃] was investigated experimentally using bothsynthetic and natural materials. Mixtures of -Al₂O₃ and -Fe₂O₃(weight ratios of 8:2 and 10:1) were used as starting materialsfor synthesis experiments in air at 800–1300°C withrun times of 7–34 days. Experiments at 8–40 kbarand 490–1100°C were performed in a piston-cylinderapparatus (run times of 0·8–7·4 days) usinga natural diasporite consisting of 60–70 vol. % diasporeand 20–30 vol. % Ti-hematite. During the diasporite–corunditetransformation, the FeTiO₃ component (12–18 mol %) ofTi-hematite only slightly increased, implying that oxygen fugacitywas maintained at high values. Run products were studied byelectron microprobe and X-ray diffraction (Rietveld) techniques.An essentially linear volume of mixing exists in the solid solutionwith a slight positive deviation at the hematite side. Up to1000°C, corundum contains <4 mol % Fe₂O₃ and hematite<10 mol % Al₂O₃; at 1200°C these amounts increase to9·3 and 17·0 mol %, respectively. At 1300°Chematite was no longer stable and coexists with the orthorhombic phase . The present results agree with corundum (solvus) compositions obtained inprevious studies but indicate a larger solubility of Al in hematite.The miscibility gap in the solution can be modelled with anasymmetric Margules equation with interaction parameters (2uncertainties): ; ; ; . Application of the corundum–hematite solution as a solvus geothermometer is limited because of thescarcity of suitable rock compositions. KEY WORDS: corundum; hematite; corundum–hematite miscibility gap; experimental study; Margules model; metabauxite     

Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotope Stratigraphy of the Rustenburg Layered Suite, Bushveld Complex: Constraints on Crustal Contamination

New ¹⁸O values for plagioclase, pyroxene and olivine, and limitedwhole-rock D values are presented for samples from the RustenburgLayered Suite of the Bushveld Complex, South Africa. In combinationwith existing data, these provide a much more complete compositeO-isotope stratigraphy for the intrusion. Throughout the layeredsuite, mineral ¹⁸O values indicate that the magmas from whichthey crystallized had ¹⁸O values that were about 7·1,that is, 1·4 higher than expected for mantle-derivedmagmas, suggesting extensive crustal contamination. More limitedH-isotope data suggest that the OH present within whole rocks,regardless of the degree of alteration, is of magmatic originand not an alteration phenomenon. There appears to be no systematicchange in ¹⁸O value with stratigraphic height and this requiresthe contamination to have taken place in a ‘staging chamber’before emplacement of the magma(s) into the present chamber.Large amounts (30–40%) of contamination by the lower tomiddle crust are needed to explain these ¹⁸O values, which isin general agreement with previous estimates based on Sr- andNd-isotope data. Alternatively, smaller amounts of contamination(20%) by sedimentary rocks, or their partial melts, representedby the country rock can explain the data, but it is not apparenthow such material could have been present at the depth of the‘staging chamber’ in the lower to middle crust. KEY WORDS: Bushveld Complex; Rustenburg Layered Suite; oxygen isotopes; hydrogen isotopes; crustal contamination     

Stable Isotopic Evidence for Fluid-Rock Interactions in the Ivrea Zone, Italy

Stable isotope compositions of Ivrea Zone marbles and associatedlithologies are in general heterogeneous. The oxygen isotopecomposition of quartz in pelites ranges from ¹⁸O +9 to + 17(SMOW) and does not vary systematically with metamorphic grade.Peridotites retain oxygen isotope signatures close to mantlevalues. Marble calcites vary in isotopic composition from ¹³C + 2(PDB),¹⁸0 +24(SMOW)to ¹³C –6(PDB), ¹⁸O + 13 (SMOW).Depletions in ¹⁸O and ¹³C may be explained dominantly by interactionwith fluids derived from within the observed metasedimentarysequence during prograde metamorphism. ¹⁸O and ¹³C show gradients of greater than 5/m across marblemargins and within marbles. The preservation of such isotopicgradients is not consistent with the long-term presence of grain-boundary-scaleinterconnected fluid films in and around marbles. There is ageneral lowering of ¹⁸O within individual marble bodies althoughlarge carbon and oxygen isotopic gradients are present. Calcitein marbles may attain oxygen isotope equilibrium, but rarelycarbon isotope equilibrium, with surrounding metapelites. Infiltrationof marbles must involve a component of channelized fluid flow. The general lack of isotopic equilibration within the sequencerequires channelized fluid flow and limited fluid-rock ratios.Large pervasive mantle to crust fluid fluxes are not consistentwith the observations. ^*Present address: Natural Environment Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1EU, England     

Thermal History of the Horoman Peridotite Complex: A Record of Thermal Perturbation in the Lithospheric Mantle

The ascent history of the Horoman peridotite complex, Hokkaido,northern Japan, is revised on the basis of a detailed studyof large ortho- and clinopyroxene grains 1 cm in size (megacrysts)in the Upper Zone of the complex. The orthopyroxene megacrystsexhibit distinctive M-shaped Al zoning patterns, which werenot observed in porphyroclastic grains less than 5 mm in sizedescribed in previous studies. Moreover, the Al and Ca contentsof the cores of the orthopyroxene megacrysts are lower thanthose of the porphyroclasts. The Upper Zone is inferred to haveresided not only at a higher temperature than previously suggestedbut also at a higher pressure (1070°C, 2·3 GPa) thanthe Lower Zone (950°C, 1·9 GPa), in the garnet stabilityfield, before the ascent of the two zones. The Horoman complexprobably represents a 12 ± 5 km thick section of lithosphericmantle with an 10 ± 8°C/km vertical thermal gradient.The current thickness of the Horoman complex is 3 km, whichis a result of shortening of the lithospheric mantle by 0·25± 0·1 during its ascent. The Upper Zone appearsto have experienced a heating event during its ascent throughthe spinel stability field, with a peak temperature as highas 1200°C. The effect of heating decreases continuouslytowards the base of the complex, and the lowermost part of theLower Zone underwent very minor heating at a pressure higherthan 0·5 GPa. The uplift and associated deformation,as well as heating, was probably driven by the ascent of a hotasthenospheric upper-mantle diapir into the Horoman lithosphere. KEY WORDS: Horoman; P–T trajectory; thermal history; Al diffusion in pyroxene; geothermobarometry     

Oxygen and Hydrogen Isotope Geochemistry of the Mourne Mountains Tertiary Granites, Northern Ireland

An oxygen and hydrogen isotopic study of minerals and wholerocks from the granites of the Mourne Mountains Tertiary complex,and related rocks, shows that whereas a significant circulationof meteoric water was associated with the complex, it had onlyminor and localized effects on the granites themselves. TheSilurian slate and greywacke country rocks, which would havehad ¹⁸O_(SMOW) values of +10 to +20 before the Tertiary igneousevents, have been depicted ¹⁸O to values of –40 to –05Tertiary acid minor intrusions outside the main granite massesare also ¹⁸O depleted. ^l8O whole-rock data on the granites showa range of +6.0 to +9.5, and include values significantly higherthan most of those obtained for the granites of the Tertiarycentral complexes of Skye, Mull, and Ardnamurchan. Many of thelowest whole-rock ¹⁸O values are found in samples where theminerals are not in isotopic equilibrium. The mineral oxygenisotopic data can be explained in terms of localized interactionwith meteoric water, resulting in preferential ¹⁸O depletionin feldspar(s) and biotite, with quartz being much less affected.The granites all show low values of D_(SMOW) for biotite andamphibole separates (–137 to –104). The lowest valuesoccur close to the margins of the plutons, near internal contactsor near greisen localities, and these probably reflect limitedinteraction with meteoric water. The higher D values are fromsamples which show evidence of chloritization. This processappears to have occurred both during interaction with meteoricwater, and also during autometasomatism by an exsolved magmaticfluid in other parts of the plutons, including central locationswhere there is little or no evidence for the penetration ofmeteoric water. Granite samples which exhibit near-equilibriumoxygen isotope fractionations for constituent minerals are characterizedby magmatic O-isotopic compositions. The G2 granite, the largestpluton of the eastern centre, has a magmatic ¹⁸O_(SMOW) valueof {small tilde}+95; intrusions G3 (eastern centre) and G4(western centre) both have ¹⁸O_(SMOW) values of {small tilde}+90.The other two main intrusive phases have distinctly lower ¹⁸O_(SMOW)values: {small tilde}+75 for Gl (the least fractionated graniteof the Mourne Mountains central complex), and from +75 to +85for G5. The oxygen isotopic data rule out simple partial meltingof the country rocks as the origin of the granites and alsopreclude an origin by closed-system fractional crystallizationof basaltic magma typical of that represented by Tertiary basicigneous rocks of the region. ^* Present address: NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, Keyworth, Nottingham BG12 5GG, UK Present address: School of Engineering Technology, Georgian College, Barrie, Ontario, L4M 3X9, Canada     

Petrographic, Chemical and B-Isotopic Insights into the Origin of Tourmaline-Rich Rocks and Boron Recycling in the Martinamor Antiform (Central Iberian Zone, Salamanca, Spain)

Tourmaline in the Martinamor antiform occurs in tourmalinites(rocks with >15–20% tourmaline by volume), clasticmetasedimentary rocks of the Upper Proterozoic Monterrubio formation,quartz veins, pre-Variscan orthogneisses and Variscan graniticrocks. Petrographic observations, back-scattered electron (BSE)images, and microprobe data document a multistaged developmentof tourmaline. Overall, variations in the Mg/(Mg + Fe) ratiosdecrease from tourmalinites (0·36–0·75),through veins (0·38–0·66) to granitic rocks(0·23–0·46), whereas Al increases in thesame order from 5·84–6·65 to 6·22–6·88apfu. The incorporation of Al into tourmaline is consistentwith combinations of ^xAl(NaR)_–1 and AlO(R(OH))_–1exchange vectors, where ^x represents X-site vacancy and R is(Mg + Fe²⁺ + Mn). Variations in ^x/(^x + Na) ratios are similarin all the types of tourmaline occurrences, from 0·10to 0·53, with low Ca-contents (mostly <0·10apfu). Based on field and textural criteria, two groups of tourmaline-richrocks are distinguished: (1) pre-Variscan tourmalinites (probablyCadomian), affected by both deformation and regional metamorphismduring the Variscan orogeny; (2) tourmalinites related to thesynkinematic granitic complex of Martinamor. Textural and geochemicaldata are consistent with a psammopelitic parentage for the protolithof the tourmalinites. Boron isotope analyses of tourmaline havea total range of ¹¹B values from –15·6 to 6·8;the lowest corresponding to granitic tourmalines (–15·6to –11·7) and the highest to veins (1·9to 6·8). Tourmalines from tourmalinites have intermediate¹¹B values of –8·0 to +2·0. The observedvariations in ¹¹B support an important crustal recycling ofboron in the Martinamor area, in which pre-Variscan tourmaliniteswere remobilized by a combination of mechanical and chemicalprocesses during Variscan deformation, metamorphism and anatexis,leading to the formation of multiple tourmaline-bearing veinsand a new stage of boron metasomatism. KEY WORDS: tourmalinites; metamorphic and granitic rocks; mineral chemistry; whole-rock chemistry; boron isotopes     

Correlations between U, Th Content and Metamorphic Grade in the Western Namaqualand Belt, South Africa, with Implications for Radioactive Heating of the Crust

The digital image of airborne radiometric data across SouthAfrica reveals that the largest anomaly, 100 nGy/h, is causedby the granulite-facies rocks of the Namaquan metamorphic complex,whereas most of the country is <60 nGy/h. This observationis consistent with geochemical data that show that the 1900± 100 Ma greenschist-facies Richtersveld Terrane nearNamibia (max. U = 3·4 ppm; Th = 20·1 ppm) andthe adjacent, 1100 ± 100 Ma, amphibolite-facies Aggeneys/SteinkopfTerranes (max. U 10 ppm; Th 52 ppm) are the least enrichedin U, Th and K. In contrast, the lower-T granulite-facies OkiepTerrane near Springbok hosts more enriched granites (max. U 17 ppm; Th 66 ppm) and noritic intrusions (max. U = 14 ppm;Th = 83 ppm). The most enriched rocks are found in the 1030Ma higher-T granulite-facies core of the Namaquan belt and includequartzo-feldspathic gneisses (max. U = 46 ppm; Th = 90 ppm)and charnockites (max. U = 52 ppm; Th = 400 ppm). Our findingscontradict the notion that granulite-facies terrains are characteristicallydepleted in U and Th. In this study we modeled the heat productionin the core of the Namaquan complex, where the granulites havehad a very unusual metamorphic history, and show that ultra-high-T(1000°C, P 10 kbar) metamorphic conditions could have beenachieved by radiogenic heating without invoking external heatsources. However, monazite-rich veins of charnockite and patchesof granulites mark the passage of CO₂-dominated melts and fluidsderived from fractionated noritic intrusions. KEY WORDS: charnockite; granulite; Namaqualand; thorium; uranium; radioactive heating; metamorphism     

Metamorphic History of the Archean Pikwitonei Granulite Domain and the Cross Lake Subprovince, Superior Province, Manitoba, Canada

The Pikwitonei granulite domain and parts of the Cross Lakesubprovince, located along the northwestern margin of the ArcheanSuperior Province, expose an oblique cross-section through 20km of Archean continental crust. The area has been investigatedusing phase equilibrium and geochronological techniques to derivequantitative pressure-temperature-time paths as a function ofdepth in the crust. Ages from metamorphic minerals indicatethat metamorphism lasted at least from 2744 Ma to 259O Ma, butgrowth of garnet and zircon occurred only during short intervalsat 2744–2738, 2700–2687, 2660–2637, and 2629–2591Ma. Constraints from experimentally calibrated geobarometersand geothermometers and phase petrology indicate that ‘peak’conditions for the last metamorphism, at 2640 Ma, were 575?C/3kbat Utik Lake, 750?C/7kb at Cauchon Lake, 830?C/7?5–8 kbat Natawahunan Lake, and 9 kb close to the Thompson mobile belt. High-grade metamorphism was associated with intrusion and possiblyunderplating of magmas that had temperatures in excess of 1100?Cand contributed significant amounts of heat that promoted high-grademetamorphism. Mineral textures indicate that during progrademetamorphism, the terrane passed from the andalusite into thesillimanite stability field. After ‘peak’ metamorphismat 2640 Ma the terrane cooled nearly isobarically at a rateof 1–2?C/Ma. The observed characteristics of the amphiboliteto granulite terrane are consistent with a model where metamorphismoccurred in a continental magmatic arc setting with a magmaticarc superimposed on older continental crust. Following high-grademetamorphism, the time-integrated uplift rate was <70m/Ma.The crustal cross-section was exposed by late tectonic processesthat were unrelated to the high-grade metamorphism.