The age of continental roots

Determination of the age of the mantle part of continental roots is essential to our understanding of the evolution and stability of continents. Dating the rocks that comprise the mantle root beneath the continents has proven difficult because of their high equilibration temperatures and open-system geochemical behaviour. Much progress has been made in the last 20 years that allows us to see how continental roots have evolved in different areas. The first indication of the antiquity of continental roots beneath cratons came from the enriched Nd and Sr isotopic signatures shown by both peridotite xenoliths and inclusions in diamonds, requiring isolation of cratonic roots from the convecting mantle for billions of years. The enriched Nd and Sr isotopic signatures result from mantle metasomatic events post-dating the depletion events that led to the formation and isolation of the peridotite from convecting mantle. These signatures document a history of melt– and fluid–rock interaction within the lithospheric mantle. In some suites of cratonic rocks, such as eclogites, Nd and Pb isotopes have been able to trace probable formation ages. The Re–Os isotope system is well suited to dating lithospheric peridotites because of the compatible nature of Os and its relative immunity to post-crystallisation disturbance compared with highly incompatible element isotope systems. Os isotopic compositions of lithospheric peridotites are overwhelmingly unradiogenic and indicate long-term evolution in low Re/Os environments, probably as melt residues. Peridotite xenoliths from kimberlites can show some disturbed Re/Os systematics but analyses of representative suites show that beneath cratons the oldest Re depletion model ages are Archean and broadly similar to major crust-forming events. Some locations, such as Premier in southern Africa, and Lashaine in Tanzania, indicate more recent addition of lithospheric material to the craton, in the Proterozoic, or later. Of the cratons studies so far (Kaapvaal, Siberia, Wyoming and Tanzania), all indicate Archean formation of their lithospheric mantle roots. Few localities studied show any clear variation of age with depth of derivation, indicating that >150 km of lithosphere may have formed relatively rapidly. In circum-cratonic areas where the crustal basement is Proterozoic in age kimberlite-derived xenoliths give Proterozoic model ages, matching the age of the overlying crust. This behaviour shows how the crust and mantle parts of continental lithospheric roots have remained coupled since formation in these areas, for billions of years, despite continental drift. Orogenic massifs show more systematic behaviour of Re–Os isotopes, where correlations between Os isotopic composition and S or Re content yield initial Os isotopic ratios that define Re depletion model ages for the massifs. Ongoing Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf–Os isotopic studies of massif peridotites and new kimberlite- and basalt-borne xenolith suites from new areas, will soon enable a global understanding of the age of continental roots and their subsequent evolution.     

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

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

Origin of layered continental mantle (Karelian craton, Finland): Geochemical and Re–Os isotope constraints

Studies of mantle xenolith and xenocryst studies have indicated that the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) at the Karelian Craton margin (Fennoscandian Shield) is stratified into at least three distinct layers cited A, B, and C. The origin and age of this layering has, however, remained unconstrained. In order to address this question, we have determined Re–Os isotope composition and a comprehensive set of major and trace elements, from xenoliths representing all these three layers. These are the first Re–Os data from the SCLM of the vast East European Craton.

Xenoliths derived from the middle layer B (at  110–180 km depth), which is the main source of harzburgitic garnets and peridotitic diamonds in these kimberlites, are characterised by unradiogenic Os isotopic composition. ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os shows a good correlation with indices of partial melting implying an age of  3.3. Ga for melt extraction. This age corresponds with the oldest formation ages of the overlying crust, suggesting that layer B represents the unmodified SCLM stabilised during the Paleoarchean. Underlying layer C (at 180–250 km depths) is the main source of Ti-rich pyropes of megacrystic composition but is lacking harzburgitic pyropes. The osmium isotopic composition of layer C xenoliths is more radiogenic compared to layer B, yielding only Proterozoic T_RD ages. Layer C is interpreted to represent a melt metasomatised equivalent to layer B. This metasomatism most likely occurred at ca. 2.0 Ga when the present craton margin formed following continental break-up. Shallow layer A (at  60–110 km depth) has knife-sharp lower contact against layer B indicative of shear zone and episodic construction of SCLM. Layer A peridotites have “ultradepleted” arc mantle-type compositions, and have been metasomatised by radiogenic ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os, presumably from slab-derived fluids. Since layer A is absent in the core of the craton, its origin can be related to Proterozoic processes at the craton margin. We interpret it to represent the lithosphere of a Proterozoic arc complex (subduction wedge mantle) that became underthrusted beneath the craton margin crust during continental collision  1.9 Ga ago.     

Re–Os systematics of diamond-bearing eclogites from the Newlands kimberlite

A suite of 14 diamond-bearing and 3 diamond-free eclogite xenoliths from the Newlands kimberlite, South Africa, have been studied using the Re–Os isotopic system to provide constraints on the age and possible protoliths of eclogites and diamonds. Re concentrations in diamond-bearing eclogites are variable (0.03–1.34 ppb), while Os concentrations show a much more limited range (0.26–0.59 ppb). The three diamond-free eclogites have Re and Os concentrations that are at the extremes of the range of their diamond-bearing counterparts. ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ranges from 0.1579 to 1.4877, while ¹⁸⁷Re/¹⁸⁸Os varies from 0.54 to 26.2 in the diamond-bearing eclogites. The highly radiogenic Os in the diamond-bearing eclogites (γ_Os=23–1056) is consistent with their high ¹⁸⁷Re/¹⁸⁸Os and requires long-term isolation from the convecting mantle. Re–Os model ages for 9 out of 14 diamond-bearing samples lie between 3.08 and 4.54 Ga, in agreement with FTIR spectra of Newlands diamonds that show nitrogen aggregation states consistent with diamond formation in the Archean. Re–Os isochron systematics for the Newlands samples do not define a precise isochron relationship, but lines drawn between subsets of the data provide ages ranging from 2.9 to 4.1 Ga, all of which are suggestive of formation in the Archean. The Re–Os systematics combined with mineral chemistry and stable isotopic composition of the diamond-bearing eclogites are consistent with a protolith that has interacted with surficial environments. Therefore, the favored model for the origin of the Newlands diamond-bearing eclogites is via subduction. The most likely precursors for the Kaapvaal eclogites include komatiitic ocean ridge products or primitive portions of oceanic plateaus or ocean islands.     

Re–Os geochronology of organic rich sediments: an evaluation of organic matter analysis methods

Rhenium and osmium in organic-rich sedimentary rocks are dominantly hydrogenous, but any nonhydrogenous component will influence the accuracy and precision of the Re–Os date obtained. To minimize the influence of any nonhydrogenous Re and Os, we evaluate analysis of isolated organic matter from the whole rock, together with whole rock analysis using a CrO₃–H₂SO₄ digestion medium instead of inverse aqua regia, for a black shale unit of the Exshaw Formation, Canada. This unit previously returned a whole rock Re–Os date of 358±10 Ma (Model 3) [Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta (2002)] using inverse aqua regia dissolution. Organic matter isolated from the whole rock matrix using the HF–BF₃ technique [Org. Geochem. 20 (1993) 249] yields scattered data and a Re–Os date of 449±220 Ma (Model 3, MSWD=616). The organic matter analyses show similar ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os values, but significantly lower ¹⁸⁷Re/¹⁸⁸Os values in comparison to the whole rock analyses. We show that the Re–Os systematics of organic matter are altered during chemical isolation, and as such we suggest that the HF–BF₃ method should not be used for Re–Os analysis of organic matter. Whole rock Re–Os analysis using a CrO₃–H₂SO₄ digestion medium yields significantly better regression analysis compared with the inverse aqua regia method, and the Re–Os data identify two distinct initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os values for the sample set. Separate regressions of these data yield precise dates [366.1±9.6, MSWD=2.2 and 363.4±5.6 Ma, MSWD=1.6 (Model 3)], which are indistinguishable from the age constraints for this formation (363.4±0.4 Ma, U–Pb monazite). Comparison of the Re–Os dates obtained from aqua regia and CrO₃–H₂SO₄ methods suggests that the former may contain nonhydrogenous Re and Os, whereas the CrO₃–H₂SO₄ method dominantly liberates hydrogenous Re–Os from organic matter, allowing for better stratigraphic age determinations and evaluation of the Os isotope composition of seawater.     

Geochemical and isotopic investigation of the Laiwu–Zibo carbonatites from western Shandong Province, China, and implications for their petrogenesis and enriched mantle source

Major and trace element and Nd–Sr isotope data of the Mesozoic Laiwu–Zibo carbonatites (LZCs) from western Shandong Province, China, provide clues to the petrogenesis and the nature of their mantle source. The Laiwu–Zibo carbonatites can be petrologically classified as calcio-, magnesio- and ferro-carbonatites. All these carbonatites show a similarity in geochemistry. On the one hand, they are extremely enriched in Ba, Sr and LREE and markedly low in K, Rb and Ti, which are similar to those global carbonatites, on the other hand, they have extremely high initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7095–0.7106) and very low _Nd (−18.2 to −14.3), a character completely different from those global carbonatites. The small variations in Sr and Nd isotopic ratios suggest that crustal contamination can not modify the primary isotopic compositions of LZC magmas and those values are representatives of their mantle source. The Nd–Sr isotopic compositions of LZCs and their similarity to those of Mesozoic Fangcheng basalts imply that they derived from an enriched lithospheric mantle. The formation of such enriched lithospheric mantle is connected with the major collision between the North China Craton (NCC) and the Yangtze Craton. Crustal materials from the Yangtze Craton were subducted beneath the NCC and melts derived from the subducted crust of the Yangtze Craton produced an enriched Mesozoic mantle, which is the source for the LZCs and Fangcheng basalts. The absence of alkaline silicate rocks, which are usually associated with carbonatites suggest that the LZCs originated from the mantle by directly partial melting.     

Isotope-geochemical systematics of kimberlites and related rocks from the Siberian Platform

Using the ICP-MS method we have studied the isotope systematics of Sr and Nd as well as trace element composition of a representative collection of kimberlites and related rocks from the Siberian Platform. The summarized literature and our own data suggest that the kimberlites developed within the platform can be divided into several petrochemical and geochemical types, whose origin is related to different mantle sources. The petrochemical classification of kimberlites is based on persistent differences of their composition in mg# and in contents of indicator oxides such as FeO_tot, TiO₂, and K₂O. The recognized geochemical types of kimberlites differ from one another in the level of concentration of incompatible elements as well as in their ratios.Most of isotope characteristics of kimberlites and related rocks of the Siberian Platform correspond to the earlier studied Type 1 basaltoid kimberlites from different provinces of the world: Points of isotopic compositions are in the field of primitive and weakly depleted mantle. An exception is one sample of the rocks from veins of the Ingashi field (Sayan area), which is characterized by the Sr and Nd isotopic composition corresponding to Type 2 micaceous kimberlites (orangeites).The most important feature of distribution of isotopic and trace-element compositions (incompatible elements) is their independence of the chemical rock composition. It is shown that the kimberlite formation is connected with, at least, two independent sources, fluid and melt, responsible for the trace-element and chemical compositions of the rock. It is supposed that, when rising through the heterogeneous lithosphere of the mantle, a powerful flow of an asthenosphere-derived fluid provoked the formation of local kimberlite chambers there. Thus, the partial melting of the lithosphere mantle led to the formation of contrasting petrochemical types of kimberlites, while the geochemical specialization of kimberlites is due to the mantle fluid of asthenosphere origin, which drastically dominated in the rare-metal balance of a hybrid magma of the chamber.     

Geochemistry and origin of the Mirny field kimberlites,Siberia

Here we present new data from a systematic Sr, Nd, O, C isotope and geochemical study of kimberlites of Devonian age Mirny field that are located in the southernmost part of the Siberian diamondiferous province. Major and trace element compositions of the Mirny field kimberlites show a significant compositional variability both between pipes and within one diatreme. They are enriched in incompatible trace elements with La/Yb ratios in the range of (65–300). Initial Nd isotope ratios calculated back to the time of the Mirny field kimberlite emplacement (t = 360 ma) are depleted relative to the chondritic uniform reservoir (CHUR) model being 4 up to 6 ɛNd(t) units, suggesting an asthenospheric source for incompatible elements in kimberlites. Initial Sr isotope ratios are significantly variable, being in the range 0.70387–0.70845, indicating a complex source history and a strong influence of post-magmatic alteration. Four samples have almost identical initial Nd and Sr isotope compositions that are similar to the prevalent mantle (PREMA) reservoir. We propose that the source of the proto-kimberlite melt of the Mirny field kimberlites is the same as that for the majority of ocean island basalts (OIB). The source of the Mirny field kimberlites must possess three main features: It should be enriched with incompatible elements, be depleted in the major elements (Si, Al, Fe and Ti) and heavy rare earth elements (REE) and it should retain the asthenospheric Nd isotope composition. A two-stage model of kimberlite melt formation can fulfil those requirements. The intrusion of small bodies of this proto-kimberlite melt into lithospheric mantle forms a veined heterogeneously enriched source through fractional crystallization and metasomatism of adjacent peridotites. Re-melting of this source shortly after it was metasomatically enriched produced the kimberlite melt. The chemistry, mineralogy and diamond grade of each particular kimberlite are strongly dependent on the character of the heterogeneous source part from which they melted and ascended.

     

The mineral isotope composition of two Precambrian carbonatite complexes from the Kola Alkaline Province – Alteration versus primary magmatic signatures

We investigated the isotope composition (O, C, Sr, Nd, Pb) in mineral separates of the two Precambrian carbonatite complexes Tiksheozero (1.98 Ga) and Siilinjärvi (2.61 Ga) from the Karelian–Kola region in order to obtain information on Precambrian mantle heterogeneity. All isotope systems yield a large range of variations. The combination of cathodoluminescence imaging with stable and radiogenic isotopes on the same samples and mineral separates indicates various processes that caused shifts in isotope systems. Primary isotope signatures are preserved in most calcites (O, C, Sr, Pb), apatites (O, Sr, Nd), amphiboles (O), magnetites (O), and whole rocks (Sr, Nd).

The primary igneous C and O isotope composition is different for both complexes (Tiksheozero: δ¹³C = − 5.0‰, δ¹⁸O = 6.9‰; Siilinjärvi: δ¹³C = − 3.7‰, δ¹⁸O = 7.4‰) but very uniform and requires homogenization of both carbon and oxygen in the carbonatite melt. The lowest Sr isotope ratios of our carbonates and apatites from the Archaean Siilinjärvi (0.70137) and the Palaeoproterozoic Tiksheozero (0.70228) complexes are in the range of bulk silicate earth (BSE). Positive ε_Nd values of the two carbonatites point to very early Archaean enrichment of Sm/Nd in the Fennoscandian mantle. No HIMU components could be detected in the two complexes, whereas Tiksheozero carbonatites give the first indication of Palaeoproterozoic U depletion for Fennoscandia.

Sub-solidus exchange processes with water during emplacement and cooling of carbonatites caused an increase in the oxygen isotope composition of some carbonates and probably also an increase of their ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio. A larger increase of initial Sr isotope ratios was found in carbonatized silicic rocks compared to carbonatite bodies. The Svecofennian metamorphic overprint (1.9–1.7 Ga) caused reset of Rb/Sr (mainly mica) and Pb/Pb (mainly apatite) isochron systems.     

The origin of garnet and clinopyroxene in “depleted” Kaapvaal peridotites

A detailed petrographic, major and trace element and isotope (Re–Os) study is presented on 18 xenoliths from Northern Lesotho kimberlites. The samples represent typical coarse, low-temperature garnet and spinel peridotites and span a P–T range from 60 to 150 km depth. With the exception of one sample (that belongs to the ilmenite–rutile–phlogopite–sulphide suite (IRPS) suite first described by [B. Harte, P.A. Winterburn, J.J. Gurney, Metasomatic and enrichment phenomena in garnet peridotite facies mantle xenoliths from the Matsoku kimberlite pipe, Lesotho. In: Menzies, M. (Ed.), Mantle metsasomatism. Academic Press, London 1987, 145–220.]), all samples considered here have high Mg# and show strong depletion in CaO and Al₂O₃. They have bulk rock Re depletion ages (T_RD) >2.5 Ga and are therefore interpreted as residua from large volume melting in the Archaean. A characteristic of Kaapvaal xenoliths, however, is their high SiO₂ concentrations, and hence, modal orthopyroxene contents that are inconsistent with a simple residual origin of these samples. Moreover, trace element signatures show strong overall incompatible element enrichment and REE disequilibrium between garnet and clinopyroxene. Textural and subtle major element disequilibria were also observed. We therefore conclude that garnet and clinopyroxene are not co-genetic and suggest that (most) clinopyroxene in the Archaean Kaapvaal peridotite xenoliths is of metasomatic origin and crystallized relatively recently, possibly from a melt precursory to the kimberlite.

Possible explanations for the origin of garnet are exsolution from a high-temperature, Al- and Ca-rich orthopyroxene (indicating primary melt extraction at shallow levels) or a majorite phase (primary melting at >6 GPa). Mass balance calculations, however, show that not all garnet observed in the samples today is of a simple exsolution origin. The extreme LREE enrichment (sigmoidal REE pattern in all garnet cores) is also inconsistent with exsolution from a residual orthopyroxene. Therefore, extensive metasomatism and probably re-crystallization of the lithosphere after melt-depletion and garnet exsolution is required to obtain the present textural and compositional features of the xenoliths. The metasomatic agent that modified or perhaps even precipitated garnet was a highly fractionated melt or fluid that might have been derived from the asthenosphere or from recycled oceanic crust. Since, to date, partitioning of trace elements between orthopyroxene and garnet/clinopyroxene is poorly constrained, it was impossible to assess if orthopyroxene is in chemical equilibrium with garnet or clinopyroxene. Therefore, further trace element and isotopic studies are required to constrain the timing of garnet introduction/modification and its possible link with the SiO₂ enrichment of the Kaapvaal lithosphere.     

Petrogenetic processes in the ultramafic, alkaline and carbonatitic magmatism in the Kola Alkaline Province: A review

Igneous rocks of the Devonian Kola Alkaline Carbonatite Province (KACP) in NW Russia and eastern Finland can be classified into four groups: (a) primitive mantle-derived silica-undersaturated silicate magmas; (b) evolved alkaline and nepheline syenites; (c) cumulate rocks; (d) carbonatites and phoscorites, some of which may also be cumulates. There is no obvious age difference between these various groups, so all of the magma-types were formed at the same time in a relatively restricted area and must therefore be petrogenetically related. Both sodic and potassic varieties of primitive silicate magmas are present. On major element variation diagrams, the cumulate rocks plot as simple mixtures of their constituent minerals (olivine, clinopyroxene, calcite, etc). There are complete compositional trends between carbonatites, phoscorites and silicate cumulates, which suggests that many carbonatites and phoscorites are also cumulates. CaO / Al₂O₃ ratios for ultramafic and mafic silicate rocks in dykes and pipes range up to 5, indicating a very small degree of melting of a carbonated mantle at depth. Damkjernites appear to be transitional to carbonatites. Trace element modelling indicates that all the mafic silicate magmas are related to small degrees of melting of a metasomatised garnet peridotite source. Similarities of the REE patterns and initial Sr and Nd isotope compositions for ultramafic alkaline silicate rocks and carbonatites indicate that there is a strong relationship between the two magma-types. There is also a strong petrogenetic link between carbonatites, kimberlites and alkaline ultramafic lamprophyres. Fractional crystallisation of olivine, diopside, melilite and nepheline gave rise to the evolved nepheline syenites, and formed the ultramafic cumulates. All magmas in the KACP appear to have originated in a single event, possibly triggered by the arrival of hot material (mantle plume?) beneath the Archaean/Proterozoic lithosphere of the northern Baltic Shield that had been recently metasomatised. Melting of the carbonated garnet peridotite mantle formed a spectrum of magmas including carbonatite, damkjernite, melilitite, melanephelinite and ultramafic lamprophyre. Pockets of phlogopite metasomatised lithospheric mantle also melted to form potassic magmas including kimberlite. Depth of melting, degree of melting and presence of metasomatic phases are probably the major factors controlling the precise composition of the primary melts formed.     

Chemical and Os isotopic study of Cretaceous potassic rocks from Southern Brazil

During the late Mesozoic, an unusually broad range of alkalic magma compositions was erupted along the southern border of the São Francisco craton of Brazil. This magmatic activity includes carbonatite, kimberlite, lamprophyre, lamproite, syenite and the largest known example of extrusive kamafugite, the Mata da Corda formation. To determine the nature of the sources of this magmatism, and their geochemical history, an Os isotope study along with major and trace element and Sr, Nd and Pb isotope analyses of kimberlitic, lamproitic and kamafugitic rocks from the Alto Paranaíba province of Brazil was undertaken. This complements recent geochemical and isotopic studies of these magmas. The Os isotope data for Alto Paranaíba samples point to a peridotitic lithospheric mantle source for the kimberlites and lamproites that was variably depleted in Re, presumably by melt removal at some time between the late Archean and mid-Proterozoic. These lithospheric peridotites experienced LIL-element enrichment by fluid/melt metasomatism at roughly 1 Ga, most likely during mobile belt formation along the western border of the São Francisco craton. Kamafugitic samples have very radiogenic Os, suggestive of mafic (e.g. pyroxenite, websterite, eclogite) source materials that again appear to have been stabilized in the lithospheric mantle of Brazil in the mid to late Proterozoic. The Os isotope evidence for lithospheric sources for the Alto Paranaíba activity, coupled with Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic characteristics that overlap those of the Walvis Ridge hot-spot trace indicate that the EM1 component in South Atlantic ocean island basalts most likely represents the influence of delaminated Brazilian lithospheric mantle mixed into mantle circulation beneath the South Atlantic and is not related to the plume(s) commonly associated with this ocean island magmatism.     

Genesis and evolution of the lithospheric mantle beneath the Buffalo Head Terrane, Alberta (Canada)

Mantle xenoliths and xenocrysts were retrieved from three of the 88–86 Ma Buffalo Hills kimberlites (K6, K11, K14) for a reconnaissance study of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) beneath the Buffalo Head Terrane (Alberta, Canada). The xenoliths include spinel lherzolites, one garnet spinel lherzolite, garnet harzburgites, one sheared garnet lherzolite and pyroxenites. Pyroxenitic and wehrlitic garnet xenocrysts are derived primarily from the shallow mantle and lherzolitic garnet xenocrysts from the deep mantle. Harzburgite with Ca-saturated garnets is concentrated in a layer between 135–165 km depth. Garnet xenocrysts define a model conductive paleogeotherm corresponding to a heat flow of 38–39 mW/m². The sheared garnet lherzolite lies on an inflection of this geotherm and may constrain the depth of the lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary (LAB) beneath this region to ca 180 km depth.

A loss of >20% partial melt is recorded by spinel lherzolites and up to 60% by the garnet harzburgites, which may be related to lithosphere formation. The mantle was subsequently modified during at least two metasomatic events. An older metasomatic event is evident in incompatible-element enrichments in homogeneous equilibrated garnet and clinopyroxene. Silicate melt metasomatism predominated in the deep lithosphere and led to enrichments in the HFSE with minor enrichments in LREE. Metasomatism by small-volume volatile-rich melts, such as carbonatite, appears to have been more important in the shallow lithosphere and led to enrichments in LREE with minor enrichments in HFSE. An intermediate metasomatic style, possibly a signature of volatile-rich silicate melts, is also recognised. These metasomatic styles may be related through modification of a single melt during progressive interaction with the mantle. This metasomatism is suggested to have occurred during Paleoproterozoic rifting of the Buffalo Head Terrane from the neighbouring Rae Province and may be responsible for the evolution of some samples toward unradiogenic Nd and Hf isotopic compositions.

Disturbed Re–Os isotope systematics, evident in implausible model ages, were obtained in situ for sulfides in several spinel lherzolites and suggest that many sulfides are secondary (metasomatic) or mixtures of primary and secondary sulfides. Sulfide in one peridotite has unradiogenic ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os and gives a model age of 1.89±0.38 Ga. This age coincides with the inferred emplacement of mafic sheets in the crust and suggests that the melts parental to the intrusions interacted with the lithospheric mantle.

A younger metasomatic event is indicated by the occurrence of sulfide-rich melt patches, unequilibrated mineral compositions and overgrowths on spinel that are Ti-, Cr- and Fe-rich but Zn-poor. Subsequent cooling is recorded by fine exsolution lamellae in the pyroxenes and by arrested mineral reactions.

If the lithosphere beneath the Buffalo Head Terrane was formed in the Archaean, any unambiguous signatures of this ancient origin may have been obliterated during these multiple events.     

Effects of melt percolation on highly siderophile elements and Os isotopes in subcontinental lithospheric mantle: A study of the upper mantle profile beneath Central Europe

The effects of melt percolation on highly siderophile element (HSE) concentrations and Re-Os isotopic systematics of subcontinental lithospheric mantle are examined for a suite of spinel peridotite xenoliths from the 4 Ma Kozákov volcano, Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic. The xenoliths have previously been estimated to originate from depths ranging from ∼32 to 70 km and represent a layered upper mantle profile. Prior petrographic and lithophile trace element data for the xenoliths indicate that they were variably modified via metasomatism resulting from the percolation of basaltic melt derived from the asthenosphere. Chemical and isotopic data suggest that lower sections of the upper mantle profile interacted with melt characterized by a primitive, S-undersaturated composition at high melt/rock ratios. The middle and upper layers of the profile were modified by more evolved melt at moderate to low melt/rock ratios. This profile permits an unusual opportunity to examine the effects of variable melt percolation on HSE abundances and Os isotopes.Most HSE concentrations in the studied rocks are significantly depleted compared to estimates for the primitive upper mantle. The depletions, which are most pronounced for Os, Ir and Ru in the lower sections of the mantle profile, are coupled with strong HSE fractionations (e.g., Os_N/Ir_N ratios ranging from 0.3 to 2.4). Platinum appears to have been removed from some rocks, and enriched in others. This enrichment is coupled with lithophile element evidence for the degree of percolating melt fractionation (i.e., Ce/Tb ratio).Osmium isotopic compositions vary considerably from subchondritic to approximately chondritic (γ_Os at 5 Ma from -6.9 to +2.1). The absence of correlations between ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os and indicators of fertility, as is common in many lithospheric mantle suites, may suggest significant perturbation of the Os isotopic compositions of some of these rocks, but more likely reflect the normal range of isotopic compositions found in the modern convecting mantle. Osmium isotopic compositions correspondingly yield model Re-depletion (T_RD) ages that range from essentially modern to ∼1.3 Ga.Our data provide evidence for large-scale incompatible behavior of HSE during melt percolation as a result of sulfide dissolution, consistent with observations of prior studies. The degree of incompatibility evidently depended on melt/rock ratios and the degree of S-saturation of the percolating melt. The high Pt contents of some of these rocks suggest that the Pt present in this pervasively metasomatized mantle was controlled by a phase unique to the other HSE. Further, high Os concentrations in several samples suggest deposition of Os in a minority of the samples by melt percolation. In these rocks, the mobilized Os was characterized by similar to the ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios in the ambient rocks. There is no evidence for either the addition of Os with a strongly depleted isotopic composition, or Os with suprachondritic isotopic composition, as is commonly observed under such circumstances.     

A Re–Os isotope and PGE study of kimberlite-derived peridotite xenoliths from Somerset Island and a comparison to the Slave and Kaapvaal cratons

The concentrations of platinum-group elements (PGE; Os, Ir, Ru, Pd and Pt) and Re, and the Os isotopic compositions were determined for 33 lithospheric mantle peridotite xenoliths from the Somerset Island kimberlite field. The Os isotopic compositions are exclusively less radiogenic than estimates of bulk-earth (¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os as low as 0.1084) and require a long-term evolution in a low Re–Os environment. Re depletion model ages (T_RD) indicate that the cratonic lithosphere of Somerset Island stabilised by at least 2.8 Ga, i.e. in the Neoarchean and survived into the Mesozoic to be sampled by Cretaceous kimberlite magmatism. An Archean origin also is supported by thermobarometry (Archean lithospheric keels are characterised by >150 km thick lithosphere), modal mineralogy and mineral chemistry observations. The oldest ages recorded in the lithospheric mantle beneath Somerset Island are younger than the Mesoarchean (>3 Ga) ages recorded in the Slave craton lithospheric mantle to the southwest [Irvine, G.J., et al., 1999. Age of the lithospheric mantle beneath and around the Slave craton: a Rhenium–Osmium isotopic study of peridotite xenoliths from the Jericho and Somerset Island kimberlites. Ninth Annual V.M. Goldschmidt Conf., LPI Cont., 971: 134–135; Irvine, G.J., et al., 2001. The age of two cratons: a PGE and Os-Isotopic study of peridotite xenoliths from the Jericho kimberlite (Slave craton) and the Somerset Island kimberlite field (Churchill Province). The Slave–Kaapvaal Workshop, Merrickville, Ontario, Canada]. Younger, Paleoproterozoic, T_RD model ages for Somerset Island samples are generally interpreted as the result of open system behaviour during metasomatic and/or magmatic processes, with possibly the addition of new lithospheric material during tectono-thermal events related to the Taltson–Thelon orogen. PGE patterns highly depleted in Pt and Pd generally correspond to older Archean T_RD model ages indicating closed system behaviour since the time of initial melt extraction. Younger Proterozoic T_RD model ages generally correspond to more complex PGE patterns, indicating open system behaviour with possible sulfide or melt addition. There is no correlation between the age of the lithosphere and depth, at Somerset Island.     

Nd, Sr and Os isotope systematics in young, fertile spinel peridotite xenoliths from northern Queensland, Australia: A unique view of depleted MORB mantle?

Northeastern Queensland, a part of the Phanerozoic composite Tasman Fold Belt of eastern Australia, has a Paleozoic to Mesozoic history dominated by subduction zone processes. A suite of 13 peridotite xenoliths from the <3 Ma Atherton Tablelands Volcanic Province, predominantly from Mount Quincan, comprise fertile (1.8-3.4 wt.% Al₂O₃ and 38.7-41.9 wt.% MgO) spinel lherzolites free from secondary volatile-bearing phases and with only weak metasomatic enrichment of incompatible trace elements (Sm_N/Yb_N = 0.23-1.1; La_N/Yb_N = 0.11-4.9). The suite is isotopically heterogeneous, with measured Sr (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7027-07047), Nd (¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd = 0.51249-0.51362), and to a lesser extent, Os (¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os = 0.1228-0.1292) compositions broadly overlapping MORB source mantle (DMM) and extending to more depleted compositions, reflecting evolution in a time-integrated depleted reservoir. Major and rare earth element systematics are consistent with mantle that is residual after low to moderate degrees of melt extraction predominantly in the spinel facies, but with a few samples requiring partial melting at greater pressures in the garnet field or near the garnet-spinel transition. In contrast to most previously studied suites of continental lithospheric mantle samples, the incompatible trace element contents and Sr and Nd isotopic systematics of these samples suggest only minimal modification of the sampled lithosphere by metasomatic processes.Five of six Mount Quincan xenoliths preserving depleted middle to heavy REE patterns form a whole rock Sm-Nd isochron with an age of ∼275 Ma (ε_Ndi = +9), coincident with widespread granitoid emplacement in the overlying region. This isochron is interpreted to indicate the timing of partial melting of a DMM-like source. Xenoliths from other Atherton localities scatter about the isochron, suggesting that the sampled mantle represents addition of DMM mantle to the lithosphere in the Permian, when the region may have broadly been within a subduction zone setting. A sixth middle to heavy REE-depleted Mount Quincan xenolith has a distinct Nd and Os isotopic composition consistent either with an earlier, possibly Precambrian melt extraction event, or with Permian derivation from a mantle source with a less depleted (time-averaged lower Sm/Nd) Nd isotopic composition, but a more depleted (low Re/Os) Os isotopic composition.The range in measured whole rock Os isotopic compositions cannot solely be the result of time-integrated effects of variable melt extraction, especially considering the coherent Sm-Nd systematics of the suite. The Os heterogeneity more likely reflects either a heterogeneous ∼275 Ma DMM source that would have a present-day Os composition (¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ∼ 0.1265-0.1287) overlapping both abyssal peridotites and chondrites, or significant and variable enrichment within the lithospheric mantle by secondary sulfides carrying radiogenic Os in a cryptic chalcophile enrichment event. Regardless of the origin of the Os isotopic variability, these data highlight the mantle Re-Os isotopic heterogeneity that may be present over small length scales where the lithophile Sm-Nd system may be relatively homogeneous.     

Application of the Pt–Re–Os isotopic systems to mantle geochemistry and geochronology

The Re–Os system has now been applied to a wide variety of problems in the solid earth sciences. This review concentrates on applications of the Re–Os system to understanding the age and composition of the mantle and the role that various materials in the mantle play in generating surface magmas. The progress in understanding Re–Os systematics in natural materials has accompanied dramatic advances in the understanding of the geochemical behavior of Re and the platinum group elements. This group of elements and the two isotopic systems (Pt–Os and Re–Os) they contain provide a view of Earth processes that are controlled not by the silicate phases the make up most of the outer portion of Earth, but by sulfide, oxide and metal phases that constitute but a trace of the mantle and crust. These phases are sensitive to oxygen and sulfur fugacities in ways that silicates are not. Consequently, the Re–Os and Pt–Os systems provide a new view into the geochemical evolution of the solid Earth that is complementary to that obtained through the study of traditional radiometric systems that are based on lithophile elements.     

Isotopic constraints on time scales and mechanisms of slab material transport in the mantle wedge: evidence from the Simcoe mantle xenoliths, Washington, USA

Spinel harzburgite and websterite mantle xenoliths from Simcoe volcano in southern Washington represent fragments of mantle lithosphere from the back-arc side of the Cascade arc front. Previous studies have shown that metasomatism by either silica-rich fluids or hydrous melts crystallized phlogopite, imparted high oxygen fugacities (0.3 to 1.4 log units above QFM), and more radiogenic Os isotopic compositions on these peridotites. These features are consistent with part or all of the metasomatic agent being derived from the Juan de Fuca slab. New Re–Os, Sm–Nd, Sr, and U–Th–Pb isotopic data shed further light on the origin and composition of the metasomatic agent. The clinopyroxenes from the xenoliths have correlated Pb isotopic compositions (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb=18.63–19.55, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb=15.56–15.63, ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb=38.22–38.87). The most radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions extend beyond the most radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions for the Cascade arc lavas and display a shallower trend. Mixtures between Juan de Fuca basalts and pelagic or terrigenous sediments would result in Pb isotopic compositions that are not radiogenic enough in ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb at the high ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb end of this array. Therefore, models for rapid transfer of components from the slab to the mantle lithosphere are not viable in this case. Instead, a multi-stage model is preferred. In the first stage, the slab component is transferred via fluid or melt into, and reacts with the hanging wall mantle. This results in a residual slab depleted in Pb relative to U and Th, and consequent high U/Pb and Th/Pb. Additional dehydration or melting of the slab imparts this chemical signature to the peridotite in the hanging wall. In the second stage, the hybridized hanging wall peridotite evolves for tens of million years until corner flow drags it down to deeper levels in the mantle wedge where melting occurs in response to higher temperatures. In the third stage, this melt migrates upward where it metasomatizes the mantle lithosphere represented by the Simcoe xenoliths. Trace element compositions of the clinopyroxenes, and the presence of high alkali glasses in the xenoliths, are consistent with the metasomatic agent derived from the hybridized hanging wall being alkali-rich, and possibly similar to potassic-rich lavas found in arc and back-arc settings. These data therefore demonstrate the importance of the hybridized hanging wall mantle above slabs as a source for melts which can be metasomatic agents in the upper mantle, and as a site for storage of material derived from the slab for periods of at least tens of million years.     

Petrology of kamafugites and kimberlites from the Alto Paranaíba Alkaline Province, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Mafic rocks representative of the alkaline magmatism of the Alto Paranaíba Province in southwestern Minas Gerais, Brazil were studied by means of petrography, mineral, whole-rock and isotope geochemistry with the objective of better understanding this Cretaceous magmatism and the characteristics of the magma sources. Because of the variety and complexity of lithotypes examined in this research and the paucity of detailed studies of these Brazilian rocks in the literature, this study also attempts to establish parameters that allow for a clear distinction between kimberlite and kamafugite. Fifty-two occurrences are described and classified as kimberlite or kamafugite. Among the kamafugites, both ugandite (characterized by the presence of leucite) and mafurite (with kalsilite) end members have been characterized. Mineral compositions were found to be efficient in distinguishing between kimberlites, mafurites and ugandites in the province, primarily on the basis of phlogopite composition. The Re-Os isotope systematics permitted a better understanding of the relation of the sublithospheric mantle source to the magmatism in the region. Kimberlites, mafurites and ugandites have different ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios (0.117 to 0.129, 0.127 to 0.145 and 0.142 to 0.147, respectively). The Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotope systematics failed to indicate first-order differences between kamafugites and kimberlites, whilst ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ratios for the kimberlites are higher than those for the other rock types. Kimberlite and kamafugite isotopic compositions appear to be related to the mixture of at least two dominant mantle components: one with an isotopic signature similar to that of lithospheric peridotites, i.e., with ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios of the order of 0.118, similar to those observed in mantle-derived xenoliths entrained in kimberlites intruded in the Kaapvaal, Wyoming, and Siberian cratons; another with higher ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios of the order of 0.135, within the range of ratios reported for pyroxenite veins in alpine-type peridotites and ocean island basalts. Different melting depths of heterogeneous lithospheric sources by a mantle plume are suggested to explain the isotopic characteristics of the Alto Paranaíba Alkaline Province alkaline rocks.     

Sources of the Late Riphean carbonatite magmatism of Northern Transbaikalia: Geochemical and isotope-geochemical data

New major and trace element and Nd-Sr isotope results are reported for the carbonatites of the Veseloe and Pogranichnoe occurrences, Northern Transbaikalia. The carbonatites from both these occurrences are enriched in Sr, Ba, LREE, Th, U, and depleted in Ti, Cr, and V relative to primitive mantle. As compared to the “average dolomite carbonatite”, the rocks from the Northern Transbaikalia have higher contents of Ni, Cr, and low contents of Ba, Ti, and V. The rocks are characterized by ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶S in the range of 0.7037–0.7043 and ɛNd from + 0.6 to + 2.05. Obtained geochemical and isotope data indicate that the carbonatites were derived from moderately depleted source with a contribution of enriched component.