Geochemical and Isotopic Heterogeneities along an Island Arc-Spreading Ridge Intersection: Evidence from the Lewis Hills, Bay of Islands Ophiolite, Newfoundland |
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Authors: | KURTH-VELZ MICHAELA; SASSEN ANDREAS; GALER STEPHEN J G |
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Institution: | 1 MAX-PLANCK-INSTITUT FÜR CHEMIE, ABTEILUNG GEOCHEMIE, POSTFACH 3060, 55020 MAINZ, GERMANY
2 UNIVERSITÄT ZU KÖLN, INSTITUT FÜR MINERALOGIE UND GEOCHEMIE, ZÜLPICHER STR. 49B, 50674 KÖLN, GERMANY |
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Abstract: | This study focuses on the origin of magma heterogeneity andthe genesis of refractory, boninite-type magmas along an arcridgeintersection, exposed in the Lewis Hills (Bay of Islands Ophiolite).The Lewis Hills contain the fossil fracture zone contact betweena split island arc and its related marginal oceanic basin. Threetypes of intrusions, which are closely related to this narrowtectonic boundary, have been investigated. Parental melts inequilibrium with the ultramafic cumulates of the PyroxeniteSuite are inferred to have high MgO contents and low Al2O3,Na2O and TiO2 contents. The trace element signatures of thesePyroxenite Suite parental melts indicate a re-enriched, highlydepleted source with 0·1 x mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)abundances of the heavy rare earth elements (HREE). InitialNd values of the Pyroxenite Suite range from -1·5 to+0·6, which overlap those observed for the island arc.Furthermore, the Pyroxenite Suite parental melts bear strongsimilarities to boninite-type equilibrium melts from islandarc-related pyroxenitic dykes and harzburgites. Basaltic dykessplit into two groups. Group I dykes have 0·6 x MORBabundances of the HREE, and initial Nd values ranging from +5·4to +7·5. Thus, they have a strong geochemical affinitywith basalts derived from the marginal basin spreading ridge.Group II dykes have comparatively lower trace element abundances(0·3 x MORB abundances of HREE), and slightly lower initialNd values (+5·4 to +5·9). The geochemical characteristicsof the Group II dykes are transitional between those of GroupI dykes and the Pyroxenite Suite parental melts. Cumulates fromthe Late Intrusion Suite are similarly transitional, with Ndvalues ranging from +2·9 to +4·6. We suggest thatthe magma heterogeneity observed in the Lewis Hills is due tothe involvement of two compositionally distinct mantle sources,which are the sub-island lithospheric mantle and the asthenosphericmarginal basin mantle. It is likely that the refractory, boninite-typeparental melts of the Pyroxenite Suite result from remeltingof the sub-arc lithospheric mantle at an arcridge intersection.Furthermore, it is suggested that the thermal-dynamic conditionsof the transtensional transform fault have provided the prerequisitefor generating magma heterogeneity, as a result of mixing relationshipsbetween arc-related and marginal basin-related magmas. KEY WORDS: Bay of Islands ophiolite; transform (arc)ridge intersection; boninites; rare earth elements, Nd isotopes |
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Keywords: | : Bay of Islands ophiolite transform (arc) ridge intersection boninites rare earth elements Nd isotopes |
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