A geological record of multiple Pleistocene tsunami inundations in an oceanic island: The case of Maio,Cape Verde

In the Central Atlantic archipelagos – the Canaries, Cape Verde, Madeira and the Azores – tsunami hazard is often regarded as low, when compared with other extreme wave events such as hurricanes and storms. The geological record of many of these islands, however, suggests that tsunami hazard may be underestimated, notwithstanding being lower than in areas adjacent to subduction zones, such as the margins of the Pacific and Indian oceans. Moreover, tsunamis in oceanic islands are generally triggered by local large-scale volcanic flank collapses, for which little is known about their frequency, making it difficult to estimate the probability of a new occurrence. Part of the problem lies in the fact that tsunami deposits are usually difficult to date, and few islands in the world exhibit evidence for repeated tsunami inundation on a protracted timescale. This study reports on the presence of abundant tsunami deposits (conglomerates and sandstones) on Maio Island (Cape Verde) and discusses their stratigraphy, sedimentological characteristics, probable age and tsunamigenic source. Observations indicate that four distinct inundation events of variable magnitude took place during the Pleistocene. One of the tsunami deposits yielded a high-confidence U/Th age of 78·8 ± 0·9 ka, which overlaps within error with the 73 ± 7 ka age proposed for Fogo volcano's flank collapse, an event known to have had a significant tsunami impact on nearby Santiago Island. This shows that the Fogo tsunami also impacted Maio, resulting in runups in excess of 60 m above coeval sea-level at ca 120 km from the source. Two older deposits, possibly linked to recurrent flank collapses of the Tope de Coroa volcano in Santo Antão Island, yielded lower-confidence ages of 479 to 390 ka and 360 to 304 ka. A younger deposit (<78 ka) remains undated. In summary, the geological record of Maio exhibits well-preserved evidence of repeated tsunami inundation, reinforcing the notion that tsunami hazard is not so low at volcanic archipelagos featuring prominent and highly-active volcanoes such as in Cape Verde.     

Detrital record of the denudation of volcanic islands under sub-tropical climate (Cape Verde)

This research is focused on the composition of the sediments produced in volcanic islands when the climate does not favour weathering. The XRD mineralogy (bulk sample and fraction finer than 63 μm), petrography and geochemistry of a set of bedload stream and beach samples collected in the “old” Maio and the “young” Fogo islands of Cape Verde archipelago are used to investigate the compositional transformations promoted by exogenous processes during island denudation. The main factor responsible for the variability in sediment composition is the incorporation of biogenic material derived from the evolving shelves; it largely exceeds the effects of the exhumation of different volcanic and basement units. Given the arid climate (and steep land surface in Fogo), only the most labile components of basaltic rocks, such as volcanic glass, are decomposed. The incipient weathering and sorting processes are responsible for the depletion of Al in bedload deposits. The same happens with other elements usually regarded as non-mobile (namely, Nb, Th, REE, etc.), while Mg is concentrated. Thus, weathering indices grounded on the premise that “mobile” elements are lost and “non-mobile” elements are enriched via weathering are useless in Cape Verde bedload sediments. With time, weathering is able to promote Na leaching and the formation of secondary minerals, which tend to retain non-mobile elements released in the earlier stages of alteration (e.g., LREE, Th, Y, Nb, Ta etc.). Sorting processes are responsible for the selective removal of less-dense grains, explaining local differences between beach and stream deposits. Beach placers are enriched in augitic clinopyroxene (occasionally also in olivine in the Fogo island), and Sc, Cr and Co. Niobium and Ta must be hosted in fine-grained particles that are easily windblown and their abundances in dusts may reveal Cape Verde as a source of airborne material crossing the Atlantic Ocean.     

Geochemical constraints on depth of origin of oceanic carbonatites: The Cape Verde case

We present new Sr-Nd isotope compositions together with major- and trace element concentrations measured for whole rocks and mineral separate phases (apatite, biotite and calcite) from fifteen Cape Verde oceanic carbonatites (Atlantic Ocean). Trace element patterns of calcio- and magnesio-carbonatites present a strong depletion in K, Hf, Zr and Ti and an overall enrichment in Sr and REE relative to Cape Verde basalts, arguing for distinct source components between carbonatites and basalts. Sr and Nd isotopic ratios show small, but significant variations defining a binary mixing between a depleted end-member with unradiogenic Sr and radiogenic Nd values and a ‘‘enriched’’ end-member compatible with old marine carbonates. We interpret the depleted end-member as the Cape Verde oceanic lithosphere by comparison with previous studies on Cape Verde basalts. We thus propose that oceanic carbonatites are resulting from the interaction of a deep rooted mantle plume carrying a lower ⁴He/³He signature from the lower mantle and a carbonated metasomatized lithosphere, which by low degree melting produced carbonatite magmas. Sr-Nd compositions and trace element patterns of carbonatites argue in favor of a metasomatic agent originating from partial melting of recycled, carbonated oceanic crust. We have successfully reproduced the main geochemical features of this model using a Monte-Carlo-type simulation.     

Sampling the Cape Verde Mantle Plume: Evolution of Melt Compositions on Santo Antao, Cape Verde Islands

The volcanic history of Santo Antão, NW Cape Verde Islands,includes the eruption of basanite–phonolite series magmasbetween 7·5 and 0·3 Ma and (melilite) nephelinite–phonoliteseries magmas from 0·7 to 0·1 Ma. The most primitivevolcanic rocks are olivine ± clinopyroxene-phyric, whereasthe more evolved rocks have phenocrysts of clinopyroxene ±Fe–Tioxide ± kaersutite ± haüyne ± titanite± sanidine; plagioclase occurs in some intermediate rocks.The analysed samples span a range of 19–0·03% MgO;the most primitive have 37–46% SiO₂, 2·5–7%TiO₂ and are enriched 50–200 x primitive mantle in highlyincompatible elements; the basanitic series is less enrichedthan the nephelinitic series. Geochemical trends in each seriescan be modelled by fractional crystallization of phenocrystassemblages from basanitic and nephelinitic parental magmas.There is little evidence for mineral–melt disequilibrium,and thus magma mixing is not of major importance in controllingbulk-rock compositions. Mantle melting processes are modelledusing fractionation-corrected magma compositions; the modelssuggest 1–4% partial melting of a heterogeneous mantleperidotite source at depths of 90–125 km. Incompatibleelement enrichment among the most primitive magma types is typicalof HIMU OIB. The Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions of theSanto Antão volcanic sequence and geochemical characterchange systematically with time. The older volcanic rocks (7·5–2Ma) vary between two main mantle source components, one of whichis a young HIMU type with ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 19·88, 7/4 =–5, 8/4 0, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0·7033 and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd= 0·51288, whereas the other has somewhat less radiogenicSr and Pb and more radiogenic Nd. The intermediate age volcanicrocks (2–0·3 Ma) show a change of sources to two-componentmixing between a carbonatite-related young HIMU-type source(²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 19·93, 7/4 = –5, 8/4 = –38,⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0·70304) and a DM-like source. A more incompatibleelement-enriched component with 7/4 > 0 (old HIMU type) isprominent in the young volcanic rocks (0·3–0·1Ma). The EM1 component that is important in the southern CapeVerde Islands appears to have played no role in the petrogenesisof the Santo Antão magmas. The primary magmas are arguedto be derived by partial melting in the Cape Verde mantle plume;temporal changes in composition are suggested to reflect layeringin the plume conduit. KEY WORDS: radiogenic isotopes; geochemistry; mantle melting; Cape Verde     

Sediment generation on a volcanic island with arid tropical climate: A perspective based on geochemical maps of topsoils and stream sediments from Santiago Island,Cape Verde

The present research tests the application of geochemical atlas of soils and stream sediments in the investigation of weathering and erosion processes on volcanic islands. The composition of surface soils collected in six catchments from Santiago Island (Cape Verde) are compared with bedload stream deposits sourced by these catchment areas in order to evaluate the spatial variability of these exogenous processes. The geochemistry of bedload stream deposits is between that of the fresh rocks and the topsoils of their source areas. Relative to average soil composition, bedload deposits are depleted in most of less-mobile elements (e.g., Al, Fe, La, Sc) and strongly enriched in Na and, usually, Ca. When the topsoil weathering intensity in the catchment areas is highly variable and the composition of bedload deposits is substantially different from the average soil composition, bedload deposits should incorporate significant amounts of poorly-weathered rocks and sectors from erosion occur within the drainage basin. Ratios of non-mobile elements allow the identification of highly vulnerable and erosion-protected sectors within the catchments. It is proposed that the catchments of the rivers in the SW flanking side of Santiago Island include sectors where lava shields formed during the post-erosional eruptive phases are capable of an effective protection to erosion. Conversely, the NE-facing part of the island is highly dissected and any younger post-erosional cover was either completely eroded away, or never existed in the first place. Simple compositional parameters derived from the databases of geochemical maps of soil and stream sediments provide important information for the analyses of weathering, erosion and denudation processes at the catchment scale.     

Neotectonic morphotructures in the junction zone of the Cape Verde Rise and Cape Verde Abyssal Plain,Central Atlantic

Acoustic profiling carried out with an Edgetech 3300 prophilograph in the junction zone of the Cape Verde Rise, Cape Verde Abyssal Plain, and Grimaldi and Bathymetrists seamounts in the Central Atlantic during Cruise 23 of the R/V Akademik Nikolaj Strakhov allowed us to obtain new data on neotectonic deformations in the ocean and to propose their interpretation. It has been established that neotectonic movements occurred in the discrete manner: blocks of undeformed rocks alternate with linear zones of intense deformation spatially related to paleotransform fracture zones, where anticlines, horsts, diapir-like morphostructures, and grabens were formed. The Cape Verde Ridge is a large horst. Its sedimentary cover is disturbed by thrust (?), reverse, and normal faults, steeply dipping fracture zones, and folds. Three stages of tectonic movements—Oligocene-early Miocene, pre-Quaternary, and Holocene—are recognized. The tectonic deformations occurred largely under near-meridional compression. Extension setting was characteristic of the Cape Verde Ridge and the Carter Rise in the Holocene.     

Rubidium,strontium content and strontium isotopic composition of strongly alkalic basaltic rocks from the Cape Verde islands

The Cape Verde islands are characterized by the presence of very strongly alkalic lavas. Cenozoic volcanics—covering the broadest compositional range present in the archipelago—and ranging from alkali-basalts to phonolites, associated with plutonic essexites and nepheline syenites, were analyzed for Sr isotopic compositions and concentrations in K, Rb and Sr. The close values of the Sr⁸⁷/Sr⁸⁶ ratios (ranging from 0.7029 to 0.7033) indicate a comagmatic origin for the different rock types; no correlation appears between the Sr isotopic composition and the K-content of the lavas, thus indicating that the lavas with high K₂O/K₂O + Na₂O ratio are generated from a primary magma by differentiation at shallow depths. The values of the Sr isotopic composition are distinctly lower than most values obtained for lavas of other oceanic islands. The origin of the magma type is discussed on the basis of these isotopic compositions and the K/Rb and Rb/Sr ratios: it is suggested that the primary magma has a nephelinitic composition and was formed by partial melting of a small fraction of undepleted mantle peridotite, containing phlogopite; the deeper part of the mantle where this nephelinitic magma generates would have a strontium isotopic ratio of about 0.703 and a Rb/Sr ratio lower than that of the upper part.     

西藏班戈北部早白垩世火山岩：班公湖—怒江洋闭合的岩浆记录

对班戈县北部马前乡地区的早白垩世安山岩和英安岩进行了详细的地质填图及岩石学、年代学、地球化学和Hf同位素研究。锆石U-Pb定年获得安山岩年龄分别为（108.0±1.5）Ma和（113.6±0.9）Ma;英安岩年龄为（106.7±1.9）Ma和（113.6±0.8）Ma。安山岩富集Th和U,亏损Nb、Ta和Ti,具有变化范围较大的Mg^#值（25~63）,锆石ε_Hf（t）值（-8.6~+1.5）以负值为主,应当为幔源镁铁质熔体与壳源熔体的混合产物。英安岩具有与安山岩类似的微量元素成分特征及负的锆石ε_Hf（t）值（-12.3~-8.1）,应当是地壳部分熔融的产物。结合前人研究成果认为,这些早白垩世岩浆岩是约110 Ma沿班公湖-怒江缝合带岩浆大爆发的产物,可能与班公湖-怒江洋闭合之后的拉萨与羌塘地块陆-陆碰撞有关。     

A 5 million year record of compositional variations in mantle sources to magmatism on Santiago, southern Cape Verde archipelago

High-precision Pb isotope data and Sr–Nd–Hf isotope data are presented together with major and trace element data for samples spanning the 4.6 Ma history of volcanism at Santiago, in the southern Cape Verde islands. Pb isotope data confirm the positive Δ8/4 signature of the southern islands indicating that the north–south compositional heterogeneity in the Cape Verde archipelago has persisted for at least 4.6 Ma. The Santiago volcanics show distinct compositional differences between the old, intermediate and young volcanics, and suggest greater involvement of an enriched mantle (EM1)-like source over time. Isotopic variations in the Santiago volcanics indicate convergence towards a homogeneous EM1-like end-member and distinct temporal variations in the FOZO-like end-member. Santiago and Santo Antão (a northern island, Holm et al. 2006), show a simultaneous decrease in ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb of the high ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb FOZO-like source with time. Such systematic archipelago-wide variations in the FOZO-like component suggest that this component is more likely to be present as a coherent package of recycled ocean crust rather than as multiple small heterogeneities dispersed in the upwelling mantle. The temporal variations in ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb reflect minor lateral variations in Th/U of this recycled ocean crust package entering the melting zone beneath the islands. The location of the EM1-like component is more equivocal. A shallow lithospheric location is possible, but this would require a coincidence between spatial compositional variations in the lithosphere (EM1 is spatially restricted to the southern islands) and flow lines in the upwelling mantle revealed by seismic anisotropy. Therefore, we favour a deeper asthenospheric mantle source for the EM1-like source.     

Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks and Early Cenozoic extrusions of Cape Mary, Schmidt Peninsula, north Sakhalin: Geochemical study

The Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks of the Mariisky sequence and Early Cenozoic extrusive-vent rocks of Cape Mary are exposed at the northwestern extremity of Schmidt Peninsula, north Sakhalin. In chemical composition, all the rocks are subdivided into four groups. Three groups include the volcanic rocks of the Mariisky sequence, which consists, from bottom to top, of calc-alkaline rocks, transitional calc-alkaline-tholeiite rocks, and incompatible element-depleted tholeiites. These rocks show subduction geochemical signatures and are considered as a fragment of the Moneron-Samarga island arc system. Trace-element modeling indicates their derivation through successive melting of garnet-bearing mantle and garnet-free shallower mantle sources containing amphibole; pyroxene; and, possibly, spinel. The mixed subduction and within-plate characteristics of the extrusive vent rocks of Cape Mary attest to their formation in a transform continental margin setting.     

渣尔泰山地区白垩纪酸性火山岩地质特征及成矿作用

渣尔泰山地区位于内蒙古中西部,大地构造位置处于华北地台北缘狼山-渣尔泰山裂陷槽的东段,根据近几年的找矿实践与研究,在白垩纪的酸性火山岩中已发现银金矿床、金银矿床,主要赋存于下白垩统白女羊盘组酸性火山岩中。该套火山岩具富硅富钾、相对贫钙镁的特点,属于铝过饱和的碱性系列;在球粒陨石标准化图解上岩石化学样品均显示为轻稀土(LREE)相对富集、重稀土(HREE)相对亏损的右倾型配分模式,轻重稀土分异较明显,显示较明显的负铕异常;微量元素显示明显的Rb、Pb正异常和Ba、Sr负异常,不相容元素比值Zr/Nb=2.47~4.87,Zr/Y=18.3~103。属大陆碰撞造山期后作用的产物,来源于地壳部分熔融。其岩石类型主要有:流纹质凝灰角砾岩、流纹质角砾凝灰岩、球粒状流纹岩、珍珠岩、显微嵌晶状流纹岩夹流纹斑岩等。银多金属矿的含矿层主要由复碎裂复硅化流纹质凝灰角砾岩、硅化复碎裂流纹岩、多期次硅化黄铁矿化角砾岩化流纹斑岩等组成。成矿元素Ag、Au、Sb、W显著富集于流纹质凝灰角砾岩、多期次硅化碎裂的流纹岩、流纹斑岩中,其平均含量高于中国流纹岩元素丰度10倍以上,说明该套火山岩提供了成矿物质来源;且元素含量的分异程度较大,指示明显受到后期成矿作用的叠加;有一定的找矿潜力。     

Chemical and mineralogical evidence of the occurrence of mantle metasomatism by carbonate-rich melts in an oceanic environment (Santiago Island, Cape Verde)

Lavas from Santiago Island attest to a complex magmatic history, in which heterogeneous mantle source(s) and the interactions of advecting magmas with thick metasomatised oceanic lithosphere played an important role in the observed isotopic and trace element signatures. Young (<3.3 Ma) primitive lavas from Santiago Island are characterised by pronounced negative K anomalies and trace element systematics indicating that during partial melting D_K>D_Ce. These features suggest equilibration with an oceanic lithospheric mantle containing K-rich hydrous mineral assemblages, consistent with the occurrence of amphibole + phlogopite in associated metasomatised lherzolite xenoliths, where orthopyroxene is partially replaced by newly formed olivine + (CO₂ + spinel + carbonate inclusion-rich) clinopyroxene. Metasomatism induced a decrease in $ a ^{{{\text{melt}}}}_{{{\text{SiO}}_{{\text{2}}} }} $ and Ti/Eu ratios, as well as an increase in fO ₂ , Ca/Sc and Sr/Sm in the Santiago magmas, suggesting a carbonatitic composition for the metasomatic agent. Santiago primitive lavas are highly enriched in incompatible elements and show a moderate range in isotopic compositions (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr?=?0.70318–0.70391, ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd?=?0.51261–0.51287, ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf?=?0.28284–0.28297). Elemental and isotopic signatures suggest the involvement of HIMU and EM1-type mantle end-members, in agreement with the overall isotopic characteristics of the southern Cape Verde Islands. The overall geochemical characteristics of lavas from Santiago Island allow us to consider the EM1-like end-member as resulting from the involvement of subcontinental lithospheric mantle in the genesis of magmas on Santiago.     

Magmatic evolution of the Cadamosto Seamount,Cape Verde: beyond the spatial extent of EM1

The Cadamosto Seamount is an unusual volcanic centre from Cape Verde, characterised by dominantly evolved volcanics, in contrast to the typically mafic volcanic centres at Cape Verde that exhibit only minor volumes of evolved volcanics. The magmatic evolution of Cadamosto Seamount is investigated to quantify the role of magma-crust interaction and thus provide a perspective on evolved end-member volcanism of Cape Verde. The preservation of mantle source signatures by Nd–Pb isotopes despite extensive magmatic differentiation provides new insights into the spatial distribution of mantle heterogeneity in the Cape Verde archipelago. Magmatic differentiation from nephelinite to phonolite involves fractional crystallisation of clinopyroxene, titanite, apatite, biotite and feldspathoids, with extensive feldspathoid accumulation being recorded in some evolved samples. Clinopyroxene crystallisation pressures of 0.38–0.17 GPa for the nephelinites constrain this extensive fractional crystallisation to the oceanic lithosphere, where no crustal assimilants or rafts of subcontinental lithospheric mantle are available. In turn, magma-crust interaction has influenced the Sr, O and S isotopes of the groundmass and late crystallising feldspathoids, which formed at shallow crustal depths reflecting the availability of oceanic sediments and anhydrite precipitated in the ocean crust. The Nd–Pb isotopes have not been affected by these processes of magma-crust interaction and hence preserve the mantle source signature. The Cadamosto Seamount samples have high ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (>19.5), high εNd (+6 to +7) and negative Δ8/4Pb, showing affinity with the northern Cape Verde islands as opposed to the adjacent southern islands. Hence, the Cadamosto Seamount in the west is located spatially beyond the EM1-like component found further east. This heterogeneity is not encountered in the oceanic lithosphere beneath the Cadamosto Seamount despite greater extents of fractional crystallisation at oceanic lithospheric depths than the islands of Fogo and Santiago. Our data provide new evidence for the complex geometry of the chemically zoned Cape Verde mantle source.     

Magnetic properties of Pleistocene sediments from the Mediterranean sea: a correlation with the palaeoclimatic record

The magnetic properties of the late Quaternary hemipelagic sediment from piston core BS77-15 taken in the Tyrrhenian Sea were investigated and the results compared with palaeoclimatic records. The magnetic mineralogy of the sediment was studied and the magnetic carriers were identified by their spectra of coercivity and unblocking temperature. Investigations of rock magnetic parameters such as the Natural Remanent Magnetization (NRM), the low-field magnetic susceptibility χ, the frequency-dependent susceptibility χ fd , the acquisition of Anhysteretic Magnetization (ARM) and Isothermal Magnetization (IRM) and the Median Destructive Field (MDF) have established the downcore variations in terms of magnetic mineralogy, grain size and coercivity in the sediments. The rock magnetic parameters were compared with an alternative climatic record from the same core based on the faunal association of planktonic foraminifera. A significant correlation was found between faunal climatic record and χ fd . Together with the magnetic properties of the sediment this suggests that a palaeoclimatic signal is recorded by a fine-grained low-coercivity fraction of the magnetic minerals.