Are Arc Basalts Dry, Wet, or Both? Evidence from the Sumisu Caldera Volcano, Izu-Bonin Arc, Japan

Basalt–basaltic andesite (<55 wt % SiO₂) and dacite–rhyolite(66–74 wt % SiO₂) are the predominant eruptive productsin the Sumisu caldera volcano, Izu–Bonin arc, Japan. Themost magnesian basalt (8·5% MgO), as well as some ofthe other basalts, has a low Zr content (20–25 ppm), andcannot yield basalts with higher Zr contents (29–40 ppm)through fractionation and/or assimilation. The high- and low-Zrbasalts have different phenocryst assemblages, olivine, plagioclaseand pyroxene phenocryst chemistries, REE (rare earth element)patterns, and fluid-mobile element/immobile element ratios.Estimated primary olivine compositions are more magnesian (>Fo₉₁)in the low-Zr basalts compared with those in high-Zr basalts(<Fo₈₉). The low-Zr basalts contain up to 11 vol. % augite,but many high-Zr basalts are free of augite, which appears onlyin their more differentiated products. The low-Zr basalts areconsidered to be hydrous magmas in which olivine crystallizesfirst followed by augite and plagioclase, whereas the high-Zrbasalts are dry. The low-Zr basalts have higher U/Th ratiosthan the high-Zr basalts. We suggest that both dry and wet primarybasalts existed in the Sumisu magmatic system, each having differenttrace element concentrations, mineral assemblages and mineralchemistry. The lower contents of Zr and light REE and magnesianprimary olivines in the wet basalts could have resulted froma higher degree of partial melting (20%) of a hydrous sourcemantle compared with 10% melting of a dry source mantle. TheSr, Nd and Pb isotope compositions of the wet and dry basaltsare similar and are limited in range. These lines of evidenceindicate that a mantle diapir model might be applicable to satisfythe configuration of such a mantle source region beneath a singlevolcanic system such as Sumisu. KEY WORDS: degree of melting; hot fingers; isotopes; mantle diapir; mantle wedge     

Syros Metasomatic Tourmaline: Evidence for Very High-{delta}11B Fluids in Subduction Zones

High-pressure (HP) metamorphic blocks enclosed in a mafic toultramafic matrix from a mélange on the island of Syrosare rimmed by tourmaline-bearing reaction zones (blackwalls).The B isotopic composition of dravitic tourmaline within theseblackwalls was investigated in situ by secondary ion mass spectrometry.Boron in these tourmalines is unusually heavy, with ¹¹B valuesexceeding +18 in all investigated samples and reaching an extremevalue of +28·4 in one sample. Blackwalls formed duringexhumation of the HP mélange at a depth of 20–25km at temperatures of 400–430°C, by influx of externalhydrous fluids. The compositions of the fluids are estimatedto be in the range of 100–300 µg/g B with ¹¹B valuesof +18 to +28. The high ¹¹B values cannot be explained by tourmalineformation from unmodified slab-derived fluids. However, suchfluids could interact with the material in the exhumation channelon their way from the dehydrating slab to the site of tourmalineformation in the blackwalls. This could produce exceptionallyhigh ¹¹B values in the fluids, a case that is modelled in thisstudy. The model demonstrates that subduction fluids may beeffectively modified in both trace element and isotopic compositionduring their migration through the material overlying the subductingslab. Blackwall tourmaline from Syros has a large grain size(several centimetres), high abundance, and an exceptionallyhigh ¹¹B value. The formation of tourmaline at the contact betweenmafic or felsic HP blocks and their ultramafic matrix involvedfluids released during dehydration reactions in the subductingslab. It forms a heavy-boron reservoir in hybrid rocks overlyingthe subducting slab, and may, thus, have a significant impacton the geochemical cycle of B and its isotopes in subductionzones. KEY WORDS: boron isotopes; tourmaline; subduction zone; fluid, high pressure     

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     

The Fate of High-Angle Dipping Slabs in the Subduction Factory: an Integrated Trace Element and Radiogenic Isotope (U, Th, Sr, Nd, Pb) Study of Stromboli Volcano, Aeolian Arc, Italy

The subaerial part of the Stromboli stratovolcano was builtup in the last 100 kyr through six periods of activity; theerupted magmas record the largest compositional variation ofall the Aeolian arc volcanoes (calc-alkaline, shoshonitic, andpotassic alkaline magma series). The trace element characteristicsof the less evolved magmas of each period of activity are coherentlycorrelated with their radiogenic isotope (Sr, Nd, Pb) composition,and are typical of volcanic arc rocks. In terms of U-seriesisotopes, samples from the different magma series have both²³⁸U and ²³⁰Th excesses, and this distinctive feature providesadditional constraints on source enrichment processes withinthe mantle wedge and on the mechanism of partial melting. Overallthe complete set of data demonstrates that the genesis of thedifferent magma series at Stromboli can be accommodated in amantle source that experienced two distinct enrichment processesby different parts of the subducting oceanic crust of the Ionianslab. The first was caused by supercritical liquids originatingfrom the basaltic and sedimentary parts of the subducting slabat >5 GPa and 900°C. The second was induced by aqueousfluids, again originating from the basaltic and sedimentaryparts of the slab, released from a shallower part of the subductedIonian slab (< 5 GPa and 800°C). U–Th disequilibriaconstrain the timing of the first metasomatic event (Stage I:supercritical liquids) at >435 ka, whereas the second event(Stage II: aqueous fluids) occurred at 100 ka. The high-angledip of the Ionian slab (70°) caused the superimpositionof the metasomatizing agents of the two enrichment processesin the same volume of the mantle wedge, explaining the occurrenceof such different magma series in a single volcanic edifice.The U–Th disequilibria provide evidence for dynamic meltingof the metasomatized mantle wedge combined with an ageing effectresulting from the restoration of secular equilibrium afterthe perturbation caused by the U-rich aqueous fluids of StageII. The trace element and radiogenic isotope (U, Th, Sr, Nd,Pb) signature of the mantle source of the magmas at Stromboliis thus dependent upon the amount of supercritical liquids andaqueous fluids released by the two components of the subductedslab, whereas the distinctive ²³⁸U and ²³⁰Th excesses of themagmas result from a combination of mantle ageing and time-dependentdynamic melting. The geochemical and radiogenic isotope signatureof the mantle source beneath Stromboli places important constraintson the isotopic polarity from Southern Latium to the Aeolianarc attributed to the effect of a HIMU mantle component followingeither lateral inflow of foreland mantle material or upwellingof a mantle plume in the centre of the Tyrrhenian basin. Ourgeochemical model demonstrates that the high ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb ofthe putative ‘HIMU’ mantle component could be equallyformed during metasomatism of the pre-existing mantle wedgeby either the supercritical liquid (Stage I) or aqueous fluid(Stage II) released by the subducted altered basalt of the Ionianplate. KEY WORDS: radiogenic isotopes; U–Th disequilibria; mantle metasomatism; supercritical liquid; aqueous fluid; Stromboli     

The Geochemistry of the Arabian Lithospheric Mantle--a Source for Intraplate Volcanism?

We present trace element and Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotopecompositions for clinopyroxenes from anhydrous spinel peridotiteand garnet ± spinel pyroxenite xenoliths of Pan-Africanlithospheric mantle from Jordan, including the first high-precisiondouble-spike Pb isotope measurements of mantle clinopyroxene.Clinopyroxenes from the peridotites are variably Th–U–LILE–LREEenriched and display prominent negative Nb, Zr and Ti anomalies.MREE–HREE abundances can generally be modelled as partialmelting residues of spinel lherzolite with primitive-mantle-likecomposition after extraction of 5–10% melt, whereas theenrichments in Th–U–LILE–LREE require a Pan-Africanor later metasomatic event. The large range of Nd, Sr, Pb andHf isotope ratios in both peridotites and pyroxenites (e.g.Nd 1·4–17·5; ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb 17·2–20·4;Hf 0·6–164·6) encompasses compositionsmore radiogenic than mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), and Pb isotopescover almost the entire range of oceanic basalt values. Hf valuesare some of the highest ever recorded in mantle samples andare decoupled from Nd in the same samples. Marked correlationsbetween Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes, LILE–LREE enrichmentsand HFSE depletion suggest that the metasomatizing agent wasa carbonatitic-rich melt and isotopic data suggest that metasomatismmay have been related to Pan-African subduction. The metasomaticmelt permeated depleted upper mantle (<16 kbar) during Pan-Africansubduction at 600–900 Ma, and the variably metasomatizedmaterial was then incorporated into the Arabian lithosphericmantle. There is no evidence for recent metasomatism (<30Ma) related to the Afar plume like that postulated to have affectedsouthern Arabian lithospheric mantle. Hf isotopes in the mantleclinopyroxenes are unaffected by metasomatism, and even somestrongly overprinted lithologies record ancient (>1·2Ga) pre-metasomatic Lu–Hf signatures of the depleted uppermantle that was the protolith of the Arabian lithospheric mantle.The ‘resistance’ of the Lu–Hf isotopic systemto later metasomatic events resulted in the development of extremelyheterogeneous Hf isotopic signatures over time that are decoupledfrom other isotopic systems. No mantle sample in this studyexactly matches the chemical and isotopic signature of the sourceof Jordanian intraplate basalts. However, the xenolith compositionsare broadly similar to those of the source of Arabian intraplatebasalts, suggesting that the numerous Cenozoic intraplate volcanicfields throughout Arabia may be the product of melting uppermantle wedge material fertilized during Pan-African subductionand incorporated into the Arabian lithospheric mantle. We proposea model whereby the proto-Arabian lithospheric mantle underwenta major melting event in early Proterozoic–late Archeantimes (at the earliest at 1·2 Ga). Island-arc volcanismand major crust formation occurred during the Pan-African orogeny,which liberated fluids and possibly small-degree melts thatmigrated through the mantle creating zones of enrichment forcertain elements depending upon their compatibility. Immobileelements, such as Nb, were concentrated near the base of themantle wedge providing the source of the Nb-rich Jordanian volcanicrocks. More mobile elements, such as LILE and LREE, were transportedup through the mantle and fertilized the shallow mantle sourceof the Jordanian xenoliths. Following subduction, the mantlewedge became fossilized and preserved distinct enriched anddepleted zones. Lithospheric rifting in the Miocene triggeredpartial melting of spinel-facies mantle in the lower lithosphere,which mixed with deeper asthenospheric garnet-facies melts asrifting evolved. These melts entrained segments of variablycarbonatite-metasomatized shallow lithospheric mantle en routeto the surface. KEY WORDS: Arabian lithospheric mantle; Jordan; mantle xenoliths; Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotopes     

Geochemical and Isotopic (O, Nd, Pb and Sr) Constraints on A-type Granite Petrogenesis Based on the Topsails Igneous Suite, Newfoundland Appalachians

The voluminous, bimodal, Silurian Topsails igneous suite consistsmainly of ‘A-type’ peralkaline to slightly peraluminous,hypersohnis to subsolvus granites with subordinate syenite,onzonite and diabase, plus consanguineous basalts and highsilicarhyolites. _Nd(T) values from the suite range from –1.5to +5.4; most granitoid components exhibit positive _Nd(T) values(+1.1 to +3.9). Granitoid initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and most ¹⁸ O valuesare in the range expected for rocks derived from mantle-likeprotoliths (0.701–0.706 and +6 to +80/). Restricted ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pbvariation is accompanied by significant dispersion of ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pband ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb. Superficially, petrogenesis by either direct(via fractionation from basalt) or indirect (via melting ofjuvenile crust) derivation from mantle sources appears plausible.Remelting of the granulitic protolith of Ordovician are-typegranitoids can be ruled out, because these rocks exhibit negative_Nd(T) and a large range in ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb. Geochemical and isotopicrelationships are most compatible with remelting of hybridizedlithospheric mantle generated during arc-continent collision.A genetic link is suggested among collision-related delaminationor slab break-off events and emplacement of ‘post-erogenic’granite suites. A-type granites may recycle previously subductedcontinental material, and help explain the mass balance notedfor modern arcs. However, they need not represent net, new,crustal growth. KEY WORDS: A-type granites; juvenile crust; isotopes; Newfoundland ^*Telephone: (613) 995-4972. Fax: (613) 995-7997. e-mail: jwhalen{at}gsc.emr.ca     

Origin of Paleoproterozoic Komatiites at Jeesiorova, Kittila Greenstone Complex, Finnish Lapland

Komatiites from the 2 Ga Jeesiörova area in Finnish Laplandhave subchondritic Al₂O₃/TiO₂ ratios like those in Al-depletedkomatiites from Barberton, South Africa. They are distinct inthat their Al abundances are higher than those of the Al-depletedrocks and similar to levels in Al-undepleted komatiites. Moderatelyincompatible elements such as Ti, Zr, Eu, and Gd are enriched.Neither majorite fractionation nor hydrous melting in a supra-subductionzone setting could have produced these komatiites. Their highconcentrations of moderately incompatible elements may haveresulted from contamination of their parental melt through interactionwith metasomatic assemblages in the lithospheric mantle or enrichmentof their mantle source in basaltic melt components. Re–Osisotope data for chromite from the Jeesiörova rocks yieldan average initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os of 0·1131 ± 0·0006(2), _Os(I) = 0·1 ± 0·5. These data, coupledwith an initial _Nd of +4, indicate that melt parental to thekomatiites interacted minimally with ancient lithospheric mantle.If their mantle source was enriched in a basaltic component,the combined Os–Nd isotopic data limit the enrichmentprocess to within 200 Myr prior to the formation of the komatiites.Their Os–Nd isotopic composition is consistent with derivationfrom the contemporaneous convecting upper mantle. KEY WORDS: Finnish Lapland; Jeesiörova; komatiites; mantle geochemistry; petrogenesis; redox state; Re/Os isotopes; Ti enrichment     

Experimental Constraints on the Role of Garnet Pyroxenite in the Genesis of High-Fe Mantle Plume Derived Melts

The anhydrous phase relations of an uncontaminated (primitive),ferropicrite lava from the base of the Early Cretaceous Paraná–Etendekacontinental flood basalt province have been determined between1 atm and 7 GPa. The sample has high contents of MgO (14·9wt %), FeO^* (14·9 wt %) and Ni (660 ppm). Olivine phenocrystshave maximum Fo contents of 85 and are in equilibrium with thebulk rock, assuming a of 0·32. A comparison of our results with previous experimental studiesof high-Mg rocks shows that the high FeO content of the ferropicritecauses an expansion of the liquidus crystallization field ofgarnet and clinopyroxene relative to olivine; orthopyroxenewas not observed in any of our experiments. The high FeO contentalso decreases solidus temperatures. Phase relations indicatethat the ferropicrite melt last equilibrated either at 2·2GPa with an olivine–clinopyroxene residue, or at 5 GPawith a garnet–clinopyroxene residue. The low bulk-rockAl₂O₃ content (9 wt %) and high [Gd/Yb]_n ratio (3·1)are consistent with the presence of residual garnet in the ferropicritemelt source and favour high-pressure melting of a garnet pyroxenitesource. The garnet pyroxenite may represent subducted oceaniclithosphere entrained by the upwelling Tristan starting mantleplume head. During adiabatic decompression, intersection ofthe garnet pyroxenite solidus at 5 GPa would occur at a mantlepotential temperature of 1550°C and yield a ferropicriteprimary magma. Subsequent melting of the surrounding peridotiteat 4·5 GPa may be restricted by the thickness of theoverlying sub-continental lithosphere, such that dilution ofthe garnet pyroxenite melt component would be significantlyless than in intra-oceanic plate settings (where the lithosphereis thinner). This model may explain the limited occurrence offerropicrites at the base of continental flood basalt sequencesand their apparent absence in ocean-island basalt successions. KEY WORDS: continental flood basalt; ferropicrite; mantle heterogeneity; mantle melting; phase relations; pyroxenite     

Integrated Models of Basalt Petrogenesis: A Study of Quartz Tholeiites to Olivine Melilitites from South Eastern Australia Utilizing Geochemical and Experimental Petrological Data

The Tertiary to Recent basalts of Victoria and Tasmania havemineralogical and major element characteristics of magmas encompassingthe range from quartz tholeiites to olivine melilitites. Abundancesof trace elements such as incompatible elements, including therare earth elements (REE), and the compatible elements Ni, Coand Sc, vary systematically through this compositional spectrum.On the basis of included mantle xenoliths, appropriate 100 Mg/Mg+ Fe₊₂ (68–72) and high Ni contents many of these basaltsrepresent primary magmas (i.e., unmodified partial melts ofmantle peridotite). For fractionated basalts we have derivedmodel primary magma compositions by estimating the compositionalchanges caused by fractional crystallization of olivine andpyroxene at low or moderate pressure. A pyrolite model mantlecomposition has been used to establish and evaluate partialmelting models for these primary magmas. By definition and experimentaltesting the specific pyrolite composition yields parental olivinetholeiite magma similar to that of KilaeauIki, Hawaii (1959–60)and residual harzburgite by 33 per cent melting. It is shownthat a source pyrolite composition differing only in having0.3–0.4 per cent TiO₂ rather than 0.7 per cent TiO₂, isable to yield the spectrum of primary basalts for the Victorian-Tasmanianprovince by 4 per cent to 25 per cent partial melting. The mineralogiesof residual peridotites are consistent with known liquidus phaserelationships of the primary magmas at high pressures and thechemical compositions of residual peridotite are similar tonatural depleted or refractory lherzolites and harzburgites.For low degrees of melting the nature of the liquid and of theresidual peridotite are sensitively dependent on the contentof H₂O, CO₂ and the CO₂/H₂O in the source pyrolite. The melting models have been tested for their ability to accountfor the minor and trace element, particularly the distinctivelyfractionated REE, contents of the primary magmas. A single sourcepyrolite composition can yield the observed minor and traceelement abundances (within at most a factor of 2 and commonlymuch closer) for olivine melilitite (4–6 per cent melt),olivine nephelinite, basanite (5–7 per cent melt), alkaliolivine basalt (11–15 per cent melt), olivine basalt andolivine tholeiite (20–25 per cent melt) provided thatthe source pyrolite was already enriched in strongly incompatibleelements (Ba, Sr, Th, U, LREE) at 6–9 x chondritic abundancesand less enriched (2.5–3 x chondrites) in moderately incompatible(Ti, Zr, Hf, Y, HREE) prior to the partial melting event. Thesources regions for S.E. Australian basalts are similar to thosefor oceanic island basalts (Hawaii, Comores, Iceland, Azores)or for continental and rift-valley basaltic provinces and verydifferent in trace element abundances from the model sourceregions for most mid-ocean ridge basalts. We infer that thismantle heterogeneity has resulted from migration within theupper mantle (LVZ or below the LVZ) of a melt or fluid (H₂O,CO₂-enriched) with incompatible element concentrations similarto those of olivine melilitite, kimberlite or carbonatite. Asa result of this migration, some mantle regions are enrichedin incompatible elements and other areas are depleted. Although it is possible, within the general framework of a lherzolitesource composition, to derive the basanites, olivine nephelinitesand olivine melilitites from a source rock with chondritic relativeREE abundances at 2–5 x chondritic levels, these modelsrequire extremely small degrees of melting (0.4 per cent forolivine melilitite to 1 per cent for basanite). Furthermore,it is not possible to derive the olivine tholeiite magmas fromsource regions with chondritic relative REE abundances withoutconflicting with major element and experimental petrology argumentsrequiring high degrees (15 per cent) of melting and the absenceof residual garnet. If these arguments are disregarded, andpartial melting models are constrained to source regions withchondritic relative REE abundances, then magmas from olivinemelilitites to olivine tholeiites can be modelled if degreesof melting are sufficiently small, e.g., 7 per cent meltingfor olivine tholeiite. However, the source regions must be heterogenousfrom 1 to 5 x chondritic in absolute REE abundances and heterogerieousin other trace elements as well. This model is rejected in favorof the model requiring variation in degree of melting from 4per cent to 25 per cent and mantle source regions ranging fromLREE-enriched to LREE-depleted relative to chondritic REE abundances.     

Geochemistry of the Wrangellia Flood Basalt Province: Implications for the Role of Continental and Oceanic Lithosphere in Flood Basalt Genesis

The Wrangellia terrane of North America contains a large volumeof Middle to Late Triassic oceanic flood basalts which wereemplaced on top of a preexisting island arc. Nd-, Sr-, and Pb-isotopiccompositions reflect derivation from a plume source with _Nd(T)+6 to + 7, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i0•7034, and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_i19•0.Major and trace element compositions suggest the Wrangelliaflood basalts (WFB) formed through relatively small degreesof partial melting at greater depths than estimated for otheroceanic plateaux such as Ontong Java. It appears that the WFBdid not form in a rifting environment, and that preexistingarc lithosphere limited the ascent and decompression meltingof the source plume. Rocks from the preexisting arc are stronglydepleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs) relative tolarge ion lithophile elements (LILEs), but the WFB are not.Assimilation of arc lithospheric mantle or crust was thereforegenerally minor. However, some contamination by arc componentsis evident, particularly in basalts erupted in the early stagesof volcanism. Minor isotopic shifts, to lower _Nd(T) and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_iand higher ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i, are accompanied by shifts in trace elementratios towards more arclike signatures, e.g. low Nb/Th and Nb/La.Arc contamination is greatest in the most evolved basalts, indicatingthat assimilation was coupled with fractional crystallization.A comparison of the WFB with other continental and oceanic floodbasalts reveals that continental flood basalts generally formthrough smaller degrees of melting than oceanic flood basaltsand that the contribution of material from the crust and litho-sphericmantle is significantly greater. KEY WORDS: oceanic flood basalts; Wrangellia terrane; petrogenesis; Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes ^*Corroponding author     

Comment on 'Mexican Peridotite Xenoliths and Tectonic Terranes: Correlations among Vent Location, Texture, Temperature, Pressure, and Oxygen Fugacity' by J. F. Luhr & J. J. Aranda-Gomez (1997)

This comment addresses the interpretation of oxygen fugacitydata for spinel peridotite xenoliths from five Mexican volcanicfields presented by Luhr & Aranda-Gomez (Journal of Petrology,38, 1075–1112, 1997). The postulated east–west increaseof the FMQ (‘relative oxygen fugacity’, where FMQis fayalite–magnetite–quartz) values is inherentto the method and therefore of questionable geological significance.Increases in FMQ do not necessarily mirror oxidation processesin the mantle controlled by subduction-related fluids. KEY WORDS: mantle metasomatism; Mexico; peridotite xenoliths; relative oxygen fugacity     

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     

The Origin and Evolution of the Kaapvaal Cratonic Lithospheric Mantle

A detailed petrological and geochemical study of low-temperatureperidotite xenoliths from Kimberley and northern Lesotho ispresented to constrain the processes that led to the magmaphileelement depletion of the Kaapvaal cratonic lithospheric mantleand its subsequent re-enrichment in Si and incompatible traceelements. Whole-rocks and minerals have been characterized forRe–Os isotope compositions, and major and trace elementconcentrations, and garnet and clinopyroxene for Lu–Hfand Sm–Nd isotope compositions. Most samples are characterizedby Archaean Os model ages, low Al, Fe and Ca contents, highMg/Fe, low Re/Os, very low (< 0·1 x chondrite) heavyrare earth element (HREE) concentrations and a decoupling betweenNd and Hf isotope ratios. These features are most consistentwith initial melting at 3·2 Ga followed by metasomatismby hydrous fluids, which may have also caused additional meltingto produce a harzburgitic residue. The low HREE abundances ofthe peridotites require that extensive melting occurred in thespinel stability field, possibly preceded by some melting inthe presence of garnet. Fractional melting models suggest that30% melting in the spinel field or 20% melting in the garnetfield followed by 20% spinel-facies melting are required toexplain the most melt-depleted samples. Garnet Nd–Hf isotopecharacteristics indicate metasomatic trace element enrichmentduring the Archaean. We therefore suggest a model includingshallow ridge melting, followed by metasomatism of the Kaapvaalupper mantle in subduction zones surrounding cratonic nuclei,probably during amalgamation of smaller pre-existing terranesin the Late Archaean (2·9 Ga). The fluid-metasomatizedresidua have subsequently undergone localized silicate meltinfiltration that led to clinopyroxene ± garnet enrichment.Calculated equilibrium liquids for clinopyroxene and their Hf–Ndisotope compositions suggest that most diopside in the xenolithscrystallized from an infiltrating kimberlite-like melt, eitherduring Group II kimberlite magmatism at 200–110 Ma (Kimberley),or shortly prior to eruption of the host kimberlite around 90Ma (northern Lesotho). KEY WORDS: Kaapvaal craton; lithospheric mantle; metasomatism; Nd–Hf isotopes; Re–Os isotopes     

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     

Geochemical and Isotopic Heterogeneities along an Island Arc-Spreading Ridge Intersection: Evidence from the Lewis Hills, Bay of Islands Ophiolite, Newfoundland

This study focuses on the origin of magma heterogeneity andthe genesis of refractory, boninite-type magmas along an arc–ridgeintersection, 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). Initial_Nd 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 initial_Nd 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 arc–ridge 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     

Origin of CFB Magmatism: Multi-tiered Intracrustal Picrite-Rhyolite Magmatic Plumbing at Spitzkoppe, Western Namibia, during Early Cretaceous Etendeka Magmatism

Early Cretaceous tholeiitic picrite-to-rhyolite dykes aroundSpitzkoppe, western Namibia, are part of the extensive HentiesBay–Outjo swarm, penecontemporaneous with 132 Ma Etendekalavas 100 km to the NW. Although only intermediate to rhyoliticdykes contain clinopyroxene phenocrysts, the behaviour of Ca,Al and Sc in the dyke suite shows that liquidus clinopyroxene—togetherwith olivine—was a fractionating phase when MgO fell to9 wt %. Both a plot of CIPW normative di–hy–ol–ne–Qand modelling using (p)MELTS show that a mid-crustal pressureof 0·6 GPa is consistent with this early clinopyroxenesaturation. Sr, Nd, Hf and Pb isotope variations all show trendsconsistent with AFC contamination (assimilation linked to fractionalcrystallization), involving Pan-African Damara belt continentalcrust. The geochemical variation, including isenthalpic AFCmodelling using (p)MELTS, suggests that the picrites (olivine-richcumulate suspensions) were interacting with granulite-faciesmetamorphic lower crust, the intermediate compositions withamphibolite-facies middle crust, and the rhyolitic dykes (anda few of the basalts) with the Pan-African granites of the uppercrust. The calculated densities of the magmas fall systematicallyfrom picrite to rhyolite and suggest a magmatic system resemblinga stack of sills throughout the crust beneath Spitzkoppe, withthe storage and fractionation depth of each magma fraction controlledby its density. Elemental and isotopic features of the 20 wt% MgO picrites (including Os isotopes) suggest that their parentalmelts probably originated by fusion of mid-ocean ridge basalt(MORB) source convecting mantle, followed by limited reactionwith sub-continental lithospheric mantle metasomatized justprior to the formation of the parental magmas. Many of the distinctivefeatures of large-volume picritic–basaltic magmas maynot be derived from their ultimate mantle sources, but may insteadbe the results of complex polybaric fractional crystallizationand multi-component crustal contamination. KEY WORDS: flood basalts; Spitzkoppe; picrite; trace elements; hafnium isotopes; Etendeka     

Comparison of 40Ar-39Ar and Rb-Sr Data on Phengites from the UHP Brossasco-Isasca Unit (Dora Maira Massif, Italy): Implications for Dating White Mica

Different lithologies (impure marble, eclogite and graniticorthogneiss) sampled from a restricted area of the coesite-bearingBrossasco–Isasca Unit (Dora Maira Massif) have been investigatedto examine the behaviour of ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar and Rb–Srsystems in phengites developed under ultrahigh-pressure (UHP)metamorphism. Mineralogical and petrological data indicate thatzoned phengites record distinct segments of the P–T path:prograde, peak to early retrograde in the marble, peak to earlyretrograde in the eclogite, and late retrograde in the orthogneiss.Besides major element zoning, ion microprobe analysis of phengitein the marble also reveals a pronounced zoning of trace elements(including Rb and Sr). ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar apparent ages (35–62Ma, marble; 89–170 Ma, eclogite; 35–52 Ma, orthogneiss),determined through Ar laserprobe data on phengites (step-heatingand in situ techniques), show wide intra-sample and inter-samplevariations closely linked to within-sample microchemical variations:apparent ages decrease with decreasing celadonite contents.These data confirm previous reports on excess Ar and, more significantly,highlight that phengite acted as a closed system in the differentlithologies and that chemical exchange, not volume diffusion,was the main factor controlling the rate of Ar transport. Conversely,a Rb–Sr internal isochron from the same eclogite yieldsan age of 36 Ma, overlapping with the time of the UHP metamorphicpeak determined through U–Pb data and thereby corroboratingthe previous conclusion that UHP metamorphism and early retrogressionoccurred in close succession. Different phengite fractions ofthe marble yield calcite–phengite isochron ages of 36to 60 Ma. Although this time interval matches Ar ages from thesame sample, Rb–Sr data from phengite are not entirelyconsistent with the whole dataset. According to trace elementvariations in phengite, only Rb–Sr data from two wet-groundphengite separates, yielding ages of 36 and 41 Ma, are internallyconsistent. The oldest age obtained from a millimetre-sizedgrain fraction enriched in prograde–peak phengites mayrepresent a minimum age estimate for the prograde phengite relics.Results highlight the potential of the in situ ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Arlaser technique in resolving discrete P–T stages experiencedby eclogite-facies rocks (provided that excess Ar is demonstrablya negligible factor), and confirm the potential of Rb–Srinternal mineral isochrons in providing precise crystallizationages for eclogite-facies mineral assemblages. KEY WORDS: ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar dating; Rb–Sr dating; phengite; SIMS; UHP metamorphism     

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     

Post-collision, Shoshonitic Volcanism on the Tibetan Plateau: Implications for Convective Thinning of the Lithosphere and the Source of Ocean Island Basalts

Potassic volcanism has been widespread and semi-continuous onthe Tibetan plateau since 13 Ma, post-dating the orogenic thickeningof the India-Asia collision. Volcanism may have commenced slightlyearlier (16–20 Ma) in the southern portion of the plateauand then ceased around 10 Ma. The dominant lavas are pyroxen-and plagioclase-phyric shoshonites with subordinate occurrencesof dacites and rhyolites. Their mineralogy reflects crystallizationfrom high-temperature (1100C) magmas which had elevated oxygenand water fugacities. Geochemically, they are characterizedby relatively low TiO², Al²O³ and Fe²O³, and high Na²O, coupledwith variable abundances of compatible trace elements and veryhigh contents of incompatible trace elements. Normalized incompatibleelement patterns have marked negative Nb, Ta and Ti anomalieswhereas K²O appears to be buffered at 4% over a wide range ofSiO². Isotope data show a relatively broad and enriched rangeof ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶ Sr (0.7076–0.7106) at more restricted ENd (–5.2to –8.1). Pb isotopes are characterized by a range of²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴ Pb (15.51–15.72) and ²⁰⁸ Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (38.67–39.30) at very uniform ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴ Pb (18.39–18.83), leadingto vertical arrays. Volcanics from the southern parts of theplateau have more primitive isotopic compositions: ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶ Sr0.7048–0.7080, _Nd 1.4 to –3.3, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴ Pb 18.48–18.67,²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴ Pb 15.59–15.68 and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴ Pb 38. 73–38.98. In general, the geochemical and isotopic data most closely approximatepartial melting arrays, although fractionation processes haveclearly operated. The isotopic ratios and the enrichment ofincompatible elements and LREE/HREE cannot be derived from adepleted mantle source via a single-stage melting process. Instead,a metasomatized, garnet peridotite source containing 6% phlogopiteis required and this is inferred to lie within the lithosphericmantle. The enrichment in incompatible elements in this sourcemust have been sufficiently ancient to generate the observedisotopic ratios, and Nd depleted mantle model ages suggest thiswas Proterozoic in age (1.2 Ga), whereas Pb model ages recordan Archaean event, suggesting the source had a multi-stage enrichmenthistory. The negative Ta, Nb and Ti anomalies and low Rb/Basuggest that metasomatism may have occurred during an ancientsubduction episode. The high ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴ Pb and lowNb/U, Ce/Pb of the Tibetan shoshonites are distinct from oceanisland basalts. Thus, if convectively removed lithospheric mantleprovides a source for ocean island basalts, it must differ significantlyfrom the source of the Tibetan shoshonites. A lithospheric mantle source for the volcanism places importantconstraints on geodynamic models for the evolution of the Tibetanplateau and the India-Asia collision. For likely thermal structuresbeneath the plateau, the temperatures required to trigger meltingwithin the lithospheric mantle can only be plausibly obtainedif the lower parts of the lithospheric mantle were removed byconvective thinning. This is consistent with recent models whichinvoke the same process to explain the current elevation andextensional deformation of the plateau. The age data suggestthis occurred at 13 Ma and the duration of volcanism may beexplained by continued conductive heating since that time. Poorlysampled but slightly older volcanics from the southern portionsof the plateau may indicate that convective thinning began inthe south and migrated northwards. Rapid uplift of the plateaumay have resulted in increased rates of chemical weathering,which led to global cooling, as indicated by oxygen isotopedata from Atlantic sediments. KEY WORDS: Climate; lithospheric mantle; OIB; Tibet; volcanism ^*Corresponding author.     

Basalts Generated by Decompressive Adiabatic Melting of a Mantle Plume: a Case Study from the Isle of Skye, NW Scotland

The primitive lavas of the Skye Main Lava Series (SMLS) arebasaltic rocks ranging from ne- to hy-normative, and definedas having MgO>7%. They have evolved by olivine(plus minorCr-spinel) fractionation from more picritic parental materialAn artificial data-set has been generated by normalizing allcompositions to 15% MgO by fractional addition of olivine, todefine compositional characteristics of primary magmas. Themost striking feature of the data-set is a very strong negativecorrelation between Si and Fe, as is seen in many oceanic alkalibasalt suites and in localized data-sets from mid-ocean ridgeswhen normalized for fractional crystallization. The SMLS dataare comparable to the compositions of equilibrium melts producedexperimentally by Hirose & Kushiro (Earth and PlanetaryScience Letters, 114, 477–489, 1993) from the relativelySi- and Fe-rich starting composition HK-66. Estimates of depthsand temperatures of last equilibration of the SMLS magmas withtheir mantle source have been made, on the assumption that mantlemelting may have been an equilibrium process. On this basis,it appears that primary magmas, containing 13–15% MgO,were generated by decompressive melting of abnormally hot mantle(estimated minimum mantle potential temperature, TP 1440C),associated with the Iceland plume. Melting was initiated inthe garnet stability field, and segregation is estimated tohave taken place over the pressure range 18–36 kbar (60–112-kmdepth) and a temperature range of 1390–1510 C. The P–Ttrajectory of segregation appears to coincide closely with estimatesof the solid + liquid adiabatfor mantle melting. Alkali basaltswere segregated from the greatest depths and olivine tholeiitesfrom higher levels, though the majority of magmas were derivedfrom near the top of the melting column. After segregation,magmas ascended to the surface, cooling at the rate of 3C/km,and were erupted in a comparatively narrow temperature rangeclose to 1200C. The suitability of HK-66 as a general modelfor mantle composition in ascending plumes is discussed, asmost within-plate primitive basalts in oceanic environmentsshare the same Fe-rich character as the SMLS, in which theycontrast with normal ridge-related magmas. Within-plate plumesmay perhaps tap mantle of abnormally high Fe/Mg, though thepossibility that compositional differences in plume-relatedand normal ridge-related magmas are generated by contrasts inprocess cannot yet be excluded. If, however, a relatively Fe-richreservoir exists deep within the mantle, and acts as the sourcefor plume-related magmatism, then ultimately a global positivecorrelation should exist between estimates ofT_p and the Fe/Mgratio of the sources for individual suites. Corresponding author