Chemical characteristics of some basaltic rocks of India

An analysis of the chemical characteristics of about 200 basaltic rocks of India indicate that the rocks of Pavagarh, Girnar, Rajmahal, Mundwara, Cuddapah and Panjal Trap form independent magmatic series of mixed type having entirely different chemical characteristics relative to the Deccan basalt. The tholeiitic and olivine or alkaline basalts do not seem to form independent magma types. The present study indicates that the rocks belonging to the above magma types coexist together and may represent differentiates of a single magma series.     

The geology of the igneous complex of the Barda hills,saurashtra, Gujarat state (India)

The Barda group of hills represents a centre of laccolithic intrusion. The rocks encountered here are pierite basalt, rhyolite, obsidian, granophyre, felsite, aplite and diorite. There is evidence for both « Fissure Type » and « Central Volcanic Type » of igneous activity in the region, which seem to have occurred in three different phases. The parent magma has been shown to be tholeiitic in composition. The acid rocks may have been formed by crystal fractionation along with diffusion of alkalis and volatiles. The origin of diorite is attributed to a process of hybridization.     

Crystal fractionation of the basalt comendite series of the mount Edziza volcanic complex, British Columbia: Major and trace elements

The Mount Edziza Volcanic Complex in north-central British Columbia includes a group of overlapping basaltic shields, salic composite volcanoes, domes and small calderas that range in age from 7.5 Ma to less than 2000 years B.P. The volcanic assemblage is chemically bimodal, comprising voluminous alkali olivine basalt and hawaiite, a salic suite of mainly peralkaline trachyte and comendite, plus a relatively small volume of intermediate rocks (trachybasalt, tristanite, mugearite, benmoreite). The complex is the product of five cycles of magmatic activity, each of which began with alkali olivine basalt and culminated with the eruption of salic magma. The regular chemical variation shown by almost 100 major- and trace-element analyses suggests a genetic lineage between the basic and salic members of each cycle. Least-squares mathematical modelling, indicates that the salic rocks (trachyte and comendite) have formed by fractionation of observed phenocryst and cumulate nodule mineral phases from a common alkali olivine basalt parent magma.Hawaiite is thought to be a cumulate rock, formed by partial fractionation and feldspar accumulation within rising columns of primary alkali olivine basalt. Fractionation leading from alkali olivine basalt through trachybasalt and trachyte to comendite is believed to have taken place where primary basalt became trapped in large crustal reservoirs. The early removal of olivine, clinopyroxene and plagioclase, leading to a trachytic residuum, and subsequent fractionation of mainly alkali feldspar, leading to the peralkaline end members, is consistent with major- and trace-element variation and with isotopic and REE data.The chemical diversity of the complex is attributed to its location over a zone of crustal extension where mantle-derived basalt, trapped in large high-level reservoirs, underwent prolonged fractionation.     

Temporal change in chemistry of magma source under Central Kyushu,Southwest Japan: progressive contamination of mantle wedge

Volcanism related to subduction of the Philippine Sea (PHS) plate began in Central Kyushu at 5 Ma, after a pause of igneous activity lasting about 10 m.y. It formed a large volcano-tectonic depression, the Hohi volcanic zone (HVZ), and has continued to the present at a decreasing eruption rate. The products are largely andesite and dacite, which became enriched in K with time. The proportion of tholeiitic to calc alkalic rocks also increases with time. Calc-alkalic high-Mg basaltic andesites (YbBs) were erupted in the early stage of the HVZ activity (5–3 Ma), and high-alumina basalts (KjBs) were erupted in the later stage (2–0 Ma). In contrast to the basalts in the HVZ, Northwest Kyushu basalts (NWKBs) have been erupted on the backarc side of the HVZ since 11 Ma, and hence are not related to the PHS plate subduction. They are mainly high-alkali tholeiitic to alkali basalt that shows no notable chemical change with time. NWKB, YbB, and KjB have MORB-normalized incompatible-element spectra that differ from each other, as is well expressed in both Nb and Sr anomalies. The patterns of KjB and NWKB are typical of those for island-arc basalt (IAB) and ocean-island basalt (OIB), respectively. YbB shows a pattern intermediate between the two. We suggest that the magma source beneath the HVZ changed in composition from an OIB-type mantle to an IAB-type mantle as the subduction of PHS plate advanced. However, the magma source remained fertile under Northwest Kyushu. In order to explain the temporal change of source mantle beneath the HVZ, we propose a model for progressive contamination of the mantle wedge, in which three processes (contamination by a slab-derived component, subtraction of magma from the mantle, and mixing of the mantle residue and slab-derived component) are repeated as subduction continues. As long as the progressive contamination of mantle wedge proceeds, its trace-element composition converges at a steady-state value for a short period. This value does not depend on the initial composition of the mantle wedge but instead on the composition of the slab-derived component. The trace-element composition of the magma produced in such a mantle wedge approaches that of the slab-derived component with time, but the major-element composition is determined by the phase relations of mantle peridotite. The slab-derived component may be basaltic liquid that is partially melted from rutile-bearing eclogite.     

The petrochemistry and significance of jogimardi traps,chitaldrug schist belt,Mysore

Forty-two samples of the Jogimardi trap from Chitaldrug schist belt, Mysore, were analysed for their major elements. It is inferred that the Jogimardi trap is a submarine lava flow of eugeosynclinal environment. The composition of the suite varies from tholeiitic basalt to andesite and spilite. The original magma, which was probably tholeiitic in nature, might have given rise to this association due to varying and incomplete degree of spilitisation, which in turn seems to be related to the short period of contact between metasomatic liquid and the tholeiitic flows. The suite bears the imprint of low grade metamorphism of green schist facies. This resulted in the development of mineral assemblage comprising chlorite, epidote and plagioclase but without bringing about any change in the original basaltic texture. At and near the contact with granite, the tholeiitic lava was converted into orthoamphibolite, most probably due to granitie intrusion.     

Geochemical magma type discrimination: application to altered and metamorphosed basic igneous rocks

Five minor and trace elements, known to be chemically stable during alteration and metamorphism, have been combined in a set of binary diagrams that distinguish fresh tholeiites from alkali basalts. Of the five elements: Ti, P, Zr, Y, Nb, only P shows slight mobility during metamorphism, which is not sufficient to alter greatly the point distribution on the binary diagrams. Using these stable elements altered basaltic rocks: greenstones, spilites and amphibolites may be distinguished in the same way as fresh basalts, and their original magma may be identified as tholeiitic or alkaline basalt. All five elements are readily and rapidly determined, using XRF, thus this method may be applied as a rapid, easy way of discriminating the magma types of altered basaltic rocks. Using this method it can be demonstrated that alkali basalt magma was produced in minor quantities in the Precambrian.     

Phenocryst crystallization during ascent of alkali basalt magma at Rishiri Volcano, northern Japan

Phenocrysts in volcanic rocks are commonly used to deduce crystallization processes in magma chambers. A fundamental assumption is that the phenocrysts crystallized in the magma chambers at isobaric and nearly equilibrium conditions, on the basis of their large sizes. However, this assumption is not always true as demonstrated here for a porphyritic alkali basalt (Kutsugata lava) from Rishiri Volcano, northern Japan. All phenocryst phases in the Kutsugata lava, plagioclase, olivine, and augite, have macroscopically homogeneous distribution of textures showing features characteristic of rapid growth throughout the crystals. Rarely, a core region with distinct composition is present in all phenocryst phases. Phenocrysts, excluding this core, are occasionally in direct contact with each other, forming crystal aggregates. The equilibrium liquidus temperature of plagioclase, the dominant phase (35 vol%) in the Kutsugata lava, can never exceed the estimated magmatic temperature, unless the liquidus temperature increases significantly due to vesiculation of the magma during ascent. This suggests that most phenocrysts in the Kutsugata lava were formed by decompression of the magma during ascent in a conduit, rather than by cooling during residence in a magma reservoir. In the magma chamber before eruption, probably located at depth of more than 7 km, only cores of the phenocrysts were present and the magma was nearly aphyric (<5 vol% crystals), though the observed rock is highly porphyritic with up to 40 vol% crystals. The Kutsugata magma is inferred to have been rich in dissolved H₂O (>4 wt.%) in the magma chamber, and liquidus temperatures of phenocryst phases were significantly suppressed. Large undercooling caused by decompression and degassing of the magma was the driving force for significant crystallization during ascent because of the increase in liquidus temperature due to vapor exsolution. Low ascent rate of the Kutsugata magma, which is suggested by pahoehoe lava morphology and no association of pyroclastics, gave sufficient time for crystallization. Furthermore, the large degree of superheating of plagioclase in the magma chamber caused plagioclase crystallization with low population density and large crystal size, which characterizes the porphyritic nature of the Kutsugata lava. Alkali basalt is likely to satisfy these conditions and similar phenomena are suggested to occur in other volcanic systems.     

Replenishment of a mafic magma in a zoned felsic magma chamber beneath Rishiri Volcano, Japan

The trachytic Tanetomi lava from Rishiri Volcano, northern Japan, provides useful information concerning how a replenished mafic magma mixes with a compositionally zoned felsic magma in a magma chamber. The Tanetomi lava was erupted in the order of Lower lava 1 (LL1, 59.2-59.8 wt.% in SiO₂), Lower lava 2 (LL2, 58.4-59.1 wt.%), and Upper lava (UL, 59.9-65.1 wt.%). Evidence for mixing with a mafic magma is observed only in the LL2, in which a greater amount of crystals derived from the mafic magma occurs in rocks with higher SiO₂ content. The whole-rock compositional trend of the Tanetomi lavas is fairly smooth except for the LL2 lava composition, which scatter along the main composition trend. There is no reasonable composition of basaltic magma on the extrapolation of the LL2 composition trend, and the trend cannot be explained by a simple two-component magma mixing. Before the replenishment, the felsic magma was zoned in composition (58-65 wt.% in SiO₂) and temperature (1030-920°C) in the magma chamber located at the pressure of ~2 kbar. The compositional variation of the main felsic magma was produced by extraction of a fractionated interstitial melt from mush zones along the chamber walls and its subsequent mixing with the main magma (boundary layer fractionation). The LL1 magma tapped the magma chamber soon after the replenishment, before the mafic magma mixed with the overall felsic magma. Then the basalt magma mixed heterogeneously with the upper part of the felsic magma by forced convection as a fountain during injection. The mixing of the basalt magma with compositionally zoned felsic magma resulted in the characteristic composition trend of the LL2. The fraction of basaltic magma in the LL2 magma is estimated to be at most 10%. Despite such a small proportion, the basalt magma was mixed completely with the felsic magma, probably because the crystallinity of undercooled basalt magma was low enough to behave as a liquid.     

Magma mixing recorded in intermediate rocks associated with high-Mg andesites from the Setouchi volcanic belt, Japan: implications for Archean TTG formation

Calc-alkaline intermediate rocks are spatially and temporally associated with high-Mg andesites (HMAs, Mg#>60) in Middle Miocene Setouchi volcanic belt. The calc-alkaline rocks are characterized by higher Mg# (strongly calc-alkaline trend) than ordinary calc-alkaline rocks at equivalent silica contents. Phenocrysts in the intermediate rocks have petrographical features such as: (1) coexisting reversely and normally zoned orthopyroxene phenocrysts in single rock; (2) sieve type plagioclase in which cores are mantled by higher An%, melt inclusion-rich zone; and (3) reversely zoned amphibole phenocrysts with opacite cores. In addition, mingling textures and magmatic inclusions were observed in some rocks. These petrographic features and the mineral chemistry indicate that magma mixing was the most important process in producing the strongly calc-alkaline rocks. The core composition of normally zoned orthopyroxene phenocrysts and the mantle composition of reversely zoned orthopyroxene phenocrysts have relatively high Mg# (85–90) in maximum. Although basaltic and high-Mg andesitic magmas are candidate as possible mafic end-member magmas, basaltic magma is excluded in terms of phenocryst assemblage and bulk composition. HMA magmas are suitable mafic end-member magmas that precipitated high Mg# (90) orthopyroxene, whereas andesitic to dacitic magma are suitable felsic end-members. In contrast, it is difficult to produce the strongly calc-alkaline trend through fractional crystallization from a HMA magma, because it would require removal of plagioclase together with mafic minerals from the early stage of crystallization, whereas the precipitation of plagiolase is suppressed due to the high water content of HMA magmas. These results imply that Archean Mg#-rich TTGs (>45–55), which are an analog of the strongly calc-alkaline rocks in terms of chemistry and magma genesis, can be derived from magma mixing in which a HMA magma is the mafic end-member magma, rather than by fractional crystallization from a HMA magma.     

Bimodal volcanism at the Katla subglacial caldera,Iceland: insight into the geochemistry and petrogenesis of rhyolitic magmas

The Katla subglacial caldera is one of the most active and hazardous volcanic centres in Iceland as revealed by its historical volcanic activity and recent seismic unrest and magma accumulation. A petrologic and geochemical study was carried out on a suite of mid-Pleistocene to Recent lavas and pyroclastic rocks originated from the caldera. The whole series is characterised by a bimodal composition, including Fe-Ti transitional alkali basalts and mildly alkalic rhyolites. Variations in trace-element composition amongst the basalts and rhyolites show that their chemical differentiation was mainly controlled by fractional crystallisation and possible assimilation. The petrology and chemistry of the few intermediate extrusive rocks show that they were derived from magma mingling or hybridisation. The absence of extrusive rocks of true intermediate magmatic composition and the occurrence of amphibole-bearing felsic xenoliths support the hypothesis of partial melting of the hydrated basalt crust as the main process leading to the generation of rhyolites. The ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values of Katla volcanic rocks fit the general isotopic array defined by late Quaternary to Recent lavas from Iceland. A few rock specimens are distinguished by low ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd values suggesting assimilation and mixing of much older crustal material. Despite their similar whole-rock chemical compositions, the postglacial rhyolitic extrusives differ from the felsic xenoliths by their glass composition and the absence of amphibole. This, together with the general chemical trend of volcanic glasses, indicates that the postglacial rhyolitic extrusives were probably derived by a process involving late reheating and partial melting of crustal material by intrusion of basaltic magmas.     

Temporal variations in magma composition at Merapi Volcano (Central Java, Indonesia): magmatic cycles during the past 2000 years of explosive activity

Merapi Volcano (Central Java, Indonesia) has been frequently active during Middle to Late Holocene time producing basalts and basaltic andesites of medium-K composition in earlier stages of activity and high-K magmas from 1900 ¹⁴C yr BP to the present. Radiocarbon dating of pyroclastic deposits indicates an almost continuous activity with periods of high eruption rates alternating with shorter time spans of distinctly reduced eruptive frequency since the first appearance of high-K volcanic rocks. Geochemical data of 28 well-dated, prehistoric pyroclastic flows of the Merapi high-K series indicate systematic cyclic variations. These medium-term compositional variations result from a complex interplay of several magmatic processes, which ultimately control the periodicity and frequency of eruptions at Merapi. Low eruption rates and the absence of new influxes of primitive magma from depth allow the generation of basaltic andesite magma (56–57 wt% SiO₂) in a small-volume magma reservoir through fractional crystallisation from parental mafic magma (52–53 wt% SiO₂) in periods of low eruptive frequency. Magmas of intermediate composition erupted during these stages provide evidence for periodic withdrawal of magma from a steadily fractionating magma chamber. Subsequent periods are characterised by high eruption rates that coincide with shifts of whole-rock compositions from basaltic andesite to basalt. This compositional variation is interpreted to originate from influxes of primitive magma into a continuously active magma chamber, triggering the eruption of evolved magma after periods of low eruptive frequency. Batches of primitive magma eventually mix with residual magma in the magmatic reservoir to decrease whole-rock SiO₂ contents. Supply of primitive magma at Merapi appears to be sufficiently frequent that andesites or more differentiated rock types were not generated during the past 2000 years of activity. Cyclic variations also occurred during the recent eruptive period since AD 1883. The most recent eruptive episode of Merapi is characterised by essentially uniform magma compositions that may imply the existence of a continuously active magma reservoir, maintained in a quasi-steady state by magma recharge. The whole-rock compositions at the upper limit of the total SiO₂ range of the Merapi suite could also indicate the beginning of another period of high eruption rates and shifts towards more mafic compositions.     

High-pressure inclusions in tholeiitic basalt and the range of lherzolite-bearing magmas in the Tasmanian volcanic province

Spinel-lherzolite xenoliths have been found in olivine tholeiite near Andover in the Tasmanian Tertiary volcanic province. They show a high-pressure mineralogy of predominant olivine (Mg₉₀), with aluminous enstatite (Mg₉₀) and lesser aluminous diopside and chrome-bearing spinel, and resemble lherzolite xenoliths commonly found in undersaturated lavas. Such xenoliths are unusual in tholeiitic basalts and the occurrence directly attests to a mantle origin for at least some tholeiitic magmas.The lherzolites are accompanied by doleritic and pyroxenitic xenoliths and by olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene and plagioclase xenocrysts. If near-liquidus phases are represented amongst the xenocrysts, then the magnesian number of the host basalt and its xenocryst assemblage provisionally suggest a magma derived by more than 15–20% partial melting of mantle peridotite, before commencing xenocryst crystallisation at pressures between 8–13 kbar.With this new record, lherzolite-bearing lavas in Tasmania now cover an extremely wide compositional range, extending from highly undersaturated olivine melilitite to olivine tholeiite. They also include a considerable number of fractionated alkaline rocks that are only sparsely reported in the literature as lherzolite hosts. This latter group contains representatives of a previously suggested but unestablished alkaline fractionation series based on olivine nephelinite, viz. calcic olivine nephelinite → sodic olivine nephelinite → potassi-sodic olivine nephelinite → mafic nepheline benmoreite → mafic phonolite.Lherzolite and megacryst-bearing lavas are relatively more abundant in peripheral parts to the main basalt sequences in Tasmania. This suggests that they developed in fringing zones of less intense mantle melting which enhanced stagnation and fractionation of magmas within the mantle before eruption. Calculated crustal thicknesses under these areas suggest that the magmas were generated at pressures exceeding 6–11 kbar, with the Andover tholeiitic magma exceeding 9 kbar.     

The petrology and geochemistry of volcanic rocks from the Northern Harşit river area, Pontid Volcanic Province, Northeast Turkey

Two volcanic cycles can be distinguished, in the Pontid magmatic arc. They comprise an Upper Cretaceous, Lower Volcanic Cycle of which only the waning stage contains abundant pyroclastic rocks. The latter show spatial association to the fault pattern and are closely related to mineralisation. The overlying, early Tertiary, Upper Volcanic Cycle shows evidence of explosive vulcanicity in the Upper Basic Series. Dacites and rhyodacites are only locally developed and again show spatial association with the faulting.Comparison of the major and minor element chemistries of the two cycles demonstrates the clear separation into a lower tholeiitic and an upper calc-alkaline cycle. The rocks show similar chemistry to volcanic suites from island arcs in other areas.The origin of the tholeiitic magma is ascribed to melting of “dry” amphibolite during early subduction of Tethyan ocean floor beneath “Pontian Land”. This resulted in low K abundances and K/Rb ratios, and some Fe enrichment in the tholeiitic basalts.The calc-alkaline magma is thought to be derived from a later stage in the subduction process when melting of amphibole was joined by melting of biotite or phlogopite. The Upper Volcanic Cycle is thus enriched in K and shows no Fe enrichment due to a probable higher water content. The higher Cr and Ni contents of the Upper Volcanic Cycle, together with K, may imply some melting of lherzolite overlying the subducted slab.     

Deccan Trap volcanism

The Deccan Traps, now occupying an area of 200,000 sq. miles, must originally have been more wide-spread. Their thickness in Western India reaches 6000 ft. They have been encountered at depths of over 1500 ft. in Kathiawar and Sind (Pakistan), and have been faulted down to a depth of over 6000 ft. in the Cambay area. They are composed of numerous flows whose thickness varies from a few ft. to 200 ft. The flows are often compact in the lower portions and vesicular in the upper portions. Over most of the area (east of the Western Ghats) the rock is a tholeiitic basalt (50 to 51.5 % silica) whose pyroxene is intermediate in composition between pigeonite and diopside, and whose CIPW norm generally shows the presence of some quartz. In the Bombay Kathiawar region there are numerous eruptive Centres associated with a large range of differentiated types comprising both very basic and acid types. The study of the analyses of the various types indicates the presence of both the alkali-olivine basalt as well as the Calc-alkali lines of differentiation, which has brought up the question of the nature of the primary magma. It is noted that while the greater part of the area shows tholeiitic rock, olivine basalts and connected types appear in the more western areas, perhaps as a result of the local tectonic conditions. Recent geophysical data point to the presence of an « oceanic basalt » layer all around the earth both in oceanic and continental crust, while a less dense (presumably tholeiitic) layer overlies it (below the sial) in the continental segments. The « oceanic basalt » should therefore be taken as representing the primary magma, and tholeiite as a major type derived from it in the continental crust.     

Petrochemistry and tectonic setting of mafic volcanic rocks in the Chon Daen–Wang Pong area,Phetchabun, Thailand

The mafic volcanic rocks and hypabyssal rocks in the Chon Dean‐Wang Pong area are possibly the southern extension of the western Loei Volcanic Sub‐belt, Northeast Thailand. They are least‐altered, and might have been formed in Permian–Triassic times. The rocks are commonly porphyritic, with different amounts of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene, amphibole, Fe–Ti oxide, unknown mafic mineral, and apatite phenocrysts or microphenocrysts, and are uncommonly seriate textured. The groundmass mainly shows an intergranular texture, with occasionally hyalophitic, intersertal and ophitic–subophitic textures. The groundmass constituents have the same minerals as the phenocrysts or microphenocrysts and may contain altered glass. The groundmass plagioclase laths may show a preferred orientation. Chemically, the studied rock samples can be separated into three magmatic groups: Group I, Group II, and Group III. These magmatic groups are different in values for Ti/Zr ratios. The averaged Ti/Zr values for Group I, Group II, and Group III rocks are 83 ± 6, 46 ± 12, and 29 ± 5, respectively. In addition, the Group I rocks have higher P/Zr, but lower Zr/Nb relative to Group II and Group III rocks. The Group I and Group II rocks comprise tholeiitic andesite–basalt and microdiorite–microgabbro, while the Group III rocks are calc‐alkalic andesite and microdiorite. According to the magmatic affinities and the negative Nb anomalies on normal mid‐oceanic ridge basalt (N‐MORB) normalized multi‐element plot, arc‐related lavas are persuasive. The similarity between the studied lavas and the Quaternary lavas from the northern Kyukyu Arc, in terms of chondrite‐normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns and N‐MORB normalized multi‐element patterns, leads to a conclusion that the mafic volcanic rocks and hypabyssal rocks in the Chon Daen–Wang Pong area have been formed in a volcanic arc environment.     

Bimodal tholeiitic and mildly alkalic basalts from Bhir area,central Deccan Volcanic Province,India: Geochemistry and petrogenesis

Bimodal tholeiitic and mildly alkalic basalts occur near Bhir, in the central part of Deccan Volcanic Province (DVP). Major and trace element concentrations show that, of the ten flows, nine are tholeiitic and one is an alkalic basalt. The Bhir basalts have a wide range of chemical composition. Geochemical variations in the stratigraphic section define three distinct phases of evolution (zones 1 to 3). Crystal fractionation of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, olivine and Fe–Ti oxide expanded the compositional range. Low Mg#s (39–55), low concentrations of Ni and Cr and high Zr suggest the evolved nature of the Bhir basalts. Fractionation modeling suggests about 42% fractional crystallization.In spite of the dominant role of fractional crystallization in the evolution of Bhir basalts, some other processes must be sought to explain the chemical variations. Crustal contamination, magma mixing and degree of partial melting are suggested to explain the observed chemical variations. Resorption, reverse zoning and compositional bimodality in plagioclase phenocrysts indicate magma mixing. Samples of flows one and four suspected of being contaminated all have enriched SiO₂ and LILE (K, Rb, and Ba) contents and depletion in Ti and P, believed to be due to ‘granitic’ crustal contamination.As compared to tholeiitic basalts, the alkalic basalts are characterized by low SiO₂ and high TiO₂, Na₂O, K₂O and P₂O₅. Alkalic basalts are richer in LILE (Rb and Ba), HFSE (Nb, Zr, and Y) and REE than the tholeiitic basalts. The alkalic basalt occurrence is important from a petrogenetic point of view and also suggests that the sources of alkalic basalt magmas may be of variable ages under different parts of the DVP. Based on major, trace and rare earth element distributions it is suggested that asthenospheric mantle having affinities with the source of OIB was the source material of the magmas and the range in the composition of tholeiitic and alkalic basalts was probably controlled by different degrees of melting and/or inhomogeneities in the mantle source.     

The influence of crustal structure on compositions of subduction-related magmas

A survey of Sr isotopic ratios and other compositional features of subduction-related magma suites reveals significant correlations between these averaged parameters and characteristics of the underlying crust (i.e., thickness, composition, and age). These observations lead to the conclusion that crust and(or) mantle rocks in the hanging walls of subduction zones are involved in modification of primary mafic magmas (typically basalt or basaltic andesite). It is proposed that mafic magmas will stagnate within the crust or uppermost mantle where they may differentiate and react with wall rocks. The extent to which such processes manifest themselves will depend upon details of the local crustal structure. In particular, the composition and age of the crust will strongly influence such parameters as Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions. Such data strongly indicate the involvement of crustal rocks in locales underlain by old sialic crust (e.g., central Andes). Depending upon the level of magma stagnation and evolution within the crust, different trends in isotopic composition may result. These isotopic trends may be enhanced by partial melting of the wall rocks to produce relatively silicic anatectic magmas, and locally they may reflect subduction of continental sediments. Interpretation of the isotopic data may be more ambiguous in locales underlain by younger and more mafic continental crust (Cascades, E Eleutians) and those underlain by oceanic crust owing to the similarity in isotopic composition of primary magmas and the latter crustal materials. Yet some degree of crustal involvement in magmatic evolution seems highly probable even in these more primitive terranes. Consequently, most island arc magmas, and especially those more evolved than basalt, are probably not primary in the sense that they do not represent direct melts of the upper mantle. Studies of arc volcanic rocks may yield misleading conclusions concerning processes of magma generation related to subduction unless evolutionary processes are defined and their effects considered. It appears that modern volcanic arcs provide a poor analog for models of early crustal development because the modern mantle-derived magmatic components are more mafic in composition than average continental crust.     

Evolution of the Bayramiç magmatic complex, northwestern Anatolia

During the Oligocene–Middle Miocene period widespread magmatic activity developed in Western Anatolia, following the continental collision between the Sakarya continent and the Tauride–Anatolide platform. This produced both intrusive and extrusive rocks, which appear to be associated in space and time, as exemplified from the Bayramiç area. In the Bayramiç area, the magmatic activity started with the intrusion of the Evciler granite, and the coeval lower volcanic association. This was followed by the development of the upper volcanic association. These rock groups form collectively the Bayramiç magmatic complex, which was generated under an on-going north–south compressional regime. The Bayramiç magmatic complex has a subalkaline composition, displaying a calcalkaline trend. Trace elements and REE contents resemble to island-arc and collision-related magmas. According to the isotope values the Bayramiç magmatic complex was derived from the magmas of lithospheric mantle origin, which were later contaminated, while passing through the thick continental crust, in a post-collisional tectonic setting, during the Oligocene–Early Miocene period. The latest product of the magmatism is the Late Miocene–Pliocene basalt lavas. Their geochemical properties are clearly different from the Oligocene–Early Miocene magmatic rocks. The basalts were generated when the north–south compression gave way to the north–south extensional regime.     

The 1928–1929 eruption of Kammourta volcano — evidence of tectono-magmatic activity in the Manda-Inakir rift and comparison with the Asal Rift,Afar depression,Republic of Djibuti

There are two rifts zones in the Republic of Djibuti: the active Asal rift (birthplace of the Ardoukôba basaltic volcano in 1978) and the poorly known Manda-Inakir rift described here. The most recent volcanic event in the Manda-Inakir rift was the formation of the Kammourta basaltic cone, probably in 1928, accompanied by strong seismic activity. This historic eruption and related tectonic features show that the Manda-Inakir rift, like Asal, is presently active. The Kammourta basalt, of transitional alkaline type, belongs to the Manda-Inakir differentiated series, which ranges from basalt to rhyolite. In contrast, volcanic rocks of the Asal rift are entirely transitional tholeiitic basalt. The differences in magmatic affinity and tectonics between these two rift zones reflect the more advanced evolution of rifting in the Asal zone than in Manda-Inakir.     

Two types of alkaline rocks-two types of upper mantle

1) Petrochemical studies of volcanic rocks shows that alkaline rocks of continents and oceans are different genetically in spite of their mineralogical and chemical similarity. 2) Oceanic rocks develop according to the following type: tholeiitic basalt — olivine basalt — alkaline rocks. 3) Continental alkaline rocks are derivatives of initially alkaline basalts and are connected by gradual transitions with calc-alkaline rocks of island arcs. 4) The source of all volcanic rocks is the upper mantle. Therefore the existence of two main types of rocks — oceanic and continental — reflects basic heterogeneities in composition and structure of the upper mantle.