Osmium-strontium-neodymium-lead isotopic covariations in mid-ocean ridge basalt glasses and the heterogeneity of the upper mantle

Osmium, strontium, neodymium, and lead isotopic data have been obtained for 30 hand picked samples of basaltic glass from the Pacific, Atlantic and Indian mid-oceanic ridges. Large variations in Os isotopic ratios exist in the glasses, from abyssal peridotite-like values to radiogenic compositions similar to oceanic island basalts (¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁶Os and ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios range from 1.06 to 1.36 and from 0.128 to 0.163, respectively). Os isotopic and elemental data suggest the existence of mixing correlations. This relationship might be ascribed to secondary contamination processes; however, such a hypothesis cannot account for the negative correlation observed between Os and Nd isotopes and the existence of complementary covariations between Os and SrPb isotopes. In this case, OsSrNdPb isotopic variations are unrelated to late post-eruption or shallow level contamination. These relationships provide strong evidence that the Os isotopic composition of the samples are derived from the mantle and thus implies a global chemical heterogeneity of the oceanic upper mantle. The results are consistent with the presence of recycled oceanic crust in the mantle sources of mid-ocean ridge basalts, and indicate that the unique composition of the upper mantle below the Indian ocean results from its contamination by a mantle component characterized by radiogenic Os and particularly unradiogenic Nd and Pb isotopic compositions.     

Rare earth and other trace elements in historic azorean lavas

Rare earth element (REE) and other trace element compositions of 16 lavas from all historic and 2 prehistoric eruptions on 5 islands of the Azores Archipelago show notable intra-and inter-island differences. Fe enrichment and “compatible” element depletion due to fractional crystallization have been superimposed on variations established in the source area. Fractionation of La/Sm, U/Th, K/Na and “large ion lithophile” (LIL) element abundances are probably related to variable fusion of a source peridotite whose LIL element distribution cannot be exactly specified in view of its possible heterogeneity. Relative light-REE enrichment in basalt appears greatest on the “potassic” island São Miguel, the more sodic island Fayal and one lava from Pico, and least in basalts from the “sodic” islands Terceira, São Jorge and Pico. This variation is matched by most other LIL elements, although P shows unexpected enrichment in Terceira lavas, otherwise the least LIL element-enriched and most heavy-REE-enriched. Upper mantle phase chemistry is probably critical in establishing the patterns. In particular, P—REE covariance may reflect phase stabilities of apatite and (P-bearing) garnet in the upper mantle. Distribution patterns of REE in the historic lavas are similar to those of basalts from the Atlantic median rift at the crest of the Azores “platform”. Transition to light-REE-depleted rift-erupted basalts to the southwest is believed to be step-wise with increasing water depth, possibly indicating retention of a light-REE-rich phase in the residue from partial fusion as intersection of geotherm and peridotite solidus occur at lower pressures. The source mantle for the Azores basalts is probably light-REE- and LIL element-enriched but we find no evidence so far to suggest its emplacement by thermal “plume” activity.     

Heterogeneous enriched mantle materials and dupal-type magmatism along the SW margin of the São Francisco craton, Brazil

The nature and restricted range of Dupal-type Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions of Cretaceous kimberlites, tuffaceous diatremes of kamafugitic affinity and carbonatite complexes which intrude the southwestern São Francisco craton margin in Brazil, indicate that these magmas either interacted extensively with, or were derived from, a light rare earth element (LREE) enriched homogeneous lithospheric mantle source isotopically similar to the “enriched mantle I” (EMI) component. The shallow-derived alkalic rocks contain a greater proportion of this EMI-like component, whereas the lower time-averaged Rb/Sr, Nd/Sm and Pb/U ratios of the kimberlites compared to the other rock types suggest mixing of the EMI-like mantle material with variable amounts of mantle with a high ²³⁸U/²⁰⁴Pb (HIMU-like) component. Systematic variations in rock types and geochemistry on a regional scale are believed to be indicative of vertical geochemical heterogeneities which are translated into lateral heterogeneities by different depths of melting. It is proposed that HIMU- and EMI-like signatures in particular, are concentrated in laterally extensive but vertically distinctive portions of the mantle beneath the São Francisco craton. The EMI-type signatures appear to be restricted to shallow-derived volcanism, whereas the HIMU-type signatures may originate from a source that started melting deeper in the mantle. The Nd signatures of the EMI-type volcanics follow the evolution path defined by the NeoProterozoic crustal sequences which overlie and flank the craton margin. This suggests that the source of the EMI-type mantle signatures might be related to the tectono-thermal processes which led to the formation and evolution of such crustal sequences. The isotopic similarity of the sources of the studied rocks and of the high-Ti basalts of the northern Paraná basin to those of some Ocean Island Basalts with Dupal signatures in the South Atlantic (viz. in Walvis Ridge) is ascribed to processes by which continental lithosphere became firstly delaminated, and then contaminated a zone of South Atlantic asthenosphere from which hotspot islands have been erupting.     

Lead isotope study of orogenic lherzolite massifs

Orogenic lherzolites allow for almost “in-situ” observation of mantle isotopic heterogeneities on a restricted geographical scale, in contrast to basalts for which melting processes have averaged original mantle compositions over uncertain scales. Pb isotopes from whole rocks and clinopyroxenes from the massifs of Lherz (Pyrenees), Lanzo (Alps), Beni Bousera (Morocco) and Zabargad (Red Sea) show internal heterogeneities that encompass the entire range of variation observed in oceanic basalts. Some depleted lherzolites have a very unradiogenic composition similar to that of the most depleted ridge tholeiites. Pyroxenites from mafic layers generally have more radiogenic compositions, some of them comparable to the most radiogenic oceanic island results. The isotopic differences between lherzolites and pyroxenites vanish where layers are very closely spaced ( < 2 cm). In this case, the lherzolites may have equilibrated with the more Pb-rich pyroxenites through solid-state diffusion under mantle conditions. These results directly illustrate the smallest scales at which Pb isotopic heterogeneity may survive within the mantle.The genesis of these heterogeneities are discussed within the framework of the “marble cake” mantle model [1], where lherzolites are residues left over after oceanic crust extraction, whereas pyroxenites represent either basaltic or cumulate portions of the oceanic crust, reinjected by subduction and stretched by solid-state mixing during mantle convection. The Pb isotope data suggest that each massif was involved in several cycles of convective overturn, segregation and reinjection of the oceanic crust, during periods well over 1 Ga.If the upper mantle is made of interlayered radiogenic and unradiogenic layers, basalt heterogeneities may result from preferential melt-extraction from different layers depending on the degree of melting, as well as from large-scale, plume-related mantle heterogeneities. Orogenic lherzolites therefore allow direct observation of disseminated small-scale heterogeneities previously inferred from observations of oceanic basalts from seamounts and ridges.     

Lead-strontium isotopic variations along the East Pacific Rise and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge: a comparative study

We have determined the Pb and Sr isotopic compositions in a number of fresh young oceanic basalts from the East Pacific Rise (between 20°N and 21°S latitudes), and from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (between 65°N and 10°N).The results confirm the PbSr isotopic correlation for mid-ocean ridges basalts obtained by Allègre et al. [1], Cohen et al. [2], Dupréand Allègre [3], and the correlation between isotopic variation and the compatible trace elements ratios variation [1].A comparison between the Atlantic and Pacific results reveals that there is a wider range of values for the Atlantic than for the Pacific. After filtering the short wavelengths, a good correlation is obtained between long-wavelength bathymetric and isotopic variations for the Atlantic.The preferred model proposed to explain these differences involves the constant presence of hot spots under ridges. On slow-spreading ridges like the Atlantic, the hot spots signature is clearly visible in both bathymetry and isotopic ratios. On fast-spreading centers, the hot spot signature in both the bathymetry and isotopic signature may be diluted by the rapid supply of material coming from the asthenosphere.However, an alternative explanation for which no hot spot influence is found on the East Pacific Rise cannot be definitely ruled out.In two occurrences, south of the Hayes fracture zone (Atlantic), large isotopic heterogeneities are observed within a single dredge. This does not contradict the concept of regional isotopic regularities, but suggests that blob injection and source mixing may be observed at very different scales under the ridges.     

Geodynamic processes that are involved in the generation of the Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge

This paper contains a comparative analysis of the theoretical parameters involved in the subsidence of spreading ridges into the asthenosphere: Reykjanes, Kolbeinsey, the Azores segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, as well as the following aseismic ridges: the Ninety East Ridge, Maldives, Hawaiian-Emperor, and Louisville ridges due to the influence of a mantle plume. We conclude that the respective geodynamic processes involved in generating spreading ridges in the North Atlantic and the aseismic ocean ridges due to hotspot action are similar. The main phases in the evolution of the Iceland region are substantiated using geological and geophysical data and computer simulation. We discuss the Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the region, calculated and plotted paleogeodynamic reconstructions of the North Atlantic Ocean in the hotspot system for 60, 50, and 20 Ma.     

Statistical analysis of isotopic ratios in MORB: the mantle blob cluster model and the convective regime of the mantle

A statistical examination of isotopic distributions for MORB from various ocean ridges leads to the “blob cluster model”, in which the oceanic crust accreting at ridges results from the mixing of two components within the ascending mantle. These are (1) upper mantle material and (2) discrete rising blobs of more radiogenic material. The blobs are fractionated to a variable degree and are distributed in the upper mantle circulation in a manner that is related to the spreading rate.(1) Themean values of the isotopic distributions allow us to calculate the probabilities of the two types of material within the mantle. The results show that theproportion of asthenospheric material in the mixtureincreases with the spreading rate, in agreement with the hypothesis of blob dilution within the upper mantle convection.Mass fluxes can be estimated for the rising blobs from these probabilities, which depend on the respective concentrations in the sources of the two types of material. If the blobs originate in the lower mantle, this flux estimation would suggest that a significant part of the lower mantle has been injected into the upper mantle during earth history.(2) Thestandard deviations of the distributions depend on the “efficiency” of the mixing process:the more imbricated are the asthenospheric and blob materials in the mixture,the smaller is theisotopic spread. This efficiency parameter is shown to increase with the spreading rate, as already suggested by previous comparisons between the East Pacific Rise and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Moreover, this feature may also be correlated with other data such as ridge bathymetric variations.     

Oxygen- and strontium-isotopic investigations of subduction zone volcanism: the case of the Volcano Arc and the Marianas Island Arc

Recent, fresh, volcanic rocks of the intra-oceanic Mariana and Volcano Arcs were analyzed for O and Sr isotopic compositions in order to determine the source of these magmas. Fresh, non-arc, volcanic rocks from the regions surrounding the Mariana-Volcano Arcs and some DSDP sediments were also analyzed for comparison. The oxygen isotopic ratios of the arc lavas (5.5–6.8‰) exhibited a small inter-island variation that cannot be entirely explained by fractional crystallization. The Sr isotopic composition of the arc lavas is remarkably uniform (0.70332–0.70394 for the Marianas). Three models are considered in order to explain the observed isotopic characteristics: (1) bulk mixing and melting of MORB-type mantle with (a) subducted sediments, and (b) subducted oceanic crust (excluding sediments); (2) melting of a mixture of sediment-derived fluids and MORB-type mantle; and (3) melting of a mixture of sediment-derived fluids and oceanic island or “hot-spot” type mantle. The last model fits the data best. The conclusion that very small, and variable, amounts of sediment-derived fluid ( 1%) are required to explain the observed inter-island O isotopic variation, is consistent with that of other workers who used different isotopic and trace element methods. The generation of magmas in the Mariana-Volcano Arcs involves very little sediment and the source region of Mariana lavas is isotopically indistinguishable from that of hot-spot basalts.     

Isotope and trace element geochemistry of young Pacific seamounts: implications for the scale of upper mantle heterogeneity

Basalts from young seamounts situated within 6.8 m.y. of the East Pacific Rise, between 9° and 14°N latitude, display significant variations in ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.51295–0.51321), ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7025–0.7031), and(La/Sm)_N (0.415–3.270). Nd and Sr isotope ratios are anti-correlated and form a trend roughly parallel to the “mantle array” on a¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd vs.⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr variation diagram. Nd and Sr isotope ratios display negative and positive correlations, respectively, with(La/Sm)_N. The geochemical variations observed at the seamounts are nearly as great or greater than those observed over several hundred kilometers of the Reykjanes Ridge, or at the islands of Iceland or Hawaii.

Samples from one particular seamount, Seamount 6, display nearly the entire observed range of chemical variations, offering an ideal opportunity to constrain the nature of heterogeneities in the source mantle. Systematics indicative of magma mixing are recognized when major elements, trace elements, trace element ratios, and isotope ratios are compared with each other in all possible permutations. The source materials required to produce the end-member magmas are: (1) a typical MORB-source-depleted peridotite; and (2) a relatively enriched material which may represent ancient mantle segregations of basaltic melt, incompletely mixed remnants of subducted ocean crust, or metasomatized peridotite such as that found at St. Paul's Rocks or Zabargad Island. Due to the proximity of the seamounts to the East Pacific Rise (EPR), the source materials are thought to comprise an intimate mixture in the mantle immediately underlying the seamounts and the adjacent EPR. Lavas erupted at the ridge axis display a small range of isotopic and incompatible trace element compositions because the large degrees of melting and presence of magma chambers tend to average the chemical characteristics of large volumes of mantle.

If the postulated mantle materials, with large magnitude, small-scale heterogeneities, are ubiquitous in the upper mantle, chemical variations in basalts ranging from MOR tholeiites to island alkali basalts may reflect sampling differences rather than changes in bulk mantle chemistry.     

Lead in corals: reconstruction of historical industrial fluxes to the surface ocean

Twentieth century environmental lead chronologies for the western North Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans have been reconstructed from annually-banded scleractinian corals. Measurements of lattice-bound Pb in sequential coral bands reveal temporal changes in surface water Pb concentrations and Pb isotopic distributions. Perturbations are observable in all specimens studied, attesting to global augmentation of environmental Pb by industrialization.In the western North Atlantic, Pb perturbations have occurred in direct response to the American industrial revolution and the subsequent introduction and phasing-out of alkyl Pb additives in gasoline. Surface ocean conditions near Bermuda may be reliably reconstructed from the coral data via a lead distribution coefficient of 2.3 for the species,Diploria strigosa. Based on²¹⁰Pb measurements, a similar distribution coefficient may be characteristic of corals in general. Surface Pb concentrations in the pre-industrial Sargasso Sea were about 15–20 pM. Concentrations rose to near 90 pM by 1923 as a result of metals manufacture and fossil fuel combustion. Beginning in the late 1940's, increased utilization of leaded gasoline eventually led to a peak concentration of 240 pM in 1971, representing an approximate 15-fold increase over background. Surface ocean concentrations are presently declining rapidly (128 pM in 1984) as a result of curtailed alkyl Pb usage. Lead isotopic shifts parallel the concentration record indicating that characteristic industrial and alkyl Pb source signatures have not changed appreciably in time. Industrial releases recorded in the Florida Keys reflect a weaker source and evidence of recirculated Pb (5–6 years old) from the North Atlantic subtropical gyre. An inferred background concentration of 38 pM suggests influence of shelf and/or resuspended inputs of Pb to these coastal waters.In remote areas of the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, industrial signals are fainter and the corals studied much younger than their Atlantic counterparts. Contemporary Pb concentrations implied by coral measurements (assumingK_D = 2.3) are 40–50 pM for surface waters near Tutuila and Galapagos in the South Pacific, and 25–29 pM near Mauritius in the Indian Ocean. A single coral band from Fiji (1920 ± 5yr) implies a pre-industrial surface water concentration of 16–19 pM Pb for the South Pacific. In view of reported surface water measurements and the North Atlantic coral data, the Pacific coral extrapolations may be slightly high. This could be a result of small variations inK_D among different coral genera, or incorporation of diagenetic Pb by corals sampled in coastal environments.     

Generation of Cenozoic intraplate basalts in the big mantle wedge under eastern Asia

The roles of subduction of the Pacific plate and the big mantle wedge (BMW) in the evolution of east Asian continental margin have attracted lots of attention in past years. This paper reviews recent progresses regarding the composition and chemical heterogeneity of the BMW beneath eastern Asia and geochemistry of Cenozoic basalts in the region, with attempts to put forward a general model accounting for the generation of intraplate magma in a BMW system. Some key points of this review are summarized in the following. (1) Cenozoic basalts from eastern China are interpreted as a mixture of high-Si melts and low-Si melts. Wherever they are from, northeast, north or south China, Cenozoic basalts share a common low-Si basalt endmember, which is characterized by high alkali, Fe₂O₃^T and TiO₂ contents, HIMU-like trace element composition and relatively low ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb compared to classic HIMU basalts. Their Nd-Hf isotopic compositions resemble that of Pacific Mantle domain and their source is composed of carbonated eclogites and peridotites. The high-Si basalt endmember is characterized by low alkali, Fe₂O ₃ ^T and TiO₂ contents, Indian Mantle-type Pb-Nd-Hf isotopic compositions, and a predominant garnet pyroxenitic source. High-Si basalts show isotopic provinciality, with those from North China and South China displaying EM1-type and EM2-type components, respectively, while basalts from Northeast China containing both EM1- and EM2-type components. (2) The source of Cenozoic basalts from eastern China contains abundant recycled materials, including oceanic crust and lithospheric mantle components as well as carbonate sediments and water. According to their spatial distribution and deep seismic tomography, it is inferred that the recycled components are mostly from stagnant slabs in the mantle transition zone, whereas EM1 and EM2 components are from the shallow mantle. (3) Comparison of solidi of garnet pyroxenite, carbonated eclogite and peridotite with regional geotherm constrains the initial melting depth of high-Si and low-Si basalts at <100 km and ～300 km, respectively. It is suggested that the BMW under eastern Asia is vertically heterogeneous, with the upper part containing EM1 and EM2 components and isotopically resembling the Indian mantle domain, whereas the lower part containing components derived from the Pacific mantle domain. Contents of H₂O and CO₂ decrease gradually from bottom to top of the BMW. (4) Melting of the BMW to generate Cenozoic intraplate basalts is triggered by decarbonization and dehydration of the slabs stagnated in the mantle transition zone.     

Neodymium and strontium isotope study of ophiolite and orogenic lherzolite petrogenesis

Neodymium isotopic analyses have been measured on nine ophiolites and four orogenic lherzolites. ε_Nd varies from +12 to +3 in the ophiolites and from +18 to +2 in the orogenic lherzolites. The majority of the analyses plot on a ε_Nd-ε_Sr correlation line as defined by Nd and Sr isotopic analyses of oceanic basalts. However, certain ophiolitic and lherzolitic samples exhibit high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios and as such lie to the right of the correlation line towards seawater compositions.From these data one can postulate several origins for ophiolites including that of mid-ocean ridges and ocean islands. If the orogenic lherzolites are interpreted as representative of the mantle occurring below active ridges a more complex model is required involving mantle heterogeneity and multi-episodic chemical fractionation starting prior to 2 Ga ago.     

Origin of the Deccan Trap flows at Mahabaleshwar inferred from Nd and Sr isotopic and chemical evidence

The Deccan flows at Mahabaleshwar are divisible into a lower and an upper group, based on Nd and Sr isotopic ratios, which define two correlated trends. This distinction is supported by incompatible element ratios and bulk compositions. The data reflect contamination in a dynamic system of magmas from an LIL-depleted,ε_JUV ≥ +8 mantle by two different negative ε_JUV endmembers, one undoubtedly continental crust, the other either continental crust or enriched mantle. The depleted mantle source, anomalously high in (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr), may have been in the subcontinental lithosphere or a region of rising Indian Ocean MORB mantle.     

Plume-lithosphere interactions in the ocean basins: constraints from the source mineralogy

Trace element relationships of near-primary alkalic lavas from La Grille volcano, Grande Comore, in the Indian Ocean, as well as those of the Honolulu volcanic series, Oahu, Hawaii, show that their sources contain amphibole and/or phlogopite. Small amounts of each mineral (2% amphibole in the source of La Grille and 0.5% phlogopite plus some amphibole in the source of the Honolulu volcanics) and a range of absolute degrees of partial melting from 1 to 5% for both series are consistent with the observed trace element variation. Amphibole and phlogopite are not stable at the temperatures of convecting upper mantle or upwelling thermal plumes from the deep mantle; however, they are stable at pressure-temperature conditions of the oceanic lithospheric mantle. Therefore, the presence of amphibole and/or phlogopite in the magma source region of volcanics is strong evidence for lithospheric melting, and we conclude that the La Grille and the Honolulu series formed by melting of the oceanic lithospheric mantle.

The identification of amphibole ± phlogopite in the source region of both series implies that the metasomatism by fluids or volatile-rich melts occurred prior to melting. The presence of hydrous phases results in a lower solidus temperature of the lithospheric mantle, which can be reached by conductive heating by the thermal plumes. Isotope ratios of the La Grille and the Honolulu series display a restricted range in composition and represent compositional end-members for each island. Larger isotopic variations in shield lavas, represented by the contemporaneous Karthala volcano on Grande Comore and the older Koolau series on Oahu, reflect interaction of the upwelling thermal plumes with the lithospheric mantle rather than the heterogeneity of deep-seated mantle plume sources or entrainment of mantle material in the rising plume. Literature OsSr isotope ratio covariations constrain the process of plume-lithosphere interaction as occurring through mixing of plume melts and low-degree melts from the metasomatized oceanic lithospheric mantle.

The characterization of the lithospheric mantle signature allows the isotopic composition of the deep mantle plume components to be identified, and mixing relationships show that the Karthala and Koolau plume end-members have nearly uniform isotopic compositions. Based on independent arguments, isotopic variations on Heard and Easter islands have been shown to be a result of mixing between deep plume sources having distinct isotopic compositions with lithosphere or shallow asthenospheric mantle. To the extent that these case studies are representative of oceanic island volcanism, they indicate that interaction with oceanic lithospheric mantle plays an important role in the compositions of lavas erupted during the shield-building stage of plume magmatism, and that isotopic compositions of deep mantle plume sources are nearly uniform on the scale that they are sampled by melting.     

Origin of basalts from the Marquesas Archipelago (south central Pacific Ocean): isotope and trace element constraints

Basalts from the Marquesas Archipelago display significant variations according to magmatic type in ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.512710–0.512925) and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70288–0.70561) suggesting heterogeneities at various scales in the mantle source, with respectively the highest and lowest values in tholeiites compared to alkali basalts. This relationship is the reverse from that observed in the Hawaiian islands. Systematic indications of magma mixing are recognized from the relationships between trace element and isotopic ratios. Tholeiites from Ua Pou Island which have unradiogenic Sr (about 0.7028) plot close to basalts from Tubuai and St. Helena, i.e. distinctly below the main mantle trend in the Nd vs. Sr isotopic diagram. It is suggested that the source of these tholeiites is ancient subducted lithosphere which has suffered previous extraction of liquid with island arc tholeiite composition. The trace element and isotopic data of the basalts from the other Marquesas Islands imply the contamination of an equivalent source by an enriched component. This latter has trace element characteristics of the upper crust.     

Sr and Nd isotopes in basalts from the East Pacific Rise: significance for mantle heterogeneity

Isotopic data for Sr and Nd from fresh glassy East Pacific Rise basalts suggest that this part of the suboceanic mantle is characterized by subtle but distinct large-scale regional isotopic variability which may reflect differences between cells of the convecting mantle. In spite of a systematic N—S change in spreading rate of a factor of three along the sampled portion of the EPR, no correlation is observed between spreading rate and range of isotopic composition, indicating that the regional variations override homogenization effects which may be correlated with rate of magma generation and hence spreading rate. There is no clear signature in our data of effects from the postulated global “Dupal Anomaly” [30,31]. However, for a restricted ridge segment at the latitude of Easter Island, anomalously high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and low¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd occur, coupled with high incompatible element concentrations. These features are most easily understood as being the result of inclusion of a “plume” component in these ridge basalts.     

Asthenospheric and lithospheric sources for Mesozoic dolerites from Liberia (Africa): trace element and isotopic evidence

Combined elemental, and Sr and Nd isotopic data are presented for Mesozoic dolerite dikes of Liberia (Africa) which are related to the initial stage of opening of the Atlantic Ocean.The large scatter of both trace element and isotopic data allows the identification of five groups of dolerites which cannot be related to each other by simple processes of mineral fractionation from a common source. On the contrary, the observed chemical and isotopic variation within some dolerites (Groups I and II) may result either from variable degrees of melting of an isotopically heterogeneous source or mixing between enriched and depleted oceanic type mantle. For the other dolerites (Groups III–V) mixing with a third mantle source with more radiogenic Sr and with element ratios characteristic of subduction environments is suggested. This third source is probably the subcontinental lithospheric mantle.Finally, no significant modification by interaction with continental crust is apparent in most of the analyzed samples.     

Neodymium isotopic variations in seawater

New data for the direct measurement of the isotopic composition of neodymium in Atlantic Ocean seawater are compared with previous measurements of Pacific Ocean seawater and ferromanganese sediments from major ocean basins. Data for Atlantic seawater are in excellent agreement with Nd isotopic measurements made on Atlantic ferromanganese sediments and are distinctly different from the observed compositions of Pacific samples. These results clearly demonstrate the existence of distinctive differences in the isotopic composition of Nd in the waters of the major ocean basins and are characteristic of the ocean basin sampled. The average ε_Nd(0) values for the major oceans as determined by data from seawater and ferromanganese sediments are as follows: Atlantic Ocean,ε_Nd(0) ? ?12 ± 2; Indian Ocean,ε_Nd(0) ? ?8 ± 2; Pacific Ocean,ε_Nd(0) ? ?3 ± 2. These values are considerably less than ε_Nd(0) value sources with oceanic mantle affinities indicating that the REE in the oceans are dominated by continental sources. The difference in the absolute abundance of¹⁴³Nd between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans corresponds to ～10⁶ atoms¹⁴³Nd per gram of seawater. The correspondence between the¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd in seawater and in the associated sediments suggests the possible application of this approach to paleo-oceanography.Distinctive differences in ε_Nd(0) values are observed in the Atlantic Ocean between deep-ocean water associated with North Atlantic Deep Water and near-surface water. This suggests that North Atlantic Deep Water may be relatively well mixed with respect to Nd isotopic composition whereas near-surface water may be quite heterogeneous, reflecting different sources for surface waters relative to deep water. This suggests that it may be possible to distinguish the sources of water masses within an ocean basin on the basis of Nd isotopic composition.The Nd isotopic variations in seawater are used to relate the residence time of Nd and mixing rates between the oceans.     

The pre-drift Central Atlantic; A model based on tectonomagmatic and sedimentological evidence

Geological data from islands and deep sea drill sites of the Central Atlantic have been examined in the light of problems such as the pre-drift relative position of North America and Africa, and the time of commencement of seafloor spreading. Observations of particular concern, and which are difficult to accomodate in the present spreading model, are 1. the wide distribution of the Lower Cretaceous “black shales”, 2. the mid-Cretaceous tectonomagmatic event, and 3. the pronounced Upper Cretaceous sedimentary hiatus. Based on these data a new evolutionary model, including a major pre-drift basin (of the order of 2000 km across) and onset of sea-floor spreading around late Cenomanian time, is proposed. A possible relationship between sea-floor spreading and the major intracontinental sedimentation in Africa and North America in Middle-Upper Cretaceous is suggested, giving a reasonable explanation of the well-known “Cenomanian” transgression.