Potassic Magmatism in Western Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, SE Tibet, China: Petrological and Geochemical Constraints on Petrogenesis

Potassic volcanism in the western Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces,SE Tibet, forms part of an extensive magmatic province in theeastern Indo-Asian collision zone during the Paleogene (40–24Ma). The dominant rock types are phlogopite-, clinopyroxene-and olivine-phyric calc-alkaline (shoshonitic) lamprophyres.They are relatively depleted in Na₂O, Fe₂O₃, and Al₂O₃ comparedwith the late Permian–early Triassic Emeishan continentalflood basalts in the western part of the Yangtze craton, andhave very high and variable abundances of incompatible traceelements. Primitive mantle-normalized incompatible element patternshave marked negative Nb, Ta and Ti anomalies similar to thoseof K-rich subduction-related magmas, although the geodynamicsetting is clearly post-collisional. Spatially, some incompatibletrace element abundances, together with inferred depths of meltsegregation based on the Mg-15 normalized compositions of thesamples, display progressive zonation trends from SW to NE withincreasing distance from the western boundary of the Yangtzecraton. Systematic variations in major and trace element abundancesand Sr–Nd–Pb isotope compositions appear to havepetrogenetic significance. The systematic increases in incompatibletrace element abundances from the western margin to the interiorof the Yangtze craton can be explained by progressively decreasingextents of partial melting, whereas steady changes in some incompatibletrace element ratios can be attributed to changes in the amountof subduction-derived fluid added to the lithospheric mantleof the Yangtze craton. The mantle source region of the lamprophyresis considered to be a relatively refractory phlogopite-bearingspinel peridotite, heterogeneously enriched by fluids derivedfrom earlier phases of late Proterozoic and Palaeozoic subductionbeneath the western part of the Yangtze craton. Calculationsbased on a non-modal batch melting model show that the degreeof partial melting ranges from 0·6% to 15% and the proportionof subduction-derived fluid added from0·1% to 0·7%(higher-Ba fluid) or from 5% to 25% (lower-Ba fluid) from theinterior to the western margin of the Yangtze craton. Some pre-existinglithospheric faults might have been reactivated in the areaneighbouring the Ailao Shan–Red River (ASRR) strike-slipbelt, accompanying collision-induced extrusion of the Indo-Chinablock and left-lateral strike-slip along the ASRR shear zone.This, in turn, could have triggered decompression melting ofthe previously enriched mantle lithosphere, resulting in calc-alkalinelamprophyric magmatism in the western part of the Yangtze craton. KEY WORDS: Tibet; potassic magmatism; lithospheric mantle; metasomatism     

Post-collisional, Potassic and Ultrapotassic Magmatism of the Northern Tibetan Plateau: Constraints on Characteristics of the Mantle Source, Geodynamic Setting and Uplift Mechanisms

Cenozoic, post-collisional, potassic and ultrapotassic igneousrocks in the North Qiangtang, Songpan–Ganzi and NorthKunlun terranes of the northern Tibetan Plateau are distributedalong a semi-continuous, east–west-trending, volcanicbelt, which is over 1200 km in length. Spatially, there is aclose association with major strike-slip faults, thrust faultsand pull-apart basins. The ages of these magmatic rocks rangefrom 45 Ma to the present (the youngest known eruption occurredin 1951); they are shoshonitic, compositionally similar to K-richsubduction-related magmas, and range in SiO₂ from 44 to 66 wt%. There is a relative enrichment of large ion lithophile elements(LILE) and light rare earth elements (LREE) in the most primitivemagmatic rocks (MgO >6 wt %) in the North Qiangtang terranecompared with those in the Songpan–Ganzi and North Kunlunterranes; correspondingly, the primitive magmas have higher⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, and lower ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios in theNorth Qiangtang terrane than in the Songpan–Ganzi andNorth Kunlun terranes. The dominant factors that control thegeochemical characteristics of the magmas are an enriched asthenosphericmantle source composition, the degree of partial melting ofthis source, and the combined processes of crustal assimilationand fractional crystallization (AFC). Enrichment of the asthenosphereis considered to have occurred by incorporation of subductedsediments into the mantle wedge above a subducted slab of Indianlithosphere during India–Asia convergence. Continentallithospheric mantle, metasomatically enriched during earlierepisodes of subduction, may have also contributed a source componentto the magmas. Trace element modelling indicates that the mantlesource of the most primitive magmas in the North Qiangtang terranecontained higher amounts of subducted sediment (0·5–10%)compared with those in the Songpan–Ganzi and North Kunlunterranes (<2%). The degrees of partial melting required togenerate the primitive potassic and ultrapotassic magmas fromthe enriched mantle sources range from <0·1% to 15%in the three major basement terranes. Energy-constrained AFCmodel calculations show that the more evolved magmatic rocks(MgO <6 wt %) are the results of AFC processes in the middlecrust in the North Qiangtang terrane and the upper crust inthe Songpan–Ganzi and North Kunlun terranes. We proposethat the ultimate driving force for the generation of the post-collisionalpotassium-rich magmatism in north Tibet is the continuous northwardunderthrusting of the Indian continental lithosphere followingIndia–Asia collision. This underthrusting resulted inupwelling of hot asthenosphere beneath north Tibet, squeezedup between the advancing Indian lithosphere and the backstopof the rigid Asian continental lithosphere. Asthenospheric upwellingmay have also contributed to uplift of the northern TibetanPlateau. KEY WORDS: Tibetan Plateau; potassic and ultrapotassic magmatism; enriched asthenospheric mantle source; EC-AFC modelling; geodynamics     

Geochemical Constraints for the Genesis of Post-collisional Magmatism and the Geodynamic Evolution of the Northern Taiwan Region

Taiwan is an active mountain belt created by the oblique collisionof the northern Luzon arc with Asia. Late Pliocene extensionalcollapse of the northern Taiwan mountain belt (NTMB) was accompaniedby magmatism that formed the Northern Taiwan Volcanic Zone (NTVZ;2·8–0·2 Ma). The geochemical characteristicsof the NTVZ magmas can thus provide constraints both for themantle source composition and the geodynamic processes operatingin the late orogenic stage of the region. The NTVZ volcanicrocks consist dominantly of calc-alkaline andesites and basalts,along with subordinate but heterogeneous lavas including low-K,shoshonitic and ultrapotassic magmas. From the NE to the SWin the NTVZ, the magmas show systematic compositional variationsfrom low-K to calc-alkaline and then shoshonitic. This spatialgeochemical variation, characterized by southwesterly increasein potassium and incompatible trace elements, appears to besubparallel to the southwestern part of the modern Ryukyu subductionsystem. Sr–Nd isotope ratios of the NTVZ volcanic rocks(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr     

REE and PGE Geochemical Constraints on the Formation of Dunites in the Luobusa Ophiolite, Southern Tibet

The Luobusa ophiolite, Southern Tibet, lies in the Indus–YarlungZangbo suture zone that separates Eurasia to the north fromthe Indian continent to the south. The ophiolite contains awell-preserved mantle sequence consisting of harzburgite, clinopyroxene(cpx)-bearing harzburgite and dunite. The harzburgite containsabundant pods of chromitite, most of which have dunite envelopes,and the cpx-bearing harzburgites host numerous dunite dykes.Dunite also exists as a massive unit similar to those of themantle–crust transition zones in other ophiolites. Allof the dunites in the ophiolite have a similar mineralogy, comprisingmainly olivine with minor orthopyroxene and chromite and tracesof clinopyroxene. They also display similar chemical compositions,including U-shaped chondrite-normalized REE patterns. Mantle-normalizedPGE patterns show variable negative Pt anomalies. Detailed analysisof a chromite-bearing dunite dyke, which grades into the hostcpx-bearing harzburgite, indicates that LREE and Ir decrease,whereas HREE, Pd and Pt increase away from the dunite. Thesefeatures are consistent with formation of the dunite dykes byinteraction of MORB peridotites with boninitic melts from whichthe chromitites were formed. Because the transition-zone dunitesare mineralogically and chemically identical to those formedby such melt–rock reaction, we infer that they are ofsimilar origin. The Luobusa ultramafic rocks originally formedas MORB-source upper mantle, which was subsequently trappedas part of a mantle wedge above a subduction zone. Hydrous meltsgenerated under the influence of the subducted slab at depthmigrated upward and reacted with the cpx-bearing harzburgitesto form the dunite dykes. The modified melts ponded in smallpockets higher in the section, where they produced podiformchromitites with dunite envelopes. At the top of the mantlesection, pervasive reaction between melts and harzburgite producedthe transition-zone dunites. KEY WORDS: melt–rock interaction; REE; PGE; hydrous melt; mantle; ophiolite; Tibet     

Sources and Petrogenesis of Late Triassic Dolerite Dikes in the Liaodong Peninsula: Implications for Post-collisional Lithosphere Thinning of the Eastern North China Craton

A combination of major and trace element, whole-rock Sr, Ndand Hf isotope, and zircon U–Pb isotopic data are reportedfor a suite of dolerite dikes from the Liaodong Peninsula inthe northeastern North China Craton. The study aimed to investigatethe source, petrogenesis and tectonic setting of the dikes.Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U–Pb zircon analysesyield a Late Triassic emplacement age of 213 Ma for these dikes,post-dating the collision between the North China and Yangtzecratons and consequent ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism. Threegeochemical groups of dikes have been identified in the LiaodongPeninsula based on their geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hfisotope characteristics. Group 1 dikes are tholeiitic, withhigh TiO₂ and total Fe₂O₃ and low MgO contents, absent to weaknegative Nb and Ta anomalies, variable (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i (0·7060–0·7153),_Nd(t) (– 0·8 to –6·5) and _Hf(t) (–2·7to –7·8) values, and negative _Hf(t) (–1·1to –7·8). They are inferred to be derived frompartial melting of a relatively fertile asthenospheric mantlein the spinel stability field, with some upper crustal assimilationand fractional crystallization. Group 2 dikes have geochemicalfeatures of high-Mg andesites with (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i values of 0·7063–0·7072,and negative _Nd(t) (–3·0 to –9·5)and _Hf(t) (–3·2 to –10·1) values,and may have originated as melts of foundered lower crust, withsubsequent interaction with mantle peridotite. Group 3 dikesare shoshonitic in composition with relatively low (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_ivalues (0·7061–0·7063), and negative _Nd(t)(–13·2 to –13·4) and _Hf(t) (–11·0to –11·5) values, and were derived by partial meltingof an ancient, re-enriched, refractory lithospheric mantle inthe garnet stability field. The geochemical and geochronologicaldata presented here indicate that Late Triassic magmatism occurredin an extensional setting, most probably related to post-orogeniclithospheric delamination. KEY WORDS: mafic dike; asthenospheric mantle; lithospheric mantle; delamination; North China Craton     

Volcanism in the Vitim Volcanic Field, Siberia: Geochemical Evidence for a Mantle Plume Beneath the Baikal Rift Zone

The Baikal Rift is a zone of active lithospheric extension adjacentto the Siberian Craton. The 6–16 Myr old Vitim VolcanicField (VVF) lies approximately 200 km east of the rift axisand consists of 5000 km³ of melanephelinites, basanites, alkaliand tholeiitic basalts, and minor nephelinites. In the volcanicpile, 142 drill core samples were used to study temporal andspatial variations. Variations in major element abundances (e.g.MgO = 3·3–14·6 wt %) reflect polybaric fractionalcrystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene and plagioclase. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i(0·7039–0·7049), ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd_i (0·5127–0·5129)and ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf_i (0·2829–0·2830) ratiosare similar to those for ocean island basalts and suggest thatthe magmas have not assimilated significant amounts of continentalcrust. Variable degrees of partial melting appear to be responsiblefor differences in Na₂O, P₂O₅, K₂O and incompatible trace elementabundances in the most primitive (high-MgO) magmas. Fractionatedheavy rare earth element (HREE) ratios (e.g. [Gd/Lu]_n > 2·5)indicate that the parental magmas of the Vitim lavas were predominantlygenerated within the garnet stability field. Forward major elementand REE inversion models suggest that the tholeiitic and alkalibasalts were generated by decompression melting of a fertileperidotite source within the convecting mantle beneath Vitim.Ba/Sr ratios and negative K anomalies in normalized multi-elementplots suggest that phlogopite was a residual mantle phase duringthe genesis of the nephelinites and basanites. Relatively highlight REE (LREE) abundances in the silica-undersaturated meltsrequire a metasomatically enriched lithospheric mantle source.Results of forward major element modelling suggest that meltingof phlogopite-bearing pyroxenite veins could explain the majorelement composition of these melts. In support of this, pyroxenitexenoliths have been found in the VVF. High Cenozoic mantle potentialtemperatures (1450°C) predicted from geochemical modellingsuggest the presence of a mantle plume beneath the Baikal RiftZone. KEY WORDS: Baikal Rift; mafic magmatism; mantle plume; metasomatism; partial melting     

西藏高原西北缘钾质火山岩地球化学特征及其地质涵义

西藏高原西北缘钾质火山岩属橄榄玄粗岩(shoshonite)系列。其K-Ar同位素年龄变化于0.28~7.79Ma,属中新世末—更新世;其K2O/Na2O几乎均>1,Mg#值有较宽的范围(从0.51~0.64),且具有较低的Cr,Ni含量(均≤326×10-6)。它们代表着经历了不同程度分异演化的岩浆结晶产物。研究区钾质火山岩(shoshon-ites)以高度富集LREE和LILE(K,Rb,Sr,Ba,Th)以及高度亏损HREE和HFSE(Nb,Ta,Zr,Hf,Ti)等元素为特征。(La/Yb)n高达29.82~84.94。钾质火山岩对球粒陨石标准化的REE配分型式均为向右陡倾的LREE富集型。对原始地幔标准化的痕量元素蛛网图均具有明显的Nb,Ta,Ti负异常。钾质火山岩具有较高的87Sr/86Sr(0.707755~0.710426)和较低的143Nd/144Nd(0.51196~0.512439)比值。上述特征表明这些火山岩来源于富集的地幔源区。钾质火山岩较高的Ba/Nb比值(40.84~97.28)、较高的Th/Ta及Ce/Yb比值(131~366)、和较低的Nb/Y比值(0.9~3.3),结合Th/Yb-Ta/Yb及(Th×100)/Zr-(Nb×100)/Zr判别图,提示了它们也形成于活动大陆边缘,但与其伴生的钙碱性火山岩为早期与俯冲作用有关的火山岩,而钾质火山岩则为晚期岩石圈拆沉作用的产物。     

Post-collisional Adakitic Porphyries in Tibet: Geochemical and Sr-Nd-Pb Isotopic Constraints on Partial Melting of Oceanic Lithosphere and Crust-Mantle Interaction

The distribution of Neogene felsic porphyries intruding in earlier granitic batholiths was mainly controlled by north-south-tending rifting zones and normal faults. The main rock types of the felsic porphyries include granodiorite-porphyry, monzonitic granite-porphyry and quartz monzonitic porphyry. The porphyries are characterized by high SiO2 ((?)64.26%) and Al2O3 (>15% at 70% SiO2), low Y and HREE (Yb) contents, strong enrichment of LILE and LERR, especially K and ST. Geochemical features of the porphyries show distinct adakitic magma affinity. Nd, Sr and Pb isotopic compositions of the porphyries form a linear alignment from MORB to EM2, suggesting a mixing of the MORB reservoir with the metasomatized mantle reservoir. Considering also the geochemical characteristics of the porphyries and the sequence of observable structural-thermal-magmatic events at Gangdise, it is thought that the Neogene porphyries were formed by partial melting of dead subducted oceanic crust in a post-collision setting. K-enr     

Trace Element and Sr-Pb-Nd-Hf Isotope Evidence for Ancient, Fluid-Dominated Enrichment of the Source of Aldan Shield Lamproites

A phase of Mesozoic extension associated with the terminationof continental collision at the southern margin of the AldanShield produced ultrabasic lamproites in a discontinuous belt500 km long and 150 km wide. The lamproites, locally poorlydiamondiferous, were emplaced as dykes, sills and pipes. AllAldan lamproites have primitive chemical characteristics (e.g.MgO up to 22·7 wt %) and are ultrapotassic (K₂O up to8·3 wt %) and peralkaline with K₂O + Na₂O/Al₂O₃ in therange 0·6–1·16. A distinctive feature ofthese rocks is their low TiO₂ content (0·5–1·4wt %). Aldan lamproites are moderately light rare earth element(LREE) enriched with (La/Yb)_N ranging from 10 to 47. Heavy rareearth element (HREE) abundances are lower than for all otherlamproites by up to a factor of five. Therefore, the combinedmajor and trace element characteristics of the Aldan samplesare not typical of other lamproite occurrences. Large ion lithophileelement concentrations are high (100–800 x Primitive Mantle)but the high field strength elements (HFSE; Nb, Ta, Ti) plusTh and U display unusually low concentrations for rocks of thistype. The style of trace element enrichment recorded by theAldan Shield lamproites is comparable with that of subduction-relatedmagmatism. The Aldan lamproites have among the most extremeinitial isotopic ratios yet recorded from mantle-derived magmas;_Ndi = –10·3 to –22·3, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i =0·7055–0·7079, _Hfi = –7·6 to–29·4 and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_i = 16·6–17·4.When interpreted in terms of multi-stage Pb isotope evolution,the Pb isotope data require fractionation from a Bulk Earthreservoir at 3·0 Ga and subsequent evolution with second-stageµ values between 6·4 and 8·0. The inferredArchaean age of the lamproite source is consistent with Nd andHf model ages, which range from 1·5 to 3·0 Ga.Aldan lamproites have _Hf values that range from +3 to –7.Trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf isotopic ratiosshow coherent variations that suggest that Archaean source enrichmentproduced the negative _Hf as a result of metasomatism by slab-derivedhydrous melts that left rutile–garnet-bearing residua.We conclude that relatively large degrees of partial meltingproduced the lamproites (>5%), which explains the preservationof the isotope–trace element correlations and the lowREE contents. Although high-quality trace element data (e.g.HFSE) are not available for most lamproites, it appears thatmany of their source regions contain a component of recycledoceanic crust, possibly including subducted sediment. The sourcesof the Aldan and many other lamproites are distinct from oceanisland basalt mantle sources. This suggests that the long-termstorage of trace element enriched lamproite sources occurredin the sub-continental lithospheric mantle and not at depthwithin the convecting asthenosphere. KEY WORDS: potassic volcanism; isotope geochemistry; fluid enrichment     

Chemical Variations in Peridotite Xenoliths from Vitim, Siberia: Inferences for REE and Hf Behaviour in the Garnet-Facies Upper Mantle

Peridotite xenoliths in a Miocene picrite tuff from the Vitimvolcanic province east of Lake Baikal, Siberia, are samplesof the off-craton lithospheric mantle that span a depth rangefrom the spinel to garnet facies in a mainly fertile domain.Their major and trace element compositions show some scatter(unrelated to sampling or analytical problems), which is notconsistent with different degrees of partial melting or metasomatism.Some spinel peridotites and, to a lesser degree, garnet-bearingperidotites are depleted in heavy rare earth elements (HREE)relative to middle REE (MREE), whereas some garnet peridotitesare enriched in HREE relative to MREE, with Lu abundances muchhigher than in primitive mantle estimates. Clinopyroxenes fromseveral spinel peridotites have HREE-depleted patterns, whichare normally seen only in clinopyroxenes coexisting with garnet.Garnets in peridotites with similar modal and major elementcompositions have a broad range of Lu and Yb abundances. Overall,HREE are decoupled from MREE and Hf and are poorly correlatedwith partial melting indices. It appears that elements withhigh affinity to garnet were partially redistributed in theVitim peridotite series following partial melting, with feweffects for other elements. The Lu–Hf decoupling may disturbHf-isotope depletion ages and their correlations with meltingindices. KEY WORDS: garnet peridotite; lithospheric mantle; Lu–Hf isotope system; Siberia; trace elements     

Petrology of a Late Archaean, Highly Potassic, Sanukitoid Pluton from the Baltic Shield: Insights into Late Archaean Mantle Metasomatism

The late Archaean Panozero pluton in Central Karelia (BalticShield) is a multi-phase high-Mg, high-K intrusion with sanukitoidaffinities, emplaced at 2·74 Ga. The magmatic historyof the intrusion may be subdivided into three cycles and includesmonzonitic and lamprophyric magmas. Compositional variationsare most extreme in the monzonite series and these are interpretedas the result of fractional crystallization. Estimates of thecomposition of the parental magmas to the monzonites and lamprophyresshow that they are enriched in light rare earth elements, Sr,Ba, Cr, Ni and P but have low contents of high field strengthelements. Radiogenic isotope data indicate a low U/Pb, highTh/U, high Rb/Sr, low Sm/Nd source. The magmatic rocks of thePanozero intrusion are also enriched in H₂O and CO₂; carbonisotope data are consistent with mantle values, indicating afluid-enriched mantle source. The similarity in trace elementcharacter of all the Panozero parental magmas indicates thatall the magmas were derived from a similar mantle source. Thepattern of trace element enrichment is consistent with a mantlesource enriched by fluids released from a subducting slab. Nd-isotopedata suggest that this enrichment took place at c. 2·8Ga, during the main episode of greenstone belt and tonalite–trondhjemite–granodioriteformation in Central Karelia. Sixty million years later, at2·74 Ga, the subcontinental mantle melted to form thePanozero magmas. Experimental studies suggest that the monzoniticmagmas originated by the melting of pargasite–phlogopitelherzolite in the subcontinental mantle lithosphere at 1–1·5GPa. The precise cause of the melting event at 2·74 Gais not known, although a model involving upwelling of asthenosphericmantle following slab break-off is consistent with the geochemicalevidence for the enrichment of the Karelian subcontinental mantlelithosphere by subduction fluids. KEY WORDS: Archaean; sanukitoid; monzonite; Karelia; mantle metasomatism     

Geochemistry, Petrogenesis and Geodynamic Relationships of Miocene Calc-alkaline Volcanic Rocks in the Western Carpathian Arc, Eastern Central Europe

We report major and trace element abundances and Sr, Nd andPb isotopic data for Miocene (16·5–11 Ma) calc-alkalinevolcanic rocks from the western segment of the Carpathian arc.This volcanic suite consists mostly of andesites and dacites;basalts and basaltic andesites as well as rhyolites are rareand occur only at a late stage. Amphibole fractionation bothat high and low pressure played a significant role in magmaticdifferentiation, accompanied by high-pressure garnet fractionationduring the early stages. Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic dataindicate a major role for crustal materials in the petrogenesisof the magmas. The parental mafic magmas could have been generatedfrom an enriched mid-ocean ridge basalt (E-MORB)-type mantlesource, previously metasomatized by fluids derived from subductedsediment. Initially, the mafic magmas ponded beneath the thickcontinental crust and initiated melting in the lower crust.Mixing of mafic magmas with silicic melts from metasedimentarylower crust resulted in relatively Al-rich hybrid dacitic magmas,from which almandine could crystallize at high pressure. Theamount of crustal involvement in the petrogenesis of the magmasdecreased with time as the continental crust thinned. A strikingchange of mantle source occurred at about 13 Ma. The basalticmagmas generated during the later stages of the calc-alkalinemagmatism were derived from a more enriched mantle source, akinto FOZO. An upwelling mantle plume is unlikely to be presentin this area; therefore this mantle component probably residesin the heterogeneous upper mantle. Following the calc-alkalinemagmatism, alkaline mafic magmas erupted that were also generatedfrom an enriched asthenospheric source. We propose that bothtypes of magmatism were related in some way to lithosphericextension of the Pannonian Basin and that subduction playedonly an indirect role in generation of the calc-alkaline magmatism.The calc-alkaline magmas were formed during the peak phase ofextension by melting of metasomatized, enriched lithosphericmantle and were contaminated by various crustal materials, whereasthe alkaline mafic magmas were generated during the post-extensionalstage by low-degree melting of the shallow asthenosphere. Thewestern Carpathian volcanic areas provide an example of long-lastingmagmatism in which magma compositions changed continuously inresponse to changing geodynamic setting. KEY WORDS: Carpathian–Pannonian region; calc-alkaline magmatism; Sr, Nd and Pb isotopes; subduction; lithospheric extension     

Similar V/Sc Systematics in MORB and Arc Basalts: Implications for the Oxygen Fugacities of their Mantle Source Regions

V/Sc systematics in peridotites, mid-ocean ridge basalts andarc basalts are investigated to constrain the variation of fO₂in the asthenospheric mantle. V/Sc ratios are used here to ‘seethrough’ those processes that can modify barometric fO₂determinations in mantle rocks and/or magmas: early fractionalcrystallization, degassing, crustal assimilation and mantlemetasomatism. Melting models are combined here with a literaturedatabase on peridotites, arc lavas and mid-ocean ridge basalts,along with new, more precise data on peridotites and selectedarc lavas. V/Sc ratios in primitive arc lavas from the Cascadesmagmatic arc are correlated with fluid-mobile elements (e.g.Ba and K), indicating that fluids may subtly influence fO₂ duringmelting. However, for the most part, the average V/Sc-inferredfO₂s of arc basalts, MORB and peridotites are remarkably similar(–1·25 to +0·5 log units from the FMQ buffer)and disagree with the observation that the barometric fO₂s ofarc lavas are several orders of magnitude higher. These observationssuggest that the upper part of the Earth's mantle may be stronglybuffered in terms of fO₂. The higher barometric fO₂s of arclavas and some arc-related xenoliths may be due respectivelyto magmatic differentiation processes and to exposure to large,time-integrated fluid fluxes incurred during the long-term stabilityof the lithospheric mantle. KEY WORDS: vanadium; scandium; oxygen fugacity; mantle; arcs     

Early Devonian Post-collisional Granitic Magmatism in the North Qilian Orogenic Belt, Western China: Insights into Lithospheric Delamination and Orogenic Collapse

Post-collisional magmatism contains important clues for understanding the reworking and growth of continental crust, as well as lithospheric delamination and orogenic collapse. Early Devonian magmatism has been identified in the North Qilian Orogenic Belt (NQOB). This paper reports an integrated study of petrology, whole-rock geochemistry, Sm-Nd isotope and zircon U-Pb dating, as well as Lu-Hf isotopic data, for two Early Devonian intrusive plutons. The Yongchang and Chijin granites yield zircon U-Pb ages of 394–407 Ma and 414 Ma, respectively. Both of them are characterized by weakly peraluminous to metaluminous without typical aluminium-rich minerals, LREE-enriched patterns with negative Eu anomalies and a negative correlation between P2O5 and SiO2 contents, consistent with geochemical features of I-type granitoids. Zircons from the studied granites display negative to weak positive εHf(t) values (?5.7 to 2.1), which agree well with those of negative εNd(t) values (?6.4 to ?2.9) for the whole-rock samples, indicating that they were derived from the partial melting of Mesoproterozoic crust. Furthermore, low Sr/Y ratios (1.13–21.28) and high zircon saturation temperatures (745°C to 839°C, with the majority being >800°C) demonstrated a relatively shallow depth level below the garnet stability field and an additional heat source. Taken together, the Early Devonian granitic magmatism could have been produced by the partial melting of ancient crustal materials heated by mantle-derived magmas at high-temperature and low-pressure conditions during post-collisional extensional collapse. The data obtained in this study, when viewed in conjunction with previous studies, provides more information about the tectonic processes that followed the closure of the North Qilian Ocean. The tectonic transition from continental collision to post-collisional delamination could be constrained to ~430 Ma, which is provided by the sudden decrease of Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios and an increase in zircon εHf(t) values for granitoids. A two-stage tectonic evolution model from continental collision to post-collisional extensional collapse for the NQOB includes (a) continental collision and crustal thickening during ca. 455–430 Ma, characterized by granulite-facies metamorphism and widespread low-Mg adakitic magmatism; (b) post-collisional delamination of thickened continental crust and extensional collapse of orogen during ca. 430–390 Ma, provided by coeval high-Mg adakitic magmatism, A-type granites and I-type granitoids with low Sr-Y ratios.     

Regional Variations in the Mineralogy of Metasomatic Assemblages in Mantle Xenoliths from the West Eifel Volcanic Field, Germany

Xenoliths record two distinct events in the mantle below theQuarternary West Eifel Volcanic Field, Germany. The first, duringthe Hercynian Orogeny, led to widespread formation of secondary,Ti-poor amphibole, clinopyroxene and phlogopite. The signatureof the second event, related to Quaternary volcanism, variesacross the field. At Dreiser Weiher and Meerfelder Maar, thisevent is characterized by amphibole–phlogopite–clinopyroxeneveins, hosted in lherzolite and harzburgite xenoliths broughtto the surface by sodic olivine nephelinite–basanite suitelavas. These veins formed from crystallization of sodic magmathat flowed along fractures in the mantle. At Rockeskyller Kopf,Gees and Baarley, the Quaternary event is characterized by wehrlitexenoliths, many of which have phlogopite–clinopyroxeneveins, that were transported by potassic foid suite lavas. Wehrliteformed by reaction of lherzolite–harzburgite, with a largevolume of potassic magma that flowed along grain boundariesrather than in fractures. During reaction, orthopyroxene wasconsumed and secondary clinopyroxene, olivine and phlogopiteprecipitated. Veins formed in wehrlites only during periodicover-pressure events. The composition of the magmas parentalto the veins is similar to the lavas that carried the xenolithsto surface, indicating that the source of foid and olivine nephelinite–basanitesuite magma is domainal, as was the flow regime and magma flux. KEY WORDS: Eifel; mantle xenoliths; metasomatism; trace elements     

Geochemistry and Evolution of Subcontinental Lithospheric Mantle in Central Europe: Evidence from Peridotite Xenoliths of the Kozakov Volcano, Czech Republic

Neogene basanite lavas of Kozákov volcano, located alongthe Lusatian fault in the northeastern Czech Republic, containabundant anhydrous spinel lherzolite xenoliths that providean exceptionally continuous sampling of the upper two-thirdsof central European lithospheric mantle. The xenoliths yielda range of two-pyroxene equilibration temperatures from 680°Cto 1070°C, and are estimated to originate from depths of32–70 km, based on a tectonothermal model for basalticunderplating associated with Neogene rifting. The sub-Kozákovmantle is layered, consisting of an equigranular upper layer(32–43 km), a protogranular intermediate layer that containsspinel–pyroxene symplectites after garnet (43–67km), and an equigranular lower layer (67–70 km). Negativecorrelations of wt % TiO₂, Al₂O₃, and CaO with MgO and clinopyroxenemode with Cr-number in the lherzolites record the effects ofpartial fusion and melt extraction; Y and Yb contents of clinopyroxeneand the Cr-number in spinel indicate 5 to 15% partial melting.Subsequent metasomatism of a depleted lherzolite protolith,probably by a silicate melt, produced enrichments in the largeion lithophile elements, light rare earth elements and highfield strength elements, and positive anomalies in primitivemantle normalized trace element patterns for P, Zr, and Hf.Although there are slight geochemical discontinuities at theboundaries between the three textural layers of mantle, theretends to be an overall decrease in the degree of depletion withdepth, accompanied by a decrease in the magnitude of metasomatism.Clinopyroxene separates from the intermediate protogranularlayer and the lower equigranular layer yield ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd valuesof 0·51287–0·51307 (_Nd = +4·6 to+8·4) and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values of 0·70328–0·70339.Such values are intermediate with respect to the Nd–Srisotopic array defined by anhydrous spinel peridotite xenolithsfrom central Europe and are similar to those associated withthe present-day low-velocity anomaly in the upper mantle beneathEurope. The geochemical characteristics of the central Europeanlithospheric mantle reflect a complex evolution related to Devonianto Early Carboniferous plate convergence, accretion, and crustalthickening, Late Carboniferous to Permian extension and gravitationalcollapse, and Neogene rifting, lithospheric thinning, and magmatism. KEY WORDS: xenoliths; lithospheric mantle; REE–LILE–HFSE; Sr–Nd isotopes; Bohemian Massif     

攀枝花层状辉长质岩体的微量元素和锶钕铅氧同位素系统:地幔源区和矿床成因的证据

攀枝花岩体是攀西地区一个典型含钒钛磁铁矿的层状辉长质岩体,是峨眉山大火成岩省的组成部分。其Sr、Nd、Pb同位素组成变化范围较窄,落在峨眉山玄武岩的范围内,同时也落在洋岛玄武岩范围内,说明攀枝花岩体与峨眉山玄武岩有着成因联系,均与地幔柱作用有关。其低的δ18O值(<6‰)说明没有地壳物质的混染,其高的La/Nb比值(>1)和微量元素原始地幔标准化图解出现的负Nb异常则表明源区有岩石圈地幔物质的混染。因而攀枝花岩体是地幔柱和岩石圈地幔部分熔融的产物,岩浆在岩浆房中没有经历地壳物质的混染作用。Mg#与P2O5的正相关以及P2O5与FeO含量的负相关,表明P不是导致氧化物熔体不混熔的主要原因;而Mg#与Fe2O3/FeO的负相关则说明,岩浆演化过程中氧逸度的升高可能是导致氧化物熔体不混熔的主要原因。     

The Petrology and Geochemistry of Volcanic Rocks on Jeju Island: Plume Magmatism along the Asian Continental Margin

The incompatible element signatures of volcanic rocks formingJeju Island, located at the eastern margin of the Asian continent,are identical to those of typical intraplate magmas. The sourceof these volcanic rocks may be a mantle plume, located immediatelybehind the SW Japan arc. Jeju plume magmas can be divided intothree series, based on major and trace element abundances: high-aluminaalkalic, low-alumina alkalic, and sub-alkalic. Mass-balancecalculations indicate that the compositional variations withineach magma series are largely governed by fractional crystallizationof three chemically distinct parental magmas. The compositionsof primary magmas for these series, using inferred residualmantle olivine compositions, suggest that the low-alumina alkalicand sub-alkalic magmas are generated at the deepest and shallowestdepths by lowest and highest degrees of melting, respectively.These estimates, together with systematic differences in traceelement and isotopic compositions, indicate that the upper mantlebeneath Jeju Island is characterized by an increased degreeof metasomatism and a change in major metasomatic hydrous mineralsfrom amphibole to phlogopite with decreasing depth. The originalplume material, having rather depleted geochemical characteristics,entrained shallower metasomatized uppermost mantle material,and segregated least-enriched low-alumina alkalic, moderatelyenriched high-alumina alkalic, and highly enriched sub-alkalicmagmas, with decreasing depth. KEY WORDS: Jeju Island; magma genesis; mantle plume; subcontinental mantle     

Chronology, Petrology and Isotope Geochemistry of the Erro-Tobbio Peridotites (Ligurian Alps, Italy): Records of Late Palaeozoic Lithospheric Extension

Mantle peridotites from the Erro–Tobbio (ET) ophioliticunit (Voltri Massif, Ligurian Alps) record a tectono-metamorphicdecompressional evolution, indicated by re-equilibration fromspinel- to plagioclase- to amphibole-facies conditions, andprogressive deformation from granular to tectonite to mylonitefabrics. The peridotites are considered to represent subcontinentallithospheric mantle that was tectonically denuded during riftingand opening of the Jurassic Ligurian Tethys ocean, similar tothe Northern Apennine (External Ligurides) ophiolitic peridotites.We performed chemical and isotopic investigations on selectedgranular and tectonite spinel peridotites and plagioclase tectonitesand mylonites, with the aim of defining the nature of the mantleprotoliths, and to date the onset of exhumation of the ET peridotites.Spinel- and plagioclase-bearing tectonites and mylonites exhibitheterogeneous bulk-rock major and trace element composition,despite rather homogeneous mineral chemistry, thus indicatingthat the ET mantle protoliths record a composite history ofpartial melting and melt migration by reactive porous flow.The lack of correlation between the observed geochemical heterogeneityand the structural type (granular, tectonite, mylonite) indicatesthat the inferred reactive porous flow event preceded the exhumation-relatedlithospheric history of the Erro–Tobbio mantle. The tectono-metamorphicevolution caused systematic chemical changes in minerals: (1)Al decrease in orthopyroxene; (2) Al decrease, and Cr and Tiincrease in spinels; (3) Al and Sr decrease, Cr, Ti, Zr, Sc,V and middle to heavy rare earth element increase and developmentof a negative Eu anomaly in clinopyroxene. The studied sampleshave Nd isotope compositions consistent with a mid-ocean ridgebasalt mantle reservoir. Sm/Nd isotope data on plagioclase andclinopyroxene separates (and corresponding whole rocks) fromtwo plagioclase peridotites, representative of the plagioclase-bearingmylonitic extensional shear zone, have yielded ages of 273 ±16 Ma and 313 ± 16 Ma, for the plagioclase-facies recrystallizationstage, significantly older than the expected Jurassic age. Thisindicates that the Erro–Tobbio peridotites represent subcontinentallithospheric mantle that was tectonically exhumed from spinel-faciesdepths to shallower lithospheric levels during Late Carboniferous–Permiantimes. Our results are consistent with the previously documentedevidence for an extensional regime in the Europe–Adrialithosphere during Late Palaeozoic time, and they representthe first record that extensional mechanisms were also activeat lithospheric mantle levels. KEY WORDS: plagioclase-bearing peridotites; subcontinental lithospheric mantle; mantle exhumation; Sm/Nd dating     

Post-Collisional Transition from Subduction- to Intraplate-type Magmatism in the Westernmost Mediterranean: Evidence for Continental-Edge Delamination of Subcontinental Lithosphere

Post-collisional magmatism in the southern Iberian and northwesternAfrican continental margins contains important clues for theunderstanding of a possible causal connection between movementsin the Earth's upper mantle, the uplift of continental lithosphereand the origin of circum-Mediterranean igneous activity. Systematicgeochemical and geochronological studies (major and trace element,Sr–Nd–Pb-isotope analysis and laser ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar-agedating) on igneous rocks provide constraints for understandingthe post-collisional history of the southern Iberian and northwesternAfrican continental margins. Two groups of magmatic rocks canbe distinguished: (1) an Upper Miocene to Lower Pliocene (8·2–4·8Ma), Si–K-rich group including high-K (calc-alkaline)and shoshonitic series rocks; (2) an Upper Miocene to Pleistocene(6·3–0·65 Ma), Si-poor, Na-rich group includingbasanites and alkali basalts to hawaiites and tephrites. Maficsamples from the Si–K-rich group generally show geochemicalaffinities with volcanic rocks from active subduction zones(e.g. Izu–Bonin and Aeolian island arcs), whereas maficsamples from the Si-poor, Na-rich group are geochemically similarto lavas found in intraplate volcanic settings derived fromsub-lithospheric mantle sources (e.g. Canary Islands). The transitionfrom Si-rich (subduction-related) to Si-poor (intraplate-type)magmatism between 6·3 Ma (first alkali basalt) and 4·8Ma (latest shoshonite) can be observed both on a regional scaleand in individual volcanic systems. Si–K-rich and Si-poorigneous rocks from the continental margins of southern Iberiaand northwestern Africa are, respectively, proposed to havebeen derived from metasomatized subcontinental lithosphere andsub-lithospheric mantle that was contaminated with plume material.A three-dimensional geodynamic model for the westernmost Mediterraneanis presented in which subduction of oceanic lithosphere is inferredto have caused continental-edge delamination of subcontinentallithosphere associated with upwelling of plume-contaminatedsub-lithospheric mantle and lithospheric uplift. This processmay operate worldwide in areas where subduction-related andintraplate-type magmatism are spatially and temporally associated. KEY WORDS: post-collisional magmatism; Mediterranean-style back-arc basins; subduction; delamination; uplift of marine gateways