Marine Plio-Pleistocene of Iceland and problems of its correlation

The marine Pliocene-Pleistocene sequence of Iceland contains four main assemblages of mollusks: (1) Venerupis rhomboides et al., (2) Serripes groenlandicus et al., (3) Portlandia arctica et al., and (4) recent species. Analysis of the stratigraphic distribution of 100 species shows that the percentage of extinct species in the assemblages decreases from 40% in the oldest to 4–8% in the youngest. There is also a change from south boreal affinities in the oldest assemblage to north boreal in the youngest. The molluskan assemblages of Iceland can be correlated with Pliocene-Pleistocene assemblages of England and North Europe: (1) Coralline Crag, (2) Red Crag—lower part of the Icenian strata, (3) upper part of the Icenian-Cromerian strata. The upper boundaries of the Pliocene and Eopleistocene are defined by paleomagnetic data and radiological dating. The upper boundary of the Pliocene presumably should be established in the basalts lying between the Tjörnes and the Breidavik deposits by changes between the second and third mollusk assemblages and by the Gilsa paleomagnetic event.     

An experimental investigation of Iceland and Reykjanes Ridge tholeiites: I. Phase relations

Tholeiite basalts from 60° N to 65° N on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge were melted and recrystallized at atmospheric pressure in a CO₂-H₂ gas mixture. Seven basalts are from the Langjokull-Thingvellir volcanic zone and the Reykjanes Peninsula of Iceland and nine are from the Reykjanes Ridge. The crystallization sequence in both Iceland and Reykjanes Ridge basalts with (Total Fe as FeO)/(Total Fe as FeO+ MgO) [F/F + M] less than 0.6 is olivine, plagioclase, clinopyroxene. Chromian spinel crystallizes before plagioclase in one Iceland and one Reykjanes Ridge basalt with F/F+M less than 0.57. Chemical differences of the two groups of basalts (lower SiO₂ and higher alkalis in Iceland basalts) can not simply be a result of low pressure fractional crystallization. Liquidus temperatures of the seven Iceland basalts decreases from 1,230° C to 1,170° C as the F/F+M of the rock increases from 0.52 to 0.70. The liquidus temperatures of the Reykjanes Ridge basalts are about 10° C lower than those of the Iceland basalts for the same F/F+M value. The profile of measured liquidus temperatures from 65° N on Iceland to 60° N on the Reykjanes Ridge has a minimum value at 63.2° N on the Reykjanes Ridge just south of Iceland. Model calculations of the pressure of phenocryst crystallization indicate that olivine and plagioclase in Langjokull basalts could have equilibrated between 2.0 and 6.2 kb (200 to 620 MPa). Phenocryst assemblages in Reykjanes Ridge basalts at 60° N could have crystallized together at greater than 2 kb (200 MPa) and probably less than 8 kb (800 MPa). A minimum in the equilibrium pressure of phenocryst crystallization occurs between 62.9° and 64° N and coincides with the minimum in the experimentally determined liquidus temperatures. The more extensive fractionation at low pressure in this area could be related to the shift of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge axis along the leaky transform fault from the Reykjanes Ridge to the Thingvellir volcanic zone.     

Elemental and Sr isotope variations in basic lavas from Iceland and the surrounding ocean floor

Major and trace element data are used to establish the nature and extent of spatial and temporal chemical variations in basalts erupted in the Iceland region of the North Atlantic Ocean. The ocean floor samples are those recovered by legs 38 and 49 of the Deep Sea Drilling Project. Within each of the active zones on Iceland there are small scale variations in the light rare earth elements and ratios such as K/Y: several central complexes and their associated fissure swarms erupt basalts with values of K/Y distinct from those erupted at adjacent centres; also basalts showing a wide range of immobile trace element ratios occur together within single vertical sections and ocean floor drill holes. Although such variations can be explained in terms of the magmatic processes operating on Iceland they make extrapolations from single basalt samples to mantle sources underlying the outcrop of the sample highly tenuous. ⁸⁷Sr/86Sr ratios measured for 25 of the samples indicate a total range from 0.7028 in a tholeiite from the Reykjanes Ridge to 0.7034 in an alkali basalt from Iceland and are consistent with other published ratios from the region. A positive correlation between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and Ce/Yb ratios indicates the existence of systematic isotopic and elemental variations in the mantle source region. An approximately fivefold variation in Ce/Yb ratio observed in basalts with the same ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio implies that different degrees and types of partial melting have been involved in magma genesis from a single mantle composition. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios above 0.7028, Th/U ratios close to 4 and La/Ta ratios close to 10 distinguish most basalts erupted in this part of the North Atlantic Ocean from normal mid-ocean ridge basalt (N-type MORE) — although N-type MORB has been erupted at extinct spreading axes just to the north and northeast of Iceland as well as the presently active Iceland-Jan Mayen Ridge.Comparisons with the hygromagmatophile element and radiogenic isotope ratios of MORB and the estimated primordial mantle indicate that the mantle sources producing Iceland basalts have undergone previous depletion followed by more recent enrichment events. A veined mantle source region is proposed in preference to the mantle plume model to explain the chemical variations.     

Geochemistry of the Desur lavas,Deccan traps: Case study from the vicinity of Belgaum,Karnataka and their petrogenetic inferences

Geochemical characteristics of Desur-type basalt flows in the southern and southwestern part of Belgaum in Karnataka, India have been investigated to understand their petrogenesis. The basalts are compact, hard, massive, and show characteristic microporphyritic textures with abundant well-twinned and un-twinned plagioclase phenocrysts and minor clinopyroxene set in a fine-grained groundmass consisting of plagioclase, clinopyroxene, glass and Fe-Ti oxides. Thin sections show sub-ophitic, intergranular and intersertal textures. The basalts are Fe-rich tholeiites (13.4–13.8 wt %), characterized by high TiO₂ (3.64 to 3.94 wt %); moderate MgO contents (4.79 to 5.41 wt %), low K₂O contents (<0.58 wt %) and low Mg# (42.4–45.9). They are enriched in large ion lithophile elements, moderately enriched in the light rare earths (chondrite-normalized La_N/Yb_N 3.37–4.24), and exhibit nearly flat heavy rare-earth patterns that lack significant Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* 0.86–1.10). Primitive-mantle-normalized element patterns for these rocks show characteristic troughs at K and Sr, absence of a Nb anomaly, and a low Zr/Nb ratio (<15), which suggest insignificant contamination by many types of continental crust, whereas, enrichments in the large ion lithophiles, La, P and Th could suggest enriched source characteristics. Based on the geochemical characteristics of the basalts, it is inferred that the Desur basalts representing the youngest flows of the Deccan Basalt Group are derived by partial melting of a peridotite source, and subsequent fractionation gave rise to the compositions of the basalts that are found in the Belgaum region.     

Archean geodynamics in the Central Zone, North China Craton: constraints from geochemistry of two contrasting series of granitoids in the Fuping and Wutai complexes

The Archean to Paleoproterozoic Central Zone of the North China Craton is situated between the Eastern and Western Archean continental blocks and contains two contrasting series of Neoarchean granitoids: the 2523–2486 Ma tonalite−trondhjemite–granodiorite (TTG) gneisses in the Fuping Complex, and the 2555–2525 Ma calc-alkaline granitoids (tonalite, granodiorite, granite and monzogranite) in the Wutai Complex. The Fuping TTG gneisses most likely formed from partial melting of 2.7 Ga basalts at >50 km, with an involvement of 3.0 Ga crustal material. The Wutai granitoids have higher K₂O, LILE and Rb/Sr, but lower Sr/Y and La_N/Yb_N than the Fuping TTG gneisses, are characterized by Nd T_DM from 2.5 to 2.8 Ga and _Nd(t) from 0.49 to 3.34, and are derived from partial melting of a juvenile source at <37 km.The geochemistry of these two contrasting series of Neoarchean granitoids provides further evidence that the Wutai Complex originated and evolved separately from the Fuping Complex. The Wutai Complex most likely formed as an oceanic island arc with volcanism and synvolcanic granitoid intrusions at 2555–2525 Ma. The Wutai Complex was subsequently accreted onto the Eastern Archean Continental Block, and was probably responsible for crustal thickening and TTG magmatism at 2523–2486 Ma in the Fuping Complex (as part of the Taihangshan–Hengshan block), at the western margin of the Eastern Archean Continental Block.     

The geochemistry of Archaean shales derived from a Mafic volcanic sequence, Belingwe greenstone belt, Zimbabwe: provenance, source area unroofing and submarine versus subaerial weathering

Shales of the ∼2.7 Ga Zeederbergs Formation, Belingwe greenstone belt, Zimbabwe, form thin (0.2-2 m) horizons intercalated with submarine lava plain basalts. Shales of the overlying Cheshire Formation, a foreland basin sedimentary sequence, form 1-100 m thick units intercalated with shallow-water carbonates and deep-water, resedimented basalt pebble conglomerates. Zeederbergs shale is characterized by high contents of MgO and transition metals and low concentrations of K₂O and LILE as compared to average Phanerozoic shale, indicative of an ultramafic to mafic source terrain. Cheshire shales have similar major and trace element contents, but MgO and transition metals are less enriched and the LILE are less depleted. Zeederbergs shales have smoothly fractionated REE patterns (La_N/Yb_N = 2.84-4.45) and no significant Eu anomaly (Eu/Eu* = 0.93-0.96). REE patterns are identical to those of the surrounding basaltic rocks, indicating local derivation from submarine reworking. Cheshire shales have rather flat REE patterns (La_N/Yb_N = 0.69-2.19) and a small, negative Eu anomaly (average Eu/Eu* = 0.85), indicative of a mafic provenance with minor contributions of felsic detritus. A systematic change in REE patterns and concentrations of transition metals and HFSE upwards in the sedimentary succession indicates erosion of progressively more LREE-depleted basalts and ultramafic volcanic rocks, followed by unroofing of granitoid crust. Weathering indices confirm the submarine nature of Zeederbergs shale, whereas Cheshire shale was derived from a source terrain subjected to intense chemical weathering.     

Paleomagnetism and magnetostratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous and Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary intervals,southern Kulunda basin (West Siberia)

The study presents new paleomagnetic data on the Upper Cretaceous and Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary intervals of the southern Kulunda basin (Alei area), which were obtained from core samples collected from a 305-m-thick section penetrated in two wells. The paleomagnetic sections of each well were compiled and correlated based on the characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM). Paleomagnetic, geological, stratigraphic, and paleontological data were used to compile the Upper Cretaceous and Cretaceous-Paleogene magnetostratigraphic section of the southern Kulunda basin. The magnetostratigraphic section consists of five magnetozones, one normal polarity zone, and four reversed polarity zones spanning the Upper Cretaceous and Lower Paleogene. The lower part of the Gan’kino Horizon, showing normal polarity, forms a single normal polarity magnetozone N. The upper part of the Gan’kino Horizon comprises two reversed polarity magnetozones (R₁km and R₂mt). The Talitsa and Lyulinvor Formations of Lower Paleogene age correspond to two reversed polarity magnetozones (R₁zl and R₂i). The compiled Upper Cretaceous and Lower Paleogene magnetostratigraphic section was correlated with the geomagnetic polarity time scale. Two options were considered for correlating the lower normal polarity part of the section with geomagnetic polarity time scale of Gradstein.     

昌宁-孟连缝合带干龙塘-弄巴蛇绿岩地球化学及Sr-Nd-Pb同位素组成研究

本文对三江古特提斯昌宁-孟连带中段弄巴-干龙塘蛇绿混杂岩进行了详细的主量、微量元素及Sr-Nd-Pb同位素地球化学研究。结果表明,弄巴玄武岩包括拉斑系列和碱性系列,弄巴拉斑玄武岩具有高TiO2和低K2O的特征,(La/Yb)N介于1.87～2.38之间,岩石的Sr-Nd-Pb同位素组成和典型MORB十分相似,结合岩石较高的Th/Yb和低的Zr/Nb值,可以认为弄巴拉斑玄武岩具有富集型洋脊玄武岩(E-MORB)的特征,可能起源于富集的地幔源区或是亏损地幔源区和地幔柱发生交代作用的结果。弄巴碱性玄武岩具有较高的TiO2(2.38%)和K2O(2.37%)含量,(La/Yb)N=11.19,富集轻稀土,表现出典型的碱性OIB的特征,可能是大洋板内热点浅部熔融的产物。干龙塘拉斑玄武岩具有高TiO2、Mg#,低K2O和亏损轻稀土等特征,表现出N-MORB的地球化学特征,岩石的Sr-Nd-Pb与MORB相似,表明岩石起源于亏损的地幔源区。     

Nature and Development of Basalt Magma Sources Beneath Iceland and the Reykjanes Ridge

Twelve new Sr-isotope analyses and seventeen new rare earthelement distribution patterns are reported for basalts fromIceland and the Reykjanes Ridge, together with Rb, Sr, Na₂O,K₂O, TiO₂, and P₂O₅ contents. The samples were chosen to representthe widest range of basalt types known from the Iceland-ReykjanesRidge system. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios range from 0.70291 ?4 to 0.70325?5 for tholeiitesand up to 0.70341 ?7 for alkali basalt. Rare earth elementsalso show a wide range of both total abundance and degree oflight-REE fractionation (chondrite-normalised Ce/Yb ratios of0.30 to 3.36 for tholeiites and up to 7.07 for alkali basalt).As found in previous studies of either Sr-isotope compositionor REE distribution, the ocean floor basalts from the southernportion of the Reykjanes Ridge have lower ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and Ce_N/Yb_Nratios than most of the Icelandic basalts. However, some highlyMg-rich tholeiites from Theistareykir in northern Iceland andKj?lur in central Iceland also have among the lowest valuesfor these parameters and are indistinguishable in this respectfrom the ridge basalts. There is a very strong positive, linear,correlation between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and Ce_N/Yb_N for all the tholeiitesincluding some up to 16 m.y. old, but this relationship doesnot hold for the alkali basalts which have proportionately farhigher Ce_N/Yb_N ratios. There is also a positive, linear, correlationbetween ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and Sr content, but not between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Srand 1/Sr. These relationships are found to be incompatible with disequilibriummelting of a single mantle source region, whether by variabledegrees of partial melting with different mineral stabilityconditions, or by removal of successive incremental melts. Itis certain that the data reflect relatively gross chemical heterogeneityin the upper mantle beneath Iceland, but the correlation withSr content apparently rules out simple binary mixing models(mantle-plume hypothesis). It is proposed that the heterogeneities result from establishmentof a lithophile element gradient during a single chemical fractionationevent in the upper mantle at least 100–200 m.y. ago. Itis not possible at present to relate this geochemical gradientto known mantle structure.     

Petrology,geochemistry and tectonic setting of the Khoy ophiolite,northwest Iran: implications for Tethyan tectonics

The Khoy ophiolite in northwestern Iran represents a remnant of oceanic lithosphere formed in the Mesozoic Neo-Tethys. This northwest–southeast trending ophiolite complex consists from bottom to top (east to west) of a well-defined basal metamorphic zone, peridotites (dunite, harzburgite) and serpentinized peridotite, gabbros, sheeted dikes, pillow and massive lava flows, and pelagic sedimentary rocks, including radiolarian chert. The rocks of the metamorphic zone have an inverse thermal gradient from amphibolite facies to greenschist facies. The high-grade metamorphic rocks are immediately adjacent to the peridotite and the gabbros and the low-grade rocks are in contact with the Precambrian Kahar Formation. Based on mantle-normalized incompatible trace element diagrams there are two distinct types of basalt flows present at the Khoy ophiolite: (1) massive basalts that have patterns virtually identical to E-MORB, and (2) pillow basalts that have more primitive chemical composition whose trace element patterns plot between E-MORB and N-MORB. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns for the pillow basalts are LREE-depleted [(La_N/Sm_N)_ave=0.70], similar to patterns for the mean diabase composition for the Oman ophiolite and LREE-depleted basalts of the Band-e-Zeyarat ophiolite of southern Iran. The REE patterns for the massive basalts are similar in general REE abundances to the pillow basalt patterns, but they are slightly LREE-enriched [(La_N/Sm_N)_ave=1.09] and their patterns cross those of the pillow basalts. The REE patterns for the gabbros and diorites indicates that the crustal-suite rocks were most likely derived by a process of fractional crystallization from a common basaltic melt. This basaltic melt was most likely generated by approx. 20–25% partial melting of a simple lherzolite source and had REE concentrations of roughly 10× chondrite. A comparison between the results from the Khoy ophiolite and the data from other Iranian ophiolites reveals geochemical evidence to suggest a tectonic link between the Khoy ophiolite and the rest of the Iranian ophiolites. Our results suggest that Khoy ophiolite is equivalent to the inner group of Iranian ophiolites (e.g. Nain, Shahr-Babak, Sabzevar, Tchehel Kureh and Band-e-Zeyarat) and was formed as a result of closure of the northwestern branch of a narrow Mesozoic seaway which once surrounded the Central Iranian microcontinent.     

Low-O18 basalts from Iceland

The volcanic rocks of Iceland are anomalous in their oxygen isotope content. Recent tholeiitic and transitional alkali basalts from Iceland range in (δO¹⁸ from 1·8 to 5δ7%. Most of the tholeiitic basalts and their phenocrysts are at least 1% lower in δO¹⁸ than unaltered basalts from other oceanic islands or oceanic ridges. The Icelandic basalts that resemble ridge basalts in δO¹⁸ also resemble them in major element chemistry. δO¹⁸ values of alkali olivine basalts are closest to those of other oceanic islands. Secondary alteration processes have lowered as well as raised the δO¹⁸ values of some Icelandic rocks, but such surface mechanisms cannot account for the distribution of oxygen isotopes in the Recent basalts of Iceland. Three mechanisms that could give rise to the low-O¹⁸ magmas are (1) exchange of oxygen between magma and low-O¹⁸ hydrothermally altered rock, (2) exchange with low-O¹⁸ meteoric water, or (3) an exceptional mantle under Iceland. None of the above models can satisfactorily account for all the observations.     

Paleomagnetism of the Jurassic Transantarctic Mountains revisited — Evidence for large dispersion of apparent polar wander within less than 3 Myr

The Transantarctic mountains predominantly consist of Jurassic continental flood basalts (Kirkpatrick) and sills (Ferrar) emplaced during the earliest phase of the break-up of Pangea. Published ages, based on a variety of geochronological methods all agree rather well and cluster around 180 Ma suggesting emplacement during a rather short time interval of not more than 3 Myr. Paleomagnetic studies, mostly carried out between the 60s and 90s of the last century, however, yield two well defined but significantly different groups of paleomagnetic pole positions plotting either in intermediate latitudes (A) or at latitudes exceeding 60°S (B). Pole positions belonging to group A are generally interpreted to be of primary origin whereas the significance of group B poles remains unclear. Here we report new data from the Kirkpatrick basalts of Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, where 157 oriented paleomagnetic samples were taken, covering about 800 m of stratigraphy and 23 volcanic flows in Gair Mesa (73.4666°S; 162.8666°E). After removal of a steep magnetic overprint with rather low coercivities straight linear segments of exclusively normal polarity trending toward the origin of projection are identified in 151 samples from 22 sites. Maximum unblocking temperatures do not exceed 580 °C and maximum coercivities not 60 mT. The resulting mean virtual geomagnetic pole (VGP) for the Gair Mesa plots at 66.4°S; 227.7°E (α₉₅ of 6.2°, k = 25.7) comparable to group B poles. Reflecting light microscopy reveals that the magnetic inventory of all samples analyzed is dominated by magnetite showing shrinking cracks and broad ilmenite lamellae, the latter being diagnostic for high temperature oxidation. Analysis of the distribution of the 22 pole positions obtained here shows that secular variation has successfully been averaged (S_b = 15.9°) suggesting that the rocks studied here have recorded the time averaged geomagnetic field during early mid Jurassic times. Based on these new results we postulate that both clusters A and B of pole positions reflect primary magnetizations and that the Kirkpatrick basalts of Gair Mesa have been emplaced in a rather short normal polarity time interval of 3 Myr. If our reasoning is correct, the apparent polar wander path for the latest early Jurassic might be more complex than previously thought. Whether this complexity is evidence for massif True Polar Wander remains speculative.     

Geology and tectonics of the Boa Vista Basin (Paraíba, northeastern Brazil) and geochemistry of associated Cenozoic tholeiitic magmatism

The Boa Vista Basin (BVB) is located approximately 60 km southwest of Campina Grande, Paraíba, northeastern Brazil. It has a half-graben geometry controlled by dip-slip normal faults striking NE–SW. From the base to the top, the BVB is composed of (1) a lower volcanic unit of altered basalts and basaltic andesites overlying Precambrian basement rocks, (2) an intermediate unit of bentonitic shales that pass upward to medium- to coarse-grained sandstones and conglomerates and downward to sandstones and siltstones, and (3) an upper volcanic unit of massive to vesiculated basaltic flows grading to pillowed or autobrecciated basalts. These basalts show porphyritic (olivine and augite microphenocrysts), glomeroporphyritic, intersetal, pilotaxitic, and variolitic textures. They are medium-K, Fe-rich tholeiites with SiO₂ of 50.2–53.3 wt%, magnesium number of 50.54–60.21 wt%, total alkali of 2.15–3.92 wt%, and TiO₂ of 1.8–1.9 wt% and are related by low-pressure fractionation of olivine, plagioclase, magnetite, ilmenite, and apatite. They are LREE-enriched (La_N/Yb_N=8.54–44.14) with no significant europium anomaly. Trace element modeling suggests a garnet-bearing metasomatised lherzolite as their source. The geological context and geochemistry of the basalts suggest a close connection between reactivated deep-rooted Precambrian shear zones, which channeled mantle-derived Tertiary tholeiitic magmas, and continental rifting in northeastern Brazil.     

Enriched and depleted arc basalts, with Mg-andesites and adakites: A potential paired arc-back-arc of the 2.6 Ga Hutti greenstone terrane, India

The ∼2.6 Ga Hutti greenstone belt is one of several Neoarchean greenstone terranes of the eastern Dharwar Craton. There are prevalent mafic volcanic flows with subordinate felsic volcanic units and siliciclastic sedimentary rocks. All lithologies show variable intensities of submarine hydrothermal alteration, polyphase deformation and greenschist to amphibolite grade metamorphism, yet pillow, cumulus, and other primary volcanic features are locally preserved. Well exposed interlayered metabasalts, Mg-andesites (MA), and felsic flows outcrop along an 11 km sector in the SE of the terrane. Based on combined petrographic and geochemical characteristics, two tholeiitic basalt populations have been identified within the metabasalts: (1) those with enriched LREE at 20-50 times chondrite, and (2) an depleted LREE population at 12-20 times chondrite. The former has fractionated LREE, where (La/Sm)_N = 1.2-1.7, but flat HREE, and negative anomalies at Nb, P, and Ti relative to neighbouring REE. The latter has lower absolute abundances of compatible and incompatible elements, mildly fractionated LREE, smaller anomalies at Nb, P, and Ti, with (Gd/Yb)_N = 1.1-1.6. Several samples have the “N-MORB” signature of LREE depletion coupled with positive Nb anomalies. On the Th/Yb vs. Nb/Yb discrimination diagram depleted basalts plot near the MORB field whereas enriched basalts overlap the backarc and arc fields, consistent with a paired arc-back-arc. Mg-andesites feature SiO₂ 57-61 wt.%, multielement pattens similar to enriched basalts, coupled with Cr, Co, Ni contents greater than “normal” andesites. Felsic volcanic rocks are characterized by low Y, high (La/Yb)_N, and Zr/Sm, but low Nb/Ta, with zero to positive Eu anomalies, thus conforming to most of the compositional criteria of Archean and Phanerozoic adakites. Similar associations of enriched and depleted arc basalts, with adakites, are known from Neoarchean greenstone terranes of the Superior Province. During intraoceanic subduction, slab dehydration-wedge melting generated arc basalts whereas slab melting-wedge hybridization, generated adakites and Mg-andesites.     

High-titania alkali-olivine basalts of north-central Oregon,U.S.A.

In north-central Oregon numerous small flows of alkali-olivine basalt occur in the Oligocene to early Miocene John Day Formation. Chemically, these basalts are characterized by relatively low SiO₂ and K₂O and very high TiO₂ and iron. Fifteen analysed specimens (44 to 48 percent SiO₂) have an average of 3.6 percent TiO₂ and 15 percent total iron. The average composition of the Oregon basalts compares closely with the average hawaiite of the Hawaiian Islands, differing only in having slightly higher iron and slightly lower SiO₂ and total alkalis. Closely associated flows of trachyandesite and quartz latite are chemically related to the basalts and probably formed by differentiation of an alkali-olivine basalt magma.Typical basalt specimens have 10 to 15 percent of modal olivine, interstitial alkali feldspar, and abundant clay minerals and chlorophaeite. Textures are subophitic or intersertal and phenocrysts are rare. Plagioclase laths are slightly zoned and range in composition from An₆₈ to An₄₄. Purplish-brown titaniferous augite is the only pyroxene, and ilmenite is the dominant opaque mineral.Distinct differences in composition and age, and the lack of transitional varieties indicate that these basalts are unrelated to the younger Columbia River basalts. They presumably represent a separate parent magma of alkalic affinity that was generated independently within the mantle.     

Petrology of basalts from the Mohns-Knipovich Ridge; the Norwegian-Greenland Sea

Major element compositions of submarine basalts, quenched glasses, and contained phenocrysts are reported for samples from 25 dredge stations along the Mohns-Knipovich Ridge between the Jan Mayen fracture zone and 77°30N. Most of the basalts collected on the Jan Mayen platform have a subaerial appearance, are nepheline normative, rich in incompatible elements, and have REE-patterns strongly enriched in light-REE. The other basalts (with one exception) are tholeiitic pillow basalts, many of which have fresh quenched glass rims. From the Jan Mayen platform northeastwards the phenocryst assemblage changes from olivine±plagioclase±clinopyroxene±magnetite to olivine +plagioclase±chrome-spinel. This change is accompanied by a progressive decrease in the content of incompatible elements, light-REE enrichments and elevation of the ridge that are similar to those observed south of the Azores and Iceland hotspots. Pillow basalts and glasses collected along the esternmost part of the Mohns Ridge (450 to 675 km east of Jan Mayen) have low K₂O, TiO₂, and P₂O₅ contents, light-REE depleted patterns relative to chondrites, and Mg/(Mg+Fe²⁺) ratios between 0.64 and 0.60. Pillow basalts and glasses from the Knipovich Ridge have similar (Mg/Mg+Fe²⁺) ratios, but along the entire ridge have slightly higher concentrations of incompatible elements and chondritic to slightly light-REE enriched patterns. The incompatible element enrichment increases slightly northward. Plagioclase phenocrysts show normal and reverse zoning on all parts of the ridge whereas olivines are unzoned or show only weak normal zoning. Olivine-liquid equilibrium temperatures are calculated to be in the range of 1,060–1,206° C with a mean around 1,180° C.Rocks and glasses collected on the Jan Mayen Platform are compositionally similar to Jan Mayen volcanic products, suggesting that off-ridge alkali volcanism on the Jan Mayen Platform is more widespread than so far suspected. There is also evidence to suggest that the alkali basalts from the Jan Mayen Platform are derived from deeper levels and by smaller degrees of partial melting of a mantle significantly more enriched in light-REE and other incompatible elements than are the tholeiitic basalts from the Eastern Mohns and Knipovich Ridge. The possibility of the presence of another hitherto unsuspected enriched mantle region north of 77° 30 N is also briefly considered.It remains uncertain whether geochemical gradients revealed in this study reflect: (1) the dynamics of mixing during mantle advection and magma emplacement into the crust along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) spreading axis, (e.g. such as in the mantle plume — large-ion-lithophile element depleted asthenosphere mixing model previously proposed); or (2) a horizontal gradation of the mantle beneath the MAR axis similar to that observed in the overlying crust; or (3) a vertical gradation of the mantle in incompatible elements with their contents increasing with depth and derivations of melts from progressively greater depth towards the Jan Mayen Platform.     

新疆喀喇昆仑阿然保泰二叠纪OIB型玄武岩地球化学特征及其地质意义

位于喀喇昆仑山喀喇昆仑断裂(塔什库尔干断裂)西侧的阿然保泰一带发育一套中二叠统灰岩-凝灰岩-枕状玄武岩地层。枕状玄武岩分布在北西向长约12km,宽约4.5km范围内。该套玄武岩枕状构造十分典型,岩石具气孔、杏仁状构造。玄武岩SiO2含量为44.14%～48.81%、TiO2为1.11%～1.83%,在Si2O-(Na2O+K2O)图中落入苦橄玄武岩、玄武岩和碱玄岩交界区,属于碱性岩石。稀土元素含量较高(54.40×10-6～139.9×10-6),Eu、Ce无异常,(La/Yb)N比值为2.87～6.29,配分模式为右倾型。大离子亲石元素富集(K、Rb、Ba等),但含量变化较大,高场强元素(Nb、Ta、Zr、Hf和P)相对亏损,Ti出现弱的负异常。玄武岩的地球化学特征显示阿然保泰玄武岩具洋岛玄武岩特征,源区为尖晶石二辉橄榄岩,其形成构造环境为板内拉张环境。阿然保泰OIB型玄武岩的发现证实了喀喇昆仑阿然保泰地区属于古特提斯主洋盆一部分。     

Paleomagnetic and geochronological constraints on the post-collisional northward convergence of the southwest Tian Shan, NW China

A combined paleomagnetic and geochronological study is reported of Paleogene basalt lavas and an intercalated red bed succession, comprising a minimum of 14 basalt flows and 10 red bed horizons in the Tuoyun Basin of the southwest Tian Shan Range, China. Two basalt matrix samples yield ⁴⁰Ar / ³⁹Ar isochron ages of 58.5 ± 1.3 Ma (2σ, MSWD = 0.9) and 60.4 ± 1.3 Ma (2σ, MSWD = 1.7). These compare well with a previously published K–Ar dilution age of 61.7 ± 2.3 Ma for comparable Paleogene basalts and confirm that the younger pulse of magmatism in this basin is represented by both intrusive and extrusive activity. Demagnetization and component analysis identify a stable characteristic remanence (ChRM) with predominantly reversed polarity following removal of secondary remanence by peak demagnetization steps below 250–350 °C or 5 mT. Rock magnetic analysis identifies pseudo-single domain magnetite or titanomagnetite as carriers. The stable ChRM passes a fold test; it was probably acquired at the time of lava emplacement. Results from the bulk of the collection imply that paleomagnetic data from the upper and lower ( 115 Ma) basalt series in the Tuoyun Basin are not distinguishable at the 95% significance level and indicate that this tectonic domain remained essentially stationary with respect to the Earth's spin axis for 50 Ma prior to onset of the India/Asia collision in early Eocene times. It is therefore probable that no paleomagnetically detectable crustal shortening occurred in the southwest Tian Shan prior to collision. Paleomagnetic data sets from the Tuoyun Basin also show that little or no paleolatitude difference is present between the Tian Shan and the reference latitude of Eurasia at 60 Ma. This supports previous evidence suggesting that central Asian blocks in the vicinity of the Tian Shan are unlikely to have experienced appreciable northward convergence relative to Eurasia since onset of the India/Asia collision and initiation of the Himalaya.     

Formation of the Japan Sea basin: Reassessment from Ar–Ar ages and Nd–Sr isotopic data of basement basalts of the Japan Sea and adjacent regions

Many studies have examined the Japan Sea basalts recovered during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg127/128. Of these, the ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar dating undertaken is important in constraining the timing of the formation of the Japan Sea; however, the implications of their results do not appear to be fully appreciated by the geological community. In this paper, I reassess the ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar age data of the basalts with reference to Nd–Sr isotopic data. The ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar dating was performed on basalts somewhat enriched in large-ion lithophile elements and recovered from ODP Sites 794, 795 and the lower part of 797, yielding the plateau ages of 21.2–17.7 Ma. These basalts show the Nd–Sr isotopic signature of a moderately depleted mantle source (ε_Nd: 0.6–6.9). In contrast, the basalts from the upper part of Site 797 have yet to be dated due to their low K content, although their Nd isotopic compositions are similar to that of MORB (ε_Nd: 8.4–10.4). By analogy to the secular Nd–Sr isotopic trends reported for Sikhote-Alin and northeast Japan, the age of the upper basalts at Site 797 may be inferred to be younger than the lower basalts, probably around 16 Ma. The Nd–Sr isotopic compositions of the Japan Sea basalts have been interpreted in terms of eastward asthenospheric flow, as have the lavas of the Sikhote-Alin and northeastern Japan. The timing of volcanic activity in the Japan Sea region (i.e., from 21.2 to 14.86 Ma) is consistent with the timing of rotational crustal movements inferred from paleomagnetic studies of the Japanese Islands (i.e., 14.8–4.2 Ma for southwest Japan and 16.5–14.4 Ma for northeast Japan).