Petrogenesis of the Largest Intraplate Volcanic Field on the Arabian Plate (Jordan): a Mixed Lithosphere-Asthenosphere Source Activated by Lithospheric Extension

Miocene to Recent volcanism in northwestern Arabia producedthe largest intraplate volcanic field on the Arabian plate (HarratAsh Shaam, Jordan). The chemically and isotopically diversevolcanic field comprises mafic alkali basalts and basanites.The magmas underwent limited fractional crystallization of ol± cpx ± plag and rare samples have assimilatedup to 20% of Late Proterozoic crust en route to the surface.However, there are subtle Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic variations(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0·70305–0·70377, ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd= 0·51297–0·51285, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 18·8–19·2),which exhibit marked correlations with major elements, incompatibletrace element ratios and abundances in relatively primitivebasalts (MgO >8·5 wt %), and cannot be explained byfractional crystallization and crustal contamination alone.Instead, the data require polybaric melting of heterogeneoussources. Semi-quantitative melt modelling suggests that thisheterogeneity is the result of small degree melts (2–5%)from spinel- and garnet-facies mantle, inferred to be shallowArabian lithosphere, that mixed with smaller degree melts (<1%)from a predominantly deep garnet-bearing asthenospheric(?) sourcewith ocean island basalt characteristics. The latter may bea ubiquitous part of the asthenosphere but is preferentiallytapped at small degrees of partial melting. Volcanism in Jordanappears to be the result of melting lithospheric mantle in responseto lithospheric extension. With time, thinning of the lithosphereallowed progressively deeper mantle (asthenosphere?) to be activatedand melts from this to mix with the shallower lithospheric mantlemelts. Although Jordanian intraplate volcanism is isotopicallysimilar to examples of Late Cenozoic volcanism throughout theArabian peninsula (Israel, Saudi Arabia), subtle chemical andisotopic differences between Yemen and Jordan intraplate volcanismsuggest that the Afar plume has not been channelled northwestwardsbeneath the Arabian plate and played no role in producing thenorthern Saudi Arabian and Jordan intraplate volcanic fields. KEY WORDS: asthenosphere; intraplate volcanism; Jordan; lithospheric mantle; Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes     

Sr-Nd-Pb Isotopic Compositions of Peridotite Xenoliths from Spitsbergen: Numerical Modelling Indicates Sr-Nd Decoupling in the Mantle by Melt Percolation Metasomatism

Several spinel peridotite xenoliths from Spitsbergen have Sr–Ndisotopic compositions that plot to the right of the ‘mantlearray’ defined by oceanic basalts and the DM end-member(depleted mantle, with low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and high ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd).These xenoliths also show strong fractionation of elements withsimilar compatibility (e.g. high La/Ce), which cannot be producedby simple mixing of light rare earth element-depleted peridotiteswith ocean island basalt-type or other enriched mantle melts.Numerical simulations of porous melt flow in spinel peridotitesapplied to Sr–Nd isotope compositions indicate that thesefeatures of the Spitsbergen peridotites can be explained bychemical fractionation during metasomatism in the mantle. ‘Chromatographic’effects of melt percolation create a transient zone where thehost depleted peridotites have experienced enrichment in Sr(with a radiogenic isotope composition) but not in Nd, thusproducing Sr–Nd decoupling mainly controlled by partitioncoefficients and abundances of Sr and Nd in the melt and theperidotite. Therefore, Sr–Nd isotope decoupling, earlierreported for some other mantle peridotites worldwide, may bea signature of metasomatic processes rather than a source-relatedcharacteristic, contrary to models that invoke mixing with hypotheticalSr-rich fluids derived from subducted oceanic lithosphere. Pbisotope compositions of the Spitsbergen xenoliths do not appearto be consistently affected by the metasomatism. KEY WORDS: Spitsbergen; lithospheric mantle; metasomatism; radiogenic isotopes; theoretical modelling     

Bulk-rock Major and Trace Element Compositions of Abyssal Peridotites: Implications for Mantle Melting, Melt Extraction and Post-melting Processes Beneath Mid-Ocean Ridges

This paper presents the first comprehensive major and traceelement data for 130 abyssal peridotite samples from the Pacificand Indian ocean ridge–transform systems. The data revealimportant features about the petrogenesis of these rocks, mantlemelting and melt extraction processes beneath ocean ridges,and elemental behaviours. Although abyssal peridotites are serpentinized,and have also experienced seafloor weathering, magmatic signaturesremain well preserved in the bulk-rock compositions. The betterinverse correlation of MgO with progressively heavier rare earthelements (REE) reflects varying amounts of melt depletion. Thismelt depletion may result from recent sub-ridge mantle melting,but could also be inherited from previous melt extraction eventsfrom the fertile mantle source. Light REE (LREE) in bulk-rocksamples are more enriched, not more depleted, than in the constituentclinopyroxenes (cpx) of the same sample suites. If the cpx LREErecord sub-ridge mantle melting processes, then the bulk-rockLREE must reflect post-melting refertilization. The significantcorrelations of LREE (e.g. La, Ce, Pr, Nd) with immobile highfield strength elements (HFSE, e.g. Nb and Zr) suggest thatenrichments of both LREE and HFSE resulted from a common magmaticprocess. The refertilization takes place in the ‘cold’thermal boundary layer (TBL) beneath ridges through which theascending melts migrate and interact with the advanced residues.The refertilization apparently did not affect the cpx relicsanalyzed for trace elements. This observation suggests grain-boundaryporous melt migration in the TBL. The ascending melts may notbe thermally ‘reactive’, and thus may have affectedonly cpx rims, which, together with precipitated olivine, entrappedmelt, and the rest of the rock, were subsequently serpentinized.Very large variations in bulk-rock Zr/Hf and Nb/Ta ratios areobserved, which are unexpected. The correlation between thetwo ratios is consistent with observations on basalts that D_Zr/D_Hf< 1 and D_Nb/D_Ta < 1. Given the identical charges (5⁺ forNb and Ta; 4⁺ for Zr and Hf) and essentially the same ionicradii (R_Nb/R_Ta = 1·000 and R_Zr/R_Hf = 1·006–1·026),yet a factor of 2 mass differences (M_Zr/M_Hf = 0·511 andM_Nb/M_Ta = 0·513), it is hypothesized that mass-dependentD values, or diffusion or mass-transfer rates may be importantin causing elemental fractionations during porous melt migrationin the TBL. It is also possible that some ‘exotic’phases with highly fractionated Zr/Hf and Nb/Ta ratios may existin these rocks, thus having ‘nugget’ effects onthe bulk-rock analyses. All these hypotheses need testing byconstraining the storage and distribution of all the incompatibletrace elements in mantle peridotite. As serpentine containsup to 13 wt % H₂O, and is stable up to 7 GPa before it is transformedto dense hydrous magnesium silicate phases that are stable atpressures of 5–50 GPa, it is possible that the serpentinizedperidotites may survive, at least partly, subduction-zone dehydration,and transport large amounts of H₂O (also Ba, Rb, Cs, K, U, Sr,Pb, etc. with elevated U/Pb ratios) into the deep mantle. Thelatter may contribute to the HIMU component in the source regionsof some oceanic basalts. KEY WORDS: abyssal peridotites; serpentinization; seafloor weathering; bulk-rock major and trace element compositions; mantle melting; melt extraction; melt–residue interaction; porous flows; Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf fractionations; HIMU mantle sources     

Primitive Magma From the Jericho Pipe, N.W.T., Canada: Constraints on Primary Kimberlite Melt Chemistry

We report the first estimates of primary kimberlite melt compositionfrom the Slave craton, based on samples of aphanitic kimberlitefrom the Jericho kimberlite pipe, N.W.T., Canada. Three samplesderive from the margins of dykes where kimberlite chilled againstwall rock (JD51, JD69 and JD82) and are shown to be texturallyconsistent with crystallization from a melt. Samples JD69 andJD82 have geochemical characteristics of primitive melts: theyhave high MgO (20–25 wt %), high mg-numbers (86–88),and high Cr (1300–1900 ppm) and Ni (800–1400 ppm)contents. They also have high contents of CO₂ (10–17 wt%). Relative to bulk macrocrystal kimberlite, they have lowermg-numbers and lower MgO but are enriched in incompatible elements(e.g. Zr, Nb and Y), because the bulk kimberlite compositionsare strongly controlled by accumulation of mantle olivine andother macrocrysts. The compositions of aphanitic kimberlitefrom Jericho are similar to melts produced experimentally bypartial melting of a carbonate-bearing garnet lherzolite. Onthe basis of these experimental data, we show that the primarymagmas from the Jericho kimberlite could represent 0·7–0·9%melting of a carbonated lherzolitic mantle source at pressuresand temperatures found in the uppermost asthenosphere to theSlave craton. The measured CO₂ contents for samples JD69 andJD82 are only slightly lower than the CO₂ contents of the correspondingexperimental melts; this suggests that the earliest hypabyssalphase of the Jericho kimberlite retained most of its originalvolatile content. As such these samples provide a minimum CO₂content for the primary kimberlite magmas from the Slave craton. KEY WORDS: kimberlite; melt; primitive; primary magma; Slave craton     

Assimilation and Fractional Crystallization Controlled by Transport Process of Crustal Melt: Implications from an Alkali Basalt-Dacite Suite from Rishiri Volcano, Japan

Mechanisms of fractional crystallization with simultaneous crustalassimilation (AFC) are examined for the Kutsugata and Tanetomilavas, an alkali basalt–dacite suite erupted sequentiallyfrom Rishiri Volcano, northern Japan. The major element variationswithin the suite can be explained by boundary layer fractionation;that is, mixing of a magma in the main part of the magma bodywith a fractionated interstitial melt transported from the mushyboundary layer at the floor. Systematic variations in SiO₂ correlatewith variations in the Pb, Sr and Nd isotopic compositions ofthe lavas. The geochemical variations of the lavas are explainedby a constant and relatively low ratio of assimilated mass tocrystallized mass (‘r value’). In the magma chamberin which the Kutsugata and Tanetomi magmas evolved, a strongthermal gradient was present and it is suggested that the marginalpart of the reservoir was completely solidified. The assimilantwas transported by crack flow from the partially fused floorcrust to the partially crystallized floor mush zone throughfractures in the solidified margin, formed mainly by thermalstresses resulting from cooling of the solidified margin andheating of the crust. The crustal melt was then mixed with thefractionated interstitial melt in the mushy zone, and the mixedmelt was further transported by compositional convection tothe main magma, causing its geochemical evolution to be characteristicof AFC. The volume flux of the assimilant from the crust tothe magma chamber is suggested to have decreased progressivelywith time (proportional to t^–1/2), and was about 3 x 10^–2m/year at t = 10 years and 1 x 10^–2 m/year at t = 100years. It has been commonly considered that the heat balancebetween magmas and the surrounding crust controls the couplingof assimilation and fractional crystallization processes (i.e.absolute value of r). However, it is inferred from this studythat the ratio of assimilated mass to crystallized mass canbe controlled by the transport process of the assimilant fromthe crust to magma chambers. KEY WORDS: assimilation and fractional crystallization; mass balance model; magma chamber; melt transport; Pb isotope     

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     

Formation of Diatexite Migmatite and Granite Magma during Anatexis of Semi-pelitic Metasedimentary Rocks: an Example from St. Malo, France

Petrological and geochemical variations are used to investigatethe formation of granite magma from diatexite migmatites derivedfrom metasedimentary rocks of pelitic to greywacke compositionat St. Malo, France. Anatexis occurred at relatively low temperaturesand pressures (<800°C, 4–7 kbar), principally throughmuscovite dehydration melting. Biotite remained stable and servesas a tracer for the solid fraction during melt segregation.The degree of partial melting, calculated from modal mineralogyand reaction stoichiometry, was <40 vol. %. There is a continuousvariation in texture, mineralogy and chemical composition inthe diatexite migmatites. Mesocratic diatexite formed when metasedimentaryrocks melted sufficiently to undergo bulk flow or magma flow,but did not experience significant melt–residuum separation.Mesocratic diatexite that underwent melt segregation duringflow generated (1) melanocratic diatexites at the places wherethe melt fraction was removed, leaving behind a biotite andplagioclase residuum (enriched in TiO₂, FeO_T, MgO, CaO, Sc,Ni, Cr, V, Zr, Hf, Th, U and REE), and (2) a complementary leucocraticdiatexite (enriched in SiO₂, K₂O and Rb) where the melt fractionaccumulated. Leucocratic diatexite still contained 5–15vol. % residual biotite (mg-number 40–44) and 10–20vol. % residual plagioclase (An₂₂). Anatectic granite magmadeveloped from the leucodiatexite, first by further melt–residuumseparation, then through fractional crystallization. Most biotitein the anatectic granite is magmatic (mg-number 18–22). KEY WORDS: anatexis; diatexite; granite magma; melt segregation; migmatite     

Mantle-melt Evolution (Dynamic Source) in the Origin of a Single MORB Suite: a Perspective from Magnesian Glasses of Macquarie Island

The effects of source composition and source evolution duringprogressive partial melting on the chemistry of mantle-derivedmid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) melts were tested using a comprehensivegeochemical and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic dataset for fresh,magnesian basaltic glasses from the Miocene Macquarie Islandophiolite, SW Pacific. These glasses: (1) exhibit clear parent–daughterrelationships; (2) allow simple reconstruction of primary meltcompositions; (3) show exceptional compositional diversity (e.g.K₂O/TiO₂ 0·09–0·9; La/Yb 1·5–22;²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb 18·70–19·52); (4) preserve changesin major element and isotope compositions, which are correlatedwith the degree of trace element enrichment (e.g. La/Sm). Conventionalmodels for MORB genesis invoke melting of mantle that is heterogeneouson a small scale, followed by binary mixing of variably lithophileelement-enriched melt batches. This type of model fails to explainthe compositions of the Macquarie Island glasses, principallybecause incompatible element ratios (e.g. Nb/U, Sr/Nd) and Pbisotope ratios vary non-systematically with the degree of enrichment.We propose that individual melt batches are produced from instantaneous‘parental’ mantle parageneses, which change continuouslyas melting and melt extraction proceeds. This concept of a ‘dynamicsource’ combines the models of small-scale mantle heterogeneitiesand fractional melting. A dynamic source is an assemblage oflocally equilibrated mantle solids and a related melt fraction.Common MORB magmas that integrate the characteristics of numerousmelt batches therefore tend to conceal the chemical and isotopicidentity of a dynamic source. This study shows that isotoperatios of poorly mixed MORB melts are a complex function ofthe dynamic source evolution, and that the range in isotoperatios within a single MORB suite does not necessarily requiremixing of diverse components. KEY WORDS: mid-ocean ridge basalt; Macquarie Island; radiogenic isotopes; mantle; geochemistry     

Melting Behaviour of Model Lherzolite in the System CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-FeO at 0{middle dot}7-2{middle dot}8 GPa

Fe–Mg exchange is the most important solid solution involvedin partial melting of spinel lherzolite, and the system CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–FeO(CMASF) is ideally suited to explore this type of exchange duringmantle melting. Also, if primary mid-ocean ridge basalts arelargely generated in the spinel lherzolite stability field bynear-fractional fusion, then Na and other highly incompatibleelements will early on become depleted in the source, and themelting behaviour of mantle lherzolite should resemble the meltingbehaviour of simplified lherzolite in the CMASF system. We havedetermined the isobarically univariant melting relations ofthe lherzolite phase assemblage in the CMASF system in the 0·7–2·8GPa pressure range. Isobarically, for every 1 wt % increasein the FeO content of the melt in equilibrium with the lherzolitephase assemblage, the equilibrium temperature is lower by about3–5°C. Relative to the solidus of model lherzolitein the CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂ system, melt compositionsin the CMASF system are displaced slightly towards the alkalicside of the basalt tetrahedron. The transition on the solidusfrom spinel to plagioclase lherzolite has a positive Clapeyronslope with the spinel lherzolite assemblage on the high-temperatureside, and has an almost identical position in P–T spaceto the comparable transition in the CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–Na₂O(CMASN) system. When the compositions of all phases are describedmathematically and used to model the generation of primary basalts,temperature and melt composition changes are small as percentmelting increases. More specifically, 10% melting takes placeover 1·5–2°C, melt compositions are relativelyinsensitive to the degree of melting and bulk composition, andequilibrium and near-fractional melting yield similar melt compositions.FeO and MgO are the oxides that exhibit the greatest changein the melt with degree of melting and bulk composition. Theamount of FeO decreases with increasing degree of melting, whereasthe amount of MgO increases. The coefficients for Fe–Mgexchange between the coexisting crystalline phases and melt,K_dFe–Mg^xl–liq, show a relatively simple and predictablebehaviour with pressure and temperature: the coefficients forolivine and spinel do not show significant dependence on temperature,whereas the coefficients for orthopyroxene and clinopyroxeneincrease with pressure and temperature. When melting of lherzoliteis modeled in the CMASF system, a strong linear correlationis observed between the mg-number of the lherzolite and themg-number of the near-solidus melts. Comparison with meltingin the CMASN system indicates that Na₂O has a strong effecton lherzolite melting behaviour only at small degrees of melting. KEY WORDS: CMASF; lherzolite solidus; mantle melting     

Tertiary Mafic Lavas of Turkana, Kenya: Constraints on East African Plume Structure and the Occurrence of High-{micro} Volcanism in Africa

The East African Rift System is important to understanding plume-initiatedrifting as manifest in the geochemistry of mafic lavas eruptedalong the rift throughout its evolution. We present new datafrom high-MgO Tertiary lavas from Turkana, northern Kenya, toinvestigate regional melt source components, to identify thedepths and degrees of melting, and to characterize spatiallyand temporally the chemical structure of the underlying mantle.The Turkana area is a region of high lithospheric extensionthat sits between two topographic uplifts thought to be surfaceexpressions of one or more upwelling mantle plumes. Thinningof local crust is believed to be accompanied by widespread removalof the mantle lithosphere, causing the asthenosphere to be inclose contact with the overlying crust. New geochemical dataon basanites, picrites and basalts (MgO >7 wt %) tightlyconstrain the primary melt source regions of Tertiary volcanism.Initial isotopic signatures (¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd = 0·51267–0·51283,⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0·7031–0·7036) and trace elementabundances (Ce/Pb 30, La/Nb = 0·6–0·8 andBa/Nb = 3–10) in these lavas are consistent with derivationfrom sub-lithospheric sources. Basalts and picrites eruptedbetween 23 and 20 Ma have Sr–Nd–Pb–He isotopiccharacteristics indicative of high-µ influence, recordhigh depths and degrees of partial melting, and are associatedwith rift propagation to the north and south. Accordingly, theselavas sample a source region that is geochemically distinctfrom that reflected both in Oligocene Ethiopian flood basaltsand in the modern Afar region. The geochemical data supportnumerical and theoretical models as well as tomographic resultsproviding for a complex thermal structure in the mantle beneathEast Africa and are interpreted to reflect isotopically distinctplume heads beneath Tanzania and Afar that are derived fromthe chemically heterogeneous South African superplume. KEY WORDS: East African Rift System; mantle plumes; HIMU; geochemistry; Afar     

Peridotite Melting at 1 GPa: Reversal Experiments on Partial Melt Compositions Produced by Peridotite-Basalt Sandwich Experiments

One of the goals of igneous petrology is to use the subtle andmore obvious differences in the geochemistry of primitive basaltsto place constraints on mantle composition, melting conditionsand dynamics of mantle upwelling and melt extraction. For thisgoal to be achieved, our first-order understanding of mantlemelting must be refined by high-quality, systematic data oncorrelated melt and residual phase compositions under knownpressures and temperatures. Discrepancies in earlier data onmelt compositions from a fertile mantle composition [MORB (mid-oceanridge basalt) Pyrolite mg-number 87] and refractory lherzolite(Tinaquillo Lherzolite mg-number 90) are resolved here. Errorsin earlier data resulted from drift of W/Re thermocouples at1 GPa and access of water, lowering liquidus temperatures by30–80°C. We demonstrate the suitability of the ‘sandwich’technique for determining the compositions of multiphase-saturatedliquids in lherzolite, provided fine-grained sintered oxidemixes are used as the peridotite starting materials, and thechanges in bulk composition are considered. Compositions ofliquids in equilibrium with lherzolitic to harzburgitic residueat 1 GPa, 1300–1450°C in the two lherzolite compositionsare reported. Melt compositions are olivine + hypersthene-normative(olivine tholeiites) with the more refractory composition producinga lower melt fraction (7–8% at 1300°C) compared withthe model MORB source (18–20% at 1300°C). KEY WORDS: mantle melting; sandwich experiments; reversal experiments; anhydrous peridotite melting; thermocouple oxidation; olivine geothermometry     

Subduction Influence on Oxygen Fugacity and Trace and Volatile Elements in Basalts Across the Cascade Volcanic Arc

Fluids or melts derived from a subducting plate are often citedas a mechanism for the oxidation of arc magmas. What remainsunclear is the link between the fluid, oxygen fugacity, andother major and trace components, as well as the spatial distributionof the impact of those fluids. To test the potential effectsof addition of a subduction-derived fluid or melt to the sub-arcmantle, olivine-hosted melt inclusions from primitive basalticlavas sampled from across the central Oregon Cascades (43°–45°N)have been analyzed for major, trace and volatile elements andfO₂. Oxygen fugacity was determined in melt inclusions fromsulfur speciation determined by electron microprobe and fromolivine–chromite oxygen geobarometry. The overall rangein fO₂ based on sulfur speciation measurements is from <–0·25log units to + 1·9 log units (FMQ, where FMQ is fayalite–magnetite–quartzbuffer). Oxygen fugacity is positively correlated with fluid-mobiletrace element and light rare earth element contents in basaltsgenerated by relatively low-degree partial melting. Establishinga further correlation between fO₂ and fluid-mobile trace elementabundances with position along the arc requires the basaltsto be subdivided into shoshonitic, calc-alkaline, low-K tholeiiteand enriched intraplate basalt groups. Melt inclusions fromenriched intraplate and shoshonitic lavas show increasing fO₂and trace element abundances closer to the trench, whereas calc-alkalinemelt inclusions exhibit no significant across-arc variations.Low-K tholeiitic melt inclusions record an increase in incompatibletrace elements closer to the trench; however, there is no correlatedincrease in fO₂. The correlation observed in enriched intraplateand shoshonitic melt inclusions is interpreted to reflect aprogressively greater proportion of a fluid-rich, oxidized subductioncomponent in magmas generated nearer the subduction zone. Significantly,calc-alkaline melt inclusions with high ratios of large ionlithophile elements to high field strength elements, characteristicof ‘typical’ arc magmas, have oxidation states indistinguishablefrom low-K tholeiite and enriched intraplate basalt melt inclusions.The lack of across-arc geochemical variation in calc-alkalinemelt inclusions may suggest that these basalts are not necessarilythe most appropriate magmas for examining recent addition ofa subduction component to the sub-arc mantle. Flux and batchmelt model results produce a wide range of predicted amountsof melting and subduction component added to the mantle source;however, general trends characterized by increased melting andproportion of the subduction component from enriched intraplate,to low-K tholeiite, to calc-alkaline are robust. The model resultsdo not require enriched intraplate, low-K tholeiite and calc-alkalinemagmas to be produced from the same more fertile mantle source.However, enriched intraplate magmas, in contrast to calc-alkalineand low-K tholeiite magmas, cannot be generated from a depletedmantle source. Flux or batch melting of either the more fertileor depleted mantle sources used to generate the low-K tholeiite,calc-alkaline, and enriched intraplate magmas cannot reproduceshoshonitic compositions, which require a significantly depletedmantle source strongly metasomatized by a subduction component.The potential mantle source for shoshonitic basalts has a predictedfO₂ (after oxidation) from + 0·3 to + 2·4 logunits (FMQ) whereas the mantle source for low-K tholeiite, calc-alkaline,and enriched intraplate magmas may range from –1·1to + 0·7 log units (FMQ). KEY WORDS: basalt; Cascades; melt inclusions; oxidation state; volatiles     

The Cameroon Volcanic Line Revisited: Petrogenesis of Continental Basaltic Magmas from Lithospheric and Asthenospheric Mantle Sources

The volcanic activity of Mts Bambouto and Oku (Western Highlands)and of the Ngaoundere Plateau, in the continental sector ofthe Cameroon Volcanic Line, Equatorial West Africa, ranges inage from Oligocene to Recent. It is characterized by basanitic,alkali basaltic and transitional basaltic series. Mineral chemistry,major and trace element bulk-rock compositions, and geochemicalmodelling suggest that the magmatic series evolved mainly atlow pressure (2–4 kbar) through fractional crystallizationof clinopyroxene and olivine ± magnetite, at moderatelyhydrated (H₂O = 0·5–1 wt %) and QFM (quartz–fayalite–magnetite)to QFM + 1 fO₂ conditions. Basalts from Ngaoundere (Mioceneto Quaternary) and from the early activity (31–14 Ma)of the Western Highlands have incompatible trace element andSr–Nd isotopic compositions similar to those of oceanicCameroon Line basalts, pointing to a similar asthenosphericmantle source. By contrast, the late (15–4 Ma) WesternHighlands basanites and alkali basalts have anomalously highconcentrations of Sr, Ba and P, and low concentrations of Zr,which are exclusive features of continental Cameroon basalts.The genesis of these latter magmas is consistent with derivationfrom an incompatible element enriched, amphibole-bearing lithosphericmantle source. Western Highlands basalts show a continuous spectrumfrom high to low Sr–Ba–P compositions, and may resultfrom variable amounts of mixing between melts derived from ananhydrous lherzolite source (asthenospheric component) and meltsfrom an amphibole-bearing peridotite source (lithospheric HSrcomponent). New ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages for Mts Oku and Bambouto basalts,combined with previous ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and K/Ar ages of basaltic andsilicic volcanics, and with volcanic stratigraphy, suggest aNE–SW younging of the peak magmatic activity in the WesternHighlands. This SW younging trend, extending from the Oligocenevolcanism in northern Cameroon (e.g. Mt Oku) to the still activeMt Cameroon, suggests that the African plate is moving abovea deep-seated mantle thermal anomaly. However, the age and locationof the Ngaoundere volcanism does not conform to the NE–SWyounging trend, implying that the continental sector of theCameroon Volcanic Line cannot be easily interpreted as the surfaceexpression of a single hotspot system. KEY WORDS: Cameroon Line basalts;⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar geochronology; lithospheric and asthenospheric mantle source; hotspot     

Empirical Solution Model for Alkalic to Tholeiitic Basic Magmas

Currently available models to simulate naturally occurring mineral–meltequilibria use mineral components limited to tholeiitic basaltcompositions and thus they cannot be used for alkali-rick basaltsand basanites. To expand mineral–melt equilibria calculationsto alkali-rich composition space at low pressures, we have derivedequations that describe chemical equilibria between olivine–melt,pyroxene–melt, plagioclase–melt, nepheline–meltand leucite–melt components. Excess free energies of reactionsbetween the end-member mineral and melt components at equilibriumhave been expressed as a function of melt composition, temperatureand fo₂. The database used to calculate the mineral–meltexpressions consists of a total of >350 anhydrous experimentsconducted under controlled oxygen fugacity defined by the quartz–fayalite–magnetite(QFM) oxygen buffer. Rocks used in these experiments range frombasanites, nephelinites and alkali olivine basalts, to tholeiiticbasalts and basaltic andesites. Using bulk compositions of startingmaterials both in this experimental database and in others thatwere not incorporated into the regression of modeled parameters,modeled equations successfully predict, at a given temperatureand fo₂, compositions of multiply saturated melts as well asthe compositions of coexisting minerals. Standard deviationsof the calculated mole fractions of mineral components () areas follows: anorthite 002; forsterite 002; clinoenstatite002; enstatite 0003; nepheline 002; and leucite 001. Standarddeviations () of the calculated melt compositions in terms ofweight percent of oxides are: SiO₂ 0•96; Al₂O₃ 132; Fe₂O₃023; FeO 121; MgO 084; CaO 079; Na₂O 058; and K₂O 069.All calculations were carried out using a non-linear Newton–Raphsonnumerical procedure. KEY WORDS: mineral–melt equilibria; alkalic–tholeiitic basalts; equilibrium thermodynamics ^*Corresponding author     

The Stonyford Volcanic Complex: a Forearc Seamount in the Northern California Coast Ranges

Jurassic age volcanic rocks of the Stonyford volcanic complex(SFVC) comprise three distinct petrological groups based ontheir whole-rock geochemistry: (1) oceanic tholeiites; (2) transitionalalkali basalts and glasses; (3) high-Al, low-Ti tholeiites.Major and trace element, and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic dataindicate that the oceanic tholeiites formed as low-degree partialmelts of normal mid-ocean ridge basalt (N-MORB)-source asthenospheresimilar in isotope composition to the East Pacific Rise today;the alkalic lavas were derived from an enriched source similarto that of E-MORB. The high-Al, low-Ti lavas resemble second-stagemelts of a depleted MORB-source asthenosphere that formed bymelting spinel lherzolite at low pressures. Trace element systematicsof the high-Al, low-Ti basalts show the influence of an enrichedcomponent, which overprints generally depleted trace elementcharacteristics. Tectonic discrimination diagrams show thatthe oceanic tholeiite and alkali suites are similar to present-daybasalts generated at mid-oceanic ridges. The high-Al, low-Tisuite resembles primitive arc basalts with an enriched, alkalibasalt-like overprint. Isotopic data show the influence of recycledcomponents in all three suites. The SFVC was constructed ona substrate of normal Coast Range ophiolite in an extensionalforearc setting. The close juxtaposition of the MORB-like olivinetholeiites with alkali and high-Al, low-Ti basalts suggestsderivation from a hybrid mantle source region that includedMORB-source asthenosphere, enriched oceanic asthenosphere, andthe depleted supra-subduction zone mantle wedge. We proposethat the SFVC formed in response to collision of a mid-oceanridge spreading center with the Coast Range ophiolite subductionzone. Formation of a slab window beneath the forearc duringcollision allowed the influx of ridge-derived magmas or themantle source of these magmas. Continued melting of the previouslydepleted mantle wedge above the now defunct subduction zoneproduced strongly depleted high-Al, low-Ti basalts that werepartially fertilized with enriched, alkali basalt-type meltsand slab-derived fluids. KEY WORDS: CRO; oceanic basalts; California     

Effect of Silica Activity on OH- IR Spectra of Olivine: Implications for Low-aSiO2 Mantle Metasomatism

Hydrogen solubility and hydroxyl substitution mechanism in olivineat upper-mantle conditions are not only a function of pressure,temperature, water fugacity and hydrogen fugacity, but are alsoinfluenced by silica activity. Olivine synthesized in equilibriumwith magnesiowüstite displays hydroxyl stretching bandsin the wavenumber range from 3640 to 3430 cm^–1. In contrast,olivine in equilibrium with orthopyroxene shows absorption bandsin a narrower wavenumber range from 3380 to 3285 cm^–1.The two fundamentally different spectra are assigned to hydroxylin tetrahedral and octahedral sublattices, respectively. Olivinein equilibrium with orthopyroxene is also less capable of incorporatinghydroxyl, relative to olivines in equilibrium with magnesiowüstite,by about a factor of ten. A comparison of spectra obtained aspart of this study with hydroxyl spectra of natural mantle olivinesshows that the latter display hydroxyl stretching patterns reminiscentof equilibrium with magnesiowüstite, although undoubtedlyolivine in the Earth’s mantle coexists with orthopyroxene.This may be attributed to a metasomatic overprint by a low-silicafluid and/or melt that was in reaction relationship with orthopyroxene.A likely metasomatic agent is a carbonatitic melt. When carbonatiticmelts decompose to oxides and CO₂, they may temporarily imposea low-aSiO₂ environment inherited by the olivine structure.If this suggestion proves true, Fourier transform IR spectroscopymay be used to fingerprint metasomatic episodes in the lithosphericmantle. KEY WORDS: FTIR spectrometry; olivine; mantle; metasomatism; water     

Evidence for a Widespread Tethyan Upper Mantle with Indian-Ocean-Type Isotopic Characteristics

The mantle sources of Tethyan basalts and gabbros from Iran,Tibet, the eastern Himalayas, the seafloor off Australia, andpossibly Albania were isotopically similar to those of present-dayIndian Ocean ridges and hotspots. Alteration-resistant incompatibleelement compositions of many samples resemble those of ocean-ridgebasalts, although ocean-island-like compositions are also present.Indian-Ocean-type mantle was widespread beneath the Neotethysin the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, and present beneath atleast parts of the Paleotethys as long ago as the Early Carboniferous.The mantle beneath the Indian Ocean today thus may be largely‘inherited’ Tethyan mantle. Although some of theTethyan rocks may have formed in intra-oceanic back-arcs orfore-arcs, contamination of the asthenosphere by material subductedshortly before magmatism cannot be a general explanation fortheir Indian-Ocean-ridge-like low-²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb signatures. Supplyof low-²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb material to the asthenosphere via plumesis not supported by either present-day Indian Ocean hotspotsor the ocean-island-like Tethyan rocks. Old continental lowercrust or lithospheric mantle, including accreted, little-dehydratedmarine sedimentary material, provides a potential low-²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pbreservoir only if sufficient amounts of such material can beintroduced into the asthenosphere over time. Anciently subductedmarine sediment is a possible low-²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb source only ifthe large increase of U/Pb that occurs during subduction-relateddewatering is somehow avoided. Fluxing of low-U/Pb fluids directlyinto the asthenosphere during ancient dewatering and introductionof ancient pyroxenitic lower-crustal restite or basaltic lower-arccrust into the asthenosphere provide two other means of creatingTethyan–Indian Ocean mantle, but these mechanisms, too,have potentially significant problems. KEY WORDS: Indian Ocean; mantle geochemical domains; ophiolites; Tethyan Ocean     

Magma Genesis and Mantle Heterogeneity in the Manus Back-Arc Basin, Papua New Guinea

Geochemical data from back-arc volcanic zones in the Manus Basinare used to define five magma types. Closest to the New Britainarc are medium-K lavas of the island arc association and back-arcbasin basalts (BABB). Mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB), BABB andmildly enriched T-MORB (transitional MORB) occur along the ManusSpreading Center (MSC) and Extensional Transform Zone (ETZ).The MSC also erupted extreme back-arc basin basalts (XBABB),enriched in light rare earth elements, P, and Zr. Compared withnormal MORB, Manus MORB are even more depleted in high fieldstrength elements and slightly enriched in fluid-mobile elements,indicating slight, prior enrichment of their source with subduction-relatedcomponents. Chemical variations and modeling suggest systematic,coupled relationships between extent of mantle melting, priordepletion of the mantle source, and enrichment in subduction-relatedcomponents. Closest to the arc, the greatest addition of subduction-relatedcomponents has occurred in the mantle with the greatest amountof prior depletion, which has melted the most. Variations inK₂O/H₂O indicate that the subduction-related component is bestdescribed as a phlogopite and/or K-amphibole-bearing hybridizedperidotite. Magmas from the East Manus Rifts are enriched inNa and Zr with radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, possibly indicating crustalinteraction in a zone of incipient rifting. The source for XBABBand lavas from the Witu Islands requires a mantle componentsimilar to carbonatite melt. KEY WORDS: Manus back-arc basin, mantle metasomatism, magma generation     

Geochronology and Petrogenesis of the Cretaceous Antampombato-Ambatovy Complex and Associated Dyke Swarm, Madagascar

The Antampombato–Ambatovy complex is the largest intrusionin the central–eastern part of the Cretaceous flood basaltprovince of Madagascar, with an exposed surface area of about80 km². It has an ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar incremental heating age of 89·9± 0·4 Ma and a U–Pb age of 90 ± 2Ma. The outcropping plutonic rocks range from dunite and wehrlite,through clinopyroxenite and gabbro, to sodic syenite. A dykeswarm cross-cutting some of the above lithologies (and the nearbyPrecambrian basement rocks) is formed of picritic basalts, alkalito transitional basalts, benmoreites and rhyolites; some ofthe latter are peralkaline. A few basaltic dykes have cumulateolivine textures, with up to 26 wt % MgO and 1200 ppm Ni, whereasothers have characteristics more akin to those of primitiveliquids (9 wt % MgO; Mg-number 0·61; 500 ppm Cr; 200ppm Ni). These basalts have relatively high TiO₂ (2·2wt %) and total iron (14 wt % as Fe₂O₃), and moderate contentsof Nb (10–11 ppm) and Zr (c. 100 ppm). Initial (at 90Ma) Sr- and Nd-isotope ratios of the clinopyroxenites and basaltdykes are 0·7030–0·7037 and 0·51290–0·51283,respectively. Syenites and peralkaline rhyolites have Sr- andNd-isotope ratios of 0·7037–0·7039 and 0·51271–0·51274,respectively. The data suggest derivation of the parental magmasfrom a time-integrated depleted mantle source, combined withsmall amounts of crustal contamination in the petrogenesis ofthe more evolved magmas. The isotopic compositions of the mafic–ultramaficrocks are most similar to those of the mid-ocean ridge basalt(MORB)-like igneous rocks of eastern Madagascar, and suggestthe existence of an isotopically ‘depleted’ componentin the source of the entire Madagascar province, even thoughthe Antampombato basalts are chemically unlike the lavas anddykes with the same depleted isotopic signature found in westernMadagascar. If this depleted component is plume-related, thissuggests that the plume has a broadly MORB-source mantle composition.The existence of isotopically more enriched magma types in theMadagascan province has several possible petrogenetic explanations,one of which could be the interaction of plume-related meltswith the deep lithospheric mantle beneath the island. KEY WORDS: geochronology; flood basalts; Antampombato–Ambatovy intrusion; Cretaceous; Madagascar     

The Sub-lithospheric Source of North Atlantic Basalts: Evidence for, and Significance of, a Common End-member

Palaeogene basalts from the margins of the North Atlantic oftenshow geochemical variations that are consistent with their parentalmagmas having interacted with the lithosphere en route to theEarth’s surface. These geochemical trends vary dependingon the nature of the local lithospheric contaminants. Usingexamples from the British Tertiary Igneous Province and SE Greenland,we construct coherent contamination trends, which converge ona restricted Pb isotope composition, apparently indicating acommon uncontaminated asthenospheric mantle component. Significantly,this composition is also suitable as one end-member of the Pbisotope arrays recorded in Recent Icelandic basalts. We concludethat this composition has been a persistent component of theIceland plume over 60 my, dominating the mantle contributionto the Palaeocene phase of flood basalt magmatism but constitutingonly one end-member on Iceland. The Pb isotope composition ofthis ‘North Atlantic end-member’ is consistent with,but not necessarily demanding of, a primordial source. Recentevidence suggesting a lower-mantle origin for mantle plumesencourages investigation of whether the geochemical evidencesupports that hypothesis. Helium isotope data from PalaeogeneNorth Atlantic basalts support a lower-mantle contribution.However, mixing models suggest that it is unlikely that thelower-mantle contribution is large enough to dominate the Sr–Nd–Pbisotope compositions and lithophile trace element signaturesof any plume-derived basalts. KEY WORDS: North Atlantic; Iceland; lower mantle; mantle plumes; flood basalts; isotopes