Collisional processes in the eastern Mediterranean

In the eastern Mediterranean the collision of the Erastosthenes and the Anaximander Seamounts with the Cyprus arc results in a unique tectonic setting due to the small size of the eastern Mediterranean basin. As a result of the collision, some of the motion between the African plate and the Eurasian plate is taking place by thrust faulting along the north African passive margin. It seems that the stress at the plate boundary along the Cyprus arc may be transmitted southward to cause the reactivation of a pre-existing fault zone along the passive margin of eastern north Africa.

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Zusammenfassung Im östlichen Mittelmeerbecken hat die Kollision des Erastosthenes und des Anaximander Seamounts mit dem Cypern-Bogen eine spezielle tektonische Situation geschaffen, die durch den engen Raum dieses Beckens bestimmt wird. Als Ergebnis dieser Kollision erscheinen Überschiebungen der Afrikanischen Platte auf Eurasische Platte entlang des passiven nordafrikanischen Randes. Es erscheint möglich, daß das Streßfeld an der Plattengrenze entlang des Zypernbogens südwärts wirkt und dadurch die alte Störungszone entlang des passiven Kontinentrandes von Nordafrika reaktiert wird.

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Résumé En Méditerrannée orientale, la collision des guyots Eratosthène et Anaximandre avec l'arc de Chypre a engendré une situation tectonique particulière, due à la faible dimension du bassin est-méditerrannéen. Cette collision a eu pour conséquence la production de charriages de la plaque africaine sur la plaque eurasiatique le long de la marge passive nord-africaine. Il semble que les contraintes règnant au bord de la plaque le long de l'arc de Chypre se soient transmises vers le Sud pour y provoquer la réactivation d'une zône failleuse préexistante le long de la marge passive du NE de l'Afrique.

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雅鲁藏布江蛇绿岩的侵位机制:一个新的分析模型

蛇绿岩侵位机制是板块构造理论中一直没有得到合理阐释的科学问题,制约了许多次级问题的解决。本文综述了已发表的关键资料和地质观察,提出了一个新的分析模型。蛇绿岩带的长距离延伸表明其形成过程与板块汇聚过程紧密相关;冈底斯岩浆弧的两期弧岩浆活动暗示汇聚板块边缘的构造性质曾经发生过转换;前人报道的玻安岩缺乏充分的地质学、岩石学和矿物学约束;强还原晶体群的普遍性暗示蛇绿岩侵位过程与大规模流体活动有关。据此,本文提出了一个由流体协助的蛇绿岩侵位模型,认为俯冲板块回卷、断离、流体-岩石圈相互作用、大洋岩石圈穹隆等过程是蛇绿岩侵位的基本控制因素。     

西藏阿里推覆构造与蛇绿岩构造侵位

通过野外观测和ETM遥感解译,结合1∶25区域地质调查相关资料,发现西藏阿里地区晚白垩世—古近纪发育自北向南长距离逆冲推覆构造运动,形成大型逆冲推覆构造系统,导致班公—怒江缝合带发生解体和蛇绿岩构造侵位。阿里逆冲推覆构造系统由大量逆冲断层、不同时代的构造岩片、不同规模的飞来峰和构造窗、不同方向的褶皱构造组成,前锋逆冲断层呈弧形分布于拉萨地块北部狮泉河—左左—革吉—麦岗沿线。沿主要逆冲断层,中生代蛇绿混杂岩、三叠纪和侏罗纪碎屑岩-碳酸盐岩、石炭纪板岩、二叠纪白云质灰岩自北向南逆冲推覆于早白垩世碎屑岩-碳酸盐岩、晚白垩世—古近纪红层之上,形成比较典型的薄皮双重推覆构造系统,估算最小推覆距离160～180 km。根据构造关系和同位素年龄资料,推断阿里薄皮推覆构造主要形成时代为75～20 Ma,对应自北向南逆冲推覆构造运动速率约2.91～3.28 mm/a。研究阿里逆冲推覆构造对深化认识班公—怒江缝合带及蛇绿混杂岩的构造属性、合理评价羌塘盆地西段油气资源潜力具有重要意义。     

西藏罗布莎-泽当蛇绿岩体的构造产出与侵位机制探讨

对西藏雅江缝合带中的罗布莎-泽当蛇绿岩体进行了详细的野外构造考察和室内组构研究工作,查明了蛇绿岩体的产出特征及与不同围岩的接触关系,确定了两条围限岩体的大型逆冲型韧性剪切带(DFT和DFR)的性质,识别出蛇绿岩侵位过程中经历过早期由北而南仰冲和晚期由南而北倒转推覆两期构造运动,指出两条控制岩体的大型韧性断层非同时形成,不是MCT的反冲断层,提出研究区蛇绿岩侵位新的演化模式,为蛇绿岩侵位机制的探讨提供了新的依据.     

Plate kinematics, origin and tectonic emplacement of supra-subduction ophiolites in SE Asia

A unique feature of the Circum Pacific orogenic belts is the occurrence of ophiolitic bodies of various sizes, most of which display petrological and geochemical characteristics typical of supra-subduction zone oceanic crust. In SE Asia, a majority of the ophiolites appear to have originated at convergent margins, and specifically in backarc or island arc settings, which evolved either along the edge of the Sunda (Eurasia) and Australian cratons, or within the Philippine Sea Plate. These ophiolites were later accreted to continental margins during the Tertiary. Because of fast relative plate velocities, tectonic regimes at the active margins of these three plates also changed rapidly. Strain partitioning associated with oblique convergence caused arc-trench systems to move further away from the locus of their accretion. We distinguish “relatively autochthonous ophiolites” resulting from the shortening of marginal basins such as the present-day South China Sea or the Coral Sea, and “highly displaced ophiolites” developed in oblique convergent margins, where they were dismantled, transported and locally severely sheared during final docking. In peri-cratonic mobile belts (i.e. the Philippine Mobile Belt) we find a series of oceanic basins which have been slightly deformed and uplifted. Varying lithologies and geochemical compositions of tectonic units in these basins, as well as their age discrepancies, suggest important displacements along major wrench faults.We have used plate tectonic reconstructions to restore the former backarc basins and island arcs characterized by known petro-geochemical data to their original location and their former tectonic settings. Some of the ophiolites occurring in front of the Sunda plate represent supra-subduction zone basins formed along the Australian Craton margin during the Mesozoic. The Philippine Sea Basin, the Huatung basin south of Taiwan, and composite ophiolitic basements of the Philippines and Halmahera may represent remnants of such marginal basins. The portion of the Philippine Sea Plate carrying the Taiwan–Philippine arc and its composite ophiolitic/continental crustal basement might have actually originated in a different setting, closer to that of the Papua New Guinea Ophiolite, and then have been displaced rapidly as a result of shearing associated with fast oblique convergence.     

Geodynamics of ophiolites and formation of hydrocarbon fields on the shelf of eastern Sakhalin

A model is proposed showing the formation of hydrocarbon fields on the shelf of eastern Sakhalin as being caused by sustained (from the Late Cretaceous to the present) extension in the adjacent deepwater Deryugin Basin with exposure of the upper mantle rocks at the bottom of the sedimentary basin. The thrust faults and detachments formed through this process facilitated the penetration of seawater into ultramafic rocks, thus providing large-scale serpentinization accompanied by generation of hydrocarbons. Extension in the Deryugin Basin was compensated by horizontal shortening at its margins, and as a result, by the formation of ophiolitic allochthons as constituents of the accretionary prism of eastern Sakhalin. Hydrocarbons were injected and pumped in the root zones of the allochthons, giving rise to their westward migration and the formation of petroleum pools in fault-line and underthrust traps on the shelf of Sakhalin Island. The Deryugin Basin is a petroleum-collecting area for oil and gas fields localized in the upper part of its western margin. More broadly, the work considers interrelations between hydrocarbon generation and the geodynamics of tectonic couples of ophiolitic allochthons and adjacent deepwater basins of marginal seas, in particular, in the western Pacific.     

Tonian emplacement of ophiolites in the southern Brasiliano Orogen delimited by U-Pb-Hf isotopes of zircon from metasomatites

Key parameters in the evolution of the oceanic crust in the little-known Tonian period of the Brasiliano Orogen are presently established through the finding and characterization of zircon in chloritite and tourmalinite enclosed in serpentinite. The Ibaré and Palma ophiolites were selected for the study and both are from the juvenile São Gabriel terrane, Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil. U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses of zircon from metasomatites and a volcanoclastic rock with laser ablation indicate similar ages in both ophiolites, respectively 726 ± 2 Ma and 722 ± 3 Ma (metasomatites) and 758 ± 4 Ma (volcanoclastic rock). Other three representative ages recorded in the metasomatites are 880 ± 12, 836 ± 6 and 780 ± 5 Ma, interpreted as successive serpentinization events. Mantle Hf isotope compositions of zircon in the metasomatites range from εHf = + 12.1 to + 1.4 and in the volcanoclastic rock the sample displays εHf = + 11.7 to + 6.7. Zircon geochemistry is close to the mantle array. This direct dating of ophiolites sets new limits to the evolution of the Brasiliano Orogen during formation of Gondwana. The youngest possible age for ophiolite accretion is 722 Ma.     

A model for the emplacement of the eastern compartment of the bushveld complex

The stratigraphy and geological position of the eastern compartment of the Bushveld Complex are described. A mechanical model for the initiation and growth of the eastern compartment of the Bushveld intrusion has been developed using thin elastic plate theory, assuming linked conical magma chambers. It is shown that the contribution to the pressure at the base of a cell by the restitutional force exerted by the roof of Rooiberg felsites is 10⁴ times as great as that of the layers of host in the cone. Both are minimal compared to the lithostatic pressure exerted by the magma pile. Roof deformation is therefore seen to be a more important process than sagging of the floor during intrusion—a feature which probably occurred during cooling, solidification and isostatic readjustment of the area.A stratigraphie model is proposed in which the intrusion of basic rocks into the Transvaal sequence is discussed in the light of continuous basin subsidence. Early submarine sedimentation in an irregularly-floored basin some 620 km in diameter situated on the Archaean craton gave rise to a 7.7 km thick sedimentary pile, to which was added some 7 km of subaerial basalts and felsites. Depression of the floor of the basin into the regime of maximum horizontal compression induced favourable conditions for the intrusion of a total of 2.5 km of diabase sills which further assisted the subsidence. The 9 km thick Bushveld Complex was intruded into the basal sections at points along a 010° trend in a regime characterised by shear failure. Early magma influxes gave rise to a laminated marginal zone forming a shallow cone, with associated sill activity, whilst continued later influxes filled the conical cell, transgressed the floor and uparched the roof. Partial melting in the regions beneath the Complex, exacerbated by continued crustal depression, gave rise to the late Bushveld granites.     

Morphological characteristics and emplacement mechanism of the seamounts in the Central Indian Ocean Basin

The morphotectonic features of the Central Indian Ocean Basin (CIOB) provide information regarding the development of the basin. Multibeam mapping of the CIOB reveals presence of abundant isolated seamounts and seamount chains sub-parallel to each other and major fracture zones along 73° E, 79° E and 75°45′ E. Morphological analyses were carried out for 200 seamounts that occur either as isolated edifies or along eight sub-parallel chains. The identified eight parallel seamount chains that trend almost north–south and reflecting the absolute motion of the Indian plate, probably originated from the ancient propagative fractures. Inspite of the differences in their height, the seamounts of these eight chains are morphologically correlatable. In the study area the seamounts are clustered north and south of 12° S latitude. Interestingly, in the area north of 12° S (area II: 9°–12° S) the seamounts are distinctly smaller (≤ 400 m height) whereas, the area south of 12° S (area I: 12°–15° S) has a mixed population of seamounts. The normalized abundance of the CIOB seamount is 976 seamounts/10⁶ km² but on a finer scale this value varies from 500 to 1600 seamounts/10⁶ km², which is less than the seamount concentrations of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans (9000 to 16,000 seamounts/10⁶ km²). Three categories of seamounts are present in the CIOB e.g. (1) single-peaked (2) multi-peaked and (3) composite. The study indicate that single-peaked seamounts are dominant (89%) while multi-peaked is less (8%) and composite ones are rare (3%) in the CIOB.The progressive northward movement of the Indian continent caused collision between India and Asia at around 62 Ma ago. A majority of the near-axis originated seamounts in the CIOB seemed to have formed as a consequence of the temporally widespread (Cretaceous  65 Ma to late Eocene < 49 Ma) collision between India and Eurasia. The regional stress patterns in the Indian plate vary N to NE in the continent and N to NW in Indian Ocean areas. The combined effect of the regional stress patterns maintained the orientation of the seamount chains and the local stress regime helped in the upwelling of magma and formation of seamounts. The low heat flow, morphological features and geochemical signature indicate that the morphotectonic structures formed contemporaneously with the oceanic crust.     

Formation and emplacement ages of the SSZ‐type Neotethyan ophiolites in Central Anatolia,Turkey: palaeotectonic implications

Isolated outcrops of ophiolitic rocks, termed the Central Anatolian Ophiolites, are found as allochthonous bodies in the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex, that represent the metamorphosed passive northern edge of the Tauride–Anatolide Platform, central Turkey. In terms of pseudostratigraphic relationships of the magmatic units and their chemical designation, the Central Anatolian Ophiolites exhibit a supra‐subduction zone (fore‐arc) setting within the Vardar–İzmir–Ankara–Erzincan segment of the Neotethys. The epi‐ophiolitic sedimentary cover of the Central Anatolian Ophiolites is generally characterized by epiclastic volcanogenic deep‐sea sediments and debris flows intercalated with pelagic units. The richest and most significant planktonic foraminiferal association recorded from the lowest pelagic members infer a formation age of early–middle Turonian to early Santonian. K/Ar ages of post‐collisional granitoids (81–65 Ma) intruding the basement rocks as well as the Central Anatolian Ophiolites suggest a post‐early Santonian to pre‐middle Campanian emplacement age. The marked high volume of epiclastic volcanogenic sediments intercalated with the pelagics of the Central Anatolian Ophiolite is suggestive of rifting in a marginal sea adjacent to a volcanic arc. Penecontemporaneous tectonism is reflected in repetitions in the stratigraphy and in debris flows, which result from major slides and mass‐gravity reworking of pre‐existing units and of arc‐derived volcanics and sediments. Correlating the rock units and formation/obduction ages of the Central Anatolian Ophiolites with further supra‐subduction zone type ophiolites in the eastern (Turkey) and western (Greece) parts of the Vardar–İzmir–Ankara–Erzincan segment of Neotethys we conclude that the intraoceanic subduction in the east is definitely younger and the closure history of this segment is more complex than previously suggested. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Metamorphic sole formation,emplacement and blueschist facies overprint: early subduction dynamics witnessed by western Turkey ophiolites

The largest ophiolite on Earth, in western Turkey, is a key place to study obduction and early subduction dynamics. Ophiolite remnants derived from the same Neotethyan branch (preserved as a result of long‐lived Late Cretaceous continental subduction and later obduction) are underlain by hundred‐metre‐thick extensive metamorphic soles. These soles formed synchronously, at c. 93 Ma, and were welded to the base of the ophiolite, thereby dating the start of intra‐oceanic subduction. This contribution focuses on the structure, petrology and pressure–temperature evolution of the soles and other subduction‐derived units. Peak pressure–temperature conditions were estimated at 10.5 ± 2 kbar and 800 ± 50 °C for the sole by means of pseudosection calculations using Theriak/Domino and at 12 kbar and 425 °C for the unique, enigmatic blueschist facies overprint of the sole. This study provides clues to the mechanisms of sole underplating during early subduction, later cooling, and the nature of the western Turkey ophiolite.     

Copper deposits in the basal breccias and volcano-sedimentary sequences of the eastern ligurian ophiolites (Italy)

A large number of the copper deposits, associated with the eastern ligurian ophiolites, are linked to the volcano-sedimentary sequences and, in minor amounts, to the ophiolitic basal breccias partially covering the intrusive rocks (ultramafites and gabbros). Some of these Fe-Cu-Zn mineralizations were selected because of their well defined stratigraphic and structural features, which, together with the textural and mineralogical characters and the trace elements in sulphides support the following considerations: - the stratiform mineralizations in the basal breccias show evidence of a sedimentary deposition preceding any consistent emplacement of a volcanic cover; - the stratabound deposits between the volcanic series and the sedimentary cover originate from hydrothermal or volcanic (exhalative) processes; - the stratabound deposits inside the volcanic pile show textural and mineralogical evidence of a volcanic origin with a relatively high temperature of formation; - the stockwork mineralizations, with their epigenetic characters, are of hydrothermal origin, probably related to subsea-floor convection cells.     

湘东地区铀成矿远景圈定及定位预测

湘东地区是重要的热液型铀成矿区，本文利用湘赣边区走滑构造及铀成矿动力学研究成果和相关的地球物理，地球化学的定性、半定量资料，采用信息量计算法、特征分析法，逻辑信息法进行区域铀成矿远景区的圈定和定位预测。     

Age constraints on the formation and emplacement of Neoproterozoic ophiolites along the Allaqi–Heiani Suture, South Eastern Desert of Egypt

Ophiolites are key components of the Neoproterozoic Arabian–Nubian Shield (ANS). Understanding when they formed and were emplaced is crucial for understanding the evolution of the ANS because their ages tell when seafloor spreading and terrane accretion occurred. The Yanbu–Onib–Sol Hamed–Gerf–Allaqi–Heiani (YOSHGAH) suture and ophiolite belt can be traced  600 km across the Nubian and Arabian shields. We report five new SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages from igneous rocks along the Allaqi segment of the YOSHGAH suture in southernmost Egypt and use these data in conjunction with other age constraints to evaluate YOSHGAH suture evolution. Ophiolitic layered gabbro gave a concordia age of 730 ± 6 Ma, and a metadacite from overlying arc-type metavolcanic rocks yielded a weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 733 ± 7 Ma, indicating ophiolite formation at  730 Ma. Ophiolite emplacement is also constrained by intrusive bodies: a gabbro yielded a concordia age of 697 ± 5 Ma, and a quartz-diorite yielded a concordia age of 709 ± 4 Ma. Cessation of deformation is constrained by syn- to post-tectonic granite with a concordia age of 629 ± 5 Ma. These new data, combined with published zircon ages for ophiolites and stitching plutons from the YOSHGAH suture zone, suggest a 2-stage evolution for the YOSHGAH ophiolite belt ( 810–780 Ma and  730–750 Ma) and indicate that accretion between the Gabgaba–Gebeit–Hijaz terranes to the south and the SE Desert–Midyan terranes to the north occurred as early as 730 Ma and no later than 709 ± 4 Ma.     

Structural pattern and emplacement mechanism of the Neka Valley nappe complex,eastern Alborz,Iran

International Journal of Earth Sciences - The Neka Valley nappe complex is exposed in the south of Gorgan County in the eastern Alborz fold-and-thrust belt. We use the results of a regional survey...     

Early Permian Sunidyouqi suprasubduction-zone ophiolites in the central Solonker suture zone (Inner Mongolia,China)

Different final closing ages have been proposed for the evolution of the Paleo-Asian Ocean (PAO), including Late Silurian, pre-Late Devonian, Early Permian, Late-Permian and Late Permian–Early Triassic. Ophiolites represent fragments of ancient oceanic crust and play an important role in identifying the suture zone and unveiling the evolutionary history of fossil oceans. Our detailed geological, geochemical and geochronological investigations argue for the existence of Early Permian (297 Ma) SSZ type ophiolites in the Sunidyouqi area of central Inner Mongolia, China. The gabbros and basalts show LREE depleted REE patterns and left-leaning primitive mantle-normalized spider diagrams with variable negative Nb-Ta anomalies (Nb* = 0.24–1.28 and 0.29–0.55, respectively). The Sunidyouqi ophiolites were generated in a mature back-arc basin. The Sunidyouqi ophiolites share the same petrological, geochemical and geochronological characteristics with the other ophiolites along the Solonker suture zone, delineating a Late Paleozoic ocean and arc-trench system. This Late Paleozoic ocean and arc-trench system coincides with a Permian paleobiogeographical boundary, i.e. the boundary between the northern cold climate (Boreal faunal–Angaraland floral realm), and a southern warm climate (Tethys faunal–Cathaysian floral realm). A tectonic scenario was proposed at last for the closure of the SE PAO involving (1) Late Ordovician to Middle Permian continuous southward subduction beneath the northern margin of North China; (2) Carboniferous to Middle Permian continuous northward subduction the forming the Northern Accretionary Orogen; (3) Late Permian final closure of the SE PAO.     

The proterozoic history of eastern Bolivia

About 100 000 km² of the previously unmapped Bolivian sector of the Central Brazil shield has been studied by “Proyecto Precámbrico”, an Anglo-Bolivian technical cooperation programme. The Lower Proterozoic is represented by the Lomas Maneches Granulite Group and the bulk of the Chiquitania Paragneiss Complex, which were formed during the Trans-Amazonic orogenic cycle (± 2000 Ma). The Middle Proterozoic spans the orogenic cycles of San Ignacio (± 2000-1300 Ma) and Sunsas (<1300-950 Ma). The San Ignacio cycle included the deposition of the San Ignacio Schist Group, now belts of pelitic schists with basic/ultrabasic sills, and the subsequent mobilisation of these and older rocks within a north-trending orogenic belt, accompanied by granitoid development. The Sunsas cycle began with the deposition of the molassic Sunsas Group and closed with the growth of a westnorthwest-trending orogenic belt, bordered to the north by a marginal zone and a stable craton, which was accompanied by granitoid phases and major basic/ultrabasic igneous activity. The close of the Sunsas orogeny marked the cratonization of the shield at about 950 Ma.Unmetamorphosed Upper Proterozoic and possibly Cambrian sediments on the southern and eastern flanks of the shield represent marine transgressions related to the intra-continental Braziliano orogenic cycle. East-trending dolerite dykes were probably intruded during this period within the shield.     

华北东部晚中生代区域伸展背景下同构造花岗岩体的起源与就位

花岗质岩浆的起源、迁移及就位是研究大陆岩石圈流变学特性的重要方面。然而,板内伸展背景下同构造花岗岩体的岩浆来源、就位机制和岩浆流动与区域应力场的关系等问题缺乏系统性的总结。晚中生代期间华北板块东部逐渐变为区域伸展体制,同时中浅部地壳形成一系列的韧性剪切带、变质核杂岩和拆离断层,这些伸展构造往往伴有同剪切变形的花岗岩体。因此,华北东部是系统研究板内伸展背景下同构造花岗岩体的最佳区域。本文选取多个典型的同构造花岗岩体,进行综合分析。通过归纳总结这些同构造岩体的岩石地球化学和年代学资料,发现多数同构造岩体具有多个岩浆源区,且较早就位的中性岩席（单元）往往来自壳幔混合岩浆或新生下地壳的部分熔融,而较晚的酸性岩席（单元）则主要来源于古老下地壳的部分熔融。这一特点反映了同伸展岩体岩浆源区由深至浅的演化规律,也揭示了区域伸展背景下源自地幔的流体和热量是触发地壳部分熔融的重要因素。通过分析岩浆就位过程中围岩和岩体中形成的定向及变形组构,发现华北东部同伸展岩体的就位模式可分为三大类：以扁平岩床或岩基形式就位于中部地壳的水平韧性剪切带内;岩浆以近直立运移的方式形成长轴平行拆离断层的岩基,就位于变质核杂岩核部或拆离断层下盘;岩浆就位于再活化的先存断裂,通过膨胀作用、挤压围岩获得就位空间并使围岩变形,形成类似底辟作用的就位方式。剪切应力和浮力是影响岩浆运移方向的重要力学参数。岩浆自源区上升的过程中浮力起着主要控制作用,就位于韧性剪切带时剪切应力起着控制作用,就位于浅部地壳的脆-韧性过渡带时浮力的作用再次凸显。

     

Geochemistry and mineralogy of REY-rich mud in the eastern Indian Ocean

Deep-sea sediments in parts of the Pacific Ocean were recently found to contain remarkably high concentrations of rare-earth elements and yttrium (REY) of possible economic significance. Here we report similar REY-rich mud in a core section from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 213 in the eastern Indian Ocean. The sediments consist mainly of siliceous ooze, with subordinate zeolitic clay that contains relatively high REY concentrations. The maximum and average total REY (ΣREY) contents of this material are 1113 and 629 ppm, respectively, which are comparable to those reported from the Pacific Ocean. The REY-rich mud at Site 213 shows enrichment in heavy rare-earth elements, negative Ce anomalies, and relatively low Fe₂O₃/ΣREY ratios, similar to those in the Pacific Ocean. In addition, the major-element composition of the Indian Ocean REY-rich mud indicates slight enrichment in lithogenic components, which probably reflects a contribution from southern African eolian dust. A volcaniclastic component from neighboring mid-ocean ridges or intraplate volcanoes is also apparent. Elemental compositions and X-ray diffraction patterns for bulk sediment, and microscopic observation and elemental mapping of a polished thin section, demonstrate the presence of phillipsite and biogenic apatite, such as fish debris, in the REY-rich mud. The strong correlation between total REY content and apatite abundance implies that apatite plays an important role as a host phase of REY in the present deep-sea sediment column. However, positive correlations between ΣREY and elements not present in apatite (e.g., Fe₂O₃, MnO, and TiO₂) imply that the REY-rich mud is not formed by a simple mixture of REY-enriched apatite and other components.     

Origin and emplacement of the Higher Himalayan Leucogranite in the eastern Himalaya: Constraints from geochemistry and mineral chemistry

The Higher Himalayan Leucogranites (HHLG) intruded into the high grade rocks of the Higher Himalayan Crystallines (HHC) in western Arunachal Pradesh, eastern Himalaya, yield distinctive field data, petrography, geochemical and mineral chemistry data. The HHLG mostly occur as sill like bodies of limited thickness and lateral extent within the HHC. The Arunachal HHLG are characterized by the presence of two micas; normative corundum; high contents of SiO₂ (67–78 wt.%), Al₂O₃ (13–18 wt.%), A/CNK (0.98–1.44) and Rb (154–412 ppm); low contents of CaO (0.33–1.91 wt.%) and Sr (19–171 ppm), and a high ratio of FeO_(tot)/MgO in biotite (2.54–4.82). These distinctive features, along with their strong depletion in high field strength elements (HFSE), suggest their affinity to peraluminous S-type granite generated by the partial melting of crustal material. Since the HHLG associated with high grade rocks of HHC and lack of basaltic magmatism, strongly suggests that the high grade rocks of HHC might represent the melt source and HHLG are product of pure crustal melt without any contamination of mantle material. Geothermobarometric estimations and mineral assemblages of the HHC metapelites confirm that the HHLG were probably generated in the middle crust (～20 km) and the produced melts intruded the HHC in the form of sills/dykes.