Immiscible Transition from Carbonate-rich to Silicate-rich Melts in the 3 GPa Melting Interval of Eclogite + CO2 and Genesis of Silica-undersaturated Ocean Island Lavas

We explore the partial melting behavior of a carbonated silica-deficienteclogite (SLEC1; 5 wt % CO₂) from experiments at 3 GPa and comparethe compositions of partial melts with those of alkalic andhighly alkalic oceanic island basalts (OIBs). The solidus islocated at 1050–1075 °C and the liquidus at 1415 °C.The sub-solidus assemblage consists of clinopyroxene, garnet,ilmenite, and calcio-dolomitic solid solution and the near solidusmelt is carbonatitic (<2 wt % SiO₂, <1 wt % Al₂O₃, and<0·1 wt % TiO₂). Beginning at 1225 °C, a stronglysilica-undersaturated silicate melt (34–43 wt % SiO₂)with high TiO₂ (up to 19 wt %) coexists with carbonate-richmelt (<5 wt % SiO₂). The first appearance of carbonated silicatemelt is 100 °C cooler than the expected solidus of CO₂-freeeclogite. In contrast to the continuous transition from carbonateto silicate melts observed experimentally in peridotite + CO₂systems, carbonate and silicate melt coexist over a wide temperatureinterval for partial melting of SLEC1 carbonated eclogite at3 GPa. Silicate melts generated from SLEC1, especially at highmelt fraction (>20 wt %), may be plausible sources or contributingcomponents to melilitites and melilititic nephelinites fromoceanic provinces, as they have strong compositional similaritiesincluding their SiO₂, FeO^*, MgO, CaO, TiO₂ and Na₂O contents,and CaO/Al₂O₃ ratios. Carbonated silicate partial melts fromeclogite may also contribute to less extreme alkalic OIB, asthese lavas have a number of compositional attributes, suchas high TiO₂ and FeO^* and low Al₂O₃, that have not been observedfrom partial melting of peridotite ± CO₂. In upwellingmantle, formation of carbonatite and silicate melts from eclogiteand peridotite source lithologies occurs over a wide range ofdepths, producing significant opportunities for metasomatictransfer and implantation of melts. KEY WORDS: carbonated eclogite; experimental phase equilibria; partial melting; liquid immiscibility; ocean island basalts     

The Composition of Near-solidus Partial Melts of Fertile Peridotite at 1 and 1{middle dot}5 GPa: Implications for the Petrogenesis of MORB

We have determined the near-solidus melt compositions for peridotiteMM-3, a suitable composition for the production of mid-oceanridge basalt (MORB) by decompression partial melting, at 1 and1·5 GPa. At 1 GPa the MM-3 composition has a subsolidusplagioclase-bearing spinel lherzolite assemblage, and a solidusat 1270°C. At only 5°C above the solidus, 4% meltis present as a result of almost complete melting of plagioclase.This melting behaviour in plagioclase lherzolite is predictedfrom simple systems and previous experimental work. The persistenceof plagioclase to > 0·8 GPa is strongly dependenton bulk-rock CaO/Na₂O and normative plagioclase content in theperidotite. At 1·5 GPa the MM-3 composition has a subsolidusspinel lherzolite assemblage, and a solidus at 1350°C.We have determined a near-solidus melt composition at 2% meltingwithin 10°C of the solidus. Near-solidus melts at both 1and 1·5 GPa are nepheline normative, and have low normativediopside contents; also they have the highest TiO₂, Al₂O₃ andNa₂O, and the lowest FeO and Cr₂O₃ contents compared with higherdegree partial melts. Comparison of these near-solidus meltswith primitive MORB glasses, which lie in the olivine-only fieldof crystallization at low pressure, indicate that petrogeneticmodels involving aggregation of near-fractional melts formedduring melting at pressures of 1·5 GPa or less are unlikelyto be correct. In this study we use an experimental approachthat utilizes sintered oxide mix starting materials and peridotitereaction experiments. We also examine some recent studies usingan alternative approach of melt migration into, and entrapmentwithin ‘melt traps’ (olivine, diamond, vitreouscarbon) and discuss optimal procedures for this method. KEY WORDS: experimental petrology; mantle melting; near-solidus; fertile peridotite; MORB     

Experimental Melting of Carbonated Peridotite at 6-10 GPa

Partial melting of magnesite-bearing peridotites was studiedat 6–10 GPa and 1300–1700°C. Experiments wereperformed in a multianvil apparatus using natural mineral mixesas starting material placed into olivine containers and sealedin Pt capsules. Partial melts originated within the peridotitelayer, migrated outside the olivine container and formed poolsof quenched melts along the wall of the Pt capsule. This allowedthe analysis of even small melt fractions. Iron loss was nota problem, because the platinum near the olivine container becamesaturated in Fe as a result of the reaction Fe₂SiO₄^Ol = Fe^Fe–Ptalloy + FeSiO₃^Opx + O₂. This reaction led to a gradual increasein oxygen fugacity within the capsules as expressed, for example,in high Fe³⁺ in garnet. Carbonatitic to kimberlite-like meltswere obtained that coexist with olivine + orthopyroxene + garnet± clinopyroxene ± magnesite depending on P–Tconditions. Kinetic experiments and a comparison of the chemistryof phases occasionally grown within the melt pools with thosein the residual peridotite allowed us to conclude that the meltshad approached equilibrium with peridotite. Melts in equilibriumwith a magnesite-bearing garnet lherzolite are rich in CaO (20–25wt %) at all pressures and show rather low MgO and SiO₂ contents(20 and 10 wt %, respectively). Melts in equilibrium with amagnesite-bearing garnet harzburgite are richer in SiO₂ andMgO. The contents of these oxides increase with temperature,whereas the CaO content becomes lower. Melts from magnesite-freeexperiments are richer in SiO₂, but remain silicocarbonatitic.Partitioning of trace elements between melt and garnet was studiedin several experiments at 6 and 10 GPa. The melts are very richin incompatible elements, including large ion lithophile elements(LILE), Nb, Ta and light rare earth elements. Relative to theresidual peridotite, the melts show no significant depletionin high field strength elements over LILE. We conclude fromthe major and trace element characteristics of our experimentalmelts that primitive kimberlites cannot be a direct productof single-stage melting of an asthenospheric mantle. They rathermust be derived from a previously depleted and re-enriched mantleperidotite. KEY WORDS: multianvil; carbonatite melt; peridotite; kimberlite; element partitioning     

Phase Relations and Melting of Anhydrous K-bearing Eclogite from 1200 to 1600{degrees}C and 3 to 5 GPa

To investigate eclogite melting under mantle conditions, wehave performed a series of piston-cylinder experiments usinga homogeneous synthetic starting material (GA2) that is representativeof altered mid-ocean ridge basalt. Experiments were conductedat pressures of 3·0, 4·0 and 5·0 GPa andover a temperature range of 1200–1600°C. The subsolidusmineralogy of GA2 consists of garnet and clinopyroxene withminor quartz–coesite, rutile and feldspar. Solidus temperaturesare located at 1230°C at 3·0 GPa and 1300°C at5·0 GPa, giving a steep solidus slope of 30–40°C/GPa.Melting intervals are in excess of 200°C and increase withpressure up to 5·0 GPa. At 3·0 GPa feldspar, rutileand quartz are residual phases up to 40°C above the solidus,whereas at higher pressures feldspar and rutile are rapidlymelted out above the solidus. Garnet and clinopyroxene are theonly residual phases once melt fractions exceed 20% and garnetis the sole liquidus phase over the investigated pressure range.With increasing melt fraction garnet and clinopyroxene becomeprogressively more Mg-rich, whereas coexisting melts vary fromK-rich dacites at low degrees of melting to basaltic andesitesat high melt fractions. Increasing pressure tends to increasethe jadeite and Ca-eskolaite components in clinopyroxene andenhance the modal proportion of garnet at low melt fractions,which effects a marked reduction in the Al₂O₃ and Na₂O contentof the melt with pressure. In contrast, the TiO₂ and K₂O contentsof the low-degree melts increase with increasing pressure; thusNa₂O and K₂O behave in a contrasted manner as a function ofpressure. Altered oceanic basalt is an important component ofcrust returned to the mantle via plate subduction, so GA2 maybe representative of one of many different mafic lithologiespresent in the upper mantle. During upwelling of heterogeneousmantle domains, these mafic rock-types may undergo extensivemelting at great depths, because of their low solidus temperaturescompared with mantle peridotite. Melt batches may be highlyvariable in composition depending on the composition and degreeof melting of the source, the depth of melting, and the degreeof magma mixing. Some of the eclogite-derived melts may alsoreact with and refertilize surrounding peridotite, which itselfmay partially melt with further upwelling. Such complex magma-genesisconditions may partly explain the wide spectrum of primitivemagma compositions found within oceanic basalt suites. KEY WORDS: eclogite; experimental petrology; mafic magmatism; mantle melting; oceanic basalts     

High-pressure Partial Melting of Mafic Lithologies in the Mantle

We review experimental phase equilibria associated with partialmelting of mafic lithologies (pyroxenites) at high pressuresto reveal systematic relationships between bulk compositionsof pyroxenite and their melting relations. An important aspectof pyroxenite phase equilibria is the existence of the garnet–pyroxenethermal divide, defined by the enstatite–Ca-Tschermakspyroxene–diopside plane in CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂projections. This divide appears at pressures above 2 GPa inthe natural system where garnet and pyroxenes are the principalresidual phases in pyroxenites. Bulk compositions that resideon either side of the divide have distinct phase assemblagesfrom subsolidus to liquidus and produce distinct types of partialmelt ranging from strongly nepheline-normative to quartz-normativecompositions. Solidus and liquidus locations are little affectedby the location of natural pyroxenite compositions relativeto the thermal divide and are instead controlled chiefly bybulk alkali contents and Mg-numbers. Changes in phase volumesof residual minerals also influence partial melt compositions.If olivine is absent during partial melting, expansion of thephase volume of garnet relative to clinopyroxene with increasingpressure produces liquids with high Ca/Al and low MgO comparedwith garnet peridotite-derived partial melts. KEY WORDS: experimental petrology; mantle heterogeneity; partial melting; phase equilibrium; pyroxenite     

Equilibrium and Fractional Crystallization Experiments at 0{middle dot}7 GPa; the Effect of Pressure on Phase Relations and Liquid Compositions of Tholeiitic Magmas

Two series of anhydrous experiments have been performed in anend-loaded piston cylinder apparatus on a primitive, mantle-derivedtholeiitic basalt at 0·7 GPa pressure and temperaturesin the range 1060–1270°C. The first series are equilibriumcrystallization experiments on a single basaltic bulk composition;the second series are fractionation experiments where near-perfectfractional crystallization was approached in a stepwise mannerusing 30°C temperature increments and starting compositionscorresponding to that of the previous, higher temperature glass.At 0·7 GPa liquidus temperatures are lowered and thestability of olivine and plagioclase is enhanced with respectto clinopyroxene compared with phase equilibria of the samecomposition at 1·0 GPa. The residual solid assemblagesof fractional crystallization experiments at 0·7 GPaevolve from dunites, followed by wehrlites, gabbronorites, andgabbros, to diorites and ilmenite-bearing diorites. In equilibriumcrystallization experiments at 0·7 GPa dunites are followedby plagioclase-bearing websterites and gabbronorites. In contrastto low-pressure fractionation of tholeiitic liquids (1 bar–0·5GPa), where early plagioclase saturation leads to the productionof troctolites followed by (olivine) gabbros at an early stageof differentiation, pyroxene still crystallizes before or withplagioclase at 0·7 GPa. The liquids formed by fractionalcrystallization at 0·7 GPa evolve through limited silicaincrease with rather strong iron enrichment following the typicaltholeiitic differentiation path from basalts to ferro-basalts.Silica enrichment and a decrease in absolute iron and titaniumconcentrations are observed in the last fractionation step afterilmenite starts to crystallize, resulting in the productionof an andesitic liquid. Liquids generated by equilibrium crystallizationexperiments at 0·7 GPa evolve through constant SiO₂ increaseand only limited FeO enrichment as a consequence of spinel crystallizationand closed-system behaviour. Empirical calculations of the (dry)liquid densities along the liquid lines of descent at 0·7and 1·0 GPa reveal that only differentiation at the baseof the crust (1·0 GPa) results in liquids that can ascendthrough the crust and that will ultimately form granitoid plutonicand/or dacitic to rhyodacitic sub-volcanic to volcanic complexes;at 0·7 GPa the liquid density increases with increasingdifferentiation as a result of pronounced Fe enrichment, renderingit rather unlikely that such differentiated melt will reachshallow crustal levels. KEY WORDS: tholeiitic magmas; experimental petrology; equilibrium crystallization; fractional crystallization     

Partial Melting of Spinel Lherzolite in the System CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2 {+/-} K2O at 1{middle dot}1 GPa

The compositions of multiply saturated partial melts are valuablefor the thermodynamic information that they contain, but aredifficult to determine experimentally because they exist onlyover a narrow temperature range at a given pressure. Here wetry a new approach for determining the composition of the partialmelt in equilibrium with olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxeneand spinel (Ol + Opx + Cpx + Sp + Melt) in the system CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂(CMAS) at 1·1 GPa: various amounts of K₂O are added tothe system, and the resulting melt compositions and temperatureare extrapolated to zero K₂O. The ‘sandwich’ experimentalmethod was used to minimize problems caused by quench modification,and Opx and Cpx were previously synthesized at conditions nearthose of the melting experiments to ensure they had appropriatecompositions. Results were then checked by reversal crystallizationexperiments. The results are in good agreement with previouswork, and establish the anhydrous solidus in CMAS to be at 1320± 10°C at 1·1 GPa. The effect of K₂O is todepress the solidus by 5·8°C/wt %, while the meltcomposition becomes increasingly enriched in SiO₂, being quartz-normativeabove 4 wt % K₂O. Compared with Na₂O, K₂O has a stronger effectin depressing the solidus and modifying melt compositions. Theisobaric invariant point in the system CMAS–K₂O at whichOl + Opx + Cpx + Sp + Melt is joined by sanidine (San) is at1240 ± 10°C. During the course of the study severalother isobaric invariant points were identified and their crystaland melt compositions determined in unreversed experiments:Opx + Cpx + Sp + An + Melt in the system CMAS at 1315 ±10°C; in CMAS–K₂O, Opx + Cpx + Sp + An + San + Meltat 1230 ± 10°C and Opx + Sp + An + San + Sapph +Melt at 1230 ± 10°C, where An is anorthite and Sapphis sapphirine. Coexisting San plus An in three experiments helpdefine the An–San solvus at 1230–1250°C. KEY WORDS: feldspar solvus; igneous sapphirine; mantle solidus; partial melting; systems CMAS and CMAS–K₂O     

浙江建德新生代玄武岩源区特征及其成因

中国东南部浙江境内分布有大量新生代板内玄武岩，这些玄武岩的分布受到三条北东—南西向的断裂控制，将浙江玄武岩分为西部、中部、东部三个区域。其中，出露于浙江西部江山-绍兴断裂带的建德玄武岩是浙江境内最古老的新生代玄武岩（约40 Ma）。为进一步认识浙江境内新生代岩浆作用的本质，测定了建德玄武岩的元素组成和Sr、Nd、Hf、Pb同位素组成，并在与浙江境内其它新生代玄武岩对比的基础上，探讨它们之间的成因联系。建德玄武岩为碧玄岩，与浙江西部其它新生代玄武岩一样，碱性程度明显高于浙江中部和东部的新生代玄武岩（以弱碱性的碱性橄榄玄武岩和拉斑玄武岩为主）。这些玄武岩具有较低的SiO₂ (41.3~42.3 wt%）和Al₂O₃（9.70~12.6 wt%）含量，较高的MgO（8.90~15.6 wt%）、CaO（8.92~12.1 wt%）、TiO₂（2.78~3.18 wt%）和Fe₂O₃^T（14.1~16.2 wt%）含量以及较高的Ca/Al（1.02~1.16）比值。不相容微量元素组成上与火成碳酸岩具有亲缘性，即蛛网图上表现为明显的K、Zr、Hf、Ti的负异常（Hf/Hf*=0.74~0.77, Ti/Ti*=0.70~0.74），同时具有高的Zr/Hf比值（48.5~50.1），表明其地幔源区含有碳酸盐组分。建德玄武岩具有亏损的Sr-Nd-Hf同位素组成（⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.7032~0.7034, εNd=5.85~5.95, εHf=7.78~8.56）和较高的²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb（18.491~18.554）、²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb（15.488~15.518）和²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb（38.387~38.523）比值。相比浙江中部和东部玄武岩，浙江西部玄武岩及建德玄武岩具有更高的碱含量、不相容微量元素含量、La/Yb比值和更明显的K、Zr、Hf、Ti负异常，表明浙江西部玄武岩是碳酸盐化地幔低程度熔融的产物。浙江新生代玄武岩的Ti/Ti*与Ba/Th、K/La比值之间较好的正相关性表明其源区存在两端元混合的特征。其中，以浙江西部玄武岩（包括建德玄武岩）为代表的地幔端元是由含碳酸盐的再循环洋壳熔融产生的碳酸盐熔体与亏损地幔反应形成的碳酸盐化地幔，以较低的Ba/Th、K/La和Ti/Ti*比值为特征。以浙江东部玄武岩为代表的地幔端元具有和碳酸盐化地幔端元互补的、较高的Ba/Th、K/La和Ti/Ti*比值，代表熔融残余的再循环洋壳。因此，浙江新生代玄武岩的地幔源区是不均一的，这种不均一性主要是由具有成因联系的两种端元组分所控制。     

Experimental Study of Partial Melting of Mantle Peridotite -A Discussion about the Genesis of Sih'ca-rich Fluids (Melts)

Experiments on partial melting of mantle lherzolite have been realized at 0.6 and 1.0 GPa and the chemical compositional variations of melts during different melting stages have been first discussed. The results show that the trends of variations in SiO2, CaO, Al2O3, Na2O and TiO2 are different at different melting stages. The melts produced at lower pressure are richer in SiO2 than those at higher pressure. The mantle-derived silica-rich fluids (silicate melts) are polygenetic, but the basic and intermediate-acid silicate melts in mantle peridotite xenoliths from the same host rocks, which have equivalent contents of volatile and alkali components and different contents of other components, should result from in-situ (low-degree) partial melting of mantle peridotite under different conditions (e.g. at different depths, with introduction of C-O-H fluids or in the presence of metasomatic minerals). The intermediate-acid melts may be the result of partial melting (at lower pressure) Opx + Sp + K-Na-rich f     

Origin of Exceptionally Abundant Phonolites on Ua Pou Island (Marquesas, French Polynesia): Partial Melting of Basanites Followed by Crustal Contamination

On the basis of the first systematic mapping of Ua Pou, longknown for its exceptionally abundant phonolites, we estimatethat these rocks cover 65% of the surface of the island whereasmafic lavas cover 27% and intermediate ones 8%. The silica-undersaturatedsuite was erupted in a restricted time span (2·9–2·35Myr), following the emplacement of tholeiites derived from ayoung HIMU-type source at c. 4 Ma. Primitive basanites, derivedfrom a heterogeneous mantle source with a dominant EM II + HIMUsignature, represent likely parental magmas. The series is characterizedby a Daly gap defined by a lack of phonotephrites. We considerthat the most likely model for the origin of evolved lavas ispartial melting at depth of primitive basanites, leaving anamphibole-rich residuum and producing tephriphonolitic magmas.These tephriphonolitic magmas may have evolved by closed-systemfractional crystallization towards Group A phonolites. Threeother groups of phonolites could have been derived from tephriphonoliticmagmas by open-system fractional crystallization processes,characterized respectively by seawater contamination (GroupB), assimilation of nepheline syenite-type materials (GroupC) and extreme fractionation coupled with assimilation of theunderlying oceanic crust (Group D). The prominence of evolvedlavas is a consequence of their origin from partial meltingof mafic precursors followed by crustal contamination. KEY WORDS: Marquesas; French Polynesia; phonolite; partial melting; contamination     

Compositional Continuity and Discontinuity in the Horoman Peridotite, Japan, and its Implication for Melt Extraction Processes in Partially Molten Upper Mantle

A hypothetical model is proposed to explain the origin of compositionaldiscontinuities in the layering observed in orogenic lherzolites.The observed collinearity of the whole-rock peridotite compositionsis best explained in terms of partial melting and melt segregation.The presence of chemical discontinuities implies that melt segregationincludes an abrupt and discontinuous process. A key conceptin the model is the topological transformation of melt geometryin partially molten rocks responding to the equality and inequalityof the fluid pressure and solid pressure, which may be realizedin a gravitational field. It is emphasized that the percolationthreshold is a critical boundary, beyond which a rapid microstructuralchange occurs in response to the change of local fluid pressure,thus causing a rapid increase of permeability. The model impliesthat the mode of melting is closer to batch melting than tofractional melting in the upper mantle. KEY WORDS: critical phenomenon; partial melting; percolation threshold; Horoman peridotite; melt segregation     

Partial Crystallization of Mid-Ocean Ridge Basalts in the Crust and Mantle

Pressures at which partial crystallization occurs for mid-oceanridge basalts (MORB) have been examined by a new petrologicalmethod that is based on a parameterization of experimental datain the form of projections. Application to a global MORB glassdatabase shows that partial crystallization of olivine + plagioclase+ augite ranges from 1 atm to 1·0 GPa, in good agreementwith previous determinations, and that there are regional variationsthat generally correlate with spreading rate. MORB from fast-spreadingcenters display partial crystallization in the crust at ridgesegment centers and in both mantle and crust at ridge terminations.Fracture zones are likely to be regions where magma chambersare absent and where there is enhanced conductive cooling ofthe lithosphere at depth. MORB from slow-spreading centers displayprominent partial crystallization in the mantle, consistentwith models of enhanced conductive cooling of the lithosphereand the greater abundance of fracture zones through which theypass. In general, magmas that move through cold mantle experiencesome partial crystallization, whereas magmas that pass throughhot mantle may be comparatively unaffected. Estimated pressuresof partial crystallization indicate that the top of the partialmelting region is deeper than about 20–35 km below slow-spreadingcenters and some ridge segment terminations at fast-spreadingcenters. KEY WORDS: MORB; olivine gabbro; partial crystallization; partial melting; ridge segmentation; fracture zones; crust; mantle; lithosphere     

The Significance of Multiple Saturation Points in the Context of Polybaric Near-fractional Melting

Experimental petrologists have successfully located basalticliquid compositions parental to mid-ocean ridge basalt thatare, within experimental resolution, multiply saturated withthree-phase harzburgite or four-phase lherzolite assemblageson their liquidus at some elevated pressure. Such an experimentalresult is a necessary consequence of any paradigm in which eruptedbasalts derive from single-batch primary liquids that equilibratewith a mantle residue and undergo no subsequent magma mixingbefore differentiation and eruption. Here we investigate whether,conversely, such evidence of multiple saturation is sufficientto exclude dynamic melting models wherein increments of meltare mixed after segregation from residues, during melt transportor in magma chambers. Using two independent models of crystal–liquidequilibria to simulate polybaric near-fractional peridotitemelting, we find that aggregate liquids from such melting processescan display near-intersections of liquidus surfaces too closeto distinguish experimentally from exact multiple saturationpoints. Given uncertainties in glass compositions, fractionationcorrections, experimental temperature and pressure conditions,and achievement of equilibrium, these results suggest that polybaricmixtures can in fact masquerade as mantle-equilibrated single-batchprimary liquids. Multiple saturation points on the liquidussurfaces of primitive basalts do, however, preserve informationabout the average pressure of extraction of their constituentincrements of liquid. KEY WORDS: mantle melting; basaltic volcanism; experimental igneous petrology; thermodynamic modelling; inverse method     

Chemical Indicator of Spinel During Partial Melting and Subsolidus Equilibration of Mantle Peridotite:Experimental Study and Application to Natural Rocks

Systematic experimental studies on partial melting and subsolidus equilibration of three reconstituted spinel-peridotites have been carried out at temperatures ranging from 1000 to 1380℃ and pressures of 1.0 and 1.5 GPa. The results shows (1) during partial melting, Mg# [=Mg/(Mg+Fe)]and Cr# [=Cr/(Cr-Al)]of spinel increase with an increase in degrees of melting) (2) during subsolidus equilibration, with increasing temperatures, Mg# of spinel increases but Cr# of spinel remains almost unchanged in dunite and increases slightly in Iherzolite and harzburgite. The negative and quasi-linear Mg# -Cr# correlation of spinel represents an isotherm of total non-equilibrium. The same results have been obtained by means of mathematical modelling. It is also proved by Mg# -Cr# correlation of spinel in natural peridotites. As a result of the spinel subsolidus equilibration, only variation of Cr# of spinel is limited, and then Cr# of spinel can be used to estimate the relative degree of melting undergone by host rocks     

Experimental Investigation on Low-Degree Dehydration Partial Melting of Biotite Gneiss and Phengite-Bearing Eclogite at 2 GPa

The ultrahigh-pressure(UHP) eclogite and gneiss from the Dabie(大别)-Sulu(苏鲁) orogen experienced variable degrees of partial melting during exhumation.We report here dehydration partial melting experiments of biotite gneiss and phengite-bearing eclogite at 2 GPa and 800-950 ℃.Our results show that the partial melting of gneiss is associated with the breakdown of biotite into almandine-rich garnet starting at 900 ℃.About 10% granitic melt can be produced at 950 ℃.In contrast,the partial melting of phengite-bea...     

Partial Melting and Counterclockwise P T Path of Subducted Oceanic Crust (Sierra del Convento Melange, Cuba)

Partial melting of subducted oceanic crust has been identifiedin the Sierra del Convento mélange (Cuba). This serpentinite-matrixmélange contains blocks of mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)-derivedplagioclase-lacking epidote ± garnet amphibolite intimatelyassociated with peraluminous trondhjemitic–tonalitic rocks.Field relations, major element bulk-rock compositions, mineralassemblages, peak metamorphic conditions (c. 750°C, 14–16kbar), experimental evidence, and theoretical phase relationssupport formation of the trondhjemitic–tonalitic rocksby wet melting of subducted amphibolites. Phase relations andmass-balance calculations indicate eutectic- and peritectic-likemelting reactions characterized by large stoichiometric coefficientsof reactant plagioclase and suggest that this phase was completelyconsumed upon melting. The magmatic assemblages of the trondhjemitic–tonaliticmelts, consisting of plagioclase, quartz, epidote, ±paragonite, ± pargasite, and ± kyanite, crystallizedat depth (14–15 kbar). The peraluminous composition ofthe melts is consistent with experimental evidence, explainsthe presence of magmatic paragonite and (relict) kyanite, andplaces important constraints on the interpretation of slab-derivedmagmatic rocks. Calculated P–T conditions indicate counterclockwiseP–T paths during exhumation, when retrograde blueschist-faciesoverprints, composed of combinations of omphacite, glaucophane,actinolite, tremolite, paragonite, lawsonite, albite, (clino)zoisite,chlorite, pumpellyite and phengite, were formed in the amphibolitesand trondhjemites. Partial melting of subducted oceanic crustin eastern Cuba is unique in the Caribbean realm and has importantconsequences for the plate-tectonic interpretation of the region,as it supports a scenario of onset of subduction of a youngoceanic lithosphere during the early Cretaceous (c. 120 Ma).The counterclockwise P–T paths were caused by ensuingexhumation during continued subduction. KEY WORDS: amphibolite; Cuba; exhumation; partial melting; trondhjemite; subduction     

Insights into Petrological Characteristics of the Lithosphere of Mantle Wedge beneath Arcs through Peridotite Xenoliths: a Review

The petrological characteristics of peridotite xenoliths exhumedfrom the lithospheric mantle below the Western Pacific arcs(Kamchatka, NE Japan, SW Japan, Luzon–Taiwan, New Irelandand Vanuatu) are reviewed to obtain an overview of the supra-subductionzone mantle in mature subduction systems. These data are thencompared with those for peridotite xenoliths from recent orolder arcs described in the literature (e.g. New Britain, WesternCanada to USA, Central Mexico, Patagonia, Lesser Antilles andPannonian Basin) to establish a petrological model of the lithosphericmantle beneath the arc. In currently active volcanic arcs, thedegree of partial melting recorded in the peridotites appearsto decrease away from the fore-arc towards the back-arc region.Highly depleted harzburgites, more depleted than abyssal harzburgites,occur only in the frontal arc to fore-arc region. The degreeof depletion increases again to a degree similar to that ofthe most depleted abyssal harzburgites within the back-arc extensionalregion, whether or not a back-arc basin is developed. Metasomatismis most prominent beneath the volcanic front, where the magmaproduction rate is highest; silica enrichment, involving themetasomatic formation of secondary orthopyroxene at the expenseof olivine, is important in this region because of the additionof slab-derived siliceous fluids. Some apparently primary orthopyroxenes,such as those in harzburgites from the Lesser Antilles arc,could possibly be of this secondary paragenesis but have beenrecrystallized such that the replacement texture is lost. TheTi content of hydrous minerals is relatively low in the sub-arclithospheric mantle peridotites. The K/Na ratio of the metasomatichydrous minerals decreases rearward from the fore-arc mantleas well as downward within the lithospheric mantle. The lithosphericmantle wedge peridotites, especially metasomatized ones frombelow the volcanic front, are highly oxidized. Shearing of themantle wedge is expected beneath the volcanic front, and isrepresented by fine-grained peridotite xenoliths. KEY WORDS: mantle wedge; lithospheric mantle; peridotite xenoliths; melting; metasomatism     

Petrogenesis of Tertiary Mafic Alkaline Magmas in the Hocheifel, Germany

Primitive nephelinites and basanites from the Tertiary Hocheifelarea of Germany (part of the Central European Volcanic Province;CEVP) have high Mg-number (>0·64), high Cr and Nicontents and strong light rare earth element enrichment butsystematic depletion in Rb, K and Ba relative to trace elementsof similar compatibility in anhydrous mantle. Alkali basaltsand more differentiated magmatic rocks have lower Mg-numberand lower abundances of Ni and Cr, and have undergone fractionationof mainly olivine, clinopyroxene, Fe–Ti oxide, amphiboleand plagioclase. Some nephelinites and basanites approach theSr–Nd–Pb isotope compositions inferred for the EAR(European Asthenospheric Reservoir) component. The Nd–Sr–Pbisotope composition of the differentiated rocks indicates thatassimilation of lower crustal material has modified the compositionof the primary mantle-derived magmas. Rare earth element meltingmodels can explain the petrogenesis of the most primitive maficmagmatic rocks in terms of mixing of melt fractions from anamphibole-bearing garnet peridotite source with melt fractionsfrom an amphibole-bearing spinel peridotite source, both sourcescontaining residual amphibole. It is inferred that amphibolewas precipitated in the asthenospheric mantle beneath the Hocheifel,close to the garnet peridotite–spinel peridotite boundary,by metasomatic fluids or melts from a rising mantle diapir orplume. Melt generation with amphibole present suggests relativelylow mantle potential temperatures (<1200°C); thus themantle plume is not thermally anomalous. A comparison of recentlypublished Ar/Ar ages for Hocheifel basanites with the geochemicaland isotopic composition of samples from this study collectedat the same sample sites indicates that eruption of earlierlavas with an EM signature was followed by the eruption of laterlavas derived from a source with EAR or HIMU characteristics,suggesting a contribution from the advancing plume. Thus, theHocheifel area represents an analogue for magmatism during continentalrift initiation, during which interaction of a mantle plumewith the overlying lithosphere may have led to the generationof partial melts from both the lower lithosphere and the asthenosphere. KEY WORDS: alkali basalts; continental volcanism; crustal contamination; partial melting; Eifel, Germany     

The Effect of Cr2O3 on the Partial Melting of Spinel Lherzolite in the System CaO-MgO-Al2O3-SiO2-Cr2O3 at 1{middle dot}1 GPa

Chromium as Cr³⁺ substitutes for octahedrally coordinated Alin upper-mantle minerals, thereby reducing the activity of Al₂O₃in the system and hence the concentration of Al₂O₃ in partialmelts. The effect of Cr₂O₃ on melt compositions multiply saturatedwith the spinel lherzolite phase assemblage has been quantifiedin the system CaO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–Cr₂O₃at 1·1 GPa as a function of 100 Cr/(Cr + Al) in the spinel(Cr#_sp). The decrease of Al₂O₃ in the melt with increasing Cr#_spis accompanied by increasing MgO and SiO₂, whereas CaO remainsalmost constant. Consequently, the CaO/Al₂O₃ ratio of the meltincreases with Cr#_sp, and the melt becomes richer in normativediopside, hypersthene and quartz. The effect may explain certainmantle melts with unusually high CaO/Al₂O₃ ratios. The concentrationof Cr₂O₃ in the melt remains low even at high Cr#_sp, which meansthat the strong effect of Cr₂O₃ on partial melting equilibriais not readily apparent from its concentration in the melt itself.The existence of a highly refractory major component such asCr₂O₃ nullifies simplified conclusions from the ‘inverseapproach’ in the experimental study of basalt petrogenesis,as there is insufficient information in the composition of thepartial melt to reconstruct the conditions of melting. KEY WORDS: basalt petrogenesis; partial melting; reversal experiment; spinel lherzolite; system CMAS–Cr₂O₃; CaO/Al₂O₃ of melt; effect of Cr₂O₃