Deep structure and lithospheric shear faults in the East Kunlun-Qiangtang region,northern Tibetan Plateau

The Cenozoic magmatic rocks of shoshonitic series in the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau include potassic alkaline plutonic rocks, volcanic rocks, lamprophyres and acidic porphyries. Analytical results show that these different lithological rocks are extremely similar in Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions with the range of 0.705 187– 0.707 254 for⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, 0.512 305–0.512 630 for¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, 18.53–18.97 for²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, 15.51–15.72 for²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb and 38.38–39.24 for²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb. They are isotopically similar to the EMII end-member. This indicates that mantle metasomatism must have taken place in their source region. The formation of these particular rocks is related to crustal thinning and mantle upwelling in a large-scale strike-slip and pull-apart fault zone at about 40 Ma in northern and eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau     

Late Cenozoic alkaline volcanism in the northwestern Caribbean: tectonic setting and Sr isotopic characteristics

A province of alkaline volcanism has developed over the last 10 m.y. in the northwestern part of the Caribbean plate. Most of the volcanism is Quaternary in age and follows an apparent halving of the spreading rate at the Cayman Rise spreading center 2.4 m.y. ago. Intraplate deformation in Central America and the Nicaraguan Rise has produced a series of north-south orientated grabens. This extensional tectonism is associated temporally and spatially with some of the alkaline magmatism. Strontium isotopic ratios of rocks from sixteen of these centers of volcanism enable three separate areas with different isotopic characteristics to be identified. The largest area corresponds to the Nicaraguan Rise and is characterized by low⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.7026–0.7031). A more concentrated area of alkaline magmatism in northeastern Costa Rica has intermediate⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.7036–0.7038) which are within the range shown by the adjacent calc-alkaline volcanoes. In central Hispaniola high⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios (0.7047–0.7063) are found in strongly alkalic rocks and in rocks that are transitional to calc-alkaline in nature. In both Costa Rica and Hispaniola the increased radiogenic strontium may have come from volatile-rich fluids escaping from adjacent subducting slabs of oceanic crust. The isotopic differences between the two areas may be related to the relative longevity and high rate of subduction in Costa Rica compared to Hispaniola. The Costa Rican alkaline rocks overlie a segment of the Cocos plate which is being subducted at a smaller angle (～ 35°) than at the rest of the Central American arc.     

Domains and enrichment mechanism of the lithospheric mantle in western Yunnan: A comparative study on two types of Cenozoic ultrapotassic rocks

West Yunnan is made of the Yangtze Craton, theSouth China Block, the Indochina Block and severalother micro-terranes formed at different times. It iscross-cut by the NW-SE-trending Ailao Shan-RedRiver (ASRR) fault, which runs over 1000 km fromthe eastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,through Vietnam and to the North Gulf (fig. 1). TheASRR fault is an important geological and topog-raphic boundary in East Asia. The sinistral movementof the Indochina Block along this fault ev…     

Oxygen isotopic compositions of Central Andean plutonic and volcanic rocks,latitudes 26°–29° south

Oxygen isotope data are reported for 27 igneous rocks of Mesozoic to Quaternary age from the Central Andes. 26–29°S. The plutonic rocks, and most of the volcanics, have δ¹⁸O values between 6.2 and 8.3‰.The whole-rock δ¹⁸O values show a weak correlation with initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr data. This O-Sr array differs from documented trends for calc-alkaline plutonic suites from California, Scotland and northern Italy, but overlaps with data for volcanic and plutonic rocks from Ecuador, northern Chile and southern Perú.The oxygen isotope results indicate that the magmas evolved without significant contamination from supracrustal rocks (e.g., rocks that experienced¹⁸O enrichment during surficial weathering). The available O, Sr and Pb isotopic data for these rocks are best explained by magma generation in the upper mantle or lower crust. From the Late Mesozoic on, the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values were modified at depth by isotopic exchange between the magma and a continually thickening crust of plutonic rocks of Late Precambrian to early Mesozoic age.     

87Sr/86Sr ratios in hydrothermal waters and deposits from the East Pacific Rise at 21°N

⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of three hydrothermal waters collected on the East Pacific Rise at 21°N define a mixing line between seawater and a hydrothermal end-member at 0.7030 which is derived by seawater-basalt interaction at ca. 350°C and water/rock ratio of about 1.5. Sr concentrations are not affected in the process while Mg uptake from seawater is almost complete. Up to2/3 of this hydrothermal component is involved in anhydrite precipitation while the Sr isotopic ratio in sulfides (chalcopyrite + sphalerite) cannot be distinguished from that of sulfate. It is estimated that ca. 1 × 10¹⁰ moles of strontium are yearly cycled in the hydrothermal systems of mid-oceanic ridges, thereby affecting the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr budget of seawater. Mass balance between river runoff, limestone precipitation and ridge basalt alteration suggests that the⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the river runoff are in the range 0.7097–0.7113, and are largely dominated by limestone alteration.     

Age and generation of Fogang granite batholith and Wushi diorite-hornblende gabbro body

Fogang granitic batholith, the largest Late Mesozoic batholith in the Nanling region, has an exposure area of ca. 6000 km2. Wushi diorite-hornblende gabbro body is situated at the northeast part of the ba- tholith. Both the granitic batholith main body and the diorite-hornblende gabbro body belong to high-K calc alkaline series. Compared with the granitic main body, the Wushi body has lower Si (49%―55%), higher Fe, Mg, Ca, lower REE, less depletion of Eu, Ba, P, Ti, and obvious depletion of Zr, Hf. Zircon LA-ICP-MS dating and the mineral-whole rock isochron dating reveal that Fogang granitic main body and Wushi body were generated simultaneously at ca. 160 Ma. The Fogang granitic main body has high (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios (0.70871―0.71570) and low εNd(t) values (?5.11―?8.93), suggesting the origins of the granitic rocks from crustal materials. Their Nd two-stage model ages range from 1.37―1.68 Ga. The Sr and Nd isotopic compositions and the Nd model ages of the granitic rocks may suggest that the giant Fogang granitic main body was generated from a heterogeneous source, with participation of mantle component. Wushi diorite-hornblende gabbro is an unusual intermediate-basic magmatic rock series, with high (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios (0.71256―0.71318) and low εNd(t) values (?7.32―?7.92), which was possibly formed through mixing between the mantle-derived juvenile basaltic magma and the magma produced by the dehydration melting of lower crustal basaltic rocks.     

Source area and seasonal 87Sr/86Sr variations in rivers of the Amazon basin

We report the results of a detailed study of dissolved Sr isotopes in the Solimões and Beni‐Madeira Rivers of the Amazon basin. This study developed data collected over 8 years indicating large spatial and temporal variations in dissolved Sr isotopes among the rivers of the Amazon basin. The large ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr variations were found to be correlated with the geology of the source areas of the suspended sediments. The Beni‐Madeira River displays a high average ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio and large ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr fluctuations during the hydrological cycle. This large average value and fluctuations were related to the presence of Precambrian rocks and Ordovician sediments in the source area of the suspended sediment of the river. In contrast, the Solimões River displays a narrow range of Sr isotope ratio variations and an average value close to 0.709. This river drains mostly Phanerozoic rocks of northern Peru and Ecuador that are characterized by low Sr isotope ratios. The isotopic fluctuations in the Beni‐Madeira River were observed to propagate downstream at least as far as Óbidos. This signal is characterized by an inverse relationship between the concentration of elemental Sr and its isotopic ratios. We further demonstrate that the Sr isotopic composition and content in the Beni‐Madeira River is controlled by suspended sediments derived from the Andes. Despite draining areas underlain by Precambrian rocks and having high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios, such rivers as the Negro and Tapajós play a minor role in the total Sr budget of the Amazon basin. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Heterogeneous initial Sr isotope compositions of highly evolved volcanic rocks from the Main Ethiopian Rift,Ethiopia

Many individual mineral Sr isotope studies have revealed the complex evolution of highly evolved rocks in upper crustal magmatic systems, casting doubts on the meaning of whole-rock Sr isotopes in such samples. In this paper, whole-rock Sr isotope measurements were replicated (three to 13 times) on six highly evolved peralkaline rhyolites from the Main Ethiopian Rift (MER) to appraise their internal heterogeneity and, thus, the significance of such data. These rocks were all fresh samples of pumice, obsidian and lava. Their maximum Sr contents and ages were 15 μg/g and 1.7 Ma, respectively. Significant small-scale heterogeneities of both Sr isotopes and Rb and Sr contents were observed in most samples, although not necessarily associated with petrological characteristics suggesting possible inheritance processes. Only two, almost crystal-free, obsidian give fairly homogeneous Sr isotope ratios. These results outline the ambiguity of a single whole-rock Sr isotope determination on highly evolved peralkaline rocks, especially when no simultaneous accurate determination of the Rb/Sr is performed. They also suggest that the limitations of Sr whole-rock analyses are not restricted to phenocryst-rich samples as phenocryst-poor obsidian and almost aphyric pumices and lava are also concerned. These data further underscore that unreplicated whole-rock Sr isotope measurements should always be used with great caution in the petrogenetic modeling of highly evolved rocks. However, multiple determinations of whole rock ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr in the same samples, combined with other geochemical and isotopic data, may provide constraints on the shallow level evolution of these magmas. It is suggested that selective upper crustal contamination and/or interactions with halogen-bearing hydrous fluids, typical of evolved peralkaline magmas, were probably involved in the late magmatic evolution of these MER rhyolites. The more pervasive character of fluid interaction processes would probably better account for the small-scale association of uncontaminated and contaminated signatures in a single sample. Thus, even fresh samples may have their Rb–Sr isotopic system significantly modified by fluid interactions, not as a secondary process but at the late magmatic stage.     

Weathering,Sr fluxes,and controls on water chemistry in the Lake Qinghai catchment,NE Tibetan Plateau

Strontium (Sr) concentrations and isotopic ratios have been measured in a series of water and rock samples from most of the major tributaries of the Lake Qinghai basin on the north‐eastern Tibetan Plateau. Dissolved Sr and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr show ranges of 488–12 240 nmol/l and 0·710497–0·716977, respectively. These data, together with measurements of major cations and anions in rivers and their tributaries and various lithologies of the catchment, were used to determine the contributions of Sr and its isotopic expense to rivers and lakes. Our results demonstrate that the chemical components and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of the alkaline waters are derived from mixing of carbonate and silicate sources, with the former contributing 72 ± 18% dissolved Sr to rivers. The difference in tributary compositions stems from the lithology of different river systems and low weathering intensity under a semi‐arid condition. Variation in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios places constraint on the Sr‐isotopic compositions of the main tributaries surrounding Lake Qinghai. The water chemistry of the Buha River, the largest river within the catchment underlain by the late Paleozoic marine limestone and sandstones, dominates Sr isotopic composition of the lake water, being buffered by the waters from the other rivers and probably by groundwater. However, the characteristic chemical composition of the lake itself differs remarkably from the rivers, which can be attributed to precipitation of authigenic carbonates (low‐magnesium calcite, aragonite, and dolomite), though this does not impact the Sr isotope signature, which may remain a faithful indicator in paleo‐records. Regarding the potential role of groundwater input within the Lake Qinghai systems in the water budget and water chemistry, we have also determined the Sr concentration and ⁸⁷Sr/^S6Sr ratio of groundwater from diverse environments. This has allowed us to further constrain the Sr isotope systematic of this source. A steady‐state calculation gives an estimate for the groundwater flux of 0·19 ± 0·03 × 10⁸ m³/yr, accounting for about 8% of contemporary lake Sr budget. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Compositional characteristics and geodynamic significance of late Miocene volcanic rocks associated with the Chah Zard epithermal gold–silver deposit,southwest Yazd,Iran

Whole‐rock geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopic data are presented for late Miocene volcanic rocks associated with the Chah Zard epithermal Au–Ag deposit in the Urumieh‐Dokhtar Magmatic Arc (UDMA), Iran, to investigate the magma source, petrogenesis and the geodynamic evolution of the study area. The Chah Zard andesitic to rhyolitic volcanic rocks are characterized by significant Large Ion Lithophile Element (LILE) and Light Rare Earth Element (LREE) enrichment coupled with High Field Strength Element (HFSE) depletion. Our geochemical data indicate an adakitic‐like signature for the volcanic rocks (e.g. SiO₂ > 62 wt%, Al₂O₃ > 15 wt%, MgO < 1.5 wt%, Sr/Y > 70, La/Yb > 35, Yb < 1 ppm, and Y < 18 ppm, and no significant Eu anomalies), distinguishing them from the other volcanic rocks of the UDMA. The Chah Zard volcanic rocks have similar Sr and Nd isotopic compositions; the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr(i) ratios range from 0.704 902 to 0.705 093 and the ε_Nd(i) values are from +2.33 to +2.70. However, the rhyolite porphyry represents the final stage of magmatism in the area and has a relatively high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio (0.705 811). Our data suggest that the andesitic magmas are from a heterogeneous source and likely to result from partial melting of a metasomatized mantle wedge associated with a mixture of subducted oceanic crust and sediment. These melts subsequently underwent fractional crystallization along with minor amounts of crustal assimilation. Our study is consistent with the model that the volcanic host rocks to epithermal gold mineralization in the UDMA are genetically related to late Miocene Neo‐Tethyan slab break‐off beneath Central Iran.     

Geochemistry of high-Mg andesites from the early Cretaceous Yixian Formation, western Liaoning: Implications for lower crustal delamination and Sr/Y variations

The Yixian Formation at Sihetun in western Liao- ning Province has attracted considerable attention over the last two decades due to discovery of a wide range of well-preserved ‘feathered’ dinosaurs and primitive bird fossils[1―4]. This formation is dominated by vol- canic rocks, with fossil-bearing lacustrine sedimentary rocks at the upper part of the section[4]. The sedimen- tary rocks contain thin layers of tuff. According to previous studies[4], the total thickness of the Yixian Form…     

Characteristics of the mantle source region of sodium lamprophyres and petrogenetic tectonic setting in northeastern Hunan,China

~~Characteristics of the mantle source region of sodium lamprophyres and petrogenetic tectonic setting in northeastern Hunan,China~~     

Sr and Nd isotope composition of the metamorphic,sedimentary and ultramafic xenoliths of Lanzarote (Canary Islands): Implications for magma sources

The lavas produced by the Timanfaya eruption of 1730–1736 (Lanzarote, Canary Islands) contain a great many sedimentary and metamorphic (metasedimentary), and mafic and ultramafic plutonic xenoliths. Among the metamorphosed carbonate rocks (calc-silicate rocks [CSRs]) are monomineral rocks with forsterite or wollastonite, as well as rocks containing olivine ± orthopyroxene ± clinopyroxene ± plagioclase; their mineralogical compositions are identical to those of the mafic (gabbros) and ultramafic (dunite, wherlite and lherzolite) xenoliths. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (around 0.703) and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (around 0.512) isotope ratios of the ultramafic and metasedimentary xenoliths are similar, while the ¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios show crustal values (0.13–0.16) in the ultramafic xenoliths and mantle values (0.18–0.25) in some CSRs. The apparent isotopic anomaly of the metamorphic xenoliths can be explained in terms of the heat source (basaltic intrusion) inducing strong isotopic exchange (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd) between metasedimentary and basaltic rocks. Petrofabric analysis also showed a possible relationship between the ultramafic and metamorphic xenoliths.     

Geochemical evidence for non-marine depositional environment of foraminiferal fossils from the Nihewan Basin, China

From the first finding in 1970s, the findings of foraminiferal fossil assemblages in inland basins have been reported from time to time, especially in recent years. The debates on the depositional environment of foraminiferal fossils have become the hot spot of researches again in China. Based on the researches of trace element geochemistry and electron scanning microscope of shells of Quaternary foraminiferal fossils from the Xiaodukou section in the inland Nihewan basin, the original ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and other geochemical information of shells were believed to be preserved well and could be used to rebuild the geochemistry of contemporary waters where foraminifera deposited, although there existed some effects of burial diagenesis on the geochemistry of shells to a certain extent. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of well-preserved Xiaodukou foraminiferal shells were measured, giving a range of 0.711190±25–0.712018±14, apparently higher than the value of contemporary seawater (0.709087–0.709147) and similar to that of the Sanggan River, proving that it represented the value of the ancient lacustrine water. The hyperbolic mixing models of ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr-palaeosalinity and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr-Sr/Ca indicated that the contemporary waters where Xiaodukou foraminifera inhabited was an inland lake and there was no seawater input to the depositional environment.     

Large and superlarge silver deposits associated with volcanic rocks in China

This paper deals with the geology and geochemistry of the Gacun and Laochang large-sized marine volcanic rock-type Ag deposits in the Sanjiang (Tri-River) area of southwestern China and of the continental volcanic-subvolcanic rock-type Ag deposits in the Tianshan area of Xinjiang, and in the East area, China. It is considered that the marine volcanic rock-type Ag deposits occur mainly in the second-ordered volcano-sedimentary basins developed in island-arc and rift tectonic environments. The Ag deposits show an obvious zonation, with vein-network mineralization in the lower parts and hot water sedimentary rock-hosted stratified mineralization in the upper parts. From the Earth’s surface downwards the ore-forming elements follows the order of As(Au)) →Ag, Pb, Zn→Cu. The whole rock Rb-Sr isotopic isochron age of layered orebodies in the Gacun deposit is 204±14 Ma, indicating that the main stage of mineralization is Late Triassic in age. The continental volcanic-subvolcanic (porphyry) rock-type Ag deposits were formed later than the country rocks. The ores exhibit disseminated, veinlet disseminated, network and lumped structures. In addition, this study also deals with the geochemical characteristics of the continental volcanic-subvolcanic rock-type Ag deposits and the relations between Ag deposits or silver itself and fluorite, halogen-family elements and manganese.     

Strontium,lead and oxygen isotopic investigation of the Skaergard intrusion,East Greenland

New Pb, Sr and O isotopic analyses of rocks from the Skaergard intrusion indicate the following: (1) initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of the gabbroic magma was less than or equal to 0.7041; (2) limited contamination of magma with crustal Sr and Pb may have occurred in a deep reservoir below the presently exposed parts of the intrusion; (3) marked crustal contamination occurred at high level in marginal border group rocks, but these rocks effectively shielded the main magma body from further interaction with country rock gneisses; (4) subsolidus interaction between Skaergard gabbros and hydrothermal fluids modified δ¹⁸O values but had little effect on Sr and perhaps Pb isotopic ratios; (5) late-stage melanogranophyres may be comagmatic with the Skaergard magma, but silicic granophyres are not; (6) silicic granophyres contain large and varied proportions of crustal Sr and Pb; some may be largely anatectic melts derived from the deep crust whereas others may represent mixing of such anatectic melts with late-stage differentiated liquids of the Skaergard intrusion (e.g. Sydtoppen sill).     

Petrogenesis of the Mesozoic intrusive rocks in the Tongling area,Anhui Province,China and their constraint on geodynamic process

TheTonglingarea,whichiscalledtheChineseCopperCapital,isoneofthemostimportantnon-ferrousmetalproducersinChina(e.g.Cu,AuandAg,especiallyCu).ManyresearchershavenotedthatthemetaldepositsarecloselyrelatedtotheMesozoicintrusiverocksinthisarea.Therefore,theTongl…     

Sr fluxes and isotopic compositions of the eleven rivers originating from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and their contributions to <Superscript>87</Superscript>Sr/<Superscript>86</Superscript>Sr evolution of seawater

To evaluate influence of chemical weathering of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP) on seawater ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr variation, river water and sediment samples were collected, and their Sr concentrations and isotopic compositions analyzed, from the seven large rivers that originated from the QTP. By combining these with the data of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, Indus and Irrawaddy originated in the southern QTP, the total Sr flux of the eleven rivers reaches 3.47×10⁹ mol·a⁻¹, which accounts for 10.2% of the total Sr flux transported by the global rivers. The weighted mean ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr is 0.71694, higher than the average value of the global rivers. The ⁸⁷Sr_ex (⁸⁷Sr flux in excess of the seawater ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio) of the Chinese seven rivers is 1.55×10⁶ mol·a⁻¹, only accounting for about 6% of the value of the eleven rivers originated from QTP, and the Ganges-Brahmaputra system accounts for 86%. We assume that the QTP rivers have no strontium contributions to the oceans before ∼40 Ma and the Sr fluxes of the global rivers, except the QTP eleven rivers, are constant, then a maximum linear increase in Sr fluxes of the QTP rivers from zero to the modern value in response to tectonic uplift can explain ∼69% increase of seawater ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr over the past ∼40 Ma and the remainder of 31% is perhaps provided from other factors. Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40473009, 40331001, 40873001)     

Oxygen isotopes and the origin of high-87Sr/86Sr andesites

Andesites from the Peruvian Andes and the Banda arc of Indonesia are characterized by unusually high and variable ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios. The Banda arc samples, including two cordierite-bearing lavas from Ambon, show a clear positive correlation between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and δ¹⁸O. The andesitic rocks have δ¹⁸O values that range from 5.6 to 9.2‰. Over that range in δ¹⁸O, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr increases from 0.7044 to 0.7095. The cordierite-bearing lavas have δ¹⁸O values of approximately 15‰ and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of approximately 0.717. The similarity between δ¹⁸O values and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios in total rocks and separated plagioclase phenocrysts of the Banda arc samples indicates that the measured isotope ratios are primary and have not been affected by secondary, low-temperature post-eruptive alteration. The observed variation between O and Sr isotopic ratios can be modeled by two-component mixing in which one component is of mantle isotopic composition. As the crust beneath the Banda arc is probably oceanic, contamination of the manle component may have resulted from the subduction of either continentally-derived sediments or continental crust. Mixing calculations indicate that the contaminant could have an isotopic composition similar to that observed in the cordierite-bearing lavas.The Andean samples, despite petrographic evidence of freshness, exhibit whole-rock δ¹⁸O values significantly higher than those of corresponding plagioclase phenocryst separates, indicating extensive low-temperature post-eruptive alteration. The plagioclase mineral separates show a range of δ¹⁸O values between 6.9 and 7.9‰. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of these same samples are, in most instances, not significantly different from those measured for the whole rock, thus signifying that the phenocrysts and groundmass were in isotopic equilibrium at the time of eruption. Unlike the lavas of the Banda arc, the Andean lavas show no strong positive correlation between ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios and δ¹⁸O values, but instead lower ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios appear to be associated with higher δ¹⁸O values. The δ¹⁸O and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values of the Peruvian samples are both slightly higher than those of “normal” island arc volcanics.The small proportions of contaminant implied by the O isotope results seem to preclude continental crustal contamination as a primary cause of high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios. The most plausible process that can explain both O and Sr isotope results is one in which sediments of continental origin are partially melted in the subduction zone. These melts rise into overlying mantle material and subsequently participate in the formation of calc-alkaline magmas.If the involvement of a sialic component in the genesis of andesitic magma occurs in the subduction zone, melting of that sialic material signifies temperatures of at least 750–800°C at the top of the subducted lithospheric slab at depths of approximately 150 km. The fact that contamination has apparently occurred in the Banda arc samples without producing any simple widespread correlations between Sr and O isotopic compositions on the one hand and major or trace element abundances on the other, shows that isotopic correlations, possibly including pseudo-isochrons, can be produced by mixing without producing trace element mixing correlations. Because O versus Sr isotope correlations are little affected by processes of partial melting of differentiation, they provide a direct means of testing whether Sr isotopic variations in volcanic rocks are of mantle origin or are due instead to mixing with sialic material.     

Rb-Sr isotope geochemistry of lherzolites and their constituent minerals from Victoria,Australia

Major element data and Rb, Sr and⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr analyses for seven spinel lherzolite xenoliths and their Recent host basalt from Victoria, Australia, are presented. The exotic nature of the xenoliths is indicated by a wide spread in⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values (0.7035–0.7076) compared with the basalt (0.7041). Five of the lherzolites provide evidence of a thermal event in the mantle 650 m.y. ago. Equilibration temperatures calculated from the compositions of the lherzolite phases (ca. 1050°C) apparently relate to this event. Estimates of the local geothermal gradient suggest temperatures of less than 700°C in the source region before eruption of the lherzolites.Isotopic analyses of the lherzolite minerals show that orthopyroxene contains more radiogenic Sr than coexisting olivine and clinopyroxene in three of the xenoliths. The⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr relationships between clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene suggest that internal isotopic disequilibrium has existed in the source region for up to 550 m.y.