Hydrothermal Mn-deposits of the Franciscan Assemblage,II. Isotope and trace element geochemistry,and implications for hydrothermal convection at spreading centers

Major element, trace element and Sr, Nd, Pb and O isotopic data for a Franciscan Mn-deposit suggest an origin by seafloor hydrothermal circulation. Based onQ-mode factor analysis the cherts and Mn-lenses of the Blue Jay mine formed from a combination of 4 components representing 1 biogenic, 1 hydrothermal, and 2 detrital sources. RbSr, UThPb and O isotopic systematics in the Mn-lenses were affected by input from the hydrothermal circulation of material leached from the underlying basalts. Nd isotopic compositions in both cherts and Mn-lenses are identical and within the range measured for Pacific Ocean water suggesting the REE were not mobilized by hydrothermal activity. Correlation of δ¹⁸O with SiO₂ and MnO₂ in the Mn-lenses implies the lenses formed by simple mixing of hydrothermally derived Mn-oxides with seawater and biogenic silica. δ¹⁸O of the cherts is both uniform and depleted relative to DSDP Jurassic cherts but similar to microquartz-bearing cherts of the Monterey Formation: this suggests that diagenetic activity exerted more control on oxygen isotope compositions then hydrothermal alteration or metamorphism. Finally, a well defined RbSr isochron of158 ± 5Myr was obtained for these cherts and opens the possibility of determining absolute radiometric ages for similar cherts throughout the geologic record.