Lithospheric Mantle Evolution beneath the Eifel (Germany): Constraints from Sr-Nd-Pb Isotopes and Trace Element Abundances in Spinel Peridotite and Pyroxenite Xenoliths

The Pb isotope compositions of amphiboles and clinopyroxenesin spinel peridotite and pyroxenite mantle xenoliths from theintra-plate Quaternary volcanic fields of the Eifel province(Germany) are strongly correlated with their Sr–Nd isotopeand trace element compositions. High-temperature anhydrous xenolithsfrom a depth of around 60 km have trace element and Sr–Nd–Pbisotope compositions similar to the depleted source of mid-oceanridge basalts (Depleted MORB Mantle, DMM). Amphibole-bearingxenoliths from shallower depths (<45 km) provide evidencefor three temporally distinct episodes of mantle metasomatismin the subcontinental lithosphere: (1) aqueous fluids from anisotopically enriched (EM-like) mantle reservoir caused amphiboleformation during deformation in the shallow continental lithosphericmantle and may be subduction related, probably associated withthe last major tectonic event that influenced the area (Hercynianorogeny). (2) During a second phase of mantle metasomatism theEM-like lithospheric mantle was affected by melts from an ancient,HIMU-like (high time-integrated µ = ²³⁸U/²⁰⁴Pb) mantlesource. The HIMU-like component introduced by these fluids hada much more radiogenic Pb isotope composition than the asthenosphericsource of the widespread Cenozoic magmatism in Europe and maybe linked to reactivation of ancient subducted crustal domainsduring the Hercynian orogeny or to early Cretaceous deep-sourcedmantle plumes. (3) During a brief final stage the heterogeneouslyenriched EM–HIMU subcontinental lithosphere was locallymodified by basaltic melts migrating along fractures and veinsthrough the upper mantle as a consequence of the Cenozoic Eifelvolcanism. Although a DMM component is completely lacking inthe metasomatic fluids of the metasomatic episodes 1 and 2,the vein melts of episode 3 and the Cenozoic Eifel lavas requiremantle sources containing three end-member components (DMM–HIMU–EM).Thus, mobilization of the more depleted mantle material occurredat the earliest in the Tertiary, contemporaneously with thedevelopment of the extensive rift system and main melt generationin Europe. Alternatively, the variety of Sr–Nd–Pbisotope signatures of the metasomatic agents may have been producedby melting of isotopically distinct mantle domains in a heterogeneousuprising mantle plume. KEY WORDS: Eifel; Europe; mantle xenoliths; metasomatism; Pb isotopes     

Ultramafic Xenoliths from the Bearpaw Mountains, Montana, USA: Evidence for Multiple Metasomatic Events in the Lithospheric Mantle beneath the Wyoming Craton

Ultramafic xenoliths in Eocene minettes of the Bearpaw Mountainsvolcanic field (Montana, USA), derived from the lower lithosphereof the Wyoming craton, can be divided based on textural criteriainto tectonite and cumulate groups. The tectonites consist ofstrongly depleted spinel lherzolites, harzburgites and dunites.Although their mineralogical compositions are generally similarto those of spinel peridotites in off-craton settings, somecontain pyroxenes and spinels that have unusually low Al₂O₃contents more akin to those found in cratonic spinel peridotites.Furthermore, the tectonite peridotites have whole-rock majorelement compositions that tend to be significantly more depletedthan non-cratonic mantle spinel peridotites (high MgO, low CaO,Al₂O₃ and TiO₂) and resemble those of cratonic mantle. Thesecompositions could have been generated by up to 30% partialmelting of an undepleted mantle source. Petrographic evidencesuggests that the mantle beneath the Wyoming craton was re-enrichedin three ways: (1) by silicate melts that formed mica websteriteand clinopyroxenite veins; (2) by growth of phlogopite fromK-rich hydrous fluids; (3) by interaction with aqueous fluidsto form orthopyroxene porphyroblasts and orthopyroxenite veins.In contrast to their depleted major element compositions, thetectonite peridotites are mostly light rare earth element (LREE)-enrichedand show enrichment in fluid-mobile elements such as Cs, Rb,U and Pb on mantle-normalized diagrams. Lack of enrichment inhigh field strength elements (HFSE; e.g. Nb, Ta, Zr and Hf)suggests that the tectonite peridotites have been metasomatizedby a subduction-related fluid. Clinopyroxenes from the tectoniteperidotites have distinct U-shaped REE patterns with strongLREE enrichment. They have ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd values that range from0·5121 (close to the host minette values) to 0·5107,similar to those of xenoliths from the nearby Highwood Mountains.Foliated mica websterites also have low ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd values (0·5113)and extremely high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios in their constituent phlogopite,indicating an ancient (probably mid-Proterozoic) enrichment.This enriched mantle lithosphere later contributed to the formationof the high-K Eocene host magmas. The cumulate group rangesfrom clinopyroxene-rich mica peridotites (including abundantmica wehrlites) to mica clinopyroxenites. Most contain >30%phlogopite. Their mineral compositions are similar to thoseof phenocrysts in the host minettes. Their whole-rock compositionsare generally poorer in MgO but richer in incompatible traceelements than those of the tectonite peridotites. Whole-rocktrace element patterns are enriched in large ion lithophileelements (LILE; Rb, Cs, U and Pb) and depleted in HFSE (Nb,Ta Zr and Hf) as in the host minettes, and their Sr–Ndisotopic compositions are also identical to those of the minettes.Their clinopyroxenes are LREE-enriched and formed in equilibriumwith a LREE-enriched melt closely resembling the minettes. Thecumulates therefore represent a much younger magmatic event,related to crystallization at mantle depths of minette magmasin Eocene times, that caused further metasomatic enrichmentof the lithosphere. KEY WORDS: ultramafic xenoliths; Montana; Wyoming craton; metasomatism; cumulates; minette     

The Evolution of the Upper Mantle beneath the Canary Islands: Information from Trace Elements and Sr isotope Ratios in Minerals in Mantle Xenoliths

Laser ablation microprobe data are presented for olivine, orthopyroxeneand clinopyroxene in spinel harzburgite and lherzolite xenolithsfrom La Palma, Hierro, and Lanzarote, and new whole-rock trace-elementdata for xenoliths from Hierro and Lanzarote. The xenolithsshow evidence of strong major, trace element and Sr isotopedepletion (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr 0·7027 in clinopyroxene in themost refractory harzburgites) overprinted by metasomatism. Thelow Sr isotope ratios are not compatible with the former suggestionof a mantle plume in the area during opening of the AtlanticOcean. Estimates suggest that the composition of the originaloceanic lithospheric mantle beneath the Canary Islands correspondsto the residues after 25–30% fractional melting of primordialmantle material; it is thus significantly more refractory than‘normal’ mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB) mantle. Thetrace element compositions and Sr isotopic ratios of the mineralsleast affected by metasomatization indicate that the upper mantlebeneath the Canary Islands originally formed as highly refractoryoceanic lithosphere during the opening of the Atlantic Oceanin the area. During the Canarian intraplate event the uppermantle was metasomatized; the metasomatic processes includecryptic metasomatism, resetting of the Sr–Nd isotopicratios to values within the range of Canary Islands basalts,formation of minor amounts of phlogopite, and melt–wall-rockreactions. The upper mantle beneath Tenerife and La Palma isstrongly metasomatized by carbonatitic or carbonaceous meltshighly enriched in light rare earth elements (REE) relativeto heavy REE, and depleted in Zr–Hf and Ti relative toREE. In the lithospheric mantle beneath Hierro and Lanzarote,metasomatism has been relatively weak, and appears to be causedby high-Si melts producing concave-upwards trace element patternsin clinopyroxene with weak negative Zr and Ti anomalies. Ti–Al–Fe-richharzburgites/lherzolites, dunites, wehrlites and clinopyroxenitesformed from mildly alkaline basaltic melts (similar to thosethat dominate the exposed parts of the islands), and appearto be mainly restricted to magma conduits; the alkali basaltmelts have caused only local metasomatism in the mantle wall-rocksof such conduits. The various metasomatic fluids formed as theresults of immiscible separations, melt–wall-rock reactionsand chromatographic fractionation either from a CO₂-rich basalticprimary melt, or, alternatively, from a basaltic and a siliceouscarbonatite or carbonaceous silicate melt. KEY WORDS: mantle xenoliths; mantle minerals; trace elements; depletion; carbonatite metasomatism     

Petrology and Geochemistry of Eclogite Xenoliths from the Colorado Plateau: Implications for the Evolution of Subducted Oceanic Crust

Eclogite xenoliths from the Colorado Plateau, interpreted asfragments of the subducted Farallon plate, are used to constrainthe trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositionsof oceanic crust subducted into the upper mantle. The xenolithsconsist of almandine-rich garnet, Na-clinopyroxene, lawsoniteand zoisite with minor amounts of phengite, rutile, pyrite andzircon. They have essentially basaltic bulk-rock major elementcompositions; their Na₂O contents are significantly elevated,but K₂O contents are similar to those of unaltered mid-oceanridge basalt (MORB). These alkali element characteristics areexplained by spilitization or albitization processes on thesea floor and during subduction-zone metasomatism in the fore-arcregion. The whole-rock trace element abundances of the xenolithsare variable relative to sea-floor-altered MORB, except forthe restricted Zr/Hf ratios (36·9–37·6).Whole-rock mass balances for two Colorado Plateau eclogite xenolithsare examined for 22 trace elements, Rb, Cs, Sr, Ba, Y, rareearth elements, Pb, Th and U. Mass balance considerations andmineralogical observations indicate that the whole-rock chemistriesof the xenoliths were modified by near-surface processes afteremplacement and limited interaction with their host rock, aserpentinized ultramafic microbreccia. To avoid these secondaryeffects, the Sr, Nd and Pb isotopic compositions of mineralsseparated from the xenoliths were measured, yielding 0·70453–0·70590for ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, –3·1 to 0·5 for Nd and 18·928–19·063for ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb. These isotopic compositions are distinctlymore radiogenic for Sr and Pb and less radiogenic for Nd thanthose of altered MORB. Our results suggest that the MORB-likeprotolith of the xenoliths was metasomatized by a fluid equilibratedwith sediment in the fore-arc region of a subduction zone andthat this metasomatic fluid produced continental crust-likeisotopic compositions of the xenoliths. KEY WORDS: Colorado Plateau; eclogite xenolith; geochemistry; subducted oceanic crust     

The Geochemistry of the Arabian Lithospheric Mantle--a Source for Intraplate Volcanism?

We present trace element and Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotopecompositions for clinopyroxenes from anhydrous spinel peridotiteand garnet ± spinel pyroxenite xenoliths of Pan-Africanlithospheric mantle from Jordan, including the first high-precisiondouble-spike Pb isotope measurements of mantle clinopyroxene.Clinopyroxenes from the peridotites are variably Th–U–LILE–LREEenriched and display prominent negative Nb, Zr and Ti anomalies.MREE–HREE abundances can generally be modelled as partialmelting residues of spinel lherzolite with primitive-mantle-likecomposition after extraction of 5–10% melt, whereas theenrichments in Th–U–LILE–LREE require a Pan-Africanor later metasomatic event. The large range of Nd, Sr, Pb andHf isotope ratios in both peridotites and pyroxenites (e.g.Nd 1·4–17·5; ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb 17·2–20·4;Hf 0·6–164·6) encompasses compositionsmore radiogenic than mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), and Pb isotopescover almost the entire range of oceanic basalt values. Hf valuesare some of the highest ever recorded in mantle samples andare decoupled from Nd in the same samples. Marked correlationsbetween Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes, LILE–LREE enrichmentsand HFSE depletion suggest that the metasomatizing agent wasa carbonatitic-rich melt and isotopic data suggest that metasomatismmay have been related to Pan-African subduction. The metasomaticmelt permeated depleted upper mantle (<16 kbar) during Pan-Africansubduction at 600–900 Ma, and the variably metasomatizedmaterial was then incorporated into the Arabian lithosphericmantle. There is no evidence for recent metasomatism (<30Ma) related to the Afar plume like that postulated to have affectedsouthern Arabian lithospheric mantle. Hf isotopes in the mantleclinopyroxenes are unaffected by metasomatism, and even somestrongly overprinted lithologies record ancient (>1·2Ga) pre-metasomatic Lu–Hf signatures of the depleted uppermantle that was the protolith of the Arabian lithospheric mantle.The ‘resistance’ of the Lu–Hf isotopic systemto later metasomatic events resulted in the development of extremelyheterogeneous Hf isotopic signatures over time that are decoupledfrom other isotopic systems. No mantle sample in this studyexactly matches the chemical and isotopic signature of the sourceof Jordanian intraplate basalts. However, the xenolith compositionsare broadly similar to those of the source of Arabian intraplatebasalts, suggesting that the numerous Cenozoic intraplate volcanicfields throughout Arabia may be the product of melting uppermantle wedge material fertilized during Pan-African subductionand incorporated into the Arabian lithospheric mantle. We proposea model whereby the proto-Arabian lithospheric mantle underwenta major melting event in early Proterozoic–late Archeantimes (at the earliest at 1·2 Ga). Island-arc volcanismand major crust formation occurred during the Pan-African orogeny,which liberated fluids and possibly small-degree melts thatmigrated through the mantle creating zones of enrichment forcertain elements depending upon their compatibility. Immobileelements, such as Nb, were concentrated near the base of themantle wedge providing the source of the Nb-rich Jordanian volcanicrocks. More mobile elements, such as LILE and LREE, were transportedup through the mantle and fertilized the shallow mantle sourceof the Jordanian xenoliths. Following subduction, the mantlewedge became fossilized and preserved distinct enriched anddepleted zones. Lithospheric rifting in the Miocene triggeredpartial melting of spinel-facies mantle in the lower lithosphere,which mixed with deeper asthenospheric garnet-facies melts asrifting evolved. These melts entrained segments of variablycarbonatite-metasomatized shallow lithospheric mantle en routeto the surface. KEY WORDS: Arabian lithospheric mantle; Jordan; mantle xenoliths; Sr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotopes     

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     

Mechanisms and Sources of Mantle Metasomatism: Major and Trace Element Compositions of Peridotite Xenoliths from Spitsbergen in the Context of Numerical Modelling

Mineral and whole-rock chemical data for peridotite xenolithsin basaltic lavas on Spitsbergen are examined to reassess mechanismsof melt–fluid interaction with peridotites and their relativerole versus melt composition in mantle metasomatism. The enrichmentpatterns in the xenoliths on primitive mantle-normalized diagramsrange from Th–La–Ce ‘inflections’ inweakly metasomatized samples (normally without amphibole) toa continuous increase in abundances from Ho to Ce typical foramphibole-bearing xenoliths. Numerical modelling of interactionbetween depleted peridotites and enriched melts indicates thatthese patterns do not result from simple mixing of the two end-membersbut can be explained by chromatographic fractionation duringreactive porous melt flow, which produces a variety of enrichmentpatterns in a single event. Many metasomatized xenoliths havenegative high field strength element and Pb anomalies and Srspikes relative to rare earth elements of similar compatibility,and highly fractionated Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf. Although amphiboleprecipitation can produce Nb–Ta anomalies, some of thesefeatures cannot be attributed to percolation-related fractionationalone and have to be a signature of the initial melt (possiblycarbonate rich). In general, chemical and mineralogical fingerprintsof a metasomatic medium are strongest near its source (e.g.a vein) whereas element patterns farther in the metasomatic‘column’ are increasingly controlled by fractionationmechanisms. KEY WORDS: Spitsbergen; lithospheric mantle; metasomatism; trace elements; theoretical modelling     

Petrology and Geochemistry of Mantle Peridotite Xenoliths from SE China

Geochemical data on Type I spinel peridotite and garnet peridotitexenoliths in Cenozoic basalts from SE China demonstrate thatthe lithospheric mantle under this region is heterogeneous.The depletion and enrichment shown by these peridotite xenolithsare not related to their locations as suggested earlier. Samplesfrom individual localities, at the continental margin or thecontinental interior, show large variational ranges from depletedharzburgite to fertile Iherzolite. The measured Nd and Sr isotopiccompositions of clinopyroxene separates range from _Nd 49 to160 and from ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr 070256 to 070407, respectively. Thedepleted signatures of Sr and Nd isotopic compositions and major-elementcontents (low CaO and Al₂O₃ in most xenoliths require an olddepletion event, probably mid-Proterozftic, and the enrichmentof LREE in the depleted peridotites implies a young metasomaticevent shortly before Cenozoic magmatism. Major-element compositionsof the peridotite xenoliths are controlled largely by the degreeof partial melting, and the extra fertile peridotites (highCaO and Al₂O₃) are probably the products of interaction betweenperidotites and a basaltic component. The equilibrium P–Tconditions, determined from coexisting mineral phases, indicatethat these xenoliths equilibrated over a wide P–T range,from 770 to 1250 C and from 10 to 27 kbar. Calculated oxygenfugacities for most spinel peridotites range from near the FMQbuffer to 25 log units below. The late-stage metasomatism didnot change the redox state in the upper mantle. ^*Corraponding author     

Multistage melt/fluid-peridotite interactions in the refertilized lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton: constraints from the Li–Sr–Nd isotopic disequilibrium between minerals of peridotite xenoliths

Elemental and Li–Sr–Nd isotopic data of minerals in spinel peridotites hosted by Cenozoic basalts allow us to refine the existing models for Li isotopic fractionation in mantle peridotites and constrain the melt/fluid-peridotite interaction in the lithospheric mantle beneath the North China Craton. Highly elevated Li concentrations in cpx (up to 24 ppm) relative to coexisting opx and olivine (<4 ppm) indicate that the peridotites experienced metasomatism by mafic silicate melts and/or fluids. The mineral δ⁷Li vary greatly, with olivine (+0.7 to +5.4‰) being isotopically heavier than coexisting opx (−4.4 to −25.9‰) and cpx (−3.3 to −21.4‰) in most samples. The δ⁷Li in pyroxenes are considerably lower than the normal mantle values and show negative correlation with their Li abundances, likely due to recent Li ingress attended by diffusive fractionation of Li isotopes. Two exceptional samples have olivine δ⁷Li of −3.0 and −7.9‰, indicating the existence of low δ⁷Li domains in the mantle, which could be transient and generated by meter-scale diffusion of Li during melt/fluid-peridotite interaction. The ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.5123–0.5139) and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.7018–0.7062) in the pyroxenes also show a large variation, in which the cpx are apparently lower in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and slightly higher in ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd than coexisting opx, implying an intermineral Sr–Nd isotopic disequilibrium. This is observed more apparently in peridotites having low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and high ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios than in those with high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and low ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, suggesting that a relatively recent interaction existed between an ancient metasomatized lithospheric mantle and asthenospheric melt, which transformed the refractory peridotites with highly radiogenic Sr and unradiogenic Nd isotopic compositions to the fertile lherzolites with unradiogenic Sr and radiogenic Nd isotopic compositions. Therefore, we argue that the lithospheric mantle represented by the peridotites has been heterogeneously refertilized by multistage melt/fluid-peridotite interactions.     

Spinel peridotite xenoliths from the Atsagin-Dush volcano, Dariganga lava plateau, Mongolia: a record of partial melting and cryptic metasomatism in the upper mantle

Spinel peridotite xenoliths from the Atsagin-Dush volcanic centre, SE Mongolia range from fertile lherzolites to clinopyroxene(cpx)-bearing harzburgites. The cpx-poor peridotites typically contain interstitial fine-grained material and silicate glass and abundant fluid inclusions in minerals, some have large vesicular melt pockets that apparently formed after primary clinopyroxene and spinel. No volatile-bearing minerals (amphibole, phlogopite, apatite, carbonate) have been found in any of the xenoliths. Fifteen peridotite xenoliths have been analysed for major and trace elements; whole-rock Sr isotope compositions and O isotope composition of all minerals were determined for 13 xenoliths. Trace element composition and Sr-Nd isotope compositions were also determined in 11 clinopyroxene and melt pocket separates. Regular variations of major and moderately incompatible trace elements (e.g. heavy-rare-earth elements) in the peridotite series are consistent with its formation as a result of variable degrees of melt extraction from a fertile lherzolite protolith. The Nd isotope compositions of LREE (light-rare-earth elements)-depleted clinopyroxenes indicate an old (≥ 1 billion years) depletion event. Clinopyroxene-rich lherzolites are commonly depleted in LREE and other incompatible trace elements whereas cpx-poor peridotites show metasomatic enrichment that can be related to the abundance of fine-grained interstitial material, glass and fluid inclusions in minerals. The absence of hydrous minerals, ubiquitous CO₂-rich microinclusions in the enriched samples and negative anomalies of Nb, Hf, Zr, and Ti in primitive mantle-normalized trace element patterns of whole rocks and clinopyroxenes indicate that carbonate melts may have been responsible for the metasomatic enrichment. Low Cu and S contents and high δ³⁴S values in whole-rock peridotites could be explained by interaction with oxidized fluids that may have been derived from subducted oceanic crust. The Sr-Nd isotope compositions of LREE-depleted clinopyroxenes plot either in the MORB (mid-ocean-ridge basalt) field or to the right of the mantle array, the latter may be due to enrichment in radiogenic Sr. The LREE-enriched clinopyroxenes and melt pockets plot in the ocean island-basalt field and have Sr-Nd isotope signatures consistent with derivation from a mixture of the DMM (depleted MORB mantle) and EM (enriched mantle) II sources. Received: 18 January 1996 / Accepted: 23 August 1996     

Mantle Xenoliths from Tenerife (Canary Islands): Evidence for Reactions between Mantle Peridotites and Silicic Carbonatite Melts inducing Ca Metasomatism

Mantle xenoliths from Tenerife show evidence of metasomatismand recrystallization overprinting the effects of extensivepartial melting. The evidence includes: recrystallization ofexsolved orthopyroxene porphyroclasts highly depleted in incompatibletrace elements into incompatible-trace-element-enriched, poikiliticorthopyroxene with no visible exsolution lamellae; formationof olivine and REE–Cr-rich, strongly Zr–Hf–Ti-depletedclinopyroxene at the expense of orthopyroxene; the presenceof phlogopite; whole-rock CaO/Al₂O₃ >> 1 (Ca metasomatism) inrecrystallized rocks; and enrichment in incompatible elementsin recrystallized rocks, relative to rocks showing little evidenceof recrystallization. The ‘higher-than-normal’ degreeof partial melting that preceded the metasomatism probably resultsfrom plume activity during the opening of the Central AtlanticOcean. Sr–Nd isotopic compositions are closely similarto those of Tenerife basalts, indicating resetting from theexpected original mid-ocean ridge basalt composition by themetasomatizing fluids. Metasomatism was caused by silicic carbonatitemelts, and involved open-system processes, such as trappingof elements compatible with newly formed acceptor minerals,leaving residual fluids moving to shallower levels. The compositionsof the metasomatizing fluids changed with time, probably asa result of changing compositions of the melts produced in theCanary Islands plume. Spinel dunites and wehrlites representrocks where all, or most, orthopyroxene has been consumed throughthe metasomatic reactions. KEY WORDS: Canary Islands; Tenerife; mantle xenoliths; geochemistry; Ca metasomatism; open-system processes; lithosphere; ocean islands     

Chemical Variations in Peridotite Xenoliths from Vitim, Siberia: Inferences for REE and Hf Behaviour in the Garnet-Facies Upper Mantle

Peridotite xenoliths in a Miocene picrite tuff from the Vitimvolcanic province east of Lake Baikal, Siberia, are samplesof the off-craton lithospheric mantle that span a depth rangefrom the spinel to garnet facies in a mainly fertile domain.Their major and trace element compositions show some scatter(unrelated to sampling or analytical problems), which is notconsistent with different degrees of partial melting or metasomatism.Some spinel peridotites and, to a lesser degree, garnet-bearingperidotites are depleted in heavy rare earth elements (HREE)relative to middle REE (MREE), whereas some garnet peridotitesare enriched in HREE relative to MREE, with Lu abundances muchhigher than in primitive mantle estimates. Clinopyroxenes fromseveral spinel peridotites have HREE-depleted patterns, whichare normally seen only in clinopyroxenes coexisting with garnet.Garnets in peridotites with similar modal and major elementcompositions have a broad range of Lu and Yb abundances. Overall,HREE are decoupled from MREE and Hf and are poorly correlatedwith partial melting indices. It appears that elements withhigh affinity to garnet were partially redistributed in theVitim peridotite series following partial melting, with feweffects for other elements. The Lu–Hf decoupling may disturbHf-isotope depletion ages and their correlations with meltingindices. KEY WORDS: garnet peridotite; lithospheric mantle; Lu–Hf isotope system; Siberia; trace elements     

Geochemistry of Lavas from the Emperor Seamounts, and the Geochemical Evolution of Hawaiian Magmatism from 85 to 42 Ma

The Hawaiian–Emperor Seamount Chain (ESC), in the northernPacific Ocean, was produced during the passage of the PacificPlate over the Hawaiian hotspot. Major and trace element concentrationsand Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions of shield andpost-shield lavas from nine of the Emperor Seamounts providea 43 Myr record of the chemistry of the oldest preserved Hawaiianmagmatism during the Late Mesozoic and Early Cenozoic (from85 to 42 Ma). These data demonstrate that there were large variationsin the composition of Hawaiian magmatism over this period. Tholeiiticbasalts from Meiji Seamount (85 Ma), at the northernmost endof the ESC, have low concentrations of incompatible trace elements,and unradiogenic Sr isotopic compositions, compared with youngerlavas from the volcanoes of the Hawaiian Chain (<43 Ma).Lavas from Detroit Seamount (81 Ma) have highly depleted incompatibletrace element and Sr–Nd isotopic compositions, which aresimilar to those of Pacific mid-ocean ridge basalts. Lavas fromthe younger Emperor Seamounts (62–42 Ma) have trace elementcompositions similar to those of lavas from the Hawaiian Islands,but initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios extend to lower values. From 81to 42 Ma there was a systematic increase in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of boththoleiitic and alkalic lavas. The age of the oceanic lithosphereat the time of seamount formation decreases northwards alongthe Emperor Seamount Chain, and the oldest Emperor Seamountswere built upon young, thin lithosphere close to a former spreadingcentre. However, the inferred distance of the Hawaiian plumefrom a former spreading centre, and the isotopic compositionsof the oldest Emperor lavas appear to rule out plume–ridgeinteraction as an explanation for their depleted compositions.We suggest that the observed temporal chemical and isotopicvariations may instead be due to variations in the degree ofmelting of a heterogeneous mantle, resulting from differencesin the thickness of the oceanic lithosphere upon which the EmperorSeamounts were constructed. During the Cretaceous, when theHawaiian plume was situated beneath young, thin lithosphere,the degree of melting within the plume was greater, and incompatibletrace element depleted, refractory mantle components contributedmore to melting. KEY WORDS: Emperor Seamounts; Hawaiian plume; lava geochemistry; lithosphere thickness; mantle heterogeneity     

The role of mantle-hybridization and crustal contamination in the petrogenesis of lithospheric mantle-derived alkaline rocks: constraints from Os and Hf isotopes

The Rhön area as part of the Central European Volcanic Province (CEVP) hosts an unusual suite of Tertiary 24-Ma old hornblende-bearing alkaline basalts that provide insights into melting and fractionation processes within the lithospheric mantle. These chemically primitive to slightly evolved and isotopically (Sr, Nd, Pb) depleted basalts have slightly lower Hf isotopic compositions than respective other CEVP basalts and Os isotope compositions more radiogenic than commonly observed for continental intraplate alkaline basalts. These highly radiogenic initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios (0.268–0.892) together with their respective Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions are unlikely to result from crustal contamination alone, although a lack of Os data for lower crustal rocks from the area and limited data for CEVP basalts or mantle xenoliths preclude a detailed evaluation. Similarly, melting of the same metasomatized subcontinental lithospheric mantle as inferred for other CEVP basalts alone is also unlikely, based on only moderately radiogenic Os isotope compositions obtained for upper mantle xenoliths from elsewhere in the province. Another explanation for the combined Nd, Sr and Os isotope data is that the lavas gained their highly radiogenic Os isotope composition through a mantle “hybridization”, metasomatism process. This model involves a mafic lithospheric component, such as an intrusion of a sublithospheric primary alkaline melt or a melt derived from subducted oceanic material, sometime in the past into the lithospheric mantle where it metasomatized the ambient mantle. Later at 24 Ma, thermal perturbations during rifting forced the isotopically evolved parts of the mantle together with the peridotitic ambient mantle to melt. This yielded a package of melts with highly correlated Re/Os ratios and radiogenic Os isotope compositions. Subsequent movement through the crust may have further altered the Os isotope composition although this effect is probably minor for the majority of the samples based on radiogenic Nd and unradiogenic Sr isotope composition of the lavas. If the radiogenic Os isotope composition can be explained by a mantle-hybridization and metasomatism model, the isotopic compositions of the hornblende basalts can be satisfied by ca. 5–25% addition of the mafic lithospheric component to an asthenospheric alkaline magma. Although a lack of isotope data for all required endmembers make this model somewhat speculative, the results show that the Re–Os isotope system in continental basalts is able to distinguish between crustal contamination and derivation of continental alkaline lavas from isotopically evolved peridotitic lithosphere that was contaminated by mafic material in the past and later remelted during rifting. The Hf isotopic compositions are slightly less radiogenic than in other alkaline basalts from the province and indicate the derivation of the lavas from low Lu–Hf parts of the lithospheric mantle. The new Os and Hf isotope data constrain a new light of the nature of such metasomatizing agents, at least for these particular rocks, which represent within the particular volcanic complex the first product of the volcanism.     

华北中、新生代岩石圈地幔的交代作用：含金云母地幔岩提供的证据

本文对华北克拉通三个不同地区(河北汉诺坝、内蒙古集宁三义堂、河南鹤壁)新发现的含金云母尖晶石二辉橄榄岩和尖晶石橄榄单斜辉石岩捕虏体进行了详细的矿物组成、单斜辉石的微量元素和 Sr-Nd 同位素研究。通过与相同地区不含金云母尖晶石二辉橄榄岩捕虏体的系统对比发现通常含金云母的地幔橄榄岩比不含金云母的地幔橄榄岩岩富 Al_2O_3、CaO、NaO、K_2O、TiO_2,但相对贫镁;其单斜辉石的 LREE 更为富集,但 Sr、Nd 同位素组成则相对亏损。这说明地幔交代作用不仅能够造成地幔橄榄岩的玄武质组分和稀土元素的富集,而且亦能够造成全岩和橄榄石 Mg~#的降低和同位素组成的相对亏损。捕虏体的 Rb-Sr 等时线年龄暗示地幔交代作用发生在中、新生代;其交代熔体来源于软流圈。同时说明华北新生代岩石圈地慢普遍存在的主、微量元素和同位素组成类似于"大洋型"岩石圈地幔的特征很可能是岩石圈地幔橄榄岩与软流圈来源的熔体的大规模反应的结果,而非真正意义上的新增生的岩石圈地幔。     

Geochemistry and Sr–Nd isotopic compositions of mantle xenoliths from the Monte Vulture carbonatite–melilitite volcano, central southern Italy

Spinel peridotite xenoliths found in the Monte Vulture carbonatite-melilitite volcano have been derived from the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath central southern Italy. Clinopyroxene-poor lherzolites and harzburgites are the most common rock types, with subordinate wehrlites and dunites. Small quantities of phlogopite and carbonate are present in a few samples. The peridotites record a large degree of partial melting and have experienced subsequent enrichment which has increased their LILE and LREE contents, but in most cases their HFSE contents are low. Despite being carried to the surface by a carbonatite-melilitite host, the whole-rock and clinopyroxene compositions of the xenoliths have a trace-element signature more closely resembling that of silicate-melt metasomatised mantle rather than carbonatite-metasomatised peridotites. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd isotopic ratios for clinopyroxene from the Vulture peridotites are 0.7042-0.7058 and 0.51260-0.5131 respectively. They form a trend away from the depleted mantle to the composition of the host magmas, and show a significant enrichment in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr compared with most European mantle samples. The mantle beneath Monte Vulture has had a complex evolution - we propose that the lithosphere had already undergone extensive partial melting before being affected by metasomatism from a silicate melt which may have been subduction-related.     

Li-Sr-Nd isotope signatures of the plume and cratonic lithospheric mantle beneath the margin of the rifted Tanzanian craton (Labait)

Lithium concentrations and isotopic compositions of olivine and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd of coexisting clinopyroxene from peridotite xenoliths from the Quaternary Labait volcano, Tanzania, document the influence of rift-related metasomatism on the ancient cratonic mantle. Olivines show negative correlations between Fo content and both δ⁷Li and Li concentrations. Olivines in iron-rich peridotites (Fo_85–87) have high Li concentrations (3.2–4.8 ppm) and heavy δ⁷Li (+5.2 to +6.6). In contrast, olivines in ancient, refractory peridotites have lower Li concentrations (∼2 ppm) and relatively light δ⁷Li (+2.6 to +3.5). This reflects mixing between ancient, refractory cratonic lithosphere and asthenosphere-derived rift magmas. A uniquely fertile, deformed, high-temperature garnet lherzolite, interpreted to be from the base of the lithosphere, has a ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of 0.7029 and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd of 0.51286, similar to HIMU oceanic basalts. It provides the best estimate of the Sr–Nd isotope composition of the upwelling mantle (i.e., plume, sensu lato) underlying this portion of the East African Rift, and is slightly less radiogenic compared to previous estimates of the plume that were based on rift basalts. Although elevated δ⁷Li are not exclusive to HIMU source regions, the data collectively indicate that the plume beneath Labait has HIMU characteristics in Sr, Nd and Li isotope composition. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Garnetite Xenoliths and Mantle-Water Interactions Below the Colorado Plateau, Southwestern United States

Garnetite xenoliths from ultramafic diatremes in northeasternArizona provide insights into hydration and metasomatism inthe mantle. The garnetites contain more than 95% garnet, someof which has complex compositional zonation related to growthin fractures within grains. Accessory minerals include rutile,ilmenite, chlorite, clinopyroxene, and zircon. Zircon grainsin one rock were analyzed in situ to determine U–Pb agesand Hf isotopic compositions. Most U–Pb analyses ploton or near concordia in the range 60–85 Ma but a few arediscordant. The range in ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf is about 0·2818–0·2828,with grains zoned to more radiogenic Hf from interiors to rims.The garnetite protolith contained zircons at least 1·8Ga in age, and garnet and additional zircon crystallized episodicallyduring the interval 85–60 Ma. The garnetites are interpretedas mantle analogues of rodingites, formed in metasomatic reactionzones caused by water–rock interactions in Proterozoicmantle during late Cretaceous and Cenozoic subduction of theFarallon plate. Associated eclogite xenoliths may have beenparts of these same reaction zones. The rodingite hypothesisrequires serpentinization in the mantle wedge 700 km from thetrench, beginning 5–10 Myr before tectonism related tolow-angle subduction. KEY WORDS: garnetite; Lu–Hf, mantle; rodingite; metasomatism     

Relationship between deformation, equilibration temperatures, REE and radiogenic isotopes in mantle xenoliths (Ray Pic, Massif Central, France): an example of plume-lithosphere interaction?

Anhydrous spinel peridotite xenoliths from the Ray Pic Quaternary alkali basalt volcano (French Massif Central) show a wide range of mineralogical and geochemical compositions, reflecting significant heterogeneities in the shallow sub-continental lithospheric mantle. Variations in modal mineralogy, mineral chem istry, REE patterns and radiogenic isotope data suggest that depletion by partial melting and enrichment by cryptic metasomatism were the major mantle processes which caused the heterogeneity. The lithospheric mantle beneath Ray Pic contains two contrasting types of peridotite: (i) lherzolites with LREE-depleted compositions, high ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, low ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and unradiogenic Pb isotope ratios; (ii) lherzolites, harzburgites and a wehrlite with LREE-enriched patterns, low ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd, high ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr and radiogenic Pb isotope ratios. The former closely resemble depleted MORB-source mantle. The latter are related to enrichment by recent infiltration of small degree partial melts or fluids from the asthenospheric mantle, possibly related to the “low velocity component” observed by Hoernle et al. (1995) in European Neogene alkaline magmas. Thus, the Ray Pic peridotite xenoliths represent interaction between asthenospheric mantle-derived melts/fluids and depleted lithospheric mantle. This is probably linked to the upwelling mantle plume imaged beneath the Massif Central (Granet et al. 1995). A relationship between textural deformation, equilibration temperature and geochemistry of the xenoliths suggests that the hotter (> 900 °C) undeformed regions are LREE-enriched and tend to have more enriched isotope ratios, whereas the cooler (< 900 °C) regions have undergone more deformation and are more depleted both in LREE and in isotope compositions. Received: 27 July 1996 / Accepted: 25 November 1996     

Geochemistry and Evolution of Subcontinental Lithospheric Mantle in Central Europe: Evidence from Peridotite Xenoliths of the Kozakov Volcano, Czech Republic

Neogene basanite lavas of Kozákov volcano, located alongthe Lusatian fault in the northeastern Czech Republic, containabundant anhydrous spinel lherzolite xenoliths that providean exceptionally continuous sampling of the upper two-thirdsof central European lithospheric mantle. The xenoliths yielda range of two-pyroxene equilibration temperatures from 680°Cto 1070°C, and are estimated to originate from depths of32–70 km, based on a tectonothermal model for basalticunderplating associated with Neogene rifting. The sub-Kozákovmantle is layered, consisting of an equigranular upper layer(32–43 km), a protogranular intermediate layer that containsspinel–pyroxene symplectites after garnet (43–67km), and an equigranular lower layer (67–70 km). Negativecorrelations of wt % TiO₂, Al₂O₃, and CaO with MgO and clinopyroxenemode with Cr-number in the lherzolites record the effects ofpartial fusion and melt extraction; Y and Yb contents of clinopyroxeneand the Cr-number in spinel indicate 5 to 15% partial melting.Subsequent metasomatism of a depleted lherzolite protolith,probably by a silicate melt, produced enrichments in the largeion lithophile elements, light rare earth elements and highfield strength elements, and positive anomalies in primitivemantle normalized trace element patterns for P, Zr, and Hf.Although there are slight geochemical discontinuities at theboundaries between the three textural layers of mantle, theretends to be an overall decrease in the degree of depletion withdepth, accompanied by a decrease in the magnitude of metasomatism.Clinopyroxene separates from the intermediate protogranularlayer and the lower equigranular layer yield ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd valuesof 0·51287–0·51307 (_Nd = +4·6 to+8·4) and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values of 0·70328–0·70339.Such values are intermediate with respect to the Nd–Srisotopic array defined by anhydrous spinel peridotite xenolithsfrom central Europe and are similar to those associated withthe present-day low-velocity anomaly in the upper mantle beneathEurope. The geochemical characteristics of the central Europeanlithospheric mantle reflect a complex evolution related to Devonianto Early Carboniferous plate convergence, accretion, and crustalthickening, Late Carboniferous to Permian extension and gravitationalcollapse, and Neogene rifting, lithospheric thinning, and magmatism. KEY WORDS: xenoliths; lithospheric mantle; REE–LILE–HFSE; Sr–Nd isotopes; Bohemian Massif