An Archean arc basalt–Nb-enriched basalt–adakite association: the 2.7 Ga Confederation assemblage of the Birch–Uchi greenstone belt, Superior Province

The Uchi subprovince of the Archean Superior Province is a series of greenstone belts extending 600 km east–west along the southern margin of the North Caribou Terrane protocontinent. The 2.7 Ga Confederation tectonostratigraphic assemblage of the Birch–Uchi greenstone belt, northwest Ontario, is dominated by volcanic suites of mafic, intermediate and felsic composition. Tholeiitic basalts range compositionally from Mg# 59–26 evolving continuously to greater REE contents (La=2–19 ppm; Th/La_pm˜1), with small negative Nb anomalies. Primitive tholeiites are similar to modern intraoceanic arc basalts, whereas evolved members extend to greater concentrations of Ti, Zr, V, Sc, and Y, and lower Ti/Zr, but higher Ti/Sc and Ti/V ratios characteristic of back arc basalts. Calc-alkaline basalts to dacites are characterised by more fractionated REE (La/Yb_n=1–8), high Th/Nb_pm ratios and deeper negative Nb anomalies; they plot with modern oceanic arc basalts and some may qualify as high magnesium andesites. The two suites are interpreted as a paired arc–back arc sequence. A third group of Nb-enriched basalts (NEB; Nb=9–18 ppm) extend to extremely high TiO₂, Ta, P₂O₅, Sc and V contents, with strongly fractionated REE and ratios of Nb/Ta and Zr/Hf greater than primitive mantle values whereas Zr/Sm ratios are lower. The most abundant rhyolitic suite has extremely enriched but flat trace element patterns and is interpreted as strongly fractionated tholeiitic basalt liquids. A second group are compositionally similar to Cenozoic adakites and Archean high-Al, high-La/Yb_n tonalites; they possess Yb ≤ 0.4 ppm, Y ≤ 6 ppm and Sc ≤ 8 ppm, with La/Yb_n of 19–30 and Zr/Sm of 50–59. They are interpreted as melts of ocean lithosphere basaltic crust in a hot shallow subduction zone. Adakites are associated with NEB in Cenozoic arcs where there is shallow subduction of young and/or hot ocean lithosphere, often with oblique subduction. Slab melt adakites erupt, or metasomatise sub-arc mantle peridotite to generate an HFSE-enriched source that subsequently melts during induced mantle convection. The Archean adakite–NEB association erupted during development of the tholeiitic to calc-alkaline arc and its associated back arc. Their coexistence in the Confederation assemblage of the Birch–Uchi greenstone belt implies convergent margin processes similar to those in Cenozoic arcs. Received: 2 June 1999 / Accepted: 29 December 1999     

Uplift along the western margin of the Deccan Basalt Province: Is there any geomorphometric evidence?

In line with the passive margin landscape evolutionary model in vogue, sustained erosion and long-distance retreat of the Western Ghat escarpment are widely considered to be the results of erosionally-driven isostatic uplift since Tertiary by many workers. Others have postulated or adduced evidence for strong neotectonic activity in the Ghat region. An obvious question in this regard is whether there is any geomorphometric evidence in support of this widespread view? In order to test the hypothesis of ongoing post-rift fexural uplift or neotectonic activity in the western Deccan Basalt Province (DBP), geomorphometric analysis was carried out and commonly used geomorphic indices of active tectonics (GAT) were derived for 30 selected river basins on both sides of the Western Ghat. SRTM-DEM data and ArcGIS were used to derive the indices. Tectonic geomorphic analysis based on five proxy indicators suggests that the differences in GAT indices, both along strike and across the Western Ghat, are statistically insignificant. The index values are nowhere close to the GAT values typically associated with drainage basins affected by active tectonics and deformation. Mapping of the indices reveals lack of discernable trends. The adduced results indicate that the western DBP belongs to the class of relatively low tectonic activity.     

Are there any relict rock glaciers in the British mountains?

The existence of a small population of ‘relict rock glaciers’ scattered across the main British mountain areas has previously been inferred from published cases of individual sites or local clusters. Discrete debris accumulations (DDAs) of widely differing character have been identified as ice‐debris landforms (whether ‘rock glaciers’ or ‘protalus lobes’) partly from morphological, sedimentological and topo‐locational evidence, but principally by analogy with both active and relict examples in present‐day arctic/alpine environments, with consequent palaeoclimate inferences. However, re‐interpretation of several supposed rock glaciers as rock slope failures has cast doubt on both the palaeoclimatic reconstructions and the origin of the remaining features. Issues of polygenesis and mimicry/equifinality have contributed to some previous misidentifications. We re‐evaluate the 28 candidate cases based on new field and image‐analysis evidence and place them on a continuum from no ice presence through passive ice presence and glacial shaping to emplacement onto glacier ice with consequent melt‐out topography. A null hypothesis approach (that there are no relict rock glaciers in the British mountains) is pursued, and the evidence indicates that none of the 28 cases clearly warrants classification as a relict rock glacier; their characteristics can be explained without recourse to any significant forward debris movement controlled or facilitated by incorporated or underlying ice as it deforms and melts out. However, only one‐third of the candidate DDAs are attributed in whole or part to rock slope failure (sensu stricto), with other debris sources including incremental rockfall, bedrock knolls with coarse debris veneer, protalus rampart and moraine. A few cases deserve more detailed investigation of their structure, morphology and sediments within a broader local glaciological/topographical context, with multitemporal/polygenetic evolution in mind. But it is for future researchers to demonstrate that deforming ice played an incontestable part in shaping these often enigmatic DDAs, given that other causes are simpler and commoner. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Early cretaceous subduction-related adakite-like rocks of the Gangdese Belt,southern Tibet: Products of slab melting and subsequent melt–peridotite interaction?

The limited geochronology and geochemistry data available for the Early Cretaceous igneous rocks of the southern Gangdese Belt, southern Tibet, has resulted in the proposal of conflicting geodynamic models for the generation of the widespread Cretaceous igneous rocks in the middle and northern parts of the belt. To explore this issue, we present SHRIMP U–Pb zircon data and geochemical and Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf isotopic data for the Mamen andesites from the southern margin of the Gangdese Belt. The Mamen andesites, emplaced at 136.5 Ma, are sodic (Na₂O/K₂O = 1.2–2.3) and have geochemical characteristics typical of adakites (i.e., high Al₂O₃, high La/Yb ratios and Sr contents, low Y and HREE contents, and positive Eu anomalies), except for high Cr, Ni, and MgO contents. The andesites have initial (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_t ratios of 0.70413–0.70513, positive εNd(t) values of 3.7–5.8, and (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb)_t ratios of 18.37–18.51, (²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb)_t ratios of 15.59–15.65, and (²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb)_t ratios of 38.43–38.72. In situ Hf isotopic analyses of zircons that had previously been dated by SHRIMP yielded positive initial εHf(t) values ranging from +11.0 to +15.5. A model calculation using trace element and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data indicates that several percent of subducted sediment is required to generate the Mamen andesites, which were derived via the partial melting of subducted Neo-Tethyan slab (MORB + sediment + fluid) and subsequently hybridized by peridotite in the mantle wedge. Our data indicate that the Neo-Tethyan oceanic crust was subducted northward beneath the Gangdese Belt during the Early Cretaceous at a high angle. Our results are inconsistent with a tectonic model that advocates the low-angle or flat-slab subduction of Neo-Tethyan oceanic crust in generating the widespread Cretaceous magmatism recorded in the Gangdese Belt.     

Rhyolite–granite association in the Central Taimyr zone: evidence of accretionary-collisional events in the Neoproterozoic

The Central Taimyr accretionary belt includes two granite-metamorphic terranes: Faddey and Mamont-Shrenk, which include the oldest igneous formations of the Taimyr folded area in the Arctic framing of the Siberian craton—granitoids and granite-gneisses with U–Pb zircon ages of 900–830 Ma. The [FeO*/(FeO* + MgO)]-enriched granitoids of these terranes are products of highly fractionated I-type magmas. This paper presents results of new petrographic, geochemical, geochronological, and paleomagnetic investigations of acid rocks from a volcanic-plutonic association (in the region of the Leningradskaya River) in the Faddey terrane in the northeastern Taimyr area. These rocks formed during the final stage of continent–island arc accretion and collision that occurred at approximately 870–820 Ma. We established that the studied rocks belong to a long granitoid belt extending from Mamont-Shrenk to Faddey terrane, where all the igneous bodies are deformed and oriented uniformly. The paleomagnetic pole we calculated differs significantly from the apparent polar-wander path interval of corresponding age for Siberia. The 33.8°±5.4° angular distance between the poles indicates that the formation of this volcanic-plutonic association took place at a significant distance from the Taimyr margin of the Siberian paleocontinent.     

Olivine-hosted melt inclusions in Pliocene–Quaternary lavas from the Qorveh–Bijar volcanic belt,western Iran: implications for source lithology and cooling history

ABSTRACT

Silicate melt inclusions (SMIs) are small droplets of magma that become trapped in minerals during crystal growth. SMIs in olivine crystals can provide critical information on the range of melt compositions and processes that occur during melt generation, evolution, transport, and eruption. The Pliocene–Quaternary volcanic rocks in the Qorveh–Bijar volcanic belt of western Iran show porphyritic and microlithic textures, with olivine and clinopyroxene being the dominant minerals. Magnesian olivines in these volcanic rocks contain primary SMIs. The composition and characteristic of olivine-hosted SMI of these rocks are investigated to constrain the source lithology for mafic volcanism. Bulk compositions of the SMIs overlap those of their host rocks and extend to higher CaO/Al₂O₃ values. The estimated entrapment pressures and temperatures of the studied SMIs are 9.1–10.3 kbar and 1220–1355°C. The calculated mafic parental melt contains 42.36 wt.% SiO₂, low total alkalis (3.22 wt.%), and high MgO (16.1 wt.%). Exploratory calculations using pMELTS show that this parental composition underwent variable degrees of fractional crystallization, as reflected by the variable compositions of the SMIs. Several lines of evidence including pyroxene xenocrysts and high FeO/MnO, FC3MS (FeO/CaO – 3*MgO/SiO2), and Zn/Fe ratios (14–21), suggest that a metasomatized pyroxenitic source contributed to the genesis of the parental melt. Amphibole in the SMIs indicates a high volatile content in the parental melt, which we conclude was generated from a metasomatized lithospheric mantle source. The pyroxenite source also contained garnet. Our geochemical results lead us to propose a new petrogenetic model. Specifically, we infer that a dense and unstable portion of the lithosphere underwent localized laminar detachment and downward flow, i.e. lithospheric drip. This drip underwent volatile-enhanced partial melting during descent through the underlying hot asthenosphere and generated the studied volcanic rocks.     

U–Pb ages of detrital zircons from the Sanbagawa Belt in western Shikoku: Additional evidence for the prevalence of Late Cretaceous protoliths of the Sanbagawa Metamorphics

The Sanbagawa Metamorphic Belt in Japan is one of the best studied high-pressure, low temperature metamorphic belts. Recent work applying new dating techniques has challenged the previously accepted temporal framework for the evolution of the belt, as it was shown that large parts of the belt contain detrital zircons of Late Cretaceous age (younger than 100 Ma), i.e. they have protolith ages younger than the previously accepted age of metamorphism at ca. 110 Ma. A 2000 m bore hole from north-western Shikoku provided an excellent opportunity to further evaluate the areal extent of Late Cretaceous protoliths as the drill hole was drilled in an area considered to be part of the Jurassic to Early Cretaceous part of the Sanbagawa Belt. Dating of single zircon grains using the LA–ICP–MS U–Pb dating method shows that all but one sample contain zircons younger than 100 Ma and thus the protoliths are younger than the previously accepted age of metamorphism of the Sanbagawa Belt. The single sample that contains only zircons dated at 136 ± 3 Ma, apparently is of volcanic origin and could be a clast representing the source of 130–140 Ma zircons of the sample taken about 120 above this sample. In addition, three surface samples were analysed. Two of these also contain zircons younger than 100 Ma, whereas the third sample contains only zircons older than 159 Ma. The zircons from this sample also exhibit an age spectrum different from that exhibited by the other samples. The exact significance of this sample is not clear as yet.     

Orbitally forced sedimentary rhythms in the stratigraphic record: is there room for tidal forcing?

The imprint of orbital cycles, which result from the varying eccentricity of the Earth’s orbit and changes in the orientation of its axis, have been recognised throughout the Phanerozoic rock record. Variations in insolation and their effect on climate are generally considered to be the sole transfer mechanism between the orbital variables and cyclic sedimentary successions. Common oceanographic principles, however, show that the ocean tide also responds to variations in the orbital parameters. The ocean tide has not yet been considered to be a valid, additional transfer mechanism for the orbital variations. In geological studies of Milankovitch cycles in sedimentary successions the insolation paradigm offers satisfying explanations, and the role of long‐term variations of the ocean tide has not yet been appreciated. Variations in the ocean tide, related to changing eccentricity (at present 0·0165, theoretical maximum 0·0728), affect a variety of oceanographic and sedimentary processes. In addition to the widely accepted paradigm of orbitally forced insolation changes, the tidal transfer of orbital signals may explain certain less well‐understood aspects of orbitally induced cycles in the stratigraphic record related to ocean mixing, organic productivity, and tidal processes in shallow seas and deep water. Variations of the ocean tide in relation to the 18·6 year lunar nodal cycle, which has no insolation counterpart by which they may be obscured, indeed show that these relatively small variations can produce significant effects in sedimentary environments that are sensitive to variations in the strength of the ocean tide. In analogy with the 18·6 year lunar nodal cycle, orbital variations of the tide on Milankovitch time scales are likely to have affected sedimentary systems in the past.     

Plate Tectonic Setting and Eruptive Characteristics of the K—rich Volcanic Belt in HeilingJiang Province,Northeast China

Various lines of geological,geophysical and geochemical evidence indicate that the K-rich volcanic belt in Northeast China as represented by the volcanic groups at Wudalianchi,Erkeshan and Kelo was developed,in terms of plate tectonics,in a rift valley system within the continental plate,The volcanic material includes effusive lavas and explosive pyroclastics whose characteristics and flowing/accumulation mechanisms were studied in detail,The distribution of pyroclastics shows that the eruption is of Strombolian type with increasing intensity towards the late stages.     

Indicators of the Anthropocene: is there a case for conservation?

The Earth's atmosphere, biosphere and lithosphere are increasingly being modified by human activity. Given this anthropogenic influence on the natural environment, the case for recognizing an Anthropocene Epoch has recently been made and there is ongoing debate as to whether, and how, to formally characterize and define such an epoch. As a contribution to this debate, this article explores whether or not the landscapes, deposits, landforms and key marker horizons that may be used to characterize and define an Anthropocene Epoch could, and should, be identified and conserved in the same manner as other parts of the geological succession. Anthropogenic features pose a conservation challenge, however, as they often cross cut existing conservation frameworks which tend to focus on the natural, historic or cultural environment. Developing a coherent approach to the conservation of the indicators of an Anthropocene Epoch would, therefore, require an integrated system of describing, auditing and designating features for conservation. A major benefit of such an approach would be the opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration between the wide range of researchers interested or involved in studying and conserving the record of anthropogenic activity.     

The Kalatongke magmatic Ni–Cu deposits in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, NW China: product of slab window magmatism?

The Permian Kalatongke Ni–Cu deposits in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt are among the most important Ni–Cu deposits in northern Xinjiang, western China. The deposits are hosted by three small mafic intrusions comprising mainly norite and diorite. Its tectonic context, petrogenesis, and ore genesis have been highly contested. In this paper, we present a new model involving slab window magmatism for the Kalatongke intrusions. The origin of the associated sulfide ores is explained in the context of this new model. Minor amounts of olivine in the intrusions have Fo contents varying between 71 and 81.5?mol%, which are similar to the predicted values for olivine crystallizing from coeval basalts in the region. Analytic modeling based on major element concentrations suggests that the parental magma of the Kalatongke intrusions and the coeval basalts represent fractionated liquids produced by ～15% of olivine crystallization from a primary magma, itself produced by 7–8% partial melting of depleted mantle peridotite. Positive ε _Nd values (+4 to +10) and significant negative Nb anomalies for both intrusive and extrusive rocks can be explained by the mixing of magma derived from depleted mantle with 6–18% of a partial melt derived from the lower part of a juvenile arc crust with a composition similar to coeval A-type granites in the region, plus up to 10% contamination with the upper continental crust. Our model suggests that a slab window was created due to slab break-off during a transition from oceanic subduction to arc–arc or arc–continent collision in the region in the Early Permian. Decompression melting in the upwelling oceanic asthenosphere produced the primary magma. When this magma ascended to pond in the lower parts of a juvenile arc crust, it underwent olivine crystallization and at the same time triggered partial melting of the arc crust. Mixing between these two magmas followed by contamination with the upper crust after the magma ascended to higher crustal levels formed the parental magma of the Kalatongke intrusions. The parental magma of the Kalatongke intrusions was saturated with sulfide upon arrival primarily due to olivine fractional crystallization and selective assimilation of crustal sulfur. Sulfide mineralization in the Kalatongke intrusions can be explained by accumulation of immiscible sulfide droplets by flow differentiation, gravitational settling, and downward percolation which operated in different parts of the intrusions. Platinum-group element (PGE) depletion in the bulk sulfide ores of the Kalatongke deposits was due to depletion in the parental magma which in turn was likely due to depletion in the primary magma. PGE depletion in the primary magma can be explained by a relatively low degree of partial melting of the mantle and retention of coexisting sulfide liquid in the mantle.     

The Ureg Nuur Pt-bearing volcanoplutonic picrite–basalt association in the Mongolian Altay as evidence for a Cambrian–Ordovician Large Igneous Province

The paper discusses geological, mineralogical, petrographic, and geochemical data on the Ureg Nuur volcanoplutonic association of high-Mg volcanic and subvolcanic rocks located among Vendian–Cambrian accretionary structures in the Mongolian Altay. These rocks have a high potassium alkalinity (K₂O/Na₂O up to 1.2), are enriched in LILE and Sr, and have negative Zr–Hf and Nb anomalies in multielement spectra; this confirms the suprasubduction type of the source of melts. The geological setting and established age (512.4 ± 6.1 Ma, ³⁹Ar–⁴⁰Ar dating of biotite phenocrysts) evidence picritic magmatism at the accretionary stage of the development of the Altay fragment of the Paleoasian ocean. This indicates a large igneous province related to a mantle plume.     

Silurian Sedimentation in the South Qilian Belt: Arc-Continent Collision-related Deposition in the NE Tibet Plateau?

The South Qilian belt mainly comprises an early Paleozoic arc-ophiolite complex, accretionary prism, microcontinental block, and foreland basin. These elements represent accretion-collision during Cambrian to Silurian time in response to closure of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean in the NE of the present-day Tibet Plateau. Closure of the Proto-Tethyan Ocean between the Central Qilian block and the Oulongbuluke block and the associated collision took place from NE to SW in a zipper-like style. Sediment w...     

Late Quaternary episodic displacement on a sackung scarp in the central Spanish Pyrenees. Secondary paleoseismic evidence?

A sackung scarp has been investigated by trenching in the central Spanish Pyrenees. This feature is located 18 km to the SW of the North Maladeta Fault, which is the most probable source of the M_w 5.3 Vielha earthquake of 1923. Three displacement events have been inferred for the trenched sackung based on colluvial wedge stratigraphy and fault truncation. The increasing amount of deformation in each successive faulting event may be related to the progressive weakening of the slope through time. A minimum vertical slip rate of 0.19 mm/yr has been calculated for the sackung scarp. Several arguments suggest that the episodic displacement of the analysed sackung is controlled by strong seismic shaking: (a) Spatial association of the sackung features with the North Maladeta Fault; (b) Episodic displacement with a millennial recurrence (5.6 kyr) consistent with the expectable earthquake recurrence interval for a low slip rate fault, like the neighbouring North Maladeta Fault. Demonstrating in future investigations that the sackung features in the area constitute archives of large paleoearthquakes would be of great interest for seismic hazard assessments. They might help to improve the catalogue of paleoearthquakes and might provide information on earthquake recurrence intervals and the age of the most recent event (MRE).     

Deposition in a changing paleogulf: evidence from the Pliocene–Quaternary sedimentary succession of the Nile Delta,Egypt

Sedimentary complexes of ancient gulfs provide valuable information about paleoenvironmental dynamics. The study of several Pliocene–Pleistocene sections allowed reconstruction of the regional stratigraphical framework in the southwestern fringes of the Nile Delta. The Kafr El-Shiekh, the Gar El-Muluk, and the Kom El-Shelul formations of the Zanclean Age and the Wastani Formation of the Piacenzian Age constitute the Pliocene sedimentary succession in the study area. The establishment of 11 facies types related to 5 facies associations coupled with the results of the stratigraphical study indicate the existence of a paleogulf corresponding to the modern delta and lower valley of the Nile. This Nile Paleogulf appeared and reached its maximum spatial extent in the beginning of the Pliocene. Then, it retreated gradually and disappeared before the end of this epoch when alluvial sedimentation reestablished. There was significant flux of siliciclastic material to the study area. The Zanclean Flood in the Mediterranean Sea allowed marine incursion in the study area where the river valley incised during the precedent Messinian Salinity Crisis. Regional tectonic uplift and filling of the accommodation space with siliciclastic material from the eroded land were the main controls on the paleogulf evolution. Strengthened glaciation triggered global sea level fall, and alluvial deposition dominated the study area in the late Pliocene–Pleistocene.     

Melt–peridotite interaction in the shallow lithospheric mantle of the North China Craton: evidence from melt inclusions in the quartz-bearing orthopyroxene-rich websterite from Hannuoba

To better understand the origin, migration, and evolution of melts in the lithospheric mantle and their roles on the destruction of the North China Craton (NCC), we conducted a petrological and geochemical study on a quartz-bearing orthopyroxene-rich websterite xenolith from Hannuoba, the NCC, and its hosted melt and fluid inclusions. Both clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene in the xenolith contain lots of primary and secondary inclusions. High-temperature microthermometry of melt inclusions combined with Raman spectroscopy analyses of coexisting fluid inclusions shows that the entrapment temperature of the densest inclusions was ~1215°C and the pressure ~11.47 kbar, corresponding to a depth of ~38 km, i.e. within the stability of the spinel lherzolite. Intermediate pressure inclusions probably reflect progressive fluid entrapment over a range of depths during ascent, whereas the low-pressure inclusions (P < 2 kbar) may represent decrepitated primary inclusions. In situ laser-ablation ICP-MS analyses of major and trace elements on individual melt inclusions show that the compositions of these silicate melt inclusions in clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene are rich in SiO₂, Al₂O₃, and alkalis but poor in TiO₂ and strongly enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and large ion lithophile elements (LILEs), with negative anomalies of high-field strength elements (HFSEs). These characteristics suggest that the silica-rich melts could be derived from the partial melting of subducted oceanic slab. Therefore, this kind of quartz-bearing orthopyroxene-rich websterite may be produced by interaction between the slab-derived melts with the mantle peridotite. This study provides direct evidence for the origin, migration, and evolution of melts in the lithospheric mantle, which may play an important role in the destruction of the NCC.     

Episodic granitoid emplacement in the western Kaapvaal Craton: evidence from the Archæan Kraaipan granite-greenstone terrane,South Africa

Field, petrological, geochemical, isotopic and geophysical data have been assembled to determine the nature and extent of Archæan Kraaipan granite-greenstone rocks on the western edge of the Kaapvaal Craton, southern Africa.The Kraaipan greenstone belts, consisting of metamorphosed mafic volcanic rocks and interlayered metasediments (mainly banded iron formations, jaspilites and ferruginous cherts), occur poorly exposed beneath cover sequences comprising mainly Neoarchæan Ventersdorp Supergroup volcanic rocks and a blanket of Tertiary-Recent Kalahari sediments. A variety of granitoid rocks intruded the Kraaipan greenstones, which, on the basis of whole rock PbPb dating of banded iron formations, have yielded an age of 3410+61/-64 Ma. The earliest granitic rocks, which comprise tonalites and trondhjemitic gneisses, were dated using the single grain Pb evaporation technique on zircons, and yielded minimum ages ranging from 3162±8 to 3070±7 Ma in the study area. This, coupled with 3250-3030 Ma ages reported for gneisses in the Kimberley and other areas on the western edge of the Kaapvaal Craton, suggests a prolonged evolution for the basement gneisses which were also disturbed between 2940 and 2816 Ma ago, probably during episodes of migmatisation. Potassium-rich granitoids, also dated using the single grain Pb evaporation method, range in age from 2880±2 to 2846±22 Ma and extend from the Schweizer-Reneke area in the south to the Botswana border and beyond in the north. Geophysical evidence (aeromagnetic and Bouguer gravity data) suggest that the intrusions may be interconnected and might have been emplaced episodically across the study area. A close spatial relationship exists between these granodiorites and adamellites, and known Au mineralisation present in the Kraaipan-Madibe areas in the north and the Amalia area in the south. This suggests a possible genetic link which could be of significance in mineral exploration. Lastly, a late granitoid pluton, the Mosita Adamellite, yielded a Pb evaporation age of 2749±3 Ma and is the youngest intrusive body recorded in the Kraaipan granite-greenstone terrane. Its presence beneath Kalahari sand cover is defined by Bouguer gravity data. The Kraaipan granite-greenstone terrane, with a prominent north-south trend, appears to represent an Archæan crustal segment that may have accreted episodically on to the western edge of the Kaapvaal Craton. In a manner similar to the Murchison granite-greenstone terrane in the northeastern part of the craton, the region may also have constituted an important potential source of placer Au mineralisation found in the Witwatersrand Basin.     

Pb−Sr−Nd−O isotopic constraints on the origin of rhyolites from the Taupo Volcanic Zone of New Zealand: evidence for assimilation followed by fractionation from basalt

A comprehensive Sr–Nd–Pb–O isotopic study is reported for rhyolites from the Maroa Volcanic Centre in the Taupo Volcanic Zone (TVZ) of New Zealand. The Sr–Nd isotopic compositions of the rhyolites (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.705236 to 0.705660 and _Nd = 2.0 to 0.2) are intermediate between those of primitive basalts (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.70387 and _Nd = 5.3) and the Torlesse basement (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr=0.709 and _Nd = -4.5). The relatively low mantle-like oxygen isotopic compositions of ¹⁸ O = 7 ± 0.5 are consistent with the Nd-Sr isotopic constraints in that they can be accounted for by 15% to 25% crustal contamination of a basaltic parent by relatively ¹⁸ O-rich Torlesse metasediment. High precision Pb isotopic analyses of plagioclase separates from the Maroa rhyolites show that they have essentially the same compositions as the Torlesse metasedimentary terrane which is itself distinctive from the Western or Waipapa metasediments. Due to the high concentration of Pb in the Torlesse metasediments (>20 ppm) compared to the basalts (<2 ppm), the Pb isotopic composition of the volcanics may be controlled by relatively small amounts (>10%) of crustal contamination. All these results are shown to be consistent with derivation of the rhyolites by 15% to 25% contamination of relatively primitive basaltic magmas with Torlesse metasedimentary crust, followed by extensive, essentially closed system fractionation of the basalt to a magma of rhyolite composition. It is argued that the processes of assimilation and fractionation are separated in both space and time. The voluminous high silica rhyolites, which make up >97% of the exposed volcanism in the continental margin back-are basin environment of the TVZ, therefore appear to be a product of predominantly new additions to the crust with assimilation-recycling of pre-existing crust being of secondary importance.     

Mafic Late Miocene–Quaternary volcanic rocks in the Kamchatka back arc region: implications for subduction geometry and slab history at the Pacific–Aleutian junction

New ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and published ¹⁴C ages constrain voluminous mafic volcanism of the Kamchatka back-arc to Miocene (3–6 Ma) and Late Pleistocene to Holocene (<1 Ma) times. Trace elements and isotopic compositions show that older rocks derived from a depleted mantle through subduction fluid-flux melting (>20%). Younger rocks form in a back arc by lower melting degrees involving enriched mantle components. The arc front and Central Kamchatka Depression are also underlain by plateau lavas and shield volcanoes of Late Pleistocene age. The focus of these voluminous eruptions thus migrated in time and may be the result of a high fluid flux in a setting where the Emperor seamount subducts and the slab steepens during rollback during terrain accretions. The northern termination of Holocene volcanism locates the edge of the subducting Pacific plate below Kamchatka, a “slab-edge-effect” is not observed in the back arc region.     

Source of the Quaternary Alkalic Basalts, Picrites and Basanites of the Potrillo Volcanic Field, New Mexico, USA: Lithosphere or Convecting Mantle?

The <80 ka basalts–basanites of the Potrillo VolcanicField (PVF) form scattered scoria cones, lava flows and maarsadjacent to the New Mexico–Mexico border. MgO ranges upto 12·5%; lavas with MgO < 10·7% have fractionatedboth olivine and clinopyroxene. Cumulate fragments are commonin the lavas, as are subhedral megacrysts of aluminous clinopyroxene(with pleonaste inclusions) and kaersutitic amphibole. REE modellingindicates that these megacrysts could be in equilibrium withthe PVF melts at 1·6–1·7 GPa pressure. Thelavas fall into two geochemical groups: the Main Series (85%of lavas) have major- and trace-element abundances and ratiosclosely resembling those of worldwide ocean-island alkali basaltsand basanites (OIB); the Low-K Series (15%) differ principallyby having relatively low K₂O and Rb contents. Otherwise, theyare chemically indistinguishable from the Main Series lavas.Sr- and Nd-isotopic ratios in the two series are identical andvary by scarcely more than analytical error, averaging ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr= 0·70308 (SD = 0·00004) and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd = 0·512952(SD=0·000025). Such compositions would be expected ifboth series originated from the same mantle source, with Low-Kmelts generated when amphibole remained in the residuum. ThreePVF lavas have very low Os contents (<14 ppt) and appearto have become contaminated by crustal Os. One Main Series picritehas 209 ppt Os and has a _Os value of +13·6, typical forOIB. This contrasts with published ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratios for KilbourneHole peridotite mantle xenoliths, which give mostly negative_Os values and show that Proterozoic lithospheric mantle formsa thick Mechanical Boundary Layer (MBL) that extends to 70 kmdepth beneath the PVF area. The calculated mean primary magma,in equilibrium with Fo₈₉, has Na₂O and FeO contents that givea lherzolite decompression melting trajectory from 2·8GPa (95 km depth) to 2·2 GPa (70 km depth). Inverse modellingof REE abundances in Main Series Mg-rich lavas is successfulfor a model invoking decompression melting of convecting sub-lithosphericlherzolite mantle (Nd = 6·4; T_p 1400°C) between90 and 70 km. Nevertheless, such a one-stage model cannot accountfor the genesis of the Low-K Series because amphibole wouldnot be stable within convecting mantle at T_f 1400°C. Thesemagmas can only be accommodated by a three-stage model thatenvisages a Thermal Boundary Layer (TBL) freezing conductivelyonto the 70 km base of the Proterozoic MBL during the 20 Myrtectonomagmatic quiescence before PVF eruptions. As it grew,this was veined by hydrous small-fraction melts from below.The geologically recent arrival of hotter-than-ambient (T_p 1400°C) convecting mantle beneath the Potrillo area re-meltedthe TBL and caused the magmatism. KEY WORDS: western USA; picrites; Sr–Nd–Os isotopes; petrogenetic modelling; thermal boundary layer