Geochemical Constraints on the Origin of the Late Archean Skjoldungen Alkaline Igneous Province, SE Greenland

The present work reports the first broad geochemical investigationof the recently discovered late Archean (2700 Ma) Skjoldungenalkaline igneous province (SAP) in southeast Greenland. Therocks studied range in composition from ultramafic to felsicand comprise pyroxenites, hornblendites, hornblende noritesand diorites, monzonites, syenites, and nephelinitic rocks andcarbonatites. Various lithologic units from the host Archeangneissic basement are also investigated. The magmatic rocksshow remarkably coherent major element, trace element, rareearth element (REE), and Sr and Nd isotope systematics, suggestinga petrogenetic relationship. The most important geochemicalfeatures are high normative proportions of nepheline, forsteriteand albite, low TiO₂ (<15 wt %) and moderate FeO (total)(<12 wt %) contents, enrichments in large ion lithophileelements (LILE) and light rare earth elements both absoluteand relative to high field strength elements (HFSE) that displaylarge negative anomalies, and generally low to moderate abundancesof compatible elements. Field relations and REE and compatibleelement systematics among Skjoldungen rocks suggest that maficand ultramafic hornblende-rich samples may represent cumulatelithologies of the regional parental magma. On the basis ofmineral data, this is deduced to have had mg-number of 064,shoshonitic affinities (K₂O15 wt %), been close to silica saturationand volatile rich. Major element, trace element and REE systematicsfurther suggest that felsic intrusions are related to the maficregional parental magma through extensive olivine, hyperstheneand hornblende fractionation. Lack of correlation between La/Yband other critical trace and REE ratios indicates that apatite,zircon and titaniferous minerals were not important cumulusphases at advanced stages of evolution. The measured Sm–Ndwhole-rock isochron age is 2716 23 Ma (2 error) [mean squareof weighted deviates (MSWD) = 14], whereas linear regressionof the Sr isotope data yields an age of 26047 Ma (2 error)(MSWD = 22•2). The age obtained by Nd isotopes is corroboratedby U–Pb zircon results (2698 7 Ma), suggesting thatthe Sm–Nd system remained closed since crystallization.By contrast, the 100 Ma younger age obtained by Sr isotopessuggests that the Rb–Sr system has been disturbed. Initial¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴ Nd ratios span a narrow range corresponding to _Nd(27Ga) =+074 to –109, whereas initial _Sr values at 27Ga cover a comparatively larger interval from –10 to +20.Neither initial _Nd nor initial _Sr values conform to previouslysuggested mantle depletion curves and no meaningful correlationexists between Nd and Sr isotopes for the Skjoldungen magmaticrocks as a whole. Although compositionally heterogeneous, theanalyzed suite of samples from the host agmatitic basement isextremely homogeneous with respect to age, with T^CHUR crustalresidence times around 2700–2800 Ma confirming limitedavailable isotopic evidence. Large-scale assimilation of Archeancrust or recycling of sediments derived from the local basementinto the mantle source fails to explain adequately negativeNb anomalies and low ^Nd signatures characteristic of the Skjoldungenintrusions. Rather, the nearchondritic isotopic compositionof Nd in the Skjoldungen samples together with the decoupledLILE and HFSE enrichment and slightly positive _Sr values areconsidered to reflect characteristics of the mantle source ina subduction zone environment. The geodynamic site hosting theSkjoldungen province thus may be an early manifestation of modern-styleplate tectonics. KEY WORDS: Skjoldungen province; Greenland; Archean; alkaline igneous rocks; geochronology; geochemistry ^*Corresponding author. Present address: Ecole Normale Suprieure de Lyon, 46 AlLe d'Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France     

Hafnium Isotope and Trace Element Constraints on the Nature of Mantle Heterogeneity beneath the Central Southwest Indian Ridge (13{degrees}E to 47{degrees}E)

Hafnium isotope and incompatible trace element data are presentedfor a suite of mid-ocean ridge basalts (MORB) from 13 to 47°Eon the Southwest Indian Ridge (SWIR), one of the slowest spreadingand most isotopically heterogeneous mid-ocean ridges. Variationsin Nd–Hf isotope compositions and Lu/Hf ratios clearlydistinguish an Atlantic–Pacific-type MORB source, presentwest of 26°E, characterized by relatively low _Hf valuesfor a given _Nd relative to the regression line through all Nd–Hfisotope data for oceanic basalts (termed the ‘Nd–Hfmantle array line’; the deviation from this line is termed_Hf) and low Lu/Hf ratios, from an Indian Ocean-type MORB signature,present east of 32°E, characterized by relatively high _Hfvalues and Lu/Hf ratios. Additionally, two localized, isotopicallyanomalous areas, at 13–15°E and 39–41°E,are characterized by distinctly low negative and high positive_Hf values, respectively. The low _Hf MORB from 13 to 15°Eappear to reflect contamination by HIMU-type mantle from thenearby Bouvet mantle plume, whereas the trace element and isotopiccompositions of MORB from 39 to 41°E are most consistentwith contamination by metasomatized Archean continental lithosphericmantle. Relatively small source-melt fractionation of Lu/Hfrelative to Sm/Nd, compared with MORB from faster-spreadingridges, argues against a significant role for garnet pyroxenitein the generation of most central SWIR MORB. Correlations between_Hf and Sr and Pb isotopic and trace element ratios clearly delineatea high-_Hf ‘Indian Ocean mantle component’ that canexplain the isotope composition of most Indian Ocean MORB asmixtures between this component and a heterogeneous Atlantic–Pacific-typeMORB source. The Hf, Nd and Sr isotope compositions of IndianOcean MORB appear to be most consistent with the hypothesisthat this component represents fragments of subduction-modifiedlithospheric mantle beneath Proterozoic orogenic belts thatfoundered into the nascent Indian Ocean upper mantle duringthe Mesozoic breakup of Gondwana. KEY WORDS: mid-ocean ridge basalt; isotopes; incompatible elements; Indian Ocean     

The Petrology and Origin of the Tertiary Lundy Granite (Bristol Channel, UK)

The British Tertiary Volcanic Province (BTVP) comprises within-platecentral igneous complexes associated with plateau lavas andregional dyke swarms. Lundy is the southernmost complex of theBTVP and comprises granite ({small tilde}90%) emplaced intodeformed Devonian sedimentary rocks within the Hercynian Cornubiangranite province of southwest England. The complex is intrudedby a northwest-southeast trending dyke swarm. In common withother BTVP igneous complexes, Lundy is associated with positivegravity and magnetic anomalies which are interpreted in termsof the presena of an underlying basic intrusion at shallow depth,with a volume exceeding that of the overlying granite. The Lundy intrusion is a coarse-grained megacrystic granitecontaining up to 20% alkali feldspar megacrysts in a coarse-grainedgroundmass composed of alkali feldspar, quartz, lithium-bearingmuscovite, and ‘biotite’ (lithian siderophyllite),with a range of aaxssory minerals. The main granite has a coarse-grained(locally miarolitic) pegmatitic facies and is intruded by thinsheets and veins of fine-grained aplite and microgranite. Themineralogy indicates crystallization of the Lundy granite froma highly fractionated H₂O- and halogen-rich magma at a relativelyshallow crustal level. The main Lundy granite is a peraluminous leucogranite with Na₂O=3–4%,K₂O{small tilde}5%, low TiO₂, MeO, CaO, Zr, and Sr, and highRb and Rb/Sr in comparison with many other peralurninous granites,including those from the Cornubian batholith and the BTVP. Anew Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron for the granite yields an ageof 58?7?1?6 Ma with an initial ⁸⁷Sr/86Sr of 0?715?0?006. _Ndvalues for the granite (–0?9 to –1?9) plot betweencontemporaneous mantle (positive _Nd and Cornubian granites (_Nd=ca.–11). The trace element data (Rb, Y, Nb) show affinities with syn-collisionand within-plate granites. As the Sr isotope data indicate amajor crustal component, and the Nd isotope data suggest bothmantle and crustal components, we propose that the Lundy graniteis derived from a parental magma comprising crustal components(derived from a similar source to that of the Cornubian granitebatholith) and a mantle-derived component (derived from a differentiateof contemporaneous basaltic magma This magma experienced fractionalcrystallization of plagioclase, alkai feldspar, Fe-Mg minerals,and REE-bearing accessory minerals before emplacement, and theLundy granite experienced further in situ fractional crystallization,associateded with crustal contamination by the Devonian shaleafter emplacement.     

A Strontium and Neodymium Isotopic Investigation of the Fongen--Hyllingen Layered Intrusion, Norway

The Fongen—Hyllingen Intrusion, situated 60 km SE of Trondheim,Norway, is a synorogenic layered mafic intrusion of Caledonianage . The intrusion is divided into four evolutionary stages based on cryptic variations: StageI—a basal reversal; Stage II—unchanged mineral chemistryor slight normal evolution; Stage III—a gradual regression;Stage IV— a strong normal fractionation trend Magma replenishmentdominated during most of the crystallization, i.e. during StagesI, II and III Replenishing magma was more dense than resident,evolved magma, and continuing influx eventually caused a compositionallystratified magma column to form. Cryptic lateral variation isan important feature in the southern part of the complex andformed by in situ crystallization from a stratified magma alongan inclined floor, where modal layering formed parallel to thecrystallization front. Initial Sr- and Nd-isotopic ratios inthe cumulates vary as a result of assimilation of country rockand subsequent mixing between uncontaminated, replenishing magmaand contaminated, resident magma. The parental magma had a moderatelydepleted isotope composition, relative to Bulk Earth, with _Nd=584and Sr_i=070308, whereas the main contaminant was a partialmelt of metapelitic country rock with _Nd=-874 and Sr_i=07195(Sr_i is the initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr). Sr_i in the analysed cumulatewhole-rock samples ranges from 070308 to 070535 and initial_Nd ranges from. 158 to 584. There is a strong correlationbetween mineralogical composition and isotopic trends in mostof the cumulates: the most primitive samples are the least contaminated,as reflected by relatively high ed and low Sr,, and more evolvedsamples have progressively lower eNi and higher Sry A gradualregression of several hundred metres thickness characterizesStage III; stratigraphically upwards mineral compositions becomemore primitive and isotope compositions more depleted (higher_Nd and lower Sr_i), implying a process of. progressive mixing-inof replenishing, primitive and uncontaminated magma. Magma influxin Stage III took place by fountaining, whereas magma additionwas more tranquil in the earlier stages. The fountaining influxentrained resident, relatively evolved and contaminated magma,resulting in a hybrid magma which ponded at the floor. Duringprolonged magma addition with concomitant crystallization, thelowermost magma layer was replaced by progressively more primitivehybrid magma, creating a gradual regression in the crystallizingcumulate sequence. A detailed two-dimensional study revealslateral variations in mineral compositions both at the baseand top of Stage III, whereas lateral variations in Sr- andNd-isotopic compositions are present at the top, but not atthe base. This implies that the lowest crystallizing part ofthe magma column was essentially isotopically homogeneous, butcompositionally stratified, before influx in Stage III. Isotopicgradients in the magma were strong close to the roof, wheremost of the assimilation occurred, and decreased downwards,merging into isotopically homogeneous magma. This stratifiedsystem was destroyed by turbulent mixing between replenishingand resident magma during fountaining influx in Stage III, anda new stratification was established with both an isotopic anda compositional gradient. After the final influx, crystallizationcontinued in an essentially closed system, in which the remainingmagma column eventually became homogenized, as magma layersmixed when their densities converged owing to release of buoyant,residual liquid during fractional crystallization. Corresponding author     

Crustal Melting in the Cordilleran Interior: The Mid-Cretaceous White Creek Batholith in the Southern Canadian Cordillera

The mid-Cretaceous White Creek batholith in southeast BritishColumbia is a zoned pluton ranging from quartz monzodioriteon the margin, to hornblende-and biotite-bearing granodioritetowards the interior of the batholith, which are in turn crosscutby two-mica granite. This range in rock type is similar to therange displayed by Mesozoic granitoid suites found in the Cordilleraninterior of western North America. The lithological zones inthe White Creek batholith correlate with distinet jumps in majorelement, trace element, and isotopic compositions, and indicatethat several pulses of magma were emplaced within the WhiteCreek magma chamber. The hornblende-and biotite-bearing granitoidsare metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, have strong light rareearth element (LREE) enrichment, and small negative Eu anomalies.These granitoids have initial _Sr ranging from +32 to +84 (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶SrTfrom 0.7069 to 0.7106), initial _Nd ranging from –5 to–10, and initial ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pbranging from 18.3 to 18.7, 15.58 to 15.65, and 38.3 to 39.0,respectively. The two-mica granites and associated aplites arestrongly peraluminous, and show only moderate LREE enrichmentand strong negative Eu anomalies. These granites have _Sr rangingfrom +174 to + 436 (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_T from 0.7169 to 0.7354), _Nd rangingfrom –12 to –16, and more radiogenic initial Pbisotope ratios than the hornblende-and biotite-bearing granitoids. Oxygen, Sr, Pb, and Nd isotopes, REE modelling, and phase equilibriumconstraints are consistent with crustal anatexis of Precambrianbasement gneisses and Proterozoic metapelites exposed in southeastBritish Columbia, the product being the hornblende-biotite granitoidsand two-mica granites, respectively. The sequence of intrusionin the White Creek batholith constrains the melting sequence.A zone of anatexis proceeded upwards through the crust, firstmelting basement gneisses then melting overlying metapelites.A model for basaltic magmatic underplating as a primary causeof anatexis of the crust during the mid-Cretaceous magmaticepisode is difficult to reconcile with the absence of earlyCretaceous basalt in the southern Canadian Cordillera. A muchmore likely petrogenetic model is that crustal anatexis wasprobably a response to crustal thickening in association withterrane accretion and collision along the western margin ofthe North American continent.     

Sources and Petrogenesis of Late Triassic Dolerite Dikes in the Liaodong Peninsula: Implications for Post-collisional Lithosphere Thinning of the Eastern North China Craton

A combination of major and trace element, whole-rock Sr, Ndand Hf isotope, and zircon U–Pb isotopic data are reportedfor a suite of dolerite dikes from the Liaodong Peninsula inthe northeastern North China Craton. The study aimed to investigatethe source, petrogenesis and tectonic setting of the dikes.Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U–Pb zircon analysesyield a Late Triassic emplacement age of 213 Ma for these dikes,post-dating the collision between the North China and Yangtzecratons and consequent ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism. Threegeochemical groups of dikes have been identified in the LiaodongPeninsula based on their geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hfisotope characteristics. Group 1 dikes are tholeiitic, withhigh TiO₂ and total Fe₂O₃ and low MgO contents, absent to weaknegative Nb and Ta anomalies, variable (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i (0·7060–0·7153),_Nd(t) (– 0·8 to –6·5) and _Hf(t) (–2·7to –7·8) values, and negative _Hf(t) (–1·1to –7·8). They are inferred to be derived frompartial melting of a relatively fertile asthenospheric mantlein the spinel stability field, with some upper crustal assimilationand fractional crystallization. Group 2 dikes have geochemicalfeatures of high-Mg andesites with (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i values of 0·7063–0·7072,and negative _Nd(t) (–3·0 to –9·5)and _Hf(t) (–3·2 to –10·1) values,and may have originated as melts of foundered lower crust, withsubsequent interaction with mantle peridotite. Group 3 dikesare shoshonitic in composition with relatively low (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_ivalues (0·7061–0·7063), and negative _Nd(t)(–13·2 to –13·4) and _Hf(t) (–11·0to –11·5) values, and were derived by partial meltingof an ancient, re-enriched, refractory lithospheric mantle inthe garnet stability field. The geochemical and geochronologicaldata presented here indicate that Late Triassic magmatism occurredin an extensional setting, most probably related to post-orogeniclithospheric delamination. KEY WORDS: mafic dike; asthenospheric mantle; lithospheric mantle; delamination; North China Craton     

Origins of Xenolithic Eclogites and Pyroxenites from the Central Slave Craton, Canada

Major- and trace-element and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositionsof garnet and clinopyroxene in kimberlite-borne eclogite andpyroxenite xenoliths were used to establish their origins andevolution in the subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneaththe central Slave Craton, Canada. The majority of eclogitescan be assigned to three groups (high-Mg, high-Ca or low-Mgeclogites) that have distinct trace-element patterns. Althoughpost-formation metasomatism involving high field strength element(HFSE) and light rare earth element (LREE) addition has partiallyobscured the primary compositional features of the high-Mg andhigh-Ca eclogites, trace-element features, such as unfractionatedmiddle REE (MREE) to heavy REE (HREE) patterns suggestive ofgarnet-free residues and low Zr/Sm consistent with plagioclaseaccumulation, could indicate a subduction origin from a broadlygabbroic protolith. In this scenario, the low REE and smallpositive Eu anomalies of the high-Mg eclogites suggest moreprimitive, plagioclase-rich protoliths, whereas the high-Caeclogites are proposed to have more evolved protoliths withhigher (normative) clinopyroxene/plagioclase ratios plus trappedmelt, consistent with their lower Mg-numbers, higher REE andabsence of Eu anomalies. In contrast, the subchondritic Zr/Hfand positive slope in the HREE of the low-Mg eclogites are similarto Archaean second-stage melts and point to a previously depletedsource for their precursors. Low ratios of fluid-mobile to lessfluid-mobile elements and of LREE to HREE are consistent withdehydration and partial melt loss for some eclogites. The trace-elementcharacteristics of the different eclogite types translate intolower _Nd for high-Mg eclogites than for low-Mg eclogites. Withinthe low-Mg group, samples that show evidence for metasomaticenrichment in LREE and HFSE have lower _Nd and _Hf than a samplethat was apparently not enriched, pointing to long-term evolutionat their respective parent–daughter ratios. Garnet andclinopyroxene in pyroxenites show different major-element relationshipsfrom those in eclogites, such as an opposite CaO–Na₂Otrend and the presence of a CaO–Cr₂O₃ trend, independentof whether or not opx is part of the assemblage. Therefore,these two rock types are probably not related by fractionationprocesses. The presence of opx in about half of the samplesprecludes direct crystallization from eclogite-derived melts.They probably formed from hybridized melts that reacted withthe peridotitic mantle. KEY WORDS: eclogites; pyroxenite xenoliths; mantle xenoliths; eclogite trace elements; eclogite Sr isotopes; eclogite Hf isotopes; eclogite Nd isotopes     

Zircon Hf Isotopic Evidence for Mixing of Crustal and Silicic Mantle-derived Magmas in a Zoned Granite Pluton, Eastern Australia

Zircon Hf isotopic data from a zoned pluton of the Moonbi supersuite,New England batholith, eastern Australia, are consistent withmagma mixing between two silicic melts, each derived from isotopicallydistinct sources. Although zircons from three zones within theWalcha Road pluton give a U–Pb crystallization age of249 ± 3 Ma, zircon populations from each zone have arange in _Hf. Zircons from the mafic hornblende–biotitemonzogranite pluton margin and intermediate zones have _Hf +5to +11, whereas those from the more felsic centre of the plutonhave _Hf +7 to +16, representing a total variation of 11 _Hfunits. The Lu–Hf depleted mantle model ages range from650 to 250 Ma, with the younger zircons present only in thefelsic pluton centre. The variation in _Hf indicates the involvementof silicic melts from at least two sources, one a crustal componentwith a Neoproterozoic model age and the other a primitive mantle-derivedcomponent with model ages similar to the U–Pb crystallizationage of the pluton. The zircons reflect the isotopic compositionsof the different proportions of crustal-derived silicic melt,relative to mantle-derived silicic melt, between melt generationand final pluton construction. The Walcha Road pluton is consideredto have formed by incremental assembly of progressively morefelsic melt batches resulting from mixing, replenishment andcrystal–melt separation, with final pluton constructioninvolving mechanical concentration as zones of crystal mush.The zoned pluton and, more broadly, the Moonbi supersuite provideexamples of magma mixing by which the more silicic units havemore juvenile isotopic compositions as a result of increasingproportions of residual melt from basalt fractionation, relativeto crustal partial melt. KEY WORDS: Australia; granite magma mixing; zircon; zoned pluton; Hf isotopes     

Geochemical and Isotopic Heterogeneities along an Island Arc-Spreading Ridge Intersection: Evidence from the Lewis Hills, Bay of Islands Ophiolite, Newfoundland

This study focuses on the origin of magma heterogeneity andthe genesis of refractory, boninite-type magmas along an arc–ridgeintersection, exposed in the Lewis Hills (Bay of Islands Ophiolite).The Lewis Hills contain the fossil fracture zone contact betweena split island arc and its related marginal oceanic basin. Threetypes of intrusions, which are closely related to this narrowtectonic boundary, have been investigated. Parental melts inequilibrium with the ultramafic cumulates of the PyroxeniteSuite are inferred to have high MgO contents and low Al₂O₃,Na₂O and TiO₂ contents. The trace element signatures of thesePyroxenite Suite parental melts indicate a re-enriched, highlydepleted source with 0·1 x mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB)abundances of the heavy rare earth elements (HREE). Initial_Nd values of the Pyroxenite Suite range from -1·5 to+0·6, which overlap those observed for the island arc.Furthermore, the Pyroxenite Suite parental melts bear strongsimilarities to boninite-type equilibrium melts from islandarc-related pyroxenitic dykes and harzburgites. Basaltic dykessplit into two groups. Group I dykes have 0·6 x MORBabundances of the HREE, and initial _Nd values ranging from +5·4to +7·5. Thus, they have a strong geochemical affinitywith basalts derived from the marginal basin spreading ridge.Group II dykes have comparatively lower trace element abundances(0·3 x MORB abundances of HREE), and slightly lower initial_Nd values (+5·4 to +5·9). The geochemical characteristicsof the Group II dykes are transitional between those of GroupI dykes and the Pyroxenite Suite parental melts. Cumulates fromthe Late Intrusion Suite are similarly transitional, with _Ndvalues ranging from +2·9 to +4·6. We suggest thatthe magma heterogeneity observed in the Lewis Hills is due tothe involvement of two compositionally distinct mantle sources,which are the sub-island lithospheric mantle and the asthenosphericmarginal basin mantle. It is likely that the refractory, boninite-typeparental melts of the Pyroxenite Suite result from remeltingof the sub-arc lithospheric mantle at an arc–ridge intersection.Furthermore, it is suggested that the thermal-dynamic conditionsof the transtensional transform fault have provided the prerequisitefor generating magma heterogeneity, as a result of mixing relationshipsbetween arc-related and marginal basin-related magmas. KEY WORDS: Bay of Islands ophiolite; transform (arc)–ridge intersection; boninites; rare earth elements, Nd isotopes     

Petrogenesis of Cogenetic Silica-Oversaturated and -Undersaturated Syenites by Periodic Recharge in a Crustally Contaminated Magma Chamber: the Kangerlussuaq Intrusion, East Greenland

The Palaeogene Kangerlussuaq Intrusion (50 Ma) of East Greenlanddisplays concentric zonation from quartz-rich nordmarkite (quartzsyenite) at the margin, through pulaskite, to foyaite (nephelinesyenite) in the centre; modal layering and igneous laminationare locally developed but there are no internal intrusive contacts.This is an apparent violation of the phase relations in Petrogeny'sResidua System. We propose that this intrusion is layered, gradingfrom quartz syenite at the bottom to nepheline syenite at thetop. Mineral and whole-rock major and trace element data andSr–Nd–Hf–Pb isotope data are presented thatprovide constraints on the petrogenesis of the intrusion. Radiogenicisotope data indicate a continuously decreasing crustal componentfrom the quartz nordmarkites (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0·7061; _Ndi= 2·3; _Hfi = 5·2; ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_meas = 16·98)to the foyaites (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0·7043–0·7044;_Ndi = 3·8–4·9; _Hfi = 10·7–11·1;²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_meas = 17·78–17·88); the foyaitesare dominated by a mantle isotopic signature. The average Mg-numberof amphibole cores becomes increasingly primitive, varying from26·4 in the nordmarkites to 57·4 in the pulaskites.Modal layering, feldspar lamination and the presence of hugebasaltic xenoliths derived from the chamber roof, now restingon the transient chamber floor, demonstrate bottom-upwards crystallization.The intrusion cannot, therefore, have formed in a system closedto magmatic recharge. The lack of gneissic xenoliths in thenordmarkites suggests that most contamination took place deeperin the crust. In the proposed model, the nordmarkitic magmaformed during crustal assimilation in the roof zone of a large,silica-undersaturated alkali basaltic/basanitic, stratifiedmagma chamber, prior to emplacement in the uppermost crust.The more primitive syenites, terminating with foyaite at thetop of the intrusion, formed as a consequence of repeated rechargeof the Kangerlussuaq Intrusion magma chamber by tapping lesscontaminated, more primitive phonolitic melt from deeper partsof the underlying chamber during progressive armouring of theplumbing system. KEY WORDS: Kangerlussuaq; East Greenland; syenite; crustal contamination; magma mixing     

Continental Lithospheric Contribution to Alkaline Magmatism: Isotopic (Nd, Sr, Pb) and Geochemical (REE) Evidence from Serra de Monchique and Mount Ormonde Complexes

Isotopic results (Sr, Nd, Pb), as well as concentrations ofmajor and trace elements (REE) are reported for whole-rock samplesand mineral separates from the onland alkaline complex of Serrade Monchique (South Portugal) and the offshore alkali basaltvolcanic suite of Mount Ormonde (Gorringe Bank). These two geneticallyrelated alkaline complexes were emplaced at the east Atlanticcontinent–ocean boundary during the Upper Cretaceous,i.e. 66–72 m.y. ago. Taken together, Serra de Monchiqueand Mount Ormonde may be seen as one of the few examples ofwithin-plate magmatism that straddles the continent–oceanboundary. Major and trace element compositions fail to revealany significant differences between onland and offshore complexes.This is particularly true regarding less differentiated samples(mg-number 0.40) which show the same progressive and continuousenrichment of their trace element patterns, with no specificanomaly (e.g. negative Nb anomaly) being present in samplesfrom the onland complex. Initial Pb and Sr isotopic compositionsalso do not allow any distinction to be made between Serra deMonchique and Mount Ormonde samples. Initial Pb isotope ratiosare moderately high (19.1 < ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb < 19.8; ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb= 15.6) in both cases. Moreover, once the effects of Sr contaminationby seawater are taken into account and the most contaminatedsamples discarded using data from fresh clinopyroxene separatesand results of leaching experiments, the initial Sr isotopiccompositions of Mount Ormonde samples are found to be unradiogenic(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7031±1) and identical to those obtainedat Serra de Monchique (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr = 0.7032±1). In contrast,a systematic mean difference of 2 _Nd units is observed betweenSerra de Monchique [_Nd(T) = +4.8] and Mount Ormonde [_Nd(T) =+6.6] whole-rock samples. Surprisingly, a variation is alsoobserved at Mount Ormonde between the whole-rock samples andone of the two analysed clinopyroxene separates. Whereas MountOrmonde whole-rock samples invariably yielded _Nd(T) = +6.6 (meanvalue), a value of +0.5 is obtained for one clinopyroxene separate,whereas another gives +6.0. The above geochemical and isotopicresults make it possible to assign respective roles to the asthenosphere,lithosphere and crust in the petrogenesis of Serra de Monchiqueand Mount Ormonde complexes. We propose that both complexesshare a common mantle source whose isotopic characteristicsare very similar to the source of oceanic island basalts. Continentalmantle lithosphere, already characterized isotopically by studiesof peridotite massifs within the Iberian peninsula, acts asa contaminant which is evident onland on the whole-rock scale,and also present offshore as discrete clinopyroxene xenocrysts.The continental crust appears to play no role in the petrogenesisof the Serra de Monchique alkaline rocks. KEY WORDS: alkaline complexes; continental lithosphere; isotope geochemistry; passive continental margin; within-plate volcanics     

The Gronnedal-Ika Carbonatite-Syenite Complex, South Greenland: Carbonatite Formation by Liquid Immiscibility

The Grønnedal-Ika complex is dominated by layered nephelinesyenites which were intruded by a xenolithic syenite and a centralplug of calcite to calcite–siderite carbonatite. Aegirine–augite,alkali feldspar and nepheline are the major mineral phases inthe syenites, along with rare calcite. Temperatures of 680–910°Cand silica activities of 0·28–0·43 weredetermined for the crystallization of the syenites on the basisof mineral equilibria. Oxygen fugacities, estimated using titanomagnetitecompositions, were between 2 and 5 log units above the fayalite–magnetite–quartzbuffer during the magmatic stage. Chondrite-normalized REE patternsof magmatic calcite in both carbonatites and syenites are characterizedby REE enrichment (La_CN–Yb_CN = 10–70). Calcite fromthe carbonatites has higher Ba (5490 ppm) and lower HREE concentrationsthan calcite from the syenites (54–106 ppm Ba). This isconsistent with the behavior of these elements during separationof immiscible silicate–carbonate liquid pairs. _Nd(T =1·30 Ga) values of clinopyroxenes from the syenites varybetween +1·8 and +2·8, and _Nd(T) values of whole-rockcarbonatites range from +2·4 to +2·8. Calcitefrom the carbonatites has ¹⁸O values of 7·8 to 8·6and ¹³C values of –3·9 to –4·6. ¹⁸Ovalues of clinopyroxene separates from the nepheline syenitesrange between 4·2 and 4·9. The average oxygenisotopic composition of the nepheline syenitic melt was calculatedbased on known rock–water and mineral–water isotopefractionation to be 5·7 ± 0·4. Nd and C–Oisotope compositions are typical for mantle-derived rocks anddo not indicate significant crustal assimilation for eithersyenite or carbonatite magmas. The difference in ¹⁸O betweencalculated syenitic melts and carbonatites, and the overlapin _Nd values between carbonatites and syenites, are consistentwith derivation of the carbonatites from the syenites via liquidimmiscibility. KEY WORDS: alkaline magmatism; carbonatite; Gardar Province; liquid immiscibility; nepheline syenite     

Mantle and Crustal Effects on the Geochemistry of Proterozoic Dikes and Sills in Sweden

Chemical and Sr-Nd isotopic data are presented for 14 Proterozoicdolerite intrusions from Sweden. The dolerites are unmetamorphosedand belong to two age groups at 1.26 and 0.95 Ga. The analysedrocks were selected from over 80 samples characterized for initial⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio, and represent those from each intrusion thathave little to no crustal contamination effect on Sr isolopes.In these tholeiitic to mildly alkaline basalts, MgO varies from4 to 14%, and TiO₂ from 1.0 to 4.7%. Incompatible-element abundancepatterns show similar shapes at widely varying overall enrichmentlevels; La varies from eight to 64 times primitive mantle. Manysamples have apparent Sr anomalies; positive for the less incompatible-elementenriched rocks, negative for those with the highest abundances,Hence Sr varies by a factor of only two, whereas neighboringelements vary by a factor of seven. Small Eu anomalies correlatewith the larger Sr variations. All samples have negative Nbanomalies, correlated with _{Nd 1} values that vary from –0.5to + 3.5 for both dolerite age groups. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr₁ values aresystematically different in the two groups: 1.26-Ga doleritesvary from 0.7026 to 0.7035, and 0.95-Ga dolerites from 0.7041to 0.7051. Rather than urging any particular model of subcontinental mantleevolution, we use the dolerite results to deconvolute the effectsof crustal contamination, differentiation including crypticdifferentiation effects, and mantle-lithosphere interactionson possibly asthenosphere-derived magmas. Problems related toaddition of Rb and ⁸⁷Sr giving false isochrons, as well as raised⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr from syn- or post-crystallization fluid effects, wereeliminated by the sample selection criteria. In the selecteddolerites, crustal contamination is not a major control on geochemistry,because all incompatible elements, including those of both highand low crustal abundance, are positively and similarly correlated.Overall abundances have been affected by migrations of residualmagma after much olivine and plagioclase crystallization. OnlySr is an approximate indication of the parent magma's enrichment,whereas all other incompatible elements may be depleted or enrichedby factors greater than two. On entering the crust, the magmasvaried by a factor of only two in overall incompatible-elementenrichment. They had Nb anomalies correlated with ^Nd1, and the0.95-Ga dolerites possessed higher ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr than had characterizedthe 1.26-Ga dolerites. All mantle effects could be interpretedas resulting from a lithospheric magma source that experiencedaddition of subduction-related components 1.9–1.7 Ga ago,and maybe locally 1.6–1.0 Ga ago. We prefer a model whereasthenosphere-derived melts interact with lithospheric wallrocks, acquiring variable _Nd down to –0.5 and Nb anomalies.Up to two-thirds of the budget of incompatible elements, butnot much Nb, were added to the magmas. Untimately, the contributionof any mantle-source is unconstrained, except that significantlithosphere has to have been involved. The mantle-related geochemicaleffects, which result in only weak constraints on process andsource, are very difficult to isolate in an objective approachto intracontinental basalts, because of superimposed differentiationand contamination effects.     

Age, Origin and Cooling History of the Coronel Joao Sa Pluton, Bahia, Brazil

In north-east Brazil, Archean and Paleoproterozoic cratonicblocks are enclosed within a network of Brasiliano-age (0·7–0·55Ga) metasedimentary foldbelts. The unfoliated Coronel JoãoSá granodiorite pluton, which contains magmatic epidoteand strongly resorbed clinopyroxene, intrudes the SergipanoFoldbelt. Zircons yield a concordant U–Pb crystallizationage of 625 ± 2 Ma; titanite ages are approximately 621Ma. Discordant zircons suggest inheritance from at least twomagma sources of ages <1·8 and >2·2 Ga.Model calculations based on diffusion parameters and Rb–Srisotope data from separated minerals indicate that the plutoncooled at a rate of 36°C/Myr. Whole-rock element compositionsand initial Sr–Nd isotopic compositions that are heterogeneouson all length scales suggest magma mixing. Trace-element concentrationsand Nd isotope data argue against a contribution from a contemporaneousmantle-derived magma. Values of magmatic _Nd (at 625 Ma) resemblecontemporary _Nd for local supracrustal rocks and basement, compatiblewith anatexis of a crustal source. In north-east Brazil, cratonicblocks could have amalgamated with foldbelts that originatedas: (1) a mosaic of island arcs and arc basins (traditionalallochthonous model), or as (2) extensional continental sedimentarybasins (but not oceanic crust) later involved in collision (autochthonousmodel). The Coronel João Sá isotopic and chemicaldata support an autochthonous origin. KEY WORDS: Brasiliano Orogeny; granodiorite pluton; Rb–Sr isotopes, Sm–Nd isotopes; U–Pb isotopes, magma cooling rate     

Age and Petrogenesis of Two Late Archean Magmatic Suites, Northwestern Superior Province, Canada: Zircon U-Pb and Lu-Hf Isotopic Relations

The paper presents U–Pb ages for zircon, titanite, andmonazite, and Hf isotopic data for zircon, from the rocks oftwo magmatic suites occurring mostly in the Archean Uchi Subprovinceand partly in the neighbouring Berens River and English Riversubprovinces of the northwestern Superior Province, Ontario.These data, together with observations on the morphologies and,where evident, the inheritance of the zircon crystals, constrainthe nature of the sources of the magmas and provide a recordof various crustal processes in their evolution. The older of the two magmatic suites formed at 2744–2740Ma along segments of a common arc system. The suite consistsof (1) several trondhjemitic to granodioritic plutons, with_Hf values of 6•1, intruded into older crust and possiblyformed from magma produced by partial melting of subducted,juvenile oceanic crust; (2) an assemblage of dacitic pyroclasticvolcanic rocks, with _Hf values of 3•2–4•0, associatedwith tholeiitic basalts and probably derived from magma meltedfrom arc mantle; and (3) a bimodal assemblage of tholeiiticbasalts, rhyolites, and porphyries, also with _Hf values of 6•1,associated with a volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit andapparently formed by differentiation of mantle-derived basalticmelts at shallow levels in an extensional back-arc setting. The second magmatic suite, formed between 2702 and 2693 Ma,comprises late orogenic plutons and batholiths of dioritic todominantly granodioritic composition. The characteristics ofthese intrusions are consistent with a process combining meltingof a metasomatized mantle source and subsequent fractional crystallizationof the derived magmas at shallow depths. However, most of thestudied occurrences show evidence of crustal contamination throughvarious combinations of assimilation of lower-crustal material,assimilation of underthrust sedimentary rocks, and contaminationby wall rock materials during the latest stages in the emplacementof the plutons. The involvement of crustal material is indicatedby the presence of zircon xenocrysts and by _Hf values rangingfrom 1•4 to 4•4. Only one intrusion, with an _Hf valueof 5•0 and no xenocrystic zircon, appears to have escapedwidespread contamination, perhaps because the ascent of itsmagma was facilitated by a crustal-scale fracture system.     

Geochemistry of the Wrangellia Flood Basalt Province: Implications for the Role of Continental and Oceanic Lithosphere in Flood Basalt Genesis

The Wrangellia terrane of North America contains a large volumeof Middle to Late Triassic oceanic flood basalts which wereemplaced on top of a preexisting island arc. Nd-, Sr-, and Pb-isotopiccompositions reflect derivation from a plume source with _Nd(T)+6 to + 7, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i0•7034, and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_i19•0.Major and trace element compositions suggest the Wrangelliaflood basalts (WFB) formed through relatively small degreesof partial melting at greater depths than estimated for otheroceanic plateaux such as Ontong Java. It appears that the WFBdid not form in a rifting environment, and that preexistingarc lithosphere limited the ascent and decompression meltingof the source plume. Rocks from the preexisting arc are stronglydepleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs) relative tolarge ion lithophile elements (LILEs), but the WFB are not.Assimilation of arc lithospheric mantle or crust was thereforegenerally minor. However, some contamination by arc componentsis evident, particularly in basalts erupted in the early stagesof volcanism. Minor isotopic shifts, to lower _Nd(T) and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb_iand higher ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i, are accompanied by shifts in trace elementratios towards more arclike signatures, e.g. low Nb/Th and Nb/La.Arc contamination is greatest in the most evolved basalts, indicatingthat assimilation was coupled with fractional crystallization.A comparison of the WFB with other continental and oceanic floodbasalts reveals that continental flood basalts generally formthrough smaller degrees of melting than oceanic flood basaltsand that the contribution of material from the crust and litho-sphericmantle is significantly greater. KEY WORDS: oceanic flood basalts; Wrangellia terrane; petrogenesis; Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes ^*Corroponding author     

Re--Os and Sm--Nd Isotope Geochemistry of the Stillwater Complex, Montana: Implications for the Petrogenesis of the J-M Reef

Re—Os and Sm—Nd isotopic data have been obtainedfor mafic and ultramafic cumulates from the 2700-Ma StillwaterComplex and associated fine-grained sills and dykes, so as tobetter constrain the geochemical characteristics of Stillwaterparental magmas and to trace the source(s) of the precious metalsthat have been concentrated in the J-M Reef, the major platinum-groupelement mineral deposit in the complex. Initial Os isotopiccompositions (¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os) for chromitites from the Ultramaficseries range from a radiogenic isotopic composition of 0.1321(_Os = +21) for the platinum group element (PGE)-enriched B chromititeseam from the West Fork area to a near-chondritic isotopic compositionof 0.1069–0.1135 (_Os=–2 to +4.1) for the PGE-poorG and H chromitite seams, respectively, near the middle of theUltramafic series. Osmium isotopic data for the PGE-rich B chromititeseam are generally isochronous with whole-rock and mineral datafor the J-M Reef (_Os = + 12 to + 34). Re—Os isotopic datatherefore document a contrast between PGE-poor cumulates fromthe Ultramafic series and PGE-enriched cumulates from both theUltramafic series and the J-M Reef, suggesting that Os and probablythe other PGE were derived from at least two isotopically distinctsources. Moreover, these Re-Os isotopic characteristics correlatewith petrogenetic subdivisions of the Stillwater Complex basedon field mapping, petrology, REE geochemistry, and Sm—Ndisotope geochemistry. The data are best explained by mixingof two magma types, referred to as U-type and A-type magmas,with differing major element, trace element, and precious metalabundances and isotopic compositions. Although crustally contaminatedkomatiites can mimic the Os and Nd isotopic characteristicsof the U-type magma, the combination of low initial Os isotopicvalues (_Os0) with low initial Nd isotopic values (_Nd–1),high ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb for a given ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (Wooden et al., 1991),and high (Ce/Yb)_n ratios in U-type cumulates and fine-grainedsills and dykes is more consistent with the involvement of aRe-poor, but trace-element-enriched portion of the subcontinentallithospheric mantle in the petrogenesis of Stillwater U-typemagmas. However, the radiogenic initial Os isotopic compositionsof the J-M Reef and other portions of the intrusion with elevatedPGE concentrations suggest that A-type parental magmas incorporatedOs from radiogenic early Archaean crust. The relatively largerange in (Ce/Yb)_n, _Os, and _Nd values suggests that mixing ofgeochemically distinct magmas may have been an important processthroughout the history of the Stillwater magma chamber. Magmamixing may then explain not only the PGE-enriched J-M Reef butalso the anomalous enrichment of the PGE in the B chromititeseam from the West Fork area and the variable values observedin other chromitite seams of the Ultramafic series. The intimateassociation of these magma types, derived from or modified inthe Archaean continental lithosphere, may then be crucial tothe formation of magmatic PGE mineral deposits.     

Age and Geochemistry of Basement and Alkalic Rocks of Malaita and Santa Isabel, Solomon Islands, Southern Margin of Ontong Java Plateau

Geochemical and ⁴⁰ Ar—³⁹ Ar studies of the Malaita OlderSeries and Sigana Basalts, which form the basement of Malaitaand the northern portion of Santa Isabel, confirm the existenceof Ontong Java Plateau (OJP) crust on these islands. Sr, Nd,and Pb isotopic ratios of Malaita Older Series and Sigana lavasfall within limited ranges [(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)T= 0.70369–0.70423,E_Nd(T)= + 3.7 to +6.0, and ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 18.25–18.64]virtually indistinguishable from those found in the three OJPbasement drill sites as far as 1600 km away, indicating a uniformhotspot-like mantle source with a slight ‘Dupal’signature for the world's largest oceanic plateau. Three chemicaltypes of basalts are recognized, two of which are equivalentto two of the three types drilled on the plateau, and one withno counterpart, as yet, on the plateau; the chemical data indicateslightly different, but all high, degrees of melting and slightvariation in source composition. All but one of the ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Arplateau ages determined for Malaita Older Series and SiganaBasalt lavas are identical to those found at the distant drillsites: 121.30.9 Ma and 92.01.6 Ma, suggesting that two short-lived,volumetrically important plateau-building episodes took place30 m.y. apart. Aside from OJP lavas, three isotopically distinctsuites of alkalic rocks are present. The Sigana Alkalic Suitein Santa Isabel has an ⁴⁰ Ar-³⁹ Ar age of 91.70.4 Ma, the sameas that of the younger OJP tholeiites, yet it displays a distinct’HIMU‘ -type isotopic signature [²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb 20.20,(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) T 0.7032, _Nd(T) 4.4], possibly representing small-degreemelts of a minor, less refractory component in the OJP mantlesource region. The Younger Series in southern Malaita has an⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar age of 44 Ma and isotopic ratios [_Nd(T)=-0.5 to +1.0,(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_T =0.70404–0.70433, ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb = 18.57–18.92]partly overlapping those of the ‘PHEM’ end-memberpostulated for Samoa, and those of present-day Rarotonga lavas;one or both of these hotspots may have caused alkalic volcanismon the plateau when it passed over them at 44 Ma. The NorthMalaita Alkalic Suite in northernmost Malaita is probably ofsimilar age, but has isotopic ratios [(⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) _T 0.7037,_Nd(T) +4.5, ²⁰⁶pb/²⁰⁴pb 18.8) resembling those of some OJP basementlavas; it may result from a small amount of melting of agedplateau lithosphere during the OJP's passage over these hotspots.Juxtaposed against OJP crust in Santa Isabel is an 62–46-Maophiolitic (sensu lato) assemblage. Isotopic and chemical datareveal Pacific-MORB-like, backarc-basin-like, and arc-like signaturesfor these rocks, and suggest that most formed in an arc—backarcsetting before the Late Tertiary collision of the OJP againstthe old North Solomon Trench. The situation in Santa Isabelappears to provide a modern-day analog for some Precambriangreenstone belts. KEY WORDS: oceanic plateaux; Ontong Java Plateau; Solomon Islands; Sr-Nd-Pb isotopes; age and petrogenesis ^*Corresponding author.     

A High-K, Mantle Derived Plutonic Suite from 'Linga', near Arequipa (Peru)

The Linga Group consists of a suite of Cretaceous high-K calc-alkalinerocks intruded into 2?0 Ga old basement in S.E. Peru. The rocksrange in composition from gabbros, through diorites and grandioritesto granites. Microprobe, major and trace element and isotopedata suggest the suite evolved by fractional crystallization,with plagioclase as the dominant phase and with surprisinglylittle interaction with the pre-existing crust. The rocks yieldan Rb/Sr whole rock isochron of 68 ? 3 Ma with an initial Sr-isotoperatio 0.70516 ? 8, and from three Nd-isotope analyses initialNd = – 1?4 to – 2?0. ¹⁸ O increases from 5?0 permil in a gabbro to 7?0 per mil in a granite, and models arepresented which suggest that the suite evolved from parentalmagmas which had ¹⁸O = 5?8 to 6?0 per mil, 1.5 per cent K₂O,63 p.p.m. Rb, 582 p.p.m. Sr, 35 p.p.m. Ce, 0.38 p.p.m. Ta, ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr= 0.7052, and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd = 0.51247. Trace element considerationsimply that these magmas contain contributions from incompatibleelement enriched upper mantle material and from a componentassociated with subduction. The latter is thought to reflectthe preferential mobilization of alkali and alkaline earth elementsby H₂O-rich fluids from the subducted slab, and preliminarycalculations indicate that it was responsible for {small tilde}45 per cent of the Sr and {small tilde} 80 per cent of the Kin the more primitive Linga rocks. However, the isotope datasuggest that while the fluids may be from the subducted slab,the elements in this component may also have been mobilizedfrom the overlying mantle wedge.     

Geochemistry of Picritic and Associated Basalt Flows of the Western Emeishan Flood Basalt Province, China

Picritic lava flows near Lijiang in the late Permian Emeishanflood basalt province are associated with augite-phyric basalt,aphyric basalt, and basaltic pyroclastic units. The dominantphenocryst in the picritic flows is Mg-rich olivine (up to 91·6%forsterite component) with high CaO contents (to 0·42wt %) and glass inclusions, indicating that the olivine crystallizedfrom a melt. Associated chromite has a high Cr-number (73–75).The estimated MgO content of the primitive picritic liquidsis about 22 wt %, and initial melt temperature may have beenas high as 1630–1690°C. The basaltic lavas appearto be related to the picritic ones principally by olivine andclinopyroxene fractionation. Age-corrected Nd–Sr–Pbisotope ratios of the picritic and basaltic lavas are indistinguishableand cover a relatively small range [e.g. _Nd(t) = –1·3to +4·0]. The higher _Nd(t) lavas are isotopically similarto those of several modern oceanic hotspots, and have ocean-island-likepatterns of alteration-resistant incompatible elements. Heavyrare earth element characteristics indicate an important rolefor garnet during melting and that the lavas were formed byfairly small degrees of partial melting. Rough correlationsof isotope ratios with ratios of alteration-resistant highlyincompatible elements (e.g. Nb/La) suggest modest amounts ofcontamination involving continental material or a relativelylow-_Nd component in the source. Overall, our results are consistentwith other evidence suggesting some type of plume-head originfor the Emeishan province. KEY WORDS: Emeishan; flood basalts; picrites; mantle plumes; late Permian