Temporal Evolution of Magmatism in the Northern Volcanic Zone of the Andes: The Geology and Petrology of Cayambe Volcanic Complex (Ecuador)

In the Northern Volcanic Zone of the Andes, the Cayambe VolcanicComplex consists of: (1) a basal, mostly effusive volcano, theViejo Cayambe, whose lavas (andesites and subordinate dacitesand rhyolites) are typically calc-alkaline; and (2) a younger,essentially dacitic, composite edifice, the Nevado Cayambe,characterized by lavas with adakitic signatures and explosiveeruptive styles. The construction of Viejo Cayambe began >1·1Myr ago and ended at 1·0 Ma. The young and still activeNevado Cayambe grew after a period of quiescence of about 0·6Myr, from 0·4 Ma to Holocene. Its complex history isdivided into at least three large construction phases (Angurealcone, Main Summit cone and Secondary Summit cone) and compriseslarge pyroclastic events, debris avalanches, as well as periodsof dome activity. Geochemical data indicate that fractionalcrystallization and crustal assimilation processes have a limitedrole in the genesis of each suite. On the contrary, field observations,and mineralogical and geochemical data show the increasing importanceof magma mixing during the evolution of the volcanic complex.The adakitic signature of Nevado Cayambe magmas is related topartial melting of a basaltic source, which could be the lowercrust or the subducted slab. However, reliable geophysical andgeochemical evidence indicates that the source of adakitic componentis the subducted slab. Thus, the Viejo Cayambe magmas are inferredto come from a mantle wedge source metasomatized by slab-derivedmelts (adakites), whereas the Nevado Cayambe magmas indicatea greater involvement of adakitic melts in their petrogenesis.This temporal evolution can be related to the presence of thesubducted Carnegie Ridge, modifying the geothermal gradientalong the Wadati–Benioff zone and favouring slab partialmelting. KEY WORDS: adakites; ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating; Cayambe volcano; Ecuador; mantle metasomatism; Andes     

Residence, Resorption and Recycling of Zircons in Devils Kitchen Rhyolite, Coso Volcanic Field, California

Zircons from the Devils Kitchen rhyolite in the PleistoceneCoso Volcanic field, California have been analyzed by in situPb/U ion microprobe (SHRIMP-RG) and by detailed cathodoluminescenceimaging. The zircons yield common-Pb-corrected and disequilibrium-corrected²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages that predate a previously reported K–Arsanidine age by up to 200 kyr, and the range of ages exhibitedby the zircons is also approximately 200 kyr. Cathodoluminescenceimaging indicates that zircons formed in contrasting environments.Most zircons are euhedral, and a majority of the zircons areweakly zoned, but many also have anhedral, embayed cores, witheuhedral overgrowths and multiple internal surfaces that aretruncated by later crystal zones. Concentrations of U and Thvary by two orders of magnitude within the zircon population,and by 10–20 times between zones within some zircon crystals,indicating that zircons were transferred between contrastingchemical environments. A zircon saturation temperature of 750°Coverlaps within error a previously reported phenocryst equilibrationtemperature of 740 ± 25°C. Textures in zircons indicativeof repeated dissolution and subsequent regrowth are probablycaused by punctuated heating by mafic magma input into rhyolite.The overall span of ages and large variation in U and Th concentrations,combined with calculated zircon saturation temperatures andresorption times, are most compatible with crystallization inmagma bodies that were emplaced piecemeal in the crust at Cosoover 200 kyr prior to eruption, and that were periodically rejuvenatedor melted by subsequent basaltic injections. KEY WORDS: zircon geochronology; residence time; rhyolite; ion microprobe; California     

Geochemical Constraints on the Origin of Volcanic Rocks from the Andean Northern Volcanic Zone, Ecuador

Whole-rock geochemical data on basaltic to rhyolitic samplesfrom 12 volcanic centers are used to constrain the role of continentalcrust in the genesis of magmas formed beneath the anomalouslywide subduction-related volcanic arc in Ecuador. Relativelyhomogeneous, mantle-like, isotopic compositions across the arcimply that the parental magmas in Ecuador were produced largelywithin the mantle wedge above the subduction zone and not byextensive melting of crustal rocks similar to those upon whichthe volcanoes were built. Cross-arc changes in ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd and7/4Pb are interpreted to result from assimilation of geochemicallymature continental crust, especially in the main arc area, 330–360km from the trench. Mixing calculations limit the quantity ofassimilated crust to less than 10%. Most andesites and dacitesin Ecuador have adakite-like trace element characteristics (e.g.Y <18 ppm, Yb <2 ppm, La/Yb >20, Sr/Y >40). Availablewhole-rock data do not provide a clear basis for distinguishingbetween slab-melting and deep crustal fractionation models forthe genesis of Ecuador adakites; published data highlightinggeochemical evolution within individual volcanoes, and in magmaticrocks produced throughout Ecuador since the Eocene, appear tosupport the deep fractionation model for the genesis of mostevolved Ecuadoran lavas. A subset of andesites, which displaya combination of high Sr (>900 ppm), Nd >4·1 and7/4Pb <6·0, appear to be the best candidates amongEcuador lavas for slab-melts associated with the subductionof the relatively young, over-thickened, oceanic crust of theCarnegie Ridge. KEY WORDS: andesite; Ecuador; trace elements; isotopes; adakite     

Distinguishing Melting of Heterogeneous Mantle Sources from Crustal Contamination: Insights from Sr Isotopes at the Phenocryst Scale, Pisgah Crater, California

Compositionally heterogeneous basaltic centers from a varietyof tectonic environments, including Pisgah Crater in the MojaveDesert region of California, exhibit secular changes in theirchemistry that might be explained by the sequential meltingof ultramafic to mafic mantle sources. We have analyzed phenocrystsfrom alkali basalts and hawaiites erupted at Pisgah Crater toinvestigate the effects of open-system modifications imposedon basaltic systems. We present ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr data for individualphenocrysts of amphibole and clinopyroxene and the first publishedresults of single olivine grains, in addition to plagioclase.Each mineral phase exhibits a range in Sr isotope compositionthat may only partially overlap the isotopic composition ofthe other mineral phases, suggesting an interplay between twomagmatic end-members that continued up to the time of eruption.Limited ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr variability in minerals from early and intermediatelavas indicates only moderate syn-crystallization open-systemmodification, whereas minerals in late-erupted lavas have muchhigher ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr, consistent with extensive open-system modification.Rimward increases in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of plagioclase confirm that thesechanges occurred within the stability field of plagioclase and,therefore, at crustal or near-crustal depths. The major elementcompositions of olivine-hosted melt inclusions indicate thatan Al-rich component of andesitic composition (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr 0·7056),possibly derived from plagioclase-rich cumulates or pelites,was assimilated by magma generated from asthenosphere or younglithosphere with ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr 0·7038. The results clearlydemonstrate the utility of measuring the ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr of individualminerals and indicate that Pisgah Crater basalts probably acquiredisotopically enriched geochemical signatures from crustal contamination,rather than from mixing of heterogeneous mantle melts. KEY WORDS: assimilation; basalts; melt inclusions; minerals; Sr isotopes     

Origin of the Gabbro-Peridotite Association from the Northern Apennine Ophiolites (Italy)

The Northern Apennine ophiolites are remnants of the MiddleJurassic–Early Cretaceous lithosphere from the LigurianTethys. New trace element and Nd–Sr isotope investigationswere performed on: (1) the rare gabbros associated with thesubcontinental mantle rocks from the External Liguride ophiolites;(2) the gabbro–peridotite association from the poorlyknown ophiolitic bodies from Cecina valley (Southern Tuscany).Clinopyroxenes from the External Liguride and Cecina valleygabbros have similar trace element compositions, which are consistentwith formation from normal mid-ocean ridge basalt (N-MORB) magmas.Sm–Nd mineral isochron ages are 179 ± 9 Ma foran External Liguride gabbro and 170 ± 13 Ma and 173·5± 4·8 Ma for two different gabbroic bodies fromthe Cecina valley ophiolites. These ages are interpreted todate the igneous crystallization of the gabbros and are slightlyolder than the oldest pelagic sediments of the Ligurian Tethys.Initial     

Phase Relations and Melting of Anhydrous K-bearing Eclogite from 1200 to 1600{degrees}C and 3 to 5 GPa

To investigate eclogite melting under mantle conditions, wehave performed a series of piston-cylinder experiments usinga homogeneous synthetic starting material (GA2) that is representativeof altered mid-ocean ridge basalt. Experiments were conductedat pressures of 3·0, 4·0 and 5·0 GPa andover a temperature range of 1200–1600°C. The subsolidusmineralogy of GA2 consists of garnet and clinopyroxene withminor quartz–coesite, rutile and feldspar. Solidus temperaturesare located at 1230°C at 3·0 GPa and 1300°C at5·0 GPa, giving a steep solidus slope of 30–40°C/GPa.Melting intervals are in excess of 200°C and increase withpressure up to 5·0 GPa. At 3·0 GPa feldspar, rutileand quartz are residual phases up to 40°C above the solidus,whereas at higher pressures feldspar and rutile are rapidlymelted out above the solidus. Garnet and clinopyroxene are theonly residual phases once melt fractions exceed 20% and garnetis the sole liquidus phase over the investigated pressure range.With increasing melt fraction garnet and clinopyroxene becomeprogressively more Mg-rich, whereas coexisting melts vary fromK-rich dacites at low degrees of melting to basaltic andesitesat high melt fractions. Increasing pressure tends to increasethe jadeite and Ca-eskolaite components in clinopyroxene andenhance the modal proportion of garnet at low melt fractions,which effects a marked reduction in the Al₂O₃ and Na₂O contentof the melt with pressure. In contrast, the TiO₂ and K₂O contentsof the low-degree melts increase with increasing pressure; thusNa₂O and K₂O behave in a contrasted manner as a function ofpressure. Altered oceanic basalt is an important component ofcrust returned to the mantle via plate subduction, so GA2 maybe representative of one of many different mafic lithologiespresent in the upper mantle. During upwelling of heterogeneousmantle domains, these mafic rock-types may undergo extensivemelting at great depths, because of their low solidus temperaturescompared with mantle peridotite. Melt batches may be highlyvariable in composition depending on the composition and degreeof melting of the source, the depth of melting, and the degreeof magma mixing. Some of the eclogite-derived melts may alsoreact with and refertilize surrounding peridotite, which itselfmay partially melt with further upwelling. Such complex magma-genesisconditions may partly explain the wide spectrum of primitivemagma compositions found within oceanic basalt suites. KEY WORDS: eclogite; experimental petrology; mafic magmatism; mantle melting; oceanic basalts     

Oxygen Isotope Geochemistry of the Lassen Volcanic Center, California: Resolving Crustal and Mantle Contributions to Continental Arc Magmatism

This study reports oxygen isotope ratios determined by laserfluorination of mineral separates (mainly plagioclase) frombasaltic andesitic to rhyolitic composition volcanic rocks eruptedfrom the Lassen Volcanic Center (LVC), northern California.Plagioclase separates from nearly all rocks have ¹⁸O values(6·1–8·4) higher than expected for productionof the magmas by partial melting of little evolved basalticlavas erupted in the arc front and back-arc regions of the southernmostCascades during the late Cenozoic. Most LVC magmas must thereforecontain high ¹⁸O crustal material. In this regard, the ¹⁸O valuesof the volcanic rocks show strong spatial patterns, particularlyfor young rhyodacitic rocks that best represent unmodified partialmelts of the continental crust. Rhyodacitic magmas erupted fromvents located within 3·5 km of the inferred center ofthe LVC have consistently lower ¹⁸O values (average 6·3± 0·1) at given SiO₂ contents relative to rockserupted from distal vents (>7·0 km; average 7·1± 0.1). Further, magmas erupted from vents situated attransitional distances have intermediate values and span a largerrange (average 6·8 ± 0·2). Basaltic andesiticto andesitic composition rocks show similar spatial variations,although as a group the ¹⁸O values of these rocks are more variableand extend to higher values than the rhyodacitic rocks. Thesefeatures are interpreted to reflect assimilation of heterogeneouslower continental crust by mafic magmas, followed by mixingor mingling with silicic magmas formed by partial melting ofinitially high ¹⁸O continental crust (9·0) increasinglyhybridized by lower ¹⁸O (6·0) mantle-derived basalticmagmas toward the center of the system. Mixing calculationsusing estimated endmember source ¹⁸O values imply that LVC magmascontain on a molar oxygen basis approximately 42 to 4% isotopicallyheavy continental crust, with proportions declining in a broadlyregular fashion toward the center of the LVC. Conversely, the¹⁸O values of the rhyodacitic rocks suggest that the continentalcrust in the melt generation zones beneath the LVC has beensubstantially modified by intrusion of mantle-derived basalticmagmas, with the degree of hybridization ranging on a molaroxygen basis from approximately 60% at distances up to 12 kmfrom the center of the system to 97% directly beneath the focusregion. These results demonstrate on a relatively small scalethe strong influence that intrusion of mantle-derived maficmagmas can have on modifying the composition of pre-existingcontinental crust in regions of melt production. Given thisresult, similar, but larger-scale, regional trends in magmacompositions may reflect an analogous but more extensive processwherein the continental crust becomes progressively hybridizedbeneath frontal arc localities as a result of protracted intrusionof subduction-related basaltic magmas. KEY WORDS: oxygen isotopes; phenocrysts; continental arc magmatism; Cascades; Lassen     

大兴安岭北段早石炭世洋岛型玄武岩的确立及成因意义

大兴安岭北段根河地区早石炭世发育一套细碎屑岩及海相中-基性火山岩石组合,归属为莫尔根河组.其中基性火山岩为细碧岩、变玄武岩,岩石富Na2 O、K2O、TiO2,w(Fe2 O3)/w(FeO)=0.8(平均),属碱性系列.LREE富集,Eu无异常.Ti、Y、Yb略低于MORB外,其它元素高于MORB,具大洋板内玄武岩特征.w(87Sr)/w(86Sr)初始值为0.704 3,εNd(t)=3.00,表明岩浆源于富集地幔.本区莫尔根河组基性火山岩石形成的构造环境为地幔柱成因的夏威夷型洋岛环境.     

Flood and Shield Basalts from Ethiopia: Magmas from the African Superswell

The Ethiopian plateau is made up of several distinct volcaniccentres of different ages and magmatic affinities. In the NE,a thick sequence of 30 Ma flood basalts is overlain by the 30Ma Simien shield volcano. The flood basalts and most of thisshield volcano, except for a thin veneer of alkali basalt, aretholeiitic. In the centre of the province, a far thinner sequenceof flood basalt is overlain by the 22 Ma Choke and Guguftu shieldvolcanoes. Like the underlying flood basalts, these shieldsare composed of alkaline lavas. A third type of magma, whichalso erupted at 30 Ma, is more magnesian, alkaline and stronglyenriched in incompatible trace elements. Eruption of this magmawas confined to the NE of the province, a region where the lavaflows are steeply tilted as a result of deformation contemporaneouswith their emplacement. Younger shields (e.g. Mt Guna, 10·7Ma) are composed of Si-undersaturated lavas. The three maintypes of magma have very different major and trace element characteristicsranging from compositions low in incompatible elements in thetholeiites [e.g. 10 ppm La at 7 wt % MgO (=La₇), La/Yb = 4·2],moderate in the alkali basalts (La₇ = 24, La/Yb = 9·2),and very high in the magnesian alkaline magmas (La₇ = 43, La/Yb= 17). Although their Nd and Sr isotope compositions are similar,Pb isotopic compositions vary considerably; ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb variesin the range of     

Constraining Fluid and Sediment Contributions to Subduction-Related Magmatism in Indonesia: Ijen Volcanic Complex

Ijen Volcanic Complex (IVC) in East Java, Indonesia is situatedon thickened oceanic crust within the Quaternary volcanic frontof the Sunda arc. The 20 km wide calderas complex contains around22 post-caldera eruptive centres, positioned either around thecaldera-rim (CR) or along a roughly NE–SW lineament insidethe caldera (IC). The CR and IC lavas exhibit separate differentiationhistories. Major element and trace element modelling shows thatfractionation of olivine, clinopyroxene, Fe–Ti oxide ±plagioclase is important in the CR group, whereas plagioclaseis the dominant fractionating mineral in the same assemblagefor the IC group. Spatial controls on magmatic differentiationhighlight important structural controls on magma storage andascent at IVC. Mantle-like ¹⁸O values, restricted ranges inSr, Nd and Hf isotope ratios, and a lack of correlation betweenisotope ratios and indices of differentiation in IVC lavas areconsistent with magmatic evolution through fractional crystallization.Furthermore, the small ranges in isotopic ratios throughoutthe complex indicate little heterogeneity in the mantle. IVClavas possess higher ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd isotope ratiosthan other volcanoes of Java, representing the least contaminatedsource so far analysed and, therefore, give the best estimateyet of the pre-subduction mantle wedge isotopic compositionbeneath Java. Trace element and radiogenic isotope data areconsistent with a two-stage, three-component petrogenetic modelfor IVC, whereby an Indian-type mid-ocean ridge basalt (I-MORB)-likefertile mantle wedge is first infiltrated by a small percentageof fluid, sourced from the altered oceanic crust, prior to additionof <1% Indian Ocean sediment dominated by pelagic material. KEY WORDS: differentiation; geochemistry; source components; Sr, Nd, Hf and O isotopes; Sunda arc     

The Role of Water Retention in the Anatexis of Metapelites in the Bushveld Complex Aureole, South Africa: an Experimental Study

Highly restitic metapelites occur at the contact of the RustenburgLayered Suite (Bushveld Complex). On the basis of previous experimentalstudies, the high (     

Lamproitic Rocks from a Continental Collision Zone: Evidence for Recycling of Subducted Tethyan Oceanic Sediments in the Mantle Beneath Southern Tibet

Major and trace element, Sr–Nd–Pb isotope and mineralchemical data are presented for newly discovered ultrapotassiclavas in the Tangra Yumco–Xuruco graben in southern Tibet.The ultrapotassic lavas are characterized by high MgO, K₂O andTiO₂, low Al₂O₃ and Na₂O contents, and also have high molarK₂O/Al₂O₃, molar (K₂O + Na₂O)/Al₂O₃ and K₂O/Na₂O ratios. Theirhigh abundances of incompatible trace elements such as largeion lithophile elements (LILE) and light rare earth elements(LREE) reach the extreme levels typical of lamproites. The lamproitesshow highly radiogenic ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0· 7166–0·7363) and unradiogenic ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd (0· 511796–0·511962), low ²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (18· 459–18· 931),and elevated radiogenic ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (15· 6732–15·841) and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb (39· 557–40· 058) ratios.On the basis of their geochemical and isotopic systematics,the lamproites in south Tibet have a distinct magma source thatcan be differentiated from the sources of potassic lavas inthe east Lhasa and Qiangtang blocks. Their high Nb/Ta ratios(17· 10–19· 84), extremely high Th/U ratios(5· 70–13· 74) and distinctive isotope compositionsare compatible with a veined mantle source consisting of partialmelts of subducted Tethyan oceanic sediments and sub-continentallithospheric depleted mantle. Identification of the lamproitesand the delineation of their mantle source provide new evidencerelevant for models of the uplift and extension of the Tibetanplateau following the Indo-Asia collision. Metasomatism by partialmelts from isotopically evolved, old sediment subducted on theyoung Tethyan slab is an alternative explanation for PrecambrianNd and Pb model ages. In this model, differences in isotopiccomposition along-strike are attributed to differences in thetype of sediment being subducted, thus obviating the need formultiple metasomatic events over hundreds of million years.The distribution of lamproites, restricted within a north–south-trendinggraben, indicates that the initiation of east–west extensionin south Tibet started at 25 Ma. KEY WORDS: lamproites; subducted oceanic sediment; Tibetan active continental collision belt     

Geochronology and Petrogenesis of the Cretaceous Antampombato-Ambatovy Complex and Associated Dyke Swarm, Madagascar

The Antampombato–Ambatovy complex is the largest intrusionin the central–eastern part of the Cretaceous flood basaltprovince of Madagascar, with an exposed surface area of about80 km². It has an ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar incremental heating age of 89·9± 0·4 Ma and a U–Pb age of 90 ± 2Ma. The outcropping plutonic rocks range from dunite and wehrlite,through clinopyroxenite and gabbro, to sodic syenite. A dykeswarm cross-cutting some of the above lithologies (and the nearbyPrecambrian basement rocks) is formed of picritic basalts, alkalito transitional basalts, benmoreites and rhyolites; some ofthe latter are peralkaline. A few basaltic dykes have cumulateolivine textures, with up to 26 wt % MgO and 1200 ppm Ni, whereasothers have characteristics more akin to those of primitiveliquids (9 wt % MgO; Mg-number 0·61; 500 ppm Cr; 200ppm Ni). These basalts have relatively high TiO₂ (2·2wt %) and total iron (14 wt % as Fe₂O₃), and moderate contentsof Nb (10–11 ppm) and Zr (c. 100 ppm). Initial (at 90Ma) Sr- and Nd-isotope ratios of the clinopyroxenites and basaltdykes are 0·7030–0·7037 and 0·51290–0·51283,respectively. Syenites and peralkaline rhyolites have Sr- andNd-isotope ratios of 0·7037–0·7039 and 0·51271–0·51274,respectively. The data suggest derivation of the parental magmasfrom a time-integrated depleted mantle source, combined withsmall amounts of crustal contamination in the petrogenesis ofthe more evolved magmas. The isotopic compositions of the mafic–ultramaficrocks are most similar to those of the mid-ocean ridge basalt(MORB)-like igneous rocks of eastern Madagascar, and suggestthe existence of an isotopically ‘depleted’ componentin the source of the entire Madagascar province, even thoughthe Antampombato basalts are chemically unlike the lavas anddykes with the same depleted isotopic signature found in westernMadagascar. If this depleted component is plume-related, thissuggests that the plume has a broadly MORB-source mantle composition.The existence of isotopically more enriched magma types in theMadagascan province has several possible petrogenetic explanations,one of which could be the interaction of plume-related meltswith the deep lithospheric mantle beneath the island. KEY WORDS: geochronology; flood basalts; Antampombato–Ambatovy intrusion; Cretaceous; Madagascar     

The Petrology and Geochemistry of Volcanic Rocks on Jeju Island: Plume Magmatism along the Asian Continental Margin

The incompatible element signatures of volcanic rocks formingJeju Island, located at the eastern margin of the Asian continent,are identical to those of typical intraplate magmas. The sourceof these volcanic rocks may be a mantle plume, located immediatelybehind the SW Japan arc. Jeju plume magmas can be divided intothree series, based on major and trace element abundances: high-aluminaalkalic, low-alumina alkalic, and sub-alkalic. Mass-balancecalculations indicate that the compositional variations withineach magma series are largely governed by fractional crystallizationof three chemically distinct parental magmas. The compositionsof primary magmas for these series, using inferred residualmantle olivine compositions, suggest that the low-alumina alkalicand sub-alkalic magmas are generated at the deepest and shallowestdepths by lowest and highest degrees of melting, respectively.These estimates, together with systematic differences in traceelement and isotopic compositions, indicate that the upper mantlebeneath Jeju Island is characterized by an increased degreeof metasomatism and a change in major metasomatic hydrous mineralsfrom amphibole to phlogopite with decreasing depth. The originalplume material, having rather depleted geochemical characteristics,entrained shallower metasomatized uppermost mantle material,and segregated least-enriched low-alumina alkalic, moderatelyenriched high-alumina alkalic, and highly enriched sub-alkalicmagmas, with decreasing depth. KEY WORDS: Jeju Island; magma genesis; mantle plume; subcontinental mantle     

Geochemical Evidence for Slab Melting in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt

Geochemical studies of Plio-Quaternary volcanic rocks from theValle de Bravo–Zitácuaro volcanic field (VBZ) incentral Mexico indicate that slab melting plays a key role inthe petrogenesis of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Rocks fromthe VBZ are typical arc-related high-Mg andesites, but two differentrock suites with distinct trace element patterns and isotopiccompositions erupted concurrently in the area, with a traceelement character that is also distinct from that of other Mexicanvolcanoes. The geochemical differences between the VBZ suitescannot be explained by simple crystal fractionation and/or crustalassimilation of a common primitive magma, but can be reconciledby the participation of different proportions of melts derivedfrom the subducted basalt and sediments interacting with themantle wedge. Sr/Y and Sr/Pb ratios of the VBZ rocks correlateinversely with Pb and Sr isotopic compositions, indicating thatthe Sr and Pb budgets are strongly controlled by melt additionsfrom the subducted slab. In contrast, an inverse correlationbetween Pb(Th)/Nd and ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios, which extend to lowerisotopic values than those for Pacific mid-ocean ridge basalts,indicates the participation of an enriched mantle wedge thatis similar to the source of Mexican intraplate basalts. In addition,a systematic decrease in middle and heavy rare earth concentrationsand Nb/Ta ratios with increasing SiO₂ contents in the VBZ rocksis best explained if these elements are mobilized to some extentin the subduction flux, and suggests that slab partial fusionoccurred under garnet amphibolite-facies conditions. KEY WORDS: arcs; mantle; Mexico; sediment melting; slab melting     

East African Rift System (EARS) Plume Structure: Insights from Quaternary Mafic Lavas of Turkana, Kenya

Quaternary mafic lavas from Lake Turkana (northern Kenya) provideinformation on processes operating beneath the East AfricanRift in an area of anomalous lithospheric and crustal thinning.Inferred depths of melting beneath Turkana (15–20 km)are shallower than those recorded elsewhere along the rift,consistent with the anomalously thin crustal section. The maficlavas have elevated incompatible trace element contents whencompared with mid-ocean ridge basalts, requiring an enrichmentevent in the source region. Basalts with low Sr isotopic ratios(     

Volcanism in the Vitim Volcanic Field, Siberia: Geochemical Evidence for a Mantle Plume Beneath the Baikal Rift Zone

The Baikal Rift is a zone of active lithospheric extension adjacentto the Siberian Craton. The 6–16 Myr old Vitim VolcanicField (VVF) lies approximately 200 km east of the rift axisand consists of 5000 km³ of melanephelinites, basanites, alkaliand tholeiitic basalts, and minor nephelinites. In the volcanicpile, 142 drill core samples were used to study temporal andspatial variations. Variations in major element abundances (e.g.MgO = 3·3–14·6 wt %) reflect polybaric fractionalcrystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene and plagioclase. ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_i(0·7039–0·7049), ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd_i (0·5127–0·5129)and ¹⁷⁶Hf/¹⁷⁷Hf_i (0·2829–0·2830) ratiosare similar to those for ocean island basalts and suggest thatthe magmas have not assimilated significant amounts of continentalcrust. Variable degrees of partial melting appear to be responsiblefor differences in Na₂O, P₂O₅, K₂O and incompatible trace elementabundances in the most primitive (high-MgO) magmas. Fractionatedheavy rare earth element (HREE) ratios (e.g. [Gd/Lu]_n > 2·5)indicate that the parental magmas of the Vitim lavas were predominantlygenerated within the garnet stability field. Forward major elementand REE inversion models suggest that the tholeiitic and alkalibasalts were generated by decompression melting of a fertileperidotite source within the convecting mantle beneath Vitim.Ba/Sr ratios and negative K anomalies in normalized multi-elementplots suggest that phlogopite was a residual mantle phase duringthe genesis of the nephelinites and basanites. Relatively highlight REE (LREE) abundances in the silica-undersaturated meltsrequire a metasomatically enriched lithospheric mantle source.Results of forward major element modelling suggest that meltingof phlogopite-bearing pyroxenite veins could explain the majorelement composition of these melts. In support of this, pyroxenitexenoliths have been found in the VVF. High Cenozoic mantle potentialtemperatures (1450°C) predicted from geochemical modellingsuggest the presence of a mantle plume beneath the Baikal RiftZone. KEY WORDS: Baikal Rift; mafic magmatism; mantle plume; metasomatism; partial melting     

The Lower Zone-Critical Zone Transition of the Bushveld Complex: a Quantitative Textural Study

The Lower Zone–Critical Zone boundary of the BushveldComplex is an intrusion-wide, major stratigraphic transitionfrom ultramafic harzburgite and pyroxenite in the Lower Zoneto increasingly plagioclase-rich pyroxenites and norites inthe Critical Zone. Quantitative textural and compositional datafor 29 samples through this transition show the following: LowerZone orthopyroxene grains are larger, have higher aspect ratios,are better foliated and have a lower trapped liquid componentthan those of the Critical Zone. The larger grain size of theLower Zone results in crystal size distribution plots that arerotated to lower slopes and intercepts relative to those inthe Critical Zone. Although all rocks show differing amountsof foliation, mineral lineations are weak to absent. These dataare consistent with significant compaction-driven recrystallizationin the study section. Numerical modeling of concurrent compactionand crystallization provides a quantitative model of how theLower Zone–Critical Zone transition may have formed: plagioclaseis rare in the Lower Zone because compaction removes interstitialliquid before it reaches plagioclase saturation. However, asthe crystal pile grows, plagioclase saturation is reached inthe interstitial liquid before compaction is complete in moreevolved pyroxenites, producing more abundant but still modestamounts of plagioclase characteristic of the Lower CriticalZone. It is concluded that both the textures and the modal mineralogyare largely controlled by compaction and compaction-driven recrystallization;primary magmatic textures are not preserved. KEY WORDS: Bushveld Complex; compaction; crystal size distributions; crystal aging; igneous textures     

Evolution of the Lithospheric Mantle beneath the Marsabit Volcanic Field (Northern Kenya): Constraints from Textural, P-T and Geochemical Studies on Xenoliths

Xenoliths hosted by Quaternary basanites and alkali basaltsfrom Marsabit (northern Kenya) represent fragments of Proterozoiclithospheric mantle thinned and chemically modified during riftingin the Mesozoic (Anza Graben) and in the Tertiary–Quaternary(Kenya rift). Four types of peridotite xenoliths were investigatedto constrain the thermal and chemical evolution of the lithosphericmantle. Group I, III and IV peridotites provide evidence ofa cold, highly deformed and heterogeneous upper mantle. Textures,thermobarometry and trace element characteristics of mineralsindicate that low temperatures in the spinel stability field(750–800°C at <1·5 GPa) were attained bydecompression and cooling from initially high pressures andtemperatures in the garnet stability field (970–1080°Cat 2·3–2·9 GPa). Cooling, decompressionand penetrative deformation are consistent with lithosphericthinning, probably related to the development of the Mesozoicto Paleogene Anza Graben. Re-equilibrated and recrystallizedperidotite xenoliths (Group II) record heating (from 800°Cto 1100°C). Mineral trace element signatures indicate enrichmentby mafic silicate melts, parental to the Quaternary host basanitesand alkali basalts. Relationships between mineral textures,P–T conditions of equilibration, and geochemistry canbe explained by metasomatism and heating of the lithosphererelated to the formation of the Kenya rift, above a zone ofhot upwelling mantle. KEY WORDS: East African Rift System; Anza Graben; in situ LA-ICPMS; peridotite xenoliths; thermobarometry     

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