Petrological and source region characteristics of ophiolitic hornblende gabbros from the Aksaray and Kayseri regions, central Anatolian crystalline complex, Turkey

Many Neo-Tethyan ophiolitic bodies are well exposed as thrust-slices in Central Anatolia and are predominantly represented by massive hornblende gabbros, most of which are cut by Supra Subduction Zone (SSZ) plagiogranites. The allochthonous gabbros are distinct from their autochthonous counterparts, with their mineralogy including both igneous hornblende, relict diopside rimmed by replacement hornblende and their chemical composition corresponding mostly to gabbro rather than diorite.The results of major and trace element analyses of forty-two samples, and REE analyses of nine samples, indicate that the hornblende gabbros are SSZ-type and formed from a wet magma by high-degree partial melting of peridotite possibly coupled with contamination by predominantly neighbouring-slab derived fluids within an intra-oceanic back-arc basin. The mafic magmas then underwent high-level fractional crystallization involving titaniferous magnetite, diopside, tschermakite and possibly olivine. Emplacement was followed by extensive ocean–floor metamorphism, which has induced crystallization (or recrystallization) of chlorite, biotite, amphiboles and mobilisation of most of the major elements such as alkali and alkali earth elements, and some LREE.     

Petrological and source region characteristics of ophiolitic hornblende gabbros from the Aksaray and Kayseri regions,central Anatolian crystalline complex,Turkey

Many Neo-Tethyan ophiolitic bodies are well exposed as thrust-slices in Central Anatolia and are predominantly represented by massive hornblende gabbros, most of which are cut by Supra Subduction Zone (SSZ) plagiogranites. The allochthonous gabbros are distinct from their autochthonous counterparts, with their mineralogy including both igneous hornblende, relict diopside rimmed by replacement hornblende and their chemical composition corresponding mostly to gabbro rather than diorite.The results of major and trace element analyses of forty-two samples, and REE analyses of nine samples, indicate that the hornblende gabbros are SSZ-type and formed from a wet magma by high-degree partial melting of peridotite possibly coupled with contamination by predominantly neighbouring-slab derived fluids within an intra-oceanic back-arc basin. The mafic magmas then underwent high-level fractional crystallization involving titaniferous magnetite, diopside, tschermakite and possibly olivine. Emplacement was followed by extensive ocean–floor metamorphism, which has induced crystallization (or recrystallization) of chlorite, biotite, amphiboles and mobilisation of most of the major elements such as alkali and alkali earth elements, and some LREE.     

Petrology of the Tekirova (Antalya) ophiolite (Southern Turkey): evidence for diverse magma generations and their tectonic implications during Neotethyan-subduction

The SW Antalya Complex is an assemblage of Mesozoic carbonate platform, margin and ophiolitic rocks which record the formation and tectonic emplacement of a small Mesozoic ocean basin. The late Cretaceous ophiolitic rocks are located at two localities, namely the relatively intact Tekirova ophiolite to the east of Kemer zone and the dismembered Gödene ophiolite to the west of Kemer zone. The Tekirova (Antalya) ophiolite comprises harzburgitic tectonites, ultramafic to mafic cumulates, isotropic gabbros and sheeted dikes. Numerous isolated dikes, ranging in thickness from 5 cm to 10 m, intruded the crustal rocks at different structural levels. The isotropic gabbros are represented by gabbro, diorite and quartz diorite rocks with granular to ophitic–subophitic textures. The isolated dikes are characterized by dolerite, diabase and microdiorite with ophitic, intersertal and microgranular textures. These rocks exhibit tholeiitic to alkaline compositions. New geochemical data presented in this paper from the isolated dikes and isotropic gabbros suggest that there are three main types of parental basic magmas that form the oceanic crustal rocks of the Tekirova (Antalya) ophiolite. These are (1) IAT series which can be referred to the Group I isolated dikes and isotropic gabbros; (2) low-Ti boninitic series characterized by the Group II isolated dike and isotropic gabbros; and (3) OIB-type including the Group III isotropic gabbros. The geochemical evidence suggests that the crustal rocks of the Tekirova (Antalya) ophiolite were generated from a progressive source depletion from island arc tholeiites (IAT) to boninites. Therefore, a fore-arc tectonic setting seems likely for the generation of the crustal rocks from the Tekirova (Antalya) ophiolite in the southern branch of Neotethys during the Late Cretaceous. The OIB-type alkaline isotropic gabbros are thought to have resulted from either (1) a late-stage magmatic activity fed by melts that originated within an asthenospheric window due to slab break-off or (2) subduction of a ridge system which generated OIB source across the asthenospheric window that has been no influence of fluids from the subducted slab into the overlying mantle wedge, shortly before the emplacement of the Tekirova (Antalya) ophiolite onto the Tauride platform.     

Discovery of the Plagiogranites in the Diyanmiao Ophiolite,Southeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt,Inner Mongolia,China and Its Tectonic Significance

In this study, plagiogranites in the Diyanmiao ophiolite of the southeastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt(Altaids) were investigated for the first time. The plagiogranites are composed predominantly of albite and quartz, and occur as irregular intrusive veins in pillow basalts. The plagiogranites have high SiO_2(74.37–76.68 wt%) and low Al_2O_3(11.99–13.30 wt%), and intensively high Na_2O(4.52–5.49 wt%) and low K_2O(0.03–0.40 wt%) resulting in high Na_2O/K_2O ratios(11.3–183). These rocks are classified as part of the low-K tholeiitic series. The plagiogranites have low total rare earth element contents(∑REE)(23.62–39.77 ppm), small negative Eu anomalies(δEu=0.44–0.62), and flat to slightly LREE-depleted chondrite-normalized REE patterns((La/Yb)N=0.68–0.76), similar to N-MORB. The plagiogranites are also characterized by Th, U, Zr, and Hf enrichment, and Nb, P, and Ti depletion, have overall flat primitivemantle-normalized trace element patterns. Field and petrological observations and geochemical data suggest that the plagiogranites in the Diyanmiao ophiolite are similar to fractionation-type plagiogranites. Furthermore, the REE patterns of the plagiogranites are similar to those of the gabbros and pillow basalts in the ophiolite. In plots of SREE–SiO_2, La–SiO_2, and Yb–SiO_2, the plagiogranites, pillow basalts, and gabbros show trends typical of crystal fractionation. As such, the plagiogranites are oceanic in origin, formed by crystal fractionation from basaltic magmas derived from depleted mantle, and are part of the Diyanmiao ophiolite. LA–ICP–MS U–Pb dating of zircons from the plagiogranites yielded ages of 328.6±2.1 and 327.1±2.1 Ma, indicating an early Carboniferous age for the Diyanmiao ophiolite. These results provide petrological and geochronological evidence for the identification of the Erenhot–Hegenshan oceanic basin and Hegenshan suture of the Paleo-Asian Ocean.     

西藏改则地区拉果错蛇绿岩地球化学特征及成因

拉果错蛇绿岩位于西藏改则县南侧,是班公湖-怒江缝合带南侧蛇绿岩带中发育最完整的蛇绿岩之一,可能形成晚侏罗世—早白垩世,主要由地幔橄榄岩、堆晶岩、枕状熔岩、岩墙、斜长花岗岩及放射虫硅质岩等构造单元组成。微量元分析结果表明该蛇绿岩中的中基性岩富集 Sr、Rb 等大离子亲石元素,亏损 Nb、Ta 等高场强元素,具有岛弧型火山岩的特点其在稀土元素球粒陨石标准化配分图解中主要显示平坦型曲线,它们可能是由消减板片流体交代的地幔楔源区的部分熔,形成。拉果错蛇绿岩可能形成于弧间盆地环境,代表了班公湖-怒江缝合带南侧弧-弧碰撞的产物。     

The trace element geochemistry of Corsican ophiolites

Ultramafic rocks, gabbros, plagiogranites, dolerites and basaltic dikes and pillows lavas of the ophiolite slices of eastern Corsica have been metamorphosed in both oceanic and orogenic environments. The trace element content of the metabasaltic rocks which exhibit a tholeiitic differentiation trend towards a ferrobasaltic composition, is similar to that of oceanic basalts. The cumulate sequence is interpreted to have been formed by fractional crystallization from an olivine-tholeiite magma. The troctolites representing cumulates derived from melts representing liquid fractions in the range F=1-0.85, gabbros from melts with F=0.85-0.45, and ferrogabbros and plagiogranites from melts with F<0.45. An oceanic environment with moderate spreading rates and magmatic processes similar to present-day normal oceanic ridge segments is considered the more probable original setting of the Corsican ophiolites.Financial support by C.N.R. (Italy) and A.T.P. Géodynamique de la Méditerranée Occidentale C.N.R.S. (France)     

The mafic–ultramafic complex of Aniyapuram,Cauvery Suture Zone,southern India: Petrological and geochemical constraints for Neoarchean suprasubduction zone tectonics

Several Precambrian mafic–ultramafic complexes occur along the Cauvery Suture Zone (CSZ) in Southern Granulite Terrain, India. Their origin, magmatic evolution and relationship with the associated high-grade rocks have not been resolved. The Aniyapuram Mafic–Ultramafic Complex (AMUC), the focus of the present study in southern part of the CSZ, is dominantly composed of peridotites, pyroxenites, gabbros, metagabbros/mafic granulites, hornblendites, amphibolites, plagiogranites, felsic granulites and ferruginous cherts. The rock types in the AMUC are structurally emplaced within hornblende gneiss (TTG) basement rocks and are highly deformed. The geochemical signature of the amphibolites indicates tholeiitic affinity for the protolith with magma generation in island arc-setting. N-MORB normalized pattern of the amphibolites show depletion in HFS-elements (P, Zr, Sm, Ti, and Y) and enrichment of LIL-elements (Rb, Ba, Th, Sr) with negative Nb anomalies suggesting involvement of subduction component in the depleted mantle source and formation in a supra-subduction zone tectonic setting. Our new results when correlated with the available age data suggest that the lithological association of AMUC represent the remnants of the Neoarchean oceanic lithosphere.     

Geochemical characteristics, Ar–Ar ages and original tectonic setting of the Band-e-Zeyarat/Dar Anar ophiolite, Makran accretionary prism, S.E. Iran

The Makran accretionary prism in southeastern Iran contains extensive Mesozoic zones of melange and large intact ophiolites, representing remnants of the Tethys oceanic crust that was subducted beneath Eurasia. To the north of the Makran accretionary prism lies the Jaz Murian depression which is a subduction-related back-arc basin. The Band-e-Zeyarat/Dar Anar ophiolite is one of the ophiolite complexes; it is located on the west side of the Makran accretionary prism and Jaz Murian depression, and is bounded by two major fault systems. The principal rock units of this complex are a gabbro sequence which includes low- and high-level gabbros, an extensive sheeted diabase dike sequence, late intrusive rocks which consist largely of trondhjemites and diorites, and volcanic rocks which are largely pillow basalts interbedded with pelagic sedimentary rocks, including radiolarian chert. Chondrite- and primitive-mantle-normalized incompatible trace element data and age-corrected Nd, Pb, and Sr isotopic data indicate that the Band-e-Zeyarat/Dar Anar ophiolite was derived from a midocean ridge basalt-like mantle source. The isotopic data also reveal that the source for basalts was Indian-Ocean-type mantle. Based on the rare earth element (REE) data and small isotopic range, all the rocks from the Band-e-Zeyarat/Dar Anar ophiolite are cogenetic and were derived by fractionation from melts with a composition similar to average E-MORB; fractionation was controlled by the removal of clinopyroxene, hornblende and plagioclase. Three ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar plateau ages of 140.7±2.2, 142.9±3.5 and 141.7±1.0 Ma, and five previously published K–Ar ages ranging from 121±4 to 146±5 Ma for the hornblende gabbros suggest that rocks from this ophiolite were formed during the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous. Plate reconstructions suggest that the rocks of this complex appear to be approximately contemporaneous with the Masirah ophiolite which has crystallization age of (150 Ma). Like Masirah, the rocks from the Band-e-Zeyarat/Dar Anar ophiolite complex represent southern Tethyan ocean crust that was formed distinctly earlier than crust preserved in the 90–100 Ma Bitlis-Zagros ophiolites (including the Samail ophiolite).     

Geochemical modelling of the tonalitic and trondhjemitic granulites from the Itabuna-Salvador-Curaçá Block,Bahia, Brazil

The studied tonalitic and trondhjemitic granulites are located in the SSE granulitic domain of the São Francisco craton, Bahia, Brazil, where they represent most of the southern part of the Archean and Paleoproterozoic Itabuna-Salvador-Curaçá Block (ISCB). Chemically, the tonalitic and trondhjemitic granulites belong to a low-K calc-alkaline suite; their REE patterns are steep with strong LREE/HREE fractionation and no significant Eu anomaly. Garnet-bearing mafic granulites that occur as enclaves in the tonalitic and trondhjemitic granulites were derived from basalts and/or gabbros of tholeiitic affinity. Geochemical modelling showed that the tonalitic and trondhjemitic granulites were produced by moderate fractional crystallization of an assemblage of hornblende and plagioclase, with subordinate amounts of magnetite, apatite, allanite and zircon. The garnet-bearing mafic granulites would be the source of the magmas that generated these rocks. Partial melting left a residue made up of plagioclase, garnet, orthopyroxene and hornblende.     

Chloritoid–hornblende assemblages in quartz–muscovite pelitic rocks of the Central Metasedimentary Belt, Grenville Province, Canada

Abstract Chloritoid–hornblende occurs in quartz–muscovite pelitic schist derived from sediment in a volcaniclastic sequence of the Grenville Supergroup and from reworked sedimentary and regolithic material above the unconformity at the base of the Flinton Group. Comparison of these samples with other pelitic rocks on triangular composition diagrams and in the ACNF and ACFM tetrahedra indicates that the presence of hornblende cannot be explained by unusually high CaO content. The rare assemblage is attributed to a combination of relatively low Al₂O₃ and high K₂O with high CaO/(CaO+Na₂O) and FeO/(FeO+MgO).
On two qualitative reaction grids derived from AFM diagrams projected through CaO and plagioclase, respectively, the P–T stability field of chloritoid–hornblende overlaps the first appearance of staurolite–biotite in normal pelitic rocks in the kyanite field. Staurolite–hornblende overlaps chloritoid–hornblende and extends to the higher temperatures and pressures of the kyanite–hornblende field.
The phase relations in these rocks provide a link between the conventional hornblende-absent grids for pelitic rocks and those for K₂O-poor (muscovite-absent) pelitic and mafic amphibolitic rocks.     

Ophiolite metamorphism in northeast Borneo

The Darvel Bay ophiolite consists of a conformable sequence of mantle harzburgite, a gabbro layer of about 2 km thickness, a basalt layer and associated chert-spilite association of Late Cretaceous to Eocene age, and overlying Miocene melange and olistostrome deposits. The ophiolite is an extension into Borneo of the recently inactive Sulu Archipelago non-volcanic arc. Generally the gabbro layer has been converted to banded plagioclase-amphibole gneisses and the basalt layer to crudely foliated epidote amphibolite. Igneous relicts occur sporadically, especially in the lower gabbro horizons. They have either cumulus granular or gabbroic textures and contain diopsidic augite, bronzite, and a dark brown pargasitic hornblende. The labradorite is occasionally clouded. The partitioning of Fe/Mg between the two pyroxenes and the hornblende suggests an igneous paragenesis and the former allocation of these pyroxene-bearing rocks to the granulite facies is now rejected.The basites have undergone metamorphic re-equlibration, frequently sporadic and imperfec, through amphibolite facies, characterized by hornblende, to greenschist facies, characterized by actinolite. Igneous labradorite frequently persists to the lower grades. The partitioning of Ca/Na between amphibole and plagioclase may be correlated with metamorphic grade.Sub sea-floor retrogressive metamorphism, combined with large scale metasomatism resulting from the circulation of hot brine, appears to be the most appropriate mechanism to explain the sodium enrichment in the basalt layer and the imperfect metamorphic re-equilibration of the ophiolite generally.     

Petrogenesis of oceanic plagiogranites by partial melting of gabbros: an experimental study

We performed hydrous partial melting experiments at shallow pressures (0.2 GPa) under slightly oxidizing conditions (NNO oxygen buffer) on oceanic cumulate gabbros drilled by ODP (Ocean Drilling Program) cruises to evaluate whether the partial melting of oceanic gabbro can generate SiO₂-rich melts with compositions typical of oceanic plagiogranites. The experimental melts of the low-temperature runs broadly overlap those of natural plagiogranites. At 940 °C, the normalized SiO₂ contents of the experimental melts of all systems range between 60 and 61 wt%, and at 900 °C between 63 and 68 wt%. These liquids are characterized by low TiO₂ and FeO^tot contents, similar to those of natural plagiogranites from the plutonic section of the oceanic crust, but in contrast to Fe and Ti-rich low-temperature experimental melts obtained in MORB systems at ~950 °C. The ~1,500-m-long drilled gabbroic section of ODP Hole 735B (Legs 118 and 176) at the Southwest Indian Ridge contains numerous small plagiogranitic veins often associated with zones which are characterized by high-temperature shearing. The compositions of the experimental melts obtained at low temperatures match those of the natural plagiogranitic veins, while the compositions of the crystals of low-temperature runs correspond to those of minerals from high-temperature microscopic veins occurring in the gabbroic section of the Hole 735B. This suggests that the observed plagiogranitic veins are products of a partial melting process triggered by a water-rich fluid phase. If the temperature estimations for high-temperature shear zones are correct (up to 1,000 °C), and a water-rich fluid phase is present, the formation of plagiogranites by partial melting of gabbros is probably a widespread phenomenon in the genesis of the ocean crust.Editorial responsibility: J. Hoefs     

Low‐P and high‐T metamorphism of basalts: Insights from the Sudbury impact melt sheet aureole and thermodynamic modelling

Low‐pressure and high‐temperature (LP–HT) metamorphism of basaltic rocks, which occurs globally and throughout geological time, is rarely constrained by forward phase equilibrium modelling, yet such calculations provide valuable supplementary thermometric information and constraints on anatexis that are not possible to obtain from conventional thermometry. Metabasalts along the southern margin of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) record evidence of high‐grade contact metamorphism involving partial melting and melt segregation. Peak metamorphic temperatures reached at least ~925°C at ~1–3 kbar near the SIC contact. Preservation of the peak mineral assemblage indicates that most of the generated melt escaped from these rocks leaving a residuum characterized by a plagioclase–orthopyroxene–clinopyroxene–ilmenite‐magnetite±melt assemblage. Peak temperatures reached ~875°C up to 500 m from the SIC lower contact, which marks the transition to metabasalts that only experienced incipient partial melting without melt loss. Metabasalts ~500 to 750 m from the SIC contact are characterized by a similar two‐pyroxene mineral assemblage, but typically contain abundant hornblende that overgrew clino‐ and orthopyroxene along an isobaric cooling path. Metabasalts ~750 to 1,000 m from the SIC contact are characterized by a hornblende–plagioclase–quartz–ilmenite assemblage indicating temperatures up to ~680°C. Mass balance and phase equilibria calculations indicate that anatexis resulted in 10–20% melt generation in the inner ~500 m of the aureole, with even higher degrees of melting towards the contact. Comparison of multiple models, experiments, and natural samples indicates that modelling in the Na₂O–CaO–FeO–MgO–Al₂O₃–SiO₂–H₂O–TiO₂–O₂ (NCFMASHTO) system results in the most reliable predictions for the temperature of the solidus. Incorporation of K₂O in the most recent amphibole solution model now successfully predicts dehydration melting by the coexistence of high‐Ca amphibole and silicate melt at relatively low pressures (~1.5 kbar). However, inclusion of K₂O as a system component results in prediction of the solidus at too low a temperature. Although there are discrepancies between modelling predictions and experimental results, this study demonstrates that the pseudosection approach to mafic rocks is an invaluable tool to constrain metamorphic processes at LP–HT conditions.     

Geochemistry and petrogenesis of intrusive and extrusive ophiolitic plagiogranites, Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex, Turkey

Plagiogranites associated with the Sarikaraman ophiolite of the Central Anatolian Crystalline Complex, Turkey, closely resemble other plagiogranites from supra-subduction zone-type ophiolites of Neotethys. The ophiolite is remarkable in displaying a higher proportion of the plagiogranite suite (ca. 10% by volume) than is usually associated with such bodies. The Sarikaraman plagiogranites are represented by intrusive sheets and netvein trondhjemites largely developed at the top of the upper gabbros and as multiphase dykes within the sheeted dyke complex. The plagiogranite dykes are considered to feed extrusive silicified rhyolites associated with the basaltic lavas in the volcanic section of the ophiolite. Field relations suggest that the trondhjemites were probably generated from the roof section of a dynamic and evolving gabbroic magma chamber. Both the deep-seated trondhjemites and the volcanic rhyolites constitute the Sarikaraman plagiogranite suite. Geochemically there is complete overlap between the intrusive trondhjemites and extrusive rhyolites, which are characterised by (MORB-normalized) low HFS element contents with small negative Nb---Ta anomalies and variably enhanced LIL element abundances. Unlike other plagiogranites, however, the Sarikaraman suite is not characterized by consistently low K₂O contents; a feature that reflects the variable mobilization of the LIL elements under lower greenschist facies conditions. The REE are uniformly enriched relative to the basic components of the complex, but have similar normalized patterns exhibiting mild light REE depletion. In terms of their origin, the initial or most primitive plagiogranite melts could have been generated by either fractional crystallization (70–85% of clinopyroxene-feldspar ± amphibole) or partial melting (5–15% batch melting) of a gabbroic ‘source material’, although only the first process can produce most of the range of the plagiogranite compositions. As a group the plagiogranites exhibit some degree of internal variation which can be generated by further fractionation largely dominated by feldspar with minor apatite and amphibole.     

Constraints on the formation of geochemically variable plagiogranite intrusions in the Troodos Ophiolite,Cyprus

The geochemistry and petrology of tonalitic to trondhjemitic samples (n = 85) from eight different plagiogranite intrusions at the gabbro/sheeted dyke transition of the Troodos Ophiolite were studied in order to determine their petrogenetic relationship to the mafic plutonic section and the lava pile. The plagiogranitic rocks have higher SiO₂ contents than the majority of the glasses of the Troodos lava pile, but lie on a continuation of the chemical trends defined by the extrusive rocks, indicating that the shallow intrusions generally represent crystallised magmas. We define three different groups of plagiogranites in the Troodos Ophiolite based on different incompatible element contents and ratios. The first and most common plagiogranite group has geochemical similarities to the tholeiitic lavas forming the lavas and sheeted dyke complex in the Troodos crust, implying that these magmas formed at a spreading axis. The second plagiogranite group occurs in one intrusion that is chemically related to late-stage and off-axis boninitic lavas and dykes. One intrusion next to the Arakapas fault zone consists of incompatible element-enriched plagiogranites which are unrelated to any known mafic crustal rocks. The similarities of incompatible element ratios between plagiogranites, lavas and mafic plutonic rocks, the continuous chemical trends defined by plagiogranites and mafic rocks, as well as incompatible element modelling results, all suggest that shallow fractional crystallisation is the dominant process responsible for formation of the felsic magmas.     

Intrusion and contamination of high-temperature dunitic magma: the Nordre Bumandsfjord pluton, Seiland, Arctic Norway

The Caledonian Nappe Complex of Arctic Norway provides rare insights into the interaction between mafic–ultramafic magmas and the deep continental crust. The Kalak Nappe Complex contains >25,000 km³ of mafic igneous rocks, mostly layered gabbros, making up the 570–560 Ma Seiland Igneous Complex. The complex has been intruded by a series of ultramafic magmatic rocks, including the Nordre Bumandsfjord pluton. Field relationships in this pluton show that extremely fluid, dry, relatively Fe-rich (Fo₈₁) dunite magmas intruded a pile of cumulate gabbros, with block stopping and intrusive brecciation. Diking on scales from mm to metres and extensive melting and assimilation of the gabbros attest to high temperatures, consistent with a 2-km-wide granulite-facies contact aureole. Major- and trace-element trends show that the dunites were progressively contaminated by a cpx-rich partial melt of the gabbros, producing a range of lithologies from dunite through lherzolites to wehrlite. Experimental studies of natural samples at 0.8–1 GPa define the dunite solidus at 1,650–1,700 °C. In the average peridotite, contamination has produced a crystallisation interval of ca 400 °C (1,600–1,200 °C); this would provide large amounts of heat for melting and metamorphism and would maintain the fluidity of the magmas to relatively low T, consistent with field relationships. Thermochemical and dynamic modelling demonstrates that the dunitic primary magmas may represent the last melting of a rapidly ascending diapir of previously depleted subducted oceanic lithosphere. The mafic rocks of the Seiland Complex may already have been extracted from this diapir, and the late dikes of the province may reflect melting of the asthenosphere as the diapir spread out beneath the lithosphere. Ultramafic magmas, abundant in the Archean, may still be more common than usually assumed. However, they would only penetrate to the shallow crust under unusually extensional conditions, where ascent could outpace assimilation.     

内蒙古狼山地区早石炭世角闪辉长岩、花岗闪长岩的岩石成因及构造意义

内蒙古狼山山脉西侧分布有大面积的晚古生代岩浆岩,时代集中在早石炭世—晚二叠世,早石炭世角闪辉长岩、花岗闪长岩体出露于潮格温都尔镇西侧。角闪辉长岩体呈岩滴状产出,被花岗闪长岩体侵入,LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年龄显示,角闪辉长岩的~(206)Pb/~(238)U加权平均年龄为329.0±2.3 Ma,花岗闪长岩的~(206)Pb/~(238)U加权平均年龄为331.1±0.9 Ma~330.0±4.2 Ma。花岗闪长岩暗色矿物以角闪石为主,富钠(Na2O=3.48%~4.46%),高钠钾比值(Na2O/K2O=1.03~2.39),钙碱性系列,P2O5-SiO_2之间存在较好的负相关性,岩石地球化学特征具Ⅰ型花岗岩的特点。Hf同位素及元素地球化学特征指示了角闪辉长岩及花岗闪长岩均来自于受地壳混染的亏损地幔,为同源岩浆演化的产物。角闪辉长岩及花岗闪长岩稀土元素配分型式一致,均为轻稀土元素富集,重稀土元素亏损,具弱的负Eu异常;角闪辉长岩富集Ba、Sr,亏损Nb、Ta、Zr、Hf;花岗闪长岩富集大离子亲石元素Rb、K、Pb、Sr,不同程度地亏损高场强元素Nb、Ta、P、Ti,总体反映了岩浆弧的地球化学特征。结合区域地质背景,早石炭世狼山地区侵入岩岩石组合为角闪辉长岩(闪长岩)+石英闪长岩+花岗闪长岩,认为狼山地区早石炭世处于大陆边缘弧构造背景。     

Notes on the petrology of some ophiolites,othris mountains,Greece

Igneous rocks typical of ophiolite complexes are preserved in a stack of thrust sheets in the Othris Mountains of eastern Greece. Mineralogical studies of mafic rocks indicate that the majority have tholeiitic affinities, but there is evidence of a subordinate, mildly alkaline trend. Petrographic and chemical evidence suggest that the present mineral assemblage in the mafic rocks may be the result primarily of the activity of deuteric or secondary hydrothermal fluids. The “amphibolites” so common in dredge-hauls from the oceans may have originated in the same way. These metamorphic rocks, with perfectly preserved igneous textures, must be distinguished from schistose amphibolites, which also occur on the ocean floors and in ophiolite complexes.     

The Open of the Paleo‐Tethys Ocean: Inferred from the Early Paleozoic Ophiolite in the Qiangtang Area,Northern Tibetan Plateau

The Paleo‐Tethys Ocean was a Paleozoic ocean located between the Gondwana and Laurasia supercontinents. It was usually consider to opening in the early Paleozoic with the rifting of the Hun superterrane from Gondwana following the subduction of the Rheic Ocean/proto‐Tethys Ocean. However, the opening time and detailed evolutionary history of the Paleo‐Tethys Ocean are still unclear. The Paleozoic ophiolites have recently been documented in the middle of the Qiangtang terrane, northern Tibetan Plateau, and they mainly occur in the Gangma Co area. These ophiolites are composed of serpentinite, pyroxenite, isotropic and cumulate gabbros, basalt, hornblendite and plagiogranite. Whole‐rock geochemical data suggest that all mafic rocks were formed in an oceanic‐ridge setting. Furthermore, positive whole‐rock εNd(t) and zircon εHf(t) values suggest that these rocks were derived from a long‐term depleted mantle source. The data allow us to conform that these rocks represent an ophiolite suite. Zircon U‐Pb dating of gabbros and plagiogranites yielded weighted mean ages of 437‐501 Ma. The occurrence of the ophiolite suite suggests that a Paleozoic Ocean basin (Paleo‐Tethys) existed in middle of the Qiangtang terrane. We hypothesize that the ophiolite in the middle of the Qiangtang terrane represents the western extension of the Sanjiang Paleo‐Tethys ophiolite in the east margin of the Tibetan Plateau, and they mark the main Paleo‐Tethys Ocean. This is the oldest ophiolite from the Paleo‐Tethyan suture zones and the Paleo‐Tethys Ocean basin probably opened in the Middle Cambrian, and continued to grow throughout the Paleozoic. The ocean was finally closed in the Middle to Late Triassic as inferred from the metamorphic ages of eclogite and blueschist that occur nearby. The Paleo‐Tethys Ocean was probably formed by the breakup of the northern margin of Gondwana, with southward subduction of the proto‐Tethys oceanic lithosphere along the northern margin of the supercontinent.     

Late Paleozoic subduction system in the northern margin of the Alxa block,Altaids: Geochronological and geochemical evidences from ophiolites

The northern margin of the Alxa block (NMAB), located in the southernmost part of the Altaids, is important for understanding the tectonic processes associated with the closure of the Paleo-Asian ocean. In this study, we report results from our studies on two ophiolitic belts (the Enger Us and Quagan Qulu ophiolitic belts) to constrain the tectonic evolution of the Altaids. The tectonic blocks in the Enger Us ophiolite are mainly composed of ultramafic and mafic rocks, with a matrix comprising highly deformed Carboniferous clastic rocks and tuffs. Zircons from a pillow lava sample yielded SHRIMP zircon U–Pb age of 302 ± 14 Ma. Massive and pillow basalts in the Enger Us ophiolite exhibit N-MORB geochemical affinities, displaying high TiO₂ and low K₂O contents with tholeiitic signatures. They are characterized by depletion of light rare earth elements (LREEs) without fractionation of high field strength elements (HFSEs) and negative Nb–Ta anomalies. It is inferred that the magmas of these rocks were derived from a depleted mantle source in a mid-ocean ridge setting. The Quagan Qulu ophiolite is composed of tectonic blocks, including ultramafic, gabbros and siliceous rocks, and matrix, including deformed clastic rocks and limestones. Zircons in a gabbro sample from the Quagan Qulu ophiolite yielded SHRIMP zircon U–Pb age of 275 ± 3 Ma. The gabbros show high MgO contents, compatible elements (Ni, Co, Sc, and V), and Al₂O₃/TiO₂ ratios, but low TiO₂ and SiO₂ contents. They are enriched in large-ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and depleted in LREEs and HFSEs, indicating that they were derived from an extremely depleted mantle source which was infiltrated by a subduction-derived fluid or melt. Our geochemical data suggest that gabbros in the Quagan Qulu ophiolite were formed in a back-arc basin setting. A synthesis of evidence from geochemistry, regional geology, and paleobiogeography support the notion that the Enger Us ophiolitic belt represents the major suture of the Paleo-Asian Ocean in the NMAB and the Quagan Qulu ophiolitic belt represents a back-arc basin. These two ophiolitic belts, together with the Zongnaishan–Shalazhashan arc have been suggested to be a late Paleozoic ocean-arc–back-arc basin system in the southernmost part of the Altaids. The geochronological data suggest that the subduction process occurred even in the early Permian, indicating that the final closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean might have taken place later than the early Permian.