Geodynamics of rapid voluminous felsic magmatism through time

Two end member geodynamic settings produce the observed examples of rapid voluminous felsic (rhyolitic) magmatism through time. The first is driven by mantle plume head arrival underneath a continent and has operated in an identifiable and regular manner since at least 2.45 Ga. This style produces high temperature (≤ 1100 °C), low aspect ratio rheoignimbrites and lavas that exhibit high SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratios, high K₂O/Na₂O ratios, and where available data exists, high Ga/Al₂O₃ ratios (> 1.5) with high F (in thousands of parts per million) and low water content. F concentration is significant as it depolymerizes the silicate melt, influencing the magmas' physical behavior during development and emplacement. These rhyolites are erupted as part of rapidly emplaced (10–15 Myr) mafic LIPs and are formed primarily by efficient assimilation-fractional crystallization processes from a mafic mantle parent. The second is driven by lithospheric extension during continental rifting or back arc evolution and is exclusive to the Phanerozoic. SLIPs (silicic large igneous provinces) develop over periods < 40 Myr and manifest in elongate zones of magmatism that extend up to 2500 km, contrasting with the mafic LIP style. Some of the voluminous felsic magmas within SLIPs appear to have a very similar geochemistry and petrogenesis to that of the rhyolites within mafic LIPs. Other voluminous felsic magmas within SLIPs are sourced from hydrous lower crust, and contrast with those sourced from the mantle. They exhibit lower temperatures (< 900 °C), explosive ignimbrites with lower SiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratios, and lower K₂O/Na₂O ratios. Rapid voluminous felsic magmatism represents both extreme examples of continental growth since the Archean, and also dramatic periods of crustal recycling and maturation during the Phanerozoic.     

Nickel sulfide deposits in Australia: Characteristics,resources, and potential

Australia's nickel sulfide industry has had a fluctuating history since the discovery in 1966 of massive sulfides at Kambalda in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia. Periods of buoyant nickel prices and high demand, speculative exploration, and frenetic investment (the ‘nickel boom’ years) have been interspersed by protracted periods of relatively depressed metal prices, exploration inactivity, and low discovery rates. Despite this unpredictable evolution, the industry has had a significant impact on the world nickel scene with Australia having a global resource of nickel metal from sulfide ores of ∼ 12.9 Mt, five world-class deposits (> 1 Mt contained Ni), and a production status of number three after Russia and Canada. More than 90% of the nation's known global resources of nickel metal from sulfide sources were discovered during the relative short period of 1966 to 1973. Australia's nickel sulfide deposits are associated with ultramafic and/or mafic igneous rocks in three major geotectonic settings: (1) Archean komatiites emplaced in rift zones of granite–greenstone belts; (2) Precambrian tholeiitic mafic–ultramafic intrusions emplaced in rift zones of Archean cratons and Proterozoic orogens; and (3) hydrothermal-remobilized deposits of various ages and settings. The komatiitic association is economically by far the most important, accounting for more than 95% of the nation's identified nickel sulfide resources. The ages of Australian komatiitic- and tholeiitic-hosted deposits generally correlate with three major global-scale nickel-metallogenic events at ∼ 3000 Ma, ∼ 2700 Ma, and ∼ 1900 Ma. These events are interpreted to correspond to periods of juvenile crustal growth and the development of large volumes of primitive komatiitic and tholeiitic magmas caused by large-scale mantle overturn and mantle plume activities. There is considerable potential for the further discovery of komatiite-hosted deposits in Archean granite–greenstone terranes including both large, and smaller high-grade (5 to 9% Ni) deposits, that may be enriched in PGEs (2 to 5 g/t), especially where the host ultramafic sequences are poorly exposed.Analysis of the major komatiite provinces of the world reveals that fertile komatiitic sequences are generally of late Archean (∼ 2700 Ma) or Paleoproterozoic (∼ 1900 Ma) age, have dominantly Al-undepleted (Al₂O₃/TiO₂ = 15 to 25) chemical affinities, and often occur with sulfur-bearing country rocks in dynamic high-magma-flux environments, such as compound sheet flows with internal pathways facies (Kambalda-type) or dunitic compound sheet flow facies (Mt Keith-type). Most Precambrian provinces in Australia, particularly the Proterozoic orogenic belts, contain an abundance of sulfur-saturated tholeiitic mafic ± ultramafic intrusions that have not been fully investigated for their potential to host basal Ni–Cu sulfides (Voisey's Bay-type mineralization). The major exploration challenges for finding these deposits are to determine the pre-deformational geometries and younging directions of the intrusions, and to locate structural depressions in the basal contacts and feeder conduits under cover. Stratabound PGE–Ni–Cu ± Cr deposits hosted by large Archean–Proterozoic layered mafic–ultramafic intrusions (Munni Munni, Panton) of tholeiitic affinity have comparable global nickel resources to many komatiite deposits, but low-grades (< 0.2% Ni). There are also hydrothermal nickel sulfide deposits, including the unusual Avebury deposit in western Tasmania, and some potential for ‘Noril'sk-type’ Ni–Cu–PGE deposits associated with major flood basaltic provinces in western and northern Australia.     

‘Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs)’: Definition,recommended terminology,and a hierarchical classification

This article is an appeal for the adoption of a correct and appropriate terminology with respect to the so-called Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs). The term LIP has been widely applied to large basaltic provinces such as the Deccan Traps, and the term Silicic Large Igneous Province (SLIP) to volcanic provinces of dominantly felsic composition, such as the Whitsunday Province. However, neither term (LIP, SLIP) has been applied to the large granitic batholiths of the world (e.g., Andes) to which both terms are perfectly applicable. LIP has also not been applied to broad areas of contemporaneous basalt magmatism (e.g., Indochina, Mongolia) and sizeable layered mafic intrusions (e.g., Bushveld) which in many significant respects may also be considered to represent ‘Large Igneous Provinces’. Here, I suggest that the term LIP is used in its broadest sense and that it should designate igneous provinces with outcrop areas ≥ 50,000 km². I propose a simple hierarchical classification of LIPs that is independent of composition, tectonic setting, or emplacement mechanism. I suggest that provinces such as the Deccan and Whitsunday provinces should be called Large Volcanic Provinces (LVPs), whereas large intrusive provinces (mafic–ultramafic intrusions, dyke/sill swarms, granitic batholiths) should be called Large Plutonic Provinces (LPPs). LVPs and LPPs thus together cover all LIPs, which can be felsic, mafic, or ultramafic, of sub-alkalic or alkalic affinity, and emplaced in continental or oceanic settings. LVPs are subdivided here into four groups: (i) the dominantly/wholly mafic Large Basaltic Provinces (LBPs) (e.g., Deccan, Ontong Java); (ii) the dominantly felsic Large Rhyolitic Provinces (LRPs) (e.g., Whitsunday, Sierra Madre Occidental); (iii) the dominantly andesitic Large Andesitic Provinces (LAPs) (e.g., Andes, Indonesia, Cascades), and (iv) the bimodal Large Basaltic–Rhyolitic Provinces (LBRPs) (e.g., Snake River–High Lava Plains). The intrusive equivalents of LRPs are the Large Granitic Provinces (LGPs) (e.g., the Andean batholiths), although an equivalent term for intrusive equivalents of LBPs is not necessary or warranted. The accuracy and usefulness of the terms flood basalt, plateau basalt, and trap are also examined. The largest LBP, LVP, and LIP is, of course, the bulk of the ocean floor. It is contended that the proposed LIP nomenclature and classification will lead to more accurate and precise terminology and hence better understanding of the wide variety of Large Igneous Provinces.     

Flood basalts and metallogeny: The lithospheric mantle connection

Continental flood basalts, derived from mantle plumes that rise from the convecting mantle and possibly as deep as the core–mantle boundary, are major hosts for world-class Ni–Cu–PGE ore deposits. Each plume may have a complex history and heterogeneous composition. Therefore, some plumes may be predisposed to be favourable for large-scale Ni–PGE mineralisation (“fertile”).Geochemical data from 10 large igneous provinces (LIPs) have been collected from the literature to search for chemical signatures favourable for Ni–PGE mineralisation. The provinces include Deccan, Kerguelen, Ontong Java, Paraná, Ferrar, Karoo, Emeishan, Siberia, Midcontinent and Bushveld. Among these LIPs, Bushveld, Siberia, Midcontinent, Emei Mt and Karoo are “fertile”, hosting magmatic ore deposits or mineralisation of various type, size and grade. They most commonly intruded through, or on the edges of, Archaean–Paleoproterozoic cratonic blocks. In contrast, the “barren” LIPs have erupted through both continental and oceanic crustal terranes of various ages.Radiogenic isotopic signatures indicate that almost all parental LIP magmas are generated from deep-seated mantle plumes, and not from the more widespread depleted asthenospheric mantle source: this confirms generally accepted plume models. However, several important geochemical signatures of LIPs have been identified in this study that can discriminate between those that are “fertile” or “barren” in terms of their Ni–PGE potential.The fertile LIPs generally contain a relatively high proportion of primitive melts that are high in MgO and Ni, low in Al₂O₃ and Na₂O, and are highly enriched in most of the strongly incompatible elements such as K, P, Ba, Sr, Pb, Th, Nb, and LREE. They have relatively high Os contents (≥ 0.03 to 10 ppb) and low Re/Os (< 10). The fertile LIP basalts display trends of Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic variation intermediate between the depleted plume and an EM1-type mantle composition (and thus could represent a mixing of these two source types), and have elevated Ba/Th, Ba/Nb and K/Ti ratios. These elemental and isotopic signatures suggest that interaction between plume-related magmas and ancient cratonic lithospheric mantle with pre-existing Ni- and PGE-rich sulfide phases may have contributed significantly to the PGE and Ni budget of the fertile flood basalts and eventually to the mineralisation. This observation is consistent with the location of fertile LIPs adjacent to deep old lithospheric roots (as inferred from tectonic environment and also seen in global tomographic images) and has predictive implications for exploration models.Barren LIPs contain fewer high-MgO lavas. The barren LIP lavas in general have low Os contents (mostly ≤ 0.02 ppb) with high Re/Os (10–≥ 200). They show isotopic variations between plume and EM2 geochemical signatures and have high Rb/Ba ratios. These signatures may indicate involvement of deep recycled material in the mantle sources or crustal contamination for barren LIPs, but low degrees of interaction with old lithospheric-type roots.     

Relationship between platinum-bearing ultramafic-mafic intrusions and large igneous provinces (exemplified by the Siberian Craton)

This study aims at summarizing available geological and geochemical data on known Proterozoic platinum-bearing ultramafic-mafic massifs in the south of Siberia. Considering new data on geochemistry and geochronology of some intrusions, it was feasible to compare ore-bearing complexes of different time spans and areas and to follow their relationships with the recognized large igneous provinces. In the south of Siberia, the platinum-bearing massifs might be united into three age groups: Late Paleoproterozoic (e.g., Chiney complex, Malozadoisky massif), Late Mesoproterozoic (e.g., Srednecheremshansky massif), and Neoproterozoic (e.g., Kingash complex, Yoko-Dovyren massif, and massifs in the center of the East Sayan Mts.). In most massifs but Chiney the initial magmas are magnesium-rich. On paleogeodynamic reconstructions, the position of the studied massifs is the evidence that three most precisely dated events in North Canada continued into southern Siberia: In the period 1880-1865 Ma, it was the Ghost-Mara River-Morel LIP; at 1270-1260 Ma, the Mackenzie LIP; and at 725-720 Ma, Franklin LIP. In Siberia, the mostly productive massifs with respect to PGE-Ni-Cu mineralization are those linked with the Franklin LIP: Verkhny Kingash, Yoko-Dovyren, and central part of the Eastern Sayan Mountains, e.g., Tartay, Zhelos, and Tokty-Oy.     

Zircon U–Pb ages and Hf–O isotopic signatures of the Wajilitag and Puchang Fe–Ti oxide–bearing intrusive complexes: Constraints on their source characteristics and temporal–spatial evolution of the Tarim large igneous province

The Wajilitag and Puchang igneous complexes host two known economic Fe–Ti oxide deposits in the recently recognized Tarim large igneous province (TLIP). The Wajilitag complex comprises clinopyroxenite and melagabbro, whereas the Puchang complex is generally gabbroic and anorthositic in lithology apart from minor plagioclase-bearing clinopyroxenites in the marginal contact zone. The Fe–Ti oxide ores are disseminated throughout the Wajilitag complex and principally restricted to the ultramafic unit, whereas the Puchang complex contains massive to disseminated Fe–Ti oxide ores mainly hosted within the gabbroic rocks. Both secondary ion mass spectroscopy and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry U–Pb dating of zircon grains from the Wajilitag and Puchang complexes yield U–Pb zircon ages of ca. 283 Ma and ca. 275 Ma, respectively, clearly indicating that there were two independent episodes of the magmatic events related to Fe–Ti oxide mineralization in the TLIP. The new zircon U–Pb ages of intrusive rocks studied here, coupled with available geochronological data from elsewhere in the TLIP, show a long duration of magmatism (up to 30 Myr), although the precise age of the TLIP remains to be determined. The two complexes are late-stage events that notably postdate most, if not all, the basaltic lava flows. Furthermore, the occurrence of the earliest manifestation (e.g., ca. 300 Ma kimberlitic rocks) of a proposed mantle plume in the Bachu area and the potential temporal migration of the late-stage magmatism from the Bachu and Keping areas to the edges of the Tarim Craton, indicate a possible plume centre near the Bachu–Keping district. The ε_Hf(t) values of zircons from each complex show a range of several ε_Hf(t) units (Wajilitag: + 2.7 to + 9.2, Puchang: − 5.2 to + 2.6), probably suggesting late-stage crustal contamination in magma chambers at the time of zircon saturation. Unlike the Lu–Hf isotopic system, the zircons may preserve the original O isotope signature of their mantle sources. The increase of O isotopic composition from the Wajilitag complex (δ¹⁸O = 5.2–5.9‰) to the Puchang complex (δ¹⁸O = 5.6–7.1‰), indicates a relatively high proportion of recycled subduction-related materials (e.g., eclogite and garnet pyroxenite) incorporated into the subcontinental lithospheric mantle source for the Puchang intrusive rocks. Partial melting of the refertilized subcontinental lithospheric mantle with the involvement of garnet-bearing mafic components can be of great importance for the formation of parental Fe-rich magmas and ultimately Fe–Ti oxide deposits. This observation is consistent with the occurrence of some mineralized LIPs (e.g., Emeishan) in formerly active convergent plate margins of ancient cratonic blocks, contributing to a global understanding valuable to exploration efforts.     

40Ar/39Ar geochronological constraints on the age and evolution of the Permo-Triassic Emeishan Volcanic Province,Southwest China

The biostratigraphically constrained Permo-Triassic Emeishan Volcanic Province (EVP), extending over wide areas in southwest China, has been recently considered as a Large Igneous Province contemporaneous with the Siberian Traps and the siliceous tuffs at the P–T boundary in South China. We report the first ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages on this igneous province. Minimum ages have been obtained on phenocrystic plagioclase of the Emeishan basalt, which has undergone a pervasive metamorphism, most likely during subsequent tectonization as a consequence of terrane amalgamation. Comparison between the Ar–release spectra obtained on clear vs. cloudy plagioclase indicates a 40–30 Ma sericite resetting time. A minimum apparent age of 246 ± 4 Ma for plagioclase from a plagiogranite, a late-differentiate of the Panzhihua Layered Complex, and an age of 254 ± 5 Ma for phlogopite from a pyroxenite near Lake Erhai, provide the first absolute age constraint on this igneous province. Additional Ar–Ar age measurements on post-Emeishan alkaline and mafic magmatism yielded 104 ± 2 and 100 ± 2 Ma for an alkaline complex near Panzhihua, and 42 ± 1 Ma for a gabbro sill emplaced near the Ertan Dam. Further study is still needed to determine the age of the Emeishan volcanic emission accurately, and to test the validity of the assumed short duration of the eruption.     

Isotopic ages for alkaline igneous rocks,including a 26 Ma ignimbrite,from the Peshawar plain of northern Pakistan and their tectonic implications

New isotopic ages on zircons from rocks of the Peshawar Plain Alkaline Igneous Province (PPAIP) reveal for the first time the occurrence of ignimbritic Cenozoic (Oligocene) volcanism in the Himalaya at 26.7 ± 0.8 Ma. Other new ages confirm that PPAIP rift-related igneous activity was Permian and lasted from ∼290 Ma to ∼250 Ma. Although PPAIP rocks are petrologically and geochemically typical of rifts and have been suggested to be linked to rifting on the Pangea continental margin at the initiation of the Neotethys Ocean, there are no documented rift-related structures mapped in Permian rocks of the Peshawar Plain. We suggest that Permian rift-related structures have been dismembered and/or reactivated during shortening associated with India–Asia collision. Shortening in the area between the Main Mantle Thrust (MMT) and the Main Boundary Thrust (MBT) may be indicative of the subsurface northern extension of the Salt Range evaporites. Late Cenozoic sedimentary rocks of the Peshawar Plain deposited during and after Himalayan thrusting occupy a piggy-back basin on top of the thrust belt. Those sedimentary rocks have buried surviving evidence of Permian rift-related structures. Igneous rocks of the PPAIP have been both metamorphosed and deformed during the Himalayan collision and Cenozoic igneous activity, apart from the newly recognized Gohati volcanism, has involved only the intrusion of small cross-cutting granitic bodies concentrated in areas such as Malakand that are close to the MMT. Measurements on Chingalai Gneiss zircons have confirmed the occurrence of 816 ± 70 Ma aged rocks in the Precambrian basement of the Peshawar Plain that are comparable in age to rocks in the Malani igneous province of the Rajasthan platform ∼1000 km to the south.     

Frontiers in large igneous province research

Earth history is punctuated by events during which large volumes of mafic magmas were generated and emplaced by processes distinct from “normal” seafloor spreading and subduction-related magmatism. Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) of Mesozoic and Cenozoic age are the best preserved, and comprise continental flood basalts, volcanic rifted margins, oceanic plateaus, ocean basin flood basalts, submarine ridges, ocean islands and seamount chains. Paleozoic and Proterozoic LIPs are typically more deeply eroded and are recognized by their exposed plumbing system of giant dyke swarms, sill provinces and layered intrusions. The most promising Archean LIP candidates (apart from the Fortescue and Ventersdorp platformal flood basalts) are those greenstone belts containing tholeiites with minor komatiites. Some LIPs have a substantial component of felsic rocks. Many LIPs can be linked to regional-scale uplift, continental rifting and breakup, climatic shifts that may result in extinction events, and Ni–Cu–PGE (platinum group element) ore deposits.

Some current frontiers in LIP research include:

(1) Testing various mantle plume and alternative hypotheses for the origin for LIPs.

(2) Characterizing individual LIPs in terms of (a) original volume and areal extent of their combined extrusive and intrusive components, (b) melt production rates, (c) plumbing system geometry, (d) nature of the mantle source region, and (e) links with ore deposits.

(3) Determining the distribution of LIPs in time (from Archean to Present) and in space (after continental reconstruction). This will allow assessment of proposed links between LIPs and supercontinent breakup, juvenile crust production, climatic excursions, and mass extinctions. It will also allow an evaluation of periodicity in the LIP record, the identification of clusters of LIPs, and postulated links with the reversal frequency of the Earth's magnetic field.

(4) Comparing the characteristics, origin and distribution of LIPs on Earth with planets lacking plate tectonics, such as Venus and Mars. Interplanetary comparison may also provide a better understanding of convective processes in the mantles of the inner planets.

In order to achieve rapid progress in these frontier areas, a global campaign is proposed, which would focus on high-precision geochronology, integrated with paleomagnetism and geochemistry. Most fundamentally, such a campaign could help hasten the determination of continental configurations in the Precambrian back to 2.5 Ga or greater. Such reconstructions are vital for the proper assessment of the LIP record, as well as providing first-order information related to all geodynamic processes.     

First evidence for Cambrian rift-related magmatism in the West African Craton margin: The Derraman Peralkaline Felsic Complex

West of the southern, Archean, part of the Reguibat Rise of the West African Craton the Oulad Dlim Massif consists of metamorphic nappes stacked during the Mauritanides (Variscan) orogeny. In the Derraman region, about 12 km west of the nappes, we have found strongly deformed hypersolvus aegirine-riebeckite A1-type granites with SHRIMP zircon U–Pb ages of ca. 525 ± 3 Ma, ε(Nd)_525Ma (− 5.2 to − 6.8.) and Nd model ages T_CR ≈ 1.85 Ga. These granites define two km-sized bodies and a few smaller satellites. One body is emplaced within a 3.12 Ga leucocratic gneiss. The other body and its satellites are emplaced within an Archean low-grade metasedimentary sequence with detrital zircons that have ages that peak at 2.84 Ga, 2.91 Ga, and 3.15 Ga. These Archean gneisses and metapelite rocks define a tectonic unit, hereafter called the Derraman-Bulautad-Leglat (DBL) unit, which was formed from the Reguibat basement at the very margin of the WAC. The ~ 525 Ma Derraman granites are the oldest post-Archean rocks in this unit and were generated in an intraplate rifting environment from melting of crustal fenites during the ubiquitous Cambrian rifting event that affected this part of northern Gondwana. At the present level of knowledge, however, we cannot decide whether the “old” Nd isotope signature of Derraman granites resulted from melting of an old (Paleoproterozoic) fenite source or reflects the signature of the mantle-derived metasomatising fluids. The just-discovered Derraman granites are strikingly similar to other rift-related Cambrian–Ordovician hypersolvus aegirine–riebeckite granites widespread in North Gondwana. Understanding the potential connections between them would help to understand the Cambrian–Ordovician breakdown of northern Gondwana.     

Magmatic ore deposits in mafic–ultramafic intrusions of the Giles Event,Western Australia

More than 20 layered intrusions were emplaced at c. 1075 Ma across > 100 000 km² in the Mesoproterozoic Musgrave Province of central Australia as part of the c. 1090–1040 Ma Giles Event of the Warakurna Large Igneous Province (LIP). Some of the intrusions, including Wingellina Hills, Pirntirri Mulari, The Wart, Ewarara, Kalka, Claude Hills, and Gosse Pile contain thick ultramafic segments comprising wehrlite, harzburgite, and websterite. Other intrusions, notably Hinckley Range, Michael Hills, and Murray Range, are essentially of olivine-gabbronoritic composition. Intrusions with substantial troctolitic portions comprise Morgan Range and Cavenagh Range, as well as the Bell Rock, Blackstone, and Jameson–Finlayson ranges which are tectonically dismembered blocks of an originally single intrusion, here named Mantamaru, with a strike length of > 170 km and a width of > 20 km, constituting one of the world's largest layered intrusions.Over a time span of > 200 my, the Musgrave Province was affected by near continuous high-temperature reworking under a primarily extensional regime. This began with the 1220–1150 Ma intracratonic Musgrave Orogeny, characterized by ponding of basalt at the base of the lithosphere, melting of lower crust, voluminous granite magmatism, and widespread and near-continuous, mid-crustal ultra-high-temperature (UHT) metamorphism. Direct ascent of basic magmas into the upper crust was inhibited by the ductile nature of the lower crust and the development of substantial crystal-rich magma storage chambers. In the period between c. 1150 and 1090 Ma magmatism ceased, possibly because the lower crust had become too refractory, but mid-crustal reworking was continuously recorded in the crystallization of zircon in anatectic melts. Renewed magmatism in the form of the Giles Event of the Warakurna LIP began at around 1090 Ma and was characterized by voluminous basic and felsic volcanic and intrusive rocks grouped into the Warakurna Supersuite. Of particular interest in the context of the present study are the Giles layered intrusions which were emplaced into localized extensional zones. Rifting, emplacement of the layered intrusions, and significant uplift all occurred between 1078 and 1075 Ma, but mantle-derived magmatism lasted for > 50 m.y., with no time progressive geographical trend, suggesting that magmatism was unrelated to a deep mantle plume, but instead controlled by plate architecture.The Giles layered intrusions and their immediate host rocks are considered to be prospective for (i) platinum-group element (PGE) reefs in the ultramafic–mafic transition zones of the intrusions, and in magnetite layers of their upper portions, (ii) Cu–Ni sulfide deposits hosted within magma feeder conduits of late basaltic pulses, (iii) vanadium in the lowermost magnetite layers of the most fractionated intrusions, (iv) apatite in unexposed magnetite layers towards the evolved top of some layered intrusions, (v) ilmenite as granular disseminated grains within the upper portions of the intrusions, (vi) iron in tectonically thickened magnetite layers or magnetite pipes of the upper portions of intrusions, (vii) gold and copper in the roof rocks and contact aureoles of the large intrusions, and (viii) lateritic nickel in weathered portions of olivine-rich ultramafic intrusions.     

Sampling oxygenated Archean hydrosphere: Implications from fractionations of Th/U and Ce/Ce* in hydrothermally altered volcanic sequences

Hydrothermally altered Archean igneous suites erupted in the submarine environment record variable excursions of Ce/Ce* and Th/U from primary magmatic values of 1 and ~ 4 respectively. Rhyolites of the 2.96 Ga bimodal basalt–rhyolite sequence of the Murchison Domain, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia, hosting the Golden Grove VMS deposit, are enriched in MnO up to ten fold over primary values. Th/U ratios span 2.6–4.7, Ce/Ce* = 2.5–16, and Eu/Eu* = 1.3–3. The 2.8 Ga Lady Alma ultramafic–mafic subvolcanic complex of the same domain features highly dispersed MREE and LREE due to intense hydrothermal alteration. Th/U ratios span 0.005–0.16 from preferential addition of U, with Ce/Ce* = 0.6–2.2, and Eu/Eu* = 1–1.4. The eastern Dharwar Craton, India, includes greenstone terranes dominantly 2.7–2.6 Ga. Adakites of the Gadwal terrane preserve near primary magmatic Th/U, Ce/Ce*, and Eu/Eu*. In contrast, igneous lithologies of the Hutti greenstone terrane are characterized by total ranges of Th/U = 2–5.8, Ce/Ce* = 1.01–1.28, and Eu/Eu* = 0.82–1.26, and counterparts of the Sandur terrane have Th/U = 0.4–6.0, Ce/Ce* = 0.9–1.25, and Eu/Eu* = 0.8–1.8. Coexistence of Ce and Eu anomalies may reflect a two-stage process: low-temperature hydrothermal alteration at high water–rock ratios by oxidizing fluids, with evolution of the hydrothermal systems to high temperature, low water–rock ratios, under reducing conditions. Uranium is dominantly added to these lithologies over Th in common with Recent altered ocean crust. Iron-rich shales in the Sandur terrane record U-enrichment where Th/U = 2–4. Three shales record true negative Ce anomalies and Eu/Eu* = 0.8–2.4: true negative Ce anomalies, present in some other Archean iron formations, are interpreted as a signature of precipitates from the ocean water column whereas Eu anomalies are hydrothermal in origin. Volcanic flows of the 2.7 Ga Blake River Group, Abitibi greenstone terrane, Canada, preserve Th/U = 1.5–8.5, the conjunction of low Th/U values with Ce/Ce* = 1.4 in two samples, and Eu/Eu* = 0.15–1.3. Mobility of U and Ce in these hydrothermally altered Archean lithologies is in common with their mobility in Phanerozoic counterparts by oxygenated fluids.     

Sedimentation and magmatism in the Paleoproterozoic Cuddapah Basin,India: Consequences of lithospheric extension

The Cuddapah Basin is one of many Proterozoic, intracontinental sedimentary basins across Peninsular India. The basin comprises several unconformity-bounded successions, the lowermost of which (the Papaghni Group and overlying Chitravati Group) are intruded by dolerite sills that contact metamorphosed their host rocks. A mafic-ultramafic sill from the base of the Tadpatri Formation in the Chitravati Group was previously dated at c. 1885 Ma, and interpreted to be part of a large igneous province (LIP). We have dated two samples of a felsic tuff from the upper part of the Tadpatri Formation at 1864 ± 13 Ma and 1858 ± 16 Ma; combining data from the two samples yields a weighted mean date of 1862 ± 9 Ma. Mafic sills intrude rocks stratigraphically above the tuffaceous beds, indicating that mafic magmatism continued until after c. 1860 Ma. Given that the sills intruded lithified rocks, some of the sills may be considerably younger than 1860 Ma. Mafic volcanic rocks are also known from below the unconformity at the base of the Chitravati Group, within the basal Papaghni Group (> c. 1890 Ma). Collectively, these data indicate that mafic sill emplacement spanned more than 30 myr so that it is likely to have been a protracted event or a series of events, and, therefore unlikely to represent a LIP. The time span for mafic magmatism is more compatible with episodic, lithospheric extension (passive rifting) during basin evolution than it is with a mantle plume (active rifting).     

Provenance of lateritic bauxite deposits in the Wuchuan–Zheng’an–Daozhen area,Northern Guizhou Province,China: LA-ICP-MS and SIMS U–Pb dating of detrital zircons

The provenance of the large and super-large scale bauxite deposits developed in the Wuchuan–Zheng’an–Daozhen (WZD) alumina metallogenic province in the Yangtze Block of South China is poorly understood. LA-ICP-MS and SIMS U–Pb dating of detrital zircons from bauxite ores and the underlying Hanjiadian Group in the WZD area provide new constrains on the provenance of the WZD bauxite and provide new insight on the bauxite ore-forming process. The ages of the detrital zircons in the bauxites and the zircons in the Hanjiadian Group are similar suggesting that the bauxites are genetically related to the Hanjiadian sediments. The detrital zircon populations of the four samples studied show four primary age peaks: 2600–2400 Ma, 1900–1700 Ma, 1300–700 Ma and 700–400 Ma. The age distribution of detrital zircons indicates that they are probably derived from various sources including Neoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic, Paleoproterozoic, Archean and some minor Paleozoic sources. The most abundant age population contains a continuous range of ages from 1300 to 700 Ma, ages consistent with subduction-related magmatic activities (1000–740 Ma) along the western margin of the Yangtze Block and the worldwide Grenville orogenic events (1300–1000 Ma). Thus, it is suggested that the main provenances of the WZD bauxite and the Hanjiadian Group are the Neoproterozoic igneous rocks in the western Yangtze Block and the Grenville-age igneous rocks in the southern Cathaysia Block. In addition, this work verifies that the global Grenville orogenic events and subduction-related magmatic activities associated with the Yangtze Block had a significant influence on the formation of the WZD bauxite deposits.     

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1674987112001041

Large igneous provinces (LIPs) are considered a relevant cause for mass extinctions of marine life throughout Earth’s history. Their flood basalts and associated intrusions can cause significant release of SO₄ and CO₂ and consequently, cause major environmental disruptions. Here, we reconstruct the long-term periodic pattern of LIP emplacement and its impact on ocean chemistry and biodiversity from δ³⁴S_sulfate of the last 520 Ma under particular consideration of the preservation limits of LIP records. A combination of cross-wavelet and other time-series analysis methods has been applied to quantify a potential chain of linkage between LIP emplacement periodicity, geochemical changes and the Phanerozoic marine genera record. We suggest a mantle plume cyclicity represented by LIP volumes (V) of V = ?(350–770) × 10³ km³ sin(2πt/170 Ma) + (300–650) × 10³ km³ sin(2πt/64.5 Ma + 2.3) for t = time in Ma. A shift from the 64.5 Ma to a weaker ～28–35 Ma LIP cyclicity during the Jurassic contributes together with probably independent changes in the marine sulfur cycle to less ocean anoxia, and a general stabilization of ocean chemistry and increasing marine biodiversity throughout the last ～135 Ma. The LIP cycle pattern is coherent with marine biodiversity fluctuations corresponding to a reduction of marine biodiversity of ～120 genera/Ma at ～600 × 10³ km³ LIP eruption volume. The 62–65 Ma LIP cycle pattern as well as excursion in δ³⁴S_sulfate and marine genera reduction suggest a not-yet identified found LIP event at ～440–450 Ma.     

Mineral chemistry and zircon geochronology of xenocrysts and altered mantle and crustal xenoliths from the Aries micaceous kimberlite: Constraints on the composition and age of the central Kimberley Craton,Western Australia

The Neoproterozoic (∼ 820 Ma) Aries micaceous kimberlite intrudes the central Kimberley Basin, northern Western Australia, and has yielded a suite of 27 serpentinised ultramafic xenoliths, including spinel-bearing and rare, metasomatised, phlogopite–biotite and rutile-bearing types, along with minor granite xenoliths. Proton-microprobe trace-element analysis of pyrope and chromian spinel grains derived from heavy mineral concentrates from the kimberlite has been used to define a ∼ 35–40 mW/m² Proterozoic geotherm for the central Kimberley Craton. Lherzolitic chromian pyrope highly depleted in Zr and Y, and Cr-rich magnesiochromite xenocrysts (class 1), probably were derived from depleted garnet peridotite mantle at ∼ 150 km depth. Sampling of shallower levels of the lithospheric mantle by kimberlite magmas in the north and north-extension lobes entrained high-Fe chromite xenocrysts (class 2), and aluminous spinel-bearing xenoliths, where both spinel compositions are anomalously Fe-rich for spinels from mantle xenoliths. This Fe-enrichment may have resulted from Fe–Mg exchange with olivine during slow cooling of the peridotite host rocks. Fine exsolution rods of aluminous spinel in diopside and zircon in rutile grains in spinel- and rutile-bearing serpentinised ultramafic xenoliths, respectively, suggest nearly isobaric cooling of host rocks in the lithospheric mantle, and indicate that at least some aluminous spinel in spinel-facies peridotites formed through exsolution from chromian diopside. Fe–Ti-rich metasomatism in the spinel-facies Kimberley mantle probably produced high-Ti phlogopite–biotite + rutile and Ti, V, Zn, Ni-enriched aluminous spinel ± ilmenite associations in several ultramafic xenoliths. U–Pb SHRIMP ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb zircon ages for one granite (1851 ± 10 Ma) and two serpentinised ultramafic xenoliths (1845 ± 30 Ma; 1861 ± 31 Ma) indicate that the granitic basement and lower crust beneath the central Kimberley Basin are at least Palaeoproterozoic in age. However, Hf-isotope analyses of the zircons in the ultramafic xenoliths suggest that the underlying lithospheric mantle is at least late Archean in age.     

U–Pb zircon geochronology and geochemistry from NE Vietnam: A ‘tectonically disputed’ territory between the Indochina and South China blocks

Volcanoplutonic complexes in NE Vietnam have recently been interpreted as intraplate products of the Emeishan plume. Alternatively, mafic–ultramafic rocks have been considered as dismembered Palaeotethyan ophiolites juxtaposed along a tectonic mélange zone. New U–Pb zircon geochronological and geochemical datasets presented here suggest a complex geological history that records collision between the Indochina–South China blocks. Mafic–ultramafic rocks exposed within a tectonic mélange (Song Hien Tectonic Zone) include sub-alkaline pillow basalts that define two geochemically distinct ophiolitic suites (SH-1: N-MORB-like, SH-2: transitional E-MORB-like). Both suites have geochemical signatures suggestive of crustal contamination, compatible with a volcanic passive margin/rift setting. We suggest that SH-1 basalts may correlate with the Devonian–Carboniferous Jinshajiang–Ailaoshan–Song Ma branch of the Palaeotethys and form part of the associated Dian–Qiong belt, whereas SH-2 basalts are co-magmatic with Middle–Late Permian mafic–ultramafic intrusive rocks (dolerites, gabbros, peridotites) that developed in a rift basin, most likely on the margin of the down-going South China plate during west-vergent subduction beneath Indochina. During continental orogenesis and thrust stacking, these ophiolitic rocks were juxtaposed with other lithotectonic blocks within the Song Hien Tectonic Zone. Post-collisional relaxation led to the development of a rift basin (Song Hien rift) comprising Late Permian–Triassic volcano-sedimentary strata including < 270–265 Ma terrigenous sandstones, < 252 Ma mudstones, and c. 254–248 Ma felsic effusives. Granites and granodiorites were emplaced across NE Vietnam between c. 252 and 245 Ma in a syn- to post-collisional setting. The Late Permian–Early Triassic felsic magmatic rocks best correlate with coeval rocks in SW Guangxi and the Central and Western Ailaoshan fold belts (China) and the Truong Son fold belt (Vietnam); together they signal the final to post-collisional stages of Indochina–South China collision. We demonstrate that the analysed magmatic rocks in the Lo-Gam–Song Hien domains of NE Vietnam are not genetically linked to the Emeishan Large Igneous Province in the Yangtze block of South China, as has been previously widely proposed.     

The Warnie volcanic province: Jurassic intraplate volcanism in Central Australia

The Cooper and Eromanga Basins of South Australia and Queensland are the largest onshore hydrocarbon producing region in Australia. Igneous rocks have been documented infrequently within end of well reports over the past 34 years, with a late Triassic to Jurassic age determined from well data. However, the areal extent and nature of these basaltic rocks were largely unclear. Here, we integrate seismic, well, gravity, and magnetic data to clarify the extent and character of igneous rocks preserved within Eromanga Basin stratigraphy overlying the Nappamerri Trough of the Cooper Basin. We recognise mafic monogenetic volcanoes that extend into tabular basalt lava flows, igneous intrusions and, more locally, hydrothermally altered compound lava flows. The volcanic province covers ∼7500 km² and is proposed to have been active between ∼180–160 Ma. We term this Jurassic volcanic province the Warnie Volcanic Province (WVP) after the Warnie East 1 exploration well, drilled in 1985. The distribution of extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks is primarily controlled by basement structure, with extrusive and intrusive igneous rocks elongate in a NW-SE direction. Finally, we detail how the WVP fits into the record of Jurassic volcanism in eastern Australia. The WVP is interpreted as a product of extension and intraplate convective upwelling above the subducting Pacific Slab. The discovery of the WVP raises the possibility of other, yet unidentified, volcanic provinces worldwide.     

Crustal recycling and juvenile addition during lithospheric wrenching: The Pontivy-Rostrenen magmatic complex,Armorican Massif (France), Variscan belt

The South Armorican Shear Zone (SASZ), in the French Armorican Variscan belt, is a lithospheric wrench fault that acted during the Late Carboniferous as a transition zone between two distinct domains: a thickened domain to the south affected by extension and crustal magmatism, and a weakly thickened domain to the north subjected to dextral wrenching and crust- and mantle-derived magmatism. The Pontivy-Rostrenen complex is a composite intrusion emplaced along the SASZ. To the south, the complex is made of leucogranites whereas, to the north, monzogranites outcrop together with small intrusions of quartz monzodiorite. U-Pb dating of magmatic zircon by LA-ICP-MS reveal that most magmatic rocks were emplaced at ca. 315 Ma (between 316.7 ± 2.5 Ma and 310.3 ± 4.7 Ma), excepted a late leucogranitic intrusion that was emplaced at 304.7 ± 2.7 Ma. The leucogranites (− 4.8 < εNd (T) < 2.1; presence of Archean to Paleozoic inherited zircon) are strongly peraluminous (A/CNK > 1.1) and formed by partial melting of metasediments and peraluminous orthogneisses. The monzogranite (− 4.0 < εNd (T) < − 3.2; scarce Paleozoic inherited zircon) is moderately peraluminous (1 < A/CNK < 1.3) and formed by partial melting of an orthogneiss with a probable metaluminous composition whereas the quartz monzodiorite (− 3.2 < εNd (T) < − 2.2; no inherited zircon) is metaluminous (0.7 < A/CNK < 1.1) and formed by partial melting of a metasomatized lithospheric mantle. The evolution of the magmas was controlled by fractional crystallization, magma mixing and/or peritectic mineral entrainment. At the scale of the Armorican Variscan belt, crustal partial melting, to the south of the SASZ, was triggered by lithospheric thinning and adiabatic decompression during extension. Conversely, to the north, asthenosphere upwelling during strike-slip deformation and subsequent slab tearing, as suggested by tomographic data, induced the melting of both the crust and the mantle fertilized during previous subduction events. This process is likely not exclusive to the Armorican Massif and may be applied to other regions in the Variscan belt, such as Iberia.     

Deciphering an Archean mantle plume: Abitibi greenstone belt,Canada

The 2724–2722 Ma Stoughton-Roquemaure Group (SRG) of the Abitibi greenstone belt (the Archean Superior Province, Canada) is a ≤ 2 km thick komatiite–basalt succession intermittently exposed for about 50 km along strike. The ultramafic and mafic rocks occur mainly as pillowed, brecciated, and massive flows with well preserved spinifex textures in the komatiites. Volcanological, comparative stratigraphic and geochemical studies of the group along a volcanic marker horizon at the base of the succession allow the assessment of magma emplacement processes and mantle source rocks. Major feeder channels, secondary distributary tubes surrounded by pillowed flows with minor breccias and hyaloclastites display facies architecture of small volume flow fields (1–2 km³). Within the SRG, Al-depleted (ADK; Barberton-type) and Al-undepleted (AUK; Munro-type) komatiitic lavas are intercalated with tholeiitic basalt flows at a m- to 10s of m scale. Basalts and komatiites are inferred to be mantle plume-related; both rock types form two groups with characteristics of ADK and AUK including Al₂O₃/TiO₂ ~ 9–12 for ADK versus 17–22 for AUK, as well as (Gd/Yb)_n with > 1.3 versus ~ 1, respectively. The interdigitation of compositionally different flow units, limited extent of SRG volcanic rocks and facies architecture with the prevalence of small volume flows argue for a relatively small, heterogeneous mantle plume during the incipient stage of the evolution of the Archean Abitibi belt. Assuming that the scale of heterogeneities is comparable to the field expression of compositional changes and stratigraphy, it can be suggested that geochemical plume ‘layering’ is on 10s to 100s of m-scale. The evolution of this Archean mantle plume from inception to demise compares favorably with the Yellowstone hotspot which is assumed to have developed over 17 m.y. and had a diameter of about 300 km.