Partial Melting and Assimilation of Dolomitic Xenoliths by Mafic Magma: the Ioko-Dovyren Intrusion (North Baikal Region, Russia)

A petrological study was carried out on Mg-skarn-bearing dunitecumulates that are part of the Neo-Proterozoic Ioko-Dovyrenintrusion (North Baikal region, Russia). Skarn xenoliths containbrucite pseudomorphs after periclase, forsterite and Cr-poorspinel. Fine-grained forsterite–spinel skarns occur withthe brucite skarns or as isolated schlieren. Field relationshipsreveal that the Mg-skarns formed from silica-poor dolomiticxenoliths by interaction with the mafic magma of the Ioko-Dovyrenintrusion. Rapid heating of dolomitic xenoliths by the maficmagma caused the decomposition of dolomite into calcite + periclase,releasing much CO₂. Further heating quantitatively melted thecalcite. A periclase-rich restite was left behind after extractionof the low-density, low-viscosity calcite melt. The extractedcalcite melt mixed with the surrounding mafic melt. This resultedin crystallization of olivine with CaO contents up to 1·67wt %. A local decrease in the silica concentration stabilizedCaAl₂SiO₆-rich clinopyroxene. Brucite/periclase-free forsterite–spinelskarns probably originated by crystallization from the maficmelt close to the xenoliths at elevated fO₂. The high fO₂ wascaused by CO₂-rich fluids released during the decompositionof the xenoliths. The above case study provides the first evidencefor partial melting of dolomite xenoliths during incorporationby a mafic magma. KEY WORDS: dunite; dolomite assimilation; partial melting     

Pleistocene Underplating and Metasomatism of the Lower Continental Crust: a Xenolith Study

Xenoliths from Engeln–Kempenich in the East Eifel volcanicfield (Germany) comprise gabbroic to ultramafic cumulates, andmeta-igneous and meta-sedimentary granulite- to amphibolite-facieslithologies. They provide evidence for Pleistocene heating andmetasomatism of the lower continental crust by mafic magmas.The metamorphic xenoliths were divided into three types: (1)primitive type P, which are little affected by metasomatic replacementstructures; (2) enriched type E1 defined by metasomatic replacementof primary pyroxene and garnet by pargasitic amphibole and biotite;(3) enriched type E2 defined by breakdown of hydrous phases.Type E rocks are geochemically related to type P and cumulatexenoliths by compositional trends. During modal metasomatism,type E rocks were oxidized. Type E1 rocks were typically enrichedin Rb, Th, U, Nb, K, light rare earth elements (LREE) and Zr,and E2 enriched in Rb, Th, U, Nb, K, REE, Zr, Ti and Y, relativeto type P rocks. Formation of the hydrous, chlorine-bearingphases amphibole and scapolite containing glass and fluid inclusionsin the E1 rocks provides evidence for a water and Cl-bearingfluid phase coexisting with silicate melt. Accordingly, we calculated10 mol % H₂O back into the CO₂-dominated fluid inclusions, inagreement with experimental data on the composition of a fluidphase coexisting with mafic alkaline melts at elevated pressure.Primary CO₂-dominated fluid inclusions coexisting with glassinclusions in metamorphic corona phases and neoblasts, and incumulate xenoliths, have overlapping densities. Fluid inclusionbarometry using the corrected densities indicates that bothcumulates and metamorphic xenoliths originated from the samedepth at 22–25 km (650 ± 50 MPa). This is interpretedas being a main magma reservoir level within the upper partof the lower crust close to the Conrad discontinuity, wherethe xenoliths represent wall-rocks. The Conrad discontinuityseparates an upper-crustal layer, consisting of preferentiallyductile granodioritic and tonalitic gneisses, and more brittlelower-crustal mafic granulites. The brittle–ductile transitionappears to be a preferred level of magma stagnation. KEY WORDS: continental lower crust; fluids; magma chamber; metasomatism; xenoliths     

Mineral Chemistry of Peridotites from Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic Lithosphere: Constraints on Mantle Evolution beneath Eastern China

Major- and trace-element data on the constituent minerals ofgarnet peridotite xenoliths hosted in early Paleozoic (457–500Ma) kimberlites and Neogene (16–18 Ma) volcanic rockswithin the North China Craton are compared with those from thepre-pilot hole of the Chinese Continental Scientific DrillingProject (CCSD-PP1) in the tectonically exhumed Triassic (220Ma) Sulu ultrahigh-pressure (UHP) terrane along its southernmargin. P–T estimates for the Paleozoic and Neogene peridotitexenoliths reflect different model geotherms corresponding tosurface heat flows of 40 mW/m² (Paleozoic) and 80 mW/m² (Neogene).Garnet peridotite xenoliths or xenocrysts from the Paleozoickimberlites are strongly depleted, similar to peridotites fromother areas of cratonic mantle, with magnesium olivine (meanFo_92.7), Cr-rich garnet and clinopyroxene with high La/Yb. Garnet(and spinel) peridotite xenoliths hosted in Neogene basaltsare derived from fertile mantle; they have high Al₂O₃ and TiO₂contents, low-Mg-number olivine (mean Fo_89.5), low-Cr garnetand diopside with flat rare earth element (REE) patterns. Thedifferences between the Paleozoic and Neogene xenoliths suggestthat a buoyant refractory lithospheric keel present beneaththe eastern North China Craton in Paleozoic times was at leastpartly replaced by younger, hotter and more fertile lithosphericmantle during Mesozoic–Cenozoic times. Garnet peridotitesfrom the Sulu UHP terrane have less magnesian olivine (Fo_91.5),and lower-Cr garnet than the Paleozoic xenoliths. The diopsideshave low heavy REE (HREE) contents and sinusoidal to light REE(LREE)-enriched REE patterns. These features, and their highMg/Si and low CaO and Al₂O₃ contents, indicate that the CCSD-PP1peridotites represent a moderately refractory mantle protolith.Details of mineral chemistry indicate that this protolith experiencedcomplex metasomatism by asthenosphere-derived melts or fluidsin Mesoproterozoic, and subsolidus re-equilibration involvingfluids/melts derived from the subducted Yangtze continentalcrust during UHP metamorphism in the early Mesozoic. Tectonicextension of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle of the NorthChina Craton and exhumation of the Sulu UHP rocks in the earlyMesozoic induced upwelling of the asthenosphere. Peridotitessampled by the Neogene basalts represent newly formed lithospherederived by cooling of the upwelling asthenospheric mantle inJurassic–Cretaceous and Paleogene time. KEY WORDS: garnet peridotite xenoliths; North China Craton; lithospheric thinning; Sulu UHP terrane; UHP lithosphere evolution; mantle replacement     

Petrology of peridotite xenolith-bearing basaltic to andesitic lavas from the Shiribeshi Seamount,off northwestern Hokkaido,the Sea of Japan

The Shiribeshi Seamount off northwestern Hokkaido, the Sea of Japan, is a rear-arc volcano in the Northeast Japan arc. This seamount is composed of calc-alkaline and high-K basaltic to andesitic lavas containing magnesian olivine phenocrysts and mantle peridotite xenoliths. Petrographic and geochemical characteristics of the andesite lavas indicate evidence for the reaction with the mantle peridotite xenoliths and magma mixing between mafic and felsic magmas. Geochemical modelling shows that the felsic end-member was possibly derived from melting of an amphibolitic mafic crust. Chemical compositions of the olivine phenocrysts and their chromian spinel inclusions indicate that the Shiribeshi Seamount basalts in this study was derived from a primary magma in equilibrium with relatively fertile mantle peridotites, which possibly represents the mafic end-member of the magma mixing. Trace-element and REE data indicate that the basalts were produced by low degree of partial melting of garnet-bearing lherzolitic source. Preliminary results from the mantle peridotite xenoliths indicate that they were probably originated from the mantle beneath the Sea of Japan rather than beneath the Northeast Japan arc.     

A Quartz-bearing Orthopyroxene-rich Websterite Xenolith from the Pannonian Basin, Western Hungary: Evidence for Release of Quartz-saturated Melts from a Subducted Slab

An unusual quartz-bearing orthopyroxene-rich websterite xenolithhas been found in an alkali basaltic tuff at Szigliget, Bakony–BalatonHighland Volcanic Field (BBHVF), western Hungary. Ortho- andclinopyroxenes are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE),middle REE and Ni, and depleted in Nb, Ta, Sr and Ti comparedwith ortho- and clinopyroxenes occurring in either peridotiteor lower crustal granulite xenoliths from the BBHVF. Both ortho-and clinopyroxenes in the xenolith contain primary and secondarysilicate melt inclusions, and needle-shaped or rounded quartzinclusions. The melt inclusions are rich in SiO₂ and alkalisand poor in MgO, FeO and CaO. They are strongly enriched inLREE and large ion lithophile elements, and display negativeNb, Ta and Sr anomalies, and slightly positive Pb anomalies.The xenolith is interpreted to represent a fragment of an orthopyroxene-richbody that crystallized in the upper mantle from a hybrid meltthat formed by interaction of mantle peridotite with a quartz-saturatedsilicate melt that was released from a subducted oceanic slab.Although the exact composition of the slab melt cannot be determined,model calculations on major and trace elements suggest involvementof a metasedimentary component. KEY WORDS: quartz; mantle; silicate melt inclusion; SiO₂-rich melt; subduction; Carpathian-Pannonian Region     

Magmatic modification of the uppermost mantle beneath the Basin and Range to Colorado Plateau Transition Zone; Evidence from xenoliths, Wikieup, Arizona

Upper mantle xenoliths from Wikieup, AZ, provide abundant evidence for magmatic modification of the uppermost mantle beneath the Transition Zone between the Colorado Plateau and the southern Basin and Range province. Upper mantle lithologies in this xenolith suite are represented by spinel peridotite, wehrlite, plagioclase peridotite, and Al-augite group pyroxenites. Isotopic data for these xenoliths yield relatively uniform values and suggest a common petrogenesis. Al-augite-bearing gabbro and pyroxenite xenoliths from this locality are interpreted to have formed by crystal fractionation processes from parent alkali basalts similar to the Wikieup host basalt. Mineral and whole rock compositions show consistent trends of increasing incompatible element contents (Fe, Al, Ca, Na, K, LIL, and LREE), and decreasing compatible element contents (Mg, Cr, Ni) from spinel peridotite to wehrlite to plagioclase peridotite to the host basalt composition. These compositional trends are interpreted as resulting from varying degrees of magma-mantle wall rock interaction as ascending mafic magmas infiltrated upper mantle peridotite. Small degrees of melt infiltration resulted in slightly modified spinel peridotite compositions while moderate degrees metasomatized spinel peridotite to wehrlite, and the highest degrees metasomatized it to plagioclase peridotite. Whole rock compositions and clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and whole rock isotopic data suggest that the infiltrating magmas were the same as those from which the gabbros and pyroxenites crystallized, and that they were alkalic in composition, similar to the Wikieup host alkali olivine basalts. Relatively uniform ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd for the mineral separates and whole rocks in spite of the significantly wide range in their ¹⁴⁷Sm/¹⁴⁴Nd (0.71–0.23 in clinopyroxene) suggests that the Wikieup xenoliths including gabbro, pyroxenite, peridotite, wehrlite, and plagioclase peridotite, are all relatively young rocks formed or metasomatized by a relatively recent magmatic episode. Received: 21 May 1996 / Accepted: 23 December 1996     

Fluid-Inclusion Evidence for an Upper-Mantle Origin for Green Clinopyroxenes in Late Cenozoic Basanites from the Nógrád-Gömör Volcanic Field,Northern Hungary/Southern Slovakia

Green clinopyroxenes with elevated Fe and Na contents coexist with “normal” clinopyroxene phenocrysts in alkali basalts from the Nógrád-Gömör Volcanic Field (NGVF) of northern Hungary and southern Slovakia. The coexistence of these clinopyroxenes with incompatible compositions in the same sample is often used as evidence for mixing between a mafic and a more evolved melt. However, results of fluid-inclusion, textural, and geochemical studies of samples from Tertiary basanites from the NGVF suggest that the majority of the green clinopyroxenes could not have formed from magma mixing but, rather, are products of lithospheric processes such as metasomatism or dynamic melt flow.

Two distinct types of green clinopyroxenes have been identified. Group 1 green clinopyroxenes are Al rich and contain CO₂ inclusions; Group 2 green clinopyroxenes are Al poor and lack CO₂ inclusions. On the basis of analysis of CO₂ inclusions, the Group 1 clinopyroxenes, observed as xenocrysts and major constituents of clinopyroxenite xenoliths, were entrained into the host basanitic magmas in the uppermost mantle. These clinopyroxenes originally formed during a meta-somatic event or as a result of dynamic melt flow in the mantle. Group 2 clinopyroxenes likely represent xenocrysts from disaggregated dioritic cumulates produced from melt(s) related to the host basanitic magmas.     

Mantle metasomatism and magma formation in continental lithosphere: Data on xenoliths in alkali basalts from the Makhtesh Ramon,Negev desert,Israel

Mantle xenoliths (lherzolites, clinopyroxene dunites, wehrlites, and clinopyroxenites) in the Early Cretaceous volcanic rocks of Makhtesh Ramon (alkali olivine basalts, basanites, and nephelinites) represent metasomatized mantle, which served as a source of basaltic melts. The xenoliths bear signs of partial melting and previous metasomatic transformations. The latter include the replacement of orthopyroxene by clinopyroxene in the lherzolites and, respectively, the wide development of wehrlites and olivine clinopyoroxenites. Metasomatic alteration of the peridotites is accompanied by a sharp decrease in Mg, Cr, and Ni, and increase of Ti, Al, Ca contents and ³⁺Fe/²⁺Fe ratio, as well as the growth of trace V, Sc, Zr, Nb, and Y contents. The compositional features of the rocks such as the growth of ³⁺Fe/²⁺Fe and the wide development of Ti-magnetite in combination with the complete absence of sulfides indicate the high oxygen fugacity during metasomatism and the low sulfur concentration, which is a distinctive signature of fluid mode during formation of the Makhtesh Ramon alkali basaltic magma. Partial melting of peridotites and clinopyroxenites is accompanied by the formation of basanite or alkali basaltic melt. Clino- and orthopyroxenes are subjected to melting. The crystallization products of melt preserved in the mantle rock are localized in the interstices and consist mainly of fine-grained clinopyroxene, which together with Ti-magnetite, ilmenite, amphibole, rhenite, feldspar, and nepheline, is cemented by glass corresponding to quartz–orthopyroxene, olivine–orthopyroxene, quartz–feldspar, or nepheline–feldspar mixtures of the corresponding normative minerals. The mineral assemblages of xenoliths correspond to high temperatures. The high-Al and high-Ti clinopyroxene, calcium olivine, feldspar, and feldspathoids, amphibole, Ti-magnetite, and ilmenite are formed at 900–1000°. The study of melt and fluid inclusions in minerals from xenoliths indicate liquidus temperatures of 1200–1250°C, solidus temperatures of 1000–1100°C, and pressure of 5.9–9.5 kbar. Based on the amphibole–plagioclase barometer, amphibole and coexisting plagioclase were crystallized in clinopyroxenites at 6.5–7.0 kbar.     

Crystallization and Breakdown of Metasomatic Phases in Graphite-bearing Peridotite Xenoliths from Marsabit (Kenya)

Mantle-derived xenoliths from the Marsabit shield volcano (easternflank of the Kenya rift) include porphyroclastic spinel peridotitescharacterized by variable styles of metasomatism. The petrographyof the xenoliths indicates a transition from primary clinopyroxene-bearingcryptically metasomatized harzburgite (light rare earth element,U, and Th enrichment in clinopyroxene) to modally metasomatizedclinopyroxene-free harzburgite and dunite. The metasomatic phasesinclude amphibole (low-Ti Mg-katophorite), Na-rich phlogopite,apatite, graphite and metasomatic low-Al orthopyroxene. Transitionalsamples show that metasomatism led to replacement of clinopyroxeneby amphibole. In all modally metasomatized xenoliths melt pockets(silicate glass containing silicate and oxide micro-phenocrysts,carbonates and empty vugs) occur in close textural relationshipwith the earlier metasomatic phases. The petrography, majorand trace element data, together with constraints from thermobarometryand fO₂ calculations, indicate that the cryptic and modal metasomatismare the result of a single event of interaction between peridotiteand an orthopyroxene-saturated volatile-rich silicate melt.The unusual style of metasomatism (composition of amphibole,presence of graphite, formation of orthopyroxene) reflects lowP –T conditions (850–1000°C at < 1·5GPa) in the wall-rocks during impregnation and locally low oxygenfugacities. The latter allowed the precipitation of graphitefrom CO₂. The inferred melt was possibly derived from alkalinebasic melts by melt–rock reaction during the developmentof the Tertiary–Quaternary Kenya rift. Glass-bearing meltpockets formed at the expense of the early phases, mainly throughincongruent melting of amphibole and orthopyroxene, triggeredby infiltration of a CO₂-rich fluid and heating related to themagmatic activity that ultimately sampled and transported thexenoliths to the surface. KEY WORDS: graphite; peridotite xenoliths; Kenya Rift; modal metasomatism; silicate glass     

Metasomatism and Melting in Carbonated Peridotite Xenoliths from the Mantle Wedge: The Gobernador Gregores Case (Southern Patagonia)

Spinel-facies mantle xenoliths occur in a diatreme cutting throughthe Neogene Southern Patagonia Plateau at Gobernador Gregores(Santa Cruz Province, Argentina). This plateau is in a back-arcposition with respect to the Chile trench. Xenoliths differin their whole-rock composition from other South America occurrences,having higher CaO/Al₂O₃ ratios and, in some samples, TiO₂ enrichment,whereas the Na₂O/Al₂O₃ variation range is similar. Three assemblagescan be distinguished. Assemblage 1, in anhydrous protogranularlherzolites and harzburgites, contains clinopyroxene with adepleted major and trace element composition, indicating pre-metasomaticdepletion processes. This assemblage fully recrystallized toAssemblage 2 (amphibole ± phlogopite ± Cl-apatite-bearing)during a metasomatic episode. This causes clinopyroxene to acquiregeochemical characteristics often attributed to carbonate-meltmetasomatism. Noticeably, amphibole is markedly enriched inNb (up to 298 ppm), especially when depleted in Ti. A furtherevent, related to decompression during xenolith uplift to thesurface, induces closed-system (perhaps with the exception ofCO₂ addition) disequilibrium melting of Assemblage 2, dominantlyof amphibole. It is found in pockets (where amphibole is a residualphase) consisting of Na–Si-rich glass and carbonate (Mg-richcalcite) drops, and in veins originating from the pockets (Assemblage3). Euhedral olivine, clinopyroxene and spinel crystallize onlyin the silicate glass. So do new, euhedral apatite crystalswhen glass is in contact with previous Assemblage 2 apatite.Textural evidence and comparison with experimental work suggestthat silicate glass and carbonates are the result of unmixingof a former homogeneous melt. Because of the different flowrates of carbonate and silicate melt, the xenoliths become enrichedin carbonate, which is found in the veins during their migration.Thus, the high CaO/Al₂O₃ ratio of whole rocks provides inconclusiveevidence of carbonatite metasomatism. This factor, and otherminor deviations from the expected results of carbonatite metasomatism,lead us to hypothesize an aqueous, Cl-rich fluid, possibly slabderived, as an alternative agent. Amphibole, resulting fromreactive porous flow of this agent in the mantle, could fullyexplain the observed geochemical features, as indicated by estimatesof its partition coefficients. KEY WORDS: carbonated xenoliths; Gobernador Gregores; LAM–ICP-MS; mantle metasomatism; silicate glass     

Carbon Enrichment in the Lithospheric Mantle: Evidence from the Melt Inclusions in Mantle Xenoliths from the Hainan Basalts

It is generally believed that the lithospheric mantle and the mantle transition zone are important carbon reservoirs. However, the location of carbon storage in Earth’s interior and the reasons for carbon enrichment remain unclear. In this study, we report CO₂-rich olivine-hosted melt inclusions in the mantle xenoliths of late Cenozoic basalts from the Penglai area, Hainan Province, which may shed some light on the carbon enrichment process in the lithospheric mantle. We also present ...     

The Mineral Chemistry of Ultramafic Xenoliths of Eastern China: Implications for Upper Mantle Composition and the Paleogeotherms

Ultramafic xenoliths of garnet lherzolite (?rare spinel), spinellherzolites, spinel harzburgites, clinopyroxenites, and clinopyroxenemegacrysts were collected from Cenozoic basalts in all partsof eastern China. From their modal composition and mineral chemistryall the xenoliths may be placed into three types representing:a fertile or more primitive mantle (garnet lherzolite and spinellherzolite), a refractory or more depleted mantle (spinel harzburgiteand dunite), and inclusions cognate with the host alkali basaltsat mantle pressures (pyroxenite and megacrysts). There are systematicdifferences between the mineral compositions of each type. Spinelshows a wide compositional range and the spinel cr-number [100Cr/(Cr + Al)] is a significant indicator of the xenolithtype. Spinel cr-number and Al₂O₃ of coexisting minerals (spinel,clinopyroxene, and orthopyroxene) are useful as refractory indicatorsfor spinel peridotite in that the cr-number increases and thepercentage of Al₂O₃ decreases with increasing degrees of melting.In garnet peridotite, however, the same functions vary withpressure, not degree of melting. According to P–T estimates,the various xenoliths were derived from a large range of depthsin the upper mantle: spinel peridotite from approximately 11to 22 kb (37–66 km), spinel/garnet lherzolite from 19to 24 kb (62–80 km), and garnet lherzolite from 24 to25 kb (79–83 km). We conclude that the uppermost mantlebeneath eastern China is heterogeneous, with a north-northeastzone of more depleted mantle lying beneath the continental marginand a more primitive mantle occurring towards the continentalinterior.     

The upper mantle under La Palma,Canary Islands: formation of Si−K−Na-rich melt and its importance as a metasomatic agent

 Mantle xenoliths hosted by the Historic Volcan de San Antonio, La Palma, Canary Islands, fall into two main group. Group I consists of spinel harzburgites, rare spinel lherzolites and spinel dunites, whereas group II comprises spinel wehrlites, amphibole wehrlites, and amphibole clinopyroxenites. We here present data on group I xenoliths, including veined harzburgites and dunites which provide an excellent basis for detailed studies of metasomatic processes. The spinel harzburgite and lherzolite xenoliths have modal ol−opx−cpx ratios and mineral and whole rock major element chemistry similar to those found in Lanzarote and Hierro, and are interpreted as highly refractory, old oceanic lithospheric mantle. Spinel dunites are interpreted as old oceanic peridotite which has been relatively enriched in olivine and clinopyroxene (and highly incompatible elements) through reactions with basaltic Canarian magmas, with relatively high melt/peridotite ratio. Group I xenoliths from La Palma differ from the Hierro and Lanzarote ones by a frequent presence of minor amounts of phlogopite (and amphibole). Metasomatic processes are also reflected in a marked enrichment of strongly incompatible relative to moderately incompatible trace elements, and in a tendency for Fe−Ti enrichment along grain boundaries in some samples. The veins in the veined xenoliths show a gradual change in phase assemblage and composition of each phase, from Fe−Ti-rich amphibole+augite+Fe−Ti-oxides+apatite+basaltic glass, to Ti-poor phlogopite+Cr-diopside±chromite+ Si−Na−K-rich glass+fluid. Complex reaction zones between veins and peridotite include formation of clinopyroxene±olivine+glass at the expense of orthopyroxene in harzburgite, and clinopyroxene+spinel±amphibole±glass at the expense of olivine in dunite. The dramatic change in glass composition from the broadest to the narrowest veins includes increasing SiO₂ from 44 to 67 wt%, decreasing TiO₂/Al₂O₃ ratio from >0.24 to about 0.02, and increasing K₂O and Na₂O from 1.8 to >7.0 wt% and 3.8 to 6.7 wt%, respectively. The petrographic observations supported by petrographic mixing calculations indicate that the most silicic melts in the veined xenoliths formed as the result of reaction between infiltrating basaltic melt and peridotite wall-rock. The highly silicic, alkaline melt may represent an important metasomatic agent. Pervasive metasomatism by highly silicic melts (and possibly fluids unmixed from these) may account for the enriched trace element patterns and frequent presence of phlogopite in the upper mantle under La Palma. Received: 15 January 1996 / Accepted 30 May 1996     

Tertiary basalts and peridotite xenoliths from the Hessian Depression (NW Germany), reflecting mantle compositions low in radiogenic Nd and Sr

A total of 17 alkali basalts (alkali olivine basalt, limburgite, olivine nephelinite) and quartz tholeiites, and of 10 peridotite xenoliths (or their clinopyroxenes) were analyzed for Nd and Sr isotopes. ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd ratios and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios of all basalts and of the majority of ultramafic xenoliths plot below the mantle array with a large variation in Nd isotopes and a smaller variation in Sr isotopes. The tholeiites were less radiogenic in Nd than the alkali basalts. Volcanics from the Eifel and Massif Central regions contain Nd and Sr, which is more radiogenic than that of the basalts from the Hessian Depression. Nd and Sr isotopic compositions of all rocks from the latter area, with the exception of one tholeiite and one peridotite plot in the same field of isotope ratios as the Ronda ultramafic tectonite (SW Spain), which ranges in composition from garnet to plagioclase peridotite. The alkali basaltic rocks are products of smaller degrees of partial melting of depleted peridotite, which has undergone a larger metasomatic alteration compared with the source rock of tholeiitic magmas. For the peridotite xenoliths such metasomatic alteration is indicated by the correlation of their K contents and isotopic compositions. We assume that the upper mantle locally can acquire isotopic signatures low in radiogenic Nd and Sr from the introduction of delaminated crust. Such granulites low in radiogenic Nd and Sr are products of early REE fractionation and granite (Rb) separation.     

Petrology of Lower Crustal and Upper Mantle Xenoliths from the Cima Volcanic Field, California

Basaltic rocks of the Cima volcanic field in the southern Basinand Range province contain abundant gabbro, pyroxenite, andperidotite xenoliths. Composite xenoliths containing two ormore rock types show that upper-mantle spinel peridotite wasenriched by multiple dike intrusions in at least three episodes;the mantle was further enriched by intergranular and shear-zonemelt infiltration in at least two episodes. The oldest dikes,now metamorphosed, are Cr-diopside websterite. Dikes of intermediateage are most abundant at Cima and consist of igneous-texturedwebsterite and two-pyroxene gabbro and microgabbro of tholeiiticor calcalkalic parentage. The youngest dikes are igneous-texturedclinopyroxenite, gabbro, and olivine microgabbro of alkalicparentage. The dikes in peridotite are interpreted as partsof a system of conduits through which tholeiitic (or calcalkalic)and alkalic magmas fed lower-crustal intrusions, which are representedby abundant xenoliths of the same igneous rock types as observedin the dikes. Mineral assemblages of dikes in peridotite indicatethat an enriched uppermost mantle zone no thicker than 15 kmcould have been sampled. Because of their high densities, thegabbros and pyroxenites can occupy the zone immediately abovethe present Moho (modeled on seismic data as 10-13 km thick,with V_p 6.8 km/s) only if their seismic velocities are reducedby the joints, partial melts, and fluid inclusions that occurin them. Alternatively, these xenoliths may have been derivedentirely from beneath the Moho, in which case the Moho is notthe local crust-mantle boundary.     

Melt and fluid inclusion evidence for a genetic relationship between magmatism in the Shuangliao volcanic field and inorganic CO2 gas reservoirs in the southern Songliao Basin,China

We have studied melt and fluid inclusions in minerals from alkali basalts, mantle xenoliths, and dawsonite-bearing sandstones from the Shuangliao volcanic field in southern Songliao Basin, Northeast China. The inclusions have been investigated using petrographic, geochemical, and laser Raman spectroscopic techniques. Volcanic rocks of the Shuangliao field are predominantly alkali olivine basalts that contain rare mantle xenoliths. Silicate melt and fluid inclusions are common in both olivine phenocrysts and the mantle xenoliths. The fluid inclusions are mainly composed of CO₂ with small amounts of CO, CH₄, N₂, and H₂O, which is consistent with an upper mantle origin. CO₂ gas reservoirs in the southern Songliao Basin are mostly derived from a mantle–magmatic source. Coeval fluid-inclusion homogenization temperatures, coupled with the thermal burial history, show that the CO₂ gas reservoirs in the southern Songliao Basin are Cenozoic (40–63 Ma) and coeval with the magmatism in the Shuangliao volcanic field. Despite the relatively small scale of this volcanic activity, it released large amounts of CO₂. Much of the magma was not erupted, and CO₂- and H₂O-rich magma was probably intruded into the basin along deep faults, acting as a major source of inorganic CO₂ gas in the southern Songliao Basin.     

The Petrogenesis of the High-temperature Peridotite Intrusion in the Lizard Area, Cornwall

The Lizard peridotite produced a high-temperature metamorphicaureole during diapirie emplacement in a period of amphibolitefacies regional metamorphism. The peridotite preserves a coarse-grainedprimary core within a cataclastic, finely foliated and recrystallizedmarginal shell. Chemical analyses demonstrate the constancyof rock composition in the primary and recrystallized mineralassemblages. The primary mineral assemblage of the peridotiteconsists of olivine (Fo₈₉), aluminous enstatite, aluminous diopside,and green aluminous spinel. In contrast the mineral assemblageon recrystallization is olivine, enstatite (normal Al₂O₃ content),diopside (normal Al₂O₃ content), plagioclase, and brown chromite.A third assemblage of olivine, pargasite, and brown chromianspinel is developed locally from the plagioclase-bearing assemblage,particularly in contact areas. Major and trace element analyses of twenty minerals and eightrocks are given. These are compared in detail with peridotitesand minerals occurring as accumulates from basaltic magma, asperidotite nodules in basalts and as ’intrusive' peridotitesin orogenic areas. It is concluded that the primary mineralsof the Lizard peridotite have not crystallized and accumulatedfrom a basaltic magma but have crystallized in a similar environmentto that of peridotite nodules in basalts. It is further concludedthat the cause of the differences between the primary and recrystallizedassemblages of the peridotite is primarily a difference in loadpressure at crystallization. In particular the high aluminacontent of both enstatite and diopside and the coexistence ofpyroxenes+ aluminous spinel instead of olivine+anorthite areconsidered to be a direct consequence of the high load pressureat the initial crystallization of the peridotite.     

Petrogenesis of the amphibole-rich veins from the Lherz orogenic lherzolite massif (Eastern Pyrenees, France): a case study for the origin of orthopyroxene-bearing amphibole pyroxenites in the lithospheric mantle

The Lherz orogenic lherzolite massif (Eastern French Pyrenees) displays one of the best exposures of subcontinental lithospheric mantle containing veins of amphibole pyroxenites and hornblendites. A reappraisal of the petrogenesis of these rocks has been attempted from a comprehensive study of their mutual structural relationships, their petrography and their mineral compositions. Amphibole pyroxenites comprise clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene and spinel as early cumulus phases, with garnet and late-magmatic K₂O-poor pargasite replacing clinopyroxene, and subsolidus exsolution products (olivine, spinel II, garnet II, plagioclase). The original magmatic mineralogy and rock compositions were partly obscured by late-intrusive hornblendites and over a few centimetres by vein–wallrock exchange reactions which continued down to subsolidus temperatures for Mg–Fe. Thermobarometric data and liquidus parageneses indicate that amphibole pyroxenites started to crystallize at P ≥ 13 kbar and recrystallized at P < 12 kbar. The high Al^VI/Al^IV ratio (>1) of clinopyroxenes, the early precipitation of orthopyroxene and the late-magmatic amphibole are arguments for parental melts richer in silica but poorer in water than alkali basalts. Their modelled major element compositions are similar to transitional alkali basalt with about 1–3 wt% H₂O. In contrast to amphibole pyroxenites, hornblendites only show kaersutite as liquidus phase, and phlogopite as intercumulus phase. They are interpreted as crystalline segregates from primary basanitic magmas (mg=0.6; 4–6 wt% H₂O). These latter cannot be related to the parental liquids of amphibole pyroxenites by a fractional crystallization process. Rather, basanitic liquids mostly reused pre-existing pyroxenite vein conduits at a higher structural level (P ≤ 10 kbar). A continuous process of redox melting and/or alkali melt/peridotite interaction in a veined lithospheric mantle is proposed to account for the origin of the Lherz hydrous veins. The transitional basalt composition is interpreted in terms of extensive dissolution of olivine and orthopyroxene from wallrock peridotite by alkaline melts produced at the mechanical boundary layer/thermal boundary layer transition (about 45–50 km deep). Continuous fluid ingress allowed remelting of the deeper veined mantle to produce the basanitic, strongly volatiles enriched, melts that precipitated hornblendites. A similar model could be valid for the few orthopyroxene-rich hydrous pyroxenites described in basalt-hosted mantle xenoliths. Received: 15 September 1999 / Accepted: 31 January 2000     

Melting of hydrous pyroxenites with alkali amphiboles in the continental mantle: 1. Melting relations and major element compositions of melts

Melting experiments on ultramafic rocks rich in the hydrous minerals phlogopite or phlogopite + K-richterite, some including 5% of accessory phases, have been conducted at 15 and 50 kbar. The assemblages represent probable source components that contribute to melts in cratonic regions, but whose melt compositions are poorly known. A main series of starting compositions based on MARID xenoliths consisted of a third each of clinopyroxene (CPX), phlogopite (PHL) and K-richterite (KR) with or without 5% ilmenite, rutile or apatite. Additional experiments were run without KR and with higher proportions of accessory phases. Melt traps were used at near-solidus temperatures to facilitate accurate analysis of well-quenched melts, for which reversal experiments demonstrate equilibrium.Results show that KR melts rapidly and completely within 50 °C of the solidus, so that melts reflect the composition of the amphibole and its melting reaction. Melts have high SiO₂ and especially K₂O but low CaO and Al₂O₃ relative to basaltic melts produced from peridotites at similar pressures. They have no counterparts amongst natural rocks, but most closely resemble leucite lamproites at 15 kbar. KR and PHL melt incongruently to form olivine (OL) and CPX at 15 kbar, promoting SiO₂ contents of the melt, whereas orthopyroxene OPX is increasingly stable at lower lithosphere pressures, leading to an increase in MgO and decrease in SiO₂ in melts, which resemble olivine lamproites. Melts of mica pyroxenites without KR are richer in CaO and Al₂O₃ and do not resemble lamproites. These experiments show that low CaO and Al₂O₃ in igneous rocks is not necessarily a sign of a depleted peridotite source. Accessory phases produce melts exceptionally rich in P₂O₅ or TiO₂ depending on the phases present and are unlike any melts seen at the Earth’s surface, but may be important agents of metasomatism seen in xenoliths. The addition of the 5% accessory phases ilmenite, rutile or apatite result in melting temperatures a few ten of degrees lower; at least two of these appear essential to explain the compositions of many alkaline igneous rocks on cratons.Melting temperatures for CPX + PHL + KR mixtures are close to cratonic geotherms at depths > 130 km: minor perturbations of the stable geotherm at >150 km will rapidly lead to 20% melting. Melts of hydrous pyroxenites with a variety of accessory phases will be common initial melts at depth, but will change if reaction with wall-rocks occurs, leading to volcanism that contains chemical components of peridotite even though the temperature in the source region remains well below the melting point of peridotite. At higher temperatures, extensive melting of peridotite will dilute the initial alkaline melts: this is recognizable as alkaline components in basalts and, in extreme cases, alkali picrites. Hydrous pyroxenites are, therefore, components of most mantle-derived igneous rocks: basaltic rocks should not be oversimplified as being purely melts of peridotite or of mixtures of peridotite and dry pyroxenite without hydrous phases.     

Fractionation of Nb and Ta from Zr and Hf at Mantle Depths: the Role of Titanian Pargasite and Kaersutite

Selective enrichment or depletion in either Zr and Hf (HFSE⁴⁺)or Nb and Ta (HFSE⁵⁺) is a feature commonly observed in manymantle-derived melts and amphiboles occurring as either disseminatedminerals in mantle xenoliths and peridotite massifs or in veinassemblages cutting these rocks. The fractionation of Nb fromZr seen in natural mantle amphiboles suggests that their incorporationis governed by different crystal-chemical mechanisms. An extensiveset of new partitioning experiments between pargasite–kaersutiteand melt under upper-mantle conditions shows that HFSE incorporationand fractionation depends on amphibole major-element compositionand the presence or absence of dehydrogenation. Multiple regressionanalysis shows that ^Amph/LD_Nb/Zr is strongly dependent on themg-number of the amphibole as a result of a combination of amphiboleand melt structure effects, so that the following generalizationsapply: (1) high-mg-number amphiboles crystallized from unmodifiedmantle melts more easily incorporate Zr relative to Nb leadingto an increase of the Nb/Zr ratio in the residual melt; (2)low-mg-number amphiboles, such as those found in veins cuttingperidotites, may strongly deplete the residual melt in Nb andcause very low Nb/Zr in residual melts. Implications and applicationsto mantle environments are discussed. KEY WORDS: trace elements; high field strength elements; partition coefficients; amphibole; upper mantle