Geochemistry of mafic dikes in the Singhbhum Orissa craton: implications for subduction-related metasomatism of the mantle beneath the eastern Indian craton

Mafic dikes, which transect the Mesoarchaean Singhbhum Granitoid Complex, are the most abundant members of the Newer Dolerite dikes of the Singhbhum Orissa craton. These dikes are subalkaline and exhibit a tholeiitic differentiation trend. Studied dikes underwent fractional crystallization of clinopyroxene and plagioclase. They show enriched patterns for the light rare earth elements (LREE) and large ion lithophile elements (LILE). On primitive mantle-normalized multi-element patterns, they possess Ba, Nb, Sr, P, and Ti depletions similar to subduction-related basaltic rocks. The high (La/Yb) _n and (Gd/Yb) _n ratios suggest that the studied mafic dikes were derived by low degrees of partial melting of a garnet-bearing source. Judging by trace elemental ratios (e.g. Ba/Y, Nb/Y, Ba/Th and Th/Nb), the studied dikes were derived from a mantle source metasomatized by a subduction component (e.g. fluids derived by dehydration of the subducting slab). We conclude that interaction between these fluids and the overlying mantle was the main cause of (LREE and LILE) enrichment and Nb (high field strength elements) depletion in the mafic dikes.     

Geochemical and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions of Mesozoic mafic dikes from the Gan-Hang tectonic belt,South China: petrogenesis and geodynamic significance

Mesozoic mafic dikes in the Gan-Hang tectonic belt (GHTB) provide an opportunity to explore both the nature of their mantle source(s) and the secular evolution of the underlying Mesozoic lithospheric mantle in the region. The geochronology and primary geochemical and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic compositions of Group 1 (middle section of GHTB) and Group 2 (the rest of the section) dolerite dikes spanning the GHTB were investigated. K–Ar ages indicate that dikes of both groups were emplaced during the Cretaceous (131–69 Ma). The dikes are doleritic in composition and are enriched in both large ion lithophile elements (LILEs; e.g. Rb, Ba, and Pb) and light rare earth elements (LREEs), with a wide range of Eu anomalies, but are depleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs; e.g. Nb, Ta, and Ti) and heavy rare earth elements (HREEs). Dikes sampled in the middle section of the GHTB (Group 1) show more pronounced REE differentiation and a greater contribution from crustal material than those from the east and west sections (Group 2) and are similar to GHTB volcanic rocks in exhibiting a slight enrichment in LREEs. The dolerites are further characterized by a wide range in ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr _i ?=?0.7041–0.7110, ¹⁴³Nd/¹⁴⁴Nd _i ?=?0.511951–0.512758, ?Nd _t ?=?–10.4 to?+5.6, and Pb isotopic ratios (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb _i ?=?18.1–18.3, ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb _i ≈ 15.6, and ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb _i ?=?38.2–38.7). The dikes have undergone fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and Ti-bearing phases, except for dikes from the Anding area, which possibly experienced fractionation of plagioclase. Geochemically, all the dike samples originated from mantle sources ranging in composition from depleted to enriched that contained a component of foundered lower crust; crustal contamination during the ascent of these magmas was negligible. In the context of the late Mesozoic lithospheric extension across South China, mafic dike magmatism was likely triggered by the reactivation of deep faults, which promoted foundering of the lower crust and subsequent mantle upwelling in the GHTB.     

Occurrence and significance of a quartz–amphibole schist xenolith within a mafic microgranular enclave in the Xiangshan volcanic-intrusive complex,SE China

The Xiangshan volcanic-intrusive complex is composed of rhyolitic crystal tuffs, welded tuffs, rhyodacite, porphyroclastic rhyolitic lava, subvolcanic rocks such as granite porphyry, and late quartz monzonitic porphyry and lamprophyre dikes. We report the first occurrence of a quartz–amphibole schist (QAS) xenolith enclosed within a mafic microgranular enclave (MME) in the Xiangshan volcanic-intrusive complex. The mineralogy of this xenolith consists of amphibole, biotite, quartz, and minor plagioclase. Petrographic and mineral composition studies indicate that the protolith of this xenolith likely originated from the metamorphic basement beneath Xiangshan. The amphibole (actinolite and magnesiohorblende) has been partially replaced by orthopyroxene at 800–1000°C and by diopside at <700°C, according to mineral thermometers; this replacement process may have taken place after the xenolith was trapped by the mafic magma host (now an MME). Studies of the QAS xenolith provide new information on the emplacement history of the mafic magma. The peak metamorphic temperature for amphibole replaced by pyroxene is higher than the crystallization temperature of the subvolcanic magma, which indicates that the heat of pyroxene formation must have been provided by the engulfing mafic melt. This magma must have emplaced to crustal level and trapped the QAS as a xenolith and then injected into the felsic magma. We suggested that the hybridization processes for the major elements of the pristine mafic magma may have been contaminated by crustal rocks to form its present composition of MME before mafic magma injection. However, the hybridization process appears not to have been formed via a single-stage process because various types of MMEs are presented in the Mesozoic magmatic rocks of SE China.     

Late Palaeoproterozoic post-collisional magmatism in the North China Craton: geochemistry,zircon U–Pb geochronology,and Hf isotope of the pyroxenite–gabbro–diorite suite from Xinghe,Inner Mongolia

The North China Craton (NCC) witnessed a prolonged subduction–accretion history from the early to late Palaeoproterozoic, culminating with final collision at ca. 1.85 Ga and assembling the continental blocks into the cratonic framework. Subsequently, widespread post-collisional magmatism occurred, particularly along the Trans-North China Orogen (TNCO) that sutures the Eastern and Western blocks of the NCC. Here we present petrological, geochemical, and zircon U–Pb geochronological and Lu–Hf data from a pyroxenite (websterite)–gabbro–diorite suite at Xinghe in Inner Mongolia along the northern segment of the TNCO. The internal structures and high Th/U values of the zircons from the gabbro–diorite suite suggest magmatic crystallization. LA-ICP-MS U–Pb age data on three gabbros and one diorite from the suite yield emplacement ages of 1786.1 ± 4.8, 1783 ± 15 ,1754 ± 16 and 1767 ± 13 Ma, respectively. The ε_Hf(t) shows mostly positive values (up to 5.8), with the lowest value at –4.2, suggesting that the magma was derived from dominantly juvenile sources. The generally low SiO₂ and high MgO values, and other trace element features of the Xinghe suite are consistent with fractionation from a mantle-derived magma with a broadly E-MORB affinity, with no significant crustal contamination. Recent studies clearly establish that the major magmatic pulse associated with rifting of the NCC within the Columbia supercontinent occurred in the late Mesoproterozoic at ca. 1.3–1.2 Ga associated with mantle plume activity. This, together with the lack of robust geochemical imprints of rift-related magmatism in the Xinghe suite, prompts us to suggest a tectonic model that envisages magma genesis associated with post-collisional extension during slab break-off, following the westward subduction of the Eastern Block and its collision with the Western Block. The resulting asthenospheric upwelling and heat input might have triggered the magma generation from a heterogeneous, subduction-modified sub-lithospheric mantle source for the Xinghe rocks, as well as for similar late Palaeoproterozoic suites in the TNCO.     

Petrogenesis and geological significance of charnockite in the Yinshan Block of North China Craton

ABSTRACT

A comparative study was performed on the petrography, geochemistry and geochronology of charnockite and granulite in the Xiwulanbulang (XWLBL) area, northern margin of the North China Craton, NW China. Inclusions within garnet in the charnockite are used to identify the mineral assemblage in the granulite during peak metamorphism. The formation of charnockite is attributed to the anatectic of the protolith, as a result of granulite-facies metamorphism during the same tectono-thermal event. Anatexis occurred mainly during the post-peak isothermal depressurization stage (granulite and charnockite yield peak P–T conditions of 800–850°C and 1.0–1.2 GPa, and 750°C and 0.9–1.0 GPa, respectively), as inferred from the metamorphic evolution and P–T conditions derived from analyses of metamorphic minerals by electron microprobe (EMP). The garnets in the charnockite were a residual or peritectic mineral facies during anatexis, and the charnockite was the product of crystallization from melt with abundant residual minerals. Charnockite has similar geochemical characteristics to felsic granulite, although it differs in having 1) an uneven distribution of major and trace elements; 2) strong depletions in the large-ion lithophile element Cs, the heat-producing elements U and Th, and the high-field-strength elements Nb, Ta, P and Ti; and 3) both Eu-enriched and Eu-depleted patterns that are characteristic of granite formed by largely in situ anatectic. The geochemical data indicate that the XWLBL charnockite formed in a subduction-related volcanic arc setting. On the basis of our results, combined with geological data on the Neoarchean structural evolution of the Yinshan Block and εHf(t) values of 1.60–7.81, we propose that the anatectic of charnockite was related to slab break-off during mid-ocean-ridge subduction, which resulted in the ascent of mantle magma through the slab window.     

Geochemical modelling of early Eocene adakitic magmatism in the Eastern Pontides,NE Anatolia: continental crust or subducted oceanic slab origin?

Early Eocene adakitic volcanic and granitoid rocks are widespread in the Eastern Pontides of NE Turkey, providing significant constraints for the early Cenozoic tectonomagmatic evolution of the region. These adakitic rock units exhibit relatively high Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios, but low Y and Yb values, similar to modern adakites generated by partial fusion of a subducted oceanic slab. They also have high K₂O and low MgO contents, and show moderately enriched I_Sr and low ?_Nd(t) isotopic signatures. Our trace element modelling suggests that these adakitic magmas were generated from partial melting at low pressures of a garnet-bearing amphibolitic source in the continental lower crust. This lower crustal melting resulted from slab break off-induced asthenospheric upwelling and related magmatic underplating beneath the Eastern Pontides. We interpret this melting event and the adakitic magmatic activity as a syn- to post-collisional process involving early Cenozoic collision of the Pontide and Anatolide–Tauride continental blocks. The geochemical and tectonic constraints presented here indicate that early Eocene adakitic magmatism in the Eastern Pontides did not result from partial fusion of a subducted oceanic slab, but instead represent continental-type adakite formation.     

Re–Os dating of the Radio Hill Ni–Cu deposit,west Pilbara Craton,Western Australia

A Re–Os isochron age is reported for massive sulfides from near the basal contact of the Radio Hill layered mafic‐ultramafic intrusion in the west Pilbara Craton, Western Australia. The isochron age is 2892 ± 34 Ma (mean square of weighted deviates = 1.06) with an initial ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os = 0.1265 ± 0.0028. This age is in agreement with the ages of other nearby layered mafic intrusions that are considered to have a similar geological evolution to the Radio Hill Intrusion.     

Late Ordovician island‐arc volcanic rocks,northern Capertee Zone,Lachlan Fold Belt,New South Wales

The Cape Hoskins volcanoes form part of the Quaternary volcanic island arc that extends from Rabaul in the east to the Schouten Islands in the west, and they overlie the northerly dipping New Britain Benioff Zone. The products of the volcanoes range in composition from basalt to rhyolite, and are normative in quartz and hypersthene. They contain phenocrysts of plagioclase and subordinate augite, hypersthene, and in most samples iron‐titanium oxides; some samples also contain olivine or quartz or both, and some pumice contains hornblende and, rarely, biotite.

Chemical analyses of 29 volcanic rocks are presented; 22 were also analysed for 17 minor elements — Rb, Ba, Sr, Pb, Zn, Cu, Zr, Y, Ni, Co, Sc, Cr, V, Ga, B, U, and Th.

Chemically the rocks have many of the characteristics of the ‘island arc tholeiitic series’, but do not show a pronounced relative enrichment in iron and appear to be relatively enriched in Sr. Compared with volcanic rocks from the northern part of the Willaumez Peninsula, they are lower in K (but not Na), Ti, Rb, Ba, Zr, Pb, Th, Ni, and probably also V, Cu, and Zn: these differences are attributed to the greater depth of the Benioff Zone beneath the Willaumez Peninsula. The more basic of the Cape Hoskins rocks are similar in most respects to lavas of comparable composition from Ulawun volcano to the east.     

Soldiers Cap Group iron‐formations,Mt Isa Inlier,Australia, as windows into the hydrothermal evolution of a base‐metal‐bearing Proterozoic rift basin

The Proterozoic Soldiers Cap Group, a product of two major magmatic rift phases separated by clastic sediment deposition, hosts mineralised (e.g. Pegmont Broken Hill‐type deposit) and barren iron oxide‐rich units at three main stratigraphic levels. Evaluation of detailed geological and geochemical features was carried out for one lens of an apatite‐garnet‐rich, laterally extensive (1.9 km) example, the Weatherly Creek iron‐formation, and it was placed in the context of reconnaissance studies of other similar units in the area. Chemical similarities with iron‐formations associated with Broken Hill‐type Pb–Zn deposit iron‐formations are demonstrated here. Concordant contact relationships, mineralogy, geochemical patterns and pre‐deformational alteration all indicate that the Soldiers Cap Group iron‐formations are mainly hydrothermal chemical sediments. Chondrite normalised REE patterns display positive Eu and negative Ce anomalisms, are consistent with components of both high‐temperature, reduced, hydrothermal fluid (≥250°C) and cool oxidised seawater. Major element data suggest a largely mafic provenance for montmorillonitic clays and other detritus during chemical sedimentation, consistent with westward erosion of Cover Sequence 2 volcanic rocks, rather than local mafic sources. Ni enrichment is most consistent with hydrogenous uptake by Mn‐oxides or carbonates. Temperatures inferred from REE data indicate that although they are not strongly enriched, base metals such as Pb and Zn are likely to have been transported and deposited prior to or following iron‐formation deposition. Most chemical sedimentation pre‐dated emplacement of the major mafic igneous sill complexes present in the upper part of the basin. Heating of deep basinal brines in a regional‐scale aquifer by deep‐seated mafic magma chambers is inferred to have driven development of hydrothermal fluids. Three major episodes of extension exhausted this aquifer, but were succeeded by a final climactic extensional phase, which produced widespread voluminous mafic volcanism. The lateral extent of the iron‐formations requires a depositional setting such as a sea‐floor metalliferous sediment blanket or series of brine pools, with iron‐formation deposition likely confined to much smaller fault‐fed areas surrounded by Fe–Mn–P–anomalous sediments. These relationships indicate that in such settings, major sulfide deposits and their associated chemical sediment marker horizons need not overlie major igneous sequences. Rather, the timing of expulsion of hydrothermal fluid reflects the interplay between deep‐seated heating, extension and magmatism.     

Mafic rocks spatially associated with Devonian felsic intrusions of the southern Lachlan Fold Belt: A possible mantle contribution to crustal evolution processes

Devonian basaltic to andesitic dykes and compositionally similar plutons of the southern Lachlan Fold Belt are often temporally and spatially closely associated with large granitic complexes. Mafic intrusions play a major role in the transfer of heat into the continental crust, providing a thermal ‘engine’ which leads to crustal melting, and geochemical/isotopic evidence indicates that they contribute chemical constituents to the products of this melting. Studied mafic‐intermediate dykes in the southern Lachlan Fold Belt have tholeiitic to alkaline affinities and include groups with both high and low Ti and K. Several dyke generations may be associated with a single felsic complex. Primitive mantle‐normalised trace‐element abundance patterns with negative Nb and Ti anomalies for basaltic/andesitic and gabbroic/dioritic rocks as young as Early Devonian most resemble those of modern island arcs and suggest an influence of subduction on mantle magma sources. However, some Middle and Late Devonian mafic rocks are enriched in light rare‐earth elements and other incompatible elements, lack significant Nb anomalies, and confirm the change to continental‐rift extensional settings clearly indicated by Lachlan Fold Belt geology.