Recognition of conjugate solid-type and liquid-type relationship among the oceanic basalts,with respect to REE

The REE abundances and their chondrite-normalized pattern lead one to consider that the basalt from the Caroline ridge area southeast of the Marianas Arc and the one from the Puerto Rico Trench happen to be equivalent to conjugate liquid-type and solid-type materials, respectively, reflecting an equilibrium of a 20% partial melting. This line of interpretation enables us not only to assess the REE abundances in the original solid-type material (M), but also to estimate the corresponding values in the product (¯L) of a very small (say, less than 1 %) extent of a partial melting. It is also found that the relative REE abundances in a basalt from directly east of the Marianas Trench are quite the same as those thus estimated. Alternatively, it is possible to interpret this basalt as representing the residual liquid left after the primary fractional differentiation of the mantle.It is suggested that the straight-type bulk partition coefficients, the absence of the apparent europium anomaly, and the higher pressure are closely associated.     

Basalts and serpentinite from the Puerto Rico Trench, 2. Rare-earth geochemistry

Seven tholeiitic basalts from the Puerto Rico Trench walls (three from the south wall and four from the north wall) were investigated for rare-earth abundances. All these rocks, with the exception of a pigeonite-bearing rock (RC8-RD1–12), were found to possess similar rare-earth features. Their rare-earth patterns resembled those of usual abyssal basalts, and showed no Eu anomalies. There is no difference between the rare-earth abundances of fine-grained and coarse-grained rocks. It is clear that the pigeonite-bearing rock (RC8-RD1 type 2) differs in origin from the abyssal basalts. The rocks with rare-earth patterns similar to that of RC8-RD1–12 are found among the Japanes “geosynclinal” basalts (Tanaka and Sugisaki, 1973).A serpentinite from the same trench was also analyzed for the same elements. The resultant rare-earth pattern suggests that the relevant original rock was separated from a magma having the same relative rare-earth abundances as a chondritic meteorite. The markedly high Eu positive anomaly of this serpentinite is also discussed.