Mantle plumes from top to bottom

Hotspots include midplate features like Hawaii and on-axis features like Iceland. Mantle plumes are a well-posed hypothesis for their formation. Starting plume heads provide an explanation of brief episodes of flood basalts, mafic intrusions, and radial dike swarms. Yet the essence of the hypothesis hides deep in the mantle. Tests independent of surface geology and geochemistry to date have been at best tantalizing. It is productive to bare the current ignorance, rather than to dump the plume hypothesis. One finds potentially fruitful lines of inquiry using simple dynamics and observations. Ancient lithospheric xenoliths may reveal heating by plumes and subsequent thermal equilibration in the past. The effect at the base of the chemical layer is modest 50-100 K for transient heating by plume heads. Thinning of nonbuoyant platform lithosphere is readily observed but not directly attributable to plumes. The plume history in Antarctica is ill constrained because of poor geological exposure. This locality provides a worst case on what is known about surface evidence of hotspots. Direct detection of plume tail conduits in the mid-mantle is now at the edge of seismic resolution. Seismology does not provide adequate resolution of the deep mantle. We do not know the extent of a chemically dense dregs layer or whether superplume regions are cooler or hotter than an adiabat in equilibrium with the asthenosphere. Overall, mid-mantle seismology is most likely to give definitive results as plume conduits are the guts of the dynamic hypothesis. Finding them would bring unresolved deep and shallow processes into place.     

Petrological feature of spinel lherzolite xenolith from Oki-Dogo Island: An implication for variety of the upper mantle peridotite beneath southwestern Japan

Abstract   Spinel lherzolite is a minor component of the deep-seated xenolith suite in the Oki-Dogo alkaline basalts, whereas other types of ultramafic (e.g. pyroxenite and dunite) and mafic (e.g. granulite and gabbro) xenoliths are abundant. All spinel lherzolite xenoliths have spinel with a low Cr number (Cr#; < 0.26). They are anhydrous and are free of modal metasomatism. Their mineral assemblages and microtextures, combined with the high NiO content in olivine, suggest that they are of residual origin. But the Mg numbers of silicate minerals are lower (e.g. down to Fo₈₆) in some spinel lherzolites than in typical upper mantle residual peridotites. The clinopyroxene in the spinel lherzolite shows U-shaped chondrite-normalized rare-earth element (REE) patterns. The abundance of Fe-rich ultramafic and mafic cumulate xenoliths in Oki-Dogo alkali basalts suggests that the later formation of those Fe-rich cumulates from alkaline magma was the cause of Fe- and light REE (LREE)-enrichment in residual peridotite. The similar REE patterns are observed in spinel peridotite xenoliths from Kurose and also in those from the South-west Japan arc, which are non-metasomatized in terms of major-element chemistry (e.g. Fo > 89), and are rarely associated with Fe-rich cumulus mafic and ultramafic xenoliths. This indicates that the LREE-enrichment in mantle rocks has been more prominent and prevalent than Fe and other major-element enrichment during the metasomatism.     

Silica-rich Melts in Quartz Xenoliths from Vulcano Island and their Bearing on Processes of Crustal Anatexis and Crust-Magma Interaction beneath the Aeolian Arc, Southern Italy

Quartz-rich xenoliths in lavas and pyroclastic rocks from VulcanoIsland, part of the Aeolian arc, Italy, contain silicic meltinclusions with high SiO₂ (73–80 wt %) and K₂O (3–6wt %) contents. Two types of inclusions can be distinguishedbased on their time of entrapment and incompatible trace element(ITE) concentrations. One type (late, ITE-enriched inclusions)has trace element characteristics that resemble those of themetamorphic rocks of the Calabro-Peloritano basement of theadjacent mainland. Other inclusions (early, ITE-depleted) havevariable Ba, Rb, Sr and Cs, and low Nb, Zr and rare earth element(REE) contents. Their REE patterns are unfractionated, witha marked positive Eu anomaly. Geochemical modelling suggeststhat the ITE-depleted inclusions cannot be derived from equilibriummelting of Calabro-Peloritano metamorphic rocks. ITE-enrichedinclusions can be modelled by large degrees (>80%) of meltingof basement gneisses and schists, leaving a quartz-rich residuerepresented by the quartz-rich xenoliths. Glass inclusions inquartz-rich xenoliths represent potential contaminants of Aeolianarc magmas. Interaction between calc-alkaline magmas and crustalanatectic melts with a composition similar to the analysed inclusionsmay generate significant enrichment in potassium in the magmas.However, ITE contents of the melt inclusions are comparablewith or lower than those of Vulcano calc-alkaline and potassicrocks. This precludes the possibility that potassic magmas inthe Aeolian arc may originate from calc-alkaline parents throughdifferent degrees of incorporation of crustal melts. KEY WORDS: melt inclusions; crustal anatexis; magma assimilation; xenoliths; Vulcano Island     

Seismic velocities of granulite-facies xenoliths from Central Ireland: Implications for lower crustal composition and anisotropy

V_p and V_s values have been measured experimentally and calculated for granulite-facies lower crustal xenoliths from central Ireland close to the Caledonian Iapetus suture zone. The xenoliths are predominantly foliated and lineated metapelitic (garnet–sillimanite–K-feldspar) granulites. Their metapelitic composition is unusual compared with the mostly mafic composition of lower crustal xenoliths world-wide. Based on thermobarometry, the metapelitic xenoliths were entrained from depths of c. 20–25 ± 3.5 km and rare mafic granulites from depths of 31–33 ± 3.4 km. The xenoliths were emplaced during Lower Carboniferous volcanism and are considered to represent samples of the present day lower crust.V_p values for the metapelitic granulites range between 6.26 and 7.99 km s^{− 1} with a mean value of 7.09 ± 0.4 km s^{− 1}. Psammite and granitic orthogneiss samples have calculated V_p values of 6.51 and 6.23 km s^{− 1}, respectively. V_s values for the metapelites are between 3.86 and 4.34 km s^{− 1}, with a mean value of 4.1 ± 0.15 km s^{− 1}. The psammite and orthogneiss have calculated V_s values of 3.95 and 3.97 km s^{− 1}, respectively.The measured seismic velocities correlate with density and with modal mineralogy, especially the high content of sillimanite and garnet. V_p anisotropy is between 0.15% and 13.97%, and a clear compositional control is evident, mainly in relation to sillimanite abundance. Overall V_s anisotropy ranges from 1% to 11%. Poisson's ratio (σ) lies between 0.25 and 0.35 for the metapelitic granulites, mainly reflecting a high V_p value due to abundant sillimanite in the sample with the highest σ. Anisotropy is probably a function of deformation associated with the closure of the Iapetus ocean in the Silurian as well as later extension in the Devonian. The orientation of the bulk strain ellipsoid in the lower crust is difficult to constrain, but lineation is likely to be NE–SW, given the strike-slip nature of the late Caledonian and subsequent Acadian deformation.When corrected for present-day lower crustal temperature, the experimentally determined V_p values correspond well with velocities from the ICSSP, COOLE I and VARNET seismic refraction lines. Near the xenolith localities, the COOLE I line displays two lower crustal layers with in situ V_p values of 6.85–6.9 and 6.9–8.0 km s^{− 1}, respectively. The upper (lower velocity) layer corresponds well with the metapelitic granulite xenoliths while the lower (higher velocity) layer matches that of the basic granulite xenoliths, though their metamorphic pressures suggest derivation from depths corresponding to the present-day upper mantle.     

黔西南水银洞爆破角砾岩筒与金元素超常富集

水银洞金矿床曾被认为是滇黔桂地区最有代表性的微细浸染型金矿(卡林型金矿),然而矿床的金品位明显高于一般意义上的卡林型金矿床,且金矿体与气液爆破角砾岩关系密切.气液爆破角砾岩呈垂直筒状产状,两侧断裂矿化带呈向上扩张的"喇叭口"状成矿空间,富金矿体紧密围绕角砾岩筒分布.根据野外和显微镜观察,角砾岩块成分复杂与显著磨圆.气液角砾岩筒的角砾岩显著富集金、稀土、亲地幔过渡元素Ti、Cr、Ni、Co、V等,以及Zr、Hf等,明显地区别于围岩,反映出深源流体快速上升的气液爆破角砾岩的特征,角砾岩筒实际上具备含金成矿流体的上涌通道的功能.岩筒中早期角砾岩的角砾含Au达18×10–6,属于深部金矿体的爆破碎块,显示出水银洞金矿床可观的深部找矿勘探前景.     

四川威远气田烃流体包裹体的研究

通过烃流体包裹体的类型、均一化温度、气相及液相成分、盐度以及同位素的研究,可以认为威远气田的天然气主要是由白云岩中有机质形成。由于从80～160℃到200～240℃的热解作用,有机物质已演化到过成热阶段。这一过程可由白云岩中存在液态烃及含沥青烃流体包裹体得到证明。威远气田的特征是:震旦系白云岩中天然气的自产自储,以CH_4为主;油田水为古海水,盐度(4.3～17.2)wt%NaCl,pH>8,(CO+CH_4)/CO_2比值指示还原条件。在基底花岗岩石英中发现有气态烃包裹体,其成分及δ~(13)C‰与花岗岩储气层中产出的天然气一致,为部分天然气可能来自深部地壳或地幔提供了新的证据。因而,威远气田天然气的成因主要由有机物质形成,部分甲烷气可能经基底断裂来自地球深处。     

伊通地堑上地幔剪切带

通过研究糜棱岩型幔源包体的变形显微构造、位错亚构造及组构特征，确定它是上地幔剪切带的代表物质。该带形成温度为７２９～８２８℃、压力为１．１０～１．３８ＧＰａ、差异应力为９７～１５０ＭＰａ、应变速率为ＩＯ￣（－１４）～１Ｏ￣（－１２）ｓ￣（－１）、等效粘滞度为１０～１０００ＥＰａ·ｓ和深度为３７～４５ｋｍ。这是一种与地幔底辟作用有关的规模较小的缓倾斜剪切带，也是应变集中带，能导致上地幔地震波速各向异性，并与地震活动有关     

江西安远路迳金伯利质煌斑岩筒研究——一种新型的幔源碱性超基性岩

路迳岩筒属火山通道相,由金伯利质煌斑岩、角砾岩、角砾凝灰岩组成,富含幔源橄榄岩包体、普通辉石巨晶和岩球。造岩矿物是橄榄石、斜方辉石、单斜辉石、角闪石和金云母,深源特征指示矿物有镁铝榴石、铬透辉石、铬尖晶石和镁钛铁矿。岩石化学组成超低SiO2,低MgO,高Al2O3,富碱,富挥发组分。轻稀土元素富集,相容元素贫化,不相容元素明显富集。岩浆起源深度约85km。其中：岩体产状,富含包体、巨晶和岩球,岩石结构和构造,矿物组成,岩石化学组成超低SiO2、富碱、富挥发组分等特征与金伯利岩相似;但岩石化学组成高Al2O3,低MgO,K2O低于Na2O,REE和LREE/HREE偏低,部分微量元素的亏损或富集,金云母成分富TiO2,富TFeO,贫MgO,镁铝榴石、铬透辉石、铬尖晶石和镁钛铁矿的Cr2O3含量偏低,岩浆起源深度较浅,均与金伯利岩有重大差异,而更接近煌斑岩类。研究认为,是幔源岩浆岩的一种新类型,岩石名称界定为金伯利质煌斑岩。     

桂北—湘南中生代玄武质岩石及其深源包体的地球化学性质和岩石成因探讨

桂北-湘南中生代玄武质岩石中含有丰富的深源包体，它们分别为橄榄岩、变形的辉长岩和中酸性片麻岩三大类，本文在论述上述岩石地球化学性质的基础上，探讨了它们之间的成因关系；寄主的中生代玄武质岩石为地幔楣榄岩部分熔融的产物，与辉长岩和中酸性片麻岩并无成因联系，后者属偶然包体，值得注意的是，深源包体中的变形辉长岩与片麻岩之间为分离结晶的成因关系，它们均为元古宙壳、幔间底侵玄武质岩浆的演化产物，其中辉长岩为底侵岩浆的堆积相，而片麻岩则为底侵岩浆经历分离结晶的堆积作用之后所剩下的残余岩浆的变质产物。     

The longevity of subcontinental lithospheric mantle beneath Jiangsu-Anhui Region

The basalt-borne peridotite xenoliths from Jiangsu-Anhui provinces were analyzed for whole rock Os isotopic compositions in two laboratories of USTC, China and CRPG, France, respectively. The¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratio of the sample set ranges from 0.119 to 0.129 (25 samples, USTC) and from 0.117 to 0.131 (17 samples, CRPG). The Os isotopic compositions of most samples are less than 0.129 and depleted relatively to the primitive mantle, showing a good correlation with the major element compositions. With the¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os-Al₂O₃ alumichron, the samples yield a model age of 2.5 ± 0.1 Ga (data of USTC) and 1.9 ± 0.1 Ga (data of CRPG), late Archean to early Pro-terozoic. The two samples with the lowest¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os ratio (0.119 and 0.117) have the T_RD (Re depleted age) of 1.1 Ga (USTC) and 1.4 Ga (CRPG), mid-Proterozoic. The Os isotope model age shows that the peridotite xenoliths from Cenozoic alkali basalt in Jiangsu-Anhui provinces have an old formation age (early- to mid- Proterozoic). They are not newly produced mantle after the Phanerozoic replacement of the lithosphere mantle, but residual fractions of Proterozoic mantle.