Similar V/Sc Systematics in MORB and Arc Basalts: Implications for the Oxygen Fugacities of their Mantle Source Regions

V/Sc systematics in peridotites, mid-ocean ridge basalts andarc basalts are investigated to constrain the variation of fO₂in the asthenospheric mantle. V/Sc ratios are used here to ‘seethrough’ those processes that can modify barometric fO₂determinations in mantle rocks and/or magmas: early fractionalcrystallization, degassing, crustal assimilation and mantlemetasomatism. Melting models are combined here with a literaturedatabase on peridotites, arc lavas and mid-ocean ridge basalts,along with new, more precise data on peridotites and selectedarc lavas. V/Sc ratios in primitive arc lavas from the Cascadesmagmatic arc are correlated with fluid-mobile elements (e.g.Ba and K), indicating that fluids may subtly influence fO₂ duringmelting. However, for the most part, the average V/Sc-inferredfO₂s of arc basalts, MORB and peridotites are remarkably similar(–1·25 to +0·5 log units from the FMQ buffer)and disagree with the observation that the barometric fO₂s ofarc lavas are several orders of magnitude higher. These observationssuggest that the upper part of the Earth's mantle may be stronglybuffered in terms of fO₂. The higher barometric fO₂s of arclavas and some arc-related xenoliths may be due respectivelyto magmatic differentiation processes and to exposure to large,time-integrated fluid fluxes incurred during the long-term stabilityof the lithospheric mantle. KEY WORDS: vanadium; scandium; oxygen fugacity; mantle; arcs