N-MORB crust beneath Fuerteventura in the easternmost part of the Canary Islands: evidence from gabbroic xenoliths |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Else-Ragnhild?NeumannEmail author Riccardo?Vannucci Massimo?Tiepolo |
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Institution: | (1) Physics of Geological Processes, University of Oslo, 1048, Blindern, 0316, Oslo, Norway;(2) Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università di Pavia, via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy;(3) CNR - Istituto di Geoscienze e Georsisorse, sezione di Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, 27100 Pavia, Italy |
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Abstract: | Gabbro xenoliths reported in this paper were collected in northern Fuerteventura, the Canary Island located closest to the
coast of Africa. The xenoliths are very fresh and consist of Ti–Al-poor clinopyroxene + plagioclase (An87–67) + olivine (Fo72–86) ± orthopyroxene. Clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene are constantly and markedly depleted in light rare earth elements (LREE)
relative to heavy REE (HREE), as expected for cumulus minerals formed from highly refractory N-MORB-type melts. In contrast,
whole-rock Primordial Mantle-normalized trace element patterns range from mildly S-shaped (mildly depleted in Pr–Sm relative
to both the strongly incompatible elements Rb–La and the HREE) to enriched. Estimates show that the trace element compositions
of the rocks and their minerals are compatible with formation as N-MORB gabbro cumulates, which have been infiltrated at various
extents (≤1% to >5%) by enriched alkali basaltic melts. The enriched material is mainly concentrated along grain boundaries
and cracks through mineral grains, suggesting that the infiltration is relatively recent, and is thus associated with the
Canary Islands magmatism. Our data contradict the hypothesis that a mantle plume was present in this area during the opening
of the Atlantic Ocean. No evidence of continental material that might reflect attenuated continental crust in the area has
been found. Gabbro xenoliths with REE and trace element compositions similar to those exhibited by the Fuerteventura gabbros
are also found among gabbro xenoliths from the islands of La Palma (western Canary Islands) and Lanzarote. The compositions
of the most depleted samples from these islands are closely similar, implying that there was no significant change in chemistry
during the early stages of formation of the Atlantic oceanic crust in this area. Strongly depleted gabbros similar to those
collected in Fuerteventura have also been retrieved in the MARK area along the central Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The presence of
N-MORB oceanic crust beneath Fuerteventura implies that the continent–ocean transition in the Canary Islands area must be
relatively sharp, in contrast to the situation both further north along the coast of Morocco, and along the Iberian peninsula. |
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