Interaction of Continental Lithosphere and Asthenospheric Melts below the Geronimo Volcanic Field, Arizona, U.S.A

Spinel lherzolite and pyroxenite inclusions from the Geronimovolcanic field, Arizona (and Dish Hill, California) record,in their constituent minerals, a chronology of diverse mantledepletion and enrichment events. Certain portions of the lithosphericmantle have remained relatively isolated for considerable periodsof time(1–4 b.y.) while wall rock adjacent to conduitsof basanite has been recently (< 0-2 b.y.) modified. Evidenceexists for a widespread ancient (1–4 b.y.) partial meltingresidue, now recognizable as MORB-like mantle below the southwesternU.S.A. Trace element enrichment (0?9 b.y.) has increased thelight rare earth element (LREE) and Sr content of many refractoryperidotites without any mineralogical changes to the host rock.The fluids/melt responsible for this enrichment have a complexhistory involving heterogeneous mantle sources. In contrast,modal metasomatism of the mantle (< 0.2 b.y.) in aureolesaround evolved derivatives of basanite has petrographicallyand chemically transformed this ancient partial melting residue.The metasomatic fluids responsible for such metasomatism havean asthenospheric mantle source identical to the host magma.It is proposed that modal metasomatism occurs in contact metamorphicaureoles that surround apophyses of basanitic silicate meltin the lithospheric mantle. The gradient in CO₂/(CO₂ ? H₂O)ratio that must surround such veins in the upper mantle (<20 kb) may encourage the development of enrichment fronts. Immediatelyadjacent to the vein, a wet zone with a relatively low CO₂/(CO₂? H₂O) ratio would allow a precipitation of mica ? amphibole.Beyond this a dry zone with a higher CO₂/(CO₂ ? H₂O) ratio wouldhasten chemical but not petrographic transformation of the wallrock.