Petrology and Geochemistry of Cretaceous Ultramafic Volcanics from Eastern Kamchatka

The origin, evolution and primary melt compositions of lateCretaceous high-K ultramafic volcanics and associated basaltsof Eastern Kamchatka are discussed on the basis of a study ofthe mineralogy and geochemistry of the rocks and magmatic inclusionsin phenocrysts. The exceptionally primitive composition of thephenocryst assemblage olivine—Fo;_88–95, Cr-spinel—Cr/(Cr + Al) up to 85] provides direct evidence of the mantleorigin of primary melts, which were highly magnesian compositions(MgO 19–24 wt%). The rocks and meltsare characterizedby strong high field strength element (HFSE) depletion in comparisonwith rare earth elements, and high and variable levels of enrichmentin large ion lithophile elements (LILE), P, K and H₂O (0.6–12wt % in picritic to basaltic melts). _Nd values lie in a narrowrange (+107 to +91), typical of N-MORB (mid-ocean ridge basalt),but ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr (0.70316–0.70358) is slightly displacedfrom the mantle array. High-K ultramafic melts from Kamchatkaare considered as a new magma type within the island-arc magmaticspectrum; basaltic members of the suite resemble arc shoshonites.The primary melts were produced under high-pressure (30–50kbar) and high-temperature(1500–1700C) conditions bypartial melting of a refractory peridotitic mantle. KEY WORDS: Kamchatka; Late Cretaceous magmatism; ultramafic volcanics; shoshonites ^*Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Geology, University of Tasmania, GPO Box 252C, Hobart, Tas., Australia