Rare earth element geochemistry of the Betts Cove ophiolite,Newfoundland: complexities in ophiolite formation

The Betts Cove ophiolite includes the components of typical ocean crust: pillow lavas, sheeted dikes, gabbros and ultramafics. However, the trace element geochemistry of basaltic rocks is unusual. Three geochemical units are recognized within the lava and dike members. Within the pillow lavas, the geochemical units correspond to stratigraphic units. Upper lavas have ‘normal’ (i.e., typical for ocean floor basalts) TiO₂ contents (0.75 to 2.0 wt%), heavy rare earth elements (HREE) values in the range 6–20× chondrites and chondrite-normalized REE patterns with relative LREE depletion. Intermediate lavas have TiO₂ contents between 0.30 and 0.50 wt%, HREE contents from 4–7× chondrites and extreme relative LREE depletion. Lower lavas have anomalously low TiO₂ contents (<0.30 wt%) and unusual convex-downwards REE patterns with REE abundances around 2–5 × chondrite. These geochemical differences can be explained if the three groups were derived from different mantle sources. Independent mantle sources for the three units are consistent with their different ${}^{143}\text{Nd}{}^{144}\text{Nd}$ ratios varying at 480 m.y.B.P. from 0.51222 in a lower lava to 0.51238 in an upper lava. The upper lavas may be partial melts of a source similar in composition to that of modern MORB, the intermediate lavas may be from a very depleted oceanic mantle (second stage melt), and the lower lavas may have formed by melting an extremely depleted mantle that had been invaded by a LREE-enriched fluid. A possible tectonic environment where these different sources could be juxtaposed is a back-arc or inter-arc basin.